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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 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Multimegawatt Nuclear Power System for Lunar Base Applications

A multimegawatt nuclear power system for lunar surface applications is presented. The design requirements were to produce 3 MWe on the Moon for an operational lifetime of 10 years without human intervention. The system uses an inert-gas-cooled fuel pin reactor as the heat source, a regenerative Brayton cycle as the power converter and a liquid droplet radiator as the thermal management system, and has a specific power of 66 W/kg.

B Trueblood↗
NASA NTRS1991

A lunar rover powered by an orbiting laser diode array

A conceptual design of a high-power, long-duration lunar rover powered by a laser beam is proposed. The laser transmitter in lunar orbit consists of an SP-100 nuclear reactor prime power source providing 100 kW of electricity to a laser array that emits 50 kW of laser radiation. The laser radiation is beamed to the lunar surface where it is received by a GaAlAs solid-state, laser-to-electric converter. This converter provides 22 kW of electrical power to the rover vehicle for science, locomotion, and crew needs. The mass of the laser transmitter is approximately 5000 kg, whereas the mass of the rover power supply is 520 kg. The rover power unit is significantly less massive than alternative rover power units.

De Young, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Analytical study of nozzle performance for nuclear thermal rockets

Nuclear propulsion has been identified as one of the key technologies needed for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. The Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) uses a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen to a high temperature followed by expansion through a conventional convergent-divergent nozzle. A parametric study of NTR nozzles was performed using the Rocket Engine Design Expert System (REDES) at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The REDES used the JANNAF standard rigorous methodology to determine nozzle performance over a range of chamber temperatures, chamber pressures, thrust levels, and different nozzle configurations. A design condition was set by fixing the propulsion system exit radius at five meters and throat radius was varied to achieve a target thrust level. An adiabatic wall was assumed for the nozzle, and its length was assumed to be 80 percent of a 15 degree cone. The results conclude that although the performance of the NTR, based on infinite reaction rates, looks promising at low chamber pressures, finite rate chemical reactions will cause the actual performance to be considerably lower. Parameters which have a major influence on the delivered specific impulse value include the chamber temperature and the chamber pressures in the high thrust domain. Other parameters, such as 2-D and boundary layer effects, kinetic rates, and number of nozzles, affect the deliverable performance of an NTR nozzle to a lesser degree. For a single nozzle, maximum performance of 930 seconds and 1030 seconds occur at chamber temperatures of 2700 and 3100 K, respectively.

Davidian, Kenneth O.↗
NASA NTRS1959

Design and Operating Criteria for Fluorine Disposal by Reaction with Charcoal

Experiments with the charcoal-fluorine reaction for the disposal of fluorine have shown generally that this method is effective over a wide range of conditions. Pure fluorine or fluorine diluted with nitrogen to concentrations as low as 0.3 percent fluorine may be disposed of efficiently within the rate limitation. Maximum feed rates have been established and are inversely proportional to the charcoal-bed particle diameter. Moisture content in the charcoal had no appreciable effect on the disposal efficiency after the reaction zone was established and the moisture was driven off by the heat of reaction. There was no evidence of bed poisoning resulting from continued use. Design parameters may be based on the stoichiometric requirements plus sufficient excess charcoal to maintain desired efficiency toward the end of a disposal operation. The length of time a given reactor may be used continuously is limited by the rate of fluorine input and the resistance of the system to heat and fluorine attack. Refractory-lined reactors have been in routine field use at the Lewis Research Center for over a year and have given satisfactory service over a wide range of conditions.

Schmidt, Harold W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Propulsion Research at the Propulsion Research Center of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

The Propulsion Research Center of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is engaged in research activities aimed at providing the bases for fundamental advancement of a range of space propulsion technologies. There are four broad research themes. Advanced chemical propulsion studies focus on the detailed chemistry and transport processes for high-pressure combustion, and on the understanding and control of combustion stability. New high-energy propellant research ranges from theoretical prediction of new propellant properties through experimental characterization propellant performance, material interactions, aging properties, and ignition behavior. Another research area involves advanced nuclear electric propulsion with new robust and lightweight materials and with designs for advanced fuels. Nuclear electric propulsion systems are characterized using simulated nuclear systems, where the non-nuclear power source has the form and power input of a nuclear reactor. This permits detailed testing of nuclear propulsion systems in a non-nuclear environment. In-space propulsion research is focused primarily on high power plasma thruster work. New methods for achieving higher thrust in these devices are being studied theoretically and experimentally. Solar thermal propulsion research is also underway for in-space applications. The fourth of these research areas is advanced energetics. Specific research here includes the containment of ion clouds for extended periods. This is aimed at proving the concept of antimatter trapping and storage for use ultimately in propulsion applications. Another activity in this involves research into lightweight magnetic technology for space propulsion applications.

