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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

The enhanced capillary pumped loop flight experiment, a prototype of the EOS platform thermal control system

The CAPL shuttle flight experiment will provide micro-gravity verification of the prototype capillary pumped loop (CPL) thermal control system for EOS. The design of the experiment is discussed with particular emphasis on the new technology areas in ammonia two-phase reservoir design and heat pipe heat exchanger development. The thermal and hydrodynamic analysis techniques and results are also presented, including pressure losses, fluid flow, and on-orbit heat rejection capability. CAPL experiment results will be presented after the flight, currently planned for 1993.

Butler, D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Capillary Pumped Loop Flight Experiment (CAPL): A pathfinder for EOS

The CAPL shuttle flight experiment will provide microgravity verification of the prototype capillary pumped loop (CPL) thermal control system for EOS. The design of the experiment is discussed with particular emphasis on the new technology areas in ammonia two-phase reservior design and heat pipe heat exchanger development. The thermal and hydrodynamic analysis techniques and results are also presented, including pressure losses, fluid flow, and non-orbit heat rejection capability. CAPL experiment results will be presented after the flight, presently planned for 1993.

Butler, D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Enhanced Boiling on Micro-Configured Composite Surfaces Under Microgravity Conditions

In order to accommodate the growing thermal management needs of future space platforms, several two-phase active thermal control systems (ATCSs) have evolved and were included in the designs of space stations. Compared to the pumped single-phase liquid loops used in the conventional Space Transportation System and Spacelab, ATCSs offer significant benefits that may be realized by adopting a two-phase fluid-loop system. Alternately, dynamic power systems (DPSs), based on the Rankine cycle, seem inevitably to be required to supply the electrical power requirements of expanding space activities. Boiling heat transfer is one of the key technologies for both ATCSs and DPSs. Nucleate boiling near critical heat flux (CHF) can transport very large thermal loads with much smaller device size and much lower pumping power. However, boiling performance deteriorates in a reduced gravity environment and operation in the CHF regime is precarious because any slight overload will cause the heat transfer to suddenly move to the film boiling regime, which in turn, will result in burnout of the heat transfer surfaces. New materials, such as micro-configured metal-graphite composites, can provide a solution for boiling enhancement. It has been shown experimentally that this type of material manifests outstanding boiling heat transfer performance and their CHF is also extended to higher values. Due to the high thermal conductivity of graphite fiber (up to 1,200 W/m-K in the fiber direction), the composite surfaces are non-isothermal during the boiling process. The composite surfaces are believed to have a much wider safe operating region (a more uniform boiling curve in the CHF regime) because non-isothermal surfaces have been found to be less sensitive to variations of wall superheat in the CHF regime. The thermocapillary forces formed by the temperature difference between the fiber tips and the metal matrix play a more important role than the buoyancy in the bubble detachment, for the bubble detachment manifests itself by a necking process which should not be weakened by reduced gravity. In addition, the composite surfaces introduce no extra pressure drop, no fouling and do not impose significant primary or maintenance costs. All of these suggest that this type of composite is an ideal material for the challenge of accounting for both reliability and economy of the relevant components applied in the ATCSs, the DPSs and other devices in future space missions. The aim of the proposed work is to experimentally investigate high nucleate pool boiling performance on a micro-configured metal-graphite composite surface and to determine the mechanisms of the nucleate boiling heat transfer both experimentally and theoretically. Freon-113 and water will be used as the test liquids to investigate wettability effects on boiling characteristics. The Cu-Gr and Al-Gr composites with various volume fractions of graphite fibers will be tested to obtain the heat transfer characteristic data in the nucleate boiling region and in the CHF regime. In the experiments, the bubble emission and coalescence processes will be recorded by a video camera with a magnifying borescope probe immersed in the working fluid. The temperature profile in the thermal boundary layer on the composite surfaces will be measured by a group of micro thermocouples consisting of four ultra fine micro thermocouples. This instrument was developed and successfully used to measure the temperature profile of evaporating liquid thin layers by the proposers in a study performed at the NASA/Lewis Research Center. A two tier model to explain the nucleate boiling process and the performance enhancement on the composite surfaces has been suggested by the authors. According to the model, the thicknesses of the microlayer and the macrolayer underneath the bubbles and mushrooms, can be estimated by the geometry of the composite surface. The experimental results will be compared to the predictions from the model, and in turn, to revise and improve it.

