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NASA NTRS1991

Application of two-point implicit central-difference methods to hyperbolic systems

This paper presents a general solution algorithm for the set of difference equations that arise when two-point central differences are used to approximate the flux difference terms in systems of hyperbolic differential equations. The general algorithm eliminates the weak points associated with the nonstandard algorithm reported by Wornom and Hafez (1986). The disadvantages of their algorithm relate to its implementation. It consists of separate algorithms for subsonic, supersonic, sonic and shock cells, applied individually, which presents a major bookkeeping problem when multiple sonic and shock cells are present. The general algorithm eliminates this problem and introduces an improved shock treatment which produces shocks with at most one interior shock point.

Wornom, Stephen F.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Voronoi Meshing to Accurately Capture Geological Structure in Subsurface Simulations

Mesh generation lies at the interface of geological modeling and reservoir simulation. Highly skewed or very small grid cells may be necessary to accurately capture the geometry of geological features, but the resulting poorly scaled or small grid cells can have a substantial negative impact on simulator accuracy and speed. One way to minimize numerical errors caused by gridding complex structures is to simulate on high-quality Voronoi meshes, which reduce grid orientation effects in fluid flow. This work presents a complete methodology to create Voronoi simulation grids, model fluid flow in complex geological systems, and visualize the results. A recently developed Voronoi meshing method that can automatically generate provably good unstructured meshes that conform to input surfaces creating closed volumes is used. Initially an analytical benchmark simulation is presented to validate the quality of the meshes and simulation results and demonstrate the superiority of simulation results using Voronoi meshes over flexed-hexahedral meshes on a domain with internal features. Next, meshes are created for test structures representing four of the most common geological features in the subsurface: layering, pinch-out, an interior lens that tapers to zero thickness on all sides and a fault with offset. Two benchmark flow simulations are run for each test structure. Finally, a realistic geological example for CO 2 injection into an anticline is simulated. Three realizations of the Voronoi mesh at the same resolution are generated for the simulations. Each mesh is highly refined near the injection wells and coarse in areas of less interest. These three meshes are used to model the CO 2 plume in the subsurface as it migrates to the top of the structure and then fills downward. Simulations on the meshes with randomly generated elements inside the input volumes each give slightly different fingering patterns for the viscous-unstable buoyant gas flow. The results presented in this work show a promising step towards utilizing fully automated Voronoi meshing for subsurface flow simulations in complex geology.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2023

End-Use Savings Shapes Measure Documentation: LED Lighting

Building on the successfully completed effort to calibrate and validate the U.S. Department of Energy's ResStock and ComStock models over the past three years, the objective of this work is to produce national data sets that empower analysts working for federal, state, utility, city, and manufacturer stakeholders to answer a broad range of analysis questions. The goal of this work is to develop energy efficiency, electrification, and demand flexibility end-use load shapes (electricity, gas, propane, or fuel oil) that cover a majority of the high-impact, market-ready (or nearly market-ready) measures. "Measures" refers to energy efficiency variables that can be applied to buildings during modeling. An end-use savings shape is the difference in energy consumption between a baseline building and a building with an energy efficiency, electrification, or demand flexibility measure applied. It results in a timeseries profile that is broken down by end use and fuel (electricity or on-site gas, propane, or fuel oil use) at each timestep. ComStock is a highly granular, bottom-up model that uses multiple data sources, statistical sampling methods, and advanced building energy simulations to estimate the annual subhourly energy consumption of the commercial building stock across the United States. The baseline model intends to represent the U.S. commercial building stock as it existed in 2018. The methodology and results of the baseline model are discussed in the final technical report of the End-Use Load Profiles project. This documentation focuses on a single end-use savings shape measure - LED lighting. The LED lighting measure replaces interior lights with LEDs where applicable. The measure resulted in 1.25 TBtu energy savings across the building stock, with the majority of savings occurring in retail and warehouse buildings.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

