SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Process developed to apply necessary insulation to valves, fittings, lines, etc. on such space vehicles as Centaur rocket stage. In new process, electrostatic equipment used to apply powdered polyimide resin directly to part to be insulated.
Carbonization of fibers at high temperatures improves strength and erosion resistance. Cotton linters tested as replacement for asbestos filler currently used in rubber insulation in solid rocket motors. Cotton-filled rubber insulation has industrial uses; in some kinds of chemical- or metal-processing equipment, hoses, and protective clothing.
Single layer and multilayer insulating blankets for high-temperature service fabricated without sewing. TABI woven fabric made of aluminoborosilicate. Triangular-cross-section flutes of core filled with silica batting. Flexible blanket formed into curved shapes, providing high-temperature and high-heat-flux insulation.
Improved lightweight insulating silica/aluminum borosilicate/silicon carbide tiles combine increased tensile strength with low thermal conductivity. Changes in composition substantially improve heat-insulating properties of silica-based refractory tile. Silicon carbide particles act as high-emissivity radiation scatterers in tile material.
The feasibility of weaving Nextel ceramic and Nicalon silicon carbide yarns into integrally woven, three dimensional fluted core fabrics was demonstrated. Parallel face fabrics joined with woven fabric ribs to form triangular cross section flutes between the faces were woven into three single and one double layer configuration. High warp yarn density in the double layer configuration caused considerable yarn breakage during weaving. The flutes of all four fabrics were filled with mandrels made from Q-Fiber Felt and FRCI-20-12 to form candidate insulation panels for advanced Space Transportation Systems. Procedures for preparing and inserting the mandrels were developed. Recommendations are made on investigating alternate methods for filling the flutes with insulation, and for improving the weaving of these types of fabrics.
In blanket of insulating material, layers of aluminized Mylar polyethylene terephthalate separated by spacers cause mutliple reflections of thermal radiation and impede passage of radiation through blanket. Insulating quality of blanket proportional to number of functional aluminized radiation-shield surfaces in assembly.
A platinum versus platinum-13 percent rhodium thin-film thermocouple/heat-flux sensor was devised and tested in the harsh, high-temperature environment of a ceramic-insulated, low-heat-rejection diesel engine. The sensor probe assembly was developed to provide experimental validation of heat transfer and thermal analysis methodologies applicable to the insulated diesel engine concept. The thin-film thermocouple configuration was chosen to approximate an uninterrupted chamber surface and provide a 1-D heat-flux path through the probe body. The engine test was conducted by Purdue University for Integral Technologies, Inc., under a DOE-funded contract managed by NASA Lewis Research Center. The thin-film sensor performed reliably during 6 to 10 hr of repeated engine runs at indicated mean surface temperatures up to 950 K. However, the sensor suffered partial loss of adhesion in the thin-film thermocouple junction area following maximum cyclic temperature excursions to greater than 1150 K.
Measurements of the low-temperature specific heat of phosphorus-doped silicon for densities near the metal-insulator transition show an enhancement over the conduction-band itinerant-electron value. The enhancement increases toward lower temperatures but is less than that found for the spin susceptibility. The data are compared with various theoretical models; the large ratio of the spin susceptibility to specific heat indicates the presence of localized spin excitations in the metallic phase as the metal-insulator transition is approached.
Techniques and equipment enable nondestructive inspection of sprayed-on foam and multilayer reflecting thermal insulations on metallic substrates. Technology is applied in factories and laboratories; to inspect insulation on cryogenic tanks and pipes. Equipment includes probe head, several electronic modules that take measurements via electromagnetic and electrostatic sensors in probe head, small computer to store and process signals from modules, and printer.
Proposed insulated honeycomb structure similar to reinforced honeycomb structure described in NPO-17538. Panels of insulated honeycomb used to make supports for solar-energy collectors and radar antennas.
Improved formulation prevents cracks. Low-density, thermally insulating material applied by spraying it onto surface to be protected. Material, called "MSA-2" improved version of similar material called "MSA-1". Useful as sprayed, lightweight insulation to cover large areas in terrestrial applications in which manual attachment too slow or impractical. Formulated to be more flexible and to prevent coats as thick as 1/2 in. from developing stress cracks as they cure.
