Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “GAS MIXTURE”

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.

At least 109 records · Page 6

Reduction of Iron‐Ore Pellets Using Different Gas Mixtures and Temperatures

Direct reduction of iron ore (DRI) is gaining an increased attention due to the growing need to decarbonize industrial processes. The current industrial DRI processes are performed using reformed natural gas, which results in CO 2 emission, although it is less than carbothermic reduction in the blast furnace. Carbon‐free reduction may be realized through the utilization of green H 2 as a reducing agent, in place of natural gas. Herein, the effects of various gas mixtures and temperature on the reduction kinetics of the hematite iron‐ore pellets are focused on in this work. Pellets are reduced at 700, 800, 850, and 900 °C in hydrogen and using various gas mixes at 850 °C. Morphology of the pellets is investigated with the help of scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The effects of temperature and gas composition on the reduction kinetics and porosity of the pellets are discussed. A notable effect of reduction rate on the internal structure of the pellets is detected, slower reduction rate yielded bigger pores offsetting the gas composition. Higher temperature results in coarser pores and higher porosity. Finally, increase of CO content in the gas mix also leads to bigger pore size.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Variable-temperature cryogenic trap for the separation of gas mixtures

The paper describes a continuous variable-temperature U-shaped cold trap which can both purify vacuum-line combustion products for subsequent stable isotopic analysis and isolate the methane and ethane constituents of natural gases. The canister containing the trap is submerged in liquid nitrogen, and, as the gas cools, the gas mixture components condense sequentially according to their relative vapor pressures. After the about 12 min required for the bottom of the trap to reach the liquid-nitrogen temperature, passage of electric current through the resistance wire wrapped around the tubing covering the U-trap permits distillation of successive gas components at optimal temperatures. Data on the separation achieved for two mixtures, the first being typical vacuum-line combustion products of geochemical samples such as rocks and the second being natural gas, are presented, and the thermal behavior and power consumption are reported.

Des Marais, D. J.↗

Rapid helium-air analyzer can measure other binary gas mixtures

Instrument comprised of an ionization pressure gage and a diaphragm pressure gage consisting of strain gages to make a four-arm bridge, and a ratiometer is constructed for analyzing gas mixtures. The ratio of the outputs of the two gages is proportional to the mixture composition.

Melfi, L. T.↗

Lasing characteristics of gas mixtures involving UFG: Application to nuclear pumping of lasers

Intense blue-green fluorescence from a structured band centered at lambda approximately 484 nm was observed from Ar, CF3I and NF3 gas mixtures excited by an electron beam. This emission was tentatively assigned to the E yields A transition of the iodine monofluoride (IF) molecule. The fluorescence efficiency of the IF(E yields A) band and the IF (E) state radiative lifetime were estimated to be approximately 6% and 15 ns, respectively. The emission band structure, the short IF(E) radiative lifetime and the Franck-Condon shift between the E and A states suggest that IF is an attractive candidate for a blue-green laser.

Verdeyen, J. T.↗

A Collection of More than 900 Gas Mixture Adsorption Experiments in Porous Materials from Literature Meta-Analysis

Information on mixture adsorption equilibrium is vital in developing adsorption-based separation processes. Because measuring mixture adsorption is more difficult than measuring single-component adsorption, far more data of the latter kind are available. Previous efforts to compile experimental mixture adsorption data for gases have given data sets with at most a few dozen examples. Here, we report the results of systematic literature meta-analysis that produced a data set of more than 900 gas mixture adsorption experiments. This collection includes data from 125 different binary mixtures including 60 different molecular species and information from 333 different adsorbents. We refer to this data set as the Binary adsorption ISOtherm ExperimeNtal 2020 (BISON-20) Database. Because the BISON-20 data set enormously expands the number and variety of experimental results for binary gas adsorption that are readily available, it will be a useful resource for future efforts in developing new materials or processes for gas separations. As initial applications of the BISON-20 data set, we show how identifying replicate measurements can be used to assess the reliability of binary adsorption data, how the accuracy of Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory (IAST) can be systematically tested using experimental data, and how trends in selectivity for gas separations across many materials can be examined.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A FORTRAN program for the determination of nozzle contours for rotational, non-homentropic gas mixtures

A program was written which generates a nozzle contour and the complete flow field for two dimensional or axisymetric flows designed to exit parallel to the axis at uniform pressure. The flow is that of a rotational, non-homentropic gas mixture where viscous effects were neglected and the chemistry is assumed frozen. A description of the numerical program developed, is also described.

