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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Observation of an Excess Current Noise Resulting from Oxygen Absorption onto Iron Films

This paper reports on measurements that demonstrate that oxygen absorbed on clean polycrystalline Fe films can produce an excess current noise. The noise is indicative of dynamic processes occurring in the surface region of the film. We propose that the noise results from the dynamics of a reversible reaction between absorbed states. The measurements are accurately modeled with a single correlation time implying that surface heterogeneity is not important to the reaction. In addition to offering promise for future states of solid-state surface reactions, these measurements also have implications for the origin of 1/f current noise in conductors.

Shanabarger, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Surfaces

Techniques for the characterization of surface cleanliness and roughness for predicting the quality of an adhesive bond are outlined. Generally, smooth surfaces are only available from cleavage of crystalline materials along a natural cleavage plane. Films must be deposited on metal surfaces to achieve the same smoothness. Once the surfaces are clean, however, reaction with the ambient atmosphere becomes likely through diffusive and absorption processes, producing asperities. Electron diffraction, Auger electron, and X ray emission spectroscopy are used to characterize surface condition. Once the surface is observed to be clean, the application of an adhesive will usually prohibit separation along the adhesive; separation is then confined to the weaker of the two materials. Finally, the use of polytetrafluorothylene adhesive to test the adhesion between polymers and metal surfaces is described.

Buckley, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Quantal Study of the Exchange Reaction for N + N2 using an ab initio Potential Energy Surface

The N + N2 exchange rate is calculated using a time-dependent quantum dynamics method on a newly determined ab initio potential energy surface (PES) for the ground A" state. This ab initio PES shows a double barrier feature in the interaction region with the barrier height at 47.2 kcal/mol, and a shallow well between these two barriers, with the minimum at 43.7 kcal/mol. A quantum dynamics wave packet calculation has been carried out using the fitted PES to compute the cumulative reaction probability for the exchange reaction of N + N2(J=O). The J - K shift method is then employed to obtain the rate constant for this reaction. The calculated rate constant is compared with experimental data and a recent quasi-classical calculation using a LEPS PES. Significant differences are found between the present and quasiclassical results. The present rate calculation is the first accurate 3D quantal dynamics study for N + N2 reaction system and the ab initio PES reported here is the first such surface for N3.

Wang, Dunyou↗
NASA NTRS1993

Ellipsometric study of ambient-produced overlayer growth rate on YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films

An ellipsometric study of ambient-reaction-produced BaCO3 overlayer growth on laser-ablated YBCO is presented as a function of time. The effects of the anisotropy of YBCO on the ellipsometric data inversion process are discussed, and it is concluded that with certain restrictions on the data acquisition method, the anisotropic substrate can be adequately modeled by its isotropic pseudodielectric function for the purpose of overlayer thickness estimation. It is found that after an initial period of rapid growth attributed to the chemical reaction of the exposed surface bonds, the BaCO3 overlayer growth is linear at 1-2 A per day. This slow growth rate is attributed to the complexity of the BaCO3-forming reaction, together with the need for ambient reactants to diffuse through the overlayer.

Sieg, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Oxygen atom reaction with shuttle materials at orbital altitudes

Significant effects of the environment on payload bay materials observed on all flights are discussed. The STS 5 experiment is described. Increased outgassing rates resulting in possible localized effects on experiments, changes in optical control surfaces, and photoemission from reaction products are considered.

Leger, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Bipropellant rocket exhaust plume analysis on the Galileo spacecraft

This paper describes efforts to quantify the contaminant flow field produced by 10 N thrust bipropellant rocket engines used on the Galileo spacecraft. The prediction of the composition of the rocket exhaust by conventional techniques is found to be inadequate to explain experimental observations of contaminant deposition on moderately cold (200 K) surfaces. It is hypothesized that low volatility contaminants are formed by chemical reactions which occur on the surfaces. The flow field calculations performed using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method give the expected result that the use of line-of-sight plume shields may have very little effect on the flux of vapor phase contaminant species to a surface, especially if the plume shields are located so close to the engine that the interaction of the plume with the shield is in the transition flow regime. It is shown that significant variations in the exhaust plume composition caused by nonequilibrium effects in the flow field lead to very low concentrations of species which have high molecular weights in the more rarefied regions of the flow field. Recommendations for the design of spacecraft plume shields and further work are made.

