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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 NTRS1976

Effect of a surface-to-gap temperature discontinuity on the heat transfer to reusable surface insulation tile gaps

An experimental investigation is presented that was performed to determine the effect of a surface-to-gap wall temperature discontinuity on the heat transfer within space shuttle, reusable surface insulation, tile gaps submerged in a thick turbulent boundary layer. Heat-transfer measurements were obtained on a flat-plate, single-gap model submerged in a turbulent tunnel wall boundary layer at a nominal free-stream Mach number of 10.3 and free-stream Reynolds numbers per meter of 1.5 million, 3.3 million and 7.8 million. Surface-to-gap wall temperature discontinuities of varying degree were created by heating the surface of the model upstream of the instrumented gap. The sweep angle of the gap was varied between 0 deg and 60 deg; gap width and depth were held constant. A surface-to-gap wall temperature discontinuity (surface temperature greater than gap wall temperature) results in increased heat transfer to the near-surface portion of the gap, as compared with the heat transfer under isothermal conditions, while decreasing the heat transfer to the deeper portions of the gap. The nondimensionalized heat transfer to the near-surface portion of the gap is shown to decrease with increasing Reynolds number; in the deeper portion of the gap, the heat transfer increases with Reynolds number.

Throckmorton, D. A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Challenge Problem 1: Preliminary Results of the Direct Numerical Simulation of Transient Flows

This report presents the first direct numerical simulations (DNS) of transient mixed convection in an idealized downcomer-like channel (Challenge Problem 1, Phase II). Using the GPU-accelerated NekRS solver, we modeled a sudden decay in driving pressure, mimicking loss-of-flow events, and tracked the resulting evolution of Reynolds number, boundary-layer structure, turbulence statistics, and heat-transfer metrics. Key findings include the systematic thickening and eventual asymmetry of velocity and thermal boundary layers under buoyant deceleration; minimal “memory” lag in Reynolds shear stress and TKE profiles when sampled at matching Re, yet clear shifts of peak locations toward the cooled wall; overshoots in transient eddy-viscosity and eddy-diffusivity (and corresponding sub-unity turbulent Prandtl numbers) on the cooled side; and a pronounced transient Nusselt-number enhancement driven by wall-temperature inertia and residual eddy mixing. These effects combined to offer a temporary cooling margin above steady-state predictions during reactor LOF transients. Future work will extend this work to a more complex “Case II” geometry (90° turn + lower plenum) and generate multi-Re/Pr datasets for data-driven turbulence closures.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1983

Hypersonic shock tunnel heat transfer tests of the Space Shuttle SILTS pod configuration

Heat transfer measurements have been made on a 0.0175-scale NASA Space Shuttle orbiter model having a simulated SILTS (Shuttle Infrared Leeside Temperature Sensor) pod on top of the vertical tail. Heat transfer distributions were measured both on the pod and on the vertical tail. The test program covered Mach numbers of 8, 11 and 16 in air, at Reynolds numbers from 100,000 to 18 million, based on model length. The angle of attack ranged from 30 deg to 40 deg at sideslip angles from -2 to +2 deg. Data were obtained with 92 thin film assistance thermometers located on the SILTS pod and on the upper 30 percent of the vertical tail. Heat transfer rates measured on the vertical tail show good agreement with flight data obtained from missions STS-1, -2 and -3. The variation of heat transfer to the pod with Reynolds number, Mach number and angle of attack is discussed.

Wittliff, C. E.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mimicking Natural Photosynthesis: Designing Ultrafast Photosensitized Electron Transfer into Multiheme Cytochrome Protein Nanowires

Efficient nanomaterials for artificial photosynthesis require fast and robust unidirectional electron transfer (ET) from photosensitizers through charge-separation and accumulation units to redox-active catalytic sites. We explored the ultrafast time-scale limits of photo-induced charge transfer between a Ru(II)tris(bipyridine) derivative photosensitizer and PpcA, a 3-heme c-type cytochrome serving as a nanoscale biological wire. Four covalent attachment sites (K28C, K29C, K52C, and G53C) were engineered in PpcA enabling site-specific covalent labeling with expected donor-acceptor (DA) distances of 4–8 Å. X-ray scattering results demonstrated that mutations and chemical labeling did not disrupt the structure of the proteins. Time-resolved spectroscopy revealed three orders of magnitude difference in charge transfer rates for the systems with otherwise similar DA distances and the same number of covalent bonds separating donors and acceptors. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations provided additional insight into the structure-function requirements for ultrafast charge transfer and the requirement of van der Waals contact between aromatic atoms of photosensitizers and hemes in order to observe sub-nanosecond ET. This work demonstrates opportunities to utilize multi-heme c-cytochromes as frameworks for designing ultrafast light-driven ET into charge-accumulating biohybrid model systems, and ultimately for mimicking the photosynthetic paradigm of efficiently coupling ultrafast, light-driven electron transfer chemistry to multi-step catalysis within small, experimentally versatile photosynthetic biohybrid assemblies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1987

