Results for “thermal stratification” — Page 14

NASA NTRS2006

Testing the Effects of Helium Pressurant on Thermodynamic Vent System Performance with Liquid Hydrogen

In support of the development of a zero gravity pressure control capability for liquid hydrogen, testing was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center using the Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB) to evaluate the effects of helium pressurant on the performance of a spray bar thermodynamic vent system (TVS). Fourteen days of testing was performed in August - September 2005, with an ambient heat leak of about 70-80 watts and tank fill levels of 90%, 50%, and 25%. The TVS successfully controlled the tank pressure within a +/- 3.45 kPa (+/- 0.5 psi) band with various helium concentration levels in the ullage. Relative to pressure control with an "all hydrogen" ullage, the helium presence resulted in 10 to 30 per cent longer pressure reduction durations, depending on the fill level, during the mixing/venting phase of the control cycle. Additionally, the automated control cycle was based on mixing alone for pressure reduction until the pressure versus time slope became positive, at which time the Joule-Thomson vent was opened. Testing was also conducted to evaluate thermodynamic venting without the mixer operating, first with liquid then with vapor at the recirculation line inlet. Although ullage stratification was present, the ullage pressure was successfully controlled without the mixer operating. Thus, if vapor surrounded the pump inlet in a reduced gravity situation, the ullage pressure can still be controlled by venting through the TVS Joule Thomson valve and heat exchanger. It was evident that the spray bar configuration, which extends almost the entire length of the tank, enabled significant thermal energy removal from the ullage even without the mixer operating. Details regarding the test setup and procedures are presented in the paper. 1

Flachbart, R. H.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Mathematical Models and Numerical Methods for High-Fidelity Simulation of Ignition of Reactive Mixtures by Nanosecond Plasma Discharges in Realistic Configurations

We present a newly developed framework for the numerical simulation of ignition of reactive mixtures using single or repeated nanosecond discharge pulses. The framework builds upon the AMReX library, using the existing compressible solver PeleC and low-Mach solver PeleLMeX and allowing for adaptive mesh refinement, complex geometries, and execution on next-generation high-performance computing (HPC) systems. High-fidelity elementary models are adopted for weakly-ionised plasma discharges with significant energy deposition, consistent with nanosecond discharge pulses, and then implemented in the solver. The treatment of non-thermal electrons and charged species, thermodynamics of non-equilbrium species, plasma kinetics, limiting time scales, and boundary conditions for charged species are discussed and addressed for computational efficiency. The framework is demonstrated for three relevant applications: single and multi-pulse discharges in air, single pulse ignition of an ethylene/air mixture, and a three-dimensional plasma discharge in air with temperature stratification. The successful application of the framework demonstrates the feasibility of high-fidelity simulation of ignition of air/hydrocarbon mixtures in three-dimensions with multiple discharge pulses.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRS1996

Tank Pressure Control Experiment: Thermal Phenomena in Microgravity

The report presents the results of the flight experiment Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) performed in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle. TPCE/TP, flown on the Space Transportation System STS-52, was a second flight of the Tank Pressure Control Experiment (TPCE). The experiment used Freon 113 at near saturation conditions. The test tank was filled with liquid to about 83% by volume. The experiment consisted of 21 tests. Each test generally started with a heating phase to increase the tank pressure and to develop temperature stratification in the fluid, followed by a fluid mixing phase for the tank pressure reduction and fluid temperature equilibration. The heating phase provided pool boiling data from large (relative to bubble sizes) heating surfaces (0.1046 m by 0.0742 m) at low heat fluxes (0.23 to 1.16 kW/sq m). The system pressure and the bulk liquid subcooling varied from 39 to 78 kPa and 1 to 3 C, respectively. The boiling process during the entire heating period, as well as the jet-induced mixing process for the first 2 min of the mixing period, was also recorded on video. The unique features of the experimental results are the sustainability of high liquid superheats for long periods and the occurrence of explosive boiling at low heat fluxes (0.86 to 1.1 kW/sq m). For a heat flux of 0.97 kW/sq m, a wall superheat of 17.9 C was attained in 10 min of heating. This superheat was followed by an explosive boiling accompanied by a pressure spike of about 38% of the tank pressure at the inception of boiling. However, at this heat flux the vapor blanketing the heating surface could not be sustained. Steady nucleate boiling continued after the explosive boiling. The jet-induced fluid mixing results were obtained for jet Reynolds numbers of 1900 to 8000 and Weber numbers of 0.2 to 6.5. Analyses of data from the two flight experiments (TPCE and TPCE/TP) and their comparison with the results obtained in drop tower experiments suggest that as Bond number approaches zero the flow pattern produced by an axial jet and the mixing time can be predicted by the Weber number.

