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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 685 records · Page 38

Creep-rupture behavior of candidate Stirling engine alloys after long-term aging at 760 deg C in low-pressure hydrogen

Nine candidate Stirling automotive engine alloys were aged at 760 C for 3500 hr in low pressure hydrogen or argon to determine the resulting effects on mechanical behavior. Candidate heater head tube alloys were CG-27, W545, 12RN72, INCONEL-718, and HS-188 while candidate cast cylinder-regenerator housing alloys were SA-F11, CRM-6D, XF-818, and HS-31. Aging per se is detrimental to the creep rupture and tensile strengths of the iron base alloys. The presence of hydrogen does not significantly contribute to strength degradation. Based percent highway driving cycle; CG-27 has adequate 3500 hr - 870 C creep rupture strength and SA-Fll, CRM-6D, and XF-818 have adequate 3500 hr - 775 C creep rupture strength.

Titran, R. H.↗

El Paso/Yslete schools Get-Away Special Space Shuttle student projects

Student projects for the Get Away Special (GAS) space shuttle program were summarized. Experimental topics included: seed germination, shrimp growth, liquid lasers, planaria regeneration, fluid dynamics (wicking), soil molds, antibiotics, crystallization, the symbiosis of yeast and fungi, and the performance of electronic chips. A brief experimental design is included for each project.

Azar, S. S.↗

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) Technology Project

Technical work on the design and effort leading to the testing of a 74.5 kW (100 hp) automotive gas turbine engine is reviewed. Development of the engine compressor, gasifier turbine, power turbine, combustor, regenerator, and secondary system is discussed. Ceramic materials development and the application of such materials in the gas turbine engine components is described.

Source record↗

NASA Orbit Transfer Rocket Engine Technology Program

The advanced expander cycle engine with a 15,000 lb thrust level and a 6:1 mixture ratio and optimized performance was used as the baseline for a design study of the hydrogen/oxgyen propulsion system for the orbit transfer vehicle. The critical components of this engine are the thrust chamber, the turbomachinery, the extendible nozzle system, and the engine throttling system. Turbomachinery technology is examined for gears, bearing, seals, and rapid solidification rate turbopump shafts. Continuous throttling concepts are discussed. Components of the OTV engine described include the thrust chamber/nozzle assembly design, nozzles, the hydrogen regenerator, the gaseous oxygen heat exchanger, turbopumps, and the engine control valves.

Source record↗

Advanced high temperature materials for the energy efficient automotive Stirling engine

The Stirling Engine is under investigated jointly by the Department of Energy and NASA Lewis as an alternative to the internal combustion engine for automotive applications. The Stirling Engine is an external combustion engine that offers the advantage of high fuel economy, low emissions, low noise, and low vibrations compared to current internal combustion automotive engines. The most critical component from a materials viewpoint is the heater head consisting of the cylinders, heating tubes, and regenerator housing. Materials requirements for the heater head include compatibility with hydrogen, resistance to hydrogen permeation, high temperature oxidation/corrosion resistance and high temperature creep-rupture and fatigue properties. A continuing supporting materials research and technology program has identified the wrought alloys CG-27 and 12RN72 and the cast alloys XF-818 and NASAUT 4G-A1 as candidate replacements for the cobalt containing alloys used in current prototype engines. Based on the materials research program in support of the automotive Stirling engine it is concluded that manufacture of the engine is feasible from low cost iron-base alloys rather than the cobalt alloys rather than the cobalt alloys used in prototype engines. This paper will present results of research that led to this conclusion.

Titran, R. H.↗

Feedback in separated flows over symmetric airfoils

For a flow over an airfoil with laminar separation, a feedback cycle may exist whereby a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability wave emanating from the separation point on the airfoil surface grows along the shear layer and is diffracted as it interacts with the sharp trailing edge of the airfoil, causing acoustic radiation which, in turn, propagates upstream and regenerates the initial instability wave. The analysis is restricted to the high frequency limit. Solutions to the boundary-value problem are obtained using the slowly varying approximation and the method of matched asymptotic expansions. Resonant solutions exist for certain discrete values of the Reynolds and Strouhal numbers. The results are discussed and compared with available data.

