Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “thermal diffusion”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Thermophysical properties of germanium for thermal analysis of growth from the melt

The thermal diffusivity of Ge has been measured over a temperature range from 300 C to 1010 C which includes values for the melt. Specific heat has been measured from room temperature to 727 C. Thermal conductivity has been calculated over the same temperature range as the diffusivity measurements. These data are reported along with the best values from the literature for the other parameters which are required to calculate the temperature and convective fields for the growth of germanium by the Bridgman method. These parameters include the specific heat, the viscosity, the emissivity, and the density as a function of temperature.

Crouch, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Thermalite Apparatus

Thermalite is portable apparatus that nondestructively determines thermal-diffusion properties of specimen. Based on heat-pulse method; it applies pulse of heat to specimen, then computes relevant thermal properties of specimen from time-resolved measurements of thermal response of specimen to heat pulse. Apparatus is self-contained and calibrated and tested with stored thermal pattern as standard. Used to assess flaw in specimen.

Heyman, Joseph S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Convective instability in superposed fluid and anisotropic porous layers

The onset of thermal convection due to heating from below in a system consisting of a fluid layer overlying a porous layer with anisotropic permeability and thermal diffusivity is studied. The linear perturbation equations are solved numerically. It is found that the effects of anisotropy on the onset of thermal convection are most profound for small values of the depth ratio xi (ratio of fluid layer thickness to porous layer thickness), since in that case, the onset of convection corresponds to significant motion in both layers. For fixed vlues of the vertical permeability in the porous medium, decreasing the value of zeta (ratio of horizontal to vertical permeability) leads to stabilization of the superposed layer configuration because of increased resistance to motion in the porous medium. For larger values of xi, the onset of motion is increasingly confined to the fluid layer, with the transport of heat through the porous layer occurring primarily by conduction. Accordingly, the influence of zeta on the stability characteristics for larger xi is less significant than the effects of an anisotropic thermal conductivity.

Chen, Falin↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Hot-electron Direct Detector for Radioastronomy

A hot-electron transition-edge superconducting bolometer with adjustable thermal relaxation speed is proposed. The bolometer contacts are made from a superconductor with high critical temperature which blocks the thermal diffusion of hot carriers into the contacts. Thus electron-phonon interaction is the only mechanism for heat removal. The speed of thermal relaxation for hot electrons in a nanometer-size superconducting bolometer with T(sub c) = 100-300 mK is controlled by the elastic electron mean free path l. The relaxation rate behaves as T(sup 4)l at subkelvin temperatures and can be reduced by a factor of 10-100 by decreasing 1. Then an antenna- or wave guide-coupled bolometer with a time constant approx. = 10(exp -3) to 10(exp -4) s will exhibit photon-noise limited performance at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The bolometer will have a figure-of-merit NEPtau = 10(exp -22) - 10(exp -21) W/Hz at 100 mK which is 10(exp 3) to 10(exp 4) times better (ie: smaller) than that of a state-of-the-art bolometer. A tremendous increase in speed and sensitivity will have a significant impact for observational mapping applications.

Karasik, Boris S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Salt-finger convection under reduced gravity

Salt-finger convection in a double-diffusive system is a motion driven by the release of gravitational potential due to differential diffusion rates. Because of the fact that the destabilizing effect of the concentration gradient is amplified by the Lewis number (the ratio of thermal diffusivity to solute diffusivity) salt-finger convection can be generated at very much reduced gravity levels. This effect may be of importance in the directional solidification of binary alloys carried out in space. The transport of solute and heat by salt-finger convection at microgravity conditions is considered; instability arising from surface tension gradients, the Marangoni instability, is discussed, and the possible consequences of combined salt-finger and Marangoni instability are considered.

Chen, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Diffusivity Measurements Made Instant and Easy

A compact common path interferometer (CPI) system has been developed to measure the diffusivity of liquid pairs. The CPI is an optical technique that can be used to measure changes in the gradient of the refraction index of transparent materials. It uses a shearing interferometer that shares the same optical path from a laser light source to the final imaging plane. The molecular diffusion coefficient of liquids can be determined from the physical relations between changes in the optical path length and liquid phase properties. When the data obtained by using the CPI have been compared with similar results from other techniques, the instrument has been demonstrated to be far superior to other instruments for measuring the diffusivity of miscible liquids while staying very compact and robust (ref. 1). Because of its compactness and ease of use, the CPI has been adopted for use in studies of interface dynamics as well as other diffusion-controlled process applications (ref. 2). This progress will permit experiments in microgravity that can quantitatively answer basic science questions about mass and thermal diffusion and their effect in transport processes. This instrument is a spinoff of a diagnostic development for microgravity fluid physics experiments at the NASA Glenn Research Center that has used optics and electronics existing in the fluid physics laboratory for feasibility studies. Optical diagnostic techniques have become an integral part of many areas of measurement applications in industrial and research laboratories. Many types of interferometers and their phase-shifted versions have been used as instruments for measuring optical wave fronts for lens testing and combustion and fluid flow diagnostics. One of these, the point diffraction interferometer, is considered to be robust (see, for example, ref. 3) because it has a common-path design. The point diffraction interferometer is difficult to align and has a limited measurement range for liquid-phase applications. Interferometry and schlieren techniques have been widely used for many years for gas-flow-visualization. On the other hand, the CPI, which is basically a Wollaston prism Polarizer in combination with an analyser (crystalline quartz retardation plate) is used instead of a point diffraction interferometer unit. The advantage of using the CPI over other optical techniques is that it can make quantitative measurements in liquids with the large index of refraction variations that often occur in interface dynamics studies. This can be simply accomplished by using different prism polarizers for each particular experimental condition.