Kalben, P.↗

Comprehensive Assessment of the Accuracy of the Ideal Adsorbed Solution Theory for Predicting Binary Adsorption of Gas Mixtures in Porous Materials

Quantifying the adsorption of chemical mixtures in porous adsorbents is critical to developing these materials for useful separation applications. The ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) is the most widely applied mixing theory for predicting mixture adsorption using single-component adsorption data, but a perceived lack of experimental data has limited previous efforts to explore the accuracy of IAST in a systematic way. In this paper, we take advantage of a large collection of binary experimental data for gas adsorption that became available recently to tackle this issue. Specifically, we identify more than 400 examples in which binary adsorption data and single-component data are available in the same publication and apply IAST to all these examples. This analysis includes experimental data from 63 gas mixtures of 37 different molecular species and 174 different adsorbents. In addition to being the most systematic evaluation to date of the accuracy of IAST for gas adsorption, these data will be valuable for future efforts to test or develop mixing theories that improve upon IAST.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Deuterium Permeation Through a Self-Supported Palladium-Silver Membrane in Helium Gas Mixtures

Palladium membranes and membrane reactors can separate and purify tritium from impurities in the plasma exhaust processing system for the fusion energy fuel cycle. Membranes can also act as a continuous separation method to remove tritium from helium streams in the breeder blanket tritium extraction system, such as from the purge gas of solid breeders. To investigate the potential of these membranes for these applications, we performed a deuterium permeation campaign with a self-supported palladium-silver (Pd-25Ag wt%) tube of 0.15 m length, 76 µ m wall thickness, and 3.0 mm inner diameter. A gas mixture of 3.95% D 2 and a balance of He was delivered to the inside of the tube and D permeated radially outwards through the membrane into a vacuum chamber. Permeation experiments were conducted at 300 ° C, 350 ° C, 400° C, and 450°C, from 100 to 1000 sccm total flow rate, and with total pressures of 90, 150, 190, and 250 kPa. Further, deuterium permeation was consistently lower than predicted from diffusion-limited permeation models, thus we developed a transport model that included gas-phase mass transfer and surface reactions to model experimental results. The dissociation constant was optimized to fit the developed model to experimental data.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Simulation of Gas Mixtures in RF Discharges for Nitride Deposition

Tungsten and titanium nitride films have long been grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. However, there has been recent interest in low temperature growth using plasma enhanced CVD. For the present work, we focus on the radio frequency (BE) discharge characteristics of gas mixtures used in nitride deposition (for example, WF6 and ammonia). Because the radial variations for a standard 200 mm, parallel plate reactor are limited to a small zone near the edges of the electrodes, a 1-D (one-dimensional) analysis is considered. This model consists of a self-consistent, 3-D (three-dimensional) moment fluid simulation that solves the continuity, momentum, and energy equations for neutral and charged species. The results in terms of plasma structure, radical concentrations, and local deposition rate will be presented. We will also compare the 1-D results with those obtained from a 2-D hybrid plasma equipment model (HPEM) developed at the University of Illinois.

Hwang, Helen H.↗

Terahertz Spectroscopy of Gas Mixtures with Dual Quantum Cascade Laser Frequency Combs

Terahertz laser frequency combs based on quantum cascade lasers provide coherent, broadband, electrically pumped, THz radiation sources for use in future spectroscopic applications. In this work, we explore the feasibility of such lasers in a dual-comb spectroscopy configuration for the detection of multiple molecular samples in the gas phase. The lasers span approximately 180 GHz of optical bandwidth, centered at 3.4 THz, with submilliwatt total optical power. One of the main advantages of dual-comb spectroscopy is its high speed, which opens up the possibility for direct observations of chemical reaction dynamics in the terahertz spectral region. As a proof-of-concept, we recorded continuously evolving spectra from gas mixtures with 1 ms temporal resolution.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Laboratory measurements and modeling of microwave absorption by ammonia in gas mixtures applicable to giant planet atmospheres

Accurate knowledge of the microwave absorption behavior of ammonia is critical to the correct interpretation of radio astronomical and radio occultation data from the giant planets. New cavity resonator techniques developed at the Stanford Center for Radar Astronomy have allowed accurate laboratory measurements of the microwave absorptivity and refractivity spectra of gas mixtures containing trace amounts of ammonia. A parameterized version of the modified Ben-Reuven formalism of Berge and Bulkis was optimized to fit the new data. The new formalism produced by this method predicts ammonia absorptivity much more accurately than previous formalism over a significant range of conditions.

Spilker, T. R.↗

Oxidation-chlorination of binary Ni-Cr alloys in flowing Ar-O2-Cl2 gas mixtures at 1200 K

Nickel-chromium alloys are resistant to oxidation because of the selective oxidation of chromium to form a protective Cr2O3 scale. In chlorine-containing environments, volatile corrosion products can also be formed. The mixed oxidation-chlorination of Ni-4.5Cr, Ni-13.8Cr, and Ni-26.5Cr (by weight) alloys in Ar-O2-Cl2 gas mixtures is investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and atmospheric-pressure-sampling mass spectrometry, followed by examination of the corrosion products using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The overall kinetics of the corrosion are affected by the relative amounts of oxides and chlorides formed and the composition of the oxide corrosion products.

