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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 1,009 records · Page 56
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1963

Characteristics of a Lunar Landing Configuration Having Various Multiple-Leg Landing-Gear Arrangements

An experimental investigation has been made of some lunar-landing characteristics of a 1/6-scale dynamic model of a landing module having multiple-leg landing-gear systems. Symmetric four-point and five-point systems and an asymmetric four-point system were investigated. The landing-gear legs were inverted tripod arrangements having a telescoping main strut which incorporated a yielding-metal strap for energy dissipation, hinged V-struts, and circular pads. The landing tests were made by launching a free model onto an impenetrable hard surface (concrete) and onto a powdered-pumice overlay of various depths. Landing motion and acceleration data were obtained for a range of touchdown speeds, touchdown speeds, touch attitudes, and landing-surface conditions. Symmetric four-point and five-point systems and an Maximum normal acceleration experienced at the module center of gravity during landings on hard surface or pumice was 2g (full-scale lunar value in terms of earth's gravity) over a wide range of touchdown conditions. Maximum angular acceleration experienced was 12-1/2 radians/sec(exp 2) and maximum longitudinal acceleration was 1-3/4 g. The module was very stable with all gear configurations during landings on hard surface (coefficient of friction, microns=0.4) at all conditions tested. Some overturn instability occurred during landings on powdered pumice (microns=0.7 to 1.0) depending upon flight path, pitch and yaw attitude, depth of pumice, surface topography, and landing-gear configuration. The effect of stability of roll attitude for the limited amount of roll-attitude landing data obtained was insignificant. Compared with the four-point system, the five-point system with equal maximum gear radius increased landing stability slightly and improved the static stability for subsequent lunar launch. A considerable increase in landing stability in the direction of motion was obtained with an asymmetric four-point gear having two pads offset to increase gear radius by 33 percent in the direction of horizontal flight.

Blanchard, Ulysse J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Plasma spray nozzle with low overspray and collimated flow

An improved nozzle for reducing overspray in high temperature supersonic plasma spray devices comprises a body defining an internal passageway having an upstream end and a downstream end through which a selected plasma gas is directed. The nozzle passageway has a generally converging/diverging Laval shape with its upstream end converging to a throat section and its downstream end diverging from the throat section. The upstream end of the passageway is configured to accommodate a high current cathode for producing an electrical arc in the passageway to heat and ionize the gas flow to plasma form as it moves along the passageway. The downstream end of the nozzle is uniquely configured through the methodology of this invention to have a contoured bell-shape that diverges from the throat to the exit of the nozzle. Coating material in powder form is injected into the plasma flow in the region of the bell-shaped downstream end of the nozzle and the powder particles become entrained in the flow. The unique bell shape of the nozzle downstream end produces a plasma spray that is ideally expanded at the nozzle exit and thus virtually free of shock phenomena, and that is highly collimated so as to exhibit significantly reduced fanning and diffusion between the nozzle and the target. The overall result is a significant reduction in the amount of material escaping from the plasma stream in the form of overspray and a corresponding improvement in the cost of the coating operation and in the quality and integrity of the coating itself.

Beason, Jr., George P.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Nial-base composite containing high volume fraction of AlN for advanced engines

A particulate reinforced NiAl-AlN composite alloy has a NiAl matrix and greater than about 13 volume percent fine particles of AlN within the matrix. The particles preferably have a diameter from about 15 nanometers to about 50 nanometers. The particulate reinforced NiAl-AlN composite alloy may be prepared by cryomilling prealloyed NiAl in liquid nitrogen using grinding media having a diameter of from about 2 mm to about 6 mm at an impeller speed of from about 450 RPM to about 800 RPM. The cryomilling may be done for a duration of from about 4 hours to about 20 hours to obtain a cryomilled powder. The cryomilled powder may be consolidated to form the particulate reinforced NiAl-AlN composite alloy. The particulate reinforced alloy can further include a toughening alloy. The toughening alloy may include NiCrAlY, FeCrAY and FeAl.

Hebsur, Mohan G.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Methods for providing ceramic matrix composite components with increased thermal capacity

A method for enhancing the cooling capability of a turbine component made from a ceramic matrix composite. The method improves the thermal performance of the component by producing a surface having increased cooling capacity, thereby allowing the component to operate at a higher temperature. The method tailors the available surface area on the cooling surface of the composite component by depositing a particulate layer of coarse grained ceramic powders of preselected size onto the surface of the ceramic matrix composite component. The size of the particulate is selectively tailored to match the desired surface finish or surface roughness of the article. The article may be designed to have different surface finishes for different locations, so that the application of different sized powders can provide different cooling capabilities at different locations, if desired. The compositions of the particulates are chemically compatible with the ceramic material comprising the outer surface or portion of the ceramic matrix composite. The particulates are applied using a slurry and incorporated into the article by heating to an elevated temperature without melting the matrix, the particulates or the fiber reinforcement.

