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At least 415 records · Page 23

Scaling Electric Machines to a Megawatt and Material Options

Megawatt (MW) electric aircraft propulsion (EAP) is seen as a significant contributor toward achieving the goals set forth by the Sustainable Flight National Partnership. A large part of enabling MW EAP is developing specific-power-dense electric machines. As specific-power-dense electric machines are scaled up from kW to MW power levels, the thermal stresses on the machines increase in both magnitude and performance-affecting characteristics. This is particularly true for the stators of these machines. Analysis via thermal resistance network modeling and multiscale modeling reveals that increasing amounts of heat will be trapped in the stator windings as the power levels increase. The challenges this presents can be addressed through material advancements whereby materials gain multifunctionality. Specifically, the electrical insulation and potting materials, along with the electrical conductor, that compose the stator slot must work together (gain multifunctionality) to relieve the increased thermal stress. Materials research at the NASA Glenn Research Center points to some useful solutions in this trade space.

Electric Machine↗

Scaling Electric Machines to a Megawatt and Material Options

Megawatt (MW) electric aircraft propulsion (EAP) is seen as a significant contributor toward achieving the goals set forth by the Sustainable Flight National Partnership. A large part of enabling MW EAP is developing specific-power-dense electric machines. As specific-power-dense electric machines are scaled up from kW to MW power levels, the thermal stresses on the machines increase in both magnitude and performance-affecting characteristics. This is particularly true for the stators of these machines. Analysis via thermal resistance network modeling and multiscale modeling reveals that increasing amounts of heat will be trapped in the stator windings as the power levels increase. The challenges this presents can be addressed through material advancements whereby materials gain multifunctionality. Specifically, the electrical insulation and potting materials, along with the electrical conductor, that compose the stator slot must work together (gain multifunctionality) to relieve the increased thermal stress. Materials research at the NASA Glenn Research Center points to some useful solutions in this trade space.

Electric Machine↗

Advanced Ultrasupercritical (AUSC) Materials Thick-Walled Cycling Header Development for ComTest-AUSC (Final Report)

Alstom Power Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the General Electric Company (GE) recently completed “Advanced Ultrasupercritical (AUSC) Materials Thick-Walled Cycling Header Development for ComTest-AUSC” under Award No. DE-FE0026183 for the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE NETL). This project developed a design for testing of a high temperature nickel-based superalloy thick-walled header to simulate cycling and flexible plant operation in new and existing plants. The objective was to simulate the expected thermal stresses of a new AUSC plant or a retrofit header in an existing plant to improve flexible dynamic operation while maintaining component integrity and overall power plant reliability. The high performance superalloy materials that enable higher operating temperatures and pressures can support future transformational power technologies including new AUSC plants at 4250-5000 psi, 730°C/760°C or will serve as a replacement component in a repowered or retrofit USC coal powered cycling plant at 3600 psi, 600°C. These alloys can also enable supercritical CO2 cycles, nuclear power, solar power and more efficient natural gas combined cycle units as targeted by the U.S. DOE/NETL Cross-Cutting Research Technology Program Plan. Recently developed advanced nickel alloys such as Inconel 740H (740H) and Haynes 282 (H282) have been successfully tested on a pilot scale for fireside corrosion using steam loop tubing at AUSC temperatures of 760°C in actual operating coal fired boiler. These high strength materials have been demonstrated their adequacy for use in other high temperature boiler components such as superheater tubes. Thick-walled superheater outlet headers which operate at high temperatures and pressure under severe cycling condition are considered as one of the most critical component in the AUSC coal fired boiler. Over the design life of a plant, these headers are exposed to the most severe fatigue and creep damage accumulation and need to be properly designed for the expected cycling in an AUSC plant with flexible operation. These materials need to demonstrate adequate design life of 20 to 30 years for creep and fatigue conditions. The following tasks were performed: 1. A conceptual design was developed of a thick-walled component representative of typical headers with several tube connections and proper flow rates (~100,000 lbs/hr) suitable for Phase II test at 760°C operation. This was based on a process analysis of expected full scale new and component retrofit designs for AUSC; 2. A multi-physics flow and heat transfer computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the component for proper layout of the header configuration, number and geometry (size) of tubes required for bypass flow, flow rates through the tubing, and sectional pressure drops was performed. Steam to header metal heat transfer film coefficients in the header section and the tubes during the two stages (half load and full load) of the cycling operation were evaluated and used in the stress analysis; 3. Detailed analytical evaluation of the thick-walled pipe and tube connections for mechanical integrity under cycling conditions was performed. This included transient thermal stress analysis and fatigue usage estimation including the tube-to-pipe weld geometries and weld materials; 4. A layout and design of the thick-walled test component was developed and instrumentation required for a test was identified; 5. Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) creep prediction models were extended to 740H and H282 and validated with public data on 740H and H282 for use in creep analysis. In addition, detailed creep analyses were performed separately for the design life of the conceptual AUSC superheater outlet header using these General Electric (GE) creep constitutive models. GE was the prime contractor for the project, which was directed by Principal Investigator Robert Schrecengost and Lead Scientist Dr. B. Reddy Ganta. Other collaborative participants in this project included GE Global Research, GE Boiler Engineering, and a Technical Consultant from EPRI.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Development of a thermal and structural model for a NASTRAN finite-element analysis of a hypersonic wing test structure

