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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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Robust foil regenerator flow loss and heat transfer tests under oscillating flow condition

A regenerator works as an energy storage component in a Stirling engine. Thus, it is one of the most critical components that makes the Stirling engine highly efficient. Traditionally, the regenerators are made of wire media such as woven screens and random fibers. These wire regenerators experience considerably high flow losses through the regenerator due to the flow separation and the resulting vortices. The high flow losses associated with the flow separation and vortices result in a lower engine efficiency. This research is to test a new robust foil regenerator to investigate its feasibility for free-piston Stirling engine applications. The robust foil regenerator is configured with parallel flow channels and stiffening ribs. Comparing to complex flows patterns in woven screen and random fiber regenerators, the flows in the parallel plates are simple and the flow losses are considerably small, and the heat transfer coefficient is also relatively small. To test the regenerator experimentally, a regenerator test rig was manufactured. To verify the accuracy of the test rig, a woven screen regenerator was made and tested prior to the robust foil regenerator test. The friction factor correlation of the woven screen regenerator shows a good agreement with the published regenerator correlations. The robust foil regenerator tests were conducted under the oscillating flow condition with different Reynolds numbers. The flow losses were measured with dynamic pressure transducers and the friction coefficient was derived from measured pressure drop. The measured temperature difference over the regenerator was used to calculate the heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number. The figure of merit with two methods of NPH/NTU ratio and j/f ratio was calculated to evaluate the suitability of the robust foil regenerator. The results show that the robust foil regenerator has considerably higher figure of merit and therefore, better performance than other types of regenerator.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1972

Modification of the Rankine-Hugoniot relations for shocks in space.

The Rankine-Hugoniot (R-H) equations for hydromagnetic shocks are extended to take into consideration the energy flux and momentum flux due to waves and/or turbulence and/or heat flow in the vicinity of shocks. Eighteen shocks obseved in space were analyzed. It is found that, in order to satisfy the R-H relations with the values of measured parameters in space, waves and/or turbulence and/or heat flow are needed for the shocks with a Mach number of greater than 2, and no waves and/or turbulence are needed to satisfy the R-H equations for the shocks with a Mach number of less than 2. A discussion of the waves, turbulence, and heat flow is given. Fluctuations may considerably affect the time-averaged R-H relations.

Chao, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Thermal characteristics of the moon.

The papers describe earth-based and in situ surface measurements of the thermal characteristics of lunar-type materials. A geophysical interpretation of the thermal history of the moon is given. Microwave emission from the moon and radar mapping of lunar surface roughness are studied. Lunar thermal aspects from Surveyor data, lunar surface temperatures from Apollo 11 data, the development of an in situ thermal conductivity measurement for the lunar heat flow experiment, and the Apollo 15 lunar heat flow measurement are reviewed. Thermal properties of granulated materials, thermal property measurements on lunar material returned by Apollo 11 and 12 missions, and thermal characteristics of lunar surface roughness are discussed. Individual items are abstracted in this issue.

Lucas, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Thermal analysis of M551 experiment for materials processing in space

Heat flow in a disc due to moving heat generated by electron beam was studied analytically. Computer programs based on the finite-element method were developed for the analysis of two and three dimensional mathematical models. The limited experimental data were compared with the analytical results, and factors which had influence on heat flow in the disc were studied. The computer programs were modified to consider the effects of metal melting and solidification as well as radiation. Temperature dependency of thermophysical properties was also considered.

Muraki, T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Acoustic oscillation phenomena in low-velocity steady flow with heating

Thermally driven acoustic oscillations in low-velocity mean flows are investigated. A criterion is developed for marginal stability with respect to a fluid temperature increase; a cylindrical geometry is chosen for flow in a constant-area tube where any circumferential variation is neglected. The range of parameters of concern is limited to conditions resembling cryogenic storage designs proposed for long-term space missions; helium was chosen as the fluid in order to allow comparison with zero flow rate results in half-open tubes.