Rashidnia, Nasser↗
NASA NTRS2012

Design of High Resolution Soft X-Ray Microcalorimeters Using Magnetic Penetration Thermometers

We have designed high-resolution soft x-ray microcalorimeters using magnetic penetration thermometers (MPTs) in an array of pixels covering a total of 2 square centimeters to have a resolving power of 300 at energies around 300 eV. This performance is desirable for studying the soft x-ray background from the warm hot intergalactic medium. MPT devices have small sensor heat capacity and high responsivities, which makes them excellent detector technology for attempting to attain sub-eV resolution. We are investigating the feasibility of pixels with absorbers that are 625 x 625 square micrometers, up to 1 x 1 square millimeters in area and 0.35 micrometer thick and thinner. Our tests have shown that suspended gold absorbers 0.35 micrometers thick (RRR = 6.7) are feasible to fabricate. We modeled the thermal diffusion from such thin gold over the size of a 625 x 625 square micrometer absorber, and conclude that the effect of the thermalization on the resolution of a 300 eV photon is an additional approximately 0.2 eV FWHM of broadening. We discuss the thermal effects of small absorber attachment sterns on solid substrate, as well as considerations for multiplexed readout. We will present the progress we have made towards building and testing this soft x-ray detector.

Busch. Sarah↗
NASA NTRS1976

On the structure of contact binaries. I - The contact discontinuity

The problem of the interior structure of contact binaries is reviewed, and a simple resolution of the difficulties which plague the theory is suggested. It is proposed that contact binaries contain a contact discontinuity between the lower surface of the common envelope and the Roche lobe of the cooler star. This discontinuity is maintained against thermal diffusion by fluid flow, and the transition layer is thin to the extent that the dynamical time scale is short in comparison with the thermal time scale. The idealization that the transition layer has infinitesimal thickness allows a simple formulation of the structure equations which are closed by appropriate jump conditions across the discontinuity. The further imposition of the standard boundary conditions suffices to define a unique model for the system once the chemical composition, the masses of the two stars, and the orbital separation are specified.

Shu, F. H.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Thermal conductivity of zirconia thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) applied to the hot gas components of turbine engines lead to enhanced fuel efficiency and component reliability. Understanding the mechanisms which control the thermal transport behavior of the TBC's is of primary importance. Physical vapor description (PVD) and plasma spraying (PS) are the two most commonly used coating techniques. These techniques produce coatings with unique microstructures which control their performance and stability. The PS coatings were applied with either standard power or hollow sphere particles. The hollow sphere particles yielded a lower density and lower thermal conductivity coating. The thermal conductivity of both fully and partially stabilized zirconia, before and after thermal aging, will be compared. The thermal conductivity of the coatings permanently increase upon being exposed to high temperatures. These increases are attributed to microstructural changes within the coatings. Sintering of the as fabricated plasma sprayed lamellar structure is observed by scanning electron microscopy of coatings isothermally heat treated at temperatures greater than 1100 C. During this sintering process the planar porosity between lamella is converted to a series of small spherical pores. The change in pore morphology is the primary reason for the observed increase in thermal conductivity. This increase in thermal conductivity can be modeled using a relationship which depends on both the temperature and time of exposure. Although the PVD coatings are less susceptible to thermal aging effects, preliminary results suggest that they have a higher thermal conductivity than PS coatings, both before and after thermal aging. The increases in thermal conductivity due to thermal aging for partially stabilized plasma sprayed zirconia have been found to be less than for fully stabilized plasma sprayed zirconia coatings. The high temperature thermal diffusivity data indicates that if these coatings reach a temperature above 1100 C during operation, they will begin to lose their effectiveness as a thermal barrier.