The development of a thermal and structural model for a hypersonic wing test structure using the NASTRAN finite-element method as its primary analytical tool is described. A detailed analysis was defined to obtain the temperature and thermal stress distribution in the whole wing as well as the five upper and lower root panels. During the development of the models, it was found that the thermal application of NASTRAN and the VIEW program, used for the generation of the radiation exchange coefficients, were definicent. Although for most of these deficiencies solutions could be found, the existence of one particular deficiency in the current thermal model prevented the final computation of the temperature distributions. A SPAR analysis of a single bay of the wing, using data converted from the original NASTRAN model, indicates that local temperature-time distributions can be obtained with good agreement with the test data. The conversion of the NASTRAN thermal model into a SPAR model is recommended to meet the immediate goal of obtaining an accurate thermal stress distribution.

Lameris, J.↗

Design and Analysis of High Heat Flux Plasma-Facing Components for NSTX Upgrade

The National Spherical Tokamak Experiment (NSTX) upgrade (NSTX-U) requirements lead to enhanced heat loads on plasma-facing components (PFCs) especially in the divertor regions, where normal heat flux density can reach up to 8 MW/m 2 . For these high heat flux (HHF) regions, the PFCs were redesigned, to use castellations which relieved the thermal stresses associated with high incident heat flux. Another design feature of HHF PFCs is the absence of front face mounting holes which create localized areas of high temperature and thermal stress concentrations. Optimized shaping of the front face of the HHF PFCs eliminates regions where the front face is perpendicular to the heat flux direction during normal helicity operation and spreads the heat load. A unique mechanism was designed to connect PFC tiles to the NSTX-U center stack casing using locking features accessible from the low heat flux regions. Isotropic graphite was selected as the HHF PFC tile material. Initial tile design parameters were accessed using analytical expressions for pulsed heat flux loading. A working prototype of the locking mechanism was created during the initial stages of the design to prove the concept performance. This article presents an overview of the divertor HHF PFC design and the results of the thermal and structural analyses performed using ANSYS software. The results of the analyses cover normal operating conditions and disruptions which impose electromagnetic (EM) loads from eddy and halo currents. The 3-D, transient, nonlinear analyses took into account the temperature-dependent properties of the materials, friction interfaces between the parts, and variable electric properties of the parts and interfaces. The results confirm that the HHF PFC tiles remain within the allowable limits for the loads defined by the NSTX-U Recovery Project. In addition, tolerance stack up analyses were performed to ensure tile performance in the worst possible assembly configuration. Finally, the design process was completed successfully, and the NSTX HHF PFC tiles are currently in the production phase.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Conceptual design of a pre-loaded liquid lithium divertor target for NSTX-U

In this study, a conceptual design for a pre-filled liquid lithium divertor target for the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) is presented. The design is aimed at facilitating experiments with high lithium flux from the plasma facing components (PFCs) in NSTX-U and investigating the potential of capillary based liquid lithium components. In the design, lithium is supplied from a reservoir in the PFC to the plasma facing surface via capillary action in a wicking structure. This working principle is also demonstrated experimentally. Next, a titanium zirconium molybdenum (TZM) prototype design is presented, required to withstand a steady state heat flux peaking at 10 MW m –2 for 5 s and edge localized modes depositing (130 kJ in 2 ms at 10 Hz). The main challenge is to sufficiently reduce the thermal stresses. This is achieved by dividing the surface into brushes and filling the slots in between with liquid lithium. The principle of using this liquid “interlayer” allows for thermal expansion and simultaneously heat conduction, and could be used to significantly reduce the demands to solids in future PFCs. Lithium flow to the surface is analyzed using a novel analytical model, ideally suited for design purposes. Thermal stresses in the PFC are analyzed using the finite element method. As a result, the requirements are met, and thus a prototype will be manufactured for physical testing.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Thermomechanical model to assess stresses developed during elevated-temperature cleaning of coated optics

