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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.

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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Comparing the results of an analytical model of the no-vent fill process with no-vent fill test results for a 4.96 cubic meters (175 cubic feet) tank

The NASA Lewis Research Center (NASA/LeRC) have been investigating a no-vent fill method for refilling cryogenic storage tanks in low gravity. Analytical modeling based on analyzing the heat transfer of a droplet has successfully represented the process in 0.034 m and 0.142 cubic m commercial dewars using liquid nitrogen and hydrogen. Recently a large tank (4.96 cubic m) was tested with hydrogen. This lightweight tank is representative of spacecraft construction. This paper presents efforts to model the large tank test data. The droplet heat transfer model is found to over predict the tank pressure level when compared to the large tank data. A new model based on equilibrium thermodynamics has been formulated. This new model is compared to the published large scale tank's test results as well as some additional test runs with the same equipment. The results are shown to match the test results within the measurement uncertainty of the test data except for the initial transient wall cooldown where it is conservative (i.e., overpredicts the initial pressure spike found in this time frame).

Taylor, William J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Vented Tank Resupply Experiment--Flight Test Results

This paper reports the results of the Vented Tank Resupply Experiment (VTRE) which was flown as a payload on STS 77. VTRE looks at the ability of vane Propellant Management Devices (PMD) to separate liquid and gas in low gravity. VTRE used two clear 0.8 cubic foot tanks one spherical and one with a short barrel section and transferred Refrigerant 113 between them as well as venting it to space. Tests included retention of liquid during transfer, liquid free venting, and recovery of liquid into the PMD after thruster firing. Liquid was retained successfully at the highest flow rate tested (2.73 gpm). Liquid free vents were achieved for both tanks, although at a higher flow rate (0.1591 cfm) for the spherical tank than the other (0.0400 cfm). Recovery from a thruster firing which moved the liquid to the opposite end of the tank from the PMD was achieved in 30 seconds.

David J. Chato↗
NASA NTRS2012

Validation of Slosh Model Parameters and Anti-Slosh Baffle Designs of Propellant Tanks by Using Lateral Slosh Testing

The slosh dynamics of propellant tanks can be represented by an equivalent pendulum-mass mechanical model. The parameters of this equivalent model, identified as slosh model parameters, are slosh mass, slosh mass center of gravity, slosh frequency, and smooth-wall damping. They can be obtained by both analysis and testing for discrete fill heights. Anti-slosh baffles are usually needed in propellant tanks to control the movement of the fluid inside the tank. Lateral slosh testing, involving both random testing and free-decay testing, are performed to validate the slosh model parameters and the damping added to the fluid by the anti-slosh baffles. Traditional modal analysis procedures are used to extract the parameters from the experimental data. Test setup of sub-scale test articles of cylindrical and spherical shapes will be described. A comparison between experimental results and analysis will be presented.

Perez, Jose G.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Desktop Modeling of 2016 CRYOTE-2 Tank Chill and Fill Testing

The storing and transfer of cryogenic propellants is an enabling technology for NASA and industry as civilization moves to expand future missions into low Earth orbit and beyond. Several ground propellant transfer tests have been conducted in past decades examining various tank chilldown and fill methods. Creating accurate models using these historical datasets is a vital step toward developing appropriate modeling tools to form pre-test predictions for subsequent ground and flight propellant transfers. This paper presents model validation of Thermal Desktop using data from the 2016 CRYOTE-2 liquid nitrogen transfer experiments whose purpose was to demonstrate the chill and fill process in a spherical receiver tank. Tank pressure, fill level, and wall temperature were all modeled and compared with 8 test cases using two modeling methods, Mass Controlled, and Pressure Controlled. This test series is the hardest Thermal Desktop tank chill and fill validation case to-date, yet the model was able to accurately predict each of these metrics for the 2016 tests within 28%, 10%, 20% respectively, for pressure, fill level, and wall temperature using the Mass Controlled model, and 29%, 79%, and 12%, respectively for the Pressure Controlled model.

Cryogenic Tank Chilldown↗
NASA NTRS2002

Observations of Confinement of a Paramagnetic Liquid in Model Propellant Tanks in Microgravity by the Kelvin Force

The magnetic Kelvin force has been proposed as an artificial gravity to control the orientation of paramagnetic liquid propellants such as liquid oxygen in a microgravity environment. This paper reports experiments performed in the NASA "Weightless Wonder" KC-135 aircraft, through the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. The aircraft flies through a series of parabolic arcs providing about 25 s of microgravity in each arc. The experiment was conceived, designed, constructed, and performed by the undergraduate student team and their two faculty advisors. Two types of tanks were tested: square-base prismatic tanks 5 cm x 5 cm x 8.6 cm and circular cylinders 5 cm in diameter and 8.6 cm tall. The paramagnetic liquid was a 3.3 molar solution of MnCl2 in water. Tests were performed with each type of tank filled to depths of 1 cm and 4 cm. Each test compared a pair of tanks that were identical except that the base of one was a pole face of a 0.6 Tesla permanent magnet. The Kelvin force attracts paramagnetic materials toward regions of higher magnetic field. It was hypothesized that the Kelvin force would hold the liquid in the bottom of the tanks during the periods of microgravity. The tanks were installed in a housing that could slide on rails transverse to the flight direction. By manually shoving the housing, an identical impulse could be provided to each tank at the beginning of each period of microgravity. The resulting fluid motions were videotaped for later analysis.