Dinwiddie, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Thermal conductivity of zirconia thermal barrier coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) applied to the hot gas components of turbine engines lead to enhanced fuel efficiency and component reliability. Understanding the mechanisms which control the thermal transport behavior of the TBC's is of primary importance. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) and plasma spraying (PS) are the two most commonly used coating techniques. These techniques produce coatings with unique microstructures which control their performance and stability. The PS coatings were applied with either standard powder or hollow sphere particles. The hollow sphere particles yielded a lower density and lower thermal conductivity coating. The thermal conductivity of both fully and partially stabilized zirconia, before and after thermal aging, will be compared. The thermal conductivity of the coatings permanently increases upon exposed to high temperatures. These increases are attributed to microstructural changes within the coatings. Sintering of the as-fabricated plasma sprayed lamellar structure is observed by scanning electron microscopy of coatings isothermally heat treated at temperatures greater than 1100 C. During this sintering process the planar porosity between lamella is converted to a series of small spherical pores. The change in pore morphology is the primary reason for the observed increase in thermal conductivity. This increase in thermal conductivity can be modeled using a relationship which depends on both the temperature and time of exposure. Although the PVD coatings are less susceptible to thermal aging effects, preliminary results suggest that they have a higher thermal conductivity than PS coatings, both before and after thermal aging. The increases in thermal conductivity due to thermal aging for partially stabilized plasma sprayed zirconia have been found to be less than for fully stabilized plasma sprayed zirconia coatings. The high temperature thermal diffusivity data indicate that if these coatings reach a temperature above 1100 C during operation, they will begin to lose their effectiveness as a thermal barrier.

Dinwiddie, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Onset of Oscillations in Non-Premixed Combustion

In a microgravity environment, molecular diffusion is the primary mechanism by which fuel and oxidizer that are initially separated are brought together to the reaction zone. Combustion systems in microgravity are therefore primed to diffusive-thermal instabilities. One such instability appears in the form of spontaneous oscillations. Oscillations were observed in condensed-phase fuels and gas-jet diffusion flames, and in microgravity jet-flames, candle flames and spherical flames surrounding large fiber-supported fuel droplets. The nature of oscillations is quite different in each of these cases: the droplet flame exhibits radial oscillations, the edge of the candle flame is seen to move back and forth along the hemispherical flame surface and the jet-flame oscillations are primarily up and down along the axis. Despite these differences, associated mainly with the mode of oscillation, one may identify some common factors: in all cases the flame exhibits low-frequency oscillations, oscillations are only observed in special mixtures and their onset occur only at near-extinction conditions.

Matalon, Moshe↗
NASA NTRS1993

The prediction of nozzle performance and heat transfer in hydrogen/oxygen rocket engines with transpiration cooling, film cooling, and high area ratios

An advanced engineering computational model has been developed to aid in the analysis and design of hydrogen/oxygen chemical rocket engines. The complete multi-species, chemically reacting and diffusing Navier-Stokes equations are modelled, finite difference approach that is tailored to be conservative in an axisymmetric coordinate system for both the inviscid and viscous terms. Demonstration cases are presented for a 1030:1 area ratio nozzle, a 25 lbf film cooled nozzle, and transpiration cooled plug-and-spool rocket engine. The results indicate that the thrust coefficient predictions of the 1030:1 nozzle and the film cooled nozzle are within 0.2 to 0.5 percent, respectively, of experimental measurements when all of the chemical reaction and diffusion terms are considered. Further, the model's predictions agree very well with the heat transfer measurements made in all of the nozzle test cases. The Soret thermal diffusion term is demonstrated to have a significant effect on the predicted mass fraction of hydrogen along the wall of the nozzle in both the laminar flow 1030:1 nozzle and the turbulent plug-and-spool rocket engine analysis cases performed. Further, the Soret term was shown to represent a significant fraction of the diffusion fluxes occurring in the transpiration cooled rocket engine.

Kacynski, Kenneth J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

IRAS observations of cometary dust

It is pointed out that solid material present in the coma and tail of a comet is revealed by the scattering of sunlight and thermal emission of absorbed solar radiation. The large beam size and low background of the cold Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) telescope make it extremely well suited to the measurement of faint diffuse thermal emission from solid grains associated with comets. The IRAS project was conducted jointly by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Its basic objective involved a survey of the sky in four wavelength regions centered on 12, 25, 60, and 100 microns. The present paper is mainly concerned with IRAS observations of the coma-nucleus regions as defined by the maximum in the intensity distribution. Attention is given to circumstances of comet observations, dust production rates, and a discussion of the results.

Walker, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Low temperature thermophysical properties of lunar soil

The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of lunar fines samples from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions, determined at low temperatures as a function of temperature and various densities, are reviewed. It is shown that the thermal conductivity of lunar soil is nearly the same as that of terrestrial basaltic rock under the same temperature and pressure conditions.

Cremers, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Self-organized Spiral and Circular Waves in Premixed Gas Flames

A diffusive-thermal high Lewis number (Le) gas-phase oscillator has been observed in premixed flames using a lean mixture of butane and oxygen diluted with helium (Le approx. 3.0). This reactive-diffusive system exhibits both propagating radial pulsations and rotating spiral waves perhaps,analogous to those observed in other excitable media such as the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction.

Pealman, Howard G.↗