A thermomechanical model is developed to estimate the stress response of an oxide coating to elevated-temperature chemical cleaning. Using a hafnia–silica multilayer dielectric pulse compressor grating as a case study, we demonstrate that substrate thickness can strongly affect the thermal stress response of the thin-film coating. As a result, coatings on large, thick substrates may be susceptible to modes of stress-induced failure (crazing or delamination) not seen in small parts. We compare the stress response of meter-scale optics to the behavior of small-scale test or “witness” samples, which are expected to be representative of their full-size counterparts. The effects of materials selection, solution temperature, and heating/cooling rates are explored. Extending the model to other situations, thermal stress results are surveyed for various combinations of commonly used materials. Seven oxide coatings (hafnia, silica, tantala, niobia, alumina, and multilayers of hafnia–silica and alumina–silica) and three glass substrates (BK7, borosilicate float glass, and fused silica) are examined to highlight some interesting results.

Liddell, H. H.↗

Fluid flow and heat convection studies for actively cooled airframes

This report details progress made on the jet impingement - liquid crystal - digital imaging experiment. With the design phase complete, the experiment is currently in the construction phase. In order to reach this phase two design related issues were resolved. The first issue was to determine NASP leading edge active cooling design parameters. Meetings were arranged with personnel at SAIC International, Torrance, CA in order to obtain recent publications that characterized expected leading edge heat fluxes as well as other details of NASP operating conditions. The information in these publications was used to estimate minimum and maximum jet Reynolds numbers needed to accomplish the required leading edge cooling, and to determine the parameters of the experiment. The details of this analysis are shown in Appendix A. One of the concerns for the NASP design is that of thermal stress due to large surface temperature gradients. Using a series of circular jets to cool the leading edge will cause a non-uniform temperature distribution and potentially large thermal stresses. Therefore it was decided to explore the feasibility of using a slot jet to cool the leading edge. The literature contains many investigations into circular jet heat transfer but few investigations of slot jet heat transfer. The first experiments will be done on circular jets impinging on a fiat plate and results compared to previously published data to establish the accuracy of the method. Subsequent experiments will be slot jets impinging on full scale models of the NASP leading edge. Table 1 shows the range of parameters to be explored. Next a preliminary design of the experiment was done. Previous papers which used a similar experimental technique were studied and elements of those experiments adapted to the jet impingement study. Trade-off studies were conducted to determine which design was the least expensive, easy to construct, and easy to use. Once the final design was settled, vendors were contacted to verify that equipment could be obtained to meet our specifications. Much of the equipment required to complete the construction of the experiment has been ordered or received. The material status list is shown in Appendix B.

Mills, A. F.↗

Control of deviatoric stress in the diamond anvil cell through thermal expansion mismatch stress in thin films

Elastic and plastic properties of materials and phase transitions at extreme conditions vary with both hydrostatic pressure and deviatoric stress. To generate and measure controlled deviatoric stress at pressures beyond those accessible with large volume differential and rotational presses and optical access for spectroscopy, experiments tested the combination of diamond anvil cell and thin film technology. Thin films of polycrystalline Cr-doped Al 2 O 3 ruby were prepared using pulsed laser deposition on single-crystal substrates of either Al 2 O 3 sapphire or yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia for contrasting initial film stress, and loaded in diamond anvil cells for confining stress. The piezospectroscopic response of the ruby films demonstrates consistently higher deviatoric stress in the film on zirconia relative to the film on the control sapphire, and an increase in deviatoric stress with applied load. Complementary synchrotron X-ray diffraction of the zirconia substrate confirmed that no pressure-induced phase transitions impacted the stress state of the ruby film, but differences in compressibility of film and substrate result in changes in film stress analogous to thermal expansion mismatch. Furthermore, this technique may be applied to evaluate elastic and plastic response of thin films of a variety of materials under extreme stress.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Modeling Oxidation Induced Stresses in Thermal Barrier Coatings

The use of thermal barrier coatings (TBC's) in gas turbines has increased dramatically in recent years, due mainly to the need for component protection from ever increasing service temperatures. Oxidation of the bond coat has been identified as an important contributing factor to spallation of the ceramic top coat during service. Additional variables found to influence TBC thermal cycle life include bond coat coefficient of thermal expansion, creep behavior of both the ceramic and bond coat layers, and modulus of elasticity. The purpose of this work was to characterize the effects of oxidation on the stress states within the TBC system, as well as to examine the interaction of oxidation with other factors affecting TBC life.

