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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 523 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Radiation-resistant, amorphous, all-aromatic poly(arylene ether sulfones) - Synthesis, physical behavior, and degradation characteristics

The effects of Co-60 gamma radiation on a series of poly(arylene ether sulfones) prepared by nucleophilic activated aromatic substitution are investigated experimentally. The preparation of the test compounds is described, and the test results are presented in extensive tables and graphs. Radiation-induced degradation, as measured by SO2 production, was found to be lowest in compounds based on biphenol rather than bisphenol A; these findings were also well correlated with ultimate-tensile-strain measurements.

Lewis, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

An experimental investigation of multi-element airfoil ice accretion and resulting performance degradation

An investigation of the ice accretion pattern and performance characteristics of a multi-element airfoil was undertaken in the NASA Lewis 6- by 9-Foot Icing Research Tunnel. Several configurations of main airfoil, slat, and flaps were employed to examine the effects of ice accretion and provide further experimental information for code validation purposes. The text matrix consisted of glaze, rime, and mixed icing conditions. Airflow and icing cloud conditions were set to correspond to those typical of the operating environment anticipated for a commercial transport vehicle. Results obtained included ice profile tracings, photographs of the ice accretions, and force balance measurements obtained both during the accretion process and in a past-accretion evaluation over a range of angles of attack. The tracings and photographs indicated significant accretions on the slat leading edge, in gaps between slat or flaps and the main wing, on the flap leading-edge surfaces, and on flap lower surfaces. Force measurements indicate the possibility of severe performance degradation, especially near C sub Lmax, for both light and heavy ice accretion and performance analysis codes presently in use. The LEWICE code was used to evaluate the ice accretion shape developed during one of the rime ice tests. The actual ice shape was then evaluated, using a Navier-Strokes code, for changes in performance characteristics. These predicted results were compared to the measured results and indicate very good agreement.

Potapczuk, Mark G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Probabilistic constitutive relationships for material strength degradation models

In the present probabilistic methodology for the strength of aerospace propulsion system structural components subjected to such environmentally-induced primitive variables as loading stresses, high temperature, chemical corrosion, and radiation, time is encompassed as an interacting element, allowing the projection of creep and fatigue effects. A probabilistic constitutive equation is postulated to account for the degradation of strength due to these primitive variables which may be calibrated by an appropriately curve-fitted least-squares multiple regression of experimental data. The resulting probabilistic constitutive equation is embodied in the PROMISS code for aerospace propulsion component random strength determination.

Boyce, L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The application of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for characterizing the degradation of Ni(OH)2/NiOOH electrodes

Electrochemical impedance spectra of rolled and bonded and sintered porous nickel battery electrodes were recorded periodically during charge/discharge cycling in concentrated KOH solution at various temperatures. A transmission line model (TLM) was adopted to represent the impedance of the porous electrodes, and various model parameters were adjusted in a curve fitting routine to reproduce the experimental impedances. Degradation processes for rolled and bonded electrodes were deduced from changes in model parameters with electrode cycling time. In developing the TLM, impedance spectra of planar (non-porous) electrodes were used to represent the pore wall and backing plate interfacial impedances. These data were measured over a range of potentials and temperatures, and an equivalent circuit model was adopted to represent the planar electrode data. Cyclic voltammetry was used to study the characteristics of the oxygen evolution reaction on planar nickel electrodes during charging, since oxygen evolution can affect battery electrode charging efficiency and ultimately electrode cycle life if the overpotential for oxygen evolution is sufficiently low. Transmission line modeling results suggest that porous rolled and bonded nickel electrodes undergo restructuring during charge/discharge cycling prior to failure.

Macdonald, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Photon degradation of AlGaAs/GaAs solar cells

The behavior of GaAs solar cells after photon illumination for a prolonged exposure time is presented. More than 55 OMCVD AlGaAs/GaAs solar cells were exposed for over 400 h to AM0 photons at 28 C in three separate, well-controlled runs. Significant degradation of solar cell efficiency was observed in two out of three runs. Although noticeable losses in the open-circuit voltage, fill factor, and maximum power were observed, no change in the short-circuit current was found. In one of the runs, no change was seen in either the test cells or the control cells. Each cell in this run was protected with a coverglass. The cells in this run had thicker buffer layers and thinner window layers than the cells in the other two runs.

