Evaluation of dispersion strengthened nickel-base alloy heat shields for space shuttle application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R., Jr.; Killpatrick, D. H.

1975-01-01

The design, fabrication, and testing of a full-size, full-scale TD Ni-20Cr heat shield test array in simulated mission environments is described along with the design and fabrication of two additional full-size, full-scale test arrays to be tested in flowing gas test facilities at the NASA Langley Research Center. Cost and reusability evaluations of TD Ni-20Cr heat shield systems are presented, and weight estimates of a TD Ni-20Cr heat shield system for use on a shuttle orbiter vehicle are made. Safe-line expectancy of a TD Ni-20Cr heat shield system is assessed. Non-destructive test techniques are evaluated to determine their effectiveness in quality assurance checks of TD Ni-20Cr components such as heat shields, heat shield supports, close-out panels, formed cover strips, and edge seals. Results of tests on a braze reinforced full-scale, subsize panel are included. Results show only minor structural degradation in the main TD Ni-20Cr heat shields of the test array during simulated mission test cycles.

A thermal shield concept for the Solar Probe mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyake, Robert N.; Millard, Jerry M.; Randolph, James E.

1991-01-01

The Solar Probe spacecraft will travel to within 4 solar radii of the sun's center while performing a variety of fundamental experiments in space physics. Exposure to 2900 earth suns (400 W/sq cm) at perihelion imposes severe thermal and material demands on a solar shield system designed to protect the payload that will reside within the shield's shadow envelope or umbra. The design of the shield subsystem is a thermal/materials challenge requiring new technology development. While currently in the preproject study phase, anticipating a 1995 project start, shield preliminary design efforts are currently underway. This paper documents the current status of the mission concept, the materials issues, the configuration concept for the shield subsystem, the current configuration studies performed to date, and the required material testing to provide a database to support a design effort required to develop the shield subsystem.

Self-Shielding Analysis of the Zap-X System

PubMed Central

Schneider, M. Bret; Adler, John R.

2017-01-01

The Zap-X is a self-contained and first-of-its-kind self-shielded therapeutic radiation device dedicated to brain as well as head and neck stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). By utilizing an S-band linear accelerator (linac) with a 2.7 megavolt (MV) accelerating potential and incorporating radiation-shielded mechanical structures, the Zap-X does not typically require a radiation bunker, thereby saving SRS facilities considerable cost. At the same time, the self-shielded features of the Zap-X are designed for more consistency of radiation protection, reducing the risk to radiation workers and others potentially exposed from a poorly designed or constructed radiotherapy vault. The hypothesis of the present study is that a radiosurgical system can be self-shielded such that it produces radiation exposure levels deemed safe to the public while operating under a full clinical workload. This study summarizes the Zap-X system shielding and found that the overall system radiation leakage values are reduced by a factor of 50 compared to the occupational radiation limit stipulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or agreement states. The goal of self-shielding is achieved under all but the most exceptional conditions for which additional room shielding or a larger restricted area in the vicinity of the Zap-X system would be required. PMID:29441251

Preliminary Thermal Design of Cryogenic Radiation Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Xiaoyi; Mustafi, Shuvo; Boutte, Alvin

2015-01-01

Cryogenic Hydrogen Radiation Shielding (CHRS) is the most mass efficient material radiation shielding strategy for human spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Future human space flight, mission beyond LEO could exceed one year in duration. Previous radiation studies showed that in order to protect the astronauts from space radiation with an annual allowable radiation dose less than 500 mSv, 140 kgm2 of polyethylene is necessary. For a typical crew module that is 4 meter in diameter and 8 meter in length. The mass of polyethylene radiation shielding required would be more than 17,500 kg. The same radiation study found that the required hydrogen shielding for the same allowable radiation dose is 40 kgm2, and the mass of hydrogen required would be 5, 000 kg. Cryogenic hydrogen has higher densities and can be stored in relatively small containment vessels. However, the CHRS system needs a sophisticated thermal system which prevents the cryogenic hydrogen from evaporating during the mission. This study designed a cryogenic thermal system that protects the CHRS from hydrogen evaporation for one to up to three year mission. The design also includes a ground based cooling system that can subcool and freeze liquid hydrogen. The final results show that the CHRS with its required thermal protection system is nearly half of the mass of polyethylene radiation shielding.

Design and Fabrication of a Tank-Applied Broad Area Cooling Shield Coupon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, J. J.; Middlemas, M. R.

2012-01-01

The small-scale broad area cooling (BAC) shield test panel represents a section of the cryogenic propellant storage and transfer ground test article, a flight-like cryogenic propellant storage tank. The test panel design includes an aluminum tank shell, primer, spray-on foam insulation, multilayer insulation (MLI), and BAC shield hardware. This assembly was sized to accurately represent the character of the MLI/BAC shield system, be quickly and inexpensively assembled, and be tested in the Marshall Space Flight Center Acoustic Test Facility. Investigating the BAC shield response to a worst-case launch dynamic load was the key purpose for developing the test article and performing the test. A preliminary method for structurally supporting the BAC shield using low-conductivity standoffs was designed, manufactured, and evaluated as part of the test. The BAC tube-standoff interface and unsupported BAC tube lengths were key parameters for evaluation. No noticeable damage to any system hardware element was observed after acoustic testing.

Magnetic decoupling of the linac in a low field biplanar linac-MR system.

PubMed

St Aubin, J; Steciw, S; Fallone, B G

2010-09-01

The integration of a low field biplanar magnetic resonance (MR) imager and linear accelerator (linac) causes magnetic interference at the linac due to the MR fringe fields. In order to eliminate this interference, passive and active magnetic shielding designs are investigated. The optimized design of passive magnetic shielding was performed using the finite element method. The design was required to achieve no greater than a 20% electron beam loss within the linac waveguide and electron gun, no greater than 0.06 T at the multileaf collimator (MLC) motors, and generate a distortion of the main MR imaging volume of no greater than 300 ppm. Through the superposition of the analytical solution for a single current carrying wire loop, active shielding designs in the form of three and four sets of coil pairs surrounding the linac waveguide and electron gun were also investigated. The optimized current and coil center locations that yielded the best cancellation of the MR fringe fields at the linac were determined using sequential quadratic programming. Optimized passive shielding in the form of two steel cylinders was designed to meet the required constraints. When shielding the MLC motors along with the waveguide and electron gun, the thickness of the cylinders was less than 1 mm. If magnetically insensitive MLC motors are used, no MLC shielding would be required and the waveguide shield (shielding the waveguide and electron gun) became 1.58 mm thick. In addition, the optimized current and coil spacing for active shielding was determined for both three and four coil pair configurations. The results of the active shielding optimization produced no beam loss within the waveguide and electron gun and a maximum MR field distortion of 91 ppm over a 30 cm diameter spherical volume. Very simple passive and active shielding designs have been shown to magnetically decouple the linac from the MR imager in a low field biplanar linac-MR system. The MLC passive shielding produced the largest distortion of the MR field over the imaging volume. With the use of magnetically insensitive motors, the MR field distortion drops substantially since no MLC shield is required. The active shielding designs yielded no electron beam loss within the linac.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wroe, A; Slater, J; McAuley, G

Purpose: To design, implement and evaluate a shielding system that will reduce out-of-field dose experienced by the patient and associated electronic systems in passively scattered proton therapy treatment. Methods: A multi-stage neutron shielding system was retrofitted to the Gantry 1 treatment nozzle at Loma Linda University Medical Center. The system uses multiple borated polyethylene plates staged after the primary beam modifying devices to attenuate and absorb neutrons produced by such devices. This arrangement locates increasing levels of shielding between the sources of secondary particles in the nozzle and the patient. Additionally, the design of this shielding structure allows it tomore » be easily retrofitted to an existing proton nozzle system without impacting design or treatment beam characteristics. The effectiveness of the shielding was evaluated both through experimental measurements and Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. Results: Measurements were completed with Landauer Luxel+ dosimeters that use optically stimulated luminescence and CR-39 to detect fast neutrons, thermal neutrons, protons, photons and beta particles. Measurements of a 250 MeV proton beam indicated that the shielding system reduced out-of-field dose to the patient by almost half with dose equivalent values at 50 and 40 cm from the field edge decreasing from 0.965 and 1.262 mSv/Gy to 0.596 and 0.777 mSv/Gy respectively. The installation of the multi-stage shielding system also reduced dose equivalent experienced by electronic systems installed in the treatment room by up to 80%. Geant4 simulations were also used to evaluate the neutron fluence at various positions in the treatment room as well as provide information on microdosimetry spectra within the patient and treatment room. Conclusion: The shielding system described above proved to be an effective an inexpensive method of reducing out-of-field doses to the patient and electronic systems and can be easily retrofitted to existing passive scattering nozzles.« less

Synthesis of calculational methods for design and analysis of radiation shields for nuclear rocket systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Capo, M. A.; Disney, R. K.; Jordan, T. A.; Soltesz, R. G.; Woodsum, H. C.

1969-01-01

Eight computer programs make up a nine volume synthesis containing two design methods for nuclear rocket radiation shields. The first design method is appropriate for parametric and preliminary studies, while the second accomplishes the verification of a final nuclear rocket reactor design.

Design of a magnetic shielding system for the time of flight enhanced diagnostics neutron spectrometer at Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cui, Z. Q.; Chen, Z. J.; Xie, X. F.

2014-11-15

The novel neutron spectrometer TOFED (Time of Flight Enhanced Diagnostics), comprising 90 individual photomultiplier tubes coupled with 85 plastic scintillation detectors through light guides, has been constructed and installed at Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. A dedicated magnetic shielding system has been constructed for TOFED, and is designed to guarantee the normal operation of photomultiplier tubes in the stray magnetic field leaking from the tokamak device. Experimental measurements and numerical simulations carried out employing the finite element method are combined to optimize the design of the magnetic shielding system. The system allows detectors to work properly in an external magnetic fieldmore » of 200 G.« less

Active magnetic radiation shielding system analysis and key technologies.

PubMed

Washburn, S A; Blattnig, S R; Singleterry, R C; Westover, S C

2015-01-01

Many active magnetic shielding designs have been proposed in order to reduce the radiation exposure received by astronauts on long duration, deep space missions. While these designs are promising, they pose significant engineering challenges. This work presents a survey of the major systems required for such unconfined magnetic field design, allowing the identification of key technologies for future development. Basic mass calculations are developed for each system and are used to determine the resulting galactic cosmic radiation exposure for a generic solenoid design, using a range of magnetic field strength and thickness values, allowing some of the basic characteristics of such a design to be observed. This study focuses on a solenoid shaped, active magnetic shield design; however, many of the principles discussed are applicable regardless of the exact design configuration, particularly the key technologies cited. Copyright © 2015 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). All rights reserved.

Design, fabrication, and structural testing of a lightweight shadow shield for deep-space application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miao, D.; Barber, J. R.; Dewitt, R. L.

1977-01-01

Two full-scale, lightweight, double-sheeted shadow shields were developed as the primary element of a deep-space thermal protection system for liquid-hydrogen propellant tankage. The thermal and mechanical considerations used in s, the method of fabrication, and the environmental testing results on a prototype shield are discussed. Testing consisted of a transient cooldown period, a prolonged cold soak, and a transient warmup. The mechanical and thermal analyses used in the shield design are sufficient to produce a lightweight rugged shadow shield assembly that is structurally adequate for its intended application.

Design of a plastic minicolpostat applicator with shields.

PubMed

Weeks, K J; Montana, G S; Bentel, G C

1991-09-01

A plastic intracavitary applicator system for the treatment of cancer of the uterine cervix is described. This applicator has a minicolpostat and a mechanism for affixing the tandem to the colpostats. Traditional afterloading refers only to the radioactive source. Both the source and the ovoid shield are afterloaded together in this applicator in contrast to traditional afterloading systems which afterload the source alone. A potential advantage of our applicator system is that it allows high quality CT localization because the sources and shields can be removed and the applicator is made of plastic. The advantages and disadvantages of this variation to the Fletcher system as well as other aspects of applicator design are discussed. An experimentally verified dose calculation method for shielded sources is applied to the design problems associated with this applicator. The dose distribution calculated for a source-shield configuration of the plastic applicator is compared to that obtained with a commercial Fletcher-Suit-Delclos (FSD) applicator. Significant shielding improvements can be achieved for the smallest diameter ovoid, that is, in the minicolpostat. The plastic minicolpostat dose distributions are similar to those produced by the conventional larger diameter colpostats. In particular, the colpostat shielding for rectum and bladder, which is reduced in the metal applicator's minicolpostat configuration, is maintained for the plastic minicolpostat. Further, it is shown that, if desired, relative to the FSD minicolpostat, the mucosa dose can be reduced by a suitable change of the minicolpostat source position.

Nuclear thermal propulsion engine system design analysis code development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelaccio, Dennis G.; Scheil, Christine M.; Petrosky, Lyman J.; Ivanenok, Joseph F.

1992-01-01

A Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) Engine System Design Analyis Code has recently been developed to characterize key NTP engine system design features. Such a versatile, standalone NTP system performance and engine design code is required to support ongoing and future engine system and vehicle design efforts associated with proposed Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions of interest. Key areas of interest in the engine system modeling effort were the reactor, shielding, and inclusion of an engine multi-redundant propellant pump feed system design option. A solid-core nuclear thermal reactor and internal shielding code model was developed to estimate the reactor's thermal-hydraulic and physical parameters based on a prescribed thermal output which was integrated into a state-of-the-art engine system design model. The reactor code module has the capability to model graphite, composite, or carbide fuels. Key output from the model consists of reactor parameters such as thermal power, pressure drop, thermal profile, and heat generation in cooled structures (reflector, shield, and core supports), as well as the engine system parameters such as weight, dimensions, pressures, temperatures, mass flows, and performance. The model's overall analysis methodology and its key assumptions and capabilities are summarized in this paper.

CAD-based stand-alone spacecraft radiation exposure analysis system: An application of the early man-tended Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appleby, M. H.; Golightly, M. J.; Hardy, A. C.

1993-01-01

Major improvements have been completed in the approach to analyses and simulation of spacecraft radiation shielding and exposure. A computer-aided design (CAD)-based system has been developed for determining the amount of shielding provided by a spacecraft and simulating transmission of an incident radiation environment to any point within or external to the vehicle. Shielding analysis is performed using a customized ray-tracing subroutine contained within a standard engineering modeling software package. This improved shielding analysis technique has been used in several vehicle design programs such as a Mars transfer habitat, pressurized lunar rover, and the redesigned international Space Station. Results of analysis performed for the Space Station astronaut exposure assessment are provided to demonastrate the applicability and versatility of the system.

Magnetic shielding and vacuum test for passive hydrogen masers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubser, D. U.; Wolf, S. A.; Jacoby, A. B.; Jones, L. D.

1982-01-01

Vibration tests on high permeability magnetic shields used in the SAO-NRL Advanced Development Model (ADM) hydrogen maser were made. Magnetic shielding factors were measured before and after vibration. Preliminary results indicate considerable (25%) degradation. Test results on the NRL designed vacuum pumping station for the ADM hydrogen maser are also discussed. This system employs sintered zirconium carbon getter pumps to pump hydrogen plus small ion pumps to pump the inert gases. In situ activation tests and pumping characteristics indicate that the system can meet design specifications.

Exploration Design Challenge 2014

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-25

Team Titan Shielding Systems poses with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Lockheed Martin CEO, Marillyn Hewson. Team Titan Shielding Systems was one of the semi-finalists in the Exploration Design Challenge. The goal of the Exploration Design Challenge is for students to research and design ways to protect astronauts from space radiation. The winner of the challenge was announced on April 25, 2014 at the USA Science and Engineering Festival at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Technique for Configuring an Actively Cooled Thermal Shield in a Flight System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barkfknecht, Peter; Mustafi, Shuvo

2011-01-01

Broad area cooling shields are a mass-efficient alternative to conductively cooled thermal radiation shielding. The shield would actively intercept a large portion of incident thermal radiation and transport the heat away using cryogenic helium gas. The design concept consists of a conductive and conformable surface that maximizes heat transfer and formability. Broad Area Cooled (BAC) shields could potentially provide considerable mass savings for spaceflight applications by eliminating the need for a rigid thermal radiation shield for cryogen tanks. The BAC consists of a network of capillary tubes that are thermally connected to a conductive shield material. Chilled helium gas is circulated through the network and transports unwanted heat away from the cryogen tanks. The cryogenic helium gas is pumped and chilled simultaneously using a specialized pulse-tube cryocooler, which further improves the mass efficiency of the system. By reducing the thermal environment temperature from 300 to 100 K, the radiative heat load on a cryogen tank could be reduced by an order of magnitude. For a cryogenic liquid propellant scenario of oxygen and hydrogen, the boiloff of hydrogen would be significantly reduced and completely eliminated for oxygen. A major challenge in implementing this technology on large tanks is that the BAC system must be easily scalable from lab demonstrations to full-scale missions. Also, the BAC shield must be conformable to complex shapes like spheres without losing the ability to maintain constant temperature throughout. The initial design maximizes thermal conductivity between the capillary tube and the conductive radiation shielding by using thin, corrugated aluminum foil with the tube running transverse to the folds. This configuration has the added benefit of enabling the foil to stretch and contract longitudinally. This allows the BAC to conform to the complex curvature of a cryogen tank, which is key to its success. To demonstrate a BAC shield system with minimal impact to current cryogen tank designs, the shielding must be applied after the final assembly of the tank and supporting structure. One method is to pre-fabricate the shield in long strips. A spool of corrugated aluminum foil with a thermally sunk aluminum capillary running through the center could then be simply wound around the cryogen tanks and encapsulated within the multi-layer insulation (MLI) blanket. Then, on orbit, the BAC would intercept thermal radiation coming in through the MLI and transport it away from the cryogen tanks. An optimization of the design could be done to take into account mass savings from thinner MLI blankets, eliminating solid thermal shields, and ultimately, a reduction in the required cryogen tank size.

Multilayered Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Structures for Suppressing Magnetic Field Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Atom O.; Raj, Pulugurtha Markondeya; Wong, Denny; Mullapudi, Ravi; Tummala, Rao

2018-05-01

Control of electromagnetic interference (EMI) represents a major challenge for emerging consumer electronics, the Internet of Things, automotive electronics, and wireless communication systems. This paper discusses innovative EMI shielding materials and structures that offer higher shielding effectiveness compared with copper. To create high shielding effectiveness in the frequency range of 1 MHz to 100 MHz, multilayered shielding topologies with electrically conductive and nanomagnetic materials were modeled, designed, fabricated, and characterized. In addition, suppression of out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic-field coupling noise with these structures is compared with that of traditional single-layer copper or nickel-iron films. Compared with single-layered copper shields, multilayered structures consisting of copper, nickel-iron, and titanium showed a 3.9 times increase in shielding effectiveness in suppressing out-of-plane or vertically coupled noise and 1.3 times increase in lateral coupling. The superiority of multilayered thin-film shields over conventional shielding enables greater design flexibility, higher shielding effectiveness, and further miniaturization of emerging radiofrequency (RF) and power modules.

NASA Crew Exploration Vehicle, Thermal Protection System, Lessons Learned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj; Reuther, James

2008-01-01

The Orion (CEV) thermal protection system (TPS) advanced development project (ADP) was initiated in late 2006 to reduce developmental risk by significant investment in multiple heat shield architectural solutions that can meet the needs both the Low Earth orbit (LEO) and Lunar return missions. At the same time, the CEV TPS ADP was also charged with developing a preliminary design for the heat shield to meet the PDR requirement and at the time of the PDR, transfer the design to Lockheed- Martin, the prime contractor. We reported on the developmental activities of the first 18 months at the IPPW5 in Bordeaux, France, last summer. In June 08, at the time of the IPPW6, the CEV TPS ADP would have nearly completed the preparation for the Orion PDR and would be close to the original three-year mark. We plan to report on the progress at the Atlanta workshop. In the past year, Orion TPS ADP investment in TPS Technology, especially in PICA ablative Heat-shield design, development, testing and engineering (DDTE) has paid off in enabling MSL mission to switch from SLA 561 V heat shield to PICA heat shield. CEV TPS ADP considered SLA 561 V as a candidate for LEO missions and our testing identified failure modes in SLA and as a result, we dropped SLA for further evaluation. This close synergy between two projects is a highly visible example of how investment in technology areas can and does benefit multiple missions. In addition, CEV TPS ADP has been able to revive the Apollo ablative system namely AVCOAT honeycomb architecture as an alternate to the baseline PICA architecture and we plan to report the progress we have made in AVCOAT. CEV TPS ADP has invested considerable resources in developing analytical models for PICA and AVCOAT, material property measurements that is essential to the design of the heat-shield, in arcjet testing, in understanding the differences between different arc jet facilities, namely NASA Ames, NASA JSC and Air Force's AEDC, and in Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE), and in integration of and manufacturing heat shield as a system. The capabilities of the two heat shield systems including failure modes via testing and analysis, once established, can serve the Probe Community and future mission designers to inner and outer planetary exploration very well. For example, missions to Venus, Mars and Titan can use either one of the system by selecting the mission design parameters that utilizes the full characteristics of these system to make use of system efficiency that will result in reduced heat shield mass, system robustness that will enhance mission success and cost. We plan to present significant progresses of the past three years and highlight the significant contributions CEV TPS ADP Project has made to advance the state of the art in Thermal Protection System technology that has and will continue to benefit future entry probe missions.

Design and validation of a large-format transition edge sensor array magnetic shielding system for space application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergen, A.; van Weers, H. J.; Bruineman, C.; Dhallé, M. M. J.; Krooshoop, H. J. G.; ter Brake, H. J. M.; Ravensberg, K.; Jackson, B. D.; Wafelbakker, C. K.

2016-10-01

The paper describes the development and the experimental validation of a cryogenic magnetic shielding system for transition edge sensor based space detector arrays. The system consists of an outer mu-metal shield and an inner superconducting niobium shield. First, a basic comparison is made between thin-walled mu-metal and superconducting shields, giving an off-axis expression for the field inside a cup-shaped superconductor as a function of the transverse external field. Starting from these preliminary analytical considerations, the design of an adequate and realistic shielding configuration for future space flight applications (either X-IFU [D. Barret et al., e-print arXiv:1308.6784 [astro-ph.IM] (2013)] or SAFARI [B. Jackson et al., IEEE Trans. Terahertz Sci. Technol. 2, 12 (2012)]) is described in more detail. The numerical design and verification tools (static and dynamic finite element method (FEM) models) are discussed together with their required input, i.e., the magnetic-field dependent permeability data. Next, the actual manufacturing of the shields is described, including a method to create a superconducting joint between the two superconducting shield elements that avoid flux penetration through the seam. The final part of the paper presents the experimental verification of the model predictions and the validation of the shield's performance. The shields were cooled through the superconducting transition temperature of niobium in zero applied magnetic field (<10 nT) or in a DC field with magnitude ˜100 μT, applied either along the system's symmetry axis or perpendicular to it. After cool-down, DC trapped flux profiles were measured along the shield axis with a flux-gate magnetometer and the attenuation of externally applied AC fields (100 μT, 0.1 Hz, both axial and transverse) was verified along this axis with superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers. The system's measured on-axis shielding factor is greater than 106, well exceeding the requirement of the envisaged missions. Following field-cooling in an axial field of 85 μT, the residual internal DC field normal to the detector plane is less than 1 μT. The trapped field patterns are compared to the predictions of the dynamic FEM model, which describes them well in the region where the internal field exceeds 6 μT.

Design and validation of a large-format transition edge sensor array magnetic shielding system for space application.

PubMed

Bergen, A; van Weers, H J; Bruineman, C; Dhallé, M M J; Krooshoop, H J G; Ter Brake, H J M; Ravensberg, K; Jackson, B D; Wafelbakker, C K

2016-10-01

The paper describes the development and the experimental validation of a cryogenic magnetic shielding system for transition edge sensor based space detector arrays. The system consists of an outer mu-metal shield and an inner superconducting niobium shield. First, a basic comparison is made between thin-walled mu-metal and superconducting shields, giving an off-axis expression for the field inside a cup-shaped superconductor as a function of the transverse external field. Starting from these preliminary analytical considerations, the design of an adequate and realistic shielding configuration for future space flight applications (either X-IFU [D. Barret et al., e-print arXiv:1308.6784 [astro-ph.IM] (2013)] or SAFARI [B. Jackson et al., IEEE Trans. Terahertz Sci. Technol. 2, 12 (2012)]) is described in more detail. The numerical design and verification tools (static and dynamic finite element method (FEM) models) are discussed together with their required input, i.e., the magnetic-field dependent permeability data. Next, the actual manufacturing of the shields is described, including a method to create a superconducting joint between the two superconducting shield elements that avoid flux penetration through the seam. The final part of the paper presents the experimental verification of the model predictions and the validation of the shield's performance. The shields were cooled through the superconducting transition temperature of niobium in zero applied magnetic field (<10 nT) or in a DC field with magnitude ∼100 μT, applied either along the system's symmetry axis or perpendicular to it. After cool-down, DC trapped flux profiles were measured along the shield axis with a flux-gate magnetometer and the attenuation of externally applied AC fields (100 μT, 0.1 Hz, both axial and transverse) was verified along this axis with superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers. The system's measured on-axis shielding factor is greater than 10 6 , well exceeding the requirement of the envisaged missions. Following field-cooling in an axial field of 85 μT, the residual internal DC field normal to the detector plane is less than 1 μT. The trapped field patterns are compared to the predictions of the dynamic FEM model, which describes them well in the region where the internal field exceeds 6 μT.

Advanced shield development for a fission surface power system for the lunar surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A. E. Craft; I. J. Silver; C. M. Clark

A nuclear reactor power system such as the affordable fission surface power system enables a potential outpostonthemoon.Aradiation shieldmustbe included in the reactor system to reduce the otherwise excessive dose to the astronauts and other vital system components. The radiation shield is typically the most massive component of a space reactor system, and thus must be optimized to reduce mass asmuchas possible while still providing the required protection.Various shield options for an on-lander reactor system are examined for outpost distances of 400m and 1 kmfromthe reactor. Also investigated is the resulting mass savings from the use of a high performance cermetmore » fuel. A thermal analysis is performed to determine the thermal behaviours of radiation shields using borated water. For an outpost located 1000m from the core, a tetramethylammonium borohydride shield is the lightest (5148.4 kg), followed by a trilayer shield (boron carbide–tungsten–borated water; 5832.3 kg), and finally a borated water shield (6020.7 kg). In all of the final design cases, the temperature of the borated water remains below 400 K.« less

Preliminary Analysis of a Water Shield for a Surface Power Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, J. Boise

2006-01-01

A water based shielding system is being investigated for use on initial lunar surface power systems. The use of water may lower overall cost (as compared to development cost for other materials) and simplify operations in the setup and handling. The thermal hydraulic performance of the shield is of significant interest. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection. A simple 1-D thermal model indicates the necessity of natural convection to maintain acceptable temperatures and pressures in the water shield. CFD analysis is done to quantify the natural convection in the shield, and predicts sufficient natural convection to transfer heat through the shield with small temperature gradients. A test program will he designed to experimentally verify the thermal hydraulic performance of the shield, and to anchor the CFD models to experimental results.

Structural Analysis of Thermal Shields During a Quench of a Torus Magnet for the 12 GeV Upgrade

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pastor, Orlando; Willard, Thomas; Ghoshal, Probir K.

A toroidal magnet system consisting of six superconducting coils is being built for the Jefferson Lab 12- GeV accelerator upgrade project. This paper details the analysis of eddy current effects during a quench event on the aluminum thermal shield. The shield has been analyzed for mechanical stresses induced as a result of a coil quench as well as a fast discharge of the complete magnet system. The shield has been designed to reduce the eddy current effects and result in stresses within allowable limits.

Passive magnetic shielding in MRI-Linac systems.

PubMed

Whelan, Brendan; Kolling, Stefan; Oborn, Brad M; Keall, Paul

2018-03-26

Passive magnetic shielding refers to the use of ferromagnetic materials to redirect magnetic field lines away from vulnerable regions. An application of particular interest to the medical physics community is shielding in MRI systems, especially integrated MRI-linear accelerator (MRI-Linac) systems. In these systems, the goal is not only to minimize the magnetic field in some volume, but also to minimize the impact of the shield on the magnetic fields within the imaging volume of the MRI scanner. In this work, finite element modelling was used to assess the shielding of a side coupled 6 MV linac and resultant heterogeneity induced within the 30 cm diameter of spherical volume (DSV) of a novel 1 Tesla split bore MRI magnet. A number of different shield parameters were investigated; distance between shield and magnet, shield shape, shield thickness, shield length, openings in the shield, number of concentric layers, spacing between each layer, and shield material. Both the in-line and perpendicular MRI-Linac configurations were studied. By modifying the shield shape around the linac from the starting design of an open ended cylinder, the shielding effect was boosted by approximately 70% whilst the impact on the magnet was simultaneously reduced by approximately 10%. Openings in the shield for the RF port and beam exit were substantial sources of field leakage; however it was demonstrated that shielding could be added around these openings to compensate for this leakage. Layering multiple concentric shield shells was highly effective in the perpendicular configuration, but less so for the in-line configuration. Cautious use of high permeability materials such as Mu-metal can greatly increase the shielding performance in some scenarios. In the perpendicular configuration, magnetic shielding was more effective and the impact on the magnet lower compared with the in-line configuration.

Passive magnetic shielding in MRI-Linac systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whelan, Brendan; Kolling, Stefan; Oborn, Brad M.; Keall, Paul

2018-04-01

Passive magnetic shielding refers to the use of ferromagnetic materials to redirect magnetic field lines away from vulnerable regions. An application of particular interest to the medical physics community is shielding in MRI systems, especially integrated MRI-linear accelerator (MRI-Linac) systems. In these systems, the goal is not only to minimize the magnetic field in some volume, but also to minimize the impact of the shield on the magnetic fields within the imaging volume of the MRI scanner. In this work, finite element modelling was used to assess the shielding of a side coupled 6 MV linac and resultant heterogeneity induced within the 30 cm diameter of spherical volume (DSV) of a novel 1 Tesla split bore MRI magnet. A number of different shield parameters were investigated; distance between shield and magnet, shield shape, shield thickness, shield length, openings in the shield, number of concentric layers, spacing between each layer, and shield material. Both the in-line and perpendicular MRI-Linac configurations were studied. By modifying the shield shape around the linac from the starting design of an open ended cylinder, the shielding effect was boosted by approximately 70% whilst the impact on the magnet was simultaneously reduced by approximately 10%. Openings in the shield for the RF port and beam exit were substantial sources of field leakage; however it was demonstrated that shielding could be added around these openings to compensate for this leakage. Layering multiple concentric shield shells was highly effective in the perpendicular configuration, but less so for the in-line configuration. Cautious use of high permeability materials such as Mu-metal can greatly increase the shielding performance in some scenarios. In the perpendicular configuration, magnetic shielding was more effective and the impact on the magnet lower compared with the in-line configuration.

The 1990-1991 project summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Georgia Tech's School of Textile & Fiber Engineering and School of Mechanical Engineering participated in four cooperative design efforts this year. One group designed a thermal shield for a lunar telescope. The second group designed a selenotextile habitat shielding structure. The third group designed a pneumatically assisted elbow joint for the NASA zero-prebreathe suit (ZPS). The final group designed an electromechanical system to power an astronaut's finger joints. Summaries of these projects are presented.

The 1990-1991 project summaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgia Tech's School of Textile & Fiber Engineering and School of Mechanical Engineering participated in four cooperative design efforts this year. One group designed a thermal shield for a lunar telescope. The second group designed a selenotextile habitat shielding structure. The third group designed a pneumatically assisted elbow joint for the NASA zero-prebreathe suit (ZPS). The final group designed an electromechanical system to power an astronaut's finger joints. Summaries of these projects are presented.

Effect of Discontinuities and Penetrations on the Shielding Efficacy of High Temperature Superconducting Magnetic Shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatwar, R.; Kvitkovic, J.; Herman, C.; Pamidi, S.

2015-12-01

High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) materials have been demonstrated to be suitable for applications in shielding of both DC and AC magnetic fields. Magnetic shielding is required for protecting sensitive instrumentation from external magnetic fields and for preventing the stray magnetic fields produced by high power density equipment from affecting neighbouring devices. HTS shields have high current densities at relatively high operating temperatures (40-77 K) and can be easily fabricated using commercial HTS conductor. High current densities in HTS materials allow design and fabrication of magnetic shields that are lighter and can be incorporated into the body and skin of high power density devices. HTS shields are particularly attractive for HTS devices because a single cryogenic system can be used for cooling the device and the associated shield. Typical power devices need penetrations for power and signal cabling and the penetrations create discontinuities in HTS shields. Hence it is important to assess the effect of the necessary discontinuities on the efficacy of the shields and the design modifications necessary to accommodate the penetrations.

Experimental Evaluation of a Water Shield for a Surface Power Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, J. B.; Reid, R.; Sadasivan, P.; Stewart, E.

2007-01-01

A water based shielding system is being investigated for use on initial lunar surface power systems. The use of water may lower overall cost (as compared to development cost for other materials) and simplify operations in the setup and handling. The thermal hydraulic performance of the shield is of significant interest. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection. A representative lunar surface reactor design is evaluated at various power levels in the Water Shield Testbed (WST) at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The evaluation compares the experimental data from the WST to CFD models. Performance of a water shield on the lunar surface is predicted by CFD models anchored to test data, and by matching relevant dimensionless parameters.

Low eddy current RF shielding enclosure designs for 3T MR applications.

PubMed

Lee, Brian J; Watkins, Ronald D; Chang, Chen-Ming; Levin, Craig S

2018-03-01

Magnetic resonance-compatible medical devices operate within the MR environment while benefitting from the superior anatomic information of MRI. Avoiding electromagnetic interference between such instrumentation and the MR system is crucial. In this work, various shielding configurations for positron emission tomography (PET) detectors were studied and analyzed regarding radiofrequency (RF) shielding effectiveness and gradient-induced eddy current performances. However, the results of this work apply to shielding considerations for any MR-compatible devices. Six shielding enclosure configurations with various thicknesses, patterns, and materials were designed: solid and segmented copper, phosphor bronze mesh (PBM), and carbon fiber composite (CFC). A series of tests was performed on RF shielding effectiveness and the gradient-induced eddy current. For the shielding effectiveness, the solid copper with various thickness and PBM configurations yield significantly better shielding effectiveness (>15 dB) compared with CFC and segmented configurations. For the gradient-induced eddy current performance, the solid copper shielding configurations with different thicknesses showed significantly worse results, up to a factor of 3.89 dB, compared with the segmented copper, PBM, and the CFC configurations. We evaluated the RF shielding effectiveness and the gradient-induced eddy current artifacts of several shielding designs, and only the PBM showed positive outcomes for both aspects. Magn Reson Med 79:1745-1752, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Design and Analysis of the Aperture Shield Assembly for a Space Solar Receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strumpf, Hal J.; Trinh, Tuan; Westelaken, William; Krystkowiak, Christopher; Avanessian, Vahe; Kerslake, Thomas W.

1997-01-01

A joint U.S./Russia program has been conducted to design, develop, fabricate, launch, and operate the world's first space solar dynamic power system on the Russian Space Station Mir. The goal of the program was to demonstrate and confirm that solar dynamic power systems are viable for future space applications such as the International Space Station (ISS). The major components of the system include a solar receiver, a closed Brayton cycle power conversion unit, a power conditioning and control unit, a solar concentrator, a radiator, a thermal control system, and a Space Shuttle carrier. Unfortunately, the mission was demanifested from the ISS Phase 1 Space Shuttle Program in 1996. However, NASA Lewis is proposing to use the fabricated flight hardware as part of an all-American flight demonstration on the ISS in 2002. The present paper concerns the design and analysis of the solar receiver aperture shield assembly. The aperture shield assembly comprises the front face of the cylindrical receiver and is located at the focal plane of the solar concentrator. The aperture shield assembly is a critical component that protects the solar receiver structure from highly concentrated solar fluxes during concentrator off-pointing events. A full-size aperture shield assembly was fabricated. This unit was essentially identical to the flight configuration, with the exception of materials substitution. In addition, a thermal shock test aperture shield assembly was fabricated. This test article utilized the flight materials and was used for high-flux testing in the solar simulator test rig at NASA Lewis. This testing is described in a companion paper.

Potential Polymeric Sphere Construction Materials for a Spacecraft Electrostatic Shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Joseph G., Jr.; Smith, Trent; Williams, Martha; Youngquist, Robert; Mendell, Wendell

2006-01-01

An electrostatic shielding concept for spacecraft radiation protection under NASA s Exploration Systems Research and Technology Program was evaluated for its effectiveness and feasibility. The proposed shield design is reminiscent of a classic quadrupole with positively and negatively charged spheres surrounding the spacecraft. The project addressed materials, shield configuration, power supply, and compared its effectiveness to that of a passive shield. The report herein concerns the identification of commercially available materials that could be used in sphere fabrication. It was found that several materials were needed to potentially construct the spheres for an electrostatic shield operating at 300 MV.

Preliminary Development of a Multifunctional Hot Structure Heat Shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Sandra P.; Daryabeigi, Kamran; Samareh, Jamshid A.; Armand, Sasan C.; Perino, Scott V

2014-01-01

Development of a Multifunctional Hot Structure Heat Shield concept has initiated with the goal to provide advanced technology with significant benefits compared to the current state of the art heat shield technology. The concept is unique in integrating the function of the thermal protection system with the primary load carrying structural component. An advanced carbon-carbon material system has been evaluated for the load carrying structure, which will be utilized on the outer surface of the heat shield, and thus will operate as a hot structure exposed to the severe aerodynamic heating associated with planetary entry. Flexible, highly efficient blanket insulation has been sized for use underneath the hot structure to maintain desired internal temperatures. The approach was to develop a preliminary design to demonstrate feasibility of the concept. The preliminary results indicate that the concept has the potential to save both mass and volume with significantly less recession compared to traditional heat shield designs, and thus provide potential to enable new planetary missions.

NSLS-II BPM System Protection from Rogue Mode Coupling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blednykh, A.; Bach, B.; Borrelli, A.

2011-03-28

Rogue mode RF shielding has been successfully designed and implemented into the production multipole vacuum chambers. In order to avoid systematic errors in the NSLS-II BPM system we introduced frequency shift of HOM's by using RF metal shielding located in the antechamber slot of each multipole vacuum chamber. To satisfy the pumping requirement the face of the shielding has been perforated with roughly 50 percent transparency. It stays clear of synchrotron radiation in each chamber.

EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF A WATER SHIELD FOR A SURFACE POWER REACTOR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

REID, ROBERT S.; PEARSON, J. BOSIE; STEWART, ERIC T.

2007-01-16

Water based reactor shielding is being investigated for use on initial lunar surface power systems. A water shield may lower overall cost (as compared to development cost for other materials) and simplify operations in the setup and handling. The thermal hydraulic performance of the shield is of significant interest. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection. Natural convection in a 100 kWt lunar surface reactor shield design is evaluated with 2 kW power input to the water in the Water Shield Testbed (WST) at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The experimental data from the WSTmore » is used to validate a CFD model. Performance of the water shield on the lunar surface is then predicted with a CFD model anchored to test data. The experiment had a maximum water temperature of 75 C. The CFD model with 1/6-g predicts a maximum water temperature of 88 C with the same heat load and external boundary conditions. This difference in maximum temperature does not greatly affect the structural design of the shield, and demonstrates that it may be possible to use water for a lunar reactor shield.« less

Structural Monitoring of Metro Infrastructure during Shield Tunneling Construction

PubMed Central

Ran, L.; Ye, X. W.; Ming, G.; Dong, X. B.

2014-01-01

Shield tunneling construction of metro infrastructure will continuously disturb the soils. The ground surface will be subjected to uplift or subsidence due to the deep excavation and the extrusion and consolidation of the soils. Implementation of the simultaneous monitoring with the shield tunnel construction will provide an effective reference in controlling the shield driving, while how to design and implement a safe, economic, and effective structural monitoring system for metro infrastructure is of great importance and necessity. This paper presents the general architecture of the shield construction of metro tunnels as well as the procedure of the artificial ground freezing construction of the metro-tunnel cross-passages. The design principles for metro infrastructure monitoring of the shield tunnel intervals in the Hangzhou Metro Line 1 are introduced. The detailed monitoring items and the specified alarming indices for construction monitoring of the shield tunneling are addressed, and the measured settlement variations at different monitoring locations are also presented. PMID:25032238

High speed maglev design

DOEpatents

Rote, Donald M.; He, Jianliang; Coffey, Howard

1993-01-01

A propulsion and stabilization system for an inductive repulsion type magnetically levitated vehicle which is propelled and suspended by a system which includes dividing the superconducting magnets into two types: a strong field magnet which is located vertically below the vehicle for propulsion and guidance and a weak field superconducting magnet located at the ends of the vehicle for levitation and added guidance. Several proposed embodiments exist for the placement of the magnetic field shielding: locating the shielding on the vehicle, locating the shielding on the guideway, and locating the shielding on the guideway and adding shielding to the vertical undercarriage. In addition, the separation between the vehicle and the guideway can be controlled to reduce the exposure of the passenger cabin to magnetic fields.

High speed maglev design

DOEpatents

Rote, D.M.; Jianliang He; Coffey, H.

1993-10-19

A propulsion and stabilization system for an inductive repulsion type magnetically levitated vehicle which is propelled and suspended by a system which includes dividing the superconducting magnets into two types: a strong field magnet which is located vertically below the vehicle for propulsion and guidance and a weak field superconducting magnet located at the ends of the vehicle for levitation and added guidance. Several proposed embodiments exist for the placement of the magnetic field shielding: locating the shielding on the vehicle, locating the shielding on the guideway, and locating the shielding on the guideway and adding shielding to the vertical undercarriage. In addition, the separation between the vehicle and the guideway can be controlled to reduce the exposure of the passenger cabin to magnetic fields. 4 figures.

Improved high speed maglev design

DOEpatents

Rote, D.M.; He, Jianliang; Coffey, H.T.

1992-01-01

This report discusses a propulsion and stabilization system for an inductive repulsion type magnetically levitated vehicle which is propelled and suspended by a system which includes dividing the superconducting magnets into two types: a strong field magnet which is located vertically below the vehicle for propulsion and guidance and a weak field superconducting magnet located at the ends of the vehicle for levitation and added guidance. Several proposed embodiments exist for the placement of the magnetic field shielding: locating the shielding on the vehicle, locating the shielding on the guideway, and locating the shielding on the guideway and adding shielding to the vertical undercarriage. In addition, the separation between the be vehicle and the guideway can be controlled to reduce the exposure of the passenger cabin to magnetic fields.

Radiation Shielding Design and Orientation Considerations for a 1 kWe Heat Pipe Cooled Reactor Utilized to Bore Through the Ice Caps of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fensin, Michael L.; Elliott, John O.; Lipinski, Ronald J.; Poston, David I.

2006-01-01

The goal in designing any space power system is to develop a system able to meet the mission requirements for success while minimizing the overall costs. The mission requirements for the this study was to develop a reactor (with Stirling engine power conversion) and shielding configuration able to fit, along with all the other necessary science equipment, in a Cryobot 3 m high with ~0.5 m diameter hull, produce 1 kWe for 5yrs, and not adversely affect the mission science by keeping the total integrated dose to the science equipment below 150 krad. Since in most space power missions the overall system mass dictates the mission cost, the shielding designs in this study incorporated Martian water extracted at the startup site in order to minimize the tungsten and LiH mass loading at launch. Different reliability and mass minimization concerns led to three design configuration evolutions. With the help of implementing Martian water and configuring the reactor as far from the science equipment as possible, the needed tungsten and LiH shield mass was minimized. This study further characterizes the startup dose and the necessary mission requirements in order to ensure integrity of the surface equipment during reactor startup phase.

Shielding and activation calculations around the reactor core for the MYRRHA ADS design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrari, Anna; Mueller, Stefan; Konheiser, J.; Castelliti, D.; Sarotto, M.; Stankovskiy, A.

2017-09-01

In the frame of the FP7 European project MAXSIMA, an extensive simulation study has been done to assess the main shielding problems in view of the construction of the MYRRHA accelerator-driven system at SCK·CEN in Mol (Belgium). An innovative method based on the combined use of the two state-of-the-art Monte Carlo codes MCNPX and FLUKA has been used, with the goal to characterize complex, realistic neutron fields around the core barrel, to be used as source terms in detailed analyses of the radiation fields due to the system in operation, and of the coupled residual radiation. The main results of the shielding analysis are presented, as well as the construction of an activation database of all the key structural materials. The results evidenced a powerful way to analyse the shielding and activation problems, with direct and clear implications on the design solutions.

Development and optimization of hardware for delta relaxation enhanced MRI.

PubMed

Harris, Chad T; Handler, William B; Araya, Yonathan; Martínez-Santiesteban, Francisco; Alford, Jamu K; Dalrymple, Brian; Van Sas, Frank; Chronik, Blaine A; Scholl, Timothy J

2014-10-01

Delta relaxation enhanced magnetic resonance (dreMR) imaging requires an auxiliary B0 electromagnet capable of shifting the main magnetic field within a clinical 1.5 Tesla (T) MR system. In this work, the main causes of interaction between an actively shielded, insertable resistive B0 electromagnet and a 1.5T superconducting system are systematically identified and mitigated. The effects of nonideal fabrication of the field-shifting magnet are taken into consideration through careful measurement during winding and improved accuracy in the design of the associated active shield. The shielding performance of the resultant electromagnet is compared against a previously built system in which the shield design was based on an ideal primary coil model. Hardware and software approaches implemented to eliminate residual image artifacts are presented in detail. The eddy currents produced by the newly constructed dreMR system are shown to have a significantly smaller "long-time-constant" component, consistent with the hypothesis that less energy is deposited into the cryostat of the MR system. With active compensation, the dreMR imaging system is capable of 0.22T field shifts within a clinical 1.5T MRI with no significant residual eddy-current fields. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

KSC-2014-2830

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians and engineers attach the heat shield to the Orion crew module inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians have installed more than 200 instrumentation sensors on the heat shield for Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The flight test will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2014-2831

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-05-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lockheed Martin technicians and engineers attach the heat shield to the Orion crew module inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians have installed more than 200 instrumentation sensors on the heat shield for Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The flight test will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) Shield Ballistic Limit Analysis Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Shannon

2013-01-01

This software implements penetration limit equations for common micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shield configurations, windows, and thermal protection systems. Allowable MMOD risk is formulated in terms of the probability of penetration (PNP) of the spacecraft pressure hull. For calculating the risk, spacecraft geometry models, mission profiles, debris environment models, and penetration limit equations for installed shielding configurations are required. Risk assessment software such as NASA's BUMPERII is used to calculate mission PNP; however, they are unsuitable for use in shield design and preliminary analysis studies. The software defines a single equation for the design and performance evaluation of common MMOD shielding configurations, windows, and thermal protection systems, along with a description of their validity range and guidelines for their application. Recommendations are based on preliminary reviews of fundamental assumptions, and accuracy in predicting experimental impact test results. The software is programmed in Visual Basic for Applications for installation as a simple add-in for Microsoft Excel. The user is directed to a graphical user interface (GUI) that requires user inputs and provides solutions directly in Microsoft Excel workbooks.

Demonstrating the Viability and Affordability of Nuclear Surface Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandyke, Melissa K.

2006-01-01

A set of tasks have been identified to help demonstrate the viability, performance, and affordability of surface fission systems. Completion of these tasks will move surface fission systems closer to reality by demonstrating affordability and performance potential. Tasks include fabrication and test of a 19-pin section of a Surface Power Unit Demonstrator (SPUD); design, fabrication, and utilization of thermal simulators optimized for surface fission' applications; design, fabrication, and utilization of GPHS module thermal simulators; design, fabrication, and test of a fission surface power system shield; and work related to potential fission surface power fuel/clad systems. Work on the SPUD will feed directly into joint NASA MSFC/NASA GRC fabrication and test of a surface power plant Engineering Development Unit (EDU). The goal of the EDU will be to perform highly realistic thermal, structural, and electrical testing on an integrated fission surface power system. Fission thermal simulator work will help enable high fidelity non-nuclear testing of pumped NaK surface fission power systems. Radioisotope thermal simulator work will help enable design and development of higher power radioisotope systems (power ultimately limited by Pu-238 availability). Shield work is designed to assess the potential of using a water neutron shield on the surface of the moon. Fuels work is geared toward assessing the current potential of using fuels that have already flown in space.

Shields-1, A SmallSat Radiation Shielding Technology Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomsen, D. Laurence, III; Kim, Wousik; Cutler, James W.

2015-01-01

The NASA Langley Research Center Shields CubeSat initiative is to develop a configurable platform that would allow lower cost access to Space for materials durability experiments, and to foster a pathway for both emerging and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radiation shielding technologies to gain spaceflight heritage in a relevant environment. The Shields-1 will be Langleys' first CubeSat platform to carry out this mission. Radiation shielding tests on Shields-1 are planned for the expected severe radiation environment in a geotransfer orbit (GTO), where advertised commercial rideshare opportunities and CubeSat missions exist, such as Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). To meet this objective, atomic number (Z) graded radiation shields (Zshields) have been developed. The Z-shield properties have been estimated, using the Space Environment Information System (SPENVIS) radiation shielding computational modeling, to have 30% increased shielding effectiveness of electrons, at half the thickness of a corresponding single layer of aluminum. The Shields-1 research payload will be made with the Z-graded radiation shields of varying thicknesses to create dose-depth curves to be compared with baseline materials. Additionally, Shields-1 demonstrates an engineered Z-grade radiation shielding vault protecting the systems' electronic boards. The radiation shielding materials' performances will be characterized using total ionizing dose sensors. Completion of these experiments is expected to raise the technology readiness levels (TRLs) of the tested atomic number (Z) graded materials. The most significant contribution of the Z-shields for the SmallSat community will be that it enables cost effective shielding for small satellite systems, with significant volume constraints, while increasing the operational lifetime of ionizing radiation sensitive components. These results are anticipated to increase the development of CubeSat hardware design for increased mission lifetimes, and enable out of low earth orbit (LEO) missions by using these tested material concepts as shielding for sensitive components and new spaceflight hardware

Double-layer neutron shield design as neutron shielding application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sariyer, Demet; Küçer, Rahmi

2018-02-01

The shield design in particle accelerators and other high energy facilities are mainly connected to the high-energy neutrons. The deep penetration of neutrons through massive shield has become a very serious problem. For shielding to be efficient, most of these neutrons should be confined to the shielding volume. If the interior space will become limited, the sufficient thickness of multilayer shield must be used. Concrete and iron are widely used as a multilayer shield material. Two layers shield material was selected to guarantee radiation safety outside of the shield against neutrons generated in the interaction of the different proton energies. One of them was one meter of concrete, the other was iron-contained material (FeB, Fe2B and stainless-steel) to be determined shield thicknesses. FLUKA Monte Carlo code was used for shield design geometry and required neutron dose distributions. The resulting two layered shields are shown better performance than single used concrete, thus the shield design could leave more space in the interior shielded areas.

Laminar flow control leading edge glove flight test article development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearce, W. E.; Mcnay, D. E.; Thelander, J. A.

1984-01-01

A laminar flow control (LFC) flight test article was designed and fabricated to fit into the right leading edge of a JetStar aircraft. The article was designed to attach to the front spar and fill in approx. 70 inches of the leading edge that are normally occupied by the large slipper fuel tank. The outer contour of the test article was constrained to align with an external fairing aft of the front spar which provided a surface pressure distribution over the test region representative of an LFC airfoil. LFC is achieved by applying suction through a finely perforated surface, which removes a small fraction of the boundary layer. The LFC test article has a retractable high lift shield to protect the laminar surface from contamination by airborne debris during takeoff and low altitude operation. The shield is designed to intercept insects and other particles that could otherwise impact the leading edge. Because the shield will intercept freezing rain and ice, a oozing glycol ice protection system is installed on the shield leading edge. In addition to the shield, a liquid freezing point depressant can be sprayed on the back of the shield.

The Hall D solenoid helium refrigeration system at JLab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laverdure, Nathaniel A.; Creel, Jonathan D.; Dixon, Kelly d.

Hall D, the new Jefferson Lab experimental facility built for the 12GeV upgrade, features a LASS 1.85 m bore solenoid magnet supported by a 4.5 K helium refrigerator system. This system consists of a CTI 2800 4.5 K refrigerator cold box, three 150 hp screw compressors, helium gas management and storage, and liquid helium and nitrogen storage for stand-alone operation. The magnet interfaces with the cryo refrigeration system through an LN2-shielded distribution box and transfer line system, both designed and fabricated by JLab. The distribution box uses a thermo siphon design to respectively cool four magnet coils and shields withmore » liquid helium and nitrogen. We describe the salient design features of the cryo system and discuss our recent commissioning experience.« less

Performance of a Haynes 188 metallic standoff thermal protection system at Mach 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Avery, D. E.

1981-01-01

A flight weight, metallic thermal protection system (TPS) model applicable to reentry and hypersonic vehicles was subjected to multiple cycles of both radiant and aerothermal heating to evaluate its aerothermal performance and structural integrity. The TPS was designed for a maximum operating temperature of 1255 K and featured a shingled, corrugation stiffened corrugated skin heat shield of Haynes 188, a cobalt base alloy. The model was subjected to 3 radiant preheat/aerothermal tests for a total of 67 seconds and to 15 radiant heating tests for a total of 85.9 minutes at 1255 K. The TPS limited the primary structure to temperatures below 430 K in all tests. No catastrophic failures occurred in the heat shields, supports, or insulation system. The TPS continued to function even after exposure to a differential temperature 4 times the design value produced thermal buckles in the outer skin. The shingled thermal expansion joint effectively allowed for thermal expansion of the heat shield without allowing any appreciable hot gas flow into the model cavity, even though the overlap gap between shields increased after several thermal cycles.

Optimation of cooled shields in insulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chato, J. C.; Khodadadi, J. M.; Seyed-Yagoobi, J.

1984-01-01

A method to optimize the location, temperature, and heat dissipation rate of each cooled shield inside an insulation layer was developed. The method is based on the minimization of the entropy production rate which is proportional to the heat leak across the insulation. It is shown that the maximum number of shields to be used in most practical applications is three. However, cooled shields are useful only at low values of the overall, cold wall to hot wall absolute temperature ratio. The performance of the insulation system is relatively insensitive to deviations from the optimum values of the temperature and location of the cooling shields. Design curves for rapid estimates of the locations and temperatures of cooling shields in various types of insulations, and an equation for calculating the cooling loads for the shields are presented.

Ablative heat shield design for space shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seiferth, R. W.

1973-01-01

Ablator heat shield configuration optimization studies were conducted for the orbiter. Ablator and reusable surface insulation (RSI) trajectories for design studies were shaped to take advantage of the low conductance of ceramic RSI and high temperature capability of ablators. Comparative weights were established for the RSI system and for direct bond and mechanically attached ablator systems. Ablator system costs were determined for fabrication, installation and refurbishment. Cost penalties were assigned for payload weight penalties, if any. The direct bond ablator is lowest in weight and cost. A mechanically attached ablator using a magnesium subpanel is highly competitive for both weight and cost.

A Comparison of Fission Power System Options for Lunar and Mars Surface Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.

2006-01-01

This paper presents a comparison of reactor and power conversion design options for 50 kWe class lunar and Mars surface power applications with scaling from 25 to 200 kWe. Design concepts and integration approaches are provided for three reactor-converter combinations: gas-cooled Brayton, liquid-metal Stirling, and liquid-metal thermoelectric. The study examines the mass and performance of low temperature, stainless steel based reactors and higher temperature refractory reactors. The preferred system implementation approach uses crew-assisted assembly and in-situ radiation shielding via installation of the reactor in an excavated hole. As an alternative, self-deployable system concepts that use earth-delivered, on-board radiation shielding are evaluated. The analyses indicate that among the 50 kWe stainless steel reactor options, the liquid-metal Stirling system provides the lowest mass at about 5300 kg followed by the gas-cooled Brayton at 5700 kg and the liquid-metal thermoelectric at 8400 kg. The use of a higher temperature, refractory reactor favors the gas-cooled Brayton option with a system mass of about 4200 kg as compared to the Stirling and thermoelectric options at 4700 and 5600 kg, respectively. The self-deployed concepts with on-board shielding result in a factor of two system mass increase as compared to the in-situ shielded concepts.

The Nano-X Linear Accelerator: A Compact and Economical Cancer Radiotherapy System Incorporating Patient Rotation.

PubMed

Eslick, Enid M; Keall, Paul J

2015-10-01

Rapid technological improvements in radiotherapy delivery results in improved outcomes to patients, yet current commercial systems with these technologies on board are costly. The aim of this study was to develop a state-of-the-art cancer radiotherapy system that is economical and space efficient fitting with current world demands. The Nano-X system is a compact design that is light weight combining a patient rotation system with a vertical 6 MV fixed beam. In this paper, we present the Nano-X system design configuration, an estimate of the system dimensions and its potential impact on shielding cost reductions. We provide an assessment of implementing such a radiotherapy system clinically, its advantages and disadvantages compared to a compact conventional gantry rotating linac. The Nano-X system has several differentiating features from current radiotherapy systems, it is [1] compact and therefore can fit into small vaults, [2] light weight, and [3] engineering efficient, i.e., it rotates a relatively light component and the main treatment delivery components are not under rotation (e.g., DMLCs). All these features can have an impact on reducing the costs of the system. In terms of shielding requirements, leakage radiation was found to be the dominant contributor to the Nano-X vault and as such no primary shielding was necessary. For a low leakage design, the Nano-X vault footprint and concrete volume required is 17 m2 and 35 m3 respectively, compared to 54 m2 and 102 m3 for a conventional compact linac vault, resulting in decreased costs in shielding. Key issues to be investigated in future work are the possible patient comfort concerns associated with the patient rotation system, as well as the magnitude of deformation and subsequent adaptation requirements. © The Author(s) 2014.

InfuShield: a shielded enclosure for administering therapeutic radioisotope treatments using standard syringe pumps

PubMed Central

Pratt, Brenda E.; Chittenden, Sarah J.; Murray, Iain S.; Causer, Louise; Grey, Matthew J.; Gear, Jonathan I.; Du, Yong; Flux, Glenn D.