Ferguson, B. L.↗

Use of MSC/NASTRAN for the thermal analysis of the Space Shuttle Orbiter braking system

A description is given of the thermal modeling and analysis effort being conducted to investigate the transient temperature and thermal stress characteristics of the Space Shuttle Orbiter brake components and subsystems. Models are constructed of the brake stator as well as of the entire brake assembly to analyze the temperature distribution and thermal stress during the landing and braking process. These investigations are carried out on a UNIVAC computer system with MSC/NASTRAN Version 63. Analytical results and solution methods are presented and comparisons are made with SINDA results.

Shu, James↗

A thick-walled cylinder with an axisymmetric internal or edge crack

The paper considers the elastostatic axisymmetric problem for a long thick-walled cylinder containing a ring-shaped internal or edge crack. Using the standard transform technique the problem is formulated in terms of an integral equation which has a simple Cauchy kernel for the internal crack and a generalized Cauchy kernel for the edge crack as the dominant part. As examples the uniform axial load and the steady-state thermal stress problems have been solved and the related stress-intensity factors have been calculated. Among other findings the results show that in the cylinder under uniform axial stress containing an internal crack the stress-intensity factor at the inner tip is always greater than that at the outer tip for equal net ligament thicknesses and in the cylinder with an edge crack which is under a state of thermal stress the stress-intensity factor is a decreasing function of the crack depth, tending to zero as the crack depth approaches the wall thickness.

Erdol, R.↗

How do substituted phenyl-based cations affect the structure-property-stability relationship of low-dimensional perovskites?

Incorporating organic bulky cations in the precursor or post-treatment to achieve two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) heterojunction is an effective strategy for enhancing the stability of perovskite materials. However, the issue of insufficient charge transport in 2D perovskites limits their development, and the fundamental mechanism of out-of-plane carrier transport remains unclear. This study designed and synthesized seven organic phenyl-core cations, differentiated at the 1- and 1,4-positions, and identified the impacts on the corresponding properties of the 2D crystalline perovskite. Shorter cations facilitated a more compact arrangement of adjacent inorganic layers, aligning to favor charge transport along the vertical direction. In addition, introducing high electronegativity led to increased intermolecular interactions, resulting in enhanced structural stability and improved phenyl ring π-orbital overlap and interlayer electron coupling, yielding efficient charge transport. Resilience to thermal stressing of the perovskite was strongly correlated with the carbon chain length of the spacer cations. Here, the increase in cation length and the reduction in the rigidity of the amino-terminal both aided in the dispersion of thermal stress in the inorganic framework. Additional hydrogen bonding also contributed to mitigating structural disorder.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Stress-intensity factors for a thick-walled cylinder containing an annular imbedded or external or internal surface crack

The elastostatic axisymmetric problem for a long thick-walled cylinder containing a ring-shaped internal or edge crack is considered. Using the standard transform technique the problem is formulated in terms of an integral equation which has a simple Cauchy kernel for the internal crack and a generalized Cauchy kernel for the edge crack as the dominant part. As examples the uniform axial load and the steady-state thermal stress problems have been solved and the related stress intensity factors have been calculated. Among other findings the results show that in the cylinder under uniform axial stress containing an internal crack the stress intensity factor at the inner tip is always greater than that at the outer tip for equal net ligament thicknesses and in the cylinder with an edge crack which is under a state of thermal stress the stress intensity factor is a decreasing function of the crack depth, tending to zero as the crack depth approaches the wall thickness.

Erdol, R.↗

Cryogenic performance of slotted brazed Rene 41 honeycomb panels

Two brazed Rene 41 honeycomb panels that would incorporate a frame element were designed, fabricated and tested. The panels were representative of the lower surface of an advanced space transportation vehicle. The first panel was a two span panel supported by a center frame and on edges parallel to it. The second panel was a two span panel supported by a center frame and on edges parallel to it. The second panel was a three span panel supported on two frames and on edges parallel to the frames. Each panel had its outer skin slotted to reduce the thermal stresses of the panel skins. The first panel was tested under simulated boost conditions that included liquid hydrogen exposure of the frame and inner skin and radiant heat to 478K on the outer skins. The first panel was tested to investigate the effect of thermal stresses in skins and core caused by the panel being restrained by a cold integral frame and to observe the effects of frost formation and possible liquid air development in and around outer skin slots.

