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Results for “temperature control”

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 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Solar thermal vacuum tests of Magellan spacecraft

The Magellen solar/thermal/vacuum test involved a number of unique requirements and approaches. Because of the need to operate in orbit around Venus, the solar intensity requirement ranged up to 2.3 suns or Earth equivalent solar constants. Extensive modification to the solar simulator portion of the test facility were required to achieve this solar intensity. Venus albedo and infrared emission were simulated using temperature controlled movable louver panels to allow the spacecraft to view either a selectable temperature black heat source with closed louvers, or the chamber coldwall behind open louvers. The test conditions included widely varying solar intensities, multiple sun angles, alternate hardware configurations, steady state and transient cases, and cruise and orbital power profiles. Margin testing was also performed, wherein supplemental heaters were mounted to internal thermal blankets to verify spacecraft performance at higher than expected temperatures. The test was successful, uncovering some spacecraft anomalies and verifying the thermal design. The test support equipment experienced some anomalous behavior and a significant failure during the test.

Neuman, James C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Micro pulse lidar

An eye safe, compact, solid state lidar for profiling atmospheric cloud and aerosol scattering has been demonstrated. The transmitter of the micropulse lidar is a diode pumped micro-J pulse energy, high repetition rate Nd:YLF laser. Eye safety is obtained through beam expansion. The receiver employs a photon counting solid state Geiger mode avalanche photodiode detector. Data acquisition is by a single card multichannel scaler. Daytime background induced quantum noise is controlled by a narrow receiver field-of-view and a narrow bandwidth temperature controlled interference filter. Dynamic range of the signal is limited by optical geometric signal compression. Signal simulations and initial atmospheric measurements indicate that systems built on the micropulse lidar concept are capable of detecting and profiling all significant cloud and aerosol scattering through the troposphere and into the stratosphere. The intended applications are scientific studies and environmental monitoring which require full time, unattended measurements of the cloud and aerosol height structure.

Spinhirne, James D.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Micro pulse laser radar

An eye safe, compact, solid state lidar for profiling atmospheric cloud and aerosol scattering is disclosed. The transmitter of the micro pulse lidar is a diode pumped micro-J pulse energy, high repetition rate Nd:YLF laser. Eye safety is obtained through beam expansion. The receiver employs a photon counting solid state Geiger mode avalanche photodiode detector. Data acquisition is by a single card multichannel scaler. Daytime background induced quantum noise is controlled by a narrow receiver field-of-view and a narrow bandwidth temperature controlled interference filter. Dynamic range of the signal is limited to optical geometric signal compression. Signal simulations and initial atmospheric measurements indicate that micropulse lider systems are capable of detecting and profiling all significant cloud and aerosol scattering through the troposphere and into the stratosphere. The intended applications are scientific studies and environmental monitoring which require full time, unattended measurements of the cloud and aerosol height structure.

Spinhirne, James D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Supplemental multilayer insulation research facility

The Supplemental Multilayer Insulation Research Facility (SMIRF) provides a small scale test bed for conducting cryogenic experiments in a vacuum environment. The facility vacuum system is capable of simulating a Space Shuttle launch pressure profile as well as providing a steady space vacuum environment of 1.3 x 10(exp -4) Newton/sq meter (1 x 10(exp -6) torr). Warm side boundary temperatures can be maintained constant between 111 K (200 R) and 361 K (650 R) using a temperature controlled shroud. The shroud can also simulate a typical lunar day-night temperature profile. The test hardware consists of a cryogenic calorimeter supported by the lid of the vacuum chamber. A 0.45 cu meter (120 gallon) vacuum jacketed storage/supply tank is available for conditioning the cryogen prior to use in the calorimeter. The facility was initially designed to evaluate the thermal performance of insulation systems for long-term storage in space. The facility has recently been used to evaluate the performance of various new insulation systems for LH2 and LN2 ground storage dewars.

Dempsey, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Design and Preliminary Thermal Performance of the Mars Science Laboratory Rover Heat Exchangers