Liburdy, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Streamwise flow and heat transfer distributions for jet array impingement with crossflow

Two-dimensional arrays of circular jets of air impinging on a heat transfer surface parallel to the jet orifice plate are considered. The air, after impingement, is constrained to exit in a single direction along the channel formed by the surface and the jet plate. The downstream jets are subjected to a crossflow originating from the upstream jets. Experimental and theoretical results obtained for streamwise distributions of jet and crossflow velocities are presented and compared. Measured Nusselt numbers resolved to one streamwise hole spacing are correlated with individual spanwise row jet Reynolds numbers and crossflow-to-jet velocity ratios. Correlations are presented for both inline and staggered hole patterns including effects of geometric parameters: streamwise hole spacing, spanwise hole spacing, and channel height, normalized by hole diameter. The physical mechanisms influencing heat transfer coefficients as a function of flow distribution and geometric parameters are also discussed.

Florschuetz, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Application of Thin-Film Thermocouples to Localized Heat Transfer Measurements

The paper describes a proof-of-concept experiment on thin-film thermocouples used for localized heat transfer measurements applicable to experiments on hot parts of turbine engines. The paper has three main parts. The first part describes the thin-film sensors and manufacturing procedures. Attention is paid to connections between thin-film thermocouples and lead wires, which has been a source of problems in the past. The second part addresses the test arrangement and facility used for the heat transfer measurements modeling the conditions for upcoming warm turbine tests at NASA LeRC. The paper stresses the advantages of a modular approach to the test rig design. Finally, we present the results of bulk and local heat flow rate measurements, as well as overall heat transfer coefficients obtained from measurements in a narrow passage with an aspect ratio of 11.8. The comparison of bulk and local heat flow rates confirms applicability of thin-film thermocouples to upcoming warm turbine tests.

Lepicovsky, J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Analysis of coolant flow and heat transfer in the SSME HPOTP Number 4 bearing assembly

The PHOENICS code has been applied to simulate the flow of liquid oxygen through the number 4 ball bearing assembly of the Space Shuttle Main Engine High-Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump. The Body-Fitted Coordinate system capability of PHOENICS was utilized to create a geometrically accurate model. Effects accounted for by the model include the rotation rate of the calculation domain, viscous heating in the liquid oxygen and two-phase effects due to LOX boiling. A separation program was used to account for conduction within a ball bearing element which was coupled with the PHOENICS flow and heat transfer analysis. Solutions have been obtained for the velocity and temperature fields within the LOX coolant and the temperature within the ball element. The predicted ball temperatures indicate that the coolant is boiling in the region near the ball surface.

Owens, S. F.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Sedimentary Geothermal Resources in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Texas

The objectives of this project were to (1) perform a literature review of sedimentary geothermal resources, (2) identify data sources and develop data-collection methodologies that characterize selected resources, (3) screen sedimentary basins and formations for sedimentary geothermal potential, and (4) evaluate the technical feasibility of one or more selected locations. Numerous publications have characterized geothermal resources within sedimentary basins. A literature search reviewed publications describing resources located in Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The most attractive resources have high temperature gradients, low drilling costs, and reservoir permeabilities greater than 10 millidarcies (mD). Prospects in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah exhibit attractive characteristics and were chosen for further analysis. Sedimentary resources in Nevada and Utah are most attractive, followed by tested resources in Texas and untested resources in Colorado. The identified resources in Wyoming and Louisiana had lower geothermal gradients and were not evaluated. Reservoir modeling and techno-economic analysis were performed at Marys River Basin–North in Nevada. Geothermal energy production at this location is expected to have a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranging between 10 and 20 cents/kWh. Additional work may result in lower LCOE estimates at this location and at other attractive prospects in these three regions. The Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system of eastern Nevada and western Utah includes a lower carbonate aquifer unit, which has the potential for hosting both conduction- and convection-dominated geothermal systems. Mapping has identified lateral thickness variability expressed as a roughly 120–150-km-wide central corridor, which hosts the thickest and most continuous formations and extends from near Las Vegas north to the Idaho border. Purchase and analysis of privately held legacy seismic data could potentially compensate for the lack of sufficient data documenting measured depth to the lower carbonate aquifer unit. Multiple orogenies, extension episodes, and intrusive events have deformed and displaced the target formations of the lower carbonate aquifer unit. This structural complexity and potential for dipping reservoirs emphasizes the need for detailed geological, geophysical, and reservoir modeling. Heat flow within three Colorado sedimentary basins reviewed as part of this study was calculated in targeted studies by the Colorado Geologic Survey and Colorado School of Mines. These calculations are based on bottom-hole temperature data sets with significant limitations and some variability but produce values consistently higher than the global continental average of 65 mW/m2 for all three basins. Heat flow in the Raton Basin is the highest; however, permeability measurements from specific sedimentary formations with high heat flow have not been obtained. Promising formations for sedimentary geothermal systems were found in all three regions studied—Nevada-Utah, Colorado, and Texas. The next steps for developing sedimentary geothermal resources vary due to differences in available data and resource uncertainties. Additional scopes of work are recommended for identified basins in these three regions.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1997

