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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 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Pressure Regulator With Internal Ejector Circulation Pump, Flow and Pressure Measurement Porting, and Fuel Cell System Integration Options

An advanced reactant pressure regulator with an internal ejector reactant circulation pump has been developed to support NASA's future fuel cell power systems needs. These needs include reliable and safe operation in variable-gravity environments, and for exploration activities with both manned and un manned vehicles. This product was developed for use in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) power plant reactant circulation systems, but the design could also be applied to other fuel cell system types, (e.g., solid-oxide or alkaline) or for other gas pressure regulation and circulation needs. The regulator design includes porting for measurement of flow and pressure at key points in the system, and also includes several fuel cell system integration options. NASA has recognized ejectors as a viable alternative to mechanical pumps for use in spacecraft fuel cell power systems. The ejector motive force is provided by a variable, high-pressure supply gas that travels through the ejector s jet nozzle, whereby the pressure energy of the fluid stream is converted to kinetic energy in the gas jet. The ejector can produce circulation-to-consumption-flow ratios that are relatively high (2-3 times), and this phenomenon can potentially (with proper consideration of the remainder of the fuel cell system s design) be used to provide completely for reactant pre-humidification and product water removal in a fuel cell system. Specifically, a custom pressure regulator has been developed that includes: (1) an ejector reactant circulation pump (with interchangeable jet nozzles and mixer sections, gas-tight sliding and static seals in required locations, and internal fluid porting for pressure-sensing at the regulator's control elements) and (2) internal fluid porting to allow for flow rate and system pressure measurements. The fluid porting also allows for inclusion of purge, relief, and vacuum-breaker check valves on the regulator assembly. In addition, this regulator could also be used with NASA's advanced nonflow-through fuel cell power systems by simply incorporating a jet nozzle with an appropriate nozzle diameter.

Vasquez, Arturo↗
NASA NTRS2000

Radial Flows in Supergranules

We determine the radial component of the supergranular flow velocity by examining the center-to-limb variation of the Doppler velocity signal. We acquire individual Doppler images obtained with the MDI instrument on the SOHO spacecraft and process them to remove the p-mode oscillation signal, the axisymmetric flows, the convective blueshift signal, and instrumental artifacts. The remaining Doppler signal contains only cellular flow structures. The Doppler signal from the horizontal flows in these cells varies like sin p, where p is the heliocentric angle from disk center. The Doppler signal from radial flows varies like cos p. We fit the center-to-limb variation of the mean squared velocity signal to a straight line in sin(exp 2) rho over the central portion of the disk. The intercept of this line at disk center gives the amplitude of the radial component of the flow. The slope of the line gives the amplitude of the horizontal component. We find that the radial flows for typical supergranules have speeds about 10% that of their associated horizontal flows or about 30 m/s. The ratio of the radial to horizontal flow speed increases from 9% to about 18% as the size of the cells decreases from > 60 Mm to approximately 5 Mm. We use data simulations to check these results and find a ratio that increases from 5% to only about 12% over the same range of cell sizes. These smaller ratios are attributed to an underestimation of the horizontal flow speeds due to the fact that, the transverse component of the horizontal flow is not detected by the Doppler measurements.

Hathaway, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA PEMFC Development Background and History

NASA has been developing proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cell power systems for the past decade, as an upgraded technology to the alkaline fuel cells which presently provide power for the Shuttle Orbiter. All fuel cell power systems consist of one or more fuel cell stacks in combination with appropriate balance-of-plant hardware. Traditional PEM fuel cells are characterized as flow-through, in which recirculating reactant streams remove product water from the fuel cell stack. NASA recently embarked on the development of non-flow-through fuel cell systems, in which reactants are dead-ended into the fuel cell stack and product water is removed by internal wicks. This simplifies the fuel cell power system by eliminating the need for pumps to provide reactant circulation, and mechanical water separators to remove the product water from the recirculating reactant streams. By eliminating these mechanical components, the resulting fuel cell power system has lower mass, volume, and parasitic power requirements, along with higher reliability and longer life. Four vendors have designed and fabricated non-flow-through fuel cell stacks under NASA funding. One of these vendors is considered the "baseline" vendor, and the remaining three vendors are competing for the "alternate" role. Each has undergone testing of their stack hardware integrated with a NASA balance-of-plant. Future Exploration applications for this hardware include primary fuel cells for a Lunar Lander and regenerative fuel cells for Surface Systems.

