Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “cryogenic engineering”

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 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

In-Space Chemical Propulsion Systems Roadmap

In-space propulsion begins where the launch vehicle upper stage leaves off, performing the functions of primary propulsion, reaction control, station keeping, precision pointing, and orbital maneuvering. The main engines used in space provide the primary propulsive force for orbit transfer, planetary trajectories and extra planetary landing and ascent. The reaction control and orbital maneuvering systems provide the propulsive force for orbit maintenance, position control, station keeping, and spacecraft attitude control. Advanced in-space propulsion technologies will enable much more effective exploration of our Solar System and will permit mission designers to plan missions to "fly anytime, anywhere, and complete a host of science objectives at the destinations" with greater reliability and safety. With wide range of possible missions and candidate propulsion technologies, the question of which technologies are "best" for future missions is a difficult one. A portfolio of propulsion technologies should be developed to provide optimum solutions for a diverse set of missions and destinations. A large fraction of the rocket engines in use today are chemical rockets; that is, they obtain the energy needed to generate thrust by chemical reactions to create a hot gas that is expanded to produce thrust. A significant limitation of chemical propulsion is that it has a relatively low specific impulse (Is, or thrust per mass flow rate of propellant). A significant improvement (>30%) in Is can be obtained by using cryogenic propellants, such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, for example. Historically, these propellants have not been applied beyond upper stages.

Oxidizers↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space shuttle electrical power generation and reactant supply system

The design philosophy and development experience of fuel cell power generation and cryogenic reactant supply systems are reviewed, beginning with the state of technology at the conclusion of the Apollo Program. Technology advancements span a period of 10 years from initial definition phase to the most recent space transportation system (STS) flights. The development program encompassed prototype, verification, and qualification hardware, as well as post-STS-1 design improvements. Focus is on the problems encountered, the scientific and engineering approaches employed to meet the technological challenges, and the results obtained. Major technology barriers are discussed, and the evolving technology development paths are traced from their conceptual beginnings to the fully man-rated systems which are now an integral part of the shuttle vehicle.

Simon, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Upper Stage Tank Thermodynamic Modeling Using SINDA/FLUINT

Modeling to predict the condition of cryogenic propellants in an upper stage of a launch vehicle is necessary for mission planning and successful execution. Traditionally, this effort was performed using custom, in-house proprietary codes, limiting accessibility and application. Phenomena responsible for influencing the thermodynamic state of the propellant have been characterized as distinct events whose sequence defines a mission. These events include thermal stratification, passive thermal control roll (rotation), slosh, and engine firing. This paper demonstrates the use of an off the shelf, commercially available, thermal/fluid-network code to predict the thermodynamic state of propellant during the coast phase between engine firings, i.e. the first three of the above identified events. Results of this effort will also be presented.

Schallhorn, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2015

Low Cost Upper Stage-Class Propulsion (LCUSP)

NASA is making space exploration more affordable and viable by developing and utilizing innovative manufacturing technologies. Technology development efforts at NASA in propulsion are committed to continuous innovation of design and manufacturing technologies for rocket engines in order to reduce the cost of NASA's journey to Mars. The Low Cost Upper Stage-Class Propulsion (LCUSP) effort will develop and utilize emerging Additive Manufacturing (AM) to significantly reduce the development time and cost for complex rocket propulsion hardware. Benefit of Additive Manufacturing (3-D Printing) Current rocket propulsion manufacturing techniques are costly and have lengthy development times. In order to fabricate rocket engines, numerous complex parts made of different materials are assembled in a way that allow the propellant to collect heat at the right places to drive the turbopump and simultaneously keep the thrust chamber from melting. The heat conditioned fuel and oxidizer come together and burn inside the combustion chamber to provide thrust. The efforts to make multiple parts precisely fit together and not leak after experiencing cryogenic temperatures on one-side and combustion temperatures on the other is quite challenging. Additive manufacturing has the potential to significantly reduce the time and cost of making rocket parts like the copper liner and Nickel-alloy jackets found in rocket combustion chambers where super-cold cryogenic propellants are heated and mixed to the extreme temperatures needed to propel rockets in space. The Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machine fuses 8,255 layers of copper powder to make a section of the chamber in 10 days. Machining an equivalent part and assembling it with welding and brazing techniques could take months to accomplish with potential failures or leaks that could require fixes. The design process is also enhanced since it does not require the 3D model to be converted to 2-D drawings. The design and fabrication process can be sped up and improved with fewer errors to be accomplished in weeks instead of months.