Zhang, Nengli↗
NASA NTRS1999

Overview of Loop Heat Pipe Operation

Loop heat pipes (LHP's) are two-phase heat transfer devices that utilize the evaporation and condensation of a working fluid to transfer heat, and the capillary forces developed in the porous wicks to circulate the fluid. The LHP was first developed in the former Soviet Union in the early 1980s, about the same time that the capillary pumped loop (CPL) was developed in the United States. The LHP is known for its high pumping capability and robust operation mainly due to the use of fine-pored metal wicks and an integral evaporator/hydro-accumulator design. The LHP technology is rapidly gaining acceptance in aerospace community. It is the baseline design for thermal control of several spacecraft, including NASA's GLAS and Chemistry, ESA's ATLID, CNES' STENTOR, RKA's OBZOR, and several commercial satellites. Numerous LHP papers have been published since the mid-1980's. Most papers presented test results and discussions on certain specific aspects of the LHP operation. LHP's and CPL's show many similarities in their operating principles and performance characteristics. However, they also display significant differences in many aspects of their operation. Some of the LHP behaviors may seem strange or mysterious, even to experienced CPL practitioners. The main purpose of this paper is to present a systematic description of the operating principles and thermal-hydraulic behaviors of LHP'S. LHP operating principles will be given first, followed by a description of the thermal-hydraulics involved in LHP operation. Operating characteristics and important parameters affecting the LHP operation will then be described in detail. Peculiar behaviors of the LHP, including temperature hysteresis and temperature overshoot during start-up, will be explained. For simplicity, most discussions will focus upon LHP's with a single evaporator and a single condenser, but devices with multiple evaporators and condensers will also be discussed. Similarities and differences between LHP's and CPL's will be addressed throughout the paper whenever appropriate.

Ku, Jentung↗
NASA NTRS1981

A pumped, two-phase flow heat transport system for orbiting instrument payloads

A pumped two-phase (heat absorption/heat rejection) thermal transport system for orbiting instrument payloads is investigated. The thermofluid characteristics necessary for the system design are discussed. A preliminary design with a series arrangement of four instrument heat stations and six radiators in a single loop is described in detail, and the total mass is estimated to be 134 kg, with the radiators, instrument heat stations, and fluid reservoir accounting for approximately 86, 24, and 12 kg, respectively. The evaluation of preliminary test results shows that the system has potential advantages; however, further research is necessary in the areas of one-g and zero-g heat transfer coefficients/fluid regimes, fluid by-pass temperature control, and reliability of small pumps.

Fowle, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A new linearized theory of laminar film condensation of two phase annular flow in a capillary pumped loop

Future large space based facilities, such as Space Station, will require energy management systems capable of transporting tens of kilowatts of heat over a hundred meters or more. This represents better than an order of magnitude improvement over current technology. Two-phase thermal systems are currently being developed to meet this challenge. Condensation heat transfer plays a very important role in this system. The present study attempts an analytic solution to the set of linearized partial differential equations. The axial velocity and temperature functions were found to be Bessel functions which have oscillatory behavior. This result agrees qualitatively with the experimental evidence from tests at both NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and elsewhere.

Hsu, Y. K.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Design and Testing of a Cryogenic Capillary Pumped Loop Flight Experiment

This paper details the flight configuration and pre-flight performance test results of the fifth generation cryogenic capillary pumped loop (CCPL-5). This device will fly on STS-95 in October 1998 as part of the CRYOTSU Flight Experiment. This flight represents the first in-space demonstration of a CCPL, a miniaturized two-phase fluid circulator for thermally linking cryogenic cooling sources to remote cryogenic components. CCPL-5 utilizes N2 as the working fluid and has a practical operating range of 75-110 K. Test results indicate that CCPL-5, which weighs about 200 grams, can transport over 10 W of cooling a distance of 0.25 m (or more) with less than a 5 K temperature drop.

Bugby, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Design and Testing of a Cryogenic Capillary Pumped Loop Flight Experiment

This paper details the flight configuration and pre-flight performance test results of the fifth generation cryogenic capillary pumped loop (CCPL-5). This device will fly on STS-95 in October 1998 as part of the CRYOTSU Flight Experiment. This flight represents the first in-space demonstration of a CCPL; a miniaturized two-phase fluid circulator for thermally linking cryogenic components. CCPL-5 utilizes N2 as the working fluid and has a practical operating range of 75-110 K. Test results indicate that CCPL-5, which weighs about 200 grams, can transport over 10 W of cooling a distance of 0.25 m (or more) with less than a 5 K temperature drop.

