Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “model data volumes”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 523 records · Page 29

Wind tunnel tests of an 0.019-scale space shuttle integrated vehicle -2A configuration (model 14-OTS) in the NASA Ames 8 by 7 foot unitary wind tunnel (IA12C), volume 1

The purpose of the test was to determine the effects of cold jet gas plumes on (1) the integrated vehicle longitudinal and lateral-directional force data, (2) exposed wing hinge moment, (3) wing pressure distributions, (4) orbiter MPS external pressure distributions, and (5) model base pressure. The similarity between solid and gaseous plumes was investigated, and fluorescent oil flow visualization studies were conducted.

Hardin, R. B.↗

Bubble Formation and Detachment in Reduced Gravity Under the Influence of Electric Fields

The objective of the study is to investigate the behavior of individual air bubbles injected through an orifice into an electrically insulating liquid under the influence of a static electric field. Both uniform and nonuniform electric field configurations were considered. Bubble formation and detachment were recorded and visualized in reduced gravity (corresponding to gravity levels on Mars, on the Moon as well as microgravity) using a high-speed video camera. Bubble volume, dimensions and contact angle at detachment were measured. In addition to the experimental studies, a simple model, predicting bubble characteristics at detachment was developed. The model, based on thermodynamic considerations, accounts for the level of gravity as well as the magnitude of the uniform electric field. Measured data and model predictions show good agreement and indicate that the level of gravity and the electric field magnitude significantly affect bubble shape, volume and dimensions.

Herman, Cila↗

Electric Field Effects on an Injected Air Bubble at Detachment in a Low Gravity Environment

The objective of the study is to investigate the behavior of individual air bubbles injected through an orifice into an electrically insulating liquid under the influence of a static and uniform electric field. Bubble formation and detachment were visualized and recorded in microgravity using a high-speed video camera. Bubble volume, dimensions and contact angle at detachment were measured. In addition to the experimental studies, a simple model, predicting bubble characteristics at detachment was developed. The model, based on thermodynamic considerations, accounts for the level of gravity as well as the magnitude of the uniform electric field. Measured data and model predictions show good agreement, and indicate that the level of gravity and the electric field magnitude significantly affect bubble shape, volume and dimensions.

Iacona, Estelle↗

Free-spray characteristics and spray-wall interactions of methanol on a gasoline direct injector under flash-boiling and non-flash-boiling conditions

Methanol is considered a promising alternative fuel for internal combustion engines (ICEs) due to its high-octane number, fast laminar flame speed, and elevated latent heat of vaporization, all of which support higher compression ratios and improved thermal efficiency. However, its substantial latent heat of vaporization also poses cold-start challenges, such as misfire and fuel film deposition. This study aims to investigate methanol spray morphology and spray-wall interaction using the Spray M injector from the Engine Combustion Network within a constant-pressure flow vessel. A recently developed unified numerical framework capable of modeling both flash and non-flash boiling sprays is validated against experimental liquid volume fraction data acquired via 3-D computed tomography. Here, the results reveal that flash boiling significantly alters the spray morphology, leading to smaller droplets and spray collapse due to enhanced air-entrainment-induced turbulence. Quantitative agreement between experiments and simulations confirms this behavior. Coupled 0-D equilibrium and 3-D computational fluid dynamics analyses show that flash boiling accelerates evaporation and reduces fuel residence time, while non-flash conditions maintain a persistent liquid core more susceptible to wall wetting. Wall temperature diagnostics reveal that spray collapse alters heat transfer patterns by shifting cooling effects. Mixture fraction analysis indicates that evaporation is primarily governed by shear-layer turbulence, though deviations from adiabatic equilibrium mixing emerge under low-turbulence conditions. Finally, increasing fuel, ambient, and wall temperatures reduces wall wetting and film thickness, mitigating cold-start risks. These findings enhance the understanding of methanol sprays’ behavior and support its adoption as a viable, alternative fuel for ICEs.

Engine Combustion Network↗

Terminal area energy management regime investigations utilizing an 0.030-scale model (47-0) of the space shuttle vehicle orbiter configuration 140A/B/C/R in the Ames Research Center 11 x 11 foot transonic wind tunnel (OA148), volume 5

Data obtained in wind tunnel test OA148 are presented. The objectives of the test series were to: (1) obtain pressure distributions, forces and moments over the vehicle 5 orbiter in the thermal area energy management (TAEM) and approach phases of flight; (2) obtain elevon and rudder hinge moments in the TAEM and approach phases of flight; (3) obtain body flap and elevon loads for verification of loads balancing with integrated pressure distributions; and (4) obtain pressure distributions near the short OMS pods in the high subsonic, transonic and low supersonic Mach number regimes.

