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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 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Prediction of shuttle vehicle damping from component test results

A dissipative energy approach for predicting the damping of four-component space shuttle model by means of modal parameters obtained from tests of the individual components is presented. A relationship between modal damping energy per cycle and peak strain (or kinetic) energy is first determined empirically from test data for each component. Undamped analytical models of each component are also developed, and combined into a system model from which are obtained modal kinetic (or strain) energies for its respective modes. These data are then used with the empirical damping curves to apportion the proper amount of damping energy to each component in a combined system mode, and thereby allow a prediction of damping ratio. Some discrepancies in results are noted to occur because of incomplete modeling of connecting link mechanisms and anomalies in modal responses.

Kana, D. D.↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration for Compact Nuclear Fusion Power Plants

The Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration (PFRC) nuclear fusion reactor concept is an innovative approach to fusion power generation prioritizing low neutron production and small size. Here, a combination of analytical modeling and numerical simulation shows that the novel heating approach generates an FRC with closed field lines. Simulation data from a single-particle Hamiltonian code predicts ms-scale plasma heating in reactor-scale conditions while PIC codes predict formation of warm FRC plasmas from initial mirror fields. The PFRC-1 and PFRC-2 experiments have heated electrons to energies well in excess of 100 eV and plasma durations to 300 ms, more than 10 4 times longer than the predicted tilt instability growth time. From these data, we have created a development plan and anticipated performance metrics for a fusion reactor based on the PFRC concept. The resulting 1–10 MW PFRC reactors would be suitable for diverse applications, from submarines to urban environments to space propulsion. PFRC is a steady-state, driven magnetic confinement device. Plasma, inside a cylindrical array of coils, is confined and heated by external RF antennae. PFRC would be ultra-low radiation due to both its fuel and small size. The choice of advanced fuels, deuterium and helium-3 (D– 3 He), may be enabled by the high-β FRC configuration. The small size of the reactor would enable rapid exhaust of the dangerous tritium ash. Low radiation would make the reactor safer to operate and, in combination with simple geometry and small size, dramatically lowers development and maintenance costs. This review paper gives an introduction to the physics of the PFRC and a summary of the PFRC-2 experiment results to date. It then discusses the future program plan and how PFRC reactors would be commercialized.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Long-Term Creep-Rupture Behavior of Alloy Inconel 740/740H

To explore potential application of Ni-based alloys for power generation at the higher temperatures and pressures needed to achieve high thermal to electrical-energy conversion efficiency, an extensive creep-rupture dataset covering up to 875 °C and almost 70,000 h for Inconel 740/740H was analyzed using Larson–Miller parameter and Wilshire approaches. The results were used to assess the relative effectiveness of the two analytical methods, both in describing the experimental data and, because of the breadth of the dataset, using analyses of its shorter-time data to make creep lifetime predictions for much more extended times, which were then directly compared to the measured rupture times. The respective methods were also used to predict creep-limited lifetimes relevant to power production (that is, 100,000 h or greater). Despite the complexity of the precipitation-strengthened Inconel 740/740H alloy and the generalized parametric approach of these methodologies, the predictions based on such were reasonably accurate when the entire dataset was analyzed. However, when the analysis was confined to only data for conditions yielding creep-rupture times < 5,000 h( about 65 % of the entire dataset), the Wilshire correlation yielded better prediction for longer time lifetimes due to the inherent instability of the specific Larson–Miller formalism used in this analysis when extrapolated significantly outside its analysis range.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

The effectiveness of D 2 pellet injection in reducing intra-ELM and inter-ELM tungsten divertor erosion rates in DIII-D during the Metal Rings Campaign

