WorldWideScience

Sample records for solar sail demonstrator

  1. Validation of Solar Sail Simulations for the NASA Solar Sail Demonstration Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braafladt, Alexander C.; Artusio-Glimpse, Alexandra B.; Heaton, Andrew F.

    2014-01-01

    NASA's Solar Sail Demonstration project partner L'Garde is currently assembling a flight-like sail assembly for a series of ground demonstration tests beginning in 2015. For future missions of this sail that might validate solar sail technology, it is necessary to have an accurate sail thrust model. One of the primary requirements of a proposed potential technology validation mission will be to demonstrate solar sail thrust over a set time period, which for this project is nominally 30 days. This requirement would be met by comparing a L'Garde-developed trajectory simulation to the as-flown trajectory. The current sail simulation baseline for L'Garde is a Systems Tool Kit (STK) plug-in that includes a custom-designed model of the L'Garde sail. The STK simulation has been verified for a flat plate model by comparing it to the NASA-developed Solar Sail Spaceflight Simulation Software (S5). S5 matched STK with a high degree of accuracy and the results of the validation indicate that the L'Garde STK model is accurate enough to meet the potential future mission requirements. Additionally, since the L'Garde sail deviates considerably from a flat plate, a force model for a non-flat sail provided by L'Garde sail was also tested and compared to a flat plate model in S5. This result will be used in the future as a basis of comparison to the non-flat sail model being developed for STK.

  2. UltraSail CubeSat Solar Sail Flight Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, David; Burton, Rodney; Coverstone, Victoria; Swenson, Gary

    2013-01-01

    , while using solar photon pressure to slew the spin axis. Vacuum tests have also verified that electrostatic and molecular adhesion forces can substantially be eliminated by making the film electrically conductive, reducing the peel force of the film off the storage roll to levels of 100s of micro-N. The innovation demonstrated the capability of deploying a six-micron aluminum- coated film from a reel through a slit in vacuum. The innovation also demonstrated a spin-stabilized method for deploying a long reel of solar sail film using solar pressure to spin-up and orbit raise the satellite, and also a gravity gradient method for deploying a long reel of solar sail film using solar pressure to orbit raise the satellite. The solar sail mass fraction of 25% is consistent with high specific impulse ion systems, but without the added weight and cost of a power source and processing unit. The large sail area, coupled with low film density, is giving UltraSail a high payload fraction. The UltraSail deployment scheme unrolls a micrometerscale reflection-coated polyimide film from a storage mandrel to a maximum length of several kilometers with the aid of a blade tip satellite.

  3. Solar Sailing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les

    2009-01-01

    Solar sailing is a topic of growing technical and popular interest. Solar sail propulsion will make space exploration more affordable and offer access to destinations within (and beyond) the solar system that are currently beyond our technical reach. The lecture will describe solar sails, how they work, and what they will be used for in the exploration of space. It will include a discussion of current plans for solar sails and how advanced technology, such as nanotechnology, might enhance their performance. Much has been accomplished recently to make solar sail technology very close to becoming an engineering reality and it will soon be used by the world s space agencies in the exploration of the solar system and beyond. The first part of the lecture will summarize state-of-the-art space propulsion systems and technologies. Though these other technologies are the key to any deep space exploration by humans, robots, or both, solar-sail propulsion will make space exploration more affordable and offer access to distant and difficult destinations. The second part of the lecture will describe the fundamentals of space solar sail propulsion and will describe the near-, mid- and far-term missions that might use solar sails as a propulsion system. The third part of the lecture will describe solar sail technology and the construction of current and future sailcraft, including the work of both government and private space organizations.

  4. TRL Assessment of Solar Sail Technology Development Following the 20-Meter System Ground Demonstrator Hardware Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Roy M.; Adams, Charles L.

    2010-01-01

    The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Projects Office sponsored two separate, independent solar sail system design and development demonstration activities during 2002-2005. ATK Space Systems of Goleta, CA was the prime contractor for one development team and L' Garde, Inc. of Tustin, CA was the prime contractor for the other development team. The goal of these activities was to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of solar sail propulsion from 3 towards 6 by the year 2006. Component and subsystem fabrication and testing were completed successfully, including the ground deployment of 10-meter and 20-meter demonstration hardware systems under vacuum conditions. The deployment and structural testing of the 20-meter solar sail systems was conducted in the 30 meter diameter Space Power Facility thermal-vacuum chamber at NASA Glenn Plum Brook in April though August, 2005. This paper will present the results of the TRL assessment following the solar sail technology development activities associated with the design, development, analysis and testing of the 20-meter system ground demonstrators.

  5. Status of solar sail technology within NASA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Young, Roy; Montgomery, Edward; Alhorn, Dean

    2011-12-01

    In the early 2000s, NASA made substantial progress in the development of solar sail propulsion systems for use in robotic science and exploration of the solar system. Two different 20-m solar sail systems were produced. NASA has successfully completed functional vacuum testing in their Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. The sails were designed and developed by Alliant Techsystems Space Systems and L'Garde, respectively. The sail systems consist of a central structure with four deployable booms that support each sail. These sail designs are robust enough for deployment in a one-atmosphere, one-gravity environment and are scalable to much larger solar sails - perhaps as large as 150 m on a side. Computation modeling and analytical simulations were performed in order to assess the scalability of the technology to the larger sizes that are required to implement the first generation of missions using solar sails. Furthermore, life and space environmental effects testing of sail and component materials was also conducted.NASA terminated funding for solar sails and other advanced space propulsion technologies shortly after these ground demonstrations were completed. In order to capitalize on the $30 M investment made in solar sail technology to that point, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center funded the NanoSail-D, a subscale solar sail system designed for possible small spacecraft applications. The NanoSail-D mission flew on board a Falcon-1 rocket, launched August 2, 2008. As a result of the failure of that rocket, the NanoSail-D was never successfully given the opportunity to achieve orbit. The NanoSail-D flight spare was flown in the Fall of 2010. This review paper summarizes NASA's investment in solar sail technology to date and discusses future opportunities.

  6. Status of Solar Sail Technology Within NASA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Young, Roy; Montgomery, Edward; Alhorn, Dean

    2010-01-01

    In the early 2000s, NASA made substantial progress in the development of solar sail propulsion systems for use in robotic science and exploration of the solar system. Two different 20-m solar sail systems were produced and they successfully completed functional vacuum testing in NASA Glenn Research Center's (GRC's) Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. The sails were designed and developed by ATK Space Systems and L Garde, respectively. The sail systems consist of a central structure with four deployable booms that support the sails. These sail designs are robust enough for deployment in a one-atmosphere, one-gravity environment and were scalable to much larger solar sails perhaps as large as 150 m on a side. Computation modeling and analytical simulations were also performed to assess the scalability of the technology to the large sizes required to implement the first generation of missions using solar sails. Life and space environmental effects testing of sail and component materials were also conducted. NASA terminated funding for solar sails and other advanced space propulsion technologies shortly after these ground demonstrations were completed. In order to capitalize on the $30M investment made in solar sail technology to that point, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) funded the NanoSail-D, a subscale solar sail system designed for possible small spacecraft applications. The NanoSail-D mission flew on board the ill-fated Falcon-1 Rocket launched August 2, 2008, and due to the failure of that rocket, never achieved orbit. The NanoSail-D flight spare will be flown in the Fall of 2010. This paper will summarize NASA's investment in solar sail technology to-date and discuss future opportunities

  7. Unconventional Solar Sailing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceriotti, Matteo

    The idea of exploiting solar radiation pressure for space travel, or solar sailing, is more than a 100 years old, and yet most of the research thus far has considered only a limited number of sail configurations. However solar sails do not have to be inertially-pointing squares, spin-stabilised discs or heliogyros: there is a range of different configurations and concepts that present some advantageous features. This chapter will show and discuss three non-conventional solar sail configurations and their applications. In the first, the sail is complemented by an electric thruster, resulting in a hybrid-propulsion spacecraft which is capable to hover above the Earth's Poles in a stationary position (pole-sitter). The second concept makes use of a variable-geometry pyramidal sail, naturally pointing towards the sun, to increase or decrease the orbit altitude without the need of propellant or attitude manoeuvres. Finally, the third concept shows that the orbit altitude can also be changed, without active manoeuvres or geometry change, if the sail naturally oscillates synchronously with the orbital motion. The main motivation behind these novel configurations is to overcome some of the engineering limitations of solar sailing; the resulting concepts pose some intriguing orbital and attitude dynamics problems, which will be discussed.

  8. Solar sail deployment experiment

    OpenAIRE

    Shimose, Shigeru; 下瀬 滋

    2006-01-01

    Solar Sail move by receiving momentum of photons in sunlight. This paper presents results of some Spin-Stabilized Solar Sail deployment experiment. ISAS has successfully deployed, for the first time in the world, the polyimide Solar Sail taking advantage of centrifugal force in space. Based on this result, the new deployment mechanism is being developed which retracts the 50 m diameter sail.

  9. Solar Sail Propulsion Technology Readiness Level Database

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Charles L.

    2004-01-01

    The NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Projects Office has been sponsoring 2 solar sail system design and development hardware demonstration activities over the past 20 months. Able Engineering Company (AEC) of Goleta, CA is leading one team and L Garde, Inc. of Tustin, CA is leading the other team. Component, subsystem and system fabrication and testing has been completed successfully. The goal of these activities is to advance the technology readiness level (TRL) of solar sail propulsion from 3 towards 6 by 2006. These activities will culminate in the deployment and testing of 20-meter solar sail system ground demonstration hardware in the 30 meter diameter thermal-vacuum chamber at NASA Glenn Plum Brook in 2005. This paper will describe the features of a computer database system that documents the results of the solar sail development activities to-date. Illustrations of the hardware components and systems, test results, analytical models, relevant space environment definition and current TRL assessment, as stored and manipulated within the database are presented. This database could serve as a central repository for all data related to the advancement of solar sail technology sponsored by the ISPT, providing an up-to-date assessment of the TRL of this technology. Current plans are to eventually make the database available to the Solar Sail community through the Space Transportation Information Network (STIN).

  10. Solar Sails: Sneaking up on Interstellar Travel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, L.

    Throughout the world, government agencies, universities and private companies are developing solar sail propulsion systems to more efficiently explore the solar system and to enable science and exploration missions that are simply impossible to accomplish by any other means. Solar sail technology is rapidly advancing to support these demonstrations and missions, and in the process, is incrementally advancing one of the few approaches allowed by physics that may one day take humanity to the stars. Continuous solar pressure provides solar sails with propellantless thrust, potentially enabling them to propel a spacecraft to tremendous speeds ­ theoretically much faster than any present-day propulsion system. The next generation of sails will enable us to take our first real steps beyond the edge of the solar system, sending spacecraft out to distances of 1000 Astronomical Units, or more. In the farther term, the descendants of these first and second generation sails will augment their thrust by using high power lasers and enable travel to nearby stellar systems with flight times less than 500 years ­ a tremendous improvement over what is possible with conventional chemical rockets. By fielding these first solar sail systems, we are sneaking up on a capability to reach the stars.

  11. Multiple NEO Rendezvous Using Solar Sail Propulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Alexander, Leslie; Fabisinski, Leo; Heaton, Andy; Miernik, Janie; Stough, Rob; Wright, Roosevelt; Young, Roy

    2012-01-01

    The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Concepts Office performed an assessment of the feasibility of using a near-term solar sail propulsion system to enable a single spacecraft to perform serial rendezvous operations at multiple Near Earth Objects (NEOs) within six years of launch on a small-to-moderate launch vehicle. The study baselined the use of the sail technology demonstrated in the mid-2000 s by the NASA In-Space Propulsion Technology Project and is scheduled to be demonstrated in space by 2014 as part of the NASA Technology Demonstration Mission Program. The study ground rules required that the solar sail be the only new technology on the flight; all other spacecraft systems and instruments must have had previous space test and qualification. The resulting mission concept uses an 80-m X 80-m 3-axis stabilized solar sail launched by an Athena-II rocket in 2017 to rendezvous with 1999 AO10, Apophis and 2001 QJ142. In each rendezvous, the spacecraft will perform proximity operations for approximately 30 days. The spacecraft science payload is simple and lightweight; it will consist of only the multispectral imager flown on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission to 433 Eros and 253 Mathilde. Most non-sail spacecraft systems are based on the Messenger mission spacecraft. This paper will describe the objectives of the proposed mission, the solar sail technology to be employed, the spacecraft system and subsystems, as well as the overall mission profile.

  12. Attitude Operation Results of Solar Sail Demonstrator IKAROS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saiki, Takanao; Tsuda, Yuichi; Funase, Ryu; Mimasu, Yuya; Shirasawa, Yoji; Ikaros Demonstration Team,

    This paper shows the attitude operation results of Japanese interplanetary solar sail demonstration spacecraft IKAROS. IKAROS was launched on 21 May 2010(JST) aboard an H-IIA rocket, together with the AKATSUKI Venus climate orbiter. As IKAROS is the secondary payload, the development cost and period were restricted and the onboard attitude system is very simple. This paper introduces the attitude determination and control system. And as IKAROS is spin type spacecraft and it has the large membrane, the attitude control is not easy and it is very important to determine the long-term attitude plan in advance. This paper also shows the outline of the IKAROS attitude operation plan and its operation results.

  13. The Physics and Technology of Solar Sail Spacecraft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwivedi, B. N.; McInnes, C. R.

    1991-01-01

    Various aspects of the solar sail spacecraft such as solar sailing, solar sail design, navigation with solar sails, solar sail mission applications and future prospects for solar sailing are described. Several possible student projects are suggested. (KR)

  14. Solar Sail Propulsion Technology at NASA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Charles Les

    2007-01-01

    NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program developed the first generation of solar sail propulsion systems sufficient to accomplish inner solar system science and exploration missions. These first generation solar sails, when operational, will range in size from 40 meters to well over 100 meters in diameter and have an area density of less than 13 grams per square meter. A rigorous, multi-year technology development effort culminated in 2005 with the testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems under thermal vacuum conditions. This effort provided a number of significant insights into the optimal design and expected performance of solar sails as well as an understanding of the methods and costs of building and using them. In addition, solar sail orbital analysis tools for mission design were developed and tested. Laboratory simulations of the effects of long-term space radiation exposure were also conducted on two candidate solar sail materials. Detailed radiation and charging environments were defined for mission trajectories outside the protection of the earth's magnetosphere, in the solar wind environment. These were used in other analytical tools to prove the adequacy of sail design features for accommodating the harsh space environment. The presentation will describe the status of solar sail propulsion within NASA, near-term solar sail mission applications, and near-term plans for further development.

  15. NASA Solar Sail Propulsion Technology Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Montgomery, Edward E.; Young, Roy; Adams, Charles

    2007-01-01

    NASA's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program has developed the first generation of solar sail propulsion systems sufficient to accomplish inner solar system science and exploration missions. These first generation solar sails, when operational, will range in size from 40 meters to well over 100 meters in diameter and have an areal density of less than 13 grams per square meter. A rigorous, multi-year technology development effort culminated in 2005 with the testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems under thermal vacuum conditions. The first system, developed by ATK Space Systems of Goleta, California, uses rigid booms to deploy and stabilize the sail. In the second approach, L'Garde, Inc. of Tustin, California uses inflatable booms that rigidize in the coldness of space to accomplish sail deployment. This effort provided a number of significant insights into the optimal design and expected performance of solar sails as well as an understanding of the methods and costs of building and using them. In a separate effort, solar sail orbital analysis tools for mission design were developed and tested. Laboratory simulations of the effects of long-term space radiation exposure were also conducted on two candidate solar sail materials. Detailed radiation and charging environments were defined for mission trajectories outside the protection of the earth's magnetosphere, in the solar wind environment. These were used in other analytical tools to prove the adequacy of sail design features for accommodating the harsh space environment. Preceding and in conjunction with these technology efforts, NASA sponsored several mission application studies for solar sails. Potential missions include those that would be flown in the near term to study the sun and be used in space weather prediction to one that would use an evolved sail capability to support humanity's first mission into nearby interstellar space. This paper will describe the status of solar sail propulsion within

  16. Solar Sailing is not Science Fiction Anymore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhorn, Dean C.

    2010-01-01

    Over 400 years ago Johannes Kepler envisioned the use of sunlight to propel a spacecraft. Just this year, a solar sail was deployed in orbit for the first time and proved that a spacecraft could effectively use a solar sail for propulsion. NASA's first nano-class solar sail satellite, NanoSail-D was designed and developed in only four months. Although the first unit was lost during the Falcon 1 rocket failure in 2008, the second flight unit has been refurbished and is waiting to be launched later this year. NanoSail-D will further the research into solar sail enabled spacecraft. It will be the first of several more sail enabled spacecraft to be launch in the next few years. FeatherSail is the next generation nano-class sail spacecraft being designed with the goal to prove low earth orbit operational capabilities. Future solar sail spacecraft will require novel ideas and innovative research for the continued development of space systems. One such pioneering idea is the Small Multipurpose Advanced Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) project. The SMART technology has the potential to revolutionize spacecraft avionics. Even though solar sailing is currently in its infancy, the next decade will provide great opportunities for research into sailing in outer space.

  17. Solar and Drag Sail Propulsion: From Theory to Mission Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Alhorn, Dean; Boudreaux, Mark; Casas, Joe; Stetson, Doug; Young, Roy

    2014-01-01

    Solar and drag sail technology is entering the mainstream for space propulsion applications within NASA and around the world. Solar sails derive propulsion by reflecting sunlight from a large, mirror- like sail made of a lightweight, reflective material. The continuous sunlight pressure provides efficient primary propulsion, without the expenditure of propellant or any other consumable, allowing for very high V maneuvers and long-duration deep space exploration. Drag sails increase the aerodynamic drag on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft, providing a lightweight and relatively inexpensive approach for end-of-life deorbit and reentry. Since NASA began investing in the technology in the late 1990's, significant progress has been made toward their demonstration and implementation in space. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) managed the development and testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems and rigorously tested them under simulated space conditions in the Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. One of these systems, developed by L'Garde, Inc., is planned for flight in 2015. Called Sunjammer, the 38m sailcraft will unfurl in deep space and demonstrate solar sail propulsion and navigation as it flies to Earth-Sun L1. In the Flight Center (MSFC) managed the development and testing of two different 20-m solar sail systems and rigorously tested them under simulated space conditions in the Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. One of these systems, developed by L'Garde, Inc., is planned for flight in 2015. Called Sunjammer, the 38m sailcraft will unfurl in deep space and demonstrate solar sail propulsion and navigation as it flies to Earth-Sun L1. In the interim, NASA MSFC funded the NanoSail-D, a subscale drag sail system designed for small spacecraft applications. The NanoSail-D flew aboard the Fast Affordable Science and Technology SATellite (FASTSAT) in 2010, also developed by MSFC

  18. Reduction of Martian Sample Return Mission Launch Mass with Solar Sail Propulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Tiffany E.; Heaton, Andrew; Thomas, Scott; Thomas, Dan; Young, Roy; Baysinger, Mike; Capizzo, Pete; Fabisinski, Leo; Hornsby, Linda; Maples, Dauphne; hide

    2013-01-01

    Solar sails have the potential to provide mass and cost savings for spacecraft traveling within the inner solar system. Companies like L'Garde have demonstrated sail manufacturability and various in-space deployment methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a current Mars sample return architecture and to determine how cost and mass would be reduced by incorporating a solar sail propulsion system. The team validated the design proposed by L'Garde, and scaled the design based on a trajectory analysis. Using the solar sail design reduced the required mass, eliminating one of the three launches required in the original architecture.

  19. Invariant Solar Sail Formations in Elliptical Sun-Synchronous Orbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsay, Khashayar

    . These averaged rates are used to analytically derive the necessary conditions for a drift-free solar sail formation in Sun-synchronous orbits, assuming a fixed Sun-pointing orientation for each sail in formation. Next, the problem of formation design is solved using nonlinear programming for optimal two-craft, three-craft, and four-craft solar sail formations, in terms of formation quality and stability. Finally, the problem of formation establishment is addressed using optimal control theory, assuming that the sails are capable of making small changes to their orientations with respect to the Sun. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of solar sail formation flying for exploring the geomagnetic tail and improve upon previous work, which only considered unnatural relative motions that require continuous use of active control to remain in formation.

  20. Electric solar wind sail mass budget model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The electric solar wind sail (E-sail is a new type of propellantless propulsion system for Solar System transportation, which uses the natural solar wind to produce spacecraft propulsion. The E-sail consists of thin centrifugally stretched tethers that are kept charged by an onboard electron gun and, as such, experience Coulomb drag through the high-speed solar wind plasma stream. This paper discusses a mass breakdown and a performance model for an E-sail spacecraft that hosts a mission-specific payload of prescribed mass. In particular, the model is able to estimate the total spacecraft mass and its propulsive acceleration as a function of various design parameters such as the number of tethers and their length. A number of subsystem masses are calculated assuming existing or near-term E-sail technology. In light of the obtained performance estimates, an E-sail represents a promising propulsion system for a variety of transportation needs in the Solar System.

  1. Space Environmental Effects on Candidate Solar Sail Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, David L.; Nehls, Mary; Semmel, Charles; Hovater, Mary; Gray, Perry; Hubbs, Whitney; Wertz, George

    2004-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) continues research into the utilization of photonic materials for spacecraft propulsion. Spacecraft propulsion, using photonic materials, will be achieved using a solar sail. A solar sail operates on the principle that photons, originating from the sun, impart pressure to the sail and therefore provide a source for spacecraft propulsion. The pressure imparted ot a solar sail can be increased, up to a factor of two, if the sun-facing surface is perfectly reflective. Therefore, these solar sails are generally composed of a highly reflective metallic sun-facing layer, a thin polymeric substrate and occasionally a highly emissive back surface. Near term solar sail propelled science missions are targeting the Lagrange point 1 (L1) as well as locations sunward of L1 as destinations. These near term missions include the Solar Polar Imager and the L1 Diamond. The Environmental Effects Group at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) continues to actively characterize solar sail material in preparation for these near term solar sail missions. Previous investigations indicated that space environmental effects on sail material thermo-optical properties were minimal and would not significantly affect the propulsion efficiency of the sail. These investigations also indicated that the sail material mechanical stability degrades with increasing radiation exposure. This paper will further quantify the effect of space environmental exposure on the mechanical properties of candidate sail materials. Candidate sail materials for these missions include Aluminum coated Mylar, Teonex, and CP1 (Colorless Polyimide). These materials were subjected to uniform radiation doses of electrons and protons in individual exposures sequences. Dose values ranged from 100 Mrads to over 5 Grads. The engineering performance property responses of thermo-optical and mechanical properties were characterized

  2. Recent Progress in Heliogyro Solar Sail Structural Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkie, William K.; Warren, Jerry E.; Horta, Lucas G.; Juang, Jer-Nan; Gibbs, Samuel C.; Dowell, E.; Guerrant, Daniel; Lawrence Dale

    2014-01-01

    Results from recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research on the structural dynamics and control characteristics of heliogyro solar sails are summarized. Specific areas under investigation include coupled nonlinear finite element analysis of heliogyro membrane blade with solar radiation pressure effects, system identification of spinning membrane structures, solarelastic stability analysis of heliogyro solar sails, including stability during blade deployment, and results from small-scale in vacuo dynamics experiments with spinning high-aspect ratio membranes. A low-cost, rideshare payload heliogyro technology demonstration mission concept, used as a mission context for these heliogyro structural dynamics and solarelasticity investigations, is also described.

  3. We'd rather be solar sailing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuznik, Frank

    1994-06-01

    On 4 Feb. 1993 a solar sail that traveled piggyback on a Progress resupply rocket to the Mir Space Station was deployed after undocking from the Mir. It was the first sun-propelled spacecraft, and it attempted to reflect a patch of sunlight onto the night side of Earth, but wasn't very successful because of extensive cloud cover. Solar sail technology and its historical development are briefly discussed. NASA'a views and the World Space Foundation's involvement in solar sail development are presented.

  4. The effects of Poynting–Robertson drag on solar sails

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F.A. Abd El-Salam

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In the present work, the concept of solar sailing and its developing spacecraft are presented. The effects of Poynting–Robertson drag on solar sails are considered. Some analytical control laws with some mentioned input constraints for optimizing solar sails dynamics in heliocentric orbit using Lagrange’s planetary equations are obtained. Optimum force vector in a required direction is maximized by deriving optimal sail cone angle. New control laws that maximize thrust to obtain certain required maximization in some particular orbital element are obtained. Keywords: Poynting–Robertson drag, Solar sail, Control laws, Optimal sail, Cone angle

  5. Near Earth Asteroid Scout Solar Sail Engineering Development Unit Test Suite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockett, Tiffany Russell; Few, Alexander; Wilson, Richard

    2017-01-01

    The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout project is a 6U reconnaissance mission to investigate a near Earth asteroid utilizing an 86m(sub 2) solar sail as the primary propulsion system. This will be the largest solar sail NASA has launched to date. NEA Scout is currently manifested on the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System in 2018. In development of the solar sail subsystem, design challenges were identified and investigated for packaging within a 6U form factor and deployment in cis-lunar space. Analysis was able to capture understanding of thermal, stress, and dynamics of the stowed system as well as mature an integrated sail membrane model for deployed flight dynamics. Full scale system testing on the ground is the optimal way to demonstrate system robustness, repeatability, and overall performance on a compressed flight schedule. To physically test the system, the team developed a flight sized engineering development unit with design features as close to flight as possible. The test suite included ascent vent, random vibration, functional deployments, thermal vacuum, and full sail deployments. All of these tests contributed towards development of the final flight unit. This paper will address several of the design challenges and lessons learned from the NEA Scout solar sail subsystem engineering development unit. Testing on the component level all the way to the integrated subsystem level. From optical properties of the sail material to fold and spooling the single sail, the team has developed a robust deployment system for the solar sail. The team completed several deployments of the sail system in preparation for flight at half scale (4m) and full scale (6.8m): boom only, half scale sail deployment, and full scale sail deployment. This paper will also address expected and received test results from ascent vent, random vibration, and deployment tests.

  6. Hybrids of Solar Sail, Solar Electric, and Solar Thermal Propulsion for Solar-System Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, Brian H.

    2012-01-01

    Solar sails have long been known to be an attractive method of propulsion in the inner solar system if the areal density of the overall spacecraft (S/C) could be reduced to approx.10 g/sq m. It has also long been recognized that the figure (precise shape) of useful solar sails needs to be reasonably good, so that the reflected light goes mostly in the desired direction. If one could make large reflective surfaces with reasonable figure at an areal density of approx.10 g/sq m, then several other attractive options emerge. One is to use such sails as solar concentrators for solar-electric propulsion. Current flight solar arrays have a specific output of approx. 100W/kg at 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) from the sun, and near-term advances promise to significantly increase this figure. A S/C with an areal density of 10 g/sq m could accelerate up to 29 km/s per year as a solar sail at 1 AU. Using the same sail as a concentrator at 30 AU, the same spacecraft could have up to approx. 45 W of electric power per kg of total S/C mass available for electric propulsion (EP). With an EP system that is 50% power-efficient, exhausting 10% of the initial S/C mass per year as propellant, the exhaust velocity is approx. 119 km/s and the acceleration is approx. 12 km/s per year. This hybrid thus opens attractive options for missions to the outer solar system, including sample-return missions. If solar-thermal propulsion were perfected, it would offer an attractive intermediate between solar sailing in the inner solar system and solar electric propulsion for the outer solar system. In the example above, both the solar sail and solar electric systems don't have a specific impulse that is near-optimal for the mission. Solar thermal propulsion, with an exhaust velocity of the order of 10 km/s, is better matched to many solar system exploration missions. This paper derives the basic relationships between these three propulsion options and gives examples of missions that might be enabled by

  7. Mars Sample Return Using Solar Sail Propulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Macdonald, Malcolm; Mcinnes, Colin; Percy, Tom

    2012-01-01

    Many Mars Sample Return (MSR) architecture studies have been conducted over the years. A key element of them is the Earth Return Stage (ERS) whose objective is to obtain the sample from the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) and return it safely to the surface of the Earth. ERS designs predominantly use chemical propulsion [1], incurring a significant launch mass penalty due to the low specific impulse of such systems coupled with the launch mass sensitivity to returned mass. It is proposed to use solar sail propulsion for the ERS, providing a high (effective) specific impulse propulsion system in the final stage of the multi-stage system. By doing so to the launch mass of the orbiter mission can be significantly reduced and hence potentially decreasing mission cost. Further, solar sailing offers a unique set of non-Keplerian low thrust trajectories that may enable modifications to the current approach to designing the Earth Entry Vehicle by potentially reducing the Earth arrival velocity. This modification will further decrease the mass of the orbiter system. Solar sail propulsion uses sunlight to propel vehicles through space by reflecting solar photons from a large, mirror-like surface made of a lightweight, reflective material. The continuous photonic pressure provides propellantless thrust to conduct orbital maneuvering and plane changes more efficiently than conventional chemical propulsion. Because the Sun supplies the necessary propulsive energy, solar sails require no onboard propellant, thus reducing system mass. This technology is currently at TRL 7/8 as demonstrated by the 2010 flight of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, IKAROS mission. [2

  8. European sail tower SPS [Solar Power Satellite] concept

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seboldt, W.; Leipold, M.; Hanowski, N. [Institute of Space Sensor Technology and Planetary Exploration, Cologne (Germany). German Aerospace Center; Klimke, M. [HOPE Worldwide Deutschland, Berlin (Germany)

    2001-06-01

    development. The paper presents the technical concept and an economic assessment as well as results of a recent solar sail deployment ground demonstration at DLR's facilities in Cologne. (author)

  9. The solar sail: Current state of the problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polyakhova, Elena; Korolev, Vladimir

    2018-05-01

    Mathematical models of dynamics of the spacecraft with a solar sail to control orbital motion and rotation of the entire structureare considered. The movement of a spacecraftby a solar sail is based on the effect of light pressure. The magnitude and direction of the light pressure force vector is determined by the size and properties of the sail surface and the orientation angle relative to the sunlight flux. It is possible to vary the properties, sizes or locations of the sails to control the motion. Turning the elements of the sail, we get the opportunity to control the direction of the vector of the acting force and the moment with respect to the center of mass. Specificity of solar sail control is the interaction of orbital motion and rotational movements of the entire structure, which could provide the desired orientation and stability at small perturbations. The solar sail can be used for flights to the major planets, to meet with asteroids and comet, to realize a special desired motion in the neighborhood of the Sun or near the Earth.

  10. Solar sails a novel approach to interplanetary travel

    CERN Document Server

    Vulpetti, Giovanni; Matloff, Gregory L

    2015-01-01

    The reality of sunlight-based sailing in space began in May 2010,  and solar sail technology and science have continued to evolve rapidly through new space missions. Using the power of the Sun's light for regular travel propulsion will be the next major leap forward in our journey to other worlds. This book is the second edition of the fascinating explanation of solar sails, how they work and how they will be used in the exploration of space. Updated with 35% new material, this second edition includes three new chapters on missions operated by Japan and the US, as well as projects that are in progress. The remainder of the book describes the heritage of exploration in water-borne sailing ships and the evolution to space-vehicle propulsion; as well as nuclear, solar-electric, nuclear-electric and antimatter rocket devices. It also discusses various sail systems that may use either sunlight or solar wind, and the design, fabrication and steering challenges associated with solar sails. The first edition was me...

  11. Model and trajectory optimization for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carzana (student TUDelft), Livio; Dachwald, Bernd; Noomen, R.

    2017-01-01

    A laser-enhanced solar sail is a solar sail that is not solely propelled by solar radiation but additionally by a laser beam that illuminates the sail. This way, the propulsive acceleration of the sail results from the combined action of the solar and the laser radiation pressure onto the sail. The

  12. Dynamics and Control of a Flexible Solar Sail

    OpenAIRE

    Jiafu Liu; Siyuan Rong; Fan Shen; Naigang Cui

    2014-01-01

    Solar sail can merely make use of solar radiation pressure (SRP) force as the thrust for space missions. The attitude dynamics is obtained for the highly flexible solar sail with control vanes, sliding masses, and a gimbaled control boom. The vibration equations are derived considering the geometric nonlinearity of the sail structure subjected to the forces generated by the control vanes, solar radiation pressure (SRP), and sliding masses. Then the dynamic models for attitude/vibration contr...

  13. Laboratory Facility for Simulating Solar Wind Sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Funaki, Ikkoh; Ueno, Kazuma; Oshio, Yuya; Ayabe, Tomohiro; Horisawa, Hideyuki; Yamakawa, Hiroshi

    2008-01-01

    Magnetic sail (MagSail) is a deep space propulsion system, in which an artificial magnetic cavity captures the energy of the solar wind to propel a spacecraft in the direction leaving the sun. For a scale-model experiment of the plasma flow of MagSail, we employed a magnetoplasmadynamic arcjet as a solar wind simulator. It is observed that a plasma flow from the solar wind simulator reaches a quasi-steady state of about 0.8 ms duration after a transient phase when initiating the discharge. During this initial phase of the discharge, a blast-wave was observed to develop radially in a vacuum chamber. When a solenoidal coil (MagSail scale model) is immersed into the quasi-steady flow where the velocity is 45 km/s, and the number density is 10 19 m-3, a bow shock as well as a magnetic cavity were formed in front of the coil. As a result of the interaction between the plasma flow and the magnetic cavity, the momentum of the simulated solar wind is decreased, and it is found from the thrust measurement that the solar wind momentum is transferred to the coil simulating MagSail.

  14. World Ships: The Solar-Photon Sail Option

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matloff, G. L.

    The World Ship, a spacecraft large enough to simulate a small-scale terrestrial internal environment, may be the best feasible option to transfer members of a technological civilization between neighboring stars. Because of the projected size of these spacecraft, journey durations of ~1,000 years seem likely. One of the propulsion options for World Ships is the hyper-thin, likely space-manufactured solar-photon sail, unfurled as close to the migrating civilization's home star as possible. Because the sail and associated structure can be wound around the habitat while not in use, it represents the only known ultimately feasible interstellar propulsion system that can be applied for en route galactic-cosmic ray shielding as well as acceleration/ deceleration. This paper reviews the three suggested sail configurations that can be applied to world ship propulsion: parachute, hollow-body and hoop sails. Possible existing and advanced sail and structure materials and the predicted effects on the sail of the near-Sun space environment are reviewed. Consideration of solar-photon-sail World Ships also affects SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Can we detect such craft in flight? When in a star's lifetime is migration using such craft likely? What classes of stars are good candidates for solar-sail World-Ship searches?

  15. Model and trajectory optimization for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail

    OpenAIRE

    Carzana (student TUDelft), Livio; Dachwald, Bernd; Noomen, R.

    2017-01-01

    A laser-enhanced solar sail is a solar sail that is not solely propelled by solar radiation but additionally by a laser beam that illuminates the sail. This way, the propulsive acceleration of the sail results from the combined action of the solar and the laser radiation pressure onto the sail. The potential source of the laser beam is a laser satellite that coverts solar power (in the inner solar system) or nuclear power (in the outer solar system) into laser power. Such a laser satellite (o...

  16. Temperature-Driven Shape Changes of the Near Earth Asteroid Scout Solar Sail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stohlman, Olive R.; Loper, Erik R.; Lockett, Tiffany E.

    2017-01-01

    Near Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout) is a NASA deep space Cubesat, scheduled to launch on the Exploration Mission 1 flight of the Space Launch System. NEA Scout will use a deployable solar sail as its primary propulsion system. The sail is a square membrane supported by rigid metallic tapespring booms, and analysis predicts that these booms will experience substantial thermal warping if they are exposed to direct sunlight in the space environment. NASA has conducted sunspot chamber experiments to confirm the thermal distortion of this class of booms, demonstrating tip displacement of between 20 and 50 centimeters in a 4-meter boom. The distortion behavior of the boom is complex and demonstrates an application for advanced thermal-structural analysis. The needs of the NEA Scout project were supported by changing the solar sail design to keep the booms shaded during use of the solar sail, and an additional experiment in the sunspot chamber is presented in support of this solution.

  17. Solar Sail Material Performance Property Response to Space Environmental Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, David L.; Semmel, Charles; Hovater, Mary; Nehls, Mary; Gray, Perry; Hubbs, Whitney; Wertz, George

    2004-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) continues research into the utilization of photonic materials for spacecraft propulsion. Spacecraft propulsion, using photonic materials, will be achieved using a solar sail. A solar sail operates on the principle that photons, originating from the sun, impart pressure to the sail and therefore provide a source for spacecraft propulsion. The pressure imparted to a solar sail can be increased, up to a factor of two, if the sun-facing surface is perfectly reflective. Therefore, these solar sails are generally composed of a highly reflective metallic sun-facing layer, a thin polymeric substrate and occasionally a highly emissive back surface. Near term solar sail propelled science missions are targeting the Lagrange point 1 (Ll) as well as locations sunward of L1 as destinations. These near term missions include the Solar Polar Imager and the L1 Diamond. The Environmental Effects Group at NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) continues to actively characterize solar sail material in preparation for these near term solar sail missions. Previous investigations indicated that space environmental effects on sail material thermo-optical properties were minimal and would not significantly affect the propulsion efficiency of the sail. These investigations also indicated that the sail material mechanical stability degrades with increasing radiation exposure. This paper will further quantify the effect of space environmental exposure on the mechanical properties of candidate sail materials. Candidate sail materials for these missions include Aluminum coated Mylar[TM], Teonex[TM], and CPl (Colorless Polyimide). These materials were subjected to uniform radiation doses of electrons and protons in individual exposures sequences. Dose values ranged from 100 Mrads to over 5 Grads. The engineering performance property responses of thermo-optical and mechanical properties were

  18. The effects of Poynting-Robertson drag on solar sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abd El-Salam, F. A.

    2018-06-01

    In the present work, the concept of solar sailing and its developing spacecraft are presented. The effects of Poynting-Robertson drag on solar sails are considered. Some analytical control laws with some mentioned input constraints for optimizing solar sails dynamics in heliocentric orbit using Lagrange's planetary equations are obtained. Optimum force vector in a required direction is maximized by deriving optimal sail cone angle. New control laws that maximize thrust to obtain certain required maximization in some particular orbital element are obtained.

  19. SOLAR SAIL PROPULSION SENSITIVITY TO MEMBRANE SHAPE AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES USING THE SOLAR VECTORING EVALUATION TOOL (SVET)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, Anthony

    2005-01-01

    Solar sail propulsive performance is dependent on sail membrane optical properties and on sail membrane shape. Assumptions of an ideal sail (flat, perfect reflector) can result in errors which can affect spacecraft control, trajectory analyses, and overall evaluation of solar sail performance. A MATLAB(R) program has been developed to generate sail shape point cloud files for two square-architecture solar sail designs. Simple parabolic profiles are assumed for sail shape under solar pressure loading. These files are then input into the Solar Vectoring Evaluation Tool (SVET) software to determine the propulsive force vector, center of pressure, and moments about the sail body axes as a function of sail shape and optical properties. Also, the impact of the center-line angle, due to non-perfect optical properties, is addressed since this constrains sail force vector cone angle and is often overlooked when assuming ideal-reflector membranes. Preliminary sensitivity analysis using these tools aids in determining the key geometric and optical parameters that drive solar sail propulsive performance.

  20. Simulated Space Environment Effects on a Candidate Solar Sail Material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jin Ho; Bryant, Robert G.; Wilkie, W. Keats; Wadsworth, Heather M.; Craven, Paul D.; Nehls, Mary K.; Vaughn, Jason A.

    2017-01-01

    For long duration missions of solar sails, the sail material needs to survive harsh space environments and the degradation of the sail material controls operational lifetime. Therefore, understanding the effects of the space environment on the sail membrane is essential for mission success. In this study, we investigated the effect of simulated space environment effects of ionizing radiation, thermal aging and simulated potential damage on mechanical, thermal and optical properties of a commercial off the shelf (COTS) polyester solar sail membrane to assess the degradation mechanisms on a feasible solar sail. The solar sail membrane was exposed to high energy electrons (about 70 keV and 10 nA/cm2), and the physical properties were characterized. After about 8.3 Grad dose, the tensile modulus, tensile strength and failure strain of the sail membrane decreased by about 20 95%. The aluminum reflective layer was damaged and partially delaminated but it did not show any significant change in solar absorbance or thermal emittance. The effect on mechanical properties of a pre-cracked sample, simulating potential impact damage of the sail membrane, as well as thermal aging effects on metallized PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) film will be discussed.

  1. Asteroid body-fixed hovering using nonideal solar sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng, Xiang-Yuan; Jiang, Fang-Hua; Li, Jun-Feng

    2015-01-01

    The problem of body-fixed hovering over an asteroid using a compact form of nonideal solar sails with a controllable area is investigated. Nonlinear dynamic equations describing the hovering problem are constructed for a spherically symmetric asteroid. Numerical solutions of the feasible region for body-fixed hovering are obtained. Different sail models, including the cases of ideal, optical, parametric and solar photon thrust, on the feasible region is studied through numerical simulations. The influence of the asteroid spinning rate and the sail area-to-mass ratio on the feasible region is discussed. The required orientations for the sail and their corresponding variable lightness numbers are given for different hovering radii to identify the feasible region of the body-fixed hovering. An attractive scenario for a mission is introduced to take advantage of solar sail hovering. (paper)

  2. Drift-free solar sail formations in elliptical Sun-synchronous orbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsay, Khashayar; Schaub, Hanspeter

    2017-10-01

    To study the spatial and temporal variations of plasma in the highly dynamic environment of the magnetosphere, multiple spacecraft must fly in a formation. The objective for this study is to investigate the feasibility of solar sail formation flying in the Earth-centered, Sun-synchronous orbit regime. The focus of this effort is to enable formation flying for a group of solar sails that maintain a nominally fixed Sun-pointing attitude during formation flight, solely for the purpose of precessing their orbit apse lines Sun-synchronously. A fixed-attitude solar sail formation is motivated by the difficulties in the simultaneous control of orbit and attitude in flying solar sails. First, the secular rates of the orbital elements resulting from the effects of solar radiation pressure (SRP) are determined using averaging theory for a Sun-pointing attitude sail. These averaged rates are used to analytically derive the first-order necessary conditions for a drift-free solar sail formation in Sun-synchronous orbits, assuming a fixed Sun-pointing orientation for each sail in formation. The validity of the first-order necessary conditions are illustrated by designing quasi-periodic relative motions. Next, nonlinear programming is applied to design truly drift-free two-craft solar sail formations. Lastly, analytic expressions are derived to determine the long-term dynamics and sensitivity of the formation with respect to constant attitude errors, uncertainty in orbital elements, and uncertainty in a sail's characteristic acceleration.

  3. Near Earth Asteroid Solar Sail Engineering Development Unit Test Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockett, Tiffany Russell; Few, Alexander; Wilson, Richard

    2017-01-01

    The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout project is a 30x20x10cm (6U) cubesat reconnaissance mission to investigate a near Earth asteroid utilizing an 86m2 solar sail as the primary propulsion system. This will be the largest solar sail NASA will launch to date. NEA Scout is a secondary payload currently manifested on the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System in 2018. In development of the solar sail subsystem, design challenges were identified and investigated for packaging within a 6U form factor and deployment in cis-lunar space. Analysis furthered understanding of thermal, stress, and dynamics of the stowed system and matured an integrated sail membrane model for deployed flight dynamics. This paper will address design, fabrication, and lessons learned from the NEA Scout solar sail subsystem engineering development unit. From optical properties of the sail material to folding and spooling the single 86m2 sail, the team has developed a robust deployment system for the solar sail. This paper will also address expected and received test results from ascent vent, random vibration, and deployment tests.

  4. Invited article: Electric solar wind sail: toward test missions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janhunen, P; Toivanen, P K; Polkko, J; Merikallio, S; Salminen, P; Haeggström, E; Seppänen, H; Kurppa, R; Ukkonen, J; Kiprich, S; Thornell, G; Kratz, H; Richter, L; Krömer, O; Rosta, R; Noorma, M; Envall, J; Lätt, S; Mengali, G; Quarta, A A; Koivisto, H; Tarvainen, O; Kalvas, T; Kauppinen, J; Nuottajärvi, A; Obraztsov, A

    2010-11-01

    The electric solar wind sail (E-sail) is a space propulsion concept that uses the natural solar wind dynamic pressure for producing spacecraft thrust. In its baseline form, the E-sail consists of a number of long, thin, conducting, and centrifugally stretched tethers, which are kept in a high positive potential by an onboard electron gun. The concept gains its efficiency from the fact that the effective sail area, i.e., the potential structure of the tethers, can be millions of times larger than the physical area of the thin tethers wires, which offsets the fact that the dynamic pressure of the solar wind is very weak. Indeed, according to the most recent published estimates, an E-sail of 1 N thrust and 100 kg mass could be built in the rather near future, providing a revolutionary level of propulsive performance (specific acceleration) for travel in the solar system. Here we give a review of the ongoing technical development work of the E-sail, covering tether construction, overall mechanical design alternatives, guidance and navigation strategies, and dynamical and orbital simulations.

  5. Near Earth Asteroid Scout: NASA's Solar Sail Mission to a NEA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Lockett, Tiffany

    2017-01-01

    NASA is developing a solar sail propulsion system for use on the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout reconnaissance mission and laying the groundwork for their use in future deep space science and exploration missions. Solar sails use sunlight to propel vehicles through space by reflecting solar photons from a large, mirror-like sail made of a lightweight, highly reflective material. This continuous photon pressure provides propellantless thrust, allowing for very high Delta V maneuvers on long-duration, deep space exploration. Since reflected light produces thrust, solar sails require no onboard propellant. The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission, funded by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program and managed by NASA MSFC, will use the sail as primary propulsion allowing it to survey and image Asteroid 1991VG and, potentially, other NEA's of interest for possible future human exploration. NEA Scout uses a 6U cubesat (to be provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), an 86 m(exp. 2) solar sail and will weigh less than 12 kilograms. NEA Scout will be launched on the first flight of the Space Launch System in 2018. The solar sail for NEA Scout will be based on the technology developed and flown by the NASA NanoSail-D and The Planetary Society's Lightsail-A. Four approximately 7 m stainless steel booms wrapped on two spools (two overlapping booms per spool) will be motor deployed and pull the sail from its stowed volume. The sail material is an aluminized polyimide approximately 2.5 microns thick. As the technology matures, solar sails will increasingly be used to enable science and exploration missions that are currently impossible or prohibitively expensive using traditional chemical and electric propulsion systems. This paper will summarize the status of the NEA Scout mission and solar sail technology in general.

  6. Status of Solar Sail Propulsion Within NASA - Moving Toward Interstellar Travel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les

    2015-01-01

    NASA is developing solar sail propulsion for two near-term missions and laying the groundwork for their future use in deep space and interstellar precursor missions. Solar sails use sunlight to propel vehicles through space by reflecting solar photons from a large, mirror-like sail made of a lightweight, highly reflective material. This continuous photon pressure provides propellantless thrust, allowing for very high (Delta)V maneuvers on long-duration, deep space exploration. Since reflected light produces thrust, solar sails require no onboard propellant. The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission, managed by MSFC, will use the sail as primary propulsion allowing it to survey and image one or more NEA's of interest for possible future human exploration. Lunar Flashlight, managed by JPL, will search for and map volatiles in permanently shadowed Lunar craters using a solar sail as a gigantic mirror to steer sunlight into the shaded craters. The Lunar Flashlight spacecraft will also use the propulsive solar sail to maneuver into a lunar polar orbit. Both missions use a 6U cubesat architecture, a common an 85 sq m solar sail, and will weigh less than 12 kilograms. Both missions will be launched on the first flight of the Space Launch System in 2018. NEA Scout and Lunar Flashlight will serve as important milestones in the development of solar sail propulsion technology for future, more ambitious missions including the Interstellar Probe - a mission long desired by the space science community which would send a robotic probe beyond the edge of the solar system to a distance of 250 Astronomical Units or more. This paper will summarize the development status of NEA Scout and Lunar Flashlight and describe the next steps required to enable an interstellar solar sail capability.

  7. Characterization of Candidate Solar Sail Material Exposed to Space Environmental Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, David; Hovater, Mary; Hubbs, Whitney; Wertz, George; Hollerman, William; Gray, Perry

    2003-01-01

    Solar sailing is a unique form of propulsion where a spacecraft gains momentum from incident photons. Solar sails are not limited by reaction mass and provide continual acceleration, reduced only by the lifetime of the lightweight film in the space environment and the distance to the Sun. Once thought to be difficult or impossible, solar sailing has come out of science fiction and into the realm of possibility. Any spacecraft using this method would need to deploy a thin sail that could be as large as many kilometers in extent. The availability of strong, ultra lightweight, and radiation resistant materials will determine the future of solar sailing. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is concentrating research into the utilization of ultra lightweight materials for spacecraft propulsion. The Space Environmental Effects Team at MSFC is actively characterizing candidate solar sail material to evaluate the thermo-optical and mechanical properties after exposure to space environmental effects. This paper will describe the exposure of candidate solar sail materials to emulated space environmental effects including energetic electrons, combined electrons and Ultraviolet radiation, and hypervelocity impact of irradiated solar sail material. This paper will describe the testing procedure and the material characterization results of this investigation.

  8. An Update to the NASA Reference Solar Sail Thrust Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heaton, Andrew F.; Artusio-Glimpse, Alexandra B.

    2015-01-01

    An optical model of solar sail material originally derived at JPL in 1978 has since served as the de facto standard for NASA and other solar sail researchers. The optical model includes terms for specular and diffuse reflection, thermal emission, and non-Lambertian diffuse reflection. The standard coefficients for these terms are based on tests of 2.5 micrometer Kapton sail material coated with 100 nm of aluminum on the front side and chromium on the back side. The original derivation of these coefficients was documented in an internal JPL technical memorandum that is no longer available. Additionally more recent optical testing has taken place and different materials have been used or are under consideration by various researchers for solar sails. Here, where possible, we re-derive the optical coefficients from the 1978 model and update them to accommodate newer test results and sail material. The source of the commonly used value for the front side non-Lambertian coefficient is not clear, so we investigate that coefficient in detail. Although this research is primarily designed to support the upcoming NASA NEA Scout and Lunar Flashlight solar sail missions, the results are also of interest to the wider solar sail community.

  9. Logarithmic spiral trajectories generated by Solar sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassetto, Marco; Niccolai, Lorenzo; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Mengali, Giovanni

    2018-02-01

    Analytic solutions to continuous thrust-propelled trajectories are available in a few cases only. An interesting case is offered by the logarithmic spiral, that is, a trajectory characterized by a constant flight path angle and a fixed thrust vector direction in an orbital reference frame. The logarithmic spiral is important from a practical point of view, because it may be passively maintained by a Solar sail-based spacecraft. The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic study concerning the possibility of inserting a Solar sail-based spacecraft into a heliocentric logarithmic spiral trajectory without using any impulsive maneuver. The required conditions to be met by the sail in terms of attitude angle, propulsive performance, parking orbit characteristics, and initial position are thoroughly investigated. The closed-form variations of the osculating orbital parameters are analyzed, and the obtained analytical results are used for investigating the phasing maneuver of a Solar sail along an elliptic heliocentric orbit. In this mission scenario, the phasing orbit is composed of two symmetric logarithmic spiral trajectories connected with a coasting arc.

  10. Periodic orbits of solar sail equipped with reflectance control device in Earth-Moon system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Jianping; Gao, Chen; Zhang, Junhua

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, families of Lyapunov and halo orbits are presented with a solar sail equipped with a reflectance control device in the Earth-Moon system. System dynamical model is established considering solar sail acceleration, and four solar sail steering laws and two initial Sun-sail configurations are introduced. The initial natural periodic orbits with suitable periods are firstly identified. Subsequently, families of solar sail Lyapunov and halo orbits around the L1 and L2 points are designed with fixed solar sail characteristic acceleration and varying reflectivity rate and pitching angle by the combination of the modified differential correction method and continuation approach. The linear stabilities of solar sail periodic orbits are investigated, and a nonlinear sliding model controller is designed for station keeping. In addition, orbit transfer between the same family of solar sail orbits is investigated preliminarily to showcase reflectance control device solar sail maneuver capability.

  11. Deployment Technology of a Heliogyro Solar Sail for Long Duration Propulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peerawan, Wiwattananon; Bryant, Robert G.; Edmonson, William W.; Moore, William B.; Bell, Jared M.

    2015-01-01

    Interplanetary, multi-mission, station-keeping capabilities will require that a spacecraft employ a highly efficient propulsion-navigation system. The majority of space propulsion systems are fuel-based and require the vehicle to carry and consume fuel as part of the mission. Once the fuel is consumed, the mission is set, thereby limiting the potential capability. Alternatively, a method that derives its acceleration and direction from solar photon pressure using a solar sail would eliminate the requirement of onboard fuel to meet mission objectives. MacNeal theorized that the heliogyro-configured solar sail architecture would be lighter, less complex, cheaper, and less risky to deploy a large sail area versus a masted sail. As sail size increases, the masted sail requires longer booms resulting in increased mass, and chaotic uncontrollable deployment. With a heliogyro, the sail membrane is stowed as a roll of thin film forming a blade when deployed that can extend up to kilometers. Thus, a benefit of using a heliogyro-configured solar sail propulsion technology is the mission scalability as compared to masted versions, which are size constrained. Studies have shown that interplanetary travel is achievable by the heliogyro solar sail concept. Heliogyro solar sail concept also enables multi-mission missions such as sample returns, and supply transportation from Earth to Mars as well as station-keeping missions to provide enhanced warning of solar storm. This paper describes deployment technology being developed at NASA Langley Research Center to deploy and control the center-of-mass/center-of-pressure using a twin bladed heliogyro solar sail 6-unit (6U) CubeSat. The 6U comprises 2x2U blade deployers and 2U for payload. The 2U blade deployers can be mounted to 6U or larger scaled systems to serve as a non-chemical in-space propulsion system. A single solar sail blade length is estimated to be 2.4 km with a total area from two blades of 720 m2; total allowable weight

  12. Deorbiting Upper-Stages in LEO at EOM using Solar Sails

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandru IONEL

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the possibility of deorbiting a launch vehicle upper-stage at end-of-mission from low Earth orbit through the use of a solar sail. Different solar sail sizes are taken into account. The analysis is made via a MATLAB numerical simulation, integrating with the ode45 solver the accelerations arising from geopotential, atmospheric drag and solar radiation pressure. Direct solar pressure and drag augmentation effect are analyzed and a state of the art study in the solar sail research field is performed for a better grasp of the feasibility of the device implementation.

  13. Conceptual Design of an Electric Sail Technology Demonstration Mission Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegmann, Bruce M.

    2017-01-01

    There is great interest in examining the outer planets of our solar system and Heliopause region (edge of Solar System) and beyond regions of interstellar space by both the Planetary and Heliophysics communities. These needs are well docu-mented in the recent National Academy of Sciences Decadal Surveys. There is significant interest in developing revolutionary propulsion techniques that will enable such Heliopause scientific missions to be completed within 10 to15 years of the launch date. One such enabling propulsion technique commonly known as Electric Sail (E-Sail) propulsion employs positively charged bare wire tethers that extend radially outward from a rotating spacecraft spinning at a rate of one revolution per hour. Around the positively charged bare-wire tethers, a Debye Sheath is created once positive voltage is applied. This sheath stands off of the bare wire tether at a sheath diameter that is proportional to the voltage in the wire coupled with the flux density of solar wind ions within the solar system (or the location of spacecraft in the solar system. The protons that are expended from the sun (solar wind) at 400 to 800 km/sec are electrostatically repelled away from these positively charged Debye sheaths and propulsive thrust is produced via the resulting momentum transfer. The amount of thrust produced is directly proportional to the total wire length. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Electric Sail team is currently funded via a two year Phase II NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) awarded in July 2015. The team's current activities are: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from the experimental data collected at MSFC's Solar Wind Facility on the interaction between simulated solar wind interaction with a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) The development of the necessary tether deployers and tethers to enable successful de-ployment of multiple, multi km length bare tethers

  14. One kilometer (1 km) electric solar wind sail tether produced automatically.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seppänen, Henri; Rauhala, Timo; Kiprich, Sergiy; Ukkonen, Jukka; Simonsson, Martin; Kurppa, Risto; Janhunen, Pekka; Hæggström, Edward

    2013-09-01

    We produced a 1 km continuous piece of multifilament electric solar wind sail tether of μm-diameter aluminum wires using a custom made automatic tether factory. The tether comprising 90,704 bonds between 25 and 50 μm diameter wires is reeled onto a metal reel. The total mass of 1 km tether is 10 g. We reached a production rate of 70 m/24 h and a quality level of 1‰ loose bonds and 2‰ rebonded ones. We thus demonstrated that production of long electric solar wind sail tethers is possible and practical.

  15. Moving an asteroid with electric solar wind sail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merikallio, S.; Janhunen, P.