Blevins, John↗
NASA NTRS1977

Industrial Productivity

NASTRAN is an offshoot of the computer-design technique used in construction of airplanes and spacecraft. [n this technique engineers create a mathematical model of the aeronautical or space vehicle and "fly" it on the ground by means of computer simulation. The technique enables them to study performance and structural behavior of a number of different designs before settling on the final configuration and proceeding with construction. From this base of aerospace experience, NASA-Goddard developed the NASTRAN general purpose computer program, which offers an exceptionally wide range of analytic capability with regard to structures. NASTRAN has been applied to autos, trucks, railroad cars, ships, nuclear power reactors, steam turbines, bridges, and office buildings. NASA-Langley provides program maintenance services regarded as vital by many NASTRAN users. NASTRAN is essentially a predictive tool. It takes an electronic look at a computerire$.dedgn and reports how the structure will react under a great many different conditions. It can, for example, note areas where high stress levels will occur-potential failure points that need strengthening. Conversely, it can identify over-designed areas where weight and material might be saved safely. NASTRAN can tell how pipes stand up under strong fluid flow, how metals are affected by high temperatures, how a building will fare in an earthquake or how powerful winds will cause a bridge to oscillate. NASTRAN analysis is quick and inexpensive. It minimizes trial-and-error in the design process and makes possible better, safe, lighter structures affording large-scale savings in development time and materials. Some examples of the broad utility NASTRAN is finding among industrial firms are shown on these pages.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1972

Nuclear thermionic power plants in the 50-300 kWe range.

This paper reviews the results of recent studies performed by General Electric on in-core thermionic reactor power plants in the 50-300 kWe range. In particular, a 100 kWe manned Space Base mission and a 240 kWe unmanned electric propulsion mission are singled out as representative design points for this concept.

Van Hoomissen, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Some studies on a solid-state sulfur probe for coal gasification systems

As a part of a program for the development of a sulfur probe for monitoring the sulfur potential in coal gasification reactors, an investigation was conducted regarding the efficiency of the solid electrolyte cell Ar+H2+H2S/CaS+CaF2+(Pt)//CaF2//Pt)+CaF2+CaS/H2S+H2+Ar. A demonstration is provided of the theory, design, and operation of a solid-state sulfur probe based on CaF2 electrolyte. It was found that the cell responds to changes in sulfur potential in a manner predicted by the Nernst equation. The response time of the cell at 1225 K, after a small change in temperature or gas composition, was 2.5 Hr, while at a lower temperature of 990 K the response time was approximately 9 hr. The cell emf was insensitive to a moderate increase in the flow rate of the test gas and/or the reference gas. The exact factors affecting the slow response time of galvanic cells based on a CaF2 electrolyte have not yet been determined. The rate-limiting steps may be either the kinetics of electrode reactions or the rate of transport through the electrolyte.

Jacob, K. T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Simplified Heat-Source/Thermionic Converter

Radiation coupling of heat from heat-source cylinder to converter cylinder through vacuum gap eliminates need for high-temperature electrical insulators between reactor heat pipes and thermionic converters. In addition no radiatior heat pipe is necessary because collectors of thermionic converters from which excess heat must be removed radiate directly to space. New design concept is also applicable to terrestrial and non-nuclear thermionic power supplies.

Shimada, K.↗
NASA NTRS1998

A Computational Chemistry Database for Semiconductor Processing

The concept of 'virtual reactor' or 'virtual prototyping' has received much attention recently in the semiconductor industry. Commercial codes to simulate thermal CVD and plasma processes have become available to aid in equipment and process design efforts, The virtual prototyping effort would go nowhere if codes do not come with a reliable database of chemical and physical properties of gases involved in semiconductor processing. Commercial code vendors have no capabilities to generate such a database, rather leave the task to the user of finding whatever is needed. While individual investigations of interesting chemical systems continue at Universities, there has not been any large scale effort to create a database. In this presentation, we outline our efforts in this area. Our effort focuses on the following five areas: 1. Thermal CVD reaction mechanism and rate constants. 2. Thermochemical properties. 3. Transport properties.4. Electron-molecule collision cross sections. and 5. Gas-surface interactions.