Guernsey, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Chemisorption studies of Pt/SnO2 catalysts

The low temperature CO oxidation catalysts that are being developed and tested at NASA-Langley are fairly unique in their ability to efficiently oxidize CO at low temperatures (approx. 303 K). The bulk of the reaction data that has been collected in the laboratory has been determined using plug flow reactors with a low mass of Pt/SnO2/SiO2 catalyst (approx. 0.1 g) and a modest flow rate (5 to 10 sc sm). The researchers have previously characterized the surface solely in terms of N2 BET surface areas. These surface areas have not been that indicative of reaction rate. Indeed, some of the formulations with high BET surface area have yielded lower reaction rates than those with lower BET surface areas. As a result researchers began a program of determining the chemisorption of the various species involved in the reaction; CO, O2 and CO2. Such a determination of will lead to a better understanding of the mechanism and overall kinetics of the reaction. The pulsed-reactor technique, initially described by Freel, is used to determine the amount of a particular molecule that is adsorbed on the catalyst. Since there is some reaction of CO with the surface to produce CO2, the pulsed reactor had to be coupled with a gas chromatograph in order to distinguish between the loss of CO that is due to adsorption by the surface and the loss that is due to reaction with the surface.

Brown, Kenneth G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The study of excited oxygen molecule gas species production and quenching on thermal protection system materials

The detection of excited oxygen and ozone molecules formed by surface catalyzed oxygen atom recombination and reaction was investigated by laser induced fluorescence (LIF), molecular beam mass spectrometric (MBMS), and field ionization (FI) techniques. The experiment used partially dissociated oxygen flows from a microwave discharge at pressures in the range from 60 to 400 Pa or from an inductively coupled RF discharge at atmospheric pressure. The catalyst materials investigated were nickel and the reaction cured glass coating used for Space Shuttle reusable surface insulation tiles. Nonradiative loss processes for the laser excited states makes LIF detection of O2 difficult such that formation of excited oxygen molecules could not be detected in the flow from the microwave discharge or in the gaseous products of atom loss on nickel. MBMS experiments showed that ozone was a product of heterogeneous O atom loss on nickel and tile surfaces at low temperatures and that ozone is lost on these materials at elevated temperatures. FI was separately investigated as a method by which excited oxygen molecules may be conveniently detected. Partial O2 dissociation decreases the current produced by FI of the gas.

Nordine, Paul C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Classical trajectory studies of gas phase reaction dynamics and kinetics using ab initio potential energy surfaces

Strategies for constructing global potential energy surfaces from a limited number of accurate ab initio electronic energy calculations are discussed. Generally, these data are concentrated in small regions of configuration space (e.g., in the vicinity of saddle points and energy minima) and difficulties arise in generating a potential function that is globally well-behaved. Efficient computer codes for carrying out classical trajectory calculations on vector and parallel processors are also described. Illustrations are given from recent work on the following chemical systems: Ca + HF yields CaF + H, H + H + H2 yields H2 + H2, N + O2 yields NO + O and O + N2 yields NO + N. The dynamics and kinetics of metathesis, dissociation, recombination, energy transfer and complex formation processes will be discussed.

Jaffe, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent H2-O2 combustion using reduced chemistry

Results of direct numerical simulations of hydrogen-oxygen combustion using a partial-equilibrium chemistry scheme in constant density, decaying, isotropic turbulence are reported. The simulations qualitatively reproduce many features of experimental results, such as superequilibrium radical species mole fractions, with temperature and major species mole fractions closer to chemical equilibrium. It was also observed that the peak reaction rates occur in narrow zones where the stoichiometric surface intersects regions of high scalar dissipation, as might be expected for combustion conditions close to chemical equilibrium. Another finding was that high OH mole fraction correspond more closely to the stoichiometric surface than to areas of high reaction rate for conditions of the simulations. Simulation results were compared to predictions of the Conditional Moment Closure model. This model was found to give good results for all quantities of interest when the conditionally averaged scalar dissipation was used in the prediction. When the nonconditioned average dissipation was used, the predictions compared well to the simulations for most of the species and temperature, but not for the reaction rate. The comparison would be expected to improve for higher Reynolds number flows, however.

