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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Light Weight Ceramic Ablators for Mars Follow-on Mission Vehicle Thermal Protection System

New Light Weight Ceramic Ablators (LCA) were produced by using ceramic and carbon fibrous substrates, impregnated with silicone and phenolic resins. The special infiltration techniques (patent pending) were developed to control the amount of organic resins in the highly porous fiber matrices so that the final densities of LCA's range from 0.22 to 0.24 g/cc. This paper presents the thermal and ablative performance of the Silicone Impregnated Reusable Ceramic Ablators (SIRCA) in simulated entry conditions for Mars-Pathfinder in the Ames 60 MW Interaction Heating Facility (I HF). Arc jet test results yielded no evidence of char erosion and mass loss at high stagnation pressures to 0.25 atm. Minimal silica melt was detected on surface char at a stagnation pressure of 0.31 atm. Four ceramic substrates were used in the production of SIRCA's to obtain the effective of boron oxide present in substrate so the thermal performance of SIRCA's. A sample of SIRCA was also exposed to the same heating condition for five cycles and no significant mass loss or recession was observed. Tensile testing established that the SIRCA tensile strength is about a factor of two higher than that of the virgin substrates. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) of the char in nitrogen and air showed no evidence of free carbon in the char. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the post test sample showed that the char surface consists of a fibrous structure that was sealed with a thin layer of silicon oxide melt.

Tran, Huy K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Silicon carbide filaments - Microstructure

The microstructure of chemically vapor deposited silicon carbide filaments has been examined using transmission electron microscopy. The filament bulk consisted of heavily faulted columnar subgrains of beta-SiC which were preferentially oriented such that 1 1 1 planes were parallel to the surface of the carbon fiber substrate. The protective coating on the filament surface was characterized by several microstructurally distinct layers, all of which consisted primarily of carbon. The first layers of the coating contained small crystallites of SiC in addition to turbostratic carbon, while the outer layers showed no evidence of SiC. Implications of the filament microstructure with respect to mechanical properties are discussed.

Nutt, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Melt-Crucible Wetting Behavior in Semiconductor Melt Growth Systems

The wetting angles of several semiconductor-substrate combinations that are of practical importance for crystal growth have been measured: Ga-GaSb-Sb on fused quartz; Ge on fused quartz and carbon-based substrates, each with different roughness; Si on fused quartz plates and on plates coated with fused quartz, Si3N4, and BN powders. The Ga-GaSb-Sb system showed no significant dependence of the wetting angle on the composition despite a large composition dependence of the surface tension. For Ge, the effect of the roughness on the angle could initially be seen on both types of substrates, but for the fused quartz substrates an equilibrium value independent of the surface treatment was reached after several hours of contact time. For Si, total wetting was found for Si3N4 powders. A reduction of the angle over time was found for both fused quartz and BN powders, with the BN powder showing the highest angle at 150-120 deg.

Croell, A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A test for interfacial effects and stress transfer in ceramic matrix composites

The efforts to fabricate single embedded filament specimens of carbon and SiC fibers were unsuccessful largely due to the thermal stresses resulting from differences in thermal coefficient of expansion. Other factors appear to have been involved including embrittlement of the metal substrate by the H2 gas in the chemical vapor deposition flow stream and reaction layers formed between the silicon carbide and the metal substrate. The carbon fiber may have been attacked by the CVD reactant. It is concluded that these differential stresses are so large as to make the embedded fiber test impractical for the study of interphase effects and stress transfer in fiber ceramic matrix systems.

Bascom, Willard D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Large diameter carbon-boron fiber

Investigations concerned with a development of large-diameter carbon fibers are considered, taking into account the employment of vapor deposition techniques. In the experiments a carbon monofilament substrate is used together with reacting gases which consist of combinations of hydrogen, methane, and boron trichloride. It is found that the described approach can be used to obtain a large-diameter carbon filament containing boron. The filament has reasonable strength and modulus properties.

Veltri, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Carbon Nanotube Microarrays Grown on Nanoflake Substrates