Abstract Edge localized modes (ELMs) in H-mode plasmas erode plasma-facing components (PFCs) and lead to impurities in the core, reducing confinement. This study analyzes D 2 pellet injection on the DIII-D fusion experiment used as an ELM mitigation technique applied during the 2016 tungsten Metal Rings Campaign to reduce W erosion during ELMs. The 400.9 nm photon wavelength line emission intensity of tungsten atoms (WI) filterscope channels and Langmuir probes were used to infer the gross erosion rate of tungsten-coated tiles installed in the divertor of DIII-D. D 2 mass injection rates ranging from 34 to 41 arbitrary units (A.U.) and no D 2 injection resulted in a similar total W erosion rate during ELMs (intra-ELM). On average, results show a 29% increase in the total gross W erosion rate with intermediate mass injection rates (∼13–23 A.U.) compared to the no pellets and the highest injection rate cases. On average, the fast D 2 mass injection rate cases had 15% less erosion in the inter-ELM phase than the case with no pellets. Generally, higher D 2 mass injection rates increased the ELM frequency, and the highest injection rates reduced the average erosion per ELM and fractional carbon impurities at the top of the pedestal by nearly 40% when compared to the no-pellet case. As expected, a higher D 2 pellet injection rate led to a higher plasma density and lower plasma temperature in the divertor. Additionally, an increasing divertor inter-ELM plasma electron density directly correlated to more frequent pellet injection and a decrease in both the average gross intra-ELM W erosion and the total gross intra-ELM W erosion rate. Simulations of intra-ELM erosion using the ‘free-streaming plus recycling model’ (FSRM) underestimate W erosion during pellet injection by about 30% on average. The discrepancies between the experimental measurements and the FSRM intra-ELM W erosion predictions are postulated to be due to C/W material mixing. A simple analytic mixed-material model is presented and results in better agreement with the experimental data. These results highlight the importance of incorporating the effects of a mixed-material layer in the analysis of PFC erosion.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Detecting the stochastic gravitational wave background from massive gravity with pulsar timing arrays

We explore the potential of pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) such as NANOGrav, EPTA, and PPTA to detect the stochastic gravitational wave background in theories of massive gravity. In general relativity, the function describing the dependence of the correlation between the arrival times of signals from two pulsars on the angle between them is known as the Hellings-Downs curve. We compute the analogous overlap reduction function for massive gravity, including the additional polarization states and the correction due to the mass of the graviton, and compare the result with the Hellings-Downs curve. The primary result is a complete analytical form for the analog Hellings-Downs curve, providing a starting point for future numerical studies aimed at a detailed comparison between PTA data and the predictions of massive gravity. We study both the massless limit and the stationary limit as checks on our calculation, and discuss how our formalism also allows us to study the impact of massive spin-2 dark matter candidates on data from PTAs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1973

Methods for structural design at elevated temperatures

A procedure which can be used to design elevated temperature structures is discussed. The desired goal is to have the same confidence in the structural integrity at elevated temperature as the factor of safety gives on mechanical loads at room temperature. Methods of design and analysis for creep, creep rupture, and creep buckling are presented. Example problems are included to illustrate the analytical methods. Creep data for some common structural materials are presented. Appendix B is description, user's manual, and listing for the creep analysis program. The program predicts time to a given creep or to creep rupture for a material subjected to a specified stress-temperature-time spectrum. Fatigue at elevated temperature is discussed. Methods of analysis for high stress-low cycle fatigue, fatigue below the creep range, and fatigue in the creep range are included. The interaction of thermal fatigue and mechanical loads is considered, and a detailed approach to fatigue analysis is given for structures operating below the creep range.

Ellison, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

An experimental and analytical investigation of isolated rotor flap-lag stability in forward flight

For flap-lag stability of isolated rotors, experimental and analytical investigations are conducted in hover and forward flight on the adequacy of a linear quasi-steady aerodynamics theory with dynamic inflow. Forward flight effects on lag regressing mode are emphasized. Accordingly, a soft inplane hingeless rotor with three blades is tested at advance ratios as high as 0.55 and at shaft angles as high as 20 deg. The 1.62-m model rotor is untrimmed with an essentially unrestricted tilt of the tip path plane. By computerized symbolic manipulation, an analytical model is developed in substall to predict stability margins with mode indentification. It also predicts substall and stall regions to help explain the correlation between theory and data. The correlation shows both the strengths and weaknesses of the data and theory, and promotes further insights into areas in which further study is needed in substall and stall.