Montgomery, Christopher J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Laser diagnostics for microgravity droplet studies

Rapid advances have recently been made in numerical simulation of droplet combustion under microgravity conditions, while experimental capabilities remain relatively primitive. Calculations can now provide detailed information on mass and energy transport, complex gas-phase chemistry, multi-component molecular diffusion, surface evaporation and heterogeneous reaction, which provides a clearer picture of both quasi-steady as well as dynamic behavior of droplet combustion. Experiments concerning these phenomena typically result in pictures of the burning droplets, and the data therefrom describe droplet surface regression along with flame and soot shell position. With much more precise, detailed, experimental diagnostics, significant gains could be made on the dynamics and flame structural changes which occur during droplet combustion. Since microgravity experiments become increasingly more expensive as they progress from drop towers and flights to spaceborne experiments, there is a great need to maximize the information content from these experiments. Sophisticated measurements using laser diagnostics on individual droplets and combustion phenomena are now possible. These include measuring flow patterns and temperature fields within droplets, vaporization rates and vaporization enhancement, radical species profiling in flames and gas-phase flow-tagging velocimetry. Although these measurements are sophisticated, they have undergone maturation to the degree where with some development, they are applicable to studies of microgravity droplet combustion. This program beginning in September of 1992, will include a series of measurements in the NASA Learjet, KC-135 and Drop Tower facilities for investigating the range of applicability of these diagnostics while generating and providing fundamental data to ongoing NASA research programs in this area. This program is being conducted in collaboration with other microgravity investigators and is aimed toward supplementing their experimental efforts.

Winter, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2003

Uptake of Small Organic Compounds by Sulfuric Acid Aerosols: Dissolution and Reaction

To assess the role of oxygenated volatile organic compounds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, the interactions of a series of small organic compounds with low-temperature aqueous sulfuric acid will be evaluated. The total amount of organic material which may be taken up from the gas phase by dissolution, surface layer formation, and reaction during the particle lifetime will be quantified. Our current results for acetaldehyde uptake on 40 - 80 wt% sulfuric acid solutions will be compared to those of methanol, formaldehyde, and acetone to investigate the relationships between chemical functionality and heterogeneous activity. Where possible, equilibrium uptake will be ascribed to component pathways (hydration, protonation, etc.) to facilitate evaluation of other species not yet studied in low temperature aqueous sulfuric acid.

Iraci, L. T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Surface studies relevant to silicon carbide chemical vapor deposition

Reactions of C2H4, C3H8, and CH4 on the Si(111) surface and C2H4 on the Si(100) surface were investigated for surface temperatures in the range of 1062-1495 K. Results led to the identification of the reaction products, a characterization of the solid-state transport process, a determination of the nucleation mechanism and growth kinetics, and an assessment of orientation effects. Based on these results and on the modeling studies of Stinespring and Wormhoudt (1988) on the associated gas phase chemistry, a physical model for the two-step beta-SiC CVD process is proposed.

Stinespring, C. D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Combustion of bulk titanium in oxygen

The combustion of bulk titanium in one atmosphere oxygen is studied using laser ignition and several analytical techniques. These were high-speed color cinematography, time and space resolved spectra in the visible region, metallography (including SEM) of specimens quenched in argon gas, X-ray and chemical product analyses, and a new optical technique, the Hilbert transform method. The cinematographic application of this technique for visualizing phase objects in the combustion zone is described. The results indicate an initial vapor phase reaction immediately adjacent to the molten surface but as the oxygen uptake progresses the evaporation approaches the point of congruency and a much reduced evaporation rate. This and the accumulation of the various soluble oxides soon drive the reaction zone below the surface where gas formation causes boiling and ejection of particles. The buildup of rutile cuts off the oxygen supply and the reaction ceases.