Hasan, Mohammad M.↗

NASA NTRS2003

A 2-D Piston Effect Solution for the Relaxation in the MISTE Cell

When a large density stratification is no longer a problem in a microgravity environment, one would like to increase the sample size in order to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for a specific heat measurement. To reduce the equilibration time associated with the large sample size, we designed a cylindrical cell containing a stack of plates that separate the bulk fluid into 60 equally thin layers. To understand the thermal behavior of the whole cell, we analyzed the thermal behavior of a 2-D composite system of a cylindrical near-critical fluid layer in contact with a cylindrical copper plate. In this 2-D analysis, the circumference boundary of the two cylindrical layers is subjected to a step temperature change. The solution of this 2-D composite system includes the piston effect that speeds up the equilibration in the near-critical fluid layer and the pure diffusion in the copper plate. The results of this analysis indicate that the characteristic length for the equilibration of the stacked cell is determined by an effective thickness of a single fluid layer instead of the total height of the cylindrical cell.

Weilert, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1990

Turbulent thermal convection in a differentially rotating channel

Differentially rotating disks of gases and solids occur in several astrophysical systems, in particular in the inner parts of protostellar nebulae, of which our own solar system is thought to be a relic. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) study localized turbulence in circumstances approximating those found in accretion disks using previously existing expertise in performing direct numerical simulation of turbulent, incompressible channel flows with low Reynolds numbers; (2) determine the limitations of such calculations; and (3) extend the type of numerical simulation (e.g., to include density and stratification and compressibility effects and to accommodate higher Reynolds numbers with sub-grid scale modeling) so that the relevant physical effects are realistically captured.

Cabot, W.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Tank Pressure Control Experiment: Thermal Phenomena in Microgravity. Video 2 of 4

The report presents the results of the flight experiment Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) performed in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle. TPCE/TP, flown on the Space Transportation System STS-52, was a second flight of the Tank Pressure Control Experiment (TPCE). The experiment used Freon 113 at near saturation conditions. The test tank was filled with liquid to about 83 percent by volume. The experiment consisted of 21 tests. Each test generally started with a heating phase to increase the tank pressure and to develop temperature stratification in the fluid, followed by a fluid mixing phase for the tank pressure reduction and fluid temperature equilibration. The heating phase provided pool boiling data from large (relative to bubble sizes) heating surfaces (0.1046 m by 0.0742 m) at low heat fluxes (0.23 to 1.16 kW/m(exp 2)). The system pressure and the bulk liquid subcooling varied from 39 to 78 kPa and 1 to 3 deg C, respectively. The boiling process during the entire heating period, as well a jet-induced mixing process for the first 2 min. of the mixing period, was also recorded on video. Analyses of data from the two flight experiments (TPCE and TPCE/TP) and their comparison with the results obtained in drop tower experiments suggest that as Bond number approaches zero the flow pattern produced by an axial jet and the mixing time can be predicted by the Weber number. This is video 2 of 4.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1996

Tank Pressure Control Experiment: Thermal Phenomena in Microgravity. Video 4 of 4

The report presents the results of the flight experiment Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) performed in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle. TPCE/TP, flown on the Space Transportation System STS-52, was a second flight of the Tank Pressure Control Experiment (TPCE). The experiment used Freon 113 at near saturation conditions. The test tank was filled with liquid to about 83 percent by volume. The experiment consisted of 21 tests. Each test generally started with a heating phase to increase the tank pressure and to develop temperature stratification in the fluid, followed by a fluid mixing phase for the tank pressure reduction and fluid temperature equilibration. The heating phase provided pool boiling data from large (relative to bubble sizes) heating surfaces (0.1046 m by 0.0742 m) at low heat fluxes (0.23 to 1.16 kW/m(exp 2)). The system pressure and the bulk liquid subcooling varied from 39 to 78 kPa and 1 to 3 deg C, respectively. The boiling process during the entire heating period, as well a jet-induced mixing process for the first 2 min. of the mixing period, was also recorded on video. Analyses of data from the two flight experiments (TPCE and TPCE/TP) and their comparison with the results obtained in drop tower experiments suggest that as Bond number approaches zero the flow pattern produced by an axial jet and the mixing time can be predicted by the Weber number. This is video 4 of 4.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1996