The challenging range of proposed landing sites for the Mars Science Laboratory Rover requires a rover thermal management system that is capable of keeping temperatures controlled across a wide variety of environmental conditions. On the Martian surface where temperatures can be as cold as -123 degrees Centigrade and as warm as 38 degrees Centigrade, the Rover relies upon a Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL) and external radiators to maintain the temperature of sensitive electronics and science instruments within a -40 degrees Centigrade to 50 degrees Centigrade range. The MPFL also manages significant waste heat generated from the Rover power source, known as the Multi Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). The MMRTG produces 110 Watts of electrical power while generating waste heat equivalent to approximately 2000 Watts. Two similar Heat Exchanger (HX) assemblies were designed to both acquire the heat from the MMRTG and radiate waste heat from the onboard electronics to the surrounding Martian environment. Heat acquisition is accomplished on the interior surface of each HX while heat rejection is accomplished on the exterior surface of each HX. Since these two surfaces need to be at very different temperatures in order for the MPFL to perform efficiently, they need to be thermally isolated from one another. The HXs were therefore designed for high in-plane thermal conductivity and extremely low through-thickness thermal conductivity by using aerogel as an insulator inside composite honeycomb sandwich panels. A complex assembly of hand welded and uniquely bent aluminum tubes are bonded onto the HX panels and were specifically designed to be easily mated and demated to the rest of the Rover Heat Recovery and Rejection System (RHRS) in order to ease the integration effort. During the cruise phase to Mars, the HX assemblies serve the additional function of transferring heat from the Rover MPFL to the separate Cruise Stage MPFL so that heat generated deep inside the Rover can be dissipated via the Cruise Stage radiators. Significant fabrication challenges had to be overcome in order to make the HX design a reality. The cruise phase thermal performance of the Rover HXs was verified in the cruise phase system level thermal vacuum test that was performed at JPL in January of 2009. The Rover HXs were modeled in I-DEAS TMG and predictions are compared to actual data from the test.

Heat Rejection System↗
DOE OSTI2021

ECAR-2322 As-Run Thermal Analysis Of The AGC-2 Experiment

The second Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC-2) experiment was designed to irradiate various types of graphite specimens at a temperature of 600°C. The specimens were irradiated in an instrumented leadout capsule experiment in the south flux trap of the ATR during cycles 149A, 1498, 1508, 151A, and 1518. Temperature was monitored using twelve thermocouples located at various elevations in the reactor core, and a helium-argon gas mixture was used for gas gap temperature control of the specimens. The purpose of this analysis is to calculate specimen temperature using measured data on reactor power and helium-argon gas flows, and as-run calculations of heating rates and displacement per atom (DPA) in graphite. The accuracy of the model is assessed by comparing measured and calculated thermocouple temperatures. Uncertainty in gas gaps may preclude an accurate temperature calculation. In these cases, adjustments are made to the thermal model in order to reconcile the measured and calculated thermocouple temperature and to ensure the accuracy of the calculated specimen temperature.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

ECAR-3386 AS-RUN THERMAL ANALYSIS OF THE AGC-3 EXPERIMENT

The third Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC-3) experiment was designed to irradiate various types of graphite specimens at a temperature of 900°C. The specimens were irradiated in an instrumented leadout capsule experiment in the east flux trap of the ATR during cycles 152B, 154B, 155A, and 155B. Temperature was monitored using twelve thermocouples located at various elevations in the reactor core, and a helium-argon gas mixture was used for gas gap temperature control of the specimens. The purpose of this analysis is to calculate specimen temperature using measured data on reactor power and helium-argon gas flows, and as-run calculations of heating rates and displacement per atom (DPA) in graphite. The accuracy of the model is assessed by comparing measured and calculated thermocouple temperatures. Uncertainty in gas gaps may preclude an accurate temperature calculation. In these cases, adjustments are made to the thermal model in order to reconcile the measured and calculated thermocouple temperature and to ensure the accuracy of the calculated specimen temperature.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Developing affordable and efficient heating devices for enhanced live cell imaging in confocal microscopy

Temperature control is crucial for live cell imaging, particularly in studies involving plant responses to high ambient temperatures and thermal stress. This study presents the design, development, and testing of two cost-effective heating devices tailored for confocal microscopy applications: an aluminum heat plate and a wireless mini-heater. The aluminum heat plate, engineered to integrate seamlessly with the standard 160 mm × 110 mm microscope stage, supports temperatures up to 36°C, suitable for studies in the range of non-stressful warm temperatures (e.g., 25-27°C forArabidopsis thaliana) and moderate heat stress (e.g., 30-36°C forA. thaliana). We also developed a wireless mini-heater that offers rapid, precise heating directly at the sample slide, with a temperature increase rate over 30 times faster than the heat plate. The wireless heater effectively maintained target temperatures up to 50°C, ideal for investigating severe heat stress and heat shock responses in plants. Both devices performed well in controlled studies, including the real-time analysis of heat shock protein accumulation and stress granule formation inA. thaliana. Our designs are effective and affordable, with total construction costs lower than $300. This accessibility makes them particularly valuable for small laboratories with limited funding. Future improvements could include enhanced heat uniformity, humidity control to mitigate evaporation, and more robust thermal management to minimize focus drift during extended imaging sessions. These modifications would further solidify the utility of our heating devices in live cell imaging, offering researchers reliable, budget-friendly tools for exploring plant thermal biology.