Steibel, James Dale↗
NASA NTRS1976

Ternary boride product and process

A hard, tough, strong ceramic body is formed by hot pressing a mixture of a powdered metal and a powdered metal diboride. The metal employed is zirconium, titanium or hafnium and the diboride is the diboride of a different member of the same group of zirconium, titanium or hafnium to form a ternary composition. During hot pressing at temperatures above about 2,000.degree.F., a substantial proportion of acicular ternary monoboride is formed.

Clougherty, Edward V.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Intravenous Fluid Mixing in Normal Gravity, Partial Gravity, and Microgravity: Down-Selection of Mixing Methods

The missions envisioned under the Vision for Space Exploration will require development of new methods to handle crew medical care. Medications and intravenous (IV) fluids have been identified as one area needing development. Storing certain medications and solutions as powders or concentrates can both increase the shelf life and reduce the overall mass and volume of medical supplies. The powders or concentrates would then be mixed in an IV bag with Sterile Water for Injection produced in situ from the potable water supply. Fluid handling in microgravity is different than terrestrial settings, and requires special consideration in the design of equipment. This document describes the analyses and down-select activities used to identify the IV mixing method to be developed that is suitable for ISS and exploration missions. The chosen method is compatible with both normal gravity and microgravity, maintains sterility of the solution, and has low mass and power requirements. The method will undergo further development, including reduced gravity aircraft experiments and computations, in order to fully develop the mixing method and associated operational parameters.

Niederhaus, Charles E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Thermal Spray Formation of Polymer Coatings

This innovation forms a sprayable polymer film using powdered precursor materials and an in-process heating method. This device directly applies a powdered polymer onto a substrate to form an adherent, mechanically-sound, and thickness-regulated film. The process can be used to lay down both fully dense and porous, e.g., foam, coatings. This system is field-deployable and includes power distribution, heater controls, polymer constituent material bins, flow controls, material transportation functions, and a thermal spray apparatus. The only thing required for operation in the field is a power source. Because this method does not require solvents, it does not release the toxic, volatile organic compounds of previous methods. Also, the sprayed polymer material is not degraded because this method does not use hot combustion gas or hot plasma gas. This keeps the polymer from becoming rough, porous, or poorly bonded.

Coquill, Scott↗
NASA NTRS2008

Making High-Tensile-Strength Amalgam Components

Structural components made of amalgams can be made to have tensile strengths much greater than previously known to be possible. Amalgams, perhaps best known for their use in dental fillings, have several useful attributes, including room-temperature fabrication, corrosion resistance, dimensional stability, and high compressive strength. However, the range of applications of amalgams has been limited by their very small tensile strengths. Now, it has been discovered that the tensile strength of an amalgam depends critically on the sizes and shapes of the particles from which it is made and, consequently, the tensile strength can be greatly increased through suitable choice of the particles. Heretofore, the powder particles used to make amalgams have been, variously, in the form of micron-sized spheroids or flakes. The tensile reinforcement contributed by the spheroids and flakes is minimal because fracture paths simply go around these particles. However, if spheroids or flakes are replaced by strands having greater lengths, then tensile reinforcement can be increased significantly. The feasibility of this concept was shown in an experiment in which electrical copper wires, serving as demonstration substitutes for copper powder particles, were triturated with gallium by use of a mortar and pestle and the resulting amalgam was compressed into a mold. The tensile strength of the amalgam specimen was then measured and found to be greater than 10(exp 4) psi (greater than about 69 MPa). Much remains to be done to optimize the properties of amalgams for various applications through suitable choice of starting constituents and modification of the trituration and molding processes. The choice of wire size and composition are expected to be especially important. Perusal of phase diagrams of metal mixtures could give insight that would enable choices of solid and liquid metal constituents. Finally, whereas heretofore, only binary alloys have been considered for amalgams, ternary additions to liquid or solid components should be considered as means to impart desired properties to amalgams.

