Characteristics of turbine cascade with the modified leading edge of a profile

Some design and experimental data on two series of turbine cascades with the profiles having a conventional rounded edge and the modified profiles having the leading edge outline with continuously varied curvature are presented. The investigations showed that such a modification can lower the profile losses in the turbine cascade by 0.2–0.4 %.     

Stochastic models of the earth’s rotation taking the effects of the moon and planets into account

A generalization of kinetic and spectral and correlation equations of fluctuations in the Earths rotation is made taking into account the effect of the Moon and planets (these equations form the basis for corresponding stochastic models). Special attention is paid to a parameterized version of kinetic equations based on the method of normal approximation. The application of linear stochastic models for obtaining the spectral and correlation characteristics of the Earths rotation is considered, including the case of random parameters of the tensor of inertia of a deformable Earth. The results can be used for constructing stochastic models of the Earths rotation over time intervals of 6–10 years.Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2005, pp. 54–66.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Markov, Dasaev, Perepelkin, I. N. Sinitsyn, V. I. Sinitsyn.     

GPS-based sea level measurements to help the characterization of land contamination in coastal areas

The Corsica site has been established in 1996 to perform altimeter calibration on TOPEX/Poseidon and then on its successors Jason-1 and Jason-2. The first chosen location was under the #85 ground track that overflight the Senetosa Cape. In 2005, it was decided to develop another location close to Ajaccio, to be able to perform the calibration of Envisat and in a next future of SARAL/AltiKa that will flight over the same ground tracks. Equipped with various instruments (tide gauges, permanent GPS, GPS buoy, weather station…) the Corsica calibration site is able to quantify the altimeter Sea Surface Height bias but also to give an input on the origin of this bias (range, corrections, orbits, …). Due to the size of Corsica (not a tiny island), the altimeter measurement system (range and corrections) can be contaminated by land. The aim of this paper is to evaluate this land contamination by using GPS measurements from a fixed receiver on land and from another receiver onboard a life buoy. Concerning the altimeter land contamination, we have quantify that this effect can reach 8 mm/km and then affects the Sea Surface Height bias values already published in the framework of the Corsica calibration site by 5–8 mm for TOPEX and Jason missions. On the other hand, the radiometer measurements (wet troposphere correction) are also sensitive to land and we have been able to quantify the level of improvement of a dedicated coastal algorithm that reconciles our results with those coming from other calibration sites. Finally, we have also shown that the standard deviation of the GPS buoy sea level measurements is highly correlated (∼87%) with the Significant Wave Height derived from the altimeters and can be used to validate such parameter.     

Status of the GAMMA-400 project

The preliminary design of the new space gamma-ray telescope GAMMA-400 for the energy range 100 MeV–3 TeV is presented. The angular resolution of the instrument, 1–2° at E_γ ∼ 100 MeV and ∼0.01° at E_γ > 100 GeV, its energy resolution ∼1% at E_γ > 100 GeV, and the proton rejection factor ∼10⁶ are optimized to address a broad range of science topics, such as search for signatures of dark matter, studies of Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray sources, Galactic and extragalactic diffuse emission, gamma-ray bursts, as well as high-precision measurements of spectra of cosmic-ray electrons, positrons, and nuclei.     

Microdisturbances on the International Space Station during dynamic operations

The results of analysis of microdisturbances on the International Space Station (ISS) at performing various dynamic operations are presented. Docking of transfer manned and cargo vehicles Progress and Soyuz to various docking modules of the ISS, docking of the Space Shuttle Discovery, the ISS orbit correction and, also, disturbances at “EVA” (Extra Vehicular Activity) operations during astronauts working on the external ISS surface are considered. The results of measuring microaccelerations by sensors of both Russian and American segments are analyzed.     

Device for plate metal laser cutting

The design of a device with supersonic nozzles for plate metal laser cutting and a technique for calculating the nozzle geometry is proposed. Also presented is a schematic diagram of the device that uses the vortex flow properties.     

Pseudo-tomographic X-ray imaging for use in aviation security

This paper presents recent results obtained from a 3-D image modelling technique utilising line-scan X-ray equipment. The resultant images have properties similar to those obtained from a volume rendered X-ray computed tomography (CT) system     

Preliminary results from the second flight of CREAM

Launched from McMurdo (Antarctica) in December 2005, the balloon experiment CREAM (cosmic ray energetics and mass) collected about 15 million triggers during its second flight of 28 days. Redundant charge identification, by two pixelated silicon arrays and a time resolved pulse shaping technique from a scintillator system, allowed a clear signature of the primary nuclei. The energy was measured with a tungsten/SciFi calorimeter preceded by a graphite target. Preliminary results from the analysis of the data of the second flight are presented.     

Four-node finite element of a two-dimensional functional spline to simulate a regular aircraft surface

The Gramian matrix of a four-node finite element is obtained using generalized differentiation to calculate a functional two-dimensional interpolation spline. The numerical results of testing that confirm the interpolation process convergence when applying a sequence of functional two-dimensional splines calculated by the method suggested are presented. Also given are the results of solving an applied problem of simulating an external surface of the fighter cockpit canopy.     

Influence of simulated and natural space environment factors on dielectric properties of epoxyamine polymers and polymer-based composite materials

The variations of dielectric properties of epoxyamine polymers and polymer-based composite materials during ground-based tests imitating the influence of space environment factors and under the conditions of long-term active experiments using the ERE instrumentation onboard the Mir station are compared. The influence of space environment factors is shown to result in both reversible and irreversible changes of dielectric properties. The former are related to temperature effects and effects of charged particles. The latter are related to the removal of low-molecular components from the composition of binders in a vacuum, and to increasing density of polymeric lattice under an effect of thermal cycling and various types of radiations. It is established that the influence of ultra-violet radiation reveals itself, first of all, in changing temperature of samples, while the influence of irradiation by a flux of electrons is reduced to charge accumulation and discharges.Translated from Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2005, pp. 27–35.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Babaevsky, Kozlov, Churilo, Slagoda.