2017-01-01

The administration of radionuclide therapies presents significant radiation protection challenges. The aim of this work was to develop a delivery system for intravenous radioisotope therapies to substantially moderate radiation exposures to staff and operators. A novel device (InfuShield) was designed and tested before being used clinically. The device consists of a shielded enclosure which contains the therapeutic activity and, through the hydraulic action of back-to-back syringes, allows the activity to be administered using a syringe pump external to the enclosure. This enables full access to the pump controls while simultaneously reducing dose to the operator. The system is suitable for use with all commercially available syringe pumps and does not require specific consumables, maximising both the flexibility and economy of the system. Dose rate measurements showed that at key stages in an 131I mIBG treatment procedure, InfuShield can reduce dose to operators by several orders of magnitude. Tests using typical syringes and infusion speeds show no significant alteration in administered flow rates (maximum of 1.2%). The InfuShield system provides a simple, safe and low cost method of radioisotope administration. PMID:28187040

System design of the Pioneer Venus spacecraft. Volume 5: Probe vehicle studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nolte, L. J.; Stephenson, D. S.

1973-01-01

A summary of the key issues and studies conducted for the Pioneer Venus spacecraft and the resulting probe designs are presented. The key deceleration module issues are aerodynamic configuration and heat shield material selection. The design and development of the pressure vessel module are explained. Thermal control and science integration of the pressure vessel module are explained. The deceleration module heat shield, parachute and separation/despin are reported. The Thor/Delta and Atlas/Centaur baseline descriptions are provided.

Design of lightning protection for a full-authority digital engine control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dargi, M.; Rupke, E.; Wiles, K.

1991-01-01

The steps and procedures are described which are necessary to achieve a successful lightning-protection design for a state-of-the-art Full-Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system. The engine and control systems used as examples are fictional, but the design and verification methods are real. Topics discussed include: applicable airworthiness regulation, selection of equipment transient design and control levels for the engine/airframe and intra-engine segments of the system, the use of cable shields, terminal-protection devices and filter circuits in hardware protection design, and software approaches to minimize upset potential. Shield terminations, grounding, and bonding are also discussed, as are the important elements of certification and test plans, and the role of tests and analyses. Also included are examples of multiple-stroke and multiple-burst testing. A review of design pitfalls and challenges, and status of applicable test standards such as RTCA DO-160, Section 22, are presented.

Radiation exposure to the operator performing cardiac angiography with U-arm systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balter, S.; Sones, F.M. Jr.; Brancato, R.

The radiation exposure received by a group of operators performing 700 coronary angiograms was measured using the brachial artery approach and the Philips Cardio Diagnost. Nineteen sites were monitored on each operator, using lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters. Four hundred examinations were performed with a table-mounted protective shield in place. Three hundred were performed without the shield. The average exposures (in mR per study) with and without the shield were 1.9/6 for the eyes and 1.4/8.3 for the thyroid. The resulting operator exposure with the shield in place is low enough so that an operator performing 25 procedures per week onmore » a continuous basis will not exceed the recommendations of the National Commission on Radiological Protection and Units. We therefore strongly recommend the use of properly designed and appropriately positioned shield with all U-arm systems.« less

Radiation exposure to the operator performing cardiac angiography with U-arm systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balter, S.; Sones, F.M. Jr.; Brancato, R.

We measured the radiation exposure received by a group of operators performing 700 coronary angiograms. All studies were performed using the brachial artery approach and the Philips Cardio Diagnost. Nineteen sites were monitored on each operator, using lithium fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters. Four hundred examinations were performed with a table-mounted protective shield in place. Three hundred were performed without the shield. The averge exposures (in mR per study) with and without the shield were 1.9/6 for the eyes and 1.4/8.3 for the thyroid. The resulting operator exposure with the shield in place is low enough so that an operator performing 25more » procedures per week on a continuous basis will not exceed the recommendations of the National Commission on Radiological Protection and Units. We therefore strongly recommend the use of properly designed and appropriately positioned shield with all U-arm systems.« less

Foam core shield (FCS) systems : a new dual - purpose technology for shielding against meteoroid strike damage and for thermal control of spacecrafts/satellite components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Marc A.; Zwissler, James G.; Hayes, Charles; Fabensky, Beth; Cornelison, Charles; Alexander, Lesley; Bishop, Karen

2005-01-01

A new technology is being developed that can protect spacecraft and satellite components against damage from meteoroid strikes and control the thermal environment of the protected components. This technology, called Foam Core Shield (FCS) systems, has the potential to replace the multi-layer insulation blankets (MLI) that have been used on spacecraft for decades. In order to be an attractive candidate for replacing MLI, FCS systems should not only provide superior protection against meteoroid strikes but also provide an equal or superior ability to control the temperature of the protected component. Properly designed FCS systems can provide these principal functions, meteoroid strike protection and thermal control, with lower system mass and a smaller system envelope than ML.

SU-E-T-474: Improvements to Intra-Oral Shield Design for Electron Beam Treatments: Use of Multi-Layered Metal Foils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butson, M

Purpose: Intraoral electron shields used in radiotherapy are designed to minimize radiation exposure to non-treatment tissue. Sites where shields are used include but are not limited to, the treatment of lips, cheeks and ears whilst shielding the underlying oral cavity, tongue, gingival or temporal region. However their use produces an enhancement in dose on the beam side caused by an increase in electron backscatter radiation. This work designs a new shield incorporating copper, aluminium and wax in a step down filter arrangement to minimise backscatter whilst minimizing overall shield thickness. Methods: For electron beams ranging from 6 MeV to 10more » MeV, shields of varying designs and thicknesses were assessed to determine the thinnest shield design that could be produced whilst minimising backscattered radiation to a clinically acceptable level. This was performed with conventional lead and wax shields as well as varying quantities of aluminium and copper foils. Results: From tested shield designs, a new shield design of 4 mm lead, 0.6 mm copper, 1.0 mm aluminium and 1.5 mm wax (3.1 mm added filtration, 7.1 mm total thickness) provided a clinically acceptable (no greater than 110% dose) backscatter and transmission reduction and matched a standard 4.5 mm lead and 10 mm wax (total thickness 14.5 mm) electron shield. Dose enhancement values of no more than 10 % were measured utilising this shield design with a 50 % reduction in shield thickness. Conclusion: The thinner layered shield reduced backscattered radiation dose to less than 10% enhancement for beam energies on 10 MeV and less and will allow easier patient set up. The thinner shields are tolerated better by patients when mucosal reactions occur as they place less physical pressure on these sites during treatment due to their smaller size and thickness.« less

Lunar Surface Reactor Shielding Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, Shawn; McAlpine, William; Lipinski, Ronald

A nuclear reactor system could provide power to support long term human exploration of the moon. Such a system would require shielding to protect astronauts from its emitted radiations. Shielding studies have been performed for a Gas Cooled Reactor system because it is considered to be the most suitable nuclear reactor system available for lunar exploration, based on its tolerance of oxidizing lunar regolith and its good conversion efficiency. The goals of the shielding studies were to determine a material shielding configuration that reduces the dose (rem) to the required level in order to protect astronauts, and to estimate themore » mass of regolith that would provide an equivalent protective effect if it were used as the shielding material. All calculations were performed using MCNPX, a Monte Carlo transport code. Lithium hydride must be kept between 600 K and 700 K to prevent excessive swelling from large amounts of gamma or neutron irradiation. The issue is that radiation damage causes separation of the lithium and the hydrogen, resulting in lithium metal and hydrogen gas. The proposed design uses a layer of B4C to reduce the combined neutron and gamma dose to below 0.5Grads before the LiH is introduced. Below 0.5Grads the swelling in LiH is small (less than about 1%) for all temperatures. This approach causes the shield to be heavier than if the B4C were replaced by LiH, but it makes the shield much more robust and reliable.« less

The 5-kwe reactor thermoelectric system summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanosdol, J. H. (Editor)

1973-01-01

Design of the 5-kwe reactor thermoelectric system was initiated in February 1972 and extended through the conceptual design phase into the preliminary design phase. Design effort was terminated in January, 1973. This report documents the system and component requirements, design approaches, and performance and design characteristics for the 5-kwe system. Included is summary information on the reactor, radiation shields, power conversion systems, thermoelectric pump, radiator/structure, liquid metal components, and the control system.

Thermal, Radiation and Impact Protective Shields (TRIPS) for Robotic and Human Space Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loomis, M. P.; Arnold, J. L.

2005-01-01

New concepts for protective shields for NASA s Crew Exploration Vehicles (CEVs) and planetary probes offer improved mission safety and affordability. Hazards include radiation from cosmic rays and solar particle events, hypervelocity impacts from orbital debris/ micrometeorites, and the extreme heating environment experienced during entry into planetary atmospheres. The traditional approach for the design of protection systems for these hazards has been to create single-function shields, i.e. ablative and blanket-based heat shields for thermal protection systems (TPS), polymer or other low-molecular-weight materials for radiation shields, and multilayer, Whipple-type shields for protection from hypervelocity impacts. This paper introduces an approach for the development of a single, multifunctional protective shield, employing nanotechnology- based materials, to serve simultaneously as a TPS, an impact shield and as the first line of defense against radiation. The approach is first to choose low molecular weight ablative TPS materials, (existing and planned for development) and add functionalized carbon nanotubes. Together they provide both thermal and radiation (TR) shielding. Next, impact protection (IP) is furnished through a tough skin, consisting of hard, ceramic outer layers (to fracture the impactor) and sublayers of tough, nanostructured fabrics to contain the debris cloud from the impactor before it can penetrate the spacecraft s interior.

Evaluation of coated columbium alloy heat shields for space shuttle thermal protection system application. Volume 3, phase 3: Full size TPS evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baer, J. W.; Black, W. E.

1974-01-01

The thermal protection system (TPS), designed for incorporation with space shuttle orbiter systems, consists of one primary heat shield thermally and structurally isolated from the test fixture by eight peripheral guard panels, all encompassing an area of approximately 12 sq ft. TPS components include tee-stiffened Cb 752/R-512E heat shields, bi-metallic support posts, panel retainers, and high temperature insulation blankets. The vehicle primary structure was simulated by a titanium skin, frames, and stiffeners. Test procedures, manufacturing processes, and methods of analysis are fully documented. For Vol. 1, see N72-30948; for Vol. 2, see N74-15660.

Dynamic Open-Rotor Composite Shield Impact Test Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seng, Silvia; Frankenberger, Charles; Ruggeri, Charles R.; Revilock, Duane M.; Pereira, J. Michael; Carney, Kelly S.; Emmerling, William C.

2015-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working with the European Aviation Safety Agency to determine the certification base for proposed new engines that would not have a containment structure on large commercial aircraft. Equivalent safety to the current fleet is desired by the regulators, which means that loss of a single fan blade will not cause hazard to the aircraft. NASA Glenn and Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) China Lake collaborated with the FAA Aircraft Catastrophic Failure Prevention Program to design and test a shield that would protect the aircraft passengers and critical systems from a released blade that could impact the fuselage. This report documents the live-fire test from a full-scale rig at NAWC China Lake. NASA provided manpower and photogrammetry expertise to document the impact and damage to the shields. The test was successful: the blade was stopped from penetrating the shield, which validates the design analysis method and the parameters used in the analysis. Additional work is required to implement the shielding into the aircraft.

Gravity Scaling of a Power Reactor Water Shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Robert S.; Pearson, J. Boise

2008-01-01

Water based reactor shielding is being considered as an affordable option for use on initial lunar surface power systems. Heat dissipation in the shield from nuclear sources must be rejected by an auxiliary thermal hydraulic cooling system. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection between the core surface and an array of thermosyphon radiator elements. Natural convection in a 100 kWt lunar surface reactor shield design has been previously evaluated at lower power levels (Pearson, 2007). The current baseline assumes that 5.5 kW are dissipated in the water shield, the preponderance on the core surface, but with some volumetric heating in the naturally circulating water as well. This power is rejected by a radiator located above the shield with a surface temperature of 370 K. A similarity analysis on a water-based reactor shield is presented examining the effect of gravity on free convection between a radiation shield inner vessel and a radiation shield outer vessel boundaries. Two approaches established similarity: 1) direct scaling of Rayleigh number equates gravity-surface heat flux products, 2) temperature difference between the wall and thermal boundary layer held constant on Earth and the Moon. Nussult number for natural convection (laminar and turbulent) is assumed of form Nu = CRa(sup n). These combined results estimate similarity conditions under Earth and Lunar gravities. The influence of reduced gravity on the performance of thermosyphon heat pipes is also examined.

International Space Station (ISS) Meteoroid/Orbital Debris Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christiansen, Eric L.

1999-01-01

Design practices to provide protection for International Space Station (ISS) crew and critical equipment from meteoroid and orbital debris (M/OD) Impacts have been developed. Damage modes and failure criteria are defined for each spacecraft system. Hypervolocity Impact -1 - and analyses are used to develop ballistic limit equations (BLEs) for each exposed spacecraft system. BLEs define Impact particle sizes that result in threshold failure of a particular spacecraft system as a function of Impact velocity, angles and particle density. The BUMPER computer code Is used to determine the probability of no penetration (PNP) that falls the spacecraft shielding based on NASA standard meteoroid/debris models, a spacecraft geometry model, and the BLEs. BUMPER results are used to verify spacecraft shielding requirements Low-weight, high-performance shielding alternatives have been developed at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Hypervelocity Impact Technology Facility (HITF) to meet spacecraft protection requirements.

Applicability of 100kWe-class of space reactor power systems to NASA manned space station missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silverman, S. W.; Willenberg, H. J.; Robertson, C.

1985-01-01

An assessment is made of a manned space station operating with sufficiently high power demands to require a multihundred kilowatt range electrical power system. The nuclear reactor is a competitor for supplying this power level. Load levels were selected at 150kWe and 300kWe. Interactions among the reactor electrical power system, the manned space station, the space transportation system, and the mission were evaluated. The reactor shield and the conversion equipment were assumed to be in different positions with respect to the station; on board, tethered, and on a free flyer platform. Mission analyses showed that the free flyer concept resulted in unacceptable costs and technical problems. The tethered reactor providing power to an electrolyzer for regenerative fuel cells on the space station, results in a minimum weight shield and can be designed to release the reactor power section so that it moves to a high altitude orbit where the decay period is at least 300 years. Placing the reactor on the station, on a structural boom is an attractive design, but heavier than the long tethered reactor design because of the shield weight for manned activity near the reactor.

Tower Shielding Reactor II design and operation report: Vol. 2. Safety Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holland, L. B.; Kolb, J. O.

1970-01-01

Information on the Tower Shielding Reactor II is contained in the TSR-II Design and Operation Report and in the Tower Shielding Facility Manual. The TSR-II Design and Operating Report consists of three volumes. Volume 1 is Descriptions of the Tower Shielding Reactor II and Facility; Volume 2 is Safety analysis of the Tower Shielding Reactor II; and Volume 3 is the Assembly and Testing of the Tower Shielding Reactor II Control Mechanism Housing.

Designing dual-plate meteoroid shields: A new analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, H. F.; Bamford, R.; Chen, R.

1982-01-01

Physics governing ultrahigh velocity impacts onto dual-plate meteor armor is discussed. Meteoroid shield design methodologies are considered: failure mechanisms, qualitative features of effective meteoroid shield designs, evaluating/processing meteoroid threat models, and quantitative techniques for optimizing effective meteoroid shield designs. Related investigations are included: use of Kevlar cloth/epoxy panels in meteoroid shields for the Halley's Comet intercept vehicle, mirror exposure dynamics, and evaluation of ion fields produced around the Halley Intercept Mission vehicle by meteoroid impacts.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding. Welding Module 4. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri Univ., Columbia. Instructional Materials Lab.

This guide is intended to assist vocational educators in teaching an eight-unit module in shielded metal arc welding. The module is part of a welding curriculum that has been designed to be totally integrated with Missouri's Vocational Instruction Management System. The following topics are covered in the module: safety; theory, power sources, and…

Evaluation of dispersion strengthened nickel-base alloy heat shields for space shuttle application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, R., Jr.; Killpatrick, D. H.

1973-01-01

The work reported constitutes the first phase of a two-phase program. Vehicle environments having critical effects on the thermal protection system are defined; TD Ni-20Cr material characteristics are reviewed and compared with TD Ni-20Cr produced in previous development efforts; cyclic load, temperature, and pressure effects on TD Ni-20Cr sheet material are investigated; the effects of braze reinforcement in improving the efficiency of spotwelded, diffusion-bonded, or seam-welded joints are evaluated through tests of simple lap-shear joint samples; parametric studies of metallic radiative thermal protection systems are reported; and the design, instrumentation, and testing of full-scale subsize heat shield panels are described. Tests of full-scale subsize panels included simulated meteoroid impact tests; simulated entry flight aerodynamic heating in an arc-heated plasma stream; programmed differential pressure loads and temperatures simulating mission conditions; and acoustic tests simulating sound levels experienced by heat shields during about boost flight. Test results are described, and the performances of two heat shield designs are compared and evaluated.

A high-temperature furnace for applications in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Technology in the area of material processing and crystal growth has been greatly furthered by research in microgravity environments. The role of efficient, lightweight furnaces with reliable performance is crucial in these experiments. A need exists for the development of a readily duplicated, high-temperature furnace satisfying stringent weight, volume, and power constraints. A furnace was designed and is referred to as the UAH SHIELD. Stringent physical and operating characteristics for the system were specified, including a maximum weight of 20 kg, a maximum power requirement of 60 W, and a volume of the furnace assembly, excluding the batteries, limited to half a Get-Away-Special canister. The UAH SHIELD furnace uses radiation shield and vacuum technology applied in the form of a series of concentric cylinders enclosed on either end with disks. Thermal testing of a furnace prototype was performed in addition to some thermal and structural analysis. Results indicate the need for spacing of the shields to accommodate the thermal expansion during furnace operation. In addition, a power dissipation of approximately 100 W and system weight of approximately 30 kg was found for the current design.

A food contaminant detection system based on high-Tc SQUIDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Saburo; Fujita, H.; Hatsukade, Y.; Nagaishi, T.; Nishi, K.; Ota, H.; Otani, T.; Suzuki, S.

2006-05-01

We have designed and constructed a computer controlled food contaminant detection system for practical use, based on high-Tc SQUID detectors. The system, which features waterproof stainless steel construction, is acceptable under the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) programme guidelines. The outer dimensions of the system are 1500 mm length × 477 mm width × 1445 mm height, and it can accept objects up to 200 mm wide × 80 mm high. An automatic liquid nitrogen filling system was installed in the standard model. This system employed a double-layered permeable metallic shield with a thickness of 1 mm as a magnetically shielded box. The distribution of the magnetic field in the box was simulated by FEM; the gap between each shield layer was optimized before fabrication. A shielding factor of 732 in the Z-component was achieved. This value is high enough to safely operate the system in a non-laboratory environment, i.e., a factory. During testing, we successfully detected a steel contaminant as small as 0.3 mm in diameter at a distance of 75 mm.

Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepare

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars.

Optimal Thermal Design of a Multishield Thermal Protection System of Reusable Space Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiorova, I. A.; Prosuntsov, P. V.; Zuev, A. V.

2016-03-01

We have solved the problem of the optimal thermal design of a multishield thermal protection system of reusable space vehicles due to the choice of the optimal position and materials of radiation shields.

Thermal Properties of Double-Aluminized Kapton at Low Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuttle, J.; DiPirro, M.; Canavan, E.; Hait, T.

2007-01-01

Double-aluminized kapton (DAK) is commonly used in multi-layer insulation blankets in cryogenic systems. NASA plans to use individual DAK sheets in lightweight deployable shields for satellites carrying instruments. A set of these shields will reflect away thermal radiation from the sun, the earth, and the instrument's warm side and allow the instrument's cold side to radiate its own heat to deep space. In order to optimally design such a shield system, it is important to understand the thermal characteristics of DAK down to low temperatures. We describe experiments which measured the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity down to 4 Kelvin and the emissivity down to 10 Kelvin.

Experimental Evaluation of the Thermal Performance of a Water Shield for a Surface Power Reactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, J. Boise; Stewart, Eric T.; Reid, Robert S.

2007-01-01

A water based shielding system is being investigated for use on initial lunar surface power systems. The use of water may lower overall cost (as compared to development cost for other materials) and simplify operations in the setup and handling. The thermal hydraulic performance of the shield is of significant interest. The mechanism for transferring heat through the shield is natural convection. Natural convection in a representative lunar surface reactor shield design is evaluated at various power levels in the Water Shield Testbed (WST) at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The experimental data from the WST is used to anchor a CFD model. Performance of a water shield on the lunar surface is then predicted by CFD models anchored to test data. The accompanying viewgraph presentation includes the following topics: 1) Testbed Configuration; 2) Core Heater Placement and Instrumentation; 3) Thermocouple Placement; 4) Core Thermocouple Placement; 5) Outer Tank Thermocouple Placement; 6) Integrated Testbed; 7) Methodology; 8) Experimental Results: Core Temperatures; 9) Experimental Results; Outer Tank Temperatures; 10) CFD Modeling; 11) CFD Model: Anchored to Experimental Results (1-g); 12) CFD MOdel: Prediction for 1/6-g; and 13) CFD Model: Comparison of 1-g to 1/6-g.

Numerical analysis of magnetic field in superconducting magnetic energy storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kanamaru, Y.; Amemiya, Y.

1991-09-01

This paper reports that the superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) is more useful than the other systems of electric energy storage because of larger stored energy and higher efficiency. The other systems are the battery, the flywheel, the pumped-storage power station. Some models of solenoid type SMES are designed in U.S.A. and Japan. But a high magnetic field happens by the large scale SMES in the living environment, and makes the erroneous operations of the computer display, the pacemaker of the heart and the electronic equipments. We study some fit designs of magnetic shielding of the solenoidal type SMES formore » reduction of the magnetic field in living environment. When some superconducting shielding coils are over the main storage coil, magnetic field reduces remarkably than the case of non shielding coil. The calculated results of the magnetic field are obtained y the finite element method.« less

Magnetic Materials Characterization and Modeling for the Enhanced Design of Magnetic Shielding of Cryomodules in Particle Accelerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sah, Sanjay

Particle accelerators produce beams of high-energy particles, which are used for both fundamental and applied scientific research and are critical to the development of accelerator driven sub-critical reactor systems. An effective magnetic shield is very important to achieve higher quality factor (Qo) of the cryomodule of a particle accelerator. The allowed value of field inside the cavity due to all external fields (particularly the Earth’s magnetic field) is ~15 mG or less. The goal of this PhD dissertation is to comprehensively study the magnetic properties of commonly used magnetic shielding materials at both cryogenic and room temperatures. This knowledge canmore » be used for the enhanced design of magnetic shields of cryomodes (CM) in particle accelerators. To this end, we first studied the temperature dependent magnetization behavior (M-H curves) of Amumetal and A4K under different annealing and deformation conditions. This characterized the effect of stress or deformation induced during the manufacturing processes and subsequent restoration of high permeability with appropriate heat treatment. Next, an energy based stochastic model for temperature dependent anhysteretic magnetization behavior of ferromagnetic materials was proposed and benchmarked against experimental data. We show that this model is able to simulate and explain the magnetic behavior of as rolled, deformed and annealed amumetal and A4K over a large range of temperatures. The experimental results for permeability are then used in a finite element model (FEM) in COMSOL to evaluate the shielding effectiveness of multiple shield designs at room temperature as well as cryogenic temperature. This work could serve as a guideline for future design, development and fabrication of magnetic shields of CMs.« less

The initial flight anomalies of Skylab 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

At approximately 63 seconds into the flight of Skylab 1 on May 14, 1973, an anomaly occurred which resulted in the complete loss of the meteoroid shield around the orbital workshop. This was followed by the loss of one of the two solar array systems on the workshop and a failure of the inter stage adapter to separate from the S-II stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. The investigation reported herein identified the most probable cause of this flight anomaly to be the breakup and loss of the meteoroid shield due to aerodynamic loads that were not accounted for in its design. The breakup of the meteoroid shield, in turn, broke the tie downs that secured one of the solar array systems to the workshop. Complete loss of this solar array system occurred at 593 seconds when the exhaust plume of the S-II stage retro-rockets impacted the partially deployed solar array system. Falling debris from the meteoroid shield also damaged the S-II inter stage adapter ordnance system in such a manner as to preclude separation. Of several possible failure modes of the meteoroid shield that were identified, the most probable in this particular flight was internal pressurization of its auxiliary tunnel which acted to force the forward end of the meteoroid shield away from the shell of the workshop and into the supersonic air stream. The pressurization of the auxiliary tunnel was due to the existence of several openings in the aft region of the tunnel. Another possible failure mode was the separation of the leading edge of the meteoroid shield from the shell of the workshop (particularly in the region of the folded ordnance panel) of sufficient extent to admit ram air pressures under the shield.

The design and implementation of photoacoustic based laser warning receiver for harsh environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Sherif, Ashraf F.; Ayoub, H. S.; El-Sharkawy, Yasser H.; Gomaa, Walid; Hassan, H. H.

2018-01-01

This paper discusses the implementation of new type of laser warning receiver (LWR) system, based on the detection of photoacoustic signals, induced by high power infrared laser designators pulses on target's surfaces. This system appends conventional optoelectronic based LWR to decrease the false alarm rate (FAR) in harsh environments, where ambient conditions are expected to obstruct optical LWR. To improve the sensitivity of the photoacoustic based LWR system, some metallic and polymeric target shielding materials were studied, in order to cover a friendly civil structure, vehicle or a maritime entity with a low cost large area acoustic detector array shield. A thermographic investigation of target surface material- laser reaction, signal processing and system configuration and functional analysis are also presented.

Evaluation and Mitigation of Secondary Dose Delivered to Electronic Systems in Proton Therapy.

PubMed

Wroe, Andrew J

2016-02-01

To evaluate the scattered and secondary radiation fields present in and around a passive proton treatment nozzle. In addition, based on these initial tests and system reliability analysis, to develop, install, and evaluate a radiation shielding structure to protect sensitive electronics against single-event effects (SEE) and improve system reliability. Landauer Luxel+ dosimeters were used to evaluate the radiation field around one of the gantry-mounted passive proton delivery nozzles at Loma Linda University Medical Center's James M Slater, MD Proton Treatment and Research Center. These detectors use optically stimulated luminescence technology in conjunction with CR-39 to measure doses from X-ray, gamma, proton, beta, fast neutron, and thermal neutron radiation. The dosimeters were stationed at various positions around the gantry pit and attached to racks on the gantry itself to evaluate the dose to electronics. Wax shielding was also employed on some detectors to evaluate the usefulness of this material as a dose moderator. To create the scattered and secondary radiation field in the gantry enclosure, a polystyrene phantom was placed at isocenter and irradiated with 250 MeV protons to a dose of 1.3 kGy over 16 hours. Using the collected data as a baseline, a composite shielding structure was created and installed to shield electronics associated with the precision patient positioner. The effectiveness of this shielding structure was evaluated with Landauer Luxel+ dosimeters and the results correlated against system uptime. The measured dose equivalent ranged from 1 to 60 mSv, with proton/photon, thermal neutron, fast neutron, and overall dose equivalent evaluated. The position of the detector/electronics relative to both isocenter and also neutron-producing devices, such as the collimators and first and second scatterers, definitely had a bearing on the dose received. The addition of 1-inch-thick wax shielding decreased the fast neutron component by almost 50%, yet this yielded a corresponding average increase in thermal neutron dose of 150% as there was no Boron-10 component to capture thermal neutrons. Using these data as a reference, a shielding structure was designed and installed to minimize radiation to electronics associated with the patient positioner. The installed shielding reduced the total dose experienced by these electronics by a factor of 5 while additionally reducing the fast and thermal neutron doses by a factor of 7 and 14, respectively. The reduction in radiation dose corresponded with a reduction of SEE-related downtime of this equipment from 16.5 hours to 2.5 hours over a 6-month reporting period. The data obtained in this study provided a baseline for radiation exposures experienced by gantry- and pit-mounted electronic systems. It also demonstrated and evaluated a shielding structure design that can be retrofitted to existing electronic system installations. It is expected that this study will benefit future upgrades and facility designs by identifying mechanisms that may minimize radiation dose to installed electronics, thus improving facility uptime. © The Author(s) 2015.

NPR Reactor shield calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, E.G.

1961-09-27

At the request of IPD Personnel, calculations on neutron and gamma attenuation were made for the NPR shield. The calculations were made using a new shielding computer code developed for the IBM 7090. The calculations show the thermal neutron flux, total neutron dose rate, and gamma dose rate distribution through the entire shield assembly. The calculations show that the side and top primary shield design is adequate to reduce the radiation level below design tolerances. The radiation leakage through the front shield was higher than the design tolerances. Two alternate biological shield materials were studied for use on the frontmore » face. These two materials were iron serpentine concrete mixtures with densities of 245 lb/ft{sup 3} and 265 lb/ft{sup 3} (designated by I-S-245-P and I-S-265-P, respectively). Both of these concretes reduced the radiation below design tolerances. It is recommended that the present front face biological shield be changed from I-S-220-P to I-S-245-P. With this change the NPR shield is adequate according to these calculations. The calculations reported here do not include leakage through penetration in the shield.« less

A new magnet design for future Kibble balances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shisong; Stock, Michael; Schlamminger, Stephan

2018-06-01

We propose a new permanent magnet system for Kibble balance experiments, which combines advantages of the magnet designs invented by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). The goal of the proposed magnet system is to minimize the coil-current effect and to optimize the shielding at the same time. In the proposed design, a permanent magnet system with two gaps, each housing a coil, is employed to minimize the coil current effect, by reducing the linear coil-current dependence reported for the single air gap design by at least one order of magnitude. Both air gaps of the magnet are completely surrounded by high-permeability material, and hence the coils are shielded from outside magnetic fields and no magnetic field leaks outside of the magnet system. An example of the new magnet system is given and the analysis shows that the magnetic field in the air gap can be optimized to meet the requirement to be used in Kibble balances.

Shielded resistive electromagnets of arbitrary surface geometry using the boundary element method and a minimum energy constraint.

PubMed

Harris, Chad T; Haw, Dustin W; Handler, William B; Chronik, Blaine A

2013-09-01

Eddy currents are generated in MR by the use of rapidly switched electromagnets, resulting in time varying and spatially varying magnetic fields that must be either minimized or corrected. This problem is further complicated when non-cylindrical insert magnets are used for specialized applications. Interruption of the coupling between an insert coil and the MR system is typically accomplished using active magnetic shielding. A new method of actively shielding insert gradient and shim coils of any surface geometry by use of the boundary element method for coil design with a minimum energy constraint is presented. This method was applied to shield x- and z-gradient coils for two separate cases: a traditional cylindrical primary gradient with cylindrical shield and, to demonstrate its versatility in surface geometry, the same cylindrical primary gradients with a rectangular box-shaped shield. For the cylindrical case this method produced shields that agreed with analytic solutions. For the second case, the rectangular box-shaped shields demonstrated very good shielding characteristics despite having a different geometry than the primary coils. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

HVI Ballistic Performance Characterization of Non-Parallel Walls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohl, William; Miller, Joshua; Christiansen, Eric

2012-01-01

The Double-Wall, "Whipple" Shield [1] has been the subject of many hypervelocity impact studies and has proven to be an effective shield system for Micro-Meteoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) impacts for spacecraft. The US modules of the International Space Station (ISS), with their "bumper shields" offset from their pressure holding rear walls provide good examples of effective on-orbit use of the double wall shield. The concentric cylinder shield configuration with its large radius of curvature relative to separation distance is easily and effectively represented for testing and analysis as a system of two parallel plates. The parallel plate double wall configuration has been heavily tested and characterized for shield performance for normal and oblique impacts for the ISS and other programs. The double wall shield and principally similar Stuffed Whipple Shield are very common shield types for MMOD protection. However, in some locations with many spacecraft designs, the rear wall cannot be modeled as being parallel or concentric with the outer bumper wall. As represented in Figure 1, there is an included angle between the two walls. And, with a cylindrical outer wall, the effective included angle constantly changes. This complicates assessment of critical spacecraft components located within outer spacecraft walls when using software tools such as NASA's BumperII. In addition, the validity of the risk assessment comes into question when using the standard double wall shield equations, especially since verification testing of every set of double wall included angles is impossible.

SU-E-T-317: Dynamic Modulated Brachytherapy (DMBT): Robotic Applicator Design.

PubMed

Han, Dae Yup; Webster, Matthew J; Devic, Slobodan; Vuong, Te; Scanderbeg, Dan; Song, William Y

2012-06-01

To investigate the hardware necessary for implementing our Dynamic Modulated Brachytherapy (DMBT) treatment concept for rectal cancer. The DMBT robot has three major parts: 1) shield and shield delivery module, 2) controlling module, and 3) DMBT controlling and monitoring software. The shield is a tungsten alloy cylinder (r=0.95cm, l=4.5cm) with a 5.5mm rectangular-shaped opening. The shield is controlled by an aluminum pipe with gear set (1:3) and linear actuator (2mm/turn). An Ir-192 radiation source will be placed through the aluminum pipe. The power source is a Nema-17 stepping motor with EvoDrive ST-17 (EVA Robotics, Queensland, Australia) and USB-6009 DAQ (National Instrument, Austin, TX). With our in-house operating program through LabView (National Instrument, Austin, TX), we can make and load plans for treatment as well as testing. Checking the shield position is also possible through the operating program. For safety, a lexan sheath tube and emergency buttons are built-in. The DMBT robot has 2 degrees of freedom, which are linear translation and rotation. With our power delivery system, the spatial resolutions are 0.0125mm (linear stage) and 0.012Ëš (rotation). In 0.5s, motors achieve the desired position with the maximum speeds 450 step/s (1Ëš), 7,500 step/s (30Ëš), and 12,000 step/s (5mm). Four registers are triggered with USB-6009 DAQ signals. The operating program includes gages for checking shield position, loading treatment plans, and safety buttons. In all, we have designed the hardware components of the DMBT system for rectal cancer. For treatment, the system needs more elements to support the DMBT robot; lexan sheath tube holder, DMBT robot security joint, and a system for reducing friction between the tube and shield. We will also refine our system to be more compact by using DC servomotors instead of the larger Nema-17 stepping motors. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Designing 4H-SiC P-shielding trench gate MOSFET to optimize on-off electrical characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyoung, Sinsu; Hong, Young-sung; Lee, Myung-hwan; Nam, Tae-jin

2018-02-01

In order to enhance specific on-resistance (Ron,sp), the trench gate structure was also introduced into 4H-SiC MOSFET as Si MOSFET. But the 4H-SiC trench gate has worse off-state characteristics than the Si trench gate due to the incomplete gate oxidation process (Šimonka et al., 2017). In order to overcome this problem, P-shielding trench gate MOSFET (TMOS) was proposed and researched in previous studies. But P-shielding has to be designed with minimum design rule in order to protect gate oxide effectively. P-shielding TMOS also has the drawback of on-state characteristics degradation corresponding to off state improvement for minimum design rule. Therefore optimized design is needed to satisfy both on and off characteristics. In this paper, the design parameters were analyzed and optimized so that the 4H-SiC P-shielding TMOS satisfies both on and off characteristics. Design limitations were proposed such that P-shielding is able to defend the gate oxide. The P-shielding layer should have the proper junction depth and concentration to defend the electric field to gate oxide during the off-state. However, overmuch P-shielding junction depth disturbs the on-state current flow, a problem which can be solved by increasing the trench depth. As trench depth increases, however, the breakdown voltage decreases. Therefore, trench depth should be designed with due consideration for on-off characteristics. For this, design conditions and modeling were proposed which allow P-shielding to operate without degradation of on-state characteristics. Based on this proposed model, the 1200 V 4H-SiC P-shielding trench gate MOSFET was designed and optimized.

A Launch Requirements Trade Study for Active Space Radiation Shielding for Long Duration Human Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; Bollweg, Ken; Martin, Trent; Westover, Shayne; Battiston, Roberto; Burger, William J.; Meinke, Rainer

2015-01-01

A trade study for an active shielding concept based on magnetic fields in a solenoid configuration versus mass based shielding was developed. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the radiation exposure for two values of the magnetic field strength and the mass of the magnetic shield configuration. For each field strength, results were reported for the magnetic region shielding (end caps ignored) and total region shielding (end caps included but no magnetic field protection) configurations. A value of 15 cSv was chosen to be the maximum exposure for an astronaut. The radiation dose estimate over the total shield region configuration cannot be used at this time without a better understanding of the material and mass present in the end cap regions through a detailed vehicle design. The magnetic shield region configuration, assuming the end cap regions contribute zero exposure, can be launched on a single Space Launch System rocket and up to a two year mission can be supported. The magnetic shield region configuration results in two versus nine launches for a comparable mass based shielding configuration. The active shielding approach is clearly more mass efficient because of the reduced number of launches than the mass based shielding for long duration missions.

Mars Exploration Rover Heat Shield Recontact Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raiszadeh, Behzad; Desai, Prasun N.; Michelltree, Robert

2011-01-01

The twin Mars Exploration Rover missions landed successfully on Mars surface in January of 2004. Both missions used a parachute system to slow the rover s descent rate from supersonic to subsonic speeds. Shortly after parachute deployment, the heat shield, which protected the rover during the hypersonic entry phase of the mission, was jettisoned using push-off springs. Mission designers were concerned about the heat shield recontacting the lander after separation, so a separation analysis was conducted to quantify risks. This analysis was used to choose a proper heat shield ballast mass to ensure successful separation with low probability of recontact. This paper presents the details of such an analysis, its assumptions, and the results. During both landings, the radar was able to lock on to the heat shield, measuring its distance, as it descended away from the lander. This data is presented and is used to validate the heat shield separation/recontact analysis.

KSC-07pd3481

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3479

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3482

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3478

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3477

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3480

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-11-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Hangar N at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a heat shield for the Constellation crew exploration vehicle, or CEV, is being prepared for a demonstration. A developmental heat shield for the Orion spacecraft is being tested and evaluated at Kennedy. The shield was designed and assembled by the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, Calif., for NASA's Constellation Program. The thermal protection system manufacturing demonstration unit is designed to protect astronauts from extreme heat during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere from low Earth orbit and lunar missions. The CEV will be used to dock and gain access to the International Space Station, travel to the moon in the 2018 timeframe and play a crucial role in exploring Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Shielding of medical imaging X-ray facilities: a simple and practical method.

PubMed

Bibbo, Giovanni

2017-12-01

The most widely accepted method for shielding design of X-ray facilities is that contained in the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Report 147 whereby the computation of the barrier thickness for primary, secondary and leakage radiations is based on the knowledge of the distances from the radiation sources, the assumptions of the clinical workload, and usage and occupancy of adjacent areas. The shielding methodology used in this report is complex. With this methodology, the shielding designers need to make assumptions regarding the use of the X-ray room and the adjoining areas. Different shielding designers may make different assumptions resulting in different shielding requirements for a particular X-ray room. A more simple and practical method is to base the shielding design on the shielding principle used to shield X-ray tube housing to limit the leakage radiation from the X-ray tube. In this case, the shielding requirements of the X-ray room would depend only on the maximum radiation output of the X-ray equipment regardless of workload, usage or occupancy of the adjacent areas of the room. This shielding methodology, which has been used in South Australia since 1985, has proven to be practical and, to my knowledge, has not led to excess shielding of X-ray installations.

Radiological Shielding Design for the Neutron High-Resolution Backscattering Spectrometer EMU at the OPAL Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ersez, Tunay; Esposto, Fernando; Souza, Nicolas R. de

2017-09-01

The shielding for the neutron high-resolution backscattering spectrometer (EMU) located at the OPAL reactor (ANSTO) was designed using the Monte Carlo code MCNP 5-1.60. The proposed shielding design has produced compact shielding assemblies, such as the neutron pre-monochromator bunker with sliding cylindrical block shields to accommodate a range of neutron take-off angles, and in the experimental area - shielding of neutron focusing guides, choppers, flight tube, backscattering monochromator, and additional shielding elements inside the Scattering Tank. These shielding assemblies meet safety and engineering requirements and cost constraints. The neutron dose rates around the EMU instrument were reduced to < 0.5 µSv/h and the gamma dose rates to a safe working level of ≤ 3 µSv/h.

Design of magnets inside cylindrical superconducting shields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rigby, K. W.

1988-01-01

The design of magnets inside closed, cylindrical, superconducting shields is discussed. The Green function is given for the magnetic vector potential for cylindrically symmetric currents inside such a shield. The magnetic field everywhere inside the shield can be obtained from this function, which includes the effects of the induced shield currents exactly. The field is given for a thin solenoid as an example and the convergence of the series solution for this case is discussed. The shield can significantly reduce the strength and improve the homogeneity of a magnet. The improvement in homogeneity is of particular importance in the design of correction coils. These effects, and the maximum field on the shield, are examined for a typical solenoid. The results given are also useful, although not exact, for long shields with one or two open ends.

Design, fabrication and test of Load Bearing multilayer insulation to support a broad area cooled shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dye, S. A.; Johnson, W. L.; Plachta, D. W.; Mills, G. L.; Buchanan, L.; Kopelove, A. B.

2014-11-01

Improvements in cryogenic propellant storage are needed to achieve reduced or Zero Boil Off of cryopropellants, critical for long duration missions. Techniques for reducing heat leak into cryotanks include using passive multi-layer insulation (MLI) and vapor cooled or actively cooled thermal shields. Large scale shields cannot be supported by tank structural supports without heat leak through the supports. Traditional MLI also cannot support shield structural loads, and separate shield support mechanisms add significant heat leak. Quest Thermal Group and Ball Aerospace, with NASA SBIR support, have developed a novel Load Bearing multi-layer insulation (LBMLI) capable of self-supporting thermal shields and providing high thermal performance. We report on the development of LBMLI, including design, modeling and analysis, structural testing via vibe and acoustic loading, calorimeter thermal testing, and Reduced Boil-Off (RBO) testing on NASA large scale cryotanks. LBMLI uses the strength of discrete polymer spacers to control interlayer spacing and support the external load of an actively cooled shield and external MLI. Structural testing at NASA Marshall was performed to beyond maximum launch profiles without failure. LBMLI coupons were thermally tested on calorimeters, with superior performance to traditional MLI on a per layer basis. Thermal and structural tests were performed with LBMLI supporting an actively cooled shield, and comparisons are made to the performance of traditional MLI and thermal shield supports. LBMLI provided a 51% reduction in heat leak per layer over a previously tested traditional MLI with tank standoffs, a 38% reduction in mass, and was advanced to TRL5. Active thermal control using LBMLI and a broad area cooled shield offers significant advantages in total system heat flux, mass and structural robustness for future Reduced Boil-Off and Zero Boil-Off cryogenic missions with durations over a few weeks.

Optimization of NTP System Truss to Reduce Radiation Shield Mass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scharber, Luke L.; Kharofa, Adam; Caffrey, Jarvis A.

2016-01-01

The benefits of nuclear thermal propulsion are numerous and relevant to the current NASA mission goals involving but not limited to the crewed missions to mars and the moon. They do however also present new and unique challenges to the design and logistics of launching/operating spacecraft. One of these challenges, relevant to this discussion, is the significant mass of the shielding which is required to ensure an acceptable radiation environment for the spacecraft and crew. Efforts to reduce shielding mass are difficult to accomplish from material and geometric design points of the shield itself, however by increasing the distance between the nuclear engines and the main body of the spacecraft the required mass of the shielding is lessened considerably. The mass can be reduced significantly per unit length, though any additional mass added by the structure to create this distance serves to offset those savings, thus the design of a lightweight structure is ideal. The challenges of designing the truss are bounded by several limiting factors including; the loading conditions, the capabilities of the launch vehicle, and achieving the ideal truss length when factoring for the overall mass reduced. Determining the overall set of mass values for a truss of varying length is difficult since to maintain an optimally designed truss the geometry of the truss or its members must change. Thus the relation between truss mass and length for these loading scenarios is not linear, and instead has relation determined by the truss design. In order to establish a mass versus length trend for various truss designs to compare with the mass saved from the shield versus length, optimization software was used to find optimal geometric properties that still met the design requirements at established lengths. By solving for optimal designs at various lengths, mass trends could be determined. The initial design findings show a clear benefit to extending the engines as far from the main structure of the spacecraft as the launch vehicle's payload volume would allow when comparing mass savings verse the additional structure.

CAD-Based Shielding Analysis for ITER Port Diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serikov, Arkady; Fischer, Ulrich; Anthoine, David; Bertalot, Luciano; De Bock, Maartin; O'Connor, Richard; Juarez, Rafael; Krasilnikov, Vitaly

2017-09-01

Radiation shielding analysis conducted in support of design development of the contemporary diagnostic systems integrated inside the ITER ports is relied on the use of CAD models. This paper presents the CAD-based MCNP Monte Carlo radiation transport and activation analyses for the Diagnostic Upper and Equatorial Port Plugs (UPP #3 and EPP #8, #17). The creation process of the complicated 3D MCNP models of the diagnostics systems was substantially accelerated by application of the CAD-to-MCNP converter programs MCAM and McCad. High performance computing resources of the Helios supercomputer allowed to speed-up the MCNP parallel transport calculations with the MPI/OpenMP interface. The found shielding solutions could be universal, reducing ports R&D costs. The shield block behind the Tritium and Deposit Monitor (TDM) optical box was added to study its influence on Shut-Down Dose Rate (SDDR) in Port Interspace (PI) of EPP#17. Influence of neutron streaming along the Lost Alpha Monitor (LAM) on the neutron energy spectra calculated in the Tangential Neutron Spectrometer (TNS) of EPP#8. For the UPP#3 with Charge eXchange Recombination Spectroscopy (CXRS-core), an excessive neutron streaming along the CXRS shutter, which should be prevented in further design iteration.

Radiation shielding of the Fermilab 16 GeV proton driver

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikolai V. Mokhov, Alexander I. Drozhdin and Oleg E. Krivosheev

2001-07-12

The radiation transport analysis in the proposed Fermi-lab 1.2 MWProton Driver (PD) [1] is fundamentally important because of the impact on machine performance, conventional facility design, maintenance operations, and related costs. The strategy adopted in the PD design is that the beam losses in the machine are localized and controlled as much as possible via the dedicated beam collimation system, with a high loss rate localized in that section and drastically lower uncontrolled beam loss rate in the rest of the lattice. Results of thorough Monte Carlo calculations of prompt and residual radiation in and around the PD components aremore » presented for realistic assumptions and geometry under normal operation and accidental conditions. This allowed one to conduct shielding design and analysis to meet regulatory requirements [2] for external shielding, hands-on maintenance and ground-water activation.« less

Effectiveness of low-cost electromagnetic shielding using nail-together galvanized steel: Test results. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, P.F.; Kennedy, E.L.; McCormack, R.G.

1992-09-01

The sensitivity of modern electronic equipment has increased the need for costly electromagnetic shielding. To reduce this cost, the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL) has developed a new concept for shielding design that uses 28-gauge galvanized steel and standard galvanized nails. In this study, an electromagnetically shielded structure using the concept was designed, built, and evaluated for shielding effectiveness. The galvanized material was mounted to the standard USACERL test aperture and nailed to the wooden module frame, and the shielding effectiveness of the new construction design was measured using radio frequency antennas and receivers. Evaluations showed that themore » nail-together structure proved adequate for many shielding applications. However, while the galvanized steel met most shielding application requirements, this process added multiple seams to the structure, which decreased shielding in many instances by as much as 40 dB. Electromagnetic shielding, Electromagnetic pulse C3I Facilities.« less

Summary of Prometheus Radiation Shielding Nuclear Design Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Stephens

2006-01-13

This report transmits a summary of radiation shielding nuclear design studies performed to support the Prometheus project. Together, the enclosures and references associated with this document describe NRPCT (KAPL & Bettis) shielding nuclear design analyses done for the project.

Radiological Protection Studies for NGLS XTOD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiao, Shanjie; Santana-Leitner, Mario; Rokni, Sayed

The X-ray transport, optics and diagnostic system (XTOD) starts from the end of bending magnets sending electrons to the main dump and ends at the end wall separating the accelerator tunnel from the user experimental hall (hereafter referred as EH wall), as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1.a shows the general schematic and Figure 1.b shows the initial layout with possible shielding components. This document summarizes the extensive studies on the shielding and collimator system design necessary to meet the radiation protection requirements.

Metal-wool heat shields for space shuttle. [design, fabrication, and attachment to structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. C.; Clure, J. L.

1974-01-01

The packaging of metal wool for reusable thermal heat shields applied to aerodynamic and other surfaces for the space shuttle was analyzed and designed, and samples were fabricated and experimentally studied. Parametric trends were prepared for selected configurations. An all-metal thermally efficient, reliable, reusable and producible heat shield system was designed and structurally tested for use on spacecraft aerodynamic surfaces where temperatures do not exceed 810 K. Stainless steel sheet, primarily for structure and secondarily in the transverse plane for thermal expansion, was shown to accommodate thermal expansion in all directions when restrained at the edges and heated to 1360 K. Aerodynamic loads of 0.35 x 1000,000 newtons/sq meter, and higher, may be easily accepted by structures of this design. Seven all-metal thermal protection specimens, 12.7 cm square and 2.5 cm thick were fabricated and are being experimentally evaluated at simulated shuttle entry conditions in an arc jet facility.

Space Debris Surfaces - Probability of no penetration versus impact velocity and obliquity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elfer, N.; Meibaum, R.; Olsen, G.

1992-01-01

A collection of computer codes called Space Debris Surfaces (SD-SURF), have been developed to assist in the design and analysis of space debris protection systems. An SD-SURF analysis will show which obliquities and velocities are most likely to cause a penetration to help the analyst select a shield design best suited to the predominant penetration mechanism. Examples of the interaction between space vehicle geometry, the space debris environment, and the penetration and critical damage ballistic limit surfaces of the shield under consideration are presented.

Orion Heat Shield Foam Blocks Prefitting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-24

Tile blocks have been prefitted around the heat shield for the Orion crew module inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield is one of the most critical elements of Orion and protects it and the future astronauts inside from searing temperatures experienced during reentry through Earth's atmosphere when they return home. For Exploration Mission-1, the top layer of Orion's heat shield that is primarily responsible for helping the crew module endure reentry heat will be composed of approximately 180 blocks, which are made of an ablative material called Avcoat designed to wear away as it heats up. Orion is being prepared for its flight on the agency's Space Launch System for Exploration Mission-1 in late 2018. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and NASA's Journey to Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Analytical-HZETRN Model for Rapid Assessment of Active Magnetic Radiation Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Washburn, S. A.; Blattnig, S. R.; Singleterry, R. C.; Westover, S. C.

2014-01-01

The use of active radiation shielding designs has the potential to reduce the radiation exposure received by astronauts on deep-space missions at a significantly lower mass penalty than designs utilizing only passive shielding. Unfortunately, the determination of the radiation exposure inside these shielded environments often involves lengthy and computationally intensive Monte Carlo analysis. In order to evaluate the large trade space of design parameters associated with a magnetic radiation shield design, an analytical model was developed for the determination of flux inside a solenoid magnetic field due to the Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) radiation environment. This analytical model was then coupled with NASA's radiation transport code, HZETRN, to account for the effects of passive/structural shielding mass. The resulting model can rapidly obtain results for a given configuration and can therefore be used to analyze an entire trade space of potential variables in less time than is required for even a single Monte Carlo run. Analyzing this trade space for a solenoid magnetic shield design indicates that active shield bending powers greater than 15 Tm and passive/structural shielding thicknesses greater than 40 g/cm2 have a limited impact on reducing dose equivalent values. Also, it is shown that higher magnetic field strengths are more effective than thicker magnetic fields at reducing dose equivalent.

ALARA radiation considerations for the AP600 reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lau, F.L.

1995-03-01

The radiation design of the AP600 reactor plant is based on an average annual occupational radiation exposure (ORE) of 100 man-rem. As a design goal we have established a lower value of 70 man-rem per year. And, with our current design process, we expect to achieve annual exposures which are well below this goal. To accomplish our goal we have established a process that provides criteria, guidelines and customer involvement to achieve the desired result. The criteria and guidelines provide the shield designer, as well as the systems and plant layout designers with information that will lead to an integratedmore » plant design that minimizes personnel exposure and yet is not burdened with complicated shielding or unnecessary component access limitations. Customer involvement is provided in the form of utility input, design reviews and information exchange. Cooperative programs with utilities in the development of specific systems or processes also provides for an ALARA design. The results are features which include ALARA radiation considerations as an integral part of the plant design and a lower plant ORE. It is anticipated that a further reduction in plant personnel exposures will result through good radiological practices by the plant operators. The information in place to support and direct the plant designers includes the Utility Requirements Document (URD), Federal Regulations, ALARA guidelines, radiation design information and radiation and shielding design criteria. This information, along with the utility input, design reviews and information feedback, will contribute to the reduction of plant radiation exposure levels such that they will be less than the stated goals.« less

Dose profile modeling of Idaho National Laboratory's active neutron interrogation laboratory.

PubMed

Chichester, D L; Seabury, E H; Zabriskie, J M; Wharton, J; Caffrey, A J

2009-06-01

A new laboratory has been commissioned at Idaho National Laboratory for performing active neutron interrogation research and development. The facility is designed to provide radiation shielding for deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion (14.1 MeV) neutron generators (2 x 10(8) n/s), deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion (2.5 MeV) neutron generators (1 x 10(7) n/s), and (252)Cf spontaneous fission neutron sources (6.96 x 10(7) n/s, 30 microg). Shielding at the laboratory is comprised of modular concrete shield blocks 0.76 m thick with tongue-in-groove features to prevent radiation streaming, arranged into one small and one large test vault. The larger vault is designed to allow operation of the DT generator and has walls 3.8m tall, an entrance maze, and a fully integrated electrical interlock system; the smaller test vault is designed for (252)Cf and DD neutron sources and has walls 1.9 m tall and a simple entrance maze. Both analytical calculations and numerical simulations were used in the design process for the building to assess the performance of the shielding walls and to ensure external dose rates are within required facility limits. Dose rate contour plots have been generated for the facility to visualize the effectiveness of the shield walls and entrance mazes and to illustrate the spatial profile of the radiation dose field above the facility and the effects of skyshine around the vaults.

DOSE PROFILE MODELING OF IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY’S ACTIVE NEUTRON INTERROGATION TEST FACILITY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D. L. Chichester; E. H. Seabury; J. M. Zabriskie

2009-06-01

A new research and development laboratory has been commissioned at Idaho National Laboratory for performing active neutron interrogation research and development. The facility is designed to provide radiation shielding for DT fusion (14.1 MeV) neutron generators (2 x 108 neutrons per second), DD fusion (2.5 MeV) neutron generators (up to 2 x 106 neutrons per second), and 252Cf spontaneous fission neutron sources (6.7 x 107 neutrons per second, 30 micrograms). Shielding at the laboratory is comprised of modular concrete shield blocks 0.76 m thick with tongue-in-groove features to prevent radiation streaming, arranged into one small and one large test vault.more » The larger vault is designed to allow operation of the DT generator and has walls 3.8 m tall, an entrance maze, and a fully integrated electrical interlock system; the smaller test vault is designed for 252Cf and DD neutron sources and has walls 1.9 m tall and a simple entrance maze. Both analytical calculations and numerical simulations were used in the design process for the building to assess the performance of the shielding walls and to ensure external dose rates are within required facility limits. Dose rate contour plots have been generated for the facility to visualize the effectiveness of the shield wall and entrance maze and to illustrate the spatial profile of the radiation dose field above the facility and the effects of skyshine around the vaults.« less

Meeting Radiation Protection Requirements and Reducing Spacecraft Mass - A Multifunctional Materials Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atwell, William; Koontz, Steve; Reddell, Brandon; Rojdev, Kristina; Franklin, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Both crew and radio-sensitive systems, especially electronics must be protected from the effects of the space radiation environment. One method of mitigating this radiation exposure is to use passive-shielding materials. In previous vehicle designs such as the International Space Station (ISS), materials such as aluminum and polyethylene have been used as parasitic shielding to protect crew and electronics from exposure, but these designs add mass and decrease the amount of usable volume inside the vehicle. Thus, it is of interest to understand whether structural materials can also be designed to provide the radiation shielding capability needed for crew and electronics, while still providing weight savings and increased useable volume when compared against previous vehicle shielding designs. In this paper, we present calculations and analysis using the HZETRN (deterministic) and FLUKA (Monte Carlo) codes to investigate the radiation mitigation properties of these structural shielding materials, which includes graded-Z and composite materials. This work is also a follow-on to an earlier paper, that compared computational results for three radiation transport codes, HZETRN, HETC, and FLUKA, using the Feb. 1956 solar particle event (SPE) spectrum. In the following analysis, we consider the October 1989 Ground Level Enhanced (GLE) SPE as the input source term based on the Band function fitting method. Using HZETRN and FLUKA, parametric absorbed doses at the center of a hemispherical structure on the lunar surface are calculated for various thicknesses of graded-Z layups and an all-aluminum structure. HZETRN and FLUKA calculations are compared and are in reasonable (18% to 27%) agreement. Both codes are in agreement with respect to the predicted shielding material performance trends. The results from both HZETRN and FLUKA are analyzed and the radiation protection properties and potential weight savings of various materials and materials lay-ups are compared.

Design and Performance of a Metal-Shielded Piezoelectric Sensor

PubMed Central

Sáenz de Inestrillas, Álvaro; Camarena, Francisco; Bou Cabo, Manuel; Barreiro, Julián M.; Reig, Antonio

2017-01-01

In certain circumstances when acoustic measurements are required in the presence of explosive atmospheres the sensor must be placed inside a Faraday Cage. Piezoelectric active materials are suitable for this purpose as they do not need an electrical power supply, although the metal shielding can considerably reduce sensor sensitivity, which is already low at the acoustic frequency range (<20 kHz). This paper describes a metal-shielded piezoelectric sensor designed to work in the range of frequencies between 1 and 2 kHz and in these environmental conditions. The main idea was to add a thin material layer to the front face of the piezoelectric ceramic in order to force the system to vibrate in flexure mode at low frequencies. The resonant frequency and sensitivity of the system was studied as a function of the radius, thickness, and material of the thin layer. The study includes a comparison of theoretical model, FEM simulation, and real data measured using three aluminum and three steel prototypes of different sizes. PMID:28587224

Design and Performance of a Metal-Shielded Piezoelectric Sensor.