Plant Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2022

Closed-loop control of meltpool temperature in directed energy deposition

The objective of this work is to mitigate flaw formation in powder and laser-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing process through close-loop control of the meltpool temperature. In this work, the meltpool temperature was controlled by modulating the laser power based on feedback signals from a coaxial two-wavelength imaging pyrometer. The utility of closed-loop control in DED is demonstrated in the context of practically inspired trapezoid-shaped stainlesssteel parts (SS 316L). We demonstrate that parts built under closed-loop control have reduced variation in porosity and uniform microstructure compared to parts built under open-loop conditions. For example, post-process characterization showed that closed-loop processed parts had a volume percent porosity ranging from 0.036% to 0.043%. In comparison, open-loop processed parts had a larger variation in volume percent porosity ranging from 0.032% to 0.068%. Further, parts built with closed-loop processing depicted consistent dendritic microstructure. By contrast, parts built with open-loop processing showed microstructure heterogeneity with the presence of both dendritic and planar grains, which in turn translated to large variation in microhardness

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Vapor Pressures of RDX and HMX Explosives Measured at and Near Room Temperature: 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane and 1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane

Knowing accurate saturated vapor pressures of explosives at ambient conditions is imperative to provide realistic boundaries on available vapor for ultra-trace detection. In quantifying vapor content emanating from low-volatility explosives, we observed discrepancies between the quantity of explosive expected based on literature vapor pressure values and the amount detected near ambient temperatures. Most vapor pressure measurements for low-volatility explosives, such as RDX (1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane) and HMX (1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocane), have been made at temperatures far exceeding 25 °C and linear extrapolation of these higher temperature trends appears to underestimate vapor pressures near room temperature. Our goal was to measure vapor pressures as a function of temperature closer to ambient conditions. We used saturated RDX and HMX vapor sources at controlled temperatures to produce vapors that were then collected and analyzed via atmospheric flow tube-mass spectrometry (AFT-MS). The parts-per-quadrillion (ppqv) sensitivity of AFT-MS enabled measurement of RDX vapor pressures at temperatures as low as 7 °C and HMX vapor pressures at temperatures as low as 40 °C for the first time. Furthermore, these vapor pressures were corroborated with analysis of vapor generated by nebulizing low concentration solutions of RDX and HMX. We report updated vapor pressure values for both RDX and HMX. Based on our measurements, the vapor pressure of RDX at 25 °C is 3 ± 1 x 10-11 atm (i.e. 30 parts per trillion by volume, pptv), the vapor pressure of HMX is 1.0 ± 0.6 x 10-14 atm (10 ppqv) at 40 °C and, with extrapolation, HMX has a vapor pressure of 1.0 ± 0.6 x 10-15 atm (1.0 ppqv) at 25 °C.

RDX, HMX, explosives, vapor pressure, vapor detect↗
DOE OSTI2020

pnnl/deps_arXiv2020

This software implements data-driven control and dynamic systems models using deep learning methods. The particular application is building temperature control.

Tuor, Aaron↗
NASA NTRS1973

Handbook on passive thermal control coatings

A handbook of passive thermal control surfaces data pertaining to the heat transfer requirements of spacecraft is presented. Passive temperature control techniques and the selection of control surfaces are analyzed. The space environmental damage mechanisms in passive thermal control surfaces are examined. Data on the coatings for which technical information is available are presented in tabular form. Emphasis was placed on consulting only those references where the experimental simulation of the space environment appeared to be more appropriate.

Mookherji, T. K.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Modification of the continuous flow diffusion chamber for use in zero-gravity

The design philosophy and performance characteristics of the continuous flow diffusion chamber developed for use in ground-based simulation of some of the experiments planned for the atmospheric cloud physics laboratory during the first Spacelab flight are discussed. Topics covered include principle of operation, thermal control, temperature measurement, tem-powered heat exchangers, wettable metal surfaces, sample injection system, and control electronics.

Keyser, G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Direct coupling of microbore HPLC columns to MS systems

A detailed investigation using electron microscopy was conducted which examined the conditions of materials used in the construction of stable, high performance microbore liquid chromatography (LC) columns. Small details proved to be important. The effects of temperature on the elution of several homologous series used as probe compounds was examined in reverse phase systems. They showed that accessible temperature changes provide roughly half the increase in solvent strength that would be obtained going from a 100% aqueous to a 100% organic mobile phase, which is sufficient to warrant their use in many analyses requiring the use of gradients. Air circulation temperature control systems provide the easiest means of obtaining rapid, wide range changes in column temperature. However, slow heat transfer from the gas leads to thermal nonuniformity in the column and a decrease in resolution as the temperature program progresses.