Kuhlman, John↗
NASA NTRS2019

SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop Multi-Node Settled and Unsettled Propellant Tank Modeling of Zero Boil Off Test

Cryogenic propellant storage tank self-pressurization involves complex physical phenomena which are usually analytically modelled via complex multidimensional CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) codes. Unfortunately these codes, even when modelling axisymmetric domains, may take weeks or longer to obtain transient pressure and temperature information for relatively short periods of time (several seconds to several hours). Propellant tank storage end-to-end mission simulations can last a duration of days to weeks to months. Multi-node modelling of propellant tanks is a viable alternative to traditional CFD modelling and presents the advantage of greatly reduced run times on the order of hours and days compared to the weeks or longer for CFD codes. A multi-node model represents the fluid within the storage tank, as well as the storage tank itself, as a fluid-thermal network. This type of setup is not necessarily geometrically based. This can be accomplished using a commercial generalized fluid-thermal network code, such as SINDA/FLUINT (SF). The advantage of using a fluid-thermal network code like SF lies in its extensive ability to model the external environment of the storage tank through the graphical user interface, Thermal Desktop (TD). The total heat load into the tank may be a function of heaters and a complex radiative environment as well. Thermal Desktop may be used to address the detailed radiative environment of the tank as well as building a geometrically accurate depiction of the storage tank itself.

Thermal Desktop↗
NASA NTRS2019

SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop Multi-Node Settled and Unsettled Propellant Tank Modeling of Zero Boil Off Test

Cryogenic propellant storage tank self-pressurization involves complex physical phenomena which are usually analytically modelled via complex multidimensional CFD codes. Unfortunately these codes, even when modelling axisymmetric domains, may takes weeks or longer to obtain transient pressure and temperature information for relatively short periods of time (several seconds to several hours). Propellant tank storage end-to-end mission simulations can last a duration of days to weeks to months. Multi-node modelling of propellant tanks is a viable alternative to traditional CFD modelling and presents the advantage of greatly reduced run times on the order of hours and days compared to the weeks or longer for CFD codes. A multi-node model represents the fluid within the storage tank, as well as the storage tank itself, as a fluid-thermal network. This type of setup is not necessarily geometrically based. This can be accomplished using a commercial generalized fluid-thermal network code, such as SINDA/FLUINT (SF). The advantage of using a fluid-thermal network code like SF lies in its extensive ability to model the external environment of the storage tank through the graphical user interface, Thermal Desktop (TD). The total heat load into the tank may be a function of heaters and a complex radiative environment as well. Thermal Desktop may be used to address the detailed radiative environment of the tank as well as building a geometrically accurate depiction of the storage tank itself.

Sakowski, Barbara↗
NASA NTRS2023

Thermal Desktop Modeling of the 2016 CRYOTE-2 Tank Chill and Fill Tests

The storing and transfer of cryogenic propellants is an enabling technology for NASA as it moves to expand future missions into low Earth orbit (LEO) and beyond. The transfer of cryogenic propellants is of particular interest because it has never been successfully demonstrated in microgravity. Several ground tests have been conducted in past decades examining various tank chilldown and fill methods. Creating accurate models using these historical datasets is a vital step toward developing appropriate modeling tools to form pre-test predictions for eventual flight and ground tests of various novel injector concepts. The goal of this work was to create a working model in Thermal Desktop using data from the CRYOTE-2 experiments whose purpose was to demonstrate the chill and fill process in a spherical receiver tank parametrically examining the effect of injection method, receiver tank initial wall temperature and initial state, supply pressure, and mass flow rate on the NVF process. These tests were conducting using liquid nitrogen with different injectors with different injection patterns. The focus of the current work is on one particular spray nozzle. The pressure rise inside the tank, the fill level, and the change in the outside wall temperature were all tracked and compared with test data. The Thermal Desktop model was able to accurately predict each of these metrics for this nozzle within 11.0%, 22.0%, and 7.0%, respectively.