DOE OSTI2025

From tides to seasons: How cyclic tidal drivers and plant physiology interact to affect carbon cycling at the terrestrial-estuarine boundary (Final technical report)

Coastal ecosystems are among the most biologically and biogeochemically active and diverse systems on Earth. Because they act as important linkages between terrestrial ecosystems and the open ocean, their incorporation in Earth system models (ESMs) is critical to predict coastal and global responses to environmental changes. However, they vary greatly in the magnitude of tides and the volume and timing of freshwater input from land, making it challenging to model the major biogeochemical reactions that control productivity and greenhouse gas emissions across coastal terrestrial aquatic interfaces (TAIs). Our overall objective was to improve mechanistic process understanding and modeling of tidal wetland hydro-biogeochemistry in coastal TAIs. We established a new flux tower site (Ameriflux US-PLo) in the oligohaline part of the Parker River to continuously monitor ecosystem-scale carbon fluxes under temporally varying salinity conditions. The site is co-located with long-term monitoring plots of the Plum Island Ecosystems LTER project. We installed wells and redox sensors in the marsh interior and creek bank, established biomass monitoring plots and deployed novel optode sensors in both locations. We used this data to parameterize plant-mediated transport in PFLOTRAN and tested the impact of soil heterogeneity on porewater constituents and gas fluxes. We collected observations of root oxygen release with a novel planar optode system in the field. Flux data collected during the measurement period encompasses a large variation in salinity ranging from drought to record precipitation years. We developed a method to extract functional relationships from the flux data using artificial neural networks, identifying salinity thresholds for CH 4 fluxes. Finally, we are using the coupled ELM-PFLOTRAN model to test the impact of antecedent hydrological conditions on the salinity-CH 4 flux relationship. This grant contributed to the professional development of one postdoc, three research assistants and one graduate student. The sensor data has been shared with external collaborators.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1988

Convection effects in protein crystal growth

Protein crystals for X-ray diffraction study are usually grown resting on the bottom of a hanging drop of a saturated protein solution, with slow evaporation to the air in a small enclosed cell. The evaporation rate is controlled by hanging the drop above a reservoir of water, with its saturation vapor pressure decreased by a low concentration of a passive solute. The drop has a lower solute concentration, and its volume shrinks by evaporation until the molecular concentrations match. Protein crystals can also be grown from a seed crystal suspended or supported in the interior of a supersaturated solution. The main analysis of this report concerns this case because it is less complicated than hanging-drop growth. Convection effects have been suggested as the reason for the apparent cessation of growth at a certain rather small crystal size. It seeems that as the crystal grows, the number of dislocations increases to a point where further growth is hindered. Growth in the microgravity environment of an orbiting space vehicle has been proposed as a method for obtaining larger crystals. Experimental observations of convection effects during the growth of protein crystals have been reported.

Roberts, Glyn O.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Microbial Characterization of Solid-Wastes Treated with Heat Melt Compaction Technology

The research purpose of the project was to determine the fate of microorganisms in space-generated solid wastes after processing by a Heat Melt Compactor (HMC), which is a candidate solid waste treatment technology. Five HMC product disks were generated at Ames Research Center (ARC), Waste Management Systems element. The feed for two was simulated space-generated trash and feed for three was Volume F compartment wet waste returned on STS 130. Conventional microbiological methods were used to detect and enumerate microorganisms in HMC disks and in surface swab samples of HMC hardware before and after operation. Also, biological indicator test strips were added to the STS trash prior to compaction to test if HMC processing conditions, 150 C for approx 3 hr and dehydration, were sufficient to eliminate the test bacteria on the strips. During sample acquisition at KSC, the HMC disk surfaces were sanitized with 70% alcohol to prevent contamination of disk interiors. Results from microbiological assays indicated that numbers of microbes were greatly reduced but not eliminated by the 70% alcohol. Ten 1.25 cm diameter cores were aseptically cut from each disk to sample the disk interior. The core material was run through the microbial characterization analyses after dispersal in sterile diluent. Low counts of viable bacteria (5 to 50 per core) were found but total direct counts were 6 to 8 orders of magnitude greater. These results indicate that the HMC operating conditions might not be sufficient for complete waste sterilization, but the vast majority of microbes present in the wastes were dead or non-cultivable after HMC treatment. The results obtained from analyses of the commercial spore test strips that had been added fo the wastes prior to HMC operation further indicated that the HMC was sterilizing the wastes. Nearly all strips were recovered from the HMC disks and all of these were negative for spore growth when run through the manufacturer's protocol. The 10(exp 6) or so spores impregnated into the strips were no longer viable. Control test strips, i.e., not exposed to the HMC conditions, were all strongly positive. All isolates from the cultivable counts were identified, leading to one concern: several were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, a human pathogen. The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems element of the Life Support and Habitation Systems program.