    2010-12-01

    The electric solar wind sail (E-Sail) is a new propulsion method for interplanetary travel which was invented in 2006 and is currently under development. The E-Sail uses charged tethers to extract momentum from the solar wind particles to obtain propulsive thrust. According to current estimates, the E-Sail is 2-3 orders of magnitude better than traditional propulsion methods (chemical rockets and ion engines) in terms of produced lifetime-integrated impulse per propulsion system mass. Here we analyze the problem of using the E-Sail for directly deflecting an Earth-threatening asteroid. The problem then culminates into how to attach the E-Sail device to the asteroid. We assess alternative attachment strategies, namely straightforward direct towing with a cable and the gravity tractor method which works for a wider variety of situations. We also consider possible techniques to scale up the E-Sail force beyond the baseline one Newton level to deal with more imminent or larger asteroid or cometary threats. As a baseline case we consider an asteroid of effective diameter of 140 m and mass of 3 million tons, which can be deflected with a baseline 1 N E-Sail within 10 years. With a 5 N E-Sail the deflection could be achieved in 5 years. Once developed, the E-Sail would appear to provide a safe and reasonably low-cost way of deflecting dangerous asteroids and other heavenly bodies in cases where the collision threat becomes known several years in advance.

  16. Utilization of an H-reversal trajectory of a solar sail for asteroid deflection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong Shengping; Li Junfeng; Zeng Xiangyuan

    2011-01-01

    Near Earth Asteroids have a possibility of impacting the Earth and always represent a threat. This paper proposes a way of changing the orbit of the asteroid to avoid an impact. A solar sail evolving in an H-reversal trajectory is utilized for asteroid deflection. Firstly, the dynamics of the solar sail and the characteristics of the H-reversal trajectory are analyzed. Then, the attitude of the solar sail is optimized to guide the sail to impact the target asteroid along an H-reversal trajectory. The impact velocity depends on two important parameters: the minimum solar distance along the trajectory and lightness number of the solar sail. A larger lightness number and a smaller solar distance lead to a higher impact velocity. Finally, the deflection capability of a solar sail impacting the asteroid along the H-reversal trajectory is discussed. The results show that a 10 kg solar sail with a lead-time of one year can move Apophis out of a 600-m keyhole area in 2029 to eliminate the possibility of its resonant return in 2036. (editor's recommendation)

  17. A novel experimental mechanics method for measuring the light pressure acting on a solar sail membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Aiming; Jiang, Li; Dowell, Earl H.; Qin, Zhixuan

    2017-02-01

    Solar sail is a high potential `sailing craft' for interstellar exploration. The area of the first flight solar sail demonstrator named "IKAROS" is 200 square meters. Future interplanetary missions will require solar sails at least on the order of 10000 square meters (or larger). Due to the limitation of ground facilities, the size of experimental sample should not be large. Furthermore the ground experiments have to be conducted in gravitational field, so the gravity effect must be considered in a ground test. To obtain insight into the solar sail membrane dynamics, a key membrane flutter (or limit cycle oscillations) experiment with light forces acting on it must be done. But one big challenge is calibrating such a tiny light force by as a function of the input power. In this paper, a gravity-based measuring method for light pressure acting on membrane is presented. To explain the experimental principle, an ideal example of a laser beam with expanders and a metal film is studied. Based on calculations, this experimental mechanics method for calibrating light pressure with an accuracy of 0.01 micro-Newton may be realized by making the light force balance the gravity force on the metal films. This gravity-based measuring method could not only be applied to study the dynamics characteristics of solar sail membrane structure with different light forces, but could also be used to determine more accurate light forces/loads acting on solar sail films and hence to enhance the determination of the mechanical properties of the solar sail membrane structure.

  18. Fuzzy attitude control of solar sail via linear matrix inequalities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baculi, Joshua; Ayoubi, Mohammad A.

    2017-09-01

    This study presents a fuzzy tracking controller based on the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model of the solar sail. First, the T-S fuzzy model is constructed by linearizing the existing nonlinear equations of motion of the solar sail. Then, the T-S fuzzy model is used to derive the state feedback controller gains for the Twin Parallel Distributed Compensation (TPDC) technique. The TPDC tracks and stabilizes the attitude of the solar sail to any desired state in the presence of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances while satisfying actuator constraints. The performance of the TPDC is compared to a PID controller that is tuned using the Ziegler-Nichols method. Numerical simulation shows the TPDC outperforms the PID controller when stabilizing the solar sail to a desired state.

  19. Advances in solar sailing

    CERN Document Server

    Third International Symposium on Solar Sailing

    2014-01-01

    Hosted by the Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory within the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the University of Strathclyde, the third International Symposium on Solar Sailing was held in McCance Building at 16 Richmond Street, Glasgow, between 11 and 13 June 2013. The symposium attracted over 90 delegates from19 different counties, bringing together international experts from across the globe to discuss funded solar sail flight programs alongside on-going technology development and testing programs. The symposium also provided a forum for the discussion of enabling technologies, new application concepts, materials and structural concepts, space environmental effects, dynamics, navigation, control, and much more. This volume contains the unabridged symposium proceedings, in the gathered experts own words. As symposium chair, I thank our partners at Scottish Enterprise and L’Garde, Inc., the symposium’s gold sponsor, for their support in realising this symposium.

  20. Accelerator-Based PIXE and STIM Analysis of Candidate Solar Sail Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollerman, W.A.; Stanaland, T.L.; Boudreaux, P.; Elberson, L.; Fontenot, J.; Gates, E.; Greco, R.; McBride, M.; Woodward, A.; Edwards, D.

    2003-01-01

    Solar sailing is a unique form of propulsion where a spacecraft gains momentum from incident photons. A totally reflective sail experiences a pressure of 9.1 μPa at a distance of 1 AU from the Sun. Since sails are not limited by reaction mass, they provide continual acceleration, reduced only by the lifetime of the lightweight film in the space environment and the distance to the Sun. Practical solar sails can expand the number of possible missions, enabling new concepts that are difficult by conventional means. One of the current challenges is to develop strong, lightweight, and radiation resistant sail materials. This paper will discuss initial results from a Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE) and Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM) analysis of candidate solar sail materials

  1. Parametric Studies of Square Solar Sails Using Finite Element Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleight, David W.; Muheim, Danniella M.

    2004-01-01

    Parametric studies are performed on two generic square solar sail designs to identify parameters of interest. The studies are performed on systems-level models of full-scale solar sails, and include geometric nonlinearity and inertia relief, and use a Newton-Raphson scheme to apply sail pre-tensioning and solar pressure. Computational strategies and difficulties encountered during the analyses are also addressed. The purpose of this paper is not to compare the benefits of one sail design over the other. Instead, the results of the parametric studies may be used to identify general response trends, and areas of potential nonlinear structural interactions for future studies. The effects of sail size, sail membrane pre-stress, sail membrane thickness, and boom stiffness on the sail membrane and boom deformations, boom loads, and vibration frequencies are studied. Over the range of parameters studied, the maximum sail deflection and boom deformations are a nonlinear function of the sail properties. In general, the vibration frequencies and modes are closely spaced. For some vibration mode shapes, local deformation patterns that dominate the response are identified. These localized patterns are attributed to the presence of negative stresses in the sail membrane that are artifacts of the assumption of ignoring the effects of wrinkling in the modeling process, and are not believed to be physically meaningful. Over the range of parameters studied, several regions of potential nonlinear modal interaction are identified.

  2. Electric solar-wind sail for asteroid touring missions and planetary protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janhunen, P.

    2014-07-01

    The electric solar-wind sail (electric sail, E-sail [1,2]) is a relatively new concept for moving around in the solar system without consuming propellant and by using the thrust provided by the natural solar wind to produce propulsion. The E-sail is based on deploying, using the centrifugal force, a set of long, thin metallic tethers and charging them to high positive voltage by actively removing negative charge from the system by an electron gun. To make the tethers resistant towards inevitable wire cuts by micrometeoroids, they must be made by bonding from multiple (typically 4) thin (25--50 μ m) aluminium wires. Production of the tethers was a technical challenge which was recently overcome. According to present numerical estimates, the E-sail could produce up to 1 N of propellantless thrust out of less than 200 kg package which is enough to give characteristic acceleration of 1 mm/s^2 to a spacecraft weighing 1 tonne, thus producing 30 km/s of delta-v per year. The thrust scales as ˜ 1/r where r is the solar distance. There are ways to control and vector the thrust enough to enable inward and outward spiralling missions in the solar system. The E-sail working principle has been indirectly measured in a laboratory, and ESTCube-1 CubeSat experiment is underway in orbit (in late March 2014 it was waiting to be started) to measure the E-sail thrust acting on a short 10-m long tether. A full-scale mission requires ˜ 1000 km of tether altogether (weighing ˜10 kg). The production of a 1-km piece of tether has been demonstrated in laboratory [3]. If the E-sail holds up its present promise, it would be ideally suited for asteroid missions because it enables production of similar level of thrust than ion engines, but needs only a small fraction of the electric power and never runs out of propellant because it does not use any (the ''propellant'' being the natural solar-wind plasma flow). Here we consider especially a mission which would tour the asteroid belt for a

  3. Phobos/Deimos sample return via solar sail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matloff, Gregory L; Taylor, Travis; Powell, Conley; Moton, Tryshanda

    2005-12-01

    A sample-return mission to the Martian satellites using a con-temporary solar sail for all post-Earth-escape propulsion is proposed. The 0.015 kg/m(2) areal mass-thickness sail unfurls after launch and injection onto a Mars-bound Hohmann-transfer ellipse. Structure and payload increase spacecraft areal mass thickness to 0.028 kg/m(2). During the Mars encounter, the sail functions as a parachute in the outer atmosphere of Mars to accomplish aerocapture. On-board thrusters or the sail maneuver the spacecraft into an orbit with periapsis near Mars and apoapsis near Phobos. The orbit is circularized for Phobos-rendezvous; surface samples are collected. The sail then raises the orbit for Deimos-rendezvous and sample collection. The sail next places the spacecraft on an Earth-bound Hohmann-transfer ellipse. During Earth encounter, the sail accomplishes Earth-aerocapture or partially decelerates the sample container for entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Mission mass budget is about 218 grams and mission duration is less than five years.

  4. Comprehensive Solar Sail Simulation, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Solar sails as a propulsive device have several potential applications: providing access to previously inaccessible orbits, longer mission times, and increased...

  5. Improving magnetosphere in situ observations using solar sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsay, Khashayar; Schaub, Hanspeter; Schiff, Conrad; Williams, Trevor

    2018-01-01

    Past and current magnetosphere missions employ conventional spacecraft formations for in situ observations of the geomagnetic tail. Conventional spacecraft flying in inertially fixed Keplerian orbits are only aligned with the geomagnetic tail once per year, since the geomagnetic tail is always aligned with the Earth-Sun line, and therefore, rotates annually. Solar sails are able to artificially create sun-synchronous orbits such that the orbit apse line remains aligned with the geomagnetic tail line throughout the entire year. This continuous presence in the geomagnetic tail can significantly increase the science phase for magnetosphere missions. In this paper, the problem of solar sail formation design is explored using nonlinear programming to design optimal two-craft, triangle, and tetrahedron solar sail formations, in terms of formation quality and formation stability. The designed formations are directly compared to the formations used in NASA's Magnetospheric Multi-Scale mission.

  6. Escape trajectories of solar sails and general relativity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kezerashvili, Roman Ya. [Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (United States); Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (United States); Vazquez-Poritz, Justin F., E-mail: jvazquez-poritz@citytech.cuny.ed [Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (United States); Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (United States)

    2009-11-16

    General relativity can have a significant impact on the long-range escape trajectories of solar sails deployed near the sun. For example, spacetime curvature in the vicinity of the sun can cause a solar sail traveling from about 4 solar radii to 2550 AU to be deflected by on the order of a million kilometers, and should therefore be taken into account at the beginning of the mission. There are a number of smaller general relativistic effects, such as frame dragging due to the slow rotation of the sun which can cause a deflection of more than one thousand kilometers.

  7. Escape trajectories of solar sails and general relativity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kezerashvili, Roman Ya.; Vazquez-Poritz, Justin F.

    2009-01-01

    General relativity can have a significant impact on the long-range escape trajectories of solar sails deployed near the sun. For example, spacetime curvature in the vicinity of the sun can cause a solar sail traveling from about 4 solar radii to 2550 AU to be deflected by on the order of a million kilometers, and should therefore be taken into account at the beginning of the mission. There are a number of smaller general relativistic effects, such as frame dragging due to the slow rotation of the sun which can cause a deflection of more than one thousand kilometers.

  8. Dynamics and Control of a Flexible Solar Sail

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiafu Liu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Solar sail can merely make use of solar radiation pressure (SRP force as the thrust for space missions. The attitude dynamics is obtained for the highly flexible solar sail with control vanes, sliding masses, and a gimbaled control boom. The vibration equations are derived considering the geometric nonlinearity of the sail structure subjected to the forces generated by the control vanes, solar radiation pressure (SRP, and sliding masses. Then the dynamic models for attitude/vibration controller design and dynamic simulation are obtained, respectively. The linear quadratic regulator (LQR based and optimal proportional-integral (PI based controllers are designed for the coupled attitude/vibration models with constant disturbance torques caused by the center-of-mass (cm/center-of-pressure (cp offset, respectively. It can be concluded from the theoretical analysis and simulation results that the optimal PI based controller performs better than the LQR based controller from the view of eliminating the steady-state errors. The responses with and without the geometrical nonlinearity are performed, and the differences are observed and analyzed. And some suggestions are also presented.

  9. Power Beamed Photon Sails: New Capabilities Resulting From Recent Maturation Of Key Solar Sail And High Power Laser Technologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montgomery, Edward E. IV

    2010-01-01

    This paper revisits some content in the First International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion in 2002 related to the concept of propellantless in-space propulsion utilizing an external high energy laser to provide momentum to an ultralightweight (gossamer) spacecraft. The design and construction of the NanoSail-D solar sail demonstration spacecraft has demonstrated in space flight hardware the concept of small, very light--yet capable--spacecraft. The results of the Joint High Power Solid State Laser (JHPSSL) have also increased the effectiveness and reduced the cost of an entry level laser source. This paper identifies the impact from improved system parameters on current mission applications.

  10. Solarelastic Stability of Solar Sail Structures

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In order to avoid an unintended failure in proposed Solar Sail spacecraft due to solarelastic interactions it is important to develop an analytical framework for...

  11. Steering Concept of a 2-Blade Heliogyro Solar Sail Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiwattananon, Peerawan; Bryant, Robert G.

    2017-01-01

    Solar sails can be classified into two groups based on their method of stabilization: 1) truss supported, and 2) centrifugally (spin) supported. The truss configuration requires masts or booms to deploy, support, and rigidize the sails whereas the spin type uses the spacecraft’s centrifugal force to deploy and stabilize the sails. The truss-supported type sail has a scaling limitation because as the sail area gets larger, the sail is increasingly more difficult to make and stow: the masts and booms get heavier, occupying more volume, and have increased risk during deployment. This major disadvantage limits the size of the sail area. The spin type comes in two configurations: 1) spinning square/disk sail and 2) heliogyro sail. This spinning square/disk sail architecture suffers the same sail area limitation as the truss-supported sail.

  12. Exploring the Heliogyro’s Superior Orbital Control Capabilities for Solar Sail Halo Orbits

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heiligers, M.J.; Guerrant, D.; Lawrence, D

    2017-01-01

    Solar sailing is an elegant form of space propulsion that reflects solar photons off a large membrane to produce thrust. Different sail configurations exist, including a traditional fixed polygonal flat sail and a heliogyro, which divides the membrane into a number of long, slender blades. The

  13. Flights of a spacecraft with a solar sail out of ecliptic plane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polyakhova, Elena; Starkov, Vladimir; Stepenko, Nikolai

    2018-05-01

    Solar sailing is an unique form of spacecraft (SC) propulsion that uses the free and limitless supply of photons from the Sun. The investigation of near-the-Sun space properties is of the great scientific interest. It can be realized by help of solar sailing. We present the numerical simulation of several closed modelled trajectories of a spacecraft with a controlled solar sail to reach out of ecliptic plane, to flight over the Sun north and south poles and return to the Earth.

  14. In-Space Propulsion (ISP) Solar Sail Propulsion Technology Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, Edward E., IV

    2004-01-01

    An overview of the rationale and content for Solar Sail Propulsion (SSP), the on-going project to advance solar technology from technology readiness level 3 to 6 will be provided. A descriptive summary of the major and minor component efforts underway will include identification of the technology providers and a listing of anticipated products Recent important results from major system ground demonstrators will be provided. Finally, a current status of all activities will provided along with the most recent roadmap for the SSP technology development program.

  15. Extension of Earth-Moon libration point orbits with solar sail propulsion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heiligers, M.J.; Macdonald, Malcolm; Parker, Jeffrey S.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents families of libration point orbits in the Earth-Moon system that originate from complementing the classical circular restricted three-body problem with a solar sail. Through the use of a differential correction scheme in combination with a continuation on the solar sail

  16. Interplanetary Radiation and Internal Charging Environment Models for Solar Sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minow, Joseph I.; Altstatt, Richard L.; NeegaardParker, Linda

    2005-01-01

    A Solar Sail Radiation Environment (SSRE) model has been developed for defining charged particle environments over an energy range from 0.01 keV to 1 MeV for hydrogen ions, helium ions, and electrons. The SSRE model provides the free field charged particle environment required for characterizing energy deposition per unit mass, charge deposition, and dose rate dependent conductivity processes required to evaluate radiation dose and internal (bulk) charging processes in the solar sail membrane in interplanetary space. Solar wind and energetic particle measurements from instruments aboard the Ulysses spacecraft in a solar, near-polar orbit provide the particle data over a range of heliospheric latitudes used to derive the environment that can be used for radiation and charging environments for both high inclination 0.5 AU Solar Polar Imager mission and the 1.0 AU L1 solar missions. This paper describes the techniques used to model comprehensive electron, proton, and helium spectra over the range of particle energies of significance to energy and charge deposition in thin (less than 25 micrometers) solar sail materials.

  17. Propellantless Attitude Control of Solar Sail Technology Utilizing Reflective Control Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munday, Jeremy

    2016-01-01

    Solar sails offer an opportunity for a CubeSatscale, propellant-free spacecraft technology that enables long-term and long-distance missions not possible with traditional methods. Solar sails operate using the transfer of linear momentum from photons of sunlight reflected from the surface of the sail. To propel the spacecraft, no mechanically moving parts, thrusters, or propellant are needed. However, attitude control, or orientation, is still performed using traditional methods involving reaction wheels and propellant ejection, which severely limit mission lifetime. For example, the current state of the art solutions employed by upcoming missions couple solar sails with a state of the art propellant ejection gas system. Here, the use of the gas thruster has limited the lifetime of the mission. To solve the limited mission lifetime problem, the Propellantless Attitude Control of Solar Sail Technology Utilizing Reflective Control Devices project team is working on propellantless attitude control using thin layers of material, an optical film, electrically switchable from transparent to reflective. The technology is based on a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), which allows this switch upon application of a voltage. This technology removes the need for propellant, which reduces weight and cost while improving performance and lifetime.

  18. A solar sail design for a mission to the near-interstellar medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garner, Charles E.; Layman, William; Gavit, Sarah A.; Knowles, Timothy

    2000-01-01

    Mission concepts to several hundred AU are under study at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). In order to send a scientific probe beyond the heliopause in a reasonable length of time - no more than 15 yr and preferably 10 yr - the ΔV requirements are approximately 70 km/s. The preliminary results of these mission studies indicate that a solar sail can provide a cumulative ΔV of over 70 km/s to send a probe to a distance of 200 AU from the Sun in under 15 years. This is done by using photon pressure on the sail to shape the trajectory in the inner solar system so that a perihelion of 0.25 AU is achieved. This paper presents the results of a design study for a solar sail to achieve the performance requirements identified in an interstellar probe (ISP) mission study to the near-interstellar medium. The baseline solar sail design for this ISP mission assumes an areal density of 1g/m2 (including film and structure), and a diameter of ∼410 m with an 11-m-wide central opening. The sail will be used from 0.25 to 5 AU, where it will be jettisoned. The total spacecraft module mass propelled by the sail is ∼191 kg. The gores of the sail are folded together and wrapped around a small cylinder. Centripetal force is used for sail deployment. The spacecraft is moved off-center with booms for sail attitude control and thrust vector pointing

  19. Space Environmental Effects Testing and Characterization of the Candidate Solar Sail Material Aluminized Mylar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, D. L.; Hubbs, W. S.; Wertz, G. E.; Alstatt, R.; Munafo, Paul (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The usage of solar sails as a propellantless propulsion system has been proposed for many years. The technical challenges associated with solar sails are fabrication of ultralightweight films, deploying the sails and controlling the spacecraft. Integral to all these challenges is the mechanical property integrity of the sail while exposed to the harsh environment of space. This paper describes testing and characterization of a candidate solar sail material, Aluminized Mylar. This material was exposed to a simulated Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and evaluated by measuring thermooptical and mechanical property changes. Testing procedures and results are presented.

  20. Recent Advances in Heliogyro Solar Sail Structural Dynamics, Stability, and Control Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkie, W. Keats; Warren, Jerry E.; Horta, Lucas G.; Lyle, Karen H.; Juang, Jer-Nan; Gibbs, S. Chad; Dowell, Earl H.; Guerrant, Daniel V.; Lawrence, Dale

    2015-01-01

    Results from recent NASA sponsored research on the structural dynamics, stability, and control characteristics of heliogyro solar sails are summarized. Specific areas under investigation include coupled nonlinear finite element analysis of heliogyro membrane blade with solar radiation pressure effects, system identification of spinning membrane structures, and solarelastic stability analysis of heliogyro solar sails, including stability during blade deployment. Recent results from terrestrial 1-g blade dynamics and control experiments on "rope ladder" membrane blade analogs, and small-scale in vacuo system identification experiments with hanging and spinning high-aspect ratio membranes will also be presented. A low-cost, rideshare payload heliogyro technology demonstration mission concept is used as a mission context for these heliogyro structural dynamics and solarelasticity investigations, and is also described. Blade torsional dynamic response and control are also shown to be significantly improved through the use of edge stiffening structural features or inclusion of modest tip masses to increase centrifugal stiffening of the blade structure. An output-only system identification procedure suitable for on-orbit blade dynamics investigations is also developed and validated using ground tests of spinning sub-scale heliogyro blade models. Overall, analytical and experimental investigations to date indicate no intractable stability or control issues for the heliogyro solar sail concept.

  1. Solar Sail Models and Test Measurements Correspondence for Validation Requirements Definition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, Anthony; Adams, Charles

    2004-01-01

    Solar sails are being developed as a mission-enabling technology in support of future NASA science missions. Current efforts have advanced solar sail technology sufficient to justify a flight validation program. A primary objective of this activity is to test and validate solar sail models that are currently under development so that they may be used with confidence in future science mission development (e.g., scalable to larger sails). Both system and model validation requirements must be defined early in the program to guide design cycles and to ensure that relevant and sufficient test data will be obtained to conduct model validation to the level required. A process of model identification, model input/output documentation, model sensitivity analyses, and test measurement correspondence is required so that decisions can be made to satisfy validation requirements within program constraints.

  2. Momentum Management for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout Solar Sail Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heaton, Andrew; Diedrich, Benjamin L.; Orphee, Juan; Stiltner, Brandon; Becker, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    The Momentum Management (MM) system is described for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout) cubesat solar sail mission. Unlike many solar sail mission proposals that used solar torque as the primary or only attitude control system, NEA Scout uses small reaction wheels (RW) and a reaction control system (RCS) with cold gas thrusters, as described in the abstract "Solar Sail Attitude Control System for Near Earth Asteroid Scout Cubesat Mission." The reaction wheels allow fine pointing and higher rates with low mass actuators to meet the science, communication, and trajectory guidance requirements. The MM system keeps the speed of the wheels within their operating margins using a combination of solar torque and the RCS.

  3. Design and Development of NEA Scout Solar Sail Deployer Mechanism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobey, Alexander R.; Lockett, Tiffany Russell

    2016-01-01

    The 6U (approx.10 cm x 20 cm x 30 cm) cubesat Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout1, projected for launch in September 2018 aboard the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System, will utilize a solar sail as its main method of propulsion throughout its approx.3-year mission to a Near Earth Asteroid. Due to the extreme volume constraints levied onto the mission, an acutely compact solar sail deployment mechanism has been designed to meet the volume and mass constraints, as well as provide enough propulsive solar sail area and quality in order to achieve mission success. The design of such a compact system required the development of approximately half a dozen prototypes in order to identify unforeseen problems, advance solutions, and build confidence in the final design product. This paper focuses on the obstacles of developing a solar sail deployment mechanism for such an application and the lessons learned from a thorough development process. The lessons presented will have significant applications beyond the NEA Scout mission, such as the development of other deployable boom mechanisms and uses for gossamer-thin films in space.

  4. Three-Axis Attitude Control of Solar Sails Utilising Reflectivity Control Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theodorou, Theodoros

    Solar sails are spacecraft that utilise the Solar Radiation Pressure, the force generated by impinging photons, to propel themselves. Conventional actuators are not suitable for controlling the attitude of solar sails therefore specific attitude control methods have been devised to tackle this. One of these methods is to change the centre of pressure with respect to the center of mass thus creating a torque. Reflectivity Control Devices (RCDs) have been proposed and successfully used to change the centre of pressure. Current methods that utilise RCDs have control authority over two axis only with no ability to control the torque about the normal of the sail surface. This thesis extends the state of the art and demonstrates 3-axis control by generating arbitrary torque vectors within a convex polyhedron. Two different RCD materials are considered, transmission and diffusion technologies both compatible with the proposed concept. A number of metrics have been developed which facilitate the comparison of different sail configurations. One of these metics is the sun map which is a graphic representation of the sun angles for which control authority is maintained. An iterative design process is presented which makes use of the metrics developed and aids in the design of a sail which meets the mission requirements and constraints. Moreover, the effects of different parameters on the performance of the proposed control concept are discussed. For example it is shown that by alternating the angle between the edge and middle RCDs the control authority increases. The concept's scalability has been investigated and a hybrid control scheme has been devised which makes use of both RCDs and reaction wheels. The RCDs are complemented by the reaction wheels to achieve higher slew rates while in turn the RCDs desaturate the reaction wheels. Finally, a number of simulations are conducted to verify the validity of the proposed concept.

  5. Advanced Materials and Production Technology for Very Large Solar Sail Structures, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Solar sails are an attractive means for propulsion of future spacecraft. One potential device for deploying and supporting very large solar sails is the CoilAble...

  6. Relativistic solar sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Güémez, J.; Fiolhais, M.

    2018-05-01

    We apply the four-vector formalism of special relativity to describe various interaction processes of photons with a solar sail, in two cases: when the sail’s surface is a perfect mirror, and when it is a body coated with a totally absorbing material. We stress the pedagogical value of implementing simultaneously both the linear momentum and the energy conservation in a covariant fashion, as our formalism inherently does. It also allows for a straightforward change of the description of a certain process in different inertial reference frames.

  7. Solar sail time-optimal interplanetary transfer trajectory design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong Shengpin; Gao Yunfeng; Li Junfeng

    2011-01-01

    The fuel consumption associated with some interplanetary transfer trajectories using chemical propulsion is not affordable. A solar sail is a method of propulsion that does not consume fuel. Transfer time is one of the most pressing problems of solar sail transfer trajectory design. This paper investigates the time-optimal interplanetary transfer trajectories to a circular orbit of given inclination and radius. The optimal control law is derived from the principle of maximization. An indirect method is used to solve the optimal control problem by selecting values for the initial adjoint variables, which are normalized within a unit sphere. The conditions for the existence of the time-optimal transfer are dependent on the lightness number of the sail and the inclination and radius of the target orbit. A numerical method is used to obtain the boundary values for the time-optimal transfer trajectories. For the cases where no time-optimal transfer trajectories exist, first-order necessary conditions of the optimal control are proposed to obtain feasible solutions. The results show that the transfer time decreases as the minimum distance from the Sun decreases during the transfer duration. For a solar sail with a small lightness number, the transfer time may be evaluated analytically for a three-phase transfer trajectory. The analytical results are compared with previous results and the associated numerical results. The transfer time of the numerical result here is smaller than the transfer time from previous results and is larger than the analytical result.

  8. On Possibility of Direct Asteroid Deflection by Electric Solar Wind Sail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merikallio, Sini; Janhunen, Pekka

    2010-05-01

    The Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail) is a new propulsion method for interplanetary travel which was invented in 2006 and is currently under development. The E-sail uses charged tethers to extract momentum from the solar wind particles to obtain propulsive thrust. According to current estimates, the E-sail is 2-3 orders of magnitude better than traditional propulsion methods (chemical rockets and ion engines) in terms of produced lifetime-integrated impulse per propulsion system mass. Here we analyze the problem of using the E-sail for directly deflecting an Earth-threatening asteroid. The problem then culminates into how to attach the E-sail device to the asteroid. We assess a number of alternative attachment strategies and arrive at a recommendation of using the gravity tractor method because of its workability for a wide variety of asteroid types. We also consider possible techniques to scale up the E-sail force beyond the baseline one Newton level to deal with more imminent or larger asteroid or cometary threats. As a baseline case we consider a 3 million ton asteroid which can be deflected with a baseline 1 N E-sail in 5-10 years. Once developed, the E-sail would appear to provide a safe and reasonably low-cost way of deflecting dangerous asteroids and other heavenly bodies in cases where the collision threat becomes known several years in advance.

  9. NanoSail - D Orbital and Attitude Dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heaton, Andrew F.; Faller, Brent F.; Katan, Chelsea K.

    2013-01-01

    NanoSail-D unfurled January 20th, 2011 and successfully demonstrated the deployment and deorbit capability of a solar sail in low Earth orbit. The orbit was strongly perturbed by solar radiation pressure, aerodynamic drag, and oblate gravity which were modeled using STK HPOP. A comparison of the ballistic coefficient history to the orbit parameters exhibits a strong relationship between orbital lighting, the decay rate of the mean semi-major axis and mean eccentricity. A similar comparison of mean solar area using the STK HPOP solar radiation pressure model exhibits a strong correlation of solar radiation pressure to mean eccentricity and mean argument of perigee. NanoSail-D was not actively controlled and had no capability on-board for attitude or orbit determination. To estimate attitude dynamics we created a 3-DOF attitude dynamics simulation that incorporated highly realistic estimates of perturbing forces into NanoSail-D torque models. By comparing the results of this simulation to the orbital behavior and ground observations of NanoSail-D, we conclude that there is a coupling between the orbit and attitude dynamics as well as establish approximate limits on the location of the NanoSail-D solar center of pressure. Both of these observations contribute valuable data for future solar sail designs and missions.

  10. Multiple NEO Rendezvous Using Solar Sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Alexander, Leslie; Fabisinski, Leo; Heaton, Andy; Miernik, Janie; Stough, Rob; Wright, Roosevelt; Young, Roy

    2012-01-01

    Mission concept is to assess the feasibility of using solar sail propulsion to enable a robotic precursor that would survey multiple Near Earth Objects (NEOs) for potential future human visits. Single spacecraft will rendezvous with and image 3 NEOs within 6 years of launch

  11. NASA's Advanced Solar Sail Propulsion System for Low-Cost Deep Space Exploration and Science Missions that Use High Performance Rollable Composite Booms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Juan M.; Rose, Geoffrey K.; Younger, Casey J.; Dean, Gregory D.; Warren, Jerry E.; Stohlman, Olive R.; Wilkie, W. Keats

    2017-01-01

    Several low-cost solar sail technology demonstrator missions are under development in the United States. However, the mass saving derived benefits that composites can offer to such a mass critical spacecraft architecture have not been realized yet. This is due to the lack of suitable composite booms that can fit inside CubeSat platforms and ultimately be readily scalable to much larger sizes, where they can fully optimize their use. With this aim, a new effort focused at developing scalable rollable composite booms for solar sails and other deployable structures has begun. Seven meter booms used to deploy a 90 m2 class solar sail that can fit inside a 6U CubeSat have already been developed. The NASA road map to low-cost solar sail capability demonstration envisioned, consists of increasing the size of these composite booms to enable sailcrafts with a reflective area of up to 2000 m2 housed aboard small satellite platforms. This paper presents a solar sail system initially conceived to serve as a risk reduction alternative to Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout's baseline design but that has recently been slightly redesigned and proposed for follow-on missions. The features of the booms and various deployment mechanisms for the booms and sail, as well as ground support equipment used during testing, are introduced. The results of structural analyses predict the performance of the system under microgravity conditions. Finally, the results of the functional and environmental testing campaign carried out are shown.

  12. Solar Array Sails: Possible Space Plasma Environmental Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackey, Willie R.

    2005-01-01

    An examination of the interactions between proposed "solar sail" propulsion systems with photovoltaic energy generation capabilities and the space plasma environments. Major areas of interactions ere: Acting from high voltage arrays, ram and wake effects, V and B current loops and EMI. Preliminary analysis indicates that arcing will be a major risk factor for voltages greater than 300V. Electron temperature enhancement in the wake will be produce noise that can be transmitted via the wake echo process. In addition, V and B induced potential will generate sheath voltages with potential tether like breakage effects in the thin film sails. Advocacy of further attention to these processes is emphasized so that plasma environmental mitigation will be instituted in photovoltaic sail design.

  13. Fast Solar Sailing Astrodynamics of Special Sailcraft Trajectories

    CERN Document Server

    Vulpetti, Giovanni

    2013-01-01

    The range of solar sailing is very vast; it is a fully in-space means of propellantless propulsion that should allow us to accomplish various mission classes that are unviable using near or medium-term rocket propulsion, no matter if nuclear or electric. Fast and very fast solar sailings are special classes of sailcraft missions, initially developed only in the first half of the 1990s and still evolving, especially after the latest advances in nanotechnology.   This book describes how to plan, compute and optimize the trajectories of sailcraft with speeds considerably higher than the Earth’s orbital speed (30 km/s); such sailcraft would be able to explore the outer heliosphere, the near interstellar medium and the solar gravitational lens (550-800 astronomical units) in times significantly shorter than the span of an average career (~ 35 years), just to cite a few examples. The scientific interest in this type of exploration is huge.

  14. Photogrammetry and Videogrammetry Methods Development for Solar Sail Structures. Masters Thesis awarded by George Washington Univ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pappa, Richard S. (Technical Monitor); Black, Jonathan T.

    2003-01-01

    This report discusses the development and application of metrology methods called photogrammetry and videogrammetry that make accurate measurements from photographs. These methods have been adapted for the static and dynamic characterization of gossamer structures, as four specific solar sail applications demonstrate. The applications prove that high-resolution, full-field, non-contact static measurements of solar sails using dot projection photogrammetry are possible as well as full-field, non-contact, dynamic characterization using dot projection videogrammetry. The accuracy of the measurement of the resonant frequencies and operating deflection shapes that were extracted surpassed expectations. While other non-contact measurement methods exist, they are not full-field and require significantly more time to take data.

  15. Low-cost gossamer systems for solar sailing and spacecraft deorbiting applications.

    OpenAIRE

    Fernandez, Juan M.

    2015-01-01

    Nowadays, a technology demonstrator platform popular amongst the research community given their relatively low cost and short development time are cubesats. Nevertheless, cubesats are by definition nano-satellites of small volume and mass, and therefore, they traditionally only allowed very limited sizes of any expandable structure onboard with final deployed areas in the order of a few square meters. This conflicts with the large areas required for efficient solar sails, making the demonstra...

  16. Design and Characterization of a Small-Scale Solar Sail Prototype by Integrating NiTi SMA and Carbon Fibre Composite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Girolamo Costanza

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Solar sails are propellantless systems where the propulsive force is given by the momentum exchange of reflecting photons. In this study, a self-deploying system based on NiTi shape memory wires and sheets has been designed and manufactured. A small-scale prototype of solar sail with carbon fibre loom has been developed. Different configurations have been tested to optimize material and structure design of the small-scale solar sail. In particular the attention has been focused on the surface/weight ratio and the deployment of the solar sail. By reducing weight and enlarging the surface, it is possible to obtain high values of characteristic acceleration that is one of the main parameters for a successful use of the solar sail as propulsion system. Thanks to the use of shape memory alloys for self-actuation of the system, complexity of the structure itself decreases. Moreover, sail deployment is simpler.

  17. Attitude and orbital dynamics modeling for an uncontrolled solar-sail experiment in low-Earth orbit

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pirovano, L.; Seefeldt, P.; Dachwald, B.; Noomen, R.

    2015-01-01

    Gossamer-1 is the first project of the three-step Gossamer roadmap, the purpose of which is to develop, prove and demonstrate that solar-sail technology is a safe and reliable propulsion technique for long-lasting and high-energy missions. This paper firstly presents the structural analysis

  18. Towing Asteroids with Gravity Tractors Enhanced by Tethers and Solar Sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Haijun; Roithmayr, Carlos M.

    2015-01-01

    Material collected from an asteroid's surface can be used to increase gravitational attraction between the asteroid and a Gravity Tractor (GT); the spacecraft therefore operates more effectively and is referred to as an Enhanced Gravity Tractor (EGT). The use of tethers and solar sails to further improve effectiveness and simplify operations is investigated. By employing a tether, the asteroidal material can be placed close to the asteroid while the spacecraft is stationed farther away, resulting in a better safety margin and improved thruster efficiency. A solar sail on a spacecraft can naturally provide radial offset and inter-spacecraft separation required for multiple EGTs.

  19. Optimal heliocentric trajectories for solar sail with minimum area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petukhov, Vyacheslav G.

    2018-05-01

    The fixed-time heliocentric trajectory optimization problem is considered for planar solar sail with minimum area. Necessary optimality conditions are derived, a numerical method for solving the problem is developed, and numerical examples of optimal trajectories to Mars, Venus and Mercury are presented. The dependences of the minimum area of the solar sail from the date of departure from the Earth, the time of flight and the departing hyperbolic excess of velocity are analyzed. In particular, for the rendezvous problem (approaching a target planet with zero relative velocity) with zero departing hyperbolic excess of velocity for a flight duration of 1200 days it was found that the minimum area-to-mass ratio should be about 12 m2/kg for trajectory to Venus, 23.5 m2/kg for the trajectory to Mercury and 25 m2/kg for trajectory to Mars.

  20. Dynamic and optical characterization of dusty plasmas for use as solar sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheldon, Robert; Thomas, Edward Jr.; Abbas, Mian; Gallagher, Dennis; Adrian, Mark; Craven, Paul

    2002-01-01

    Solar sails presently have mass loadings of 5 gm/m2 that, when including the support structure and payload, could easily average to >10 gm/m2. For reasonably sized spacecraft, the critical parameter is the total mass per total area, which when combined with the reflectivity, yield the true acceleration. We propose that dusty plasmas trapped in a 'Mini-Magnetosphere' (Winglee, 2000) can produce a solar sail with a total mass loading <0.01 gm/m2, and reflectivities of ∼1%. This configuration provides an acceleration equivalent to a standard sail of 95% reflectivity with <1 gm/m2. However, the physics of dusty plasma sails is not mature and several important questions need to be resolved before a large scale effort is warranted. Foremost among these questions are, what is the largest force a dusty plasma can sustain before it demagnetizes and separates from the binding magnetic field; what are the charging properties of dust under solar UV conditions; what is the light scattering cross section for the dust; what is the optimum dust grain size for magnetization and scattering; and, what are the optimum dust grain materials? We outline what we know about dusty plasmas, and what we are hoping to learn from two existing dusty plasma experiments at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) and Auburn University

  1. Lessons for Interstellar Travel from the G&C Design of the NEA Scout Solar Sail Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heaton, Andrew; Diedrich, Benjamin

    2017-01-01

    NASA is developing the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission that will use a solar sail to travel to an asteroid where it will perform a slow flyby to acquire science imagery. A guidance and control system was developed to meet the science and trajectory requirements. The NEA Scout design process can be applied to an interstellar or precursor mission that uses a beam-propelled sail. The scientific objectives are met by accurately targeting the destination trajectory position and velocity. The destination is targeted by understanding the force on the sail from the beam (or sunlight in the case of NEA Scout) over the duration of the thrust maneuver. The propulsive maneuver is maintained by accurate understanding of the torque on the sail, which is a function of sail shape, optical properties, and mass properties, all of which apply to NEA Scout and beam propelled sails. NEA Scout uses active control of the sail attitude while trimming the solar torque, which could be used on a beamed propulsion sail if necessary. The biggest difference is that NEA Scout can correct for uncertainties in sail thrust modeling, spacecraft orbit, and target orbit throughout the flight to the target, while beamed propulsion needs accurate operation for the short duration of the beamed propulsion maneuver, making accurate understanding of the sail thrust and orbits much more critical.

  2. Simulation study of solar wind push on a charged wire: basis of solar wind electric sail propulsion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available One possibility for propellantless propulsion in space is to use the momentum flux of the solar wind. A way to set up a solar wind sail is to have a set of thin long wires which are kept at high positive potential by an onboard electron gun so that the wires repel and deflect incident solar wind protons. The efficiency of this so-called electric sail depends on how large force a given solar wind exerts on a wire segment and how large electron current the wire segment draws from the solar wind plasma when kept at a given potential. We use 1-D and 2-D electrostatic plasma simulations to calculate the force and present a semitheoretical formula which captures the simulation results. We find that under average solar wind conditions at 1 AU the force per unit length is (5±1×10−8 N/m for 15 kV potential and that the electron current is accurately given by the well-known orbital motion limited (OML theory cylindrical Langmuir probe formula. Although the force may appear small, an analysis shows that because of the very low weight of a thin wire per unit length, quite high final speeds (over 50 km/s could be achieved by an electric sailing spacecraft using today's flight-proved components. It is possible that artificial electron heating of the plasma in the interaction region could increase the propulsive effect even further.

  3. Study of a 30-M Boom For Solar Sail-Craft: Model Extendibility and Control Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keel, Leehyun

    2005-01-01

    Space travel propelled by solar sails is motivated by the fact that the momentum exchange that occurs when photons are reflected and/or absorbed by a large solar sail generates a small but constant acceleration. This acceleration can induce a constant thrust in very large sails that is sufficient to maintain a polar observing satellite in a constant position relative to the Sun or Earth. For long distance propulsion, square sails (with side length greater than 150 meters) can reach Jupiter in two years and Pluto in less than ten years. Converting such design concepts to real-world systems will require accurate analytical models and model parameters. This requires extensive structural dynamics tests. However, the low mass and high flexibility of large and light weight structures such as solar sails makes them unsuitable for ground testing. As a result, validating analytical models is an extremely difficult problem. On the other hand, a fundamental question can be asked. That is whether an analytical model that represents a small-scale version of a solar-sail boom can be extended to much larger versions of the same boom. To answer this question, we considered a long deployable boom that will be used to support the solar sails of the sail-craft. The length of fully deployed booms of the actual solar sail-craft will exceed 100 meters. However, the test-bed we used in our study is a 30 meter retractable boom at MSFC. We first develop analytical models based on Lagrange s equations and the standard Euler-Bernoulli beam. Then the response of the models will be compared with test data of the 30 meter boom at various deployed lengths. For this stage of study, our analysis was limited to experimental data obtained at 12ft and 18ft deployment lengths. The comparison results are positive but speculative. To observe properly validate the analytic model, experiments at longer deployment lengths, up to the full 30 meter, have been requested. We expect the study to answer the

  4. Numerical analysis of orbital transfers to Mars using solar sails and attitude control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, M. C.; de Melo, C. F.; Meireles, L. G.

    2017-10-01

    Solar sails present a promising alternative method of propulsion for the coming phases of the space exploration. With the recent advances in materials engineering, the construction of lighter and more resistant materials capable of impelling spaceships with the use of solar radiation pressure has become increasingly viable technologically and economically. The studies, simulations and analysis of orbital transfers from Earth to Mars proposed in this work were implemented considering the use of a flat solar sail. Maneuvers considering the delivery of a sailcraft from a Low Earth Orbit to the border of the Earth’s sphere of influence and interplanetary trajectories to Mars were investigated. A set of simulations were implemented varying the attitude of the sail relative to the Sun. Results show that a sailcraft can carry out transfers with final velocity with respect to Mars smaller than the interplanetary Patched-conic approximation, although this requires a longer time of transfers, provided the attitude of the sailcraft relative to the Sun can be controlled in some points of the trajectories.

  5. Sunlight reflection off the spacecraft with a solar sail on the surface of mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starinova, O. L.; Rozhkov, M. A.; Gorbunova, I. V.

    2018-05-01

    Modern technologies make it possible to fulfill many projects in the field of space exploration. One such project is the colonization of Mars and providing favorable conditions for living on it. Authors propose principles of functioning of the spacecraft with a solar sail, intended to create a thermal and light spot in a predetermined area of the Martian surface. This additional illumination can maintain and support certain climatic conditions on a small area where a Mars base could be located. This paper investigate the possibility of the spacecraft continuously reflect the sunlight off the solar sail on the small area of the Mars surface. The mathematical motion model in such condition of the solar sail's orientation is considered and used for motion simulation session. Moreover, the analysis of this motion is performed. Thus, were obtained parameters of the synchronic non-Keplerian orbit and spacecraft construction. In addition, were given recommendations for further applying satellites to reflect the sunlight on a planet's surface.

  6. Simulation study of solar wind push on a charged wire: basis of solar wind electric sail propulsion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available One possibility for propellantless propulsion in space is to use the momentum flux of the solar wind. A way to set up a solar wind sail is to have a set of thin long wires which are kept at high positive potential by an onboard electron gun so that the wires repel and deflect incident solar wind protons. The efficiency of this so-called electric sail depends on how large force a given solar wind exerts on a wire segment and how large electron current the wire segment draws from the solar wind plasma when kept at a given potential. We use 1-D and 2-D electrostatic plasma simulations to calculate the force and present a semitheoretical formula which captures the simulation results. We find that under average solar wind conditions at 1 AU the force per unit length is (5±1×10−8 N/m for 15 kV potential and that the electron current is accurately given by the well-known orbital motion limited (OML theory cylindrical Langmuir probe formula. Although the force may appear small, an analysis shows that because of the very low weight of a thin wire per unit length, quite high final speeds (over 50 km/s could be achieved by an electric sailing spacecraft using today's flight-proved components. It is possible that artificial electron heating of the plasma in the interaction region could increase the propulsive effect even further.

  7. New applications of the H-reversal trajectory using solar sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng Xiangyuan; Baoyin Hexi; Li Junfeng; Gong Shengping

    2011-01-01

    Advanced solar sailing has been an increasingly attractive propulsion system for highly non-Keplerian orbits. Three new applications of the orbital angular momentum reversal (H-reversal) trajectories using solar sails are presented: space observation, heliocentric orbit transfer and collision orbits with asteroids. A theoretical proof for the existence of double H-reversal trajectories (referred to as 'H2RTs') is given, and the characteristics of the H2RTs are introduced before a discussion of the mission applications. A new family of H2RTs was obtained using a 3D dynamic model of the two-body frame. In a time-optimal control model, the minimum period H2RTs both inside and outside the ecliptic plane were examined using an ideal solar sail. Due to the quasi-heliostationary property at its two symmetrical aphelia, the H2RTs were deemed suitable for space observation. For the second application, the heliocentric transfer orbit was able to function as the time-optimal H-reversal trajectory, since its perihelion velocity is a circular or elliptic velocity. Such a transfer orbit can place the sailcraft into a clockwise orbit in the ecliptic plane, with a high inclination or displacement above or below the Sun. The third application of the H-reversal trajectory was simulated impacting an asteroid passing near Earth in a head-on collision. The collision point can be designed through selecting different perihelia or different launch windows. Sample orbits of each application were presented through numerical simulation. The results can serve as a reference for theoretical research and engineering design.

  8. Scale-model Experiment of Magnetoplasma Sail for Future Deep Space Missions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Funaki, Ikkoh; Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Ueno, Kazuma; Kimura, Toshiyuki; Ayabe, Tomohiro; Horisawa, Hideyuki

    2008-01-01

    When Magnetic sail (MagSail) spacecraft is operated in space, the supersonic solar wind plasma flow is blocked by an artificially produced magnetic cavity to accelerate the spacecraft in the direction leaving the Sun. To evaluate the momentum transferring process from the solar wind to the coil onboard the MagSail spacecraft, we arranged a laboratory experiment of MagSail spacecraft. Based on scaling considerations, a solenoidal coil was immersed into the plasma flow from a magnetoplasmadynamic arcjet in a quasi-steady mode of about 1 ms duration. In this setup, it is confirmed that a magnetic cavity, which is similar to that of the geomagnetic field, was formed around the coil to produce thrust in the ion Larmor scale interaction. Also, the controllability of magnetic cavity size by a plasma jet from inside the coil of MagSail is demonstrated, although the thrust characteristic of the MagSail with plasma jet, which is so called plasma sail, is to be clarified in our next step

  9. Lessons for Interstellar Travel from the Guidance and Control Design of the Near Earth Asteroid Scout Solar Sail Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrich, Benjamin; Heaton, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    NASA is developing the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission that will use a solar sail to travel to an asteroid where it will perform a slow flyby to acquire science imagery. A guidance and control system was developed to meet the science and trajectory requirements. The NEA Scout design process can be applied to an interstellar or precursor mission that uses a beam propelled sail. The scientific objectives are met by accurately targeting the destination trajectory position and velocity. The destination is targeted by understanding the force on the sail from the beam (or sunlight in the case of NEA Scout) over the duration of the thrust maneuver. The propulsive maneuver is maintained by accurate understanding of the torque on the sail, which is a function of sail shape, optical properties, and mass properties, all of which apply to NEA Scout and beam propelled sails. NEA Scout uses active control of the sail attitude while trimming the solar torque, which could be used on a beamed propulsion sail if necessary. The biggest difference is that NEA Scout can correct for uncertainties in sail thrust modeling, spacecraft orbit, and target orbit throughout the flight to the target, while beamed propulsion needs accurate operation for the short duration of the beamed propulsion maneuver, making accurate understanding of the sail thrust and orbits much more critical.

  10. Lightweight Light Sail Propulsion

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The areal density of solar sails and laser sails is large due to the heavy support structure made of Mylar, Kapton or CP-1. Replacing this support structure with...

  11. MODEL CORRELATION STUDY OF A RETRACTABLE BOOM FOR A SOLAR SAIL SPACECRAFT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adetona, O.; Keel, L. H.; Oakley, J. D.; Kappus, K.; Whorton, M. S.; Kim, Y. K.; Rakpczy, J. M.

    2005-01-01

    To realize design concepts, predict dynamic behavior and develop appropriate control strategies for high performance operation of a solar-sail spacecraft, we developed a simple analytical model that represents dynamic behavior of spacecraft with various sizes. Since motion of the vehicle is dominated by retractable booms that support the structure, our study concentrates on developing and validating a dynamic model of a long retractable boom. Extensive tests with various configurations were conducted for the 30 Meter, light-weight, retractable, lattice boom at NASA MSFC that is structurally and dynamically similar to those of a solar-sail spacecraft currently under construction. Experimental data were then compared with the corresponding response of the analytical model. Though mixed results were obtained, the analytical model emulates several key characteristics of the boom. The paper concludes with a detailed discussion of issues observed during the study.

  12. The Coupled Orbit-Attitude Dynamics and Control of Electric Sail in Displaced Solar Orbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingying Huo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Displaced solar orbits for spacecraft propelled by electric sails are investigated. Since the propulsive thrust is induced by the sail attitude, the orbital and attitude dynamics of electric-sail-based spacecraft are coupled and required to be investigated together. However, the coupled dynamics and control of electric sails have not been discussed in most published literatures. In this paper, the equilibrium point of the coupled dynamical system in displaced orbit is obtained, and its stability is analyzed through a linearization. The results of stability analysis show that only some of the orbits are marginally stable. For unstable displaced orbits, linear quadratic regulator is employed to control the coupled attitude-orbit system. Numerical simulations show that the proposed strategy can control the coupled system and a small torque can stabilize both the attitude and orbit. In order to generate the control force and torque, the voltage distribution problem is studied in an optimal framework. The numerical results show that the control force and torque of electric sail can be realized by adjusting the voltage distribution of charged tethers.

  13. Flowing Plasma Interaction with an Electric Sail Tether Element

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Todd; Vaughn, Jason; Wright, Kenneth; Anderson, Allen; Stone, Nobie

    2017-01-01

    Harnessing the power of the solar wind, an Electric Sail, or E-sail, is a relatively new concept that promises to deliver high speed propellant-less propulsion. The electric sail is an invention made in 2006 at the Kumpula Space Centre in Finland by Pekka Janhunen [Janhunen and Sandroos, 2007]. At its core, an electric sail utilizes multiple positively biased tethers which exchange momentum with solar wind protons via the repelling electric field established around each tether, in other words, by reflecting the solar wind protons. Recognizing the solar wind is a plasma, the effective repelling area of each tether is increased significantly by the formation a plasma sheath around each tether. Fig. 1 shows schematically a spacecraft employing an electric sail. The positive voltage bias (greater than10kV) applied to each tether naturally results in electron collection. Therefore, the electric sail concept necessarily includes an electron source (electron gun) to return collected electrons to space and maintain the positive bias of the tether system.

  14. Thrust calculation of electric solar wind sail by particle-in-cell simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoshi, Kento [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; Kojima, Hirotsugu; Yamakawa, Hiroshi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Research Inst. for Sustainable Humanosphere; Muranaka, Takanobu [Chukyo Univ., Nagoya (Japan). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

    2016-07-01

    In this study, thrust characteristics of an electric solar wind sail were numerically evaluated using full threedimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. The thrust obtained from the PIC simulation was lower than the thrust estimations obtained in previous studies. The PIC simulation indicated that ambient electrons strongly shield the electrostatic potential of the tether of the sail, and the strong shield effect causes a greater thrust reduction than has been obtained in previous studies. Additionally, previous expressions of the thrust estimation were modified by using the shielded potential structure derived from the present simulation results. The modified thrust estimation agreed very well with the thrust obtained from the PIC simulation.

  15. Thrust calculation of electric solar wind sail by particle-in-cell simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoshi, Kento; Kojima, Hirotsugu; Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Muranaka, Takanobu

    2016-01-01

    In this study, thrust characteristics of an electric solar wind sail were numerically evaluated using full threedimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. The thrust obtained from the PIC simulation was lower than the thrust estimations obtained in previous studies. The PIC simulation indicated that ambient electrons strongly shield the electrostatic potential of the tether of the sail, and the strong shield effect causes a greater thrust reduction than has been obtained in previous studies. Additionally, previous expressions of the thrust estimation were modified by using the shielded potential structure derived from the present simulation results. The modified thrust estimation agreed very well with the thrust obtained from the PIC simulation.

  16. Angular velocity determination of spinning solar sails using only a sun sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kun Zhai

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The direction of the sun is the easiest and most reliable observation vector for a solar sail running in deep space exploration. This paper presents a new method using only raw measurements of the sun direction vector to estimate angular velocity for a spinning solar sail. In cases with a constant spin angular velocity, the estimation equation is formed based on the kinematic model for the apparent motion of the sun direction vector; the least-squares solution is then easily calculated. A performance criterion is defined and used to analyze estimation accuracy. In cases with a variable spin angular velocity, the estimation equation is developed based on the kinematic model for the apparent motion of the sun direction vector and the attitude dynamics equation. Simulation results show that the proposed method can quickly yield high-precision angular velocity estimates that are insensitive to certain measurement noises and modeling errors.

  17. Novel Solar Sail Mission Concepts for High-Latitude Earth and Lunar Observation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heiligers, M.J.; Parker, Jeffrey S.; Macdonald, Malcolm

    2016-01-01

    This paper proposes the use of solar sail periodic orbits in the Earth-Moon system for ob-servation of the high-latitudes of the Earth and Moon. At the Earth, the high-latitudes will be crucial in answering questions concerning global climate change, monitoring space weather events and ensuring

  18. Findings from NASA's 2015-2017 Electric Sail Investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegmann, Bruce. M.

    2017-01-01

    Electric Sail (E-Sail) propulsion systems will enable scientific spacecraft to obtain velocities of up to 10 astronomical units per year without expending any on-board propellant. The E-Sail propulsion is created from the interaction of a spacecraft's positively charged multi-kilometer-length conductor/s with protons that are present in the naturally occurring hypersonic solar wind. The protons are deflected via natural electrostatic repulsion forces from the Debye sheath that is formed around a charged wire in space, and this deflection of protons creates thrust or propulsion in the opposite direction. It is envisioned that this E-Sail propulsion system can provide propulsion throughout the solar system and to the heliosphere and beyond. Consistent with the concept of a "sail," no propellant is needed as electrostatic repulsion interactions between the naturally occurring solar wind protons and a positively charged wire creates the propulsion. The basic principle on which the Electric Sail operates is the exchange of momentum between an "electric sail" and solar wind, which continually flows radially away from the sun at speeds ranging from 300 to 700 kilometers per second. The "sail" consists of an array of long, charged wires which extend radially outward 10 to 30 kilometers from a slowly rotating spacecraft. Momentum is transferred from the solar wind to the array through the deflection of the positively charged solar wind protons by a high voltage potential applied to the wires. The thrust generated by an E-Sail is proportional to the area of the sail, which is given by the product of the total length of the wires and the effective wire diameter. The wire is approximately 0.1 millimeters in diameter. However, the effective diameter is determined by the distance the applied electric potential penetrates into space around the wire (on the order of 10 meters at 1 astronomical unit). As a result, the effective area over which protons are repelled is proportional

  19. Flying on Sun Shine: Sailing in Space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alhorn, Dean

    2012-01-01

    On January 20th, 2011, NanoSail-D successfully deployed its sail in space. It was the first solar sail vehicle to orbit the earth and the second sail ever unfurled in space. The 10m2 sail, deployment mechanism and electronics were packed into a 3U CubeSat with a volume of about 3500cc. The NanoSail-D mission had two objectives: eject a nanosatellite from a minisatellite; deploy its sail from a highly compacted volume to validate large structure deployment and potential de-orbit technologies. NanoSail-D was jointly developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Ames Research Center. The ManTech/NeXolve Corporation provided key sail design support. NanoSail-D is managed by Marshall and jointly sponsored by the Army Space and Missile Defense Command, the Space Test Program, the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation and Dynetics Inc. The presentation will provide insights into sailcraft advances and potential missions enabled by this emerging in-space propulsion technology.

