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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
DOE OSTI2015

Comparison of the local binding motifs in the imidazolium-based ionic liquids [EMIM][BF{sub 4}] and [EMMIM][BF{sub 4}] through cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation spectroscopy: Unraveling the roles of anharmonicity and intermolecular interactions

We clarify the role of the critical imidazolium C{sub (2)}H position (the central C between N atoms in the heterocycle) in the assembly motif of the [EMIM][BF{sub 4}] ionic liquid by analyzing the vibrational spectra of the bare EMIM{sup +} ion as well as that of the cationic [EMIM]{sub 2}[BF{sub 4}]{sup +} (EMIM{sup +} = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, C{sub 6}H{sub 11}N{sub 2}{sup +}) cluster. Vibrational spectra of the cold, mass-selected ions are obtained using cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation of weakly bound D{sub 2} molecules formed in a 10 K ion trap. The C{sub (2)}H behavior is isolated by following the evolution of key vibrational features when the C{sub (2)} hydrogen, the proposed binding location of the anion to the imidazolium ring, is replaced by either deuterium or a methyl group (i.e., in the EMMIM{sup +} analogue). Strong features in the ring CH stretching region of the bare ion are traced to Fermi resonances with overtones of lower frequency modes. Upon incorporation into the EMIM{sup +} ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ BF{sub 4}{sup −} ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ EMIM{sup +} ternary complex, the C{sub (2)}H oscillator strength is dramatically increased, accounting for the much more complicated patterns derived from the EMIM{sup +} ring CH stretches in the light isotopomer, which are strongly suppressed in the deuterated analogue. Further changes in the spectra that occur when the C{sub (2)}H is replaced by a methyl group are consistent with BF{sub 4}{sup −} attachment directly to the imidazolium ring in an arrangement that maximizes the electrostatic interaction between the molecular ions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Note: Radiochemical measurement of fuel and ablator areal densities in cryogenic implosions at the National Ignition Facility

A new radiochemical method for determining deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel and plastic ablator (CH) areal densities (ρR) in high-convergence, cryogenic inertial confinement fusion implosions at the National Ignition Facility is described. It is based on measuring the {sup 198}Au/{sup 196}Au activation ratio using the collected post-shot debris of the Au hohlraum. The Au ratio combined with the independently measured neutron down scatter ratio uniquely determines the areal densities ρR(DT) and ρR(CH) during burn in the context of a simple 1-dimensional capsule model. The results show larger than expected ρR(CH) values, hinting at the presence of cold fuel-ablator mix.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
NASA NTRS2006

Cryogenic Test Capability at Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray Cryogenic Test Facility

Marshall Space Flight Center's X-ray & Cryogenic Test Facility (XRCF) has been performing sub-liquid nitrogen temperature testing since 1999. Optical wavefront measurement, thermal structural deformation, mechanism functional & calibration, and simple cryo-conditioning tests have been completed. Recent modifications have been made to the facility in support of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) program. The chamber's payload envelope and the facility s refrigeration capacity have both been increased. Modifications have also been made to the optical instrumentation area improving access for both the installation and operation of optical instrumentation outside the vacuum chamber. The facility's capabilities, configuration, and performance data will be presented.

Kegley, Jeffrey↗
NASA NTRS2013

Net Shape Spin Formed Cryogenic Aluminum Lithium Cryogenic Tank Domes for Lower Cost Higher Performance Launch Vehicles

With the goal of lower cost (simplified manufacturing and lower part count) and higher performance (higher strength to weight alloys) the NASA Technical Maturation Program in 2006 funded a proposal to investigate spin forming of space launch vehicle cryogenic tank domes. The project funding continued under the NASA Exploration Technology Development Program through completion in FY12. The first phase of the project involved spin forming of eight, 1 meter diameter "path finder" domes. Half of these were processed using a concave spin form process (MT Aerospace, Augsburg Germany) and the other half using a convex process (Spincraft, Boston MA). The convex process has been used to produce the Ares Common Bulkhead and the concave process has been used to produce dome caps for the Space Shuttle light weight external tank and domes for the NASDA H2. Aluminum Lithium material was chosen because of its higher strength to weight ratio than the Aluminum 2219 baseline. Aluminum lithium, in order to obtain the desired temper (T8), requires a cold stretch after the solution heat treatment and quench. This requirement favors the concave spin form process which was selected for scale up. This paper describes the results of processing four, 5.5 meter diameter (upper stage scale) net shaped spin formed Aluminum Lithium domes. In order to allow scalability beyond the limits of foundry and rolling mills (about 12 foot width) the circular blank contained one friction stir weld (heavy lifter scales require a flat blank containing two welds). Mechanical properties data (tensile, fracture toughness, stress corrosion, and simulated service testing) for the parent metal and weld will also be discussed.

