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At least 1,027 records · Page 57

Advanced solar receiver conceptual design study

High temperature solar dynamic Brayton and Stirling receivers are investigated as candidate electrical power generating systems for future LEO missions. These receivers are smaller and more efficient than conventional receivers, and they offer less structural complexity and fewer thermal stress problems. Use of the advanced Direct Absorption Storage Receiver allows many of the problems associated with working with high-volumetric-change phase-change materials to be avoided. A specific mass reduction of about 1/3 with respect to the baseline receiver has been realized.

Kesseli, J. B.↗

Wide-angle X-ray scattering study of heat-treated PEEK and PEEK composite

Samples of poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) neat resin and APC-2 carbon fiber composite were subjected to various heat treatments, and the effect of quenching and annealing treatments was studied by wide-angle X-ray scattering. It is found that high-temperature treatments may introduce disorder into neat resin and composite PEEK when followed by rapid cooling. The disorder is metastable and can revert to ordered state when the material is heated above its glass transition temperature and then cooled slowly. The disorder may result from residual thermal stresses.

Cebe, Peggy↗

Capillary-Condenser-Pumped Heat-Transfer Loop

Heat being transferred supplies operating power. Capillary-condenser-pumped heat-transfer loop similar to heat pipe and to capillary-evaporator-pumped heat-transfer loop in that heat-transfer fluid pumped by evaporation and condensation of fluid at heat source and sink, respectively. Capillary condenser pump combined with capillary evaporator pump to form heat exchanger circulating heat-transfer fluids in both loops. Transport of heat more nearly isothermal. Thermal stress in loop reduced, and less external surface area needed in condenser section for rejection of heat to heat sink.

Silverstein, Calvin C.↗

A high heat flux experiment for verification of thermostructural analysis

A major concern in advancing the state of the art technologies for hypersonic vehicles is the development of an aeropropulsion system capable of handling the high heat fluxes during flight. The leading edges of such systems must not only tolerate the maximum heating rates, but must also minimize distortions to the flow field due to excessive blunting and/or thermal warping of the compression surface to achieve the high inlet performance required. A combined analytical and experimental effort to study the aerothermodynamic loads on actively cooled structures for hypersonic applications was established. A hydrogen/oxygen rocket engine was modified to establish a high enthalpy high heat flux environment. The facility provides heat flux levels from about 200 up to 10000 Btu/sq ft/sec. Cross flow and parallel flow regeneratively cooled model can be tested and analyzed by using cooling fluids of water and hydrogen. Results are presented of the experiment and the characteristics of the Hot Gas Test Facility. The predicted temperature results of the cross flow model are compared with the experimental data on the first monolithic specimens and are found to be in good agreement. Thermal stress analysis results are also presented.

Gladden, Herbert J.↗

Advanced heat receiver conceptual design study

Solar Dynamic space power systems are candidate electrical power generating systems for future NASA missions. One of the key components of the solar dynamic power system is the solar receiver/thermal energy storage (TES) subsystem. Receiver development was conducted by NASA in the late 1960's and since then a very limited amount of work has been done in this area. Consequently the state of the art (SOA) receivers designed for the IOC space station are large and massive. The objective of the Advanced Heat Receiver Conceptual Design Study is to conceive and analyze advanced high temperature solar dynamic Brayton and Stirling receivers. The goal is to generate innovative receiver concepts that are half of the mass, smaller, and more efficient than the SOA. It is also necessary that these innovative receivers offer ease of manufacturing, less structural complexity and fewer thermal stress problems. Advanced Brayton and Stirling receiver storage units are proposed and analyzed in this study which can potentially meet these goals.

Kesseli, James↗

Adiabatic Wankel type rotary engine

This SBIR Phase program accomplished the objective of advancing the technology of the Wankel type rotary engine for aircraft applications through the use of adiabatic engine technology. Based on the results of this program, technology is in place to provide a rotor and side and intermediate housings with thermal barrier coatings. A detailed cycle analysis of the NASA 1007R Direct Injection Stratified Charge (DISC) rotary engine was performed which concluded that applying thermal barrier coatings to the rotor should be successful and that it was unlikely that the rotor housing could be successfully run with thermal barrier coatings as the thermal stresses were extensive.

Kamo, R.↗

Analysis of Nd3+:glass, solar-pumped, high-powr laser systems

The operating characteristics of Nd(3+):glass lasers energized by a solar concentrator were analyzed for the hosts YAG, silicate glass, and phosphate glass. The modeling is based on the slab zigzag laser geometry and assumes that chemical hardening methods for glass are successful in increasing glass hardness by a factor of 4. On this basis, it was found that a realistic 1-MW solar-pumped laser might be constructed from phosphate glass 4 sq m in area and 2 mm thick. If YAG were the host medium, a 1-MW solar-pumped laser need only be 0.5 sq m in area and 0.5 cm thick, which is already possible. In addition, Nd(3+) doped glass fibers were found to be excellent solar-pumped laser candidates. The small diameter of fibers eliminates thermal stress problems, and if their diameter is kept small (10 microns), they propagate a Gaussian single mode which can be expanded and transmitted long distances in space. Fiber lasers could then be used for communications in space or could be bundled and the individual beams summed or phase-matched for high-power operation.