Tank Pressure Control Experiment: Thermal Phenomena in Microgravity. Video 1 of 4

The report presents the results of the flight experiment Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) performed in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle. TPCE/TP, flown on the Space Transportation System STS-52, was a second flight of the Tank Pressure Control Experiment (TPCE). The experiment used Freon 113 at near saturation conditions. The test tank was filled with liquid to about 83 percent by volume. The experiment consisted of 21 tests. Each test generally started with a heating phase to increase the tank pressure and to develop temperature stratification in the fluid, followed by a fluid mixing phase for the tank pressure reduction and fluid temperature equilibration. The heating phase provided pool boiling data from large (relative to bubble sizes) heating surfaces (0.1046 m by 0.0742 m) at low heat fluxes (0.23 to 1.16 kW/m(exp 2)). The system pressure and the bulk liquid subcooling varied from 39 to 78 kPa and 1 to 3 deg C, respectively. The boiling process during the entire heating period, as well a jet-induced mixing process for the first 2 min. of the mixing period, was also recorded on video. Analyses of data from the two flight experiments (TPCE and TPCE/TP) and their comparison with the results obtained in drop tower experiments suggest that as Bond number approaches zero the flow pattern produced by an axial jet and the mixing time can be predicted by the Weber number. This is video 1 of 4.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1996

Tank Pressure Control Experiment: Thermal Phenomena in Microgravity. Video 3 of 4

The report presents the results of the flight experiment Tank Pressure Control Experiment/Thermal Phenomena (TPCE/TP) performed in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle. TPCE/TP, flown on the Space Transportation System STS-52, was a second flight of the Tank Pressure Control Experiment (TPCE). The experiment used Freon 113 at near saturation conditions. The test tank was filled with liquid to about 83 percent by volume. The experiment consisted of 21 tests. Each test generally started with a heating phase to increase the tank pressure and to develop temperature stratification in the fluid, followed by a fluid mixing phase for the tank pressure reduction and fluid temperature equilibration. The heating phase provided pool boiling data from large (relative to bubble sizes) heating surfaces (0.1046 m by 0.0742 m) at low heat fluxes (0.23 to 1.16 kW/m(exp 2)). The system pressure and the bulk liquid subcooling varied from 39 to 78 kPa and 1 to 3 deg C, respectively. The boiling process during the entire heating period, as well a jet-induced mixing process for the first 2 min. of the mixing period, was also recorded on video. Analyses of data from the two flight experiments (TPCE and TPCE/TP) and their comparison with the results obtained in drop tower experiments suggest that as Bond number approaches zero the flow pattern produced by an axial jet and the mixing time can be predicted by the Weber number. This is video 3 of 4.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Pseudo Planar Heterojunction Structure for Eco‐Friendly Printable Organic Solar Cells Achieving 19.05% Efficiency

Abstract Obtaining a well‐accurate vertical distribution active layer morphology through the air‐printing process is an essential task for achieving efficient scalable large‐area organic solar cells (OSCs). In this target, the desired and controllable pseudo planar heterojunction (PPHJ) active layer structure with suitable phase separation is developed by pre‐deposited D18‐Cl layer under the PM6:BTP‐eC9 film via an eco‐friendly manufacturing method. The addition of the D18‐Cl regulates molecular crystallization and leads to an ideal vertical stratification while simultaneously suppressing voltage loss, optimizing energetic disorder, and carrier management. Impressively, the optimal PPHJ devices perform superior power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 19.05% (100 nm), 17.33% (300 nm), and 14.14% (4 cm 2 ) compared to the BHJ devices. Importantly, the PPHJ OSCs also exhibit an impressive extrapolated T 80 (the time required to reach 80% of initial PCE) of long‐time storage and operational stability, as well as thermal stability.

