Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “heat of absorption”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Liquid droplet radiator thermal characteristics

The effects of droplet size, emissivity, and spacing on the liquid droplet radiator (LDR) performance space heat rejection system are investigated. The procedures for predicting surface emissivity of semitransparent droplets as a function of absorptivity and radius are examined. The relation between absorptivity, reflectivity, transmissivity, and emissivity is studied. It is observed that for droplets in the 25-200 micron range the radius affects emissivity. The thermal performance of an array of droplet streams is described using a thermal radiation model. Droplet temperatures are calculated; it is shown that outside droplet streams are more effective than interior droplets for arrays in the range of radius to spacing ratio from 0.05-0.2. Temperature distributions as a function of droplet size, emissivity, and velocity are presented. The heat transfer performance of a LDR is evaluated in terms of fin effectiveness. The equivalent sheet emissivities of droplet streams are examined.

Edgerton, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Microwave Permittivity and Permeability Measurement on Lunar Soils

There has been interest in finding ways to process the lunar regolith since the early analyses of lunar samples returned from the Apollo moon missions. This fact has led to proposals for using microwaves to perform in-situ processing of the lunar soil to support future colonization of the moon. More recently, there has been speculation that the excellent microwave absorption of lunar soil came from the nanophase iron content in the regolith. The motivation for the present study was to begin obtaining a more fundamental understanding of the dielectric and magnetic properties of the regolith at microwave frequencies. A major objective of this study was to obtain information that would help answer the question about whether nanophase iron plays a major role in heating lunar soils. These new measurements over a wide frequency range can also determine the magnitude of the dielectric and magnetic absorption and if there are any resonant features that could be used to enhance processing of the regolith in the future. In addition, these microwave measurements would be useful in confirming that new simulants being developed, particularly those containing nanophase iron, would have the correct composition to simulate the lunar regolith. The results of this study suggest that nanophase iron does not play a major role in heating lunar regolith.

Barmatz, Martin↗
DOE OSTI2020

In situ temperature profile measurements with high-energy X-rays as a probe of optical floating zone crystal growth environment

The ability of optical floating zone (OFZ) furnaces to rapidly produce large single crystals of complex emerging materials has had a transformative effect on many scientific fields that require samples of this type. However, the crystal growth process within the OFZ furnace is not well understood owing to the challenges involved in monitoring the high-temperature crystal growth process. Novel beamline-compatible optical furnaces that approximate the inhomogeneous growth environment within an OFZ furnace have been fabricated and tested in high-energy synchrotron beamlines. In this paper, it is demonstrated that temperature profiles can be effectively extracted from powder diffraction data collected on polycrystalline ceramic rods heated at their tip. Furthermore, these measured temperature profiles can be accurately reproduced using a heat-transfer model that accounts for solid-state thermal conduction, partial sample lamp power absorption, convective air cooling and radiative cooling, allowing key thermal parameters such as thermal conductivity to be extracted from experimental data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1972

Spectra of type I supernovae. I - Generalities. II - Interpretation of the spectra of Sn 1960 in NGC 4496 from 8 to 20 days after the maximum of luminosity.

In the late stages of type I supernovae evolution (t greater than 50 days) the spectrum is without doubt an emission line spectrum, but in the early stages it is difficult to tell if an emission line spectrum is observed, or a continuum spectrum modified by the overlaying absorption formed in the outer layers. The mechanism of formation of the observed spectra, the physical conditions in the shell, different possible sources of heating of the shell, identification of the lines, and theoretical computations of the line intensities are discussed. An attempt is made to interpret the set of spectra assuming that a spectrum of widely broadened emission lines truncated by an overlaying absorption is seen. The absorption spectrum is first studied. An identification for the emission lines is proposed, and their intensity on the observed spectra is tentatively estimated. These identifications have to be justified by the theoretical computations of a model of the shell.

Gordon, C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The radiative effect of aerosols in the earth's atmosphere

A modified two-flux approximation is employed to compute the transfer of radiation in a finite, inhomogeneous, turbid atmosphere. A perturbation technique is developed to allow the treatment of nongray gaseous absorption with multiple scattering. The perturbation method, which employs a backscatter factor as a parameter, can be used with anisotropic particle scattering as well as Rayleigh scattering. This method is used to study the effect of aerosols on radiative solar heating and infrared cooling as well as the radiative-convective temperature distribution in the earth's atmosphere. It is found that the effect of aerosols in the infrared cannot be neglected; while in the visible, the effect can be of the same order as that due to absorption by water vapor. For a high surface albedo (greater than 0.30) heating of the earth-atmosphere system results due to the presence of aerosols. The aerosols also reduce the amount of convection needed to maintain a stable atmosphere. For the case of a dense haze a temperature inversion is found to exist close to the ground.