Endwall heat transfer in the junction region of a circular cylinder normal to a flat plate at 30 and 60 degrees from stagnation point of the cylinder

The objective of this experimental study was to investigate the influence of horseshoe vortex on the heat transfer on a flat plate near the base of a protruding cylinder. The partial shock reflection technique was used to produce the flow Mach number of 0.14 which simulated the mean inlet flow Mach number for the first stage vanes of the turbine after combustor. Fast response thin-film platinum heat gages were used to measure the heat transfer flux for radial distances of 0.75, 0.875, 1.0, 1.125 cylinder diameter. For a low Reynolds number of 20,000, r/D = 0.75, and angular location from the stagnation point = 60 deg, the maximum increase in the heat transfer rate with the cylinder was observed to be approximately 460 percent greater than without the cylinder. On the other hand, the increase in the heat flux for a high Reynolds number of 300,000 was approximately 70 percent greater. For the heat gages located along 30 deg and 60 deg angular locations from the stagnation point, the strong effect of the horseshoe vortex was observed in the junction region. The increase in the heat transfer rate depended on the type of boundary layer and on the boundary layer thickness ahead of the cylinder.

Nagamatsu, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Heat transfer to the transpired turbulent boundary layer.

This paper contains a summarization of five years work on an investigation on heat transfer to the transpired turbulent boundary layer. Experimental results are presented for friction coefficient and Stanton number over a wide range of blowing and suction for the case of constant free-stream velocity, holding certain blowing parameters constant. The problem of the accelerated turbulent boundary layer with transpiration is considered, experimental data are presented and discussed, and theoretical models for solution of the momentum equation under these conditions are presented. Data on turbulent Prandtl number are presented so that solutions to the energy equation may be obtained. Some examples of boundary layer heat transfer and friction coefficient predictions are presented using one of the models discussed, employing a finite difference solution method.

Kays, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Prediction of Heat and Mass Transfer in a Rotating Ribbed Coolant Passage With a 180 Degree Turn

Numerical results are presented for flow in a rotating internal passage with a 180 degree turn and ribbed walls. Reynolds numbers ranging from 5200 to 7900, and Rotation numbers of 0.0 and 0.24 were considered. The straight sections of the channel have a square cross section, with square ribs spaced one hydraulic diameter (D) apart on two opposite sides. The ribs have a height of 0.1D and are not staggered from one side to the other. The full three dimensional Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved combined with the Wilcox k-omega turbulence model. By solving an additional equation for mass transfer, it is possible to isolate the effect of buoyancy in the presence of rotation. That is, heat transfer induced buoyancy effects can be eliminated as in naphthalene sublimation experiments. Heat transfer, mass transfer and flow field results are presented with favorable agreement with available experimental data. It is shown that numerically predicting the reattachment between ribs is essential to achieving an accurate prediction of heat/mass transfer. For the low Reynolds numbers considered, the standard turbulence model did not produce reattachment between ribs. By modifying the wall boundary condition on omega, the turbulent specific dissipation rate, much better agreement with the flow structure and heat/ mass transfer was achieved. It is beyond the scope of the present work to make a general recommendation on the omega wall boundary condition. However, the present results suggest that the omega boundary condition should take into account the proximity to abrupt changes in geometry.

Rigby, David L.↗
DOE OSTI2021

High flux boiling heat transfer enhancement using triangle shaped vertical walls in two-phase microchannel heat exchangers