This innovation consists of a new composition of matter where single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are grown in aligned arrays from nanostructured flakes that are coated in Fe catalyst. This method of growth of aligned SWNTs, which can yield well over 400 percent SWNT mass per unit substrate mass, exceeds current yields for entangled SWNT growth. In addition, processing can be performed with minimal wet etching treatments, leaving aligned SWNTs with superior properties over those that exist in entangled mats. The alignment of the nanotubes is similar to that achieved in vertically aligned nanotubes, which are called "carpets. " Because these flakes are grown in a state where they are airborne in a reactor, these flakes, after growing SWNTs, are termed "flying carpets. " These flakes are created in a roll-to-roll evaporator system, where three subsequent evaporations are performed on a 100-ft (approx. =30-m) roll of Mylar. The first layer is composed of a water-soluble "release layer, " which can be a material such as NaCl. After depositing NaCl, the second layer involves 40 nm of supporting layer material . either Al2O3 or MgO. The thickness of the layer can be tuned to synthesize flakes that are larger or smaller than those obtained with a 40-nm deposition. Finally, the third layer consists of a thin Fe catalyst layer with a thickness of 0.5 nm. The thickness of this layer ultimately determines the diameter of SWNT growth, and a layer that is too thick will result in the growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes instead of single-wall nanotubes. However, between a thickness of 0.5 nm to 1 nm, single-walled carbon nanotubes are known to be the primary constituent. After this three-layer deposition process, the Mylar is rolled through a bath of water, which allows catalyst-coated flakes to detach from the Mylar. The flakes are then collected and dried. The method described here for making such flakes is analogous to that which is used to make birefringent ink that is coated on U.S. currency. After deposition, the growth is carried out in a hot-filament chemical vapor deposition apparatus. A tungsten hot filament placed in the flow of H2 at a temperature greater than 1,600 C creates atomic hydrogen, which serves to reduce the Fe catalyst into a metallic state. The catalyst can now precipitate SWNTs in the presence of growth gases. The gases used for the experiments reported are C2H2, H2O, and H2, at rates of 2, 2, and 400 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm), respectively. In order to retain the flakes, a cage is constructed by spot welding stainless steel or copper mesh to form an enclosed area, in which the flakes are placed prior to growth. This allows growth gases and atomic hydrogen to reach the flakes, but does not allow the flakes, which rapidly nucleate SWNTs, to escape from the cage.

Schmidt, Howard K.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Controlled Patterning and Growth of Single Wall and Multi-wall Carbon Nanotubes

Method and system for producing a selected pattern or array of at least one of a single wall nanotube and/or a multi-wall nanotube containing primarily carbon. A substrate is coated with a first layer (optional) of a first selected metal (e.g., Al and/or Ir) and with a second layer of a catalyst (e.g., Fe, Co, Ni and/or Mo), having selected first and second layer thicknesses provided by ion sputtering, arc discharge, laser ablation, evaporation or CVD. The first layer and/or the second layer may be formed in a desired non-uniform pattern, using a mask with suitable aperture(s), to promote growth of carbon nanotubes in a corresponding pattern. A selected heated feed gas (primarily CH4 or C2Hn with n=2 and/or 4) is passed over the coated substrate and forms primarily single wall nanotubes or multiple wall nanotubes, depending upon the selected feed gas and its temperature. Nanofibers, as well as single wall and multi-wall nanotubes, are produced using plasma-aided growth from the second (catalyst) layer. An overcoating of a selected metal or alloy can be deposited, over the second layer, to provide a coating for the carbon nanotubes grown in this manner.

Lance D Delzeit↗
NASA NTRS1976

The critical currents in superconducting tin films

The nonlinear current-voltage curves exhibited by tin films in the flux flow state have made studies of the amount of heating present in the sample necessary. The samples in this work consisted of an evaporated tin film on one side of a 2 mm thick crystal quartz substrate and a carbon film of the same configuration as the tin film on the back of the substrate. The carbon film was used as a thermometer to measure the temperature rise of the tin film above the bath temperature. The heating results indicate negligible effects in the samples. Temperature ratios as small as 0.80 for the tin samples have been investigated and the current-voltage characteristics are still nonlinear, indicating that the source of the nonlinearity is not Joule heating in the samples.

Payne, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Carbon-carbon composites

The current applications of C-C composites extend to aircraft brakes, rocket nozzles, missile nosetips, and leading edges of the Space Shuttle. More advanced, secondary and even primary structure applications in cyclic, high-temperature oxidizing environments depend on effective oxidation protection for repeated missions. Accounts are presently given of state-of-the-art methods in substrate fabrication, carbon deposition, and SiC and Si3N4 protective coatings. Attention is given to current levels of high temperature oxidation protection for various mission and vehicle types, as well as to performance projections for C-C composites used by a representative National Aerospace Plane airframe structure. Future technology requirements in C-C composites are projected.

Maahs, Howard G.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Carbon isotope evidence for the substrates and mechanisms of prebiotic synthesis in the early solar system

Meteorites contain prebiotic, bio-relevant organic compounds including amino acids. Their syntheses could result from diverse sources and mechanisms and provide a window on the conditions and materials present in the early solar system. Here we constrain alanine’s synthetic history in the Murchison meteorite using site-specific 13C/12C measurements, reported relative to the VPDB standard. The δ13CVPDB values of −29 ± 10‰, 142 ± 20‰, and −36 ± 20‰ for the carboxyl, amine-bound, and methyl carbons, respectively, are consistent with Strecker synthesis of interstellar-medium-derived aldehydes, ammonia, and low-δ13C nebular or interstellar-medium-derived CN. We report experimentally measured isotope effects associated with Strecker synthesis, and use them to constrain the δ13C values of the alanine precursors, which we then use to construct a model that predicts the molecular-average δ13C values of 19 other organic compounds of prebiotic significance found in Murchison if they were made by our proposed synthetic network. Most of these predictions agree with previous measurements, suggesting that interstellar-medium-derived aldehydes and nebular and/or pre-solar CN could have served as substrates for synthesis of a wide range of prebiotic compounds in the early solar system.