Hawthorne, P. J.↗

Cycle life test and failure model of nickel-hydrogen cells

Six ampere hour individual pressure vessel nickel hydrogen cells were charge/discharge cycled to failure. Failure as used here is defined to occur when the end of discharge voltage degraded to 0.9 volts. They were cycled under a low earth orbit cycle regime to a deep depth of discharge (80 percent of rated ampere hour capacity). Both cell designs were fabricated by the same manufacturer and represent current state of the art. A failure model was advanced which suggests both cell designs have inadequate volume tolerance characteristics. The limited existing data base at a deep depth of discharge (DOD) was expanded. Two cells of each design were cycled. One COMSAT cell failed at cycle 1712 and the other failed at cycle 1875. For the Air Force/Hughes cells, one cell failed at cycle 2250 and the other failed at cycle 2638. All cells, of both designs, failed due to low end of discharge voltage (0.9 volts). No cell failed due to electrical shorts. After cell failure, three different reconditioning tests (deep discharge, physical reorientation, and open circuit voltage stand) were conducted on all cells of each design. A fourth reconditioning test (electrolyte addition) was conducted on one cell of each design. In addition post cycle cell teardown and failure analysis were performed on the one cell of each design which did not have electrolyte added after failure.

Smithrick, J. J.↗

Cycle life test and failure model of nickel-hydrogen cells

Six ampere hour individual pressure vessel nickel hydrogen cells were charge/discharge cycled to failure. Failure as used here is defined to occur when the end of discharge voltage degraded to 0.9 volts. They were cycled under a low earth orbit cycle regime to a deep depth of discharge (80 percent of rated ampere hour capacity). Both cell designs were fabricated by the same manufacturer and represent current state of the art. A failure model was advanced which suggests both cell designs have inadequate volume tolerance characteristics. The limited existing data base at a deep depth of discharge (DOD) was expanded. Two cells of each design were cycled. One COMSAT cell failed at cycle 1712 and the other failed at cycle 1875. For the Air Force/Hughes cells, one cell failed at cycle 2250 and the other failed at cycle 2638. All cells, of both designs, failed due to low end of discharge voltage (0.9 volts). No cell failed due to electrical shorts. After cell failure, three different reconditioning tests (deep discharge, physical reorientation, and open circuit voltage stand) were conducted on all cells of each design. A fourth reconditioning test (electrolyte addition) was conducted on one cell of each design. In addition post cycle cell teardown and failure analysis were performed on the one cell of each design which did not have electrolyte added after failure. Previously announced in STAR as N83-25038

Smithrick, J. J.↗

Galileo probe parachute test program: Wake properties of the Galileo probe at Mach numbers from 0.25 to 0.95

The results of surveys of the near and far wake of the Galileo Probe are presented for Mach numbers from 0.25 tp 0.95. The trends in the data resulting from changes in Mach number, radial and axial distance, angle of attack, and a small change in model shape are shown in crossplots based on the data. A rationale for selecting an operating volume suitable for parachute inflation based on low Mach number flight results is outlined.

Canning, Thomas N.↗

Role of small ice crystals in radiative properties of cirrus: A case study, FIRE II, November 22, 1991

Aircraft observations of cirrus cloud were made near Coffeyville, Kansas, during November 1991 as part of the First ISCCP Regional Experiment II (FIRE II) project. Cloud ice particle spectra measurements were made using both a particle measuring system (PMS) 2DC probe and an ice particle replicator. Particles larger than 200 micrometers were column rosettes. The replicator shows the presence of large numbers of ice crystals smaller than 66 micrometers (two PMS size bins) that are not recorded by the PMS 2DC probe. Calculations based on the replicator data of the geometrical blocked area and absorption cross section of the cloud per unit volume show that small particles can contribute significantly to and sometimes dominate both the solar extinction and the infrared emission. Intercomparison is made of the ice particle size, area, and mass distributions determined by these different instruments. Power law relationships for area occluded by a crystal as a function of crystal maximum dimension were computed from the PMS 2DC data. The wavelength-dependent infrared absorption cross section per volume was computed using a simple model based on anomalous diffraction and area and mass dimensional relationships for the ice crystals.