  20. Orbital Dynamics of an Oscillating Sail in the Earth-Moon System

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heiligers, M.J.; Ceriotti, M.

    2017-01-01

    The oscillating sail is a novel solar sail configuration where a triangular sail is released at a deflected angle with respect to the Sun-direction. As a result, the sail will conduct an undamped oscillating motion around the Sun-line due to the offset between the centre-of-pressure and

  1. On the feasibility of a negative polarity electric sail

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available An electric solar wind sail is a recently introduced propellantless space propulsion method whose technical development has also started. In its original version, the electric sail consists of a set of long, thin, centrifugally stretched and conducting tethers which are charged positively and kept in a high positive potential of 20 kV by an onboard electron gun. The positively charged tethers deflect solar wind protons, thus tapping momentum from the solar wind stream and producing thrust. Here we consider a variant of the idea with negatively charged tethers. The negative polarity electric sail seems to be more complex to implement than the positive polarity variant since it needs an ion gun instead of an electron gun as well as a more complex tether structure to keep the electron field emission current in check with the tether surface. However, since this first study of the negative polarity electric sail does not reveal any fundamental issues, more detailed studies would be warranted.

  2. Simulations of momentum transfer process between solar wind plasma and bias voltage tethers of electric sail thruster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Guangqing; Han, Yajie; Chen, Liuwei; Wei, Yanming; Yu, Yang; Chen, Maolin

    2018-06-01

    The interaction between the solar wind plasma and the bias voltage of long tethers is the basic mechanism of the electric sail thruster. The momentum transfer process between the solar wind plasma and electric tethers was investigated using a 2D full particle PIC method. The coupled electric field distribution and deflected ion trajectory under different bias voltages were compared, and the influence of bias voltage on momentum transfer process was analyzed. The results show that the high potential of the bias voltage of long tethers will slow down, stagnate, reflect and deflect a large number of ions, so that ion cavities are formed in the vicinity of the tether, and the ions will transmit the axial momentum to the sail tethers to produce the thrust. Compared to the singe tether, double tethers show a better thrust performance.

  3. 7th International Robotic Sailing Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Tynan, Dermot

    2015-01-01

    An autonomous sailboat robot is a boat that only uses the wind on its sail as the propelling force, without remote control or human assistance to achieve its mission. Robotic sailing offers the potential of long range and long term autonomous wind propelled, solar or wave-powered carbon neutral devices. Robotic sailing devices could contribute to monitoring of environmental, ecological, meteorological, hydrographic and oceanographic data. These devices can also be used in traffic monitoring, border surveillance, security, assistance and rescue. The dependency on changing winds and sea conditions presents a considerable challenge for short and long term route and stability planning, collision avoidance and boat control. Building a robust and seaworthy sailing robot presents a truly complex and multi-disciplinary challenge for boat designers, naval architects, systems/electrical engineers and computer scientists. Over the last decade, several events such as Sailbot, World Robotic Sailing Championship and the In...

  4. NASA's Electric Sail Propulsion System Investigations over the Past Three Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegmann, Bruce M.

    2017-01-01

    Personnel from NASA's MSFC have been investigating the feasibility of an advanced propulsion system known as the Electric Sail for future scientific missions of exploration. This team initially won a NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) award and then a two year follow-on Phase II NIAC award. This paper documents the findings from this three year investigation. An Electric sail propulsion system is a propellant-less and extremely fast propulsion system that takes advantage of the ions that are present in the solar wind to provide very rapid transit speeds whether to deep space or to the inner solar system. Scientific spacecraft could arrive to Pluto in 5 years, to the boundary of the solar system in ten to twelve years vs. thirty five plus years it took the Voyager spacecraft. The team's recent focused activities are: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from the experimental data collected at MSFC's Solar Wind Facility on the interaction between simulated solar wind interaction with a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) The development of the necessary tether deployers/tethers to enable successful deployment of multiple, multi km length bare tethers, 3) Determining the different missions that can be captured from this revolutionary propulsion system 4) Conceptual designs of spacecraft to reach various destinations whether to the edge of the solar system, or as Heliophysics sentinels around the sun, or to trips to examine a multitude of asteroids These above activities, once demonstrated analytically, will require a technology demonstration mission (2021 to 2023) to demonstrate that all systems work together seamlessly before a Heliophysics Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) could be given the go-ahead. The proposed demonstration mission will require that a small spacecraft must first travel to cis-lunar space as the Electric Sail must be

  5. Plasma Deflection Test Setup for E-Sail Propulsion Concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Allen; Vaughn, Jason; Schneider, Todd; Wright, Ken

    2016-01-01

    The Electronic Sail or E-Sail is a novel propulsion concept based on momentum exchange between fast solar wind protons and the plasma sheath of long positively charged conductors comprising the E-Sail. The effective sail area increases with decreasing plasma density allowing an E-Sail craft to continue to accelerate at predicted ranges well beyond the capabilities of existing electronic or chemical propulsion spacecraft. While negatively charged conductors in plasmas have been extensively studied and flown, the interaction between plasma and a positively charged conductor is not well studied. We present a plasma deflection test method using a differential ion flux probe (DIFP). The DIFP measures the angle and energy of incident ions. The plasma sheath around a charged body can measured by comparing the angular distribution of ions with and without a positively charged test body. These test results will be used to evaluate numerical calculations of expected thrust per unit length of conductor in the solar wind plasma. This work was supported by a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship.

  6. Solar Sail Attitude Control System for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orphee, Juan; Diedrich, Ben; Stiltner, Brandon; Becker, Chris; Heaton, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    An Attitude Control System (ACS) has been developed for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission. The NEA Scout spacecraft is a 6U cubesat with an eighty-six square meter solar sail for primary propulsion that will launch as a secondary payload on the Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) and rendezvous with a target asteroid after a two year journey, and will conduct science imagery. The spacecraft ACS consists of three major actuating subsystems: a Reaction Wheel (RW) control system, a Reaction Control System (RCS), and an Active Mass Translator (AMT) system. The reaction wheels allow fine pointing and higher rates with low mass actuators to meet the science, communication, and trajectory guidance requirements. The Momentum Management System (MMS) keeps the speed of the wheels within their operating margins using a combination of solar torque and the RCS. The AMT is used to adjust the sign and magnitude of the solar torque to manage pitch and yaw momentum. The RCS is used for initial de-tumble, performing a Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM), and performing momentum management about the roll axis. The NEA Scout ACS is able to meet all mission requirements including attitude hold, slews, pointing for optical navigation and pointing for science with margin and including flexible body effects. Here we discuss the challenges and solutions of meeting NEA Scout mission requirements for the ACS design, and present a novel implementation of managing the spacecraft Center of Mass (CM) to trim the solar sail disturbance torque. The ACS we have developed has an applicability to a range of potential missions and does so in a much smaller volume than is traditional for deep space missions beyond Earth.

  7. Deceleration of High-velocity Interstellar Photon Sails into Bound Orbits at α Centauri

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heller, René [Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen (Germany); Hippke, Michael, E-mail: heller@mps.mpg.de, E-mail: hippke@ifda.eu [Luiter Straße 21b, 47506 Neukirchen-Vluyn (Germany)

    2017-02-01

    At a distance of about 4.22 ly, it would take about 100,000 years for humans to visit our closest stellar neighbor Proxima Centauri using modern chemical thrusters. New technologies are now being developed that involve high-power lasers firing at 1 gram solar sails in near-Earth orbits, accelerating them to 20% the speed of light ( c ) within minutes. Although such an interstellar probe could reach Proxima 20 years after launch, without propellant to slow it down it would traverse the system within hours. Here we demonstrate how the stellar photon pressures of the stellar triple α Cen A, B, and C (Proxima) can be used together with gravity assists to decelerate incoming solar sails from Earth. The maximum injection speed at α Cen A to park a sail with a mass-to-surface ratio ( σ ) similar to graphene (7.6 × 10{sup −4} gram m{sup −2}) in orbit around Proxima is about 13,800 km s{sup −1} (4.6% c ), implying travel times from Earth to α Cen A and B of about 95 years and another 46 years (with a residual velocity of 1280 km s{sup −1}) to Proxima. The size of such a low- σ sail required to carry a payload of 10 grams is about 10{sup 5} m{sup 2} = (316 m){sup 2}. Such a sail could use solar photons instead of an expensive laser system to gain interstellar velocities at departure. Photogravitational assists allow visits of three stellar systems and an Earth-sized potentially habitable planet in one shot, promising extremely high scientific yields.

  8. Deceleration of High-velocity Interstellar Photon Sails into Bound Orbits at α Centauri

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heller, René; Hippke, Michael

    2017-01-01

    At a distance of about 4.22 ly, it would take about 100,000 years for humans to visit our closest stellar neighbor Proxima Centauri using modern chemical thrusters. New technologies are now being developed that involve high-power lasers firing at 1 gram solar sails in near-Earth orbits, accelerating them to 20% the speed of light ( c ) within minutes. Although such an interstellar probe could reach Proxima 20 years after launch, without propellant to slow it down it would traverse the system within hours. Here we demonstrate how the stellar photon pressures of the stellar triple α Cen A, B, and C (Proxima) can be used together with gravity assists to decelerate incoming solar sails from Earth. The maximum injection speed at α Cen A to park a sail with a mass-to-surface ratio ( σ ) similar to graphene (7.6 × 10"−"4 gram m"−"2) in orbit around Proxima is about 13,800 km s"−"1 (4.6% c ), implying travel times from Earth to α Cen A and B of about 95 years and another 46 years (with a residual velocity of 1280 km s"−"1) to Proxima. The size of such a low- σ sail required to carry a payload of 10 grams is about 10"5 m"2 = (316 m)"2. Such a sail could use solar photons instead of an expensive laser system to gain interstellar velocities at departure. Photogravitational assists allow visits of three stellar systems and an Earth-sized potentially habitable planet in one shot, promising extremely high scientific yields.

  9. SunJammer Technology Demonstration

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Sunjammer Project is a NASA funded contract to L?Garde Inc. to fly a solar sail demonstration for a period of approximately one year. L?Garde is also partnered...

  10. Thrust evaluation of magneto plasma sail that obtains an electromagnetic thrust from the solar wind

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kajimura, Yoshihiro; Funaki, Ikkoh; Usui, Hideyuki; Yamakawa, Hiroshi

    2011-01-01

    Magneto Plasma Sail (MPS) is a propulsion system used in space, which generates its force by the interaction between the solar wind and an inflated magnetic field via a plasma injection. The quantitative evaluation of the thrust increment generated by injecting a plasma jet with a β in less than unity was conducted by three-dimensional hybrid particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations in an ion inertia scale. The injected plasma β in is 0.02 and the ratio of Larmor radius of injected ion to the representative length of the magnetic field is 0.5 at the injection point. In this situation, the obtained thrust of the MPS is 1.6 mN compared with the 0.2 mN of the thrust obtained by the pure magnetic sail since the induced current region on magnetosphere expanded by the magnetic inflation. (author)

  11. Numerical Analysis of Magnetic Sail Spacecraft

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, Daisuke; Yamakawa, Hiroshi; Usui, Hideyuki; Funaki, Ikkoh; Kojima, Hirotsugu

    2008-01-01

    To capture the kinetic energy of the solar wind by creating a large magnetosphere around the spacecraft, magneto-plasma sail injects a plasma jet into a strong magnetic field produced by an electromagnet onboard the spacecraft. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of the IMF (interplanetary magnetic field) on the magnetosphere of magneto-plasma sail. First, using an axi-symmetric two-dimensional MHD code, we numerically confirm the magnetic field inflation, and the formation of a magnetosphere by the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetic field. The expansion of an artificial magnetosphere by the plasma injection is then simulated, and we show that the magnetosphere is formed by the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetic field expanded by the plasma jet from the spacecraft. This simulation indicates the size of the artificial magnetosphere becomes smaller when applying the IMF.

  12. Boltzmann electron PIC simulation of the E-sail effect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The solar wind electric sail (E-sail is a planned in-space propulsion device that uses the natural solar wind momentum flux for spacecraft propulsion with the help of long, charged, centrifugally stretched tethers. The problem of accurately predicting the E-sail thrust is still somewhat open, however, due to a possible electron population trapped by the tether. Here we develop a new type of particle-in-cell (PIC simulation for predicting E-sail thrust. In the new simulation, electrons are modelled as a fluid, hence resembling hybrid simulation, but in contrast to normal hybrid simulation, the Poisson equation is used as in normal PIC to calculate the self-consistent electrostatic field. For electron-repulsive parts of the potential, the Boltzmann relation is used. For electron-attractive parts of the potential we employ a power law which contains a parameter that can be used to control the number of trapped electrons. We perform a set of runs varying the parameter and select the one with the smallest number of trapped electrons which still behaves in a physically meaningful way in the sense of producing not more than one solar wind ion deflection shock upstream of the tether. By this prescription we obtain thrust per tether length values that are in line with earlier estimates, although somewhat smaller. We conclude that the Boltzmann PIC simulation is a new tool for simulating the E-sail thrust. This tool enables us to calculate solutions rapidly and allows to easily study different scenarios for trapped electrons.

  13. Investigations on sail force by full scale measurement and numerical calculation. Part 1. Steady sailing performance; Sail ryutairyoku ni kansuru jissen shiken to suchi keisan. 1. Teijo hanso seino

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masuyama, Y.; Fukasawa, T. [Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Ishikawa (Japan); Kitazaki, T. [DMW Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-06-01

    Sailing forces are measured with a 10.3m long full-scale sailing boat, equipped with a sail force dynamometer, CCD camera for sail shape measurement and an instrument for detecting sailing conditions of the hull, in order to obtain highly reliable performance data of a sailing yacht. The vortex lattice method is used for step-by-step numerical calculations, and the results are compared with the observed ones. The test results clearly show performance changing with slight changes in relative wind directions and sail shapes, which are not clearly obtained by the traditional wind tunnel tests. The calculated results, although deviating from the observed ones to some extent, well represent trends of performance changing with wind directions and sail shapes. In particular, changed performance caused by slight changes in draft at the main sail is clearly demonstrated. The numerical calculation is considered to be useful for searching for sail trim conditions. 17 refs., 18 figs., 1 tab.

  14. Displaced Electric Sail Orbits Design and Transition Trajectory Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naiming Qi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Displaced orbits for spacecraft propelled by electric sails are investigated as an alternative to the use of solar sails. The orbital dynamics of electric sails based spacecraft are studied within a spherical coordinate system, which permits finding the solutions of displaced electric sail orbits and optimize transfer trajectory. Transfer trajectories from Earth's orbit to displaced orbit are also studied in an optimal framework, by using genetic algorithm and Gauss pseudospectral method. The initial guesses for the state and control histories used in the Gauss pseudospectral method are interpolated from the best solution of a genetic algorithm. Numerical simulations show that the electric sail is able to perform the transfer from Earth’s orbit to displaced orbit in acceptable time, and the hybrid optimization method has the capability to search the feasible and optimal solution without any initial value guess.

  15. Thrust and torque vector characteristics of axially-symmetric E-sail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassetto, Marco; Mengali, Giovanni; Quarta, Alessandro A.

    2018-05-01

    The Electric Solar Wind Sail is an innovative propulsion system concept that gains propulsive acceleration from the interaction with charged particles released by the Sun. The aim of this paper is to obtain analytical expressions for the thrust and torque vectors of a spinning sail of given shape. Under the only assumption that each tether belongs to a plane containing the spacecraft spin axis, a general analytical relation is found for the thrust and torque vectors as a function of the spacecraft attitude relative to an orbital reference frame. The results are then applied to the noteworthy situation of a Sun-facing sail, that is, when the spacecraft spin axis is aligned with the Sun-spacecraft line, which approximatively coincides with the solar wind direction. In that case, the paper discusses the equilibrium shape of the generic conducting tether as a function of the sail geometry and the spin rate, using both a numerical and an analytical (approximate) approach. As a result, the structural characteristics of the conducting tether are related to the spacecraft geometric parameters.

  16. SETI VIA LEAKAGE FROM LIGHT SAILS IN EXOPLANETARY SYSTEMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillochon, James; Loeb, Abraham

    2015-01-01

    The primary challenge of rocket propulsion is the burden of needing to accelerate the spacecraft’s own fuel, resulting in only a logarithmic gain in maximum speed as propellant is added to the spacecraft. Light sails offer an attractive alternative in which fuel is not carried by the spacecraft, with acceleration being provided by an external source of light. By artificially illuminating the spacecraft with beamed radiation, speeds are only limited by the area of the sail, heat resistance of its material, and power use of the accelerating apparatus. In this paper, we show that leakage from a light sail propulsion apparatus in operation around a solar system analogue would be detectable. To demonstrate this, we model the launch and arrival of a microwave beam-driven light sail constructed for transit between planets in orbit around a single star, and find an optimal beam frequency on the order of tens of GHz. Leakage from these beams yields transients with flux densities of Jy and durations of tens of seconds at 100 pc. Because most travel within a planetary system would be conducted between the habitable worlds within that system, multiply transiting exoplanetary systems offer the greatest chance of detection, especially when the planets are in projected conjunction as viewed from Earth. If interplanetary travel via beam-driven light sails is commonly employed in our galaxy, this activity could be revealed by radio follow-up of nearby transiting exoplanetary systems. The expected signal properties define a new strategy in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)

  17. SETI via Leakage from Light Sails in Exoplanetary Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillochon, James; Loeb, Abraham

    2015-10-01

    The primary challenge of rocket propulsion is the burden of needing to accelerate the spacecraft’s own fuel, resulting in only a logarithmic gain in maximum speed as propellant is added to the spacecraft. Light sails offer an attractive alternative in which fuel is not carried by the spacecraft, with acceleration being provided by an external source of light. By artificially illuminating the spacecraft with beamed radiation, speeds are only limited by the area of the sail, heat resistance of its material, and power use of the accelerating apparatus. In this paper, we show that leakage from a light sail propulsion apparatus in operation around a solar system analogue would be detectable. To demonstrate this, we model the launch and arrival of a microwave beam-driven light sail constructed for transit between planets in orbit around a single star, and find an optimal beam frequency on the order of tens of GHz. Leakage from these beams yields transients with flux densities of Jy and durations of tens of seconds at 100 pc. Because most travel within a planetary system would be conducted between the habitable worlds within that system, multiply transiting exoplanetary systems offer the greatest chance of detection, especially when the planets are in projected conjunction as viewed from Earth. If interplanetary travel via beam-driven light sails is commonly employed in our galaxy, this activity could be revealed by radio follow-up of nearby transiting exoplanetary systems. The expected signal properties define a new strategy in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

  18. SETI VIA LEAKAGE FROM LIGHT SAILS IN EXOPLANETARY SYSTEMS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guillochon, James; Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: jguillochon@cfa.harvard.edu, E-mail: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, The Institute for Theory and Computation, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

    2015-10-01

    The primary challenge of rocket propulsion is the burden of needing to accelerate the spacecraft’s own fuel, resulting in only a logarithmic gain in maximum speed as propellant is added to the spacecraft. Light sails offer an attractive alternative in which fuel is not carried by the spacecraft, with acceleration being provided by an external source of light. By artificially illuminating the spacecraft with beamed radiation, speeds are only limited by the area of the sail, heat resistance of its material, and power use of the accelerating apparatus. In this paper, we show that leakage from a light sail propulsion apparatus in operation around a solar system analogue would be detectable. To demonstrate this, we model the launch and arrival of a microwave beam-driven light sail constructed for transit between planets in orbit around a single star, and find an optimal beam frequency on the order of tens of GHz. Leakage from these beams yields transients with flux densities of Jy and durations of tens of seconds at 100 pc. Because most travel within a planetary system would be conducted between the habitable worlds within that system, multiply transiting exoplanetary systems offer the greatest chance of detection, especially when the planets are in projected conjunction as viewed from Earth. If interplanetary travel via beam-driven light sails is commonly employed in our galaxy, this activity could be revealed by radio follow-up of nearby transiting exoplanetary systems. The expected signal properties define a new strategy in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)

  19. Solar sail trajectory design in the Earth-Moon circular restricted three body problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Ashwati

    The quest to explore the Moon has helped resolve scientific questions, has spurred leaps in technology development, and has revealed Earth's celestial companion to be a gateway to other destinations. With a renewed focus on returning to the Moon in this decade, alternatives to chemical propulsion systems are becoming attractive methods to efficiently use scarce resources and support extended mission durations. Thus, an investigation is conducted to develop a general framework, that facilitates propellant-free Earth-Moon transfers by exploiting sail dynamics in combination with advantageous transfer options offered in the Earth-Moon circular restricted multi-body dynamical model. Both periodic orbits in the vicinity of the Earth-Moon libration points, and lunar-centric long-term capture orbits are incorporated as target destinations to demonstrate the applicability of the general framework to varied design scanarios, each incorporating a variety of complexities and challenges. The transfers are comprised of three phases - a spiral Earth escape, a transit period, and, finally, the capture into a desirable orbit in the vicinity of the Moon. The Earth-escape phase consists of spiral trajectories constructed using three different sail steering strategies - locally optimal, on/off and velocity tangent. In the case of the Earth-libration point transfers, naturally occurring flow structures (e.g., invariant manifolds) arising from the mutual gravitational interaction of the Earth and Moon are exploited to link an Earth departure spiral with a destination orbit. In contrast, sail steering alone is employed to establish a link between the Earth-escape phase and capture orbits about the Moon due to a lack of applicable natural structures for the required connection. Metrics associated with the transfers including flight-time and the influence of operational constraints, such as occultation events, are investigated to determine the available capabilities for Earth

  20. Sustained Manned Mars Presence Enabled by E-sail Technology and Asteroid Water Mining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janhunen, Pekka; Merikallio, Sini; Toivanen, Petri; Envall, M. Jouni

    The Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail) can produce 0.5-1 N of inexhaustible and controllable propellantless thrust [1]. The E-sail is based on electrostatic Coulomb interaction between charged thin tethers and solar wind ions. It was invented in 2006, was developed to TRL 4-5 in 2011-2013 with ESAIL FP7 project (http://www.electric-sailing.fi/fp7) and a CubeSat small-scale flight test is in course (ESTCube-1). The E-sail provides a flexible and efficient way of moving 0-2 tonne sized cargo payloads in the solar system without consuming propellant. Given the E-sail, one could use it to make manned exploration of the solar system more affordable by combining it with asteroid water mining. One first sends a miner spacecraft to an asteroid or asteroids, either by E-sail or traditional means. Many asteroids are known to contain water and liberating it only requires heating the material one piece at a time in a leak tight container. About 2 tonne miner can produce 50 tonnes of water per year which is sufficient to sustain continuous manned traffic between Earth and Mars. If the ice-bearing asteroid resides roughly at Mars distance, it takes 3 years for a 0.7 N E-sailer to transport a 10 tonne water/ice payload to Mars orbit or Earth C3 orbit. Thus one needs a fleet of 15 E-sail transport spacecraft plus replacements to ferry 50 tonnes of water yearly to Earth C3 (1/3) and Mars orbit (2/3). The mass of one transporter is 300 kg [2]. One needs to launch max 1.5 tonne mass of new E-sail transporters per year and in practice much less since it is simple to reuse them. This infrastructure is enough to supply 17 tonnes of water yearly at Earth C3 and 33 tonnes in Mars orbit. Orbital water can be used by manned exploration in three ways: (1) for potable water and for making oxygen, (2) for radiation shielding, (3) for LH2/LOX propellant. Up to 75 % of the wet mass of the manned module could be water (50 % propellant and 25 % radiation shield water). On top of this the total mass

  1. SailSpy: a vision system for yacht sail shape measurement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olsson, Olof J.; Power, P. Wayne; Bowman, Chris C.; Palmer, G. Terry; Clist, Roger S.

    1992-11-01

    SailSpy is a real-time vision system which we have developed for automatically measuring sail shapes and masthead rotation on racing yachts. Versions have been used by the New Zealand team in two America's Cup challenges in 1988 and 1992. SailSpy uses four miniature video cameras mounted at the top of the mast to provide views of the headsail and mainsail on either tack. The cameras are connected to the SailSpy computer below deck using lightweight cables mounted inside the mast. Images received from the cameras are automatically analyzed by the SailSpy computer, and sail shape and mast rotation parameters are calculated. The sail shape parameters are calculated by recognizing sail markers (ellipses) that have been attached to the sails, and the mast rotation parameters by recognizing deck markers painted on the deck. This paper describes the SailSpy system and some of the vision algorithms used.

  2. Communicating LightSail: Embedded Reporting and Web Strategies for Citizen-Funded Space Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilverda, M.; Davis, J.

    2015-12-01

    The Planetary Society (TPS) is a non-profit space advocacy group with a stated mission to "empower the world's citizens to advance space science and exploration." In 2009, TPS began work on LightSail, a small, citizen-funded spacecraft to demonstrate solar sailing propulsion technology. The program included a test flight, completed in June 2015, with a primary mission slated for late 2016. TPS initiated a LightSail public engagement campaign to provide the public with transparent mission updates, and foster educational outreach. A credentialed science journalist was given unrestricted access to the team and data, and provided regular reports without editorial oversight. An accompanying website, sail.planetary.org, provided project updates, multimedia, and real-time spacecraft data during the mission. Design approaches included a clean layout with text optimized for easy reading, balanced by strong visual elements to enhance reader comprehension and interest. A dedicated "Mission Control" page featured social media feeds, links to most recent articles, and a ground track showing the spacecraft's position, including overflight predictions based on user location. A responsive, cross-platform design allowed easy access across a broad range of devices. Efficient web server performance was prioritized by implementing a static content management system (CMS). Despite two spacecraft contingencies, the test mission successfully completed its primary objective of solar sail deployment. Qualitative feedback on the transparent, embedded reporting style was positive, and website metrics showed high user retention times. The website also grew awareness and support for the primary 2016 mission, driving traffic to a Kickstarter campaign that raised $1.24 million. Websites constantly evolve, and changes for the primary mission will include a new CMS to better support multiple authors and a custom dashboard to display real-time spacecraft sensor data.

  3. Electric sail elliptic displaced orbits with advanced thrust model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niccolai, Lorenzo; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Mengali, Giovanni

    2017-09-01

    This paper analyzes the performance of an Electric Solar Wind Sail for generating and maintaining an elliptic, heliocentric, displaced non-Keplerian orbit. In this sense, this paper extends and completes recent studies regarding the performances of an Electric Solar Wind Sail that covers a circular, heliocentric, displaced orbit of given characteristics. The paper presents the general equations that describe the elliptic orbit maintenance in terms of both spacecraft attitude and performance requirements, when a refined thrust model (recently proposed for the preliminary mission design) is taken into account. In particular, the paper also discusses some practical applications on particular mission scenarios in which an analytic solution of the governing equations has been found.

  4. Deployable Propulsion and Power Systems for Solar System Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Carr, John

    2017-01-01

    NASA is developing thin-film based, deployable propulsion, power and communication systems for small spacecraft that could provide a revolutionary new capability allowing small spacecraft exploration of the solar system. The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout reconnaissance mission will demonstrate solar sail propulsion on a 6U CubeSat interplanetary spacecraft and lay the groundwork for their future use in deep space science and exploration missions. Solar sails use sunlight to propel vehicles through space by reflecting solar photons from a large, mirror-like sail made of a lightweight, highly reflective material. This continuous photon pressure provides propellantless thrust, allowing for very high delta V maneuvers on long-duration, deep space exploration. Since reflected light produces thrust, solar sails require no onboard propellant. The Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and Transceiver (LISA-T) is a launch stowed, orbit deployed array on which thin-film photovoltaic and antenna elements are embedded. Inherently, small satellites are limited in surface area, volume, and mass allocation; driving competition between power, communications, and GN&C (guidance navigation and control) subsystems. This restricts payload capability and limits the value of these low-cost satellites. LISA-T is addressing this issue, deploying large-area arrays from a reduced volume and mass envelope - greatly enhancing power generation and communications capabilities of small spacecraft. The NEA Scout mission, funded by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program and managed by NASA MSFC, will use the solar sail as its primary propulsion system, allowing it to survey and image one or more NEA's of interest for possible future human exploration. NEA Scout uses a 6U cubesat (to be provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), an 86 sq m solar sail and will weigh less than 12 kilograms. NEA Scout will be launched on the first flight of the Space Launch System in 2018. Similar in concept

  5. Meteoroid Measurements in the Deep Space Cruising and the Jupiter Trojan Rendezvous Phases of the Solar Power Sail Mission by the Arrayed Large-Area Dust Detectors in INterplanetary Space (ALADDIN)-II

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yano, H.; Hirai, T.; Arai, K.; Fujii, M.

    2017-12-01

    The PVDF thin films have been long, space-proven instruments for hypervelocity impact detection in the diverse regions of the Solar System from orbits of Venus by IKAROS and of Pluto by New Horizons. In particular, light weight but large area membranes of a solar sail spacecraft is an ideal location for such detectors to be deployed for detecting statistically enough nubers of so large micrometeoroids that are sensitive to mean motion resonances and other gravitational effects of flux enhancements and voids with planets. The IKAROS spacecraft first detected in situ dust flux enhancement and gap region within the Earth's circumsolar dust ring as well as those of Venus by 0.54 m^2 detection area of ALADDIN sensors on the slar sail membrane. Advancing this heritage, the Solar Power Sail membrane will carry 0.4+ m^2 ALADDIN-II PVDF sensors with improved impact signal prosessng units to detect both hyperveloity dust impacts in the interplanetary space cruising phase and slow dust impacts bound to the Jupiter Trojan region in its rendezvours phase.

  6. Sail '76

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vandewalle, Raymond

    1976-01-01

    A new nationwide program called Sail '76 has been launched to give more people the opportunity to try the sport of sailing and to teach people the proper sailing techniques before they invest in a sailboat. (SK)

  7. Solar renovation demonstration projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruun Joergensen, O [ed.

    1998-10-01

    In the framework of the IEA SHC Programme, a Task on building renovation was initiated, `Task 20, Solar Energy in Building Renovation`. In a part of the task, Subtask C `Design of Solar Renovation Projects`, different solar renovation demonstration projects were developed. The objective of Subtask C was to demonstrate the application of advanced solar renovation concepts on real buildings. This report documents 16 different solar renovation demonstration projects including the design processes of the projects. The projects include the renovation of houses, schools, laboratories, and factories. Several solar techniques were used: building integrated solar collectors, glazed balconies, ventilated solar walls, transparent insulation, second skin facades, daylight elements and photovoltaic systems. These techniques are used in several simple as well as more complex system designs. (au)

  8. WORLD TRAINING SAILING BOATS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svitlana Yeroshkina

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available In scientific article is researched tendencies, which took place in historical process of the world segmentation of sailing tall ships and their influence on modern composition on whole word’s training sailing boats. By variety parameters modern composition of ships was done the estimation of most biggest tall sailing ships. Complete technical description of the powerful sailing tall ships was done on the present day. Identified and given the technical possibilities for further exploitation of  Ukrainian training sailing boats. Assesses the current state of the sailing fleet in terms of economic costs and expenses of Crimea’s occupation and continuous war on eastern region of Ukraine.Key words: training sailing boats, world segment of sailing boats, sailing boats. JEL: L 92

  9. Increased electric sail thrust through removal of trapped shielding electrons by orbit chaotisation due to spacecraft body

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Janhunen

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available An electric solar wind sail is a recently introduced propellantless space propulsion method whose technical development has also started. The electric sail consists of a set of long, thin, centrifugally stretched and conducting tethers which are charged positively and kept in a high positive potential of order 20 kV by an onboard electron gun. The positively charged tethers deflect solar wind protons, thus tapping momentum from the solar wind stream and producing thrust. The amount of obtained propulsive thrust depends on how many electrons are trapped by the potential structures of the tethers, because the trapped electrons tend to shield the charged tether and reduce its effect on the solar wind. Here we present physical arguments and test particle calculations indicating that in a realistic three-dimensional electric sail spacecraft there exist a natural mechanism which tends to remove the trapped electrons by chaotising their orbits and causing them to eventually collide with the conducting tethers. We present calculations which indicate that if these mechanisms were able to remove trapped electrons nearly completely, the electric sail performance could be about five times higher than previously estimated, about 500 nN/m, corresponding to 1 N thrust for a baseline construction with 2000 km total tether length.

  10. HORIZONTAL AXIS MARINE CURRENT TURBINE DESIGN FOR WIND-ELECTRIC HYBRID SAILING BOAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serkan Ekinci

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In recent decades, the number of theoretical studies and applications on electric power production from renewable sources such as wind, solar, sea and tidal flows, has been increasing rapidly. Marine Current Turbines (MCTs, among the power turbines, produce power from alternating flows and are a means of power production even at lower flow rates in oceans and seas. In this study, while maintaining functional requirements, an initial and detailed design (mechanic and hydrodynamic, of an MCT fixed on a sailing boat and at sail which extracts power from the flow around the boat, is undertaken. In the design stages, for analysis and optimization of the marine turbine blade design, the Momentum Blade Element Method is utilized. The Horizontal Axis Marine Turbine (HAMT, determined by the initial and mechanical design, is illustrated with its components included. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD analyses, covering turbine pod geometry at required flow rates and turbine speeds are performed. These analyses are performed very close to real conditions, considering sailing with and without the turbine running (on and off states. The alternator is determined from the results, and the final design which meets the design requirements, is obtained. As a result, a user friendly and innovative turbine design for sail boats, offering more power and efficiency, which is longer lasting compared to solar and wind technologies, that also makes use of renewable sources, such as wind and/or solar, and in addition stores and uses accumulated energy when needed, is proposed.

  11. The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) Design, Trades, and Analyses Performed in a Two Year NASA Investigation of Electric Sail Propulsion Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegmann, Bruce M.

    2017-01-01

    The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) was one of the seven total Phase II NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) that was down-selected in 2015 for continued funding and research. In Phase I our team learned that a spacecraft propelled by an Electric Sail (E-Sail) can travel great astronomical distances, such as to the Heliopause region of the solar system (approx. 100 to 120 AU) in approximately one quarter of the time (10 years) versus the time it took the Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977 (36 years). The completed work within the Phase II NIAC funded effort builds upon the work that was done in the Phase I NIAC and is focused on: 1) Testing of plasma interaction with a charged wire in a MSFC simulated solar environment vacuum test chamber. 2) Development of a Particle-in-Cell (PIC) models that are validated in the plasma testing and used to extrapolate to the E-Sail propulsion system design. 3) Conceptual design of a Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) spacecraft developed to showcase E-Sail propulsion systems. 4) Down selection of both: a) Materials for a multi km length conductor and, b) Best configuration of the proposed conductor deployment subsystem. This paper will document the findings to date (June, 2017) of the above focused areas.

  12. SAIL: automating interlibrary loan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacroix, E M

    1994-01-01

    The National Library of Medicine (NLM) initiated the System for Automated Interlibrary Loan (SAIL) pilot project to study the feasibility of using imaging technology linked to the DOCLINE system to deliver copies of journal articles. During the project, NLM converted a small number of print journal issues to electronic form, linking the captured articles to the MEDLINE citation unique identifier. DOCLINE requests for these journals that could not be filled by network libraries were routed to SAIL. Nearly 23,000 articles from sixty-four journals recently selected for indexing in Index Medicus were scanned to convert them to electronic images. During fiscal year 1992, 4,586 scanned articles were used to fill 10,444 interlibrary loan (ILL) requests, and more than half of these were used only once. Eighty percent of all the articles were not requested at all. The total cost per article delivered was $10.76, substantially more than it costs to process a photocopy request. Because conversion costs were the major component of the total SAIL cost, and most of the articles captured for the project were not requested, this model was not cost-effective. Data on SAIL journal article use was compared with all ILL requests filled by NLM for the same period. Eighty-eight percent of all articles requested from NLM were requested only once. The results of the SAIL project demonstrated that converting journal articles to electronic images and storing them in anticipation of repeated requests would not meet NLM's objective to improve interlibrary loan. PMID:8004020

  13. CFD simulation of two-sail interaction about a sailing yacht; Sailing Yacht no niyoku kansho no CFD simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Y.; Miyata, H.; Sato, T. [The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1997-06-01

    Numerical analysis of sail characteristics was done by the finite volume method for an IACC class racing yacht, in compliance to the WISDAM-7 method for analyzing flow fields around the hull. The simulation code makes discrete the Navier-Stokes equation for non-compressive fluid in a conserved system by the finite volume method, and tries to find the solutions following the algorithm of the MAC method in a time-dependent manner. The H-H grids generated by an interface boundary technique for each sail are integrated for the two-sail configuration. It is found that combination of the finite volume method and grid integration is an adequate CFD procedure for simulation of interactions between the two sails. Performance of two-sail configuration, involving complex mechanisms such as interactions and separation of flows, is found by the method in which viscosity is taken into consideration. 5 refs., 20 figs., 3 tabs.

  14. Optimized Trajectories to the Nearest Stars Using Lightweight High-velocity Photon Sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heller, René; Hippke, Michael; Kervella, Pierre

    2017-09-01

    New means of interstellar travel are now being considered by various research teams, assuming lightweight spaceships to be accelerated via either laser or solar radiation to a significant fraction of the speed of light (c). We recently showed that gravitational assists can be combined with the stellar photon pressure to decelerate an incoming lightsail from Earth and fling it around a star or bring it to rest. Here, we demonstrate that photogravitational assists are more effective when the star is used as a bumper (I.e., the sail passes “in front of” the star) rather than as a catapult (I.e., the sail passes “behind” or “around” the star). This increases the maximum deceleration at α Cen A and B and reduces the travel time of a nominal graphene-class sail (mass-to-surface ratio 8.6× {10}-4 {{g}} {{{m}}}-2) from 95 to 75 years. The maximum possible velocity reduction upon arrival depends on the required deflection angle from α Cen A to B and therefore on the binary’s orbital phase. Here, we calculate the variation of the minimum travel times from Earth into a bound orbit around Proxima for the next 300 years and then extend our calculations to roughly 22,000 stars within about 300 lt-yr. Although α Cen is the most nearby star system, we find that Sirius A offers the shortest possible travel times into a bound orbit: 69 years assuming 12.5% c can be obtained at departure from the solar system. Sirius A thus offers the opportunity of flyby exploration plus deceleration into a bound orbit of the companion white dwarf after relatively short times of interstellar travel.

  15. Unsteady Sail Dynamics in Olympic Class Sailboats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Charles; Schutt, Riley

    2016-11-01

    Unsteady sailing techniques have evolved in competitive sailboat fleets, in cases where the relative weight of the sailor is sufficient to impart unsteady motions to the boat and sails. We will discuss three types of motion that are used by athletes to propel their boats on an Olympic race course faster than using the wind alone. In all of our cases, body weight movements induce unsteady sail motion, increasing driving force and speed through the water. In this research, we explore the dynamics of an Olympic class Laser sailboat equipped with a GPS, IMU, wind sensor, and a 6-GoPro camera array. We shall briefly discuss "sail flicking", whereby the helmsman periodically rolls the sail into the apparent wind, at an angle which is distinct from classical heave (in our case, the oscillations are not normal to the apparent flow). We also demonstrate "roll tacking", where there are considerable advantages to rolling the boat during such a maneuver, especially in light wind. In both of the above examples from on-the-water studies, corresponding experiments using a towing tank exhibit increases in the driving force, associated with the formation of strong vortex pairs into the flow. Finally, we focus on a technique known as "S-curving" in the case where the boat sails downwind. In contrast to the previous cases, it is drag force rather than lift force that the sailor is trying to maximise as the boat follows a zig-zag trajectory. The augmented apparent wind strength due to the oscillatory sail motion, and the growth of strong synchronised low-pressure wake vortices on the low-pressure side of the sail, contribute to the increase in driving force, and velocity-made-good downwind.

  16. Science Experiments of a Jupiter Trojan asteroid in the Solar Power Sail Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okada, T.; Kebukawa, Y.; Aoki, J.; Kawai, Y.; Ito, M.; Yano, H.; Okamoto, C.; Matsumoto, J.; Bibring, J. P.; Ulamec, S.; Jaumann, R.; Iwata, T.; Mori, O.; Kawaguchi, J.

    2017-12-01

    A Jupiter Trojan asteroid mission using a large area solar power sail (SPS) is under study in JAXA in collaboration with DLR and CNES. The asteroid will be investigated through remote sensing, followed by in situ in-depth observations on the asteroid with a lander. A sample-return is also studied as an option. LUCY has been selected as the NASA's future Discovery class mission which aims at understanding the diversity of Jupiter Trojans by multiple flybys, complementally to the SPS mission. The SPS is a candidate of the next medium class space science mission in Japan. The 1.4-ton spacecraft will carry a 100-kg class lander and 20-kg mission payloads on it. Its launch is expected in mid 2020s, and will take at least 11 years to visit a Jupiter Trojan asteroid. During the cruise phase, science experiments will be performed such as an infrared astronomy, a very long baseline gamma ray interferometry, and dust and magnetic field measurements. A classical static model of solar system suggests that the Jupiter Trojans were formed around the Jupiter region, while a dynamical model such as Nice model indicates that they formed at the far end of the solar system and then scattered inward due to a dynamical migration of giant planets. The physical, mineralogical, organics and isotopic distribution in the heliocentric distance could solve their origin and evolution of the solar system. A global mapping of the asteroid from the mothership will be conducted such as high-resolved imaging, NIR and TIR imaging spectrometry, and radar soundings. The lander will characterize the asteroid with geological, mineralogical, and geophysical observations using a panoramic camera, an infrared hyperspectral imager, a magnetometer, and a thermal radiometer. These samples will be measured by a high resolved mass spectrometer (HRMS) to investigate isotopic ratios of hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, as well as organic species.

  17. Coupled attitude-orbit dynamics and control for an electric sail in a heliocentric transfer mission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Mingying; Zhao, Jun; Xie, Shaobiao; Qi, Naiming

    2015-01-01

    The paper discusses the coupled attitude-orbit dynamics and control of an electric-sail-based spacecraft in a heliocentric transfer mission. The mathematical model characterizing the propulsive thrust is first described as a function of the orbital radius and the sail angle. Since the solar wind dynamic pressure acceleration is induced by the sail attitude, the orbital and attitude dynamics of electric sails are coupled, and are discussed together. Based on the coupled equations, the flight control is investigated, wherein the orbital control is studied in an optimal framework via a hybrid optimization method and the attitude controller is designed based on feedback linearization control. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy, a transfer problem from Earth to Mars is considered. The numerical results show that the proposed strategy can control the coupled system very well, and a small control torque can control both the attitude and orbit. The study in this paper will contribute to the theory study and application of electric sail.

  18. Independent sailing with high tetraplegia using sip and puff controls: integration into a community sailing center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojhani, Solomon; Stiens, Steven A; Recio, Albert C

    2017-07-01

    We are continually rediscovering how adapted recreational activity complements the rehabilitation process, enriches patients' lives and positively impacts outcome measures. Although sports for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) has achieved spectacular visibility, participation by high cervical injuries is often restricted due to poor accessibility, safety concerns, lack of adaptability, and high costs of technology. We endeavor to demonstrate the mechanisms, adaptability, accessibility, and benefits the sport of sailing creates in the rehabilitative process. Our sailor is a 27-year-old man with a history of traumatic SCI resulting in C4 complete tetraplegia. The participant completed an adapted introductory sailing course, and instruction on the sip-and-puff sail and tiller control mechanism. With practice, he navigated an on-water course in moderate winds of 5 to 15 knots. Despite trends toward shorter rehabilitation stays, aggressive transdisciplinary collaboration with recreation therapy can provide community and natural environment experiences while inpatient and continuing post discharge. Such peak physical and psychological experiences provide a positive perspective for the future that can be shared on the inpatient unit, with families and support systems like sailing clubs in the community. Rehabilitation theory directs a team process to achieve patient self-awareness and initiate self-actualization in spite of disablement. Utilization of local community sailing centers that have provided accessible assisted options provides person-centered self-realization of goals as assisted by family and natural supports. Such successful patients become native guides for others seeking the same experience.

  19. Isometric quadriceps strength determines sailing performance and neuromuscular fatigue during an upwind sailing emulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourgois, Jan G; Callewaert, Margot; Celie, Bert; De Clercq, Dirk; Boone, Jan

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the physiological responses to upwind sailing on a laser emulation ergometer and analyses the components of the physical profile that determine the physiological responses related to sailing level. Ten male high-level laser sailors performed an upwind sailing test, incremental cycling test and quadriceps strength test. During the upwind sailing test, heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake, ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and lactate concentration were measured, combined with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and electromyography (EMG) registration of the M. Vastus lateralis. Repeated measures ANOVA showed for the cardio-respiratory, metabolic and muscles responses (mean power frequency [MPF], root mean square [RMS], deoxy[Hb+Mb]) during the upwind sailing test an initial significant increase followed by a stabilisation, despite a constant increase in RPE. Stepwise regression analysis showed that better sailing level was for 46.5% predicted by lower MPF decrease. Lower MPF decrease was for 57.8% predicted by a higher maximal isometric quadriceps strength. In conclusion, this study indicates that higher sailing level was mainly determined by a lower rate of neuromuscular fatigue during the upwind sailing test (as indicated by MPF decrease). Additionally, the level of neuromuscular fatigue was mainly determined by higher maximal isometric quadriceps strength stressing the importance of resistance training in the planning of training.

  20. In-Space Propulsion Technologies for Robotic Exploration of the Solar System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Meyer, Rae Ann; Frame, Kyle

    2006-01-01

    Supporting NASA's Science Mission Directorate, the In-Space Propulsion Technology Program is developing the next generation of space propulsion technologies for robotic, deep-space exploration. Recent technological advancements and demonstrations of key, high-payoff propulsion technologies have been achieved and will be described. Technologies under development and test include aerocapture, solar electric propulsion, solar sail propulsion, and advanced chemical propulsion.

  1. Deployable Propulsion, Power and Communication Systems for Solar System Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Carr, John A.; Boyd, Darren

    2017-01-01

    NASA is developing thin-film based, deployable propulsion, power, and communication systems for small spacecraft that could provide a revolutionary new capability allowing small spacecraft exploration of the solar system. By leveraging recent advancements in thin films, photovoltaics, and miniaturized electronics, new mission-level capabilities will be enabled aboard lower-cost small spacecraft instead of their more expensive, traditional counterparts, enabling a new generation of frequent, inexpensive deep space missions. Specifically, thin-film technologies are allowing the development and use of solar sails for propulsion, small, lightweight photovoltaics for power, and omnidirectional antennas for communication. Like their name implies, solar sails 'sail' by reflecting sunlight from a large, lightweight reflective material that resembles the sails of 17th and 18th century ships and modern sloops. Instead of wind, the sail and the ship derive their thrust by reflecting solar photons. Solar sail technology has been discussed in the literature for quite some time, but it is only since 2010 that sails have been proven to work in space. Thin-film photovoltaics are revolutionizing the terrestrial power generation market and have been found to be suitable for medium-term use in the space environment. When mounted on the thin-film substrate, these photovoltaics can be packaged into very small volumes and used to generate significant power for small spacecraft. Finally, embedded antennas are being developed that can be adhered to thin-film substrates to provide lightweight, omnidirectional UHF and X-band coverage, increasing bandwidth or effective communication ranges for small spacecraft. Taken together, they may enable a host of new deep space destinations to be reached by a generation of spacecraft smaller and more capable than ever before.

  2. Calculation of Flows Over Underwater Bodies with Hull, Sail and Appendages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoab, M.; Ayub, M.; Bilal, S.; Zahir, S.; Khan, M.A.

    2004-01-01

    A comprehensive study has been made for the hydrodynamic analysis of the submarine DARPA 2. The analysis was first performed for hull, then hull with sail on top and then for the complete submarine including hull, sail and appendages. A comparison of tangential velocity and pressure distribution for hull is accomplished using CFD flow solvers and published data. Further, the pressure distribution over the hull with sail is also analyzed. Finally, pressure distribution, forces and moments were calculated over the complete submarine including hull, sail and appendages. Comparison 01 pressure distribution and tangential velocity for the hull show a good agreement with published data. Pressure coefficient comparison for the hull with sail shows the good CFD-CFD agreement. Comparison of Normal force and pitching moment of complete submarine having hull, sail and appendages shows a reasonable agreement with the experimental results of DARPA 2. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the complete submarine estimates the required design force and moment at different angles of attack and also demonstrate the flow visualization. (author)

  3. Feasibility Study for a Near Term Demonstration of Laser-Sail Propulsion from the Ground to Low Earth Orbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, Edward E., IV; Johnson, Les; Thomas, Herbert D.

    2016-01-01

    This paper adds to the body of research related to the concept of propellant-less in-space propulsion utilizing an external high energy laser (HEL) to provide momentum to an ultra-lightweight (gossamer) spacecraft. It has been suggested that the capabilities of Space Situational Awareness assets and the advanced analytical tools available for fine resolution orbit determination make it possible to investigate the practicalities of a ground to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) demonstration at delivered power levels that only illuminate a spacecraft without causing damage to it. The degree to which this can be expected to produce a measurable change in the orbit of a low ballistic coefficient spacecraft is investigated. Key system characteristics and estimated performance are derived for a near term mission opportunity involving the LightSail 2 spacecraft and laser power levels modest in comparison to those proposed previously by Forward, Landis, or Marx. [1,2,3] A more detailed investigation of accessing LightSail 2 from Santa Rosa Island on Eglin Air Force Base on the United States coast of the Gulf of Mexico is provided to show expected results in a specific case.

  4. The aerodynamics of sailing apparel

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, A.J.; Van Deursen, B.; Howe, C.

    2012-01-01

    The paper presents the effect of changes in sailing apparel on aerodynamic drag, starting from the assumption that drag reduction of sailing apparel will increase the speed of an Olympic class sailing boat (in this case the Laser, a single-handed Olympic dinghy), mainly on upwind courses. Due to the

  5. Electrodynamic Tethers and E-Sails as Active Experiment Testbeds and Technologies in Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilchrist, B. E.; Wiegmann, B.; Johnson, L.; Bilen, S. G.; Habash Krause, L.; Miars, G.; Leon, O.

    2017-12-01

    The use of small-to-large flexible structures in space such as tethers continues to be studied for scientific and technology applications. Here we will consider tether electrodynamic and electrostatic interactions with magneto-plasmas in ionospheres, magnetospheres, and interplanetary space. These systems are enabling fundamental studies of basic plasma physics phenomena, allowing direct studies of the space environment, and generating technological applications beneficial for science missions. Electrodynamic tethers can drive current through the tether based on the Lorenz force adding or extracting energy from its orbit allowing for the study of charged bodies or plasma plumes moving through meso-sonic magnetoplasmas [1]. Technologically, this also generates propulsive forces requiring no propellant and little or no consumables in any planetary system with a magnetic field and ionosphere, e.g., Jupiter [2]. Further, so called electric sails (E-sails) are being studied to provide thrust through momentum exchange with the hypersonic solar wind. The E-sail uses multiple, very long (10s of km) charged, mostly bare rotating conducting tethers to deflect solar wind protons. It is estimated that a spacecraft could achieve a velocity over 100 km/s with time [3,4]. 1. Banks, P.M., "Review of electrodynamic tethers for space plasma science," J. Spacecraft and Rockets, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 234-239, 1989. 2. Talley, C., J. Moore, D. Gallagher, and L. Johnson, "Propulsion and power from a rotating electrodynamic tether at Jupiter," 38th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, January 2000. 3. Janhunen, P., "The electric sail—A new propulsion method which may enable fast missions to the outer solar system," J. British Interpl. Soc., vol. 61, no. 8, pp. 322-325, 2008. 4. Wiegman, B., T. Scheider, A. Heaton, J. Vaughn, N. Stone, and K. Wright, "The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS)—Design, trades, and analyses performed in a two-year NASA investigation

  6. In-Situ Sampling Analysis of a Jupiter Trojan Asteroid by High Resolution Mass Spectrometry in the Solar Power Sail Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kebukawa, Y.; Aoki, J.; Ito, M.; Kawai, Y.; Okada, T.; Matsumoto, J.; Yano, H.; Yurimoto, H.; Terada, K.; Toyoda, M.; Yabuta, H.; Nakamura, R.; Cottin, H.; Grand, N.; Mori, O.

    2017-12-01

    The Solar Power Sail (SPS) mission is one of candidates for the upcoming strategic middle-class space exploration to demonstrate the first outer Solar System journey of Japan. The mission concept includes in-situ sampling analysis of the surface and subsurface (up to 1 m) materials of a Jupiter Trojan asteroid using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The candidates for the HRMS are multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MULTUM) type and Cosmorbitrap type. We plan to analyze isotopic and elemental compositions of volatile materials from organic matter, hydrated minerals, and ice (if any), in order to understand origin and evolution of the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. It will provide insights into planet formation/migration theories, evolution and distribution of volatiles in the Solar System, and missing link between asteroids and comets on evolutional. The HRMS system allows to measure H, N, C, O isotopic compositions and elemental compositions of molecules prepared by various pre-MS procedures including stepwise heating up to 600ºC, gas chromatography (GC), and high-temperature pyrolysis with catalyst to decompose the samples into simple gaseous molecules (e.g., H2, CO, and N2) for isotopic ratio analysis. The required mass resolution should be at least 30,000 for analyzing isotopic ratios for simple gaseous molecules. For elemental compositions, mass accuracy of 10 ppm is required to determine elemental compositions for molecules with m/z up to 300 (as well as compound specific isotopic compositions for smaller molecules). Our planned analytical sequences consist of three runs for both surface and subsurface samples. In addition, `sniff mode' which simply introduces environmental gaseous molecules into a HRMS will be done by the system.

  7. Luffing of planar sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newman, B.G.

    1985-01-01

    In this paper the luffing of an unstiffened, two-dimensional impervious membrane is examined. When a sail boat is close-hauled the sails are required to generate high 'lift' with minimum drag. They therefore operate, as do those on hang-wing gliders, at incidences below the stall. However, unlike solid wings they must also avoid negative incidences for then a sail begins to lose its concave shape, to become S shaped and finally, as the incidence is further reduced, to oscillate, a behaviour known as luffing

  8. Developments of an Interactive Sail Design Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. M. Malpede

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a new tool for performing the integrated design and analysis of a sail. The features of the system are the geometrical definition of a sail shape, using the Bezier surface method, the creation of a finite element model for the non-linear structural analysis and a fluid-dynamic model for the aerodynamic analysis. The system has been developed using MATLAB(r. Recent sail design efforts have been focused on solving the aeroelastic behavior of the sail. The pressure distribution on a sail changes continuously, by virtue of cloth stretch and flexing. The sail shape determines the pressure distribution and, at the same time, the pressure distribution on the sail stretches and flexes the sail material determining its shape. This characteristic non-linear behavior requires iterative solution strategies to obtain the equilibrium configuration and evaluate the forces involved. The aeroelastic problem is tackled by combining structural with aerodynamic analysis. Firstly, pressure loads for a known sail-shape are computed (aerodynamic analysis. Secondly, the sail-shape is analyzed for the obtained external loads (structural analysis. The final solution is obtained by using an iterative analysis process, which involves both aerodynamic and the structural analysis. When the solution converges, it is possible to make design modifications.

  9. Relativistic Light Sails

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kipping, David, E-mail: dkipping@astro.columbia.edu [Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, 550 W. 120th St., New York, NY 10027 (United States)

    2017-06-01

    One proposed method for spacecraft to reach nearby stars is by accelerating sails using either solar radiation pressure or directed energy. This idea constitutes the thesis behind the Breakthrough Starshot project, which aims to accelerate a gram-mass spacecraft up to one-fifth the speed of light toward Proxima Centauri. For such a case, the combination of the sail’s low mass and relativistic velocity renders previous treatments incorrect at the 10% level, including that of Einstein himself in his seminal 1905 paper introducing special relativity. To address this, we present formulae for a sail’s acceleration, first in response to a single photon and then extended to an ensemble. We show how the sail’s motion in response to an ensemble of incident photons is equivalent to that of a single photon of energy equal to that of the ensemble. We use this principle of ensemble equivalence for both perfect and imperfect mirrors, enabling a simple analytic prediction of the sail’s velocity curve. Using our results and adopting putative parameters for Starshot , we estimate that previous relativistic treatments underestimate the spacecraft’s terminal velocity by ∼10% for the same incident energy. Additionally, we use a simple model to predict the sail’s temperature and diffraction beam losses during the laser firing period; this allows us to estimate that, for firing times of a few minutes and operating temperatures below 300°C (573 K), Starshot will require a sail that absorbs less than one in 260,000 photons.