Hepler, A. K.↗

Design and Optimization of a Gas-Cooled, Airfoil Fin Microchannel Heat Exchanger

High-performance microchannel heat exchangers are needed to supply heat for power conversion for nuclear microreactors. An airfoil fin microchannel design, constructed of Alloy 617 with helium as the working fluid, was analyzed and optimized using a design of experiments with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques. The use of airfoil fins offers the potential to reduce pressure drop across the heat exchanger, as compared to other types of channel configurations. A framework for topology optimization of airfoil fin PCHEs has been developed that can be readily extended to different fin sizes and shapes, as well as different inlet and operating conditions, materials of construction, and working fluids. An optimization procedure was developed that employs computational fluid dynamics for a set of design points identified using Latin hypercube sampling. STAR-CCM+ was used to analyze a simplified two-channel configuration where five parameters were varied – inlet angle, fin scale, extent of staggering, transverse and longitudinal pitches. Two methods were compared for generating surrogate models – a 5D polynomial and a regression neural network. A response surface approximation was created from the surrogate models and input to a genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm identified a set of optimal points on the Pareto front. The optimal geometry was found across six channel Reynolds numbers ranging from 1000 to 5000 to analyze how varying inlet conditions affects the optimal design. A set of optimal designs that maximizes heat transfer and minimizes pressure drop was identified, and a thermal stress analysis was performed on the optimal design. This work has developed a digital framework for the expedient topology design and evaluation of PCHE designs for gas-cooled microreactor applications. Correlations for the Nusselt number and Darcy friction factor were developed that can be useful for thermal hydraulic analyses using system codes. A thermal stress analysis was conducted and a brief discussion of the status of code cases of PCHEs for nuclear applications is given. Testing and thermomechanical modeling is needed to facilitate future code compliance of PCHEs for high pressure and high temperature applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Cooling-induced reactivation of distant faults during long-term geothermal energy production in hot sedimentary aquifers

Deep geothermal energy (DGE) represents an opportunity for a sustainable and carbon-free energy supply. One of the main concerns of DGE is induced seismicity that may produce damaging earthquakes, challenging its widespread exploitation. It is widely believed that the seismicity risk can be controlled by using doublet systems circulating water to minimize the injection-induced pressure changes. However, cold water reinjection may also give rise to thermal stresses within and beyond the cooled region, whose potential impacts on fault reactivation are less well understood. Here, we investigate by coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling the processes that may lead to fault reactivation in a hot sedimentary aquifer (HSA) in which water is circulated through a doublet. We show that thermal stresses are transmitted much ahead of the cooled region and are likely to destabilize faults located far away from the doublet. Meanwhile, the fault permeability mainly controls the fault reactivation timing, which entails the importance of employing appropriate characterization methods. This investigation is crucial for understanding the mechanisms controlling induced seismicity associated with DGE in a HSA and allows the success of future DGE projects.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

SU-F-J-86: Method to Include Tissue Dose Response Effect in Deformable Image Registration

Purpose: Organ changes shape and size during radiation treatment due to both mechanical stress and radiation dose response. However, the dose response induced deformation has not been considered in conventional deformable image registration (DIR). A novel DIR approach is proposed to include both tissue elasticity and radiation dose induced organ deformation. Methods: Assuming that organ sub-volume shrinkage was proportional to the radiation dose induced cell killing/absorption, the dose induced organ volume change was simulated applying virtual temperature on each sub-volume. Hence, both stress and heterogeneity temperature induced organ deformation. Thermal stress finite element method with organ surface boundary condition was used to solve deformation. Initial boundary correspondence on organ surface was created from conventional DIR. Boundary condition was updated by an iterative optimization scheme to minimize elastic deformation energy. The registration was validated on a numerical phantom. Treatment dose was constructed applying both the conventional DIR and the proposed method using daily CBCT image obtained from HN treatment. Results: Phantom study showed 2.7% maximal discrepancy with respect to the actual displacement. Compared with conventional DIR, subvolume displacement difference in a right parotid had the mean±SD (Min, Max) to be 1.1±0.9(−0.4∼4.8), −0.1±0.9(−2.9∼2.4) and −0.1±0.9(−3.4∼1.9)mm in RL/PA/SI directions respectively. Mean parotid dose and V30 constructed including the dose response induced shrinkage were 6.3% and 12.0% higher than those from the conventional DIR. Conclusion: Heterogeneous dose distribution in normal organ causes non-uniform sub-volume shrinkage. Sub-volume in high dose region has a larger shrinkage than the one in low dose region, therefore causing more sub-volumes to move into the high dose area during the treatment course. This leads to an unfavorable dose-volume relationship for the normal organ. Without including this effect in DIR, treatment dose in normal organ could be underestimated affecting treatment evaluation and planning modification. Acknowledgement: Partially Supported by Elekta Research Grant.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