Bugby, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Thermal control for the 1990's

Current thermal distribution systems on large spacecraft, such as the Space Shuttle and Spacelab, use pumped fluid loops that circulate the coolant between a series of user stations and a single rejection point, involving complex plumbing and controls with a significant power penalty and limited reliability. In order to provide heat transport at near-isothermal conditions in future large spacecraft, two-phase flow systems will be implemented by taking advantage of the heat of vaporization and condensation of common working fluids at minimal expenditure of power and temperature variation. Such systems are considered for the cases of the thermal requirements of nearly 100 potential astrophysics and astronomy instruments. Data on temperature requirements, power dissipations, environmental fluxes, heat addition or rejection, and general description, are used to form conceptual designs for the thermal utility.

Ollendorf, S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A bi-directional two-phase/two-phase heat exchanger

This paper describes the design and test of a heat exchanger that transfers heat from one two-phase thermal loop to another with very small drops in temperature and pressure. The heat exchanger condenses the vapor in one loop while evaporating the liquid in the other without mixing of the condensing and evaporating fluids. The heat exchanger is bidirectional in that it can transfer heat in reverse, condensing on the normally evaporating side and vice versa. It is fully compatible with capillary pumped loops and mechanically pumped loops. Test results verified that performance of the heat exchanger met the design requirements. It demonstrated a heat transfer rate of 6800 watts in the normal mode of operation and 1000 watts in the reverse mode with temperature drops of less than 5 C between two thermal loops.

Ku, Jentung↗
NASA NTRS1992

Advanced two-phase heat transfer systems

Future large spacecraft, such as the Earth Observing System (EOS) platforms, will require a significantly more capable thermal control system than is possible with current 'passive' technology. Temperatures must be controlled much more tightly over a larger surface area. Numerous heat load sources will often be located inside the body of the spacecraft without a good view to space. Power levels and flux densities may be higher than can be accommodated with traditional technology. Integration and ground testing will almost certainly be much more difficult with such larger, more complex spacecraft. For these and similar reasons, the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has been developing a new, more capable thermal control technology called capillary pumped loops (CPL's). CPL's represent an evolutionary improvement over heat pipes; they can transport much greater quantities of heat over much longer distances and can serve numerous heat load sources. In addition, CPL's can be fabricated into large cold plates that can be held to tight thermal gradients. Development of this technology began in the early 1980's and is now reaching maturity. CPL's have recently been baselined for the EOS-AM platform (1997 launch) and the COMET spacecraft (1992 launch). This presentation describes this new technology and its applications. Most of the viewgraphs are self descriptive. For those that are less clear additional comments are provided.

Swanson, Theodore D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Two-Phase Bidirectional Heat Exchanger

Heat exchanger transfers heat from one two-phase thermal loop to another. Condenses vapor in one loop while evaporating liquid in other. Transfers heat with very small drops in temperature and pressure, and efficiently joins heat pipes thermally without mixing of their working fluids. Several such heat exchangers used to build long, complex multiloop heat-control systems. Exchanger bidirectional: transfers heat in reverse, condensing on normally evaporating side, and vice versa. Can warm equipment it normally cools, without using auxiliary heater. In reverse transfer, wicks on evaporating side supply liquid continuously by capillary action; reverse-flow pump not needed. Design modified for other working fluids and larger heat-transfer rates.

Kroliczek, Edward↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrated Molten Salt Reactor Modeling Capabilities in NEAMS Thermal Hydraulics Tools

