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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 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Thermal conductance of gold plated metallic contacts at liquid helium temperatures

The thermal conductance of gold plated OFHC copper, 6061-T6 aluminum, free-machining brass, and 304 stainless steel contacts has been measured over the temperature range of 1.6 to 4.2 K, with applied forces from 22 N to 670 N. The contact surfaces were prepared with a 0.8 micron lapped finish prior to gold coating. It was found that for all materials, except stainless steel, the thermal conductance was significantly improved as the result of gold coating the contact surfaces.

Kittel, Peter↗
NASA NTRS1992

Thermal conductance of two interface materials and their applications in space systems

The temperature control of spacecraft and instrument systems and subsystems requires heat transfer interface materials that possess good thermal and structural characteristics, among other properties, to respond to the vacuum environment of space. These materials must be easy to apply to, and remove from, the surfaces where they are applied, and must be able to withstand power dissipation extremes, and be used for different clamping configurations and pressures. Silicone based greases, used in the past, tend to migrate and to contaminate nearby surfaces. Bare metal to metal contact offers low thermal conductance and difficulties in estimating the actual heat transfer. Several polymeric materials containing different thermal conductive compounds and structural reinforcements were prepared to overcome grease and metal problems. Two polymeric materials were evaluated: Cho-Therm 1671 elastomer; and the CV-2946, a conductive RTV silicone. Tests were done to learn more about these products. Results indicate that the tightly bolted, torqued fixtures did not buckle or distort, and provided optimum thermal conductance. Fixtures simulating actual spacecraft configuration suffered bowing and separating.

Scialdone, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The thermal conductivity of oxygen

The paper presents new experimental measurements of the thermal conductivity of oxygen for thirteen isotherms at temperatures from 78 to 310 K with pressures to 70 MPa and densities from 0 to 40 mol/L. The measurements were made with a transient hot wire apparatus and they cover a wide range of physical states including the dilute gas, the moderately dense gas, the near critical region, the compressed liquid states, and the vapor at temperatures below the critical temperature. The thermal conductivity surface is represented with an equation that is based in part on an existing correlation of the dilute gas. The date are compared with the experimental measurements of others through the new correlation. The new measurements show that the critical enhancement extends to quite high temperatures, about 300 K. The precision (2 sigma) of the oxygen of the oxygen measurements is between 0.5 and 0.8 percent for wire temperature transients of 4 to 5 K, while the accuracy is estimated to be 1.5 percent.

Roder, H. M.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Wide bandwidth frequency-domain thermoreflectance: Volumetric heat capacity, anisotropic thermal conductivity, and thickness measurements

A frequency-domain thermoreflectance (FDTR) system with a frequency range of 1 Hz to 75 MHz is presented. The wide bandwidth of pump modulation frequency enables enhanced simultaneous thermophysical property characterization of bulk and thin-film materials. The wide bandwidth FDTR system is demonstrated with simultaneous measurements of in-plane and cross-plane thermal conductivities of sapphire and muscovite mica, thickness and thermal conductivity of gold/titanium thin films, and isotropic thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity of lithium niobate and silicon. Thermophysical properties measured with FDTR are compared to literature values or independent measurements for verification. Finally, at low frequencies, a negligible error was achieved in the numerical integration of the heat diffusion equation with a Gauss–Legendre quadrature method solved with 400 integration points and an upper integration limit of 16weff, where weff is the effective pump–probe 1/e2 radius.

Ziade, Elbara (ORCID:0000000249020497)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thickness-Independent Vibrational Thermal Conductance across Confined Solid-Solution Thin Films

In this study, we experimentally show that the thermal conductance across confined solid-solution crystalline thin films between parent materials does not necessarily lead to an increase in thermal resistances across the thin-film geometries with increasing film thicknesses, which is counterintuitive to the notion that adding a material serves to increase the total thermal resistance. Confined thin epitaxial Ca 0.5 Sr 0.5 TiO 3 solid-solution films with systematically varying thicknesses in between two parent perovskite materials of calcium titanate and (001)-oriented strontium titanate are grown, and thermoreflectance techniques are used to accurately measure the thermal boundary conductance across the confined solid-solution films, showing that the thermal resistance does not substantially increase with the addition of solid-solution films with increasing thicknesses from ~1 to ~10 nm. Contrary to the macroscopic understanding of thermal transport where adding more material along the heat propagation direction leads to larger thermal resistances, our results potentially offer experimental support to the computationally predicted concept of vibrational matching across interfaces. This concept is based on the fact that a better match in the available heat-carrying vibrations due to an interfacial layer can lead to lower thermal boundary resistances, thus leading to an enhancement in thermal boundary conductance across interfaces driven by the addition of a thin “vibrational bridge” layer between two solids.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Particlelike Phonon Propagation Dominates Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity in Crystalline Tl 3 VSe 4