PubMed

Sáenz de Inestrillas, Álvaro; Camarena, Francisco; Bou Cabo, Manuel; Barreiro, Julián M; Reig, Antonio

2017-06-04

In certain circumstances when acoustic measurements are required in the presence of explosive atmospheres the sensor must be placed inside a Faraday Cage. Piezoelectric active materials are suitable for this purpose as they do not need an electrical power supply, although the metal shielding can considerably reduce sensor sensitivity, which is already low at the acoustic frequency range (<20 kHz). This paper describes a metal-shielded piezoelectric sensor designed to work in the range of frequencies between 1 and 2 kHz and in these environmental conditions. The main idea was to add a thin material layer to the front face of the piezoelectric ceramic in order to force the system to vibrate in flexure mode at low frequencies. The resonant frequency and sensitivity of the system was studied as a function of the radius, thickness, and material of the thin layer. The study includes a comparison of theoretical model, FEM simulation, and real data measured using three aluminum and three steel prototypes of different sizes.

49 CFR 179.16 - Tank-head puncture-resistance systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... CARS General Design Requirements § 179.16 Tank-head puncture-resistance systems. (a) Performance...; and (3) The impacted tank car is pressurized to at least 6.9 Bar (100 psig). (b) Verification by... design and test requirements of the full-head protection (shields) or full tank-head jackets must meet...

Performances of Kevlar and Polyethylene as radiation shielding on-board the International Space Station in high latitude radiation environment.

PubMed

Narici, Livio; Casolino, Marco; Di Fino, Luca; Larosa, Marianna; Picozza, Piergiorgio; Rizzo, Alessandro; Zaconte, Veronica

2017-05-10

Passive radiation shielding is a mandatory element in the design of an integrated solution to mitigate the effects of radiation during long deep space voyages for human exploration. Understanding and exploiting the characteristics of materials suitable for radiation shielding in space flights is, therefore, of primary importance. We present here the results of the first space-test on Kevlar and Polyethylene radiation shielding capabilities including direct measurements of the background baseline (no shield). Measurements are performed on-board of the International Space Station (Columbus modulus) during the ALTEA-shield ESA sponsored program. For the first time the shielding capability of such materials has been tested in a radiation environment similar to the deep-space one, thanks to the feature of the ALTEA system, which allows to select only high latitude orbital tracts of the International Space Station. Polyethylene is widely used for radiation shielding in space and therefore it is an excellent benchmark material to be used in comparative investigations. In this work we show that Kevlar has radiation shielding performances comparable to the Polyethylene ones, reaching a dose rate reduction of 32 ± 2% and a dose equivalent rate reduction of 55 ± 4% (for a shield of 10 g/cm 2 ).

A cargo inspection system based on pulsed fast neutron analysis (PFNA).

PubMed

Ipe, N E; Olsher, R; Ryge, P; Mrozack, J; Thieu, J

2005-01-01

A cargo inspection system based on pulsed fast neutron analysis (PFNA) is to be used at a border crossing to detect explosives and contraband hidden in trucks and cargo containers. Neutrons are produced by the interaction of deuterons in a deuterium target mounted on a moveable scan arm. The collimated pulsed fast neutron beam is used to determine the location and composition of objects in a cargo container. The neutrons produce secondary gamma rays that are characteristic of the object's elemental composition. The cargo inspection system building consists of an accelerator room and an inspection tunnel. The accelerator room is shielded and houses the injector, accelerator and the neutron production gas target. The inspection tunnel is partially shielded. The truck or container to be inspected will be moved through the inspection tunnel by a conveyor system. The facility and radiation source terms considered in the shielding design are described.

Concepts and Tests for the Remote-Controlled Dismantling of the Biological Shield and Form work of the KNK Reactor - 13425

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neff, Sylvia; Graf, Anja; Petrick, Holger

The compact sodium-cooled nuclear reactor facility Karlsruhe (KNK), a prototype Fast Breeder, is currently in an advanced stage of dismantling. Complete dismantling is based on 10 partial licensing steps. In the frame of the 9. decommissioning permit, which is currently ongoing, the dismantling of the biological shield is foreseen. The biological shield consists of heavy reinforced concrete with built-in steel fitments, such as form-work of the reactor tank, pipe sleeves, ventilation channels, and measuring devices. Due to the activation of the inner part of the biological shield, dismantling has to be done remote-controlled. During a comprehensive basic design phase amore » practical dismantling strategy was developed. Necessary equipment and tools were defined. Preliminary tests revealed that hot wire plasma cutting is the most favorable cutting technology due to the geometrical boundary conditions, the varying distance between cutter and material, and the heavy concrete behind the steel form-work. The cutting devices will be operated remotely via a carrier system with an industrial manipulator. The carrier system has expandable claws to adjust to the varying diameter of the reactor shaft during dismantling progress. For design approval of this prototype development, interaction between manipulator and hot wire plasma cutting was tested in a real configuration. For the demolition of the concrete structure, an excavator with appropriate tools, such as a hydraulic hammer, was selected. Other mechanical cutting devices, such as a grinder or rope saw, were eliminated because of concrete containing steel spheres added to increase the shielding factor of the heavy concrete. Dismantling of the biological shield will be done in a ring-wise manner due to static reasons. During the demolition process, the excavator is positioned on its tripod in three concrete recesses made prior to the dismantling of the separate concrete rings. The excavator and the manipulator carrier system will be operated alternately. Main boundary condition for all the newly designed equipment is the decommissioning housing of limited space within the reactor building containment. To allow for a continuous removal of the concrete rubble, an additional opening on the lowest level of the reactor shaft will be made. All equipment and the interaction of the tools have to be tested before use in the controlled area. Therefore a full-scale model of the biological shield will be provided in a mock-up. The tests will be performed in early 2014. The dismantling of the biological shield is scheduled for 2015. (authors)« less

Hybrid Magnetic Shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royal, Kevin; Crawford, Christopher; Mullins, Andrew; Porter, Greg; Blanton, Hunter; Johnstone, Connor; Kistler, Ben; Olivera, Daniela

2017-09-01

The search for the electric dipole moment of the neutron requires the ambient magnetic field to be on the pT scale which is accomplished with large magnetic shielding rooms. These rooms are fitted with large mu-metal sheets to allow for passive cancellation of background magnetic fields. Active shielding technology cannot uniformly cancel background magnetic fields. These issues can be remedied by combining the methods into a hybrid system. The design used is composed of panels that have an active layer of cancellation between two sheets of mu-metal. The panels form a cube and draw in magnetic fields perpendicular to the surface which can then be reduced using active shielding. This work is supported by the Department of Energy under Contract DE-SC0008107.

Fiber-optic temperature profiling for thermal protection system heat shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Black, Richard J.; Costa, Joannes M.; Zarnescu, Livia; Hackney, Drew A.; Moslehi, Behzad; Peters, Kara J.

2016-11-01

To achieve better designs for spacecraft heat shields for missions requiring atmospheric aero-capture or entry/reentry, reliable thermal protection system (TPS) sensors are needed. Such sensors will provide both risk reduction and heat-shield mass minimization, which will facilitate more missions and enable increased payloads and returns. This paper discusses TPS thermal measurements provided by a temperature monitoring system involving lightweight, electromagnetic interference-immune, high-temperature resistant fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors with a thermal mass near that of TPS materials together with fast FBG sensor interrogation. Such fiber-optic sensing technology is highly sensitive and accurate, as well as suitable for high-volume production. Multiple sensing FBGs can be fabricated as arrays on a single fiber for simplified design and reduced cost. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the temperature monitoring system using multisensor FBG arrays embedded in a small-size super-light ablator (SLA) coupon which was thermally loaded to temperatures in the vicinity of the SLA charring temperature. In addition, a high-temperature FBG array was fabricated and tested for 1000°C operation, and the temperature dependence considered over the full range (cryogenic to high temperature) for which silica fiber FBGs have been subjected.

Radiation Shielding for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caffrey, Jarvis A.

2016-01-01

Design and analysis of radiation shielding for nuclear thermal propulsion has continued at Marshall Space Flight Center. A set of optimization tools are in development, and strategies for shielding optimization will be discussed. Considerations for the concurrent design of internal and external shielding are likely required for a mass optimal shield design. The task of reducing radiation dose to crew from a nuclear engine is considered to be less challenging than the task of thermal mitigation for cryogenic propellant, especially considering the likely implementation of additional crew shielding for protection from solar particles and cosmic rays. Further consideration is thus made for the thermal effects of radiation absorption in cryogenic propellant. Materials challenges and possible methods of manufacturing are also discussed.

Thermal-Structural Evaluation of TD Ni-20Cr Thermal Protection System Panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eidinoff, H. L.; Rose, L.

1974-01-01

The results of a thermal-structural test program to verify the performance of a metallic/radiative Thermal Protection System (TPS) under reentry conditions are presented. This TPS panel is suitable for multiple reentry, high L/D space vehicles, such as the NASA space shuttle, having surface temperatures up to 1200 C (2200 F). The TPS panel tested consists of a corrugation-stiffened, beaded-skin TD Ni-20Cr metallic heat shield backed by a flexible fibrous quartz and radiative shield insulative system. Test conditions simulated the critical heating and aerodynamic pressure environments expected during 100 repeated missions of a reentry vehicle. Temperatures were measured during each reentry cycle; heat-shield flatness surveys to measure permanent set of the metallic components were made every 10 cycles. The TPS panel, in spite of localized surface failures, performed its designated function.

SU-G-206-17: RadShield: Semi-Automated Shielding Design for CT Using NCRP 147 and Isodose Curves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeLorenzo, M; Rutel, I; Yang, K

2016-06-15

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) exam rooms are shielded more quickly and accurately compared to manual calculations using RadShield, a semi-automated diagnostic shielding software package. Last year, we presented RadShield’s approach to shielding radiographic and fluoroscopic rooms calculating air kerma rate and barrier thickness at many points on the floor plan and reporting the maximum values for each barrier. RadShield has now been expanded to include CT shielding design using not only NCRP 147 methodology but also by overlaying vendor provided isodose curves onto the floor plan. Methods: The floor plan image is imported onto the RadShield workspace to serve asmore » a template for drawing barriers, occupied regions and CT locations. SubGUIs are used to set design goals, occupancy factors, workload, and overlay isodose curve files. CTDI and DLP methods are solved following NCRP 147. RadShield’s isodose curve method employs radial scanning to extract data point sets to fit kerma to a generalized power law equation of the form K(r) = ar^b. RadShield’s semiautomated shielding recommendations were compared against a board certified medical physicist’s design using dose length product (DLP) and isodose curves. Results: The percentage error found between the physicist’s manual calculation and RadShield’s semi-automated calculation of lead barrier thickness was 3.42% and 21.17% for the DLP and isodose curve methods, respectively. The medical physicist’s selection of calculation points for recommending lead thickness was roughly the same as those found by RadShield for the DLP method but differed greatly using the isodose method. Conclusion: RadShield improves accuracy in calculating air-kerma rate and barrier thickness over manual calculations using isodose curves. Isodose curves were less intuitive and more prone to error for the physicist than inverse square methods. RadShield can now perform shielding design calculations for general scattering bodies for which isodose curves are provided.« less

SU-F-P-53: RadShield: Semi-Automated Shielding Design for CT Using NCRP 147 and Isodose Curves

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeLorenzo, M; Rutel, I; Wu, D

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) exam rooms are shielded more quickly and accurately compared to manual calculations using RadShield, a semi-automated diagnostic shielding software package. Last year, we presented RadShield’s approach to shielding radiographic and fluoroscopic rooms calculating air kerma rate and barrier thickness at many points on the floor plan and reporting the maximum values for each barrier. RadShield has now been expanded to include CT shielding design using not only NCRP 147 methodology but also by overlaying vendor provided isodose curves onto the floor plan. Methods: The floor plan image is imported onto the RadShield workspace to serve asmore » a template for drawing barriers, occupied regions and CT locations. SubGUIs are used to set design goals, occupancy factors, workload, and overlay isodose curve files. CTDI and DLP methods are solved following NCRP 147. RadShield’s isodose curve method employs radial scanning to extract data point sets to fit kerma to a generalized power law equation of the form K(r) = ar^b. RadShield’s semi-automated shielding recommendations were compared against a board certified medical physicist’s design using dose length product (DLP) and isodose curves. Results: The percentage error found between the physicist’s manual calculation and RadShield’s semi-automated calculation of lead barrier thickness was 3.42% and 21.17% for the DLP and isodose curve methods, respectively. The medical physicist’s selection of calculation points for recommending lead thickness was roughly the same as those found by RadShield for the DLP method but differed greatly using the isodose method. Conclusion: RadShield improves accuracy in calculating air-kerma rate and barrier thickness over manual calculations using isodose curves. Isodose curves were less intuitive and more prone to error for the physicist than inverse square methods. RadShield can now perform shielding design calculations for general scattering bodies for which isodose curves are provided.« less

Reliability Methods for Shield Design Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, J. W.

2002-01-01

Providing protection against the hazards of space radiation is a major challenge to the exploration and development of space. The great cost of added radiation shielding is a potential limiting factor in deep space operations. In this enabling technology, we have developed methods for optimized shield design over multi-segmented missions involving multiple work and living areas in the transport and duty phase of space missions. The total shield mass over all pieces of equipment and habitats is optimized subject to career dose and dose rate constraints. An important component of this technology is the estimation of two most commonly identified uncertainties in radiation shield design, the shielding properties of materials used and the understanding of the biological response of the astronaut to the radiation leaking through the materials into the living space. The largest uncertainty, of course, is in the biological response to especially high charge and energy (HZE) ions of the galactic cosmic rays. These uncertainties are blended with the optimization design procedure to formulate reliability-based methods for shield design processes. The details of the methods will be discussed.

Optimal shielding design for minimum materials cost or mass

DOE PAGES

Woolley, Robert D.

2015-12-02

The mathematical underpinnings of cost optimal radiation shielding designs based on an extension of optimal control theory are presented, a heuristic algorithm to iteratively solve the resulting optimal design equations is suggested, and computational results for a simple test case are discussed. A typical radiation shielding design problem can have infinitely many solutions, all satisfying the problem's specified set of radiation attenuation requirements. Each such design has its own total materials cost. For a design to be optimal, no admissible change in its deployment of shielding materials can result in a lower cost. This applies in particular to very smallmore » changes, which can be restated using the calculus of variations as the Euler-Lagrange equations. Furthermore, the associated Hamiltonian function and application of Pontryagin's theorem lead to conditions for a shield to be optimal.« less

Development of a Body Shield for Small Animal PET System to Reduce Random and Scatter Coincidences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, Yasuhiro; Yamamoto, Seiichi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2015-02-01

For small animal positron emission tomography (PET) research using high radioactivity, such as dynamic studies, the resulting high random coincidence rate of the system degrades image quality. The random coincidence rate is increased not only by the gamma photons from inside the axial-field-of-view (axial-FOV) of the PET system but also by those from outside the axial-FOV. For brain imaging in small animal studies, significant interference is observed from gamma photons emitted from the body. Single gamma photons from the body enter the axial-FOV and increase the random and scatter coincidences. Shielding against the gamma photons from outside the axial-FOV would improve the image quality. For this purpose, we developed a body shield for a small animal PET system, the microPET Primate 4-ring system, and evaluated its performance. The body shield is made of 9-mm-thick lead and it surrounds most of a rat's body. We evaluated the effectiveness of the body shield using a head phantom and a body phantom with a radioactivity concentration ratio of 1:2 and a maximum total activity of approximately 250 MBq. The random coincidence rate was dramatically decreased to 1/10, and the noise equivalent count rate (NECR) was increased 6 times with an activity of 7 MBq in the head phantom. The true count rate was increased to 35% due to the decrease in system deadtime. The average scatter fraction was decreased to 1/2.5 with the body shield. Count rate measurements of rat were also conducted with an injection activity of approximately 25 MBq of [C-11]N,N-dimethyl-2-(2-amino-4-cyanophenylthio) benzylamine ([C-11]DASB) and approximately 70 and 310 MBq of 2-deoxy-2-(F-18)fluoro-D-glucose ([F-18]FDG). Using the body shield, [F-18]FDG images of rats were improved by increasing the amount of radioactivity injected. The body shield designed for small animal PET systems is a promising tool for improving image quality and quantitation accuracy in small animal molecular imaging research.

SP-100 reactor with Brayton conversion for lunar surface applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.; Rodriguez, Carlos D.; Mckissock, Barbara I.; Hanlon, James C.; Mansfield, Brian C.

1992-01-01

Examined here is the potential for integrating Brayton-cycle power conversion with the SP-100 reactor for lunar surface power system applications. Two designs were characterized and modeled. The first design integrates a 100-kWe SP-100 Brayton power system with a lunar lander. This system is intended to meet early lunar mission power needs while minimizing on-site installation requirements. Man-rated radiation protection is provided by an integral multilayer, cylindrical lithium hydride/tungsten (LiH/W) shield encircling the reactor vessel. Design emphasis is on ease of deployment, safety, and reliability, while utilizing relatively near-term technology. The second design combines Brayton conversion with the SP-100 reactor in a erectable 550-kWe powerplant concept intended to satisfy later-phase lunar base power requirements. This system capitalizes on experience gained from operating the initial 100-kWe module and incorporates some technology improvements. For this system, the reactor is emplaced in a lunar regolith excavation to provide man-rated shielding, and the Brayton engines and radiators are mounted on the lunar surface and extend radially from the central reactor. Design emphasis is on performance, safety, long life, and operational flexibility.

Design and Operation of the RHIC 80-K Cooler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicoletti, A.; Reuter, A.; Sidi-Yekhlef, A.; Talty, P.; Quimby, E.

2004-06-01

A stand-alone cryogenic system designed to maintain the magnets of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at between 80 and 100 K during accelerator shutdown periods has been conceived and designed at Brookhaven National Laboratory and built by PHPK Technologies of Columbus, Ohio. Since most thermal contraction occurs above this temperature, this unit, referred to as the 80-K Cooler, will eliminate the stresses associated with thermal cycling. The cooling system will provide the necessary refrigeration by circulating cooled helium gas at approximately 1500 kPA through the RHIC heat shields and magnets. This helium is cooled by heat exchange with liquid nitrogen and circulated via three cold centrifugal pumps. The nominal delivered cooling capacity required to maintain the magnets at temperature is approximately 36 kW, primarily intercepted at the heat shield. The system also has separate heat exchangers for use as a pre-cooler from room temperature to 82 K. Selection of sextant or sextants for pre-cooling is designed into the RHIC cryogenic distribution system. Topics covered include Cooler design decisions, details of the Cooler as built, integration into the existing RHIC cryogenic system and initial operating experience.

Can active proton interrogation find shielded nuclear threats at human-safe radiation levels?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liew, Seth Van

2017-05-01

A new method of low-dose proton radiography is presented. The system is composed of an 800 MeV proton source, bending magnets, and compact detectors, and is designed for drive-through cargo scanning. The system has been simulated using GEANT4. Material identification algorithms and pixel sorting methods are presented that allow the system to perform imaging at doses low enough to scan passenger vehicles and people. Results are presented on imaging efficacy of various materials and cluttered cargoes. The identification of shielded nuclear materials at human-safe doses has been demonstrated.

High voltage design structure for high temperature superconducting device

DOEpatents

Tekletsadik, Kasegn D [Rexford, NY

2008-05-20

In accordance with the present invention, modular corona shields are employed in a HTS device to reduce the electric field surrounding the HTS device. In a exemplary embodiment a fault current limiter module in the insulation region of a cryogenic cooling system has at least one fault current limiter set which employs a first corona shield disposed along the top portion of the fault current limiter set and is electrically coupled to the fault current limiter set. A second corona shield is disposed along the bottom portion of the fault current limiter set and is electrically coupled to the fault current limiter set. An insulation barrier is disposed within the insulation region along at least one side of the fault current limiter set. The first corona shield and the second corona shield act together to reduce the electric field surrounding the fault limiter set when voltage is applied to the fault limiter set.

Parametric study for use of stainless steel as a material for thermal shield in PIP2IT transferline at FNAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rane, Tejas

Proton Improvement Plant – II (PIP-II) has been planned at Fermilab for providing high-intensity proton beams to the laboratory’s experiments. Fermilab has undertaken the PIP-II Injector Test (PIP2IT) for integrated systems testing of critical components comprising the PIP-II front end. PIP2IT includes two cryomodules, to be tested using a pre-existing Supercritical helium refrigerator and distribution box. The PIP2IT transferline connects the Distribution box to the cryomodules of PI2IT. It contains 5 process lines as follows - supercritical 5K He supply and return lines, thermal shield supply(40K) and return(80K) lines and a sub-atmospheric 2K return line. Such cryogenic transferlines are generallymore » provided with cylindrical thermal shields at 80K, enclosing multiple process lines. The thermal shields are cooled by dedicated cooling lines welded/brazed to the shield at a single point along the circumference. Higher thermal diffusivity provides faster cooling and uniformity o f temperature along the shield surface. Hence, Copper/Aluminium is widely used to fabricate thermal shields. However, raw material price, the cost of fabrication depending on standard sizes of pipes/tubes, often drives up the final price of thermal shields. To reduce the cost by making use of easily available stock of standard pipe/tube, it is decided to use stainless steel as a material in thermal shields for the PIP2IT transferline. To this effect, a parametric study has been undertaken to evaluate the suitability of replacing Copper/Aluminium with stainless steel in thermal shields. The low thermal conductivity of steel results in bowing of the shield due to differential temperature distribution along the circumferential direction. The resulting suitable design has limiting parameters in terms of maximum allowable length of a shield section and the maximum allowable heat transfer coefficient for cooling flow. Starting with the design specific to PIP2IT transferline, an at tempt is made to have non-dimensionalised parameters for sim! ilar thermal shields.« less

Shielding of longitudinal magnetic fields with thin, closely, spaced concentric cylindrical shells with applications to atomic clocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, S. A.; Gubser, D. U.; Cox, J. E.

1978-01-01

A general formula is given for the longitudinal shielding effectiveness of N closed concentric cylinders. The use of these equations is demonstrated by application to the design of magnetic shields for hydrogen maser atomic clocks. Examples of design tradeoffs such as size, weight, and material thickness are discussed. Experimental results on three sets of shields fabricated by three manufacturers are presented. Two of the sets were designed employing the techniques described. Agreement between the experimental results and the design calculations is then demonstrated.

Design and Shielding of Radiotherapy Treatment Facilities; IPEM Report 75, 2nd Edition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, Patrick; Eaton, David

2017-07-01

Design and Shielding of Radiotherapy Treatment Facilities provides readers with a single point of reference for protection advice to the construction and modification of radiotherapy facilities. The book assembles a faculty of national and international experts on all modalities including megavoltage and kilovoltage photons, brachytherapy and high-energy particles, and on conventional and Monte Carlo shielding calculations. This book is a comprehensive reference for qualified experts and radiation-shielding designers in radiation physics and also useful to anyone involved in the design of radiotherapy facilities.

Electrically insulated MLI and thermal anchor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamiya, Koji; Furukawa, Masato; Murakami, Haruyuki

2014-01-29

The thermal shield of JT-60SA is kept at 80 K and will use the multilayer insulation (MLI) to reduce radiation heat load to the superconducting coils at 4.4 K from the cryostat at 300 K. Due to plasma pulse operation, the MLI is affected by eddy current in toroidal direction. The MLI is designed to suppress the current by electrically insulating every 20 degree in the toroidal direction by covering the MLI with polyimide films. In this paper, two kinds of designs for the MLI system are proposed, focusing on a way to overlap the layers. A boil-off calorimeter methodmore » and temperature measurement has been performed to determine the thermal performance of the MLI system. The design of the electrical insulated thermal anchor between the toroidal field (TF) coil and the thermal shield is also explained.« less

Technical Note: On EM reconstruction of a multi channel shielded applicator for cervical cancer brachytherapy: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Tho, Daline; Racine, Emmanuel; Easton, Harry; Song, William Y; Beaulieu, Luc

2018-04-01

Electromagnetic tracking (EMT) is a promising technology for automated catheter and applicator reconstructions in brachytherapy. In this work, a proof-of-concept is presented for reconstruction of the individual channels of a new shielded tandem (140 mm long shield) dedicated to intensity-modulated brachytherapy. All six channels of a straight prototype were reconstructed using an electromagnetic (EM) system from Aurora (NDI, Waterloo, ON, Canada). The influence of the shield on the EMT system was characterized by taking measurements at nine different positions with and without the shielded part of the applicator next to the probe. A Student t-test was used to analyze the data. For registration purposes, the center-to-center distance (4 mm) was taken from the computed-assisted design (CAD) structure. The computed interchannel distances from the three opposite pairs were 4.33 ± 0.40 mm, 4.14 ± 0.35 mm, and 3.88 ± 0.26 mm. All interchannel distances were within the geometrical tolerance in the shielded portion of the applicator (±0.6 mm) and account for the fact that the sensor (0.8 mm diameter) was smaller than the channel diameter. According to the paired Student t-test, the data given by the EM system with and without the shielded applicator tip are not significantly different. This study shows that the reconstruction of channel path is possible within the mechanical accuracy of the applicator. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Optimization of Photovoltaic Performance Through the Integration of Electrodynamic Dust Shield Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nason, Steven; Davis, Kris; Hickman, Nicoleta; McFall, Judith; Arens, Ellen; Calle, Carlos

2009-01-01

The viability of photovoltaics on the Lunar and Martian surfaces may be determined by their ability to withstand significant degradation in the Lunar and Martian environments. One of the greatest threats is posed by fine dust particles which are continually blown about the surfaces. In an effort to determine the extent of the threat, and to investigate some abatement strategies, a series of experiments were conducted outdoors and in the Moon and Mars environmental chamber at the Florida Solar Energy Center. Electrodynamic dust shield prototypes based on the electric curtain concept have been developed by our collaborators at the Kennedy Space Center [1]. These thin film layers can remove dust from surfaces and prevent dust accumulation. Several types of dust shields were designed, built and tested under high vacuum conditions and simulated lunar gravity to validate the technology for lunar exploration applications. Gallium arsenide, single crystal and polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic integrated devices were designed, built and tested under Moon and Mars environmental conditions as well as under ambient conditions. Photovoltaic efficiency measurements were performed on each individual cell with the following configurations; without an encapsulation layer, with a glass covering, and with various thin film dust shields. It was found that the PV efficiency of the hybrid systems was unaffected by these various thin film dust shields, proving that the optical transmission of light through the device is virtually uninhibited by these layers. The future goal of this project is to incorporate a photovoltaic cell as the power source for the electrodynamic dust shield system, and experimentally show the effective removal of dust obstructing any light incident on the cell, thus insuring power production is maximized over time.

Ultra-low magnetic field apparatus for a cryogenic gyroscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cabrera, B.; Van Kann, F. J.

1978-01-01

An ultralow magnetic field apparatus for earth-based testing of a cryogenic gyroscope system designed for a satellite test of general relativity is described. The magnetic field apparatus makes use of a superconducting lead shield while also maintaining sufficient mechanical stability to obtain a gyroscope readout sensitivity of one arcsec over a limited range. A gyroscope environment of 2.3 times 10 to the minus seventh power gauss has been attained with the magnetic field shielding technique. The magnetic field apparatus is to be used with a three-axis London moment readout system.

PWR PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR PL-3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Humphries, G. E.

1962-02-28

The pressurized water reactor preliminary design, the preferred design developed under Phase I of the PL-3 contract, is presented. Plant design criteria, summary of plant selection, plant description, reactor and primary system description, thermal and hydraulic analysis, nuclear analysis, control and instrumentatlon description, shielding description, auxiliary systems, power plant equipment, waste dispusal, buildings and tunnels, services, operation and maintenance, logistics, erection, cost information, and a training program outline are given. (auth)

Solar Probe thermal shield design and testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millard, Jerry M.; Miyake, Robert N.; Rainen, Richard A.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses the major thermal shield subsystem development activities in support of the Solar Probe study being conducted at JPL. The Solar Probe spacecraft will travel to within 4 solar radii of the sun's center to perform fundamental experiments in space physics. Exposure to 2900 earth suns at perihelion requires the spacecraft to be protected within the shadow envelope of a protective shield. In addition, the mass loss rate off of the shield at elevated temperature must comply with plasma instrument requirements and has become the driver of the shield design. This paper will focus on the analytical design work to size the shield and control the shield mass loss rate for the various spacecraft options under study, the application of carbon-carbon materials for shield components, development and preparation of carbon-carbon samples for materials testing, and a materials testing program for carbon-carbon and tungsten alloys to investigate thermal/optical properties, mass loss (carbon-carbon only), material integrity, and high velocity impact behavior.

Particle Hydrodynamics with Material Strength for Multi-Layer Orbital Debris Shield Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fahrenthold, Eric P.

1999-01-01

Three dimensional simulation of oblique hypervelocity impact on orbital debris shielding places extreme demands on computer resources. Research to date has shown that particle models provide the most accurate and efficient means for computer simulation of shield design problems. In order to employ a particle based modeling approach to the wall plate impact portion of the shield design problem, it is essential that particle codes be augmented to represent strength effects. This report describes augmentation of a Lagrangian particle hydrodynamics code developed by the principal investigator, to include strength effects, allowing for the entire shield impact problem to be represented using a single computer code.

On Structural Design of a Mobile Lunar Habitat With Multi- Layered Environmental Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pruitt, J. R. (Technical Monitor); Rais-Rohani, M.

2005-01-01

This report presents an overview of a Mobile Lunar Habitat (MLH) structural design consisting of advanced composite materials. The habitat design is derived from the cylindrical-shaped U.S. Lab module aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and includes two lateral ports and a hatch at each end that geometrically match those of the ISS Nodes. Thus, several MLH units can be connected together to form a larger lunar outpost of various architectures. For enhanced mobility over the lunar terrain, the MLH uses six articulated insect-like robotic, retractable legs enabling the habitat to .t aboard a launch vehicle. The carbon-composite shell is sandwiched between two layers of hydrogen-rich polyethylene for enhanced radiation shielding. The pressure vessel is covered by modular double-wall panels for meteoroid impact shielding supported by externally mounted stiffeners. The habitat s structure is an assembly of multiple parts manufactured separately and bonded together. Based on the geometric complexity of a part and its material system, an appropriate fabrication process is proposed.

Cost Assessment for Shielding of C3 Type. Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

imperfections and on penetrations . Long-conductor penetrants are assumed to enter the building through a one-quarter-inch thick entry plate and a shielded...Effects 21 3.2.3 Currents from Penetrants 21 3.2.4 Numerical Examples 23 3.3 Design Approach 23 3.3.1 Design Assuming Linear Behavior of Shield 23...General 36 4.1.1 Envelope Shield 36 4.1.2 Penetrations 41 4.2 Condition I, New Construction, External Shield 46 4.3 Condition II, New

Modeling and Measurements for Mitigating Interface from Skyshine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kernan, Warnick J; Mace, Emily K; Siciliano, Edward R

2009-12-21

Skyshine, the radiation scattered in the air above a high-activity gamma-ray source, can produce interference with radiation portal monitor (RPM) systems at distances up to even many hundred meters. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been engaged in a campaign of measurements, design work and modeling that explore methods of mitigating the effects of skyshine on outdoor measurements with sensitive instruments. An overview of our work with shielding of skyshine is being reported by us in another paper at this conference. This paper will concentrate on two topics: measurements and modeling with Monte Carlo transport calculations to characterize skyshine frommore » an iridium-192 source, and testing of a prototype louver system, designed and fabricated at PNNL, as a shielding approach to limit the impact of skyshine interference on RPM systems.« less

Thermal fatigue tests of a radiative heat shield panel for a hypersonic transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Webb, Granville L.; Clark, Ronald K.; Sharpe, Ellsworth L.

1985-01-01

A pair of corrugation stiffened, beaded skin Rene 41 heat shield panels were exposed to 20,000 thermal cycles between room temperature and 1450 F to evaluate the thermal fatigue response of Rene 41 metallic heat shields for hypersonic cruise aircraft applications. At the conclusion of the tests, the panels retained substantial structural integrity; however, there were cracks and excessive wear in the vicinity of fastener holes and there was an 80-percent loss in ductility of the skin. Shrinkage of the panel which caused the cracks and wear must be considered in design of panels for Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) applications.

SU-F-E-13: Design and Fabrication of Gynacological Brachytherapy Shielding & Non Shielding Applicators Using Indigenously Developed 3D Printing Machine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shanmugam, S

Purpose: In this innovative work we have developed Gynecological Brachytherapy shielding & Non Shielding Applicators and compared with the commercially available applicators by using the indigenously developed 3D Printing machine. Methods: We have successfully indigenously developed the 3D printing machine. Which contain the 3 dimensional motion platform, Heater unit, base plate, ect… To fabricate the Gynecological Brachytherapy shielding & non shielding applicators the 3D design were developed in the computer as virtual design. This virtual design is made in a CAD computer file using a 3D modeling program. Separate programme for the shielding & non shielding applicators. We have alsomore » provided the extra catheter insert provision in the applicator for the multiple catheter. The DICOM file of the applicator were then converted to stereo Lithography file for the 3D printer. The shielding & Non Shielding Applicators were printed on a indigenously developed 3D printer material. The same dimensions were used to develop the applicators in the acrylic material also for the comparative study. A CT scan was performed to establish an infill-density calibration curve as well as characterize the quality of the print such as uniformity and the infill pattern. To commission the process, basic CT and dose properties of the printing materials were measured in photon beams and compared against water and soft tissue. Applicator were then scanned to confirm the placement of multiple catheter position. Finally dose distributions with rescanned CTs were compared with those computer-generated applicators. Results: The doses measured from the ion Chamber and X-Omat film test were within 2%. The shielded applicator reduce the rectal dose comparatively with the non shielded applicator. Conclusion: As of submission 3 unique cylinders have been designed, printed, and tested dosimetrically. A standardizable workflow for commissioning custom 3D printed applicators was codified and will be reported.« less

Radiation health for a Mars mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robbins, Donald E.

1992-01-01

Uncertainties in risk assessments for exposure of a Mars mission crew to space radiation place limitations on mission design and operation. Large shielding penalties are imposed in order to obtain acceptable safety margins. Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE) are the major concern. A warning system and 'safe-haven' are needed to protect the crew from large SPE which produce lethal doses. A model developed at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) to describe solar modulation of GCR intensities reduces that uncertainty to less than 10 percent. Radiation transport models used to design spacecraft shielding have large uncertainties in nuclear fragmentation cross sections for GCR which interact with spacecraft materials. Planned space measurements of linear energy transfer (LET) spectra behind various shielding thicknesses will reduce uncertainties in dose-versus-shielding thickness relationships to 5-10 percent. The largest remaining uncertainty is in biological effects of space radiation. Data on effects of energetic ions in human are nonexistent. Experimental research on effects in animals and cell is needed to allow extrapolation to the risk of carcinogenesis in humans.

KSC-2014-2956

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden helps mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, during a visit to the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2955

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager helps mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Magnetostatic focal spot correction for x-ray tubes operating in strong magnetic fields using iterative optimization

PubMed Central

Lillaney, Prasheel; Shin, Mihye; Conolly, Steven M.; Fahrig, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Purpose: Combining x-ray fluoroscopy and MR imaging systems for guidance of interventional procedures has become more commonplace. By designing an x-ray tube that is immune to the magnetic fields outside of the MR bore, the two systems can be placed in close proximity to each other. A major obstacle to robust x-ray tube design is correcting for the effects of the magnetic fields on the x-ray tube focal spot. A potential solution is to design active shielding that locally cancels the magnetic fields near the focal spot. Methods: An iterative optimization algorithm is implemented to design resistive active shielding coils that will be placed outside the x-ray tube insert. The optimization procedure attempts to minimize the power consumption of the shielding coils while satisfying magnetic field homogeneity constraints. The algorithm is composed of a linear programming step and a nonlinear programming step that are interleaved with each other. The coil results are verified using a finite element space charge simulation of the electron beam inside the x-ray tube. To alleviate heating concerns an optimized coil solution is derived that includes a neodymium permanent magnet. Any demagnetization of the permanent magnet is calculated prior to solving for the optimized coils. The temperature dynamics of the coil solutions are calculated using a lumped parameter model, which is used to estimate operation times of the coils before temperature failure. Results: For a magnetic field strength of 88 mT, the algorithm solves for coils that consume 588 A/cm2. This specific coil geometry can operate for 15 min continuously before reaching temperature failure. By including a neodymium magnet in the design the current density drops to 337 A/cm2, which increases the operation time to 59 min. Space charge simulations verify that the coil designs are effective, but for oblique x-ray tube geometries there is still distortion of the focal spot shape along with deflections of approximately 3 mm in the radial and circumferential directions on the anode. Conclusions: Active shielding is an attractive solution for correcting the effects of magnetic fields on the x-ray focal spot. If extremely long fluoroscopic exposure times are required, longer operation times can be achieved by including a permanent magnet with the active shielding design. PMID:22957623

Performance and Facility Background Pressure Characterization Tests of NASAs 12.5-kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Huang, Wensheng; Haag, Thomas; Shastry, Rohit; Thomas, Robert; Yim, John; Herman, Daniel; Williams, George; Myers, James; Hofer, Richard;

Thermal Protection of the Huygens Probe During Titan Entry: Last Questions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouilly, Jean-Marc

2005-01-01

CASSINI-HUYGENS mission is a cooperation between NASA and ESA, dedicated to the exploration of the Saturnian system. In the framework of this mission, the entry of the HUYGENS probe in the atmosphere of TITAN will be of major scientific interest. One of the essential points of the HUYGENS mission is therefore the good behavior of the thermal shield designed to maintain the aerodynamic shape and to protect the probe from excessive heating during the atmospheric entry on TITAN. The design and the qualification of this thermal shield were carried out between 1992 and 1995 (development phase). Currently, the final definition of mission parameters is being completed. As the performance of the thermal shield is one of all the parameters considered at system level, it is therefore necessary to reassess the thermal response of the TPS, taking into account some updated information that was not yet available during the development phase. After some recall of the results of 1992 to 1995, the paper will present a status of the current work on TPS.

Open Rotor Tone Shielding Methods for System Noise Assessments Using Multiple Databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahr, Christopher J.; Thomas, Russell H.; Lopes, Leonard V.; Burley, Casey L.; Van Zante, Dale E.

2014-01-01

Advanced aircraft designs such as the hybrid wing body, in conjunction with open rotor engines, may allow for significant improvements in the environmental impact of aviation. System noise assessments allow for the prediction of the aircraft noise of such designs while they are still in the conceptual phase. Due to significant requirements of computational methods, these predictions still rely on experimental data to account for the interaction of the open rotor tones with the hybrid wing body airframe. Recently, multiple aircraft system noise assessments have been conducted for hybrid wing body designs with open rotor engines. These assessments utilized measured benchmark data from a Propulsion Airframe Aeroacoustic interaction effects test. The measured data demonstrated airframe shielding of open rotor tonal and broadband noise with legacy F7/A7 open rotor blades. Two methods are proposed for improving the use of these data on general open rotor designs in a system noise assessment. The first, direct difference, is a simple octave band subtraction which does not account for tone distribution within the rotor acoustic signal. The second, tone matching, is a higher-fidelity process incorporating additional physical aspects of the problem, where isolated rotor tones are matched by their directivity to determine tone-by-tone shielding. A case study is conducted with the two methods to assess how well each reproduces the measured data and identify the merits of each. Both methods perform similarly for system level results and successfully approach the experimental data for the case study. The tone matching method provides additional tools for assessing the quality of the match to the data set. Additionally, a potential path to improve the tone matching method is provided.

Radiation Exposure Analyses Supporting the Development of Solar Particle Event Shielding Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, Steven A.; Clowdsley, Martha S.; Abston, H. Lee; Simon, Hatthew A.; Gallegos, Adam M.

2013-01-01

NASA has plans for long duration missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Outside of LEO, large solar particle events (SPEs), which occur sporadically, can deliver a very large dose in a short amount of time. The relatively low proton energies make SPE shielding practical, and the possibility of the occurrence of a large event drives the need for SPE shielding for all deep space missions. The Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) RadWorks Storm Shelter Team was charged with developing minimal mass SPE storm shelter concepts for missions beyond LEO. The concepts developed included "wearable" shields, shelters that could be deployed at the onset of an event, and augmentations to the crew quarters. The radiation transport codes, human body models, and vehicle geometry tools contained in the On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation In Space (OLTARIS) were used to evaluate the protection provided by each concept within a realistic space habitat and provide the concept designers with shield thickness requirements. Several different SPE models were utilized to examine the dependence of the shield requirements on the event spectrum. This paper describes the radiation analysis methods and the results of these analyses for several of the shielding concepts.

Design of platform for removing screws from LCD display shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tu, Zimei; Qin, Qin; Dou, Jianfang; Zhu, Dongdong

2017-11-01

Removing the screws on the sides of a shield is a necessary process in disassembling a computer LCD display. To solve this issue, a platform has been designed for removing the screws on display shields. This platform uses virtual instrument technology with LabVIEW as the development environment to design the mechanical structure with the technologies of motion control, human-computer interaction and target recognition. This platform removes the screws from the sides of the shield of an LCD display mechanically thus to guarantee follow-up separation and recycle.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seletskiy, S.; Fedotov, A.; Gassner, D.

The goal of this note is to set basic parameters for the magnetic shielding of LEReC CS with required design attenuation. We considered physical design of magnetic shielding of LEReC cooling section. The schematic of this design along with the list of its basic parameters is shown. We are planning to use 2 layers of 1 mm thick cylindrical mu-metal shields with μ=11000. The radius of the first layer sitting on top of vacuum chamber is 63.5 mm. The second layer radius is 150 mm. Such shielding guarantees adequate transverse angles of electron beam trajectory in the CS.

Design and Characterization of a Gradient-Transparent RF Copper Shield for PET Detector Modules in Hybrid MR-PET Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berneking, Arne; Trinchero, Riccardo; Ha, YongHyun; Finster, Felix; Cerello, Piergiorgio; Lerche, Christoph; Shah, Nadim Jon

2017-05-01

This paper focuses on the design and the characterization of a frequency-selective shield for positron emission tomography (PET) detector modules of hybrid magnetic resonance-PET scanners, where the shielding of the PET cassettes is located close to the observed object. The proposed shielding configuration is designed and optimized to guarantee a high shielding effectiveness (SE) of up to 60 dB for B1-fields at the Larmor frequency of 64 MHz, thus preventing interactions between the radio-frequency (RF) coil and PET electronics. On the other hand, the shield is transparent to the gradient fields with the consequence that eddy-current artifacts in the acquired EPI images are significantly reduced with respect to the standard solid-shield configuration. The frequency-selective behavior of the shield is characterized and validated via simulation studies with CST MICROWAVE STUDIO in the megahertz and kilohertz range. Bench measurements with an RF coil built in-house demonstrated the high SE at the Larmor frequency. Moreover, measurements on a 4-T human scanner confirmed the abolishment of eddy current artifact and also provided an understanding of where the eddy currents occur with respect to the sequence parameters. Simulations and measurements for the proposed shielding concept were compared with a solid copper shielding configuration.

Analysis and Testing of a Composite Fuselage Shield for Open Rotor Engine Blade-Out Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pereira, J. Michael; Emmerling, William; Seng, Silvia; Frankenberger, Charles; Ruggeri, Charles R.; Revilock, Duane M.; Carney, Kelly S.

2016-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration is working with the European Aviation Safety Agency to determine the certification base for proposed new engines that would not have a containment structure on large commercial aircraft. Equivalent safety to the current fleet is desired by the regulators, which means that loss of a single fan blade will not cause hazard to the Aircraft. The NASA Glenn Research Center and The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), China Lake, collaborated with the FAA Aircraft Catastrophic Failure Prevention Program to design and test lightweight composite shields for protection of the aircraft passengers and critical systems from a released blade that could impact the fuselage. LS-DYNA® was used to predict the thickness of the composite shield required to prevent blade penetration. In the test, two composite blades were pyrotechnically released from a running engine, each impacting a composite shield with a different thickness. The thinner shield was penetrated by the blade and the thicker shield prevented penetration. This was consistent with pre-test LS-DYNA predictions. This paper documents the analysis conducted to predict the required thickness of a composite shield, the live fire test from the full scale rig at NAWC China Lake and describes the damage to the shields as well as instrumentation results.

Analysis and Testing of a Composite Fuselage Shield for Open Rotor Engine Blade-Out Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pereira, J. Michael; Emmerling, William; Seng, Silvia; Frankenberger, Charles; Ruggeri, Charles R.; Revilock, Duane M.; Carney, Kelly S.

2015-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration is working with the European Aviation Safety Agency to determine the certification base for proposed new engines that would not have a containment structure on large commercial aircraft. Equivalent safety to the current fleet is desired by the regulators, which means that loss of a single fan blade will not cause hazard to the Aircraft. The NASA Glenn Research Center and The Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), China Lake, collaborated with the FAA Aircraft Catastrophic Failure Prevention Program to design and test lightweight composite shields for protection of the aircraft passengers and critical systems from a released blade that could impact the fuselage. In the test, two composite blades were pyrotechnically released from a running engine, each impacting a composite shield with a different thickness. The thinner shield was penetrated by the blade and the thicker shield prevented penetration. This was consistent with pre-test predictions. This paper documents the live fire test from the full scale rig at NAWC China Lake and describes the damage to the shields as well as instrumentation results.

High-fidelity cryothermal test of a subscale large space telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiPirro, M.; Tuttle, J.; Ollendorf, S.; Mattern, A.; Leisawitz, D.; Jackson, M.; Francis, J.; Hait, T.; Cleveland, P.; Muheim, D.; Mastropietro, A. J.

2007-09-01

To take advantage of the unique environment of space and optimize infrared observations for faint sources, space telescopes must be cooled to low temperatures. The new paradigm in cooling large space telescopes is to use a combination of passive radiative cooling and mechanical cryocoolers. The passive system must shield the telescope from the Sun, Earth, and the warm spacecraft components while providing radiative cooling to deep space. This shield system is larger than the telescope itself, and must attenuate the incoming energy by over one million to limit heat input to the telescope. Testing of such a system on the ground is a daunting task due to the size of the thermal/vacuum chamber required and the degree of thermal isolation necessary between the room temperature and cryogenic parts of the shield. These problems have been attacked in two ways: by designing a subscale version of a larger sunshield and by carefully closing out radiation sneak paths. The 18% scale (the largest diameter shield was 1.5 m) version of the SPIRIT Origins Probe telescope shield was tested in a low cost helium shroud within a 3.1 m diameter x 4.6 m long LN II shrouded vacuum chamber. Thermal straps connected from three shield stages to the liquid helium cooled shroud were instrumented with heaters and thermometers to simulate mechanical cryocooler stages at 6 K, 18-20 K, and 45-51 K. Performance data showed that less than 10 microwatts of radiative heat leaked from the warm to cold sides of the shields during the test. The excellent agreement between the data and the thermal models is discussed along with shroud construction techniques.

Numerical Electromagnetics Simulations of the Leakage Through the Pump-out Holes in the DISC Electromagnetic Interference Shield

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, Jr., Charles G.; Cooper, Amy; Moore, Alastair S.

In order to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) from affecting the DISC diagnostic, an EMI shield was added. Figure 1 is a cross section from a CAD model of DISC and shows the EMI shield in situ. The shield is orange and at the top of the figure. Figure 2 is a drawing of just the EMI shield. The slit in the center of the EMI shield is covered by a metal mesh, which is not shown in this drawing. The small holes toward the base of the conical portion of the EMI shield are the pump-out holes, and the electromagneticmore » leakage through these holes is the subject of this report1. An alternate design for the EMI shield is considered in order to determine how to increase the EMI effectiveness of the pump-out holes in the shield without compromising the flow rate through the shield. Both the original and alternate designs are simulated and compared.« less

Inhibited Shaped Charge Launcher Testing of Spacecraft Shield Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosch, Donald J.

1996-01-01

This report describes a test program in which several orbital debris shield designs were impact tested using the inhibited shaped charge launcher facility at Southwest Research Institute. This facility enables researchers to study the impact of one-gram aluminum projectiles on various shielding designs at velocities above 11 km/s. A total of twenty tests were conducted on targets provided by NASA-MSFC. This report discusses in detail the shield design, the projectile parameters and the test configuration used for each test. A brief discussion of the target damage is provided, as the detailed analysis of the target response will be done by NASA-MSFC.

Major uncertainties influencing entry probe heat shield design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Congdon, W.

1974-01-01

Factors influencing the design of an outer planet probe heat shield are discussed. Major factors included are: uncertainties in composition and scale height of the planet atmospheres; the augmentation/attenuation of entry heating by ablation products requires more computer study and testing; carbon heat shields, especially carbon phenolic, possessing improved resistance to spallation need developing; and white silica reflecting heat shields with improved resistance to bulk vitrification need further developing.

NASA Testing the Webb Telescope's MIRI Thermal Shield

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA engineer Acey Herrera recently checked out copper test wires inside the thermal shield of the Mid-Infrared Instrument, known as MIRI, that will fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The shield is designed to protect the vital MIRI instrument from excess heat. At the time of the photo, the thermal shield was about to go through rigorous environmental testing to ensure it can perform properly in the extreme cold temperatures that it will encounter in space. Herrera is working in a thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. As the MIRI shield lead, Herrera along with a thermal engineer and cryo-engineer verify that the shield is ready for testing. On the Webb telescope, the pioneering camera and spectrometer that comprise the MIRI instrument sit inside the Integrated Science Instrument Module flight structure, that holds Webb's four instruments and their electronic systems during launch and operations. Read more: 1.usa.gov/15I0wrS Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Increased span length for the MGS long-span guardrail system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

Long-span guardrail systems have been recognized as an effective means of shielding low-fill culverts while : minimizing construction efforts and limiting culvert damage and repair. The current MGS long-span design provided the : capability to span u...

Charge-Dissipative Electrical Cables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolasinski, John R.; Wollack, Edward J.

2004-01-01

Electrical cables that dissipate spurious static electric charges, in addition to performing their main functions of conducting signals, have been developed. These cables are intended for use in trapped-ion or ionizing-radiation environments, in which electric charges tend to accumulate within, and on the surfaces of, dielectric layers of cables. If the charging rate exceeds the dissipation rate, charges can accumulate in excessive amounts, giving rise to high-current discharges that can damage electronic circuitry and/or systems connected to it. The basic idea of design and operation of charge-dissipative electrical cables is to drain spurious charges to ground by use of lossy (slightly electrically conductive) dielectric layers, possibly in conjunction with drain wires and/or drain shields (see figure). In typical cases, the drain wires and/or drain shields could be electrically grounded via the connector assemblies at the ends of the cables, in any of the conventional techniques for grounding signal conductors and signal shields. In some cases, signal shields could double as drain shields.

The Simbol-X Focal Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, P.

2009-05-01

The Simbol-X focal plane is designed to detect photons focused by the mirror in the 0.5 to 100 keV energy band. Composed of two detectors, it will measure the position, energy, and arrival time of each incoming X-ray. On top of it will be a collimator to shield all photons not coming from the mirror field of view. The whole system is surrounded by an active and passive shielding in order to ensure the required very low background.

Design verification of large time constant thermal shields for optical reference cavities.

PubMed

Zhang, J; Wu, W; Shi, X H; Zeng, X Y; Deng, K; Lu, Z H

2016-02-01

In order to achieve high frequency stability in ultra-stable lasers, the Fabry-Pérot reference cavities shall be put inside vacuum chambers with large thermal time constants to reduce the sensitivity to external temperature fluctuations. Currently, the determination of thermal time constants of vacuum chambers is based either on theoretical calculation or time-consuming experiments. The first method can only apply to simple system, while the second method will take a lot of time to try out different designs. To overcome these limitations, we present thermal time constant simulation using finite element analysis (FEA) based on complete vacuum chamber models and verify the results with measured time constants. We measure the thermal time constants using ultrastable laser systems and a frequency comb. The thermal expansion coefficients of optical reference cavities are precisely measured to reduce the measurement error of time constants. The simulation results and the experimental results agree very well. With this knowledge, we simulate several simplified design models using FEA to obtain larger vacuum thermal time constants at room temperature, taking into account vacuum pressure, shielding layers, and support structure. We adopt the Taguchi method for shielding layer optimization and demonstrate that layer material and layer number dominate the contributions to the thermal time constant, compared with layer thickness and layer spacing.

Harnessing solar pressure to slew and point large infrared space telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Errico, Simona; Angel, Roger P.; Calvert, Paul D.; Woof, Neville

2003-03-01

Large astronomical Gossamer telescopes in space will need to employ large solar shields to safeguard the optics from solar radiation. These types of telescopes demand accurate controls to maintain telescope pointing over long integration periods. We propose an active solar shield system that harnesses radiation pressure to accurately slew and acquire new targets without the need for reaction wheels or thrusters. To provide the required torques, the solar shield is configured as an inverted, 4-sided pyramidal roof. The sloped roof interior surfaces are covered with hinged “tiles” made from piezoelectric film bimorphs with specular metallized surfaces. Nominally, the tiles lie flat against the roof and the sunlight is reflected outward equally from all sloped surfaces. However, when the tiles on one roof pitch are raised, the pressure balance is upset and the sunshade is pushed to one side. By judicious selection of the tiles and control of their lift angle, the solar pressure can be harvested to stabilize the spacecraft orientation or to change its angular momentum. A first order conceptual design performance analysis and the results from the experimental design, fabrication and testing of piezoelectric bimorph hinge elements will be presented. Next phase challenges in engineering design, materials technology, and systems testing will be discussed.

KSC-2014-2960

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell in preparation for final system tests for Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, prior to rolling out of the facility for integration with the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Simbol-X Mirror Module Thermal Shields: I-Design and X-Ray Transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collura, A.; Barbera, M.; Varisco, S.; Basso, S.; Pareschi, G.; Tagliaferri, G.; Ayers, T.

2009-05-01

The Simbol-X mission is designed to fly in formation flight configuration. As a consequence, the telescope has both ends open to space, and thermal shielding at telescope entrance and exit is required to maintain temperature uniformity throughout the mirrors. Both mesh and meshless solutions are presently under study for the shields. We discuss the design and the X-ray transmission.

The implementation of physical safety system in bunker of the electron beam accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, M. A.; Hashim, S. A.; Ahmad, A.; Leo, K. W.; Chulan, R. M.; Dalim, Y.; Baijan, A. H.; Zain, M. F.; Ros, R. C.

2017-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of physical safety system for the new low energy electron beam (EB) accelerator installed at Block 43T Nuclear Malaysia. The low energy EB is a locally designed and developed with a target energy of 300 keV. The issues on radiation protection have been addressed by the installation of radiation shielding in the form of a bunker and installation radiation monitors. Additional precaution is needed to ensure that personnel are not exposed to radiation and other physical hazards. Unintentional access to the radiation room can cause serious hazard and hence safety features must be installed to prevent such events. In this work we design and built a control and monitoring system for the shielding door. The system provides signals to the EB control panel to allow or prevent operation. The design includes limit switches, key-activated switches and emergency stop button and surveillance camera. Entry procedure is also developed as written record and for information purposes. As a result, through this safety implementation human error will be prevented, increase alertness during operation and minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure.

Self-shielding flex-circuit drift tube, drift tube assembly and method of making

DOEpatents

Jones, David Alexander

2016-04-26

The present disclosure is directed to an ion mobility drift tube fabricated using flex-circuit technology in which every other drift electrode is on a different layer of the flex-circuit and each drift electrode partially overlaps the adjacent electrodes on the other layer. This results in a self-shielding effect where the drift electrodes themselves shield the interior of the drift tube from unwanted electro-magnetic noise. In addition, this drift tube can be manufactured with an integral flex-heater for temperature control. This design will significantly improve the noise immunity, size, weight, and power requirements of hand-held ion mobility systems such as those used for explosive detection.

Shields for Enhanced Protection Against High-Speed Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christiansen, Eric L.; Kerr, Justin H.

2003-01-01

A report describes improvements over the conventional Whipple shield (two thin, spaced aluminum walls) for protecting spacecraft against high-speed impacts of orbiting debris. The debris in question arise mainly from breakup of older spacecraft. The improved shields include exterior bumper layers composed of hybrid fabrics woven from combinations of ceramic fibers and high-density metallic wires or, alternatively, completely metallic outer layers composed of high-strength steel or copper wires. These shields are designed to be light in weight, yet capable of protecting against orbital debris with mass densities up to about 9 g/cm3, without generating damaging secondary debris particles. As yet another design option, improved shields can include sparsely distributed wires made of shape-memory metals that can be thermally activated from compact storage containers to form shields of predetermined shape upon arrival in orbit. The improved shields could also be used to augment shields installed previously.

Shields for Enhanced Protection Against High-Speed Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christiansen, Eric L.; Kerr, Justin H.

2003-01-01

A report describes improvements over the conventional Whipple shield (two thin, spaced aluminum walls) for protecting spacecraft against high-speed impacts of orbiting debris. The debris in question arises mainly from breakup of older spacecraft. The improved shields include exterior "bumper" layers composed of hybrid fabrics woven from combinations of ceramic fibers and high-density metallic wires or, alternatively, completely metallic outer layers composed of high-strength steel or copper wires. These shields are designed to be light in weight, yet capable of protecting against orbital debris with mass densities up to about 9 g/cubic cm, without generating damaging secondary debris particles. As yet another design option, improved shields can include sparsely distributed wires made of shape memory metals that can be thermally activated from compact storage containers to form shields of predetermined shape upon arrival in orbit. The improved shields could also be used to augment shields installed previously.

Parametric study for use of stainless steel as a material for thermal shield in PIP2IT transferline at Fermilab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rane, Tejas; Chakravarty, Anindya; Klebaner, Arkadiy

2017-12-01

Transferline thermal shields are cooled by dedicated cooling lines welded/brazed to the shield at a single point along the circumference. Copper/Aluminium is widely used to fabricate thermal shields because of their higher thermal diffusivity. This causes uniformity of temperature along the surface of the shield thus reducing thermal stresses within allowable values. However, factors such as raw material price, the cost of fabrication depending on standard sizes of pipes/tubes, often drives up the final price of thermal shields. To reduce the cost by making use of easily available stock of standard pipe/tube, it is decided to use stainless steel as a material for thermal shields in the PIP2IT transferline. The present paper discusses the design approach, various factors affecting the conservative selection of thermal shield design.