Jaffe, R.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Electrically Heated Testing of the Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Experiment Using a Depleted Uranium Core

The Kilopower project aims to develop and demonstrate scalable fission-based power technology for systems capable of delivering 1 to 10 kW of electric power with a specific power ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 W/kg. This technology could enable high-power science missions or could be used to provide surface power for manned missions to the Moon or Mars. NASA has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), and Y−12 National Security Complex to develop and test a prototypic reactor and power system using existing facilities and infrastructure. This technology demonstration, referred to as the "Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY)," will undergo nuclear ground testing by the end of calendar year (CY) 2017 at the NNSS. The 1-kWe variation of the Kilopower system was chosen for the KRUSTY demonstration. The concept for the 1-kWe flight system consists of a 4 kWt highly enriched uranium-molybdenum reactor operating at 800 degC coupled to sodium heat pipes. The heat pipes deliver heat to the hot ends of eight 125-W Stirling convertors producing a net electrical output of 1 kW. Waste heat is rejected using titanium-water heat pipes coupled to carbon composite radiator panels. The KRUSTY test, based on this design, uses a prototypic highly enriched uranium-molybdenum core coupled to prototypic sodium heat pipes. The heat pipes transfer heat to two Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASC−E2s) and six thermal simulators, which simulate the thermal draw of full-scale power conversion units. Thermal simulators and Stirling engines are gas cooled. The most recent project milestone was the completion of nonnuclear system-level testing using an electrically heated depleted uranium (DU) (nonfissioning) reactor core simulator at the NASA Glenn Research Center. System-level testing has validated performance predictions and has demonstrated system-level operation and control in a test configuration that replicates the one to be used at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) at the NNSS. Fabrication, assembly, and testing of the DU core has allowed for higher fidelity system-level testing at Glenn, and has validated the fabrication methods to be used on the highly enriched uranium core that will supply heat for the DAF KRUSTY demonstration.

Briggs, Maxwell H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Computing Properties Of Pure And Mixed Fluids

GASPLUS created as two-part code: first designed for use with pure fluids and second designed for use with mixtures of fluids and phases. Offers routines for mathematical modeling of conditions of fluids in pumps, turbines, compressors and other machines. Other routines for calculating performance of para/ortho-hydrogen reactor and heat of para/normal-hydrogen reaction as well as unique convergence routine demonstrates engineering flavor of GASPLUS. Written in FORTRAN 77.

Fowler, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Long Duration Hot Hydrogen Exposure of Nuclear Thermal Rocket Materials

An arc-heater driven hyper-thermal convective environments simulator was recently developed and commissioned for long duration hot hydrogen exposure of nuclear thermal rocket materials. This newly established non-nuclear testing capability uses a high-power, multi-gas, wall-stabilized constricted arc-heater to .produce high-temperature pressurized hydrogen flows representative of nuclear reactor core environments, excepting radiation effects, and is intended to serve as a low cost test facility for the purpose of investigating and characterizing candidate fuel/structural materials and improving associated processing/fabrication techniques. Design and engineering development efforts are fully summarized, and facility operating characteristics are reported as determined from a series of baseline performance mapping runs and long duration capability demonstration tests.

Litchford, Ron J.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Study of Electro-Cyclonic Filtration and Pneumatic Transfer of Lunar Regolith Simulants under 1/6-g and 1-g Gravity Conditions

NASA has built a prototype oxygen production plant to process the lunar regolith using the hydrogen reduction chemical process. This plant is known as "ROxygen - making oxygen from moon rocks". The ROxygen regolith transfer team has identified the flow and transfer characteristics of lunar regolith simulant to be a concern for lunar oxygen production efforts. It is important to ISRU lunar exploration efforts to develop hardware designs that can demonstrate the ability to flow and transfer a given mass of regolith simulant to a desired vertical height under lunar gravity conditions in order to introduce it into a reactor. We will present results obtained under both 1/6-g and 1-g gravity conditions for a system that can pneumatically convey 16.5 kg of lunar regolith simulant (NU-LHT-2M, Mauna Kea Tephra, and JSC-1A) from a flat-bottom supply hopper to a simulated ISRU reactor (dual-chambered receiving hopper) where the granular material is separated from the convey gas (air) using a series of cyclone separators, one of which is an electrically enhanced cyclone separator (electrocyclone). The results of our study include (1) the mass flow rate as a function of input air pressure for lunar regolith simulants that are conveyed pneumatically as a dusty gas in a vertical direction against gravity under lunar gravity conditions (for NU-LHT-2M and Mauna Kea Tephra), and under earth gravity conditions (for NU-LHT-2M, Mauna Kea Tephra and JSC-1A), and (2) the efficiency of the cyclone/electrocyclone filtration system in separating the convey gas (air) from the granular particulates as a function of particle size.

