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At least 919 records · Page 51

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NASA NTRS1985

Basic cryogenics and materials. Phase 1

The effects of cryogenic temperatures on the mechanical and physical properties of materials are summarized. Heat capacity and thermal conductivity are considered in the context of conservation of liquid nitrogen, thermal stability of the gas stream, and the response time for changes in operating temperature. Particular attention is given to the effects of differential expansion and failure due to thermal fatigue. Factors affecting safety are discussed, including hazards created due to the inadvertent production of liquid oxygen and the physiological effects of exposure to liquid and gaseous nitrogen, such as cold burns and asphyxiation. The preference for using f.c.c. metals at low temperatures is explained in terms of their superior toughness. The limitations on the use of ferritic steels is also considered. Nonmetallic materials are discussed, mainly in the context of their LOX compatibility and their use in the form of foams and fibers as insultants, seals, and fiber reinforced composites.

Wigley, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Predictions of nucleation theory applied to Ehrenfest thermodynamic transitions

A modified nucleation theory is used to determine a critical nucleus size and a critical activation-energy barrier for second-order Ehrenfest thermodynamic transitions as functions of the degree of undercooling, the interfacial energy, the heat-capacity difference, the specific volume of the transformed phase, and the equilibrium transition temperature. The customary approximations of nucleation theory are avoided by expanding the Gibbs free energy in a Maclaurin series and applying analytical thermodynamic expressions to evaluate the expansion coefficients. Nonlinear correction terms for first-order-transition calculations are derived, and numerical results are presented graphically for water and polystyrene as examples of first-order and quasi-second-order transitions, respectively.

Barker, R. E., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Sensitivity of thermal inertia calculations to variations in environmental factors

The sensitivity of thermal inertia (TI) calculations to errors in the measurement or parameterization of a number of environmental factors is considered here. The factors include effects of radiative transfer in the atmosphere, surface albedo and emissivity, variations in surface turbulent heat flux density, cloud cover, vegetative cover, and topography. The error analysis is based upon data from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM) satellite for July 1978 at three separate test sites in the deserts of the western United States. Results show that typical errors in atmospheric radiative transfer, cloud cover, and vegetative cover can individually cause root-mean-square (RMS) errors of about 10 percent (with atmospheric effects sometimes as large as 30-40 percent) in HCMM-derived thermal inertia images of 20,000-200,000 pixels.

Kahle, A. B.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Thermal detectors as single photon X-ray spectrometers

In a thermal detector employed for X-ray spectroscopy applications, the energy of an X-ray is converted to heat in a small mass, and the energy of that X-ray inferred from the size of the temperature rise. The present investigation is concerned with the possibility to make an extremely low heat capacity calorimeter which can be employed as a thermal detector. Several types of calorimeters were fabricated and tested at temperatures as low as approximately 0.05 K. The obtained devices make use of thermistors constructed of melt-doped silicon, nuclear transmutation doped (NTD) germanium, and ion-implanted silicon with a variety of materials for the support and electrical leads. The utility of these microcalorimeters as X-ray spectrometers could be verified.

Moseley, S. H.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Testing the radiometric stability of HCMM thermal infrared data

A study conducted to test the radiometric stability of thermal infrared (TIR) data from the heat-capacity mapping mission (HCMM) satellites is considered. The radiance values associated with various land use and cover types in a regional study area centered on Washington, D.C. are examined. The study shows that for three different day TIR-data sets, the relative ranking of mean thermal values associated with five Level I and three Level II land-use/land-cover categories remains constant over time. Although HCMM predicted temperatures show variability up to 5 C from ground observed temperatures, the thermal measurements recorded by the satellite are fairly stable as indicators of surface temperature. A method for combining HCMM thermal data and Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data to improve the classification of Level I land-cover categories, and in particular the separability of urban and nonurban areas is described. A merged HCMM-MSS data set is found to yield the best results in terms of thematic-map accuracy.