Chemistry↗

NASA NTRS2019

Demonstration Testing for Ground Servicing of the Commercial Crew Vehicle Emergency Breathing Air Assembly

The new Commercial crew vehicle (CCV) Breathing Air Assembly (CEBAA) is a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) filled with high-pressure air, which is designed to provide portable emergency breathing air for up to five crew in the event of an ammonia leak aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Industrially, several common methods of delivering breathing air exist; however, ground processing constraints and flight requirements necessitate the more unusual approach of servicing a COPV with high purity gaseous nitrogen and oxygen serially to achieve a specific mixture of breathing air at approximately 4000 PSIA. A dwell period allows the gases to mix before sampling for composition verification. The novelty of this approach led to concerns about acceptable gas mixing and the ability to deliver accurate gas compositions. Tests examining mixing rate over a series of post-servicing dwell periods were conducted to determine the optimal time for achieving a homogeneous mixture. Further testing was conducted to examine process accuracy using temperature-pressure load criteria to target a specific concentration of oxygen and nitrogen. Test results show that while some stratification of nitrogen and oxygen was observed, a seven-day dwell is adequate time to achieve an acceptable level of mixing, and that existing ground support equipment can accurately service CEBAA COPVs to the required temperature, pressure and composition for flight.

Active Thermal↗

NASA NTRS2019

Demonstration Testing for Ground Servicing of the Commercial Crew Vehicle Emergency Breathing Air Assembly

The new Commercial crew vehicle (CCV) Emergency Breathing Air Assembly (CEBAA) is a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) filled with high-pressure air, which is designed to provide portable emergency breathing air for up to five crew in the event of an ammonia leak aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Industrially, several common methods of delivering breathing air exist; however, ground processing constraints and flight requirements necessitate the more unusual approach of servicing a COPV with high purity gaseous nitrogen and oxygen serially to achieve a specific mixture of breathing air at approximately 4000 PSIA. A dwell period allows the gases to mix before sampling for composition verification. The novelty of this approach led to concerns about acceptable gas mixing and the ability to deliver accurate gas compositions. Tests examining mixing rate over a series of post-servicing dwell periods were conducted to determine the optimal time for achieving a homogeneous mixture. Further testing was conducted to examine process accuracy using temperature-pressure load criteria to target a specific concentration of oxygen and nitrogen. Test results show that while some stratification of nitrogen and oxygen was observed, a seven-day dwell is adequate time to achieve an acceptable level of mixing, and that existing ground support equipment can accurately service CEBAA COPVs to the required temperature, pressure and composition for flight.

Active Thermal↗

NASA NTRS1985

Surface deformation and geoid anomalies over single and double-layered convective systems

Using a primitive variable formulation of the finite-element method, the differences in the surface observables, such as topography and geoid, produced by single- and double-layered thermal convection, were compared. Both constant and depth-dependent viscosities have been considered. For the same Rayleigh number, larger surface perturbations are produced by single-cell convection. For the same Nusselt number, the magnitudes of the surface observables are greater for double-layered convection. For the same surface heat-flux, surface topographies have similar magnitudes, but the relative amplitudes of geoid anomalies depend greatly on the style of viscosity stratification. This difference in the geoid between the two systems increases with greater surface heat-flow, regardless of viscosity structure.

Koch, M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Surface topography due to convection in a variable viscosity fluid - Application to short wavelength gravity anomalies in the central Pacific Ocean

Finite difference calculations of thermal convection in a fluid layer with a viscosity exponentially decreasing with temperature are performed in the context of examining the topography and gravity anomalies due to mantle convection. The surface topography and gravity anomalies are shown to be positive over regions of ascending flow and negative over regions of descending flow; at large Rayleigh numbers the amplitude of surface topography is inferred to depend on Rayleigh number to the power of 7/9. Compositional stratifications of the mantle is proposed as a mechanism for confining small-scale convection to a thin layer. A comparative analysis of the results with other available models is included.

Lin, J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The equilibrium structure of thin magnetic flux tubes. II

The thermal structure of the medium inside thin, vertical magnetic flux tubes embedded in a given external atmosphere is investigated, assuming cylindrical symmetry and a depth-independent plasma beta. The variation with tube radius of the temperature on the tube axis is computed and the temperature on the tube wall is estimated. The temperature variation across the flux tube is found to be due to the depth variation of the intensity and to the density stratification of the atmosphere. Since the temperature difference between the axis and the wall is small in thin flux tubes (of the order of 10 percent), the horizontal temperature gradient may often be neglected and the temperature in a tube of given radius may be described by a single function of depth. Thus, a more detailed numerical treatment of the radiative transfer within thin flux tubes can be substantially simplified by neglecting horizontal temperature differences within the flux tube proper.