We explore the microscopic mechanisms of ultralow lattice thermal conductivity ($\kappa_{l}$) in Tl$_{3}$VSe$_{4}$~by combining a first-principles density-functional theory (DFT) based framework of anharmonic lattice dynamics with the Peierls-Boltzmann transport equation (PBTE) for phonons. We include contributions of the three- and four-phonon scattering processes to the phonon lifetimes as well as the temperature-dependent anharmonic renormalization of phonon energies arising from an unusually strong quartic anharmonicity in Tl$_{3}$VSe$_{4}$. In contrast to a recent report by Mukhopadhyay~\etal [\textcolor{blue}{Science 360, 1455 (2018)}] which suggested that a significant contribution to $\kappa_{l}$ arises from random walks among uncorrelated oscillators, we show that particle-like propagation of phonon excitations can successfully explain the experimentally observed ultralow $\kappa_{l}$. Our results are also supported by explicit calculations of the off-diagonal terms of the heat-current operator, which are found to be small and indicate that wave-like tunneling of heat-carrying vibrations is of minor importance. Our results (i) resolve the discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental $\kappa_{l}$, (ii) offer new insights into the minimum $\kappa_{l}$ achievable in \TlVSe, and (iii) highlight the importance of high-order anharmonicity in low-$\kappa_{l}$ systems. The methodology demonstrated here may be used to resolve the discrepancies between the experimentally measured and the theoretically calculated $\kappa_{l}$ in skutterides and perovskites, as well as to understand the glasslike $\kappa_{l}$ in complex crystals with strong anharmonicity, leading towards the goal of rational design of new materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Comparative neutron-irradiation effects on thermal conductivity degradation and dimensional stability of TiC, TiB 2 , and ZrB 2 at 200–1000 °C

Ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs), including TiC, Ti 11 B₂, and Zr 11 B₂, show great potential for plasma-facing components due to their excellent high-temperature properties prior to irradiation. However, their response to neutron irradiation remains insufficiently understood, limiting robust assessment of their viability for fusion energy applications. Here, this study examines the thermal conductivity, dimensional stability and microstructure of TiC, TiB₂, and ZrB₂ following neutron irradiation at temperatures of 200–1000 °C and fast neutron fluences of 2.0 × 10 25 to 1.1 × 10 26 n/m 2 (E > 0.1 MeV). Lattice swelling measured by synchrotron X-ray diffraction in all three UHTCs was maximized at 200 °C and decreased with increasing irradiation temperature, with no evidence of amorphization observed at 200 °C. Above 600 °C, significant macroscopic volume swelling was observed in irradiated Ti 11 B₂ and Zr 11 B₂, but not in TiC, likely due to cavity formation in the diborides. The post-irradiation thermal conductivity, measured at the irradiation temperature, ranged from 28 to 45 W/m·K, representing a 34–45% reduction relative to the unirradiated material. Notably, neutron-irradiated UHTCs exhibit recoverable thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures, comparable to ferritic–martensitic steels and potentially superior to W when transmutation effects are considered, highlighting promise for shielding or armor plasma-facing components. At 600 °C, both thermal conductivity degradation and lattice swelling saturated at doses exceeding 2–4 dpa.

fusion materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

Thermal conductivity measurement of U-Mo and U-Mo/Al interaction layers generated from in-pile irradiation using the suspended-bridge method

Here, this study presents the first measurement of the individual thermal conductivity of U-7wt.%Mo fuel particles and U-Mo/Al interaction layers (ILs) from in-pile irradiated dispersion fuel plates, using the suspended-bridge method. Nanorods of U-7wt.%Mo fuel and U-Mo/Al ILs were extracted by focused ion beam (FIB), and their microstructures were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM revealed finely distributed nanobubbles in the U-7wt.%Mo matrix, along with an amorphous structure in the ILs. The thermal conductivity of in-pile irradiated U-7wt.%Mo was approximately 30% lower than that of the unirradiated material, ranging from 6.7 W/m·K at 300 K to 8.5 W/m·K at 380 K. The ILs exhibited even lower thermal conductivity, from 2.1 W/m·K at 300 K to 2.7 W/m·K at 380 K. These reductions, attributed to nanobubbles, fission products, and irradiation-induced point defects, were analyzed through a combination of microstructural characterization and literature-based transport models, which successfully reproduced the observed degradation trends.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