Zapata, L. E.↗

Arcjet cathode phenomena

Cathode tips made from a number of different materials were tested in a modular arcjet thruster in order to examine cathode phenomena. Periodic disassembly and examination, along with the data collected during testing, indicated that all of the tungsten-based materials behaved similarly despite the fact that in one of these samples the percentage of thorium oxide was doubled and another was 25 percent rhenium. The mass loss rate from a 2 percent thoriated rhenium cathode was found to be an order of magnitude greater than that observed using 2 percent thoriated tungsten. Detailed analysis of one of these cathode tips showed that the molten crater contained pure tungsten to a depth of about 150 microns. Problems with thermal stress cracking were encountered in the testing of a hafnium carbide tip. Post test analysis showed that the active area of the tip had chemically reacted with the propellant. A 100 hour continuous test was run at about 1 kW. Post test analysis revealed no dendrite formation, such as observed in a 30 kW arcjet lifetest, near the cathode crater. The cathodes from both this test and a previously run 1000 hour cycled test displayed nearly identical arc craters. Data and calculations indicate that the mass losses observed in testing can be explained by evaporation.

Curran, Francis M.↗

A differential approach to microcomputer test battery development and implementation

The present microcomputer-based performance test battery emphasizes psychometric theory and utility for repeated-measures applications during extended exposure to various environmental stressors. In the menu that has been defined at the current state of this system's development, there are more than 30 'qualified' mental tests which stabilize in less than 10 min and possess test-retest reliabilities greater than 0.7 for a three-minute test/work period. The battery encompasses tests of cognition, information processing, psychomotor skill, memory, mood, etc. Several of the tests have demonstrated sensitivity to chemoradiotherapy, sleep loss, hypoxia, amphetamines, thermal stress, sensory deprivation, altitude, fatigue, and alcohol use. Recommendations are presented for 6-, 12-, and 22-min batteries.

Kennedy, R. S.↗

A high heat flux experiment for verification of thermostructural analysis

A major concern in advancing the state of the art technologies for hypersonic vehicles is the development of an aeropropulsion system capable of handling the high heat fluxes during flight. The leading edges of such systems must not only tolerate the maximum heating rates, but must also minimize distortions to the flow field due to excessive blunting and/or thermal warping of the conmpression surface to achieve the high inlet performance required. A combined analytical and experimental effort to study the aerothermodynamic loads on actively cooled structures for hypersonic applications was established. A hydrogen/oxygen rocket engine was modified to establish a high enthalpy high heat flux environment. The facility provides heat flux levels from about 200 up to 10000 Btu/sq ft/sec. Cross flow and parallel flow regeneratively cooled model can be tested and analyzed by using cooling fluids of water and hydrogen. Results are presented of the experiment and the characteristics of the Hot Gas Test Facility. The predicted temperature results of the cross flow model are compared with the experimental data on the first monolithic specimens and are found to be in good agreement. Thermal stress analysis results are also presented.

Gladden, H. J.↗

NASA/MSFC nozzle test bed

As part of an effort to improve the state-of-the-art in nozzle technology, a solid propulsion test bed facility is being designed and will be located at Marshall Space Flight Center. The test bed will consist of a plasma arc facility and several small scale rocket motor test facilities ranging in size from the ballistic environmental generator motor with a 1/2 in. diameter throat to the MNASA motor with a 9 and 1/2 in. diameter throat capability. The test bed system will be used primarily to study materials behavior from the standpoint of char, erosion, and thermal stress phenomena.

Crose, James G.↗

Effect of temperature gradient on the optical quality of mercurous chloride crystals

Single crystals of mercurous chloride were grown at temperature gradients of 8, 11 and 17 K/cm by the physical vapor transport method. The optical quality of these crystals was evaluated by measuring bulk scattering and inhomogeneity of refractive index by birefringence interferometry. It was observed that a high temperature gradient at the solid-vapor interface induced thermal stresses and crystals showed higher scattering and irregular fringes.

Singh, N. B.↗

Radial Cracks Would Signal Wearout Of Turbine Blades

Nonfatal defects made to appear before fatal ones. Proposed to design turbine blades to crack radially before they crack chordwise. Advance radial cracking promoted in design by adjusting thermal stresses and net bending stresses. Prior appearance of radial crack or cracks in used blade serves as warning that more-threatening chordwise crack or cracks may subsequently appear. Blade replaced before it fails.