Strayer, Richard F.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Analysis of liquid-metal-jet impingement cooling in a corner region and for a row of jets

A conformal mapping method was used to analyze liquid-metal-jet impingement heat transfer. The jet flow region and energy equation are transformed to correspond to uniform flow in a parallel plate channel with nonuniform heat addition along a portion of one wall. The exact solution for the wall-temperature distribution was obtained in the transformed channel, and the results are mapped back into the physical plane. Two geometries are analyzed. One is for a single slot jet directed either into an interior corner formed by two flat plates, or over the external sides of the corner; the flat plates are uniformly heated, and the corner can have various included angles. The heat-transfer coefficient at the stagnation point at the apex of the plates is obtained as a function of the corner angle, and temperature distributions are calculated along the heated walls. The second geometry is an infinite row of uniformly spaced parallel slot jets impinging normally against a uniformly heated plate. The heat-transfer behavior is obtained as a function of the spacing between the jets. Results are given for several jet Peclet numbers from 5 to 50.

Siegel, R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Starprobe - Coronal plasma turbulence effects on tracking and telemetry

The telemetry and tracking problems expected for Starprobe, a solar flyby with a perihelion of 4 solar radii, are discussed. The Starprobe is intended to obtain measurements of the solar quadrupole moment within an accuracy of 1/100,000,000, allowing more accurate modelling of the solar interior. Obstacles are perceived for Doppler velocity measurements due to RF signal amplitude and phase scintillations created by the solar corona. Model calculations are presented for the propagation effects in the maximum disturbance area, and an open loop two-way Doppler system is described. The system comprises X-band and S-band uplinks and downlinks to eliminate the plasma-induced phase scintillations, means of correcting unfolding errors caused by S-band amplitude scintillations, and a new method of estimating the Doppler frequency.

Armstrong, J. W.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of Multisystem Countermeasures Protocol for Spaceflight during Antarctica Winter-over at Palmer Station (Palmer Countermeasures)