Clark, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Coupling device with improved thermal interface

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple, reliable, and lightweight coupling that will also have an efficient thermal interface. A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling that is capable of blind mating with little or no insertion forces. Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling that acts as a thermal regulator to maintain a constant temperature on one side of the coupling. Another object of the invention is to increase the available surface area of a coupling thus providing a larger area for the conduction of heat across the thermal interface. Another object of the invention is to provide a fluidic coupling that has no fluid passing across the interface, thus reducing the likelihood of leaks and contamination. The foregoing objects are achieved by utilizing, as in the prior art, a hot area (at an elevated temperature as compared to a cold area) with a need to remove excess heat from the hot area to a cold area. In this device, the thermal interface will occur not on a planar horizontal surface, but along a non-planar vertical surface, which will reduce the reaction forces and increase the thermal conductivity of the device. One non-planar surface is a surface on a cold pin extending from the cold area and the other non-planar surface is a surface on a hot pin extending from the hot area. The cold pin is fixed and does not move while the hot pin is a flexible member and its movement towards the cold pin will bring the two non-planar surfaces together forming the thermal interface. The actuating member for the device is a shape-memory actuation wire which is attached through an aperture to the hot pin and through another aperture to an actuation wire retainer. By properly programming the actuation wire, heat from the hot area will cause the actuation wire to bend the hot wire. Heat from the hot area will cause the actuation wire to bend the hot pin towards the cold pin forming the coupling and the desired thermal interface. The shape-memory actuation wire is made of a shape-memory-effect alloy such as Nitinol.

Milam, Malcolm Bruce↗
NASA NTRS1995

Photodeposition of amorphous polydiacetylene films from monomer solutions onto transparent substrates

Polydiacetylenes are a very promising class of polymers for both photonic and electronic applications because of their highly conjugated structures. For these applications, high-quality thin polydiacetylene films are required. We have discovered a novel technique for obtaining such films of a polydiacetylene derivative of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline using photodeposition from monomer solutions onto UV transparent substrates. This heretofore unreported process yields amorphous polydiacetylene films with thicknesses on the order of I micron that have optical quality superior to that of films grown by standard crystal growth techniques. Furthermore, these films exhibit good third-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities; degenerate four-wave mixing experiments give x(3) values on the order of 10(exp -8) - 10(exp -7) esu. We have conducted masking experiments which demonstrate that photodeposition occurs only where the substrate is directly irradiated, clearly indicating that the reaction occurs at the surface. Additionally, we have also been able to carry out photodeposition using lasers to form thin polymer circuits. In this work, we discuss the photodeposition of polydiacetylene thin films from solution, perform chemical characterization of these films, investigate the role of the substrate, speculate on the mechanism of the reaction, and make a preliminary determination of the third-order optical nonlinearity of the films. This simple, straightforward technique may ultimately make feasible the production of polydiacetylene thin films for technological applications.

Paley, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

SSM atomic oxygen reactions on Kapton and silverized Teflon

Surface morphology studies using scanning electron microscopy on Kapton and Inconel silver coated Teflon material samples retrieved from the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft revealed significant changes attributed to orbital atomic oxygen induced reactions. The Kapton recession observed on the aluminized Kapton material samples appeared equivalent in nature with that observed on previous Space Shuttle LEO missions. SSM Teflon taped material samples, coated on the back side with films of Inconel protected silver were observed degraded on both sides. Visibly severe reactions on the back side produced total blackening, generally restricted to areas of tape with a narrow direct view-factor of the external orbital environment. High magnification scanning electron microscope views provided evidence of near total silver reaction, flaking, and subsequent erosion of the underlying Teflon itself. Only three of the extensive S.E.M. photographs illustrating the basic reactions observed are included pending further detailed investigations.

Roger Linton↗