Vickers, John↗
NASA NTRS2005

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2005

Topics covered include: Apparatus Characterizes Transient Voltages in Real Time; Measuring Humidity in Sealed Glass Encasements; Adaptable System for Vehicle Health and Usage Monitoring; Miniature Focusing Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer; Cryogenic High-Sensitivity Magnetometer; Wheel Electrometer System; Carbon-Nanotube Conductive Layers for Thin-Film Solar Cells; Patch Antenna Fed via Unequal-Crossed-Arm Aperture; LC Circuits for Diagnosing Embedded Piezoelectric Devices; Nanowire Thermoelectric Devices; Code for Analyzing and Designing Spacecraft Power System Radiators; Decision Support for Emergency Operations Centers; NASA Records Database; Real-Time Principal- Component Analysis; Fuzzy/Neural Software Estimates Costs of Rocket- Engine Tests; Multicomponent, Rare-Earth-Doped Thermal-Barrier Coatings; Reactive Additives for Phenylethynyl-Containing Resins; Improved Gear Shapes for Face Worm Gear Drives; Alternative Way of Shifting Mass to Move a Spherical Robot; Parylene C as a Sacrificial Material for Microfabrication; In Situ Electrochemical Deposition of Microscopic Wires; Improved Method of Manufacturing SiC Devices; Microwave Treatment of Prostate Cancer and Hyperplasia; Ferroelectric Devices Emit Charged Particles and Radiation; Dusty-Plasma Particle Accelerator; Frozen-Plug Technique for Liquid-Oxygen Plumbing; Shock Waves in a Bose-Einstein Condensate; Progress on a Multichannel, Dual-Mixer Stability Analyzer; Development of Carbon- Nanotube/Polymer Composites; Thermal Imaging of Earth for Accurate Pointing of Deep-Space Antennas; Modifications of a Composite-Material Combustion Chamber; Modeling and Diagnostic Software for Liquefying- Fuel Rockets; and Spacecraft Antenna Clusters for High EIRP.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2024

THERMAL STRUCTURAL AND SHOCK EVENT EVALUATIONS OF THE FUELING PELLET INJECTION SYSTEM FOR ITER

The US is among seven partner nations in a collaborative effort to design, build, and demonstrate fusion’s ability to be a large-scale carbon free energy source. Each country has its own Domestic Agencies (DA) that contribute directly to the ITER project. US ITER, which is a DOE Office of Science project managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is developing world class engineering solutions to the design, construction, and assembly of the burning plasma experiment that can demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion. US ITER’s scope includes completing the preliminary and final design, qualifying materials and processes for manufacture and testing, executing manufacturing, and delivering the Fueling Pellet Injection System (FPIS) to the ITER site for assembly. The US-ITER FPIS system is designed to inject cryogenically frozen pellets of deuterium-tritium (D-T) into the plasma. The FPIS has two main functions: 1. Provide a steady supply of deuterium and tritium fuel, 2. Mitigating the impact of edge localized modes on the plasma facing components. The FPIS will have the capability to reside in three port cells within a tritium second barrier containment cask. Each pellet cask contains three flight tubes linking with penetrations on the torus cryopump housing and vacuum vessel (VV): two for the magnetic high field side (HFS) pellet injection and one for the magnetic low field side (LFS) pellet injection. This paper presents results of the thermal-structural analyses of the FPIS flight tube structural components when subjected to various loads such as electromagnetic (EM) loads, nuclear heating, seismic, and operational, and dynamic shock events. The resulting temperatures and stresses under combined conditions have been found to satisfy the design criteria to ensure safe and reliable operation of the FPIS flight tubes within the vacuum vessel.

Martinez, Oscar↗
DOE OSTI2026

LBNF/DUNE Liquid Argon Roadmap

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is an international flagship venture to unlock the mysteries of neutrinos. Hosted at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) and supported by the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF), DUNE relies on nearly 75,000 tonnes of ultrapure liquid argon (LAr) housed in state-of-the-art cryostats. Transporting such vast quantities of LAr to its destination a mile underground in Lead, SD, is a logistical and engineering challenge. The process begins with securing large quantities of liquid argon from suppliers located far from the site, with major sources situated near Houston, TX and Chicago, IL. The receiving facility, located atop a mountain with steep, often snow-covered access roads, provides limited maneuverability for trucks and can only handle two deliveries simultaneously. The facility serves as an entry point for argon to the greater LBNF cryogenic system. It is furnished with truck unloading stations, limited buffer storage of some 280 tonnes capacity, and vaporizers. The last are crucial for converting liquid argon into gas for transfer down the Ross Shaft, eliminating the need for cryogens in the vertical pipeline. These constraints, along with other operational factors, cap the delivery rate at 70 tonnes per day. Once underground, the argon is purified and recondensed before filling the cryostats. This roadmap outlines the integrated supply chain and cryogenic systems that enable the delivery of LAr to support DUNE’s groundbreaking physics research.