A high-performance magnetic shield with large length-to-diameter ratio.

PubMed

Dickerson, Susannah; Hogan, Jason M; Johnson, David M S; Kovachy, Tim; Sugarbaker, Alex; Chiow, Sheng-wey; Kasevich, Mark A

2012-06-01

We have demonstrated a 100-fold improvement in the magnetic field uniformity on the axis of a large aspect ratio, cylindrical, mumetal magnetic shield by reducing discontinuities in the material of the shield through the welding and re-annealing of a segmented shield. The three-layer shield reduces Earth's magnetic field along an 8 m region to 420 μG (rms) in the axial direction, and 460 and 730 μG (rms) in the two transverse directions. Each cylindrical shield is a continuous welded tube which has been annealed after manufacture and degaussed in the apparatus. We present both experiments and finite element analysis that show the importance of uniform shield material for large aspect ratio shields, favoring a welded design over a segmented design. In addition, we present finite element results demonstrating the smoothing of spatial variations in the applied magnetic field by cylindrical magnetic shields. Such homogenization is a potentially useful feature for precision atom interferometric measurements.

Magnetic shield for turbomolecular pump of the Magnetized Plasma Linear Experimental device at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics.

PubMed

Biswas, Subir; Chattopadhyay, Monobir; Pal, Rabindranath

2011-01-01

The turbo molecular pump of the Magnetized Plasma Linear Experimental device is protected from damage by a magnetic shield. As the pump runs continuously in a magnetic field environment during a plasma physics experiment, it may get damaged owing to eddy current effect. For design and testing of the shield, first we simulate in details various aspects of magnetic shield layouts using a readily available field design code. The performance of the shield made from two half cylinders of soft iron material, is experimentally observed to agree very well with the simulation results.

NEUTRONIC REACTOR SHIELD AND SPACER CONSTRUCTION

DOEpatents

Wigner, E.P.; Ohlinger, L.A.

1958-11-18

Reactors of the heterogeneous, graphite moderated, fluid cooled type and shielding and spacing plugs for the coolant channels thereof are reported. In this design, the coolant passages extend horizontally through the moderator structure, accommodating the fuel elements in abutting end-to-end relationship, and have access openings through the outer shield at one face of the reactor to facilitate loading of the fuel elements. In the outer ends of the channels which extend through the shields are provided spacers and shielding plugs designed to offer minimal reslstance to coolant fluid flow while preventing emanation of harmful radiation through the access openings when closed between loadings.

RadShield: semiautomated shielding design using a floor plan driven graphical user interface

PubMed Central

Wu, Dee H.; Yang, Kai; Rutel, Isaac B.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to introduce and describe the development of RadShield, a Java‐based graphical user interface (GUI), which provides a base design that uniquely performs thorough, spatially distributed calculations at many points and reports the maximum air‐kerma rate and barrier thickness for each barrier pursuant to NCRP Report 147 methodology. Semiautomated shielding design calculations are validated by two approaches: a geometry‐based approach and a manual approach. A series of geometry‐based equations were derived giving the maximum air‐kerma rate magnitude and location through a first derivative root finding approach. The second approach consisted of comparing RadShield results with those found by manual shielding design by an American Board of Radiology (ABR)‐certified medical physicist for two clinical room situations: two adjacent catheterization labs, and a radiographic and fluoroscopic (R&F) exam room. RadShield's efficacy in finding the maximum air‐kerma rate was compared against the geometry‐based approach and the overall shielding recommendations by RadShield were compared against the medical physicist's shielding results. Percentage errors between the geometry‐based approach and RadShield's approach in finding the magnitude and location of the maximum air‐kerma rate was within 0.00124% and 14 mm. RadShield's barrier thickness calculations were found to be within 0.156 mm lead (Pb) and 0.150 mm lead (Pb) for the adjacent catheterization labs and R&F room examples, respectively. However, within the R&F room example, differences in locating the most sensitive calculation point on the floor plan for one of the barriers was not considered in the medical physicist's calculation and was revealed by the RadShield calculations. RadShield is shown to accurately find the maximum values of air‐kerma rate and barrier thickness using NCRP Report 147 methodology. Visual inspection alone of the 2D X‐ray exam distribution by a medical physicist may not be sufficient to accurately select the point of maximum air‐kerma rate or barrier thickness. PACS number(s): 87.55.N, 87.52.‐g, 87.59.Bh, 87.57.‐s PMID:27685128

RadShield: semiautomated shielding design using a floor plan driven graphical user interface.

PubMed

DeLorenzo, Matthew C; Wu, Dee H; Yang, Kai; Rutel, Isaac B

2016-09-08

The purpose of this study was to introduce and describe the development of RadShield, a Java-based graphical user interface (GUI), which provides a base design that uniquely performs thorough, spatially distributed calculations at many points and reports the maximum air-kerma rate and barrier thickness for each barrier pursuant to NCRP Report 147 methodology. Semiautomated shielding design calculations are validated by two approaches: a geometry-based approach and a manual approach. A series of geometry-based equations were derived giv-ing the maximum air-kerma rate magnitude and location through a first derivative root finding approach. The second approach consisted of comparing RadShield results with those found by manual shielding design by an American Board of Radiology (ABR)-certified medical physicist for two clinical room situations: two adjacent catheterization labs, and a radiographic and fluoroscopic (R&F) exam room. RadShield's efficacy in finding the maximum air-kerma rate was compared against the geometry-based approach and the overall shielding recommendations by RadShield were compared against the medical physicist's shielding results. Percentage errors between the geometry-based approach and RadShield's approach in finding the magnitude and location of the maximum air-kerma rate was within 0.00124% and 14 mm. RadShield's barrier thickness calculations were found to be within 0.156 mm lead (Pb) and 0.150 mm lead (Pb) for the adjacent catheteriza-tion labs and R&F room examples, respectively. However, within the R&F room example, differences in locating the most sensitive calculation point on the floor plan for one of the barriers was not considered in the medical physicist's calculation and was revealed by the RadShield calculations. RadShield is shown to accurately find the maximum values of air-kerma rate and barrier thickness using NCRP Report 147 methodology. Visual inspection alone of the 2D X-ray exam distribution by a medical physicist may not be sufficient to accurately select the point of maximum air-kerma rate or barrier thickness. © 2016 The Authors.

Multi-Constraint Multi-Variable Optimization of Source-Driven Nuclear Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watkins, Edward Francis

1995-01-01

A novel approach to the search for optimal designs of source-driven nuclear systems is investigated. Such systems include radiation shields, fusion reactor blankets and various neutron spectrum-shaping assemblies. The novel approach involves the replacement of the steepest-descents optimization algorithm incorporated in the code SWAN by a significantly more general and efficient sequential quadratic programming optimization algorithm provided by the code NPSOL. The resulting SWAN/NPSOL code system can be applied to more general, multi-variable, multi-constraint shield optimization problems. The constraints it accounts for may include simple bounds on variables, linear constraints, and smooth nonlinear constraints. It may also be applied to unconstrained, bound-constrained and linearly constrained optimization. The shield optimization capabilities of the SWAN/NPSOL code system is tested and verified in a variety of optimization problems: dose minimization at constant cost, cost minimization at constant dose, and multiple-nonlinear constraint optimization. The replacement of the optimization part of SWAN with NPSOL is found feasible and leads to a very substantial improvement in the complexity of optimization problems which can be efficiently handled.

Designing Spacecraft and Mission Operations Plans to Meet Flight Crew Radiation Dose Requirements: Why is this an "Epic Challenge" for Long-Term Manned Interplanetary Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koontz, Steven

2012-01-01

Outline of presentation: (1) Radiation Shielding Concepts and Performance - Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) (1a) Some general considerations (1b) Galactic Cosmic Rays (2)GCR Shielding I: What material should I use and how much do I need? (2a) GCR shielding materials design and verification (2b) Spacecraft materials point dose cosmic ray shielding performance - hydrogen content and atomic number (2c) Accelerator point dose materials testing (2d) Material ranking and selection guidelines (2e) Development directions and return on investment (point dose metric) (2f) Secondary particle showers in the human body (2f-1) limited return of investment for low-Z, high-hydrogen content materials (3) GCR shielding II: How much will it cost? (3a) Spacecraft design and verification for mission radiation dose to the crew (3b) Habitat volume, shielding areal density, total weight, and launch cost for two habitat volumes (3c) It's All about the Money - Historical NASA budgets and budget limits (4) So, what can I do about all this? (4a) Program Design Architecture Trade Space (4b) The Vehicle Design Trade Space (4c) Some Near Term Recommendations

Swamp Works- Multiple Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carelli, Jonathan M.

2013-01-01

My Surface Systems internship over the summer 2013 session covered a broad range of projects that ranged multiple aspects and fields of engineering and technology. This internship included a project to create a command center for a 120 ton regolith bin, a design and build for a blast shield to add further protection for the Surface Systems engineers, a design for a portable four monitor hyper wall that can extend as large as needed, research and programming a nano drill for a next generation robot, and social media tasks including the making of videos, posting to social networking websites and implementation of a new weekly outreach program to help spread the word about the Swamp Works laboratory. The objectives for the command center were to create a central computer controlled area for the still in production lunar regolith bin. It needed to be easy to use and the operating systems had to be Linux. The objectives for the hyper wall were to build a mobile transport of monitors that could potentially attach to one another. It needed to be light but sturdy, and have the ability to last. The objectives for the blast shield included a robust design that could withstand a small equipment malfunction, while also being convenient for use. The objectives for the nano-drill included the research and implementation of programming for vertical and horizontal movement. The hyper wall and blasts shield project were designed by me in the Pro/Engineer/Creo2 software. Each project required a meeting with the Swamp Works engineers and was declared successful.

SU-E-J-200: Operation of An Electron Accelerator On An Integrated MR-Linac System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harasimowicz, J; Roberts, D; Shinton, I

2015-06-15

Purpose: An integrated MRI guided radiotherapy system poses a challenge of operating a linear accelerator in the presence of a magnetic field as the magnetic force acting on the electrons could Result in radiation source displacement and subsequent reduction of dose output. It was the purpose of this work to test the performance of a linac in the presence of a 1.5T MRI system. Methods: The first experimental MRI guided radiotherapy system at UMC-Utrecht consisting of an Elekta linac rotating around a 1.5T Magnex magnet was examined. A passive magnetic shield was simulated, designed and installed to reduce the influencemore » of the MRI magnet stray field on the electron beamline. The B field inside the shield was measured as a function of gantry angle and measurements of dose rate constancy upon gantry rotation were performed. Results: The magnitude of the magnetic field on the electron beam path without the shield was as high as 70G. It varied by up to 15G with gantry rotation due to the presence of metal beams in the bunker floor which resulted in dose output drop of up to 70% at certain gantry angles. With the prototype shield, field magnitude was reduced to well below 0.5G everywhere along the electron beam path. Field variation with gantry rotation was decreased to below 0.2G and enabled dose output of the linac to be recovered at all gantry angles. The homogeneity of the field inside the MRI magnet has not been compromised. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that the influence of the 1.5T magnet and the bunker design on the linac operation has been minimised. The performance will be further improved on the Elekta Atlantic system which incorporates a newly developed and optimised Philips magnet design and bunker construction. J Harasimowicz, D Roberts, I Shinton and S Sund are employed by Elekta Limited Crawley, H Wang and M Zhong are employed by Elekta Beijing Medical Systems Co. Ltd., J Overweg is employed by Philips Technologie GmbH Forschungslaboratorien.« less

Gadolinium Oxide / Silicon Thin Film Heterojunction Solid-State Neutron Detector

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

PRODUCED AS A MEDICAL APPLICATOR SHOWN IN „A‟. THE SOURCE, PICTURED IN „B‟ HAS A PLASTIC SHIELD THAT SLIDES UP AND DOWN THE SHAFT WHICH IS DESIGNED TO...down the shaft which is designed to shield the operator from radiation. The source is sitting head-down and is covered by a thick aluminum shield for...EXPERIMENT, RESULTS, AND ANALYSIS ........................................................ 37 4.1 Experimental Design & Apparatus

Traceless Bioresponsive Shielding of Adenovirus Hexon with HPMA Copolymers Maintains Transduction Capacity In Vitro and In Vivo

PubMed Central

Prill, Jan-Michael; Šubr, Vladimír; Pasquarelli, Noemi; Engler, Tatjana; Hoffmeister, Andrea; Kochanek, Stefan; Ulbrich, Karel; Kreppel, Florian

2014-01-01

Capsid surface shielding of adenovirus vectors with synthetic polymers is an emerging technology to reduce unwanted interactions of the vector particles with cellular and non-cellular host components. While it has been shown that attachment of shielding polymers allows prevention of undesired interactions, it has become evident that a shield which is covalently attached to the vector surface can negatively affect gene transfer efficiency. Reasons are not only a limited receptor-binding ability of the shielded vectors but also a disturbance of intracellular trafficking processes, the latter depending on the interaction of the vector surface with the cellular transport machinery. A solution might be the development of bioresponsive shields that are stably maintained outside the host cell but released upon cell entry to allow for efficient gene delivery to the nucleus. Here we provide a systematic comparison of irreversible versus bioresponsive shields based on synthetic N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymers. In addition, the chemical strategy used for generation of the shield allowed for a traceless bioresponsive shielding, i.e., polymers could be released from the vector particles without leaving residual linker residues. Our data demonstrated that only a bioresponsive shield maintained the high gene transfer efficiency of adenovirus vectors both in vitro and in vivo. As an example for bioresponsive HPMA copolymer release, we analyzed the in vivo gene transfer in the liver. We demonstrated that both the copolymer's charge and the mode of shielding (irreversible versus traceless bioresponsive) profoundly affected liver gene transfer and that traceless bioresponsive shielding with positively charged HPMA copolymers mediated FX independent transduction of hepatocytes. In addition, we demonstrated that shielding with HPMA copolymers can mediate a prolonged blood circulation of vector particles in mice. Our results have significant implications for the future design of polymer-shielded Ad and provide a deeper insight into the interaction of shielded adenovirus vector particles with the host after systemic delivery. PMID:24475024

Nuclear design of a very-low-activation fusion reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, E. T.; Hopkins, G. R.

1983-06-01

The nuclear design aspects of using very-low-activation materials, such as SiC, MgO, and aluminum for fusion-reactor first wall, blanket, and shield applications were investigated. In addition to the advantage of very-low radioactive inventory, it was found that the very-low-activation fusion reactor can also offer an adequate tritium-breeding ratio and substantial amount of blanket nuclear heating as a conventional-material-structured reactor does. The most-stringent design constraint found in a very-low-activation fusion reactor is the limited space available in the inboard region of a Tokamak concept for shielding to protect the superconducting toroidal field coil. A reference design was developed which mitigates the constraint by adopting a removable tungsten shield design that retains the inboard dimensions and gives the same shield performance as the reference STARFIRE Tokamak reactor design.

KSC-2014-2971

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA astronauts Rex Walheim, left, and Doug Hurley helped mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, during a visit to the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Behind them the Orion crew module has been stacked on top of the service module in the Final Assembly and System Test cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2954

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager, along with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, to his right, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana help mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At left is Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs Officer. The crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2962

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the media listen as NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden marks the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, during a visit to the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To his right is Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. To his left are Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager, and Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager. Behind them is the crew module stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2968

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Rex Walheim look at the Orion crew module stacked on top of the service module in the Final Assembly and System Test cell inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An event was held to mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The flight test will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2969

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Rex Walheim look at the Orion crew module stacked on top of the service module in the Final Assembly and System Test cell inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An event was held to mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The flight test will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2957

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden helps mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, during a visit to the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To his right is Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs Officer, and standing behind him is Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager. The crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2966

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden spoke to the media during an event to mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The flight test will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2965

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA astronaut Doug Hurley talks to a member of the media during an event to mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the background is NASA astronaut Rex Walheim. The crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2959

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager, at right, helps mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view behind him is the crew module stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2958

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana helps mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To his right is Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs Officer, and standing behind him is Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager. The crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2967

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion crew module has been stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden spoke to the media during an event to mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. The flight test will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2970

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Rex Walheim helped mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, during a visit to the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Behind them, the Orion crew module has been stacked on top of the service module in the Final Assembly and System Test cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Application and research of artificial water mist on photoelectric interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yuejun; Ren, Baolin

2018-04-01

Water mist is a new type of photoelectric interfering material. It can exert a strong interference and shielding effect on infrared light, laser and radar wave through scattering, reflection, refraction and absorption. Based on this, this paper illustrates the application of an artificial high pressure water mist technology in infrared interference system. First, the operating principle of the infrared interference system is introduced. Next, the design principle of self-excited rotary vortex nozzle, the key part of the system, is elaborated. Then, the calculation of the main control parameters of the system is clarified. In the end, the paper verifies interference and shielding effect of the system by experiment. Experiment shows that the interference system can significantly reduce infrared signature of the target, featuring excellent infrared interference performance and high practical value.

Shield Optimization in Simple Geometry for the Gateway Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Simonsen, L. C.; Nealy, J. E.; Troutman, P. A.; Wilson, J. W.

2002-01-01

The great cost of added radiation shielding is a potential limiting factor in many deep space missions. For this enabling technology, we are developing tools for optimized shield design over multi-segmented missions involving multiple work and living areas in the transport and duty phase of various space missions. The total shield mass over all pieces of equipment and habitats is optimized subject to career dose and dose rate constraints. Preliminary studies of deep space missions indicate that for long duration space missions, improved shield materials will be required. The details of this new method and its impact on space missions and other technologies will be discussed. This study will provide a vital tool for evaluating Gateway designs in their usage context. Providing protection against the hazards of space radiation is one of the challenges to the Gateway infrastructure designs. We will use the mission optimization software to scope the impact of Gateway operations on human exposures and the effectiveness of alternate shielding materials on Gateway infrastructure designs. This study will provide a guide to the effectiveness of multifunctional materials in preparation to more detailed geometry studies in progress.

Shielding techniques tackle EMI excesses. V - EMI shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, P.

1982-10-01

The utilization of shielding gaskets in EMI design is presented in terms of seam design, gasket design, groove design, and fastener spacing. The main function of seam design is to minimize the coupling efficiency of a seam, and for effective shielding, seam design should include mating surfaces which are as flat as possible, and a flange width at least five times the maximum anticipated separation between mating surfaces. Seam surface contact with a gasket should be firm, continuous, and uniform. Gasket height, closure pressure, and compression set as a function of the applied pressure parameters are determined using compression/deflection curves. Environmental seal requirements are given and the most common materials used are neoprene, silicone, butadiene-acrylonitrile, and natural rubber. Groove design is also discussed, considering gasket heights and cross-sectional areas. Finally, fastener spacing is considered, by examining deflection as a percentage of gasket height.

A versatile program for the calculation of linear accelerator room shielding.

PubMed

Hassan, Zeinab El-Taher; Farag, Nehad M; Elshemey, Wael M

2018-03-22

This work aims at designing a computer program to calculate the necessary amount of shielding for a given or proposed linear accelerator room design in radiotherapy. The program (Shield Calculation in Radiotherapy, SCR) has been developed using Microsoft Visual Basic. It applies the treatment room shielding calculations of NCRP report no. 151 to calculate proper shielding thicknesses for a given linear accelerator treatment room design. The program is composed of six main user-friendly interfaces. The first enables the user to upload their choice of treatment room design and to measure the distances required for shielding calculations. The second interface enables the user to calculate the primary barrier thickness in case of three-dimensional conventional radiotherapy (3D-CRT), intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and total body irradiation (TBI). The third interface calculates the required secondary barrier thickness due to both scattered and leakage radiation. The fourth and fifth interfaces provide a means to calculate the photon dose equivalent for low and high energy radiation, respectively, in door and maze areas. The sixth interface enables the user to calculate the skyshine radiation for photons and neutrons. The SCR program has been successfully validated, precisely reproducing all of the calculated examples presented in NCRP report no. 151 in a simple and fast manner. Moreover, it easily performed the same calculations for a test design that was also calculated manually, and produced the same results. The program includes a new and important feature that is the ability to calculate required treatment room thickness in case of IMRT and TBI. It is characterised by simplicity, precision, data saving, printing and retrieval, in addition to providing a means for uploading and testing any proposed treatment room shielding design. The SCR program provides comprehensive, simple, fast and accurate room shielding calculations in radiotherapy.

WE-G-17A-09: Novel Magnetic Shielding Design for Inline and Perpendicular Integrated 6 MV Linac and 1.0 T MRI Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, X; Ma, B; Kuang, Y

2014-06-15

Purpose: The influence of fringe magnetic fields delivered by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the beam generation and transportation in Linac is still a major challenge for the integration of linear accelerator and MRI (Linac-MRI). In this study, we investigated an optimal magnetic shielding design for Linac-MRI and further characterized the beam trajectory in electron gun. Methods: Both inline and perpendicular configurations were analyzed in this study. The configurations, comprising a Linac-MRI with a 100cm SAD and an open 1.0 T superconductive magnet, were simulated by the 3D finite element method (FEM). The steel shielding around the Linac was includedmore » in the 3D model, the thickness of which was varied from 1mm to 20mm, and magnetic field maps were acquired with and without additional shielding. The treatment beam trajectory in electron gun was evaluated using OPERA 3d SCALA with and without shielding cases. Results: When Linac was not shielded, the uniformity of diameter sphere volume (DSV) (30cm) was about 5 parts per million (ppm) and the fringe magnetic fields in electron gun were more than 0.3 T. With shielding, the magnetic fields in electron gun were reduced to less than 0.01 T. For the inline configuration, the radial magnetic fields in the Linac were about 0.02T. A cylinder steel shield used (5mm thick) altered the uniformity of DSV to 1000 ppm. For the perpendicular configuration, the Linac transverse magnetic fields were more than 0.3T, which altered the beam trajectory significantly. A 8mm-thick cylinder steel shield surrounding the Linac was used to compensate the output losses of Linac, which shifted the magnetic fields' uniformity of DSV to 400 ppm. Conclusion: For both configurations, the Linac shielding was used to ensure normal operation of the Linac. The effect of magnetic fields on the uniformity of DSV could be modulated by the shimming technique of the MRI magnet. NIH/NIGMS grant U54 GM104944, Lincy Endowed Assistant Professorship.« less

Application of Cryocoolers to a Vintage Dilution Refrigerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmitt, Richard; Smith, Gary; Ruschman, Mark

2011-06-06

A dilution refrigerator is required for 50mK detector operation of CDMS (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search). Besides shielding the dilution refrigerator itself, the liquid nitrogen shield and liquid helium bath in the refrigerator cool the detector cryostat heat shields and cool electronics, resulting in significant external heat loads at 80K and at 4K. An Oxford Instruments Kelvinox 400 has served this role for ten years but required daily transfers of liquid nitrogen and liquid helium. Complicating the cryogen supply is the location 800 meters below ground in an RF shielded, class 10000 clean room at Soudan, MN. Nitrogen and helium re-liquefiersmore » using cryocoolers were installed outside the clean room and continuously condense room temperature gas and return the liquids to the dilution refrigerator through a transfer line. This paper will describe the design, installation, controls and performance of liquefaction systems.« less

Shielding synchrotron light sources: Advantages of circular shield walls tunnels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kramer, S. L.; Ghosh, V. J.; Breitfeller, M.

Third generation high brightness light sources are designed to have low emittance and high current beams, which contribute to higher beam loss rates that will be compensated by Top-Off injection. Shielding for these higher loss rates will be critical to protect the projected higher occupancy factors for the users. Top-Off injection requires a full energy injector, which will demand greater consideration of the potential abnormal beam miss-steering and localized losses that could occur. The high energy electron injection beam produce significantly higher neutron component dose to the experimental floor than lower energy injection and ramped operations. High energy neutrons producedmore » in the forward direction from thin target beam losses are a major component of the dose rate outside the shield walls of the tunnel. The convention has been to provide thicker 90° ratchet walls to reduce this dose to the beam line users. We present an alternate circular shield wall design, which naturally and cost effectively increases the path length for this forward radiation in the shield wall and thereby substantially decreasing the dose rate for these beam losses. Here, this shield wall design will greatly reduce the dose rate to the users working near the front end optical components but will challenge the beam line designers to effectively utilize the longer length of beam line penetration in the shield wall. Additional advantages of the circular shield wall tunnel are that it's simpler to construct, allows greater access to the insertion devices and the upstream in tunnel beam line components, as well as reducing the volume of concrete and therefore the cost of the shield wall.« less

Shielding synchrotron light sources: Advantages of circular shield walls tunnels

DOE PAGES

Kramer, S. L.; Ghosh, V. J.; Breitfeller, M.

2016-04-26

Third generation high brightness light sources are designed to have low emittance and high current beams, which contribute to higher beam loss rates that will be compensated by Top-Off injection. Shielding for these higher loss rates will be critical to protect the projected higher occupancy factors for the users. Top-Off injection requires a full energy injector, which will demand greater consideration of the potential abnormal beam miss-steering and localized losses that could occur. The high energy electron injection beam produce significantly higher neutron component dose to the experimental floor than lower energy injection and ramped operations. High energy neutrons producedmore » in the forward direction from thin target beam losses are a major component of the dose rate outside the shield walls of the tunnel. The convention has been to provide thicker 90° ratchet walls to reduce this dose to the beam line users. We present an alternate circular shield wall design, which naturally and cost effectively increases the path length for this forward radiation in the shield wall and thereby substantially decreasing the dose rate for these beam losses. Here, this shield wall design will greatly reduce the dose rate to the users working near the front end optical components but will challenge the beam line designers to effectively utilize the longer length of beam line penetration in the shield wall. Additional advantages of the circular shield wall tunnel are that it's simpler to construct, allows greater access to the insertion devices and the upstream in tunnel beam line components, as well as reducing the volume of concrete and therefore the cost of the shield wall.« less

Double-layer rotor magnetic shield performance analysis in high temperature superconducting synchronous generators under short circuit fault conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hekmati, Arsalan; Aliahmadi, Mehdi

2016-12-01

High temperature superconducting, HTS, synchronous machines benefit from a rotor magnetic shield in order to protect superconducting coils against asynchronous magnetic fields. This magnetic shield, however, suffers from exerted Lorentz forces generated in light of induced eddy currents during transient conditions, e.g. stator windings short-circuit fault. In addition, to the exerted electromagnetic forces, eddy current losses and the associated effects on the cryogenic system are the other consequences of shielding HTS coils. This study aims at investigating the Rotor Magnetic Shield, RMS, performance in HTS synchronous generators under stator winding short-circuit fault conditions. The induced eddy currents in different circumferential positions of the rotor magnetic shield along with associated Joule heating losses would be studied using 2-D time-stepping Finite Element Analysis, FEA. The investigation of Lorentz forces exerted on the magnetic shield during transient conditions has also been performed in this paper. The obtained results show that double line-to-ground fault is of the most importance among different types of short-circuit faults. It was revealed that when it comes to the design of the rotor magnetic shields, in addition to the eddy current distribution and the associated ohmic losses, two phase-to-ground fault should be taken into account since the produced electromagnetic forces in the time of fault conditions are more severe during double line-to-ground fault.

WriteShield: A Pseudo Thin Client for Prevention of Information Leakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirihata, Yasuhiro; Sameshima, Yoshiki; Onoyama, Takashi; Komoda, Norihisa

While thin-client systems are diffusing as an effective security method in enterprises and organizations, there is a new approach called pseudo thin-client system. In this system, local disks of clients are write-protected and user data is forced to save on the central file server to realize the same security effect of conventional thin-client systems. Since it takes purely the software-based simple approach, it does not require the hardware enhancement of network and servers to reduce the installation cost. However there are several problems such as no write control to external media, memory depletion possibility, and lower security because of the exceptional write permission to the system processes. In this paper, we propose WriteShield, a pseudo thin-client system which solves these issues. In this system, the local disks are write-protected with volume filter driver and it has a virtual cache mechanism to extend the memory cache size for the write protection. This paper presents design and implementation details of WriteShield. Besides we describe the security analysis and simulation evaluation of paging algorithms for virtual cache mechanism and measure the disk I/O performance to verify its feasibility in the actual environment.

A Ballistic Limit Analysis Program for Shielding Against Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Shannon; Christiansen, Erie

2010-01-01

A software program has been developed that enables the user to quickly and simply perform ballistic limit calculations for common spacecraft structures that are subject to hypervelocity impact of micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) projectiles. This analysis program consists of two core modules: design, and; performance. The design module enables a user to calculate preliminary dimensions of a shield configuration (e.g., thicknesses/areal densities, spacing, etc.) for a ?design? particle (diameter, density, impact velocity, incidence). The performance module enables a more detailed shielding analysis, providing the performance of a user-defined shielding configuration over the range of relevant in-orbit impact conditions.

[Shielding design and detection of neutrons from medical and industrial electron accelerators--simple method of design calculation for neutron shielding].

PubMed

Nakamura, T; Uwamino, Y

1986-02-01

The neutron leakage from medical and industrial electron accelerators has become an important problem and its detection and shielding is being performed in their facilities. This study provides a new simple method of design calculation for neutron shielding of those electron accelerator facilities by dividing into the following five categories; neutron dose distribution in the accelerator room, neutron attenuation through the wall and the door in the accelerator room, neutron and secondary photon dose distributions in the maze, neutron and secondary photon attenuation through the door at the end of the maze, neutron leakage outside the facility-skyshine.

Multiplate Radiation Shields: Investigating Radiational Heating Errors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Scott James

1995-01-01

Multiplate radiation shield errors are examined using the following techniques: (1) analytic heat transfer analysis, (2) optical ray tracing, (3) numerical fluid flow modeling, (4) laboratory testing, (5) wind tunnel testing, and (6) field testing. Guidelines for reducing radiational heating errors are given that are based on knowledge of the temperature sensor to be used, with the shield being chosen to match the sensor design. Small, reflective sensors that are exposed directly to the air stream (not inside a filter as is the case for many temperature and relative humidity probes) should be housed in a shield that provides ample mechanical and rain protection while impeding the air flow as little as possible; protection from radiation sources is of secondary importance. If a sensor does not meet the above criteria (i.e., is large or absorbing), then a standard Gill shield performs reasonably well. A new class of shields, called part-time aspirated multiplate radiation shields, are introduced. This type of shield consists of a multiplate design usually operated in a passive manner but equipped with a fan-forced aspiration capability to be used when necessary (e.g., low wind speed). The fans used here are 12 V DC that can be operated with a small dedicated solar panel. This feature allows the fan to operate when global solar radiation is high, which is when the largest radiational heating errors usually occur. A prototype shield was constructed and field tested and an example is given in which radiational heating errors were reduced from 2 ^circC to 1.2 ^circC. The fan was run continuously to investigate night-time low wind speed errors and the prototype shield reduced errors from 1.6 ^ circC to 0.3 ^circC. Part-time aspirated shields are an inexpensive alternative to fully aspirated shields and represent a good compromise between cost, power consumption, reliability (because they should be no worse than a standard multiplate shield if the fan fails), and accuracy. In addition, it is possible to modify existing passive shields to incorporate part-time aspiration, thus making them even more cost-effective. Finally, a new shield is described that incorporates a large diameter top plate that is designed to shade the lower portion of the shield. This shield increases flow through it by 60%, compared to the Gill design and it is likely to reduce radiational heating errors, although it has not been tested.

Analytic Shielding Optimization to Reduce Crew Exposure to Ionizing Radiation Inside Space Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaza, Razvan; Cooper, Tim P.; Hanzo, Arthur; Hussein, Hesham; Jarvis, Kandy S.; Kimble, Ryan; Lee, Kerry T.; Patel, Chirag; Reddell, Brandon D.; Stoffle, Nicholas;

Innovative Research Program: Supershields for Gamma-Ray Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hailey, Charles J.

2000-01-01

The supershield project evaluated the importance of novel shield configurations for suppressing neutron induced background in new classes of gamma-ray detectors such as CZT. The basic concept was to use a two-part shield. The outer shield material heavily moderates the incoming neutron spectrum. This moderated neutron beam is then more easily absorbed by the inner material, which is an efficient neutron absorber. This approach is, in principle, more efficient than that in previous attempts to make neutron shields. These previous attempts involved biatomic, monlithic shields (eg. LiH) in which the shield consisted of a single material but with two types of atoms - one for moderating and one for absorbing. The problem with this type of monolithic shield is that moderating neutrons, without the efficient absorption of them, leads to the leakage into the detector of neutrons with a low energy component (approx. 10-100 KeV). These energy neutrons are particularly problematic for many types of detectors. The project was roughly divided into phases. In the first phase we attempted to carefully define the neutron source function incident on any space instrument. This is essential since the design of any shield depends on the shape of the incident neutron spectrum. We found that approximations commonly used in gamma-ray astronomy for photon background is inadequate. In addition, we found that secondary neutrons produced in any passive shield, and dominated by inelastic neutron scattering, are far more important than background due to neutron activation. The second phase of our work involved design of supershield geometries (one and three dimensional) in order to compare different shield configurations and materials for their effectiveness as neutron shields. Moreover we wanted to compare these supershields with previous neutron shields to confirm the performance differences between the supershield (two material) and monolithic (one material) designs and to understand the physics origins of these differences more clearly. The third phase of the supershield program involved the benchmarking of the supershield designs through direct experimental verification. This required fabricating various supershields and exposing them to beams of neutrons to directly characterize their performance. With explicit verification that our modeling procedures can be used with confidence, we are now in a position to design shields for realistic space geometries. Using the supershield modeling capacity developed as part of this program we are attempting to evaluate their utility for a specific proposed mission--the Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope (EXIST). It is anticipated that this experiment, which is limited by internal background at high energies, might benefit from a neutron shield.

Terrestrial Background Reduction in RPM Systems by Direct Internal Shielding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robinson, Sean M.; Ashbaker, Eric D.; Schweppe, John E.

2008-11-19

Gamma-ray detection systems that are close to the earth or other sources of background radiation often require shielding, especially when trying to detect a relatively weak source. One particular case of interest that we address in this paper is that encountered by the Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) systems placed at border-crossing Ports of Entry (POE). These RPM systems are used to screen for illicit radiological materials, and they are often placed in situations where terrestrial background is large. In such environments, it is desirable to consider simple physical modifications that could be implemented to reduce the effects from background radiationmore » without affecting the flow of traffic and the normal operation of the portal. Simple modifications include adding additional shielding to the environment, either inside or outside the apparatus. Previous work [2] has shown the utility of some of these shielding configurations for increasing the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of gross-counting RPMs. Because the total cost for purchasing and installing RPM systems can be quite expensive, in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars for each cargo-screening installation, these shielding variations may offer increases in detection capability for relatively small cost. Several modifications are considered here in regard to their real-world applicability, and are meant to give a general idea of the effectiveness of the schemes used to reduce background for both gross-counting and spectroscopic detectors. These scenarios are modeled via the Monte-Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code package [1] for ease of altering shielding configurations, as well as enacting unusual scenarios prior to prototyping in the field. The objective of this paper is to provide results representative of real modifications that could enhance the sensitivity of this, as well as the next generation of radiation detectors. The models used in this work were designed to provide the most general results for an RPM. These results are therefore presented as general guidance on what shielding configurations will be the most valuable for a generalized RPM, considered in light of their economic and geometric possibility in the real world.« less

Planetary X ray experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, K. A.

1972-01-01

Design studies for an X-ray experiment using solid state detectors and for an experiment using a proportional counter for investigating Jovian and Saturnian magnetospheres are reported. Background counting rates through the forward aperture and leakage fluxes are discussed for each design. It is concluded that the best choice of instrument appears to have following the characteristics: (1) two separate multiwire proportional counters for redundancy; (2) passive collimation to restrict the field to about 5 deg, wiregrid modulation collimation to about 0.1 deg angular resolution; (3) no active shielding system around the counter body; and (4) light passive shielding around any portion of the counter body exposed to space to absorb most of the cosmic X-ray background.

Building A New Kind of Graded-Z Shield for Swift's Burst Alert Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, David W.

2002-01-01

The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on Swift has a graded-Z Shield that closes out the volume between the coded aperture mask and the Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) detector array. The purpose of the 37 kilogram shield is to attenuate gamma rays that have not penetrated the coded aperture mask of the BAT instrument and are therefore a major source of noise on the detector array. Unlike previous shields made from plates and panels, this shield consists of multiple layers of thin metal foils (lead, tantalum, tin, and copper) that are stitched together much like standard multi-layer insulation blankets. The shield sections are fastened around BAT, forming a curtain around the instrument aperture. Strength tests were performed to validate and improve the design, and the shield will be vibration tested along with BAT in late 2002. Practical aspects such as the layup design, methods of manufacture, and testing of this new kind of graded-Z Shield are presented.

Space Radiation and the Challenges Towards Effective Shielding Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barghouty, Abdulnasser

2014-01-01

The hazards of space radiation and their effective mitigation strategies continue to pose special science and technology challenges to NASA. It is widely accepted now that shielding space vehicles and structures will have to rely on new and innovative materials since aluminum, like all high Z materials, are poor shields against the particulate and highly ionizing nature of space radiation. Shielding solutions, motivated and constrained by power and mass limitations, couple this realization with "multifunctionality," both in design concept as well as in material function and composition. Materials endowed with effective shielding properties as well as with some degree of multi-functionality may be the kernel of the so-called "radiation-smart" structures and designs. This talk will present some of the challenges and potential mitigation ideas towards the realization of such structures and designs.

Two-dimensional over-all neutronics analysis of the ITER device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimin, S.; Takatsu, Hideyuki; Mori, Seiji; Seki, Yasushi; Satoh, Satoshi; Tada, Eisuke; Maki, Koichi

1993-07-01

The present work attempts to carry out a comprehensive neutronics analysis of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) developed during the Conceptual Design Activities (CDA). The two-dimensional cylindrical over-all calculational models of ITER CDA device including the first wall, blanket, shield, vacuum vessel, magnets, cryostat and support structures were developed for this purpose with a help of the DOGII code. Two dimensional DOT 3.5 code with the FUSION-40 nuclear data library was employed for transport calculations of neutron and gamma ray fluxes, tritium breeding ratio (TBR), and nuclear heating in reactor components. The induced activity calculational code CINAC was employed for the calculations of exposure dose rate after reactor shutdown around the ITER CDA device. The two-dimensional over-all calculational model includes the design specifics such as the pebble bed Li2O/Be layered blanket, the thin double wall vacuum vessel, the concrete cryostat integrated with the over-all ITER design, the top maintenance shield plug, the additional ring biological shield placed under the top cryostat lid around the above-mentioned top maintenance shield plug etc. All the above-mentioned design specifics were included in the employed calculational models. Some alternative design options, such as the water-rich shielding blanket instead of lithium-bearing one, the additional biological shield plug at the top zone between the poloidal field (PF) coil No. 5, and the maintenance shield plug, were calculated as well. Much efforts have been focused on analyses of obtained results. These analyses aimed to obtain necessary recommendations on improving the ITER CDA design.

Radiation shielding materials and containers incorporating same

DOEpatents

Mirsky, Steven M.; Krill, Stephen J.; Murray, Alexander P.

2005-11-01

An improved radiation shielding material and storage systems for radioactive materials incorporating the same. The PYRolytic Uranium Compound ("PYRUC") shielding material is preferably formed by heat and/or pressure treatment of a precursor material comprising microspheres of a uranium compound, such as uranium dioxide or uranium carbide, and a suitable binder. The PYRUC shielding material provides improved radiation shielding, thermal characteristic, cost and ease of use in comparison with other shielding materials. The shielding material can be used to form containment systems, container vessels, shielding structures, and containment storage areas, all of which can be used to house radioactive waste. The preferred shielding system is in the form of a container for storage, transportation, and disposal of radioactive waste. In addition, improved methods for preparing uranium dioxide and uranium carbide microspheres for use in the radiation shielding materials are also provided.

Radiation Shielding Materials and Containers Incorporating Same

DOEpatents

Mirsky, Steven M.; Krill, Stephen J.; and Murray, Alexander P.

2005-11-01

An improved radiation shielding material and storage systems for radioactive materials incorporating the same. The PYRolytic Uranium Compound (''PYRUC'') shielding material is preferably formed by heat and/or pressure treatment of a precursor material comprising microspheres of a uranium compound, such as uranium dioxide or uranium carbide, and a suitable binder. The PYRUC shielding material provides improved radiation shielding, thermal characteristic, cost and ease of use in comparison with other shielding materials. The shielding material can be used to form containment systems, container vessels, shielding structures, and containment storage areas, all of which can be used to house radioactive waste. The preferred shielding system is in the form of a container for storage, transportation, and disposal of radioactive waste. In addition, improved methods for preparing uranium dioxide and uranium carbide microspheres for use in the radiation shielding materials are also provided.

Smaller but Fully Functional Backshell for Cable Connector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephenson, Gregory

2009-01-01

An improved design for the backshell of a connector for a shielded, multiplewire cable reduces the size of the backshell, relative to traditional designs of backshells of otherwise identical cable connectors. Notwithstanding the reduction in size, the design provides all the functionality typically demanded of such a backshell, including (1) termination of the cable shield (that is, grounding of the shield to the backshell), (2) strain relief for the cable, and (3) protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Characterization and reduction of gradient-induced eddy currents in the RF shield of a TEM resonator.

PubMed

Alecci, Marcello; Jezzard, Peter

2002-08-01

Radiofrequency (RF) shields that surround MRI transmit/receive coils should provide effective RF screening, without introducing unwanted eddy currents induced by gradient switching. Results are presented from a detailed examination of an effective RF shield design for a prototype transverse electromagnetic (TEM) resonator suitable for use at 3 Tesla. It was found that effective RF shielding and low eddy current sensitivity could be achieved by axial segmentation (gap width = 2.4 mm) of a relatively thick (35 microm) copper shield, etched on a kapton polyimide substrate. This design has two main advantages: first, it makes the TEM less sensitive to the external environment and RF interference; and second, it makes the RF shield mechanically robust and easy to handle and assemble. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Magnetic Shield for Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators (ADR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chui, Talso C.; Haddad, Nicolas E.

2013-01-01

A new method was developed for creating a less expensive shield for ADRs using 1018 carbon steel. This shield has been designed to have similar performance to the expensive vanadium permendur shields, but the cost is 30 to 50% less. Also, these shields can be stocked in a variety of sizes, eliminating the need for special forgings, which also greatly reduces cost.

Progress on the Design of the Storage Ring Vacuum System for the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stillwell, B.; Billett, B.; Brajuskovic, B.

2017-06-20

Recent work on the design of the storage ring vacuum system for the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade project (APS-U) includes: revising the vacuum system design to accommodate a new lattice with reverse bend magnets, modifying the designs of vacuum chambers in the FODO sections for more intense incident synchrotron radiation power, modifying the design of rf-shielding bellows liners for better performance and reliability, modifying photon absorber designs to make better use of available space, and integrated planning of components needed in the injection, extraction and rf cavity straight sections. An overview of progress in these areas is presented.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sager, P.H.

Studies were carried out on the FED Baseline to improve design definition, establish feasibility, and reduce cost. Emphasis was placed on cost reduction, but significant feasibility concerns existed in several areas, and better design definition was required to establish feasibility and provide a better basis for cost estimates. Design definition and feasibility studies included the development of a labyrinth shield ring concept to prevent radiation streaming between the torus spool and the TF coil cryostat. The labyrinth shield concept which was developed reduced radiation streaming sufficiently to permit contact maintenance of the inboard EF coils. Various concepts of preventing arcingmore » between adjacent shield sectors were also explored. It was concluded that installation of copper straps with molybdenum thermal radiation shields would provide the most reliable means of preventing arcing. Other design studies included torus spool electrical/structural concepts, test module shielding, torus seismic response, poloidal conditions in the magnets, disruption characteristics, and eddy current effects. These additional studies had no significant impact on cost but did confirm the feasibility of the basic FED Baseline concept.« less

System Design for a Nuclear Electric Spacecraft Utilizing Out-of-core Thermionic Conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estabrook, W. C.; Phillips, W. M.; Hsieh, T.

1976-01-01

Basic guidelines are presented for a nuclear space power system which utilizes heat pipes to transport thermal power from a fast nuclear reactor to an out of core thermionic converter array. Design parameters are discussed for the nuclear reactor, heat pipes, thermionic converters, shields (neutron and gamma), waste heat rejection systems, and the electrical bus bar-cable system required to transport the high current/low voltage power to the processing equipment. Dimensions are compatible with shuttle payload bay constraints.

Electroless shielding of plastic electronic enclosures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, D.

1985-12-01

The containment or exclusion of radio frequency interference (RFI) via metallized plastic enclosures and the electroless plating as a solution are examined. The electroless coating and process, shielding principles and test data, shielding design requirements, and shielding advantages and limitations are reviewed. It is found that electroless shielding provides high shielding effectiveness to plastic substrates. After application of a conductive metallic coating by electroless plating, various plastics have passed the ASTM adhesion test after thermal cycle and severe environmental testing. Electroless shielding provides a lightweight, totally metallized housing to EMI/RFI shielding. Various compositions of electroless deposits are found to optimize electroless shielding cost/benefit ratio.

Active magnetic compensation composed of shielding panels.

PubMed

Kato, K; Yamazaki, K; Sato, T; Haga, A; Okitsu, T; Muramatsu, K; Ueda, T; Kobayashi, K; Yoshizawa, M

2004-11-30

Magnetically shielded rooms (MSRs) with materials of high permeability and active shield systems have been used to shield magnetic noise for biomagnetic measurements up to now. However, these techniques have various disadvantages. Therefore, we have developed a new shielding system composed of shielding panels using an active compensation technique. In this study, we evaluated the shielding performance of several unit panels attached together. Numerical and experimental approaches indicated that the shielding factor of a cubic model composed of 24 panels was 17 for uniform fields, and 7 for disturbances due to car movement. Furthermore, the compensation space is larger than that of an ordinary active system using large coils rather than panels. Moreover, the new active compensation system has the important advantage that panels of any shape can be assembled for occasional use because the unit panels are small and light.

A qualitative analysis of power take-off driveline shields: barriers and motivators to shield use for New York State farmers.

PubMed

Weil, R; Mellors, P; Fiske, T; Sorensen, J A

2014-01-01

Machinery entanglements are one of the top three causes of death in farming. Education on the risks of unshielded power take-off (PTO) equipment does not appear to significantly alter farmers' willingness to replace missing or broken shielding. Different assessments conducted in various regions of the U.S. indicate that as many as one-third to one-half of PTOs are inadequately shielded. Qualitative research was conducted with New York farmers to identify the factors that influence the decision to replace damaged or missing PTO driveline shields. Interview topics included: knowledge of entanglement risks, decisions regarding safety in general, decisions relating to PTO driveline shielding specifically, and the barriers and motivators to replacing missing or broken PTO driveline shields. Interviews with 38 farmers revealed the following themes: (1) farmers are fully aware of PTO entanglement risk, (2) insufficient time and money are primary barriers to purchasing or replacing damaged or missing PTO driveline shields, (3) PTO driveline shield designs are problematic and have led to negative experiences with shielding, and (4) risk acceptance and alternate work strategies are preferred alternatives to replacing shields. Our findings indicate that more innovative approaches will be required to make PTO driveline shield use a viable and attractive choice for farmers. New shield designs that address the practical barriers farmers face, as well as the provision of logistical and financial assistance for shield replacement, may alter the decision environment sufficiently to make replacing PTO driveline shielding a more attractive option for farmers.

Ionizing Radiation Environment on the International Space Station: Performance vs. Expectations for Avionics and Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koontz, Steven L.; Boeder, Paul A.; Pankop, Courtney; Reddell, Brandon

2005-01-01

The role of structural shielding mass in the design, verification, and in-flight performance of International Space Station (ISS), in both the natural and induced orbital ionizing radiation (IR) environments, is reported. Detailed consideration of the effects of both the natural and induced ionizing radiation environment during ISS design, development, and flight operations has produced a safe, efficient manned space platform that is largely immune to deleterious effects of the LEO ionizing radiation environment. The assumption of a small shielding mass for purposes of design and verification has been shown to be a valid worst-case approximation approach to design for reliability, though predicted dependences of single event effect (SEE) effects on latitude, longitude, SEP events, and spacecraft structural shielding mass are not observed. The Figure of Merit (FOM) method over predicts the rate for median shielding masses of about 10g/cm(exp 2) by only a factor of 3, while the Scott Effective Flux Approach (SEFA) method overestimated by about one order of magnitude as expected. The Integral Rectangular Parallelepiped (IRPP), SEFA, and FOM methods for estimating on-orbit (Single Event Upsets) SEU rates all utilize some version of the CREME-96 treatment of energetic particle interaction with structural shielding, which has been shown to underestimate the production of secondary particles in heavily shielded manned spacecraft. The need for more work directed to development of a practical understanding of secondary particle production in massive structural shielding for SEE design and verification is indicated. In contrast, total dose estimates using CAD based shielding mass distributions functions and the Shieldose Code provided a reasonable accurate estimate of accumulated dose in Grays internal to the ISS pressurized elements, albeit as a result of using worst-on-worst case assumptions (500 km altitude x 2) that compensate for ignoring both GCR and secondary particle production in massive structural shielding.

Meteoroid/Debris Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christiansen, Eric L.

2003-01-01

This report provides innovative, low-weight shielding solutions for spacecraft and the ballistic limit equations that define the shield's performance in the meteoroid/debris environment. Analyses and hypervelocity impact testing results are described that have been used in developing the shields and equations. Spacecraft shielding design and operational practices described in this report are used to provide effective spacecraft protection from meteoroid and debris impacts. Specific shield applications for the International Space Station (ISS), Space Shuttle Orbiter and the CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour) space probe are provided. Whipple, Multi-Shock and Stuffed Whipple shield applications are described.

Update on the status of the ITER ECE diagnostic design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, G.; Austin, M. E.; Basile, A.; Beno, J. H.; Danani, S.; Feder, R.; Houshmandyar, S.; Hubbard, A. E.; Johnson, D. W.; Khodak, A.; Kumar, R.; Kumar, S.; Ouroua, A.; Padasalagi, S. B.; Pandya, H. K. B.; Phillips, P. E.; Rowan, W. L.; Stillerman, J.; Thomas, S.; Udintsev, V. S.; Vayakis, G.; Walsh, M.; Weeks, D.

2017-07-01

Considerable progress has been made on the design of the ITER electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic over the past two years. Radial and oblique views are still included in the design in order to measure distortions in the electron momentum distribution, but the oblique view has been redirected to reduce stray millimeter radiation from the electron cyclotron heating system. A major challenge has been designing the 1000 K calibration sources and remotely activated mirrors located in the ECE diagnostic shield module (DSM) in the equatorial port plug #09. These critical systems are being modeled and prototypes are being developed. Providing adequate neutron shielding in the DSM while allowing sufficient space for optical components is also a significant challenge. Four 45-meter long low-loss transmission lines transport the 70-1000 GHz ECE from the DSM to the ECE instrumentation room. Prototype transmission lines are being tested, as are the polarization splitter modules that separate O-mode and X-mode polarized ECE. A highly integrated prototype 200-300 GHz radiometer is being tested on the DIII-D tokamak in the USA. Design activities also include integration of ECE signals into the ITER plasma control system and determining the hardware and software architecture needed to control and calibrate the ECE instruments.

Reference Reactor Module for the Affordable Fission Surface Power System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poston, David I.; Kapernick, Richard J.; Dixon, David D.; Amiri, Benjamin W.; Marcille, Thomas F.

2008-01-01

Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The requirements of many surface power applications allow the consideration of systems with much less development risk than most other space reactor applications, because of modest power (10s of kWe) and no driving need for minimal mass (allowing temperatures <1000 K). The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. This paper describes the reference AFSPS reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on the lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based, UO2-fueled, liquid metal-cooled fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. One of the important ``affordability'' attributes is that the concept has been designed to minimize both the technical and programmatic safety risk.

A Deterministic Electron, Photon, Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Transport Suite for the Study of the Jovian System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Ryan B.; Badavi, Francis F.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Atwell, William

2011-01-01

A deterministic suite of radiation transport codes, developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), which describe the transport of electrons, photons, protons, and heavy ions in condensed media is used to simulate exposures from spectral distributions typical of electrons, protons and carbon-oxygen-sulfur (C-O-S) trapped heavy ions in the Jovian radiation environment. The particle transport suite consists of a coupled electron and photon deterministic transport algorithm (CEPTRN) and a coupled light particle and heavy ion deterministic transport algorithm (HZETRN). The primary purpose for the development of the transport suite is to provide a means for the spacecraft design community to rapidly perform numerous repetitive calculations essential for electron, proton and heavy ion radiation exposure assessments in complex space structures. In this paper, the radiation environment of the Galilean satellite Europa is used as a representative boundary condition to show the capabilities of the transport suite. While the transport suite can directly access the output electron spectra of the Jovian environment as generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Galileo Interim Radiation Electron (GIRE) model of 2003; for the sake of relevance to the upcoming Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM), the 105 days at Europa mission fluence energy spectra provided by JPL is used to produce the corresponding dose-depth curve in silicon behind an aluminum shield of 100 mils ( 0.7 g/sq cm). The transport suite can also accept ray-traced thickness files from a computer-aided design (CAD) package and calculate the total ionizing dose (TID) at a specific target point. In that regard, using a low-fidelity CAD model of the Galileo probe, the transport suite was verified by comparing with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations for orbits JOI--J35 of the Galileo extended mission (1996-2001). For the upcoming EJSM mission with a potential launch date of 2020, the transport suite is used to compute the traditional aluminum-silicon dose-depth calculation as a standard shield-target combination output, as well as the shielding response of high charge (Z) shields such as tantalum (Ta). Finally, a shield optimization algorithm is used to guide the instrument designer with the choice of graded-Z shield analysis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mutic, S; Low, D; Chmielewski, T

Purpose: To describe the design and characteristics of a novel linac-based MRI guided radiation therapy system that addresses RF and magnetic field interference and that can be housed in conventional radiotherapy vaults. Methods: The MR-IGRT system will provide simultaneous MR imaging combined with both simple (3D) and complex (IMRT, SBRT, SRS) techniques. The system is a combination of a) double-donut split solenoidal superconducting 0.345T MRI; and b) a 90 cm isocenter ring-gantry mounted 6MV, flattening filter-free linac coupled with a stacked doubly-focused multileaf collimator with 4 mm resolution. A novel RF shielding and absorption technology was developed to isolate themore » beam generating RF emissions from the MR, while a novel magnetic shielding sleeve system was developed to place the magnetic field-sensitive components in low-magnetic field regions. The system design produces high spatial resolution radiation beams with state-of-the art radiation dose characteristics and simultaneous MR imaging. Results: Prototype testing with a spectrum analyzer has demonstrated complete elimination of linac RF inside the treatment room. The magnetic field inside of the magnetic shielding was well below the specification, allowing the linear accelerator to operate normally. A novel on-gantry shimming system maintained < 25 ppm magnetic field homogeneity over a 45 cm spherical field of view for all gantry angles. Conclusion: The system design demonstrates the feasibility coupling a state-of-the art linac system with a 0.345T MRI, enabling highly conformal radiation therapy with simultaneous MR image guidance. S. Mutic’s employer (Washington University) has grant with ViewRay; D. Low is former ViewRay scientific advisory board member (ended October 2015); T. Chmielewski, G. Fought, M. Hernandez, I. Kawrakow, A. Sharma, S. Shvartsman, J. Dempsey are employees of ViewRay with stock options (Dempsey has leadership role and Dempsey/Kawrakow have stock).« less

Flat conductor cable commercialization project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogarth, P.; Wadsworth, E.

1977-01-01

An undercarpet flat conductor cable and a baseboard flat conductor cable system were studied for commercialization. The undercarpet system is designed for use in office and commercial buildings. It employs a flat power cable, protected by a grounded metal shield, that terminates in receptacles mounted on the floor. It is designed to interface with a flat conductor cable telephone system. The baseboard system consists of a flat power cable mounted in a plastic raceway; both the raceway and the receptacles are mounted on the surface of the baseboard. It is designed primarily for use in residential buildings, particularly for renovation and concrete and masonry construction.

Assessment of carbon fibre composite fracture fixation plate using finite element analysis.

PubMed

Saidpour, Seyed H

2006-07-01

In the internal fixation of fractured bone by means of bone-plates fastened to the bone on its tensile surface, an on-going concern has been the excessive stress shielding of the bone by the excessively-stiff stainless-steel plate. The compressive stress shielding at the fracture-interface immediately after fracture-fixation delays callus formation and bone healing. Likewise, the tensile stress shielding in the layer of bone underneath the plate can cause osteoporosis and decrease in tensile strength of this layer. In this study a novel forearm internal fracture fixation plate made from short carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) was used in an attempt to address the problem. Accordingly, it has been possible to analyse the stress distribution in the composite plates using finite-element modelling. A three-dimensional, quarter-symmetric finite element model was generated for the plate system. The stress state in the underlying bone was examined for several loading conditions. Based on the analytical results the composite plate system is likely to reduce stress-shielding effects at the fracture site when subjected to bending and torsional loads. The design of the plate was further optimised by reducing the width around the innermost holes.

Composite Structures Materials Testing for the Orion Crew Vehicle Heat Shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khemani, Farah N.

2011-01-01

As research is being performed for the new heat shield for the Orion capsule, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing the first composite heat shield. As an intern of the Structures Branch in the Engineering Directorate (ES 2), my main task was to set up a test plan to determine the material properties of the honeycomb that will be used on the Orion Crew Module heat shield to verify that the composite is suitable for the capsule. Before conducting composite shell tests, which are performed to simulate the crush performance of the heat shield on the capsule, it is necessary to determine the compression and shear properties of the composite used on the shell. During this internship, I was responsible for developing a test plan, designing parts for the test fixtures as well as getting them fabricated for the honeycomb shear and compression testing. This involved work in Pro/Engineer as well as coordinating with Fab Express, the Building 9 Composite Shop and the Structures Test Laboratory (STL). The research and work executed for this project will be used for composite sandwich panel testing in the future as well. As a part of the Structures Branch, my main focus was to research composite structures. This involves system engineering and integration (SE&I) integration, manufacturing, and preliminary testing. The procedures for these projects that were executed during this internship included design work, conducting tests and performing analysis.