  10. Relativistic Light Sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kipping, David

    2017-01-01

    One proposed method for spacecraft to reach nearby stars is by accelerating sails using either solar radiation pressure or directed energy. This idea constitutes the thesis behind the Breakthrough Starshot project, which aims to accelerate a gram-mass spacecraft up to one-fifth the speed of light toward Proxima Centauri. For such a case, the combination of the sail’s low mass and relativistic velocity renders previous treatments incorrect at the 10% level, including that of Einstein himself in his seminal 1905 paper introducing special relativity. To address this, we present formulae for a sail’s acceleration, first in response to a single photon and then extended to an ensemble. We show how the sail’s motion in response to an ensemble of incident photons is equivalent to that of a single photon of energy equal to that of the ensemble. We use this principle of ensemble equivalence for both perfect and imperfect mirrors, enabling a simple analytic prediction of the sail’s velocity curve. Using our results and adopting putative parameters for Starshot , we estimate that previous relativistic treatments underestimate the spacecraft’s terminal velocity by ∼10% for the same incident energy. Additionally, we use a simple model to predict the sail’s temperature and diffraction beam losses during the laser firing period; this allows us to estimate that, for firing times of a few minutes and operating temperatures below 300°C (573 K), Starshot will require a sail that absorbs less than one in 260,000 photons.

  11. Investigation of the Airflow around a Sail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Rachel P.

    1986-01-01

    Shows how air flows around a sail, explaining why a dinghy is able to move toward the wind rather than be blown backwards. Also illustrates the effects of alternating the angle of a sail, using different sail shapes and using a rig consisting of two sails. (JN)

  12. Tidal sails : an alternative to turbines for harvesting tidal current energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanssen, J.E. [Tidal Sails, Haugesund (Norway)

    2008-07-01

    Tidal sail technology harnesses the energy of tidal streams in order to produce electricity. Tidal currents move the sails that are attached to wires that rotate generator wheels to produce electricity. The technology has a low impact on the surrounding environment and is simple to install. This presentation discussed the methods used to determine the influence of relative sail velocity and measure estimated energy output levels. The sails were recently tested at an on-grid tidal stream pilot in the Norwegian Arctic. A 300 kW turbine installed at the site demonstrated that the site was suitable for a full-scale development of 20 tripod-mounted 600 kW turbines placed at 50 m depth. It was estimated that the 10 strings of 1000 m length provided between 200 and 250 GWh per year. The sails have also been used at a high speed site in Washington state in the United States. The 25 m pilot plant was installed to verify site suitability and examine sail behaviour in real, high-flow currents. It is expected that the technology will be fully commercialized by 2011. Other pilot tests are being conducted to examine flow behaviour; mooring and flotation functionality; and launch and lift capabilities. Engineering work is ongoing to examine plant designs, variable sail spacing, and collaborations with key component suppliers. tabs., figs.

  13. The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) - Design, Trades, and Analyses Performed in a Two Year NASA Investigation of Electric Sail Propulsion Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegmann, Bruce M.; Scheider, Todd; Heaton, Andrew; Vaughn, Jason; Stone, Nobie; Wright, Ken

    2017-01-01

    Personnel from NASA's MSFC have been investigating the feasibility of an advanced propulsion system known as the Electric Sail (E-Sail) for future scientific exploration missions. This team initially won a NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) award and then a two-year follow-on Phase II NIAC award in October 2015. This paper documents the findings from this three-year investigation. An Electric sail, a propellant-less propulsion system, uses solar wind ions to rapidly travel either to deep space or the inner solar system. Scientific spacecraft could reach Pluto in 5 years, or the boundary of the solar system in ten to twelve years compared to the thirty-five plus years the Voyager spacecraft took. The team's recent focuses have been: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from MSFC's experimental data on the interaction between simulated solar wind and a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) Determining what missions could benefit from this revolutionary propulsion system, 3) Conceptualizing spacecraft designs for various tasks: to reach the solar system's edge, to orbit the sun as Heliophysics sentinels, or to examine a multitude of asteroids.

  14. Physical requirements in Olympic sailing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bojsen-Møller, J; Larsson, B; Aagaard, Per

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Physical fitness and muscular strength are important performance parameters in Olympic sailing although their relative importance changes between classes. The Olympic format consists of eight yacht types combined into 10 so-called events with total 15 sailors (male and female) in a compl...... to yacht types, and reviews the existing knowledge on physical requirements in modern Olympic sailing. Finally, recommendations for future research in sailing are given.......Abstract Physical fitness and muscular strength are important performance parameters in Olympic sailing although their relative importance changes between classes. The Olympic format consists of eight yacht types combined into 10 so-called events with total 15 sailors (male and female......) in a complete national Olympic delegation. The yachts have different requirements with respect to handling, and moreover, each sailor plays a specific role when sailing. Therefore physical demands remain heterogeneous for Olympic sailors. Previous studies have mainly examined sailors where 'hiking' (the task...

  15. 9th International Robotic Sailing Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Cruz, Nuno

    2017-01-01

    This book contains selected papers that address a variety of topics related to the design, development and operation of unmanned and fully autonomous sailing boats. These papers were presented in the 9th International Robotic Sailing Conference, in association with the 9th World Robotic Sailing Championship that took place in Viana do Castelo, Portugal from the 5th to 10th of September 2016. The book is divided in three parts, each focusing on key aspects of robotic sailing. The first part addresses the design, construction and validation of autonomous sailboat platforms, including their rigs, appendages and control mechanisms. The second part is devoted to the development of sensors and algorithms to enhance the performance of robotic sailing boats, in terms of their speed, course control and manoeuvring ability. Finally, the papers in the last part are dedicated to the improvement of behaviours required for the accomplishment of complex autonomous missions. Robotic sailing is a relatively new multidisciplin...

  16. 5th International Robotic Sailing Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Finnis, James

    2013-01-01

    Robotic sailing offers the potential of wind propelled vehicles which are sufficiently autonomous to remain at sea for months at a time. These could replace or augment existing oceanographic sampling systems, be used in border surveillance and security or offer a means of carbon neutral transportation. To achieve this represents a complex, multi-disciplinary challenge to boat designers and naval architects, systems/electrical engineers and computer scientists.  Since 2004 a series of competitions in the form of the Sailbot, World Robotic Sailing Championship and Microtransat competitions have sparked an explosion in the number of groups working on autonomous sailing robots. Despite this interest the longest distance sailed autonomously remains only a few hundred miles. Many of the challenges in building truly autonomous sailing robots still remain unsolved. These proceedings present the cutting edge of work in a variety of fields related to robotic sailing. They will be presented during the 5th International...

  17. Development of an upwind sailing ergometer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callewaert, Margot; Geerts, Stefan; Lataire, Evert; Boone, Jan; Vantorre, Marc; Bourgois, Jan

    2013-11-01

    To develop a sailing ergometer that accurately simulates upwind sailing exercise. A sailing ergometer that measures roll moment accompanied by a biofeedback system that allows imposing a certain quasi-isometric upwind sailing protocol (ie, 18 bouts of 90-s hiking at constantly varying hiking intensity interspersed with 10 s to tack) was developed. Ten male high-level Laser sailors performed an incremental cycling test (ICT; ie, step protocol at 80 W + 40 W/3 min) and an upwind sailing test (UST). During both, heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO(2)), ventilation (V(E)), respiratory-exchange ratio, and rating of perceived exertion were measured. During UST, also the difference between the required and produced hiking moment (HM) was calculated as error score (ES). HR, VO(2), and V(E) were calculated relative to their peak values determined during ICT. After UST, the subjects were questioned about their opinion on the resemblance between this UST and real-time upwind sailing. An average HM of 89.0% ± 2.2% HM(max) and an average ES of 4.1% ± 1.8% HM(max) were found. Mean HR, VO(2), and V(E) were, respectively, 80% ± 4% HR(peak), 39.5% ± 4.5% VO(2peak), and 30.3% ± 3.7% VE(peak). Both HM and cardiorespiratory values appear to be largely comparable to literature reports during on-water upwind sailing. Moreover, the subjects gave the upwind sailing ergometer a positive resemblance score. Results suggest that this ergometer accurately simulates on-water upwind sailing exercise. As such, this ergometer could be a great help in performance diagnostics and training follow-up.

  18. Laser-light sailing and non-stationary power stations applied to robotic star probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matloff, Gregory L.

    2000-01-01

    The light sail has emerged as a leading contender to propel extrasolar expeditions. Because solar-sail performance is limited by the inverse-square law, one-way expeditions to other stars requiring voyage durations of a few centuries or less may be propelled by radiation pressure from a laser beam originating from a location closer to the Sun than the space probe. Maintaining a stationary laser power station in position between Sun and spacecraft for years or decades presents many technical challenges. This paper presents a variation on the laser power station that may be simpler to implement, in which the Sun-pumped laser power station follows the spacecraft on a parabolic or slightly hyperbolic trajectory

  19. 46 CFR 15.725 - Sailing short.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sailing short. 15.725 Section 15.725 Shipping COAST... Limitations and Qualifying Factors § 15.725 Sailing short. Whenever a vessel is deprived of the service of a... vessel is sufficiently manned for the voyage. A report of sailing short must be filed in writing with the...

  20. 8th International Robotic Sailing Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Haug, Florian

    2016-01-01

    This book presents the cutting edge developments within a broad field related to robotic sailing. The contributions were presented during the 8th International Robotic Sailing Conference, which has taken place as a part of the 2015 World Robotic Sailing Championships in Mariehamn, Åland (Finland), August 31st – September 4th 2015. Since more than a decade, a series of competitions such as the World Robotic Sailing Championship have stimulated a variety of groups to work on research and development around autonomous sailing robots, which involves boat designers, naval architects, electrical engineers and computer scientists. While many of the challenges in building a truly autonomous sailboat are still unsolved, the books presents the state of the art of research and development within platform optimization, route and stability planning, collision avoidance, power management and boat control.

  1. Accurate approximation of in-ecliptic trajectories for E-sail with constant pitch angle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Mingying; Mengali, Giovanni; Quarta, Alessandro A.

    2018-05-01

    Propellantless continuous-thrust propulsion systems, such as electric solar wind sails, may be successfully used for new space missions, especially those requiring high-energy orbit transfers. When the mass-to-thrust ratio is sufficiently large, the spacecraft trajectory is characterized by long flight times with a number of revolutions around the Sun. The corresponding mission analysis, especially when addressed within an optimal context, requires a significant amount of simulation effort. Analytical trajectories are therefore useful aids in a preliminary phase of mission design, even though exact solution are very difficult to obtain. The aim of this paper is to present an accurate, analytical, approximation of the spacecraft trajectory generated by an electric solar wind sail with a constant pitch angle, using the latest mathematical model of the thrust vector. Assuming a heliocentric circular parking orbit and a two-dimensional scenario, the simulation results show that the proposed equations are able to accurately describe the actual spacecraft trajectory for a long time interval when the propulsive acceleration magnitude is sufficiently small.

  2. Formation flying for electric sails in displaced orbits. Part I: Geometrical analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Mengali, Giovanni; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Yuan, Jianping

    2017-09-01

    We present a geometrical methodology for analyzing the formation flying of electric solar wind sail based spacecraft that operate in heliocentric, elliptic, displaced orbits. The spacecraft orbit is maintained by adjusting its propulsive acceleration modulus, whose value is estimated using a thrust model that takes into account a variation of the propulsive performance with the sail attitude. The properties of the relative motion of the spacecraft are studied in detail and a geometrical solution is obtained in terms of relative displaced orbital elements, assumed to be small quantities. In particular, for the small eccentricity case (i.e. for a near-circular displaced orbit), the bounds characterized by the extreme values of relative distances are analytically calculated, thus providing an useful mathematical tool for preliminary design of the spacecraft formation structure.

  3. Re-Thinking the Use of the OML Model in Electric-Sail Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, Nobie H.

    2016-01-01

    The Orbit Motion Limited (OML) model commonly forms the basis for calculations made to determine the effect of the long, biased wires of an Electric Sail on solar wind protons and electrons (which determines the thrust generated and the required operating power). A new analysis of the results of previously conducted ground-based experimental studies of spacecraft-space plasma interactions indicate that the expected thrust created by deflected solar wind protons and the current of collected solar wind electrons could be considerably higher than the OML model would suggest. Herein the experimental analysis will be summarized and the assumptions and approximations required to derive the OML equation-and the limitations they impose-will be considered.

  4. The leading-edge vortex of yacht sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arredondo-Galeana, Abel; Viola, Ignazio Maria

    2017-11-01

    We experimentally show, for the first time, that a stable Leading-Edge Vortex (LEV) can be formed on an asymmetric spinnaker, which is a high-lift sail used by yachts to sail downwind. We tested a 3D printed rigid sail in a water flume at a chord-based Reynolds number of ca. 104. We found that on the leeward side of the sail (the suction side), the flow separates at the leading edge reattaching further downstream and forming a stable LEV. The LEV grows in diameter from the root to the tip of the sail, where it merges with the tip vortex. We detected the LEV using the γ criterion, and we verified its stability over time. The lift contribution provided by the LEV was computed solving a complex potential model of each sail section. This analysis indicated that the LEV provides a substantial contribution to the total sail's lift. These findings suggest that the maximum lift of low-aspect-ratio wings with a sharp leading edge, such as spinnakers, can be enhanced by promoting a stable LEV. This work was funded by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACYT).

  5. Developments of an Interactive Sail Design Method

    OpenAIRE

    S. M. Malpede; M. Vezza

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents a new tool for performing the integrated design and analysis of a sail. The features of the system are the geometrical definition of a sail shape, using the Bezier surface method, the creation of a finite element model for the non-linear structural analysis and a fluid-dynamic model for the aerodynamic analysis. The system has been developed using MATLAB(r). Recent sail design efforts have been focused on solving the aeroelastic behavior of the sail. The pressure dis...

  6. Starship Sails Propelled by Cost-Optimized Directed Energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benford, J.

    Microwave and laser-propelled sails are a new class of spacecraft using photon acceleration. It is the only method of interstellar flight that has no physics issues. Laboratory demonstrations of basic features of beam-driven propulsion, flight, stability (`beam-riding'), and induced spin, have been completed in the last decade, primarily in the microwave. It offers much lower cost probes after a substantial investment in the launcher. Engineering issues are being addressed by other applications: fusion (microwave, millimeter and laser sources) and astronomy (large aperture antennas). There are many candidate sail materials: carbon nanotubes and microtrusses, beryllium, graphene, etc. For acceleration of a sail, what is the cost-optimum high power system? Here the cost is used to constrain design parameters to estimate system power, aperture and elements of capital and operating cost. From general relations for cost-optimal transmitter aperture and power, system cost scales with kinetic energy and inversely with sail diameter and frequency. So optimal sails will be larger, lower in mass and driven by higher frequency beams. Estimated costs include economies of scale. We present several starship point concepts. Systems based on microwave, millimeter wave and laser technologies are of equal cost at today's costs. The frequency advantage of lasers is cancelled by the high cost of both the laser and the radiating optic. Cost of interstellar sailships is very high, driven by current costs for radiation source, antennas and especially electrical power. The high speeds necessary for fast interstellar missions make the operating cost exceed the capital cost. Such sailcraft will not be flown until the cost of electrical power in space is reduced orders of magnitude below current levels.

  7. Viking-Age Sails: Form and Proportion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bischoff, Vibeke

    2017-04-01

    Archaeological ship-finds have shed much light on the design and construction of vessels from the Viking Age. However, the exact proportions of their sails remain unknown due to the lack of fully preserved sails, or other definite indicators of their proportions. Key Viking-Age ship-finds from Scandinavia—the Oseberg Ship, the Gokstad Ship and Skuldelev 3—have all revealed traces of rigging. In all three finds, the keelson—with the mast position—is preserved, together with fastenings for the sheets and the tack, indicating the breadth of the sail. The sail area can then be estimated based on practical experience of how large a sail the specific ship can carry, in conjunction with hull form and displacement. This article presents reconstructions of the form and dimensions of rigging and sail based on the archaeological finds, evidence from iconographic and written sources, and ethnographic parallels with traditional Nordic boats. When these sources are analysed, not only do the similarities become apparent, but so too does the relative disparity between the archaeological record and the other sources. Preferential selection in terms of which source is given the greatest merit is therefore required, as it is not possible to afford them all equal value.

  8. Real-time sail and heading optimization for a surface sailing vessel by extremum seeking control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Treichel, Kai; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we develop a simplified mathematical model representing the main elements of the behaviour of sailing vessels as a basis for simulation and controller design. For adaptive real-time optimization of the sail and heading angle we then apply extremum seeking control (which is a gradient...

  9. Deployment Testing of the De-Orbit Sail Flight Hardware

    OpenAIRE

    Hillebrandt, Martin; Meyer, Sebastian; Zander, Martin; Hühne, Christian

    2015-01-01

    The paper describes the results of the deployment testing of the De-Orbit Sail flight hardware, a drag sail for de-orbiting applications, performed by DLR. It addresses in particular the deployment tests of the fullscale sail subsystem and deployment force tests performed on the boom deployment module. For the fullscale sail testing a gravity compensation device is used which is described in detail. It allows observations of the in-plane interaction of the booms with the sail membrane and the...

  10. Adult Sail Sign: Radiographic and Computed Tomographic Features

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Yu-Jin; Han, Daehee; Koh, Young Hwan; Zo, Joo Hee; Kim, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Deog Kyeom; Lee, Jeong Sang; Moon, Hyeon Jong; Kim, Jong Seung; Chun, Eun Ju; Youn, Byung Jae; Lee, Chang Hyun; Kim, Sam Soo (Dept. of Radiology, Cheil General Hospital, Kwandong Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (KR))

    2008-02-15

    Background: The sail sign is a well-known radiographic feature of the pediatric chest. This sign can be observed in an adult population as well, but for a different reason. Purpose: To investigate the sail sign appearing in adult chest radiography. Material and Methods: Based on two anecdotal adult cases in which frontal chest radiographs showed the sail sign, we prospectively screened radiographs of 10,238 patients to determine the incidence of the sail sign found in adults in their 40s or older. The cause of the sail sign was assessed using computed tomography (CT). Results: The sail sign was revealed in 10 (seven males, three females; median age 60.6 years) of 10,238 patients. Of these 10 patients with a sail sign on frontal radiographs, eight underwent CT. The frontal radiographs of these 10 patients showed a concave superior margin toward the lung in nine patients, a concave inferior margin in five, and a double-lined inferior margin in three. Lateral radiographs disclosed a focal opacity over the minor fissure in five of six patients, which was either fuzzy (n = 4) or sharp (n = 1) in its upper margin, and was sometimes double lined in the inferior margin (n = 3). CT revealed the anterior mediastinal fat to be the cause of the radiographic sail sign, which stretched laterally from the mediastinum to insinuate into the minor fissure. Conclusion: The incidence of sail sign on adult chest radiographs is about 0.1%. The sign is specific enough to eliminate the need for more sophisticated imaging

  11. Adult Sail Sign: Radiographic and Computed Tomographic Features

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Yu-Jin; Han, Daehee; Koh, Young Hwan; Zo, Joo Hee; Kim, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Deog Kyeom; Lee, Jeong Sang; Moon, Hyeon Jong; Kim, Jong Seung; Chun, Eun Ju; Y oun, Byung Jae; Lee, Chang Hyun; Kim, Sam Soo

    2008-01-01

    Background: The sail sign is a well-known radiographic feature of the pediatric chest. This sign can be observed in an adult population as well, but for a different reason. Purpose: To investigate the sail sign appearing in adult chest radiography. Material and Methods: Based on two anecdotal adult cases in which frontal chest radiographs showed the sail sign, we prospectively screened radiographs of 10,238 patients to determine the incidence of the sail sign found in adults in their 40s or older. The cause of the sail sign was assessed using computed tomography (CT). Results: The sail sign was revealed in 10 (seven males, three females; median age 60.6 years) of 10,238 patients. Of these 10 patients with a sail sign on frontal radiographs, eight underwent CT. The frontal radiographs of these 10 patients showed a concave superior margin toward the lung in nine patients, a concave inferior margin in five, and a double-lined inferior margin in three. Lateral radiographs disclosed a focal opacity over the minor fissure in five of six patients, which was either fuzzy (n = 4) or sharp (n = 1) in its upper margin, and was sometimes double lined in the inferior margin (n = 3). CT revealed the anterior mediastinal fat to be the cause of the radiographic sail sign, which stretched laterally from the mediastinum to insinuate into the minor fissure. Conclusion: The incidence of sail sign on adult chest radiographs is about 0.1%. The sign is specific enough to eliminate the need for more sophisticated imaging

  12. Adult sail sign: radiographic and computed tomographic features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yu-Jin; Han, Daehee; Koh, Young Hwan; Zo, Joo Hee; Kim, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Deog Kyeom; Lee, Jeong Sang; Moon, Hyeon Jong; Kim, Jong Seung; Chun, Eun Ju; Youn, Byung Jae; Lee, Chang Hyun; Kim, Sam Soo

    2008-02-01

    The sail sign is a well-known radiographic feature of the pediatric chest. This sign can be observed in an adult population as well, but for a different reason. To investigate the sail sign appearing in adult chest radiography. Based on two anecdotal adult cases in which frontal chest radiographs showed the sail sign, we prospectively screened radiographs of 10,238 patients to determine the incidence of the sail sign found in adults in their 40s or older. The cause of the sail sign was assessed using computed tomography (CT). The sail sign was revealed in 10 (seven males, three females; median age 60.6 years) of 10,238 patients. Of these 10 patients with a sail sign on frontal radiographs, eight underwent CT. The frontal radiographs of these 10 patients showed a concave superior margin toward the lung in nine patients, a concave inferior margin in five, and a double-lined inferior margin in three. Lateral radiographs disclosed a focal opacity over the minor fissure in five of six patients, which was either fuzzy (n = 4) or sharp (n = 1) in its upper margin, and was sometimes double lined in the inferior margin (n = 3). CT revealed the anterior mediastinal fat to be the cause of the radiographic sail sign, which stretched laterally from the mediastinum to insinuate into the minor fissure. The incidence of sail sign on adult chest radiographs is about 0.1%. The sign is specific enough to eliminate the need for more sophisticated imaging.

  13. System identification and the modeling of sailing yachts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legursky, Katrina

    This research represents an exploration of sailing yacht dynamics with full-scale sailing motion data, physics-based models, and system identification techniques. The goal is to provide a method of obtaining and validating suitable physics-based dynamics models for use in control system design on autonomous sailing platforms, which have the capacity to serve as mobile, long range, high endurance autonomous ocean sensing platforms. The primary contributions of this study to the state-of-the-art are the formulation of a five degree-of-freedom (DOF) linear multi-input multi-output (MIMO) state space model of sailing yacht dynamics, the process for identification of this model from full-scale data, a description of the maneuvers performed during on-water tests, and an analysis method to validate estimated models. The techniques and results described herein can be directly applied to and tested on existing autonomous sailing platforms. A full-scale experiment on a 23ft monohull sailing yacht is developed to collect motion data for physics-based model identification. Measurements include 3 axes of accelerations, velocities, angular rates, and attitude angles in addition to apparent wind speed and direction. The sailing yacht herein is treated as a dynamic system with two control inputs, the rudder angle, deltaR, and the mainsail angle, delta B, which are also measured. Over 20 hours of full scale sailing motion data is collected, representing three sail configurations corresponding to a range of wind speeds: the Full Main and Genoa (abbrev. Genoa) for lower wind speeds, the Full Main and Jib (abbrev. Jib) for mid-range wind speeds, and the Reefed Main and Jib (abbrev. Reef) for the highest wind speeds. The data also covers true wind angles from upwind through a beam reach. A physics-based non-linear model to describe sailing yacht motion is outlined, including descriptions of methods to model the aerodynamics and hydrodynamics of a sailing yacht in surge, sway, roll, and

  14. A Solar Sailcraft Simulation Application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Celeda, Tomáš

    2013-01-01

    An application was created to encourage students' practical knowledge of gravitational fields, the law of conservation of energy and other phenomena, such as gravitational slingshots. The educational software simulates the flight of a solar sail spacecraft between two planets of the Solar System using the laws of gravity and radiation…

  15. Performance Comparisons and Down Selection of Small Motors for Two-Blade Heliogyro Solar Sail 6U CubeSat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiwattananon, Peerawan; Bryant, Robert G.

    2015-01-01

    This report compiles a review of 130 commercial small scale motors (piezoelectric and electric motors) and almost 20 researched-type small scale piezoelectricmotors for potential use in a 2 blades Heliogyro Solar Sail 6U CubeSat. In this application, a motor and gearhead (drive system) will deploy a roll of solar sailthin film (2 um thick)accommodated in a 2U CubeSat (100 x 200 x 100 mm) housing. The application requirements are: space rated, output torque at fulldeployment of 0.8 Nm, reel speed of 3 rpm, drive system weight limited to 150 grams, diameter limited to 50 mm, and the length not to exceed 40 mm. The 50mm diameter limit was imposed as motors with larger diameters would likely weigh too much and use more space on the satellite wall. This would limit theamount of the payload. The motors performance are compared between small scale, volume within 3x102 cm3 (3x105 mm3), commercial electric DC motors,commercial piezoelectric motors, and researched-type (non-commercial) piezoelectric motors extracted from scientific and product literature. The comparisonssuggest that piezoelectric motors without a gearhead exhibit larger output torque with respect to their volume and weight and require less input power toproduce high torque. A commercially available electric motor plus a gearhead was chosen through a proposed selection process to meet the applications designrequirements.

  16. Aerodynamic-structural model of offwind yacht sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mairs, Christopher M.

    An aerodynamic-structural model of offwind yacht sails was created that is useful in predicting sail forces. Two sails were examined experimentally and computationally at several wind angles to explore a variety of flow regimes. The accuracy of the numerical solutions was measured by comparing to experimental results. The two sails examined were a Code 0 and a reaching asymmetric spinnaker. During experiment, balance, wake, and sail shape data were recorded for both sails in various configurations. Two computational steps were used to evaluate the computational model. First, an aerodynamic flow model that includes viscosity effects was used to examine the experimental flying shapes that were recorded. Second, the aerodynamic model was combined with a nonlinear, structural, finite element analysis (FEA) model. The aerodynamic and structural models were used iteratively to predict final flying shapes of offwind sails, starting with the design shapes. The Code 0 has relatively low camber and is used at small angles of attack. It was examined experimentally and computationally at a single angle of attack in two trim configurations, a baseline and overtrimmed setting. Experimentally, the Code 0 was stable and maintained large flow attachment regions. The digitized flying shapes from experiment were examined in the aerodynamic model. Force area predictions matched experimental results well. When the aerodynamic-structural tool was employed, the predictive capability was slightly worse. The reaching asymmetric spinnaker has higher camber and operates at higher angles of attack than the Code 0. Experimentally and computationally, it was examined at two angles of attack. Like the Code 0, at each wind angle, baseline and overtrimmed settings were examined. Experimentally, sail oscillations and large flow detachment regions were encountered. The computational analysis began by examining the experimental flying shapes in the aerodynamic model. In the baseline setting, the

  17. A Deweyian Framework for Youth Development in Experiential Education: Perspectives from Sail Training and Sailing Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wojcikiewicz, Steven K.; Mural, Zachary B.

    2010-01-01

    In this piece, we put forth a Deweyian framework for youth development activities in outdoor and adventure education programs, and we show how such a framework may be exemplified by activities in sail training and sailing instruction. The paper begins with a discussion of the theoretical features of Deweyian educational experiences and makes…

  18. Dielectric films for solar and laser-pushed lightsails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landis, Geoffrey A.

    2000-01-01

    This project analyzed the potential use of dielectric thin films for solar and laser sails. Such light-pushed sails allow the possibility of fuel-free propulsion in space. This makes possible missions of extremely high delta-V, potentially as high as 30,000 km/sec (0.1c), which is required for a fly-by mission to a nearby star

  19. [A paraplegic skipper of his own sailing yacht].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christians, U

    1985-05-01

    Drawing on personal experience, the author points out that paraplegics too are capable of independent sailing. Physical restrictions relative to on-board mobility, sail manoeuvring and change of sides can be made up for by structural adaptions and special techniques. Certain safety precautions are indispensable. The sailing performance of paraplegics compares with that of ablebodied sailors, and cruising under a paraplegic skipper's responsibility is certainly possible.

  20. Hiking strap force decreases during sustained upwind sailing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buchardt, R; Bay, Jonathan; Bojsen-Møller, Jens

    2017-01-01

    The hypothesis, that sailing upwind in wind speeds above 12 knots causes fatigue, which manifests as a reduction in exerted hiking strap force and/or maximal isometric voluntary contraction force (MVC) of the knee extensors, was evaluated. Additionally, it was investigated if a relationship exists...... between maximal exerted hiking force (hMVC) and sailing performance. In part 1 of the study, 12 national level athletes sailed upwind for 2 × 10 min while hiking strap forces were continuously acquired. Before, in between and after sailing periods, the MVC of the knee extensors was measured. In part 2...... of the study, hMVC was measured dry land in a hiking bench and correlated with the overall results at a national championship. Hiking strap force decreased from the first to the last minute in both 10 min sailing periods (430 ± 131 vs. 285 ± 130 N, P 

  1. Solar energy demonstration zones in the Dalmatian region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hrastnik, B. [Energy Institute, Zagreb (Croatia); Frankovic, B. [University of Rijeka (Croatia). Faculty of Engineering

    2001-11-01

    The energy consumption in the Dalmatian region was estimated for residential and public sector, tourism, commercial sector and industry. The national energy program for the use of solar energy, SUNEN, assessed solar energy potential in Croatia. Energy from fossil fuels and electricity consumption in the region, which is mostly used in households for preparing hot water and space heating, could be economically substituted by renewable energy. The situation is most promising for the islands of the Adriatic, where solar thermal collectors, PV modules and wind generators could substitute conventional energy sources in satisfying the present thermal and electric demand. The Dalmatian Islands, characterised by a small density of energy consumption, are proposed as unique candidates in Europe for renewable zones, which could demonstrate the full potential of the renewable energy option. As a practical demonstration, the island of Lastovo and the planned tourist village and yacht marina in the Bay of Jurjeva Luka are proposed as a first solar demonstration project on the islands. Technical, economic, legal and institutional barriers, as well as shortages of financing the project identification process produced hereto an adverse environment for solar applications in Croatia. This paper is an initiative for eliminating the barriers and intensify the solar energy use in Croatia providing the clean environment and activation of indigenous energy resources in the region. (author)

  2. Synthesis of stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine via the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL glutamic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kamikawai, Tomoe; Vinogradov, Maxim G; Starodubtseva, Eugenia V; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2011-01-07

    A stereoarray isotope labeled (SAIL) lysine, (2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-[3,4,5,6-(2)H(4);1,2,3,4,5,6-(13)C(6);2,6-(15)N(2)]lysine, was synthesized by the "head-to-tail" conversion of SAIL-Glu, (2S,3S,4R)-[3,4-(2)H(2);1,2,3,4,5-(13)C(5);2-(15)N]glutamic acid, with high stereospecificities for all five chiral centers. With the SAIL-Lys in hand, the unambiguous simultaneous stereospecific assignments were able to be established for each of the prochiral protons within the four methylene groups of the Lys side chains in proteins.

  3. Fluid-structure interaction analysis of deformation of sail of 30-foot yacht

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bak, Sera; Yoo, Jaehoon; Song, Chang Yong

    2013-06-01

    Most yacht sails are made of thin fabric, and they have a cambered shape to generate lift force; however, their shape can be easily deformed by wind pressure. Deformation of the sail shape changes the flow characteristics over the sail, which in turn further deforms the sail shape. Therefore, fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis is applied for the precise evaluation or optimization of the sail design. In this study, fluid flow analyses are performed for the main sail of a 30-foot yacht, and the results are applied to loading conditions for structural analyses. By applying the supporting forces from the rig, such as the mast and boom-end outhaul, as boundary conditions for structural analysis, the deformed sail shape is identified. Both the flow analyses and the structural analyses are iteratively carried out for the deformed sail shape. A comparison of the flow characteristics and surface pressures over the deformed sail shape with those over the initial shape shows that a considerable difference exists between the two and that FSI analysis is suitable for application to sail design.

  4. Fluid-structure interaction analysis of deformation of sail of 30-foot yacht

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sera Bak

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Most yacht sails are made of thin fabric, and they have a cambered shape to generate lift force; however, their shape can be easily deformed by wind pressure. Deformation of the sail shape changes the flow characteristics over the sail, which in turn further deforms the sail shape. Therefore, fluid-structure interaction (FSI analysis is applied for the precise evaluation or optimization of the sail design. In this study, fluid flow analyses are performed for the main sail of a 30-foot yacht, and the results are applied to loading conditions for structural analyses. By applying the supporting forces from the rig, such as the mast and boom-end outhaul, as boundary conditions for structural analysis, the deformed sail shape is identified. Both the flow analyses and the structural analyses are iteratively carried out for the deformed sail shape. A comparison of the flow characteristics and surface pressures over the deformed sail shape with those over the initial shape shows that a considerable difference exists between the two and that FSI analysis is suitable for application to sail design.

  5. A first course in optimum design of yacht sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugimoto, Takeshi

    1993-03-01

    The optimum sail geometry is analytically obtained for the case of maximizing the thrust under equality and inequality constraints on the lift and the heeling moment. A single mainsail is assumed to be set close-hauled in uniform wind and upright on the flat sea surface. The governing parameters are the mast height and the gap between the sail foot and the sea surface. The lifting line theory is applied to analyze the aerodynamic forces acting on a sail. The design method consists of the variational principle and a feasibility study. Almost triangular sails are found to be optimum. Their advantages are discussed.

  6. FASt - An autonomous sailing platform for oceanographic missions

    OpenAIRE

    Jose C Alves; Nuno A Cruz

    2008-01-01

    Sailing has been for long times the only means of ship propulsion at sea. Although the performance of a sailing vessel is well below the present power driven ships, either in terms of navigation speed and predictability, wind energy is absolutely renewable, clean and free. Unmanned autonomous sailing boats may exhibit a virtually unlimited autonomy and be able to perform unassisted missions at sea for long periods of time. Promising applications include oceanographic and weather data collecti...

  7. School-Based Adolescent Groups: The Sail Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, John L.; And Others

    The manual outlines the processes, policies, and actual program implementation of one component of a Minnesota program for emotionally disturbed adolescents (Project SAIL): the development of school-based therapy/intervention groups. The characteristics of SAIL students are described, and some considerations involved in providing group services…

  8. Sailing: Cognition, action, communication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thora Tenbrink

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available How do humans perceive and think about space, and how can this be represented adequately? For everyday activities such as locating objects or places, route planning, and the like, many insights have been gained over the past few decades, feeding into theories of spatial cognition and frameworks for spatial information science. In this paper, we explore sailing as a more specialized domain that has not yet been considered in this way, but has a lot to offer precisely because of its peculiarities. Sailing involves ways of thinking about space that are not normally required (or even acquired in everyday life. Movement in this domain is based on a combination of external forces and internal (human intentions that impose various kinds of directionality, affecting local action as well as global planning. Sailing terminology is spatial to a high extent, and involves a range of concepts that have received little attention in the spatial cognition community. We explore the area by focusing on the core features of cognition, action, and communication, and suggest a range of promising future areas of research in this domain as a showcase of the fascinating flexibility of human spatial cognition.

  9. Design of Sail-Assisted Unmanned Surface Vehicle Intelligent Control System

    OpenAIRE

    Ma, Yong; Zhao, Yujiao; Diao, Jiantao; Gan, Langxiong; Bi, Huaxiong; Zhao, Jingming

    2016-01-01

    To achieve the wind sail-assisted function of the unmanned surface vehicle (USV), this work focuses on the design problems of the sail-assisted USV intelligent control systems (SUICS) and illustrates the implementation process of the SUICS. The SUICS consists of the communication system, the sensor system, the PC platform, and the lower machine platform. To make full use of the wind energy, in the SUICS, we propose the sail angle of attack automatic adjustment (Sail_4A) algorithm and present ...

  10. Development of a Motion System for an Advanced Sailing Simulator

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mulder, F.A.; Verlinden, J.C.

    2013-01-01

    To train competitive sailing in a virtual setting, motion of the boat as well as haptic feedback of the sail lines is essential. When discussing virtual environments (VEs) the concept of presence is often used. In this study we develop a sailing simulator motion system to research what factors

  11. A basic tool for computer-aided sail design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thrasher, D.F.; Dunyak, T.J.; Mook, D.T.; Nayfeh, A.H.

    1985-01-01

    Recent developments in modelling lifting surfaces have provided a tool that also can be used to model sails. The simplest of the adequate models is the vortex-lattice method. This method can fully account for the aerodynamic interactions among several lifting surfaces having arbitrary platforms, camber, and twist as long as separation occurs only along the edges and the phenomenon known as vortex bursting does not occur near the sails. This paper describes this method and how it can be applied to the design of sails

  12. Stability of a Light Sail Riding on a Laser Beam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manchester, Zachary [John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, 60 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: zmanchester@seas.harvard.edu [Astronomy Department, Harvard University, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

    2017-03-10

    The stability of a light sail riding on a laser beam is analyzed both analytically and numerically. Conical sails on Gaussian beams, which have been studied in the past, are shown to be unstable without active control or additional mechanical modifications. A new architecture for a passively stable sail-and-beam configuration is proposed. The novel spherical shell design for the sail is capable of “beam riding” without the need for active feedback control. Full three-dimensional ray-tracing simulations are performed to verify our analytical results.

  13. Stability of a Light Sail Riding on a Laser Beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manchester, Zachary; Loeb, Abraham

    2017-01-01

    The stability of a light sail riding on a laser beam is analyzed both analytically and numerically. Conical sails on Gaussian beams, which have been studied in the past, are shown to be unstable without active control or additional mechanical modifications. A new architecture for a passively stable sail-and-beam configuration is proposed. The novel spherical shell design for the sail is capable of “beam riding” without the need for active feedback control. Full three-dimensional ray-tracing simulations are performed to verify our analytical results.

  14. SAIL--stereo-array isotope labeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kainosho, Masatsune; Güntert, Peter

    2009-11-01

    Optimal stereospecific and regiospecific labeling of proteins with stable isotopes enhances the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method for the determination of the three-dimensional protein structures in solution. Stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) offers sharpened lines, spectral simplification without loss of information and the ability to rapidly collect and automatically evaluate the structural restraints required to solve a high-quality solution structure for proteins up to twice as large as before. This review gives an overview of stable isotope labeling methods for NMR spectroscopy with proteins and provides an in-depth treatment of the SAIL technology.

  15. Sleep restriction and degraded reaction-time performance in Figaro solo sailing races.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurdiel, Rémy; Van Dongen, Hans P A; Aron, Christophe; McCauley, Peter; Jacolot, Laure; Theunynck, Denis

    2014-01-01

    In solo offshore sailing races like those of the Solitaire du Figaro, sleep must be obtained in multiple short bouts to maintain competitive performance and safety. Little is known about the amount of sleep restriction experienced at sea and the effects that fatigue from sleep loss have on sailors' performance. Therefore, we assessed sleep in sailors of yachts in the Figaro 2 Beneteau class during races and compared response times on a serial simple reaction-time test before and after races. Twelve men (professional sailors) recorded their sleep and measured their response times during one of the three single-handed races of 150, 300 and 350 nautical miles (nominally 24-50 h in duration). Total estimated sleep duration at sea indicated considerable sleep insufficiency. Response times were slower after races than before. The results suggest that professional sailors incur severe sleep loss and demonstrate marked performance impairment when competing in one- to two-day solo sailing races. Competitive performance could be improved by actively managing sleep during solo offshore sailing races.

  16. The research on wing sail of a land-yacht robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaorong Xie

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A wind-driven land-yacht robot which will be applied in polar expedition is presented in this article. As the main power of robot is provided by wing sail, improving the efficiency of wing sail is the key for its motion. Wing sail is composed of airfoil, so airfoil theory is researched first, and then several airfoils and their aerodynamic performance are compared, and a high-efficiency airfoil is selected. After that, overturning torque and start wind speed of robot are analyzed to determine the size of the wing sail. At last, the wing sail is manufactured and checked, and it is tested by start wind speed experiments, running speed experiments, steering motion, and obstacle avoidance experiments. The minimum start wind speed is 6 m/s. When wind speed is 10.3 m/s and angle of attack is 90°, running velocity of robot is 1.285 m/s. A land-yacht robot can run steering motion well and avoid obstacle to the target. The result shows that wing sail satisfies the motion requirement of land-yacht robot.

  17. Use of a virtual reality physical ride-on sailing simulator as a rehabilitation tool for recreational sports and community reintegration: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Recio, Albert C; Becker, Daniel; Morgan, Marjorie; Saunders, Norman R; Schramm, Lawrence P; McDonald, John W

    2013-12-01

    Participation in sailing by people with disabilities, particularly in small sailboats, is widely regarded as having positive outcomes on self-esteem and general health for the participants. However, a major hurdle for people with no previous experience of sailing, even by those without disabilities, is the perception that sailing is elitist, expensive, and dangerous. Real-time "ride-on" sailing simulators have the potential to bridge the gap between dry-land and on-the-water sailing. These provide a realistic, safe, and easily supervised medium in which nonsailors can easily and systematically learn the required skills before venturing out on the water. The authors report a 12-wk pilot therapeutic sailing program using the VSail-Access sailing simulation system followed by on-water experience. After completion of the training, all subjects demonstrated the ability to navigate a simple course around marker buoys (triangular configuration) on the computer screen, the ability to sail independently in winds of moderate strength (up to 14 knots) on water, and measurable improvements in their psychologic health. In addition, the subjects were able to participate in a sports activity with their respective family members and experienced a sense of optimism about their future.

  18. Design of Sail-Assisted Unmanned Surface Vehicle Intelligent Control System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Ma

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available To achieve the wind sail-assisted function of the unmanned surface vehicle (USV, this work focuses on the design problems of the sail-assisted USV intelligent control systems (SUICS and illustrates the implementation process of the SUICS. The SUICS consists of the communication system, the sensor system, the PC platform, and the lower machine platform. To make full use of the wind energy, in the SUICS, we propose the sail angle of attack automatic adjustment (Sail_4A algorithm and present the realization flow for each subsystem of the SUICS. By using the test boat, the design and implementation of the SUICS are fulfilled systematically. Experiments verify the performance and effectiveness of our SUICS. The SUICS enhances the intelligent utility of sustainable wind energy for the sail-assisted USV significantly and plays a vital role in shipping energy-saving emission reduction requirements issued by International Maritime Organization (IMO.

  19. Making and Executing Decisions for Safe and Independent Living (MED-SAIL): development and validation of a brief screening tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Whitney L; Regev, Tziona; Kunik, Mark E; Wilson, Nancy L; Moye, Jennifer; McCullough, Laurence B; Naik, Aanand D

    2014-03-01

    Older adults prefer to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and preliminary validation of Making and Executing Decisions for Safe and Independent Living (MED-SAIL), a brief screening tool for capacity to live safely and independently in the community. Prospective preliminary validation study. Outpatient geriatrics clinic located in a community-based hospital. Forty-nine community-dwelling older adults referred to the clinic for a comprehensive capacity assessment. We examined internal consistency, criterion-based validity, concurrent validity, and accuracy of classification for MED-SAIL. The items included in MED-SAIL demonstrated internal consistency (5 items; α = 0.85). MED-SAIL was significantly correlated with the Independent Living Scales (r = 0.573, p ≤0.001) and instrumental activities of daily living (r = 0.440, p ≤0.01). The Mann-Whitney U test revealed significant differences between the no capacity and partial/full capacity classifications on MED-SAIL (U(48) = 60.5, Z = -0.38, p SAIL as a brief screening tool to identify older adults with impaired capacity for remaining safe and independent in their current living environment. MED-SAIL is useful tool for health and social service providers in the community for the purpose of referral for definitive capacity evaluation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Modeling and nonlinear heading control for sailing yachts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Lin; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents a study on the development and testing of a model-based heading controller for a sailing yacht. Using Fossen’s compact notation for marine vehicles, we first describe a nonlinear four-degree-of-freedom (DOF) dynamic model for a sailing yacht, including roll. Our model also...

  1. Modeling and nonlinear heading control for sailing yachts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Lin; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a study on the development and testing of a model-based heading controller for a sailing yacht. Using Fossen's compact notation for marine vehicles, we first describe a nonlinear 4-DOF dynamic model for a sailing yacht, including roll. Starting from this model, we then design...

  2. 46 CFR 178.325 - Intact stability requirements for a sailing vessel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... weathertight deck, such as open boats; (4) A vessel that carries more than 49 passengers; (5) A sailing school vessel that carries a combined total of six or more sailing school students or instructors; (6) A vessel... whether the vessel has adequate stability and satisfactory handling characteristics under sail for...

  3. Orange County Government Solar Demonstration and Research Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parker, Renee [Orange County Florida, Orlando, Florida (United States); Cunniff, Lori [Orange County Florida, Orlando, Florida (United States)

    2015-05-12

    Orange County Florida completed the construction of a 20 kilowatt Solar Demonstration and Research Facility in March 2015. The system was constructed at the Orange County/University of Florida Cooperative Extension Center whose electric service address is 6021 South Conway Road, Orlando, Florida 32802. The Solar Demonstration and Research Facility is comprised of 72 polycrystalline photovoltaic modules and 3 inverters which convert direct current from the solar panels to alternating current electricity. Each module produces 270 watts of direct current power, for a total canopy production of just under 20,000 watts. The solar modules were installed with a fixed tilt of 5 degrees and face south, toward the equator to maximize the amount of sunlight captures. Each year, the electricity generated by the solar array will help eliminate 20 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions as well as provide covered parking for staff and visitors vehicles. The solar array is expected to generate 27,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually equating to an estimated $266 savings in the monthly electric bill, or $3,180 annually for the Orange County/University of Florida Cooperative Extension Center. In addition to reducing the electric bill for the Extension Center, Orange County’s solar array also takes advantage of a rebate incentive offered by the local utility, Orlando Utility Commission, which provided a meter that measures the amount of power produced by the solar array. The local utility company’s Solar Photovoltaic Production Incentive will pay Orange County $0.05 per kilowatt hour for the power that is produced by the solar array. This incentive is provided in addition to Net Metering benefits, which is an effort to promote the use of clean, renewable energy on the electric grid. The Photovoltaic Solar Demonstration and Research Facility also serves an educational tool to the public; the solar array is tied directly into a data logger that provides real time power

  4. Fluid Distribution Analysis of Kite Sail for Application on Ship

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    . Amiadji

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The increasing number of operating ships resulted in high air pollution from the combustion of the ship's engine. Efforts to utilize alternative energy to reduce ship engine work have been done, one of them is using unlimited alternative energy that is wind where one of its application of is the application of new ships sail, kite sail as auxiliary system of ship propulsion . In this final project purposed to find out the value of aerodynamic force of kite sail and power it can generated , with a CFD method that uses 3 kite sail design forms, rectangular, triangular, and elliptical, with an area of 160 m2 this models are simulated at wind speed variations from 13.4 m / s up 15.82 m / s and angel of attack variation of 15.20, and 25. From the variation obtained the total aerodynamic force generated can reach 28.73 kN in rectangular shape, 30.79 kN of Elipsical shape, and 27.55 kN of triangular shape, on variant Angel Of attack 25. From the value of the aerodynamic force, each kite sail capable of generating power, on a rectangular kite sail of up to 263.02 kW, an elipsical 276.75 kW, and a triangular 252.63 kW.

  5. Improving comfort while hiking in a sailing boat

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, A.J.; Van Abbema, A.; Howe, C.

    2012-01-01

    The paper presents the changes in perceived comfort while hiking in a sailing boat (in this case the Laser, a single-handed Olympic dinghy) due to a new design of hiking pads. The project used a ‘research by design method’. The aim was to improve sailing comfort which leads to lower fatigue and

  6. On path generation and feedforward control for a class of surface sailing vessels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Lin; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2010-01-01

    Sailing vessels with wind as their main means of propulsion possess a unique property that the paths they take depend on the wind direction, which, in the literature, has attracted less attention than normal vehicles propelled by propellers or thrusters. This paper considers the problem of motion...... planning and controllability for sailing vehicles representing the no-sailing zone effect in sailing. Following our previous work, we present an extended algorithm for automatic path generation with a prescribed initial heading for a simple model of sailing vehicles, together with a feedforward controller...

  7. Orbital Dynamics of a Simple Solar Photon Thruster

    OpenAIRE

    Guerman, Anna D.; Smirnov, Georgi V.; Pereira, Maria Cecilia

    2009-01-01

    We study orbital dynamics of a compound solar sail, namely, a Simple Solar Photon Thruster and compare its behavior to that of a common version of sailcraft. To perform this analysis, development of a mathematical model for force created by light reflection on all sailcraft elements is essential. We deduce the equations of sailcraft's motion and compare performance of two schemes of solar propulsion for two test time-optimal control problems of trajectory transfer.

  8. On steering a sailing ship in a wearing maneuver

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jouffroy, Jerome

    Compared to more conventional ships, little attention was given to nonlinear control design for ships sailing by the wind. Following our previous work, this paper addresses the issue of trajectory and reference input generation for a model that imitates the general behavior of sailing vessels...

  9. Biobank Metaportal to Enhance Collaborative Research: sail.simbioms.org

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Krestyaninova

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available In order to identify new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases, biobanks systematically collect samples of human tissues and population-wide data on health and lifestyle. Efficient access to population biobank data and to biomaterial is crucial for development and marketing of new pharmaceutical products, especially in the area of personalised medicine. However, such access is hindered by legal and ethical constraints, and by the huge semantic diversity across different biobanks. To address these challenges, we have developed SAIL, a sophisticated metaportal for biobank data annotation across different collections and repositories, harmonised to allow cross-biobank searchability, while preserving the anonymity and privacy of the underlying data such that legal and ethical requirements are met. We describe the technological architecture and design of SAIL that allows us to meet these pressing challenges, and give an overview of the current functionality of the application. SAIL is available online at sail.simbioms.org, and it currently contains around 200 000 samples from 14 collections.

  10. SAIL: Summation-bAsed Incremental Learning for Information-Theoretic Text Clustering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Jie; Wu, Zhiang; Wu, Junjie; Xiong, Hui

    2013-04-01

    Information-theoretic clustering aims to exploit information-theoretic measures as the clustering criteria. A common practice on this topic is the so-called Info-Kmeans, which performs K-means clustering with KL-divergence as the proximity function. While expert efforts on Info-Kmeans have shown promising results, a remaining challenge is to deal with high-dimensional sparse data such as text corpora. Indeed, it is possible that the centroids contain many zero-value features for high-dimensional text vectors, which leads to infinite KL-divergence values and creates a dilemma in assigning objects to centroids during the iteration process of Info-Kmeans. To meet this challenge, in this paper, we propose a Summation-bAsed Incremental Learning (SAIL) algorithm for Info-Kmeans clustering. Specifically, by using an equivalent objective function, SAIL replaces the computation of KL-divergence by the incremental computation of Shannon entropy. This can avoid the zero-feature dilemma caused by the use of KL-divergence. To improve the clustering quality, we further introduce the variable neighborhood search scheme and propose the V-SAIL algorithm, which is then accelerated by a multithreaded scheme in PV-SAIL. Our experimental results on various real-world text collections have shown that, with SAIL as a booster, the clustering performance of Info-Kmeans can be significantly improved. Also, V-SAIL and PV-SAIL indeed help improve the clustering quality at a lower cost of computation.

  11. The Solar Umbrella: A Low-cost Demonstration of Scalable Space Based Solar Power

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contreras, Michael T.; Trease, Brian P.; Sherwood, Brent

    2013-01-01

    Within the past decade, the Space Solar Power (SSP) community has seen an influx of stakeholders willing to entertain the SSP prospect of potentially boundless, base-load solar energy. Interested parties affiliated with the Department of Defense (DoD), the private sector, and various international entities have all agreed that while the benefits of SSP are tremendous and potentially profitable, the risk associated with developing an efficient end to end SSP harvesting system is still very high. In an effort to reduce the implementation risk for future SSP architectures, this study proposes a system level design that is both low-cost and seeks to demonstrate the furthest transmission of wireless power to date. The overall concept is presented and each subsystem is explained in detail with best estimates of current implementable technologies. Basic cost models were constructed based on input from JPL subject matter experts and assume that the technology demonstration would be carried out by a federally funded entity. The main thrust of the architecture is to demonstrate that a usable amount of solar power can be safely and reliably transmitted from space to the Earth's surface; however, maximum power scalability limits and their cost implications are discussed.

  12. A comparative study between control strategies for a solar sailcraft in an Earth-Mars transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mainenti-Lopes, I.; Souza, L. C. Gadelha; De Sousa, Fabiano. L.

    2016-10-01

    The goal of this work was a comparative study of solar sail trajectory optimization using different control strategies. Solar sailcraft is propulsion system with great interest in space engineering, since it uses solar radiation to propulsion. So there is no need for propellant to be used, thus it can remains active throughout the entire transfer maneuver. This type of propulsion system opens the possibility to reduce the cost of exploration missions in the solar system. In its simplest configuration, a Flat Solar Sail (FSS) consists of a large and thin structure generally composed by a film fixed to flexible rods. The performance of these vehicles depends largely on the sails attitude relative to the Sun. Using a FSS as propulsion, an Earth-Mars transfer optimization problem was tackled by the algorithms GEOreal1 and GEOreal2 (Generalized Extremal Optimization with real codification). Those algorithms are Evolutionary Algorithms (AE) based on the theory of Self-Organized Criticality. They were used to optimize the FSS attitude angle so it could reach Mars orbit in minimum time. It was considered that the FSS could perform up to ten attitude maneuvers during orbital transfer. Moreover, the time between maneuvers can be different. So, the algorithms had to optimize an objective function with 20 design variables. The results obtained in this work were compared with previously results that considered constant values of time between maneuvers.

  13. Orbital Dynamics of a Simple Solar Photon Thruster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna D. Guerman

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We study orbital dynamics of a compound solar sail, namely, a Simple Solar Photon Thruster and compare its behavior to that of a common version of sailcraft. To perform this analysis, development of a mathematical model for force created by light reflection on all sailcraft elements is essential. We deduce the equations of sailcraft's motion and compare performance of two schemes of solar propulsion for two test time-optimal control problems of trajectory transfer.

  14. Solar Energy Demonstrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Solar energy furnishes all of the heating and hot water needs, plus 80 percent of the air conditioning, for the two-story Reedy Creek building. A unique feature of this installation is that the 16 semi-cylindrical solar collectors (center photo on opposite page with closeup of a single collector below it) are not mounted atop the roof as is customary, they actually are the roof. This arrangement eliminates the usual trusses, corrugated decking and insulating concrete in roof construction; that, in turn, reduces overall building costs and makes the solar installation more attractive economically. The Reedy Creek collectors were designed and manufactured by AAI Corporation of Baltimore, Maryland.

