Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Fuel testing”

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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1940

Testing of high-octane fuels in the single-cylinder airplane engine

One of the most important properties of aviation fuels for spark-ignition engines is their knock rating. The CFR engine tests of fuels of 87 octane and above does not always correspond entirely to the actual behavior of these fuels in the airplane engine. A method is therefore developed which, in contrast to the octane number determination, permits a testing of the fuel under various temperatures and fuel mixture conditions. The following reference fuels were employed: 1) Primary fuels; isooctane and n-heptane; 2) Secondary fuels; pure benzene and synthetic benzine.

Seeber, Fritz↗
NASA NTRS1989

Hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet combustor component development tests

Technology is being developed for a hydrocarbon-fueled engine operating as a scramjet over the flight Mach number range from 5.6 to 7. A series of connected-pipe tests were performed to define scramjet combustor design criteria applicable to the United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) engine concept which comprises a pair of modular axisymmetric combustor underslung on a supersonic/hypersonic missile. The development of key pilot and fuel injector components of the combustor is pursued in a variable-geometry two-dimensional test section over a range of combustor entrance conditions simulating the intended flight regime. The applicability of the two-dimensional test results to the axisymmetric engine is ensured by maintaining a proper simulation of combustor entrance conditions and preserving the actual length scale in the two-dimensional test configuration. An air-breathing pilot was developed and tested to evaluate flame stabilization and flame propagation characteristics. A pilot configuration was developed that operated stably, with minimal flow spillage, at exhaust stagnation temperatures as high as 4500 R with ethylene fuel. It was demonstrated that the pilot promotes efficient combustion of either gaseous ethylene or preheated liquid Jet-A (JP-5) when they are injected into the supersonic mainstream flow as primary fuels. For the tests with Jet-A fuel, the fuel was heated in an array of internal cooling passages within the pilot walls to a thermodynamic condition such that it would flash-vaporize upon injection into the mainstream flow. The idea of using the air-breathing pilot and distributed primary and secondary fuel injectors to achieve efficient supersonic combustion over a wide range of equivalence ratios was also experimentally demonstrated during the program. During staged fuel injection tests with gaseous ethylene fuel, high secondary fuel combustion efficiencies were achieved and smooth transitions from fully supersonic to dual mode (supersonic/subsonic) operation were demonstrated at high overall equivalence ratios.

Kay, Ira W.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Performance-advantaged ether diesel bioblendstock production by a priori design

Lignocellulosic biomass offers a renewable carbon source which can be anaerobically digested to produce short-chain carboxylic acids. Here, we assess fuel properties of oxygenates accessible from catalytic upgrading of these acids a priori for their potential to serve as diesel bioblendstocks. Ethers derived from C 2 and C 4 carboxylic acids are identified as advantaged fuel candidates with significantly improved ignition quality (>56% cetane number increase) and reduced sooting (>86% yield sooting index reduction) when compared to commercial petrodiesel. The prescreening process informed conversion pathway selection toward a C 11 branched ether, 4-butoxyheptane, which showed promise for fuel performance and health- and safety-related attributes. A continuous, solvent-free production process was then developed using metal oxide acidic catalysts to provide improved thermal stability, water tolerance, and yields. Liter-scale production of 4-butoxyheptane enabled fuel property testing to confirm predicted fuel properties, while incorporation into petrodiesel at 20 vol % demonstrated 10% improvement in ignition quality and 20% reduction in intrinsic sooting tendency. Storage stability of the pure bioblendstock and 20 vol % blend was confirmed with a common fuel antioxidant, as was compatibility with elastomeric components within existing engine and fueling infrastructure. Technoeconomic analysis of the conversion process identified major cost drivers to guide further research and development. Life-cycle analysis determined the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 271% relative to petrodiesel, depending on treatment of coproducts.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

AGR-5/6/7 Operations Update for Technical Coordination Team (Apr 2020)

This is a powerpoint presentation designed to update the Technical Coordination Team (TCT) associated with the AGR irradiation experiment program on operations of the AGR-5/6/7 experiment over the past six months (since the last TCT meeting). The presentation primarily deals with operational challenges to failed fuel particles in capsule 1. Specifically, how to keep fission products from capsule 1 from entering the other four capsules in the experiment.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1986

Automotive Stirling engine development program

This is the ninth Semiannual Technical Progress Report prepared under the Automotive Stirling Engine Development Program. It covers the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth quarters of activity after award of the contract. Quarterly Technical Progress Reports related program activities from the first through the thirteenth quarters; thereafter, reporting was changed to a Semiannual format. This report summarizes the study of higher-power kinematic Stirling engines for transportation use, development testing of Mod I Stirling engines, and component development activities. Component development testing included successful conical fuel nozzle testing and functional checkout of Mod II controls and auxiliaries on Mod I engine test beds. Overall program philosophy is outlined and data and test results are presented.