Grugel, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2008

In Situ Analysis of Martian Phyllosilicates Using the Chemin Minerological Instrument on Mars Science Laboratory

The CheMin minerological instrument on Mars Science Laboratory (MSL'09) [1] will return quantitive Xray diffraction data (XRD) and quantative X-ray fluorescence data (XRF;14<Z<92) from scooped soil samples and drilled rock powders collected from the Mars surface. Samples of 45-65 mm 3 from material sieved to less than 150 micrometers will be delivered through a funnel to one of 27 reusable sample cells (five additional cells on the sample wheel contain diffraction of fluorescence standards). Sample cells are 8-mm diamater discs with 7-micrometer thick Mylar or Kapton windows spaced 170 micrometers apart. Within this volume, the sample is shaken by piezoelectric vibration at sonic frequencies, causing the powder to flow past a narrow, collimated -ray beam in random orientation can be obtained even from minnerals exhibiting strong preferred orientation such as phylosilicates.

Blake, David F.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Diamond Smoothing Tools

Diamond smoothing tools have been proposed for use in conjunction with diamond cutting tools that are used in many finish-machining operations. Diamond machining (including finishing) is often used, for example, in fabrication of precise metal mirrors. A diamond smoothing tool according to the proposal would have a smooth spherical surface. For a given finish machining operation, the smoothing tool would be mounted next to the cutting tool. The smoothing tool would slide on the machined surface left behind by the cutting tool, plastically deforming the surface material and thereby reducing the roughness of the surface, closing microcracks and otherwise generally reducing or eliminating microscopic surface and subsurface defects, and increasing the microhardness of the surface layer. It has been estimated that if smoothing tools of this type were used in conjunction with cutting tools on sufficiently precise lathes, it would be possible to reduce the roughness of machined surfaces to as little as 3 nm. A tool according to the proposal would consist of a smoothing insert in a metal holder. The smoothing insert would be made from a diamond/metal functionally graded composite rod preform, which, in turn, would be made by sintering together a bulk single-crystal or polycrystalline diamond, a diamond powder, and a metallic alloy at high pressure. To form the spherical smoothing tip, the diamond end of the preform would be subjected to flat grinding, conical grinding, spherical grinding using diamond wheels, and finally spherical polishing and/or buffing using diamond powders. If the diamond were a single crystal, then it would be crystallographically oriented, relative to the machining motion, to minimize its wear and maximize its hardness. Spherically polished diamonds could also be useful for purposes other than smoothing in finish machining: They would likely also be suitable for use as heat-resistant, wear-resistant, unlubricated sliding-fit bearing inserts.

Voronov, Oleg↗
NASA NTRS2010

Test and Delivery of the Chemin Mineralogical Instrument for Mars Science Laboratory

The CheMin mineralogical instrument on MSL will return quantitative powder X-ray diffraction data (XRD) and qualitative X-ray fluorescence data (XRF; 14<Z<92) from scooped soil samples and drilled rock powders collected on the Mars surface. The geometry of the source, sample, and detector is shown. A transmission geometry was chosen so that diffracted intensities in the low-20 region (5-15 deg), important for phyllosilicate identification, could be detected.

Blake, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Two Devices for Removing Sludge From Bioreactor Wastewater

Two devices a magnetic separator and a special filter denoted a self-regenerating separator (SRS) have been developed for separating sludge from the stream of wastewater from a bioreactor. These devices were originally intended for use in microgravity, but have also been demonstrated to function in normal Earth gravity. The magnetic separator (see Figure 1) includes a thin-walled nonmagnetic, stainless-steel cylindrical drum that rotates within a cylindrical housing. The wastewater enters the separator through a recirculation inlet, and about 80 percent of the wastewater flow leaves through a recirculation outlet. Inside the drum, a magnet holder positions strong permanent magnets stationary and, except near a recirculation outlet, close to the inner drum surface. To enable magnetic separation, magnetite (a ferromagnetic and magnetically soft iron oxide) powder is mixed into the bioreactor wastewater. The magnetite becomes incorporated into the sludge by condensation, onto the powder particles, of microbe flocks that constitute the sludge. As a result, the magnets inside the drum magnetically attract the sludge onto the outer surface of the drum.

Archer, Shivaun↗
NASA NTRS2010

Method for Detecting Perlite Compaction in Large Cryogenic Tanks

Perlite is the most typical insulating powder used to separate the inner and outer shells of cryogenic tanks. The inner tank holds the low-temperature commodity, while the outer shell is exposed to the ambient temperature. Perlite minimizes radiative energy transfer between the two tanks. Being a powder, perlite will settle over time, leading to the danger of transferring any loads from the inner shell to the outer shell. This can cause deformation of the outer shell, leading to damaged internal fittings. The method proposed is to place strain or displacement sensors on several locations of the outer shell. Loads induced on the shell by the expanding inner shell and perlite would be monitored, providing an indication of the location and degree of compaction.