  15. Economic feasibility of sail power devices on Great Lakes bulk carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-03-24

    Progress is reported in a project to determine whether retro-fitting existing Great Lakes bulk carriers with auxiliary sail powering devices is economically feasible. The approach being used is to apply known technology both in terms of sail devices and calculation methods to determine the amount of fuel that can be saved and the probable cost of the sail device. Progress includes the identification and collection of data needed to determine the state of the art as well as to model the problem. Several sail powering devices were compared and an unstayed cat rig was chosen for further analysis and its performance characteristics were incorporated into a computer model, which is flow charted. (LEW)

  16. Simulation of upwind maneuvering of a sailing yacht

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Daniel Hartrick

    A time domain maneuvering simulation of an IACC class yacht suitable for the analysis of unsteady upwind sailing including tacking is presented. The simulation considers motions in six degrees of freedom. The hydrodynamic and aerodynamic loads are calculated primarily with unsteady potential theory supplemented by empirical viscous models. The hydrodynamic model includes the effects of incident waves. Control of the rudder is provided by a simple rate feedback autopilot which is augmented with open loop additions to mimic human steering. The hydrodynamic models are based on the superposition of force components. These components fall into two groups, those which the yacht will experience in calm water, and those due to incident waves. The calm water loads are further divided into zero Froude number, or "double body" maneuvering loads, hydrostatic loads, gravitational loads, free surface radiation loads, and viscous/residual loads. The maneuvering loads are calculated with an unsteady panel code which treats the instantaneous geometry of the yacht below the undisturbed free surface. The free surface radiation loads are calculated via convolution of impulse response functions derived from seakeeping strip theory. The viscous/residual loads are based upon empirical estimates. The aerodynamic model consists primarily of a database of steady state sail coefficients. These coefficients treat the individual contributions to the total sail force of a number of chordwise strips on both the main and jib. Dynamic effects are modeled by using the instantaneous incident wind velocity and direction as the independent variables for the sail load contribution of each strip. The sail coefficient database was calculated numerically with potential methods and simple empirical viscous corrections. Additional aerodynamic load calculations are made to determine the parasitic contributions of the rig and hull. Validation studies compare the steady sailing hydro and aerodynamic loads

  17. Application of SAIL phenylalanine and tyrosine with alternative isotope-labeling patterns for protein structure determination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan); Ono, Akira M.; Terauchi, Tsutomu [SAIL Technologies Co., Inc. (Japan); Kainosho, Masatsune, E-mail: kainosho@nmr.chem.metro-u.ac.j [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan)

    2010-01-15

    The extensive collection of NOE constraint data involving the aromatic ring signals is essential for accurate protein structure determination, although it is often hampered in practice by the pervasive signal overlapping and tight spin couplings for aromatic rings. We have prepared various types of stereo-array isotope labeled phenylalanines ({epsilon}- and {zeta}-SAIL Phe) and tyrosine ({epsilon}-SAIL Tyr) to overcome these problems (Torizawa et al. 2005), and proven that these SAIL amino acids provide dramatic spectral simplification and sensitivity enhancement for the aromatic ring NMR signals. In addition to these SAIL aromatic amino acids, we recently synthesized {delta}-SAIL Phe and {delta}-SAIL Tyr, which allow us to observe and assign {delta}-{sup 13}C/{sup 1}H signals very efficiently. Each of the various types of SAIL Phe and SAIL Tyr yields well-resolved resonances for the {delta}-, {epsilon}- or {zeta}-{sup 13}C/{sup 1}H signals, respectively, which can readily be assigned by simple and robust pulse sequences. Since the {delta}-, {epsilon}-, and {zeta}-proton signals of Phe/Tyr residues give rise to complementary NOE constraints, the concomitant use of various types of SAIL-Phe and SAIL-Tyr would generate more accurate protein structures, as compared to those obtained by using conventional uniformly {sup 13}C, {sup 15}N-double labeled proteins. We illustrated this with the case of an 18.2 kDa protein, Escherichia coli peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase b (EPPIb), and concluded that the combined use of {zeta}-SAIL Phe and {epsilon}-SAIL Tyr would be practically the best choice for protein structural determinations.

  18. Application of SAIL phenylalanine and tyrosine with alternative isotope-labeling patterns for protein structure determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Ono, Akira M; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2010-01-01

    The extensive collection of NOE constraint data involving the aromatic ring signals is essential for accurate protein structure determination, although it is often hampered in practice by the pervasive signal overlapping and tight spin couplings for aromatic rings. We have prepared various types of stereo-array isotope labeled phenylalanines (epsilon- and zeta-SAIL Phe) and tyrosine (epsilon-SAIL Tyr) to overcome these problems (Torizawa et al. 2005), and proven that these SAIL amino acids provide dramatic spectral simplification and sensitivity enhancement for the aromatic ring NMR signals. In addition to these SAIL aromatic amino acids, we recently synthesized delta-SAIL Phe and delta-SAIL Tyr, which allow us to observe and assign delta-(13)C/(1)H signals very efficiently. Each of the various types of SAIL Phe and SAIL Tyr yields well-resolved resonances for the delta-, epsilon- or zeta-(13)C/(1)H signals, respectively, which can readily be assigned by simple and robust pulse sequences. Since the delta-, epsilon-, and zeta-proton signals of Phe/Tyr residues give rise to complementary NOE constraints, the concomitant use of various types of SAIL-Phe and SAIL-Tyr would generate more accurate protein structures, as compared to those obtained by using conventional uniformly (13)C, (15)N-double labeled proteins. We illustrated this with the case of an 18.2 kDa protein, Escherichia coli peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase b (EPPIb), and concluded that the combined use of zeta-SAIL Phe and epsilon-SAIL Tyr would be practically the best choice for protein structural determinations.

  19. Application of SAIL phenylalanine and tyrosine with alternative isotope-labeling patterns for protein structure determination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Ono, Akira M.; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2010-01-01

    The extensive collection of NOE constraint data involving the aromatic ring signals is essential for accurate protein structure determination, although it is often hampered in practice by the pervasive signal overlapping and tight spin couplings for aromatic rings. We have prepared various types of stereo-array isotope labeled phenylalanines (ε- and ζ-SAIL Phe) and tyrosine (ε-SAIL Tyr) to overcome these problems (Torizawa et al. 2005), and proven that these SAIL amino acids provide dramatic spectral simplification and sensitivity enhancement for the aromatic ring NMR signals. In addition to these SAIL aromatic amino acids, we recently synthesized δ-SAIL Phe and δ-SAIL Tyr, which allow us to observe and assign δ- 13 C/ 1 H signals very efficiently. Each of the various types of SAIL Phe and SAIL Tyr yields well-resolved resonances for the δ-, ε- or ζ- 13 C/ 1 H signals, respectively, which can readily be assigned by simple and robust pulse sequences. Since the δ-, ε-, and ζ-proton signals of Phe/Tyr residues give rise to complementary NOE constraints, the concomitant use of various types of SAIL-Phe and SAIL-Tyr would generate more accurate protein structures, as compared to those obtained by using conventional uniformly 13 C, 15 N-double labeled proteins. We illustrated this with the case of an 18.2 kDa protein, Escherichia coli peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase b (EPPIb), and concluded that the combined use of ζ-SAIL Phe and ε-SAIL Tyr would be practically the best choice for protein structural determinations.

  20. Aerodynamics of yacht sails: viscous flow features and surface pressure distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viola, Ignazio Maria

    2014-11-01

    The present paper presents the first Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) on a yacht sails. Wind tunnel experiments on a 1:15th model-scale sailing yacht with an asymmetric spinnaker (fore sail) and a mainsails (aft sail) were modelled using several time and grid resolutions. Also the Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations were solved for comparison with DES. The computed forces and surface pressure distributions were compared with those measured with both flexible and rigid sails in the wind tunnel and good agreement was found. For the first time it was possible to recognise the coherent and steady nature of the leading edge vortex that develops on the leeward side of the asymmetric spinnaker and which significantly contributes to the overall drive force. The leading edge vortex increases in diameter from the foot to the head of the sail, where it becomes the tip vortex and convects downstream in the direction of the far field velocity. The tip vortex from the head of the mainsail rolls around the one of the spinnaker. The spanwise twist of the spinnaker leads to a mid-span helicoidal vortex, which has never been reported by previous authors, with an horizontal axis and rotating in the same direction of the tip vortex.

  1. Solar heating and cooling demonstration project at the Florida Solar Energy Center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hankins, J.D.

    1980-02-01

    The retrofitted solar heating and cooling system installed at the Florida Solar Energy Center is described. Information is provided on the system's test, operation, controls, hardware and installation, including detailed drawings. The Center's office building, approximately 5000 square feet of space, with solar air conditioning and heating as a demonstration of the technical feasibility is located just north of Port Canaveral, Florida. The system was designed to supply approximately 70% of the annual cooling and 100% of the heating load. The project provides unique high-temperature, non-imaging, non-tracking, evacuated-tube collectors. The design of the system was kept simple and employs five hydronic loops. They are energy collection, chilled water production, space cooling, space heating and energy rejection.

  2. Experiments on sail aerodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenhalgh, S.; Curtiss, H.C.

    1985-01-01

    This paper will present the results of experimental and analytical studies of membrane lifting surfaces that serve as a starting point for a more systematic study of sails. The work is an extension of earlier studies conducted on two-dimensional membrane lifting surfaces. (author)

  3. Cardiovascular load in off-shore sailing competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernardi, M; Felici, F; Marchetti, M; Marchettoni, P

    1990-06-01

    Blood pressure, heart rate, VO2 and lactate accumulation have been measured during the hauling of ropes that, in off shore sailing, very often implies MVC isometric effort. Measures have been taken alternatively on the boat or in laboratory with a boat simulator. It appears that energy output is moderate, lactic O2 debt not relevant and blood pressure is maintained quite unchanged due to the short duration of isometric effort. Cardiovascular load is therefore not heavy and sailing can be enlisted among aerobic recreational exercises.

  4. Solar energy parking canopy demonstration project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cylwik, Joe [City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear, CA (United States); David, Lawrence [City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear, CA (United States)

    2015-09-24

    The goal of this pilot/demonstration program is to measure the viability of using solar photovoltaic (PV) technology at three locations in a mountain community environment given the harsh weather conditions. An additional goal is to reduce long-term operational costs, minimize green house gas emissions, lower the dependency on energy produced from fossil fuels, and improve the working environment and health of city employees and residents.

  5. 76 FR 43893 - Special Local Regulations; Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-22

    ... Local Regulations; Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary... Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race. This action is necessary to safely control vessel movements in... Mackinac boat race (officially titled the ``Bell's Beer Bayview Mackinac Race'') will set sail on Saturday...

  6. Testing, development and demonstration of large scale solar district heating systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Furbo, Simon; Fan, Jianhua; Perers, Bengt

    2015-01-01

    In 2013-2014 the project “Testing, development and demonstration of large scale solar district heating systems” was carried out within the Sino-Danish Renewable Energy Development Programme, the so called RED programme jointly developed by the Chinese and Danish governments. In the project Danish...... know how on solar heating plants and solar heating test technology have been transferred from Denmark to China, large solar heating systems have been promoted in China, test capabilities on solar collectors and large scale solar heating systems have been improved in China and Danish-Chinese cooperation...

  7. Rethinking Use of the OML Model in Electric Sail Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, Nobie H.

    2016-01-01

    In 1924, Irvin Langmuir and H. M. Mott-Smith published a theoretical model for the complex plasma sheath phenomenon in which they identified some very special cases which greatly simplified the sheath and allowed a closed solution to the problem. The most widely used application is for an electrostatic, or "Langmuir," probe in laboratory plasma. Although the Langmuir probe is physically simple (a biased wire) the theory describing its functional behavior and its current-voltage characteristic is extremely complex and, accordingly, a number of assumptions and approximations are used in the LMS model. These simplifications, correspondingly, place limits on the model's range of application. Adapting the LMS model to real-life conditions is the subject of numerous papers and dissertations. The Orbit-Motion Limited (OML) model that is widely used today is one of these adaptions that is a convenient means of calculating sheath effects. Since the Langmuir probe is a simple biased wire immersed in plasma, it is particularly tempting to use the OML equation in calculating the characteristics of the long, highly biased wires of an Electric Sail in the solar wind plasma. However, in order to arrive at the OML equation, a number of additional simplifying assumptions and approximations (beyond those made by Langmuir-Mott-Smith) are necessary. The OML equation is a good approximation when all conditions are met, but it would appear that the Electric Sail problem lies outside of the limits of applicability.

  8. An investigation of headsail/mainsail interaction in a sailing yacht

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumann, P.M.; Johannes, R.A.; Keffer, J.F.

    1985-01-01

    In a previous paper, the separation zone immediately behind the mast for a main-sail/genoa configuration was analysed for a number of cross-sectional shapes and angles of attack to determine the effect upon the windward performance of the rig. The study was carried out with and without the presence of the overlapping genoa in order to isolate the effects of the two sails. Lift and drag were determined for the mast/main-sail combination using rows of static pressure taps. From this the zones of separation at the mast on the leeward and windward were inferred. These data were supported independently from hot-wire traverses along the sail in the separation regions. As well the lift/drag ratio of the mast/mainsail was determined as a function of the sheeting angles of both the main and the genoa. A quantitative assessment of this ratio, provided the optimum sheeting angles for this configuration. (author)

  9. Fast Radio Bursts from Extragalactic Light Sails

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lingam, Manasvi [John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: manasvi@seas.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

    2017-03-10

    We examine the possibility that fast radio bursts (FRBs) originate from the activity of extragalactic civilizations. Our analysis shows that beams used for powering large light sails could yield parameters that are consistent with FRBs. The characteristic diameter of the beam emitter is estimated through a combination of energetic and engineering constraints, and both approaches intriguingly yield a similar result that is on the scale of a large rocky planet. Moreover, the optimal frequency for powering the light sail is shown to be similar to the detected FRB frequencies. These “coincidences” lend some credence to the possibility that FRBs might be artificial in origin. Other relevant quantities, such as the characteristic mass of the light sail, and the angular velocity of the beam, are also derived. By using the FRB occurrence rate, we infer upper bounds on the rate of FRBs from extragalactic civilizations in a typical galaxy. The possibility of detecting fainter signals is briefly discussed, and the wait time for an exceptionally bright FRB event in the Milky Way is estimated.

  10. Fast Radio Bursts from Extragalactic Light Sails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lingam, Manasvi; Loeb, Abraham

    2017-01-01

    We examine the possibility that fast radio bursts (FRBs) originate from the activity of extragalactic civilizations. Our analysis shows that beams used for powering large light sails could yield parameters that are consistent with FRBs. The characteristic diameter of the beam emitter is estimated through a combination of energetic and engineering constraints, and both approaches intriguingly yield a similar result that is on the scale of a large rocky planet. Moreover, the optimal frequency for powering the light sail is shown to be similar to the detected FRB frequencies. These “coincidences” lend some credence to the possibility that FRBs might be artificial in origin. Other relevant quantities, such as the characteristic mass of the light sail, and the angular velocity of the beam, are also derived. By using the FRB occurrence rate, we infer upper bounds on the rate of FRBs from extragalactic civilizations in a typical galaxy. The possibility of detecting fainter signals is briefly discussed, and the wait time for an exceptionally bright FRB event in the Milky Way is estimated.

  11. A novel antibody-drug conjugate targeting SAIL for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S Y; Theunissen, J-W; Balibalos, J; Liao-Chan, S; Babcock, M C; Wong, T; Cairns, B; Gonzalez, D; van der Horst, E H; Perez, M; Levashova, Z; Chinn, L; D'Alessio, J A; Flory, M; Bermudez, A; Jackson, D Y; Ha, E; Monteon, J; Bruhns, M F; Chen, G; Migone, T-S

    2015-05-29

    Although several new therapeutic approaches have improved outcomes in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, unmet need persists in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), multiple myeloma (MM) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here we describe the proteomic identification of a novel cancer target, SAIL (Surface Antigen In Leukemia), whose expression is observed in AML, MM, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). While SAIL is widely expressed in CLL, AML, MM, DLBCL and FL patient samples, expression in cancer cell lines is mostly limited to cells of AML origin. We evaluated the antitumor activity of anti-SAIL monoclonal antibodies, 7-1C and 67-7A, conjugated to monomethyl auristatin F. Following internalization, anti-SAIL antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) exhibited subnanomolar IC50 values against AML cell lines in vitro. In pharmacology studies employing AML cell line xenografts, anti-SAIL ADCs resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition. The restricted expression profile of this target in normal tissues, the high prevalence in different types of hematologic cancers and the observed preclinical activity support the clinical development of SAIL-targeted ADCs.

  12. A 100 kW-Class Technology Demonstrator for Space Solar Power

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howell, J.; Carrington, C.; Day, G.

    2004-12-01

    A first step in the development of solar power from space is the flight demonstration of critical technologies. These fundamental technologies include efficient solar power collection and generation, power management and distribution, and thermal management. In addition, the integration and utilization of these technologies into a viable satellite bus could provide an energy-rich platform for a portfolio of payload experiments such as wireless power transmission (WPT). This paper presents the preliminary design of a concept for a 100 kW-class free-flying platform suitable for flight demonstration of Space Solar Power (SSP) technology experiments.

  13. The influence of a yacht's heeling stability on optimum sail design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sneyd, A. D.; Sugimoto, T.

    1997-01-01

    This paper presents fundamental results concerning the optimum design of yacht sails and masts. The aerodynamics of a high aspect ratio sail in uniform flow is analysed using lifting line theory to maximise thrust for a given sail area. The novel feature of this work is that thrust is optimised subject to the constraint that the aerodynamic heeling moment generated by the sail is balanced by the righting moment due to hull buoyancy (and the weight of the keel). Initially, the heel angle is therefore unknown, and determined as part of the solution process. Under the assumption of small heel angle, the problem reduces to minimising a quadratic form in the Fourier coefficients for the circulation distribution along the mast, and a simple analytic solution can be derived. It is found that if the mast is too high, the upper section is unused, and as a consequence there is a theoretically ideal mast height for a yacht of given heeling stability. Under the constraints of given sail area and heeling equilibrium it is found that no advantage is to be gained by allowing reverse circulation near the top of the mast. Various implications for yacht performance are discussed.

  14. Photovoltaic Test and Demonstration Project. [for solar cell power systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forestieri, A. F.; Brandhorst, H. W., Jr.; Deyo, J. N.

    1976-01-01

    The Photovoltaic Test and Demonstration Project was initiated by NASA in June, 1975, to develop economically feasible photovoltaic power systems suitable for a variety of terrestrial applications. Objectives include the determination of operating characteristic and lifetimes of a variety of solar cell systems and components and development of methodology and techniques for accurate measurements of solar cell and array performance and diagnostic measurements for solar power systems. Initial work will be concerned with residential applications, with testing of the first prototype system scheduled for June, 1976. An outdoor 10 kW array for testing solar power systems is under construction.

  15. Solar heating - status and strategy. Research, development and demonstration; Solvarme - status og strategi. Forskning, udvikling og demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-05-15

    The Danish Energy Authority has prepared research and development strategies for a number of energy technologies, including solar heating. This report presents an inventory of solar heating and proposes a strategy for further development. The report has been prepared by a number of important stakeholders in the Danish solar heating area. The inventory part of the report includes most solar heating technologies, however, emphasis is on technologies which have had or are expected to become important for exploitation in Denmark. The strategy part of the report proposes prioritized areas in research, development and demonstration based on international trends and Danish strong and weak points, which are: 1) centralized solar heating supply, district heating, 2) individual solar heating supply in connection with development and construction of buildings, building integration, and finally 3) product development of solar collectors. (BA)

  16. A novel antibody–drug conjugate targeting SAIL for the treatment of hematologic malignancies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S Y; Theunissen, J-W; Balibalos, J; Liao-Chan, S; Babcock, M C

    2015-01-01

    Although several new therapeutic approaches have improved outcomes in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, unmet need persists in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), multiple myeloma (MM) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here we describe the proteomic identification of a novel cancer target, SAIL (Surface Antigen In Leukemia), whose expression is observed in AML, MM, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). While SAIL is widely expressed in CLL, AML, MM, DLBCL and FL patient samples, expression in cancer cell lines is mostly limited to cells of AML origin. We evaluated the antitumor activity of anti-SAIL monoclonal antibodies, 7-1C and 67-7A, conjugated to monomethyl auristatin F. Following internalization, anti-SAIL antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) exhibited subnanomolar IC 50 values against AML cell lines in vitro. In pharmacology studies employing AML cell line xenografts, anti-SAIL ADCs resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition. The restricted expression profile of this target in normal tissues, the high prevalence in different types of hematologic cancers and the observed preclinical activity support the clinical development of SAIL-targeted ADCs

  17. A novel antibody–drug conjugate targeting SAIL for the treatment of hematologic malignancies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S Y; Theunissen, J-W; Balibalos, J; Liao-Chan, S; Babcock, M C; Wong, T; Cairns, B; Gonzalez, D; van der Horst, E H; Perez, M; Levashova, Z; Chinn, L; D‘Alessio, J A; Flory, M; Bermudez, A; Jackson, D Y; Ha, E; Monteon, J; Bruhns, M F; Chen, G; Migone, T-S

    2015-01-01

    Although several new therapeutic approaches have improved outcomes in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, unmet need persists in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), multiple myeloma (MM) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Here we describe the proteomic identification of a novel cancer target, SAIL (Surface Antigen In Leukemia), whose expression is observed in AML, MM, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL). While SAIL is widely expressed in CLL, AML, MM, DLBCL and FL patient samples, expression in cancer cell lines is mostly limited to cells of AML origin. We evaluated the antitumor activity of anti-SAIL monoclonal antibodies, 7-1C and 67-7A, conjugated to monomethyl auristatin F. Following internalization, anti-SAIL antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) exhibited subnanomolar IC50 values against AML cell lines in vitro. In pharmacology studies employing AML cell line xenografts, anti-SAIL ADCs resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition. The restricted expression profile of this target in normal tissues, the high prevalence in different types of hematologic cancers and the observed preclinical activity support the clinical development of SAIL-targeted ADCs. PMID:26024286

  18. On Motion Planning for Point-to-Point Maneuvers for a Class of Sailing Vehicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Lin; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2011-01-01

    Despite their interesting dynamic and controllability properties, sailing vehicles have not been much studied in the control community. In this paper, we investigate motion planning of such vehicles. Starting from a simple dynamic model of sailing vessels in one dimension, this paper first...... considers their associated controllability issues, with the so-called no-sailing zone as a starting point, and it links them with a motion planning strategy using two-point boundary value problems as the main mathematical tool. This perspective is then expanded to do point-to-point maneuvers of sailing...

  19. Images in pediatrics: the thymic sail sign and thymic wave sign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Nuno D; Sousa, Marta

    2013-01-01

    The authors present a radiographic image portraying the "thymic sail sign" and the "thymic wave sign," both normal findings in infant radiographs and present a short description of these signs. These are distinguished from pathologic findings such as the "spinnaker-sail sign" in pneumomediastinum.

  20. A 100 kW-Class Technology Demonstrator for Space Solar Power

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrington, Connie; Howell, Joe; Day, Greg

    2004-01-01

    A first step in the development of solar power from space is the flight demonstration of critical technologies. These fundamental technologies include efficient solar power collection and generation, power management and distribution, and thermal management. In addition, the integration and utilization of these technologies into a viable satellite bus could provide an energy-rich platform for a portfolio of payload experiments such as wireless power transmission (WPT). This paper presents the preliminary design of a concept for a 100 kW-class fiee-flying platform suitable for flight demonstration of technology experiments. Recent space solar power (SSP) studies by NASA have taken a stepping stones approach that lead to the gigawatt systems necessary to cost-effectively deliver power from space. These steps start with a 100 kW-class satellite, leading to a 500 kW and then a 1 MW-class platform. Later steps develop a 100 M W bus that could eventually lead to a 1-2 GW pilot plant for SSP. Our studies have shown that a modular approach is cost effective. Modular designs include individual laser-power-beaming satellites that fly in constellations or that are autonomously assembled into larger structures at geosynchronous orbit (GEO). Microwave power-beamed approaches are also modularized into large numbers of identical units of solar arrays, power converters, or supporting structures for arrays and microwave transmitting antennas. A cost-effective approach to launching these modular units is to use existing Earth-to-orbit (ETO) launch systems, in which the modules are dropped into low Earth orbit (LEO) and then the modules perform their own orbit transfer to GEO using expendable solar arrays to power solar electric thrusters. At GEO, the modules either rendezvous and are assembled robotically into larger platforms, or are deployed into constellations of identical laser power-beaming satellites. Since solar electric propulsion by the modules is cost-effective for both

  1. SETI via Leakage from Light Sails in Exoplanetary Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Guillochon, James F.; Loeb, Abraham

    2015-01-01

    The primary challenge of rocket propulsion is the burden of needing to accelerate the spacecraft's own fuel, resulting in only a logarithmic gain in maximum speed as propellant is added to the spacecraft. Light sails offer an attractive alternative in which fuel is not carried by the spacecraft, with acceleration being provided by an external source of light. By artificially illuminating the spacecraft with beamed radiation, speeds are only limited by the area of the sail, heat resistance of ...

  2. Kiteships, sailing vessels pulled and powered with a kite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Winter, F. de; Swenson, R.B.; Culp, D.

    1999-07-01

    Current windpower technology and future petroleum supply scenarios make it likely that it will become desirable to consider sailing vessels again for the merchant marine. For the wind-powered propulsion it seems possible to use tethered kites, instead of the traditional combination of masts and booms supporting a system of sails. This may be both safer and more cost-effective. The authors are on boat No. 2 in an R and D program aimed at this large scale application, and the present paper represents a progress report. Boat No. 1 was used to achieve speed and power, achieving a speed of 33 knots (over 60 km per hour), and sailing speeds at times of twice the wind velocity. Boat No. 2 will not be used for speed, but for the development of kite deployment and retrieval techniques, with kites of up to 300 sq ft (28 sq m) in surface area.

  3. Sailing comfort through axe bow

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verdult, E.

    2012-01-01

    Every year, the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) heads out to sea 2000 times to rescue people. In conditions with high waves, the lifeboats hit the water so hard that the crew have diffilty keeping upright in the pilot house. Sailing slowly is therefore the only option. But the boats

  4. Overview: Solar Electric Propulsion Concept Designs for SEP Technology Demonstration Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcguire, Melissa L.; Hack, Kurt J.; Manzella, David; Herman, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    JPC presentation of the Concept designs for NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration mission paper. Multiple Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Missions were developed to assess vehicle performance and estimated mission cost. Concepts ranged from a 10,000 kg spacecraft capable of delivering 4000 kg of payload to one of the Earth Moon Lagrange points in support of future human-crewed outposts to a 180 kg spacecraft capable of performing an asteroid rendezvous mission after launched to a geostationary transfer orbit as a secondary payload.

  5. Fixed-axis electric sail deployment dynamics analysis using hub-mounted momentum control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, JoAnna; Schaub, Hanspeter

    2018-03-01

    The deployment dynamics of a spin stabilized electric sail (E-sail) with a hub-mounted control actuator are investigated. Both radial and tangential deployment mechanisms are considered to take the electric sail from a post-launch stowed configuration to a fully deployed configuration. The tangential configuration assumes the multi-kilometer tethers are wound up on the exterior of the spacecraft hub, similar to yo-yo despinner configurations. The deployment speed is controlled through the hub rate. The radial deployment configuration assumes each tether is on its own spool. Here both the hub and spool rate are control variables. The sensitivity of the deployment behavior to E-sail length, maximum rate and tension parameters is investigated. A constant hub rate deployment is compared to a time varying hub rate that maintains a constant tether tension condition. The deployment time can be reduced by a factor of 2 or more by using a tension controlled deployment configuration.

  6. Sail Training: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manu Schijf; Allison, Pete; Von Wald, Kris

    2017-01-01

    Starting around 2000, research activity about sail training increased such that there is now sufficient research on the subject to constitute a foundation upon which an emerging body of literature can be identified. The literature has the potential to be utilized to influence program design, policy, theory, and practice--a growing area of youth…

  7. The effect of motion on presence during virtual sailing for advanced training

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mulder, F.A.; Verlinden, J.C.; Dukalski, R.R.

    2012-01-01

    This paper explores the amount of motion simulation required to influence presence and immersion on a dinghy sailing simulator. We specifically focused on the effects of roll, pitch and heave, when sailing an course with up-, side-and down-wind sections in a virtual environment. A real dingy was

  8. A control-theoretic outlook at the no-go zone in sailing vessels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Bin; Xiao, Lin; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2011-01-01

    Sailing vessels, due to their particular propulsive mechanism, gradually lose power as they face the wind, i.e. when they are in the so-called “no-go zone”. Interestingly, dynamical models of sailing vessels, which are usually quite complex, all have in common this no-go zone effect. Using...

  9. Enhancement of Presence in a Virtual Sailing Environment through Localized Wind Simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verlinden, J.C.; Mulder, F.A.; Vergeest, J.S.; De Jonge, A.; Krutiy, D.; Nagy, Z.; Logeman, B.J.; Schouten, P.

    2013-01-01

    In the context of sailing, wind plays an important role. However, there is little knowledge on how wind influences presence – the sense of “being there” - while immersed in a virtual setting. This article explores several wind parameters and presents a wind array to explore presence in a sail

  10. Sails and norm minima of lattices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    German, O N

    2005-01-01

    It is known that a real number is badly approximable if and only if its partial quotients are uniformly bounded. In this paper an analogous assertion is proved for the so-called sails, which is one of the most natural multidimensional generalizations of continued fractions.

  11. 75 FR 41373 - Special Local Regulations for Marine Events; Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-16

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulations for Marine Events; Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race AGENCY: Coast... regulation for the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race. This action is necessary to safely control... the Port Sector Detroit has determined that the start of the Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sail Race...

  12. Economic feasibility of sail power devices on Great Lakes bulk carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1982-09-22

    Three ships were examined, the ED RYERSON, the ST. CLAIR, and the STEWART CORT to determine if retro-fitting these ships with a 3000 sq ft soft sail cat rig is economically feasible. By using existing weather data taken from recorded observations on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and known performance characteristics of both the sailplan and hull, a computer program was written to model the problem. Three cases for each ship were estimated. The first was the average fuel savings, second was an optimistic estimate of fuel savings, and the third was a pessimistic estimate of fuel savings. Several considerations had to be taken into account that had serious consequences for the economic viability of the idea. One was the fact that all of the aforementioned ships have self unloading equipment that require about 80% of the deck space to be clear. This limited the choice of sailplans to one per ship. Another consideration is that due to bridge clearance problems an air draft of less than 125' was required. These two factors limited the size and efficiency of the sail plan. The third consideration is that due to the very tight shipping channels on the Great Lakes, there is no provision for altering course to take advantage of prevailing winds in order to maximize the usefulness of the sail device. The sail device on the ED RYERSON does not seem to be economically feasible. Even at the lowest interest rate investigated in this study (8%) the average annual cost improves only in the optimistic estimates. At 12% interest even this slight advantage disappears. The sail devices on the STEWART CORT and ST. CLAIR seem to be marginally feasible at low interest rates and the present cost of fuel. The STEWART CORT seems to benefit most from the fitting of a sail device. A modest increase in fuel prices, perhaps possible, will make both of these ships look substantially better.

  13. Concept designs for NASA's Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcguire, Melissa L.; Hack, Kurt J.; Manzella, David H.; Herman, Daniel A.

    2014-01-01

    Multiple Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission were developed to assess vehicle performance and estimated mission cost. Concepts ranged from a 10,000 kilogram spacecraft capable of delivering 4000 kilogram of payload to one of the Earth Moon Lagrange points in support of future human-crewed outposts to a 180 kilogram spacecraft capable of performing an asteroid rendezvous mission after launched to a geostationary transfer orbit as a secondary payload. Low-cost and maximum Delta-V capability variants of a spacecraft concept based on utilizing a secondary payload adapter as the primary bus structure were developed as were concepts designed to be co-manifested with another spacecraft on a single launch vehicle. Each of the Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission concepts developed included an estimated spacecraft cost. These data suggest estimated spacecraft costs of $200 million - $300 million if 30 kilowatt-class solar arrays and the corresponding electric propulsion system currently under development are used as the basis for sizing the mission concept regardless of launch vehicle costs. The most affordable mission concept developed based on subscale variants of the advanced solar arrays and electric propulsion technology currently under development by the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate has an estimated cost of $50M and could provide a Delta-V capability comparable to much larger spacecraft concepts.

  14. [Estimation of forest canopy chlorophyll content based on PROSPECT and SAIL models].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xi-guang; Fan, Wen-yi; Yu, Ying

    2010-11-01

    The forest canopy chlorophyll content directly reflects the health and stress of forest. The accurate estimation of the forest canopy chlorophyll content is a significant foundation for researching forest ecosystem cycle models. In the present paper, the inversion of the forest canopy chlorophyll content was based on PROSPECT and SAIL models from the physical mechanism angle. First, leaf spectrum and canopy spectrum were simulated by PROSPECT and SAIL models respectively. And leaf chlorophyll content look-up-table was established for leaf chlorophyll content retrieval. Then leaf chlorophyll content was converted into canopy chlorophyll content by Leaf Area Index (LAD). Finally, canopy chlorophyll content was estimated from Hyperion image. The results indicated that the main effect bands of chlorophyll content were 400-900 nm, the simulation of leaf and canopy spectrum by PROSPECT and SAIL models fit better with the measured spectrum with 7.06% and 16.49% relative error respectively, the RMSE of LAI inversion was 0. 542 6 and the forest canopy chlorophyll content was estimated better by PROSPECT and SAIL models with precision = 77.02%.

  15. ‘Physics on board’ sets sail!

    CERN Multimedia

    2009-01-01

    In 2005, Italy’s National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) introduced a fun new educational initiative called ‘Physics on board’. CERN is now also on board, coordinating the project’s extension to European level and the participation of scientists from Portugal, Spain and France. School children at the Civitavecchia stopover (27/04/09), taking part in one of the ‘Physics on board ‘ activities, the ‘winch’, used to measure the multiplication factor of their own pulling force.‘Physics on board’ is a science outreach project with the aim of stimulating young people’s interest in physics by transforming a sailing yacht into a real-life travelling laboratory, specially designed with secondary-school children in mind. The ‘Adriatica’ is a vessel made famous by the Italian TV show Velisti per Caso, presented by Patrizio Roversi and Syusi Blady on Rai 3. As they sail up and down the Italian coastline, scientists f...

  16. 77 FR 18984 - Special Local Regulation for Marine Events; Yorktown Parade of Sail, York River; Yorktown, VA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-29

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulation for Marine Events; Yorktown Parade of Sail, York River; Yorktown, VA... proposes to establish special local regulation during the Yorktown Parade of Sail, a parade of five tall... sponsor the ``Yorktown Parade of Sail'' on the waters of York River. The event will consist of...

  17. Quantifying external focus of attention in sailing by means of action sport cameras

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pluijms, Joost; Canal Bruland, R.; Hoozemans, M.J.M.; Beek, M.; Brocker, K.; Savelsbergh, G.J.P.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the current study was twofold: (1) to validate the use of action sport cameras for quantifying focus of visual attention in sailing and (2) to apply this method to examine whether an external focus of attention is associated with better performance in upwind sailing. To test the validity

  18. Multi-Objective Weather Routing of Sailing Vessels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Życzkowski Marcin

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a multi-objective deterministic method of weather routing for sailing vessels. Depending on a particular purpose of sailboat weather routing, the presented method makes it possible to customize the criteria and constraints so as to fit a particular user’s needs. Apart from a typical shortest time criterion, safety and comfort can also be taken into account. Additionally, the method supports dynamic weather data: in its present version short-term, mid-term and long-term term weather forecasts are used during optimization process. In the paper the multi-objective optimization problem is first defined and analysed. Following this, the proposed method solving this problem is described in detail. The method has been implemented as an online SailAssistance application. Some representative examples solutions are presented, emphasizing the effects of applying different criteria or different values of customized parameters.

  19. "Light sail" acceleration reexamined.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macchi, Andrea; Veghini, Silvia; Pegoraro, Francesco

    2009-08-21

    The dynamics of the acceleration of ultrathin foil targets by the radiation pressure of superintense, circularly polarized laser pulses is investigated by analytical modeling and particle-in-cell simulations. By addressing self-induced transparency and charge separation effects, it is shown that for "optimal" values of the foil thickness only a thin layer at the rear side is accelerated by radiation pressure. The simple "light sail" model gives a good estimate of the energy per nucleon, but overestimates the conversion efficiency of laser energy into monoenergetic ions.

  20. 'Light Sail' Acceleration Reexamined

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macchi, Andrea; Veghini, Silvia; Pegoraro, Francesco

    2009-01-01

    The dynamics of the acceleration of ultrathin foil targets by the radiation pressure of superintense, circularly polarized laser pulses is investigated by analytical modeling and particle-in-cell simulations. By addressing self-induced transparency and charge separation effects, it is shown that for 'optimal' values of the foil thickness only a thin layer at the rear side is accelerated by radiation pressure. The simple 'light sail' model gives a good estimate of the energy per nucleon, but overestimates the conversion efficiency of laser energy into monoenergetic ions.

  1. SAIL--a software system for sample and phenotype availability across biobanks and cohorts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gostev, Mikhail; Fernandez-Banet, Julio; Rung, Johan; Dietrich, Joern; Prokopenko, Inga; Ripatti, Samuli; McCarthy, Mark I; Brazma, Alvis; Krestyaninova, Maria

    2011-02-15

    The Sample avAILability system-SAIL-is a web based application for searching, browsing and annotating biological sample collections or biobank entries. By providing individual-level information on the availability of specific data types (phenotypes, genetic or genomic data) and samples within a collection, rather than the actual measurement data, resource integration can be facilitated. A flexible data structure enables the collection owners to provide descriptive information on their samples using existing or custom vocabularies. Users can query for the available samples by various parameters combining them via logical expressions. The system can be scaled to hold data from millions of samples with thousands of variables. SAIL is available under Aferro-GPL open source license: https://github.com/sail.

  2. Ready for tacking?; Klar zur Wende?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franken, Marcus

    2011-06-15

    The article presents a sailing boat whose diesel engine was replaced by a wind rotor, solar cells, and a small hydro-turbine. The boat was used on a demonstration journey to visit solar projects around the baltic Sea.

  3. The Ion Propulsion System for the Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herman, Daniel A.; Santiago, Walter; Kamhawi, Hani; Polk, James E.; Snyder, John Steven; Hofer, Richard R.; Parker, J. Morgan

    2015-01-01

    The Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission is a candidate Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission whose main objectives are to develop and demonstrate a high-power solar electric propulsion capability for the Agency and return an asteroidal mass for rendezvous and characterization in a companion human-crewed mission. The ion propulsion system must be capable of operating over an 8-year time period and processing up to 10,000 kg of xenon propellant. This high-power solar electric propulsion capability, or an extensible derivative of it, has been identified as a critical part of an affordable, beyond-low-Earth-orbit, manned-exploration architecture. Under the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate the critical electric propulsion and solar array technologies are being developed. The ion propulsion system being co-developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Asteroid Redirect Vehicle is based on the NASA-developed 12.5 kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS0 thruster and power processing technologies. This paper presents the conceptual design for the ion propulsion system, the status of the NASA in-house thruster and power processing activity, and an update on flight hardware.

  4. 76 FR 62298 - Special Local Regulations; Line of Sail Marine Parade, East River and Brunswick River, Brunswick, GA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-07

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Line of Sail Marine Parade, East River and Brunswick River, Brunswick... during the Line of Sail Marine Parade on Saturday, October 8, 2011. The marine parade will consist of... did not receive notice of the Line of Sail Marine Parade with sufficient time to publish an NPRM or to...

  5. Coastal Fishermen as Lifesavers While Sailing at High Speed: A Crossover Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramón Fungueiriño-Suárez

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Starting basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR early improves survival. Fishermen are the first bystanders while at work. Our objective was to test in a simulated scenario the CPR quality performed by fishermen while at port and while navigating at different speeds. Methods. Twenty coastal fishermen were asked to perform 2 minutes of CPR (chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilations on a manikin, in three different scenarios: (A at port on land, (B on the boat floor sailing at 10 knots, and (C sailing at 20 knots. Data was recorded using quality CPR software, adjusted to current CPR international guidelines. Results. The quality of CPR (QCPR was significantly higher at port (43%±10 than sailing at 10 knots (30%±15; p=0.01 or at 20 knots (26%±12; p=0.001. The percentage of ventilation that achieved some lung insufflation was also significantly higher when CPR was done at port (77%±14 than while sailing at 10 knots (59%±18 or 20 knots (57%±21 (p=0.01. Conclusion. In the event of drowning or cardiac arrest on a small boat, fishermen should immediately start basic CPR and navigate at a relatively high speed to the nearest port if the sea conditions are safe.

  6. Heliogyro Orbital Control Authority

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heiligers, M.J.; Guerrant, D.; Lawrence, D

    2015-01-01

    Solar sailing is an elegant form of space propulsion that reflects solar photons to produce thrust. Different sail configurations exist, including a traditional flat sail (either square- or disc-shaped) and a heliogyro, which divides the sail membrane into a number of long, slender blades, analogous

  7. Prediction of velocity and attitude of a yacht sailing upwind by computational fluid dynamics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heebum Lee

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the most important factors in sailing yacht design is accurate velocity prediction. Velocity prediction programs (VPP's are widely used to predict velocity of sailing yachts. VPP's, which are primarily based on experimental data and experience of long years, however suffer limitations when applied in realistic conditions. Thus, in the present study, a high fidelity velocity prediction method using computational fluid dynamics (CFD was proposed. Using the developed method, velocity and attitude of a 30 feet sloop yacht, which was developed by Korea Research Institute of Ship and Ocean (KRISO and termed KORDY30, were predicted in upwind sailing condition.

  8. Deployable Propulsion, Power and Communications Systems for Solar System Exploration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, L.; Carr, J.; Boyd, D.

    2017-01-01

    NASA is developing thin-film based, deployable propulsion, power, and communication systems for small spacecraft that could provide a revolutionary new capability allowing small spacecraft exploration of the solar system. By leveraging recent advancements in thin films, photovoltaics, and miniaturized electronics, new mission-level capabilities will be enabled aboard lower-cost small spacecraft instead of their more expensive, traditional counterparts, enabling a new generation of frequent, inexpensive deep space missions. Specifically, thin-film technologies are allowing the development and use of solar sails for propulsion, small, lightweight photovoltaics for power, and omnidirectional antennas for communication.

  9. 46 CFR 169.721 - Storm sails and halyards (exposed and partially protected waters only).

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Storm sails and halyards (exposed and partially... § 169.721 Storm sails and halyards (exposed and partially protected waters only). (a) Unless clearly unsuitable, each vessel must have one storm trysail of appropriate size. It must be sheeted independently of...

  10. Formation flying for electric sails in displaced orbits. Part II: Distributed coordinated control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Mengali, Giovanni; Quarta, Alessandro A.; Yuan, Jianping

    2017-09-01

    We analyze a cooperative control framework for electric sail formation flying around a heliocentric displaced orbit, aiming at observing the polar region of a celestial body. The chief spacecraft is assumed to move along an elliptic displaced orbit, while each deputy spacecraft adjusts its thrust vector (that is, both its sail attitude and characteristic acceleration) in order to track a prescribed relative trajectory. The relative motion of the electric sail formation system is formulated in the chief rotating frame, where the control inputs of each deputy are the relative sail attitude angles and the relative lightness number with respect to those of the chief. The information exchange among the spacecraft, characterized by the communication topology, is represented by a weighted graph. Two typical cases, according to whether the communication graph is directed or undirected, are discussed. For each case, a distributed coordinated control law is designed in such a way that each deputy not only tracks the chief state, but also makes full use of information from its neighbors, thus increasing the redundancy and robustness of the formation system in case of failure among the communication links. Illustrative examples show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  11. Dietary supplementation and doping-related factors in high-level sailing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodek Jelena

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although dietary supplements (DSs in sports are considered a natural need resulting from athletes’ increased physical demands, and although they are often consumed by athletes, data on DS usage in Olympic sailing are scarce. The aim of this study was to study the use of and attitudes towards DSs and doping problems in high-level competitive sailing. Methods The sample consisted of 44 high-level sailing athletes (5 of whom were female; total mean age 24.13 ± 6.67 years and 34 coaches (1 of whom was female; total mean age 37.01 ± 11.70. An extensive, self-administered questionnaire of substance use was used, and the subjects were asked about sociodemographic data, sport-related factors, DS-related factors (i.e., usage of and knowledge about DSs, sources of information, and doping-related factors. The Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA was used to determine the differences in group characteristics, and Spearman’s rank order correlation and a logistic regression analysis were used to define the relationships between the studied variables. Results DS usage is relatively high. More than 77% of athletes consume DSs, and 38% do so on a regular basis (daily. The athletes place a high degree of trust in their coaches and/or physicians regarding DSs and doping. The most important reason for not consuming DSs is the opinion that DSs are useless and a lack of knowledge about DSs. The likelihood of doping is low, and one-third of the subjects believe that doping occurs in sailing (no significant differences between athletes and coaches. The logistic regression found crew number (i.e., single vs. double crew to be the single significant predictor of DS usage, with a higher probability of DS consumption among single crews. Conclusion Because of the high consumption of DSs future investigations should focus on real nutritional needs in sailing sport. Also, since athletes reported that their coaches are the primary source of information about

  12. Effects of DeOrbitSail as applied to Lifetime predictions of Low Earth Orbit Satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afful, Andoh; Opperman, Ben; Steyn, Herman

    2016-07-01

    Orbit lifetime prediction is an important component of satellite mission design and post-launch space operations. Throughout its lifetime in space, a spacecraft is exposed to risk of collision with orbital debris or operational satellites. This risk is especially high within the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) region where the highest density of space debris is accumulated. This paper investigates orbital decay of some LEO micro-satellites and accelerating orbit decay by using a deorbitsail. The Semi-Analytical Liu Theory (SALT) and the Satellite Toolkit was employed to determine the mean elements and expressions for the time rates of change. Test cases of observed decayed satellites (Iridium-85 and Starshine-1) are used to evaluate the predicted theory. Results for the test cases indicated that the theory fitted observational data well within acceptable limits. Orbit decay progress of the SUNSAT micro-satellite was analysed using relevant orbital parameters derived from historic Two Line Element (TLE) sets and comparing with decay and lifetime prediction models. This paper also explored the deorbit date and time for a 1U CubeSat (ZACUBE-01). The use of solar sails as devices to speed up the deorbiting of LEO satellites is considered. In a drag sail mode, the deorbitsail technique significantly increases the effective cross-sectional area of a satellite, subsequently increasing atmospheric drag and accelerating orbit decay. The concept proposed in this study introduced a very useful technique of orbit decay as well as deorbiting of spacecraft.

  13. Solar radiation pressure and deviations from Keplerian orbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kezerashvili, Roman Ya. [Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, the City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (United States); Vazquez-Poritz, Justin F. [Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (United States)], E-mail: jporitz@gmail.com

    2009-05-04

    Newtonian gravity and general relativity give exactly the same expression for the period of an object in circular orbit around a static central mass. However, when the effects of the curvature of spacetime and solar radiation pressure are considered simultaneously for a solar sail propelled satellite, there is a deviation from Kepler's third law. It is shown that solar radiation pressure affects the period of this satellite in two ways: by effectively decreasing the solar mass, thereby increasing the period, and by enhancing the effects of other phenomena, potentially rendering some of them detectable. In particular, we consider deviations from Keplerian orbits due to spacetime curvature, frame dragging from the rotation of the sun, the oblateness of the sun, a possible net electric charge of the sun, and a very small positive cosmological constant.

  14. Bibliography of the SAIL Panama Canal Zone Project 2008 : a selected bibliography.

    OpenAIRE

    DeHart, Liz

    2009-01-01

    During the 18th Annual 2008 SAIL meeting at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, Vielka Chang-Yau, librarian, mentioned the need to digitize and make available through the Aquatic Commons some of the early documents related to the U.S. biological survey of Panama from 1910 to 1912. With the assistance of SAIL, a regional marine librarian’s group, a digital project developed and this select bibliography represents the sources used for the project. It will assist research...

  15. LQR pitch control strategy of AUVs based on the optimum of sailing resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YAO Xuliang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available When an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle(AUV sails near the surface of the sea,it will inevitably be subjected to wave disturbance. The heave and pitch motion caused by wave disturbance not only affects the navigation attitude of the AUV,but also leads to an increase in sailing resistance. As such, its energy consumption is increased. In this paper,the six degrees of freedom model of AUVs is established and linearized in order to achieve the weighted optimization of the sailing attitude and the resistance of the AUVs. The drag force model of the AUV is derived using the theory of potential flow. The Q matrix and R matrix are determined in the controller based on research into the drag force model. The Linear Quadratic Regulator(LQRcontroller of the AUV is designed using the drag force model as the performance index. The simulation results show that after adding the LQR controller,the effects of reducing heave motion and pitch motion are 46.64% and 77.62% respectively, and the increased resistance caused by the pitch motion is reduced to 1/6 of its original value. The results show that the multiple optimum of attitude and sailing resistance is realized,the energy consumption is decreased and the endurance of the AUV is increased.

  16. High energy gain in three-dimensional simulations of light sail acceleration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sgattoni, A., E-mail: andrea.sgattoni@polimi.it [Dipartimento di Energia, Politecnico di Milano, Milano (Italy); CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, u.o.s. “Adriano Gozzini,” Pisa (Italy); Sinigardi, S. [CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, u.o.s. “Adriano Gozzini,” Pisa (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); INFN sezione di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Macchi, A. [CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, u.o.s. “Adriano Gozzini,” Pisa (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica “Enrico Fermi,” Università di Pisa, Pisa (Italy)

    2014-08-25

    The dynamics of radiation pressure acceleration in the relativistic light sail regime are analysed by means of large scale, three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. Differently to other mechanisms, the 3D dynamics leads to faster and higher energy gain than in 1D or 2D geometry. This effect is caused by the local decrease of the target density due to transverse expansion leading to a “lighter sail.” However, the rarefaction of the target leads to an earlier transition to transparency limiting the energy gain. A transverse instability leads to a structured and inhomogeneous ion distribution.

  17. High energy gain in three-dimensional simulations of light sail acceleration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sgattoni, A.; Sinigardi, S.; Macchi, A.

    2014-01-01

    The dynamics of radiation pressure acceleration in the relativistic light sail regime are analysed by means of large scale, three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. Differently to other mechanisms, the 3D dynamics leads to faster and higher energy gain than in 1D or 2D geometry. This effect is caused by the local decrease of the target density due to transverse expansion leading to a “lighter sail.” However, the rarefaction of the target leads to an earlier transition to transparency limiting the energy gain. A transverse instability leads to a structured and inhomogeneous ion distribution.

  18. Becoming a Coach in Developmental Adaptive Sailing: A Lifelong Learning Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, Tiago; Culver, Diane M

    2014-10-02

    Life-story methodology and innovative methods were used to explore the process of becoming a developmental adaptive sailing coach. Jarvis's (2009) lifelong learning theory framed the thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the coach, Jenny, was exposed from a young age to collaborative environments. Social interactions with others such as mentors, colleagues, and athletes made major contributions to her coaching knowledge. As Jenny was exposed to a mixture of challenges and learning situations, she advanced from recreational para-swimming instructor to developmental adaptive sailing coach. The conclusions inform future research in disability sport coaching, coach education, and applied sport psychology.

  19. Would you like to learn to sail?

    CERN Multimedia

    Yachting Club

    2011-01-01

    Registration for the 2011 lottery for YCC sailing courses has opened and it already looks as if similar numbers will try their luck as for past seasons. But don't be deterred, the Lottery is completely open and everyone has an equal chance. Please see also the list of courses and places offered. The deadline for registration is March 17th at midday. If you have any questions in advance, contact a Committee member or, better, come and ask the Club Committee representatives (Club permanence) on March 9th from 18:00 until 19:30 in the atrium of CERN building 40. Meanwhile your YCC committee has registered one new boat already, the first test of the current season has already been carried out (yes!) and some intrepid sailors go sailing regularly throughout the winter - it is true that it is a whole different lake at this time: not just temperature, but quality of light, Mont Blanc in a different style and fewer people out there... A few people are planning an early trip to warmer waters soon (like, the Balearics...

  20. A System for Individualizing Instruction. Practical Answers to U-SAIL Implementation Questions. Monograph No. 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Utah System Approach to Individualized Learning Project.

    The U-SAIL system is a practical approach to individualization of instruction in which a problem-solving process is employed to install a program in logical sequential phases. U-SAIL is a nationally validated, successfully replicated, cost-feasible system for individualization of instruction which can be implemented in a variety of settings with…

  1. The formation of ice sails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowler, A. C.; Mayer, C.

    2017-11-01

    Debris-covered glaciers are prone to the formation of a number of supraglacial geomorphological features, and generally speaking, their upper surfaces are far from level surfaces. Some of these features are due to radiation screening or enhancing properties of the debris cover, but theoretical explanations of the consequent surface forms are in their infancy. In this paper we consider a theoretical model for the formation of "ice sails", which are regularly spaced bare ice features which are found on debris-covered glaciers in the Karakoram.

  2. Project Dragonfly: A feasibility study of interstellar travel using laser-powered light sail propulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perakis, Nikolaos; Schrenk, Lukas E.; Gutsmiedl, Johannes; Koop, Artur; Losekamm, Martin J.

    2016-12-01

    Light sail-based propulsion systems are a candidate technology for interplanetary and interstellar missions due to their flexibility and the fact that no fuel has to be carried along. In 2014, the Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is) hosted the Project Dragonfly Design Competition, which aimed at assessing the feasibility of sending an interstellar probe propelled by a laser-powered light sail to another star system. We analyzed and designed a mission to the Alpha Centauri system, with the objective to carry out science operations at the destination. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of currently available technologies and possible locations, we selected a lunar architecture for the laser system. It combines the advantages of surface- and space-based systems, as it requires no station keeping and suffers no atmospheric losses. We chose a graphene-based sandwich material for the light sail because of its low density. Deceleration of the spacecraft sufficient for science operations at the target system is achieved using both magnetic and electric sails. Applying these assumptions in a simulation leads to the conclusion that 250 kg of scientific payload can be sent to Alpha Centauri within the Project Dragonfly Design Competition's constraints of 100 year travel duration and 100 GW laser beam power. This is only sufficient to fulfill parts of the identified scientific objectives, and therefore renders the usefulness of such a mission questionable. A better sail material or higher laser power would improve the acceleration behavior, an increase in the mission time would allow for larger spacecraft masses.

  3. Chemical Storage of Solar Energy Using an Old Color Change Demonstration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spears, L. Gene, Jr.; Spears, Larry G.

    1984-01-01

    Background information, procedures, and typical results are provided for an experiment illustrating the potential of hydrated salts for solar energy storage. The experiment involves a demonstration often used to illustrate the ease with which some transition metal ions can change their coordination numbers. (JN)

  4. On-Orbit Demonstration of a Lithium-Ion Capacitor and Thin-Film Multijunction Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kukita, Akio; Takahashi, Masato; Shimazaki, Kazunori; Kobayashi, Yuki; Sakai, Tomohiko; Toyota, Hiroyuki; Takahashi, Yu; Murashima, Mio; Uno, Masatoshi; Imaizumi, Mitsuru

    2014-08-01

    This paper describes an on-orbit demonstration of the Next-generation Small Satellite Instrument for Electric power systems (NESSIE) on which an aluminum- laminated lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) and a lightweight solar panel called KKM-PNL, which has space solar sheets using thin-film multijunction solar cells, were installed. The flight data examined in this paper covers a period of 143 days from launch. We verified the integrity of an LIC constructed using a simple and lightweight mounting method: no significant capacitance reduction was observed. We also confirmed that inverted metamorphic multijunction triple-junction thin-film solar cells used for evaluation were healthy at 143 days after launch, because their degradation almost matched the degradation predictions for dual-junction thin-film solar cells.

  5. Sail Training as Education: More than Mere Adventure

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCulloch, K.; McLaughlin, P.; Allison, P.; Edwards, V.; Tett, L.

    2010-01-01

    This paper describes the process and findings of a multinational study of the characteristics of sail training for young people. The study used a structured qualitative method and involved "indigenous practitioner-researchers" who collected the majority of the data. Our findings show that participation provides an opportunity for…

  6. Upper limb stroke rehabilitation: the effectiveness of Stimulation Assistance through Iterative Learning (SAIL).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meadmore, Katie L; Cai, Zhonglun; Tong, Daisy; Hughes, Ann-Marie; Freeman, Chris T; Rogers, Eric; Burridge, Jane H

    2011-01-01

    A novel system has been developed which combines robotic therapy with electrical stimulation (ES) for upper limb stroke rehabilitation. This technology, termed SAIL: Stimulation Assistance through Iterative Learning, employs advanced model-based iterative learning control (ILC) algorithms to precisely assist participant's completion of 3D tracking tasks with their impaired arm. Data is reported from a preliminary study with unimpaired participants, and also from a single hemiparetic stroke participant with reduced upper limb function who has used the system in a clinical trial. All participants completed tasks which involved moving their (impaired) arm to follow an image of a slowing moving sphere along a trajectory. The participants' arm was supported by a robot and ES was applied to the triceps brachii and anterior deltoid muscles. During each task, the same tracking trajectory was repeated 6 times and ILC was used to compute the stimulation signals to be applied on the next iteration. Unimpaired participants took part in a single, one hour training session and the stroke participant undertook 18, 1 hour treatment sessions composed of tracking tasks varying in length, orientation and speed. The results reported describe changes in tracking ability and demonstrate feasibility of the SAIL system for upper limb rehabilitation. © 2011 IEEE

  7. Prediction of velocity and attitude of a yacht sailing upwind by computational fluid dynamics

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Heebum; Park, Mi Yeon; Park, Sunho; Rhee, Shin Hyung

    2016-01-01

    One of the most important factors in sailing yacht design is accurate velocity prediction. Velocity prediction programs (VPP's) are widely used to predict velocity of sailing yachts. VPP's, which are primarily based on experimental data and experience of long years, however suffer limitations when applied in realistic conditions. Thus, in the present study, a high fidelity velocity prediction method using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was proposed. Using the developed method, velocity an...