L.Chimiak↗
NASA NTRS2018

Multi-Scale Modeling of Low-Density Carbon-Phenolic Ablators

Protecting a spacecraft during atmospheric entry is one of highest risk factors that needs to be mitigated during design of a space exploration mission. At entry speeds from space, air turns into high-temperature plasma, and spacecraft Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are needed to protect the vehicle payload. Modern successful material architectures of spacecraft shields use a porous carbon fiber substrate impregnated with phenolic as an ablator material. In the lecture, efforts to build a Predictive Material Modeling framework for porous ablators from micro-scale to macro-scale will be presented. Several numerical methods and techniques will be summarized that use voxelized images to compute geometrical properties of the porous substrate. These computed properties include porosity, specific surface area and tortuosity that are otherwise indirectly measured through experimental techniques. Direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), a particle-based method for approximating the Boltzmann equation, is used to compute the permeability coefficient of the porous substrate based on its digitized representation. The method computes the flow within the microstructure, where the size of the pores may approach the mean-free-path of the flow. Finally, a high-fidelity model implemented in PATO (Porous-material Analysis Toolbox) is discussed, and some examples of ablative material response are presented, including for the first time 3D simulations of the full tiled heat shield for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) capsule.

Ablators↗
NASA NTRS1973

Computer system for monitoring radiorepirometry data

System monitors expired breath patterns simultaneously from four small animals after they have been injected with carbon-14 substrates. It has revealed significant quantitative differences in oxidation patterns of glucose following such mild treatments of rats as a change in diet or environment.

Feller, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Dip coating process: Silicon sheet growth development for the large-area silicon sheet task of the low-cost silicon solar array project

The research program to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of producing solar-cell-quality sheet silicon by dip-coating one surface of carbonized ceramic substrates with a thin layer of large-grain polycrystalline silicon is reported. The initial effort concentrated on the design and construction of the experimental dip-coating facility. The design was completed and its experimental features are discussed. Current status of the program is reported, including progress toward solar cell junction diffusion and miscellaneous ceramic substrate procurement.

Heaps, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Dip coating process: Silicon sheet growth development for the large-area silicon sheet task of the low-cost silicon solar array project

The technical and economic feasibility of producing solar cell quality sheet silicon by dip-coating one surface of carbonized ceramic substrates with a thin layer of large grain polycrystalline silicon was investigated. The dip-coating methods studied were directed toward a minimum cost process with the ultimate objective of producing solar cells with a conversion efficiency of 10% or greater. The technique shows excellent promise for low cost, labor-saving, scale-up potentialities and would provide an end product of sheet silicon with a rigid and strong supportive backing. An experimental dip-coating facility was designed and constructed, several substrates were successfully dip-coated with areas as large as 25 sq cm and thicknesses of 12 micron to 250 micron. There appears to be no serious limitation on the area of a substrate that could be coated. Of the various substrate materials dip-coated, mullite appears to best satisfy the requirement of the program. An inexpensive process was developed for producing mullite in the desired geometry.

Heaps, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Dip-coating process: Silicon sheet growth development for the large-area silicon sheet task of the low-cost silicon solar array project

The objective of this research program is to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of producing solar-cell-quality sheet silicon by coating one surface of carbonized ceramic substrates with a thin layer of large-grain polycrystalline silicon from the melt. The past quarter demonstrated significant progress in several areas. Seeded growth of silicon-on-ceramic (SOC) with an EFG ribbon seed was demonstrated. Different types of mullite were successfully coated with silicon. A new method of deriving minority carrier diffusion length, L sub n from spectral response measurements was evaluated. ECOMOD cost projections were found to be in good agreement with the interim SAMIS method proposed by JPL. On the less positive side, there was a decrease in cell performance which we believe to be due to an unidentified source of impurities.

Zook, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Silicon on Ceramic Process: Silicon Sheet Growth and Device Development for the Large-area Silicon Sheet and Cell Development Tasks of the Low-cost Solar Array Project

The technical and economic feasibility of producing solar cell quality sheet silicon was investigated. It was hoped this could be done by coating one surface of carbonized ceramic substrates with a thin layer of large-grain polycrystalline silicon from the melt. Work was directed towards the solution of unique cell processing/design problems encountered with the silicon-ceramic (SOC) material due to its intimate contact with the ceramic substrate. Significant progress was demonstrated in the following areas; (1) the continuous coater succeeded in producing small-area coatings exhibiting unidirectional solidification and substatial grain size; (2) dip coater succeeded in producing thick (more than 500 micron) dendritic layers at coating speeds of 0.2-0.3 cm/sec; and (3) a standard for producing total area SOC solar cells using slotted ceramic substrates was developed.

Chapman, P. W.↗