Ernst, W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Large Scale Scramjet Propulsion Testing In The Mach 8 and 16 Regime At NASA Ames Research Center

The objective of this paper is to describe the affordable, large scale scramJet test capability for flight Mach numbers between 8 and 16 which has been developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. Details of the Direct Connect Arc Facility DCAF, which can produce combustor test conditions with fuel-on testing for 10 seconds at conditions representative of Mach 8 - 12 flight, are presented and typical test results are described. Likewise, a description of the full scale combustor test capability of the 16 inch shock tunnel is outlined. This facility is characterized by long run times (> 5 milliseconds) for an impulse facility, and it can provide conditions representative of flight conditions from Mach 12 - 16. Typical test results for this shock tunnel are discussed as well. Future upgrades to both facilities are outlined and new uses for their capabilities are discussed.

Arnold, James O.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Sustainable Aviation Fuel via Hydroprocessing of Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Oil

Cycloalkanes have been identified as a promising alternative for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in a recent US Department of Energy Review of Technical Pathways to SAF. Cycloalkanes can provide desirable SAF properties, including energy density, and, in addition, they may be able to provide necessary seal swelling and leakage protection and replace undesirable aromatics in aviation fuel. Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) followed by hydroprocessing constitutes a platform well suited for converting biomass to cycloalkanes. CFP oils are rich in phenolic compounds and, depending on CFP catalyst, in aromatic hydrocarbons, which can both be hydrogenated to form cycloalkanes. In this work, we report results from hydroprocessing of two types of CFP oil to produce fractions boiling in the sustainable aviation fuel range and meeting tested aviation fuel specifications. CFP oils prepared over a zeolite catalyst (ZSM-5) and a hydrodeoxygenation catalyst (Pt/TiO2) were hydroprocessed over a sulfided NiMo/Al2O3 catalyst in a two-stage process (1st stage ~250 degrees C and 2nd stage 385 degrees C) in a continuous trickle-bed hydrotreater. The hydrotreated product contained 39-40% material boiling in the SAF range by distillation with a carbon efficiency of 36-37% from CFP oil to SAF fraction. The SAF fractions consisted of 82-87% of cycloalkanes, had non-detectable oxygen contents and lower heating values (LHV) above the jet fuel minimum limit of 42.8 MJ/kg. The SAF-range product also had acceptable volatility and freeze and flash points per aviation fuel specifications. The results suggest a promising pathway for SAF production via the catalytic fast pyrolysis pathway. Methods to enhance the yield of SAF will be discussed.

BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES,BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS2016

Alternative Bio-Derived JP-8 Class Fuel and JP-8 Fuel: Flame Tube Combustor Test Results Compared using a GE TAPS Injector Configuration

This paper presents results from tests in a flame tube facility, where a bio-derived alternate fuel was compared with JP-8 for emissions and general combustion performance. A research version of General Electric Aviation (GE) TAPS injector was used for the tests. Results include combustion efficiency from gaseous emission measurements, 2D planar laser-based imaging as well as basic flow visualization of the flame. Four inlet test conditions were selected that simulate various engine power conditions relevant to NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Supersonics Project and Environmentally Responsible Aviation Program. One inlet condition was a pilot-only test point. The other three inlet conditions incorporated fuel staging via a split between the pilot and main circuits of either 10%/90% or 20%/80%. For each engine power condition, three fuel mixes were used: 100% JP-8; 100% alternative; and a blend of the two, containing 75% alternative. Results for the inlet cases that have fuel split between pilot and main, indicate that fuel from the pilot appears to be evaporated by the time it reaches the dome exit. Main circuit liquid evaporates within a downstream distance equal to annulus height, no matter the fuel. Some fuel fluorescence images for a 10%/90% fuel staging case show a distinct difference between JP-8 and bio-derived fuel. OH PLIF results indicate that OH forms in a region more centrally-located for the JP-8 case downstream of the pilot, in its central recirculation region (CRZ). For the bio-derived Hydrotreated Renewable Jet (HRJ) fuel, however, we do not see much OH in the CRZ. The OH image structure near the dome exit is similar for the two fuels, but farther downstream the OH in the CRZ is much more apparent for the JP-8 than for the alternate fuel. For all conditions, there was no discernable difference between fuel types in combustion efficiency or emissions.

gas turbine combustors↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Combinatorial Approach to Testing and Characterization of Irradiated Fuels and Materials

•Combinatorial approaches to testing and characterization of materials is a very powerful tool to help explore some fundamentals of materials science.? •Three topics will be explored to help illustrate this:? •A fitness-for-service assessment of a CANDU component (this is work from my past)? •The use of small-scale mechanical testing of Cr-coated ATF cladding in support of qualification (this is work developed upon joining INL)? •A multi-scale characterization approach of TRISO fuel to investigate fission gas migration and microstructural features (this is work I now get to participate in on joining MFC)? •?