Mcnallan, M. J.↗

Preliminary performance of a 4.97-inch radial turbine operating in a Brayton power system with a helium-xenon gas mixture

The performance characteristics of the Brayton-rotating-unit's 4.97-inch radial turbine were investigated with the turbine part of a power conversion system. The following system parameters were varied: turbine inlet temperature from 1200 to 1600 F, compressor inlet temperature from 60 to 120 F, compressor outlet pressure from 20 to 45 psia, and shaft speed from 90-110 percent of rated speed (36000 rpm). The working fluid of the system was a gas mixture of helium-xenon with a nominal molecular weight of 83.8. Test results indicate that changes in system conditions have little effect on the turbine efficiency. At the design turbine inlet temperature of 1600 F and compressor inlet temperature of 80 F, an average turbine efficiency of 91 percent was obtained.

Leroy, M. J., Jr.↗

Electrical Breakdown in a Martian Gas Mixture

The high probability for dust interactions during Martian dust storms and dust devils combined with the cold, dry climate of Mars most likely result in airborne dust that is highly charged. On Earth, potential gradients up to 5 kV/m have been recorded and in some cases resulted in lightning. Although the Martian atmosphere is not conducive to lightning generation, it is widely believed that electrical discharge in the form of a corona occurs. In order to understand the breakdown of gases, Paschen measurements are taken which relate the minimum potential required to spark across a gap between two electrodes. The minimum potential is plotted versus the pressure-distance value for electrodes of a given geometry. For most gases, the potential decreases as the pressure decreases. For CO2, the minimum in the curve happens to be at Mars atmospheric pressures (5-7 mm Hg) for many distances and geometries. However, a very small amount (<0.1%) of mixing gases radically changes the curve, as noted by Leach. Here, we present the first experimental results of a Paschen curve for a Mars gas mixture compared with 100% pure CO2.

Buhler, C. R.↗

Trapping of gas mixtures by amorphous water ice

Our studies on gas trapping in amorphous water ice at 24-100 K were extended, by using mixtures of CH4, CO, N2, and Ar, rather than single gases. In 1:1 gas:(water vapor) mixtures, the competition among these gases on the available sites in the ice showed that the trapping capacity for the various gases is determined not only by the structure and dynamics of the ice, but is also influenced by the gas itself. Whereas at 24-35 K all four gases are trapped in the ice indiscriminantly, at 50-75 K there is a clear enhancement, in the order of CH4 > CO > N2 > or approximately Ar. This order is influenced by the gas-water interaction energy, the size of the trapped gas atom or molecule, the type of clathrate-hydrate formed (I or II) and, possibly, other factors. It seems that the gas can be trapped in the amorphous ice in several different locations, each being affected in a different way by the deposition temperature and gas composition. Once a gas atom or molecule is trapped in a specific location, it is predestined to emerge in one of eight different temperature ranges, which are associated with changes in the ice. The experimentally observed enhancements, together with the findings on the gas composition of comet Halley, might enable an estimation of the gas composition in the region of comet formation.

NASA Discipline Number 52-10↗

Multicomponent gas mixture parametric CFD study of condensation heat transfer in small modular reactor system safety

Safety is always the primary concern for designing and analyzing nuclear reactor systems. The requirements for the safety margin for advanced small modular reactor (SMR) systems are targeted even higher than the conventional commercial large-scale nuclear reactors incorporating the passive and inherent safety systems. The SMR systems are designed with the condensation passive containment cooling system (PCCS), which plays a critical role in removing reactor heat during a steam release accident case. However, the presence of non-condensable gas (NCG), like air, reduces the heat transfer performance. This physics phenomenon becomes multifactorial for nuclear reactor containment during a fuel failure accident case that releases hydrogen gas. Besides, the mixture component of steam-air-hydrogen varies in reactor accident cases, which need simulation and validation keeping parameters of importance. Reviews showed that previous studies for SMR’s PCCCS did not cover the condensation heat transfer (CHT) in the presence of multicomponent NCG mixture parametric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation and validation, making a research gap in the SMR design safety. A comprehensive CHT parametric CFD study was performed for SMR PCCS to fill this research gap. This study used experimental data as simulation 3D physics domain inlet and outlet boundary conditions. However, the wall boundary conditions were constant temperature, curve-fit, and annular coolant for verifying the turbulence models. Parametric simulations were performed, verified, and optimized for steam-NCGs mixtures. The multicomponent gases, multiphase mixtures, and fluid film condensation models were applied with associated turbulence models. The results of the parametric study were evaluated for realistic reactor conditions. Results showed that parametric study provided critical insight about the dependency of multicomponent gas mixture parameters that supports reactor safety design, analysis, and licensing.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Increasing Compressed Gas Energy Storage Density Using CO2–N2 Gas Mixture

This paper demonstrates a new method by which the energy storage density of compressed air systems is increased by 56.8% by changing the composition of the compressed gas to include a condensable component. A higher storage density of 7.33 MJ/m3 is possible using a mixture of 88% CO2 and 12% N2 compared to 4.67 MJ/m3 using pure N2. This ratio of gases representing an optimum mixture was determined through computer simulations that considered a variety of different proportions from pure CO2 to pure N2. The computer simulations are based on a thermodynamic equilibrium model that predicts the mixture composition as a function of volume and pressure under progressive compression to ultimately identify the optimal mixture composition (88% CO2 + 12% N2). The model and simulations predict that the optimal gas mixture attains a higher energy storage density than using either of the pure gases.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