Engineering topics

Humphrey, Marshall F.

Publications and source records attributed to Humphrey, Marshall F..

3 records

NASA NTRS1989

Pilot Plant Makes Oxygen Difluoride

Pilot plant makes oxygen difluoride highly-energetic, space-storable oxidizer not made commercially. Designed to handle reactants, product, and byproduct, most of which highly reactive, corrosive, and toxic. Oxygen difluoride evolves continuously from reactor containing potassium hydroxide in water at 10 degree C. Collection tanks alternated; one filled while other drained to storage cylinder. Excess OF2 and F2 dissipated in combustion of charcoal in burn barrel. Toxic byproduct, potassium fluoride, reacted with calcium hydroxide to form nontoxic calcium fluoride and to regenerate potassium hydroxide. Equipment processes toxic, difficult-to-make substance efficiently and safely.

Humphrey, Marshall F.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Gasifiable carbon-graphite fibers

Fine, carbon-graphite fibers do not combust during the combustion of a composite and are expelled into the air as fine conductive particles. Coating of the fibers with a salt of a metal having a work function below 4.2 eV such as an alkaline earth metal salt, e.g., calcium acetate, catalytically enhances combustion of the fibers at temperatures below 1000.degree. C. such that the fibers self-support combustion and burn to produce a non-conductive ash. Fire-polishing the fibers before application of the coating is desirable to remove sizing to expose the carbon surface to the catalyst.

Humphrey, Marshall F.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Raw liquid waste treatment process

A raw sewage treatment process is disclosed in which substantially all the non-dissolved matter, which is suspended in the sewage water is first separated from the water, in which at least organic matter is dissolved. The non-dissolved material is pyrolyzed to form an activated carbon and ash material without the addition of any conditioning agents. The activated carbon and ash material is added to the water from which the non-dissolved matter was removed. The activated carbon and ash material absorbs organic matter and heavy metal ions, it is believed, are dissolved in the water and is thereafter supplied in a counter current flow direction and combined with the incoming raw sewage to facilitate the separation of the non-dissolved settleable materials from the sewage water. The used carbon and ash material together with the non-dissolved matter which was separated from the sewage water are pyrolyzed to form the activated carbon and ash material.

Humphrey, Marshall F.↗