Mcnair, H. M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) Loop Heat Pipes: An Eventual First Year On-Orbit

Goddard Space Flight Center's Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) is the sole scientific instrument on the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) that was launched on January 12, 2003 from Vandenberg AFB. A thermal control architecture based on propylene Loop Heat Pipe technology was developed to provide selectable/stable temperature control for the lasers and other electronics over the widely varying mission environment. Following a nominal LHP and instrument start-up, the mission was interrupted with the failure of the first laser after only 36 days of operation. During the 5-month failure investigation, the two GLAS LHPs and the electronics operated nominally, using heaters as a substitute for the laser heat load. Just prior to resuming the mission, following a seasonal spacecraft yaw maneuver, one of the LHPs deprimed and created a thermal runaway condition that resulted in an emergency shutdown of the GLAS instrument. This paper presents details of the LHP anomaly, the resulting investigation and recovery, along with on-orbit flight data during these critical events.

Grob, E.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell System Model Development

A Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (URFC) Energy Storage System is being developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This URFC system is unique in that it uses the surface area of the hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks as radiating heat surfaces for overall thermal control of the system. The tank surfaces also play an important role in the temperature control of regenerative gas dryers/humidifiers used to dry the hydrogen and oxygen gases produced by electrolysis during the charging and also used to humidify the hydrogen and oxygen gases used by fuel cell during the discharging of the URFCS. A bi- directional pressure controller is used to control the pressure of the oxygen and hydrogen gas inside the URFC stack during both charging and discharging of the URFC system. A water storage accumulator is used to store water reactant and control water pressure inside the URFC stack.

Burke, Kenneth A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

System for Testing Thermal Insulation of Pipes

An apparatus and method have been developed for measuring the rates of leakage of heat into pipes carrying liquids, the purpose of the measurements being to quantify the thermal performance of the insulation system. The apparatus is designed primarily for testing pipes used to carry cryogenic liquids, but can also be used for measuring the thermal performance of other insulated pipes or piping systems. The basic measurement principle is straightforward: The outer surface of the pipe insulation is maintained at a fixed warmer temperature. The interior of the pipe is maintained in a narrow fixed lower-temperature range by means of a regular liquid (e.g., water) that is pumped through the pipe at a known flow rate or a cryogenic liquid (e.g., nitrogen) that is saturated at atmospheric pressure and replenished until steady-state conditions are achieved. In the case of water or another liquid pumped through, the inlet and outlet temperatures are measured and heat-leak power is calculated as the mass flow rate of the liquid multiplied by the specific heat of the liquid multiplied by the inlet-to-outlet temperature rise of the liquid. In the case of liquid nitrogen or another low-temperature boiling liquid, the heat-leak power is calculated as the rate of boil-off multiplied by the latent heat of vaporization of the liquid. Then the thermal-insulation performance of the pipe system can be calculated as a function of the measured heat-leak power, the inner and outer boundary temperatures, and the dimensions of the pipe. The apparatus can test as many as three pipes simultaneously. The pipes can have inner diameters up to .15 cm and outer diameters up to .20 cm. The lengths of the pipes may vary; typical lengths are of the order of 18 m. Two thermal guard boxes . one for each end of the pipe(s) under test . are used to make the inlet and outlet fluid connections to the pipe(s) (see figure). The connections include bellows that accommodate thermal expansion and contraction of the pipes. The guard boxes and pipe(s) are positioned so that the pipe(s) slope upward from the upstream to the downstream end at an angle of at least 2 . The upward slope allows vapor bubbles to accumulate at the downstream end. The thermal guard boxes keep the ends of the pipes at the lower interior temperature to prevent spurious lengthwise leakage of heat into the pipes. It is important to prevent this spurious heat leakage because, if it were allowed to occur, it could contribute a large error in the measured heat-leak power. The upstream thermal guard box includes a heat exchanger through which liquid flowing into the pipe(s) is subcooled to the saturation temperature corresponding to the ambient pressure. Conversely, this heat exchanger can also be used to warm the flowing liquid to a desired fixed temperature. The apparatus includes a temperature control device that is placed around each pipe under test. Each device is operated under thermostatic control to maintain the outer surface of the pipe insulation at the specified test temperature. All measurements are recorded on a portable data-acquisition system.

Fesmire, James E.↗