Atassi, H. M.↗

An RC-1 organic Rankine bottoming cycle for an adiabatic diesel engine

A system analysis and preliminary design were conducted for an organic Rankine-cycle system to bottom the high-temperature waste heat of an adiabatic diesel engine. The bottoming cycle is a compact package that includes a cylindrical air cooled condenser regenerator module and other unique features. The bottoming cycle output is 56 horsepower at design point conditions when compounding the reference 317 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine with a resulting brake specific fuel consumption of 0.268 lb/hp-hr for the compound engine. The bottoming cycle when applied to a turbocompound diesel delivers a compound engine brake specific fuel consumption of 0.258 lb/hp-hr. This system for heavy duty transport applications uses the organic working fluid RC-1, which is a mixture of 60 mole percent pentafluorobenzene and 40 mole percent hexafluorobenzene. The thermal stability of the RC-1 organic fluid was tested in a dynamic fluid test loop that simulates the operation of Rankine-cycle. More than 1600 hours of operation were completed with results showing that the RC-1 is thermally stable up to 900 F.

Dinanno, L. R.↗

Ultrastructural alterations in skeletal muscle fibers of rats after exercise

Ultrastructural alterations in skeletal muscle fibers were electron microscopically studied in rats forced to run on the treadmill until all-out. When they were mild and limited to relatively small areas, the reconstruction of filaments ensued within 10 days without infiltration of cells. When they were severe and extensive, phagocytes infiltrated in the lesions and removed degenerative sacroplasmic debris from muscle fibers. A little later, myoblasts appeared and regeneration was accomplished in 30 days in much the same manner as in myogenesis.

Akuzawa, M.↗

Evaluation of candidate Stirling engine heater tube alloys after 3500 hours exposure to high pressure doped hydrogen or helium

The heater head tubes of current prototype automotive Stirling engines are fabricated from alloy N-155, an alloy which contains 20 percent cobalt. Because the United States imports over 90 percent of the cobalt used in this country and resource supplies could not meet the demand imposed by automotive applications of cobalt in the heater head (tubes plus cylinders and regenerator housings), it is imperative that substitute alloys free of cobalt be identified. The research described herein focused on the heater head tubes. Sixteen alloys (15 potential substitutes plus the 20 percent Co N-155 alloy) were evaluated in the form of thin wall tubing in the NASA Lewis Research Center Stirling simulator materials diesel fuel fired test rigs. Tubes filled with either hydrogen doped with 1 percent CO2 or with helium at a gas pressure of 15 MPa and a temperature of 820 C were cyclic endurance tested for times up to 3500 hr. Results showed that two iron-nickel base superalloys, CG-27 and Pyromet 901 survived the 3500 hr endurance test. The remaining alloys failed by creep-rupture at times less than 3000 hr, however, several other alloys had superior lives to N-155. Results further showed that doping the hydrogen working fluid with 1 vol % CO2 is an effective means of reducing hydrogen permeability through all the alloy tubes investigated.

Misencik, J. A.↗

The role of flux ejection in stellar dynamos

Magnetic buoyancy causes the magnetic field in the convective zone of a star to escape through the surface in times short compared to the period of the magnetic cycle. The sun serves as a prototype, where fields of 100-1000 gauss or stronger are present in the convective zone, as part of the 22 year magnetic cycle. The theoretical alpha-omega dynamo effect cannot cope with the rapid escape (in a year or so) because increasing the rate of generation of field serves also to shortern the period, to a value comparable to the escape time. It is suggested that the flux ejection dynamo effect may be operating in the deep convective zone, where the cyclonic rotation of the convective cells may be as large as 180 deg. If so, then the flux ejection effectively opposes the buoyant rise. It is shown that the net effect of flux ejection in the lower convective zone, and unopposed buoyancy in the upper convective zone, permits the alpha-omega-dynamo effect to carry on the cyclic regeneration of the magnetic field much as in the absence of either buoyancy or flux ejection, except that the magnetic field is strongly concentrated against the bottom of the convective zone. It is suggested that the lower and upper regions of the dynamo may be related to the normal and ephermeral active regions, as has already been suggested by others on the basis of the observed distinctions in distribution.

Parker, E. N.↗

Hostile environmental conditions facing candidate alloys for the automotive Stirling engine

The materials research program in support of the Automotive Stirling Engine Project focuses on the hot heater head of the engine including the heater head tubes, cylinders, and regenerator housings, which are considered to be the most critical components from a materials viewpoint. The specific areas of investigation in the program involve hydrogen permeability testing, doping of the hydrogen working fluid to reduce permeability rates, oxidation/corrosion studies, creep-rupture evaluation, and assessing effects of hydrogen environment on mechanical properties. Emphasis is placed on the materials challenges that result from the use of hydrogen as the working fluid. Previously announced in STAR as N81-26236

Stephens, J. R.↗

Heat pipe applications in aircraft propulsion

Heat pipes for improving the cycle efficiency and/or thrust-to-weight ratio of aircraft gas turbines are examined. A heat pipe employs a capillary structure, a wick, and an evacuated chamber to transfer heat between condensor and evaporator ends. Heat absorbed at the evaporator is transported to the condensor. In an aircraft, the heat pipe can be stationary or rotating, can be used for cooling stators and rotors, and is amenable to shapes such as cylinders, cones, and flat plates. Heat pipes in aircraft gas turbines can be applied for intercooling between stages, regeneration, reheat, and blade cooling. Improvements are projected in the cycle efficiency, thrust and thrust specific fuel consumption in the fanjet by using heat pipes. Consideration is also given to heat pipe heat exchangers with high axial heat transfer for stationary heat pipes and high heat transport for rotating heat pipes.