Wang, W.-C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Infrared band absorptance correlations and applications to nongray radiation

Various mathematical models for infrared radiation absorption spectra for atmospheric gases are reviewed, and continuous correlations for the total absorptance of a wide band are presented. Different band absorptance correlations were employed in two physically realistic problems (radiative transfer in gases with internal heat source, and heat transfer in laminar flow of absorbing-emitting gases between parallel plates) to study their influence on final radiative transfer results. This information will be applied to the study of atmospheric pollutants by infrared radiation measurement.

Tiwari, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Modelling of Laser-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Research is directed at development of a detailed model of mass and heat transfer and chemical reaction in the pyrolysis of silane for the growth of thin amorphous silicon substrates incorporating laser heating of the gas phase above the film. The model will be the basis for evaluation of the relative importances of the decomposition of SiH4 in the vapor phase, mass transfer of the intermediate species, e.g., SiH2, and the evolution of hydrogen gas. Plans are also underway for developing a model for homogeneous nucleation of Si in the vapor phase to model the rate limitations observed at high gas-phase temperatures and high partial pressures of silane. Work was concentrated on an almost one-dimensional model for the coupling of the CO2 laser beam for heat transfer of the vapor phase with simple kinetic models for SiH4 decomposition and subsequent absorption of Si vapor on the substrate. Mass transfer in the vapor phase is assumed to be solely by diffusion. The role of convection in the vapor phase caused by the large changes in density in and around the center of the laser beam will be analyzed to evaluate the potential of microgravity experiments for increasing the uniformity of the film and the deposition rate.

Brown, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Visible and Infrared Radiative Relationships as Measured by Satellite and Lidar

The impact of cirrus clouds on the heat balance of the Earth is dependent on their reflectivity of solar radiation and their absorptivity of terrestrial radiation. Any prediction of cloud cover changes that accompany climate change will have to know whether the visible/IR radiative characteristics of the clouds will also change. Few measurements of cirrus clouds have been made where both visible and IR data were collected simultaneously. To obtain the visible optical depths of cirrus clouds, the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) and the Volume Imaging Lidar (VIL) were used. The VIL produced visible backscatter images of the clouds by scanning across the wind. Time advection was used to construct a horizontal image of visible backscatter from the VIL data. The HSRL was used to calibrate the VIL signal into backscatter cross sections of particulates.

Wylie, Donald↗
NASA NTRS1998

Numerical Modeling of Physical Vapor Transport in Contactless Crystal Growth Geometry

Growth from the vapor under conditions of limited contact with the walls of the growth ampoule is beneficial for the quality of the growing crystal due to reduced stress and contamination which may be caused by interactions with the growth container. The technique may be of a particular interest for studies on crystal growth under microgravity conditions: elimination of some factors affecting the crystal quality may make interpretation of space-conducted processes more conclusive and meaningful. For that reason, and as a part of our continuing studies on 'contactless' growth technique, we have developed a computational model of crystal growth process in such system. The theoretical model was built, and simulations were performed using the commercial computational fluid dynamics code, (CFD) ACE. The code uses an implicit finite volume formulation with a gray discrete ordinate method radiation model which accounts for the diffuse absorption and reflection of radiation throughout the furnace. The three-dimensional model computes the heat transfer through the crystal, quartz, and gas both inside and outside the ampoule, and mass transport from the source to the crystal and the sink. The heat transport mechanisms by conduction, natural convection, and radiation, and mass transport by diffusion and convection are modeled simultaneously and include the heat of the phase transition at the solid-vapor interfaces. As the thermal boundary condition, temperature profile along the walls of the furnace is used. For different thermal profiles and furnace and ampoule dimensions, the crystal growth rate and development of the crystal-vapor and source-vapor interfaces (change of the interface shape and location with time) are obtained. Super/under-saturation in the ampoule is determined and critical factors determining the 'contactless' growth conditions are identified and discussed. The relative importance of the ampoule dimensions and geometry, the furnace dimensions and its temperature, and the properties of the grown material are analyzed. The results of the simulations are compared with related experimental results on growth of CdTe, CdZnTe, ZnTe, PbTe, and PbSnTe crystals by this technique.