Two-phase heat exchangers allow heat loads to be dissipated with lower fluid flow rates without inducing thermal gradients, and high surface area microchannels further reduce the thermal resistance of these heat exchangers. However, there are many practical limits that prevent widespread use of two-phase microchannel heat exchangers. Many authors have looked to address these practical limits by treating the channel floors or creating artificial nucleation sites. Few works look to enhance heat transfer in the walls of channels with hydraulic diameters below 200 μm. This work is aimed at increasing the efficacy of high aspect ratio silicon microchannels that use R134a as the working fluid. The 125 parallel channels are 40 μm wide, 200 μm deep, and 2 mm long and contain a 15 μm wide, 150 μm long restriction at each inlet. The thermal resistance and dryout characteristics of traditional, plain-walled channels are compared to channels with 2 area enhancement patterns each of which increases the area available for heat transfer by 41%. Furthermore, a resistance to dryout is seen in both area-enhanced test sections, and a 15.5% reduction in thermal resistance is shown for the area-enhanced part with a 6 μm triangular pitch. Only a 7.8% performance increase is seen in the test section with a 3 μm pitch. Both area enhancement patterns induce an average 27% increase in pressure drop for all tests. Heat transfer characteristics are solved for using a finite element analysis (FEA) model. By examining heat transfer coefficients and local heat fluxes, it is postulated that the area enhancement reduces heat transfer coefficients and the performance increase is caused by increasing the number of active nucleation sites.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1996

Studies of Two-Phase Flow Dynamics and Heat Transfer at Reduced Gravity Conditions

The ability to predict gas-liquid flow patterns is crucial to the design and operation of two-phase flow systems in the microgravity environment. Flow pattern maps have been developed in this study which show the occurrence of flow patterns as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities as well as tube diameter, liquid viscosity and surface tension. The results have demonstrated that the location of the bubble-slug transition is affected by the tube diameter for air-water systems and by surface tension, suggesting that turbulence-induced bubble fluctuations and coalescence mechanisms play a role in this transition. The location of the slug-annular transition on the flow pattern maps is largely unaffected by tube diameter, liquid viscosity or surface tension in the ranges tested. Void fraction-based transition criteria were developed which separate the flow patterns on the flow pattern maps with reasonable accuracy. Weber number transition criteria also show promise but further work is needed to improve these models. For annular gas-liquid flows of air-water and air- 50 percent glycerine under reduced gravity conditions, the pressure gradient agrees fairly well with a version of the Lockhart-Martinelli correlation but the measured film thickness deviates from published correlations at lower Reynolds numbers. Nusselt numbers, based on a film thickness obtained from standard normal-gravity correlations, follow the relation, Nu = A Re(sup n) Pr(exp l/3), but more experimental data in a reduced gravity environment are needed to increase the confidence in the estimated constants, A and n. In the slug flow regime, experimental pressure gradient does not correlate well with either the Lockhart-Martinelli or a homogeneous formulation, but does correlate nicely with a formulation based on a two-phase Reynolds number. Comparison with ground-based correlations implies that the heat transfer coefficients are lower at reduced gravity than at normal gravity under the same flow conditions. Nusselt numbers can be correlated in a fashion similar to Chu and Jones.

Witte, Larry C.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Galactic Cosmic Ray Event-Based Risk Model (GERM) Code

This software describes the transport and energy deposition of the passage of galactic cosmic rays in astronaut tissues during space travel, or heavy ion beams in patients in cancer therapy. Space radiation risk is a probability distribution, and time-dependent biological events must be accounted for physical description of space radiation transport in tissues and cells. A stochastic model can calculate the probability density directly without unverified assumptions about shape of probability density function. The prior art of transport codes calculates the average flux and dose of particles behind spacecraft and tissue shielding. Because of the signaling times for activation and relaxation in the cell and tissue, transport code must describe temporal and microspatial density of functions to correlate DNA and oxidative damage with non-targeted effects of signals, bystander, etc. These are absolutely ignored or impossible in the prior art. The GERM code provides scientists data interpretation of experiments; modeling of beam line, shielding of target samples, and sample holders; and estimation of basic physical and biological outputs of their experiments. For mono-energetic ion beams, basic physical and biological properties are calculated for a selected ion type, such as kinetic energy, mass, charge number, absorbed dose, or fluence. Evaluated quantities are linear energy transfer (LET), range (R), absorption and fragmentation cross-sections, and the probability of nuclear interactions after 1 or 5 cm of water equivalent material. In addition, a set of biophysical properties is evaluated, such as the Poisson distribution for a specified cellular area, cell survival curves, and DNA damage yields per cell. Also, the GERM code calculates the radiation transport of the beam line for either a fixed number of user-specified depths or at multiple positions along the Bragg curve of the particle in a selected material. The GERM code makes the numerical estimates of basic physical and biophysical quantities of high-energy protons and heavy ions that have been studied at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) for the purpose of simulating space radiation biological effects. In the first option, properties of monoenergetic beams are treated. In the second option, the transport of beams in different materials is treated. Similar biophysical properties as in the first option are evaluated for the primary ion and its secondary particles. Additional properties related to the nuclear fragmentation of the beam are evaluated. The GERM code is a computationally efficient Monte-Carlo heavy-ion-beam model. It includes accurate models of LET, range, residual energy, and straggling, and the quantum multiple scattering fragmentation (QMSGRG) nuclear database.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Ultraviolet and Visible Emission Mechanisms in Astrophysics