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1990

Hydrocarbon-fuel/combustion-chamber-liner materials compatibility

Results of material compatibility experiments using hydrocarbon fuels in contact with copper-based combustion chamber liner materials are presented. Mil-Spec RP-1, n- dodecane, propane, and methane fuels were tested in contact with OFHC, NASA-Z, and ZrCu coppers. Two distinct test methods were employed. Static tests, in which copper coupons were exposed to fuel for long durations at constant temperature and pressure, provided compatibility data in a precisely controlled environment. Dynamic tests, using the Aerojet Carbothermal Test Facility, provided fuel and copper compatibility data under realistic booster engine service conditions. Tests were conducted using very pure grades of each fuel and fuels to which a contaminant, e.g., ethylene or methyl mercaptan, was added to define the role played by fuel impurities. Conclusions are reached as to degradation mechanisms and effects, methods for the elimination of these mechanisms, selection of copper alloy combustion chamber liners, and hydrocarbon fuel purchase specifications.

Gage, Mark L.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thermal Model of Oxide Growth for Full Size Fuel Plate Experiments in the Advanced Test Reactor

The full-size plate number one (FSP-1) irradiation test designed for irradiation testing of plate type fuel is planned to be irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This FSP-1 experiment is a non-instrumented drop-in test where aluminum-clad fuel plates are cooled directly by the ATR Primary Coolant System (PCS) water. This experiment is one of a series of experiments being irradiated at ATR for the United States High Performance Research Reactor (USHPRR) program. This fueled experiment contains aluminum-clad fuel full-size plates consisting of monolithic U-10Mo. Previous thermal analyses have been documented concerning oxide growth [1] and thermal safety margins [2] for similar U-10Mo mini plate experiments. This analysis is part of the thermal safety analysis of the experiment to be irradiated in ATR. Departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR) and flow instability ratio (FIR) have been calculated for the flow coastdown condition 2 and the reactivity insertion accident condition-2 (RIA2) transient. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermal margin of the fuel meat during a RIA2 transient when oxide has accumulated on the plate surfaces acting as an insulator.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Characteristics of Fuel Articles for Irradiation Testing in INL-TREAT and MIT-NRL

To obtain valuable data that will help in the design and commissioning of the Transformational Challenge Reactor, a series of graded, increasingly complex irradiation tests are planned that will demonstrate the feasibility of advanced manufactured reactor core components. In the first irradiation test, conventionally- fabricated uranium nitride tristructural isotropic (UN TRISO) fuel kernels will be embedded into compacts that are fabricated using advanced manufacturing methods. These compacts are to be irradiated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Nuclear Reactor Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory’s Transient Reactor Test Facility. This report presents the characteristics of the proposed samples and experiments.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1970

Several new catalysts for reduction of oxygen in fuel cells

Test results prove nickel carbide or nitride, nickel-cobalt carbide, titanium carbide or nitride, and intermetallic compounds of the transition or noble metals to be efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction in alkaline electrolytes in low temperature fuel cells.

Cattabriga, R. A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Vibration Fixture Design and Testing for Rigid - Y Cable Mount on MMRTG F4

INL is responsible for the fueling and testing of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators for NASA space missions. For the upcoming NASA mission "DRAGONFLY," INL is tasked with fueling and testing the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator F4 (MMRTG F4). This involves conducting various tests, such as vibration testing and mass properties testing. For these tests, an interface is required between the MMRTG and the testing equipment, provided by cables mounted on a legacy bracket. Due to design changes in the cooling lines, a new cable – the Rigid Y cable – is to be used. The test described in this poster was to verify if the Rigid Y cable would survive the vibration tests. The results will determine the procedure for conducting the vibration tests on the MMRTG F4.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Burnup Spent Fuel Data Project Sibling Pin Test Campaign Closeout Summary

The Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) was established within the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to conduct research and development (R&D) activities associated with storage, transportation, and disposal of used or spent nuclear fuel (UNF or SNF) and high-level radioactive waste.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