Palosz, W.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Microreactor System Design for a NASA In Situ Propellant Production Plant on Mars

The NASA In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) program is planning near-term missions to Mars that will include chemical processes for converting the carbon dioxide (CO2) and possibly water from the Martian environment to propellants, oxygen, and other useful chemicals. The use of indigenous resources reduces the size and weight of the payloads from Earth significantly, representing enormous cost savings that make human exploration of Mars affordable. Extraterrestrial chemical processing plants will need to be compact, lightweight, highly efficient under reduced gravity, and extraordinarily reliable for long periods. Microchemical and thermal systems represent capability for dramatic reduction in size and weight, while offering high reliability through massive parallelization. In situ propellant production (ISPP), one aspect of the ISRU program, involves collecting and pressurizing atmospheric CO2, conversion reactions, chemical separations, heat exchangers, and cryogenic storage. A preliminary system design of an ISPP plant based on microtechnology has demonstrated significant size, weight, and energy efficiency gains over the current NASA baseline. Energy management is a strong driver for Mars-based processes, not only because energy is a scarce resource, but because heat rejection is problematic; the low pressure environment makes convective heat transfer ineffective. Energy efficiency gains are largely achieved in the microchemical plant through extensive heat recuperation and energy cascading, which has a small size and weight penalty because the added micro heat exchangers are small. This leads to additional size and weight gains by reducing the required area of waste heat radiators. The microtechnology-based ISPP plant is described in detail, including aspects of pinch analysis for optimizing the heat exchanger network. Three options for thermochemical compression Of CO2 from the Martian atmosphere, adsorption, absorption, and cryogenic freezing, are presented, as well as three options for water decomposition, low temperature electrolysis, high temperature electrolysis, and thermochemical decomposition. Other elements of the plant include Sabatier and reverse water gas shift reactors, water recovery, chemical separations, and cryogenic storage. Data are presented supporting preliminary sizing of components, and results of the system design are compared to the existing NASA baseline that is based on conventional technologies.

TeGrotenhuis, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Thermal Regeneration of Sulfuric Acid Hydrates after Irradiation

In an attempt to more completely understand the surface chemistry of the jovian icy satellites, we have investigated the effect of heating on two irradiated crystalline sulfuric acid hydrates, H2SO4 4H2O and H2SO4 H2O. At temperatures relevant to Europa and the warmer jovian satellites, post-irradiation heating recrystallized the amorphized samples and increased the intensities of the remaining hydrate's infrared absorptions. This thermal regeneration of the original hydrates was nearly 100% efficient, indicating that over geological times, thermally-induced phase transitions enhanced by temperature fluctuations will reform a large fraction of crystalline hydrated sulfuric acid that is destroyed by radiation processing. The work described is the first demonstration of the competition between radiation-induced amorphization and thermally-induced recrystallization in icy ionic solids relevant to the outer Solar System.

Loeffler, Mark J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cold Ocean Planets: Exoplanet Analogs of Our Solar System’s Icy Moons?

We have calculated total internal heating rates and depths to possible subsurface oceans for 17 planets that were previously characterized as rocky worlds but that are best described as Cold Ocean Planets. These low-mass exoplanets have equilibrium surface temperatures and/or densities that are consistent with icy surfaces and a substantial H2O content. While all planets in our study are likely to be covered in ice, estimated internal heating rates from tidal and radiogenic sources are large enough that they may harbor internal oceans and exhibit explosive cryovolcanism in the form of geyser-like plumes at their surfaces. Several of the icy moons in our solar system may thus serve as small-scale analogs of the Cold Ocean Planets in our study. We find that geological activity rates on these worlds are likely to exceed geological activity rates on Jupiter’s moon Europa and that several planets are likely to experience enhanced geological activity that exceeds that on Io. Owing to these planets’ thin ice shells, their expected high rates of internal heating, and their potential for tidally-induced explosive cryovolcanism, the identification of water vapor absorption features, especially given the expected time-variability of water vapor output during eruptions, could allow for the detection of geyser-like plumes on Trappist-1f, Proxima Cen b, and LHS 1140 b. Our study suggests that Cold Ocean Planets are habitable worlds at which the detection of explosive cryovolcanism could serve as indirect evidence of the presence of oceans beneath a layer of surface ice. Analyses of observational data from next-generation space telescopes and upcoming ground-based extremely large telescopes, and designs for future telescopic missions, should be undertaken with these results in mind.

