ALBERT

Description: In a microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source, reactive plasmas of oxygen and its mixtures of argon have been used for evaluating plasma cleaning technologies. Small aluminum samples (0.95 x 1.9 cm) were coated with thin films (less than or equal to 20 micrometers in thickness) of Shell Vitrea oil and cleaned with reactive plasmas. The discharge parameters, such as gas pressure, magnetic field, substrate biasing, and microwave power, were varied to change cleaning conditions. A mass spectroscopy (or residual gas analyzer) was used to monitor the status of plasma cleaning. Mass loss of the samples after plasma cleaning was measured to estimate cleaning rates. Measured cleaning rates of low-pressure (0.5-m torr) argon/oxygen plasmas were as high as 2.7 micrometers/min. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine cleanliness of the sample surfaces. In this paper, significant results of the plasma cleaning are reported and discussed.

Description: A monolithic spatial light modulator chip was developed consisting of a large number of micrometer-scale mirror cells which can be rotated through an angle by application of an electrostatic field. The field is generated by electronics integral to the chip. The chip has application in photoreceptor based non-impact printing technologies. Chips containing over 16000 cells were fabricated, and were tested to several billions of cycles. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the device was used to model both the electrical and mechanical characteristics.

Description: Prior and on-going machine evaluations of TBC coatings for power generation applications are summarized. Rainbow testing of various TBC's on turbine nozzles, shrouds and buckets are described along with one test on combustor liners. GEPG has conducted over 15 machine tests with TBC coated turbine nozzles of various coatings. Rainbow test times generally range between 10,000 to 24,000 hours. TBC performance has been quite good and additional testing, including TBC's on shrouds and buckets is continuing. The results show that TBC's have the capability of surviving in power generation machines for the times required. The earlier rainbow tests which evaluated various top coat compositions resulted in confirmation of the superiority of YSZ and especially the 6-8 YSZ composition. On-going tests are more focused on TBC process and property variations. The prevalent failure modes seen thus far in the various rainbow tests are erosion, foreign object damage and buildup of deposits. Additional post test analysis is required to investigate bond coat oxidation and other time/temperature dependent changes to the system.

Description: Total ozone data obtained during summers at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, with Dobson Spectrophotometer 83 are routinely compared with overpass total ozone data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) spectrometer launched aboard the Nimbus 7 satellite in 1978. Results from the TOMS/Dobson instrument comparisons through 1990 have been presented by McPeters and Komhyr (1991). Dobson spectrophotometer 83 was established as the standard instrument for the U.S.A. Dobson instrument station network in 1962. In 1980, the instrument was designated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the Standard Dobson Spectrophotometer for the World. Long-term ozone measurement precision of the instrument has been maintained at plus or minus 0.5 percent (Komhyr et al., 1989). On an absolute scale, the ozone measurement accuracy of the instrument is estimated to plus or minus 3 percent. In early April, 1990, comparison of total ozone and vertical distribution (Umkehr) observations were made for the first time with Dobson spectrophotometer 8.3. The work was conducted at the NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) in Boulder, Colorado, and at the research and instrument manufacturing facility of the Ball Aerospace System Division located about 2 km east of Boulder. (The SBUV-2 S/N-2 instrument, built by Ball Aerospace Systems Division, is scheduled for launch aboard the NOAA-13 satellite). We present results of the comparisons which include ozone vertical distribution data obtained with a balloon-borne electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) ozonesonde (Komhyr, 1969).

Description: Shatter cone fragments were recovered from rock cores at two previously suspected, but heretofore unverified, impact structures in Illinois. Both sites are buried features known from geophysical surveys and drill holes. Shatter cones are accepted widely as field criteria of meteoritic impact. Detection of these shock indicators in both the Glasford Structure and the Des Plains Disturbance upgrades these sites in Earth's inventory of known and suspected impact structures from possible impact sites with compatible structure and morphology to probable impact structures which possess also evidence of shock metamorphism.

Description: The evolution of fighter aircraft flight control technology is briefly surveyed. Systems engineering, battle damage considerations for adaptive flutter suppression, in-flight simulation, and artificial intelligence are briefly discussed.

Description: An investigation has been conducted on a full-scale model of the proposed XP-46 airplane in the N. A. C. A. full-scale wind tunnel pursuant to the request of the Amy Air Corps, Materiel Division. The primary purpose of the investigation was to determine the optimum arrangement of the various component parts to obtain the maximum high speed and to provide adequate engine cooling. Additional tests included a determination of the stalling characteristics and the effectiveness of ailerons and elevators. The profile drag of the wing was ascertained by the momentum method; the location of the transition point on the wing and the critical compressibility velocities of the various airplane components were determined from surface pressure surveys.

Description: Internal aerodynamics and performance of clustered jet-exit installations at transonic speeds