Anspaugh, Bruce↗
NASA NTRS1990

Degradation of the lunar vacuum by a moon base

Several industrial processes requiring high and ultra-high vacuum similar to the lunar vacuum are outlined. The effects of a 20-person lunar base and a 250-person industrial facility on this vacuum are discussed. It is shown that exhaust from transport spacecraft and leakage from the habitat will be comparable to the daytime gas pressure for the 20-person base, and will degrade the vacuum to the range of 2 x 10 to the -9th torr for the use of 250-person facility. This will result in replacing the mostly nonreactive gases hydrogen, helium, and neon with more reactive gases containing carbon and oxygen. This vacuum is still good enough to perform many important vacuum processes such as plasma-deposition of amorphous silicon for solar cells, but processes such as molecular beam epitaxy or locating an intersecting beam accelerator on the moon will require additional vacuum pumping.

Landis, Geoffrey↗
NASA NTRS1990

Analysis of the eight-year trend in ozone depletion from empirical models of solar backscattered ultraviolet instrument degradation

Arguments are presented showing that the basic empirical model of the solar backscatter UV (SBUV) instrument degradation used by Cebula et al. (1988) in their analysis of the SBUV data is likely to lead to an incorrect estimate of the ozone trend. A correction factor is given as a function of time and altitude that brings the SBUV data into approximate agreement with the SAGE, SME, and Dobson network ozone trends. It is suggested that the currently archived SBUV ozone data should be used with caution for periods of analysis exceeding 1 yr, since it is likely that the yearly decreases contained in the archived data are too large.

Herman, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Performance degradation due to multiprogramming and system overheads in real workloads - Case study on a shared memory multiprocessor

The performance degradation due to the multiprogramming (MP) overhead in a parallel execution environment is quantified. In addition, total system overhead is also measured. A methodology, which estimates the MP overhead present in real workloads, is illustrated with real measurents. It is found that MP overhead usually consumes between 10 and 23 percent of the processing power available to parallel programs. The mean MP overhead is determined to be 16 percent which is well over half the total system overhead executed on the system (the mean system overhead is determined to be 24 percent of the processing power). It is found that MP overhead, total system overhead, and application completion time are all moderately correlated.

Dimpsey, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Atomic oxygen degradation of Intelsat 4-type solar array interconnects: Laboratory investigations

A Hughes 506 type communication satellite belonging to the Intelsat organization was marooned in low Earth orbit on March 14, 1990, following failure of the Titan third stage to separate properly. The satellite, Intelsat VI, was designed for service in geosynchronous orbit and contains several material configurations which are susceptible to attack by atomic oxygen. Analysis showed the silver foil interconnects in the satellite photovoltaic array to be the key materials issue because the silver is exposed directly to the atomic oxygen ram flux. The results are reported of atomic oxygen degradation testing of Intelsat VI type silver foil interconnects both as virgin material and in a configured solar cell element. Test results indicate that more than 80 pct. of the original thickness of silver in the Intelsat VI solar array interconnects should remain after completion of the proposed Space Shuttle rescue and/or reboost mission.

Koontz, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

On the line Q degradation in hydrogen masers

In hydrogen masers, the atomic resonance quality factor is largely determined by the properties of the Teflon coating on the quartz storage bulb. Normally a good Teflon coating will last many years. On the other hand, there may be a relatively fast degradation of the quality factor if the Teflon coating is bad. A series of observations and measurements performed on an hydrogen maser that had successively a bad and a good Teflon coating are discussed.

Bernier, L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Mechanisms of atomic oxygen induced materials degradation

This paper includes discussions of mechanisms by which atomic oxygen may attack materials being flown in low earth orbit (LEO), suggestions for development of materials intrinsically resistant to the harsh LEO environment, and results of an Arrhenius fit to mass loss of Kapton under exposure to thermal atomic oxygen in a laboratory environment. Oxygen atoms are powerful oxidizing agents which can rapidly degrade many types of polymeric materials. The process details depend upon the specific material, its detailed bonding, the thermodynamic stability of potential products, temperature, and particle dynamics. With regard to spacecraft, many effects associated with atomic oxygen may be explained simply by ordinary thermal oxidation processes and by the fact that the oxygen has a preferred direction of impingement.

Pippin, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Materials degradation in low earth orbit (LEO); Proceedings of the Symposium, 119th Annual Meeting of the Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society, Anaheim, CA, Feb. 17-22, 1990

The current understanding of the effect of space environment on materials and the development of protective coatings is examined in reviews and reports. Consideration is given to hyperthermal atomic oxygen reactions, the effect of atomic oxygen on altered and coated Kapton surfaces for spacecraft applications in LEO, silicon dioxide space coatings studied ellipsometrically, atomic oxygen effects on spacecraft materials, atomic oxygen beam source for erosion simulation, and atomic oxygen effects on refractory materials. Particular attention is given to ellipsometric analysis of materials degradation in space, studies of the interaction of 8 km/s oxygen atoms with selected materials, characterization and calibration of the EOIM-III flight mass spectrometer in a high velocity oxygen atom beam, the reaction efficiency of thermal energy oxygen atoms with polymeric materials, and effects of simulated space environments on the properties of selected materials.