Maciazka, Matt [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2023

Knowledge-Informed Uncertainty-Aware Machine Learning for Time Series Forecasting of Dynamical Engineered Systems

The high complexity and multiscale nature of many engineered systems—such as those in nuclear power plants—make representing and forecasting their dynamic behavior challenging. Physics-based models can be overly complex and computationally intractable, whereas machine learning (ML) tools are often data-hungry and prone to unphysical solutions. This study proposes a knowledge-informed ML-aided hybrid residual modeling approach that offers accurate and efficient time series forecasting for the operation of dynamical engineered systems. Hybrid residual modeling entails a baseline solution from domain knowledge and known physics expressions about the system dynamics integrated with an ML model to capture undiscovered information from the mismatch (i.e., residuals) between true states from measurements and baseline-predicted outputs. This study further quantifies the ML model uncertainty to provide trustworthy solutions. Real-time operational data from thermal-hydraulic flow loops of the cryogenic moderator system in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source facility were used to demonstrate the potential of knowledge-informed uncertainty-aware ML in real-world applications. The state variables of the cryogenic helium loop were modeled with (1) first principles–based system identification (sysID), (2) long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network, and (3) hybrid sysID (baseline) + LSTM (residual). The superior predictive capability of the sysID+LSTM model versus stand-alone sysID and LSTM is confirmed by average performance metrics and individual data points across different prediction horizons. By creating a robust representation of the underlying physical system, the widely applicable hybrid residual modeling approach will enable the future development of digital twins for performance prediction, prognostics, and operation control.

Zhao, Xingang↗
NASA NTRS2008

Propulsion and Cryogenics Advanced Development (PCAD) Project Propulsion Technologies for the Lunar Lander

The Propulsion and Cryogenics Advanced Development (PCAD) Project in the Exploration Technology Development Program is developing technologies as risk mitigation for Orion and the Lunar Lander. An integrated main and reaction control propulsion system has been identified as a candidate for the Lunar Lander Ascent Module. The propellants used in this integrated system are Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Methane (LCH4) propellants. A deep throttle pump fed Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) engine system has been identified for the Lunar Lander Descent Vehicle. The propellant combination and architecture of these propulsion systems are novel and would require risk reduction prior to detailed design and development. The PCAD Project addresses the technology requirements to obtain relevant and necessary test data to further the technology maturity of propulsion hardware utilizing these propellants. This plan and achievements to date will be presented.

Klem, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Extraterrestrial resource utilization for economy in space missions

The NASA/University of Arizona Space Engineering Research Center is dedicated to research on the discovery, characterization, mapping, beneficiation, extraction, processing, and fabrication of useful products from extraterrestrial material. Schemes for the automated production of low-technology products that are likely to be desired in large quantities in the early stages of any large-scale space activity are identified and developed. This paper summarizes the research program, concentrating upon the production of (1) propellants, both cryogenic and storable, (2) volatiles such as water, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide for use in life-support systems (3) structural metals, and (4) refractories for use in aerobrakes and furnace linings.

