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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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Variable charge-air flow, cooling-air pressure drop, and fuel-air ration investigations were conducted to determine the cooling characteristics of a full-scale air-cooled single cylinder on a CUE setup. The data are compared with similar data that were available for the same model multicylinder engine tested in flight in a four-engine airplane. The cylinder-head cooling correlations were the same for both the single-cylinder and the flight engine. The cooling correlations for the barrels differed slightly in that the barrel of the single-cylinder engine runs cooler than the barrel of te flight engine for the same head temperatures and engine conditions.
The orbiter fuel cell powerplant (FCP) performance constraints listed in the Shuttle Operational Data Book (SODB) were analyzed using the shuttle environmental control requirements evaluation tool. The effects of FCP lifetime, coolant loops, and FCP voltage output were considered. Results indicate that the FCP limits defined in the SODB are not valid.
Performance characteristics of a 16-inch annular-type combustor installed in a full-scale engine using gaseous-hydrogen fuel were obtained at simulated altitudes from 66,000 to 86,000 feet at a flight Mach number of 0.8. Combustion efficiencies of 86 percent were obtained at 86,000 feet (combustor pressure, 420 lb/sq ft abs). Combustor blowout was not encountered during the investigation.
Performance of short modular turbojet combustor segment with ASTM-A1 fuel
Fluorine-liquid oxygen mixture and injector design effects on JP-4 jet fuel performance in rocket engines
This manuscript describes an ongoing NEAMS effort to better determine the performance of advanced nuclear fuels, in particular the creep behavior of doped UO$_2$ for light water reactors. In our previous work, we outlined a method to utilize data generated from lower length scale simulations and implement it into the engineering scale fuel performance analysis. This process has been further refined, and in addition, new data has been used to train the surrogate model which has also been substantially improved since the previous iteration. The new model is compared against the current empirical model used in BISON using both scoping calculations to define the performance over the parameter space and using integral instrumented fuel assessment cases to determine the impact of these models on the overall fuel performance. Suggestions and guidance for future improvements to this method are provided to ensure the model covers relevant parameter space and phenomena.
Performance of turbojet swirl module combustor segment at high temperatures
An exploratory experimental fuel cell test program was conducted to investigate the performance characteristics of alkaline laboratory research electrodes. The objective of this work was to establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance and evaluate candidate cathode configurations having the potential for improved performance. The performance characterization tests provided data to empirically establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance for cell temperatures up to 300 F and reactant pressures up to 200 psia. Evaluation of five gold alloy cathode catalysts revealed that three doped gold alloys had more that two times the surface areas of reference cathodes and therefore offered the best potential for improved performance.
An exploratory experimental fuel cell test program was conducted to investigate the performance characteristics of alkaline laboratory research electrodes. The objective of this work was to establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance and evaluate candidate cathode configurations having the potential for improved performance. The performance characterization tests provided data to empirically establish the effect of temperature, pressure, and concentration upon performance for cell temperatures up to 300 F and reactant pressures up to 200 psia. Evaluation of five gold alloy cathode catalysts revealed that three doped gold alloys had more than two times the surface areas of reference cathodes and therefore offered the best potential for improved performance.
This milestone report details the advancements made in fiscal year 2024 under the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program to improve the modeling of fission gas behavior in high burnup UO 2 nuclear fuel in the BISON fuel performance code. As nuclear fuel is pushed to higher burnups, significant microstructural changes occur within the fuel, including the formation of a high burnup structure (HBS) on the pellet rim and a dark zone deeper within the pellet. These regions, characterized by subgrain formation and increased pore densities, have critical implications for fission gas behavior and release, which are not well understood. The modeling capabilities in BISON did not adequately predict these phenomena, leading to an underestimation of fuel restructuring and - potentially - of fission gas release. To address these gaps, this milestone focused on three key objectives: (1) reviewing and assessing Sifgrs's capabilities for low burnup fuel, on which high burnup capabilities rely, (2) validating and expanding HBS fission gas modeling capabilities, including investigating mechanisms for fission gas release from HBS, and (3) expanding Sifgrs to enable modeling of dark zone formation and its effects on fission gas behavior. These objectives were achieved and are described herein. The achievements of this NEAMS milestone are significant for the industry's goal of burnup extension. The improved predictive modeling capabilities for both low- and high-burnup conditions enhance our understanding of fuel performance under both normal operations and transient scenarios. Although goals were reached, future work is necessary to validate these models against experimental data and quantify their accuracy in different conditions. In parallel, mechanistic modeling efforts should continue to extend and refine these capabilities to increase accuracy while reducing reliance on empirical models. This will ensure robust performance across a broader range of conditions.
Fuel consumption, range, and emissions data were obtained while operating a hydrogen-fueled postal delivery vehicle over a defined Postal Service Driving Cycle and the 1975 Urban Driving Cycle. The vehicle's fuel consumption was 0.366 pounds of hydrogen per mile over the postal driving cycle and 0.22 pounds of hydrogen per mile over the urban driving cycle. These data correspond to 6.2 and 10.6 mpg equivalent gasoline mileage for the two driving cycles, respectively. The vehicle's range was 24.2 miles while being operated on the postal driving cycle. Vehicle emissions were measured over the urban driving cycle. HC and CO emissions were quite low, as would be expected. The oxides of nitrogen were found to be 4.86 gm/mi, a value which is well above the current Federal and California standards. Vehicle limitations discussed include excessive engine flashbacks, inadequate acceleration capability the engine air/fuel ratio, the water injection systems, and the cab temperature. Other concerns are safety considerations, iron-titanium hydride observed in the fuel system, evidence of water in the engine rocker cover, and the vehicle maintenance required during the evaluation.
The United States High Performance Research Reactor Program’s objective is to reduce the amount of highly enriched uranium currently implemented in research reactors. The conversion of these research reactors requires designing a monolithic U10Mo plate fuel, with the fuel plate geometry being dependent on each research reactor. The process of forming the plates includes a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to manufacture a prototypic plate. In the case of the Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) design demonstration element (DDE) plate manufacture, plates that have been through HIP are then curved using dies and a hydraulic press to impart the desired curvature. Both fabrication processes impart residual stresses into each fuel plate region, with the curvature of the plates taking some regions of the fuel plate up to their material yield stresses, accompanied by plastic strain. The amount of plastic strain and stress imparted onto each MURR DDE plate is determined by the radius of curvature, thickness of each region, and overall width of the fuel plates. Furthermore, this work aims to predict the yield stresses and strain using ABAQUS to simulate the proposed fabrication process of the MURR DDE plates, accompanied by discussion over the stresses and strains as to their relation to nuclear fuel performance and the impact they will have during early irradiation.
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The accurate determination of trace metals and fuels is an important requirement in much of the research into and development of alternative fuels for aerospace applications. Recognizing the detrimental effects of certain metals on fuel performance and fuel systems at the part per million and in some cases part per billion levels requires improved accuracy in determining these low concentration elements. Accurate analyses are also required to ensure interchangeability of analysis results between vendor, researcher, and end use for purposes of quality control. Previous interlaboratory studies have demonstrated the inability of different laboratories to agree on the results of metal analysis, particularly at low concentration levels, yet typically good precisions are reported within a laboratory. An interlaboratory study was designed to gain statistical information about the sources of variation in the reported concentrations. Five participant laboratories were used on a fee basis and were not informed of the purpose of the analyses. The effects of laboratory, analytical technique, concentration level, and ashing additive were studied in four fuel types for 20 elements of interest. The prescribed sample preparation schemes (variations of dry ashing) were used by all of the laboratories. The analytical data were statistically evaluated using a computer program for the analysis of variance technique.