  8. Alternative SAIL-Trp for robust aromatic signal assignment and determination of the χ2 conformation by intra-residue NOEs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyanoiri, Yohei; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Jee, JunGoo; Ono, Akira M.; Okuma, Kosuke; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2011-01-01

    Tryptophan (Trp) residues are frequently found in the hydrophobic cores of proteins, and therefore, their side-chain conformations, especially the precise locations of the bulky indole rings, are critical for determining structures by NMR. However, when analyzing [U– 13 C, 15 N]-proteins, the observation and assignment of the ring signals are often hampered by excessive overlaps and tight spin couplings. These difficulties have been greatly alleviated by using stereo-array isotope labeled (SAIL) proteins, which are composed of isotope-labeled amino acids optimized for unambiguous side-chain NMR assignment, exclusively through the 13 C– 13 C and 13 C– 1 H spin coupling networks (Kainosho et al. in Nature 440:52–57, 2006). In this paper, we propose an alternative type of SAIL-Trp with the [ζ2,ζ3- 2 H 2 ; δ1,ε3,η2- 13 C 3 ; ε1- 15 N]-indole ring ([ 12 C γ, 12 C ε2 ] SAIL-Trp), which provides a more robust way to correlate the 1 H β , 1 H α , and 1 H N to the 1 H δ1 and 1 H ε3 through the intra-residue NOEs. The assignment of the 1 H δ1 / 13 C δ1 and 1 H ε3 / 13 C ε3 signals can thus be transferred to the 1 H ε1 / 15 N ε1 and 1 H η2 / 13 C η2 signals, as with the previous type of SAIL-Trp, which has an extra 13 C at the C γ of the ring. By taking advantage of the stereospecific deuteration of one of the prochiral β-methylene protons, which was 1 H β2 in this experiment, one can determine the side-chain conformation of the Trp residue including the χ 2 angle, which is especially important for Trp residues, as they can adopt three preferred conformations. We demonstrated the usefulness of [ 12 C γ , 12 C ε2 ] SAIL-Trp for the 12 kDa DNA binding domain of mouse c-Myb protein (Myb-R2R3), which contains six Trp residues.

  9. Alternative SAIL-Trp for robust aromatic signal assignment and determination of the χ(2) conformation by intra-residue NOEs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyanoiri, Yohei; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Jee, JunGoo; Ono, Akira M; Okuma, Kosuke; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2011-12-01

    Tryptophan (Trp) residues are frequently found in the hydrophobic cores of proteins, and therefore, their side-chain conformations, especially the precise locations of the bulky indole rings, are critical for determining structures by NMR. However, when analyzing [U-(13)C,(15)N]-proteins, the observation and assignment of the ring signals are often hampered by excessive overlaps and tight spin couplings. These difficulties have been greatly alleviated by using stereo-array isotope labeled (SAIL) proteins, which are composed of isotope-labeled amino acids optimized for unambiguous side-chain NMR assignment, exclusively through the (13)C-(13)C and (13)C-(1)H spin coupling networks (Kainosho et al. in Nature 440:52-57, 2006). In this paper, we propose an alternative type of SAIL-Trp with the [ζ2,ζ3-(2)H(2); δ1,ε3,η2-(13)C(3); ε1-(15)N]-indole ring ([(12)C (γ,) ( 12) C(ε2)] SAIL-Trp), which provides a more robust way to correlate the (1)H(β), (1)H(α), and (1)H(N) to the (1)H(δ1) and (1)H(ε3) through the intra-residue NOEs. The assignment of the (1)H(δ1)/(13)C(δ1) and (1)H(ε3)/(13)C(ε3) signals can thus be transferred to the (1)H(ε1)/(15)N(ε1) and (1)H(η2)/(13)C(η2) signals, as with the previous type of SAIL-Trp, which has an extra (13)C at the C(γ) of the ring. By taking advantage of the stereospecific deuteration of one of the prochiral β-methylene protons, which was (1)H(β2) in this experiment, one can determine the side-chain conformation of the Trp residue including the χ(2) angle, which is especially important for Trp residues, as they can adopt three preferred conformations. We demonstrated the usefulness of [(12)C(γ),(12)C(ε2)] SAIL-Trp for the 12 kDa DNA binding domain of mouse c-Myb protein (Myb-R2R3), which contains six Trp residues.

  10. Solar cells. Proposal for a national strategy for research, development and demonstration; Solceller. Oplaeg til en national strategi for forskning, udvikling og demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-07-01

    The Danish Energy Authority, Elkraft System and Eltra have initiated collaboration on the development of national R and D strategies for a number of energy technologies including solar cells. The aim is to ensure a coordinated national effort as regards research, development and demonstration within societal and energy political frames, and, furthermore, to ensure coordination with similar international initiatives, especially within the European Union. The overall aim is for the Danish solar cell strategy to contribute to support Danish national energy policy and to ensure and improve Danish competence, which can manifest itself internationally. The efforts within solar cell technology must aim at increasing solar cell systems' efficiency and service life, and furthermore, aim at reducing production costs. Hereby the efforts can contribute to an improvement of solar cell systems' competitive power in relation to other power production technologies with a view to make installation of solar cell systems attractive, both in Denmark and internationally. (BA)

  11. SAIL: A Framework for Promoting Next-Generation Word Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganske, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    This article introduces SAIL, an instructional framework designed to help teachers optimize students' learning during small-group word study instruction. Small-group word study interactions afford opportunities for teachers to engage students in thinking, talking, advancing vocabulary knowledge (including general academic vocabulary), and making…

  12. Economic Cost of an Algae Bloom Cleanup in China's 2008 Olympic Sailing Venue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, X. H.; Li, L.; Bao, X.; Zhao, L. D.

    2009-07-01

    In the summer of 2008, an algae bloom struck the coast of Qingdao, China, where the 2008 Olympic sailing events were to be held. The bloom was caused by the drift and proliferation of the green algae Enteromorpha (see http://precedings.nature.com/documents/2352/version/1). It lasted for more than 1 month and covered nearly the entire sailing venue. The Enteromorpha bloom was so intense that national and local governments invested a tremendous amount of labor and resources in a cleanup effort in order to achieve Olympic Games standards [Hu and He, 2008].

  13. Space Solar Power Technology Demonstration for Lunar Polar Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henley, M. W.; Fikes, J. C.; Howell, J.; Mankins, J. C.; Howell, J.

    2002-01-01

    A solar power generation station on a mountaintop near the moon's North or South pole can receive sunlight 708 hours per lunar day, for continuous power generation. Power can be beamed from this station over long distances using a laser-based wireless power transmission system and a photo-voltaic receiver. This beamed energy can provide warmth, electricity, and illumination for a robotic rover to perform scientific experiments in cold, dark craters where no other power source is practical. Radio-frequency power transmission may also be demonstrated in lunar polar applications to locate and recover sub-surface deposits of volatile material, such as water ice. High circular polarization ratios observed in data from Clementine spacecraft and Arecibo radar reflections from the moon's South pole suggest that water ice is indeed present in certain lunar polar craters. Data from the Lunar Prospector spacecraft's epi-thermal neutron spectrometer also indicate that hydrogen is present at the moon's poles. Space Solar Power technology enables investigation of these craters, which may contain a billion-year-old stratigraphic record of tremendous scientific value. Layers of ice, preserved at the moon's poles, could help us determine the sequence and composition of comet impacts on the moon. Such ice deposits may even include distinct strata deposited by secondary ejecta following significant Earth (ocean) impacts, linked to major extinctions of life on Earth. Ice resources at the moon's poles could provide water and air for human exploration and development of space as well as rocket propellant for future space transportation. Technologies demonstrated and matured via lunar polar applications can also be used in other NASA science missions (Valles Marineris. Phobos, Deimos, Mercury's poles, asteroids, etc.) and in future large-scale SSP systems to beam energy from space to Earth. Ground-based technology demonstrations are proceeding to mature the technology for such a near

  14. Spontaneous neonatal pneumomediastinum: the "spinnaker sail" sign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawal, T A; Glüer, S; Reismann, M; Dördelmann, M; Schirg, E; Ure, B

    2009-02-01

    Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare condition in the newborn, not associated with identifiable trauma or mechanical ventilation. It is diagnosed by a combination of physical examination and confirmatory chest radiograph, with various recognized signs identifiable in this condition. We report the case of a male neonate, who had pneumomediastinum confirmed by the presence of a wind blown spinnaker sail sign and was managed conservatively. We also reviewed the literature.

  15. Ecological dynamics of continuous and categorical decision-making: the regatta start in sailing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Duarte; Davids, Keith; Diniz, Ana; Rocha, Luis; Santos, João Coelho; Dias, Gonçalo; Fernandes, Orlando

    2015-01-01

    Ecological dynamics of decision-making in the sport of sailing exemplifies emergent, conditionally coupled, co-adaptive behaviours. In this study, observation of the coupling dynamics of paired boats during competitive sailing showed that decision-making can be modelled as a self-sustained, co-adapting system of informationally coupled oscillators (boats). Bytracing the spatial-temporal displacements of the boats, time series analyses (autocorrelations, periodograms and running correlations) revealed that trajectories of match racing boats are coupled more than 88% of the time during a pre-start race, via continuous, competing co-adaptions between boats. Results showed that both the continuously selected trajectories of the sailors (12 years of age) and their categorical starting point locations were examples of emergent decisions. In this dynamical conception of decision-making behaviours, strategic positioning (categorical) and continuous displacement of a boat over the course in match-race sailing emerged as a function of interacting task, personal and environmental constraints. Results suggest how key interacting constraints could be manipulated in practice to enhance sailors' perceptual attunement to them in competition.

  16. Collimated proton acceleration in light sail regime with a tailored pinhole target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, H. Y.; Zepf, M. [Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena (Germany); Yan, X. Q. [State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology and Key Lab of High Energy Density Physics Simulation, CAPT, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2014-06-15

    A scheme for producing collimated protons from laser interactions with a diamond-like-carbon + pinhole target is proposed. The process is based on radiation pressure acceleration in the multi-species light-sail regime [B. Qiao et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 155002 (2010); T. P. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 065002 (2010)]. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that transverse quasistatic electric field at TV/m level can be generated in the pinhole. The transverse electric field suppresses the transverse expansion of protons effectively, resulting in a higher density and more collimated proton beam compared with a single foil target. The dependence of the proton beam divergence on the parameters of the pinhole is also investigated.

  17. Collimated proton acceleration in light sail regime with a tailored pinhole target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, H. Y.; Zepf, M.; Yan, X. Q.

    2014-01-01

    A scheme for producing collimated protons from laser interactions with a diamond-like-carbon + pinhole target is proposed. The process is based on radiation pressure acceleration in the multi-species light-sail regime [B. Qiao et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 155002 (2010); T. P. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 065002 (2010)]. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that transverse quasistatic electric field at TV/m level can be generated in the pinhole. The transverse electric field suppresses the transverse expansion of protons effectively, resulting in a higher density and more collimated proton beam compared with a single foil target. The dependence of the proton beam divergence on the parameters of the pinhole is also investigated

  18. Project SAIL: An Evaluation of a Dropout Prevention Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, John L.; And Others

    Project SAIL (Student Advocates Inspire Learning) is a Title IV-C Project located in Hopkins, Minnesota, designed to prevent students from dropping out of school by keeping them successfully involved in the mainstream environment. This study presents a review of other dropout prevention approaches, describes the intervention strategies involved in…

  19. Common Market measures to promote the use of solar energy - The demonstration project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaut, W.

    A series of solar technical projects being conducted under the auspices of the Common Market is discussed. The history and legal foundations of this demonstration project, previous proposal requests and their results, and the experiences to date and present status of the project are assessed. Twenty-six projects proposals are being funded; the only German one concerns solar heating of swimming pools. The economic and administrative aspects of these projects are detailed. Problems of the project are discussed, including the allocation of funds between older and newer aspects and financial constraints.

  20. Dynamics and control of a solar collector system for near Earth object deflection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong Shenping; Li Junfeng; Gao Yunfeng

    2011-01-01

    A solar collector system is a possible method using solar energy to deflect Earth-threatening near-Earth objects. We investigate the dynamics and control of a solar collector system including a main collector (MC) and secondary collector (SC). The MC is used to collect the sunlight to its focal point, where the SC is placed and directs the collected light to an asteroid. Both the relative position and attitude of the two collectors should be accurately controlled to achieve the desired optical path. First, the dynamical equation of the relative motion of the two collectors in the vicinity of the asteroid is modeled. Secondly, the nonlinear sliding-mode method is employed to design a control law to achieve the desired configuration of the two collectors. Finally, the deflection capability of this solar collector system is compared with those of the gravitational tractor and solar sail gravitational tractor. The results show that the solar collector is much more efficient with respect to deflection capability.

  1. Demonstration of Essential Reliability Services by a 300-MW Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loutan, Clyde; Klauer, Peter; Chowdhury, Sirajul; Hall, Stephen; Morjaria, Mahesh; Chadliev, Vladimir; Milam, Nick; Milan, Christopher; Gevorgian, Vahan

    2017-03-24

    The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), First Solar, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a demonstration project on a large utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plant in California to test its ability to provide essential ancillary services to the electric grid. With increasing shares of solar- and wind-generated energy on the electric grid, traditional generation resources equipped with automatic governor control (AGC) and automatic voltage regulation controls -- specifically, fossil thermal -- are being displaced. The deployment of utility-scale, grid-friendly PV power plants that incorporate advanced capabilities to support grid stability and reliability is essential for the large-scale integration of PV generation into the electric power grid, among other technical requirements. A typical PV power plant consists of multiple power electronic inverters and can contribute to grid stability and reliability through sophisticated 'grid-friendly' controls. In this way, PV power plants can be used to mitigate the impact of variability on the grid, a role typically reserved for conventional generators. In August 2016, testing was completed on First Solar's 300-MW PV power plant, and a large amount of test data was produced and analyzed that demonstrates the ability of PV power plants to use grid-friendly controls to provide essential reliability services. These data showed how the development of advanced power controls can enable PV to become a provider of a wide range of grid services, including spinning reserves, load following, voltage support, ramping, frequency response, variability smoothing, and frequency regulation to power quality. Specifically, the tests conducted included various forms of active power control such as AGC and frequency regulation; droop response; and reactive power, voltage, and power factor controls. This project demonstrated that advanced power electronics and solar generation can be

  2. Safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab with chemotherapy in Asian patients with advanced nonsquamous NSCLC: results from the phase IV MO19390 (SAiL) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Chun-Ming; Au, Joseph Siu-kie; Chang, Gee-Chen; Cheng, Ashley Chi-kin; Zhou, Caicun; Wu, Yi-long

    2011-06-01

    First-line treatment with bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with advanced, nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSNSCLC) in phase III clinical trials. SAiL (MO19390), an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in clinical practice. This report presents the results of a preplanned subanalysis of Asian patients enrolled in SAiL. Patients with untreated, locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSNSCLC received bevacizumab 7.5 or 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks plus chemotherapy for up to six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. Eligibility criteria for SAiL permitted enrolment of a broad patient population. The primary end point was safety; secondary end points included time to disease progression and overall survival. The Asian intent-to-treat population comprised 314 of the 2212 patients enrolled in the SAiL trial. In the Asian subanalysis, patients received a median of nine cycles of bevacizumab, and the median follow-up was 16.4 months. The incidence of clinically significant adverse events (grade ≥3) of special interest was relatively low in this population (15.6% overall); proteinuria (7.6%), hypertension (4.8%), and bleeding (2.5%) were the most common. A total of five adverse events related to bevacizumab were reported as grade 5. Disease control rate was 94.1%, median time to disease progression was 8.3 months, and median overall survival was 18.9 months. The safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in Asian patients with advanced NSNSCLC is consistent with that demonstrated in phase III studies and in the overall SAiL population. There were no new safety signals.

  3. Efficient solar hydrogen production by photocatalytic water splitting: From fundamental study to pilot demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jing, Dengwei; Guo, Liejin; Zhao, Liang; Zhang, Ximin; Liu, Huan; Li, Mingtao; Shen, Shaohua; Liu, Guanjie; Hu, Xiaowei; Zhang, Xianghui; Zhang, Kai; Ma, Lijin; Guo, Penghui [State Key Lab of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi' an 710049 (China)

    2010-07-15

    Photocatalytic water splitting with solar light is one of the most promising technologies for solar hydrogen production. From a systematic point of view, whether it is photocatalyst and reaction system development or the reactor-related design, the essentials could be summarized as: photon transfer limitations and mass transfer limitations (in the case of liquid phase reactions). Optimization of these two issues are therefore given special attention throughout our study. In this review, the state of the art for the research of photocatalytic hydrogen production, both outcomes and challenges in this field, were briefly reviewed. Research progress of our lab, from fundamental study of photocatalyst preparation to reactor configuration and pilot level demonstration, were introduced, showing the complete process of our effort for this technology to be economic viable in the near future. Our systematic and continuous study in this field lead to the development of a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) based photocatalytic hydrogen production solar rector for the first time. We have demonstrated the feasibility for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light. The exiting challenges and difficulties for this technology to proceed from successful laboratory photocatalysis set-up up to an industrially relevant scale are also proposed. These issues have been the object of our research and would also be the direction of our study in future. (author)

  4. Sails: a new gypsum speleothem from Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Forti Paolo

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The caves of Naica (Chihuahua, Mexico are perhaps the most famous mine caves of the world due to the presence of giganticgypsum crystals. Nevertheless, very little research has been carried out on this karst area until now. A multidisciplinary investigationstarted in 2006 with the aim not only to define the genesis and the age of the Naica gypsum crystals, but also on other scientificaspects of these caves.This paper describes a completely new type of gypsum speleothem: the “sails”, observed only inside the Cueva de las Velas, one ofthe caves of the Naica system. This speleothem consists of extremely thin, elongated skeleton crystals that have grown epitaxiallyonly on the tips of the gypsum crystals pointing upward. The genesis of sails is strictly related to the environmental conditions setup inside the cave just after the artificial lowering of the groundwater by mine dewatering (less than 20 yr ago. In a few years sail speleothems will disappear entirely and therefore this study is fundamental to preserve at least the memory of them.

  5. Trans-Pacific voyage in a solar-powered boat built of recycled aluminium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1997-03-01

    The first solo crossing of the Pacific was made in 1962 by Mr Kenichi Horie in a tiny yacht called ``Mermaid``. In 1996, Mr. Horie made the first solo, non-stop, trans-Pacific voyage in a solar-powered boat made of recycled aluminium. The boat, called ``Malt`s Mermaid``, sailed 16,000 km from Ecuador to Tokyo in 138 days. The themes of the project were preserving the environment and using resources efficiently. (Author)

  6. Motives for participation in Paralympic sailing – opinions of Polish and foreign athletes with physical disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prokopowicz Grzegorz

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Paralympic sailing was introduced at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games. Since then it has been developing rapidly and an increasing number of individuals in Poland and abroad regularly take part in sports competitions. Currently, disabled athletes can compete in three classes: Sonar, 2.4mR and Skud 18. The review of the Polish and foreign literature does not give a clear indication of the motives for participation in Paralympic sailing.

  7. AERODYNAMICS OF WING TIP SAILS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MUSHTAK AL-ATABI

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Observers have always been fascinated by soaring birds. An interesting feature of these birds is the existence of few feathers extending from the tip of the wing. In this paper, small lifting surfaces were fitted to the tip of a NACA0012 wing in a fashion similar to that of wing tip feathers. Experimental measurements of induced drag, longitudinal static stability and trailing vortex structure were obtained.The tests showed that adding wing tip surfaces (sails decreased the induced drag factor and increased the longitudinal static stability. Results identified two discrete appositely rotated tip vortices and showed the ability of wing tip surfaces to break them down and to diffuse them.

  8. Demonstration of a 100-kWth high-temperature solar thermochemical reactor pilot plant for ZnO dissociation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koepf, E.; Villasmil, W.; Meier, A.

    2016-05-01

    Solar thermochemical H2O and CO2 splitting is a viable pathway towards sustainable and large-scale production of synthetic fuels. A reactor pilot plant for the solar-driven thermal dissociation of ZnO into metallic Zn has been successfully developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Promising experimental results from the 100-kWth ZnO pilot plant were obtained in 2014 during two prolonged experimental campaigns in a high flux solar simulator at PSI and a 1-MW solar furnace in Odeillo, France. Between March and June the pilot plant was mounted in the solar simulator and in-situ flow-visualization experiments were conducted in order to prevent particle-laden fluid flows near the window from attenuating transparency by blocking incoming radiation. Window flow patterns were successfully characterized, and it was demonstrated that particle transport could be controlled and suppressed completely. These results enabled the successful operation of the reactor between August and October when on-sun experiments were conducted in the solar furnace in order to demonstrate the pilot plant technology and characterize its performance. The reactor was operated for over 97 hours at temperatures as high as 2064 K; over 28 kg of ZnO was dissociated at reaction rates as high as 28 g/min.

  9. The Strategies To Advance the Internationalization of Learning (SAIL) Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebert, Kenneth B.; Burnett, Jane

    This report documents the Strategies to Advance the Internalization of Learning (SAIL) program developed at Michigan State University (MSU) to promote international, comparative, and cross-cultural learning and cross-cultural understanding in the university community. A total of 350 foreign and U.S. students who had international experience…

  10. Project SAIL: A Summer Program Brings History Alive for Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Patricia

    2001-01-01

    This project describes Project SAIL (Schools for Active Interdisciplinary Learning), a federally funded project providing in-depth staff development during a 3-week summer program for teachers, parents, and their gifted/talented economically disadvantaged students. The program theme, "Searching for Patterns in History," has been used with students…

  11. Concentrating Solar Power Gen3 Demonstration Roadmap

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mehos, Mark [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Turchi, Craig [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Vidal, Judith [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Wagner, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ma, Zhiwen [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ho, Clifford [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kolb, William [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Andraka, Charles [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kruizenga, Alan [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Today's power-tower concentrating solar power (CSP) technology exists in large part as a result of Department of Energy (DOE) and utility industry funding of demonstration systems in the 1980s and 1990s. Today's most advanced towers are integrated with molten-salt thermal energy storage, delivering thermal energy at 565 degrees C for integration with conventional steam-Rankine cycles. The supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle has been identified as a likely successor to the steam-Rankine power cycle due to its potential for high efficiency when operating at elevated temperatures of 700 degrees C or greater. Over the course of the SunShot Initiative, DOE has supported a number of technology pathways that can operate efficiently at these temperatures and that hold promise to be reliable and cost effective. Three pathways - molten salt, particle, and gaseous - were selected for further investigation based on a two-day workshop held in August of 2016. The information contained in this roadmap identifies research and development challenges and lays out recommended research activities for each of the three pathways. DOE foresees that by successfully addressing the challenges identified in this roadmap, one or more technology pathways will be positioned for demonstration and subsequent commercialization within the next ten years. Based on current knowledge of the three power tower technologies, all three have the potential to achieve the SunShot goal of 6 cents/kilowatt-hour. Further development, modeling, and testing are now required to bring one or more of the technologies to a stage where integrated system tests and pilot demonstrations are feasible.

  12. Alternative SAIL-Trp for robust aromatic signal assignment and determination of the {chi}{sub 2} conformation by intra-residue NOEs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyanoiri, Yohei; Takeda, Mitsuhiro [Nagoya University, Graduate School of Science, Structural Biology Research Center (Japan); Jee, JunGoo; Ono, Akira M.; Okuma, Kosuke; Terauchi, Tsutomu [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Center for Priority Areas (Japan); Kainosho, Masatsune, E-mail: kainosho@nagoya-u.jp [Nagoya University, Graduate School of Science, Structural Biology Research Center (Japan)

    2011-12-15

    Tryptophan (Trp) residues are frequently found in the hydrophobic cores of proteins, and therefore, their side-chain conformations, especially the precise locations of the bulky indole rings, are critical for determining structures by NMR. However, when analyzing [U-{sup 13}C,{sup 15}N]-proteins, the observation and assignment of the ring signals are often hampered by excessive overlaps and tight spin couplings. These difficulties have been greatly alleviated by using stereo-array isotope labeled (SAIL) proteins, which are composed of isotope-labeled amino acids optimized for unambiguous side-chain NMR assignment, exclusively through the {sup 13}C-{sup 13}C and {sup 13}C-{sup 1}H spin coupling networks (Kainosho et al. in Nature 440:52-57, 2006). In this paper, we propose an alternative type of SAIL-Trp with the [{zeta}2,{zeta}3-{sup 2}H{sub 2}; {delta}1,{epsilon}3,{eta}2-{sup 13}C{sub 3}; {epsilon}1-{sup 15}N]-indole ring ([{sup 12}C{sub {gamma},}{sup 12}C{sub {epsilon}2}] SAIL-Trp), which provides a more robust way to correlate the {sup 1}H{sub {beta}}, {sup 1}H{sub {alpha}}, and {sup 1}H{sub N} to the {sup 1}H{sub {delta}1} and {sup 1}H{sub {epsilon}3} through the intra-residue NOEs. The assignment of the {sup 1}H{sub {delta}1}/{sup 13}C{sub {delta}1} and {sup 1}H{sub {epsilon}3}/{sup 13}C{sub {epsilon}3} signals can thus be transferred to the {sup 1}H{sub {epsilon}1}/{sup 15}N{sub {epsilon}1} and {sup 1}H{sub {eta}2}/{sup 13}C{sub {eta}2} signals, as with the previous type of SAIL-Trp, which has an extra {sup 13}C at the C{sub {gamma}} of the ring. By taking advantage of the stereospecific deuteration of one of the prochiral {beta}-methylene protons, which was {sup 1}H{sub {beta}2} in this experiment, one can determine the side-chain conformation of the Trp residue including the {chi}{sub 2} angle, which is especially important for Trp residues, as they can adopt three preferred conformations. We demonstrated the usefulness of [{sup 12}C{sub {gamma}},{sup 12}C

  13. General Electric Company proposed test and evaluation plan, commercial buildings. National Solar Demonstration Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1976-04-01

    The general requirements and methods for instrumenting, testing, and evaluating solar HVAC systems forming a part of ERDA's ''Commercial Demonstration Program'' commensurate with ERDA 23A and the Proposed Management Plan 75SDS4270 are defined. Design requirements are specified for the performance of components and subsystems comprising the instrumentation and data gathering system, as well as the support functions required to perform the diagnostic measurements, collection and processing of data, and documentation of reports on solar HVAC system performance, including economic and societal evaluations.

  14. THE ASSESSMENT OF DIFFICULTY OF YACHT SAILING CLASSES AND STUDENTS' GLOBAL SELF-ESTEEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Romanowska-Tolloczko

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: determination of relationship between the level of students’ global self-esteem and their perception of the degree of difficulty sailing yacht classes. Material and methods: Study consisted of 178 students of University School of Physical Education in Wrocław. The study used two tools: Polish adaptation of SES M. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a questionnaire designed by the authors of the study. Results: men were characterized by a higher self-esteem than women. Distribution of the results obtained by women was closer to a normal distribution, but it was not completely compatible with it. The relationship was noted between the level of global self-esteem of the students and their perception of the degree of difficulty of the course. People with higher self-esteem assessed the knowledge and skills of sailing as easier. For people with lower levels of self-esteem sailing it was a more difficult. Conclusions: self-acceptance and self-esteem have a substantial impact on goal setting and the perception and taking various tasks. It is therefore important to help young people to build adequate self-esteem and positive self-image, because faith in its own strength and capabilities is a key element in achieving success in every area of life.

  15. Developing a business plan for a company in Finland owned by foreigners. Case: Prime Sails Ltd

    OpenAIRE

    Honkonen-Kulagina, Alina Linda

    2012-01-01

    To establish a new company is challenging for any businessman or businesswomen. Starting up a company in a foreign country is twice is hard. The purpose of the thesis is to examine the factors that affect the success of a company newly-established by immigrants. These include such areas as good business plan, market research, cultural knowledge and awareness of the legislative environment. The case study focuses on the company Prime Sails Ltd, which is a supplier of sails. The main ob...

  16. Space Solar Power Technology Demonstration for Lunar Polar Applications: Laser-Photovoltaic Wireless Power Transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henley, M. W.; Fikes, J. C.; Howell, J.; Mankins, J. C.; Howell, Joe T. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Space Solar Power technology offers unique benefits for near-term NASA space science missions, which can mature this technology for other future applications. "Laser-Photo-Voltaic Wireless Power Transmission" (Laser-PV WPT) is a technology that uses a laser to beam power to a photovoltaic receiver, which converts the laser's light into electricity. Future Laser-PV WPT systems may beam power from Earth to satellites or large Space Solar Power satellites may beam power to Earth, perhaps supplementing terrestrial solar photo-voltaic receivers. In a near-term scientific mission to the moon, Laser-PV WPT can enable robotic operations in permanently shadowed lunar polar craters, which may contain ice. Ground-based technology demonstrations are proceeding, to mature the technology for this initial application, in the moon's polar regions.

  17. Photogravimagnetic assists of light sails: a mixed blessing for Breakthrough Starshot?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forgan, Duncan H.; Heller, René; Hippke, Michael

    2018-03-01

    Upon entering a star system, light sails are subject to both gravitational forces and radiation pressure, and can use both in concert to modify their trajectory. Moreover, stars possess significant magnetic fields, and if the sail is in any way charged, it will feel the Lorentz force also. We investigate the dynamics of so-called `photogravimagnetic assists' of sailcraft around α Centauri A, a potential first destination en route to Proxima Centauri (the goal of the Breakthrough Starshot programme). We find that a 10-m2 sail with a charge-to-mass ratio of around 10 μC g-1 or higher will need to take account of magnetic field effects during orbital manoeuvres. The magnetic field can provide an extra source of deceleration and deflection, and allow capture on to closer orbits around a target star. However, flipping the sign of the sailcraft's charge can radically change resulting trajectories, resulting in complex loop-de-loops around magnetic field lines and essentially random ejection from the star system. Even on well-behaved trajectories, the field can generate off-axis deflections at α Centauri that, while minor, can result in very poor targeting of the final destination (Proxima) post-assist. Fortunately for Breakthrough Starshot, nanosails are less prone to charging en route than their heavier counterparts, but can still accrue relatively high charge at both the origin and destination, when travelling at low speeds. Photogravimagnetic assists are highly non-trivial, and require careful course correction to mitigate against unwanted changes in trajectory.

  18. Solar Torque Management for the Near Earth Asteroid Scout CubeSat Using Center of Mass Position Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orphee, Juan; Heaton, Andrew; Diedrich, Ben; Stiltner, Brandon C.

    2018-01-01

    A novel mechanism, the Active Mass Translator (AMT), has been developed for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission to autonomously manage the spacecraft momentum. The NEA Scout CubeSat will launch as a secondary payload onboard Exploration Mission 1 of the Space Launch System. To accomplish its mission, the CubeSat will be propelled by an 86 square-meter solar sail during its two-year journey to reach asteroid 1991VG. NEA Scout's primary attitude control system uses reaction wheels for holding attitude and performing slew maneuvers, while a cold gas reaction control system performs the initial detumble and early trajectory correction maneuvers. The AMT control system requirements, feedback architecture, and control performance will be presented. The AMT reduces the amount of reaction control propellant needed for momentum management and allows for smaller capacity reaction wheels suitable for the limited 6U spacecraft volume. The reduced spacecraft mass allows higher in-space solar sail acceleration, thus reducing time-of-flight. The reduced time-of-flight opens the range of possible missions, which is limited by the lifetime of typical non-radiation tolerant CubeSat avionics exposed to the deep-space environment.

  19. Reflexions on feedforward control strategies for a class of sailing vehicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Lin; Jouffroy, Jerome

    2010-01-01

    Sailing vehicles, whether they are sea or land-based, share the unique property of exhibiting totally different trajectories depending on where their direction of travel is with respect to the wind. Following our previous work, this paper discusses a few points related to feedforward control...

  20. SAIL--A Way to Success and Independence for Low-Achieving Readers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergman, Janet L.

    1992-01-01

    Argues that providing students with a repertoire of important learning strategies is one crucial way of helping all students to become independent readers, thinkers, and learners. Describes a third grade reading environment and the practices of the Students Achievement Independent Learning Program (SAIL). (PRA)

  1. Dynamic and Structural Performances of a New Sailcraft Concept for Interplanetary Missions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Peloni

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Typical square solar-sail design is characterised by a central hub with four-quadrant sails, conferring to the spacecraft the classical X-configuration. One of the critical aspects related to this architecture is due to the large deformations of both membrane and booms, which leads to a reduction of the performance of the sailcraft in terms of thrust efficiency. As a consequence, stiffer sail architecture would be desirable, taking into account that the rigidity of the system strongly affects the orbital dynamics. In this paper, we propose a new solar-sail architecture, which is more rigid than the classical X-configuration. Among the main pros and cons that the proposed configuration presents, this paper aims to show the general concept, investigating the performances from the perspectives of both structural response and attitude control. Membrane deformations, structural offset, and sail vibration frequencies are determined through finite element method, adopting a variable pretensioning scheme. In order to evaluate the manoeuvring performances of this new solar-sail concept, a 35-degree manoeuvre is studied using a feedforward and feedback controller.

  2. A Global Approach for the Design of a Rim- Driven Marine Turbine Generator for Sail Boat

    OpenAIRE

    DROUEN, Laurent; CHARPENTIER, Jean-Frederic; SEMAIL, Eric; CLENET, Stéphane; SEMAIL, Eric

    2012-01-01

    International audience; Development of new ways to provide clean onboard electric energy is a key feature for the sailing boat industry and sail race teams. This is why marine turbines (MT), are considered to provide onboard energy. These turbines can be used to harness kinetic energy of the water flow related to the ship motion. In this paper we propose to study an unconventional design of such a turbine where the electrical generator is located in the periphery of the blades and where the m...

  3. A UKSeRP for SAIL: striking a balance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerina Jones

    2017-04-01

    The SAIL UKSeRP represents a powerful analytical environment within a privacy-protecting safe haven and secure remote access system which has been designed to be scalable and adaptable to meet the needs of the rapidly growing data linkage community. Further challenges lie ahead as the landscape develops and emerging data types become more available. UKSeRP technology is available and customisable for other use cases within the UK and international jurisdictions, to operate within their respective governance frameworks.

  4. Protective Effects of Calcium on Cadmium Accumulation in Co-Cultured Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Triangle Sail Mussel (Hyriopsis cumingii).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Deliang; Pi, Jie; Wang, Jianping; Zhu, Pengfei; Lei, Liuping; Zhang, Ting; Liu, Deming

    2016-12-01

    Discovering cost effective strategies to reduce cadmium (Cd) uptake is of great concern for consumer food safety in the aquaculture industry. This study investigated the protective effects of calcium (Ca) on Cd uptake in co-cultured silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and triangle sail mussel (Hyriopsis cumingii). The results show that Ca-depending on its applied concentration-caused a significant decrease in the Cd uptake into muscle (by 48 %-72 %), gills (by 51 %-57 %), liver (by 52 %-81 %) and kidney (by 54 %-81 %) of silver carp (p sail mussels (p sail mussel, the quality of co-cultured edible fish might improve as a consequence of the potentially reduced Cd uptake.

  5. Urban Options Solar Greenhouse Demonstration Project. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cipparone, L.

    1980-10-15

    The following are included: the design process, construction, thermal performance, horticulture, educational activities, and future plans. Included in appendices are: greenhouse blueprints, insulating curtain details, workshop schedules, sample data forms, summary of performance calculations on the Urban Options Solar Greenhouse, data on vegetable production, publications, news articles on th Solar Greenhouse Project, and the financial statement. (MHR)

  6. Hydrodynamic Data for Manoeuvring and Control of an AUV Determined by Tank Tests and Free-Sailing Trials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aage, Christian

    1998-01-01

    Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV's) can be used for a large number of subsea acitivities in different modes of operation varying from the ROV-mode with on-line control and power supply from the surface, to the true AUV-mode where the vehicle performs its pre-programmed tasks with full autonomy...... manoeuvres, such as turning circles and zigzag tests. Similar free-sailing manoeuvrability trials are described and compared to the simulations. The free-sailing manoeuvres were monitored by the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)....

  7. Attitude Dynamics and Stability of a Simple Solar Photon Thruster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna D. Guerman

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is dedicated to the development of a model of the attitude dynamics for a nonideal Simple Solar Photon Thruster (SSPT and to the analysis of sailcraft motions with respect to their centre of mass. Derivation of the expressions for force and torque due to solar radiation that is valid for the case, when there is a misalignment of the SSPT axis with the sun direction, is followed by study of sailcraft dynamics and stability properties. Analysis of stability shows that an ideally reflecting sail is unstable, while for a sailcraft with nonideal collector, the symmetry axis is stable with respect to the Sun direction for large variety of system parameters. The motion around symmetry axis is always unstable and requires an active stabilizer.

  8. Use of CYPRES™ cutters with a Kevlar clamp band for hold-down and release of the Icarus De-Orbit Sail payload on TechDemoSat-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingston, J.; Hobbs, S.; Roberts, P.; Juanes-Vallejo, C.; Robinson, F.; Sewell, R.; Snapir, B.; Llop, J. Virgili; Patel, M.

    2014-07-01

    TechDemoSat-1 is a UK-funded technology demonstration satellite, carrying 8 payloads provided by UK organisations, which is due to be launched in the first quarter of 2014. Cranfield University has supplied a De-Orbit Sail (DOS) payload to allow the mission to comply with end-of-life debris mitigation guidelines. The payload provides a passive, simple, and low-cost means of mitigating debris proliferation in Low Earth Orbit, by enhancing spacecraft aerodynamic drag at end-of-life and reducing time to natural orbital decay and re-entry. This paper describes the use of small commercial electro-explosive devices (EEDs), produced for use as parachute tether-cutters in reserve chute deployment systems, as low-cost but high-reliability release mechanisms for space applications. A testing campaign, including thermal vacuum and mechanical vibration, is described, which demonstrates the suitability of these CYPRES™ cutters, with a flexible Kevlar clamp band, for use as a hold-down and release mechanism (HDRM) for a deployable de-orbit sail. The HDRM is designed to be three-failure-tolerant, highly reliable, yet simple and low-cost.

  9. Coupling solar photo-Fenton and biotreatment at industrial scale: Main results of a demonstration plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malato, Sixto; Blanco, Julian; Maldonado, Manuel I.; Oller, Isabel; Gernjak, Wolfgang; Perez-Estrada, Leonidas

    2007-01-01

    This paper reports on the combined solar photo-Fenton/biological treatment of an industrial effluent (initial total organic carbon, TOC, around 500 mg L -1 ) containing a non-biodegradable organic substance (α-methylphenylglycine at 500 mg L -1 ), focusing on pilot plant tests performed for design of an industrial plant, the design itself and the plant layout. Pilot plant tests have demonstrated that biodegradability enhancement is closely related to disappearance of the parent compound, for which a certain illumination time and hydrogen peroxide consumption are required, working at pH 2.8 and adding Fe 2+ = 20 mg L -1 . Based on pilot plant results, an industrial plant with 100 m 2 of CPC collectors for a 250 L/h treatment capacity has been designed. The solar system discharges the wastewater (WW) pre-treated by photo-Fenton into a biotreatment based on an immobilized biomass reactor. First, results of the industrial plant are also presented, demonstrating that it is able to treat up to 500 L h -1 at an average solar ultraviolet radiation of 22.9 W m -2 , under the same conditions (pH, hydrogen peroxide consumption) tested in the pilot plant

  10. Optimized solar heat production in a liberalised electricity market. Demonstration of full-scale plant in Braedstrup; Optimeret solvarmeproduktion i et liberaliseret elmarked. Demonstration af fuldskalaanlaeg i Braedstrup

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soerensen, P.A. (PlanEnergi, Skoerping (Denmark)); Kristensen, Per (Braedstrup Fjernvarme, Braedstrup (Denmark)); Furbo, S. (Danmarks Tekniske Univ. DTU BYG, Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)); Ulbjerg, F. (Ramboell, Odense (Denmark)); Holm, L. (Marstal Fjernvarme, Marstal (Denmark)); Schmidt, T. (Steinbeis-Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Thermal Systems, Stuttgart (Denmark))

    2009-03-15

    The project demonstrates for the first time a combination between CHP and solar power systems. 8,019 m2 solar collectors producing 8% of the annual consumption in Braedstrup, Denmark, and nearly the total consumption on a good summer day were combined with a natural gas-fired CHP plant. An optimised ARCON HT2006 collector was developed for this purpose, and the control system was designed to ensure that supply-pipe temperature from solar collectors is always as low as possible and that the temperature in the existing water storage tank does not drop below 90 deg. C. (ln)

  11. Safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combination therapy in Chinese population with advanced non-squamous NSCLC: data of subgroup analyses from MO19390 (SAiL) study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, C C; Bai, C X; Guan, Z Z; Jiang, G L; Shi, Y K; Wang, M Z; Wu, Y L; Zhang, Y P; Zhu, Y Z

    2014-05-01

    Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody with high antitumor activity against malignant diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of first-line bevacizumab combination therapy in advanced, non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC). SAiL (MO19390), an open-label, multicenter, single-arm study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of first-line bevacizumab-based treatment in clinical practice. This report presents the results of a subgroup analysis of Chinese patients enrolled in SAiL. Chemo-naive Chinese patients with locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC were randomized to receive Bev 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks plus carboplatin + paclitaxel for maximum of six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included time to progression and overall survival. The Chinese intent-to-treat (ITT) population consists of 198 Chinese patients, among whom 107 (54 %) were non-smokers and 90 (45.5 %) were female. The median cycle of bevacizumab administration was 10 and median duration of bevacizumab treatment was 29.5 weeks. Only eight cases of severe adverse events were observed in the study, which were deemed to be related to bevacizumab. The incidence of AEs over grade 3 in Chinese ITT patients was generally low (SAiL study. No new safety signals were reported.

  12. Effect of sail on augmenting attitude stability of hovering VTOL vehicle supported by one-ducted-fan. Ductedter dot fan shiji VTOL ki no hover shisei anteisei eno ho no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ando, S.; Kato, M. (Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan). Faculty of Engineering)

    1991-07-05

    An analytical investigation was given on augmenting attitude stability of a VTOL airplane supported by one-ducted-fan, at hovering, by means of installing a sail having air resistance on a place higher than the vehicle center-of-gravity. Since the problem becomes nonlinear, the time-marching technique was used. The sail on which the emphasis was placed had an area of as less than several times as much of the duct sectional area, and a height of as less than several times as much of the duct diameter. The stabilization effect is expressed as {Delta}h = center of gravity height region providing the stability/duct diameter. Without a sail, {Delta}h was several percent, but with a sail, the value increased to about ten times as much. This increase in {Delta}h was remarkable in the direction that elevate the position of the center of gravity. More stability is obtained by increasing the sail height than by increasing the area. Substitutes to a sail, working on the same principle, could be a gas-bag and wind mill. A gas-bag, which can change its volume readily, will be able to vary the sail area easily. A wind mill could make the weight lighter than a sail, and has a possibility of varying the resistance through changing its blade pitch angle. 2 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

  13. Solar heating and cooling demonstration project at the Florida solar energy center

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    The retrofitted solar heating and cooling system installed at the Florida Solar Energy Center is described. The system was designed to supply approximately 70 percent of the annual cooling and 100 percent of the heating load. The project provides unique high temperature, nonimaging, nontracking, evacuated tube collectors. The design of the system was kept simple and employs five hydronic loops. They are energy collection, chilled water production, space cooling, space heating and energy rejection. Information is provided on the system's acceptance test results operation, controls, hardware and installation, including detailed drawings.

  14. Automated NMR structure determination of stereo-array isotope labeled ubiquitin from minimal sets of spectra using the SAIL-FLYA system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ikeya, Teppei [Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (Germany); Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Yoshida, Hitoshi; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Jee, Jun-Goo; Kainosho, Masatsune [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Science (Japan)], E-mail: kainosho@nmr.chem.metro-u.ac.jp; Guentert, Peter [Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (Germany)], E-mail: guentert@em.uni-frankfurt.de

    2009-08-15

    Stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) has been combined with the fully automated NMR structure determination algorithm FLYA to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein ubiquitin from different sets of input NMR spectra. SAIL provides a complete stereo- and regio-specific pattern of stable isotopes that results in sharper resonance lines and reduced signal overlap, without information loss. Here we show that as a result of the superior quality of the SAIL NMR spectra, reliable, fully automated analyses of the NMR spectra and structure calculations are possible using fewer input spectra than with conventional uniformly {sup 13}C/{sup 15}N-labeled proteins. FLYA calculations with SAIL ubiquitin, using a single three-dimensional 'through-bond' spectrum (and 2D HSQC spectra) in addition to the {sup 13}C-edited and {sup 15}N-edited NOESY spectra for conformational restraints, yielded structures with an accuracy of 0.83-1.15 A for the backbone RMSD to the conventionally determined solution structure of SAIL ubiquitin. NMR structures can thus be determined almost exclusively from the NOESY spectra that yield the conformational restraints, without the need to record many spectra only for determining intermediate, auxiliary data of the chemical shift assignments. The FLYA calculations for this report resulted in 252 ubiquitin structure bundles, obtained with different input data but identical structure calculation and refinement methods. These structures cover the entire range from highly accurate structures to seriously, but not trivially, wrong structures, and thus constitute a valuable database for the substantiation of structure validation methods.

  15. Automated NMR structure determination of stereo-array isotope labeled ubiquitin from minimal sets of spectra using the SAIL-FLYA system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeya, Teppei; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Yoshida, Hitoshi; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Jee, Jun-Goo; Kainosho, Masatsune; Guentert, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) has been combined with the fully automated NMR structure determination algorithm FLYA to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein ubiquitin from different sets of input NMR spectra. SAIL provides a complete stereo- and regio-specific pattern of stable isotopes that results in sharper resonance lines and reduced signal overlap, without information loss. Here we show that as a result of the superior quality of the SAIL NMR spectra, reliable, fully automated analyses of the NMR spectra and structure calculations are possible using fewer input spectra than with conventional uniformly 13 C/ 15 N-labeled proteins. FLYA calculations with SAIL ubiquitin, using a single three-dimensional 'through-bond' spectrum (and 2D HSQC spectra) in addition to the 13 C-edited and 15 N-edited NOESY spectra for conformational restraints, yielded structures with an accuracy of 0.83-1.15 A for the backbone RMSD to the conventionally determined solution structure of SAIL ubiquitin. NMR structures can thus be determined almost exclusively from the NOESY spectra that yield the conformational restraints, without the need to record many spectra only for determining intermediate, auxiliary data of the chemical shift assignments. The FLYA calculations for this report resulted in 252 ubiquitin structure bundles, obtained with different input data but identical structure calculation and refinement methods. These structures cover the entire range from highly accurate structures to seriously, but not trivially, wrong structures, and thus constitute a valuable database for the substantiation of structure validation methods

  16. Automated NMR structure determination of stereo-array isotope labeled ubiquitin from minimal sets of spectra using the SAIL-FLYA system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeya, Teppei; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Yoshida, Hitoshi; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Jee, Jun-Goo; Kainosho, Masatsune; Güntert, Peter

    2009-08-01

    Stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) has been combined with the fully automated NMR structure determination algorithm FLYA to determine the three-dimensional structure of the protein ubiquitin from different sets of input NMR spectra. SAIL provides a complete stereo- and regio-specific pattern of stable isotopes that results in sharper resonance lines and reduced signal overlap, without information loss. Here we show that as a result of the superior quality of the SAIL NMR spectra, reliable, fully automated analyses of the NMR spectra and structure calculations are possible using fewer input spectra than with conventional uniformly 13C/15N-labeled proteins. FLYA calculations with SAIL ubiquitin, using a single three-dimensional "through-bond" spectrum (and 2D HSQC spectra) in addition to the 13C-edited and 15N-edited NOESY spectra for conformational restraints, yielded structures with an accuracy of 0.83-1.15 A for the backbone RMSD to the conventionally determined solution structure of SAIL ubiquitin. NMR structures can thus be determined almost exclusively from the NOESY spectra that yield the conformational restraints, without the need to record many spectra only for determining intermediate, auxiliary data of the chemical shift assignments. The FLYA calculations for this report resulted in 252 ubiquitin structure bundles, obtained with different input data but identical structure calculation and refinement methods. These structures cover the entire range from highly accurate structures to seriously, but not trivially, wrong structures, and thus constitute a valuable database for the substantiation of structure validation methods.

  17. Comparison of two mathematical models of the kite for Laddermill sail simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Podgaets, A.R.; Ockels, W.J.

    2007-01-01

    Laddermill sail is an innovative approach to propel the ship with the power generated by kites. The first Laddermill system is currently being designed however existing mathematical models of the system produce different optimal recommendations. Thus a decision has been made to step back and to take

  18. Sail training: an innovative approach to graduate nurse preceptor development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicol, Pam; Young, Melisa

    2007-01-01

    A 1-day sail-training program that aims to increase graduate nurse preceptor skills was evaluated. Preliminary results suggest that this experiential learning is an effective way to develop graduate nurse preceptors. Awareness of graduate nurses' needs has been heightened, and skills in clinical teaching have been developed. It is indicated from the limited results that the outcomes are sustained over time, but further evaluation is needed.

  19. Earth to Orbit Beamed Energy Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Les; Montgomery, Edward E.

    2017-01-01

    As a means of primary propulsion, beamed energy propulsion offers the benefit of offloading much of the propulsion system mass from the vehicle, increasing its potential performance and freeing it from the constraints of the rocket equation. For interstellar missions, beamed energy propulsion is arguably the most viable in the near- to mid-term. A near-term demonstration showing the feasibility of beamed energy propulsion is necessary and, fortunately, feasible using existing technologies. Key enabling technologies are large area, low mass spacecraft and efficient and safe high power laser systems capable of long distance propagation. NASA is currently developing the spacecraft technology through the Near Earth Asteroid Scout solar sail mission and has signed agreements with the Planetary Society to study the feasibility of precursor laser propulsion experiments using their LightSail-2 solar sail spacecraft. The capabilities of Space Situational Awareness assets and the advanced analytical tools available for fine resolution orbit determination now make it possible to investigate the practicalities of an Earth-to-orbit Beamed Energy eXperiment (EBEX) - a demonstration at delivered power levels that only illuminate a spacecraft without causing damage to it. The degree to which this can be expected to produce a measurable change in the orbit of a low ballistic coefficient spacecraft is investigated. Key system characteristics and estimated performance are derived for a near term mission opportunity involving the LightSail-2 spacecraft and laser power levels modest in comparison to those proposed previously. While the technology demonstrated by such an experiment is not sufficient to enable an interstellar precursor mission, if approved, then it would be the next step toward that goal.

  20. Solar radiation pressure application for orbital motion stabilization near the Sun-Earth collinear libration point

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polyakhova, Elena; Shmyrov, Alexander; Shmyrov, Vasily

    2018-05-01

    Orbital maneuvering in a neighborhood of the collinear libration point L1 of Sun-Earth system has specific properties, primarily associated with the instability L1. For a long stay in this area of space the stabilization problem of orbital motion requires a solution. Numerical experiments have shown that for stabilization of motion it is requires very small control influence in comparison with the gravitational forces. On the other hand, the stabilization time is quite long - months, and possibly years. This makes it highly desirable to use solar pressure forces. In this paper we illustrate the solar sail possibilities for solving of stabilization problem in a neighborhood L1 with use of the model example.

  1. On two speed optimization problems for ships that sail in and out of emission control areas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fagerholt, Kjetil; Psaraftis, Harilaos N.

    2015-01-01

    This paper deals with two speed optimization problems for ships that sail in and out of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) with strict limits on sulfur emissions. For ships crossing in and out of ECAs, such as deep-sea vessels, one of the common options for complying with these limits is to burn heavy...... fuel oil (HFO) outside the ECA and switch to low-sulfur fuel such as marine gas oil (MGO) inside the ECA. As the prices of these two fuels are generally very different, so may be the speeds that the ship will sail at outside and inside the ECA. The first optimization problem examined by the paper...

  2. Exotic power and propulsion concepts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forward, R.L.

    1990-01-01

    The status of some exotic physical phenomena and unconventional spacecraft concepts that might produce breakthroughs in power and propulsion in the 21st Century are reviewed. The subjects covered include: electric, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, antimatter, high energy density materials, metallic hydrogen, laser thermal, solar thermal, solar sail, magnetic sail, and tether propulsion

  3. Overview of the Development of the Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission 12.5-kW Hall Thruster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamhawi, Hani; Huang, Wensheng; Haag, Thomas; Yim, John; Chang, Li; Clayman, Lauren; Herman, Daniel; Shastry, Rohit; Thomas, Robert; Verhey, Timothy; hide

    2014-01-01

    NASA is developing mission concepts for a solar electric propulsion technology demonstration mission. A number of mission concepts are being evaluated including ambitious missions to near Earth objects. The demonstration of a high-power solar electric propulsion capability is one of the objectives of the candidate missions under consideration. In support of NASA's exploration goals, a number of projects are developing extensible technologies to support NASA's near and long term mission needs. Specifically, the Space Technology Mission Directorate Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission project is funding the development of a 12.5-kilowatt magnetically shielded Hall thruster system to support future NASA missions. This paper presents the design attributes of the thruster that was collaboratively developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The paper provides an overview of the magnetic, plasma, thermal, and structural modeling activities that were carried out in support of the thruster design. The paper also summarizes the results of the functional tests that have been carried out to date. The planned thruster performance, plasma diagnostics (internal and in the plume), thermal, wear, and mechanical tests are outlined.

  4. NASA's interstellar probe mission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liewer, P.C.; Ayon, J.A.; Wallace, R.A.; Mewaldt, R.A.

    2000-01-01

    NASA's Interstellar Probe will be the first spacecraft designed to explore the nearby interstellar medium and its interaction with our solar system. As envisioned by NASA's Interstellar Probe Science and Technology Definition Team, the spacecraft will be propelled by a solar sail to reach >200 AU in 15 years. Interstellar Probe will investigate how the Sun interacts with its environment and will directly measure the properties and composition of the dust, neutrals and plasma of the local interstellar material which surrounds the solar system. In the mission concept developed in the spring of 1999, a 400-m diameter solar sail accelerates the spacecraft to ∼15 AU/year, roughly 5 times the speed of Voyager 1 and 2. The sail is used to first bring the spacecraft to ∼0.25 AU to increase the radiation pressure before heading out in the interstellar upwind direction. After jettisoning the sail at ∼5 AU, the spacecraft coasts to 200-400 AU, exploring the Kuiper Belt, the boundaries of the heliosphere, and the nearby interstellar medium

  5. A Light Sail Inspired Model to Harness Casimir Forces for Propellantless Propulsion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeBiase, R. L.

    2010-01-01

    The model used to calculate Casimir forces for variously shaped conducting plates in this paper assumes the vacuum energy pervades all space and that photons randomly pop into and out of existence. While they exist, they possess energy and momentum that can be transferred by reflection as in a light sail. Quantum mechanics in the model is entirely bound up in the Casimir equation of force per unit area. This model is compared with two different experiments: that of Chen and Mohideen demonstrating lateral Casimir forces for sinusoidally corrugated spherical and flat plates and Lamoreaux demonstrating normal Casimir forces between a conducting sphere and flat plate. The calculated forces using this model were compared to the forces obtained in these experiments as well as with calculations using the proximity force approximation. In both cases the results (when compared to the actual plates measured and calculated using non-corrected equations) were less than a few parts per thousand different for the range of separation distances used. When the model was used to calculate forces on the opposite plates, different force magnitudes were obtained seemingly indicating prospects for propellentless propulsion but requiring skeptical verification.

  6. Friction stir welding sets sail in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luan, Guohong

    2007-01-01

    Today, Friction Stir Welding has set sail in China. As the pioneer of FSW development in the China territory, China FSW Centre hes made outstanding achievements in FSW technique development, FSW engineering, FSW equipment and FSW product. But the real industrial applications of FSW in China are just begining. With the planned national long-term development programmes and huge market requirement in aerospace, aviation, shipbuilding, railway, power and energy industries, FSW will continue to develop rapidly in the next 10 years. FSW will continue to develop rapidly in the next 10 years. FSW not only raises the level of joining techniques in Chinese industrial companies, but also increase the competitive ability of the industrial products made in china

  7. Climate Odyssey: Resources for Understanding Coastal Change through Art, Science, and Sail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klos, P. Z.; Holtsnider, L.

    2017-12-01

    Climate Odyssey (climateodyssey.org) is a year-long sailing expedition and continuing collaboration aimed at using overlaps in science and visual art to communicate coastal climate change impacts and solutions. We, visual artist Lucy Holtsnider and climate scientist Zion Klos, are using our complimentary skills in art, science and communication to engage audiences both intuitively and cognitively regarding the urgency of climate change through story and visualization. Over the 2015 - 2016 academic year, we embarked on the sailing portion of Climate Odyssey, beginning in Lake Michigan, continuing along the Eastern Seaboard, and concluding in the tropics. Along the way we photographed climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, interviewed stakeholders, scientists, and artists. We are now sharing our photographs and documented encounters through a tangible artist's book, interactive digital map, blog, and series of K16 lesson plans. Each of our images added to the artist's book and digital map are linked to relevant blog entries and other external scientific resources, making the map both a piece of art and an engaging education tool for sharing the science of climate change impacts and solutions. After completing the sailing component of the project, we have now finalized our multi-media resources and are working to share these with the public via libraries, galleries, and K16 classrooms in coastal communities. At AGU, we will share with our peers the completed version of the series of K16 lesson plans that provide educators an easy-to-use way to introduce and utilize the material in the artist's book, digital map, and online blog. Through this, we hope to both discuss climate-focused education and engagement strategies, as well as showcase this example of art-science outreach with the broader science education and communication community that is focused on climate literacy in the U.S. and beyond.