MSFC Skylab Orbital Workshop, volume 1. [systems analysis and equipment specifications for orbital laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The technical aspects of the Skylab-Orbital Workshop are discussed. Original concepts, goals, design philosophy, hardware, and testing are reported. The final flight configuration, overall test program, and mission performance are analyzed. The systems which are examined are: (1) the structural system, (2) the meteoroid shield systems, and (3) the environmental/thermal control subsystem.

Exploring innovative radiation shielding approaches in space: A material and design study for a wearable radiation protection spacesuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vuolo, M.; Baiocco, G.; Barbieri, S.; Bocchini, L.; Giraudo, M.; Gheysens, T.; Lobascio, C.; Ottolenghi, A.

2017-11-01

We present a design study for a wearable radiation-shielding spacesuit, designed to protect astronauts' most radiosensitive organs. The suit could be used in an emergency, to perform necessary interventions outside a radiation shelter in the space habitat in case of a Solar Proton Event (SPE). A wearable shielding system of the kind we propose has the potential to prevent the onset of acute radiation effects in this scenario. In this work, selection of materials for the spacesuit elements is performed based on the results of dedicated GRAS/Geant4 1-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations, and after a trade-off analysis between shielding performance and availability of resources in the space habitat. Water is the first choice material, but also organic compounds compatible with a human space habitat are considered (such as fatty acids, gels and liquid organic wastes). Different designs and material combinations are proposed for the spacesuits. To quantify shielding performance we use GRAS/Geant4 simulations of an anthropomorphic phantom in an average SPE environment, with and without the spacesuit, and we compare results for the dose to Blood Forming Organs (BFO) in Gy-Eq, i.e. physical absorbed dose multiplied by the proton Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) for non-cancer effects. In case of SPE occurrence for Intra-Vehicular Activities (IVA) outside a radiation shelter, dose reductions to BFO in the range of 44-57% are demonstrated to be achievable with the spacesuit designs made only of water elements, or of multi-layer protection elements (with a thin layer of a high density material covering the water filled volume). Suit elements have a thickness in the range 2-6 cm and the total mass for the garment sums up to 35-43 kg depending on model and material combination. Dose reduction is converted into time gain, i.e. the increase of time interval between the occurrence of a SPE and the moment the dose limit to the BFO for acute effects is reached. Wearing a radiation shielding spacesuit of the kind we propose, the astronaut could have up to more than the double the time (e.g. almost 6 instead of 2.5 h) to perform necessary interventions outside a radiation shelter during a SPE, his/her exposure remaining within dose limits. An indicative mass saving thanks to the shielding provided by the suits is also derived, calculating the amount of mass needed in addition to the 1.5 cm thick Al module considered for the IVA scenario to provide the same additional shielding given by the spacesuit. For an average 50% dose reduction to BFO this is equal to about 2.5 tons of Al. Overall, our results offer a proof-of-principle validation of a complementary personal shielding strategy in emergency situations in case of a SPE event. Such results pave the way for the design and realization of a prototype of a water-filled garment to be tested on board the International Space Station for wearability. A successful outcome will possibly lead to the further refining of the design of radiation protection spacesuits and their possible adoption in future long-duration manned missions in deep space.

Exploring innovative radiation shielding approaches in space: A material and design study for a wearable radiation protection spacesuit.

PubMed

Vuolo, M; Baiocco, G; Barbieri, S; Bocchini, L; Giraudo, M; Gheysens, T; Lobascio, C; Ottolenghi, A

2017-11-01

We present a design study for a wearable radiation-shielding spacesuit, designed to protect astronauts' most radiosensitive organs. The suit could be used in an emergency, to perform necessary interventions outside a radiation shelter in the space habitat in case of a Solar Proton Event (SPE). A wearable shielding system of the kind we propose has the potential to prevent the onset of acute radiation effects in this scenario. In this work, selection of materials for the spacesuit elements is performed based on the results of dedicated GRAS/Geant4 1-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations, and after a trade-off analysis between shielding performance and availability of resources in the space habitat. Water is the first choice material, but also organic compounds compatible with a human space habitat are considered (such as fatty acids, gels and liquid organic wastes). Different designs and material combinations are proposed for the spacesuits. To quantify shielding performance we use GRAS/Geant4 simulations of an anthropomorphic phantom in an average SPE environment, with and without the spacesuit, and we compare results for the dose to Blood Forming Organs (BFO) in Gy-Eq, i.e. physical absorbed dose multiplied by the proton Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) for non-cancer effects. In case of SPE occurrence for Intra-Vehicular Activities (IVA) outside a radiation shelter, dose reductions to BFO in the range of 44-57% are demonstrated to be achievable with the spacesuit designs made only of water elements, or of multi-layer protection elements (with a thin layer of a high density material covering the water filled volume). Suit elements have a thickness in the range 2-6 cm and the total mass for the garment sums up to 35-43 kg depending on model and material combination. Dose reduction is converted into time gain, i.e. the increase of time interval between the occurrence of a SPE and the moment the dose limit to the BFO for acute effects is reached. Wearing a radiation shielding spacesuit of the kind we propose, the astronaut could have up to more than the double the time (e.g. almost 6 instead of 2.5 h) to perform necessary interventions outside a radiation shelter during a SPE, his/her exposure remaining within dose limits. An indicative mass saving thanks to the shielding provided by the suits is also derived, calculating the amount of mass needed in addition to the 1.5 cm thick Al module considered for the IVA scenario to provide the same additional shielding given by the spacesuit. For an average 50% dose reduction to BFO this is equal to about 2.5 tons of Al. Overall, our results offer a proof-of-principle validation of a complementary personal shielding strategy in emergency situations in case of a SPE event. Such results pave the way for the design and realization of a prototype of a water-filled garment to be tested on board the International Space Station for wearability. A successful outcome will possibly lead to the further refining of the design of radiation protection spacesuits and their possible adoption in future long-duration manned missions in deep space. Copyright © 2017 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SOC-DS computer code provides tool for design evaluation of homogeneous two-material nuclear shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Disney, R. K.; Ricks, L. O.

1967-01-01

SOC-DS Code /Shield Optimization Code-Direc Search/, selects a nuclear shield material of optimum volume, weight, or cost to meet the requirments of a given radiation dose rate or energy transmission constraint. It is applicable to evaluating neutron and gamma ray shields for all nuclear reactors.

Low-cost electromagnetic shielding using drywall composites: results of RFI (radio-frequency interference) testing of a shielding effectiveness. Final technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, P.F.; Heyen, K.K.; McCormack, R.G.

1987-10-01

Because of developments in electronics technology, the need for electromagnetic shielding has increased. To reduce the cost of this shielding, new materials are needed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District (FWD), and the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USA-CERL) have developed composite materials that use standard, construction-grade, aluminum foil-backed gypsum board in combination with either a metal mesh or lead foil. Special seams for these composites were designed by U.S. Gypsum Company. USA-CERL evaluated the adequacy of each material and seam design by using radio-frequency antennas and receivers to measure its shielding effectiveness when mounted inmore » the wall of a shielded room. These evaluations showed that the composite panels met the specified requirement of 60 decibels (dB) of shielding. The composites were also shown to be adequate for most communications security applications. However, the addition of a seam decreased shielding by as much as 10 dB.« less

Optimized technical and scientific design approach for high performance anticoincidence shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graue, Roland; Stuffler, Timo; Monzani, Franco; Bastia, Paolo; Gryksa, Werner; Pahl, Germit

2018-04-01

This paper, "Optimized technical and scientific design approach for high performance anticoincidence shields," was presented as part of International Conference on Space Optics—ICSO 1997, held in Toulouse, France.

Large-area sheet task advanced dendritic web growth development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duncan, C. S.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Mchugh, J. P.; Hopkins, R. H.; Meier, D.; Schruben, J.

1982-01-01

The thermal stress model was used to generate the design of a low stress lid and shield configuration, which was fabricated and tested experimentally. In preliminary tests, the New Experimental Web Growth Facility performed as designed, producing web on the first run. These experiments suggested desirable design modifications in the melt level sensing system to improve further its performance, and these are being implemented.

10 CFR 36.39 - Design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... concrete and design the walls, wall penetrations, and entranceways to meet the radiation shielding... that the number, location, and spacing of the smoke and heat detectors are appropriate to detect fires... licensee shall design the reinforced concrete radiation shields to retain their integrity in the event of...

10 CFR 36.39 - Design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... concrete and design the walls, wall penetrations, and entranceways to meet the radiation shielding... that the number, location, and spacing of the smoke and heat detectors are appropriate to detect fires... licensee shall design the reinforced concrete radiation shields to retain their integrity in the event of...

10 CFR 36.39 - Design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... concrete and design the walls, wall penetrations, and entranceways to meet the radiation shielding... that the number, location, and spacing of the smoke and heat detectors are appropriate to detect fires... licensee shall design the reinforced concrete radiation shields to retain their integrity in the event of...

10 CFR 36.39 - Design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... concrete and design the walls, wall penetrations, and entranceways to meet the radiation shielding... that the number, location, and spacing of the smoke and heat detectors are appropriate to detect fires... licensee shall design the reinforced concrete radiation shields to retain their integrity in the event of...

10 CFR 36.39 - Design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... concrete and design the walls, wall penetrations, and entranceways to meet the radiation shielding... that the number, location, and spacing of the smoke and heat detectors are appropriate to detect fires... licensee shall design the reinforced concrete radiation shields to retain their integrity in the event of...

Improved scaling laws for stage inert mass of space propulsion systems. Volume 2: System modeling and weight data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Technical models and analytical approaches used to develop the weight data for vehicle system concepts using advanced technology are reported. Weight data are supplied for the following major system elements: engine, pressurization, propellant containers, structural shells and secondary structure, and environmental protection shields for the meteoroid and thermal design requirements. Scaling laws, improved and a simplified set, are developed from the system weight data. The laws consider the implications of the major design parameters and mission requirements on the stage inert mass.

Heat shield manifold system for a midframe case of a gas turbine engine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayer, Clinton A.; Eng, Jesse; Schopf, Cheryl A.

A heat shield manifold system for an inner casing between a compressor and turbine assembly is disclosed. The heat shield manifold system protects the outer case from high temperature compressor discharge air, thereby enabling the outer case extending between a compressor and a turbine assembly to be formed from less expensive materials than otherwise would be required. In addition, the heat shield manifold system may be configured such that compressor bleed air is passed from the compressor into the heat shield manifold system without passing through a conventional flange to flange joint that is susceptible to leakage.

The importance of applicator design for intraluminal brachytherapy of rectal cancer.

PubMed

Hansen, Johnny Witterseh; Jakobsen, Anders

2006-09-01

An important aspect of designing an applicator for radiation treatment of rectal cancer is the ability to minimize dose to the mucosa and noninvolved parts of the rectum wall. For this reason we investigated a construction of a flexible multichannel applicator with several channels placed along the periphery of a cylinder and a construction of a rigid cylinder with a central channel and interchangeable shields. Calculations of the dose gradient, dose homogeneity in the tumor, and shielding ability were performed for the two applicators in question. Furthermore, the influence on dose distribution around a flexible multichannel applicator from an unintended off-axis positioning of the source inside a bent channel was investigated by film measurements on a single bent catheter. Calculations showed that a single-channel applicator with interchangeable shields yields a higher degree of shielding and has a better dose homogeneity in the tumor volume than that of a multi-channel applicator. A single-channel applicator with interchangeable shields was manufactured, and the influence of different size of shield angle on dose rate in front of and behind the shields was measured. While dose rate in front of the shield and shielding ability are closely independent of the size of the shield angle when measured 1 cm from the applicator surface, dose rate in more distant volumes will to some extent be influenced by shield angle due to volume scatter conditions.

The importance of applicator design for intraluminal brachytherapy of rectal cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, Johnny Witterseh; Jakobsen, Anders; Department of Oncology, Hospital of Vejle, DK-7100 Vejle

2006-09-15

An important aspect of designing an applicator for radiation treatment of rectal cancer is the ability to minimize dose to the mucosa and noninvolved parts of the rectum wall. For this reason we investigated a construction of a flexible multichannel applicator with several channels placed along the periphery of a cylinder and a construction of a rigid cylinder with a central channel and interchangeable shields. Calculations of the dose gradient, dose homogeneity in the tumor, and shielding ability were performed for the two applicators in question. Furthermore, the influence on dose distribution around a flexible multichannel applicator from an unintendedmore » off-axis positioning of the source inside a bent channel was investigated by film measurements on a single bent catheter. Calculations showed that a single-channel applicator with interchangeable shields yields a higher degree of shielding and has a better dose homogeneity in the tumor volume than that of a multichannel applicator. A single-channel applicator with interchangeable shields was manufactured, and the influence of different size of shield angle on dose rate in front of and behind the shields was measured. While dose rate in front of the shield and shielding ability are closely independent of the size of the shield angle when measured 1 cm from the applicator surface, dose rate in more distant volumes will to some extent be influenced by shield angle due to volume scatter conditions.« less

Prompt radiation, shielding and induced radioactivity in a high-power 160 MeV proton linac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magistris, Matteo; Silari, Marco

2006-06-01

CERN is designing a 160 MeV proton linear accelerator, both for a future intensity upgrade of the LHC and as a possible first stage of a 2.2 GeV superconducting proton linac. A first estimate of the required shielding was obtained by means of a simple analytical model. The source terms and the attenuation lengths used in the present study were calculated with the Monte Carlo cascade code FLUKA. Detailed FLUKA simulations were performed to investigate the contribution of neutron skyshine and backscattering to the expected dose rate in the areas around the linac tunnel. An estimate of the induced radioactivity in the magnets, vacuum chamber, the cooling system and the concrete shield was performed. A preliminary thermal study of the beam dump is also discussed.

Multi-Functional Sandwich Composites for Spacecraft Applications: An Initial Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Daniel O.; Webb, Nicholas Jason; Yarger, Cody B.; Hunter, Abigail; Oborn, Kelli D.

2007-01-01

Current spacecraft implement relatively uncoupled material and structural systems to address a variety of design requirements, including structural integrity, damage tolerance, radiation protection, debris shielding and thermal insulation. This investigation provided an initial assessment of multi-functional sandwich composites to integrate these diverse requirements. The need for radiation shielding was addressed through the selection of polymeric constituents with high hydrogen content. To provide increased damage tolerance and debris shielding, manufacturing techniques were developed to incorporate transverse stitching reinforcement, internal layers, and a self-healing ionomer membrane. To assess the effects of a space environment, thermal expansion behavior of the candidate foam materials was investigated under a vacuum and increasing temperature. Finally, a thermal expansion model was developed for foam under vacuum conditions and its predictive capability assessed.

Impact of Advance Rate on Entrapment Risk of a Double-Shielded TBM in Squeezing Ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasanpour, Rohola; Rostami, Jamal; Barla, Giovanni

2015-05-01

Shielded tunnel boring machines (TBMs) can get stuck in squeezing ground due to excessive tunnel convergence under high in situ stress. This typically coincides with extended machine stoppages, when the ground has sufficient time to undergo substantial displacements. Excessive convergence of the ground beyond the designated overboring means ground pressure against the shield and high shield frictional resistance that, in some cases, cannot be overcome by the TBM thrust system. This leads to machine entrapment in the ground, which causes significant delays and requires labor-intensive and risky operations of manual excavation to release the machine. To evaluate the impact of the time factor on the possibility of machine entrapment, a comprehensive 3D finite difference simulation of a double-shielded TBM in squeezing ground was performed. The modeling allowed for observation of the impact of the tunnel advance rate on the possibility of machine entrapment in squeezing ground. For this purpose, the model included rock mass properties related to creep in severe squeezing conditions. This paper offers an overview of the modeling results for a given set of rock mass and TBM parameters, as well as lining characteristics, including the magnitude of displacement and contact forces on shields and ground pressure on segmental lining versus time for different advance rates.

Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator Field Mapping and Shielding Models for a 70 mK Superconducting Transition Edge Sensor Array and Associated Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ladner, D. R.; Martinez-Galarce, D. S.; McCammon, D.

2006-04-01

An X-ray detection instrument to be flown on a sounding rocket experiment (the Advanced Technology Solar Spectroscopic Imager - ATSSI) for solar physics observations is being developed by the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL). The detector is a novel class of microcalorimeter, a superconducting Transition-Edge Sensor (TES), that coupled with associated SQUID and feedback electronics requires high temperature stability at ~70 mK to resolve the energy of absorbed X-ray photons emitted from the solar corona. The cooling system incorporates an existing Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR) developed at the University of Wisconsin (UW), which was previously flown to study the diffuse cosmic X-ray background. The Si thermistor detectors for that project required 130 K shielded JFET electronic components that are much less sensitive to the external field of the ADR solenoid than are the 1st (~70 mK) and 2nd (~2 K) SQUID stages used with TESs for solar observations. Modification of the Wisconsin ADR design, including TES focal plane and electronics re-positioning, therefore requires a tradeoff between the existing ADR solenoid nulling coil geometry and a low mass passive solenoid shield, while preserving the vibration isolation features of the existing design. We have developed models to accurately compute the magnetic field with and without shielding or nulling coils at critical locations to guide the re-design of the detector subsystem. The models and their application are described.

Design, Construction, Demonstration and Delivery of an Automated Narrow Gap Welding System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-31

evaluated on the Narrow Gap welding system. By using the combinational qas shielding assembly, it is now possible to reduce the gas flow rates to a value...AD-A145 496 DESIGN CONSTRUCTION DEMONSTRATION AND DE IVER OF AN AUTOMATED NARROW GAP WELDING SYSTEM(U) CRC AUTOMATIC WELDING CO HODSTON SX 31 MAR 83...STANDARDS-963 - A CRC REPORT NO. NAV A/W 7 0PHASE 3 REPORT ON SDESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, DEMONSTRATION AND DELIVERY OF AN AUTOMATED NARROW GAP WELDING

Filter line wiring designs in aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rowe, Richard M.

1990-10-01

The paper presents a harness design using a filter-line wire technology and appropriate termination methods to help meet high-energy radiated electromagnetic field (HERF) requirements for protection against the adverse effects of EMI on electrical and avionic systems. Filter-line interconnect harnessing systems discussed consist of high-performance wires and cables; when properly wired they suppress conducted and radiated EMI above 100 MHz. Filter-line termination devices include backshell adapters, braid splicers, and shield terminators providing 360-degree low-impedance terminations and enhancing maintainability of the system.

Engineering and Fabrication Considerations for Cost-Effective Space Reactor Shield Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Thomas A.; Disney, Richard K.

2004-02-01

Investment in developing nuclear power for space missions cannot be made on the basis of a single mission. Current efforts in the design and fabrication of the reactor module, including the reactor shield, must be cost-effective and take into account scalability and fabricability for planned and future missions. Engineering considerations for the shield need to accommodate passive thermal management, varying radiation levels and effects, and structural/mechanical issues. Considering these challenges, design principles and cost drivers specific to the engineering and fabrication of the reactor shield are presented that contribute to lower recurring mission costs.

Engineering and Fabrication Considerations for Cost-Effective Space Reactor Shield Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berg, Thomas A.; Disney, Richard K.

Investment in developing nuclear power for space missions cannot be made on the basis of a single mission. Current efforts in the design and fabrication of the reactor module, including the reactor shield, must be cost-effective and take into account scalability and fabricability for planned and future missions. Engineering considerations for the shield need to accommodate passive thermal management, varying radiation levels and effects, and structural/mechanical issues. Considering these challenges, design principles and cost drivers specific to the engineering and fabrication of the reactor shield are presented that contribute to lower recurring mission costs.

SU-E-T-243: Design of a Novel Testing Port for Radiation Protection and Shielding Measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanny, S; Parsai, E; Harrell, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: The majority of radiation shielding research utilizes Monte Carlo simulation because of the difficulty in eliminating secondary radiations from measurements. We have designed a test port into a primary barrier of our newest vault to allow for shielding measurements while ensuring adequate protection to the public and staff during normal machine operation. This port allows for measurement of attenuation values of shielding materials, differential dose albedos, and radiation scatter fractions. Methods: The vault design utilized the maze as part of a compound primary barrier. The test port is contained within the maze and is centered along isocenter. The innermore » 30 cm has a 20×20 cm{sup 2} opening, while the remaining length has a 30×30 cm{sup 2} opening. The block that contains the port has a density of 200 pcf to minimize internal scatter. The 30×30 cm{sup 2} opening is occupied by removable 215 pcf concrete blocks. The innermost and outermost blocks activate an interlock wired into the beam-enable loop. This disallows beam-on in treatment mode if the interlock isn’t closed. The interlock can be overridden in service mode, or by-passed via an override switch in case of circuit failure. Results: The test port was installed in August. The beam is disabled when the interlock is tripped. Measurements taken when the primary beam is not incident on the port are indistinguishable from background. Ambient dose levels surrounding the vault with the designed shielding blocks in place are all within allowable limits for occupational workers. Conclusions: We have designed and installed a unique testing port for radiation protection and shielding measurements. This port is appropriately interlocked and designed to mitigate any risks of incidental exposure to staff or members of the public. The test port design allows measurements with “good geometry” and efficient removal of contaminating sources of radiation present in many shielding measurements. Daniel Harrell and Jim Noller are employees of Shielding Construction Solutions, Inc, the shielding construction company that built the vault discussed in this abstract. Manjit Chopra is an employee of Universal Minerals International, Inc, the company that provided the aggregates for the high density concretes used in the vault construction.« less

Analysis of the ORNL/TSF GCFR Grid-Plate Shield Design Confirmation Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Slater, C.O.; Cramer, S.N.; Ingersoll, D.T.

1979-08-01

The results of the analysis of the GCFR Grid-Plate Shield Design Confirmation Experiment are presented. The experiment, performed at the ORNL Tower Shielding Facility, was designed to test the adequacy of methods and data used in the analysis of the GCFR design. In particular, the experiment tested the adequacy of methods to calculate: (1) axial neutron streaming in the GCFR core and axial blanket, (2) the amount and location of the maximum fast-neutron exposure to the grid plate, and (3) the neutron source leaving the top of the grid plate and entering the upper plenum. Other objectives of the experimentmore » were to verify the grid-plate shielding effectiveness and to assess the effects of fuel-pin and subassembly spacing on radiation levels in the GCFR. The experimental mockups contained regions representing the GCFR core/blanket region, the grid-plate shield section, and the grid plate. Most core design options were covered by allowing: (1) three different spacings between fuel subassemblies, (2) two different void fractions within a subassembly by variation of the number of fuel pins, and (3) a mockup of a control-rod channel.« less

Blanket design and optimization demonstrations of the first wall/blanket/shield design and optimization system (BSDOS).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gohar, Y.; Nuclear Engineering Division

2005-05-01

In fusion reactors, the blanket design and its characteristics have a major impact on the reactor performance, size, and economics. The selection and arrangement of the blanket materials, dimensions of the different blanket zones, and different requirements of the selected materials for a satisfactory performance are the main parameters, which define the blanket performance. These parameters translate to a large number of variables and design constraints, which need to be simultaneously considered in the blanket design process. This represents a major design challenge because of the lack of a comprehensive design tool capable of considering all these variables to definemore » the optimum blanket design and satisfying all the design constraints for the adopted figure of merit and the blanket design criteria. The blanket design capabilities of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Design and Optimization System (BSDOS) have been developed to overcome this difficulty and to provide the state-of-the-art research and design tool for performing blanket design analyses. This paper describes some of the BSDOS capabilities and demonstrates its use. In addition, the use of the optimization capability of the BSDOS can result in a significant blanket performance enhancement and cost saving for the reactor design under consideration. In this paper, examples are presented, which utilize an earlier version of the ITER solid breeder blanket design and a high power density self-cooled lithium blanket design for demonstrating some of the BSDOS blanket design capabilities.« less

Blanket Design and Optimization Demonstrations of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Design and Optimization System (BSDOS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gohar, Yousry

2005-05-15

In fusion reactors, the blanket design and its characteristics have a major impact on the reactor performance, size, and economics. The selection and arrangement of the blanket materials, dimensions of the different blanket zones, and different requirements of the selected materials for a satisfactory performance are the main parameters, which define the blanket performance. These parameters translate to a large number of variables and design constraints, which need to be simultaneously considered in the blanket design process. This represents a major design challenge because of the lack of a comprehensive design tool capable of considering all these variables to definemore » the optimum blanket design and satisfying all the design constraints for the adopted figure of merit and the blanket design criteria. The blanket design capabilities of the First Wall/Blanket/Shield Design and Optimization System (BSDOS) have been developed to overcome this difficulty and to provide the state-of-the-art research and design tool for performing blanket design analyses. This paper describes some of the BSDOS capabilities and demonstrates its use. In addition, the use of the optimization capability of the BSDOS can result in a significant blanket performance enhancement and cost saving for the reactor design under consideration. In this paper, examples are presented, which utilize an earlier version of the ITER solid breeder blanket design and a high power density self-cooled lithium blanket design for demonstrating some of the BSDOS blanket design capabilities.« less

Conformational Heterogeneity of the HIV Envelope Glycan Shield.

PubMed

Yang, Mingjun; Huang, Jing; Simon, Raphael; Wang, Lai-Xi; MacKerell, Alexander D

2017-06-30

To better understand the conformational properties of the glycan shield covering the surface of the HIV gp120/gp41 envelope (Env) trimer, and how the glycan shield impacts the accessibility of the underlying protein surface, we performed enhanced sampling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a model glycosylated HIV Env protein and related systems. Our simulation studies revealed a conformationally heterogeneous glycan shield with a network of glycan-glycan interactions more extensive than those observed to date. We found that partial preorganization of the glycans potentially favors binding by established broadly neutralizing antibodies; omission of several specific glycans could increase the accessibility of other glycans or regions of the protein surface to antibody or CD4 receptor binding; the number of glycans that can potentially interact with known antibodies is larger than that observed in experimental studies; and specific glycan conformations can maximize or minimize interactions with individual antibodies. More broadly, the enhanced sampling MD simulations described here provide a valuable tool to guide the engineering of specific Env glycoforms for HIV vaccine design.

Neutron Shielding Effectiveness of Multifunctional Composite Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

greater degree of flexibility in design and engineering of specialized space vehicle shielding applications compared to aluminum. A new design for...photon/electron transport. Specific areas of application include, but are not limited to, radiation protection and dosimetry, radiation shielding...of 37.8%. The reaction of interest is 64Zn(n,p)64Cu, where 64Cu has a half-life of 12.7 hours [5]. When this reaction occurs a positron

Optimization Shield Materials Trade Study for Lunar/Gateway Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Anderson, B. M.; Simonsen, L. C.

2002-01-01

The great cost of added radiation shielding is a potential limiting factor in many deep space missions. For this enabling technology, we are developing tools for optimized shield design over multi-segmented missions involving multiple work and living areas in the transport and duty phase of various space missions. The total shield mass over all pieces of equipment and habitats is optimized subject to career dose and dose rate constraints. Preliminary studies of deep space missions indicate that for long duration space missions, improved shield materials will be required. The details of this new method and its impact on space missions and other technologies will be discussed. This study will provide a vital tool for evaluating Gateway designs in their usage context. Providing protection against the hazards of space radiation is one of the challenges to the Gateway infrastructure designs. We will use the mission optimization software to scope the impact of Gateway operations on human exposures and the effectiveness of alternate shielding materials on Gateway infrastructure designs. It is being proposed to use Moon and the Lagrange points as the hub for deep space missions. This study will provide a guide to the effectiveness of multifunctional materials in preparation to more detailed geometry studies in progress.

Projectile Shape Effects Analysis for Space Debris Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiraki, Kuniaki; Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Kamiya, Takeshi

2002-01-01

(JEM IST), has a manned pressurized module used as a research laboratory on orbit and planned to be attached to the International Space Station (ISS). Protection system from Micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MM/OD) is very important for crew safety aboard the ISS. We have to design a module with shields attached to the outside of the pressurized wall so that JEM can be protected when debris of diameter less than 20mm impact on the JEM wall. In this case, the ISS design requirement for space debris protection system is specified as the Probability of No Penetration (PNP). The PNP allocation for the JEM is 0.9738 for ten years, which is reallocated as 0.9814 for the Pressurized Module (PM) and 0.9922 for the Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS). The PNP is calculated with Bumper code provided by NASA with the following data inputs to the calculation. (1) JEM structural model (2) Ballistic Limit Curve (BLC) of shields pressure wall (3) Environmental conditions: Analysis type, debris distribution, debris model, debris density, Solar single aluminum plate bumper (1.27mm thickness). The other is a Stuffed Whipple shield with its second bumper composed of an aluminum mesh, three layers of Nextel AF62 ceramic fabric, and four layers of Kevlar 710 fabric with thermal isolation material Multilayer Insulation (MLI) in the bottom. The second bumper of Stuffed Whipple shields is located at the middle between the first bumper and the 4.8 mm-thick pressurized wall. with Two-Stage Light Gas Gun (TSLGG) tests and hydro code simulation already. The remaining subject is the verification of JEM debris protection shields for velocities ranging from 7 to 15 km/sec. We conducted Conical Shaped Charge (CSC) tests that enable hypervelocity impact tests for the debris velocity range above 10 km/sec as well as hydro code simulation. because of the jet generation mechanism. It is therefore necessary to analyze and compensate the results for a solid aluminum sphere, which is the design requirement.

Preliminary Design of a Galactic Cosmic Ray Shielding Materials Testbed for the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Berkebile, Stephen; Sechkar, Edward A.; Panko, Scott R.

2012-01-01

The preliminary design of a testbed to evaluate the effectiveness of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) shielding materials, the MISSE Radiation Shielding Testbed (MRSMAT) is presented. The intent is to mount the testbed on the Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X) which is to be mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016. A key feature is the ability to simultaneously test nine samples, including standards, which are 5.25 cm thick. This thickness will enable most samples to have an areal density greater than 5 g/sq cm. It features a novel and compact GCR telescope which will be able to distinguish which cosmic rays have penetrated which shielding material, and will be able to evaluate the dose transmitted through the shield. The testbed could play a pivotal role in the development and qualification of new cosmic ray shielding technologies.

Novel Hybrid Ablative/Ceramic Heatshield for Earth Atmospheric Re-Entry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcena, J.; Florez, S.; Perez, B.; Pinaud, G.; Bouilly, J.-M.; Fischer, W. P. P.; de Montburn, A.; Descomps, M.; Zuber, C.; Rotaermel, W.; Hald, H.; Pereira, C.; Mergia, K.; Triantou, K.; Marinou, A.; Vekinis, G.; Ionescu, G.; Ban, C.; Stefan, A.; Leroy, V.; Bernard, D.; Massuti, B.; Herdrich, G.

2014-06-01

Original approaches based on ablative materials and novel TPS solutions are required for space applications, where resistance to extreme oxidative environments and high temperatures are required. For future space exploration the demands for the thermal shield go beyond the current state-of-the-art. Therefore, the development of new thermal protection materials and systems at a reasonable mass budget is absolutely essential to ensure European non-dependence on corresponding restricted technologies. The three year long FP7 project HYDRA aims at the development of a novel thermal protection system through the integration of a low density ablative outer-shield on top of an advanced thermo-structural ceramic composite layer and will provide an innovative technology solution consistent with the capabilities of European technologies and material providers. This paper summarizes the current status of the scientific activities carried out after two years of progress in terms of design, integration and verification of a robust and lightweight thermal shield solution for atmospheric earth re-entry.

Contribution of High Charge and Energy (HZE) Ions During Solar-Particle Event of September 29, 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.; Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Simonsen, Lisa C.; Atwell, William; Badavi, Francis F.; Miller, Jack

1999-01-01

The solar-particle event (SPE) of September 29, 1989, produced an iron-rich spectrum with energies approaching 1 A GeV with an approximate spectral slope parameter of 2.5. These high charge and energy (HZE) ions challenge conventional methods of shield design and assessment of astronaut risks. In the past, shield design and risk assessment have relied on proton shielding codes and biological response models derived from X-ray and neutron exposure data. Because the HZE spectra decline rapidly with energy and HZE attenuation in materials is limited by their penetration power, details of the mass distributions about the sensitive tissues (shielding materials and the astronaut's body) are important determining factors of the exposure levels and distributions of linear energy transfer. Local tissue environments during the SPE of September 29, 1989, with its f= components are examined to analyze the importance of these ions to human SPE exposure. Typical space suit and lightly shielded structures leave significant contributions from HZE components to certain critical body tissues and have important implications on the models for risk assessment. A heavily shielded equipment room of a space vehicle or habitat requires knowledge of the breakup of these ions into lighter components, including neutrons, for shield design specifications.

Characterization and biocompatibility studies of lead free X-ray shielding polymer composite for healthcare application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Anil Kumar; Singh, Rakesh Kumar; Sharma, Bhupesh; Tyagi, Ajay Kumar

2017-09-01

Lead based X-ray shielding systems are widely being used in healthcare and radiation processing centers to protect technicians, operators and patients from unwanted exposure to ionizing radiation. However, the use of lead is avoided mainly due to its toxic effects on human health and environment, and also discomfort due to heavier in weight. Hence, production of non-toxic, environment friendly, lead-free X-ray shielding system with less weight and good radiation shielding efficiency compared to conventional lead-based shielding systems is a challenging issue and need of the day. The objectives of present study are to develop, characterize and establish synergy of the materials making radiation shielding composition and their biocompatibility without compromising on radiation shielding efficiency and physico-mechanical attributes vis-à-vis lead based systems.

Multi-Ferroic Polymer Nanoparticle Composites for Next Generation Metamaterials

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-23

another application, electromagnetic wave shielding . Electromagnetic wave induces current which results in loss of energy. Thus magnetic nanoparticles...applicable for electromagnetic wave shielding . For better electromagnetic wave shielding capability, i) high dielectric constant, ii) high magnetic ...electromagnetic wave shielding properties7,8. In such point of view, designing a structure, magnetic nanoparticles in two dimensional electric conductive matrix

Development of fiber shields for engine containment. [mathematical models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bristow, R. J.; Davidson, C. D.

1977-01-01

Tests were conducted in translational launchers and spin pits to generate empirical data used in the design of a Kevlar shield for containing engine burst debris. Methods are given for modeling the relationship of fragment characteristics to shielding requirements. The change in relative importance of shield mounting provisions as fragment energy is increased is discussed.

Magnetic shielding of interplanetary spacecraft against solar flare radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cocks, Franklin H.; Watkins, Seth

1993-01-01

The ultimate objective of this work is to design, build, and fly a dual-purpose, piggyback payload whose function is to produce a large volume, low intensity magnetic field and to test the concept of using such a magnetic field (1) to protect spacecraft against solar flare protons, (2) to produce a thrust of sufficient magnitude to stabilize low satellite orbits against orbital decay from atmospheric drag, and (3) to test the magsail concept. These all appear to be capable of being tested using the same deployed high temperature superconducting coil. In certain orbits, high temperature superconducting wire, which has now been developed to the point where silver-sheathed high T sub c wires one mm in diameter are commercially available, can be used to produce the magnetic moments required for shielding without requiring any mechanical cooling system. The potential benefits of this concept apply directly to both earth-orbital and interplanetary missions. The usefulness of a protective shield for manned missions needs scarcely to be emphasized. Similarly, the usefulness of increasing orbit perigee without expenditure of propellant is obvious. This payload would be a first step in assessing the true potential of large volume magnetic fields in the US space program. The objective of this design research is to develop an innovative, prototype deployed high temperature superconducting coil (DHTSC) system.

SCALE Code System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rearden, Bradley T.; Jessee, Matthew Anderson

The SCALE Code System is a widely-used modeling and simulation suite for nuclear safety analysis and design that is developed, maintained, tested, and managed by the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division (RNSD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). SCALE provides a comprehensive, verified and validated, user-friendly tool set for criticality safety, reactor and lattice physics, radiation shielding, spent fuel and radioactive source term characterization, and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Since 1980, regulators, licensees, and research institutions around the world have used SCALE for safety analysis and design. SCALE provides an integrated framework with dozens of computational modules including three deterministicmore » and three Monte Carlo radiation transport solvers that are selected based on the desired solution strategy. SCALE includes current nuclear data libraries and problem-dependent processing tools for continuous-energy (CE) and multigroup (MG) neutronics and coupled neutron-gamma calculations, as well as activation, depletion, and decay calculations. SCALE includes unique capabilities for automated variance reduction for shielding calculations, as well as sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. SCALE’s graphical user interfaces assist with accurate system modeling, visualization of nuclear data, and convenient access to desired results.« less

SCALE Code System 6.2.1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rearden, Bradley T.; Jessee, Matthew Anderson

The SCALE Code System is a widely-used modeling and simulation suite for nuclear safety analysis and design that is developed, maintained, tested, and managed by the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division (RNSD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). SCALE provides a comprehensive, verified and validated, user-friendly tool set for criticality safety, reactor and lattice physics, radiation shielding, spent fuel and radioactive source term characterization, and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Since 1980, regulators, licensees, and research institutions around the world have used SCALE for safety analysis and design. SCALE provides an integrated framework with dozens of computational modules including three deterministicmore » and three Monte Carlo radiation transport solvers that are selected based on the desired solution strategy. SCALE includes current nuclear data libraries and problem-dependent processing tools for continuous-energy (CE) and multigroup (MG) neutronics and coupled neutron-gamma calculations, as well as activation, depletion, and decay calculations. SCALE includes unique capabilities for automated variance reduction for shielding calculations, as well as sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. SCALE’s graphical user interfaces assist with accurate system modeling, visualization of nuclear data, and convenient access to desired results.« less

Aluminum/vacuum multilayer configuration for spatial high-energy electron shielding via electron return effects induced by magnetic field.

PubMed

Chen, Tuo; Tang, Xiaobin; Chen, Feida; Ni, Minxuan; Huang, Hai; Zhang, Yun; Chen, Da

2017-06-26

Radiation shielding of high-energy electrons is critical for successful space missions. However, conventional passive shielding systems exhibit several limitations, such as heavy configuration, poor shielding ability, and strong secondary bremsstrahlung radiation. In this work, an aluminum/vacuum multilayer structure was proposed based on the electron return effects induced by magnetic field. The shielding property of several configurations was evaluated by using the Monte Carlo method. Results showed that multilayer systems presented improved shielding ability to electrons, and less secondary x-ray transmissions than those of conventional systems. Moreover, the influences of magnetic flux density and number of layers on the shielding property of multilayer systems were investigated using a female Chinese hybrid reference phantom based on cumulative dose. In the case of two aluminum layers, the cumulative dose in a phantom gradually decreased with increasing magnetic flux density. The maximum decline rate was found within 0.4-1 Tesla. With increasing layers of configuration, the cumulative dose decreased and the shielding ability improved. This research provides effective shielding measures for future space radiation protection in high-energy electron environments.

MO-D-213-07: RadShield: Semi- Automated Calculation of Air Kerma Rate and Barrier Thickness

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeLorenzo, M; Wu, D; Rutel, I

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop the first Java-based semi-automated calculation program intended to aid professional radiation shielding design. Air-kerma rate and barrier thickness calculations are performed by implementing NCRP Report 147 formalism into a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The ultimate aim of this newly created software package is to reduce errors and improve radiographic and fluoroscopic room designs over manual approaches. Methods: Floor plans are first imported as images into the RadShield software program. These plans serve as templates for drawing barriers, occupied regions and x-ray tube locations. We have implemented sub-GUIs that allow the specification in regions and equipment for occupancymore » factors, design goals, number of patients, primary beam directions, source-to-patient distances and workload distributions. Once the user enters the above parameters, the program automatically calculates air-kerma rate at sampled points beyond all barriers. For each sample point, a corresponding minimum barrier thickness is calculated to meet the design goal. RadShield allows control over preshielding, sample point location and material types. Results: A functional GUI package was developed and tested. Examination of sample walls and source distributions yields a maximum percent difference of less than 0.1% between hand-calculated air-kerma rates and RadShield. Conclusion: The initial results demonstrated that RadShield calculates air-kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses with reliable accuracy and can be used to make radiation shielding design more efficient and accurate. This newly developed approach differs from conventional calculation methods in that it finds air-kerma rates and thickness requirements for many points outside the barriers, stores the information and selects the largest value needed to comply with NCRP Report 147 design goals. Floor plans, parameters, designs and reports can be saved and accessed later for modification and recalculation. We have confirmed that this software accurately calculates air-kerma rates and required barrier thicknesses for diagnostic radiography and fluoroscopic rooms.« less

Portable imaging system method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Freifeld, Barry M.; Kneafsley, Timothy J.; Pruess, Jacob; Tomutsa, Liviu; Reiter, Paul A.; deCastro, Ted M.

2006-07-25

An operator shielded X-ray imaging system has sufficiently low mass (less than 300 kg) and is compact enough to enable portability by reducing operator shielding requirements to a minimum shielded volume. The resultant shielded volume may require a relatively small mass of shielding in addition to the already integrally shielded X-ray source, intensifier, and detector. The system is suitable for portable imaging of well cores at remotely located well drilling sites. The system accommodates either small samples, or small cross-sectioned objects of unlimited length. By rotating samples relative to the imaging device, the information required for computer aided tomographic reconstruction may be obtained. By further translating the samples relative to the imaging system, fully three dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstructions may be obtained of samples having arbitrary length.

Magnetic shielding investigation for a 6 MV in-line linac within the parallel configuration of a linac-MR system.

PubMed

Santos, D M; St Aubin, J; Fallone, B G; Steciw, S

2012-02-01

In our current linac-magnetic resonance (MR) design, a 6 MV in-line linac is placed along the central axis of the MR's magnet where the MR's fringe magnetic fields are parallel to the overall electron trajectories in the linac waveguide. Our previous study of this configuration comprising a linac-MR SAD of 100 cm and a 0.5 T superconducting (open, split) MR imager. It showed the presence of longitudinal magnetic fields of 0.011 T at the electron gun, which caused a reduction in target current to 84% of nominal. In this study, passive and active magnetic shielding was investigated to recover the linac output losses caused by magnetic deflections of electron trajectories in the linac within a parallel linac-MR configuration. Magnetic materials and complex shield structures were used in a 3D finite element method (FEM) magnetic field model, which emulated the fringe magnetic fields of the MR imagers. The effects of passive magnetic shielding was studied by surrounding the electron gun and its casing with a series of capped steel cylinders of various inner lengths (26.5-306.5 mm) and thicknesses (0.75-15 mm) in the presence of the fringe magnetic fields from a commercial MR imager. In addition, the effects of a shield of fixed length (146.5 mm) with varying thicknesses were studied against a series of larger homogeneous magnetic fields (0-0.2 T). The effects of active magnetic shielding were studied by adding current loops around the electron gun and its casing. The loop currents, separation, and location were optimized to minimize the 0.011 T longitudinal magnetic fields in the electron gun. The magnetic field solutions from the FEM model were added to a validated linac simulation, consisting of a 3D electron gun (using OPERA-3d/scala) and 3D waveguide (using comsol Multiphysics and PARMELA) simulations. PARMELA's target current and output phase-space were analyzed to study the linac's output performance within the magnetic shields. The FEM model above agreed within 1.5% with the manufacturer supplied fringe magnetic field isoline data. When passive magnetic shields are used, the target current is recoverable to greater than 99% of nominal for shield thicknesses greater than 0.75 mm. The optimized active shield which resulted in 100% target current recovery consists of two thin current rings 110 mm in diameter with 625 and 430 A-turns in each ring. With the length of the passive shield kept constant, the thickness of the shield had to be increased to achieve the same target current within the increased longitudinal magnetic fields. A ≥99% original target current is recovered with passive shield thicknesses >0.75 mm. An active shield consisting of two current rings of diameter of 110 mm with 625 and 430 A-turns fully recovers the loss that would have been caused by the magnetic fields. The minimal passive or active shielding requirements to essentially fully recover the current output of the linac in our parallel-configured linac-MR system have been determined and are easily achieved for practical implementation of the system.

Cargo Container Imaging with Gaseous Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forest, Tony

2006-10-01

The gas electron multiplier (GEM) , developed at CERN by Fabio Sauli, represents the latest innovation in micropattern gaseous detectors and has been utilized as a preamplification stage in applications ranging from fundamental physics experiments to medical imaging. Although cargo container inspection systems are currently in place using gamma-rays or X-rays, they are predominantly designed with a resolution to detect contraband. Current imaging systems also suffer from false alarms due to naturally radioactive cargo when radiation portal monitors are used for passive detection of nuclear materials. Detection of small shielded radioactive elements is even more problematic. Idaho State University has been developing a system to image cargo containers in order to detect small shielded radioactive cargo. The possible application of an imaging system with gas electron multiplication will be shown along with preliminary images using gaseous detectors instead of the scintillators currently in use.

Maintenance of contamination sensitive surfaces on board long-term space vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, A.; Maag, C.

1984-01-01

In the current age, highly sensitive instruments are being flown on spacecraft, and questions of contamination have become important. The present investigation is concerned with the available approaches which can provide long-term protection for contamination sensitive surfaces. Aspects and sources of spacecraft contamination are examined, taking into account materials outgassing, particulates, propulsion system interaction, overboard venting, man-made and cosmic debris, and atomic oxygen/ambient atmosphere interaction. Suitable protection approaches provided by current technology are discussed, giving attention to aperture covers, a possibility for a retractable cover design, gaseous purges, options for prolonging the lifetime of the thermal control system, and plume shields. Some new possibilities considered are related to an early warning system for excessive amounts of contamination, a molecular/wake shield, and the use of atomic oxygen.

Comfort Assessment of Personal Protection Systems During Total Joint Arthroplasty Using a Novel Multidimensional Evaluation Tool

PubMed Central

Malik, MHA; Handford, Elizabeth; Staniford, Elaine; Gambhir, AK; Kay, PR

2006-01-01

INTRODUCTION A number of studies have assessed the usefulness of surgical gowns and exhaust suits with regards to barrier function and protection afforded to healthcare workers from blood strike-through, splashes and aerosols. PATIENTS AND METHODS We have performed a comfort assessment comparison between the Charnley exhaust suit, disposable gown plus visor and the Stryker Steri-Shield system using a newly developed objective multidimensional ergonomic tool designed to measure wearable comfort across the dimensions of emotion, attachment, harm, perceived change, movement and anxiety. RESULTS The total mean Comfort Rating Scale value for a disposable gown plus visor was 16.1 with a mean dimensional score of 2.7 (range, 0.2–8.4), for the Charnley system the values were 51.4 and 8.6 (range, 5.9–12.8), respectively, and for the Stryker Steri-Shield 15.4 and 2.6 (range, 0.8–5.6). CONCLUSIONS The Steri-Shield system provides the least variation in comfort and, as such, may offer the best combination of comfort, protective qualities and form or style of personal protection equipment for lower limb arthroplasty operations. PMID:17002852

Dosimetric evaluation of lead and tungsten eye shields in electron beam treatment.

PubMed

Shiu, A S; Tung, S S; Gastorf, R J; Hogstrom, K R; Morrison, W H; Peters, L J

1996-06-01

The purpose of this study is to report that commercially available eye shields (designed for orthovoltage x-rays) are inadequate to protect the ocular structures from penetrating electrons for electron beam energies equal to or greater than 6 MeV. Therefore, a prototype medium size tungsten eye shield was designed and fabricated. The advantages of the tungsten eye shield over lead are discussed. Electron beams (6-9 MeV) are often used to irradiate eyelid tumors to curative doses. Eye shields can be placed under the eyelids to protect the globe. Film and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were used within a specially constructed polystyrene eye phantom to determine the effectiveness of various commercially available internal eye shields (designed for orthovoltage x-rays). The same procedures were used to evaluate a prototype medium size tungsten eye shield (2.8 mm thick), which was designed and fabricated for protection of the globe from penetrating electrons for electron beam energy equal to 9 MeV. A mini-TLD was used to measure the dose enhancement due to electrons backscattered off the tungsten eye shield, both with or without a dental acrylic coating that is required to reduce discomfort, permit sterilization of the shield, and reduce the dose contribution from backscattered electrons. Transmission of a 6 MeV electron beam through a 1.7 mm thick lead eye shield was found to be 50% on the surface (cornea) of the phantom and 27% at a depth of 6 mm (lens). The thickness of lead required to stop 6-9 MeV electron beams is impractical. In place of lead, a prototype medium size tungsten eye shield was made. For 6 to 9 MeV electrons, the doses measured on the surface (cornea) and at 6 mm (lens) and 21 mm (retina) depths were all less than 5% of the maximum dose of the open field (4 x 4 cm). Electrons backscattered off a tungsten eye shield without acrylic coating increased the lid dose from 85 to 123% at 6 MeV and 87 to 119% at 9 MeV. For the tungsten eye shield coated with 2-3 mm of dental acrylic, the lid dose was increased from 85 to 98.5% at 6 MeV and 86 to 106% at 9 MeV. Commercially available eye shields were evaluated and found to be clearly inadequate to protect the ocular structures for electron beam energies equal to or greater than 6 MeV. A tungsten eye shield has been found to provide adequate protection for electrons up to 9 MeV. The increase in lid dose due to electrons backscattered off the tungsten eye shield should be considered in the dose prescription. A minimum thickness of 2 mm dental acrylic on the beam entrance surface of the tungsten eye shield was found to reduce the backscattered electron effect to acceptable levels.

Weight Assessment for Fuselage Shielding on Aircraft With Open-Rotor Engines and Composite Blade Loss

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carney, Kelly; Pereira, Michael; Kohlman, Lee; Goldberg, Robert; Envia, Edmane; Lawrence, Charles; Roberts, Gary; Emmerling, William

2013-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been engaged in discussions with airframe and engine manufacturers concerning regulations that would apply to new technology fuel efficient "openrotor" engines. Existing regulations for the engines and airframe did not envision features of these engines that include eliminating the fan blade containment systems and including two rows of counter-rotating blades. Damage to the airframe from a failed blade could potentially be catastrophic. Therefore the feasibility of using aircraft fuselage shielding was investigated. In order to establish the feasibility of this shielding, a study was conducted to provide an estimate for the fuselage shielding weight required to provide protection from an open-rotor blade loss. This estimate was generated using a two-step procedure. First, a trajectory analysis was performed to determine the blade orientation and velocity at the point of impact with the fuselage. The trajectory analysis also showed that a blade dispersion angle of 3deg bounded the probable dispersion pattern and so was used for the weight estimate. Next, a finite element impact analysis was performed to determine the required shielding thickness to prevent fuselage penetration. The impact analysis was conducted using an FAA-provided composite blade geometry. The fuselage geometry was based on a medium-sized passenger composite airframe. In the analysis, both the blade and fuselage were assumed to be constructed from a T700S/PR520 triaxially-braided composite architecture. Sufficient test data on T700S/PR520 is available to enable reliable analysis, and also demonstrate its good impact resistance properties. This system was also used in modeling the surrogate blade. The estimated additional weight required for fuselage shielding for a wing- mounted counterrotating open-rotor blade is 236 lb per aircraft. This estimate is based on the shielding material serving the dual use of shielding and fuselage structure. If the shielding material is not used for dual purpose, and is only used for shielding, then the additional weight per aircraft is estimated to be 428 lb. This weight estimate is based upon a number of assumptions that would need to be revised when applying this concept to an actual airplane design. For example, the weight savings that will result when there is no fan blade containment system, manufacturing limitations which may increase the weight where variable thicknesses was assumed, engine placement on the wing versus aft fuselage, etc.

A scaleable integrated sensing and control system for NDE, monitoring, and control of medium to very large composite smart structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Jerry; Rhoades, Valerie; Arner, Radford; Clem, Timothy; Cuneo, Adam

2007-04-01

NDE measurements, monitoring, and control of smart and adaptive composite structures requires that the central knowledge system have an awareness of the entire structure. Achieving this goal necessitates the implementation of an integrated network of significant numbers of sensors. Additionally, in order to temporally coordinate the data from specially distributed sensors, the data must be time relevant. Early adoption precludes development of sensor technology specifically for this application, instead it will depend on the ability to utilize legacy systems. Partially supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced Technology Development Program (NIST-ATP), a scalable integrated system has been developed to implement monitoring of structural integrity and the control of adaptive/intelligent structures. The project, called SHIELD (Structural Health Identification and Electronic Life Determination), was jointly undertaken by: Caterpillar, N.A. Tech., Motorola, and Microstrain. SHIELD is capable of operation with composite structures, metallic structures, or hybrid structures. SHIELD consists of a real-time processing core on a Motorola MPC5200 using a C language based real-time operating system (RTOS). The RTOS kernel was customized to include a virtual backplane which makes the system completely scalable. This architecture provides for multiple processes to be operating simultaneously. They may be embedded as multiple threads on the core hardware or as separate independent processors connected to the core using a software driver called a NAT-Network Integrator (NATNI). NATNI's can be created for any communications application. In it's current embodiment, NATNI's have been created for CAN bus, TCP/IP (Ethernet) - both wired and 802.11 b and g, and serial communications using RS485 and RS232. Since SHIELD uses standard C language, it is easy to port any monitoring or control algorithm, thus providing for legacy technology which may use other hardware processors and various communications means. For example, two demonstrations of SHIELD have been completed, in January and May 2005 respectively. One demonstration used algorithms in C running in multiple threads in the SHIELD core and utilizing two different sensor networks, one CAN bus and one wireless. The second had algorithms operating in C on the SHIELD core and other algorithms running on multiple Texas Instruments DSP processors using a NATNI that communicated via wired TCP/IP. A key feature of SHIELD is the implementation of a wireless ZIGBEE (802.15.4) network for implementing large numbers of small, low cost, low power sensors communication via a meshstar wireless network. While SHIELD was designed to integrate with a wide variety of existing communications protocols, a ZIGBEE network capability was implemented specifically for SHIELD. This will facilitate the monitoring of medium to very large structures including marine applications, utility scale multi-megawatt wind energy systems, and aircraft/spacecraft. The SHIELD wireless network will facilitate large numbers of sensors (up to 32000), accommodate sensors embedded into the composite material, can communicate to both sensors and actuators, and prevents obsolescence by providing for re-programming of the nodes via remote RF communications. The wireless network provides for ultra-low energy use, spatial location, and accurate timestamping, utilizing the beaconing feature of ZIGBEE.

Rotating shielded crane system

DOEpatents

Commander, John C.

1988-01-01

A rotating, radiation shielded crane system for use in a high radiation test cell, comprises a radiation shielding wall, a cylindrical ceiling made of radiation shielding material and a rotatable crane disposed above the ceiling. The ceiling rests on an annular ledge intergrally attached to the inner surface of the shielding wall. Removable plugs in the ceiling provide access for the crane from the top of the ceiling into the test cell. A seal is provided at the interface between the inner surface of the shielding wall and the ceiling.

Military Handbook. Grounding, Bonding, and Shielding for Electronic Equipments and Facilities. Volume 1. Basic Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-29

when the air or gas stream contains particulate matter. b. Pulverized materials passing through chutes or pneumatic conveyors . c. Nonconductive power...Hanover NH, 1971, AD 722 221. 146.Oakley, R.J., "Surface Transfer Impedance and Cable Shielding Design ," Wire Journal, Vol 4, No. 3, March 1971, pp...including considerations of grounding, bonding, and shielding in all phases of design , construction, operation, and maintenance of electronic equipment

KSC-2014-2963

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the media listen as NASA Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer marks the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, in the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To his right is Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. Partially hidden behind him is NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. To his left is Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager, and Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs Officer. Behind them is the crew module stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2961

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA Public Affairs Officer Rachel Kraft welcomes members of the media to the Operations and Checkout Building high at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to mark the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1. To her right are NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. To her left are Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager, and Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager. Behind them is the crew module stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2014-2964

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Members of the media listen as NASA Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer marks the T-6 months and counting to the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, in the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To his right is Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. Partially hidden behind him is NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. To his left is Cleon Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Orion Program manager, and Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs Officer. Behind them is the crew module stacked on the service module in the Final Assembly and System Testing cell. EFT-1 will provide engineers with data about the heat shield's ability to protect Orion and its future crews from the 4,000-degree heat of reentry and an ocean splashdown following the spacecraft’s 20,000-mph reentry from space. Data gathered during the flight will inform decisions about design improvements on the heat shield and other Orion systems, and authenticate existing computer models and new approaches to space systems design and development. This process is critical to reducing overall risks and costs of future Orion missions. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of the Orion is scheduled to launch later this year atop a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to an altitude of 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface. The two-orbit, four-hour flight test will help engineers evaluate the systems critical to crew safety including the heat shield, parachute system and launch abort system. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Radiation protection design considerations for man in geosynchronous orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossi, M. L.; Stauber, M. C.

1977-01-01

A description is presented of preliminary studies which have been carried out to identify design requirements and mission constraints imposed by the geosynchronous radiation environment. The radiation species of dominant impact are the trapped electrons and solar flare particles. The criterion used in the conducted shielding design analysis has been to limit the skin dose to 100 rems for 3 months. The analysis included the optimization of an electron/bremsstrahlung shield for residence within the vehicle, the minimization of the dose received in extravehicular activity, and the calculation of special shield requirements for solar flares. An investigation was conducted of the potential benefits accruing from a three-layered composite shield with part of the aluminum layer replaced with a lower atomic number material. The materials considered were polyethylene, carbon, beryllium, and lithium hydride.

A Practical Approach to Starting Fission Surface Power Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.

2006-01-01

The Prometheus Power and Propulsion Program has been reformulated to address NASA needs relative to lunar and Mars exploration. Emphasis has switched from the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) flight system development to more generalized technology development addressing Fission Surface Power (FSP) and Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP). Current NASA budget priorities and the deferred mission need date for nuclear systems prohibit a fully funded reactor Flight Development Program. However, a modestly funded Advanced Technology Program can and should be conducted to reduce the risk and cost of future flight systems. A potential roadmap for FSP technology development leading to possible flight applications could include three elements: 1) Conceptual Design Studies, 2) Advanced Component Technology, and 3) Non-Nuclear System Testing. The Conceptual Design Studies would expand on recent NASA and DOE analyses while increasing the depth of study in areas of greatest uncertainty such as reactor integration and human-rated shielding. The Advanced Component Technology element would address the major technology risks through development and testing of reactor fuels, structural materials, primary loop components, shielding, power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution (PMAD). The Non-Nuclear System Testing would provide a modular, technology testbed to investigate and resolve system integration issues.