A Numerical Method for Incompressible Flow with Heat Transfer

A numerical method for the convective heat transfer problem is developed for low speed flow at mild temperatures. A simplified energy equation is added to the incompressible Navier-Stokes formulation by using Boussinesq approximation to account for the buoyancy force. A pseudocompressibility method is used to solve the resulting set of equations for steady-state solutions in conjunction with an approximate factorization scheme. A Neumann-type pressure boundary condition is devised to account for the interaction between pressure and temperature terms, especially near a heated or cooled solid boundary. It is shown that the present method is capable of predicting the temperature field in an incompressible flow.

Sa, Jong-Youb↗
NASA NTRS1997

Evaluation of HAN-TEAN Stabilizers using Microcalorimetry

HAN-TEAN (hydroxylammonium nitrate - triethanolammonium nitrate - in water) is being considered for various propellant applications. This propellant has advantages in terms of insensitivity to impact and fire, low vapor pressure and environmentally benign reaction products. One office concerns with HAN-TEAN is its stability and shelf-life, especially when contaminated with trace metals. Stabilizer systems, consisting of anti-oxidants and/or chealating agents were investigated for their ability to control the decomposition of HAN-TEAN. Isothermal microcalorimetry, an ultrasensitive heat measurement technique, was used to monitor the decomposition of HANTEAN at near ambient temperatures. Isothermal microcalorimetry measures the heat flow from a reaction vessel into a surrounding heat sink. Microcalorimetry is approximately 1,000 times more sensitive than accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC) or differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for measuring heat flow. Samples of HAN-TEAN containing the stabilizers were spiked with 50 ppm iron and the heat evolution monitored for a period of at least 30 days. Ten stabilizer combinations were tested and the rates of HAN-TEAN decomposition were lowered by 74 to 95 percent in the presence of iron.

Hornung, Steven D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Modeling of nonequilibrium space plasma flows

Godunov-type numerical solution of the 20 moment plasma transport equations. One of the centerpieces of our proposal was the development of a higher order Godunov-type numerical scheme to solve the gyration dominated 20 moment transport equations. In the first step we explored some fundamental analytic properties of the 20 moment transport equations for a low b plasma, including the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of propagating disturbances. The eigenvalues correspond to wave speeds, while the eigenvectors characterize the transported physical quantities. In this paper we also explored the physically meaningful parameter range of the normalized heat flow components. In the second step a new Godunov scheme type numerical method was developed to solve the coupled set of 20 moment transport equations for a quasineutral single-ion plasma. The numerical method and the first results were presented at several national and international meetings and a paper describing the method has been published in the Journal of Computational Physics. To our knowledge this is the first numerical method which is capable of producing stable time-dependent solutions to the full 20 (or 16) moment set of transport equations, including the full heat flow equation. Previous attempts resulted in unstable (oscillating) solutions of the heat flow equations. Our group invested over two man-years into the development and implementation of the new method. The present model solves the 20 moment transport equations for an ion species and thermal electrons in 8 domain extending from a collision dominated to a collisionless region (200 km to 12,000 km). This model has been applied to study O+ acceleration due to Joule heating in the lower ionosphere.

Gombosi, Tamas↗
NASA NTRS1993

Flow and Heat Transfer in 180-Degree Turn Square Ducts: Effects of Turning Configuration and System Rotation

Forced flow through channels connected by sharp bends is frequently encountered in various rocket and gas turbine engines. For example, the transfer ducts, the coolant channels surround the combustion chamber, the internal cooling passage in a blade or vane, the flow path in the fuel element of a nuclear rocket engine, the flow around a pressure relieve valve piston, and the recirculated base flow of multiple engine clustered nozzles. Transport phenomena involved in such a flow passage are complex and considered to be very different from those of conventional turning flow with relatively mild radii of curvature. While previous research pertaining to this subject has been focused primarily on the experimental heat transfer, very little analytical work is directed to understanding the flowfield and energy transport in the passage. Therefore, the primary goal of this paper is to benchmark the predicted wall heat fluxes using a state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics (CFD) formulation against those of measurement for a rectangular turn duct. Other secondary goals include studying the effects of turning configurations, e.g., the semi-circular turn, and the rounded-corner turn, and the effect of system rotation. The computed heat fluxes for the rectangular turn duct compared favorably with those of the experimental data. The results show that the flow pattern, pressure drop, and heat transfer characteristics are different among the three turning configurations, and are substantially different with system rotation. Also demonstrated in this work is that the present computational approach is quite effective and efficient and will be suitable for flow and thermal modeling in rocket and turbine engine applications.