Mantovani, James G.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Recover Gas from Liquids in Low Gravity

This document is the final report resulting from the work conducted by undergraduate students at the University of South Alabama during the 2019/2020 academic year. Currently, on the International Space Station a solid adsorbent material is used to remove CO 2 from cabin air; however, liquid absorbent/reactive based systems are appealing because they may offer greater CO 2 capture efficiency. When liquids are used to capture CO 2 a regeneration step is required to release the CO 2 from the fluid for subsequent processing. During regeneration aerosolized droplets of water and liquid amines are produced creating a 2-phase fluid stream. Because the CO 2 stream is to be sent to a Sabatier reactor for conversion into methane, the droplets of the water and amines must be removed, necessitating the need for a vapor/liquid separation process in a microgravity environment. This class was tasked with designing a system to separate the aerosolized droplets from the gas stream. An ionic liquid was assumed to be the amine based absorber fluid that was used to capture the CO 2 , which is a key assumption because the ionic liquid has vanishingly low vapor pressure. The lack of volatility of the ionic liquid eliminates the need to manage an aerosolized amine resulting in only an aerosolized water air separation. To solve this challenge an undergraduate class used systems engineering to design and construct a hydrophobic screen separation apparatus for a 2-phase, vapor/liquid flow. The apparatus was constructed, but initial testing was not possible due to the closure of the University labs due to the corona-virus pandemic.

T Grant Glover↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Use of Immersion Rigs for High Temperature Hydrogen Exposure Testing Within the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES): NTREES-5 Hydrogen Heat Exchanger (N5HHX-01)

The Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) facility at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) subjects materials and components typically found on nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems to non-nuclear simulations of prototypic NTP reactor thermohydraulic environments. With 1.2 MW of inductive power available, the currently employed methods to simulate nuclear heating in NTREES consist of 1) inductively heating a test specimen, which typically cannot be performed on ceramic materials, or 2) heating gas that envelops the test specimen. The latter of these has provided a basis for developing so-called “immersion rigs” to be used in NTREES. Furthermore, immersion rigs are especially useful in the case of smaller, technically challenging test specimens. One such device, the “NTREES-5 Hydrogen Heat Exchanger” (N5HHX-01), designed and deployed to test small material coupons to ~0.5 g/s of 2800 K, 500 psi Hydrogen, is discussed herein. To achieve this desired delivery temperature level, the most suitable material for the N5HHX’s construction was pure tungsten, which imposed budgetary and manufacturing challenges. Also discussed in this paper is the design of the N5HHX rig’s sample container, which became the first iteration of improving NTREES small material coupon test operations by permitting rapid changeout of different material samples.

Reactor Testing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Projecting the Performance of a Continuous Bosch Carbon Dioxide Reduction System

Kinetic studies using a subscale reactor were used to develop power-law rate equations for the two primary reactions contributing to the Bosch carbon dioxide reduction process: the reverse water-gas shift reaction and the carbon monoxide hydrogenation reaction. An alloy catalyst in bead form was used in these studies, which investigated both the dependence on gas composition and the dependence on time as the beads gradually disintegrate during carbon formation. Bead disintegration impacts both the rates and the relative activities of the two primary reactions. Although the kinetic testing was conducted in a single-pass mode, the target Bosch application requires operation in a recycle mode to achieve high conversion. Further, the proposed design concept for a full-scale carbon dioxide reduction system would allow carbon to be removed continuously in contrast to previous Bosch processes that required replacement of expendable catalyst cartridges. The developed power-law kinetic rate equations were used in conjunction with a reactor model to project the operating conditions, performance, and sizing of a continuous Bosch system.

carbon dioxide reduction↗
NASA NTRS1985

JPL in-house fluidized bed reactor research

The progress in the in-house program on the silane fluidized-bed system is reported. A seed-particle cleaning procedure was developed to obtain material purity near the level required to produce a semiconductor-grade product. The liner-seal design was consistently proven to withstand heating/cooling cycles in all of the experimental runs.

Rohatgi, N. K.↗