Kalkofen, W.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Heat load measurements for the PIP-II pHB650 cryomodule

Phase-3 testing of the pHB650 cryomodule at the PIP-II Injector Test Facility was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of heat load mitigations performed after earlier phases of testing and to continue pinpointing any sources of unexpectedly high heat loads.. The programme measured HTTS, LTTS, and 2 K isothermal/non-isothermal loads under "standard", "linac", and "simulated dynamic" operating modes, recording data both inside the cryomodule and across the bayonet can circuits. Thermal-acoustic oscillations were eliminated by replacing the original G10 cooldown-valve stem with a stainless-steel stem fitted with wipers. A newly developed Python script automated acquisition of ACNET data, performed real-time heat-load calculations, and generated plots and tables that were posted to the electronic logbook within minutes, vastly reducing manual effort and accelerating feedback between SRF and cryogenics teams. Analysis showed that JT heat-exchanger effectiveness and temperature stratification in the two-phase and relief piping strongly influence the observed loads and helped isolate sources of excess heat. The campaign demonstrates that rigorous pre-test planning, real-time diagnostics, and automated reporting can improve both accuracy and efficiency, providing a template for future PIP-II cryomodule tests and for implementing targeted heat-load mitigations.

Porwisiak, D. [Fermilab; Wroclaw Tech. U.] (ORCID:↗

NASA NTRS2011

Enthalpy-Based Thermal Evolution of Loops: II. Improvements to the Model

This paper further develops the zero-dimensional (0D) hydrodynamic coronal loop model "Enthalpy-based Thermal Evolution of Loops" (EBTEL) originally proposed by Klimchuk et al (2008), which studies the plasma response to evolving coronal heating. It has typically been applied to impulsive heating events. The basis of EBTEL is the modelling of mass exchange between the corona and transition region and chromosphere in response to heating variations, with the key parameter being the ratio of transition region to coronal radiation. We develop new models for this parameter that now include gravitational stratification and a physically motivated approach to radiative cooling. A number of examples are presented, including nanoflares in short and long loops, and a small flare. It is found that while the evolution of the loop temperature is rather insensitive to the details of the model, accurate tracking of the density requires the inclusion of our new features. In particular, we are able to now obtain highly over-dense loops in the late cooling phase and decreases to the coronal density arising due to stratification. The 0D results are compared to a 1D hydro code (Hydrad). The agreement is acceptable, with the exception of the flare case where some versions of Hydrad can give significantly lower densities. This is attributed to the method used to model the chromosphere in a flare. EBTEL is suitable for general use as a tool for (a) quick-look results of loop evolution in response to a given heating function and (b) situations where the modelling of hundreds or thousands of elemental loops is needed. A single run takes a few seconds on a contemporary laptop.

Cargill, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Laboratory and theoretical models of planetary-scale instabilities and waves

Research work is proceeding in theoretical, numerical, and experimental geophysical fluid dynamics leading up to a reflight of the GFFC (Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell Experiment) on USML-2. The work is intended not only to generate ideas for future space experiments, but to provide fundamental results concerned with nonlinear and chaotic properties of thermal convection and baroclinic waves in terrestrial and planetary atmospheres. The major efforts are focussed on thermal convection in a rapidly rotating annulus relevant to Jovian atmospheric dynamics, and on the chaotic behavior of baroclinic waves relevant to the Earth's atmosphere. The approach, in preparation for USML-2, is primarily theoretical and numerical. Mechanistic process models are solved numerically in order to identify physical mechanisms that may be observed in the GFFC, and which are important in real geophysical applications. The results from numerical simulations of geophysical fluid flow (subject to rotation and stratification) are compared with previous GFFC experiments on Spacelab-3 and with existing and proposed terrestrial laboratory experiments of various types. Pattern recognition algorithms have been employed to generate low-dimensional descriptions of the highly nonlinear and turbulent numerical simulations. Such empirically truncated descriptions provide for simplified but robust physical interpretations of the dynamics, as well as yielding highly efficient computations of these chaotic flows.

Hart, John E.↗