The DOE neams program supports a full range of computational thermal fluids analysis capabilities and code developments for a broad range of advanced reactor concepts. The research and development approach under the thermal fluids technical area synergistically combines three length and time scales in a hierarchical multi-scale approach. To enable multi-scale thermal fluids capability using these codes, a key joint effort has been underway to develop an integrated system- and engineering-scale thermal fluids analysis capability, through integration of SAM and Pronghorn codes, both based on the MOOSE framework. This report summarizes recent advances in developing an integrated system- and engineering-scale modeling capability for the msr concept, which has gained significant interest in recent years. A consistent framework was established by coupling Pronghorn and SAM through the Saline interface, with thermophysical properties provided by the Molten Salt Thermal Property Database (MSTDB-TP). Further improvements were made to the coupling schemes and domain-overlapping strategies, enhancing the stability and robustness of multi-code simulations. Verification and validation efforts demonstrate the accuracy of this integration across a range of benchmark problems, including one-dimensional heated pipe flows, three-dimensional natural convection loops with evolving isotopic compositions, and \gls{msre} demonstration cases. Within Pronghorn, new capabilities were introduced to model corrosion and noble-metal plating phenomena, supported by an extended thermal-hydraulics framework and refined turbulence treatments. To capture two-phase flow behavior, a multiphase Euler–Euler model was implemented in Pronghorn, including advanced closure relations, high-resolution advection techniques, and capillary force reconstruction. Preliminary verification cases confirm the fidelity of the approach, while planned validation efforts target canonical multiphase benchmarks and application to msr components such as the msre pump bowl. Finally, updates to SAM’s msr mass transfer modeling were extended to consider noble gas migration into porous structures like graphite. The point kinetics model was updated to include reactivity feedback contributions from any defined species, such as xenon. The gas transport model was expanded for applicability to gas mixtures, bubble efflux phenomena, and species transport between liquid and gas phases. A selection of multi-scale Sherwood number correlations from MOSCATO/NekRS and multi-phase correlations from literature have been added for improved accuracy in calculating mass transfer coefficients. A companion effort on developing system-level redox corrosion has also been incorporated into SAM. Collectively, these enhancements strengthen the predictive capability of SAM and Pronghorn for simulating MSR thermal-hydraulics, corrosion, multiphase behavior, and fission-product transport, providing a more complete toolset for design, safety analysis, and licensing support of next-generation \gls{msr}s.

42 - ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1987

Microgravity fluid management in two-phase thermal systems

Initial studies have indicated that in comparison to an all liquid single phase system, a two-phase liquid/vapor thermal control system requires significantly lower pumping power, demonstrates more isothermal control characteristics, and allows greater operational flexibility in heat load placement. As a function of JSC's Work Package responsibility for thermal management of space station equipment external to the pressurized modules, prototype development programs were initiated on the Two-Phase Thermal Bus System (TBS) and the Space Erectable Radiator System (SERS). JSC currently has several programs underway to enhance the understanding of two-phase fluid flow characteristics. The objective of one of these programs (sponsored by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division at NASA-Headquarters) is to design, fabricate, and fly a two-phase flow regime mapping experiment in the Shuttle vehicle mid-deck. Another program, sponsored by OAST, involves the testing of a two-phase thermal transport loop aboard the KC-135 reduced gravity aircraft to identify system implications of pressure drop variation as a function of the flow quality and flow regime present in a representative thermal system.

Parish, Richard C.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Holistic energy analysis method for thermal management architectures of data centers

Modern high-performance computing (HPC) data centers (DCs), particularly those supporting energy-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, face escalating thermal management challenges that degrade performance through thermal throttling and drive up cooling power consumption and operational costs. To address this challenge, many have developed a wide variety of thermal management solutions (single-phase, two-phase, direct, indirect, hybrid, and more) which attempt to cool HPC DCs effectively while attempting to minimize overall system power consumption. However, the analysis of these solutions and methods to effectively compare one with another is lacking. Overall power usage effectiveness (PUE) and total-power usage effectiveness (TUE) provide a metric to quantify power consumption but fail to identify components in the system which require further optimization. To address this, we propose a holistic analytical framework – the waterfall diagram (WFD) – which leverages a waterfall chart methodology, offering a comprehensive visualization of both the thermal management system loop and heat flow pathways from individual server components to the outdoor ambient. Use of the WFD enables graphical estimations of power efficiency and cooling performance across each component of a DC cooling system and complements Sankey-style energy flow visualizations by additionally resolving stage-wise temperature changes and incremental TUE contributions. The framework is used in conjunction with simulation-based approaches, to conduct a detailed pressure drop and flow distribution analysis aimed at identifying the optimal coolant distribution architecture for a single-phase direct-to-chip water-cooled DC, which serves as the baseline for subsequent WFD analysis. Among the evaluated architectures, the 3 U modular coolant distribution architecture is found to demonstrate the best performance, considering minimal pressure drop and uniform flow distribution. In addition, TUE is calculated for each cooling loop component based on its associated pressure drop and corresponding pumping power, which are integrated into the WFD. This correlation between TUE and local temperature offers immediate insight into the power efficiency and thermal performance contributions of individual components, facilitating further development and optimization. Examples of WFD applications are presented under varying thermal loads and ambient conditions, demonstrating reasonable cooling strategies. Notably, the 3 U modular architecture maintains a consistent chip case temperature of 85°C, achieving a TUE of 1.016 at ambient temperature of 47°C, and a TUE of 1.026 at ambient temperature of 52°C. The WFD methodology provides an efficient, holistic, and streamlined framework for DC thermal management architecture assessment and enables design optimization which is important for addressing the thermal-fluidic energy challenges of current and next-generation DCs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS1986