Non-contact radio frequency shielding and wave guiding by multi-folded transformation optics method

PubMed Central

Madni, Hamza Ahmad; Zheng, Bin; Yang, Yihao; Wang, Huaping; Zhang, Xianmin; Yin, Wenyan; Li, Erping; Chen, Hongsheng

2016-01-01

Compared with conventional radio frequency (RF) shielding methods in which the conductive coating material encloses the circuits design and the leakage problem occurs due to the gap in such conductive material, non-contact RF shielding at a distance is very promising but still impossible to achieve so far. In this paper, a multi-folded transformation optics method is proposed to design a non-contact device for RF shielding. This “open-shielded” device can shield any object at a distance from the electromagnetic waves at the operating frequency, while the object is still physically open to the outer space. Based on this, an open-carpet cloak is proposed and the functionality of the open-carpet cloak is demonstrated. Furthermore, we investigate a scheme of non-contact wave guiding to remotely control the propagation of surface waves over any obstacles. The flexibilities of such multi-folded transformation optics method demonstrate the powerfulness of the method in the design of novel remote devices with impressive new functionalities. PMID:27841358

Shielding design of an underground experimental area at point 5 of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS).

PubMed

Mueller, Mario J; Stevenson, Graham R

2005-01-01

Increasing projected values of the circulating beam intensity in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) and decreasing limits to radiation exposure, taken with the increasing non-acceptance of unjustified and unoptimised radiation exposures, have led to the need to re-assess the shielding between the ECX and ECA5 underground experimental areas of the SPS. Twenty years ago, these experimental areas at SPS-Point 5 housed the UA1 experiment, where Carlo Rubbia and his team verified the existence of W and Z bosons. The study reported here describes such a re-assessment based on simulations using the multi-purpose FLUKA radiation transport code. This study concludes that while the main shield which is made of concrete blocks and is 4.8 m thick satisfactorily meets the current design limits even at the highest intensities presently planned for the SPS, dose rates calculated for liaison areas on both sides of the main shield significantly exceed the design limits. Possible ways of improving the shielding situation are discussed.

Systems design study of the Pioneer Venus spacecraft. Volume 1. Technical analyses and tradeoffs, section 7 (part 3 of 4). [aerodynamic design problems for small probe reentry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The aerodynamic design problems for the Pioneer Venus mission are discussed for a small probe shape that enters the atmosphere, and exhibits good stability for the subsonic portion of the flight. The problems discussed include: heat shield, structures and mechanisms, thermal control, decelerator, probe communication, data handling and command, and electric power.

Micromagnetic modeling of the shielding properties of nanoscale ferromagnetic layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iskandarova, I. M.; Knizhnik, A. A.; Popkov, A. F.; Potapkin, B. V.; Stainer, Q.; Lombard, L.; Mackay, K.

2016-09-01

Ferromagnetic shields are widely used to concentrate magnetic fields in a target region of space. Such shields are also used in spintronic nanodevices such as magnetic random access memory and magnetic logic devices. However, the shielding properties of nanostructured shields can differ considerably from those of macroscopic samples. In this work, we investigate the shielding properties of nanostructured NiFe layers around a current line using a finite element micromagnetic model. We find that thin ferromagnetic layers demonstrate saturation of magnetization under an external magnetic field, which reduces the shielding efficiency. Moreover, we show that the shielding properties of nanoscale ferromagnetic layers strongly depend on the uniformity of the layer thickness. Magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin ferromagnetic layers can also influence their shielding efficiency. In addition, we show that domain walls in nanoscale ferromagnetic shields can induce large increases and decreases in the generated magnetic field. Therefore, ferromagnetic shields for spintronic nanodevices require careful design and precise fabrication.

Shielding of substations against direct lightning strokes by shield wires

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chowdhuri, P.

1994-01-01

A new analysis for shielding outdoor substations against direct lightning strokes by shield wires is proposed. The basic assumption of this proposed method is that any lightning stroke which penetrates the shields will cause damage. The second assumption is that a certain level of risk of failure must be accepted, such as one or two failures per 100 years. The proposed method, using electrogeometric model, was applied to design shield wires for two outdoor substations: (1) 161-kV/69-kV station, and (2) 500-kV/161-kV station. The results of the proposed method were also compared with the shielding data of two other substations.

Computer program optimizes design of nuclear radiation shields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lahti, G. P.

1971-01-01

Computer program, OPEX 2, determines minimum weight, volume, or cost for shields. Program incorporates improved coding, simplified data input, spherical geometry, and an expanded output. Method is capable of altering dose-thickness relationship when a shield layer has been removed.

SHIELDING CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE SMALL ANIMAL RADIATION RESEARCH PLATFORM (SARRP)

PubMed Central

Sayler, Elaine; Dolney, Derek; Avery, Stephen; Koch, Cameron

2014-01-01

The Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) is a commercially available platform designed to deliver conformal, image-guided radiation to small animals using a dual-anode kV x-ray source. At the University of Pennsylvania, a free-standing 2 m3 enclosure was designed to shield the SARRP according to federal code regulating cabinet x-ray systems. The initial design consisted of 4.0-mm-thick lead for all secondary barriers and proved wholly inadequate. Radiation levels outside the enclosure were 15 times higher than expected. Additionally, the leakage appeared to be distributed broadly within the enclosure, so concern arose that a subject might receive significant doses outside the intended treatment field. Thus, a detailed analysis was undertaken to identify and block all sources of leakage. Leakage sources were identified by Kodak X-OmatV (XV) film placed throughout the enclosure. Radiation inside the enclosure was quantified using Gafchromic film. Outside the enclosure, radiation was measured using a survey meter. Sources of leakage included (1) an unnecessarily broad beam exiting the tube, (2) failure of the secondary collimator to confine the primary beam entirely, (3) scatter from the secondary collimator, (4) lack of beam-stop below the treatment volume, and (5) incomplete shielding of the x-ray tube. The exit window was restricted, and a new collimator was designed to address problems (1–3). A beam-stop and additional tube shielding were installed. These modifications reduced internal scatter by more than 100-fold. Radiation outside the enclosure was reduced to levels compliant with federal regulations, provided the SARRP is operated using tube potentials of 175 kV or less. In addition, these simple and relatively inexpensive modifications eliminate the possibility of exposing a larger animal (such as a rat) to significant doses outside the treatment field. PMID:23532076

OLTARIS: On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandridge, Chris A.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Clowdsley, Martha S.; Norbury, John; Qualis, Garry D.; Simonsen, Lisa C.; Singleterry, Robert C.; Slaba, Tony C.; Walker, Steven A.; Badavi, Francis F.;

Orion Tile Fitting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-24

Tile blocks have been prefitted around the heat shield for the Orion crew module inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield is one of the most critical elements of Orion and protects it and the future astronauts inside from searing temperatures experienced during reentry through Earth’s atmosphere when they return home. For Exploration Mission-1, the top layer of Orion’s heat shield that is primarily responsible for helping the crew module endure reentry heat will be composed of approximately 180 blocks, which are made of an ablative material called Avcoat designed to wear away as it heats up. Orion is being prepared for its flight on the agency’s Space Launch System for Exploration Mission-1 in late 2018. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and NASA’s Journey to Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion.

AP1000{sup R} design robustness against extreme external events - Seismic, flooding, and aircraft crash

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pfister, A.; Goossen, C.; Coogler, K.

2012-07-01

Both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) require existing and new nuclear power plants to conduct plant assessments to demonstrate the unit's ability to withstand external hazards. The events that occurred at the Fukushima-Dai-ichi nuclear power station demonstrated the importance of designing a nuclear power plant with the ability to protect the plant against extreme external hazards. The innovative design of the AP1000{sup R} nuclear power plant provides unparalleled protection against catastrophic external events which can lead to extensive infrastructure damage and place the plant in an extended abnormal situation. The AP1000 plantmore » is an 1100-MWe pressurized water reactor with passive safety features and extensive plant simplifications that enhance construction, operation, maintenance and safety. The plant's compact safety related footprint and protection provided by its robust nuclear island structures prevent significant damage to systems, structures, and components required to safely shutdown the plant and maintain core and spent fuel pool cooling and containment integrity following extreme external events. The AP1000 nuclear power plant has been extensively analyzed and reviewed to demonstrate that it's nuclear island design and plant layout provide protection against both design basis and extreme beyond design basis external hazards such as extreme seismic events, external flooding that exceeds the maximum probable flood limit, and malicious aircraft impact. The AP1000 nuclear power plant uses fail safe passive features to mitigate design basis accidents. The passive safety systems are designed to function without safety-grade support systems (such as AC power, component cooling water, service water, compressed air or HVAC). The plant has been designed to protect systems, structures, and components critical to placing the reactor in a safe shutdown condition within the steel containment vessel which is further surrounded by a substantial 'steel concrete' composite shield building. The containment vessel is not affected by external flooding, and the shield building design provides hazard protection beyond that provided by a comparable reinforced concrete structure. The intent of this paper is to demonstrate the robustness of the AP1000 design against extreme events. The paper will focus on the plants ability to withstand extreme external events such as beyond design basis flooding, seismic events, and malicious aircraft impact. The paper will highlight the robustness of the AP1000 nuclear island design including the protection provided by the unique AP1000 composite shield building. (authors)« less

Jefferson Lab CLAS12 Superconducting Solenoid magnet Requirements and Design Evolution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rajput-Ghoshal, Renuka; Hogan, John P.; Fair, Ruben J.

2014-12-01

As part of the Jefferson Lab 12GeV accelerator upgrade project, one of the experimental halls (Hall B) requires two superconducting magnets. One is a magnet system consisting of six superconducting trapezoidal racetrack-type coils assembled in a toroidal configuration and the second is an actively shielded solenoidal magnet system consisting of 5 coils. In this presentation the physics requirements for the 5 T solenoid magnet, design constraints, conductor decision, and cooling choice will be discussed. The various design iterations to meet the specification will also be discussed in this presentation.

Flexible Multi-Shock Shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christiansen, Eric L. (Inventor); Crews, Jeanne L. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

Flexible multi-shock shield system and method are disclosed for defending against hypervelocity particles. The flexible multi-shock shield system and method may include a number of flexible bumpers or shield layers spaced apart by one or more resilient support layers, all of which may be encapsulated in a protective cover. Fasteners associated with the protective cover allow the flexible multi-shock shield to be secured to the surface of a structure to be protected.

Accelerator shield design of KIPT neutron source facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhong, Z.; Gohar, Y.

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) of the United States and Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology (KIPT) of Ukraine have been collaborating on the design development of a neutron source facility at KIPT utilizing an electron-accelerator-driven subcritical assembly. Electron beam power is 100 kW, using 100 MeV electrons. The facility is designed to perform basic and applied nuclear research, produce medical isotopes, and train young nuclear specialists. The biological shield of the accelerator building is designed to reduce the biological dose to less than 0.5-mrem/hr during operation. The main source of the biological dose is the photons and the neutrons generatedmore » by interactions of leaked electrons from the electron gun and accelerator sections with the surrounding concrete and accelerator materials. The Monte Carlo code MCNPX serves as the calculation tool for the shield design, due to its capability to transport electrons, photons, and neutrons coupled problems. The direct photon dose can be tallied by MCNPX calculation, starting with the leaked electrons. However, it is difficult to accurately tally the neutron dose directly from the leaked electrons. The neutron yield per electron from the interactions with the surrounding components is less than 0.01 neutron per electron. This causes difficulties for Monte Carlo analyses and consumes tremendous computation time for tallying with acceptable statistics the neutron dose outside the shield boundary. To avoid these difficulties, the SOURCE and TALLYX user subroutines of MCNPX were developed for the study. The generated neutrons are banked, together with all related parameters, for a subsequent MCNPX calculation to obtain the neutron and secondary photon doses. The weight windows variance reduction technique is utilized for both neutron and photon dose calculations. Two shielding materials, i.e., heavy concrete and ordinary concrete, were considered for the shield design. The main goal is to maintain the total dose outside the shield boundary at less than 0.5-mrem/hr. The shield configuration and parameters of the accelerator building have been determined and are presented in this paper. (authors)« less

Interbody fusion cage design using integrated global layout and local microstructure topology optimization.

PubMed

Lin, Chia-Ying; Hsiao, Chun-Ching; Chen, Po-Quan; Hollister, Scott J

2004-08-15

An approach combining global layout and local microstructure topology optimization was used to create a new interbody fusion cage design that concurrently enhanced stability, biofactor delivery, and mechanical tissue stimulation for improved arthrodesis. To develop a new interbody fusion cage design by topology optimization with porous internal architecture. To compare the performance of this new design to conventional threaded cage designs regarding early stability and long-term stress shielding effects on ingrown bone. Conventional interbody cage designs mainly fall into categories of cylindrical or rectangular shell shapes. The designs contribute to rigid stability and maintain disc height for successful arthrodesis but may also suffer mechanically mediated failures of dislocation or subsidence, as well as the possibility of bone resorption. The new optimization approach created a cage having designed microstructure that achieved desired mechanical performance while providing interconnected channels for biofactor delivery. The topology optimization algorithm determines the material layout under desirable volume fraction (50%) and displacement constraints favorable to bone formation. A local microstructural topology optimization method was used to generate periodic microstructures for porous isotropic materials. Final topology was generated by the integration of the two-scaled structures according to segmented regions and the corresponding material density. Image-base finite element analysis was used to compare the mechanical performance of the topology-optimized cage and conventional threaded cage. The final design can be fabricated by a variety of Solid Free-Form systems directly from the image output. The new design exhibited a narrower, more uniform displacement range than the threaded cage design and lower stress at the cage-vertebra interface, suggesting a reduced risk of subsidence. Strain energy density analysis also indicated that a higher portion of total strain energy density was transferred into the new bone region inside the new designed cage, indicating a reduced risk of stress shielding. The new design approach using integrated topology optimization demonstrated comparable or better stability by limited displacement and reduced localized deformation related to the risk of subsidence. Less shielding of newly formed bone was predicted inside the new designed cage. Using the present approach, it is also possible to tailor cage design for specific materials, either titanium or polymer, that can attain the desired balance between stability, reduced stress shielding, and porosity for biofactor delivery.

TU-H-BRA-01: The Physics of High Power Radiofrequency Isolation in a Novel Compact Linear Accelerator Based MRI Guided Radiation Therapy System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lamb, J; Low, D; Mutic, S

Purpose: To develop a method for isolating the radiofrequency waves emanating from linear accelerator components from the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system of an integrated MRI-linac. Methods: An MRI-guided radiation therapy system has been designed that integrates a linear accelerator with simultaneous MR imaging. The radiofrequency waves created by the accelerating process would degrade MR image quality, so a method for containing the radiofrequency waves and isolating the MR imager from them was developed. The linear accelerator radiofrequency modulator was placed outside the room, so a filter was designed to eliminate the radiofrequency corresponding to the proton Larmour frequency ofmore » 14.7 MHz. Placing the radiofrequency emitting components in a typical Faraday cage would have reduced the radiofrequency emissions, but the design would be susceptible to small gaps in the shield due to the efficiency of the Faraday cage reflecting internal radiofrequency emissions. To reduce internal radiofrequency reflections, the Faraday cage was lined with carbon fiber sheets. Carbon fiber has the property of attenuating the radiofrequency energy so that the overall radiofrequency field inside the Faraday cage is reduced, decreasing any radiofrequency energy emitted from small gaps in the cage walls. Results: Within a 1.2 MHz band centered on the Larmor frequency, the radiofrequency (RF) leakage from the Faraday cage was measured to be −90 dB with no RF on, −40 dB with the RF on and no shield, returning to −90 dB with the RF on and shields in place. The radiofrequency filter attenuated the linear accelerator modulator emissions in the 14.7 MHz band by 70 dB. Conclusions: One of the major challenges in designing a compact linear accelerator based MRI-guided radiation therapy system, that of isolating the high power RF system from the MRI, has been solved. The measured radiofrequency emissions are sufficiently small to enable system integration. This research was funded by ViewRay, Inc., Oakwood, OH.« less

Impact of radiation dose on nuclear shuttle configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, C. A.; Billings, M. A.

1972-01-01

The impact of nuclear radiation (from the NERVA propulsion system) on the selection of a reference configuration for each of two classes of the reusable nuclear shuttle is considered. One class was characterized by a single propellant tank, the shape of whose bottom was found to have a pronounced effect on crew radiation levels and associated shield weight requirements. A trade study of shield weight versus structural weight indicated that the minimum-weight configuration for this class had a tank bottom in the shape of a frustum of a 10 deg-half-angle cone. A hybrid version of this configuration was found to affect crew radiation levels in substantially the same manner. The other class of RNS consisted of a propulsion module and eight propellant modules. Radiation analyses of various module arrangements led to a design configuration with no external shield requirements.

SU-G-IeP4-04: DD-Neutron Source Collimation for Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fong, G; Kapadia, A

Purpose: To optimize collimation and shielding for a deuterium-deuterium (DD) neutron generator for an inexpensive and compact clinical neutron imaging system. The envisioned application is cancer diagnosis through Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT). Methods: Collimator designs were tested with an isotropic 2.5 MeV neutron source through GEANT4 simulations. The collimator is a 52×52×52 cm{sup 3} polyethylene block coupled with a 1 cm lead sheet in sequence. Composite opening was modeled into the collimator to permit passage of neutrons. The opening varied in shape (cylindrical vs. tapered), size (1–5 cm source-side and target-side openings) and aperture placements (13–39 cm frommore » source-side). Spatial and energy distribution of neutrons and gammas were tracked from each collimator design. Parameters analyzed were primary beam width (FWHM), divergence, and efficiency (percent transmission) for different configurations of the collimator. Select resultant outputs were then used for simulated NSECT imaging of a virtual breast phantom containing a 2.5 cm diameter tumor to assess the effect of the collimator on spatial resolution, noise, and scan time. Finally, composite shielding enclosure made of polyethylene and lead was designed and evaluated to block 99.99% of neutron and gamma radiation generated in the system. Results: Analysis of primary beam indicated the beam-width is linear to the aperture size. Increasing source-side opening allowed at least 20% more neutron throughput for all designs relative to the cylindrical openings. Maximum throughput for all designs was 364% relative to cylindrical openings. Conclusion: The work indicates potential for collimating and shielding a DD neutron generator for use in a clinical NSECT system. The proposed collimator designs produced a well-defined collimated neutron beam that can be used to image samples of interest with millimeter resolution. Balance in output efficiency, noise reduction, and scan time should be considered to determine the optimal design for specific NSECT applications.« less

A novel approach to spacecraft re-entry and recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patten, Richard; Hedgecock, Judson C.

1990-01-01

A deployable radiative heat shield design for spacecraft reentry is discussed. The design would allow the spacecraft to be cylindrical instead of the the traditional conical shape, providing a greater internal volume and thus enhancing mission capabilities. The heat shield uses a flexible thermal blanket material which is deployed in a manner similar to an umbrella. Based on the radiative properties of this blanket material, heating constraints have been established which allow a descent trajectory to be designed. The heat shield and capsule configuration are analyzed for resistance to heat flux and aerodynamic stability based on reentry trajectory. Experimental tests are proposed.

JWST NIRSpec Cryogenic Light Shield Mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Kathleen; Sharma, Rajeev

2006-01-01

The focal plane detectors for the Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) require a light tight cover for calibration along with an open field-of-view during ground performance testing within a cryogenic dewar. In order to meet the light attenuation requirements and provide open and closed fields of view without breaking vacuum, a light shield mechanism was designed. This paper describes the details of the light shield mechanism design and test results. Included is information on the labyrinth light path design, motor capability and performance, dry film lubrication, mechanism control, and mechanism cryogenic performance results.

Skyglow changes over Tucson, Arizona, resulting from a municipal LED street lighting conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barentine, John C.; Walker, Constance E.; Kocifaj, Miroslav; Kundracik, František; Juan, Amy; Kanemoto, John; Monrad, Christian K.

2018-06-01

The transition from earlier lighting technologies to white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is a significant change in the use of artificial light at night. LEDs emit considerably more short-wavelength light into the environment than earlier technologies on a per-lumen basis. Radiative transfer models predict increased skyglow over cities transitioning to LED unless the total lumen output of new lighting systems is reduced. The City of Tucson, Arizona (U.S.), recently converted its municipal street lighting system from a mixture of fully shielded high- and low-pressure sodium (HPS/LPS) luminaires to fully shielded 3000 K white LED luminaires. The lighting design intended to minimize increases to skyglow in order to protect the sites of nearby astronomical observatories without compromising public safety. This involved the migration of over 445 million fully shielded HPS/LPS lumens to roughly 142 million fully shielded 3000 K white LED lumens and an expected concomitant reduction in the amount of visual skyglow over Tucson. SkyGlow Simulator models predict skyglow decreases on the order of 10-20% depending on whether fully shielded or partly shielded lights are in use. We tested this prediction using visual night sky brightness estimates and luminance-calibrated, panchromatic all-sky imagery at 15 locations in and near the city. Data were obtained in 2014, before the LED conversion began, and in mid-2017 after approximately 95% of ∼ 18,000 luminaires was converted. Skyglow differed marginally, and in all cases with valid data changed by < ± 20%. Over the same period, the city's upward-directed optical radiance detected from Earth orbit decreased by approximately 7%. While these results are not conclusive, they suggest that LED conversions paired with dimming can reduce skyglow over cities.

Design of Two RadWorks Storm Shelters for Solar Particle Event Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Matthew; Cerro, Jeffery; Latorella, Kara; Clowdsley, Martha; Watson, Judith; Albertson, Cindy; Norman, Ryan; Le Boffe, Vincent; Walker, Steven

2014-01-01

In order to enable long-duration human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, the risks associated with exposure of astronaut crews to space radiation must be mitigated with practical and affordable solutions. The space radiation environment beyond the magnetosphere is primarily a combination of two types of radiation: galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE). While mitigating GCR exposure remains an open issue, reducing astronaut exposure to SPEs is achievable through material shielding because they are made up primarily of medium-energy protons. In order to ensure astronaut safety for long durations beyond low-Earth orbit, SPE radiation exposure must be mitigated. However, the increasingly demanding spacecraft propulsive performance for these ambitious missions requires minimal mass and volume radiation shielding solutions which leverage available multi-functional habitat structures and logistics as much as possible. This paper describes the efforts of NASA's RadWorks Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Project to design two minimal mass SPE radiation shelter concepts leveraging available resources: one based upon reconfiguring habitat interiors to create a centralized protection area and one based upon augmenting individual crew quarters with waterwalls and logistics. Discussion items include the design features of the concepts, a radiation analysis of their implementations, an assessment of the parasitic mass of each concept, and the result of a human in the loop evaluation performed to drive out design and operational issues.

The design of a multimegawatt heat pipe radiator for an inertial fusion rocket powered manned Mars mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murray, K. A.

1988-01-01

A system of heat pipe radiators has been designed to provide waste heat rejection for an inertial fusion powered spacecraft capable of manned missions to other planets. The radiators are arrays of unfinned, arterial heat pipes operating at 1500 and 900 K. Liquid metal coolant carries up to 8000 MW of waste heat through feed pipes from on-board components (laser drivers and coil shield). The radiators do not rely on armor for protection from micrometeoroid penetration. An armored radiator design for this application with a 99 percent survivability would have a specific mass of 0.06 to 0.11 kg/kW at 1500 K. Instead, a segmentation of heat pipes is used, and bumpers are utilized to protect the feed pipes. This design reduces the specific mass to 0.015 to 0.04 kg/kW for the coil shield radiator (1500 K) and 0.06 to 0.12 kg/kW for the laser driver radiator (900 K).

Regolith-Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's Grand Challenges involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Heat shields fabricated in-situ can provide a thermal protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. Fabricating the heat shield from extraterrestrial regolith will avoid the costs of launching the heat shield mass from Earth. This project will investigate three methods to fabricate heat shield using extraterrestrial regolith.

Welding shield for coupling heaters

DOEpatents

Menotti, James Louis

2010-03-09

Systems for coupling end portions of two elongated heater portions and methods of using such systems to treat a subsurface formation are described herein. A system may include a holding system configured to hold end portions of the two elongated heater portions so that the end portions are abutted together or located near each other; a shield for enclosing the end portions, and one or more inert gas inlets configured to provide at least one inert gas to flush the system with inert gas during welding of the end portions. The shield may be configured to inhibit oxidation during welding that joins the end portions together. The shield may include a hinged door that, when closed, is configured to at least partially isolate the interior of the shield from the atmosphere. The hinged door, when open, is configured to allow access to the interior of the shield.

Investigation of Natural and Man-Made Radiation Effects on Crews on Long Duration Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolch, Wesley E.; Parlos, Alexander

1996-01-01

Over the past several years, NASA has studied a variety of mission scenarios designed to establish a permanent human presence on the surface of Mars. Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) is one of the possible elements in this program. During the initial stages of vehicle design work, careful consideration must be given to not only the shielding requirements of natural space radiation, but to the shielding and configuration requirements of the on-board reactors. In this work, the radiation transport code MCNP has been used to make initial estimates of crew exposures to reactor radiation fields for a specific manned NEP vehicle design. In this design, three 25 MW(sub th), scaled SP-100-class reactors are shielded by three identical shields. Each shield has layers of beryllium, tungsten, and lithium hydride between the reactor and the crew compartment. Separate calculations are made of both the exiting neutron and gamma fluxes from the reactors during beginning-of-life, full-power operation. This data is then used as the source terms for particle transport in MCNP. The total gamma and neutron fluxes exiting the reactor shields are recorded and separate transport calculations are then performed for a 10 g/sq cm crew compartment aluminum thickness. Estimates of crew exposures have been assessed for various thicknesses of the shield tungsten and lithium hydride layers. A minimal tungsten thickness of 20 cm is required to shield the reactor photons below the 0.05 Sv/y man-made radiation limit. In addition to a 20-cm thick tungsten layer, a 40-cm thick lithium hydride layer is required to shield the reactor neutrons below the annual limit. If the tungsten layer is 30-cm thick, the lithium hydride layer should be at least 30-cm thick. These estimates do not take into account the photons generated by neutron interactions inside the shield because the MCNP neutron cross sections did not allow reliable estimates of photon production in these materials. These results, along with natural space radiation shielding estimates calculated by NASA Langley Research Center, have been used to provide preliminary input data into a new Macintosh-based software tool. A skeletal version of this tool being developed will allow rapid radiation exposure and risk analyses to be performed on a variety of Lunar and Mars missions utilizing nuclear-powered vehicles.

Empennage Noise Shielding Benefits for an Open Rotor Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berton, Jeffrey J.

2012-01-01

NASA sets aggressive, strategic, civil aircraft performance and environmental goals and develops ambitious technology roadmaps to guide its research efforts. NASA has adopted a phased approach for community noise reduction of civil aircraft. While the goal of the near-term first phase focuses primarily on source noise reduction, the goal of the second phase relies heavily on presumed architecture changes of future aircraft. The departure from conventional airplane configurations to designs that incorporate some type of propulsion noise shielding is anticipated to provide an additional 10 cumulative EPNdB of noise reduction. One candidate propulsion system for these advanced aircraft is the open rotor engine. In some planned applications, twin open rotor propulsors are located on the aft fuselage, with the vehicle s empennage shielding some of their acoustic signature from observers on the ground. This study focuses on predicting the noise certification benefits of a notional open rotor aircraft with tail structures shielding a portion of the rotor noise. The measured noise of an open rotor test article--collected with and without an acoustic barrier wall--is the basis of the prediction. The results are used to help validate NASA s reliance on acoustic shielding to achieve the second phase of its community noise reduction goals. The noise measurements are also compared to a popular empirical diffraction correlation often used at NASA to predict acoustic shielding.

RadWorks Storm Shelter Design for Solar Particle Event Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Matthew A.; Cerro, Jeffrey; Clowdsley, Martha

2013-01-01

In order to enable long-duration human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, the risks associated with exposure of astronaut crews to space radiation must be mitigated with practical and affordable solutions. The space radiation environment beyond the magnetosphere is primarily a combination of two types of radiation: galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE). While mitigating GCR exposure remains an open issue, reducing astronaut exposure to SPEs is achievable through material shielding because they are made up primarily of medium-energy protons. In order to ensure astronaut safety for long durations beyond low-Earth orbit, SPE radiation exposure must be mitigated. However, the increasingly demanding spacecraft propulsive performance for these ambitious missions requires minimal mass and volume radiation shielding solutions which leverage available multi-functional habitat structures and logistics as much as possible. This paper describes the efforts of NASA's RadWorks Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Project to design minimal mass SPE radiation shelter concepts leveraging available resources. Discussion items include a description of the shelter trade space, the prioritization process used to identify the four primary shelter concepts chosen for maturation, a summary of each concept's design features, a description of the radiation analysis process, and an assessment of the parasitic mass of each concept.

Spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stewart, L.; Agace, S.

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently engaged in a cooperative program with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to design a spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system (DTS). The system will enable the transfer of individual spent nuclear fuel assemblies between a conventional top loading cask and multi-purpose canister in a shielded overpack, or accommodate spent nuclear fuel transfers between two conventional casks.

A compact 3 T all HTS cryogen-free MRI system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkinson, B. J.; Bouloukakis, K.; Slade, R. A.

2017-12-01

We have designed and built a passively shielded, cryogen-free 3 T 160 mm bore bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide HTS magnet with shielded gradient coils suitable for use in small animal imaging applications. The magnet is cooled to approximately 16 K using a two-stage cryocooler and is operated at 200 A. The magnet has been passively shimmed so as to achieve ±10 parts per million (ppm) homogeneity over a 60 mm diameter imaging volume. We have demonstrated that B 0 temporal stability is fit-for-purpose despite the magnet operating in the driven mode. The system has produced good quality spin-echo and gradient echo images. This compact HTS-MRI system is emerging as a true alternative to conventional low temperature superconductor based cryogen-free MRI systems, with much more efficient cryogenics since it operates entirely from a single phase alternating current electrical supply.

Description of Transport Codes for Space Radiation Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.; Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2011-01-01

This slide presentation describes transport codes and their use for studying and designing space radiation shielding. When combined with risk projection models radiation transport codes serve as the main tool for study radiation and designing shielding. There are three criteria for assessing the accuracy of transport codes: (1) Ground-based studies with defined beams and material layouts, (2) Inter-comparison of transport code results for matched boundary conditions and (3) Comparisons to flight measurements. These three criteria have a very high degree with NASA's HZETRN/QMSFRG.

Three-dimensional Monte Carlo calculation of some nuclear parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Günay, Mehtap; Şeker, Gökmen

2017-09-01

In this study, a fusion-fission hybrid reactor system was designed by using 9Cr2WVTa Ferritic steel structural material and the molten salt-heavy metal mixtures 99-95% Li20Sn80 + 1-5% RG-Pu, 99-95% Li20Sn80 + 1-5% RG-PuF4, and 99-95% Li20Sn80 + 1-5% RG-PuO2, as fluids. The fluids were used in the liquid first wall, blanket and shield zones of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor system. Beryllium (Be) zone with the width of 3 cm was used for the neutron multiplication between the liquid first wall and blanket. This study analyzes the nuclear parameters such as tritium breeding ratio (TBR), energy multiplication factor (M), heat deposition rate, fission reaction rate in liquid first wall, blanket and shield zones and investigates effects of reactor grade Pu content in the designed system on these nuclear parameters. Three-dimensional analyses were performed by using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX-2.7.0 and nuclear data library ENDF/B-VII.0.

10 CFR 36.23 - Access control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION LICENSES AND RADIATION SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR IRRADIATORS Design and Performance... irradiator must have a door or other physical barrier to prevent inadvertent entry of personnel if the sources are not in the shielded position. Product conveyor systems may serve as barriers as long as they...

Thermal-hydraulic analysis of N Reactor graphite and shield cooling system performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Low, J.O.; Schmitt, B.E.

1988-02-01

A series of bounding (worst-case) calculations were performed using a detailed hydrodynamic RELAP5 model of the N Reactor graphite and shield cooling system (GSCS). These calculations were specifically aimed to answer issues raised by the Westinghouse Independent Safety Review (WISR) committee. These questions address the operability of the GSCS during a worst-case degraded-core accident that requires the GDCS to mitigate the consequences of the accident. An accident scenario previously developed was designed as the hydrogen-mitigation design-basis accident (HMDBA). Previous HMDBA heat transfer analysis,, using the TRUMP-BD code, was used to define the thermal boundary conditions that the GSDS may bemore » exposed to. These TRUMP/HMDBA analysis results were used to define the bounding operating conditions of the GSCS during the course of an HMDBA transient. Nominal and degraded GSCS scenarios were investigated using RELAP5 within or at the bounds of the HMDBA transient. 10 refs., 42 figs., 10 tabs.« less

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - United Space Alliance employees Jeremy Schwarz (left) and Chris Keeling install new tiles on the heat shield of main engine 1 for the orbiter Discovery. A heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft designed to protect it from the high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - United Space Alliance employees Jeremy Schwarz (left) and Chris Keeling install new tiles on the heat shield of main engine 1 for the orbiter Discovery. A heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft designed to protect it from the high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Shielding NSLS-II light source: Importance of geometry for calculating radiation levels from beam losses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, S. L.; Ghosh, V. J.; Breitfeller, M.; Wahl, W.

2016-11-01

Third generation high brightness light sources are designed to have low emittance and high current beams, which contribute to higher beam loss rates that will be compensated by Top-Off injection. Shielding for these higher loss rates will be critical to protect the projected higher occupancy factors for the users. Top-Off injection requires a full energy injector, which will demand greater consideration of the potential abnormal beam miss-steering and localized losses that could occur. The high energy electron injection beam produces significantly higher neutron component dose to the experimental floor than a lower energy beam injection and ramped operations. Minimizing this dose will require adequate knowledge of where the miss-steered beam can occur and sufficient EM shielding close to the loss point, in order to attenuate the energy of the particles in the EM shower below the neutron production threshold (<10 MeV), which will spread the incident energy on the bulk shield walls and thereby the dose penetrating the shield walls. Designing supplemental shielding near the loss point using the analytic shielding model is shown to be inadequate because of its lack of geometry specification for the EM shower process. To predict the dose rates outside the tunnel requires detailed description of the geometry and materials that the beam losses will encounter inside the tunnel. Modern radiation shielding Monte-Carlo codes, like FLUKA, can handle this geometric description of the radiation transport process in sufficient detail, allowing accurate predictions of the dose rates expected and the ability to show weaknesses in the design before a high radiation incident occurs. The effort required to adequately define the accelerator geometry for these codes has been greatly reduced with the implementation of the graphical interface of FLAIR to FLUKA. This made the effective shielding process for NSLS-II quite accurate and reliable. The principles used to provide supplemental shielding to the NSLS-II accelerators and the lessons learned from this process are presented.

Lunar base thermal management/power system analysis and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcghee, Jerry R.

1992-01-01

A compilation of several lunar surface thermal management and power system studies completed under contract and IR&D is presented. The work includes analysis and preliminary design of all major components of an integrated thermal management system, including loads determination, active internal acquisition and transport equipment, external transport systems (active and passive), passive insulation, solar shielding, and a range of lunar surface radiator concepts. Several computer codes were utilized in support of this study, including RADSIM to calculate radiation exchange factors and view factors, RADIATOR (developed in-house) for heat rejection system sizing and performance analysis over a lunar day, SURPWER for power system sizing, and CRYSTORE for cryogenic system performance predictions. Although much of the work was performed in support of lunar rover studies, any or all of the results can be applied to a range of surface applications. Output data include thermal loads summaries, subsystem performance data, mass, and volume estimates (where applicable), integrated and worst-case lunar day radiator size/mass and effective sink temperatures for several concepts (shielded and unshielded), and external transport system performance estimates for both single and two-phase (heat pumped) transport loops. Several advanced radiator concepts are presented, along with brief assessments of possible system benefits and potential drawbacks. System point designs are presented for several cases, executed in support of the contract and IR&D studies, although the parametric nature of the analysis is stressed to illustrate applicability of the analysis procedure to a wide variety of lunar surface systems. The reference configuration(s) derived from the various studies will be presented along with supporting criteria. A preliminary design will also be presented for the reference basing scenario, including qualitative data regarding TPS concerns and issues.

Thermal behavior of heat-pipe-assisted alkali-metal thermoelectric converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ji-Su; Lee, Wook-Hyun; Chi, Ri-Guang; Chung, Won-Sik; Lee, Kye-Bock; Rhi, Seok-Ho; Jeong, Seon-Yong; Park, Jong-Chan

2017-11-01

The alkali-metal thermal-to-electric converter (AMTEC) changes thermal energy directly into electrical energy using alkali metals, such as sodium and potassium, as the working fluid. The AMTEC system primarily consists of beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE) tubes, low and high-pressure chambers, an evaporator, and a condenser and work through continuous sodium circulation, similar to conventional heat pipes. When the sodium ions pass through the BASE tubes with ion conductivity, this ion transfer generates electricity. The efficiency of the AMTEC directly depends on the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the system. The optimum design of components of the AMTEC, including the condenser, evaporator, BASE tubes, and artery wick, can improve power output and efficiency. Here, a radiation shield was installed in the low-pressure chamber of the AMTEC and was investigated experimentally and numerically to determine an optimum design for preventing radiation heat loss through the condenser and the wall of AMTEC container. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was carried out to decide the optimum size of the low-pressure chamber. The most suitable height and diameter of the chamber were 270 mm and 180 mm, respectively, with eight BASE tubes, which were 150 mm high, 25 mm in diameter, and 105 mm in concentric diameter. Increasing the temperature ratio ( T Cond /T B ) led to high power output. The minimum dimensionless value (0.4611) for temperature ( T Cond /T B ) appeared when the radiation shield was made of 500-mesh nickel. Simulation results for the best position and shape for the radiation shield, revealed that maximum power was generated when a stainless steel shield was installed in between the BASE tubes and condenser.

An intelligent re-shieldable targeting system for enhanced tumor accumulation.

PubMed

Hu, Zhenpeng; Ma, Jinlong; Fu, Fei; Cui, Chen; Li, Xiaomin; Wang, Xinyu; Wang, Wei; Wan, Yeda; Yuan, Zhi

2017-12-28

Programmed ligand targeting strategy promotes the blood circulation stability of nanoparticles by shielding the ligand. However, the irreversible shielding causes the deshielded nanoparticles to be easily recognized and cleared by the reticuloendothelial system (RES), impeding their further retention in the tumor. Here, we for the first time prove the superiority of the intelligent re-shieldable targeting system that is based on the pH-responsive self-assembly/disassembly of gold nanoparticles. The system can enhance the stability of gold nanoparticles in the blood circulation (2.6-fold at 24h), reduce uptake by the RES (35% lower) and improve tumor accumulation (41% higher by analysis of gold content in tumor) effectively compared with the conventional irreversible system. Furthermore, preliminary study indicates that the system could be applied as computed tomography contrast agent in tumor imaging. The in vivo validity of the intelligent re-shieldable targeting system provides inspiration for the design of nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Electro shield system applications on set gill net as efforts to preserve shark resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitri Aristi, DP; Boesono, H.; Prihantoko, K. E.; Gautama, D. Y.

2018-05-01

Sharks are kind of ETP biota (Endangered, Threatened, and Protected), and are generally caught as by catch during fishing operations. In addition, sharks are one of the biota that plays a role in the life cycle in coastal waters. The Electro Shield System (ESS) was a device with an electromagnetic wave source that the shark can detect and make it afraid. ESS can be applied to set gill net operation to prevent the shark from getting caught. The objective of the study was to analyze the ESS on shark catches during set gill net operations. The research method was experimental fishing, conducted in March-May 2017 in Bangka Belitung Islands, Indonesia. Design the study by comparing shark catches during set gill net operation between those without using ESS (control) and using ESS with frequency 55 Hz. The shark catch by using Electro Shield System was 5.26% lower than control (7.80%). T-student analysis (sign 0.05) indicates that there was a significant difference between the set gill net without ESS and using the ESS against shark biota as bycatch. This indicates that the application of ESS in set gill net can reduce the capture of shark as by catch.

Electron dose distributions caused by the contact-type metallic eye shield: Studies using Monte Carlo and pencil beam algorithms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, Sei-Kwon; Yoon, Jai-Woong; Hwang, Taejin

A metallic contact eye shield has sometimes been used for eyelid treatment, but dose distribution has never been reported for a patient case. This study aimed to show the shield-incorporated CT-based dose distribution using the Pinnacle system and Monte Carlo (MC) calculation for 3 patient cases. For the artifact-free CT scan, an acrylic shield machined as the same size as that of the tungsten shield was used. For the MC calculation, BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc were used for the 6-MeV electron beam of the Varian 21EX, in which information for the tungsten, stainless steel, and aluminum material for the eye shieldmore » was used. The same plan was generated on the Pinnacle system and both were compared. The use of the acrylic shield produced clear CT images, enabling delineation of the regions of interest, and yielded CT-based dose calculation for the metallic shield. Both the MC and the Pinnacle systems showed a similar dose distribution downstream of the eye shield, reflecting the blocking effect of the metallic eye shield. The major difference between the MC and the Pinnacle results was the target eyelid dose upstream of the shield such that the Pinnacle system underestimated the dose by 19 to 28% and 11 to 18% for the maximum and the mean doses, respectively. The pattern of dose difference between the MC and the Pinnacle systems was similar to that in the previous phantom study. In conclusion, the metallic eye shield was successfully incorporated into the CT-based planning, and the accurate dose calculation requires MC simulation.« less

Design calculations for a xenon plasma x-ray shield to protect the NIF optical Thomson scattering diagnostic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swadling, G. F.; Ross, J. S.; Datte, P.; Moody, J.; Divol, L.; Jones, O.; Landen, O.

2016-11-01

An Optical Thomson Scattering (OTS) diagnostic is currently being developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This diagnostic is designed to make measurements of the hohlraum plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature and the density, during inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. NIF ICF experiments present a very challenging environment for optical measurements; by their very nature, hohlraums produce intense soft x-ray emission, which can cause "blanking" (radiation induced opacity) of the radiation facing optical components. The soft x-ray fluence at the surface of the OTS blast shield, 60 cm from the hohlraum, is estimated to be ˜8 J cm-2. This is significantly above the expected threshold for the onset of "blanking" effects. A novel xenon plasma x-ray shield is proposed to protect the blast shield from x-rays and mitigate "blanking." Estimates suggest that an areal density of 1019 cm-2 Xe atoms will be sufficient to absorb 99.5% of the soft x-ray flux. Two potential designs for this shield are presented.

Radiation shielding for gamma stereotactic radiosurgery units

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

Shielding calculations for gamma stereotactic radiosurgery units are complicated by the fact that the radiation is highly anisotropic. Shielding design for these devices is unique. Although manufacturers will answer questions about the data that they provide for shielding evaluation, they will not perform calculations for customers. More than 237 such units are now installed in centers worldwide. Centers installing a gamma radiosurgery unit find themselves in the position of having to either invent or reinvent a method for performing shielding design. This paper introduces a rigorous and conservative method for barrier design for gamma stereotactic radiosurgery treatment rooms. This method should be useful to centers planning either to install a new unit or to replace an existing unit. The method described here is consistent with the principles outlined in Report No. 151 from the U.S. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. In as little as 1 hour, a simple electronic spreadsheet can be set up, which will provide radiation levels on planes parallel to the barriers and 0.3 m outside the barriers. PACS numbers: 87.53.Ly, 87.56By, 87.52Tr

Design calculations for a xenon plasma x-ray shield to protect the NIF optical Thomson scattering diagnostic.

PubMed

Swadling, G F; Ross, J S; Datte, P; Moody, J; Divol, L; Jones, O; Landen, O

2016-11-01

An Optical Thomson Scattering (OTS) diagnostic is currently being developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This diagnostic is designed to make measurements of the hohlraum plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature and the density, during inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. NIF ICF experiments present a very challenging environment for optical measurements; by their very nature, hohlraums produce intense soft x-ray emission, which can cause "blanking" (radiation induced opacity) of the radiation facing optical components. The soft x-ray fluence at the surface of the OTS blast shield, 60 cm from the hohlraum, is estimated to be ∼8 J cm -2 . This is significantly above the expected threshold for the onset of "blanking" effects. A novel xenon plasma x-ray shield is proposed to protect the blast shield from x-rays and mitigate "blanking." Estimates suggest that an areal density of 10 19 cm -2 Xe atoms will be sufficient to absorb 99.5% of the soft x-ray flux. Two potential designs for this shield are presented.

Design and Manufacturing of the Kstar Tokamak Helium Refrigeration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dauguet, P.; Briend, P.; Abe, I.; Fauve, E.; Bernhardt, J. M.; Andrieu, F.; Beauvisage, J.

2008-03-01

The KSTAR (Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) project makes intensive use of superconducting (SC) magnets operated at 4.4 K. The cold components of KSTAR require a forced flow of supercritical helium for magnets and structure, boiling liquid helium for current leads, and gaseous helium for thermal shields. A helium refrigeration system has been custom-designed for this project. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of the proposed cryogenic system. The specified thermal loads for the different operating modes are presented. This specification results in the definition of a design mode for the refrigerator. The design and construction of the resulting 9 kW at 4.5-K Helium Refrigeration System (HSR) are presented.

Preliminary design of a mobile lunar power supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmitz, Paul C.; Kenny, Barbara H.; Fulmer, Christopher R.

1991-01-01

A preliminary design for a Stirling isotope power system for use as a mobile lunar power supply is presented. Performance and mass of the components required for the system are estimated. These estimates are based on power requirements and the operating environment. Optimizations routines are used to determine minimum mass operational points. Shielding for the isotope system are given as a function of the allowed dose, distance from the source, and the time spent near the source. The technologies used in the power conversion and radiator systems are taken from ongoing research in the Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) program.

FTIR Analyses of Hypervelocity Impact Deposits: DebriSat Tests

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-27

Aerospace Concept Design Center advised on selection of materials for various subsystems. • Test chamber lined with “soft catch” foam panels to trap...C-0001 Authorized by: Space Systems Group Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited Report...Pre Preshot target was a multi-shock shield supplied by NASA designed to catch the projectile. It consisted of seven bumper panels consisting of

Frost-Shielding Methodology and Demonstration for Shallow Burial of Water and Sewer Utility Lines.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-01

Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), and the Owens - Corning Specialty and Foam Products Division as partners. Test sites utilizing shielded pipes...predictions and provided valuable guidance for the frost shield design. The industry partner participant in the CPAR project, Owens - Corning Specialty and Foam

Tethered nuclear power for the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bents, D. J.

1985-01-01

A nuclear space power system the SP-100 is being developed for future missions where large amounts of electrical power will be required. Although it is primarily intended for unmanned spacecraft, it can be adapted to a manned space platform by tethering it above the station through an electrical transmission line which isolates the reactor far away from the inhabited platform and conveys its power back to where it is needed. The transmission line, used in conjunction with an instrument rate shield, attenuates reactor radiation in the vicinity of the space station to less than one-one hundredth of the natural background which is already there. This combination of shielding and distance attenuation is less than one-tenth the mass of boom-mounted or onboard man-rated shields that are required when the reactor is mounted nearby. This paper describes how connection is made to the platform (configuration, operational requirements) and introduces a new element the coaxial transmission tube which enables efficient transmission of electrical power through long tethers in space. Design methodology for transmission tubes and tube arrays is discussed. An example conceptual design is presented that shows SP-100 at three power levels 100 kWe, 300 kWe, and 1000 kWe connected to space station via a 2 km HVDC transmission line/tether. Power system performance, mass, and radiation hazard are estimated with impacts on space station architecture and operation.

Tethered nuclear power for the space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bents, D. J.

1985-01-01

A nuclear space power system the SP-100 is being developed for future missions where large amounts of electrical power will be required. Although it is primarily intended for unmanned spacecraft, it can be adapted to a manned space platform by tethering it above the station through an electrical transmission line which isolates the reactor far away from the inhabited platform and conveys its power back to where it is needed. The transmission line, used in conjunction with an instrument rate shield, attenuates reactor radiation in the vicinity of the space station to less than one-one hundredth of the natural background which is already there. This combination of shielding and distance attenuation is less than one-tenth the mass of boom-mounted or onboard man-rated shields that are required when the reactor is mounted nearby. This paper describes how connection is made to the platform (configuration, operational requirements) and introduces a new element the coaxial transmission tube which enables efficient transmission of electrical power through long tethers in space. Design methodology for transmission tubes and tube arrays is discussed. An example conceptual design is presented that shows SP-100 at three power levels 100 kWe, 300 kWe, and 1000 kWe connected to space station via a 2 km HVDC transmission line/tether. Power system performance, mass, and radiation hazard are estimated with impacts on space station architecture and operation.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

The Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1, secured on a transporter, arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield was moved from the Launch Abort System Facility. The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

The Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1 has arrived in High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield was moved from the Launch Abort System Facility. The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Regolith-Derived Heat Shield for Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogue, Michael D.; Mueller, Robert P.; Sibille, Laurent; Hintze, Paul E.; Rasky, Daniel J.

2012-01-01

High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's Grand Challenges involving entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Heat shields fabricated in-situ can provide a thermal protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. Fabricating the heat shield from extraterrestrial regolith will avoid the costs of launching the heat shield mass from Earth. This project investigated three methods to fabricate heat shield using extraterrestrial regolith and performed preliminary work on mission architectures.

Recovery and radiation corrections and time constants of several sizes of shielded and unshielded thermocouple probes for measuring gas temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glawe, G. E.; Holanda, R.; Krause, L. N.

1978-01-01

Performance characteristics were experimentally determined for several sizes of a shielded and unshielded thermocouple probe design. The probes are of swaged construction and were made of type K wire with a stainless steel sheath and shield and MgO insulation. The wire sizes ranged from 0.03- to 1.02-mm diameter for the unshielded design and from 0.16- to 0.81-mm diameter for the shielded design. The probes were tested through a Mach number range of 0.2 to 0.9, through a temperature range of room ambient to 1420 K, and through a total-pressure range of 0.03 to 0.2.2 MPa (0.3 to 22 atm). Tables and graphs are presented to aid in selecting a particular type and size. Recovery corrections, radiation corrections, and time constants were determined.

Improved field localization in transcranial magnetic stimulation of the brain with the utilization of a conductive shield plate in the stimulator.

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Hun; Georghiou, George E; Won, Chulho

2006-04-01

In this paper, a carefully designed conductive shield plate is presented, which helps to improve localization of the electric field distribution induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation for neuron stimulation. The shield plate is introduced between a figure-of-eight coil and the head. In order to accurately predict the field distribution inside the brain and to examine the effects of the shield plate, a realistic head model is constructed from magnetic resonance image data with the help of image processing tools and the finite-element method in three dimensions is employed. Finally, to show the improvements obtained, the results are compared with two conventional coil designs. It is found that an incorporation of the shield plate into the coil, effectively improves the induced field localization by more than 50%, and prevents other parts of the brain from exposure to high pulsed magnetic fields.

Shielded Heavy-Ion Environment Linear Detector (SHIELD): an experiment for the Radiation and Technology Demonstration (RTD) Mission.

PubMed

Shavers, M R; Cucinotta, F A; Miller, J; Zeitlin, C; Heilbronn, L; Wilson, J W; Singleterry, R C

2001-01-01

Radiological assessment of the many cosmic ion species of widely distributed energies requires the use of theoretical transport models to accurately describe diverse physical processes related to nuclear reactions in spacecraft structures, planetary atmospheres and surfaces, and tissues. Heavy-ion transport models that were designed to characterize shielded radiation fields have been validated through comparison with data from thick-target irradiation experiments at particle accelerators. With the RTD Mission comes a unique opportunity to validate existing radiation transport models and guide the development of tools for shield design. For the first time, transport properties will be measured in free-space to characterize the shielding effectiveness of materials that are likely to be aboard interplanetary space missions. Target materials composed of aluminum, advanced composite spacecraft structure and other shielding materials, helium (a propellant) and tissue equivalent matrices will be evaluated. Large solid state detectors will provide kinetic energy and charge identification for incident heavy-ions and for secondary ions created in the target material. Transport calculations using the HZETRN model suggest that 8 g cm -2 thick targets would be adequate to evaluate the shielding effectiveness during solar minimum activity conditions for a period of 30 days or more.

Cloud immersion building shielding factors for US residential structures.

PubMed

Dickson, E D; Hamby, D M

2014-12-01

This paper presents validated building shielding factors designed for contemporary US housing-stock under an idealized, yet realistic, exposure scenario within a semi-infinite cloud of radioactive material. The building shielding factors are intended for use in emergency planning and level three probabilistic risk assessments for a variety of postulated radiological events in which a realistic assessment is necessary to better understand the potential risks for accident mitigation and emergency response planning. Factors are calculated from detailed computational housing-units models using the general-purpose Monte Carlo N-Particle computational code, MCNP5, and are benchmarked from a series of narrow- and broad-beam measurements analyzing the shielding effectiveness of ten common general-purpose construction materials and ten shielding models representing the primary weather barriers (walls and roofs) of likely US housing-stock. Each model was designed to scale based on common residential construction practices and include, to the extent practical, all structurally significant components important for shielding against ionizing radiation. Calculations were performed for floor-specific locations as well as for computing a weighted-average representative building shielding factor for single- and multi-story detached homes, both with and without basement, as well for single-wide manufactured housing-units.

Dual optimization method of radiofrequency and quasistatic field simulations for reduction of eddy currents generated on 7T radiofrequency coil shielding.

PubMed

Zhao, Yujuan; Zhao, Tiejun; Raval, Shailesh B; Krishnamurthy, Narayanan; Zheng, Hai; Harris, Chad T; Handler, William B; Chronik, Blaine A; Ibrahim, Tamer S

2015-11-01

To optimize the design of radiofrequency (RF) shielding of transmit coils at 7T and reduce eddy currents generated on the RF shielding when imaging with rapid gradient waveforms. One set of a four-element, 2 × 2 Tic-Tac-Toe head coil structure was selected and constructed to study eddy currents on the RF coil shielding. The generated eddy currents were quantitatively studied in the time and frequency domains. The RF characteristics were studied using the finite difference time domain method. Five different kinds of RF shielding were tested on a 7T MRI scanner with phantoms and in vivo human subjects. The eddy current simulation method was verified by the measurement results. Eddy currents induced by solid/intact and simple-structured slotted RF shielding significantly distorted the gradient fields. Echo-planar images, B1+ maps, and S matrix measurements verified that the proposed slot pattern suppressed the eddy currents while maintaining the RF characteristics of the transmit coil. The presented dual-optimization method could be used to design RF shielding and reduce the gradient field-induced eddy currents while maintaining the RF characteristics of the transmit coil. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Shielding Structures for Interplanetary Human Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracino, Emanuele; Lobascio, Cesare

2012-07-01

Since the end of Apollo missions, human spaceflight has been limited to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO), inside the protective magnetic field of the Earth, because astronauts are, to the largest degree, protected from the harsh radiation environment of the interplanetary space. However, this situation will change when space exploration missions beyond LEO will become the real challenge of the human exploration program. The feasibility of these missions in the solar system is thus strongly connected to the capability to mitigate the radiation-induced biological effects on the crew during the journey and the permanence on the intended planet surface. Inside the International Space Station (ISS), the volumes in which the crew spends most of the time, namely the crew quarters are the only parts that implement dedicated additional radiation shielding made of polyethylene tiles designed for mitigating SPE effects. Furthermore, specific radiation shielding materials are often added to the described configuration to shield crew quarters or the entire habitat example of these materials are polyethylene, liquid hydrogen, etc. but, increasing the size of the exploration vehicles to bring humans beyond LEO, and without the magnetosphere protection, such approach is unsustainable because the mass involved is a huge limiting factor with the actual launcher engine technology. Moreover, shielding against GCR with materials that have a low probability of nuclear interactions and in parallel a high ionizing energy loss is not always the best solution. In particular there is the risk to increase the LET of ions arriving at the spacecraft shell, increasing their Radio-Biological Effectiveness. Besides, the production of secondary nuclei by projectile and target fragmentation is an important issue when performing an engineering assessment of materials to be used for radiation shielding. The goal of this work is to analyze different shielding solutions to increase as much as possible the radiation shielding power of the interplanetary habitat structures, like the spacecraft shell, minimizing the amount of mass used. From the radiation protection point of view the spacecraft shell is an interesting spacecraft system because it surrounds almost homogeneously all the habitat and it is typically composed by the Micrometeorites and Debris Protection Systems (MDPS), the Multilayer Insulation (MLI) for thermal control purposes, and the primary structure that offers the pressure containment functionality. Nevertheless, the spacecraft internal outfitting is important to evaluate the different shielded areas in the habitat. Using Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations toolkit through GRAS (Geant4 Radiation Analysis for Space) tool, different spacecraft structures will be analyzed for their shielding behavior in terms of fluxes, dose reduction and radiation quality, and for their implementation in a real pressurized module. Effects on astronauts and electronic equipments will be also assessed with respect to the standard aluminum structures.

Stress shielding of the humerus in press-fit anatomic shoulder arthroplasty: review and recommendations for evaluation.

PubMed

Denard, Patrick J; Raiss, Patric; Gobezie, Reuben; Edwards, T Bradley; Lederman, Evan

2018-06-01

Uncemented press-fit humeral stems were developed with the goal of decreasing operative time, preserving bone stock, and easing revision. In recent years, short stems and stemless humeral implants have also become available. These press-fit humeral implants have varying designs that can lead to changes in stress distribution in the proximal humerus. Such stress shielding manifests as bony adaptations and may affect long-term functional outcome and the ability to perform revision. However, current studies of humeral fixation during total shoulder arthroplasty are complicated because a variety of classification systems have been used to report findings. The purpose of this report is to review the current literature on press-fit fixation of the humeral component during total shoulder arthroplasty and propose minimum requirements for radiographic descriptions of stress shielding. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shielding Effectiveness in a Two-Dimensional Reverberation Chamber Using Finite-Element Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bunting, Charles F.

2006-01-01

Reverberation chambers are attaining an increased importance in determination of electromagnetic susceptibility of avionics equipment. Given the nature of the variable boundary condition, the ability of a given source to couple energy into certain modes and the passband characteristic due the chamber Q, the fields are typically characterized by statistical means. The emphasis of this work is to apply finite-element techniques at cutoff to the analysis of a two-dimensional structure to examine the notion of shielding-effectiveness issues in a reverberating environment. Simulated mechanical stirring will be used to obtain the appropriate statistical field distribution. The shielding effectiveness (SE) in a simulated reverberating environment is compared to measurements in a reverberation chamber. A log-normal distribution for the SE is observed with implications for system designers. The work is intended to provide further refinement in the consideration of SE in a complex electromagnetic environment.