Arnott, W. Patrick↗

Differences in the hemodynamic response to event-related motor and visual paradigms as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy

Several current brain imaging techniques rest on the assumption of a tight coupling between neural activity and hemodynamic response. The nature of this neurovascular coupling, however, is not completely understood. There is some evidence for a decoupling of these processes at the onset of neural activity, which manifests itself as a momentary increase in the relative concentration of deoxyhemoglobin (HbR). The existence of this early component of the hemodynamic response function, however, is controversial, as it is inconsistently found. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allows quantification of levels of oxyhemoglobin (HbO(2)) and HbR during task performance in humans. We acquired NIRS data during performance of simple motor and visual tasks, using rapid-presentation event-related paradigms. Our results demonstrate that rapid, event-related NIRS can provide robust estimates of the hemodynamic response without artifacts due to low-frequency signal components, unlike data from blocked designs. In both the motor and visual data the onset of the increase in HbO(2) occurs before HbR decreases, and there is a poststimulus undershoot. Our results also show that total blood volume (HbT) drops before HbO(2) and undershoots baseline, raising a new issue for neurovascular models. We did not find early deoxygenation in the motor data using physiologically plausible values for the differential pathlength factor, but did find one in the visual data. We suggest that this difference, which is consistent with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, may be attributable to different capillary transit times in these cortices.

NASA Program Biomedical Research and Countermeasur↗

Interoperable Map Services with Performance Tuning for Earth Science Data through API-Tiles and Dynamic API-Styles

NASA’s Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) provides access to a wide range of global climate data from various satellite missions and models. However, the visualization and analysis of these data can be challenging due to their large volume, complex structure, and diverse formats. This study presents the implementation of interoperable map services (API-Maps) with performance tuning using API-Tiles and dynamic API-Styles. API-Maps is a standard for defining and exposing map services through RESTful (representational state transfer) APIs (application programming interfaces). API-Tiles is a technique for generating and delivering map tiles on demand from any data source. API-Styles is a method for dynamically applying styles to map tiles based on user preferences or data attributes. The use of API-Tiles and dynamic API-Styles enhances the performance and scalability of the map services, allowing for smooth and interactive visualization of large datasets. Two types of Earth Science data sources from the NASA GES DISC are used in the experiment: regularly gridded data, such as Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) precipitation data, and low processing level data, such as low-level data of atmospheric composite measurements from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) mission. Re-gridding of swath data (low level data - e.g. Level 2) of atmospheric composites (e.g. TROPOMI products, such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone and aerosol optical depth) is applied to enable the Web-based, interoperable, tiled, and styled mapping (rendering) services of such data. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in providing fast and efficient access to Earth science data through interoperable map services.

Geographic Information System↗

Computationally-Aided Design of a Small-Scale Radioactive Waste Glass Melter

To provide mission support to the Hanford Waste Immobilization and Treatment Plant for the vitrification of legacy nuclear tank waste, a reduced-scale vitrification pilot system is being designed to process simulated and actual radioactive tank wastes. The tank waste will be separated into high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, where the majority by mass (~90%) is LAW and by activity (>95%) is HLW. The first tank waste to be processed at the WTP will be LAW. Since Hanford tank waste and the resultant melter feed compositions are known to vary widely, pilot-scale operations are essential to identify potential problems, provide needed data, confirm assumptions, and determine impacts to full-scale melters and off-gas systems from these different feeds. In addition, the reduced-scale melter system must be capable of quickly providing results to operations without the typically high costs of radioactive operations and provide an engineering platform in close proximity to local operations staff. The objective is to produce similar process conditions to those encountered in the full-scale LAW melters and minimize the volume of radioactive waste necessary for the evaluations. To this end, melter design features are being explored to increase production without significantly increasing surface area, melter glass volumes or compromising data quality. In support of these objectives, a set of computational fluid dynamic models have been developed to provide insight into the flow patterns within these small melters and evaluate design features to increase production without significantly increasing glass inventory. Computed velocities were evaluated at the interface between the cold cap and the molten glass pool and within the bulk glass pool. A method was developed to correlate results to an estimated melt rate and down-select design features that produce the highest gains.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Computationally-Aided Design of a Small-Scale Radioactive Waste Glass Melter