Srinivasan, V.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Degradation Of Fluoropolymers by O(3P)

Three reports describe experimental studies of degradation of some fluoropolymers (and few nonfluorinated polymers) by monatomic oxygen in 3P state. Studies motivated by need to develop polymeric coats to protect some components of spacecraft against highly reactive O(3P) atmosphere at typical low Earth orbital altitudes. Results indicate fully fluorinated polymers most resistant to oxidation, while cross-linked (but otherwise fully fluorinated) fluoropolymers most resistant to etching.

Wydeven, Theodore↗
NASA NTRS1991

Degradation of Fe-Mg silicates in hot CO2 atmospheres: Applications to Venus

Experiments demonstrated that oxidation of ferromagnesian silicates and magnetite occurs when these minerals are heated at 800 C in 1 atmosphere of CO2, under which conditions hematite is thermodynamically stable. The 30 ppm oxygen impurity in CO2 presumably facilitates the oxidation of some of the ferrous iron initially present in the crystal structures of the minerals. Mossbauer spectral measurements reveal, however, that only CO2 degraded olivine and pigeonite is hematite formed as a magnetically ordered phase at ambient temperatures. In orthopyroxene, some of the ferric iron produced by oxidation is present as nanophase hematite which, because it remains superparamagnetic until 4.2 K, must exist as particles less than or equal to 4 nm in diameter. In the calcic pyroxenes much of the oxidized ferrous iron may still remain as structural Fe3(+) in the host silicates. Some ferric iron may also be present as unit cell sized Fe2O3 inclusions in the pyroxenes, or be segregated along cleavage planes, or be coating mineral grains. In these states of aggregation, the Fe2O3 is unidentifiable by x ray diffraction and in low temperature Mossbauer spectra. Applications of this research to the surface of Venus are discussed.

Straub, Darcy W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

First-passage problems: A probabilistic dynamic analysis for degraded structures

Structures subjected to random excitations with uncertain system parameters degraded by surrounding environments (a random time history) are studied. Methods are developed to determine the statistics of dynamic responses, such as the time-varying mean, the standard deviation, the autocorrelation functions, and the joint probability density function of any response and its derivative. Moreover, the first-passage problems with deterministic and stationary/evolutionary random barriers are evaluated. The time-varying (joint) mean crossing rate and the probability density function of the first-passage time for various random barriers are derived.

Shiao, Michael C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Toxicology of atmospheric degradation products of selected hydrochlorofluorocarbons

Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a liquid with a sharp biting odor. It has been proposed as the product of environmental degradation of the hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFC-123, HCFC-124, HFC-134a, and HFC-125. Compounds HCFC-141b and HCFC-142b could yield mixed fluorochloroacetic acids, for which there is no available toxicologic data. The release of hydrochlorofluorocarbons into the environment could also give rise to HF, but the additional fluoride burden (1 to 3 ppb) in rainwater is trivial compared to levels in fluoridated drinking water (1 ppm), and would provide an insignificant risk to humans. Thus, in this paper only the toxocologic data on TFA is reviewed to assess the potential risks of environmental exposure.

Kaminsky, Laurence S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Assessment of effects on vegetation of degradation products from alternative fluorocarbons

Concern with the effects of fluorides on plants has been devoted to that resulting from dry deposition (mainly with reference to gaseous HF and secondarily with particulate forms). The occurrence of precipitation as rain or mist and the presence of dew or free water on the foliage has mainly been considered with respect to their effects on the accumulation of air-borne fluoride and not with fluoride in wet deposition. That is, precipitation has been viewed primarily with respect to its facilitation of the solution and subsequent absorption of deposits by the foliar tissues or its elution of deposited fluoride from foliage. Accordingly, our evaluation of inorganic fluoride from fluorocarbon degradation rests upon a comparison with what is known about the effects of industrial emissions and what could be considered the natural condition.

Mccune, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Degradation of electro-optic components aboard LDEF

Re-measurement of the properties of a set of electro-optic components exposed to the low earth orbital environment aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) indicates that most components survived quite well. Typical components showed some effects related to the space environment unless well protected. The effects were often small but significant. Results for semiconductor infrared detectors, lasers, LED's, filter, mirrors, and black paints will be presented. Semiconductor detectors and emitters were scarred but reproduced their original characteristics. Spectral characteristics of multi-layer dielectric filters and mirrors were found to be altered and degraded. Increased absorption in black paints indicates an increase in absorption sites, giving rise to enhanced performance as coatings for baffles and sunscreens. We find plastics and multi-layer dielectric coatings to be potentially unstable. Semiconductor devices, metal, and glass are more likely to be stable.

Blue, M. D.↗