The project involved the study of ultraviolet (UV) and visible emission mechanisms in astrophysical and atmospheric environments. In many situations, the emission is a direct consequence of a charge transferring collision of an ion with a neutral with capture of an electron to an excited state of the product ion. The process is also important in establishing the ionization and thermal balance of an astrophysical plasma. As little of the necessary collision data are available, the main thrust of the project was the calculation of total and state-selective charge transfer cross sections and rate coefficients for a very large number of collision systems. The data was computed using modern explicit techniques including the molecular-orbital close-coupling (MOCC), classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC), and continuum distorted wave (CDW) methods. Estimates were also made in some instances using the multichannel Landau-Zener (MCLZ) and classical over-the-barrier (COB) models. Much of the data which has been computed has been formatted for inclusion in a charge transfer database on the World Wide Web (cfadc.phy.ornl.gov/astro/ps/data/). A considerable amount of data has been generated during the lifetime of the grant. Some of it has not been analyzed, but it will be as soon as possible, the data placed on our website, and papers ultimately written.

Stancil, Phillip C.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Two-color polarization spectroscopy measurements of Zeeman state-to-state collision induced transitions of nitric oxide in binary gas mixtures

We investigated collision induced transitions in the (0, 0) band of the A2Σ+–X2Π electronic transition of nitric oxide (NO) using two-color polarization spectroscopy (TCPS). Two sets of TCPS spectra for 1% NO, diluted in different buffer gases at 295 K and 1 atm, were obtained with the pump beam tuned to the R11(11.5) and OP12(1.5) transitions. The buffer gases were He, Ar, and N2. The probe was scanned while the pump beam was tuned to the line center. Theoretical TCPS spectra, calculated by solving the density matrix formulation of the time-dependent Schrödinger wave equation, were compared with the experimental spectra. A collision model based on the modified exponential-gap law was used to model the rotational level-to-rotational level collision dynamics. A model for collisional transfer from an initial to a final Zeeman state was developed based on the difference in cosine of the rotational quantum number J projection angle with the z-axis for the two Zeeman states. Rotational energy transfer rates and Zeeman state collisional dynamics were varied to obtain good agreement between theory and experiment for the two different TCPS pump transitions and for the three different buffer gases. One key finding, in agreement with quasi-classical trajectory calculations, is that the spin-rotation changing transition rate in the A2Σ+ level of NO is almost zero for rotational quantum numbers ≥8. It was necessary to set this rate to near zero to obtain agreement with the TCPS spectra.

Chemistry↗
DOE OSTI2024

LES simulations of a vacuum membrane distillation channel with geometric alterations

3D LES simulations were carried out to study the performance of a vacuum membrane distillation module. A wiggly wall profile with/without embedded stiffeners was considered to alleviate axial and radial temperature polarization, the cause of performance decrease in membrane distillation. Results of the flow field show the wiggles create unsteady vortex shedding inducing intense mixing in the channel. Vortex shedding intensity increases as the Reynolds number increases or stiffeners are added. 3D results show a 56% improvement in flux when moving from a flat sheet membrane to a wiggly membrane with stiffeners at a constant Reynolds number, corresponding to an improvement from 11.7 to 41.7 in the Nusselt number, showing that the alterations improved the flux performance by enhancing the heat transfer along the membrane surface and therefore alleviating temperature polarization, a critical bottleneck in membrane distillation systems. Further, a merit criterion was defined based on the Nusselt number and friction factor, and a 40% increase in merit was shown switching from a flat to a wiggly channel, while a 97% merit increase was seen going from flat to wiggly with stiffeners. A 42% enhancement in the flux was also seen moving from a straight channel to a wiggly channel at a higher Reynolds number which highlights the importance of strategically choosing the mass flow rate, as well as inducing flow separation and vortex shedding in the channel to promote mixing and dissipate the thermal boundary layer. The variation in results between the wiggly module with stiffeners and the wiggly module at high Reynolds numbers suggests enhancing mixing structures can be more impactful on flux for this geometry than increasing the flow rate to a turbulent/transitional regime. However, both are preferable for peak system flux performance. Furthermore, a 2D approximation was used to perform simulations on more extended channels to examine the length degradation. The modules with wiggly channels performed at the same flux level with a doubling of the length. On the other hand, the flat sheet modules experienced length degradation by temperature polarization and dropped in flux yield by around 13% of the short-channel value. This work illustrates that modeling the system and understanding how the performance decreases as the membrane surface area increases are critical for a larger module (scaling up from a lab to a prototype module) to maintain high flux performance.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1992