Paulus, Donald E.↗

Heat pipes for wing leading edges of hypersonic vehicles

Wing leading edge heat pipes were conceptually designed for three types of vehicle: an entry research vehicle, aero-space plane, and advanced shuttle. A full scale, internally instrumented sodium/Hastelloy X heat pipe was successfully designed and fabricated for the advanced shuttle application. The 69.4 inch long heat pipe reduces peak leading edge temperatures from 3500 F to 1800 F. It is internally instrumented with thermocouples and pressure transducers to measure sodium vapor qualities. Large thermal gradients and consequently large thermal stresses, which have the potential of limiting heat pipe life, were predicted to occur during startup. A test stand and test plan were developed for subsequent testing of this heat pipe. Heat pipe manufacturing technology was advanced during this program, including the development of an innovative technique for wick installation.

Boman, B. L.↗

Arcjet Cathode Phenomena

Cathode tips made from a number of different materials were tested in a modular arcjet thruster in order to examine cathode phenomena. Periodic disassembly and examination, along with the data collected during testing, indicated that all of the tungsten-based materials behaved similarly despite the fact that in one of these samples the percentage of thorium oxide was doubled and another was 25 percent rhenium. The mass loss rate from a 2 percent thoriated rhenium cathode was found to be an order of magnitude greater than that observed using 2 percent thoriated tungsten. Detailed analysis of one of these cathode tips showed that the molten crater contained pure tungsten to a depth of about 150 microns. Problems with thermal stress cracking were encountered in the testing of a hafnium carbide tip. Post test analysis showed that the active area of the tip had chemically reacted with the propellant. A 100 hour continuous test was run at about 1 kW. Post test analysis revealed no dendrite formation, such as observed in a 30 kW arcjet lifetest, near the cathode crater. The cathodes from both this test and a previously run 1000 hour cycled test displayed nearly identical arc craters. Data and calculations indicate that the mass losses observed in testing can be explained by evaporation.

Curran, Francis M.↗

A parametric heat transfer study for cryogenic ball bearings in SSME HPOTP

A numerical modeling is to examine the effects of coolant convective heat transfer coefficient and frictional heating on the local temperature characteristics of a ball element in Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Oxidizer Turbopump (HPOTP) bearing. The present modeling uses a control-volume based, finite-difference method to solve the non-dimensionalized heat conduction equation in spherical coordinate system. The dimensionless temperature is found as a function of Biot number, heat flux ratio between the two race contacts, and location in the ball. The current results show that, for a given cooling capability, the ball temperature generally increases almost linearly with the heat input from the race-contacts. This increase is always very high at one of the two contacts. An increase in heat transfer coefficient generally reduces the ball temperature and alleviates the temperature gradient, except for the regions very close to the race contacts. For a 10-fold increase of heat transfer coefficient, temperature decrease is 35 percent for the average over entire ball, and 10 percent at the inner-race contact. The corresponding change of temperature gradient displays opposing trends between the regions immediately adjacent to the contacts and the remaining portion of the ball. The average temperature gradient in the vicinity of both contacts increases approximately 70 to 100 percent. A higher temperature gradient produces excessive thermal stress locally which may be detrimental to the material integrity. This, however, is the only unfavorable issue for an increase of heat transfer coefficient.

Chyu, Mingking K.↗

Fundamental aspects of and failure modes in high-temperature composites

Fundamental aspects of and attendant failure mechanisms for high temperature composites are summarized. These include: (1) in-situ matrix behavior; (2) load transfer; (3) limits on matrix ductility to survive a given number of cyclic loadings; (4) fundamental parameters which govern thermal stresses; (5) vibration stresses; and (6) impact resistance. The resulting guidelines are presented in terms of simple equations which are suitable for the preliminary assessment of the merits of a particular high temperature composite in a specific application.

Chamis, Christos C.↗

Evaluation of an adaptive unstructured remeshing technique for integrated fluid-thermal-structural analysis

An adaptive unstructured remeshing technique is evaluated for integrated fluid-thermal-structural analysis. The technique is combined with the finite element method to solve: (1) the Navier-Stokes equations for high-speed compressible flow; (2) the energy equation for the structural-thermal response; and (3) the quasi-static equilibrium equations for the structural response. The remeshing technique and the analysis solution procedure are described. The effectiveness of the approach is evaluated with two application studies. The flow analysis of Mach 8 shock-shock interference on a three-inch-diameter cylinder is used as the first application study to demonstrate the capability of the remeshing technique and to examine proper remeshing indicators for the inviscid and boundary layer regions. The applicability of the approach for the thermal and structural analyses of the structure is evaluated in the second application study of a 0.25-inch-diameter convectively cooled leading edge subjected to intense aerodynamic heating. Issues associated with remeshing indicators for thermal stress problems are identified.

Dechaumphai, Pramote↗