Youngquist, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2010

Mars Science Laboratory Sample Acquisition, Sample Processing and Handling: Subsystem Design and Test Challenges

The Sample Acquisition/Sample Processing and Handling subsystem for the Mars Science Laboratory is a highly-mechanized, Rover-based sampling system that acquires powdered rock and regolith samples from the Martian surface, sorts the samples into fine particles through sieving, and delivers small portions of the powder into two science instruments inside the Rover. SA/SPaH utilizes 17 actuated degrees-of-freedom to perform the functions needed to produce 5 sample pathways in support of the scientific investigation on Mars. Both hardware redundancy and functional redundancy are employed in configuring this sampling system so some functionality is retained even with the loss of a degree-of-freedom. Intentional dynamic environments are created to move sample while vibration isolators attenuate this environment at the sensitive instruments located near the dynamic sources. In addition to the typical flight hardware qualification test program, two additional types of testing are essential for this kind of sampling system: characterization of the intentionally-created dynamic environment and testing of the sample acquisition and processing hardware functions using Mars analog materials in a low pressure environment. The overall subsystem design and configuration are discussed along with some of the challenges, tradeoffs, and lessons learned in the areas of fault tolerance, intentional dynamic environments, and special testing

Jandura, Louise↗
NASA NTRS2010

Technique for Performing Dielectric Property Measurements at Microwave Frequencies

A paper discusses the need to perform accurate dielectric property measurements on larger sized samples, particularly liquids at microwave frequencies. These types of measurements cannot be obtained using conventional cavity perturbation methods, particularly for liquids or powdered or granulated solids that require a surrounding container. To solve this problem, a model has been developed for the resonant frequency and quality factor of a cylindrical microwave cavity containing concentric cylindrical samples. This model can then be inverted to obtain the real and imaginary dielectric constants of the material of interest. This approach is based on using exact solutions to Maxwell s equations for the resonant properties of a cylindrical microwave cavity and also using the effective electrical conductivity of the cavity walls that is estimated from the measured empty cavity quality factor. This new approach calculates the complex resonant frequency and associated electromagnetic fields for a cylindrical microwave cavity with lossy walls that is loaded with concentric, axially aligned, lossy dielectric cylindrical samples. In this approach, the calculated complex resonant frequency, consisting of real and imaginary parts, is related to the experimentally measured quantities. Because this approach uses Maxwell's equations to determine the perturbed electromagnetic fields in the cavity with the material(s) inserted, one can calculate the expected wall losses using the fields for the loaded cavity rather than just depending on the value of the fields obtained from the empty cavity quality factor. These additional calculations provide a more accurate determination of the complex dielectric constant of the material being studied. The improved approach will be particularly important when working with larger samples or samples with larger dielectric constants that will further perturb the cavity electromagnetic fields. Also, this approach enables the ability to have a larger sample of interest, such as a liquid or powdered or granulated solid, inside a cylindrical container.

Barmatz, Martin B.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Multivariate Methods for Prediction of Geologic Sample Composition with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) uses pulses of laser light to ablate a material from the surface of a sample and produce an expanding plasma. The optical emission from the plasma produces a spectrum which can be used to classify target materials and estimate their composition. The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission will use LIBS to rapidly analyze targets remotely, allowing more resource- and time-intensive in-situ analyses to be reserved for targets of particular interest. ChemCam will also be used to analyze samples that are not reachable by the rover's in-situ instruments. Due to these tactical and scientific roles, it is important that ChemCam-derived sample compositions are as accurate as possible. We have compared the results of partial least squares (PLS), multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural networks (ANNs), and cascade correlation (CC) ANNs to determine which technique yields better estimates of quantitative element abundances in rock and mineral samples. The number of hidden nodes in the MLP ANNs was optimized using a genetic algorithm. The influence of two data preprocessing techniques were also investigated: genetic algorithm feature selection and averaging the spectra for each training sample prior to training the PLS and ANN algorithms. We used a ChemCam-like laboratory stand-off LIBS system to collect spectra of 30 pressed powder geostandards and a diverse suite of 196 geologic slab samples of known bulk composition. We tested the performance of PLS and ANNs on a subset of these samples, choosing to focus on silicate rocks and minerals with a loss on ignition of less than 2 percent. This resulted in a set of 22 pressed powder geostandards and 80 geologic samples. Four of the geostandards were used as a validation set and 18 were used as the training set for the algorithms. We found that PLS typically resulted in the lowest average absolute error in its predictions, but that the optimized MLP ANN and the CC ANN often gave results comparable to PLS. Averaging the spectra for each training sample and/or using feature selection to choose a small subset of wavelengths to use for predictions gave mixed results, with degraded performance in some cases and similar or slightly improved performance in other cases. However, training time was significantly reduced for both PLS and ANN methods by implementing feature selection, making this a potentially appealing method for initial, rapid-turn-around analyses necessary for Chemcam's tactical role on MSL. Choice of training samples has a strong influence on the accuracy of predictions. We are currently investigating the use of clustering algorithms (e.g. k-means, neural gas, etc.) to identify training sets that are spectrally similar to the unknown samples that are being predicted, and therefore result in improved predictions