Gaonkar, Gopal H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Experimental evaluation of expendable supersonic nozzle concepts

Exhaust nozzles for expendable supersonic turbojet engine missile propulsion systems are required to be simple, short and compact, in addition to having good broad-range thrust-minus-drag performance. A series of convergent-divergent nozzle scale model configurations were designed and wind tunnel tested for a wide range of free stream Mach numbers and nozzle pressure ratios. The models included fixed geometry and simple variable exit area concepts. The experimental and analytical results show that the fixed geometry configurations tested have inferior off-design thrust-minus-drag performance in the transonic Mach range. A simple variable exit area configuration called the Axi-Quad nozzle, combining features of both axisymmetric and two-dimensional convergent-divergent nozzles, performed well over a broad range of operating conditions. Analytical predictions of the flow pattern as well as overall performance of the nozzles, using a fully viscous, compressible CFD code, compared very well with the test data.

Baker, V.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An approximate viscous shock layer technique for calculating chemically reacting hypersonic flows about blunt-nosed bodies

An approximate axisymmetric method was developed which can reliably calculate fully viscous hypersonic flows over blunt nosed bodies. By substituting Maslen's second order pressure expression for the normal momentum equation, a simplified form of the viscous shock layer (VSL) equations is obtained. This approach can solve both the subsonic and supersonic regions of the shock layer without a starting solution for the shock shape. The approach is applicable to perfect gas, equilibrium, and nonequilibrium flowfields. Since the method is fully viscous, the problems associated with a boundary layer solution with an inviscid layer solution are avoided. This procedure is significantly faster than the parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) or VSL solvers and would be useful in a preliminary design environment. Problems associated with a previously developed approximate VSL technique are addressed before extending the method to nonequilibrium calculations. Perfect gas (laminar and turbulent), equilibrium, and nonequilibrium solutions were generated for airflows over several analytic body shapes. Surface heat transfer, skin friction, and pressure predictions are comparable to VSL results. In addition, computed heating rates are in good agreement with experimental data. The present technique generates its own shock shape as part of its solution, and therefore could be used to provide more accurate initial shock shapes for higher order procedures which require starting solutions.

Cheatwood, F. Mcneil↗
NASA NTRS1996

Experimental Studies in Helicopter Vertical Climb Performance

Data and analysis from an experimental program to measure vertical climb performance on an eight-foot model rotor are presented. The rotor testing was performed using a unique moving-model facility capable of accurately simulating the flow conditions during axial flight, and was conducted from July 9, 1992 to July 16, 1992 at the Dynamic Model Track, or 'Long Track,' just prior to its demolition in August of 1992. Data collected during this brief test program included force and moment time histories from a sting-mounted strain gauge balance, support carriage velocity, and rotor rpm pulses. In addition, limited video footage (of marginal use) was recorded from smoke flow studies for both simulated vertical climb and descent trajectories. Analytical comparisons with these data include a series of progressively more detailed calculations ranging from simple momentum theory, a prescribed wake method, and a free-wake prediction.

McKillip, Robert M., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Buckling Testing and Analysis of Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Cylinders

A series of full-scale buckling tests were performed on the space shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) cylinders. The tests were performed to determine the buckling capability of the cylinders and to provide data for analytical comparison. A nonlinear ANSYS Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model was used to represent and evaluate the testing. Analytical results demonstrated excellent correlation to test results, predicting the failure load within 5%. The analytical value was on the conservative side, predicting a lower failure load than was applied to the test. The resulting study and analysis indicated the important parameters for FEA to accurately predict buckling failure. The resulting method was subsequently used to establish the pre-launch buckling capability of the space shuttle system.