Evaluation of active thermal control options for Space Station

An analysis of various Space Station (MSS) active thermal control systems options under consideration because of their potential low weight, efficiency and reliability is reported. The study addressed ordinary and diode-action body mounted radiators, thermal storage, the area and pumping power requirements for single-phase cooling of cold plates, and single-phase and two-phase active cooling loops. The base configuration considered was a core MSS formed by four habitable modules on which are mounted heat pipe radiators articulated to be always edge-on to the sun. A simulation was performed which accounted for the available heat sinks, several thermal loads and the heat rejection capability. No benefits were found with diode-action radiators if the solar absorption is 0.1 or less, although diode-action heat pipes will maintain a higher level of performance in the presence of coating degradation. Thermal storage becomes important only with radiator coating degradation. Water can be up to three times as efficient as Freon as a heat transfer medium. Finally, single-phase cooling offers a lower system mass than two-phase cooling if varying temperature heat loads can be accommodated.

Schuster, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Active thermal control systems for lunar and Martian exploration

Several ATCS options including heat pumps, radiator shading devices, and single-phase flow loops were considered. The ATCS chosen for both lunar and Martian habitats consists of a heat pump integral with a nontoxic fluid acquisition and transport loop, and vertically oriented modular reflux-boiler radiators. The heat pump operates only during the lunar day. The lunar and Martian transfer vehicles have an internal single-phase water-acquisition loop and an external two-phase ammonia rejection system with rotating inflatable radiators. The lunar and Martian excursion vehicles incorporate internal single-phase water acquisition, which is connected via heat exchangers to external body-mounted single-phase radiators. A water evaporation system is used for the transfer vehicles during periods of high heating.

Ewert, Michael K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Thermal control systems for low-temperature heat rejection on a lunar base

In this report, Rankine-cycle heat pumps and absorption heat pumps (ammonia-water and lithium bromide-water) have been analyzed and optimized for a lunar base cooling load of 100 kW. For the Rankine cycle, a search of several commonly used commercial refrigerants provided R11 and R717 as possible working fluids. Hence, the Rankine-cycle analysis has been performed for both R11 and R717. Two different configurations were considered for the system--one in which the heat pump is directly connected to the rejection loop and another in which a heat exchanger connects the heat pump to the rejection loop. For a marginal increase in mass, the decoupling of the rejection loop and the radiator from the heat pump provides greater reliability of the system and better control. Hence, the decoupled system is the configuration of choice. The optimal TCS mass for a 100 kW cooling load at 270 K was 5940 kg at a radiator temperature of 362 K. R11 was the working fluid in the heat pump, and R717 was the transport fluid in the rejection loop. Two TCS's based on an absorption-cycle heat pump were considered, one with an ammonia-water mixture and the other with a lithium bromide-water mixture as the working fluid. A complete cycle analysis was performed for these systems. The system components were approximated as heat exchangers with no internal pressure drop for the mass estimate. This simple approach underpredicts the mass of the systems, but is a good 'optimistic' first approximation to the TCS mass in the absence of reliable component mass data. The mass estimates of the two systems reveal that, in spite of this optimistic estimate, the absorption heat pumps are not competitive with the Rankine-cycle heat pumps. Future work at the systems level will involve similar analyses for the Brayton- and Stirling-cycle heat pumps. The analyses will also consider the operation of the pump under partial-load conditions. On the component level, a capillary evaporator will be designed, built, and tested in order to investigate its suitability in lunar base TCS and microgravity two-phase applications.

Sridhar, K. R.↗