3ω techniques for measurement of volumetric heat capacity and anisotropic thermal conductivity of a solution processable, hybrid organic/inorganic film, Te-PEDOT:PSS

We report that measuring the thermal properties of anisotropic films of hybrid materials poses a challenge to existing metrology techniques. We have developed a new approach for measuring the volumetric heat capacity and anisotropic thermal conductivity of these systems using the 3ω method. While there exist many avenues for measuring the thermal properties of thin films, most carry with them difficult requirements such as smooth surfaces or advanced lithography. Here, we present measurements of a film's in-plane and cross-plane conductance and its volumetric heat capacity using relatively simple sample configurations, each requiring a single heater. For the measurement of volumetric heat capacity, we present a new model fitting method, relying on a standard film-on-substrate configuration. For the measurement of in-plane thermal conductance by 3ω, we have developed the use of an embedded micro-wire heater in suspended drop cast films, allowing for a 12 μm wide heater without the need for advanced lithography. We also expose the surprisingly significant effect of thermal radiation in the suspended film measurement and its associated error. Our measurements reveal a large anisotropy in the thermal conductivity of our test material, Te-PEDOT:PSS, of k in-plane / k cross-plane = 19, consistent with the nanoscale morphology of the material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Anisotropic Thermal Conductivity Oscillations in Relation to the Putative Kitaev Spin Liquid Phase of α-RuCl 3

In the presence of an external magnetic field, the Kitaev model could host either gapped topological anyons or gapless Majorana fermions. In α-RuCl 3 , the gapped and gapless cases are only separated by a 30° rotation of the in-plane magnetic field vector. The presence or absence of the spectral gap is key for understanding the thermal transport behavior in α-RuCl 3 . Here, we study the anisotropy of the oscillatory features of thermal conductivity in α-RuCl 3 . We examine the oscillatory features of thermal conductivities (κ / / a, κ / / b) with fixed external fields and find distinct behavior for the gapped (B / / a) and gapless (B / / b) scenarios. Furthermore, we track the evolution of thermal resistivity (λ α ) and its oscillatory features with the rotation of in-plane magnetic fields from B / / b to B / / a. The thermal resistivity λ(B, φ) displays distinct rotational symmetries before and after the emergence of the field-induced Kitaev spin liquid phase. These results suggest that oscillatory features of thermal conductivity in α-RuCl 3 are closely linked to the putative Kitaev spin liquid phase and its excitations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1972

Thermal conductivity of Apollo 14 fines.

The thermal conductivity of the Apollo 14 fines, sample 14163,133, was measured under vacuum conditions as a function of temperature. Measurements were made for densities of 1100 and 1300 kg/cu m. A least-squares curve of the form k = A + B(T-cubed) is fitted to each data set in accordance with elementary theory. Comparisons are made with previously published data for terrestrial basalt and Apollo 11 and 12 samples.

Cremers, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Measuring Contact Thermal Conductances at Low Temperatures

Instrument measures thermal conductance of pressed contacts in liquid helium. Makes measurements automatically as function of force on pairs of brass samples having various surface finishes. Developed as part of effort to determine heat-transfer characteristics of bolted joints on cryogenically cooled focal planes in infrared equipment. Cylindrical chamber hangs from cover plate in bath of liquid helium. Inside chamber rocker arm applies controlled force to samples. Upper sample made slightly wider than lower one so two samples remain in complete contact even under slight lateral misalignment.

Salerno, Louis J.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Effect of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on high-speed slip flow between concentric cylinders

Schamberg was the first to solve the differential equations of slip flow, including the Burnett terms, for concentric circular cylinders assuming constant coefficients of viscosity and thermal conductivity. The problem is solved for variable coefficients of viscosity and thermal conductivity in this paper by applying a transformation which leads to an iteration method. Starting with the solution for constant coefficients, this method enables one to approximate the solution for variable coefficients very closely after one or two steps. Satisfactory results are shown to follow from Schamberg's solution by using his values of constant coefficients multiplied by a constant factor, leading to what are denoted as the effective coefficients of viscosity and thermal conductivity.

Lin, T C↗