Lynnae C Quick↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bladed solar thermal receivers for concentrating solar power

A bladed solar thermal receiver for absorbing concentrated sunlight is disclosed. The receiver includes a plurality of panels arranged in a bladed configuration for absorbing sunlight. The bladed configurations can be radial or planar. The receiver design increases the effective solar absorptance and efficiency by providing a light trap for the incident solar radiation while reducing heat losses from radiation and convection.

Ho, Clifford K.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Measuring Moisture Levels in Graphite Epoxy Composite Sandwich Structures

Graphite epoxy composite (GEC) materials are used in the construction of rocket fairings, nose cones, interstage adapters, and heat shields due to their high strength and light weight. However, they absorb moisture depending on the environmental conditions they are exposed to prior to launch. Too much moisture absorption can become a problem when temperature and pressure changes experienced during launch cause the water to vaporize. The rapid state change of the water can result in structural failure of the material. In addition, heat and moisture combine to weaken GEC structures. Diffusion models that predict the total accumulated moisture content based on the environmental conditions are one accepted method of determining if the material strength has been reduced to an unacceptable level. However, there currently doesn t exist any field measurement technique to estimate the actual moisture content of a composite structure. A multi-layer diffusion model was constructed with Mathematica to predict moisture absorption and desorption from the GEC sandwich structure. This model is used in conjunction with relative humidity/temperature sensors both on the inside and outside of the material to determine the moisture levels in the structure. Because the core materials have much higher diffusivity than the face sheets, a single relative humidity measurement will accurately reflect the moisture levels in the core. When combined with an external relative humidity measurement, the model can be used to determine the moisture levels in the face sheets. Since diffusion is temperaturedependent, the temperature measurements are used to determine the diffusivity of the face sheets for the model computations.

Nurge, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1991

The orbital ephemeris and eclipse transitions of the low-mass X-ray binary EXO 0748 - 676

Using the eclipses as fiducial markers, an updated ephemeris for EXO 0748 - 676 is derived and evidence is found that between February 1985 and March 1989 the 3.82-h orbital period of EXO 0748 - 676 decreased with a time scale of -5 x 10 to the 6th yr. The sense of this change is the same as that predicted by simple models for the evolution of low-mass X-ray binaries containing main-sequence companions, but is a factor about 100 faster than expected. This rapid change in orbital period could result from the expansion of the companion due to the effects of X-ray heating. The eclipse transition durations are variable, with the shortest observed taking 1.5 s and the longest 40 s. This latter figure is about an order of magnitude too large to be due to absorption effects in the atmosphere of the secondary assuming a Roche geometry and likely stellar temperature. Either flaring activity or the presence of an X-ray heated evaporative wind or a corona may enhance the scale height of the companion's atmosphere producing the extended eclipse transitions.

Parmar, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Heat, Moisture and Chemical Resistant Polyimide Compositions and Methods for Making and Using Them

Polyimides having a desired combination of high thermo-oxidative stability, low moisture absorption and excellent chemical and corrosion resistance are prepared by reacting a mixture of compounds including (a) 3,3',4,4'- benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), (b) 3,4'- oxydianiline (3,4'-ODA), and (c) 5-norbornene-2,3- dicarboxylic anhydride (NA) in a high boiling, aprotic solvent to give 5 to 35% by weight of polyamic acid solution. The ratio of (a), (b), and (c) is selected to afford a family of polyimides having different molecular weights and properties. The mixture first forms a polyamic acid precursor. Upon heating at or above 300 C, the polyamic acids form polyimides, which are particularly suitable for use as a high temperature coating, adhesive, thin film, or composite matrix resin.

Ruth H Pater↗
NASA NTRS1978

Solar heating of the Martian dusty atmosphere

This paper examines the solar heating of the Martian atmosphere during the 1971 global dust storm observed by Mariner 9. Radiative scattering as well as absorption is included by utilizing the delta-Eddington approximation to the full radiative transfer equation. The necessary optical parameters are generated by a Mie program which uses a size distribution and a complex refractive index inferred from a number of sources, particularly from recent analyses of Mariner 9 UVS and TV observations. When uniform mixing of the dust is assumed, the solar heating per unit mass during a Martian global dust storm is remarkably uniform with height for small solar zenith angles. Heating rates may reach 80 K/day for overhead sunlight. Overall, 20% of the direct insolation is absorbed by the dust-laden atmosphere. Even optically thin widespread dust hazes may produce heating rates of several degrees Kelvin per day.

Zurek, R. W.↗