Beltran, M. R.↗

Spacelab high density digital recorders

The design and performance of the high-density digital recorder (HDDR) developed for use at the NASA centers (KSC, JSC, and GSFC) and at the JPL to store and retrieve 50-Mb/s PCM data streams from the Spacelab experiments are reported. The recording reproduction, and transport requirements are reviewed; and the design solutions adopted in the final version of the HDDR are described, incuding three-position-modulation and Y-phase encoding, microprocessor-controlled automatic bit synchronization and equalization, cyclic-redundancy-check error detection and correction, clock regeneration, data and clock variations, tape-speed control, and EEE-488 remote control. Reliable performance, with bit error rates 1 in 10 to the 10th forward and 1 in 10 to the 9th reverse or better and packing density up to 50 percent greater than that obtainable using conventional codes, is reported after 1.5 years of service.

Blais, R. A.↗

Purifying Water by Imbibition

Concept for purifying water uses absorbent material to remove organic substances. Entire bulk of material employed, not just surface. Proposed purification process uses inexpensive equipment and low energy. Material is methyl acrylate polymer. Material cheap and regenerated by rinsing with methanol or by allowing absorbed compounds to evaporate from it.

Lawton, E. A.↗

Addendum: Development of a preprototype times wastewater recovery subsystem

The results of the second generation operational improvements and the TIMES (Thermoelectric Integrated Membrane Evaporation Subsystem) 2 study are covered. Areas covered in the second generation operational improvements are improved temperature control, water quality improvements, subsytem operational improvements, solid handling improvements, wastewater pretreatment optimization, and membrane rejuvenation concepts. The task for the TIMES 2 study are thermoelectric regenerator improvement, recycle loop pH operational criteria, recycle loop component optimization, and hollow fiber membrane evaporator improvement. Results are presented and conclusions are drawn from both studies.

Dehner, G. F.↗

Stirling material technology

The Stirling engine is an external combustion engine that offers the advantage of high fuel economy, low emissions, low noise, and low vibrations compared to current internal combustion automotive engines. The most critical component from a materials viewpoint is the heater head consisting of the cylinders, heating tubes, and regenerator housing. Materials requirements for the heater head include compatibility with hydrogen, resistance to hydrogen permeation, high temperature oxidation/corrosion resistance, and high temperature creep-rupture and fatigue properties. A materials research and technology program identified the wrought alloys CG-27 and 12RN72 and the cast alloys XF-818, NASAUT 4G-A1, and NASACC-1 as candidate replacements for the cobalt containing alloys used in current prototype engines. It is concluded that manufacture of the engine is feasible from low cost iron-base alloys rather than the cobalt alloys used in prototype engines. Results of research that lead to this conclusion are presented.

Titran, R. H.↗

Merits of flywheels for spacecraft energy storage

Flywheel energy storage systems which have a very good potential for use in spacecraft are discussed. This system can be superior to alkaline secondary batteries and regenerable fuel cells in most of the areas that are important in spacecraft applications. Of special importance, relative to batteries, are lighter weight, longer cycle and operating life, and high efficiency which minimizes solar array size and the amount of orbital makeup fuel required. Flywheel systems have a long shelf life, give a precise state of charge indication, have modest thermal control needs, are capable of multiple discharges per orbit, have simple ground handling needs, and have characteristics which would be useful for military applications. The major disadvantages of flywheel energy storage systems are that: power is not available during the launch phase without special provisions; and in flight failure of units may force shutdown of good counter rotating units, amplifying the effects of failure and limiting power distribution system options; no inherent emergency power capability unless specifically designed for, and a high level of complexity compared with batteries. The potential advantages of the flywheel energy storage system far outweigh the disadvantages.

Gross, S.↗

Algal culture studies related to a Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS)

In many respects, algae would be the ideal plant component for a biologically based controlled life support system, since they are eminently suited to the closely coupled functions of atmosphere regeneration and food production. Scenedesmus obliquus and Spirulina platensis were grown in three continuous culture apparatuses. Culture vessels their operation and relative merits are described. Both light and nitrogen utilization efficiency are examined. Long term culture issues are detailed and a discussion of a plasmid search in Spirulina is included.

Radmer, R.↗