The idea of using spray-on foam insulation as a passive thermal and micrometeorite protection system is explored. The benefits of applying an exterior coating of foam insulation can be: (1) the foam can provide a thermally stable shield that can assist in reducing the strain on traditional space radiator systems and can also act as a passive thermal guard, allowing a greater fault tolerance if the standard system should fail; (2) the foam can act as an ablative shell diminishing the effects of natural and manmade debris striking the structure; (3) the foam is lightweight - about 1/2 ounce per sq ft; (4) the foam is low cost and easy to maintain; and (5) the foam is a stable material that does not react when exposed to earth or lunar environments.
This paper describes past experience with 30 kW arcjet engines, emphasizing the operational parameters pertinent to the selection of new/alternate erosion-resistant materials to enhance lifetime. Mechanisms of mass loss from the electrodes and insulators are suggested, and ways of identifying potential processes for controlling cathode erosion and insulator degradation are proposed. The limitations of present materials used in critical arcjet thruster components are described. An outline is given of the criteria and the figure of merit on which the selection of candidate materials can be based. Potentially useful new/alternate materials are listed based on available thermophysical and other material properties.
Jet of hot water removes material quickly and safely. Simple, environmentally sound technique found to remove polyurethane foam insulation from metal parts. Developed for (but not limited to) use during rebuilding of fuel system of Space Shuttle main engine, during which insulation must be removed for penetrant inspection of metal parts.
A composite material suitable for providing insulation for the nozzle structure of the Space Shuttle and other similar surfaces is disclosed. The composite layer is comprised of an outer skin layer of nickel chromium and an interleaved inner region comprising a top layer of nickel chromium foil which acts as a primary convective shield. There are at least two layers of alumina batting adjacent to the layers of silicon carbide fabric. An additional layer of nickel chromium foil is used as a secondary convective shield. The composite is particularly advantageous for use as nozzle insulation because of its ability to withstand high reentry temperatures, its flexibility, oxidation resistance, low conductivity, and light weight.
The behavior of a defect in the insulation of a short biased section of cable in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space environment was examined. Such studies are of the utmost importance for large space power systems where great quantities of cabling will be deployed. An insulated probe containing a pinhole was placed into a hypothetical high speed LEO plasma. The NASA Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP/LEO) was used to explore sheath growth about the probe as a function of applied voltage and to predict I-V behavior. A set of independent current calculations using Langmuir's formulations for concentric spheres and coaxial cylinders were also performed. The case of concentric spheres was here extended to include the case of concentric hemispheres. Several simple Langmuir-type models were then constructed to bracket the current collected by the cable. The space-charge sheath radius and impact parameters were used to determine the proper current regime. I-V curves were plotted for the models and comparisons were made with NASCAP/LEO results. Finally, NASCAP/LEO potential contours and surface cell potential plots were examined to explain interesting features in the NASCAP/LEO I-V curve.
Vanadium added to the GaAs melt getters shallow donor impurities (Si and S) and decreases their concentration in the grown crystals. This gettering is driven by chemical reactions in the melt rather than in the solid. Employing V gettering, reproducibly semi-insulating GaAs were grown by horizontal Bridgman and liquid-encapsulated Czochralski techniques, although V did not introduce any midgap energy levels. The compensation mechanism in these crystals was controlled by the balance between the native midgap donor EL2 and residual shallow acceptors. Vanadium gettering contributed to the reduction of the concentration of shallow donors below the concentration of acceptors. The present findings clarify the long-standing controversy on the role of V in achieving semi-insulating GaAs.
Four main tasks were accomplished. The first three tasks were related to the goal of measuring the degradation of the insulating capabilities of Space Station multilayer insulation (MLI) due to simulated space debris impacts at hypervelocities. The last task was associated with critically reviewing a Boeing document on the fracture characteristics of the Space Station pressure wall when subjected to a simulated hypervelocity space debris impact. In Task 1, a thermal test procedure for impact damaged MLI specimens was written. In Task 2, damaged MLI specimens were prepared. In Task 3, a computer program was written to simulate MLI thermal tests. In Task 4, the author reviewed a Boeing document describing hypervelocity impact testing on biaxially stressed plates.