Hoberecht, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1972

Additional studies for the spectrophotometric measurement of iodine in water

Previous work in iodine spectroscopy is briefly reviewed. Continued studies of the direct spectrophotometric determination of aqueous iodine complexed with potassium iodide show that free iodine is optimally determined at the isosbestic point for these solutions. The effects on iodine determinations of turbidity and chemical substances (in trace amounts) is discussed and illustrated. At the levels tested, iodine measurements are not significantly altered by such substances. A preliminary design for an on-line, automated iodine monitor with eventual capability of operating also as a controller was analyzed and developed in detail with respect single beam colorimeter operating at two wavelengths (using a rotating filter wheel). A flow-through sample cell allows the instrument to operate continuously, except for momentary stop flow when measurements are made. The timed automatic cycling of the system may be interrupted whenever desired, for manual operation. An analog output signal permits controlling an iodine generator.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Online and noninvasive monitoring of battery health at negative-half cell in all-vanadium redox flow batteries using ultrasound

Hydrogen evolution is one of the major side reactions that is detrimental to the health of all-vanadium redox flow batteries, especially for long-term cycling. Effective, low-cost, and accurate online prediction and detection methods for hydrogen generation are not yet available. In this work, we designed an online, noninvasive ultrasonic probing approach for monitoring the state of charge (SoC), predicting the hydrogen generation, and detecting hydrogen gas bubbles in anolyte solutions. The technique employs a pulse-echo method to measure the sound speed and the acoustic attenuation coefficient of the anolyte solution. Through static offline experiments and online in operando experiments, we have demonstrated that when hydrogen gas is generated in anolyte solutions, large variations are observed in both sound speed and acoustic attenuation coefficient measurements. We found that the variations of acoustic attenuation coefficient are highly correlated (correlation coefficients >0.9) with the gas flow rate. In conclusion, the designed acoustic method can monitor the SoC of anolyte, predict the hydrogen generation, and detect the presence of gas bubbles in an anolyte solution and, thus, provide information about the state of health for operation and management of flow battery systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1985

Flow cytometry of human embryonic kidney cells: A light scattering approach

The mammalian kidney contains cells that transport water, convert vitamin D to active forms, synthesize hormones such a renin and erythropoietin, and produce enzymes such as urokinase, a plasminogen activator. Several of these functions are maintained by human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) cultivated in vitro. Biochemical study of these functions in their individual cell types in vitro requires purified populations of cells. Light-scattering activated cell sorting (LACS) was explored as a means of achieving such purifications. It was found that HEK cells at the first 1 to 5 passages in culture were heterogeneous with respect to 2-parameter light scattering intensity distribution, in which combined measurements included forward angle scattering (2.5 to 19 deg), 90 deg scattering, and time-of-flight size measurements. Size was measured at a resolution of 0.15 microns/channel in 256 channels using pulse-height independent pulse-width measurements. Two-parameter distributions combining these measurements were obtained for HEK cell subpopulations that had been purified by microgravity electrophoresis and subsequently propagated in culture. These distributions contained at least 3 subpopulations in all purified fractions, and results of experiments with prepurified cultured HEK cells indicated that subpopulations of living cells that were high in plasminogen-activator activity also contained the highest per cent of cells with high 90 deg light scatter intensity.

Kunze, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

A Study of Blood Flow and of Aggregation of Blood Cells Under Conditions of Zero Gravity: Its Relevance to the Occlusive Diseases and Cancer

The objectives of this program are: (1) to determine whether the size of red cell aggregates, kinetics and morphology of these aggregates are influenced by near-zero gravity; (2) whether viscosity, especially at low shear rate, is afflicted by near-zero gravity (the latter preventing sedimentation of red cells); (3) whether the actual shape of red cells changes; and (4) whether blood samples obtained from different donors (normal and patients suffering from different disorders) react in the same manner to near-zero gravity.