Curreri, Peter A.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Radiative shocks produced from spherical cryogenic implosions at the National Ignition Facility

Spherically expanding radiative shock waves have been observed from inertially confined implosion experiments at the National Ignition Facility. In these experiments, a spherical fusion target, initially 2 mm in diameter, is compressed via the pressure induced from the ablation of the outer target surface. At the peak compression of the capsule, x-ray and nuclear diagnostics indicate the formation of a central core, with a radius and ion temperature of ~20 μm and ~ 2 keV, respectively. This central core is surrounded by a cooler compressed shell of deuterium-tritium fuel that has an outer radius of ~40 μm and a density of >500 g/cm 3 . Using inputs from multiple diagnostics, the peak pressure of the compressed core has been inferred to be of order 100 Gbar for the implosions discussed here. Furthermore, the shock front, initially located at the interface between the high pressure compressed fuel shell and surrounding in-falling low pressure ablator plasma, begins to propagate outwards after peak compression has been reached.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cryogenic tritium-hydrogen-deuterium and deuterium-tritium layer implosions with high density carbon ablators in near-vacuum hohlraums

High Density Carbon (or diamond) is a promising ablator material for use in near-vacuum hohlraums, as its high density allows for ignition designs with laser pulse durations of <10 ns. A series of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments in 2013 on the National Ignition Facility [Moses et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 041006 (2009)] culminated in a deuterium-tritium (DT) layered implosion driven by a 6.8 ns, 2-shock laser pulse. This paper describes these experiments and comparisons with ICF design code simulations. Backlit radiography of a tritium-hydrogen-deuterium (THD) layered capsule demonstrated an ablator implosion velocity of 385 km/s with a slightly oblate hot spot shape. Other diagnostics suggested an asymmetric compressed fuel layer. A streak camera-based hot spot self-emission diagnostic (SPIDER) showed a double-peaked history of the capsule self-emission. Simulations suggest that this is a signature of low quality hot spot formation. Changes to the laser pulse and pointing for a subsequent DT implosion resulted in a higher temperature, prolate hot spot and a thermonuclear yield of 1.8 × 10{sup 15} neutrons, 40% of the 1D simulated yield.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cryogenic gamma detectors enable direct detection of 236 U and minor actinides for non-destructive assay [Cryogenic gamma detectors enable direct detection of minor actinides for non-destructive assay]

Here, we demonstrate the utility of a superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) γ-ray detector with high energy resolution and low Compton background for non-destructive assay (NDA) of a uranium sample from reprocessed nuclear fuel. We show that TES γ-detectors can separate low energy actinide γ-emissions from the background and nearby lines, even from minor isotopes whose signals are often obscured in NDA with conventional Ge detectors. Superconducting γ detectors may therefore bridge the gap between high-accuracy destructive assay (DA) and easier to-use NDA.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Mass-ablation-rate measurements in direct-drive cryogenic implosions using x-ray self-emission images

A technique to measure the mass ablation rate in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions using a pinhole x-ray framing camera is presented. In target designs consisting of two layers of different materials, two x-ray self-emission peaks from the coronal plasma were measured once the laser burned through the higher-Z outer layer. The location of the inner peak is related to the position of the ablation front and the location of the outer peak corresponds to the position of the interface of the two layers in the plasma. The emergence of the second peak was used to measure the burnthrough time of the outer layer, giving the average mass ablation rate of the material and instantaneous mass remaining. By varying the thickness of the outer layer, the mass ablation rate can be obtained as a function of time. Simulations were used to validate the methods and verify that the measurement techniques are not sensitive to perturbation growth at the ablation surface.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