Exploration-class missions beyond the Van Allen belt to the Moon and then Mars will begin soon. Low-Earth orbital spaceflight results in the persistent perturbation of the human immune system, characterized by reductions in T and NK cell function, altered cytokine profiles, and the reactivation of latent herpesviruses. While these alterations have not caused widespread clinical issues, some crewmembers experience immune-related adverse events, including manifestations of symptomatic herpes viral reactivation, allergy, and respiratory distress. Because future deep-space exploration missions will be of unprecedented duration, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the immune perturbations observed aboard International Space Station (ISS) will intensify during longer missions in deep space, thereby placing crewmembers at elevated clinical risk. Thus, it is imperative to preserve the immune vigilance of astronauts by developing a countermeasure strategy. Of all the Earth analogs studied to date, an Antarctica winter-over (AWO) mission most closely reproduces the spaceflight experience: prolonged deployment, extreme environment, circadian misalignment, isolation, station lifestyle, and personal risk. The US maintains three primary stations in Antarctica: South Pole Station, McMurdo, and Palmer. Previous studies suggest that stations located near the interior of Antarctica (South Pole, McMurdo) have confounding effects on the immune system due to persistent hypobaric hypoxia. Thus, it was hypothesized that winter-over at a coastal station (Palmer) would be more akin to spaceflight due to its normoxic but still extreme environment. Therefore, AWO at Palmer Station was chosen as the platform for testing and validating the effectiveness of a NASA multi-system countermeasures protocol designed for deep space missions. The array of countermeasure protocols and monitoring methods deployed for each AWO will consist of diet modifications, nutritional supplementation, prescribed aerobic and resistive exercise, and a protocol of stress relieving virtual reality exercises. A multitude of biological sample types, including blood, saliva, and hair will be collected in tandem with the countermeasures in order to examine the combined effectiveness of the countermeasures. Samples and logs from subjects will be transported from Palmer Station to Johnson Space Center for further processing and distribution to co-investigators at the end of each winter-over. Extracted samples will be analyzed by appropriate testing platforms (Multiplex, qPCR, ELISA, etc.) to monitor alterations in leukocyte distribution, T cell and NK function, cytokine profiles, reactivation of latent herpesviruses, and nutritional factors. The data collected will be compared to a control year in which no countermeasures were deployed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the analog and to validate the candidate immune countermeasure strategy. With the completion of the Antarctica Winter-Over (WO) 2022 control year, samples for 13 subjects have been successfully returned from Antarctica to NASA/JSC for further processing and distribution to Co-Investigators. WO 2023, the first countermeasure year, has also commenced with 11 subject consenting and performing their base line data collections (BDC) held in Chile. Another 5 subjects, who were already stationed at Palmer Station, Antarctica, joined as participates in the investigation. These 5 subjects were consented, but no BDC was able to be collected due to their joining in-mission. Therefore, there will be a total of 16 subjects participating in Antarctica's 2023 Winter-Over.

Cody L Gutierrez↗

DOE OSTI2025

Sequential spectral line analysis for accurate density and temperature diagnosis of laboratory opacity measurements

The accuracy of iron opacity calculated in stellar interiors has been questioned since the discovery of the “solar problem” and the discrepancies between the measured and modeled iron opacity reported in 2015. Experimental opacity benchmarks require accurate temperature and density measurements, which were inferred by analyzing tracer magnesium spectra in those experiments. Could the observed discrepancy be explained by insufficient accuracy in the inferred temperature, density, and their uncertainties? Previous analyses may have yielded biased results due to three limitations: (1) simultaneous multi-line fitting, (2) approximations in line-shape models, and (3) exclusion of certain spectral lines due to insufficient background characterization. Notably, the first issue is a common concern for many inversion methods, including Bayesian inferences. We present a refined analysis method that overcomes these limitations, applied to three categories of iron opacity experiments (Anchor 1, 2, and 3). In particular, the sequential fitting method yields unbiased results with more realistic uncertainties by accounting for line inconsistencies in the parameter uncertainties. The average electron temperature and density values are 162 ± 6 eV and (7.0 ± 1.9) × 10 21 cm −3 for six Anchor 1 experiments, 189 ± 7 eV and (3.4 ± 0.3) × 10 22 cm −3 for 21 Anchor 2 experiments, and 201 ± 6 eV and (4.8 ± 1.1) × 10 22 cm −3 for nine Anchor 3 experiments. These results show ∼4% temperature and ∼20% density reproducibility over a decade, which also aligns with the inferred parameter uncertainties. In conclusion, the resulting temperature and density uncertainties lead to a quasi-continuum iron opacity variation of ±4%–7% for wavelengths below 9.5 Å, which is insufficient to explain the significant model-data discrepancies reported in 2015.