Weidner, Thomas J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Response Modeling of Lightweight Charring Ablators and Thermal Radiation Testing Results

Under NASA's In-Space Propulsion/Aerocapture Program, ARA conducted arc-jet and thermal-radiation ablation test series in 2003 for advanced development, characterization, and response modeling of SRAM-20, SRAM-17, SRAM-14, and PhenCarb-20 ablators. Testing was focused on the future Titan Explorer mission. Convective heating rates (CW) were as high as 153 W/sq cm in the IHF and radiation rates were 100 W/sq cm in the Solar Tower Facility. The ablators showed good performance in the radiation environment without spallation, which was initially a concern, but they also showed higher in-depth temperatures when compared to analytical predictions based on arc-jet thermal-ablation response models. More testing in 2003 is planned in both of these facility to generate a sufficient data base for Titan TPS engineering.

Congdon, William M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Mid-frequency Band Dynamics of Large Space Structures

High and low intensity dynamic environments experienced by a spacecraft during launch and on-orbit operations, respectively, induce structural loads and motions, which are difficult to reliably predict. Structural dynamics in low- and mid-frequency bands are sensitive to component interface uncertainty and non-linearity as evidenced in laboratory testing and flight operations. Analytical tools for prediction of linear system response are not necessarily adequate for reliable prediction of mid-frequency band dynamics and analysis of measured laboratory and flight data. A new MATLAB toolbox, designed to address the key challenges of mid-frequency band dynamics, is introduced in this paper. Finite-element models of major subassemblies are defined following rational frequency-wavelength guidelines. For computational efficiency, these subassemblies are described as linear, component mode models. The complete structural system model is composed of component mode subassemblies and linear or non-linear joint descriptions. Computation and display of structural dynamic responses are accomplished employing well-established, stable numerical methods, modern signal processing procedures and descriptive graphical tools. Parametric sensitivity and Monte-Carlo based system identification tools are used to reconcile models with experimental data and investigate the effects of uncertainties. Models and dynamic responses are exported for employment in applications, such as detailed structural integrity and mechanical-optical-control performance analyses.

dynamics↗
NASA NTRS2003

Evaluation of a Singular Value Decomposition Approach for Impact Dynamic Data Correlation

Impact dynamic tests are used in the automobile and aircraft industries to assess survivability of occupants during crash, to assert adequacy of the design, and to gain federal certification. Although there is no substitute for experimental tests, analytical models are often developed and used to study alternate test conditions, to conduct trade-off studies, and to improve designs. To validate results from analytical predictions, test and analysis results must be compared to determine the model adequacy. The mathematical approach evaluated in this paper decomposes observed time responses into dominant deformation shapes and their corresponding contribution to the measured response. To correlate results, orthogonality of test and analysis shapes is used as a criterion. Data from an impact test of a composite fuselage is used and compared to finite element predictions. In this example, the impact response was decomposed into multiple shapes but only two dominant shapes explained over 85% of the measured response

Horta, Lucas G.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessing the Impact of Measurement Precision on Metabolite Identification Probability in Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry-Based, Reference-Free Metabolomics

Identification of compounds with minimal ambiguity remains a central challenge in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Conventional compound identification relies on comparing analytical signatures (e.g., mass-to-charge ratio, collision cross section, tandem mass spectra) against reference data obtained from measurements of authentic chemical standards. The breadth of annotatable compounds using this approach is necessarily limited by availability of authentic standards, analytical throughput, and resolving power of the separations that underly the measurements. The maturation of computational methods, both theory-driven and artificial intelligence/machine learning-based, for prediction of various molecular properties relevant to multidimensional mass spectrometry measurements has opened the door to a new “reference-free” paradigm of compound annotation. Through augmenting existing reference data for molecular properties with computational predictions, the universe of identifiable chemical species can be expanded significantly beyond its current limits. An unexplored aspect of this novel approach is understanding how to gauge confidence in resulting annotations, especially as the compound search space is expanded. Intuitively, the confidence of a compound annotation is related to the inherent discriminatory power of the molecular properties used for identification, as well as the precision with which the properties are measured or predicted. In this work, we characterize this relationship between measurement precision and identification probability in a systematic and quantitative fashion for a defined region of chemical space that includes organic small molecule metabolites. Importantly, this work establishes a framework for conducting metabolite identification probability analysis that enables others to quantify this relationship for their own compounds and properties of interest.