Witt, R. G.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Space Station active thermal control technical considerations

A description of recent and planned thermal control technology developments at the Johnson Space Center and the other NASA Centers in support of Space Stations is presented. The program is centered around satisfying the needs of the users. Preliminary results of proof-of-concept high capacity heat pipes and two-phase devices are included which indicate that large amounts of energy (100 kW) can be transported long distances (50 m) with very small temperature differences. The presentation summarizes preparations for an 'evolutionary test bed' for advanced development of thermal technology which will provide data on components and systems for incorporation into the Space Station designs in the late 1980s. The results of the recently flown Heat Pipe Experiment aboard STS-8 are presented.

Ellis, W. E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Determination of thermophysical characteristics of solid materials by electrical modelling of the solutions to the inverse problems in nonsteady heat conduction

The solution of the inverse problem of nonsteady heat conduction is discussed, based on finding the coefficient of the heat conduction and the coefficient of specific volumetric heat capacity. These findings are included in the equation used for the electrical model of this phenomenon.

Kozdoba, L. A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A simple, first step to the optimization of regenerator geometry

This paper presents a simplified set of equations for calculating and optimizing regenerator geometries. A number of competing parameters must be accounted for in the design of a regenerator. To obtain high values of effectiveness, there is need for a large surface area for heat transfer and high heat capacity. The void volume should be small to maintain the pressure ratio in the entire system. Moreover, the pressure drop should be small compared to the absolute pressure. With the assumptions made here, the calculations can be done with a hand calculator. The equations show that the optimum regenerator length, hydraulic radius, and porosity are independent of mass flow rate and the gas cross sectional area is proportional to the mass flow rate. It is shown that using gas gaps between parallel plates produces a significantly better regenerator than is possible with packed spheres or screens, particularly at temperatures below approximately 50%.

Radebaugh, R.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Basic cryogenics and materials

Wigley, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Two-phase flows within systems with ambient pressure

In systems where the design inlet and outlet pressures are maintained above the thermodynamic critical pressure, it is often assumed that two phase flows within the system cannot occur. Designers rely on this simple rule of thumb to circumvent problems associated with a highly compressible two phase flow occurring within the supercritical pressure system along with the uncertainties in rotordynamics, load capacity, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermophysical property variations. The simple rule of thumb is adequate in many low power designs but is inadequate for high performance turbomachines and linear systems, where two phase regions can exist even though outlet pressure is greater than critical pressure. Rotordynamic-fluid-mechanic restoring forces depend on momentum differences, and those for a two phase zone can differ significantly from those for a single-phase zone. Using the Reynolds equation the angular velocity, eccentricity, geometry, and ambient conditions are varied to determine the point of two phase flow incipience.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The internal reference source (IRS) for diffuse infrared background experiment (DIRBE)

A means is described for providing internal calibration for the detectors for DIRBE, which is the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (a part of the Cosmic Background Explorer). The internal reference source (IRS) that is used consists of four thermal graybody sources coupled to an integrating sphere. The relative insensitivity of the DIRBE bolometers and the linear temperature dependence of the Rayleigh-Jeans law made bolometer stimulation over five orders of magnitude difficult, so four different sources were used with emitting areas varying by a factor of 10 to the 8th. A low heat capacity design with the necessary stability appears to be thin nichrome films on a sapphire substrate. Voltage stability to 0.01 percent is required for those near infrared bands that required stimulation on the Wien portion of the blackbody curve.

Silverglate, P.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Regional-scale estimates of surface moisture availability and thermal inertia using remote thermal measurements

A review is presented of numerical models which were developed to interpret thermal IR data and to identify the governing parameters and surface energy fluxes recorded in the images. Analytic, predictive, diagnostic and empirical models are described. The limitations of each type of modeling approach are explored in terms of the error sources and inherent constraints due to theoretical or measurement limitations. Sample results of regional-scale soil moisture or evaporation patterns derived from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission and GOES satellite data through application of the predictive model devised by Carlson (1981) are discussed. The analysis indicates that pattern recognition will probably be highest when data are collected over flat, arid, sparsely vegetated terrain. The soil moisture data then obtained may be accurate to within 10-20 percent.