Development of the automated bunker door by using a microcontroller-system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, M. A.; Leo, K. W.; Mohamad, G. H. P.; Ahmad, A.; Hashim, S. A.; Chulan, R. M.; Baijan, A. H.

2018-01-01

The new low energy electron beam accelerator bunker was designed and built locally to allocate a 500 keV electron beam accelerator at Block 43T in Malaysian Nuclear Agency. This bunker is equipped with a locally made radiation shielding door of 10 tons. Originally, this door is moving manually by a wheel and fitted with a gear system. However, it is still heavy and need longer time to operate it manually. To overcome those issues, a new automated control system has been designed and developed. In this paper, the complete steps and design of automated control system based on the microcontroller (PIC16F84A) is described.

Space radiation shielding studies for astronaut and electronic component risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Jordan; Gersey, Brad; Wilkins, Richard

The space radiation environment is comprised of a complex and variable mix of high energy charged particles, gamma rays and other exotic species. Elements of this radiation field may also interact with intervening matter (such as a spaceship wall) and create secondary radiation particles such as neutrons. Some of the components of the space radiation environment are highly penetrating and can cause adverse effects in humans and electronic components aboard spacecraft. Developing and testing materials capable of providing effective shielding against the space radiation environment presents special challenges to researchers. Researchers at the Cen-ter for Radiation Engineering and Science for Space Exploration (CRESSE) at Prairie View AM University (PVAMU) perform accelerator based experiments testing the effectiveness of various materials for use as space radiation shields. These experiments take place at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the proton synchrotron at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory where charged particles and neutrons are produced at energies similar to those found in the space radiation environment. The work presented in this paper constitutes the beginning phase of an undergraduate research project created to contribute to this ongoing space radiation shielding project. Specifically, this student project entails devel-oping and maintaining a database of information concerning the historical data from shielding experiments along with a systematic categorization and storage system for the actual shielding materials. The shielding materials referred to here range in composition from standard materi-als such as high density polyethylene and aluminum to exotic multifunctional materials such as spectra-fiber infused composites. The categorization process for each material includes deter-mination of the density thickness of individual samples and a clear labeling and filing method that allows immediate cross referencing with other material samples during the experimental design process. Density thickness measurements will be performed using a precision scale that will allow for the fabrication of sets of standard density thicknesses of selected materials for ready use in shielding experiments. The historical data from previous shielding experiments consists primarily of measurements of absorbed dose, dose equivalent and dose distributions from a Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) as measured downstream of various thicknesses of the materials while being irradiated in one of the aforementioned particle beams. This data has been digitally stored and linked to the composition of each material and may be easily accessed for shielding effectiveness inter-comparisons. This work was designed to facili-tate and increase the efficiency of ongoing space radiation shielding research performed at the CRESSE as well as serve as a way to educate new generations of space radiation researchers.

Venting of fission products and shielding in thermionic nuclear reactor systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salmi, E. W.

1972-01-01

Most thermionic reactors are designed to allow the fission gases to escape out of the emitter. A scheme to allow the fission gases to escape is proposed. Because of the low activity of the fission products, this method should pose no radiation hazards.

Radiation design and control features of a hospital room for a low dose rate remote afterloading unit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glasgow, G.P.; Corrigan, K.W.

We have renovated, and used for four years, a small 3.4 m x 4.3 m conventional patient second floor hospital room to accommodate a low dose rate remote afterloading unit containing 13 GBq (0.35 Ci) of {sup 137}Cs. Supplemental room shielding consists of a power assisted door (536 kg, 1.7 cm thickness of lead), 1.3 cm lead wall shielding at selected wall locations and on a projector shield beneath the bed, and 0.6 cm of lead over the floor above. Radiation control features consisted of a room interior radiation detector independent of the remote afterloading unit, a redundant patient/nurse communicationmore » system, a remote control system, a door interlock system to insert and retract the radioactive pellets, and a visible and audible status indictator system located at a nearby nurses` work station. Renovation costs (in 1990 dollars) were $383 per square foot; total project costs were $187,000. Nursing personnel radiation exposure was reduced from about 6 {mu}Sv (mg Ra eq){sup -1} (0.6 mrem (mg Ra eq){sup -1}) to about 0.7 {mu}Sv (mg Ra eq){sup -1} (0.07 mrem (mg Ra eq){sup -1}), almost a tenfold reduction. 6 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

Numerical simulations on active shielding methods comparison and wrapped angle optimization for gradient coil design in MRI with enhanced shielding effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yaohui; Xin, Xuegang; Guo, Lei; Chen, Zhifeng; Liu, Feng

2018-05-01

The switching of a gradient coil current in magnetic resonance imaging will induce an eddy current in the surrounding conducting structures while the secondary magnetic field produced by the eddy current is harmful for the imaging. To minimize the eddy current effects, the stray field shielding in the gradient coil design is usually realized by minimizing the magnetic fields on the cryostat surface or the secondary magnetic fields over the imaging region. In this work, we explicitly compared these two active shielding design methods. Both the stray field and eddy current on the cryostat inner surface were quantitatively discussed by setting the stray field constraint with an ultra-low maximum intensity of 2 G and setting the secondary field constraint with an extreme small shielding ratio of 0.000 001. The investigation revealed that the secondary magnetic field control strategy can produce coils with a better performance. However, the former (minimizing the magnetic fields) is preferable when designing a gradient coil with an ultra-low eddy current that can also strictly control the stray field leakage at the edge of the cryostat inner surface. A wrapped-edge gradient coil design scheme was then optimized for a more effective control of the stray fields. The numerical simulation on the wrapped-edge coil design shows that the optimized wrapping angles for the x and z coils in terms of our coil dimensions are 40° and 90°, respectively.

Engine System Model Development for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Karl W.; Simpson, Steven P.

2006-01-01

In order to design, analyze, and evaluate conceptual Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine systems, an improved NTP design and analysis tool has been developed. The NTP tool utilizes the Rocket Engine Transient Simulation (ROCETS) system tool and many of the routines from the Enabler reactor model found in Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS). Improved non-nuclear component models and an external shield model were added to the tool. With the addition of a nearly complete system reliability model, the tool will provide performance, sizing, and reliability data for NERVA-Derived NTP engine systems. A new detailed reactor model is also being developed and will replace Enabler. The new model will allow more flexibility in reactor geometry and include detailed thermal hydraulics and neutronics models. A description of the reactor, component, and reliability models is provided. Another key feature of the modeling process is the use of comprehensive spreadsheets for each engine case. The spreadsheets include individual worksheets for each subsystem with data, plots, and scaled figures, making the output very useful to each engineering discipline. Sample performance and sizing results with the Enabler reactor model are provided including sensitivities. Before selecting an engine design, all figures of merit must be considered including the overall impacts on the vehicle and mission. Evaluations based on key figures of merit of these results and results with the new reactor model will be performed. The impacts of clustering and external shielding will also be addressed. Over time, the reactor model will be upgraded to design and analyze other NTP concepts with CERMET and carbide fuel cores.

MCG measurement in the environment of active magnetic shield.

PubMed

Yamazaki, K; Kato, K; Kobayashi, K; Igarashi, A; Sato, T; Haga, A; Kasai, N

2004-11-30

MCG (Magnetocardiography) measurement by a SQUID gradiometer was attempted with only active magnetic shielding (active shielding). A three-axis-canceling-coil active shielding system, where three 16-10-16 turns-coil sets were put in the orthogonal directions, produces a homogeneous magnetic field in a considerable volume surrounding the center. Fluxgate sensors were used as the reference sensors of the system. The system can reduce environmental magnetic noise at low frequencies of less than a few Hz, at 50 Hz and at 150 Hz. Reducing such disturbances stabilizes biomagnetic measurement conditions for SQUIDs in the absence of magnetically shielded rooms (MSR). After filtering and averaging the measured MCG data by a first-order SQUID gradiometer with only the active shielding during the daytime, the QRS complex and T wave was clearly presented.

Ceramic port shields cast in an iron engine head

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hakim, Nabil S.; Groeneweg, Mark A.

1989-01-01

Silicon nitride exhaust and intake port shields have been successfully cast into a gray iron cylinder head of a heavy duty diesel single cylinder research engine. Careful design considerations, finite element, and probability of survival analyses indicated viability of the design. Foundry experience, NDE, and failure investigations are reported.

Investigation of Radiation Protection Methodologies for Radiation Therapy Shielding Using Monte Carlo Simulation and Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanny, Sean

The advent of high-energy linear accelerators for dedicated medical use in the 1950's by Henry Kaplan and the Stanford University physics department began a revolution in radiation oncology. Today, linear accelerators are the standard of care for modern radiation therapy and can generate high-energy beams that can produce tens of Gy per minute at isocenter. This creates a need for a large amount of shielding material to properly protect members of the public and hospital staff. Standardized vault designs and guidance on shielding properties of various materials are provided by the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) Report 151. However, physicists are seeking ways to minimize the footprint and volume of shielding material needed which leads to the use of non-standard vault configurations and less-studied materials, such as high-density concrete. The University of Toledo Dana Cancer Center has utilized both of these methods to minimize the cost and spatial footprint of the requisite radiation shielding. To ensure a safe work environment, computer simulations were performed to verify the attenuation properties and shielding workloads produced by a variety of situations where standard recommendations and guidance documents were insufficient. This project studies two areas of concern that are not addressed by NCRP 151, the radiation shielding workload for the vault door with a non-standard design, and the attenuation properties of high-density concrete for both photon and neutron radiation. Simulations have been performed using a Monte-Carlo code produced by the Los Alamos National Lab (LANL), Monte Carlo Neutrons, Photons 5 (MCNP5). Measurements have been performed using a shielding test port designed into the maze of the Varian Edge treatment vault.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - United Space Alliance employees (from left) Daryl Burke, Jay Beason and Tom Summers check new tiles installed on the heat shield of main engine 1 for the orbiter Discovery. A heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft designed to protect it from the high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - United Space Alliance employees (from left) Daryl Burke, Jay Beason and Tom Summers check new tiles installed on the heat shield of main engine 1 for the orbiter Discovery. A heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft designed to protect it from the high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Design of orbital debris shields for oblique hypervelocity impact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fahrenthold, Eric P.

1994-01-01

A new impact debris propagation code was written to link CTH simulations of space debris shield perforation to the Lagrangian finite element code DYNA3D, for space structure wall impact simulations. This software (DC3D) simulates debris cloud evolution using a nonlinear elastic-plastic deformable particle dynamics model, and renders computationally tractable the supercomputer simulation of oblique impacts on Whipple shield protected structures. Comparison of three dimensional, oblique impact simulations with experimental data shows good agreement over a range of velocities of interest in the design of orbital debris shielding. Source code developed during this research is provided on the enclosed floppy disk. An abstract based on the work described was submitted to the 1994 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium.

76 FR 28376 - Airworthiness Directives; Fokker Services B.V. Model F.28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-17

... Configuration Control Limitations (CDCCL) task to make certain that the by-pass wire remains installed. On later... in-tank Fuel Quantity Indication (FQI) cable plug and the cable shield of the shielded FQI system... (FQI) cable plug and the cable shield of the shielded FQI system cables in the main and collector fuel...

Orion Heat Shield

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-05-06

ENGINEERS FROM AMES RESEARCH CENTER AND MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER REMOVE AVCOAT SEGMENTS FROM THE SURFACE OF THE ORION HEAT SHIELD, THE PROTECTIVE SHELL DESIGNED TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION CREW MODULE WITHSTAND THE HEAT OF ATMOSPHERIC REENTRY. THE HEAT SHIELD FLEW TO SPACE DURING THE EFT-1 FULL SCALL FLIGHT TEST OF ORION IN DECEMBER 2014

Design and preliminary test results at Mach 5 of an axisymmetric slotted sound shield. [for supersonic wind tunnels (noise reduction in wind tunnel nozzles)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckwith, I. E.; Spokowski, A. J.; Harvey, W. D.; Stainback, P. C.

1975-01-01

The basic theory and sound attenuation mechanisms, the design procedures, and preliminary experimental results are presented for a small axisymmetric sound shield for supersonic wind tunnels. The shield consists of an array of small diameter rods aligned nearly parallel to the entrance flow with small gaps between the rods for boundary layer suction. Results show that at the lowest test Reynolds number (based on rod diameter) of 52,000 the noise shield reduced the test section noise by about 60 percent ( or 8 db attenuation) but no attenuation was measured for the higher range of test reynolds numbers from 73,000 to 190,000. These results are below expectations based on data reported elsewhere on a flat sound shield model. The smaller attenuation from the present tests is attributed to insufficient suction at the gaps to prevent feedback of vacuum manifold noise into the shielded test flow and to insufficient suction to prevent transition of the rod boundary layers to turbulent flow at the higher Reynolds numbers. Schlieren photographs of the flow are shown.

Development of an advanced high-temperature fastener system for advanced aerospace vehicle application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kull, F. R.

1975-01-01

The results of a program to develop a lightweight high temperature reusable fastening system for aerospace vehicle thermal protection system applications are documented. This feasibility program resulted in several fastener innovations which will meet the specific needs of the heat shield application. Three systems were designed from Hayes 188 alloy and tested by environmental exposure and residual mechanical properties. The designs include a clinch stud with a collar retainer, a weld stud with a split ring retainer, and a caged stud with a collar retainer. The results indicated that a lightweight, reusable, high temperature fastening system can be developed for aerospace vehicle application.

Preliminary assessment of high power, NERVA-class dual-mode space nuclear propulsion and power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buksa, John J.; Kirk, William L.; Cappiello, Michael W.

A preliminary assessment of the technical feasibility and mass competitiveness of a dual-mode nuclear propulsion and power system based on the NERVA rocket engine has been completed. Results indicate that the coupling of the Rover reactor to a direct Brayton power conversion system can be accomplished through a number of design features. Furthermore, based on previously published and independently calculated component masses, the dual-mode system was found to have the potential to be mass competitive with propulsion/power systems that use separate reactors. The uncertainties of reactor design modification and shielding requirements were identified as important issues requiring future investigation.

Advanced long term cryogenic storage systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Norman S.

1987-01-01

Long term, cryogenic fluid storage facilities will be required to support future space programs such as the space-based Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), Telescopes, and Laser Systems. An orbital liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen storage system with an initial capacity of approximately 200,000 lb will be required. The storage facility tank design must have the capability of fluid acquisition in microgravity and limit cryogen boiloff due to environmental heating. Cryogenic boiloff management features, minimizing Earth-to-orbit transportation costs, will include advanced thick multilayer insulation/integrated vapor cooled shield concepts, low conductance support structures, and refrigeration/reliquefaction systems. Contracted study efforts are under way to develop storage system designs, technology plans, test article hardware designs, and develop plans for ground/flight testing.

High efficiency Dual-Cycle Conversion System using Kr-85.

PubMed

Prelas, Mark A; Tchouaso, Modeste Tchakoua

2018-04-26

This paper discusses the use of one of the safest isotopes known isotopes, Kr-85, as a candidate fuel source for deep space missions. This isotope comes from 0.286% of fission events. There is a vast quantity of Kr-85 stored in spent fuel and it is continually being produced by nuclear reactors. In using Kr-85 with a novel Dual Cycle Conversion System (DCCS) it is feasible to boost the system efficiency from 26% to 45% over a single cycle device while only increasing the system mass by less than 1%. The Kr-85 isotope is the ideal fuel for a Photon Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion (PIDEC) system. PIDEC is an excellent choice for the top cycle in a DCCS. In the top cycle, ionization and excitation of the Kr-85:Cl gas mixture (99% Kr and 1% Cl) from beta particles creates KrCl* excimer photons which are efficiently absorbed by diamond photovoltaic cells on the walls of the pressure vessels. The benefit of using the DCCS is that Kr-85 is capable of operating at high temperatures in the primary cycle and the residual heat can then be converted into electrical power in the bottom cycle which uses a Stirling Engine. The design of the DCCS begins with a spherical pressure vessel of radius 13.7 cm with 3.7 cm thick walls and is filled with a Kr-85:Cl gas mixture. The inner wall has diamond photovoltaic cells attached to it and there is a sapphire window between the diamond photovoltaic cells and the Kr-85:Cl gas mixture which shields the photovoltaic cells from beta particles. The DCCS without a gamma ray shield has specific power of 6.49 W/kg. A removable 6 cm thick tungsten shield is used to safely limit the radiation exposure levels of personnel. A shadow shield remains in the payload to protect the radiation sensitive components in the flight package. The estimated specific power of the unoptimized system design in this paper is about 2.33 W/kg. The specific power of an optimized system should be higher. The Kr-85 isotope is relatively safe because it will disperse quickly in case of an accident and if it enters the lungs there is no significant biological half-life. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solar cell array design handbook - The principles and technology of photovoltaic energy conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rauschenbach, H. S.

1980-01-01

Photovoltaic solar cell array design and technology for ground-based and space applications are discussed from the user's point of view. Solar array systems are described, with attention given to array concepts, historical development, applications and performance, and the analysis of array characteristics, circuits, components, performance and reliability is examined. Aspects of solar cell array design considered include the design process, photovoltaic system and detailed array design, and the design of array thermal, radiation shielding and electromagnetic components. Attention is then given to the characteristics and design of the separate components of solar arrays, including the solar cells, optical elements and mechanical elements, and the fabrication, testing, environmental conditions and effects and material properties of arrays and their components are discussed.

Noise Modeling From Conductive Shields Using Kirchhoff Equations.

PubMed

Sandin, Henrik J; Volegov, Petr L; Espy, Michelle A; Matlashov, Andrei N; Savukov, Igor M; Schultz, Larry J

2010-10-09

Progress in the development of high-sensitivity magnetic-field measurements has stimulated interest in understanding the magnetic noise of conductive materials, especially of magnetic shields based on high-permeability materials and/or high-conductivity materials. For example, SQUIDs and atomic magnetometers have been used in many experiments with mu-metal shields, and additionally SQUID systems frequently have radio frequency shielding based on thin conductive materials. Typical existing approaches to modeling noise only work with simple shield and sensor geometries while common experimental setups today consist of multiple sensor systems with complex shield geometries. With complex sensor arrays used in, for example, MEG and Ultra Low Field MRI studies, knowledge of the noise correlation between sensors is as important as knowledge of the noise itself. This is crucial for incorporating efficient noise cancelation schemes for the system. We developed an approach that allows us to calculate the Johnson noise for arbitrary shaped shields and multiple sensor systems. The approach is efficient enough to be able to run on a single PC system and return results on a minute scale. With a multiple sensor system our approach calculates not only the noise for each sensor but also the noise correlation matrix between sensors. Here we will show how the algorithm can be implemented.

Utilizing electromagnetic shielding textiles in wireless body area networks.

PubMed

Sung, Grace H H; Aoyagi, Takahiro; Hernandez, Marco; Hamaguchi, Kiyoshi; Kohno, Ryuji

2010-01-01

For privacy and radio propagation controls, electromagnetic shielding textile could be adopted in WBANs. The effect of including a commercially available electromagnetic shielding apron in WBANs was examined in this paper. By having both the coordinator and the sensor covered by the shielding apron, signal could be confined around the body; however signal strength can be greatly influenced by body movements. Placing the shielding apron underneath both antennas, the transmission coefficient could be on average enhanced by at least 10dB, with less variation comparing to the case when apron does not exist. Shielding textiles could be utilized in designing a smart suit to enhance WBANs performance, and to prevent signals travelling beyond its intended area.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

A flatbed truck carrying the Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1, prepares to back into High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield was moved from the Launch Abort System Facility. The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

A flatbed truck carrying the Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1, backs into High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield was moved from the Launch Abort System Facility. The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion Heat Shield Move

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-23

Technicians move the Orion heat shield for Exploration Mission-1 toward the thermal chamber in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Protective pads are being attached to the heat shield surface. The heat shield will undergo a thermal cycle test to verify acceptable workmanship and material quality. The test also serves to verify the heat shield's thermal protection systems have been manufactured and assembled correctly. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on its first uncrewed integrated flight.

Whole-head SQUID system in a superconducting magnetic shield.

PubMed

Ohta, H; Matsui, T; Uchikawa, Y

2004-11-30

We have constructed a mobile whole-head SQUID system in a superconducting magnetic shield - a cylinder of high Tc superconductor BSCCO of 65 cm in diameter and 160 cm in length. We compared the noise spectra of several SQUID sensors of SNS Josephson junctions in the superconducting magnetic shield with those of the same SQUID sensors in a magnetically shielded room of Permalloy. The SQUID sensors in the superconducting magnetic shield are more than 100 times more sensitive than those in a magnetically shielded room of Permalloy below 1 Hz. We tested the whole-head SQUID system in the superconducting magnetic shield observing somatosensory signals evoked by stimulating the median nerve in the right wrist of patients by current pulses. We present data of 64 and 128 traces versus the common time axis for comparison. Most sensory responses of human brains phase out near 250 ms. However monotonic rhythms still remain even at longer latencies than 250 ms. The nodes of these rhythm are very narrow even at these longer latencies just indicating low noise characteristics of the SQUID system at low-frequencies. The current dipoles at the secondary somatosensory area SII are evoked at longer latencies than 250 ms contributing to a higher-level brain function. The SQUID system in a superconducting magnetic shield will also have advantages when it is used as a DC MEG to study very slow activities and function of the brain.

Enabling a Better Aft Heat Shield Solution for Future Mars Science Laboratory Class Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGuire, Mary K.; Covington, Melmoth A.; Goldstein, Howard E.; Arnold, James O.; Beck, Robin

2013-01-01

System studies are described that compare masses and estimated manufacturing costs of options for the as-flown Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) aft body Thermal Light Weight Ablator (SLA) 561-V and its thickness was not optimized using the standard TPS Sizer Tool widely used for heat shield design. Use of the TPS sizing tool suggests that optimization of the SLA thickness could reduce the aft heat shield mass by 40 percent. Analysis of the predicted aft-shell aerothermodynamics suggests that the bulk of MSL class entry vehicle heat shields could incorporate Advanced Flexible Reusable Surface Insulation (AFRSI). AFRSI has a wellestablished record of relatively inexpensive manufacturing and flight certification based on its use on the lee side of the Space Shuttle. Runs with the TPS Sizer show that the AFRSI solution would be 60 percent lighter than the as-flown SLA. The issue of Reaction Control System (RCS) heating on the aft shell could be addressed by locally impregnating the AFRSI with silicone to enhance its robustness to short bursts ofheating. Stagnation point arcjet testing has shown that silicone impregnated AFRSI performs well at heat rates of 115 W/cm2 and 0.1 atmospheres for a duration of 40 seconds, far beyond conditions that are expected for MSL class vehicles. The paper concludes with a discussion of manufacturing processes for AFRSI, impregnation approaches and relative cost comparisons to the SLA solution.

SU-E-T-785: Using Systems Engineering to Design HDR Skin Treatment Operation for Small Lesions to Enhance Patient Safety

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saw, C; Baikadi, M; Peters, C

2015-06-15

Purpose: Using systems engineering to design HDR skin treatment operation for small lesions using shielded applicators to enhance patient safety. Methods: Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field that offers formal methodologies to study, design, implement, and manage complex engineering systems as a whole over their life-cycles. The methodologies deal with human work-processes, coordination of different team, optimization, and risk management. The V-model of systems engineering emphasize two streams, the specification and the testing streams. The specification stream consists of user requirements, functional requirements, and design specifications while the testing on installation, operational, and performance specifications. In implementing system engineering tomore » this project, the user and functional requirements are (a) HDR unit parameters be downloaded from the treatment planning system, (b) dwell times and positions be generated by treatment planning system, (c) source decay be computer calculated, (d) a double-check system of treatment parameters to comply with the NRC regulation. These requirements are intended to reduce human intervention to improve patient safety. Results: A formal investigation indicated that the user requirements can be satisfied. The treatment operation consists of using the treatment planning system to generate a pseudo plan that is adjusted for different shielded applicators to compute the dwell times. The dwell positions, channel numbers, and the dwell times are verified by the medical physicist and downloaded into the HDR unit. The decayed source strength is transferred to a spreadsheet that computes the dwell times based on the type of applicators and prescribed dose used. Prior to treatment, the source strength, dwell times, dwell positions, and channel numbers are double-checked by the radiation oncologist. No dosimetric parameters are manually calculated. Conclusion: Systems engineering provides methodologies to effectively design the HDR treatment operation that minimize human intervention and improve patient safety.« less

Viewport concept for space station modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Douglas, F., III

1986-01-01

The generic design of a 20-in. diameter viewport for the space station modules is discussed. It should possess the capabilities of meteoroid/debris protection (with no metallic cover), redundancies in its meteoroid/debris protection, and pressure sealing systems. In addition, it should provide ease of change out for maintenance or repair. The design does not take into account the bumper-shield effect of the outermost panes in the meteoroid/debris analysis.

Review of Surface Properties of Thermal Protection Materials for the Design of IXV Thermal Protection System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thoemel, J.; Cosson, E.; Chazot, O.

2009-01-01

In the framework of the creation of an aerothermodynamic database for the design the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle, surface properties of heat shield materials that represent the boundary conditions are reviewed. Catalytic and radiative characteristics available in the literature are critically analyzed and summarized. It turns out that large uncertainties on the parameters exist. Finally, simple and conservative values are proposed.

Cabling design for phased arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kruger, I. D.; Turkiewicz, L.

1972-01-01

The ribbon-cabling system used for the AEGIS phased array which provides minimum cable bulk, complete EMI shielding, rugged mechanical design, repeatable electrical characteristics, and ease of assembly and maintenance is described. The ribbon cables are 0.040-inch thick, and in widths up to 2 1/2 inches. Their terminations are molded connectors that can be grouped in a three-tier arrangement, with cable branching accomplished by a matrix-welding technique.

Material characterisation and preliminary mechanical design for the HL-LHC shielded beam screens operating at cryogenic temperatures.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garion, C.; Dufay-Chanat, L.; Koettig, T.; Machiocha, W.; Morrone, M.

2015-12-01

The High Luminosity LHC project (HL-LHC) aims at increasing the luminosity (rate of collisions) in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments by a factor of 10 beyond the original design value (from 300 to 3000 fb-1). It relies on new superconducting magnets, installed close to the interaction points, equipped with new beam screen. This component has to ensure the vacuum performance together with shielding the cold mass from physics debris and screening the cold bore cryogenic system from beam induced heating. The beam screen operates in the range 40-60 K whereas the magnet cold bore temperature is 1.9 K. A tungsten-based material is used to absorb the energy of particles. In this paper, measurements of the mechanical and physical properties of such tungsten material are shown at room and cryogenic temperature. In addition, the design and the thermal mechanical behaviour of the beam screen assembly are presented also. They include the heat transfer from the tungsten absorbers to the cooling pipes and the supporting system that has to minimise the heat inleak into the cold mass. The behaviour during a magnet quench is also presented.

Thermal architecture for the SPIDER flight cryostat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, J. E.; Ade, P. A. R.; Amiri, M.; Benton, S. J.; Bihary, R.; Bock, J. J.; Bond, J. R.; Bonetti, J. A.; Bryan, S. A.; Burger, B.; Chiang, H. C.; Contaldi, C. R.; Crill, B. P.; Doré, O.; Farhang, M.; Filippini, J.; Fissel, L. M.; Gandilo, N. N.; Golwala, S. R.; Halpern, M.; Hasselfield, M.; Hilton, G.; Holmes, W.; Hristov, V. V.; Irwin, K. D.; Jones, W. C.; Kuo, C. L.; MacTavish, C. J.; Mason, P. V.; Montroy, T. E.; Morford, T. A.; Netterfield, C. B.; O'Dea, D. T.; Rahlin, A. S.; Reintsema, C. D.; Ruhl, J. E.; Runyan, M. C.; Schenker, M. A.; Shariff, J. A.; Soler, J. D.; Trangsrud, A.; Tucker, C.; Tucker, R. S.; Turner, A. D.

2010-07-01

We describe the cryogenic system for SPIDER, a balloon-borne microwave polarimeter that will map 8% of the sky with degree-scale angular resolution. The system consists of a 1284 L liquid helium cryostat and a 16 L capillary-filled superfluid helium tank, which provide base operating temperatures of 4 K and 1.5 K, respectively. Closed-cycle 3He adsorption refrigerators supply sub-Kelvin cooling power to multiple focal planes, which are housed in monochromatic telescope inserts. The main helium tank is suspended inside the vacuum vessel with thermally insulating fiberglass flexures, and shielded from thermal radiation by a combination of two vapor cooled shields and multi-layer insulation. This system allows for an extremely low instrumental background and a hold time in excess of 25 days. The total mass of the cryogenic system, including cryogens, is approximately 1000 kg. This enables conventional long duration balloon flights. We will discuss the design, thermal analysis, and qualification of the cryogenic system.

Shield evaluation and performance testing at the USMB`s Strategic Structures Testing Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barczak, T.M.; Gearhart, D.F.

1996-12-31

Historically, shield performance testing is conducted by the support manufacturers at European facilities. The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has conducted extensive research in shield Mechanics and is now opening its Strategic Structures Testing (SST) Laboratory to the mining industry for shield performance testing. The SST Laboratory provides unique shield testing capabilities using the Mine Roof Simulator (MRS) load frame. The MRS provides realistic and cost-effective shield evaluation by combining both vertical and horizontal loading into a single load cycle; whereas, several load cycles would be required to obtain this loading in a static frame. In addition to these advantages,more » the USBM acts as an independent research organization to provide an unbiased assessment of shield performance. This paper describes the USBM`s shield testing program that is designed specifically to simulate in-service mining conditions using the unique the capabilities of the SST Laboratory.« less

The development of a containment vessel and Dewar for the particle astrophysics magnet facility (ASTROMAG)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The ASTROMAG facility is the heart of a large charged particle detection and resolution system. ASTROMAG utilizes a superconducting magnet consisting of a large superconducting magnet coil with a stored magnetic energy of approximately 15 MJ. The active coil will have a mass of 1200 kg. This magnet will be cooled by a cryostat using a liquid helium Dewar for storage. The cryostat will have a series of gas-cooled shields with an external guard vacuum shield and an internal Dewar. The magnet and cryostat will be designed for shuttle or Delta launch and will be designed to withstand the internal pressure of expanded helium under full quench conditions when venting is prevented. The external guard vacuum shell is required to maintain a vacuum for Earth based testing and for cold launch of the cryostat and magnet. The magnet is designed to operate at 4.4 K with a peak field of 7.0 tesla. The superconducting material within the magnet is niobium titanium in a conductive matrix.

Method and system for determining radiation shielding thickness and gamma-ray energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klann, Raymond T.; Vilim, Richard B.; de la Barrera, Sergio

2015-12-15

A system and method for determining the shielding thickness of a detected radiation source. The gamma ray spectrum of a radiation detector is utilized to estimate the shielding between the detector and the radiation source. The determination of the shielding may be used to adjust the information from known source-localization techniques to provide improved performance and accuracy of locating the source of radiation.

Evaluation of laminar flow control systems for subsonic commercial transport aircraft: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearce, W. E.

1982-01-01

An evaluation was made of laminar flow control (LFC) system concepts for subsonic commercial transport aircraft. Configuration design studies, performance analyses, fabrication development, structural testing, wind tunnel testing, and contamination-avoidance techniques were included. As a result of trade studies, a configuration with LFC on the upper wing surface only, utilizing an electron beam-perforated suction surface, and employing a retractable high-lift shield for contamination avoidance, was selected as the most practical LFC system. The LFC aircraft was then compared with an advanced turbulent aircraft designed for the same mission. This comparison indicated significant fuel savings.

Design study of an ultra-compact superconducting cyclotron for isotope production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, V.; Vorozhtsov, S.; Vincent, J.

2014-11-01

A 12.5 MeV, 25 μA, proton compact superconducting cyclotron for medical isotope production has been designed and is currently in fabrication. The machine is initially aimed at producing 13N ammonia for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cardiology applications. With an ultra-compact size and cost-effective price point, this system will offer clinicians unprecedented access to the preferred radiopharmaceutical isotope for cardiac PET imaging. A systems approach that carefully balanced the subsystem requirements coupled to precise beam dynamics calculations was followed. The system is designed to irradiate a liquid target internal to the cyclotron and to minimize the need for radiation shielding. The main parameters of the cyclotron, its design, and principal steps of the development work are presented here.

Efficacy of corneal eye shields in protecting patients' eyes from laser irradiation.

PubMed

Russell, S W; Dinehart, S M; Davis, I; Flock, S T

1996-07-01

The continuing development of new types and applications of lasers has appeared to surpass the development of specific eye protection for these lasers. There are a variety of eye shields on the market, but few are specifically designed for laser protection. Our purpose was to test a variety of eye shields by two parameters, light transmission and temperature rise, and to determine from these measurements the most protective shield for patients. We tested four plastic shields, one metal shield, and two sets of tanning goggles for temperature rise and light transmission when irradiated with a beam from a flashlamp-pumped, pulsed-dye laser. The temperature rise at the surface of the shield opposite the laser impacts was no more than 0.2 degree C in any case. White light was transmitted at significant levels through several of the shields, but yellow light transmittance was noted only through the green eye shield. Our measurements indicate that all except the green shield appeared safe from transmission of the 585-nm radiant energy. However, the optimal laser eye shield, in our opinion, would be a composite of several different shields' characteristics.

Implementation of ALARA radiation protection on the ISS through polyethylene shielding augmentation of the Service Module Crew Quarters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shavers, M. R.; Zapp, N.; Barber, R. E.; Wilson, J. W.; Qualls, G.; Toupes, L.; Ramsey, S.; Vinci, V.; Smith, G.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2004-01-01

With 5-7 month long duration missions at 51.6 degrees inclination in Low Earth Orbit, the ionizing radiation levels to which International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers are exposed will be the highest planned occupational exposures in the world. Even with the expectation that regulatory dose limits will not be exceeded during a single tour of duty aboard the ISS, the "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) precept requires that radiological risks be minimized when possible through a dose optimization process. Judicious placement of efficient shielding materials in locations where crewmembers sleep, rest, or work is an important means for implementing ALARA for spaceflight. Polyethylene (CnHn) is a relatively inexpensive, stable, and, with a low atomic number, an effective shielding material that has been certified for use aboard the ISS. Several designs for placement of slabs or walls of polyethylene have been evaluated for radiation exposure reduction in the Crew Quarters (CQ) of the Zvezda (Star) Service Module. Optimization of shield designs relies on accurate characterization of the expected primary and secondary particle environment and modeling of the predicted radiobiological responses of critical organs and tissues. Results of the studies shown herein indicate that 20% or more reduction in equivalent dose to the CQ occupant is achievable. These results suggest that shielding design and risk analysis are necessary measures for reducing long-term radiological risks to ISS inhabitants and for meeting legal ALARA requirements. Verification of shield concepts requires results from specific designs to be compared with onboard dosimetry. c2004 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of ALARA radiation protection on the ISS through polyethylene shielding augmentation of the Service Module crew quarters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shavers, M.; Zapp, N.; Barber, R.; Wilson, J.; Qualls, G.; Toupes, L.; Ramsey, S.; Vinci, V.; Smith, G.; Cucinotta, F.

With 5 to 7-month long duration missions at 51.6° inclination in Low Earth Orbit, the ionizing radiation levels to which International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers are exposed will be the highest planned occupational exposures in the world. Even with the expectation that regulatory dose limits will not be exceeded during a single tour of duty aboard the ISS, the "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) precept requires that radiological risks be minimized when possible through an dose optimization process. Judicious placement of efficient shielding materials in locations where crewmembers sleep, rest, or work is an important means for implementing ALARA for spaceflight. Polyethylene (Cn Hn ), is a relatively inexpensive, stable, and, with a low atomic number, an effective shielding material that has been certified for use aboard the ISS. Several designs for placement of slabs or walls of polyethylene have been evaluated for radiation exposure reduction in the Crew Quarters (CQ) of the Zvezda (Star) Service Module. Optimization of shield designs relies on accurate characterization of the expected primary and secondary particle environment and modeling of the predicted radiobiological responses of critical organs and tissues. Results of the studies shown herein indicate that 20% or more reduction in dose equivalent to the CQ occupant is achievable. These results suggest that shielding design and risk analysis are necessary measures for reducing long-term radiological risks to ISS inhabitants and for meeting legal ALARA requirements. Verification of shield concepts requires results from specific designs to be compared with onboard dosimetry.

Implementation of ALARA radiation protection on the ISS through polyethylene shielding augmentation of the Service Module Crew Quarters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shavers, M. R.; Zapp, N.; Barber, R. E.; Wilson, J. W.; Qualls, G.; Toupes, L.; Ramsey, S.; Vinci, V.; Smith, G.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2004-01-01

With 5-7 month long duration missions at 51.6° inclination in Low Earth Orbit, the ionizing radiation levels to which International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers are exposed will be the highest planned occupational exposures in the world. Even with the expectation that regulatory dose limits will not be exceeded during a single tour of duty aboard the ISS, the "as low as reasonably achievable" (ALARA) precept requires that radiological risks be minimized when possible through a dose optimization process. Judicious placement of efficient shielding materials in locations where crewmembers sleep, rest, or work is an important means for implementing ALARA for spaceflight. Polyethylene (C nH n) is a relatively inexpensive, stable, and, with a low atomic number, an effective shielding material that has been certified for use aboard the ISS. Several designs for placement of slabs or walls of polyethylene have been evaluated for radiation exposure reduction in the Crew Quarters (CQ) of the Zvezda (Star) Service Module. Optimization of shield designs relies on accurate characterization of the expected primary and secondary particle environment and modeling of the predicted radiobiological responses of critical organs and tissues. Results of the studies shown herein indicate that 20% or more reduction in equivalent dose to the CQ occupant is achievable. These results suggest that shielding design and risk analysis are necessary measures for reducing long-term radiological risks to ISS inhabitants and for meeting legal ALARA requirements. Verification of shield concepts requires results from specific designs to be compared with onboard dosimetry.

Shielding analyses for repetitive high energy pulsed power accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jow, H. N.; Rao, D. V.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) designs, tests and operates a variety of accelerators that generate large amounts of high energy Bremsstrahlung radiation over an extended time. Typically, groups of similar accelerators are housed in a large building that is inaccessible to the general public. To facilitate independent operation of each accelerator, test cells are constructed around each accelerator to shield it from the radiation workers occupying surrounding test cells and work-areas. These test cells, about 9 ft. high, are constructed of high density concrete block walls that provide direct radiation shielding. Above the target areas (radiation sources), lead or steel plates are used to minimize skyshine radiation. Space, accessibility and cost considerations impose certain restrictions on the design of these test cells. SNL Health Physics division is tasked to evaluate the adequacy of each test cell design and compare resultant dose rates with the design criteria stated in DOE Order 5480.11. In response, SNL Health Physics has undertaken an intensive effort to assess existing radiation shielding codes and compare their predictions against measured dose rates. This paper provides a summary of the effort and its results.

Shielded cables with optimal braided shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homann, E.

1991-01-01

Extensive tests were done in order to determine what factors govern the design of braids with good shielding effectiveness. The results are purely empirical and relate to the geometrical relationships between the braid parameters. The influence of various parameters on the shape of the transfer impedance versus frequency curve were investigated step by step. It was found that the optical coverage had been overestimated in the past. Good shielding effectiveness results not from high optical coverage as such, but from the proper type of coverage, which is a function of the braid angle and the element width. These dependences were measured for the ordinary range of braid angles (20 to 40 degrees). They apply to all plaiting machines and all gages of braid wire. The design rules are largely the same for bright, tinned, silver-plated and even lacquered copper wires. A new type of braid, which has marked advantages over the conventional design, was proposed. With the 'mixed-element' technique, an optimal braid design can be specified on any plaiting machine, for any possible cable diameter, and for any desired angle. This is not possible for the conventional type of braid.

Design calculations for a xenon plasma x-ray shield to protect the NIF optical Thomson scattering diagnostic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swadling, G. F.; Ross, J. S.; Datte, P.

An Optical Thomson Scattering (OTS) diagnostic is currently being developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This diagnostic is designed to make measurements of the hohlraum plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature and the density, during inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. NIF ICF experiments present a very challenging environment for optical measurements; by their very nature, hohlraums produce intense soft x-ray emission, which can cause “blanking” (radiation induced opacity) of the radiation facing optical components. The soft x-ray fluence at the surface of the OTS blast shield, 60 cm from the hohlraum, is estimatedmore » to be ∼8 J cm{sup −2}. This is significantly above the expected threshold for the onset of “blanking” effects. A novel xenon plasma x-ray shield is proposed to protect the blast shield from x-rays and mitigate “blanking.” Estimates suggest that an areal density of 10{sup 19} cm{sup −2} Xe atoms will be sufficient to absorb 99.5% of the soft x-ray flux. Two potential designs for this shield are presented.« less

Design calculations for a xenon plasma x-ray shield to protect the NIF optical Thomson scattering diagnostic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swadling, G. F.; Ross, J. S.; Datte, P.

An Optical Thomson Scattering (OTS) diagnostic is currently being developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Labs (LLNL). This diagnostic is designed to make measurements of hohlraum plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature and density, during inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. NIF ICF experiments present a very challenging environment for optical measurements; by their very nature hohlraums produce intense soft x-ray emission, which can cause “blanking” (radiation induced opacity) of the radiation facing optical components. The soft x-ray fluence at the surface of the OTS blast shield, 60 cm from the hohlraum, is estimated tomore » be ~ 8 J cm -2. This is then significantly above the expected threshold for the onset of “blanking” effects. A novel Xenon Plasma X-ray Shield (XPXS) has been proposed to protect the blast shield from x-rays and mitigate “blanking”. Finally, these estimates suggest that an areal density of 10 19 cm -2 Xe atoms will be sufficient to absorb 99.5% the soft x-ray flux. Two potential designs for this shield are presented.« less

Design calculations for a xenon plasma x-ray shield to protect the NIF optical Thomson scattering diagnostic

DOE PAGES

Swadling, G. F.; Ross, J. S.; Datte, P.; ...

2016-07-21

An Optical Thomson Scattering (OTS) diagnostic is currently being developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Labs (LLNL). This diagnostic is designed to make measurements of hohlraum plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature and density, during inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. NIF ICF experiments present a very challenging environment for optical measurements; by their very nature hohlraums produce intense soft x-ray emission, which can cause “blanking” (radiation induced opacity) of the radiation facing optical components. The soft x-ray fluence at the surface of the OTS blast shield, 60 cm from the hohlraum, is estimated tomore » be ~ 8 J cm -2. This is then significantly above the expected threshold for the onset of “blanking” effects. A novel Xenon Plasma X-ray Shield (XPXS) has been proposed to protect the blast shield from x-rays and mitigate “blanking”. Finally, these estimates suggest that an areal density of 10 19 cm -2 Xe atoms will be sufficient to absorb 99.5% the soft x-ray flux. Two potential designs for this shield are presented.« less

Parametric Thermal and Flow Analysis of ITER Diagnostic Shield Module

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khodak, A.; Zhai, Y.; Wang, W.

As part of the diagnostic port plug assembly, the ITER Diagnostic Shield Module (DSM) is designed to provide mechanical support and the plasma shielding while allowing access to plasma diagnostics. Thermal and hydraulic analysis of the DSM was performed using a conjugate heat transfer approach, in which heat transfer was resolved in both solid and liquid parts, and simultaneously, fluid dynamics analysis was performed only in the liquid part. ITER Diagnostic First Wall (DFW) and cooling tubing were also included in the analysis. This allowed direct modeling of the interface between DSM and DFW, and also direct assessment of themore » coolant flow distribution between the parts of DSM and DFW to ensure DSM design meets the DFW cooling requirements. Design of the DSM included voids filled with Boron Carbide pellets, allowing weight reduction while keeping shielding capability of the DSM. These voids were modeled as a continuous solid with smeared material properties using analytical relation for thermal conductivity. Results of the analysis lead to design modifications improving heat transfer efficiency of the DSM. Furthermore, the effect of design modifications on thermal performance as well as effect of Boron Carbide will be presented.« less

Parametric Thermal and Flow Analysis of ITER Diagnostic Shield Module

DOE PAGES

Khodak, A.; Zhai, Y.; Wang, W.; ...

2017-06-19

As part of the diagnostic port plug assembly, the ITER Diagnostic Shield Module (DSM) is designed to provide mechanical support and the plasma shielding while allowing access to plasma diagnostics. Thermal and hydraulic analysis of the DSM was performed using a conjugate heat transfer approach, in which heat transfer was resolved in both solid and liquid parts, and simultaneously, fluid dynamics analysis was performed only in the liquid part. ITER Diagnostic First Wall (DFW) and cooling tubing were also included in the analysis. This allowed direct modeling of the interface between DSM and DFW, and also direct assessment of themore » coolant flow distribution between the parts of DSM and DFW to ensure DSM design meets the DFW cooling requirements. Design of the DSM included voids filled with Boron Carbide pellets, allowing weight reduction while keeping shielding capability of the DSM. These voids were modeled as a continuous solid with smeared material properties using analytical relation for thermal conductivity. Results of the analysis lead to design modifications improving heat transfer efficiency of the DSM. Furthermore, the effect of design modifications on thermal performance as well as effect of Boron Carbide will be presented.« less

Reference reactor module for NASA's lunar surface fission power system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Poston, David I; Kapernick, Richard J; Dixon, David D

Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. The AFSPS concept is now being further developed within the Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project, which is a near-term technology program to demonstrate system-level TRL-6 by 2013. This paper describes the reference FSP reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on themore » lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based. UO{sub 2}-fueled, pumped-NaK fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a 'workhorse' power system that NASA can utilize in near-term and future Lunar and Martian mission architectures, with the eventual capability to evolve to very high power, low mass systems, for either surface, deep space, and/or orbital missions.« less

Shielding NSLS-II light source: Importance of geometry for calculating radiation levels from beam losses

DOE PAGES

Kramer, S. L.; Ghosh, V. J.; Breitfeller, M.; ...

2016-08-10

We present that third generation high brightness light sources are designed to have low emittance and high current beams, which contribute to higher beam loss rates that will be compensated by Top-Off injection. Shielding for these higher loss rates will be critical to protect the projected higher occupancy factors for the users. Top-Off injection requires a full energy injector, which will demand greater consideration of the potential abnormal beam miss-steering and localized losses that could occur. The high energy electron injection beam produces significantly higher neutron component dose to the experimental floor than a lower energy beam injection and rampedmore » operations. Minimizing this dose will require adequate knowledge of where the miss-steered beam can occur and sufficient EM shielding close to the loss point, in order to attenuate the energy of the particles in the EM shower below the neutron production threshold (<10 MeV), which will spread the incident energy on the bulk shield walls and thereby the dose penetrating the shield walls. Designing supplemental shielding near the loss point using the analytic shielding model is shown to be inadequate because of its lack of geometry specification for the EM shower process. To predict the dose rates outside the tunnel requires detailed description of the geometry and materials that the beam losses will encounter inside the tunnel. Modern radiation shielding Monte-Carlo codes, like FLUKA, can handle this geometric description of the radiation transport process in sufficient detail, allowing accurate predictions of the dose rates expected and the ability to show weaknesses in the design before a high radiation incident occurs. The effort required to adequately define the accelerator geometry for these codes has been greatly reduced with the implementation of the graphical interface of FLAIR to FLUKA. In conclusion, this made the effective shielding process for NSLS-II quite accurate and reliable. The principles used to provide supplemental shielding to the NSLS-II accelerators and the lessons learned from this process are presented.« less

Radiation Shielding Optimization on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slaba, Tony C.; Mertens, Chris J.; Blattnig, Steve R.

2013-01-01

Future space missions to Mars will require radiation shielding to be optimized for deep space transit and an extended stay on the surface. In deep space, increased shielding levels and material optimization will reduce the exposure from most solar particle events (SPE) but are less effective at shielding against galactic cosmic rays (GCR). On the surface, the shielding provided by the Martian atmosphere greatly reduces the exposure from most SPE, and long-term GCR exposure is a primary concern. Previous work has shown that in deep space, additional shielding of common materials such as aluminum or polyethylene does not significantly reduce the GCR exposure. In this work, it is shown that on the Martian surface, almost any amount of aluminum shielding increases exposure levels for humans. The increased exposure levels are attributed to neutron production in the shield and Martian regolith as well as the electromagnetic cascade induced in the Martian atmosphere. This result is significant for optimization of vehicle and shield designs intended for the surface of Mars.

Performance study of galactic cosmic ray shield materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Myung-Hee Y.; Wilson, John W.; Thibeault, Sheila A.; Nealy, John E.; Badavi, Francis F.; Kiefer, Richard L.

1994-01-01

The space program is faced with two difficult radiation protection issues for future long-term operations. First, retrofit of shield material or conservatism in shield design is prohibitively expensive and often impossible. Second, shielding from the cosmic heavy ions is faced with limited knowledge on the physical properties and biological responses of these radiations. The current status of space shielding technology and its impact on radiation health is discussed herein in terms of conventional protection practice and a test biological response model. The impact of biological response on the selection of optimum materials for cosmic ray shielding is presented in terms of the transmission characteristics of the shield material. Although the systematics of nuclear cross sections are able to demonstrate the relation of exposure risk to shield-material composition, the current uncertainty in-nuclear cross sections will not allow an accurate evaluation of risk reduction. This paper presents a theoretical study of risk-related factors and a pilot experiment to study the effectiveness of choice of shield materials to reduce the risk in space operations.

Exploring the Feasibility of Electrostatic Shielding for Spacecrafts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tripathi, R. K.; Wilson, J. W.; Youngquist, R. C.

2005-01-01

NASA is moving forward towards the agency's new vision for space exploration in the 21st Century encompassing a broad range of human and robotic missions including missions to Moon, Mars and beyond. Exposure from the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is the show stopper. Langley has developed state-of-the-art radiation protection and shielding technology for space missions. The payload penalty demands a very stringent requirement on the design of the spacecrafts for human deep space missions. The exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) to enable routine access to more interesting regions of space will require protection from the hazards of the accumulated exposures of space radiation, Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SPE), and minimizing the production of secondary radiation is a great advantage. There is a need to look to new horizons for newer technologies. The present investigation explores the feasibility of using electrostatic shielding in concert with innovative materials shielding and protection technologies. The asymmetries of the radiation shielding problem would be exploited in the electrostatics shielding process. The goal is to repel enough positive charge ions so that they miss the spacecraft without attracting thermal electrons. Conclusions are drawn about the advantages the electrostatic shielding, should it be successful, would bring to the radiation protection design process.

Contaminant deposition building shielding factors for US residential structures.

PubMed

Dickson, Elijah; Hamby, David; Eckerman, Keith

2017-10-10

This paper presents validated building shielding factors designed for contemporary US housing-stock under an idealized, yet realistic, exposure scenario from contaminant deposition on the roof and surrounding surfaces. The building shielding factors are intended for use in emergency planning and level three probabilistic risk assessments for a variety of postulated radiological events in which a realistic assessment is necessary to better understand the potential risks for accident mitigation and emergency response planning. Factors are calculated from detailed computational housing-units models using the general-purpose Monte Carlo N-Particle computational code, MCNP5, and are benchmarked from a series of narrow- and broad-beam measurements analyzing the shielding effectiveness of ten common general-purpose construction materials and ten shielding models representing the primary weather barriers (walls and roofs) of likely US housing-stock. Each model was designed to scale based on common residential construction practices and include, to the extent practical, all structurally significant components important for shielding against ionizing radiation. Calculations were performed for floor-specific locations from contaminant deposition on the roof and surrounding ground as well as for computing a weighted-average representative building shielding factor for single- and multi-story detached homes, both with and without basement as well for single-wide manufactured housing-unit. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Contaminant deposition building shielding factors for US residential structures.

PubMed

Dickson, E D; Hamby, D M; Eckerman, K F

2015-06-01

This paper presents validated building shielding factors designed for contemporary US housing-stock under an idealized, yet realistic, exposure scenario from contaminant deposition on the roof and surrounding surfaces. The building shielding factors are intended for use in emergency planning and level three probabilistic risk assessments for a variety of postulated radiological events in which a realistic assessment is necessary to better understand the potential risks for accident mitigation and emergency response planning. Factors are calculated from detailed computational housing-units models using the general-purpose Monte Carlo N-Particle computational code, MCNP5, and are benchmarked from a series of narrow- and broad-beam measurements analyzing the shielding effectiveness of ten common general-purpose construction materials and ten shielding models representing the primary weather barriers (walls and roofs) of likely US housing-stock. Each model was designed to scale based on common residential construction practices and include, to the extent practical, all structurally significant components important for shielding against ionizing radiation. Calculations were performed for floor-specific locations from contaminant deposition on the roof and surrounding ground as well as for computing a weighted-average representative building shielding factor for single- and multi-story detached homes, both with and without basement as well for single-wide manufactured housing-unit.

TU-H-BRA-07: Design, Construction, and Installation of An Experimental Beam Line for the Development of MRI-Linac Compatible Electron Accelerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whelan, B; Keall, P; Holloway, L

Purpose: MRI guided radiation therapy (MRIgRT) is a rapidly growing field; however, Linac operation in MRI fringe fields represents an ongoing challenge. We have previously shown in-silico that Linacs could be redesigned to function in the in-line orientation with no magnetic shielding by adopting an RF-gun configuration. Other authors have also published insilico studies of Linac operation in magnetic fields; however to date no experimental validation data is published. This work details the design, construction, and installation of an experimental beam line to validate our in-silico results. Methods: An RF-gun comprising 1.5 accelerating cells and capable of generating electron energiesmore » up to 3.2MeV is used. The experimental apparatus was designed to monitor both beam current (toroid current monitor), spot size (two phosphor screens with viewports), and generate peak magnetic fields of at least 1000G (three variable current electromagnetic coils). Thermal FEM simulations were developed to ensure coil temperature remained within 100degC. Other design considerations included beam disposal, vacuum maintenance, radiation shielding, earthquake safety, and machine protection interlocks. Results: The beam line has been designed, built, and installed in a radiation shielded bunker. Water cooling, power supplies, thermo-couples, cameras, and radiation shielding have been successfully connected and tested. Interlock testing, vacuum processing, and RF processing have been successfully completed. The first beam on is expected within weeks. The coil heating simulations show that with care, peak fields of up to 1200G (320G at cathode) can be produced using 40A current, which is well within the fields expected for MRI-Linac systems. The maximum coil temperature at this current was 84degC after 6 minutes. Conclusion: An experimental beam line has been constructed and installed at SLAC in order to experimentally characterise RF gun performance in in-line magnetic fields, validate in-silico design work, and provide the first published experimental data relating to accelerator functionality for MRIgRT.« less

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - While Jay Beason (left), with United Space Alliance, looks on, Jeremy Schwarz (front) and Tom Summers (behind), also with USA, place new tiles on the heat shield of main engine 1 for the orbiter Discovery. A heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft designed to protect it from the high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - While Jay Beason (left), with United Space Alliance, looks on, Jeremy Schwarz (front) and Tom Summers (behind), also with USA, place new tiles on the heat shield of main engine 1 for the orbiter Discovery. A heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft designed to protect it from the high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Impact of the retained heat shield concept on science instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kessler, W. C.

1974-01-01

Associated interface problems between the mass spectrometer and the actual probe design are considered along with the problem of producing a clean sample to the gas detection instrument. Of particular interest is the penetration of the heat shield by the mass spectrometer sampling tube, because it must be demonstrated that the sampling tube can penetrate the heat shield and that the mass spectrometer can be supplied with a contaminant-free gas sample, free of contaminants from out-gassing of the heat shield.

Active shielding of cylindrical saddle-shaped coils: application to wire-wound RF coils for very low field NMR and MRI.

PubMed

Bidinosti, C P; Kravchuk, I S; Hayden, M E

2005-11-01

We provide an exact expression for the magnetic field produced by cylindrical saddle-shaped coils and their ideal shield currents in the low-frequency limit. The stream function associated with the shield surface current is also determined. The results of the analysis are useful for the design of actively shielded radio-frequency (RF) coils. Examples pertinent to very low field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are presented and discussed.

Image-Processing Software For A Hypercube Computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Meemong; Mazer, Alan S.; Groom, Steven L.; Williams, Winifred I.

1992-01-01

Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE) is software system intended to develop and use image-processing application programs on concurrent computing environment. Designed to shield programmer from complexities of concurrent-system architecture, it provides interactive image-processing environment for end user. CIPE utilizes architectural characteristics of particular concurrent system to maximize efficiency while preserving architectural independence from user and programmer. CIPE runs on Mark-IIIfp 8-node hypercube computer and associated SUN-4 host computer.

Combined measurement system for double shield tunnel boring machine guidance based on optical and visual methods.

PubMed

Lin, Jiarui; Gao, Kai; Gao, Yang; Wang, Zheng

2017-10-01

In order to detect the position of the cutting shield at the head of a double shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) during the excavation, this paper develops a combined measurement system which is mainly composed of several optical feature points, a monocular vision sensor, a laser target sensor, and a total station. The different elements of the combined system are mounted on the TBM in suitable sequence, and the position of the cutting shield in the reference total station frame is determined by coordinate transformations. Subsequently, the structure of the feature points and matching technique for them are expounded, the position measurement method based on monocular vision is presented, and the calibration methods for the unknown relationships among different parts of the system are proposed. Finally, a set of experimental platforms to simulate the double shield TBM is established, and accuracy verification experiments are conducted. Experimental results show that the mean deviation of the system is 6.8 mm, which satisfies the requirements of double shield TBM guidance.

Design of boron carbide-shielded irradiation channel of the outer irradiation channel of the Ghana Research Reactor-1 using MCNP.