Metabolite Identification↗
NASA NTRS2006

Integrated Modeling of Advanced Opto-Mechanical Systems

The design of optical hardware for space applications is particularly challenging when developing high performance, novel systems that have no precedent. Integrated modeling and analysis of such opto-mechanical systems seeks to describe the end-to-end performance of the hardware using mission-relevant metrics. This multidisciplinary analysis might start with thermal disturbances from observation maneuvers, compute the system temperatures, compute the distorted positions and shapes of the hardware and compute the resulting optical performance. Dynamic disturbances such as reaction wheel imbalance or inertia imbalance of optical delay lines might be applied to a structural dynamic model and used in a guidance and control analysis. Mission-relevant science metrics might include wavefront quality, pointing error or imaging stability. Assembling a tool chain that can be both nimble and effective when scaled to the high fidelity models of detail design has been challenging. An integrated thermal, mechanical and optical analysis capability suitable for detail design has been developed and verified through experimental measurement. This capability was used in the design of flight-like breadboard hardware and development of a test apparatus that established both the level of performance of the hardware and the validity of the analysis. The analysis includes prediction of the thermal environment of the test chamber, detailed temperature distributions on the breadboard hardware, fine scale deformations of the optical elements, and computation of the wavefront quality using geometric optics. A battery of tests were conducted to assess the experiment data acquisition, measurement and control system and to establish the performance of the hardware design and accuracy of the integrated modeling. Thermal loads that represent operational observing maneuvers were imposed and the hardware optical performance was measured and compared to analytical predictions.

optomechanical analysis↗
DOE OSTI2020

Event-by-event neutron–photon multiplicity correlations in 252Cf(sf)

Excited nuclear fragments are emitted during nuclear fission. The de-excitation of these fission fragments takes place as sequential emission of neutrons followed by photons. A correlation between neutron and photon multiplicities accompanying fission is thus expected. Fission event generators based on established statistical nuclear physics models predict a negative event-by-event correlation in neutron-photon multiplicity. A survey of published experimental results of an event-by-event covariance between the neutron - photon multiplicities emitted following the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf is presented. Analytic unfolding expressions are developed in this work to determine the bias introduced by background sources, particle misclassification, pulse pileup, and inelastic photon production. The published experimental data are re-analyzed using these unfolding techniques and are found to be in qualitative agreement with the predictions of model-based calculations. Finally, in particular, we have concluded that there exists a significant event-by-event neutron-photon emission competition following the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Automated fault detection and diagnosis of airflow and refrigerant charge faults in residential HVAC systems using IoT-enabled measurements

While automated fault detection and diagnosis (AFDD) in residential heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) using smart thermostat data is gaining increasing attention in recent times, it still requires in-depth investigation for market adoption, especially with real-life data. Furthermore, this paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT) - based approach that adds a smart sensor to the smart thermostat data to carry out AFDD. The approach uses a model which predicts enthalpy change across the evaporator and compares the prediction to the measured enthalpy change. Deviations which exceed analytically determined thresholds then signal faults in the HVAC system. The faults detected are either installation related or degradation related. Experimental tests were carried out in four homes located in Norman, Oklahoma. From the tests, installation issues like indoor/outdoor mismatch were detected in two homes, while a 30% low charge and low indoor airflow rate were detected in one home. The results show that the proposed AFDD algorithm was able to successfully detect two prevalent faults, namely low indoor airflow and low refrigerant charge. Unlike most of the smart thermostat-based approaches, the proposed IoT-based approach can detect and diagnose both faults but only require one additional sensor which is provided by smart thermostat manufacturers.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