  8. First-line bevacizumab-based therapy in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer : analysis of the Italian patients enrolled in the SAiL study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bearz, Alessandra; Passalacqua, Rodolfo; Alabiso, Oscar; Cinieri, Saverio; Gridelli, Cesare; Cravesana, Claudia; Crinò, Lucio

    2012-11-01

    First-line bevacizumab-based therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The recent international phase IV SAiL study (a Study of Avastin [bevacizumab] in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy in patients with advanced or recurrent non-squamous cell Lung cancer) evaluated the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab combined with standard chemotherapy regimens in routine clinical practice. Here we report the results of a subanalysis of baseline characteristics and efficacy data for Italian patients enrolled in SAiL. In the SAiL study, patients with untreated locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-squamous NSCLC received bevacizumab (7.5 or 15 mg/kg) every 3 weeks plus chemotherapy for up to six cycles, followed by single-agent bevacizumab until disease progression. Efficacy was assessed in terms of time to disease progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). The Italian intent-to-treat population comprised 215 patients from a SAiL population of 2212 patients. At baseline, Italian patients tended to have less advanced disease than the overall population. Thus, the proportion of patients at enrollment with tumour stage IIIb and IV was 23.7 and 76.3 %, respectively, for the Italian population versus 19.7 and 80.3 % for the whole SAiL population. In addition, a higher proportion of Italian patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 (72.6 vs. 37.2 %) and the prevalence of co-morbid conditions was lower in Italian patients (59.5 % of Italian patients reported a co-morbid condition and 60.0 % were receiving non-oncological treatment compared with 73.3 and 73.4 %, respectively, of SAiL patients overall). The mean exposures to bevacizumab and to chemotherapy were comparable between the Italian patient group and overall patient population, although cisplatin doublets were more commonly employed in Italian patients whereas carboplatin doublets were more

  9. Mini-magnetospheric plasma propulsion (M2P2): High speed propulsion sailing the solar wind

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winglee, Robert; Slough, John; Ziemba, Tim; Goodson, Anthony

    2000-01-01

    Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion (M2P2) seeks the creation of a magnetic wall or bubble (i.e. a magnetosphere) that will intercept the supersonic solar wind which is moving at 300-800 km/s. In so doing, a force of about 1 N will be exerted on the spacecraft by the spacecraft while only requiring a few mN of force to sustain the mini-magnetosphere. Equivalently, the incident solar wind power is about 1 MW while about 1 kW electrical power is required to sustain the system, with about 0.25-0.5 kg being expended per day. This nominal configuration utilizing only solar electric cells for power, the M2P2 will produce a magnetic barrier approximately 15-20 km in radius, which would accelerate a 70-140 kg payload to speeds of about 50-80 km/s. At this speed, missions to the heliopause and beyond can be achieved in under 10 yrs. Design characteristics for a prototype are also described

  10. Solar irradiance measurements from the Danish Galathea 3 expedition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bason, Frank [SolData Instruments, Silkeborg (Denmark)

    2008-07-01

    The Danish Galathea 3 Expedition completed an eight month journey of exploration and discovery on April 25th, 2007, having set sail from Copenhagen on August 11th, 2006. SolData Instruments was privileged to be selected to contribute an ''optics table'' with pyranometers, ultraviolet, lux, sky luminance, PAR and other optical radiation detectors. These instruments recorded data continuously during the 100.000 kilometer voyage of the Royal Danish Navy vessel Vaedderen. The voyage provided global solar irradiance and other data as far north as the Arctic Circle near Greenland and as far south as Antarctica. The data collected was analyzed to validate a solar irradiance model described in this paper. A unique opportunity was also provided to check the performance of SolData photovoltaic pyranometers against data from a Kipp-Zonen CMll instrument. In addition to optical radiation, ionizing radiation and atmospheric pressure were also measured, and some interesting aspects of these measurements will also be mentioned. (orig.)

  11. Effects of a Tall Ship Sail Training Experience on Adolescents' Self-Concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capurso, Michele; Borsci, Simone

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates the impact of a sail training education programme on the self-concept of a group of 147 adolescents. The Competence and Social domains of Bracken's self-concept scale were assessed by a quasi-experimental design in three phases: before commencement of the activities, on the last day of the voyage, and three months after…

  12. Simulation of space radiation effects on polyimide film materials for high temperature applications. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fogdall, L.B.; Cannaday, S.S.

    1977-11-01

    Space environment effects on candidate materials for the solar sail film are determined. Polymers, including metallized polyimides that might be suitable solar radiation receivers, were exposed to combined proton and solar electromagnetic radiation. Each test sample was weighted, to simulate the tension on the polymer when it is stretched into near-planar shape while receiving solar radiation. Exposure rates up to 16 times that expected in Earth orbit were employed, to simulate near-sun solar sailing conditions. Sample appearance, elongation, and shrinkage were monitored, noted, and documented in situ. Thermosetting polyimides showed less degradation or visual change in appearance than thermoplastics

  13. Error Budget for a Calibration Demonstration System for the Reflected Solar Instrument for the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thome, Kurtis; McCorkel, Joel; McAndrew, Brendan

    2013-01-01

    A goal of the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) mission is to observe highaccuracy, long-term climate change trends over decadal time scales. The key to such a goal is to improving the accuracy of SI traceable absolute calibration across infrared and reflected solar wavelengths allowing climate change to be separated from the limit of natural variability. The advances required to reach on-orbit absolute accuracy to allow climate change observations to survive data gaps exist at NIST in the laboratory, but still need demonstration that the advances can move successfully from to NASA and/or instrument vendor capabilities for spaceborne instruments. The current work describes the radiometric calibration error budget for the Solar, Lunar for Absolute Reflectance Imaging Spectroradiometer (SOLARIS) which is the calibration demonstration system (CDS) for the reflected solar portion of CLARREO. The goal of the CDS is to allow the testing and evaluation of calibration approaches, alternate design and/or implementation approaches and components for the CLARREO mission. SOLARIS also provides a test-bed for detector technologies, non-linearity determination and uncertainties, and application of future technology developments and suggested spacecraft instrument design modifications. The resulting SI-traceable error budget for reflectance retrieval using solar irradiance as a reference and methods for laboratory-based, absolute calibration suitable for climatequality data collections is given. Key components in the error budget are geometry differences between the solar and earth views, knowledge of attenuator behavior when viewing the sun, and sensor behavior such as detector linearity and noise behavior. Methods for demonstrating this error budget are also presented.

  14. A control strategy for steering an autonomous surface sailing vehicle in a tacking maneuver

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jouffroy, Jerome

    2009-01-01

    Sailing vessels such as sailboats but also landyachts are vehicles representing a real challenge for automation. However, the control aspects of such vehicles were hitherto very little studied. This paper presents a simplied dynamic model of a so-called landyacht allowing to capture the main...

  15. UltraSail Solar Sail Flight Experiment, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A team of CU Aerospace, the University of Illinois, and ManTech SRS Technologies proposes Phase II development of a 3 kg CubeSat spacecraft for initial flight test...

  16. Deep Play. Rationality in the Life World with Special Reference to Sailing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goold, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    In an essay on the rationality of play, the author characterizes rationality by the three distinct demands it makes on the individual--demands for autonomy, solidarity, and integrity. He develops each of these as they apply to the sport of sailing, using the example of two deep-ocean expeditions to arrive at a concept of deep play he sees as one…

  17. Canopy bidirectional reflectance calculation based on Adding method and SAIL formalism: AddingS / AddingSD

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kallel, A.; Verhoef, W.; Hegarat-Mascle, Le S.; Ottle, C.; Hubert-Moy, L.

    2008-01-01

    The SAIL model (proposed by Verhoef) is largely used in the remote sensing community to calculate the canopy Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function. The simulation results appear acceptable compared to observations especially for not very dense planophile vegetation. However, for

  18. Simultaneous Optimization of Container Ship Sailing Speed and Container Routing with Transit Time Restrictions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karsten, Christian Vad; Røpke, Stefan; Pisinger, David

    We introduce a decision support tool for liner shipping companies to optimally determine the sailing speed and needed fleet for a global network. As a novelty we incorporate cargo routing decisions with tight transit time restrictions on each container such that we get a realistic picture...

  19. Performance Analysis of XCPC Powered Solar Cooling Demonstration Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widyolar, Bennett K.

    A solar thermal cooling system using novel non-tracking External Compound Parabolic Concentrators (XCPC) has been built at the University of California, Merced and operated for two cooling seasons. Its performance in providing power for space cooling has been analyzed. This solar cooling system is comprised of 53.3 m2 of XCPC trough collectors which are used to power a 23 kW double effect (LiBr) absorption chiller. This is the first system that combines both XCPC and absorption chilling technologies. Performance of the system was measured in both sunny and cloudy conditions, with both clean and dirty collectors. It was found that these collectors are well suited at providing thermal power to drive absorption cooling systems and that both the coinciding of available thermal power with cooling demand and the simplicity of the XCPC collectors compared to other solar thermal collectors makes them a highly attractive candidate for cooling projects.

  20. Solar Energy Innovation Network | Solar Research | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Energy Innovation Network Solar Energy Innovation Network The Solar Energy Innovation Network grid. Text version The Solar Energy Innovation Network is a collaborative research effort administered (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office to develop and demonstrate new ways for solar energy to improve

  1. Solar eclipse demonstrating the importance of photochemistry in new particle formation

    OpenAIRE

    Jokinen, Tuija; Kontkanen, Jenni; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Manninen, Hanna E.; Aalto, Juho; Porcar-Castell, Albert; Garmash, Olga; Nieminen, Tuomo; Ehn, Mikael; Kangasluoma, Juha; Junninen, Heikki; Levula, Janne; Duplissy, Jonathan; Ahonen, Lauri R.; Rantala, Pekka

    2017-01-01

    Solar eclipses provide unique possibilities to investigate atmospheric processes, such as new particle formation (NPF), important to the global aerosol load and radiative balance. The temporary absence of solar radiation gives particular insight into different oxidation and clustering processes leading to NPF. This is crucial because our mechanistic understanding on how NPF is related to photochemistry is still rather limited. During a partial solar eclipse over Finland in 2015, we found that...

  2. Three year review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-01-01

    Since 1977 research and development activities include various biotechnology systems: algal systems, microbial systems, water hyacinth utilization systems, pisciculture biogas systems; food, fodder and forestry systems (including algal systems), cattle feeding with water hyacinth, biodynamic-intensive vegetable gardening, hydroponic raft culture in stagnant water, small-lot energy-food forestry, and energy plantations; wind and solar energy systems including a bidirectional horizontal-axis down-wind sail-wing windmill, a horizontal-axis down-wind sail-wing windmill, solar crop and fish dryers, solar cookers and water sterilizers; appropriate-construction systems including pond-construction systems, passive solar-building techniques and pond roofing; and communication systems.

  3. Mitigating Climate Change with Earth Orbital Sunshades

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coverstone, Victoria; Johnson, Les

    2015-01-01

    An array of rotating sunshades based on emerging solar sail technology will be deployed in a novel Earth orbit to provide near-continuous partial shading of the Earth, reducing the heat input to the atmosphere by blocking a small percentage of the incoming sunlight, and mitigating local weather effects of anticipated climate change over the next century. The technology will provide local cooling relief during extreme heat events (and heating relief during extreme cold events) thereby saving human lives, agriculture, livestock, water and energy needs. A synthesis of the solar sail design, the sails' operational modes, and the selected orbit combine to provide local weather modification.

  4. The Response of Old Technology Incumbents to Technological Competition - Does the Sailing Ship Effect Exist?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Howells, John

    This article investigates whether firms react to a radical technological substitution threat by a deliberate acceleration of innovation in their existing technology - the 'sailing ship effect'. It has been argued that the effect is both significant and widespread and warrants a reexamination of our...

  5. Department of Energy's solar update. Four regional conferences highlighting the objectives, plans, and experience of the National Commercial Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Program and the National Solar Data Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1978-11-01

    This volume contains the entire proceedings of the solar update. All papers presented by DOE officials, DOE contractors, and demonstration site representatives are presented, as well as summaries of all workshops, comments from questionnaires, and a listing of all participants. Twenty-eight papers are included. Two were abstracted previously for EDB. Separate abstracts were prepared for twenty-six. (MHR)

  6. Sailing to Komodo: Contradictions of Tourism and Development in Eastern Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maribeth Erb

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Tourism is often pinpointed as a sector of growth for countries in the developing world, and this perspective has been readily accepted in Indonesia. Government officials in poorer sections of the country, such as Nusa Tenggara Timur province (NTT in eastern Indonesia, have high hopes for the role that tourism can play in developing these poorer regions. This is not surprising, given the increasing renown of the Komodo National Park, just west of the island of Flores, where the world famous Komodo dragons reside. However, how exactly tourism is supposed to raise the standard of living and aid in development in NTT province is often unclear. In this paper I want to critically look at ideas about tourism and development in NTT, by focusing on the ‘Sail Komodo’ yacht rally, a major tourism event that took place from August to September 2013. Sail Komodo was as a marine tourism event expected to boost tourist numbers, lift the standard of living of people in this province and lower poverty levels. I critically analyze this event within the context of a ‘mega event’, and show how the contradictory ideas about how the event was meant to lead to prosperity for the poor can indicate the sometimes misguided relationship posited between tourism and development.

  7. ZZ SAIL, Albedo Scattering Data Library for 3-D Monte-Carlo Radiation Transport in LWR Pressure Vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-01-01

    1 - Description of problem or function: Format: SAIL format; Number of groups: 23 neutron / 17 gamma-ray; Nuclides: Type 04 Concrete and Low Carbon Steel (A533B). Origin: Science Applications, Inc (SAI); Weighting spectrum: yes. SAIL is a library of albedo scattering data to be used in three-dimensional Monte Carlo codes to solve radiation transport problems specific to the reactor pressure vessel cavity region of a LWR. The library contains data for Type 04 Concrete and Low Carbon Steel (A533B). 2 - Method of solution: The calculation of the albedo data was perform- ed with a version of the discrete ordinates transport code DOT which treats the transport of neutrons, secondary gamma-rays and gamma- rays in one dimension, while maintaining the complete two-dimension- al treatment of the angular dependence

  8. PSYCHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF TEACHING FUTURE NAVIGATORS READING ENGLISH AUTHENTIC SAILING DIRECTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Наталія Приміна

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In the given article the psychological peculiarities of teaching future navigators reading English professional authentic documentation have been analyzed. The psychological foundations of understanding printed information in general and foreign information particularly have been disclosed. The processes of textual information perception and visual material perception comprehension have been analysed. The language levels of foreign text comprehension have been examined. The peculiarities of perceptual transformation of foreign language information while reading English sailing directions have been found out.

  9. A complete process for production of flexible large area polymer solar cells entirely using screen printing-First public demonstration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krebs, Frederik C; Jørgensen, Mikkel; Norrman, Kion

    2009-01-01

    , complete processing in air using commonly available screen printing, and finally, simple mechanical encapsulation using a flexible packaging material and electrical contacting post-production using crimped contacts. We detail the production of more than 2000 modules in one production run and show......A complete polymer solar cell module prepared in the ambient atmosphere under industrial conditions is presented. The versatility of the polymer solar cell technology is demonstrated through the use of abstract forms for the active area, a flexible substrate, processing entirely from solution...

  10. Gamma-Ray Polarimetry of the Prompt Emission by IKAROS-GAP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonetoku, D.; Murakami, T.; Sakashita, T.; Morihara, Y.; Kikuchi, Y.; Takahashi, T.; Gunji, S.; Mihara, T.; Kubo, S.

    2011-01-01

    The small solar power sail demonstrator 'IKAROS' is a Japanese engineering verification spacecraft launched by H-IIA rocket on May 21, 2010 at JAXA Tanegashima Space Center. IKAROS has a 20 m diameter sail which is made of thin polyimide membrane. This sail converts the solar radiation-pressure into the propulsion force of IKAROS and accelerates the spacecraft. The Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (GAP) aboard IKAROS is the first polarimeter specifically designed to measure the polarization of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) from space, and will do so in the cruising phase of the IKAROS mission. GAP is a modest detector of 3.8 kg in weight and 17 cm in size with an energy range between 50-300 keV. The GAP detector can be a member of the interplanetary network (IPN) for the determination of the GRB direction. The detection principle of gamma-ray polarization is the anisotropy of the Compton scattering. Coincidence between the central plastic Compton scattering medium and discrete CsI detectors distributed around the sides of the plastic defines the Compton scattering angle, which is expected to show an angular dependence if polarization is present in a given GRB. We presented the GAP detector and its ground and onboard calibrations.

  11. The SAIL databank: linking multiple health and social care datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, Ronan A; Jones, Kerina H; John, Gareth; Brooks, Caroline J; Verplancke, Jean-Philippe; Ford, David V; Brown, Ginevra; Leake, Ken

    2009-01-16

    Vast amounts of data are collected about patients and service users in the course of health and social care service delivery. Electronic data systems for patient records have the potential to revolutionise service delivery and research. But in order to achieve this, it is essential that the ability to link the data at the individual record level be retained whilst adhering to the principles of information governance. The SAIL (Secure Anonymised Information Linkage) databank has been established using disparate datasets, and over 500 million records from multiple health and social care service providers have been loaded to date, with further growth in progress. Having established the infrastructure of the databank, the aim of this work was to develop and implement an accurate matching process to enable the assignment of a unique Anonymous Linking Field (ALF) to person-based records to make the databank ready for record-linkage research studies. An SQL-based matching algorithm (MACRAL, Matching Algorithm for Consistent Results in Anonymised Linkage) was developed for this purpose. Firstly the suitability of using a valid NHS number as the basis of a unique identifier was assessed using MACRAL. Secondly, MACRAL was applied in turn to match primary care, secondary care and social services datasets to the NHS Administrative Register (NHSAR), to assess the efficacy of this process, and the optimum matching technique. The validation of using the NHS number yielded specificity values > 99.8% and sensitivity values > 94.6% using probabilistic record linkage (PRL) at the 50% threshold, and error rates were SAIL databank represents a research-ready platform for record-linkage studies.

  12. Evaluation of the potential to upgrade the Sandia Atomic Iodine Laser SAIL-1 to higher output energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riley, M.E.; Palmer, R.E.

    1977-05-01

    The predicted output energy of the Sandia Atomic Iodine Laser SAIL-1 is given for various numbers of preamplifier stages and for various small signal gains in each stage. Additional possibilities for further increasing the output energy are given

  13. Further development and performance evaluation of the autonomous sailing boat Maribot Vane

    OpenAIRE

    Dhomé, Ulysse

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes the ongoing development of Maribot Vane, an autonomous sailing vessel at the Maritime Robotics Laboratory of KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. There is an ac-celerating need for ocean sensing where autonomous vehicles can play a key role in assisting scientists with environmental monitoring and collecting oceanographic data. The purpose of Maribot Vane is to offer a sus-tainable alternative for these autonomous missions by using wind and an energy efficie...

  14. Sailing Vessel Routing Considering Safety Zone and Penalty Time for Altering Course

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcin Zyczkowski

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we introduce new model for simulation sea vessel routing. Besides a vessel types (polar diagram and weather forecast, travel security and the number of maneuvers are considered. Based on these data both the minimal travelling costs and the minimal processing time are found for different vessels and different routes. To test our model the applications SailingAssistance wad improved. The obtained results shows that we can obtain quite acceptable results.

  15. Updated Heliostorm Warning Mission: Enhancements Based on New Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Roy M.

    2010-01-01

    The Heliostorm (also referred to as Geostorm) mission has been regarded as the best choice for the first application of solar sail technology. The objective of Heliostorm is to obtain data from an orbit station slightly displaced from the ecliptic at or nearer to the Sun than 0.98 AU, which places it twice as close to the sun as Earth's natural L1 point at 0.993 AU. Heliostorm has been the subject of several mission studies over the past decade, with the most complete study conducted in 1999 in conjunction with a proposed New Millennium Program (NMP) Space Technology 5 (ST-5) flight opportunity. Recently, over a two and one-half year period dating from 2002 through 2005, NASA s In-Space Propulsion Technology Program (ISTP) matured solar sail technology from laboratory components to fully integrated systems, demonstrated in as relevant a space environment as could feasibly be simulated on the ground. Work under this program has yielded promising results for enhanced Heliostorm mission performance. This paper will present the preliminary results of an updated Heliostorm mission design study including the enhancements incorporated during the design, development, analysis and testing of the system ground demonstrator.

  16. Finite-volume simulation of the flow around a sailing boat with unsteady motion; Hiteijo undo wo okonau hansotei no yuten taisekiho ni yoru simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akimoto, H. [Tottori University, Tottori (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1997-06-01

    A new simulation code WISDAM-7 is developed to simulate performance of a sailing boat moving three-dimensionally on a free surface. It adequately predicts forces acting on each element, such as hull, sail, keel and rudder, and use them as the inputs to solve equations of hull motion of 6 freedoms. Its major features are the grid system fit for both free and hull surfaces, generation of discrete space by the finite-volume method, handling of the velocity vectors directly as those in the Descartes system, velocity and pressure placed at the cell center, use of the moving grid system for free and object surfaces, and use of equations of hull motion of 6 freedoms. It is confirmed by comparing simulated motion of an IACC class yacht with the observed surface pressure distributions in the test tank that the new method satisfies the basic requirements for simulation of sailing boat motion and expands the applicable range of CFD to general motion conditions. 8 refs., 18 figs.

  17. Solar engine system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan, K.K.; Bahrom Sanugi; Chen, L.C.; Chong, K.K.; Jasmy Yunus; Kannan, K.S.; Lim, B.H.; Noriah Bidin; Omar Aliman; Sahar Salehan; Sheikh Ab Rezan Sheikh A H; Tam, C.M.; Chen, Y.T.

    2001-01-01

    This paper reports the revolutionary solar engine system in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The solar engine is a single cylinder stirling engine driven by solar thermal energy. A first prototype solar engine has been built and demonstrated. A new-concept non-imaging focusing heliostat and a recently invented optical receiver are used in the demonstration. Second generation of prototype solar engine is described briefly. In this paper, the solar engine system development is reported. Measurement for the first prototype engine speed, temperature and specifications are presented. The benefits and potential applications for the future solar engine system, especially for the electricity generating aspect are discussed. (Author)

  18. Reconstruction of internal nasal valve, septum, dorsum, and anterior structures of the nose in a single procedure with a molded bone graft: the sail graft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guneren, Ethem; Ciftci, Mehmet; Karaaltin, Mehmet Veli; Yildiz, Kemalettin

    2012-05-01

    Excessive surgical removal or traumatic loss of the tissues supporting the nasal roof can result in the "saddle nose" deformity. It involves both cartilage and bone deficiencies. Two main resources are used to reconstruct this difficult deformity: autogenous bone and cartilage grafts and alloplastic materials. This study presents the reconstruction of the dorsum, septum, internal nasal valve, and anterior structures and the tip of the nose using a block of molded autogenous bone graft. We called it the "sail graft," because it looks like a sail from a lateral view. The mast of the sail is oriented in a superior-to-inferior direction, beginning in the frontonasal region to the tip of the nose to form a straight, well-rounded dorsum. The longest postoperative follow-up of 13 cases is now 10 years; the median follow-up is 2 years. The results have been satisfactory.

  19. SAIL Panama Canal Zone Project 2008 : Biological Survey of Panama (1910-1912)

    OpenAIRE

    DeHart, Liz; Haas, Stephanie C.; Walton, Jennifer; Heil, Kathy

    2009-01-01

    During the 18th Annual 2008 SAIL meeting at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, a suggestion was made for the need to digitize and make available through the Aquatic Commons some of the early documents related to the U.S. biological survey of Panama from 1910 to 1912. With SAIL’s endeavor, a new digital project was born and this presentation describes its process, beginning to final product. The main source consulted for determining copyright clear publications was: ...

  20. Solar Powered Aircraft, Photovoltaic Array/Battery System Tabletop Demonstration: Design and Operation Manual

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colozza, Anthony J.; Scheiman, David A.; Bailey, Sheila (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    A system was constructed to demonstrate the power system operation of a solar powered aircraft. The system consists of a photovoltaic (PV) array, a charge controller, a battery, an electric motor and propeller. The system collects energy from the PV array and either utilizes this energy to operate an electric motor or stores it in a rechargeable battery for future use. The system has a control panel which displays the output of the array and battery as well as the total current going to the electric motor. The control panel also has a means for adjusting the output to the motor to control its speed. The entire system is regulated around 12 VDC.

  1. Research notes : solar powered navigational lighting system demonstration project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-01

    ODOT will be installing a solar powered navigational lighting system on the AstoriaMegler Bridge as part of a pilot project approved by the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA). The coastal bridge is the connection across the Columbia River on U.S....

  2. The SAIL Databank: building a national architecture for e-health research and evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thompson Simon

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Vast quantities of electronic data are collected about patients and service users as they pass through health service and other public sector organisations, and these data present enormous potential for research and policy evaluation. The Health Information Research Unit (HIRU aims to realise the potential of electronically-held, person-based, routinely-collected data to conduct and support health-related studies. However, there are considerable challenges that must be addressed before such data can be used for these purposes, to ensure compliance with the legislation and guidelines generally known as Information Governance. Methods A set of objectives was identified to address the challenges and establish the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL system in accordance with Information Governance. These were to: 1 ensure data transportation is secure; 2 operate a reliable record matching technique to enable accurate record linkage across datasets; 3 anonymise and encrypt the data to prevent re-identification of individuals; 4 apply measures to address disclosure risk in data views created for researchers; 5 ensure data access is controlled and authorised; 6 establish methods for scrutinising proposals for data utilisation and approving output; and 7 gain external verification of compliance with Information Governance. Results The SAIL databank has been established and it operates on a DB2 platform (Data Warehouse Edition on AIX running on an IBM 'P' series Supercomputer: Blue-C. The findings of an independent internal audit were favourable and concluded that the systems in place provide adequate assurance of compliance with Information Governance. This expanding databank already holds over 500 million anonymised and encrypted individual-level records from a range of sources relevant to health and well-being. This includes national datasets covering the whole of Wales (approximately 3 million population and local provider

  3. The SAIL Databank: building a national architecture for e-health research and evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, David V; Jones, Kerina H; Verplancke, Jean-Philippe; Lyons, Ronan A; John, Gareth; Brown, Ginevra; Brooks, Caroline J; Thompson, Simon; Bodger, Owen; Couch, Tony; Leake, Ken

    2009-09-04

    Vast quantities of electronic data are collected about patients and service users as they pass through health service and other public sector organisations, and these data present enormous potential for research and policy evaluation. The Health Information Research Unit (HIRU) aims to realise the potential of electronically-held, person-based, routinely-collected data to conduct and support health-related studies. However, there are considerable challenges that must be addressed before such data can be used for these purposes, to ensure compliance with the legislation and guidelines generally known as Information Governance. A set of objectives was identified to address the challenges and establish the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) system in accordance with Information Governance. These were to: 1) ensure data transportation is secure; 2) operate a reliable record matching technique to enable accurate record linkage across datasets; 3) anonymise and encrypt the data to prevent re-identification of individuals; 4) apply measures to address disclosure risk in data views created for researchers; 5) ensure data access is controlled and authorised; 6) establish methods for scrutinising proposals for data utilisation and approving output; and 7) gain external verification of compliance with Information Governance. The SAIL databank has been established and it operates on a DB2 platform (Data Warehouse Edition on AIX) running on an IBM 'P' series Supercomputer: Blue-C. The findings of an independent internal audit were favourable and concluded that the systems in place provide adequate assurance of compliance with Information Governance. This expanding databank already holds over 500 million anonymised and encrypted individual-level records from a range of sources relevant to health and well-being. This includes national datasets covering the whole of Wales (approximately 3 million population) and local provider-level datasets, with further growth in

  4. Unique sail-like structure of cor triatriatum dexter in three-dimensional echocardiogram.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, Ting Ting; Uy, Celia Catherine C; Wong, Raymond Ching Chiew

    2014-08-01

    Cor triatriatum dexter (CTD) is an extremely rare congenital condition arising from the persistence of the right valve of the sinus venosus. It divides the right atrium (RA) into 2 separate chambers. We report a case of a 50-year-old man who had an incidental finding of CTD on transesophageal echocardiogram. An incomplete membrane of the RA was seen, and three-dimensional echocardiogram delineated the structure clearly as a triangular sail-like structure with multiple orifices and a fenestration. © 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Managing Your Mathematics Program: A Total System. A Guide to the U-SAIL Basic Mathematics System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hales, Carma M.; Jones, Maurine E.

    The Utah System Approach to Individual Learning (U-SAIL) Mathematics System was developed to make it possible for teachers to provide excellence in arithmetic instruction. It is based on the premise that in order to teach arithmetic well, teachers must accurately assess, teach directly, provide students with focused practice, corrective feedback,…

  6. Plasmonic nanoparticle chain in a light field: a resonant optical sail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albaladejo, Silvia; Sáenz, Juan José; Marqués, Manuel I

    2011-11-09

    Optical trapping and driving of small objects has become a topic of increasing interest in multidisciplinary sciences. We propose to use a chain made of metallic nanoparticles as a resonant light sail, attached by one end point to a transparent object and propelling it by the use of electromagnetic radiation. Driving forces exerted on the chain are theoretically studied as a function of radiation's wavelength and chain's alignments with respect to the direction of radiation. Interestingly, there is a window in the frequency spectrum in which null-torque equilibrium configuration, with minimum geometric cross section, corresponds to a maximum in the driving force.

  7. The SAIL databank: linking multiple health and social care datasets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ford David V

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Vast amounts of data are collected about patients and service users in the course of health and social care service delivery. Electronic data systems for patient records have the potential to revolutionise service delivery and research. But in order to achieve this, it is essential that the ability to link the data at the individual record level be retained whilst adhering to the principles of information governance. The SAIL (Secure Anonymised Information Linkage databank has been established using disparate datasets, and over 500 million records from multiple health and social care service providers have been loaded to date, with further growth in progress. Methods Having established the infrastructure of the databank, the aim of this work was to develop and implement an accurate matching process to enable the assignment of a unique Anonymous Linking Field (ALF to person-based records to make the databank ready for record-linkage research studies. An SQL-based matching algorithm (MACRAL, Matching Algorithm for Consistent Results in Anonymised Linkage was developed for this purpose. Firstly the suitability of using a valid NHS number as the basis of a unique identifier was assessed using MACRAL. Secondly, MACRAL was applied in turn to match primary care, secondary care and social services datasets to the NHS Administrative Register (NHSAR, to assess the efficacy of this process, and the optimum matching technique. Results The validation of using the NHS number yielded specificity values > 99.8% and sensitivity values > 94.6% using probabilistic record linkage (PRL at the 50% threshold, and error rates were Conclusion With the infrastructure that has been put in place, the reliable matching process that has been developed enables an ALF to be consistently allocated to records in the databank. The SAIL databank represents a research-ready platform for record-linkage studies.

  8. Design and Analysis of a Practical Heliogyro Blade Control System for Deployment and Flight

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A heliogyro spacecraft is a specific type of solar sail that generates thrust from the reflection of solar photons. The proposed research for this fellowship will...

  9. Solar Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    The solar collectors shown are elements of domestic solar hot water systems produced by Solar One Ltd., Virginia Beach, Virginia. Design of these systems benefited from technical expertise provided Solar One by NASA's Langley Research Center. The company obtained a NASA technical support package describing the d e sign and operation of solar heating equipment in NASA's Tech House, a demonstration project in which aerospace and commercial building technology are combined in an energy- efficient home. Solar One received further assistance through personal contact with Langley solar experts. The company reports that the technical information provided by NASA influenced Solar One's panel design, its selection of a long-life panel coating which increases solar collection efficiency, and the method adopted for protecting solar collectors from freezing conditions.

  10. Approximate Method of Calculating Forces on Rudder During Ship Sailing on a Shipping Route

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Zelazny

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Service speed of a ship in real weather conditions is a basic design parameter. Forecasting of this speed at preliminary design stage is made difficult by the lack of simple but at the same accurate models of forces acting upon a ship sailing on a preset shipping route. The article presents a model for calculating forces and moment on plane rudder, useful for forecasting of ship service speed at preliminary stages of ship design.

  11. Intra-Hour Dispatch and Automatic Generator Control Demonstration with Solar Forecasting - Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coimbra, Carlos F. M. [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States

    2016-02-25

    In this project we address multiple resource integration challenges associated with increasing levels of solar penetration that arise from the variability and uncertainty in solar irradiance. We will model the SMUD service region as its own balancing region, and develop an integrated, real-time operational tool that takes solar-load forecast uncertainties into consideration and commits optimal energy resources and reserves for intra-hour and intra-day decisions. The primary objectives of this effort are to reduce power system operation cost by committing appropriate amount of energy resources and reserves, as well as to provide operators a prediction of the generation fleet’s behavior in real time for realistic PV penetration scenarios. The proposed methodology includes the following steps: clustering analysis on the expected solar variability per region for the SMUD system, Day-ahead (DA) and real-time (RT) load forecasts for the entire service areas, 1-year of intra-hour CPR forecasts for cluster centers, 1-year of smart re-forecasting CPR forecasts in real-time for determination of irreducible errors, and uncertainty quantification for integrated solar-load for both distributed and central stations (selected locations within service region) PV generation.

  12. Some New Locally Optimal Control Laws for Sailcraft Dynamics in Heliocentric Orbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. A. Abd El-Salam

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The concept of solar sailing and its developing spacecraft is presented. The gravitational and solar radiation forces are considered. The effect of source of radiation pressure and the force due to coronal mass ejections and solar wind on the sailcraft configurations is modeled. Some analytical control laws with some mentioned input constraints for optimizing sailcraft dynamics in heliocentric orbit using lagrange’s planetary equations are obtained. Optimum force vector in a required direction is maximized by deriving optimal sail cone angle. Ignoring the absorbed and diffusely reflected parts of the radiation, some special cases are obtained. New control laws that maximize thrust to obtain certain required maximization in some particular orbital element are obtained.

  13. Design of the De-Orbit Sail Boom Deployment Unit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, Sebastian; Hillebrandt, Martin; Straubel, Marco; Huhne, Christian

    2014-06-01

    The design of the De-Orbit Sail boom deployment unit is strongly driven by volume constraints, which are given by the cubesat container. Four CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) booms [4] with a cross-sectional shape of a double-omega and a length of 3.6 m are reeled on one spool in the center of the unit. The deployment of the four booms are controlled by an electric motor, which acts on the boom spool. Due to the volume limitation caused by the dimensions of the cubesat deployer the deployment unit has little room for the mechanisms components. With the aim to achieve a robust design, the deployment concept of the unit has greatly changed during the development process. The history of the design as well as the mechanisms are described. Additionally the results of the flight model testing are presented.

  14. [Simulation of vegetation indices optimizing under retrieval of vegetation biochemical parameters based on PROSPECT + SAIL model].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ling; Liu, Xiang-Nan; Zhou, Bo-Tian; Liu, Chuan-Hao; Li, Lu-Feng

    2012-12-01

    This study analyzed the sensitivities of three vegetation biochemical parameters [chlorophyll content (Cab), leaf water content (Cw), and leaf area index (LAI)] to the changes of canopy reflectance, with the effects of each parameter on the wavelength regions of canopy reflectance considered, and selected three vegetation indices as the optimization comparison targets of cost function. Then, the Cab, Cw, and LAI were estimated, based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm and PROSPECT + SAIL model. The results showed that retrieval efficiency with vegetation indices as the optimization comparison targets of cost function was better than that with all spectral reflectance. The correlation coefficients (R2) between the measured and estimated values of Cab, Cw, and LAI were 90.8%, 95.7%, and 99.7%, and the root mean square errors of Cab, Cw, and LAI were 4.73 microg x cm(-2), 0.001 g x cm(-2), and 0.08, respectively. It was suggested that to adopt vegetation indices as the optimization comparison targets of cost function could effectively improve the efficiency and precision of the retrieval of biochemical parameters based on PROSPECT + SAIL model.

  15. PENERAPAN PRINSIP-PRINSIP GOOD GOVERNANCE DALAM PELAYANAN PUBLIK DI KANTOR CAMAT SAIL KOTA PEKANBARU

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sri Roserdevi Nasution

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Good Governance is the new face of hearts implement the principles of Public Service in the reform era. Public services Law No. 25 of 2009 is activities or circuit hearts Frame activities Fulfillment Services Under legislation with every citizen Share And Population differences Goods, services, and administrative services or Provided By Operation of Public Service. Public services carried out by the Government showed to society who asked service. Research Type singer is descriptive qualitative approach with, the techniques data collection using depth Interviews and Documentation. Results of Research Singer nearly all the principles of good governance hearts Services Not Running In accordance with From UNDP as Principles of Participation, legal rules, Transparency, Responsiveness, consensus-oriented, fairness, effectiveness, accountability, and strategic vision, Many Are Being inhibit the progress of the Principles of good governance. The conclusion from the findings of research, so authors concluded that the application of good governance in the hearts Implementation Services Head Office Sail Maximum yet. It is because that the singer Leadership And yet the implementation of communication subordinate ones in line so that although Head Already Trying to give the Best but if NOT in Support By subordinates will Difficult accomplished. Lack of human resources is a prayer One That Become an inhibiting factor hearts implementation of the Principles of good governance in the future Head Office Sail.

  16. Advanced Solar Panel Designs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ralph, E. L.; Linder, E. B.

    1995-01-01

    Solar panel designs that utilize new high-efficiency solar cells and lightweight rigid panel technologies are described. The resulting designs increase the specific power (W/kg) achievable in the near-term and are well suited to meet the demands of higher performance small satellites (smallsats). Advanced solar panel designs have been developed and demonstrated on two NASA SBIR contracts at Applied Solar. The first used 19% efficient, large area (5.5 cm x 6.5 cm) GaAs/Ge solar cells with a lightweight rigid graphite epoxy isogrid substrate configuration. A 1,445 sq cm coupon was fabricated and tested to demonstrate 60 W/kg with a high potential of achieving 80 W/kg. The second panel design used new 22% efficiency, dual-junction GaInP2/GaAs/Ge solar cells combined with a lightweight aluminum core/graphite fiber mesh facesheet substrate. A 1,445 sq cm coupon was fabricated and tested to demonstrate 105 W/kg with the potential of achieving 115 W/kg.

  17. Research and demonstration facilities for energy conservation and solar heating in the home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newman, J. O.; Godbey, L. C.; Davis, M. A.; Ezell, D. O.; Allen, W. H.

    1981-10-01

    The design, testing and evaluation of two prototype solar holes are discussed. The first prototype is a greenhouse-residence designed with 6-in. wall cavities (to increase insulation thickness), a 381 sq. ft. solar collector used primarily for space heating, and a greenhouse that was utilized as a solar collector for growing vegetables. The house does feature a domestic hot water preheating system and an electrical resistance back-up heating system. The second prototype is an earth-insulated house designed primarily to study the physical features of the house in relation to the soil around it and the thermal interaction between the soil and the house environment. This house features a high temperature air collector that is used for domestic water heating. A special effort was made to have adequate daylight in the solar-earth house. A special study was conducted on the geometric configuration of the rock storage and the methods of admitting air to the rock storage.

  18. Solar-hydrogen generation and solar concentration (Conference Presentation)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sulima, Oleg V.; Chinello, Enrico; Conibeer, Gavin; Modestino, Miquel A.; Schüttauf, Jan-Willem; Lambelet, David; Delfino, Antonio; Domine, Didier; Faes, Antonin; Despeisse, Matthieu; Bailat, Julien; Psaltis, Demetri; Fernandez Rivas, David; Ballif, Christophe; Moser, Christophe

    2016-01-01

    We successfully demonstrated and reported the highest solar-to-hydrogen efficiency with crystalline silicon cells and Earth-abundant electrocatalysts under unconcentrated solar radiation. The combination of hetero-junction silicon cells and a 3D printed Platinum/Iridium-Oxide electrolyzer has been

  19. Impacts of the Solar Investment Tax Credit On State-Level Solar Outcomes

    OpenAIRE

    Kolachalam, Sriman

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, I investigate the effects of the U.S. federally implemented Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) on states’ solar energy installation and utilization. In particular, I compare relative trends in solar installation and utilization between states with initially higher levels of solar and states with initially lower levels of solar, before and after the implementation of the Solar ITC. My findings demonstrate that states with initially higher level...

  20. Strandby Harbour on solar cooling. Demonstration of 8.000 m{sup 2} solar collectors combined with flue gas cooling with a absorption cooling system; Combined heat and power plant (CHP); Strandby havn paa solkoeling. Demonstration af 8.000 m{sup 2} solfangere kombineret med roeggaskoeling med absorptionskoeleanlaeg

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soerensen, Flemming (Strandby Varmevaerk, Strandby (Denmark)); Soerensen, Per Alex (PlanEnergi, Skoerping (Denmark)); Ulbjerg, F. (Ramboell, Odense (Denmark)); Sloth, H. (Houe and Olsen, Thisted (Denmark))

    2010-04-15

    The aim of the project was to demonstrate 1) high solar heating ratio (18% annually) at a decentralized natural gas combined heat and power plant; 2) increased efficiency (5% of the heat consumption) in a natural gas CHP by using an extra flue gas cooler and an absorption heat pump; 3) a double tank system where a new tank during winter is used for cooling/ heat storage for the absorption heat pump and during summer for solar heat storage in serial operation with the old tank. The concept of combining solar power, absorption cooling and natural gas-fired small-scale CHP in Strandby met expectations and could be replicated in other CHP plants. However, it is important to note that if major construction modifications in the flue gas condensation system in the boiler or engine are required, the operating hours must not be reduced significantly in the amortisation period for the conversion. (ln)

  1. Solution structure of the c-terminal dimerization domain of SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid protein solved by the SAIL-NMR method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Chang, Chung-ke; Ikeya, Teppei; Güntert, Peter; Chang, Yuan-hsiang; Hsu, Yen-lan; Huang, Tai-huang; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2008-07-18

    The C-terminal domain (CTD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) nucleocapsid protein (NP) contains a potential RNA-binding region in its N-terminal portion and also serves as a dimerization domain by forming a homodimer with a molecular mass of 28 kDa. So far, the structure determination of the SARS-CoV NP CTD in solution has been impeded by the poor quality of NMR spectra, especially for aromatic resonances. We have recently developed the stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) method to overcome the size problem of NMR structure determination by utilizing a protein exclusively composed of stereo- and regio-specifically isotope-labeled amino acids. Here, we employed the SAIL method to determine the high-quality solution structure of the SARS-CoV NP CTD by NMR. The SAIL protein yielded less crowded and better resolved spectra than uniform (13)C and (15)N labeling, and enabled the homodimeric solution structure of this protein to be determined. The NMR structure is almost identical with the previously solved crystal structure, except for a disordered putative RNA-binding domain at the N-terminus. Studies of the chemical shift perturbations caused by the binding of single-stranded DNA and mutational analyses have identified the disordered region at the N-termini as the prime site for nucleic acid binding. In addition, residues in the beta-sheet region also showed significant perturbations. Mapping of the locations of these residues onto the helical model observed in the crystal revealed that these two regions are parts of the interior lining of the positively charged helical groove, supporting the hypothesis that the helical oligomer may form in solution.

  2. 'Eco-house 99' - Full-scale demonstration of solar walls with building integrated heat storages

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hummelshoej, R.M.; Rahbek, J.E. [COWI Consulting Engineers and Planners AS (Denmark)

    2000-07-01

    A critical issue for solar systems in northern latitudes is the economic profitability. It is often said that the techniques for solar utilisation are expensive and unprofitable. This is, however, not always the case. A new project with 59 low energy terrace houses was carried out in Kolding, Denmark. The houses are designed as ecological buildings with emphasis on total economy based on low operation and maintenance costs, energy conservation and passive/hybrid solar utilisation. Besides direct solar gain through windows, each house has a solar wall of 6-8.5 m{sup 2} on the south facade. The solar walls are used both for heating of ventilation air and for space heating. The solar walls deliver heat to the dwellings during the heating season. To optimise the energy utilisation from the solar walls, the energy is stored internally in building integrated heat storages. Two different new types of prefabricated heat storages are built into the houses. One is an internal concrete wall with embedded ventilation pipes, and the other is a hollow concrete element with integrated stone bed. The heat storages are mainly designed to store solar energy from the day to the evening and the night. Because the solar walls and the heat storages have been a part of the design process from the start, the additional expenses are as low as 30-140 Euro/m{sup 2} solar wall compared with the alternative facade. This is far less than what it costs to add a solar wall on an existing building. Measurements over one year show that the yield of the solar walls is in the range of 115-125 kWh/m{sup 2}/year as expected. With the actual financing, the annual payment of the additional expenses for the solar systems is between 1-6 Euro/m{sup 2} solar wall, while the annual savings are about 5 Euro/year/m{sup 2} (with an energy price of 0.042 Euro/kWh). Dependent on which alternative facade construction the solar wall system is compared with, the profit of the system is in the range of 1 to +4 Euro

  3. Development of logistic support for space equipment on the base of the “Sail-BMSTU” midget spacecraft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brom Alla

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper envisages the application of integrated logistic support conception (ILS for space equipment on the base of the example of the student’s «Sail BMSTU» midget spacecraft (MS. The peculiarities of space equipment logistic support in operation phase are considered. The special focus is done to the problem of decrease in production expenses of spacecrafts. The paper suggests that the solution of this problem has to be based on tools commonly used in engineering fields – functional analysis and FMECA. The fragment of FMECA is presented. Due to FMECA it is clear what products in spacecrafts should be calibrated in accordance with quality requirements of military class and what ones should be calibrated in accordance with quality requirements of commercial and industrial classes. Each failure mode of midget spacecraft, identified within FMECA, is studied by assessing of criticality, severity and probability of emergence. The paper describes the main procedures of integrated logistic support on the base of the student’s «Sail MGTU» midget spacecraft. Recommended guidelines providing reliability of electro radio products are elaborated. The practical application of integrated logistic support in aerospace industry is reasonably presented.

  4. Shade Sails and Passive Recreation in Public Parks of Melbourne and Denver: A Randomized Intervention

    Science.gov (United States)

    English, Dallas R.; Buller, Mary Klein; Simmons, Jody; Chamberlain, James A.; Wakefield, Melanie; Dobbinson, Suzanne

    2017-01-01

    Objectives. To test whether shade sails will increase the use of passive recreation areas (PRAs). Methods. We conducted a stratified randomized pretest–posttest controlled design study in Melbourne, Australia, and Denver, Colorado, in 2010 to 2014. We randomized a sample of 144 public parks with 2 PRAs in full sun in a 1:3 ratio to treatment or control. Shade sails were built at 1 PRA per treatment park. The outcome was any use of the study PRA (n = 576 pretest and n = 576 posttest observations; 100% follow-up). Results. Compared with control PRAs (adjusted probability of use: pretest = 0.14, posttest = 0.17), use of treatment PRAs (pretest = 0.10, posttest = 0.32) was higher at posttest (odds ratio [OR] = 3.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.71, 8.94). Shade increased use of PRAs in Denver (control: pretest = 0.18, posttest = 0.19; treatment: pretest = 0.16, posttest = 0.47) more than Melbourne (control: pretest = 0.11, posttest = 0.14; shaded: pretest = 0.06, posttest = 0.19; OR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.09, 8.14). Conclusions. Public investment in shade is warranted for skin cancer prevention and may be especially useful in the United States. Trial Registration. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02971709. PMID:29048958

  5. Shade Sails and Passive Recreation in Public Parks of Melbourne and Denver: A Randomized Intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buller, David B; English, Dallas R; Buller, Mary Klein; Simmons, Jody; Chamberlain, James A; Wakefield, Melanie; Dobbinson, Suzanne

    2017-12-01

    To test whether shade sails will increase the use of passive recreation areas (PRAs). We conducted a stratified randomized pretest-posttest controlled design study in Melbourne, Australia, and Denver, Colorado, in 2010 to 2014. We randomized a sample of 144 public parks with 2 PRAs in full sun in a 1:3 ratio to treatment or control. Shade sails were built at 1 PRA per treatment park. The outcome was any use of the study PRA (n = 576 pretest and n = 576 posttest observations; 100% follow-up). Compared with control PRAs (adjusted probability of use: pretest = 0.14, posttest = 0.17), use of treatment PRAs (pretest = 0.10, posttest = 0.32) was higher at posttest (odds ratio [OR] = 3.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.71, 8.94). Shade increased use of PRAs in Denver (control: pretest = 0.18, posttest = 0.19; treatment: pretest = 0.16, posttest = 0.47) more than Melbourne (control: pretest = 0.11, posttest = 0.14; shaded: pretest = 0.06, posttest = 0.19; OR = 2.98; 95% CI = 1.09, 8.14). Public investment in shade is warranted for skin cancer prevention and may be especially useful in the United States. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02971709.

  6. A Velocity Prediction Procedure for Sailing Yachts with a hydrodynamic Model based on integrated fully coupled RANSE-Free-Surface Simulations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boehm, C.

    2014-01-01

    One of the most important tools in today's sailing yacht design is the Velocity Prediction Program (VPP). VPPs calculate boat speed from the equilibrium of aero- and hydrodynamic flow forces. Consequently their accuracy is linked to the accuracy of the aero- and hydrodynamic data used to represent a

  7. Solar energy system demonstration project at Wilmington Swim School, New Castle, Delaware

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-07-01

    A solar energy system located at the Wilmington Swim School, New Castle, Delaware is described. The system was designed for a 40 percent heating and a 30 percent hot water solar contribution serving the heat loads in the following order: space heat - new addition, domestic water - entire facility, and pool heating - entire facility. On a cost basis for 2920 hours of operation, the heat reclaimed would cost $969.66 annually if provided by gas at 3.79 per million Btu's. At 5.5 centers per kwh, heat recovery costs of $481.80 percent a net savings of $487.86 annually.

  8. Goal Attainment Scaling: A Primary Method of Treatment and Program Evaluation in Project SAIL - A Special Education Dropout Prevention Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Linda Hall; Thompson, John L.

    The manual discusses Project SAIL's (a special dropout prevention program) use of Goal Attainment Scaling as part of individualized education plans in the treatment of troubled adolescents and in overall program evaluation. The scaling is characterized as an explicit, respectful treatment contact through which the adolescent can learn to set…

  9. A Strategic Roadmap to Centauri

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, L.; Harris, D.; Trausch, A.; Matloff, G. L.; Taylor, T.; Cutting, K.

    This paper discusses the connectivity between in-space propulsion and in-space fabrication/repair and is based upon a workshop presentation by Les Johnson, manager of the In-Space Propulsion (ISP) Technology Project at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. Technologies under study by ISP include aerocapture, advanced solar- electric propulsion, solar-thermal propulsion, advanced chemical propulsion, tethers and solar-photon sails. These propulsion systems are all approaching technology readiness levels (TRLs) at which they can be considered for application in space- science and exploration missions. Historically, human frontiers have expanded as people have learned to “live-off-the-land” in new environments and to exploit local resources. With this expansion, frontier settlements have required development of transportation improvements to carry tools and manufactured products to and from the frontier. It is demonstrated how ISP technologies will assist in the development of the solar-system frontier. In-space fabrication and repair will both require and assist the development of ISP propulsion systems, whether humans choose to settle planetary surfaces or to exploit resources of small Solar System bodies. As was true for successful terrestrial pioneers, in-space settlement and exploitation will require sophisticated surveys of inner and outer Solar System objects. ISP technologies will contribute to the success of these surveys, as well as to the efforts to retrieve Solar System resources. In a similar fashion, the utility of ISP products will be greatly enhanced by the technologies of in-space repair and fabrication. As in-space propulsion, fabrication and repair develop, human civilization may expand well beyond the Earth. In the future, small human communities (preceded by robotic explorers) may utilize these techniques to set sail for the nearest stars.

  10. Estados de humor de velejadores durante o Pré-Panamericano Mood states sail athletes during the Pre-Panamerican

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Brandt

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi avaliar os estados de humor de velejadores após regatas do Pré-Panamericana de Vela, bem como fatores associados. A amostra foi composta por 18 atletas de ambos os sexos, que foram avaliados por meio da Escala de Humor de Brunel. Os atletas apresentaram elevada tensão e fadiga, associadas a altos níveis de vigor. Homens apresentaram maior vigor e fadiga, e menor tensão, depressão e raiva do que as mulheres, porém sem diferenças estatísticamente significativas. Quanto à classe, velejadores de classes individuais apresentaram maior tensão, depressão e confusão do que os de classes com dois tripulantes, porém sem diferenças estatísticamente significativas. Os estados de humor apresentados pelos atletas após regatas do Pré-Panamericano de Vela podem ser considerados diferente do ideal para o rendimento esportivo, porém ainda existe pouco domínio teórico dos estados de humor de velejadores para análises mais aprofundadas.The purpose of this research was to evaluate de mood states after regattas of sail during Pre-Panamerican, as well associated factors. Sample was composed by 18 athletes of both sexes that were evaluated by the Brunel Mood Scale. The athletes presented high tension and fatigue, associated with high levels of vigor. The men present higher vigor and fatigue, and low tension, depression and angry than the women, but the differences were no significant. About the class, the athletes of individual classes showed high tension, depression and confusion than the ones of the classes with two athletes, but there were no significant differences. The mood states presented by the athletes after the regattas of sail of the Pre-Panamerican can be considered different from the ideal to sporting performance, but already there is a little bit theory about the mood states of sail athletes to do a deep analysis.

  11. An analysis of the effect of endplates upon the fin keel of a sailing yacht

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrews, G.T.; Raiskums, C.L.; Keffer, J.F.

    1985-01-01

    A long-term investigation is presently underway to assess the overall performance of the modern design of fin keels for sailing yachts. An ultimate goal is to determine the specific advantages for such designs with respect to a centre-board configuration with outside ballast. The present preliminary studies were carried out to determine the basic performance of a typical fin keel shape for various values of leeway angle. A second aspect was to determine the effect upon this baseline performance of a number of endplates of varying sizes and shapes. (author)

  12. Zdrowie Psychiczne w żegludze transoceanicznej = Mental Health in transoceanic sailing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariusz Julian Czarnecki

    2016-07-01

    stresem w badanej grupie, oraz świadomość zachowania prozdrowotnego mającego wpływ na potencjał zdrowia. Wnioski Osoby pełniące funkcję Kapitana na rejsach oceanicznych, wykazały się znajomością własnych stresorów towarzyszących podczas żeglugi. Dodatkowo wykazały się działaniami prowadzącymi do zachowania potencjału zdrowotnego. Osoby badane nie wykazały reakcji antyzdrowotnych i tendencji prowadzących do wystąpienia skutków powodowanych przez dystres.   Słowa kluczowe: zdrowie psychiczne, stres, potencjał zdrowotny, żeglarstwo.         Abstract   Introduction The awareness of the stressors and how to cope with stressful situations has an impact on the health of people who practice the professions associated with a great responsibility for the health and lives of others, such as, medical consultants, nurses and firefighters. Practising the profession of yacht captain is associated with responsibility for the crew and a sailing vessel in various conditions, and therefore is inseparably linked with the occurrence of stressful situations. To the best of our knowledge, so far, little studies, in terms of stress, were conducted on captains, taking long cruises, such as transoceanic sailing,. Materials and methods In the presented work, 5 captains were studied. The qualitative research, with the use of an expert narrative interview, was used. The open-depth interviews with selected group of captains were performed, with a particular attention to the, indicated by responders, stressors occurring during transoceanic sailing. In addition, the level of perception and coping with stress in the study group, and awareness of healthy behaviour, affecting health of responders were discussed. Results The responders demonstrated the knowledge of the stressors associated with their profession. In addition, they demonstrated the ability to take action, aimed to preserve the health potential. Moreover, the subjects showed no unhealthy tendencies leading to

  13. Solar cells. Danish strategy for research, development, demonstration and distribution. Part 2 - Background paper; Solceller. Dansk strategi for forskning, udvikling, demonstration og udbredelse. Del II - Baggrundsnotat

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2009-07-01

    The background paper to the strategy for Danish R and D within the solar cell field describes the background and references for solar cell technology and its development, both nationally and internationally. Especially, the potentials for use of solar cells in Denmark together with the primary Danish actors and strongholds are presented.

  14. Solar energy conversion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kistler, J.

    1981-08-05

    The photovoltaic generator is the central part of all solar systems. Flat solar cells embedded in glass are preferred which can also convert diffuse solar radiation. Hybrid modules generate electrical and thermal energy simultaneously. With decreasing generator cost, the cost of energy storage becomes critical. Development activities are mostly directed on the development of stationary lead accumulator batteries and the electronic charging and protective systems. The block diagram of the current converter is presented, and applications of solar systems in domestic heating engineering, transportation technology, communications, and hydrological engineering. Solar villages are recommended which, established in bilateral cooperation with Third World authorities, may demonstrate the advantages of solar energy in heat and electric power generation.