PubMed

Abrefah, R G; Sogbadji, R B M; Ampomah-Amoako, E; Birikorang, S A; Odoi, H C; Nyarko, B J B

2011-01-01

The MCNP model for the Ghana Research Reactor-1 was redesigned to incorporate a boron carbide-shielded irradiation channel in one of the outer irradiation channels. Extensive investigations were made before arriving at the final design of only one boron carbide covered outer irradiation channel; as all the other designs that were considered did not give desirable results of neutronic performance. The concept of redesigning a new MCNP model, which has a boron carbide-shielded channel is to equip the Ghana Research Reactor-1 with the means of performing efficient epithermal neutron activation analysis. After the simulation, a comparison of the results from the original MCNP model for the Ghana Research Reactor-1 and the new redesigned model of the boron carbide shielded channel was made. The final effective criticality of the original MCNP model for the GHARR-1 was recorded as 1.00402 while that of the new boron carbide designed model was recorded as 1.00282. Also, a final prompt neutron lifetime of 1.5245 × 10(-4)s was recorded for the new boron carbide designed model while a value of 1.5571 × 10(-7)s was recorded for the original MCNP design of the GHARR-1. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electromagnetic fields and torque for a rotating gyroscope with a superconducting shield

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebner, C.; Sung, C. C.

1975-01-01

In a proposed experiment, a measurement is to be made of the angular precession of a rotating superconducting gyroscope for the purpose of testing different general-relativity theories. For various reasons having to do with the design of the experiment, the superconducting shield surrounding the gyroscope is not spherically symmetric and produces a torque. There are two distinct features of the shield which lead to a torque on the gyroscope. First, its shape is a sphere intersected by a plane. If the angular momentum of the gyroscope is not parallel to the rotational symmetry axis of the shield, there is a torque which is calculated. Second, there are small holes in the spherical portion of the shield. The earth's field can penetrate through these holes and give an additional torque which is also calculated. In the actual experiment, these torques must be accurately known or made very small in order to obtain meaningful results. The present calculation is sufficiently general for application over a wide range of experimental design parameters.

Ford Motor Company NDE facility shielding design.

PubMed

Metzger, Robert L; Van Riper, Kenneth A; Jones, Martin H

2005-01-01

Ford Motor Company proposed the construction of a large non-destructive evaluation laboratory for radiography of automotive power train components. The authors were commissioned to design the shielding and to survey the completed facility for compliance with radiation doses for occupationally and non-occupationally exposed personnel. The two X-ray sources are Varian Linatron 3000 accelerators operating at 9-11 MV. One performs computed tomography of automotive transmissions, while the other does real-time radiography of operating engines and transmissions. The shield thickness for the primary barrier and all secondary barriers were determined by point-kernel techniques. Point-kernel techniques did not work well for skyshine calculations and locations where multiple sources (e.g. tube head leakage and various scatter fields) impacted doses. Shielding for these areas was determined using transport calculations. A number of MCNP [Briesmeister, J. F. MCNPCA general Monte Carlo N-particle transport code version 4B. Los Alamos National Laboratory Manual (1997)] calculations focused on skyshine estimates and the office areas. Measurements on the operational facility confirmed the shielding calculations.

Effects of radiobiological uncertainty on vehicle and habitat shield design for missions to the moon and Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Nealy, John E.; Schimmerling, Walter; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wood, James S.

1993-01-01

Some consequences of uncertainties in radiobiological risk due to galactic cosmic ray (GCR) exposure are analyzed for their effect on engineering designs for the first lunar outpost and a mission to explore Mars. This report presents the plausible effect of biological uncertainties, the design changes necessary to reduce the uncertainties to acceptable levels for a safe mission, and an evaluation of the mission redesign cost. Estimates of the amount of shield mass required to compensate for radiobiological uncertainty are given for a simplified vehicle and habitat. The additional amount of shield mass required to provide a safety factor for uncertainty compensation is calculated from the expected response to GCR exposure. The amount of shield mass greatly increases in the estimated range of biological uncertainty, thus, escalating the estimated cost of the mission. The estimates are used as a quantitative example for the cost-effectiveness of research in radiation biophysics and radiation physics.

Split gradient coils for simultaneous PET-MRI

PubMed Central

Poole, Michael; Bowtell, Richard; Green, Dan; Pittard, Simon; Lucas, Alun; Hawkes, Rob; Carpenter, Adrian

2015-01-01

Combining positron emission tomography (PET) and MRI necessarily involves an engineering tradeoff as the equipment needed for the two modalities vies for the space closest to the region where the signals originate. In one recently described scanner configuration for simultaneous positron emission tomography–MRI, the positron emission tomography detection scintillating crystals reside in an 80-mm gap between the 2 halves of a 1-T split-magnet cryostat. A novel set of gradient and shim coils has been specially designed for this split MRI scanner to include an 110-mm gap from which wires are excluded so as not to interfere with positron detection. An inverse boundary element method was necessarily employed to design the three orthogonal, shielded gradient coils and shielded Z0 shim coil. The coils have been constructed and tested in the hybrid positron emission tomography-MRI system and successfully used in simultaneous positron emission tomography-MRI experiments. PMID:19780167

A novel optically transparent RF shielding for fully integrated PET/MRI systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parl, C.; Kolb, A.; Schmid, A. M.; Wehrl, H. F.; Disselhorst, J. A.; Soubiran, P. D.; Stricker-Shaver, D.; Pichler, B. J.

2017-09-01

Preclinical imaging benefits from simultaneous acquisition of high-resolution anatomical and molecular data. Additionally, PET/MRI systems can provide functional PET and functional MRI data. To optimize PET sensitivity, we propose a system design that fully integrates the MRI coil into the PET system. This allows positioning the scintillators near the object but requires an optimized design of the MRI coil and PET detector. It further requires a new approach in realizing the radiofrequency (RF) shielding. Thus, we propose the use of an optically transparent RF shielding material between the PET scintillator and the light sensor, suppressing the interference between both systems. We evaluated two conductive foils (ITO, 9900) and a wire mesh. The PET performance was tested on a dual-layer scintillator consisting of 12  ×  12 LSO matrices, shifted by half a pitch. The pixel size was 0.9  ×  0.9 mm2 the lengths were 10.0 mm and 5.0 mm, respectively. For a light sensor, we used a 4  ×  4 SiPM array. The RF attenuation was measured from 320 kHz to 420 MHz using two pick-up coils. MRI-compatibility and shielding effect of the materials were evaluated with an MRI system. The average FWHM energy resolution at 511 keV of all 144 crystals of the layer next to the SiPM was deteriorated from 15.73  ±  0.24% to 16.32  ±  0.13%, 16.60  ±  0.25%, and 19.16  ±  0.21% by the ITO foil, 9900 foil, mesh material, respectively. The average peak-to-valley ratio of the PET detector changed from 5.77  ±  0.29 to 4.50  ±  0.39, 4.78  ±  0.48, 3.62  ±  0.16, respectively. The ITO, 9900, mesh attenuated the scintillation light by 11.3  ±  1.6%, 11.0  ±  1.8%, 54.3  ±  0.4%, respectively. To attenuate the RF from 20 MHz to 200 MHz, mesh performed better than copper. The results show that an RF shielding material that is sufficiently transparent for scintillation light and is MRI compatible can be obtained. This result enables the development of a fully integrated PET detector and MRI coil assembly.

Study of radioisotope safety devices for electric propulsion system, Volume 1: Summary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bradshaw, G. B.; Homeyer, W. G.; Postula, F. D.; Steeger, E. J.

1972-01-01

A new reference design was prepared for the 5 kW(e) thermionic power supply. The safety equipment in this design is a passive containment system which does not rely on the operation of any mechanisms such as a launch escape rocket or deployment of parachutes. It includes: (1) a blast shield to protect against the explosion of the launch vehicle; (2) a combination of refractory thermal insulation and heat storage material to protect against a sustained launch pad fire; (3) a reentry body with a spherical nose and a large conical flare at the aft end to stabilize the reentry attitude and lower the terminal velocity in air; (4) composite graphite thermal protection to sustain the reentry heat pulse; (5) crushable honeycomb behind the nose to limit the deceleration of the radioisotope source due to impact on land at terminal velocity; (6) a double-walled secondary containment vessel surrounding the isotopic capsules; (7) neutron shielding to reduce external dose rates; (8) an auxiliary cooling system employing redundant heat pipes to remove the radioactive decay heat from the heat source and reject it to the surroundings or to a forced convection loop.

Performances of single and two-stage pulse tube cryocoolers under different vacuum levels with and without thermal radiation shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasthurirengan, Srinivasan; Behera, Upendra; Nadig, D. S.; Krishnamoorthy, V.

2012-06-01

Single and two-stage Pulse Tube Cryocoolers (PTC) have been designed, fabricated and experimentally studied. The single stage PTC reaches a no-load temperature of ~ 29 K at its cold end, the two-stage PTC reaches ~ 2.9 K in its second stage cold end and ~ 60 K in its first stage cold end. The two-stage Pulse Tube Cryocooler provides a cooling power of ~ 250 mW at 4.2 K. The single stage system uses stainless steel meshes along with Pb granules as its regenerator materials, while the two-stage PTC uses combinations of Pb along with Er3Ni / HoCu2 as the second stage regenerator materials. Normally, the above systems are insulated by thermal radiation shields and mounted inside a vacuum chamber which is maintained at high vacuum. To evaluate the performance of these systems in the possible conditions of loss of vacuum with and without radiation shields, experimental studies have been performed. The heat-in-leak under such severe conditions has been estimated from the heat load characteristics of the respective stages. The experimental results are analyzed to obtain surface emissivities and effective thermal conductivities as a function of interspace pressure.

Electron Accelerator Shielding Design of KIPT Neutron Source Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhong, Zhaopeng; Gohar, Yousry

The Argonne National Laboratory of the United States and the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology of the Ukraine have been collaborating on the design, development and construction of a neutron source facility at Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology utilizing an electron-accelerator-driven subcritical assembly. The electron beam power is 100 kW using 100-MeV electrons. The facility was designed to perform basic and applied nuclear research, produce medical isotopes, and train nuclear specialists. The biological shield of the accelerator building was designed to reduce the biological dose to less than 5.0e-03 mSv/h during operation. The main source of the biologicalmore » dose for the accelerator building is the photons and neutrons generated from different interactions of leaked electrons from the electron gun and the accelerator sections with the surrounding components and materials. The Monte Carlo N-particle extended code (MCNPX) was used for the shielding calculations because of its capability to perform electron-, photon-, and neutron-coupled transport simulations. The photon dose was tallied using the MCNPX calculation, starting with the leaked electrons. However, it is difficult to accurately tally the neutron dose directly from the leaked electrons. The neutron yield per electron from the interactions with the surrounding components is very small, similar to 0.01 neutron for 100-MeV electron and even smaller for lower-energy electrons. This causes difficulties for the Monte Carlo analyses and consumes tremendous computation resources for tallying the neutron dose outside the shield boundary with an acceptable accuracy. To avoid these difficulties, the SOURCE and TALLYX user subroutines of MCNPX were utilized for this study. The generated neutrons were banked, together with all related parameters, for a subsequent MCNPX calculation to obtain the neutron dose. The weight windows variance reduction technique was also utilized for both neutron and photon dose calculations. Two shielding materials, heavy concrete and ordinary concrete, were considered for the shield design. The main goal is to maintain the total dose outside the shield boundary less than 5.0e-03 mSv/h during operation. The shield configuration and parameters of the accelerator building were determined and are presented in this paper. Copyright (C) 2016, Published by Elsevier Korea LLC on behalf of Korean Nuclear Society.« less

Spacecraft Electrostatic Radiation Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

This project analyzed the feasibility of placing an electrostatic field around a spacecraft to provide a shield against radiation. The concept was originally proposed in the 1960s and tested on a spacecraft by the Soviet Union in the 1970s. Such tests and analyses showed that this concept is not only feasible but operational. The problem though is that most of this work was aimed at protection from 10- to 100-MeV radiation. We now appreciate that the real problem is 1- to 2-GeV radiation. So, the question is one of scaling, in both energy and size. Can electrostatic shielding be made to work at these high energy levels and can it protect an entire vehicle? After significant analysis and consideration, an electrostatic shield configuration was proposed. The selected architecture was a torus, charged to a high negative voltage, surrounding the vehicle, and a set of positively charged spheres. Van de Graaff generators were proposed as the mechanism to move charge from the vehicle to the torus to generate the fields necessary to protect the spacecraft. This design minimized complexity, residual charge, and structural forces and resolved several concerns raised during the internal critical review. But, it still is not clear if such a system is costeffective or feasible, even though several studies have indicated usefulness for radiation protection at energies lower than that of the galactic cosmic rays. Constructing such a system will require power supplies that can generate voltages 10 times that of the state of the art. Of more concern is the difficulty of maintaining the proper net charge on the entire structure and ensuring that its interaction with solar wind will not cause rapid discharge. Yet, if these concerns can be resolved, such a scheme may provide significant radiation shielding to future vehicles, without the excessive weight or complexity of other active shielding techniques.

Neutron skyshine calculations for the PDX tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wheeler, F.J.; Nigg, D.W.

1979-01-01

The Poloidal Divertor Experiment (PDX) at Princeton will be the first operating tokamak to require a substantial radiation shield. The PDX shielding includes a water-filled roof shield over the machine to reduce air scattering skyshine dose in the PDX control room and at the site boundary. During the design of this roof shield a unique method was developed to compute the neutron source emerging from the top of the roof shield for use in Monte Carlo skyshine calculations. The method is based on simple, one-dimensional calculations rather than multidimensional calculations, resulting in considerable savings in computer time and input preparationmore » effort. This method is described.« less

Shield Design for Lunar Surface Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Gregory A.

2006-01-01

A shielding concept for lunar surface applications of nuclear power is presented herein. The reactor, primary shield, reactor equipment and power generation module are placed in a cavity in the lunar surface. Support structure and heat rejection radiator panels are on the surface, outside the cavity. The reactor power of 1,320 kWt was sized to deliver 50 kWe from a thermoelectric power conversion subsystem. The dose rate on the surface is less than 0.6 mRem/hr at 100 meters from the reactor. Unoptimized shield mass is 1,020 kg which is much lighter than a comparable 4π shield weighing in at 17,000 kg.

Design and evaluation of an inexpensive radiation shield for monitoring surface air temperatures

Treesearch

Zachary A. Holden; Anna E. Klene; Robert F. Keefe; Gretchen G. Moisen

2013-01-01

Inexpensive temperature sensors are widely used in agricultural and forestry research. This paper describes a low-cost (~3 USD) radiation shield (radshield) designed for monitoring surface air temperatures in harsh outdoor environments. We compared the performance of the radshield paired with low-cost temperature sensors at three sites in western Montana to several...

Design of the radiation shielding for the time of flight enhanced diagnostics neutron spectrometer at Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Du, T. F.; Chen, Z. J.; Peng, X. Y.

A radiation shielding has been designed to reduce scattered neutrons and background gamma-rays for the new double-ring Time Of Flight Enhanced Diagnostics (TOFED). The shielding was designed based on simulation with the Monte Carlo code MCNP5. Dedicated model of the EAST tokamak has been developed together with the emission neutron source profile and spectrum; the latter were simulated with the Nubeam and GENESIS codes. Significant reduction of background radiation at the detector can be achieved and this satisfies the requirement of TOFED. The intensities of the scattered and direct neutrons in the line of sight of the TOFED neutron spectrometermore » at EAST are studied for future data interpretation.« less

Re-Shielding of Cobalt-60 Teletherapy Rooms for Tomotherapy and Conventional Linear Accelerators using Monte Carlo Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çeçen, Yiğit; Yazgan, Çağrı

2017-09-01

Purpose. Nearly all Cobalt-60 teletherapy machines were removed around the world during the last two decades. The remaining ones are being used for experimental purposes. However, the rooms of these teletherapy machines are valuable because of lack of space in radiotherapy clinics. In order to place a new technology treatment machine in one of these rooms, one should re-shield the room since it was designed only for 1.25 MeV gamma beams on average. Mostly, the vendor of the new machine constructs the new shielding of the room using their experience. However, every radiotherapy room has different surrounding work areas and it would be wise to shield the room considering these special conditions. Also, the shield design goal of the clinic may be much lower than the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the local association accepts. The study shows re-shielding of a Cobalt-60 room, specific to the clinic, using Monte Carlo simulations. Materials & Methods: First, a 6 MV Tomotherapy machine, then a 10 MV conventional linear accelerator (LINAC) was placed inside the Cobalt-60 teletherapy room. The photon flux outside the room was simulated using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP6.1) code before and after re-shielding. For the Tomotherapy simulation, flux distributions around the machine were obtained from the vendor and implemented as the source of the model. The LINAC model was more generic with the 10 MeV electron source, the tungsten target, first and secondary collimators. The aim of the model was to obtain the maximum (40x40 cm2) open field at the isocenter. Two different simulations were carried out for gantry angles 90o and 270o. The LINAC was placed in the room such that the primary walls were A' (Gantry 270o) and C' (Gantry 90o) (figure 1). The second part of the study was to model the re-shielding of the room for Tomotherapy and for the conventional LINAC, separately. The aim was to investigate the recommended shielding by the vendors. Left side of the room was adjacent to a LINAC room with 2 meters thick concrete wall (figure 1). No shielding was necessary for that wall. Behind wall A-A' there was an outdoors forbidden area; behind wall B-B' was the contouring room for the doctors; and the control room was behind wall C-C' (figure 1). After some modifications, the final shielding was designed. Results: The photon flux distributions outside the room before and after the re-shielding were compared. The re-shielding of Tomotherapy reduced the flux down to 1.89 % on average with respect to pre-shielding (table 1). For the conventional LINAC case; after re-shielding, the photon flux in the control room -which corresponds to gantry 90°- decreased down to 0.57% with respect to pre-shielding (table 2). The photon flux behind wall A' -which corresponds to gantry 270°- decreased down to 2.46%. Everybody was all safe behind wall B' even before re-shielding.

ERA's Open Rotor Studies Including Shielding for Noise Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Zante, Dale; Thomas, Russell

2012-01-01

The Open Rotor is a modern version of the UnDucted Fan (UDF) that was flight tested in the late 1980's through a partnership between NASA and General Electric (GE). Tests were conducted in the 9' x 15' Low Speed Wind Tunnel and the 8' x 6' Supersonic Wind Tunnel starting in late 2009 and completed in early 2012. Aerodynamic and acoustic data were obtained for takeoff, approach and cruise simulations. GE was the primary partner, but other organizations were involved such as Boeing and Airbus who provided additional hardware for fuselage simulations. This test campaign provided the acoustic and performance characteristics for modern open rotor blades designs." NASA and GE conducted joint systems analysis to evaluate how well new blade designs would perform on a B737 class aircraft, and compared the results to an advanced higher bypass ratio turbofan." Acoustic shielding experiments were performed at NASA GRC and Boeing LSAF facilities to provide data for noise estimates of unconventional aircraft configurations with Open Rotor propulsion systems." The work was sponsored by NASA's aeronautics programs, including the Subsonic Fixed Wing (SFW) and the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) projects."

BWR ASSEMBLY SOURCE TERMS FOR WASTE PACKAGE DESIGN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

T.L. Lotz

1997-02-15

This analysis is prepared by the Mined Geologic Disposal System (MGDS) Waste Package Development Department (WPDD) to provide boiling water reactor (BWR) assembly radiation source term data for use during Waste Package (WP) design. The BWR assembly radiation source terms are to be used for evaluation of radiolysis effects at the WP surface, and for personnel shielding requirements during assembly or WP handling operations. The objectives of this evaluation are to generate BWR assembly radiation source terms that bound selected groupings of BWR assemblies, with regard to assembly average burnup and cooling time, which comprise the anticipated MGDS BWR commercialmore » spent nuclear fuel (SNF) waste stream. The source term data is to be provided in a form which can easily be utilized in subsequent shielding/radiation dose calculations. Since these calculations may also be used for Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA), with appropriate justification provided by TSPA, or radionuclide release rate analysis, the grams of each element and additional cooling times out to 25 years will also be calculated and the data included in the output files.« less

Photon mass attenuation coefficients of a silicon resin loaded with WO3, PbO, and Bi2O3 Micro and Nano-particles for radiation shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdipoor, Khatibeh; Alemi, Abdolali; Mesbahi, Asghar

2018-06-01

Novel shielding materials for photons based on silicon resin and WO3, PbO, and Bi2O3 Micro and Nano-particles were designed and their mass attenuation coefficients were calculated using Monte Carlo (MC) method. Using lattice cards in MCNPX code, micro and nanoparticles with sizes of 100 nm and 1 μm was designed inside a silicon resin matrix. Narrow beam geometry was simulated to calculate the attenuation coefficients of samples against mono-energetic beams of Co60 (1.17 and 1.33 MeV), Cs137 (663.8 KeV), and Ba133 (355.9 KeV). The shielding samples made of nanoparticles had higher mass attenuation coefficients, up to 17% relative to those made of microparticles. The superiority of nano-shields relative to micro-shields was dependent on the filler concentration and the energy of photons. PbO, and Bi2O3 nanoparticles showed higher attenuation compared to WO3 nanoparticles in studied energies. Fabrication of novel shielding materials using PbO, and Bi2O3 nanoparticles is recommended for application in radiation protection against photon beams.

An approach to achieve progress in spacecraft shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thoma, K.; Schäfer, F.; Hiermaier, S.; Schneider, E.

2004-01-01

Progress in shield design against space debris can be achieved only when a combined approach based on several tools is used. This approach depends on the combined application of advanced numerical methods, specific material models and experimental determination of input parameters for these models. Examples of experimental methods for material characterization are given, covering the range from quasi static to very high strain rates for materials like Nextel and carbon fiber-reinforced materials. Mesh free numerical methods have extraordinary capabilities in the simulation of extreme material behaviour including complete failure with phase changes, combined with shock wave phenomena and the interaction with structural components. In this paper the benefits from combining numerical methods, material modelling and detailed experimental studies for shield design are demonstrated. The following examples are given: (1) Development of a material model for Nextel and Kevlar-Epoxy to enable numerical simulation of hypervelocity impacts on complex heavy protection shields for the International Space Station. (2) The influence of projectile shape on protection performance of Whipple Shields and how experimental problems in accelerating such shapes can be overcome by systematic numerical simulation. (3) The benefits of using metallic foams in "sandwich bumper shields" for spacecraft and how to approach systematic characterization of such materials.

Distribution and size of lava shields on the Al Haruj al Aswad and the Al Haruj al Abyad Volcanic Systems, Central Libya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elshaafi, Abdelsalam; Gudmundsson, Agust

2017-05-01

The Al Haruj Volcanic Province (AHVP) consists of two distinct volcanic systems. In the north is the system of Al Haruj al Aswad, covering an area of 34,200 km2, while in the south the system of Al Haruj al Abyad, covering an area of 7,850 km2. The systems have produced some 432 monogenetic volcanoes, primarily scoria (cinder) cones, lava shields, and maars. The density distribution of the volcanoes in each system, plotted as eruption points or sites, has a roughly elliptical surface expression, suggesting similar plan-view geometry of the magma sources, here suggested as deep-seated reservoirs. More specifically, the Al Haruj al Aswad magma reservoir has major and minor axes of 210 km and 119 km, respectively, and an area of 19,176 km2, the corresponding figures for the Haruj al Abyad reservoir being 108 km and 74 km, for the axes, and 6209 km2 for the area. We measured 55 lava shields on the AHVP. They are mostly restricted to the northern and southern parts of AHVP and date from late Miocene to (at least) the end of Pleistocene, while some may have been active into Holocene. In fact, although primarily monogenetic, some of the lava shields show evidence of (possibly Holocene) fissure eruptions in the summit parts. The early lava shields tend to be located at the edges of volcanic systems and with greater volumes than later (more central) shields. The average lava shield basal diameter is 4.5 km and height 63 m. There is strong linear correlation between lava shield volume and basal area, the coefficient of determination (R2) being about 0.75. When 22 Holocene Icelandic lava shields are added to the dataset, for comparison, the correlation between volume and basal area becomes R2 = 0.95. Numerical models suggest that the local stress fields favoured rupture and dyke injection at the margins of the source reservoirs during late Miocene - early Pliocene, in agreement with the distribution of the early, large-volume shields.

Drop Tower Facility at Queensland University of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plagens, Owen; Castillo, Martin; Steinberg, Theodore; Ong, Teng-Cheong

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Drop Tower Facility is a {raise.17exscriptstyle˜}2.1 second, 21.3 m fall, dual capsule drop tower system. The dual capsule comprises of an uncoupled exterior hollow drag shield that experiences drag by the ambient atmosphere with the experimental capsule falling within the drag shield. The dual capsule system is lifted to the top of the drop tower via a mechanical crane and the dropping process is initiated by the cutting of a wire coupling the experimental package and suspending the drag shield. The internal experimental capsule reaches the bottom of the drag shield floor just prior to the deceleration stage at the air bag and during this time experience gravity levels of {raise.17exscriptstyle˜}10textsuperscript{-6} g. The deceleration system utilizes an inflatable airbag where experimental packages can be designed to experience a maximum deceleration of {raise.17exscriptstyle˜}10textsuperscript{18} g for {raise.17exscriptstyle˜}0.1 seconds. The drag shield can house experimental packages with a maximum diameter of 0.8 m and height of 0.9 m. The drag shield can also be used in foam mode, where the walls are lined with foam and small experiments can be dropped completely untethered. This mode is generally used for the study of microsatellite manipulation. Payloads can be powered by on-board power systems with power delivered to the experiment until free fall occurs. Experimental data that can be collected includes but is not limited to video, temperature, pressure, voltage/current from the power supply, and triggering mechanisms outputs which are simultaneously collected via data logging systems and high speed video recording systems. Academic and commercial projects are currently under investigation at the QUT Drop Tower Facility and collaboration is openly welcome at this facility. Current research includes the study of heterogeneously burning metals in oxygen which is aimed at fire safety applications and identifying size distributions and morphologies of particles produced during the combustion of bulk metals. Materials produced via self-propagating high-temperature synthesis in microgravity are investigated to produce high electroluminescent materials and high efficient dye sensitized electrolyte materials. The rapid cooling and quenching of ZBLAN glass in a microgravity environment is studied to reduce crystallization in the glass. Convective pool boiling and nucleate bubble formation in nano-fluids is aimed at investigating heat transfer properties in these new materials which are masked by gravity. Novel carbon nanotubes are produced in low gravity via an arch discharge to investigate the formation mechanisms of these materials.

Trans-oral miniature X-ray radiation delivery system with endoscopic optical feedback.

PubMed

Boese, Axel; Johnson, Fredrick; Ebert, Till; Mahmoud-Pashazadeh, Ali; Arens, Christoph; Friebe, Michael

2017-11-01

Surgery, chemo- and/or external radiation therapy are the standard therapy options for the treatment of laryngeal cancer. Trans-oral access for the surgery reduces traumata and hospitalization time. A new trend in treatment is organ-preserving surgery. To avoid regrowth of cancer, this type of surgery can be combined with radiation therapy. Since external radiation includes healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous zone, a local and direct intraoral radiation delivery would be beneficial. A general concept for a trans-oral radiation system was designed, based on clinical need identification with a medical user. A miniaturized X-ray tube was used as the radiation source for the intraoperative radiation delivery. To reduce dose distribution on healthy areas, the X-ray source was collimated by a newly designed adjustable shielding system as part of the housing. For direct optical visualization of the radiation zone, a miniature flexible endoscope was integrated into the system. The endoscopic light cone and the field of view were aligned with the zone of the collimated radiation. The intraoperative radiation system was mounted on a semi-automatic medical holder that was combined with a frontal actuator for rotational and translational movement using piezoelectric motors to provide precise placement. The entire technical set-up was tested in a simulated environment. The shielding of the X-ray source was verified by performing conventional detector-based dose measurements. The delivered dose was estimated by an ionization chamber. The adjustment of the radiation zone was performed by a manual controlling mechanism integrated into the hand piece of the device. An endoscopic fibre was also added to offer visualization and illumination of the radiation zone. The combination of the radiation system with the semi-automatic holder and actuator offered precise and stable positioning of the device in range of micrometres and will allow for future combination with a radiation planning system. The presented system was designed for radiation therapy of the oral cavity and the larynx. This first set-up tried to cover all clinical aspects that are necessary for a later use in surgery. The miniaturized X-ray tube offers the size and the power for intraoperative radiation therapy. The adjustable shielding system in combination with the holder and actuator provides a precise placement. The visualization of radiation zone allows a targeting and observation of the radiation zone.

Theory and application of high temperature superconducting eddy current probes for nondestructive evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claycomb, James Ronald

1998-10-01

Several High-T c Superconducting (HTS) eddy current probes have been developed for applications in electromagnetic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of conducting materials. The probes utilize high-T c SUperconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometers to detect the fields produced by the perturbation of induced eddy currents resulting from subsurface flaws. Localized HTS shields are incorporated to selectively screen out environmental electromagnetic interference and enable movement of the instrument in the Earth's magnetic field. High permeability magnetic shields are employed to focus flux into, and thereby increase the eddy current density in the metallic test samples. NDE test results are presented, in which machined flaws in aluminum alloy are detected by probes of different design. A novel current injection technique performing NDE of wires using SQUIDs is also discussed. The HTS and high permeability shields are designed based on analytical and numerical finite element method (FEM) calculations presented here. Superconducting and high permeability magnetic shields are modeled in uniform noise fields and in the presence of dipole fields characteristic of flaw signals. Several shield designs are characterized in terms of (1) their ability to screen out uniform background noise fields; (2) the resultant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio and (3) the extent to which dipole source fields are distorted. An analysis of eddy current induction is then presented for low frequency SQUID NDE. Analytical expressions are developed for the induced eddy currents and resulting magnetic fields produced by excitation sources above conducting plates of varying thickness. The expressions derived here are used to model the SQUID's response to material thinning. An analytical defect model is also developed, taking into account the attenuation of the defect field through the conducting material, as well as the current flow around the edges of the flaw. Time harmonic FEM calculations are then used to model the electromagnetic response of eight probe designs, consisting of an eddy current drive coil coupled to a SQUID surrounded by superconducting and/or high permeability magnetic shielding. Simulations are carried out with the eddy current probes located a finite distance above a conducting surface. Results are quantified in terms of shielding and focus factors for each probe design.

Design of a heat pipe governed thermal control system for the Solar Electric Propulsion Stage /SEPS/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruttner, L. E.; Wright, J. P.

1975-01-01

A 2200-w capacity spacecraft heat rejection system designed for the SEPS and utilizing heat pipe radiator panels has been investigated. The total thermal control system consists of two radiator panels connected to the heat source by variable conductance heat pipes (VCHP's). The system was designed to operate in the 223 to 333 temperature range. The radiators have an emittance of 0.88 at their operational temperature and a fin efficiency of approximately 80 percent. The radiators are thermally isolated from the SEPS and environment by multilayer insulation and thermal shields. Butane was selected as the working fluid for the VCHP because of its low freezing point (135), which is necessary to prevent diffusion freezeout of the liquid during the cold outbond missions. Helium was selected for the control gas. This paper describes the VCHP system, discusses the system design parameters and presents the results of the analyses.

Top shield temperatures, C and K Reactors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agar, J.D.

1964-12-28

A modification program is now in progress at the C and K Reactors consisting of an extensive renovation of the graphite channels in the vertical safety rod ststems. The present VSR channels are being enlarged by a graphite coring operation and channel sleeves will be installed in the larger channels. One problem associated with the coring operation is the danger of damaging top thermal shield cooling tubes located close to the VSR channels to such an extent that these tubes will have to be removed from service. If such a condition should exist at one or a number of locationsmore » in the top shield of the reactors after reactor startup, the question remains -- what would the resulting temperatures be of the various components of the top shields? This study was initiated to determine temperature distributions in the top shield complex at the C and K Reactors for various top thermal shield coolant system conditions. Since the top thermal shield cooling system at C Reactor is different than those at the K Reactors, the study was conducted separately for the two different systems.« less

Evaluation of the Kloswall longwall mining system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guay, P. J.

1982-04-01

A new longwal mining system specifically designed to extract a very deep web (48 inches or deeper) from a longwall panel was studied. Productivity and cost analysis comparing the new mining system with a conventional longwall operation taking a 30 inch wide web is presented. It is shown that the new system will increase annual production and return on investment in most cases. Conceptual drawings and specifications for a high capacity three drum shearer and a unique shield type of roof support specifically designed for very wide web operation are reported. The advantages and problems associated with wide web mining in general and as they relate specifically to the equipment selected for the new mining system are discussed.

ITER in-vessel system design and performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, R. R.

2000-03-01

The article reviews the design and performance of the in-vessel components of ITER as developed for the Engineering Design Activities (EDA) Final Design Report. The double walled vacuum vessel is the first confinement boundary and is designed to maintain its integrity under all normal and off-normal conditions, e.g. the most intense vertical displacement events (VDEs) and seismic events. The shielding blanket consists of modules connected to a toroidal backplate by flexible connectors which allow differential displacements due to temperature non-uniformities. Breeding blanket modules replace the shield modules for the Enhanced Performance Phase. The divertor concept is based on a cassette structure which is convenient for remote installation and removal. High heat flux (HHF) components are mechanically attached and can be removed and replaced in the hot cell. Operation of the divertor is based on achieving partially detached plasma conditions along and near the separatrix. Nominal heat loads of 5-10 MW/m2 are expected on the target. These are accommodated by HHF technology developed during the EDA. Disruptions and VDEs can lead to melting of the first wall armour but no damage to the underlying structure. Stresses in the main structural components remain within allowable ranges for all postulated disruption and seismic events.

Evaluation of the gamma radiation shielding parameters of bismuth modified quaternary glass system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Parminder; Singh, K. J.; Thakur, Sonika

2018-05-01

Glasses modified with heavy metal oxides (HMO) are an interesting area of research in the field of gamma-ray shielding. Bismuth modified lithium-zinc-borate glasses have been studied whereby bismuth oxide is added from 0 to 50 mol%. The gamma ray shielding properties of the glasses were evaluated at photon energy 662 keV with the help of XMuDat computer program by using the Hubbell and Seltzer database. Various gamma ray shielding parameters such as attenuation coefficient, shield thickness in terms of half and tenth value layer, effective atomic number have been studied in this work. A useful comparison of this glass system has been made with standard radiation shielding concretes viz. ordinary, barite and iron concrete. The glass samples containing 20 to 50 mol% bismuth oxide have shown better gamma ray shielding properties and hence have the potential to become good radiation absorbers.

Electromagnetic interference and shielding: An introduction (revised version of 1991-23)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehoop, A. T.; Quak, D.

The basic equations of the electromagnetic field are summarized as far as they are needed in the theory of electromagnetic interference and shielding. Through the analysis of the planar electric current emitter, the propagation coefficient, attenuation coefficient, phase coefficient, wave-speed, wavelength, wave impedance, wave admittance, and power flow density of a wave are introduced. Next, the shielding effectiveness of a shielding plate and the shielding effectiveness of a shielding parallel-plate box are determined. In the latter, particular attention is given to the occurrence of internal resonance effects, which may degrade the shielding effectiveness. Further, a survey of some fundamental properties of a system of low frequency, multiconductor transmission lines is given. For a three conductor system with a plane of symmetry, the decomposition into the common mode and the differential mode of operation is discussed. Finally, expressions for the voltages and electric currents induced by external sources along a single transmission line are derived.

Bone preserving level of osteotomy in short-stem total hip arthroplasty does not influence stress shielding dimensions - a comparing finite elements analysis.

PubMed

Burchard, Rene; Braas, Sabrina; Soost, Christian; Graw, Jan Adriaan; Schmitt, Jan

2017-08-07

The main objective of every new development in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the longest possible survival of the implant. Periprosthetic stress shielding is a scientifically proven phenomenon which leads to inadvertent bone loss. So far, many studies have analysed whether implanting different hip stem prostheses result in significant preservation of bone stock. The aim of this preclinical study was to investigate design-depended differences of the stress shielding effect after implantation of a selection of short-stem THA-prostheses that are currently available. Based on computerised tomography (CT), a finite elements (FE) model was generated and a virtual THA was performed with different stem designs of the implant. Stems were chosen by osteotomy level at the femoral neck (collum, partial collum, trochanter sparing, trochanter harming). Analyses were performed with previously validated FE models to identify changes in the strain energy density (SED). In the trochanteric region, only the collum-type stem demonstrated a biomechanical behaviour similar to the native femur. In contrast, no difference in biomechanical behaviour was found between partial collum, trochanter harming and trochanter sparing models. All of the short stem-prostheses showed lower stress-shielding than a standard stem. Based on the results of this study, we cannot confirm that the design of current short stem THA-implants leads to a different stress shielding effect with regard to the level of osteotomy. Somehow unexpected, we found a bone stock protection in metadiaphyseal bone by simulating a more distal approach for osteotomy. Further clinical and biomechanical research including long-term results is needed to understand the influence of short-stem THA on bone remodelling and to find the optimal stem-design for a reduction of the stress shielding effect.

Changes made on a 2.7-m long superconducting solenoid magnet cryogenic system that allowed the magnet to be kept cold using 4 K pulse tube coolers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Green, M. A.; Pan, H.; Preece, R. M.

2014-01-29

Two 2.7-m long solenoid magnets with a cold mass of 1400 kg were fabricated in between 2007 and 2010. The magnet cryostat outside diameter is ∼1.4 meters and the cryostat length is ∼2.73 meters. The magnet warm bore is 0.4 meters. The magnet was designed to be cooled using three 1.5 W two-stage coolers. In both magnets, three coolers could not keep the cryostat filled with liquid helium. The temperatures of the shield and the tops of the HTS leads were too warm. A 140 W single stage cooler was added to magnet 2 to cool the HTS leads, themore » shield and the cold mass support intercepts. When the magnet 2 was retested in 2010, the net cooling at 4.2 K was −1.5 W with first-stage temperatures of the four coolers at ∼42 K. The tops of the HTS leads were <50 K, but the shield and cold mass support intercepts remained too warm. The solenoid cryostat and shield were modified during 2011 and 2012 to reduce the 4.2 K heat load and increase the cooling. This magnet was tested in 2012, with five 1.5 W two-stage coolers and the single stage cooler. The changes made in the magnet are described in this report. As a result of the cryostat and shield changes, and adding 3.0 W of cooling at 4.2 K, the net 4.2 K cooling changed from −1.6 W to +5.0 W. About half of the change in net cooling to this magnet was due changes that reduced the shield temperature. This report demonstrates the importance of running the shield cold (∼40 K) and reducing the heat loads from all sources on both the shield and the cold mass.« less

Some folded issues related to over-shielded and unplanned rooms for medical linear accelerators - A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhammad, Wazir; Ullah, Asad; Hussain, Amjad; Ali, Nawab; Alam, Khan; Khan, Gulzar; Matiullah; Maeng, Seongjin; Lee, Sang Hoon

2015-08-01

A medical linear accelerator (LINAC) room must be properly shielded to limit the outside radiation exposure to an acceptable safe level defined by individual state and international regulations. However, along with this prime objective, some additional issues are also important. The current case-study was designed to unfold the issues related to over-shielded and unplanned treatment rooms for LINACs. In this connection, an apparently unplanned and over-shielded treatment room of 610 × 610 cm2 in size was compared with a properly designed treatment room of 762 × 762 cm2 in size ( i.e., by following the procedures and recommendations of the IAEA Safety Reports Series No. 47 and NCRP 151). Evaluation of the unplanned room indicated that it was over-shielded and that its size was not suitable for total body irradiation (TBI), although the license for such a treatment facility had been acquired for the installed machine. An overall 14.96% reduction in the total shielding volume ( i.e., concrete) for an optimally planned room as compared to a non-planned room was estimated. Furthermore, the inner room's dimensions were increased by 25%, in order to accommodate TBI patients. These results show that planning and design of the treatment rooms are imperative to avoid extra financial burden to the hospitals and to provide enough space for easy and safe handling of the patients. A spacious room is ideal for storing treatment accessories and facilitates TBI treatment.

Mitigation strategies against radiation-induced background for space astronomy missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, C. S. W.; Hall, D.; Keelan, J.; O'Farrell, J.; Leese, M.; Holland, A.

2018-01-01

The Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA) mission is a major upcoming space-based X-ray observatory due to be launched in 2028 by ESA, with the purpose of mapping the early universe and observing black holes. Background radiation is expected to constitute a large fraction of the total system noise in the Wide Field Imager (WFI) instrument on ATHENA, and designing an effective system to reduce the background radiation impacting the WFI will be crucial for maximising its sensitivity. Significant background sources are expected to include high energy protons, X-ray fluorescence lines, 'knock-on' electrons and Compton electrons. Due to the variety of the different background sources, multiple shielding methods may be required to achieve maximum sensitivity in the WFI. These techniques may also be of great interest for use in future space-based X-ray experiments. Simulations have been developed to model the effect of a graded-Z shield on the X-ray fluorescence background. In addition the effect of a 90nm optical blocking filter on the secondary electron background has been investigated and shown to modify the requirements of any secondary electron shielding that is to be used.

Engineering Design Handbook: Environmental Series. Part Five. Glossary of Environmental Terms

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-31

temperature, surface. shield. In cables, the metallic layer applied over the dielectric, or group of dielectrics, composed of woven, braided , or served...greases, thereby reducing corrosion of metals and hardening of seals. active vibration isolation and absorption systems. Servomechanism-type systems...Usually refers to grav- AMCP708119 el or crashed rock. Sometimes called road metal (in England) (Ref. 1). aging. A gradual process involving physical

NASA Tech Briefs, July 2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Topics covered include: Real-Time, High-Frequency QRS Electrocardiograph; Software for Improved Extraction of Data From Tape Storage; Radio System for Locating Emergency Workers; Software for Displaying High-Frequency Test Data; Capacitor-Chain Successive-Approximation ADC; Simpler Alternative to an Optimum FQPSK-B Viterbi Receiver; Multilayer Patch Antenna Surrounded by a Metallic Wall; Software To Secure Distributed Propulsion Simulations; Explicit Pore Pressure Material Model in Carbon-Cloth Phenolic; Meshed-Pumpkin Super-Pressure Balloon Design; Corrosion Inhibitors as Penetrant Dyes for Radiography; Transparent Metal-Salt-Filled Polymeric Radiation Shields; Lightweight Energy Absorbers for Blast Containers; Brush-Wheel Samplers for Planetary Exploration; Dry Process for Making Polyimide/ Carbon-and-Boron-Fiber Tape; Relatively Inexpensive Rapid Prototyping of Small Parts; Magnetic Field Would Reduce Electron Backstreaming in Ion Thrusters; Alternative Electrochemical Systems for Ozonation of Water; Interferometer for Measuring Displacement to Within 20 pm; UV-Enhanced IR Raman System for Identifying Biohazards; Prognostics Methodology for Complex Systems; Algorithms for Haptic Rendering of 3D Objects; Modeling and Control of Aerothermoelastic Effects; Processing Digital Imagery to Enhance Perceptions of Realism; Analysis of Designs of Space Laboratories; Shields for Enhanced Protection Against High-Speed Debris; Study of Dislocation-Ordered In(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs Quantum Dots; and Tilt-Sensitivity Analysis for Space Telescopes.

SCALE Code System 6.2.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rearden, Bradley T.; Jessee, Matthew Anderson

The SCALE Code System is a widely used modeling and simulation suite for nuclear safety analysis and design that is developed, maintained, tested, and managed by the Reactor and Nuclear Systems Division (RNSD) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). SCALE provides a comprehensive, verified and validated, user-friendly tool set for criticality safety, reactor physics, radiation shielding, radioactive source term characterization, and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Since 1980, regulators, licensees, and research institutions around the world have used SCALE for safety analysis and design. SCALE provides an integrated framework with dozens of computational modules including 3 deterministic and 3 Monte Carlomore » radiation transport solvers that are selected based on the desired solution strategy. SCALE includes current nuclear data libraries and problem-dependent processing tools for continuous-energy (CE) and multigroup (MG) neutronics and coupled neutron-gamma calculations, as well as activation, depletion, and decay calculations. SCALE includes unique capabilities for automated variance reduction for shielding calculations, as well as sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. SCALE’s graphical user interfaces assist with accurate system modeling, visualization of nuclear data, and convenient access to desired results. SCALE 6.2 represents one of the most comprehensive revisions in the history of SCALE, providing several new capabilities and significant improvements in many existing features.« less

Quantitative Fissile Assay In Used Fuel Using LSDS System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, YongDeok; Jeon, Ju Young; Park, Chang-Je

2017-09-01

A quantitative assay of isotopic fissile materials (U235, Pu239, Pu241) was done at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), using lead slowing down spectrometer (LSDS). The optimum design of LSDS was performed based on economics, easy maintenance and assay effectiveness. LSDS system consists of spectrometer, neutron source, detection and control. LSDS system induces fissile fission and fast neutrons are collected at fission chamber. The detected signal has a direct relation to the mass of existing fissile isotopes. Many current commercial assay technologies have a limitation in direct application on isotopic fissile assay of spent fuel, except chemical analysis. In the designed system, the fissile assay model was setup and the correction factor for self-shield was obtained. The isotopic fissile content assay was performed by changing the content of Pu239. Based on the fuel rod, the isotopic content was consistent with 2% uncertainty for Pu239. By applying the covering (neutron absorber), the effective shielding was obtained and the activation was calculated on the target. From the assay evaluation, LSDS technique is very powerful and direct to analyze the isotopic fissile content. LSDS is applicable for nuclear fuel cycle and spent fuel management for safety and economics. Additionally, an accurate fissile content will contribute to the international transparency and credibility on spent fuel.

Parametric analysis: SOC meteoroid and debris protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowalski, R.

1985-01-01

The meteoroid and man made space debris environments of an Earth orbital manned space operations center are discussed. Protective shielding thickness and design configurations for providing given levels of no penetration probability were also calculated. Meteoroid/debris protection consists of a radiator/shield thickness, which is actually an outer skin, separated from the pressure wall, thickness by a distance. An ideal shield thickness, will, upon impact with a particle, cause both the particle and shield to vaporize, allowing a minimum amount of debris to impact the pressure wall itself. A shield which is too thick will crater on the outside, and release small particles of shield from the inside causing damage to the pressure wall. Inversely, if the shield is too thin, it will afford no protection, and the backup must provide all necessary protection. It was concluded that a double wall concept is most effective.

An Improved High-Sensitivity Airborne Transient Electromagnetic Sensor for Deep Penetration

PubMed Central

Chen, Shudong; Guo, Shuxu; Wang, Haofeng; He, Miao; Liu, Xiaoyan; Qiu, Yu; Zhang, Shuang; Yuan, Zhiwen; Zhang, Haiyang; Fang, Dong; Zhu, Jun

2017-01-01

The investigation depth of transient electromagnetic sensors can be effectively increased by reducing the system noise, which is mainly composed of sensor internal noise, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and environmental noise, etc. A high-sensitivity airborne transient electromagnetic (AEM) sensor with low sensor internal noise and good shielding effectiveness is of great importance for deep penetration. In this article, the design and optimization of such an AEM sensor is described in detail. To reduce sensor internal noise, a noise model with both a damping resistor and a preamplifier is established and analyzed. The results indicate that a sensor with a large diameter, low resonant frequency, and low sampling rate will have lower sensor internal noise. To improve the electromagnetic compatibility of the sensor, an electromagnetic shielding model for a central-tapped coil is established and discussed in detail. Previous studies have shown that unclosed shields with multiple layers and center grounding can effectively suppress EMI and eddy currents. According to these studies, an improved differential AEM sensor is constructed with a diameter, resultant effective area, resonant frequency, and normalized equivalent input noise of 1.1 m, 114 m2, 35.6 kHz, and 13.3 nV/m2, respectively. The accuracy of the noise model and the shielding effectiveness of the sensor have been verified experimentally. The results show a good agreement between calculated and measured results for the sensor internal noise. Additionally, over 20 dB shielding effectiveness is achieved in a complex electromagnetic environment. All of these results show a great improvement in sensor internal noise and shielding effectiveness. PMID:28106718

Ames Infusion Stories for NASA Annual Technology Report: Nano Entry System for CubeSat-Class Payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Brandon; Jan, Darrell Leslie; Venkatapathy, Etiraj

2015-01-01

The Nano Entry System for CubeSat-Class Payloads led to the development of the Nano-Adaptable Deployable Entry and Placement Technology ("Nano-ADEPT"). Nano-ADEPT is a mechanically deployed entry, descent, and landing (EDL) system that stows during launch and cruise (like an umbrella) and serves as both heat shield and primary structure during EDL. It is especially designed for small spacecraft where volume is a limiting constraint.

[An individual facial shield for a sportsman with an orofacial injury].

PubMed

de Baat, C; Peters, R; van Iperen-Keiman, C M; de Vleeschouwer, M

2005-05-01

Facial shields are used when practising contact sports, high speed sports, sports using hard balls, sticks or bats, sports using protective shields or covers, and sports using hard boardings around the sports ground. Examples of facial shields are commercially available, per branch of sport standardised helmets. Fabricating individual protective shields is primarily restricted to mouth guards. In individual cases a more extensive facial shield is demanded, for instance in case of a surgically stabilised facial bone fracture. In order to be able to fabricate an extensive individual facial shield, an accurate to the nearest model of the anterior part of the head is required. An accurate model can be provided by making an impression of the face, which is poured in dental stone. Another method is producing a stereolithographic model using computertomography or magnetic resonance imaging. On the accurate model the facial shield can be designed and fabricated from a strictly safe material, such as polyvinylchloride or polycarbonate.

Electromagnetic shielding of thermal protection system for hypersonic vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albano, M.; Micheli, D.; Gradoni, G.; Morles, R. B.; Marchetti, M.; Moglie, F.; Mariani Primiani, V.

2013-06-01

The numerical simulation and the measurement of electromagnetic shielding at microwave frequencies of thermal protection system for hypersonic vehicles is presented using nested reverberation chamber. An example of a possible thermal protection system for a re-entry vehicle is presented. This system based on carbon material is electromagnetically characterized. The characterization takes into account not only the materials but also the final assembly configuration of the thermal protection system. The frequency range is 2-8 GHz. The results of measurements and simulations show that the microwave shielding effectiveness of carbon materials is above 60 dB for a single tile and that the tile inter-distance is able to downgrade the shielding effectiveness on the average to about 40 dB.

Gamma ray shielding and structural properties of Bi2O3-PbO-B2O3-V2O5 glass system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Kulwinder; Singh, K. J.; Anand, Vikas

2014-04-01

The present work has been undertaken to evaluate the applicability of Bi2O3-PbO-B2O3-V2O5 glass system as gamma ray shielding material. Gamma ray mass attenuation coefficient has been determined theoretically using WinXcom computer software developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology. A meaningful comparison of their radiation shielding properties has been made in terms of their half value layer parameter with standard radiation shielding concrete 'barite'. Structural properties of the prepared glass system have been investigated in terms of XRD and FTIR techniques in order to check the possibility of their commercial utility as alternate to conventional concrete for gamma ray shielding applications.

Electromagnetic Interactions in a Shielded PET/MRI System for Simultaneous PET/MR Imaging in 9.4 T: Evaluation and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maramraju, Sri Harsha; Smith, S. David; Rescia, Sergio; Stoll, Sean; Budassi, Michael; Vaska, Paul; Woody, Craig; Schlyer, David

2012-10-01

We previously integrated a magnetic resonance-(MR-) compatible small-animal positron emission tomograph (PET) in a Bruker 9.4 T microMRI system to obtain simultaneous PET/MR images of a rat's brain and of a gated mouse-heart. To minimize electromagnetic interactions in our MR-PET system, viz., the effect of radiofrequency (RF) pulses on the PET, we tested our modular front-end PET electronics with various shield configurations, including a solid aluminum shield and one of thin segmented layers of copper. We noted that the gradient-echo RF pulses did not affect PET data when the PET electronics were shielded with either the aluminum- or the segmented copper-shields. However, there were spurious counts in the PET data resulting from high-intensity fast spin-echo RF pulses. Compared to the unshielded condition, they were attenuated effectively by the aluminum shield ( 97%) and the segmented copper shield ( 90%). We noted a decline in the noise rates as a function of increasing PET energy-discriminator threshold. In addition, we observed a notable decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio in spin-echo MR images with the segmented copper shields in place; however, this did not substantially degrade the quality of the MR images we obtained. Our results demonstrate that by surrounding a compact PET scanner with thin layers of segmented copper shields and integrating it inside a 9.4 T MR system, we can mitigate the impact of the RF on PET, while acquiring good-quality MR images.

Orion Heat Shield Move

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-23

Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians prepare the Orion heat shield for Exploration Mission-1 for its move to the thermal chamber in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heat shield will undergo a thermal cycle test to verify acceptable workmanship and material quality. The test serves to verify the heat shield's thermal protection systems have been manufactured and assembled correctly. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket on its first uncrewed integrated flight.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1 is secured on a transporter and ready for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1 is being loaded onto a transporter for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a crane lowers the Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1 onto a transporter for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

The Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1, secured on a transporter, departs the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Orion EFT-1 Heat Shield Move from LASF to VAB Highbay 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-26

Inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion heat shield from Exploration Flight Test-1 is being prepared for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The heat shield is being transferred from the Orion Program to the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, Landing and Recovery Operations. In the VAB, the heat shield will be integrated with the Orion ground test article and used for future underway recovery testing.

Shielding Analyses for VISION Beam Line at SNS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popova, Irina; Gallmeier, Franz X

2014-01-01

Full-scale neutron and gamma transport analyses were performed to design shielding around the VISION beam line, instrument shielding enclosure, beam stop, secondary shutter including a temporary beam stop for the still closed neighboring beam line to meet requirement is to achieve dose rates below 0.25 mrem/h at 30 cm from the shielding surface. The beam stop and the temporary beam stop analyses were performed with the discrete ordinate code DORT additionally to Monte Carlo analyses with the MCNPX code. Comparison of the results is presented.

Measurements and Monte-Carlo simulations of the particle self-shielding effect of B4C grains in neutron shielding concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiJulio, D. D.; Cooper-Jensen, C. P.; Llamas-Jansa, I.; Kazi, S.; Bentley, P. M.

2018-06-01

A combined measurement and Monte-Carlo simulation study was carried out in order to characterize the particle self-shielding effect of B4C grains in neutron shielding concrete. Several batches of a specialized neutron shielding concrete, with varying B4C grain sizes, were exposed to a 2 Å neutron beam at the R2D2 test beamline at the Institute for Energy Technology located in Kjeller, Norway. The direct and scattered neutrons were detected with a neutron detector placed behind the concrete blocks and the results were compared to Geant4 simulations. The particle self-shielding effect was included in the Geant4 simulations by calculating effective neutron cross-sections during the Monte-Carlo simulation process. It is shown that this method well reproduces the measured results. Our results show that shielding calculations for low-energy neutrons using such materials would lead to an underestimate of the shielding required for a certain design scenario if the particle self-shielding effect is not included in the calculations.

Comparison of Radiation Transport Codes, HZETRN, HETC and FLUKA, Using the 1956 Webber SPE Spectrum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinbockel, John H.; Slaba, Tony C.; Blattnig, Steve R.; Tripathi, Ram K.; Townsend, Lawrence W.; Handler, Thomas; Gabriel, Tony A.; Pinsky, Lawrence S.; Reddell, Brandon; Clowdsley, Martha S.;

Development of a Waterproof Crack-Based Stretchable Strain Sensor Based on PDMS Shielding.

PubMed

Hong, Seong Kyung; Yang, Seongjin; Cho, Seong J; Jeon, Hyungkook; Lim, Geunbae

2018-04-12

This paper details the design of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-shielded waterproof crack-based stretchable strain sensor, in which the electrical characteristics and sensing performance are not influenced by changes in humidity. This results in a higher number of potential applications for the sensor. A previously developed omni-purpose stretchable strain (OPSS) sensor was used as the basis for this work, which utilizes a metal cracking structure and provides a wide sensing range and high sensitivity. Changes in the conductivity of the OPSS sensor, based on humidity conditions, were investigated along with the potential possibility of using the design as a humidity sensor. However, to prevent conductivity variation, which can decrease the reliability and sensing ability of the OPSS sensor, PDMS was utilized as a shielding layer over the OPSS sensor. The PDMS-shielded OPSS sensor showed approximately the same electrical characteristics as previous designs, including in a high humidity environment, while maintaining its strain sensing capabilities. The developed sensor shows promise for use under high humidity conditions and in underwater applications. Therefore, considering its unique features and reliable sensing performance, the developed PDMS-shielded waterproof OPSS sensor has potential utility in a wide range of applications, such as motion monitoring, medical robotics and wearable healthcare devices.

Managing Space Radiation Risks on Lunar and Mars Missions: Risk Assessment and Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, F. A.; George, K.; Hu, X.; Kim, M. H.; Nikjoo, H.

2006-01-01

Radiation-induced health risks are a primary concern for human exploration outside the Earth's magnetosphere, and require improved approaches to risk estimation and tools for mitigation including shielding and biological countermeasures. Solar proton events are the major concern for short-term lunar missions (<60 d), and for long-term missions (>60 d) such as Mars exploration, the exposures to the high energy and charge (HZE) ions that make-up the galactic cosmic rays are the major concern. Health risks from radiation exposure are chronic risks including carcinogenesis and degenerative tissue risks, central nervous system effects, and acute risk such as radiation sickness or early lethality. The current estimate is that a more than four-fold uncertainty exists in the projection of lifetime mortality risk from cosmic rays, which severely limits analysis of possible benefits of shielding or biological countermeasure designs. Uncertainties in risk projections are largely due to insufficient knowledge of HZE ion radiobiology, which has led NASA to develop a unique probabilistic approach to radiation protection. We review NASA's approach to radiation risk assessment including its impact on astronaut dose limits and application of the ALARA (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) principle. The recently opened NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) provides the capability to simulate the cosmic rays in controlled ground-based experiments with biological and shielding models. We discuss how research at NSRL will lead to reductions in the uncertainties in risk projection models. In developing mission designs, the reduction of health risks and mission constraints including costs are competing concerns that need to be addressed through optimization procedures. Mitigating the risks from space radiation is a multi-factorial problem involving individual factors (age, gender, genetic makeup, and exposure history), operational factors (planetary destination, mission length, and period in the solar cycle), and shielding characteristics (materials, mass, and topology). We review optimization metrics for radiation protection including scenarios that integrate biophysics models of radiation risks, operational variables, and shielding design tools needed to assess exploration mission designs. We discuss the application of a crosscutting metric, based on probabilistic risk assessment, to lunar and Mars mission trade studies including the assessment of multi-factorial problems and the potential benefits of new radiation health research strategies or mitigation technologies.