To provide mission support to the Hanford Waste Immobilization and Treatment Plant for the vitrification of legacy nuclear tank waste, a reduced-scale vitrification pilot system is being designed to process simulated and actual radioactive tank wastes. The tank waste will be separated into high-level waste (HLW) and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, where the majority by mass (~90%) is LAW and by activity (>95%) is HLW. The first tank waste to be processed at the WTP will be LAW. Since Hanford tank waste and the resultant melter feed compositions are known to vary widely, pilot-scale operations are essential to identify potential problems, provide needed data, confirm assumptions, and determine impacts to full-scale melters and off-gas systems from these different feeds. In addition, the reduced-scale melter system must be capable of quickly providing results to operations without the typically high costs of radioactive operations and provide an engineering platform in close proximity to local operations staff. The objective is to produce similar process conditions to those encountered in the full-scale LAW melters and minimize the volume of radioactive waste necessary for the evaluations. To this end, melter design features are being explored to increase production without significantly increasing surface area, melter glass volumes or compromising data quality. In support of these objectives, a set of computational fluid dynamic models have been developed to provide insight into the flow patterns within these small melters and evaluate design features to increase production without significantly increasing glass inventory. Computed velocities were evaluated at the interface between the cold cap and the molten glass pool and within the bulk glass pool. A method was developed to correlate results to an estimated melt rate and down-select design features that produce the highest gains.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Early age volume changes in metakaolin geopolymers: Insights from molecular simulations and experiments

The early age volume changes occurring during the geopolymerisation reaction are not sufficiently understood yet, due to shortage of experimental data and theoretical models. This work presents new results on chemical and autogenous deformation of sodium-activated geopolymers from metakaolin, focussing on the first 72 h of reaction. The results show that the geopolymers undergo early-age chemical expansion, not shrinkage. A model is proposed to explain the experimental result, leveraging recent advances from molecular simulations. The model predicts how the extent of chemical expansion is controlled by confined water in the molecular structure of the geopolymer. However, despite this underlying chemical expansion, geopolymer samples undergo autogenous shrinkage at the macroscale, which excludes self-desiccation as the origin of autogenous deformation. A better insight is gained by monitoring the kinetics of geopolymerisation using isothermal and differential calorimetry. Two kinetic regimes are identified, with apparent activation energies of approximately 90 kJ/mol and 70 kJ/mol. This suggests that two microscopic mechanisms concur to determine the early-age volume changes of geopolymer pastes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Measurement of Heat Transfer in Unbonded Silica Fibrous Insulation and Comparison with Theory

Effective thermal conductivity of a high porosity unbonded silica fibrous insulation specimen was measured over a pressure range of 0.001 to 750 torr (0.1 to 101.3 x 10(exp 3) Pa), and with large temperature gradients maintained across the sample thickness: hot side temperature range of 360 to 1360 K, with the cold side at room temperature. The measurements were compared with the theoretical solution of combined radiation/conduction heat transfer. The previously developed radiation heat transfer model used in this study is based on a modified diffusion approximation, and uses deterministic parameters that define the composition and morphology of the medium: distributions of fiber size and orientation, fiber volume fractions, and the spectral complex refractive index of the fibers. The close agreement between experimental and theoretical data further verifies the theoretical model over a wide range of temperatures and pressures.

Daryabeigi, Kamran↗

AUTOIGNITION DELAY TIMES FOR REFORMATE GAS MIXTURES FROM METHANE GAS ENGINES

Methane slip is a prominent issue in natural gas reciprocating engines that are used in transportation and marine applications. The incomplete combustion that results in methane slip can be resolved with the introduction of hydrogen within the combustion mixture to improve methane oxidation and further enable combustion within the engine crevices where methane has previously remained unreacted. Steam methane reforming (SMR) is a common method used to produce hydrogen and can be used to design an onboard device to reduce methane slip from reciprocating engines. The development of this reformer device requires the validation of high-fidelity chemical kinetic models at the low temperatures of the crevice volumes of these engines. In this work, auto-ignition data is obtained using a shock tube at lean (φ—0.714 or λ—1.4) and stoichiometric (φ, λ = 1) equivalence ratios spanning a temperature range of 1042–1234 K at the 80-bar operating pressure of the test engine. Blends of methane, hydrogen, and reformate products from the SMR reaction are shock-heated in synthetic air, with the ignition delay time measured using an OH* chemiluminescence detector at 310 nm and a CH* detector at 430 nm. The experimental results are compared to several state-of-the-art chemical kinetic mechanisms from the literature. In general, most of the mechanisms show very good agreement with experiments at higher temperatures, with simulation results showing little deviation from experiments at lower temperatures. A sensitivity analysis was conducted, and the results reveal that the reaction H2 + CH3O2 = H + CH3O2H has a very significant role in determining low-temperature ignition delay times (IDTs) of SMR mixtures. These findings provide valuable insights into the chemical kinetics governing methane reformate combustion and contribute to the optimization of onboard reformer designs aimed at mitigating methane slip in natural gas-fueled engines.

Fraze, Matthew↗