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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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New apparatus allows accurate simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and thermopower for technically important materials, such as new or uncommon alloys. A list of materials investigated is presented. Sources for obtaining data on these materials, as well as the source giving a description of the apparatus, are cited.
Thermal conductivity and diffusivity and electrical resistivity of solids at low temperatures
Thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, Lorentz ratio and thermopower of aerospace alloys at cryogenic temperatures, considering Inconel, Hastelloy, Ti and Al alloys
Thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, Lorentz ratio and thermopower of aerospace alloys in 4-300 K range, separating electronic and lattice contributions
Lithium-diffused silicon, investigating heat treatment and electron irradiation effects on electrical resistivity at high temperatures
Determination of thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of solids at cryogenic temperatures
Out-of-core thermionic converter system using heat pipes as electrical resistive elements, discussing design and performance
Metals and alloys thermal conductivity prediction using Lorentz ratio and electrical resistivity measurements
Overflow sensor for cryogenic fluid vessels has been designed by winding electrical resistance element on porous tubular coil form. Form is positioned in overflow vent of cryogenic fluid vessel where it can differentiate vapor from liquid at same temperature.
A method is described for studying the influence of a temperature gradient on the crystallization of quiescent polymer melts. The apparatus used consists of two brass plates with embedded electrical resistance heaters and cooling coils. The crystallizations experiments were conducted by placing polymer specimens between the paltes, and manually adjusting heaters and cooling fluids for temperature control. Linear polyethylene, isotactic polyprophylene, and a high density polyethylene were used. It is concluded that the role of a temperature gradient in producing oriented crystallization is in producing conditions which lead the spherulitic growth pattern to proceed primarily in one direction. Steep gradients diminish the penetration of supercooling and favors oriented growth.
Flow restricting devices were studied for their suitability as liquid water propellant flow limiters for the biowaste resistojet. Flow limiting during the start-up transient is required to prevent thrustor instabilities and icing which could result in heater failure in the electrical resistance heated thrustor (resistojet). The study was directed toward simple devices which would function passively (i.e., without power except from the propellant flow itself), and would offer high reliability and simplicity. In addition to the flow limiting devices, a thermal pumping system was studied to determine whether CO2, desorbed from molecular sieves could be pumped thermally in a space station application. The thermal pump is considered a possible replacement for mechanical pumps. It involves a cyclic, constant volume cryopumping system which employs space radiators to achieve the cryotemperatures. The frozen CO2 would be vaporized periodically, using a waste heat loop, to attain sufficient pressure to transfer a large portion of the trapped CO2 to storage tanks.
The experiment is designed to demonstrate liquid metal slip ring (LMSR) performance in a space environment. An evaluation was made of the features of the LMSR where improvement in performance over conventional slip rings was expected. The primary measurements to be made in the experiment will allow a determination of the slip ring electrical resistance, between ring insulation and ring cleanliness.
Results are reported from a continued study of MPD thrusters operating in the quasi-steady mode and using electrode vapor as the propellant. Testing methods were refined, and performance data is now available for a fairly wide range of thruster geometries. Performance was found to be strongly dependent on thruster geometry, with some designs showing approximately twice the efficiency obtained during the preceding contract period. The radial clearance between electrodes, the attachment point of the arc on the cathode, and the electrical resistance of the electrodes appear to be important design variables.
A study was made of the effects of the conditions of char formation on the physical properties of charred phenolic nylon of 0.577 gm/cu cm density. It was found that the thermal conductivity and several of the monitors correlate well with degradation conditions. The monitors included electrical resistivity, sonic velocity, porosity, lattice spacing and crystallite size.
By rapid quenching from the melt, using the splat forming gun technique, a noncrystalline phase has been obtained in a Cu-Zr alloy containing 60 at. % Cu. Upon heating, rapid crystallization of the samples takes place at 477 C with a heat release of about 700 cal per mol. The variation of the electrical resistivity of the samples with temperature confirms the transformation. Very high resolution electron microscopy studies of the structural changes of the samples upon heating are presented and show the gradual crystallization of the amorphous structure.
A self-cycling fluid heater is described which includes a high temperature upstream preheater for elevating the stream temperature. A high intensity jet arc heater heats the preheated fluid stream to ultrahigh reaction temperatures and discharges the stream into an electric resistance tubular heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has variations in wall thickness at measured intervals along its length to control the temperature of the fluid passing through the heat exchanger for desired time intervals to provide the specified chemical reactions desired.
High temperature electric resistance wire strain gages were developed and evaluated for use at temperatures exceeding 922 K (1200 F). A special high temperature strain gage alloy (Fe-25Cr-7.5A1), designated BCL-3, was used to fabricate the gages. Pertinent gage characteristics were determined at temperatures up to 1255 K (1800 F). The results of the evaluation were reported in graphical and tabular form. It was concluded that the gages will perform satisfactorily at temperatures to at least 1089 K (1500 F) for at least one hour.
Three torsional crystal parameters were examined for suitability in sensing pressure in gases up to 131 million newtons per square meter. The best parameters were found to be the change in crystal decrement at resonance and the change in crystal electrical resistance at resonance. The change in crystal resonant frequency did not appear to be a reliable pressure measuring parameter. Pure argon and pure helium gases were studied for use as working fluids. Helium functioned better over a wider pressure range. Calibration of the gage also provided a measure of the viscosity-density product of the gas as a function of pressure. These data, together with known extrapolated density data, permitted the determination of the viscosity of helium to 131 million N/square meter.