Cryogenic Tank Chilldown↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Principles of Fluid Dynamic Similarity Analysis for Slosh Experiments

Most tank slosh test programs are not conducted with flight hardware in a flight-like environment due to cost and schedule constraints. Instead, subscale tanks are typically tested on the ground. If the “real”, flight liquid in the tank is a cryogenic propellant, sometimes a cryogen is used during testing, but more often a simulant liquid is used. Fluid dynamic similarity analysis, or “scaling analysis” as it is sometimes called, for slosh examines nondimensional numbers to determine which fluid dynamic regime(s) a tank is operating in. If the relevant nondimensional numbers of a scale tank test are similar enough to the real tank’s nondimensional numbers, then it is likely that the scale test data will be similar to what would be obtained with the real tank. This type of analysis is useful for guiding experiment design, test liquid selection, and for understanding the physical relevance of prior test data to a specific application. The authors have performed scaling analyses for many slosh test programs conducted in ground, parabolic flight, suborbital, and in-orbit environments. Basics of how to perform the analysis, along with select examples from ground and microgravity environments, are presented. Suggestions for various assumptions and compromises to make are discussed. Limitations and challenges are also discussed.

slosh↗
NASA NTRS1965

Full-scale-tank ground-hold tests

Ground hold test of fiberglass constrictive wrap, hermetically sealed, foam insulated, full scale Centaur tank filled with liquid hydrogen

GROUND TEST↗
NASA NTRS1994

Experimental Results of Hydrogen Slosh in a 62 Cubic Foot (1750 Liter) Tank

Extensive slosh testing with liquid and slush hydrogen was conducted in a 62 cubic foot spherical tank to characterize the thermodynamic response of the system under normal gravity conditions. Slosh frequency and amplitude, pressurant type, ramp pressure, and ullage volume were parametrically varied to assess the effect of each of these parameters on the tank pressure and fluid/wall temperatures. A total of 91 liquid hydrogen and 62 slush hydrogen slosh tests were completed. Both closed tank tests and expulsions during sloshing were performed. This report presents and discusses highlights of the liquid hydrogen closed tank results in detail and introduces some general trends for the slush hydrogen tests. Summary comparisons between liquid and slush hydrogen slosh results are also presented.

Moran, Matthew E.↗
NASA NTRS1940

Preliminary Tests in the NACA Tank to Investigate the Fundamental Characteristics of Hydrofoils

This preliminary investigation was made to study the hydrodynamic properties and general behavior of simple hydrofoils. Six 5- by 30-inch plain, rectangular hydrofoils were tested in the NACA tank at various speeds, angles of attack and depths below the water surface. Two of the hydrofoils had sections representing the sections of commonly used airfoils, one had a section similar to one developed Guidoni for use with hydrofoil-equipped seaplane floats, and three had sections designed to have constant chordwise pressure distributions at given values of the lift coefficient for the purpose of delaying the speed at which cavitation begins. The experimental results are presented as curves of the lift and drag coefficients plotted against speed for the various angles of attack and depths for which the hydrofoils were tested. A number of derived curves are included for the purpose of better comparing the characteristics of the hydrofoils and to show the effects of depth. Several representative photographs show the development of cavitation on the the upper surface of the hydrofoils. The results indicate that properly designed hydrofoil sections will have excellent characteristics and that the speed at which cavitation occurs may be delayed to an appreciable extent by the use of suitable sections.

Ward, Kenneth E.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA’s Space Launch System Progress Report

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) continues to achieve assembly and testing milestones on its way to the launch of the first human-rated spacecraft to the Moon since the Apollo Program. Major flight hardware for Artemis I (see Fig. 1), formerly known as Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), is complete, including the liquid and solid main propulsion systems. The Artemis I core stage is fully assembled and engine integration and checkout is underway. Structural testing on the core stage engine and payload sections and intertank are complete. Liquid hydrogen tank structural testing is under way, and liquid oxygen tank structural testing will begin in fall 2019. Major structural components for the second and third flights are also in production; hardware has been fabricated for each element of the Artemis II vehicle. SLS and the Orion crew vehicle along with the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center are critical to the nation’s plans to return to the Moon to stay in a measured, sustainable fashion. Lunar exploration will expand our understanding of Earth’s formation, serve as a proving ground for technologies for pushing deeper into the solar system, and inspire a new generation. This paper will discuss details of 2018-2019 progress and the work ahead to ready SLS for launch.

Honeycutt, John↗
NASA NTRS1995

Reusable LH2 tank technology demonstration through ground test

The paper presents the project plan to demonstrate, by March 1997, the reusability of an integrated composite LH2 tank structure, cryogenic insulation, and thermal protection system (TPS). The plan includes establishment of design requirements and a comprehensive trade study to select the most suitable Reusable Hydrogen Composite Tank system (RHCTS) within the most suitable of 4 candidate structural configurations. The 4 vehicles are winged body with the capability to deliver 25,000 lbs of payload to a circular 220 nm, 51.6 degree inclined orbit (also 40,000 lbs to a 28.5 inclined 150 nm orbit). A prototype design of the selected RHCTS is established to identify the construction, fabrication, and stress simulation and test requirements necessary in an 8 foot diameter tank structure/insulation/TPS test article. A comprehensive development test program supports the 8 foot test article development and involves the composite tank itself, cryogenic insulation, and integrated tank/insulation/TPS designs. The 8 foot diameter tank will contain the integrated cryogenic insulation and TPS designs resulting from this development and that of the concurrent lightweight durable TPS program. Tank ground testing will include 330 cycles of LH2 filling, pressurization, body loading, depressurization, draining, and entry heating.

Bianca, C.↗