Heat transfer in rotating serpentine passages with trips skewed to the flow

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of buoyancy and Coriolis forces on heat transfer in turbine blade internal coolant passages. The experiments were conducted with a large scale, multi-pass heat transfer model with both radially inward and outward flow. An analysis of the governing flow equations showed that four parameters influence the heat transfer in rotating passages: coolant-to-wall temperature, rotation number, Reynolds number, and radius-to-passage hydraulic diameter ratio. Results were correlated and compared to previous results from similar stationary and rotating models with smooth walls and with trip strips normal to the flow direction. It was concluded that (1) both Coriolis and buoyancy must be considered in turbine blade cooling designs with trip strips, (2) the effects of rotation are markedly different depending upon the flow direction, and (3) the heat transfer with skewed trip strips is less sensitive to buoyancy than the heat transfer models with either smooth or normal trips. Therefore, skewed trip strips rather than normal trip strips are recommended and geometry-specific tests are required for accurate design.

Johnson, B. V.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Skin friction and heat transfer correlations for high-speed low-density flow past a flat plate

The independent and dependent variables associated with drag and heat transfer to a flat plate at zero incidence in high-speed, rarefied flow are analyzed anew to reflect the importance of kinetic effects occurring near the plate surface on energy and momentum transfer, rather than following arguments normally used to describe continuum, higher density flowfields. A new parameter, the wall Knudsen number Knx,w, based on an estimate of the mean free path length of molecules having just interacted with the surface of the plate, is introduced and used to correlate published drag and heat transfer data. The new parameter is shown to provide better correlation than either the viscous interaction parameter X or the widely-used slip parameter Voo for drag and heat transfer data over a wide range of Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers, and plate-to-freestream stagnation temperature ratios.

Woronowicz, Michael S.↗
DOE OSTI2021

BEAM COLLIMATION IN THE PIP-II LINAC TO BOOSTER TRANSFER LINE

The new PIP-II superconducting linac will deliver a 2 mA average H⁻ beam to the existing Booster synchrotron. The injected beam is accumulated by charge exchange over approximately 300 turns; phase space painting is used to mitigate space charge effects. To limit the power load on the internal waste beam absorber from the transverse tails of the H⁻ distribution missing the foil, the beam will be collimated in both planes in the linac to Booster transfer line using compact collimators of a novel design. Both the number of parasitic hits and the fraction of the beam missing the foil are sensitive functions of the H⁻ beam centroid position with respect to the edge of the foil. The positioning of the collimation is constrained by the availability of suitable space in the transfer line lattice, by specifics of the collimator design, by the phase space orientation at the collimator, and by the betatron phase advance to the foil needed to achieve proper orientation of the spatial distribution at the injection point. In this contribution, we describe the procedure by which collimator positions were optimized. We then discuss the expected performance of the overall system.

Johnson, David E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Onset of instabilities in rotating flows by direct numerical simulation

A rotating disk is the canonical experiment for measuring surface reaction rates in geochemical and electrochemical systems. Using the similarity solution for laminar flow around an infinite disk, the mass transfer coefficient can be simply related to the intrinsic reaction rate at the surface. However, measurements of mass transfer rates use a finite-size disk within a larger container of solution; here the flow is no longer strictly laminar, but there must always be some recirculation. Our interest was initially in the assumption of a uniform radial concentration field, how this breaks down near the perimeter of the disk, and what effect that might have on the measured mass transfer rates. However, our numerical simulations suggest that the flow around a finite-size disk becomes time dependent at Reynolds number ($\textit{Re}$) below 1000, which is much smaller than the typical values in mass-transfer measurements ($\textit{Re}$~10 4 ). In this work, we observe the formation of coherent structures in the flow, which suggest a non-uniform mass transfer at the disk surface. The rotating-disk flow follows a similar sequence of instabilities to the Taylor–Couette flow: a centrifugal instability leading an axisymmetric, time-invariant flow, followed by a Hopf bifurcation to a time-periodic flow. To minimise the possibility that our results are a numerical artefact, we have also simulated the instability in the stationary boundary layer of a rotor–stator flow, comparing with self-similar solutions at low $\textit{Re}$ and with spectral methods near the critical Reynolds number.

42 ENGINEERING↗