Dintenfass, L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Absorption coefficients for water vapor at 193 nm from 300 to 1073 K

Measurements of the water absorption coefficient at 193 nm from 300 to 1073 K are reported. The measurements were made using broadband VUV radiation and a monochromator-based detection system. The water vapor was generated by a saturator and metered into a flowing, 99 cm absorption cell via a water vapor mass flow meter. The 193 nm absorption coefficient measurements are compared to room temperature and high temperature shock tube measurements with good agreement. The absorption can be parameterized by a nu3 vibrational mode reaction coordinate and the thermal population of the nu3 mode.

Kessler, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Lithium-Ion Batteries Being Evaluated for Low-Earth-Orbit Applications

The performance characteristics and long-term cycle life of aerospace lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in low-Earth-orbit applications are being investigated. A statistically designed test using Li-ion cells from various manufacturers began in September 2004 to study the effects of temperature, end-of-charge voltage, and depth-of-discharge operating conditions on the cycle life and performance of these cells. Performance degradation with cycling is being evaluated, and performance characteristics and failure modes are being modeled statistically. As technology improvements are incorporated into aerospace Li-ion cells, these new designs can be added to the test to evaluate the effect of the design changes on performance and life. Cells from Lithion and Saft have achieved over 2000 cycles under 10 different test condition combinations and are being evaluated. Cells from Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) and modules made up of commercial-off-the-shelf 18650 Li-ion cells connected in series/parallel combinations are scheduled to be added in the summer of 2005. The test conditions include temperatures of 10, 20, and 30 C, end-of-charge voltages of 3.85, 3.95, and 4.05 V, and depth-of-discharges from 20 to 40 percent. The low-Earth-orbit regime consists of a 55 min charge, at a constant-current rate that is 110 percent of the current required to fully recharge the cells in 55 min until the charge voltage limit is reached, and then at a constant voltage for the remaining charge time. Cells are discharged for 35 min at the current required for their particular depth-of-discharge condition. Cells are being evaluated in four-cell series strings with charge voltage limits being applied to individual cells by the use of charge-control units designed and produced at the NASA Glenn Research Center. These charge-control units clamp the individual cell voltages as each cell reaches its end-of-charge voltage limit, and they bypass the excess current from that cell, while allowing the full current flow to the remaining cells in the pack. The goal of this evaluation is to identify conditions and cell designs for Li-ion technology that can achieve more than 30,000 low-Earth-orbit cycles. Testing is being performed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in Crane, Indiana.

McKissock, Barbara I.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lattice microfluidics

An engineered unit cell is disclosed for flowing a fluid therethrough in three dimensions. The unit cell may have a substrate with a plurality of flow channels around and between struts formed within the substrate. The struts may each be formed with a desired shape and orientation within the substrate to achieve a desired degree of fluid flow through the flow channels, in each of one of three dimensions, through the unit cell.

Deotte, Joshua R.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Cellular Structures in the Flow Over the Flap of a Two-Element Wing

Flow visualization information and time dependent pressure coefficients were recorded for the flow over a two-element wing. The investigation focused on the stall onset; particularly at a condition where the flow is attached on the main element but separated on the flap. At this condition, spanwise separation cells were visible in the flow over the flap, and time dependent pressure data was measured along the centerline of the separation cell. The flow visualizations indicated that the spanwise occurrence of the separation cells depends on the flap (and not wing) aspect ratio.

Yon, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Accuracy, Scalability, and Efficiency of Mixed-Element USM3D for Benchmark Three-Dimensional Flows

The unstructured, mixed-element, cell-centered, finite-volume flow solver USM3D is enhanced with new capabilities including parallelization, line generation for general unstructured grids, improved discretization scheme, and optimized iterative solver. The paper reports on the new developments to the flow solver and assesses the accuracy, scalability, and efficiency. The USM3D assessments are conducted using a baseline method and the recent hierarchical adaptive nonlinear iteration method framework. Two benchmark turbulent flows, namely, a subsonic separated flow around a three-dimensional hemisphere-cylinder configuration and a transonic flow around the ONERA M6 wing are considered.