Wang, Ten-See↗
DOE OSTI2024

Methods for Quantitative Thermal Analysis of Lithium Solid-State and Beyond Battery Safety

The use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to measure the thermal behavior of individual components and electrolyte/electrode combinations is common. However, here we focus on DSC tests on an anode, cathode, and electrolyte (ACE) component combination over a temperature range that includes many of the phase transitions and key reactions (i.e., to 500 °C) that contribute to thermal runaway. This method can help quantify the complex reaction network in a full cell, thereby informing potential safety issues. Here, we used DSC heat flow data from a solid-state Li 0.43 CoO 2 +C+PVDF | LLZO | Li metal ACE sample and its components to quantify key factors affecting results. We focused on three areas: (1) ACE sample preparation and assembly in DSC pans, (2) DSC measurement parameters, and (3) heat flow analysis. Key points include the choice of component ratios (e.g., commercially relevant N:P capacity ratio), the importance of conductive carbon and binder, type of pan used, DSC ramp rate, and integration method used when dealing with broad and overlapping exothermic peaks. This work deepens the scientific basis and best practices for obtaining heat flow data from ACE samples for early-stage evaluation of solid-state and beyond battery safety.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Isothermal Microcalorimetric Analysis of Li/CF x Battery Discharge

Lithium/carbon monofluoride (Li/CF x ) batteries generate substantial amounts of heat during discharge in part due to the large deviation of the loaded voltage from the measured and thermodynamically predicted open circuit voltage. Here, in this study, we further analyze this system by estimating the equilibrium voltage (V eq ) and its temperature dependence (dV eq /dT) over the entire discharge range. Based on these results, the ohmic and entropic heat contributions to the overall heat flow are calculated from experimental data. The ohmic heat flow is consistent with an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy model and electrode density measurements, indicating decreasing porosity of the electrode during discharge. Entropic heating increases during discharge as the cell reaction becomes increasingly entropically unfavorable. The total energy dissipated by the cell (electrical and thermal) remains similar over the entire discharge, evidence for a two-phase reaction with a constant, and rate-independent, ΔG rxn of about -465 kJ mol -1 . However, near the end of discharge (>90% DOD), ΔG rxn changes significantly indicating possible secondary reactions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1979

Parameterized convection within the moon and the terrestrial planets

For a fluid layer or a self-gravitating fluid sphere uniformly heated from within, the internal temperature can be parameterized in terms of the appropriate Rayleigh number. The heat generation term includes both radioactive heat release and transient heating or cooling. This parameterization has been verified by comparisons with laboratory experiments. Thermal history calculations have been carried out for the earth, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and the moon. The results for the earth and Venus indicate that two scales of convection are occurring, one including the surface plates and the second occurring beneath the surface plates. In all cases the present heat flows are between seven and twelve per cent greater than the values obtained assuming a steady state balance between heat flow and internal heat generation.

Turcotte, D. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling of Cryogenic Heated-Tube Flow Boiling Experiments of Nitrogen and Methane with the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program

Accurate modeling of cryogenic boiling heat transfer is vital for the development of extended-duration space missions. Such missions may require the transfer of cryogenic propellants from in-space storage depots or the cooling of nuclear reactors. Purdue University in collaboration with NASA has assembled a database of cryogenic flow boiling data points from heated-tube experiments dating back to 1959, which has been used to develop new flow boiling correlations specifically for cryogens. Computational models of several of these experiments have been constructed in the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), a network flow code developed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The new Purdue-developed correlations cover the full boiling curve: onset of nucleate boiling, nucleate boiling, critical heat flux, and film boiling. These correlations have been coded into GFSSP user subroutines. The fluids modeled are methane and nitrogen. Predictions of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient are presented and compared to the test data.

Multi-Phase Flow↗