  15. Solar Thermal Energy; Energia Solar Termica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perez-Martinez, M; Cuesta-Santianes, M J; Cabrera Jimenez, J A

    2008-07-01

    Approximately, 50 % of worldwide primary energy consumption is done in the form of heat in applications with a temperature lower than 250 degree centigree (low-medium temperature heat). These data clearly demonstrate the great potential of solar thermal energy to substitute conventional fossil fuels, which are becoming more expensive and are responsible for global warming. Low-medium temperature solar thermal energy is mainly used to obtain domestic hot water and provide space heating. Active solar thermal systems are those related to the use of solar thermal collectors. This study is dealing with low temperature solar thermal applications, mainly focusing on active solar thermal systems. This kind of systems has been extensively growing worldwide during the last years. At the end of 2006, the collector capacity in operation worldwide equalled 127.8 GWth. The technology is considered to be already developed and actions should be aimed at favouring a greater market penetration: diffusion, financial support, regulations establishment, etc. China and USA are the leading countries with a technology based on evacuated tube collectors and unglazed collectors, respectively. The rest of the world markets are dominated by the flat glazed collectors technology. (Author) 15 refs.

  16. The sail-backed reptile Ctenosauriscus from the latest Early Triassic of Germany and the timing and biogeography of the early archosaur radiation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard J Butler

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Archosaurs (birds, crocodilians and their extinct relatives including dinosaurs dominated Mesozoic continental ecosystems from the Late Triassic onwards, and still form a major component of modern ecosystems (>10,000 species. The earliest diverse archosaur faunal assemblages are known from the Middle Triassic (c. 244 Ma, implying that the archosaur radiation began in the Early Triassic (252.3-247.2 Ma. Understanding of this radiation is currently limited by the poor early fossil record of the group in terms of skeletal remains. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We redescribe the anatomy and stratigraphic position of the type specimen of Ctenosauriscus koeneni (Huene, a sail-backed reptile from the Early Triassic (late Olenekian Solling Formation of northern Germany that potentially represents the oldest known archosaur. We critically discuss previous biomechanical work on the 'sail' of Ctenosauriscus, which is formed by a series of elongated neural spines. In addition, we describe Ctenosauriscus-like postcranial material from the earliest Middle Triassic (early Anisian Röt Formation of Waldhaus, southwestern Germany. Finally, we review the spatial and temporal distribution of the earliest archosaur fossils and their implications for understanding the dynamics of the archosaur radiation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Comprehensive numerical phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that both Ctenosauriscus and the Waldhaus taxon are members of a monophyletic grouping of poposauroid archosaurs, Ctenosauriscidae, characterised by greatly elongated neural spines in the posterior cervical to anterior caudal vertebrae. The earliest archosaurs, including Ctenosauriscus, appear in the body fossil record just prior to the Olenekian/Anisian boundary (c. 248 Ma, less than 5 million years after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. These earliest archosaur assemblages are dominated by ctenosauriscids, which were broadly distributed across northern Pangea and

  17. The sail-backed reptile Ctenosauriscus from the latest Early Triassic of Germany and the timing and biogeography of the early archosaur radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butler, Richard J; Brusatte, Stephen L; Reich, Mike; Nesbitt, Sterling J; Schoch, Rainer R; Hornung, Jahn J

    2011-01-01

    Archosaurs (birds, crocodilians and their extinct relatives including dinosaurs) dominated Mesozoic continental ecosystems from the Late Triassic onwards, and still form a major component of modern ecosystems (>10,000 species). The earliest diverse archosaur faunal assemblages are known from the Middle Triassic (c. 244 Ma), implying that the archosaur radiation began in the Early Triassic (252.3-247.2 Ma). Understanding of this radiation is currently limited by the poor early fossil record of the group in terms of skeletal remains. We redescribe the anatomy and stratigraphic position of the type specimen of Ctenosauriscus koeneni (Huene), a sail-backed reptile from the Early Triassic (late Olenekian) Solling Formation of northern Germany that potentially represents the oldest known archosaur. We critically discuss previous biomechanical work on the 'sail' of Ctenosauriscus, which is formed by a series of elongated neural spines. In addition, we describe Ctenosauriscus-like postcranial material from the earliest Middle Triassic (early Anisian) Röt Formation of Waldhaus, southwestern Germany. Finally, we review the spatial and temporal distribution of the earliest archosaur fossils and their implications for understanding the dynamics of the archosaur radiation. Comprehensive numerical phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that both Ctenosauriscus and the Waldhaus taxon are members of a monophyletic grouping of poposauroid archosaurs, Ctenosauriscidae, characterised by greatly elongated neural spines in the posterior cervical to anterior caudal vertebrae. The earliest archosaurs, including Ctenosauriscus, appear in the body fossil record just prior to the Olenekian/Anisian boundary (c. 248 Ma), less than 5 million years after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. These earliest archosaur assemblages are dominated by ctenosauriscids, which were broadly distributed across northern Pangea and which appear to have been the first global radiation of archosaurs.

  18. Interfacing Sail Modules for Use with “Space Tugs”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florio Dalla Vedova

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The paper introduces and describes the recent and still ongoing development activities performed in Luxembourg for In-Orbit Attach Mechanisms for (Drag Sails Modules to be operated from Space Tugs. After some preparatory work aiming at understanding the possible operational aspects and implications of mating interfaces between these space systems, three possible designs of In-Orbit Attach Mechanisms have been proposed and completed for their 3D (Metal and Plastic Printing, a new manufacturing technology assessed within this project. The Plastic-printed prototype underwent a series of automated tests in which a robotic arm, equipped with an advanced force sensor, replicated four docking scenarii in ideal and degraded modes. The observation of the forces and torque behaviors at and after impact allowed one to characterize the typical patterns for the various contacts but also, to identify a type of potentially dramatic impact for the safety of the docking and its equipment: in the case of the off-axis approach, “point” contacts shall be avoided, as they instantaneously transfer the total kinetic energy in a small area that could break.

  19. Experimental Investigation of Effect of the Sail with Leading Edge Fillet on Flow around a Submarine

    OpenAIRE

    Mohsen Rahmany; Amir Hamzeh Farajollahi; Mojtaba Dehghan Manshadi

    2016-01-01

    Because of connecting the various appendages of submarine to the main body the vortices have been created that disrupt the flow uniformity and make the undesirable features such as vortex formation to flow. Vortices that have been created due to the connectivity of sail to the body of submarines have a significant impact on non-uniformity of submarine wake at location of the propeller disc. In present research the use of hot wire anemometer has created vertical flow field in back of the two s...

  20. The cardiovascular work of competitive dinghy sailing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felici, F; Rodio, A; Madaffari, A; Ercolani, L; Marchetti, M

    1999-12-01

    Hiking is the special manoeuvre, which the dinghy sailor uses to counterbalance the capsizing effect of the wind on the boat. In the present research the work required of the heart by this exercise was studied in the laboratory using a boat simulator. Seven Laser male sailors selected from those in the first places in the junior national rank participated in this study. Their endurance, at different levels of isometric hiking efforts, was measured. Energy expenditure due to hiking was estimated from measurements of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide elimination and blood lactate concentration. The cardiac load was evaluated by measuring blood pressure using the conventional method and heart rate measured by electrocardiography. Cardiac output was measured using the CO2 re-breathing method. Left ventricular work was then calculated as cardiac output multiplied by mean arterial pressure. The most relevant result was that, while whole body cost of hiking was relatively low (about 1 IO2 min-1), the power of the heart was very significant: cardiac output almost doubled with respect to that at rest and arterial mean pressure rose from 12.5 kPa (rest) to 18.5 kPa (hiking). Thus, left ventricular power rose from 1.2 Watt to 3.2 Watt, which is a typical cardiovascular response to muscular isometric contraction. These results assume relevance when a person's eligibility for sailing sports is evaluated.

  1. Solar wind stream evolution at large heliocentric distances - Experimental demonstration and the test of a model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosling, J. T.; Hundhausen, A. J.; Bame, S. J.

    1976-01-01

    A stream propagation model which neglects all dissipation effects except those occurring at shock interfaces, was used to compare Pioneer-10 solar wind speed observations, during the time when Pioneer 10, the earth, and the sun were coaligned, with near-earth Imp-7 observations of the solar wind structure, and with the theoretical predictions of the solar wind structure at Pioneer 10 derived from the Imp-7 measurements, using the model. The comparison provides a graphic illustration of the phenomenon of stream steepening in the solar wind with the attendant formation of forward-reverse shock pairs and the gradual decay of stream amplitudes with increasing heliocentric distance. The comparison also provides a qualitative test of the stream propagation model.

  2. Optimization of the Costs and the Safety of Maritime Transport by Routing: The use of Currents Forecast in the Routing of Racing Sail Boats as a Prototype of Rout Optimization for Trading Ships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theunynck, Denis; Peze, Thierry; Toumazou, Vincent; Zunquin, Gauthier; Cohen, Olivier; Monges, Arnaud

    2005-03-01

    It is interesting to see whether the model of routing designed for races and great Navy operations could be transferred to commercial navigation and if so, within which framework.Sail boat routing conquered its letters of nobility during great races like the « Route du Rhum » or the transatlantic race « Jacques Vabre ». It is the ultimate stage of the step begun by the Navy at the time of great operations, like D-day (Overlord )June 6, 1944, in Normandy1.Routing is, from the beginning, mainly based on statistical knowledge and weather forecast, but with the recent availability of reliable currents forecast, sail boats routers and/or skippers now have to learn how to use both winds and currents to obtain the best performance, that is to travel between two points in the shortest time possible in acceptable security conditions.Are the currents forecast only useful to racing sail boat ? Of course not, they are a great help to fisherman for whom the knowledge of currents is also the knowledge of sea temperature who indicates the probability of fish presence. They are also used in offshore work to predict the hardness of the sea during operation.A less developed field of application is the route optimization of trading ships. The idea is to optimize the use of currents to increase the relative speed of ships with no augmentation of fuel expense. This new field will require that currents forecasters learn about the specific needs of another type of clients. There is also a need of teaching because the future customers will have to learn how to use the information they will get.At this point, the introduction of the use of currents forecast in racing sail boats routing is only the first step. It is of great interest because it can rely on a high knowledge in routing.The main difference is of course that the wind direction and its force are of greater importance to a sail boat that they are for a trading ship for whom the point of interest will be the fuel consumption

  3. Solar magnetohydrodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Priest, E.R.

    1982-01-01

    Solar MHD is an important tool for understanding many solar phenomena. It also plays a crucial role in explaining the behaviour of more general cosmical magnetic fields and plasmas, since the Sun provides a natural laboratory in which such behaviour may be studied. While terrestrial experiments are invaluable in demonstrating general plasma properties, conclusions from them cannot be applied uncritically to solar plasmas and have in the past given rise to misconceptions about solar magnetic field behaviour. Important differences between a laboratory plasma on Earth and the Sun include the nature of boundary conditions, the energy balance, the effect of gravity and the size of the magnetic Reynolds number (generally of order unity on the Earth and very much larger on the Sun). The overall structure of the book is as follows. It begins with two introductory chapters on solar observations and the MHD equations. Then the fundamentals of MHD are developed in chapters on magnetostatics, waves, shocks, and instabilities. Finally, the theory is applied to the solar phenomena of atmospheric heating, sunspots, dynamos, flares, prominences, and the solar wind. (Auth.)

  4. In-Space Propulsion (346620) Technology Project

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Technologies include, but are not limited to, electric and advanced chemical propulsion, propellantless propulsion such as aerocapture and solar sails, sample return...

  5. Industrial Silicon Wafer Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirk-Holger Neuhaus

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available In 2006, around 86% of all wafer-based silicon solar cells were produced using screen printing to form the silver front and aluminium rear contacts and chemical vapour deposition to grow silicon nitride as the antireflection coating onto the front surface. This paper reviews this dominant solar cell technology looking into state-of-the-art equipment and corresponding processes for each process step. The main efficiency losses of this type of solar cell are analyzed to demonstrate the future efficiency potential of this technology. In research and development, more various advanced solar cell concepts have demonstrated higher efficiencies. The question which arises is “why are new solar cell concepts not transferred into industrial production more frequently?”. We look into the requirements a new solar cell technology has to fulfill to have an advantage over the current approach. Finally, we give an overview of high-efficiency concepts which have already been transferred into industrial production.

  6. The OE-A OPV demonstrator anno domini 2011

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krebs, F.C.; Fyenbo, J.; Tanenbaum, D.M.; Gevorgyan, S.A.; Andriessen, H.A.J.M.; Remoortere, B. van; Galagan, Y.O.; Jørgensen, M.

    2011-01-01

    Polymer solar cells were prepared in large numbers using roll-to-roll methods and were subsequently integrated into the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A) demonstrator in the year 2011 and presented as a small credit card sized lamp with a flat outline. The lamp comprised the polymer solar cell

  7. Photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light in a CPC based solar reactor: Reactor design and preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jing Dengwei; Liu Huan; Zhang Xianghui; Zhao Liang; Guo Liejin

    2009-01-01

    In despite of so many types of solar reactors designed for solar detoxification purposes, few attempts have been made for photocatalytic hydrogen production, which in our option, is one of the most promising approaches for solar to chemical energy conversion. Addressing both the similarity and dissimilarity for these two processes and by fully considering the special requirements for the latter reaction, a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) based photocatalytic hydrogen production solar reactor has been designed for the first time. The design and optimization of this CPC based solar reactor has been discussed in detail. Preliminary results demonstrated that efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production under direct solar light can be accomplished by coupling tubular reactors with CPC concentrators. It is anticipated that this first demonstration of concentrator-based solar photocatalytic hydrogen production would draw attention for further studies in this promising direction.

  8. Trajectory Design in a Combined Low-Thrust Multi-Body Environment

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Low-thrust propulsion (e.g. electric propulsion, solar sailing, etc.) is a promising new technology that may allow smaller, more efficient spacecraft to participate...

  9. SolarOil Project, Phase I preliminary design report. [Solar Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baccaglini, G.; Bass, J.; Neill, J.; Nicolayeff, V.; Openshaw, F.

    1980-03-01

    The preliminary design of the Solar Thermal Enhanced Oil Recovery (SolarOil) Plant is described in this document. This plant is designed to demonstrate that using solar thermal energy is technically feasible and economically viable in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The SolarOil Plant uses the fixed mirror solar concentrator (FMSC) to heat high thermal capacity oil (MCS-2046) to 322/sup 0/C (611/sup 0/F). The hot fluid is pumped from a hot oil storage tank (20 min capacity) through a once-through steam generator which produces 4.8 MPa (700 psi) steam at 80% quality. The plant net output, averaged over 24 hr/day for 365 days/yr, is equivalent to that of a 2.4 MW (8.33 x 10/sup 6/ Btu/hr) oil-fired steam generator having an 86% availability. The net plant efficiency is 57.3% at equinox noon, a 30%/yr average. The plant will be demonstrated at an oilfield site near Oildale, California.

  10. Solar Probe Cup: Laboratory Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Case, A. W.; Kasper, J. C.; Korreck, K. E.; Stevens, M. L.; Larson, D. E.; Wright, K. H., Jr.; Gallagher, D. L.; Whittlesey, P. L.

    2017-12-01

    The Solar Probe Cup (SPC) is a Faraday Cup instrument that will fly on the Paker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft, orbiting the Sun at as close as 9.86 solar radii. The SPC instrument is designed to measure the thermal solar wind plasma (protons, alphas, and electrons) that will be encountered throughout its close encounter with the Sun. Due to the solar wind flow being primarily radial, the SPC instrument is pointed directly at the Sun, resulting in an extreme thermal environment that must be tolerated throughout the primary data collection phase. Laboratory testing has been performed over the past 6 months to demonstrate the instrument's performance relative to its requirements, and to characterize the measurements over the expected thermal range. This presentation will demonstrate the performance of the instrument as measured in the lab, describe the operational configurations planned for flight, and discuss the data products that will be created.

  11. Deciphering solar magnetic activity: on grand minima in solar activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McIntosh, Scott W. [High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Leamon, Robert J., E-mail: mscott@ucar.edu [Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT (United States)

    2015-07-08

    The Sun provides the energy necessary to sustain our existence. While the Sun provides for us, it is also capable of taking away. The weather and climatic scales of solar evolution and the Sun-Earth connection are not well- understood. There has been tremendous progress in the century since the discovery of solar magnetism—magnetism that ultimately drives the electromagnetic, particulate, and eruptive forcing of our planetary system. There is contemporary evidence of a decrease in solar magnetism, perhaps even indicators of a significant downward trend, over recent decades. Are we entering a minimum in solar activity that is deeper and longer than a typical solar minimum, a “grand minimum”? How could we tell if we are? What is a grand minimum and how does the Sun recover? These are very pertinent questions for modern civilization. In this paper we present a hypothetical demonstration of entry and exit from grand minimum conditions based on a recent analysis of solar features over the past 20 years and their possible connection to the origins of the 11(&ish) year solar activity cycle.

  12. Deciphering Solar Magnetic Activity: On Grand Minima in Solar Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott William Mcintosh

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The Sun provides the energy necessary to sustain our existence. While the Sun provides for us, it is also capable of taking away. The weather and climatic scales of solar evolution and the Sun-Earth connection are not well understood. There has been tremendous progress in the century since the discovery of solar magnetism - magnetism that ultimately drives the electromagnetic, particulate and eruptive forcing of our planetary system. There is contemporary evidence of a decrease in solar magnetism, perhaps even indicators of a significant downward trend, over recent decades. Are we entering a minimum in solar activity that is deeper and longer than a typical solar minimum, a grand minimum? How could we tell if we are? What is a grand minimum and how does the Sun recover? These are very pertinent questions for modern civilization. In this paper we present a hypothetical demonstration of entry and exit from grand minimum conditions based on a recent analysis of solar features over the past 20 years and their possible connection to the origins of the 11(-ish year solar activity cycle.

  13. Deciphering Solar Magnetic Activity: On Grand Minima in Solar Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mcintosh, Scott; Leamon, Robert

    2015-07-01

    The Sun provides the energy necessary to sustain our existence. While the Sun provides for us, it is also capable of taking away. The weather and climatic scales of solar evolution and the Sun-Earth connection are not well understood. There has been tremendous progress in the century since the discovery of solar magnetism - magnetism that ultimately drives the electromagnetic, particulate and eruptive forcing of our planetary system. There is contemporary evidence of a decrease in solar magnetism, perhaps even indicators of a significant downward trend, over recent decades. Are we entering a minimum in solar activity that is deeper and longer than a typical solar minimum, a "grand minimum"? How could we tell if we are? What is a grand minimum and how does the Sun recover? These are very pertinent questions for modern civilization. In this paper we present a hypothetical demonstration of entry and exit from grand minimum conditions based on a recent analysis of solar features over the past 20 years and their possible connection to the origins of the 11(-ish) year solar activity cycle.

  14. Assembly of Space CFRP Structures with Racing Sailing Boats Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieto, Jose; Yuste, Laura; Pipo, Alvaro; Santarsiero, Pablo; Bureo, Rafael

    2014-06-01

    Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) is commonly used in space applications to get structures with good mechanical performances and a reduced mass. Most of larger parts of spatial structures are already made of CFRP but the achieved weight saving may be jeopardized by the use of metallic brackets as joining elements. This paper describes the work carried out to study and evaluate ways of reducing weight and costs of the joints between structural elements commonly used in space applications.The main objective of this project is to adapt design solutions coming from the racing sailing boats technology to space applications: the use of out-of autoclave (OoA) cured CFRP joints. In addition to that other CFRP solution common in space business, 3D- RTM Bracket, has been evaluated.This development studies the manufacturing and assembly feasibility making use of these CFRP technologies.This study also compares traditional metallic solutions with innovative CFRP ones in terms of mechanical performances at elementary level. Weight and cost of presented solutions are also compared.

  15. Solar combi systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Elsa

    2007-01-01

    The focus in the present Ph.D. thesis is on the active use of solar energy for domestic hot water and space heating in so-called solar combi systems. Most efforts have been put into detailed investigations on the design of solar combi systems and on devices used for building up thermal...... the thermal behaviour of different components, and the theoretical investigations are used to study the influence of the thermal behaviour on the yearly thermal performance of solar combi systems. The experimental investigations imply detailed temperature measurements and flow visualization with the Particle...... Image Velocimetry measurement method. The theoretical investigations are based on the transient simulation program TrnSys and Computational Fluid Dynamics. The Ph.D. thesis demonstrates the influence on the thermal performance of solar combi systems of a number of different parameters...

  16. A translational research evaluation of the Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) community-based fall prevention exercise and education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    York, Sally C; Shumway-Cook, Anne; Silver, Ilene F; Morrison, A Clare

    2011-11-01

    Falls in older adults are the leading cause of injury hospitalizations and fatalities in the United States; primary risk factors are muscle weakness, impaired mobility, and balance deficits. This article describes the 12-month translational research evaluation of the Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) community-based public health, public domain fall prevention exercise and education program. Recruitment reached the target goal by 154%; 331 adults (mean age = 74.6) attended more than one class (mean classes attended = 24.8, SD = 26.6, range = 1-120) at nine community sites in one county in the 12-month period; 173 completed health and demographic forms, 132 completed program surveys, and 91 completed baseline and follow-up physical function tests. Physical function test results showed significant improvements in strength, balance, and mobility in those who were below normal limits at baseline, and in those who attended classes twice a week or more for more than 2 months. Survey results found that 93% of respondents reported improved performance of daily activities; 92% reported improved strength, balance, fitness, or flexibility; and 80% found the SAIL information guide education component helpful.

  17. solar neutrino oscillation phenomenology

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    first present the allowed areas obtained from global solar analysis and demonstrate the preference of the ... We demonstrate through a pro- jected analysis ... 10%) when the same input values of the parameters are used and also demonstrate.

  18. Golden Rays - March 2017 | Solar Research | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Problem for Solar Panels Winter may seem like an off-season for solar panels, but thanks to the SunShot Initiative's Regional Test Centers, solar panels are demonstrating their year-round resilience. At the test centers, researchers are studying the performance of solar panels in snowy weather and other harsh

  19. Meteorology ans solar physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwarz, Oliver

    When in the second half of the 19th century both solar physics and astrophysics came into existence, various solar phenomena were described by analogies encountered in the terrestrial atmosphere. For a certain time, meteorology played a central role in research on solar processes. At first glance, this may appear as a curious and old-fashioned specialty. However, solar physics owes its first insights into solar structure to various analogies in terrestrial atmospheric studies. The present investigation intends to elucidate this fact, to present details of the historical development, and to demonstrate how our present knowledge in certain fields is based on considerations which were originally taken from the description of the terrestrial atmosphere.

  20. Detecting photovoltaic solar panels using hyperspectral imagery and estimating solar power production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czirjak, Daniel

    2017-04-01

    Remote sensing platforms have consistently demonstrated the ability to detect, and in some cases identify, specific targets of interest, and photovoltaic solar panels are shown to have a unique spectral signature that is consistent across multiple manufacturers and construction methods. Solar panels are proven to be detectable in hyperspectral imagery using common statistical target detection methods such as the adaptive cosine estimator, and false alarms can be mitigated through the use of a spectral verification process that eliminates pixels that do not have the key spectral features of photovoltaic solar panel reflectance spectrum. The normalized solar panel index is described and is a key component in the false-alarm mitigation process. After spectral verification, these solar panel arrays are confirmed on openly available literal imagery and can be measured using numerous open-source algorithms and tools. The measurements allow for the assessment of overall solar power generation capacity using an equation that accounts for solar insolation, the area of solar panels, and the efficiency of the solar panels conversion of solar energy to power. Using a known location with readily available information, the methods outlined in this paper estimate the power generation capabilities within 6% of the rated power.

  1. Full sun ahead. 8000 miles on the sea; Volle Sonne voraus. 8.000 Meilen auf dem Meer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fred, Winter

    2013-10-01

    Passionate sailors from Austria have built a boat fully fed by solar panels. The diesel generator is obsolete. Cost and convenience of solar technology even beats the traditional sailing. [German] Passionierte Segler aus Oesterreich haben ein Boot gebaut, das sich vollstaendig aus Solarmodulen speist. Der Dieselgenerator hat ausgedient. Bei Kosten und Komfort schlaegt die Solartechnik sogar die traditionellen Segel.

  2. Model of Optimal Cargo Transport Structure by Full Container Ship on Predefined Sailing Route

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serđo Kos

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the mathematical model for solving theproblem of defining optimal cargo transport structure, occurringwhen, on a predefined sailing route, adequate number ofcontainers of various types, masses and sizes, possibly includingRO!RO cargo, is to be selected, i.e., a "container lot" is to beestablished in loading ports with the aim of gaining maximumship profit and, at the same time, of exploiting useful load andtransport capacity of container ship as much as possible. Theimplementation of the proposed model enables considerableincrease in the efficiency of container ship operations. Themodel was tested using a numerical example with real data.The applied post-optimal analysis examines the influence ofchange in some values of the mathematical model on the resultingoptimal program.

  3. Solar origins of solar wind properties during the cycle 23 solar minimum and rising phase of cycle 24

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luhmann, Janet G.; Petrie, Gordon; Riley, Pete

    2012-01-01

    The solar wind was originally envisioned using a simple dipolar corona/polar coronal hole sources picture, but modern observations and models, together with the recent unusual solar cycle minimum, have demonstrated the limitations of this picture. The solar surface fields in both polar and low-to-mid-latitude active region zones routinely produce coronal magnetic fields and related solar wind sources much more complex than a dipole. This makes low-to-mid latitude coronal holes and their associated streamer boundaries major contributors to what is observed in the ecliptic and affects the Earth. In this paper we use magnetogram-based coronal field models to describe the conditions that prevailed in the corona from the decline of cycle 23 into the rising phase of cycle 24. The results emphasize the need for adopting new views of what is ‘typical’ solar wind, even when the Sun is relatively inactive. PMID:25685422

  4. Revisiting alpha decay-based near-light-speed particle propulsion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Wenwu; Liu, Zhen; Yang, Yang; Du, Shiyu

    2016-01-01

    Interplanet and interstellar travels require long-term propulsion of spacecrafts, whereas the conventional schemes of propulsion are limited by the velocity of the ejected mass. In this study, alpha particles released by nuclear decay are considered as a potential solution for long-time acceleration. The principle of near-light-speed particle propulsion (NcPP) was elucidated and the stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM) was used to predict theoretical accelerations. The results show that NcPP by means of alpha decay is feasible for long-term spacecraft propulsion and posture adjustment in space. A practical NcPP sail can achieve a speed >150 km/s and reach the brink of the solar system faster than a mass equivalent solar sail. Finally, to significantly improve the NcPP sail, the hypothesis of stimulated acceleration of nuclear decay (SAND) was proposed, which may shorten the travel time to Mars to within 20 days. - Highlights: • SRIM was used to study the alpha particle penetration depth and efficiency. • Correlation between thickness of decayable foil and propulsion force was established. • With the hypothesis of SAND, the travel time to Mars may be shortened to <20 days.

  5. MO19390 (SAiL): bleeding events in a phase IV study of first-line bevacizumab with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dansin, Eric; Cinieri, Saverio; Garrido, Pilar; Griesinger, Frank; Isla, Dolores; Koehler, Manfred; Kohlhaeufl, Martin

    2012-06-01

    The clinical benefit and safety profile associated with first-line bevacizumab with doublet chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was established in two large phase III studies, E4599 and AVAiL. SAiL, a single-arm phase IV study, was conducted to evaluate bevacizumab with a range of first-line chemotherapy regimens in a routine oncology practice setting. This analysis of the SAiL data was undertaken to specifically evaluate bleeding adverse events (AEs) in this study, and to explore potential associations between bleeding and baseline patient and disease characteristics. In total, 2212 patients were evaluated. Bleeding AEs (any grade) occurred in 38.2% of patients (grade ≥ 3 bleeding AEs: 3.6%). Grade ≥ 3 pulmonary hemorrhage and central nervous system bleeding events were observed in 0.7% and 0.1% of patients, respectively. The incidence of grade ≥ 3 bleeding AEs was comparable across patient subgroups defined by central tumor location, tumor cavitation, histology, concomitant anticoagulation therapy and age. The majority (88.6%) of bleeding events resolved or improved, 10.2% persisted and 1.3% led to death; 10.2% of bleeding events required bevacizumab interruption or discontinuation. This analysis from the SAiL trial reaffirms a comparable incidence of clinically significant bleeding associated with first-line bevacizumab and chemotherapy as previous phase III studies in NSCLC patients despite less stringent first-line selection criteria. Grade ≥ 3 bleeding appears to be comparable when analyzed for patient and tumor characteristics, including tumor cavitation and concomitant anticoagulation therapy. Most bleeding events resolved or improved, and interruption/discontinuation of bevacizumab was infrequent in a standard oncology practice setting. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. High Power Orbit Transfer Vehicle

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gulczinski, Frank

    2003-01-01

    ... from Virginia Tech University and Aerophysics, Inc. to examine propulsion requirements for a high-power orbit transfer vehicle using thin-film voltaic solar array technologies under development by the Space Vehicles Directorate (dubbed PowerSail...

  7. Wheelchair users' experience of non-adapted and adapted clothes during sailing, quad rugby or wheel-walking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kratz, G; Söderback, I; Guidetti, S; Hultling, C; Rykatkin, T; Söderström, M

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of the present quasi-experimental post-test-design study was to compare 32 wheelchair users' (mostly para/tetraplegics) experience of wearing specially adapted clothes and non-adapted clothes for sailing, quad rugby or wheel-walking. Four existing assessment instruments were used: the Klein-Bell Activities of Daily Living Scale; a two-part Basic Information Questionnaire eliciting experience of effort, comfort and feeling of physical condition; the Experience Sampling Form for investigating the individuals' attitudes in terms of involvement and affective and activity mood states, and the Occupational Therapy Assessment of Leisure Time interview framework for collecting data about experience of leisure time. The wheelchair users all associated significantly greater comfort with use of the adapted clothes and, particularly the 'sailors', better physical condition. Overall, significantly greater involvement and more positive affect states were associated with the adapted clothes than with conventional garments, and mood state changed for the better. The wheelchair users set a higher priority upon work or leisure activities than upon independence in activities of daily living, and for this reason the Klein-Bell ratings showed great variation between the 'sailors' and the 'quad rugby players' (range 57%-93%), though these groups demonstrated more independence than the 'wheel-walkers'. The results of the study confirm the value of adapting sportswear for handicapped people. Such adaptations should also be of benefit for other activities than those studied.

  8. Demonstrative study for the wind and solar hybrid power system. 2; Furyoku taiyoko hybrid hatsuden system ni kansuru jissho kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kimura, Y; Sakuma, H; Ushiyama, I [Ashikaga Institute of Technology, Tochigi (Japan)

    1996-10-27

    In order to verify the complementary relationship between wind and solar energy, the long-term field test of the hybrid power system was conducted at the natural energy square of Ashikaga Institute of Technology. The solar cell blade windmill composed of a Savonius windmill and flexible solar cells applied to swept buckets was also prepared. As a result, the wind power generation was promising mainly in the winter period including the late fall and early spring, while solar one was stable all the year through although it was slightly poor in winter. Stable power generation was thus achieved by combining wind energy with solar energy. As the whole data of other wind and solar power generation systems at the square were analyzed for every month, the same conclusion as the solar cell blade windmill was obtained as follows: the wind power generation in Ashikaga area is promising in Nov.-March from the field test result for 16 months, solar power generation is stable all the year through, the hybrid power system is effective in Nov.-April, and the solar cell blade windmill is equivalent to the hybrid power system. 3 refs., 5 figs.

  9. Concentrated solar thermal power - Now

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aringhoff, R.; Brakmann, G. [Solar Thermal Power Industry Association ESTIA, Avenue de la Fauconnerie 73, 1170 Brussels (Belgium); Geyer, M. [IEA SolarPACES Implementing Agreement, Avenida de la Paz 51, 04720 Aguadulce, Almeria (Spain); Teske, S. [Greenpeace International, Ottho Heldringstraat 5, 1066 AZ Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2005-09-15

    This report demonstrates that there are no technical, economic or resource barriers to supplying 5% of the world's electricity needs from solar thermal power by 2040. It is written as practical blueprint to improve understanding of the solar thermal contribution to the world energy supply.

  10. Radiation resistance of polymer materials for space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyauchi, Masahiko; Iwata, Minoru; Yokota, Rikio

    2011-01-01

    The thin film of thermoplastic polyimide with a new asymmetric structure is used in the solar sail 'IKAROS'. Here, the relation of its chemical structure to its thermodynamic properties and radiation resistance is introduced. (M.H.)

  11. Surface sediment chemistry in the Olympic Games 2004 Sailing Center (Saronikos Gulf

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.P. KARAGEORGIS

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Construction of the Olympic Games 2004 Sailing Center is planned in the Saronikos Gulf, in the area of Agios Kosmas. A multi-disciplinary base-line study was carried out to provide background levels of inorganic and organic pollutants before the construction. Two shallow reefs (water depth 2-3 m are the predominant features in the area’s underwater topography. The reef consists of solid rock formations and pebbles, whereas sandy sediments cover predominantly the remaining seabed. Some pockets of fine-grained sand were identified within the existing marina. Sedimentary heavy metal contents were found to be low, showing only slight heavy metal enrichment, attributed mainly to heavy mineral abundance in the area. A small enrichment for lead could be related to anthropogenic sources. Patterns of low concentrations were observed for organic carbon and organic nitrogen. Conversely, the sediment petroleum hydrocarbon content was found to be relatively high, implying anthropogenic pollution related to ship effluents and increased marine traffic.

  12. Laddermill-sailing. Ship propulsion by wind energy independent from the wind direction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ockels, W. J.

    2007-12-15

    The use of large kites in ship propulsion has been getting a growing attention because of the urgent need to reduce the CO2 production and thus stop the use of fossil fuels. A novel application of ship propulsion by kites is proposed based on a Laddermill apparatus mounted on a ship. Such an apparatus consist of a winch, an electric motor/generator, a kite system (including launch and retrieval) and controlling electronics. Rather than the traditional sailing by wind force the Laddermill propulsion is achieved by a combination of the production and use of electrical power and the direct pulling force from the kite system. The feasibility of this application is investigated. It is shown that when the overall Laddermill to ship thrust efficiency can be made around 50% the resulting speed of the ship becomes practically independent from the wind direction. Such a capability could thus well change the world's seafaring.

  13. On the Solar oblateness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kislik, M.D.

    1983-01-01

    Limits for the magnitude of Solar oblateness under the assumption that the Sun is rotating as a rigid body with the velocity of sideric rotation of the equator points have been determined. It is demonstrated that for the present there is no necessity to take into accoUnt Solar oblateness when making the interior planets movement theories

  14. Concentrated solar thermal power - Now

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aringhoff, R.; Brakmann, G. [Solar Thermal Power Industry Association ESTIA, Avenue de la Fauconnerie 73, 1170 Brussels (Belgium); Geyer, M. [IEA SolarPACES Implementing Agreement, Avenida de la Paz 51, 04720 Aguadulce, Almeria (Spain); Teske, S. [Greenpeace International, Ottho Heldringstraat 5, 1066 AZ Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2005-09-15

    This report demonstrates that there are no technical, economic or resource barriers to supplying 5% of the world's electricity needs from solar thermal power by 2040. It is written as practical blueprint to improve understanding of the solar thermal contribution to the world energy supply.

  15. Job creation potential of solar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McMonagle, R.

    2005-01-01

    This document defines the size of the job market within Canada's solar industry and presents a preliminary forecast of the employment opportunities through to 2025. The issue of job potential within Canada's solar technologies is complicated by the wide range of different fields and technologies within the solar industry. The largest energy generator of the solar technologies is passive solar, but the jobs in this sector are generally in the construction trades and window manufacturers. The Canadian Solar Industries Association estimates that there are about 360 to 500 firms in Canada with the primary business of solar technologies, employing between 900 to 1,200 employees. However, most solar manufacturing jobs in Canada are for products exports as demonstrated by the 5 main solar manufacturers in Canada who estimate that 50 to 95 per cent of their products are exported. The main reason for their high export ratio is the lack of a Canadian market for their products. The 3 categories of job classifications within the solar industry include manufacturing, installation, and operations and maintenance. The indirect jobs include photovoltaic system hardware, solar hot water heating, solar air ventilation, and glass/metal framing. 17 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs

  16. Navy Ship Propulsion Technologies: Options for Reducing Oil Use - Background for Congress

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    O'Rourke, Ronald

    2006-01-01

    ...; and using sail and solar power. Reducing energy use on Navy ships. A 2001 study concluded that fitting a Navy cruiser with more energy-efficient electrical equipment could reduce the ship's fuel use by 10% to 25...

  17. Marketing the solar suburb and beyond

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miller, C.

    1999-07-01

    New England Solar Homes is an emerging solar home company offering custom architectural services as well as a line of standard house plans to clients across the country. Their standard builder's sets can be used off the shelf or altered to fit varied climates and siting conditions. The Solar Farmhouse concept house was introduced at the Eco-Expo in 1995 as a demonstration of how an American country classic could be adapted and outfitted to be an advanced energy efficient passive and active solar home that would have immediate popular appeal. The inspiration for this design was based on the wisdom and surprisingly skillful design abilities of the American farmer, circa 1800s and onward. The Solonial became the first built demonstration home in Lexington, MA incorporating the energy performance standards of the Solar Farmhouse. Two other homes will start construction this spring--Solar Farmhouse II, and DC Solar I, in Pennsylvania and Maryland, respectively. The Beyond in the title refers to their interest in participating in the New Urbanism movement which is gaining momentum around the country in equal proportion to the loss of habitat from urban sprawl with its impact on quality of life indicators. Solar designers and developers could find some emerging opportunities with this highly unusual American attempt at regional planning.

  18. How the relative permittivity of solar cell materials influences solar cell performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Crovetto, Andrea; Huss-Hansen, Mathias K.; Hansen, Ole

    2017-01-01

    of the materials permittivity on the physics and performance of the solar cell by means of numerical simulation supported by analytical relations. We demonstrate that, depending on the specific solar cell configuration and materials properties, there are scenarios where the relative permittivity has a major......The relative permittivity of the materials constituting heterojunction solar cells is usually not considered as a design parameter when searching for novel combinations of heterojunction materials. In this work, we investigate the validity of such an approach. Specifically, we show the effect...... the heterojunction partner has a high permittivity, solar cells are consistently more robust against several non-idealities that are especially likely to occur in early-stage development, when the device is not yet optimized....

  19. Foster Wheeler Solar Development Corporation modular industrial solar retrofit qualification test results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cameron, C.P.; Dudley, V.E.; Lewandoski, A.A.

    1986-10-01

    Under the Department of Energy's Modular Industrial Solar Retrofit project, industrial process steam systems incorporating line-focus solar thermal collectors were designed and hardware was installed and tested. This report describes the test results for the system designed by Foster Wheeler Solar Development Corporation. The test series included function and safety tests to determine that the system operated as specified, an unattended operations test to demonstrate automatic operation, performance tests to provide a database for predicting system performance, and life cycle tests to evaluate component and maintenance requirements. Component-level modifications to improve system performance and reliability were also evaluated.

  20. Foster Wheeler Solar Development Corporation Modular Industrial Solar Retrofit qualification test results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cameron, C.P.; Dudley, V.E.; Lewandowski, A.A.

    1987-04-01

    Under the Department of Energy's Modular Industrial Solar Retrofit project, industrial process steam systems incorporating line-focus solar thermal collectors were designed and hardware was installed and tested. This report describes the test results for the system designed by Foster Wheeler Solar Development Corporation. The test series included function and safety tests to determine that the system operated as specified, an unattended operations test to demonstrate automatic operation, performance tests to provide a database for predicting system performance, and life cycle tests to evaluate component and maintenance requirements. Component-level modifications to improve system performance and reliability were also evaluated.

  1. Solar energy in Peru

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pierson, H.

    1981-12-01

    The past, present, and future of Peru is discussed in terms of solar energy development and the social, economic, climatic, and technical factors involved. It is pointed out that there are 3 geographical divisions in Peru including: (1) the foggy coastal strip where rain is infrequent, insolation is low and population is high; (2) the mountainous Andes region with high insolation and many populated high mountain valleys; and (3) the rainy, Amazon basin covered with jungle, and sparcely populated with high but inconsistent insolation. Since there is little competition with other forms of energy, solar energy shows promise. Passive solar heating of buildings, particularly in the Andes region, is described, as well as the use of solar water heaters. Prototypes are described and illustrated. Industrial use of solar heated water in the wool industry as well as solar food drying and solar desalination are discussed. High temperature applications (electrical generators and refrigeration) as well as photovoltaic systems are discussed briefly. It is concluded that social and political factors are holding back the development of solar energy but a start (in the form of prototypes and demonstration programs) is being made. (MJJ)

  2. Transparent Solar Concentrator for Flat Panel Display

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Chia-Hung; Chang, Fuh-Yu; Young, Hong-Tsu; Hsieh, Tsung-Yen; Chang, Chia-Hsiung

    2012-06-01

    A new concept of the transparent solar concentrator for flat panel display is experimentally demonstrated without adversely affecting the visual effects. The solar concentrator is based on a solar light-guide plate with micro prisms, not only increasing the absorption area of solar energy but also enhancing the conversion efficiency. The incident light is guided by the designed solar light-guide plate according to the total internal reflection (TIR), and converted into electrical power by photovoltaic solar cells. The designed transparent solar concentrator was made and measured with high transparency, namely 94.8%. The developed solar energy system for display can store energy and supply the bias voltage to light on two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) successfully.

  3. Manufacture, integration and demonstration of polymer solar cells in a lamp for the Lighting Africa initiative

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krebs, Frederik C; Damgaard Nielsen, Torben; Fyenbo, Jan

    2010-01-01

    Semitransparent flexible polymer solar cells were manufactured in a full roll-to-roll process under ambient conditions. After encapsulation a silver based circuit was printed onto the back side of the polymer solar cell module followed by sheeting and application of discrete components and vias...... two adjacent corners are joined via button contacts whereby the device can stand on a horizontal surface and the circuit is closed such that the battery discharges through the LEDs that illuminate the surface in front of the lamp. Several different lamps were prepared using the same solar cell...... mm. A hole with a ring was punched in one corner to enable mechanical fixation or tying. The lamp has two states. In the charging state it has a completely flat outline and will charge the battery when illuminated from either side while the front side illumination is preferable. When used as a lamp...

  4. Impact of the Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) Program on Student Academic Performance: Part 1, Results from Fall 2012 to Fall 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper-Martin, Elizabeth; Wolanin, Natalie; Jang, Seong; Modarresi, Shahpar; Zhao, Huafang

    2016-01-01

    Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL) is a Montgomery County Public Schools summer program for students in all Title I elementary schools; it targets students who will be in kindergarten-Grade 2 in the fall following the program. This report analyzed demographic characteristics of attendees and the impact of the…

  5. Chaotic solar oscillations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blacher, S; Perdang, J [Institut d' Astrophysique, B-4200 Cointe-Ougree (Belgium)

    1981-09-01

    A numerical experiment on Hamiltonian oscillations demonstrates the existence of chaotic motions which satisfy the property of phase coherence. It is observed that the low-frequency end of the power spectrum of such motions is remarkably similar in structure to the low-frequency SCLERA spectra. Since the smallness of the observed solar amplitudes is not a sufficient mathematical ground for inefficiency of non-linear effects the possibility of chaos among solar oscillations cannot be discarded a priori.

  6. Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Modelling of Solar Shading

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Frederik Vildbrad; Liu, Mingzhe; Heiselberg, Per

    2017-01-01

    The use of solar shading in future low energy office buildings is essential for minimizing energy consumption for building services, while maintaining thermal conditions. Implementing solar shading technologies in energy calculations and thermal building simulation programs is essential in order...... to demonstrate the effect of adaptive solar shading. In order to document the benefits of the shading technology, the description of the shading device in the thermal building simulation software must be described at a reasonably accurate level, related to the specific solar shading device. This research...... presents different approaches for modeling solar shading devices, demonstrating the level of accuracy in relation to measurement conducted in a full-scale façade test facility at Aalborg University. The research bridges the gap between increased complexity of solar shading technologies and the use...

  7. Lessons learned from solar energy projects in Saudi Arabia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huraib, F.S.; Hasnain, S.M.; Alawaji, S.H.

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes the lessons learned from the major RD and D activities at Energy Research Institute (ERI), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in the field of solar energy. Photovoltaic, solar thermal dishes, solar water heating, solar water pumping and desalination, solar hydrogen production and utilization are some of the areas studied for solar energy applications. Recommendations and guidelines for future solar energy research, development, demonstration and dissemination in Saudi Arabia are also given. (Author)

  8. Radiation-Pressure Acceleration of Ion Beams from Nanofoil Targets: The Leaky Light-Sail Regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiao, B.; Zepf, M.; Borghesi, M.; Dromey, B.; Geissler, M.; Karmakar, A.; Gibbon, P.

    2010-01-01

    A new ion radiation-pressure acceleration regime, the 'leaky light sail', is proposed which uses sub-skin-depth nanometer foils irradiated by circularly polarized laser pulses. In the regime, the foil is partially transparent, continuously leaking electrons out along with the transmitted laser field. This feature can be exploited by a multispecies nanofoil configuration to stabilize the acceleration of the light ion component, supplementing the latter with an excess of electrons leaked from those associated with the heavy ions to avoid Coulomb explosion. It is shown by 2D particle-in-cell simulations that a monoenergetic proton beam with energy 18 MeV is produced by circularly polarized lasers at intensities of just 10 19 W/cm 2 . 100 MeV proton beams are obtained by increasing the intensities to 2x10 20 W/cm 2 .

  9. Radiation-pressure acceleration of ion beams from nanofoil targets: the leaky light-sail regime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, B; Zepf, M; Borghesi, M; Dromey, B; Geissler, M; Karmakar, A; Gibbon, P

    2010-10-08

    A new ion radiation-pressure acceleration regime, the "leaky light sail," is proposed which uses sub-skin-depth nanometer foils irradiated by circularly polarized laser pulses. In the regime, the foil is partially transparent, continuously leaking electrons out along with the transmitted laser field. This feature can be exploited by a multispecies nanofoil configuration to stabilize the acceleration of the light ion component, supplementing the latter with an excess of electrons leaked from those associated with the heavy ions to avoid Coulomb explosion. It is shown by 2D particle-in-cell simulations that a monoenergetic proton beam with energy 18 MeV is produced by circularly polarized lasers at intensities of just 10¹⁹  W/cm². 100 MeV proton beams are obtained by increasing the intensities to 2 × 10²⁰  W/cm².

  10. Industrial Silicon Wafer Solar Cells

    OpenAIRE

    Neuhaus, Dirk-Holger; Münzer, Adolf

    2007-01-01

    In 2006, around 86% of all wafer-based silicon solar cells were produced using screen printing to form the silver front and aluminium rear contacts and chemical vapour deposition to grow silicon nitride as the antireflection coating onto the front surface. This paper reviews this dominant solar cell technology looking into state-of-the-art equipment and corresponding processes for each process step. The main efficiency losses of this type of solar cell are analyzed to demonstrate the future e...

  11. Solar satellites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poher, C.

    1982-01-01

    A reference system design, projected costs, and the functional concepts of a satellite solar power system (SSPS) for converting sunlight falling on solar panels of a satellite in GEO to a multi-GW beam which could be received by a rectenna on earth are outlined. Electricity transmission by microwaves has been demonstrated, and a reference design system for supplying 5 GW dc to earth was devised. The system will use either monocrystalline Si or concentrator GaAs solar cells for energy collection in GEO. Development is still needed to improve the lifespan of the cells. Currently, the cell performance degrades 50 percent in efficiency after 7-8 yr in space. Each SSPS satellite would weigh either 34,000 tons (Si) or 51,000 tons (GaAs), thereby requiring the fabrication of a heavy lift launch vehicle or a single-stage-to-orbit transport in order to minimize launch costs. Costs for the solar panels have been estimated at $500/kW using the GaAs technology, with transport costs for materials to GEO being $40/kg.

  12. Solar satellites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poher, C.

    A reference system design, projected costs, and the functional concepts of a satellite solar power system (SSPS) for converting sunlight falling on solar panels of a satellite in GEO to a multi-GW beam which could be received by a rectenna on earth are outlined. Electricity transmission by microwaves has been demonstrated, and a reference design system for supplying 5 GW dc to earth was devised. The system will use either monocrystalline Si or concentrator GaAs solar cells for energy collection in GEO. Development is still needed to improve the lifespan of the cells. Currently, the cell performance degrades 50 percent in efficiency after 7-8 yr in space. Each SSPS satellite would weigh either 34,000 tons (Si) or 51,000 tons (GaAs), thereby requiring the fabrication of a heavy lift launch vehicle or a single-stage-to-orbit transport in order to minimize launch costs. Costs for the solar panels have been estimated at $500/kW using the GaAs technology, with transport costs for materials to GEO being $40/kg.

  13. Structure of the putative 32 kDa myrosinase-binding protein from Arabidopsis (At3g16450.1) determined by SAIL-NMR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Sugimori, Nozomi; Torizawa, Takuya; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Ono, Akira M; Yagi, Hirokazu; Yamaguchi, Yoshiki; Kato, Koichi; Ikeya, Teppei; Jee, Jungoo; Güntert, Peter; Aceti, David J; Markley, John L; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2008-12-01

    The product of gene At3g16450.1 from Arabidopsis thaliana is a 32 kDa, 299-residue protein classified as resembling a myrosinase-binding protein (MyroBP). MyroBPs are found in plants as part of a complex with the glucosinolate-degrading enzyme myrosinase, and are suspected to play a role in myrosinase-dependent defense against pathogens. Many MyroBPs and MyroBP-related proteins are composed of repeated homologous sequences with unknown structure. We report here the three-dimensional structure of the At3g16450.1 protein from Arabidopsis, which consists of two tandem repeats. Because the size of the protein is larger than that amenable to high-throughput analysis by uniform (13)C/(15)N labeling methods, we used stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) technology to prepare an optimally (2)H/(13)C/(15)N-labeled sample. NMR data sets collected using the SAIL protein enabled us to assign (1)H, (13)C and (15)N chemical shifts to 95.5% of all atoms, even at a low concentration (0.2 mm) of protein product. We collected additional NOESY data and determined the three-dimensional structure using the cyana software package. The structure, the first for a MyroBP family member, revealed that the At3g16450.1 protein consists of two independent but similar lectin-fold domains, each composed of three beta-sheets.

  14. Solar heating of the produced water of petroleum; Aquecimento solar da agua produzida de petroleo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Rogerio Pitanga; Chiavone-Filho, Osvaldo; Bezerra, Magna A. Santos; Melo, Josette Lourdes Sousa de; Oliveira, Jackson Araujo de; Ramos, Rafael E. Moura [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil); Schuhli, Juliana Bregenski; Andrade, Vivian Tavares de [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES)

    2008-07-01

    In this work, experimental data of solar heating for common water and saline solution were measured. The solar heater is formed by a flat-plane collector and a thermal reservoir ('boiler'). The objective is to quantify the variation of fluids' temperature, and correlate it to environment variables, especially solar irradiation. Thereby, it is possible to estimate the solar heating of produced water of petroleum. The solar heater is part of a system of treatment of produced water, and its function is to pre-heat the fluid that enters into the solar distiller, increasing the productivity of distilled water. A saline solution that represents produced water was used in the experiments, using sodium chloride (1000 ppm). The experimental data demonstrates that the solar heater is capable to heat the fluid to temperatures close to 70 deg C, reaching temperatures close to 50 deg C even during cloudy days with low solar radiation. Furthermore, the solar collector energy system provides a higher rate of heating and trough of the thermal reservoir the temperature can remain longer. These are important aspects to the integration with solar distillation. (author)

  15. Solar heating of the produced water of petroleum; Aquecimento solar da agua produzida de petroleo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santos, Rogerio Pitanga; Chiavone-Filho, Osvaldo; Bezerra, Magna A. Santos; Melo, Josette Lourdes Sousa de; Oliveira, Jackson Araujo de; Ramos, Rafael E. Moura [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil); Schuhli, Juliana Bregenski; Andrade, Vivian Tavares de [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Centro de Pesquisas (CENPES)

    2008-07-01

    In this work, experimental data of solar heating for common water and saline solution were measured. The solar heater is formed by a flat-plane collector and a thermal reservoir ('boiler'). The objective is to quantify the variation of fluids' temperature, and correlate it to environment variables, especially solar irradiation. Thereby, it is possible to estimate the solar heating of produced water of petroleum. The solar heater is part of a system of treatment of produced water, and its function is to pre-heat the fluid that enters into the solar distiller, increasing the productivity of distilled water. A saline solution that represents produced water was used in the experiments, using sodium chloride (1000 ppm). The experimental data demonstrates that the solar heater is capable to heat the fluid to temperatures close to 70 deg C, reaching temperatures close to 50 deg C even during cloudy days with low solar radiation. Furthermore, the solar collector energy system provides a higher rate of heating and trough of the thermal reservoir the temperature can remain longer. These are important aspects to the integration with solar distillation. (author)

  16. Recyclable organic solar cells on cellulose nanocrystal substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yinhua; Fuentes-Hernandez, Canek; Khan, Talha M; Liu, Jen-Chieh; Hsu, James; Shim, Jae Won; Dindar, Amir; Youngblood, Jeffrey P; Moon, Robert J; Kippelen, Bernard

    2013-01-01

    Solar energy is potentially the largest source of renewable energy at our disposal, but significant advances are required to make photovoltaic technologies economically viable and, from a life-cycle perspective, environmentally friendly, and consequently scalable. Cellulose nanomaterials are emerging high-value nanoparticles extracted from plants that are abundant, renewable, and sustainable. Here, we report on the first demonstration of efficient polymer solar cells fabricated on optically transparent cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates. The solar cells fabricated on the CNC substrates display good rectification in the dark and reach a power conversion efficiency of 2.7%. In addition, we demonstrate that these solar cells can be easily separated and recycled into their major components using low-energy processes at room temperature, opening the door for a truly recyclable solar cell technology. Efficient and easily recyclable organic solar cells on CNC substrates are expected to be an attractive technology for sustainable, scalable, and environmentally-friendly energy production.

  17. Scaling up ITO-Free solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Galagan, Y.O.; Coenen, E.W.C.; Zimmermann, B.; Slooff, L.H.; Verhees, W.J.H.; Veenstra, S.C.; Kroon, J.M.; Jørgensen, M.; Krebs, F.C.; Andriessen, H.A.J.M.

    2014-01-01

    Indium-tin-oxide-free (ITO-free) polymer solar cells with composite electrodes containing current-collecting grids and a semitransparent poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) conductor are demonstrated. The up-scaling of the length of the solar cell from 1 to 6 cm and

  18. Gossamer-1: Mission concept and technology for a controlled deployment of gossamer spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seefeldt, Patric; Spietz, Peter; Sproewitz, Tom; Grundmann, Jan Thimo; Hillebrandt, Martin; Hobbie, Catherin; Ruffer, Michael; Straubel, Marco; Tóth, Norbert; Zander, Martin

    2017-01-01

    Gossamer structures for innovative space applications, such as solar sails, require technology that allows their controlled and thereby safe deployment. Before employing such technology for a dedicated science mission, it is desirable, if not necessary, to demonstrate its reliability with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of six or higher. The aim of the work presented here is to provide reliable technology that enables the controlled deployment and verification of its functionality with various laboratory tests, thereby qualifying the hardware for a first demonstration in low Earth orbit (LEO). The development was made in the Gossamer-1 project of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). This paper provides an overview of the Gossamer-1 mission and hardware development. The system is designed based on the requirements of a technology demonstration mission. The design rests on a crossed boom configuration with triangular sail segments. Employing engineering models, all aspects of the deployment were tested under ambient environment. Several components were also subjected to environmental qualification testing. An innovative stowing and deployment strategy for a controlled deployment, as well as the designs of the bus system, mechanisms and electronics are described. The tests conducted provide insights into the deployment process and allow a mechanical characterization of that deployment process, in particular the measurement of the deployment forces. Deployment on system level could be successfully demonstrated to be robust and controllable. The deployment technology is on TRL four approaching level five, with a qualification model for environmental testing currently being built.

  19. Solar Grants Spot Training and Jobs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owen, Walter

    1979-01-01

    Employment and training in solar installation work is provided by fifteen Solar Utilization/Economic Development and Employment (SUEDE) demonstration projects funded by the United States Departments of Labor and Energy and the Community Services Administration. The article describes the projects and the types of work. (MF)

  20. Physical activity, sleep pattern and energy expenditure in double-handed offshore sailing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvani, C; Ardigò, L P; Alberti, M; Daniele, F; Capelli, C

    2015-12-01

    The aim of the present study was to quantify total energy expenditure, activity energy expenditure and time spent at three levels of physical activity (low, moderate, high intensity) in four two-person crews during a 500-mile double-handed sailing regatta. Physical activity intensity and energy expenditure were assessed during a 500-nautical-mile double-handed offshore competition in eight male sailors (46.3±3.4 years; 180±13 cm; 85.4±12.5 kg). During the whole regatta, they wore an activity monitor that estimated energy expenditure and minutes spent at each level of intensity (sedentary, 6.0 METs). The sailors spent longer periods (Penergy expenditure was 14.26±1.89 MJ/day and the activity energy expenditure was 5.06±1.42 MJ/day. Activity energy expenditure was significantly correlated with total sleep time, boat speed, and distance covered each day (Penergy expenditure was more likely a consequence of the short and rare periods of sleep during the competition rather than of the bouts of moderate and vigorous physical activities.