Lewis, J. S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

National Ignition Facility. Facility and Infrastructure Systems Maintenance Plan

Ensuring the reliability of the NIF, including its support systems, laser systems, target diagnostic systems, and utilities, is essential to the availability of the NIF in its support of NNSA missions. NIF is a key capability in the DOE Stockpile Stewardship Program and supports high energy physics experiments for nuclear weapons, energy, and astrophysics applications. High system reliability provides opportunities for shots and scientific discoveries with opportunities to enhance and upgrade capabilities. This Maintenance Plan (MP) identifies the policies and procedures used to perform and support asset management of the NIF Facility and Infrastructure Systems (FInS), NIF Lasers & Alignment (LASE), NIF Target Experimental Operations (TOPS), NIF Target Area Science and Engineering (TASE), and NIF&PS Control Systems (NCS). The FInS systems include the facility, HVAC, contamination control, beampath, and Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) as well as utilities which create the beampath environments, such as vacuum, argon, or clean dry air. The LASE systems are Programmatic systems which include laser diagnostics, alignment, power conditioning, pulsed power, and input laser systems. The TOPS and TASE systems are also Programmatic systems which include target and diagnostic delivery systems and positioners, many different insertable and fixed target diagnostics, and cryogenic and target gas fill systems. Finally, the NCS systems include both software and hardware for industrial and shot operation control systems. Policies governing administrative and operational practices related to maintenance of FInS, LASE, TOPS, TASE, and NCS systems are described in this plan. In addition, the plan provides processes and procedures for managing, tracking, and documenting the work. This document, the NIF Operations Management Plan, NIF-5020544 (Ref. 1), and NIF Shot Operations Plan, NIF-5018506 (Ref. 2), together satisfy the requirements of the Conduct of Operations. Duties, responsibilities, and reporting requirements of the various positions associated with FInS, LASE, and TOPS maintenance are detailed in this plan. The FInS systems include both Real Property systems with asset management requirements specified in DOE Order 430.1C (Ref. 3) and Programmatic systems. In addition, for FInS, there is a list of the System Level Maintenance Plans (SLMPs) in NIF-1007419198 (Ref. 4) which provide the system descriptions and maintenance plan and schedule. In addition, the list includes the Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Experience Centered Maintenance (ECM) evaluations that have been performed for applicable FInS systems as well as reliability criticality per Section 3.5. The -AM version of the NIF Maintenance Plan focuses on the reliability program for FInS, LASE, TOPS, TASE, and NCS within the context of the overall NIF Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) program and incorporates changes since the -AL version from August 2011 and has been updated to be fully consistent with the updates to Ref. 1. It also includes asset management considerations, updates to the Work Order (WO) process within the NIF Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) which is EAM infor® System Maintenance and Reliability Tracking (SMaRT) (Ref. 5), and updates to metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1986

Current wind tunnel capability and planned improvements at the NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Langley's major wing wind tunnels and the projected facilities planned to be completed by 1988 are presented. Special capabilities, uses, and the improvements done during the Langley's tunnel revitalization program are described for the following facilities: (1) the 30 x 60-ft subsonic tunnel, (2) the 4 x 7-m low-speed testing tunnel, (3) the Low-Turbulence Tunnel, (4) the Spin Tunnel, (5) the National Transonic Pressure Tunnel, (6) Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel, (7) the National Transonic Facility, (8) the 16-ft Transonic Tunnel, (9) the Transonic Dynamic Tunnel, (10) the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, and (11) a new 20-inch supersonic wind tunnel which is currently undergoing final checkout. The design concept of an extremely-low disturbance level supersonic tunnel, the upgrading plans for the hypersonic aerothermal complex, and the present and planned capabilities for testing the hydrogen-fueled Scramjet engines are also presented. In addition, uses of inexpensive simple-to-operate research wind tunnels are discussed. Tunnel diagrams and graphs of upgrade results are included.

Bower, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2020

A Review of In-Space Propellant Transfer Capabilities and Challenges for Missions Involving Propellant Resupply

This paper captures and transfers knowledge of in-space propellant transfer accomplishments and communicate the remaining challenges to a new generation of NASA engineers as multiple NASA programs and centers have worked related and applicable efforts. The Propulsion Technical Discipline Team (TDT) established a plan to draft this paper as an effort to help engineers and decision makers recognize and access the various islands of experience that have formed within the agency as different NASA directorates and projects have embraced the challenges associated with propellant transfer.

Propellant Transfer↗
DOE OSTI2022

Strong and ductile FeNiCoAl-based high-entropy alloys for cryogenic to elevated temperature multifunctional applications

The highly tunable properties of multi-principal element alloys, commonly known as high-entropy alloys (HEAs), provide a remarkable potential for the development of superior materials for critical structural applications that involve extreme conditions. However, the optimization of the properties of HEAs has been primarily limited to behavior at either low or high temperatures. We report on a non-equiatomic, heterostructured, high-entropy alloy FeNiCoAlTaB which possesses remarkable combinations of mechanical properties across a wide range of temperatures from 77 K to 1073 K. The current metastable alloy presents good ductility and superior engineering tensile strengths of 2.2 GPa, 1.4 GPa, 800 MPa, and 500 MPa at 77 K, 298 K, 873 K, and 1073 K, respectively. This behavior is achieved by a synergic sequence of individual mechanisms that are activated at different temperatures. The alloy even displays pseudoelasticity at 77 K with an applied load up to 2 GPa. This work provides a methodology for tailoring structural heterogeneity and metastability in the design and fabrication of multifunctional HEAs that will outperform known metals and alloys over a wide range of temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2010

Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Component Technology Development at MSFC

The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) has identified Liquid Oxygen (LOX)/Liquid Methane (LCH4) as a potential propellant combination for future space vehicles based upon exploration studies. The technology is estimated to have higher performance and lower overall systems mass compared to existing hypergolic propulsion systems. Besides existing in-house risk reduction activities, NASA has solicited from industry their participation on component technologies based on the potential application to the lunar ascent main engine (AME). Contracted and NASA efforts have ranged from valve technologies to engine system testbeds. The application for the AME is anticipated to be an expendable, pressure-fed engine for ascent from the moon at completion of its lunar stay. Additionally, the hardware is expected to provide an abort capability prior to landing, in the event that descent systems malfunction. For the past 4 years, MSFC has been working with the Glenn Research Center and the Johnson Space Center on methane technology development. This paper will focus on efforts specific to MSFC in pursuing ignition, injector performance, chamber material assessments and cryogenic valve technologies. Ignition studies have examined characteristics for torch, spark and microwave systems. Injector testing has yielded insight into combustion performance for shear, swirl and impinging type injectors. The majority of chamber testing has been conducted with ablative and radiatively cooled chambers with planned activities for regenerative and transpiration cooled chambers. Lastly, an effort is underway to examine the long duration exposure issues of cryogenic valve internal components. The paper will summarize the status of these efforts.

Robinson, Joel W.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hydrogen Risk Assessment Models (HyRAM) (V.3.1) (Technical Reference Manual)

The HyRAM software toolkit provides a basis for conducting quantitative risk assessment and consequence modeling for hydrogen infrastructure and transportation systems. HyRAM is designed to facilitate the use of state-of-the-art science and engineering models to conduct robust, repeatable assessments of hydrogen safety, hazards, and risk. HyRAM includes generic probabilities for hydrogen equipment failures, probabilistic models for the impact of heat flux on humans and structures, and experimentally validated first-order models of hydrogen release and flame physics. HyRAM integrates deterministic and probabilistic models for quantifying accident scenarios, predicting physical effects, and characterizing hydrogen hazards (thermal effects from jet res, overpressure effects from deflagrations), and assessing impact on people and structures. HyRAM is developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy to increase access to technical data about hydrogen safety and to enable the use of that data to support development and revision of national and international codes and standards. HyRAM is a research software in active development and thus the models and data may change. This report will be updated at appropriate developmental intervals. This document provides a description of the methodology and models contained in HyRAM version 3.1. There have been several impactful updates since version 3.0. HyRAM 3.1 contains a correction to use the volume fraction for two-phase speed of sound calculations; this only affects cryogenic releases in which two-phase ow (vapor and liquid) is predicted in the orifice. Other changes include clarifications that inputs for tank pressure should be given in absolute pressure, not gauge pressure. Additionally, the interface now rejects invalid inputs to probability distributions, and the less accurate single-point radiative source model selection was removed from the interface.

08 HYDROGEN↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evaluation of seals for high-performance cryogenic turbomachines

An approach to computing flow and dynamic characteristics for seals or bearings is discussed. The local average velocity was strongly influenced by inlet and exit effects and fluid injection, which in turn drove zones of secondary flow. For the restricted three-dimensional model considered, the integral averaged results were in reasonable agreement with selected data. Unidirectional pressure measurements alone were insufficient to define such flow variations. However, for seal and bearing leakage correlations the principles of corresponding states were found to be useful. Also discussed are three phenomena encountered during testing of three eccentric nonrotating seal configurations for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Program. Fluid injection, choking within a seal, and pressure profile crossover are related to postulated zones of secondary flow or separation and to direct stiffness.

Hendricks, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Research and technology

As the NASA center responsible for assembly, checkout, servicing, launch, recovery, and operational support of Space Transportation System elements and payloads, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is placing increasing emphasis on KSC's research and technology program. In addition to strengthening those areas of engineering and operations technology that contribute to safer, more efficient, and more economical execution of the current mission, the technological tools needed to execute KSC's mission relative to future programs are being developed. The Engineering Development Directorate encompasses most of the laboratories and other KSC resources that are key elements of research and technology program implementation and is responsible for implementation of the majority of the projects in this KSC 1990 annual report. Projects under the following topics are covered: (1) materials science; (2) hazardous emissions and contamination monitoring; (3) biosciences; (4) autonomous systems; (5) communications and control; (6) meteorology; (7) technology utilization; and (8) mechanics, structures, and cryogenics.

Source record↗