Morris, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2005

Reactive Additives for Phenylethynyl-Containing Resins

Phenylethynyl-containing reactive additive (PERA) compounds and mixtures have been found to be useful for improving the processability of oligomers, polymers, co-oligomers, and copolymers that contain phenylethynyl groups. The additives can be incorporated in different forms: A solution of an amide acid or an imide of a PERA can be added to a solution of phenylethynyl-containing oligomer, polymer, co-oligomer, or copolymer; or An imide powder of a PERA can be mixed with a dry powder of a phenylethynyl-containing oligomer, polymer, co-oligomer, or copolymer. The effect of a given PERA on the processability and other properties of the resin system depends on whether the PERA is used in the amide acid or an imide form. With proper formulation, the PERA reduces the melt viscosity of the resin and thereby reduces the processing pressures needed to form the adhesive bonds, consolidate filled or unfilled moldings, or fabricate fiber-reinforced composite laminates. During thermal cure, a PERA reacts with itself as well as with the phenylethynyl-containing host resin and thereby becomes chemically incorporated into the resin system. The effects of the PERA on mechanical properties, relative to those of the host resin, depend on the amount of PERA used. Typically, the incorporation of the PERA results in (1) increases in the glass-transition temperature (Tg), modulus of elasticity, and parameters that characterize behavior under compression, and (2) greater retention of the aforementioned mechanical properties at elevated temperatures without (3) significant reduction of toughness or damage tolerance. Of the formulations tested thus far, the ones found to yield the best overall results were those for which the host resin was the amide acid form of a phenylethynyl-terminated imide (PETI) co-oligomer having a molecular weight of 5,000 g/mole [hence, designated PETI-5] and a PERA denoted as PERA-1. PETI-5 was made from 3,3',4'4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,4'-oxydianiline (3,4'-ODA), 1,3-bis(3-aminophenoxy) benzene (1,3-APB), and 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA). PERA-1 was made from 3,5-diamino- 4.-phenylethynylbenzophenon and equimolar amounts of phthalic anhydride and PEPA. To make PERA-1 in the imide form, the aforementioned ingredients were processed by refluxing in glacial acetic acid. To make the amide form of PERA-1, the ingredients were reacted in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) under nitrogen at a temperature of 23 C (see figure). On the basis of the processability and other properties, a blend comprising 20 weight percent of PERA-1 and 80 weight percent PETI-5 was selected for further evaluation. Relative to neat PETI-5, the blend exhibited an increase in Tg; improved processability; and comparable values of shear strength in adhesion to titanium panels, open-hole compressive properties, compression properties after impact, and resistance to microcracking.

Connell, John W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Swarms of Micron-Sized Sensors

A paper presents the concept of swarms of micron-sized and smaller carriers of sensing equipment, denoted generally as controllable granular matter, to be used in exploring remote planets and interplanetary space. The design and manufacture of controllable granular matter would exploit advances in microelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology. Depending on specific designs and applications, controllable granular matter could have characteristics like those of powders, sands, or aerosols, which would be dispersed into the environments to be explored: For example, sensory grains could be released into orbit around a planet, spread out over ground, or dispersed into wind or into a body of liquid. The grains would thus become integral parts of multiphase environments, where they would function individually and/or collectively to gather information about the environments. In cases of clouds of grains dispersed in outer space, it may be feasible to use laser beams to shape the clouds to perform specific functions. To enable the full utilization of controllable granular matter, it is necessary to advance the knowledge of the dynamics and controllable characteristics of both individual grains and the powders, sands, or aerosols of which they are parts.

Quadrelli, Marco↗