Absorption spectroscopy↗

NASA NTRS1981

Method for retarding dye fading during archival storage of developed color photographic film

Dye fading during archival storage of developed color photographic film is retarded by placing the film in a sealed, opaque vault, introducing a dry, pressurized inert gas into the vault while the latter is vented, and sealing the vault after the air within the vault has been purged and replaced by the inert gas. Preferably, the gas is nitrogen; and the vault is stored at a temperature below room temperature to preserve the color photographic emulsions on the film contained within the vault. For short-term storage, sodium thiocyanate pads charged with water are placed within the vault. For long term storage, the interior of the vault is kept at a low relative humidity.

Hoover, R. B.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Implementation and validation of optimal start control strategy for air conditioners and heat pumps

Commercial buildings are responsible for approximately 20 % of the total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Over 85 % of these buildings lack building automation systems, and many are small (<50,000 square feet), underserved, and use rooftop units (RTUs) for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning needs. Because these buildings lack proper energy management systems, several operational deficiencies lead to excess energy consumption. Studies have shown that managing the RTUs’ heating and cooling set points, schedules, setbacks, and optimal start can result in a 20 % to 25 % reduction in electricity consumption in small commercial buildings. These buildings typically use fixed schedules to start the RTUs 60 to 120 min before occupancy begins, which results in excess energy consumption. This paper presents research that demonstrates and evaluates the performance of four optimal start methods, which utilize data-based modeling as a key element in facilitating adaptive control in response to time-varying inputs while requiring minimal sensor inputs. The evaluation found energy savings in two commercial buildings equipped with RTUs by periodically alternating four different optimal start models during the cooling and heating season. The resulting energy savings are positive for all models and range from 2 to 5 kWh/day/unit. The units on the east side of the building showed higher savings, while interior units showed greater variability in savings due to the differences in capacities and room sizes. Savings were considerably greater during the heating season compared to the cooling season. The performance of all four models on Mondays was poor; models suggested a shorter optimal start time, which resulted in relatively larger errors. Finally, the future work will look at using a different model for the days after weekends and holidays.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2023

Heat transfer augmentation of natural convection heat sink through notched fin design

A novel notched fin heat sink with a central opening is proposed in the present study to augment the heat transfer performance of the natural convection heat sink under horizontal configuration. Thermal and airflow behavior in the heat sinks were studied using both experimental and numerical methods. The results showed that the performance of the conventional heat sink can be enhanced by optimizing its fin design. The basic heat sink model provided a 17% reduction in thermal resistance when its fin height and fin spacing were doubled, and it was accompanied by a 21% increase in surface area. The heat sink with a notched fin design with a less surface area offered a 13% lower thermal resistance compared to the basic model by entraining more airflow into the interior fin region. Providing a central opening in the notched fin heat sink can further reduce the thermal resistance by about 13%. Further, this study also analyzed the influence of emissivity of the heat sink on natural convection conditions. The findings demonstrated that the heat sink with an emissivity of 0.9 can reduce the thermal resistance by nearly 23% compared to one with an emissivity of 0.15.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2020

AC loss and contact resistance in REBCO CORC ® , Roebel, and stacked tape cables

Abstract Many high-temperature superconductor (HTS) applications require superconducting cables with high currents while operating in an alternating magnetic field. HTS cables should be composed of numerous superconducting tapes to achieve the required current capacity. Alternating current and magnetic fields cause AC losses in such cables and can provoke conductor instability. AC losses and contact resistances were measured of several cable designs based on commercially available REBCO tapes at the University of Twente. The AC loss was measured under identical conditions for eight REBCO conductors manufactured according to three types of cabling methods—CORC ® (Conductor on Round Core), Roebel, and stacked tape, including a full-size REBCO CICC (cable in conduit conductor). The measurements were done at T = 4.2 K without transport current in a sinusoidal AC magnetic field of 0.4 T amplitude and frequencies from 5 to 55 mHz. The AC loss was measured simultaneously by calibrated gas flow calorimeter utilizing the helium boil-off method and by the magnetization method using pick-up coils. Also, the AC loss of two CORC® conductors and a Roebel cable was measured at 77 K. Each conductor was measured with and without background field of 1 T. The measured AC coupling loss in the CORC ® and Roebel conductors is negligible at 4.2 K for the applied conditions while at 77 K coupling loss was observed for all conductors. The absence of coupling loss at 4.2 K can be explained by shielding of the conductor interior; this is confirmed with measurement and calculation of the penetration field of CORC ® and Roebel cables. The inter-tape contact resistance was measured for CORC ® and stacked tape samples at 4.2 and 77 K. It was demonstrated that a short heat treatment of CORC ® conductor with solder-coated tapes activates tape-to-tape soldering and decreases the contact resistance. The reduction of contact resistance by two orders in magnitude to tens of nΩm is comparable with the interstrand contact resistance in ITER Nb 3 Sn type conductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