Carlson, T. N.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Characterization of NTD germanium and ion-implanted Si bolometers at 0.3K and 0.1K

Bolometer elements were built and tested using NTD germanium and ion-implanted Si thermometer elements. The thermal links were made using aluminum wires and NbC(x)N(y) coated carbon fibers. The temperature dependence of the detector resistance, lead thermal conductivity, and heat capacity were measured. The dependence of the detector resistance on applied electric field was also measured. This, combined with the current-voltage curve for the detector, allowed the calculation of the detector responsivity. Known amounts of energy were deposited into the detector by allowing X-rays from the decay of Fe-55 to be thermalized in the detector. In the best-measured case, the predicted pulse height/measured height was 1.04 + or - .05. The noise at frequencies above 25 Hz in the NTD Ge was near that predicted by thermodynamics. The noise below 25 Hz has a 1/f character and may be in the carbon fiber/bolometer junction. The implanted detectors show some 1/f noise which depends on the total thermometer volume. Comparison between noise measurements and theory will be presented.

Moseley, H.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Estimation of soil moisture from diurnal surface temperature observations

A coupled heat and moisture balance model was used to determine the thermal inertia of a grass covered top soil under different meteorological conditions. Relations between thermal inertia and soil moisture were established using the De Vries models for thermal conductivity and heat capacity to relate soil moisture and thermal inertia as a function of soil type. A sensitivity study of the surface roughness length and thermal inertia on diurnal surface temperature shows the necessity of focusing on the night time surface temperature rather than on the day time surface temperature, in order to estimate the soil moisture content of the top soil.

Vandegriend, A. A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Mechanical and thermal properties of planetologically important ices

Two squences of ice composition were proposed for the icy satellites: a dense nebula model and a solar nebula model. Careful modeling of the structure, composition, and thermal history of satellites composed of these various ices requires quantitative information on the density, compressibility, thermal expansion, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity. Equations of state were fitted to the density data of the molecular ices. The unusual thermal and mechanical properties of the molecular and binary ices suggest a larger range of phenomena than previously anticipated, sufficiently complex perhaps to account for many of the unusual geologic phenomena found on the icy satellites.

Croft, Steven K.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Performance analysis of advanced spacecraft TPS

The analysis on the feasibility for using metal hydrides in the thermal protection system of cryogenic tanks in space was based on the heat capacity of ice as the phase change material (PCM). It was found that with ice the thermal protection system weight could be reduced by, at most, about 20 percent over an all LI-900 insulation. For this concept to be viable, a metal hydride with considerably more capacity than water would be required. None were found. Special metal hydrides were developed for hydrogen fuel storage applications and it may be possible to do so for the current application. Until this appears promising further effort on this feasibility study does not seem warranted.

Pitts, William C.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Aircraft and satellite remote sensing of desert soils and landscapes

Remote sensing data on desert soils and landscapes, obtained by the Landsat TM, Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM), Simulated SPOT, and Thermal IR Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) aboard an aircraft, are discussed together with the analytical techniques used in the studies. The TM data for southwestern Nevada were used to discriminate among the alluvial fan deposits with different degrees of desert pavement and varnish, and different vegetation cover. Thermal-IR data acquired from the HCMM satellite were used to map the spatial distribution of diurnal surface temperatures and to estimate mean annual soil temperatures in central Utah. Simulated SPOT data for northwestern New Mexico identified geomorphic features, such as differences in eolian sand cover and fluvial incision, while the TIMS data depicted surface geologic features of the Saline Valley in California.

Petersen, G. W.↗

NASA NTRS1987

The lambda point experiment in microgravity

An experiment for performing high-resolution measurements of the heat capacity singularity at the lambda point of helium in microgravity conditions is described. By obtaining such measurements in space, it is expected that the intrinsic distortion of the transition would be reduced by at least two orders of magnitude, allowing the theory of cooperative phase transitions to be more effectively tested. Technology developments for the lambda point experiment include a new high-resolution thermometer, an advanced thermal control system, and a reusable flight-qualified superfluid helium dewar.

Lipa, J. A.↗