Pandya, Mohagna J.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Efficiency of Mixed-Element USM3D for Benchmark Three-Dimensional Flows

The unstructured, mixed-element, cell-centered, finite-volume flow solver USM3D is enhanced with new capabilities such as line generation for general unstructured grids and optimization of the iterative solver. The efficiency of the new developments is assessed in a massively parallel environment. The assessments are conducted using a baseline method and the recent hierarchical adaptive nonlinear iteration method framework. Three benchmark turbulent flows, namely, a subsonic separated flow around a three-dimensional hemisphere cylinder configuration, a transonic flow around the ONERA M6 wing, and a supersonic flow through a square duct are considered.

Mohagna J Pandya↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2008

Topics discussed include: Optical Measurement of Mass Flow of a Two-Phase Fluid; Selectable-Tip Corrosion-Testing Electrochemical Cell; Piezoelectric Bolt Breakers and Bolt Fatigue Testers; Improved Measurement of B(sub 22) of Macromolecules in a Flow Cell; Measurements by a Vector Network Analyzer at 325 to 508 GHz; Using Light to Treat Mucositis and Help Wounds Heal; Increasing Discharge Capacities of Li-(CF)(sub n) Cells; Dot-in-Well Quantum-Dot Infrared Photodetectors; Integrated Microbatteries for Implantable Medical Devices; Oxidation Behavior of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Composites; GIDEP Batching Tool; Generic Spacecraft Model for Real-Time Simulation; Parallel-Processing Software for Creating Mosaic Images; Software for Verifying Image-Correlation Tie Points; Flexcam Image Capture Viewing and Spot Tracking; Low-Pt-Content Anode Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells; Graphite/Cyanate Ester Face Sheets for Adaptive Optics; Atomized BaF2-CaF7 for Better-Flowing Plasma-Spray Feedstock; Nanophase Nickel-Zirconium Alloys for Fuel Cells; Vacuum Packaging of MEMS With Multiple Internal Seal Rings; Compact Two-Dimensional Spectrometer Optics; and Fault-Tolerant Coding for State Machines.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Coupled Lattice Boltzmann Modeling Framework for Pore-Scale Fluid Flow and Reactive Transport

In this paper, we propose a modeling framework for pore-scale fluid flow and reactive transport based on a coupled lattice Boltzmann model (LBM). We develop a modeling interface to integrate the LBM modeling code parallel lattice Boltzmann solver and the PHREEQC reaction solver using multiple flow and reaction cell mapping schemes. The major advantage of the proposed workflow is the high modeling flexibility obtained by coupling the geochemical model with the LBM fluid flow model. Consequently, the model is capable of executing one or more complex reactions within desired cells while preserving the high data communication efficiency between the two codes. Meanwhile, the developed mapping mechanism enables the flow, diffusion, and reactions in complex pore-scale geometries. We validate the coupled code in a series of benchmark numerical experiments, including 2D single-phase Poiseuille flow and diffusion, 2D reactive transport with calcite dissolution, as well as surface complexation reactions. The simulation results show good agreement with analytical solutions, experimental data, and multiple other simulation codes. In addition, we design an AI-based optimization workflow and implement it on the surface complexation model to enable increased capacity of the coupled modeling framework. Compared to the manual tuning results proposed in the literature, our workflow demonstrates fast and reliable model optimization results without incorporating pre-existing domain knowledge.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2008

Producing Newborn Synchronous Mammalian Cells

A method and bioreactor for the continuous production of synchronous (same age) population of mammalian cells have been invented. The invention involves the attachment and growth of cells on an adhesive-coated porous membrane immersed in a perfused liquid culture medium in a microgravity analog bioreactor. When cells attach to the surface divide, newborn cells are released into the flowing culture medium. The released cells, consisting of a uniform population of synchronous cells are then collected from the effluent culture medium. This invention could be of interest to researchers investigating the effects of the geneotoxic effects of the space environment (microgravity, radiation, chemicals, gases) and to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies involved in research on aging and cancer, and in new drug development and testing.

Gonda, Steve R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Integrated Solid-Electrolyte Construction

Proposed construction method for electrolytic cells would integrate porous surface electrodes into a block of solid electrolyte. Porous electrodes would facilitate unrestricted gas flow thereby improving cell performance. Electrode wire mesh is embedded at surface of solid electrolyte. Construction would assure high electrode conductance and low resistance to gas flow.

Richter, R.↗