NASA NTRS2004

Hydrogen and Ferric Iron in Mars Materials

Knowledge of oxygen and hydrogen fugacity is of paramount importance in constraining phase equilibria and crystallization processes of melts, as well as understanding the partitioning of elements between the cope and silicate portions of terrestrial planets. H and Fe(3+) must both be analyzed in order to reconstruct hydrogen and oxygen fugacities on Mars. To date, SIMS data have elucidated D/H and H contents of hydrous phases in SNC meteorites, but until now anhydrous martian minerals have not been systematically examined for trace hydrogen. Ferric iron has been quantified using XANES in many martian phases, but integrated studies of both Fe(3+) and H on the same spots are really needed to address the H budget. Finally, the effects of shock on both Fe(3+) and H in hydrous and anhydrous phases must be quantified. Thus, the overall goal of this research was to understand the oxygen and hydrogen fugacities under which martian samples crystallized. In this research one-year project, we approached this problem by 1) characterizing Fe(3+) and H contents of SNC meteorites using both bulk (Mossbauer spectroscopy and uranium extraction, respectively) and microscale (synchrotron micro-XANES and SIMS) methods; 2) relating Fe(3+) and H contents of martian minerals to their oxygen and hydrogen fugacities through analysis of experimentally equilibrated phases (for pyroxene) and through study of volcanic rocks in which the oxygen and hydrogen fugacities can be independently constrained (for feldspar); and 3) studying the effects of shock processes on Fe(3+) and H contents of the phases of interest. Results have been used to assess quantitatively the distribution of H and Fe(3+) among phases in the martian interior, which will better constrain the geodynamic processes of the interior, as well as the overall hydrogen and water budgets on Mars. There were no inventions funded by this research.

Dyar, Melinda D.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Vertically-coupled Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator Optical Waveguide, and Methods

A vertically-coupled whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator optical waveguide, a method of reducing a group velocity of light, and a method of making a waveguide are provided. The vertically-coupled WGM waveguide comprises a cylindrical rod portion having a round cross-section and an outer surface. First and second ring-shaped resonators are formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical rod portion and are spaced from each other along a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical rod. The first and second ringshaped resonators are capable of being coupled to each other by way an evanescent field formed in an interior of the cylindrical rod portion.

Matsko, Andrey B.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Method and program product for determining a radiance field in an optical environment

A hybrid method is presented by which Monte Carlo techniques are combined with iterative relaxation techniques to solve the Radiative Transfer Equation in arbitrary one-, two- or three-dimensional optical environments. The optical environments are first divided into contiguous regions, or elements, with Monte Carlo techniques then being employed to determine the optical response function of each type of element. The elements are combined, and the iterative relaxation techniques are used to determine simultaneously the radiance field on the boundary and throughout the interior of the modeled environment. This hybrid model is capable of providing estimates of the under-water light field needed to expedite inspection of ship hulls and port facilities. It is also capable of providing estimates of the subaerial light field for structured, absorbing or non-absorbing environments such as shadows of mountain ranges within and without absorption spectral bands such as water vapor or CO.sub.2 bands.

Reinersman, Phillip N.↗

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.↗