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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Radio range measurements of coronal electron densities at 13 and 3.6 centimeter wavelengths during the 1988 solar conjunction of Voyager 2

Radio range measurements of total solar plasma delay obtained during the solar conjunction of the Voyager 2 spacecraft in December 1988, which occurred near solar maximum activity in the 11 yr cycle are reported. The radio range measurements were generated by the Deep Space Network at two wavelengths on the downlink from the spacecraft: 3.6 and 13 cm. A direct measurement of the integrated electron density along the ray path between the earth stations and the spacecraft was obtained by differencing the range at the two wavelengths. Coronal electron density profiles have been derived during ingress and egress of the ray path, which approached the sun to within 5 solar radii. At 10 solar radii, the derived density profiles yield 34079 + or - 611/cu cm on ingress and 49688 + or - 983/cu cm on egress. These density levels are significantly higher than observed near previous solar maxima.

Krisher, T. P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Pressure transducer and system for cryogenic environments

A silicon pressure die is bonded to a borosilicate substrate above the pneumatic port. A Wheatstone bridge circuit is formed on the silicon pressure die and has bridge elements of silicon doped with boron to a deposit density level of approximately 1 x 10(exp 19)-10(exp 21) boron/cc. A current source is provided to excite the Wheatstone bridge circuit. In addition, a temperature sensor is provided to provide temperature readings. An array may be formed of the resulting pressure transducers. This unique solution of materials permits operation of a pressure transducer in cryogenic environments.

Chapman, John J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Perspectives on hypersonic viscous and nonequilibrium flow research

An attempt is made to reflect on current focuses in certain areas of hypersonic flow research by examining recent works and their issues. Aspects of viscous interaction, flow instability, and nonequilibrium aerothermodynamics pertaining to theoretical interest are focused upon. The field is a diverse one, and many exciting works may have either escaped the writer's notice or been abandoned for the sake of space. Students of hypersonic viscous flow must face the transition problems towards the two opposite ends of the Reynolds or Knudsen number range, which represents two regimes where unresolved fluid/gas dynamic problems abound. Central to the hypersonic flow studies is high-temperature physical gas dynamics; here, a number of issues on modelling the intermolecular potentials and inelastic collisions remain the obstacles to quantitative predictions. Research in combustion and scramjet propulsion will certainly be benefitted by advances in turbulent mixing and new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) strategies on multi-scaled complex reactions. Even for the sake of theoretical development, the lack of pertinent experimental data in the right energy and density ranges is believed to be among the major obstacles to progress in aerothermodynamic research for hypersonic flight. To enable laboratory simulation of nonequilibrium effects anticipated for transatmospheric flight, facilities capable of generating high enthalpy flow at density levels higher than in existing laboratories are needed (Hornung 1988). A new free-piston shock tunnel capable of realizing a test-section stagnation temperature of 10(exp 5) at Reynolds number 50 x 10(exp 6)/cm is being completed and preliminary tests has begun (H. Hornung et al. 1992). Another laboratory study worthy of note as well as theoretical support is the nonequilibrium flow experiment of iodine vapor which has low activation energies for vibrational excitation and dissociation, and can be studied in a laboratory with modest resources (Pham-Van-Diep et al. 1992).

Cheng, H. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Interference prediction for deep space spacecraft from ground stations - Interference to the Galileo deep space spacecraft from the GOMS geostationary network

A technique for predicting the interference power spectral density from a ground station to a spacecraft in deep space is described. The interference prediction throughout the complete mission is simulated, and distance between the ground station and the deep space spacecraft is calculated. A power spectral density from the GOMS satellite network to the Galileo spacecraft receiver is computed using the thermal noise density level at the Galileo spacecraft as the interference criterion. Data obtained indicate that all three GOMS stations cause at least 30 minutes of interference during Galileo earth flyby number one, and two GOMS ground stations cause at least four minutes of interference during Galileo earth flyby number.

Bishop, Dennis F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Cosmic rays and the dynamic balance in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Present and future measurement of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) particularly in the radio and high energy gamma ray range offer the possibility of understanding the density and distribution of the cosmic rays in a galaxy other than our own and the role that they play in galactic dynamic balance. After a study of the consistency of the measurements and interpretation of the synchrotron radiation from our own galaxy, the cosmic ray distribution for the LMC is calculated under the assumption that the cosmic ray nucleon to electron ratio is the same and the relation to the magnetic fields are the same, although the implications of alternatives are discussed. It is seen that the cosmic ray density level appears to be similar to that in our own galaxy, but varying in position in a manner generally consistent with the concept of correlation with the matter on a broad scale.

Fichtel, Carl E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Piezoresistive stress sensors on (110) silicon wafers

Structural reliability of electronic packages has become an increasing concern for a variety of reasons including the advent of higher integrated circuit densities, power density levels, and operating temperatures. A powerful method for experimental evaluation of die stress distributions is the use of test chips incorporating integral piezoresistive sensors. In this paper, the basic equations needed for the design of stress sensors fabricated on the surface of (110) oriented silicon wafers have been presented. Several sensor rosette configurations have been explored, including the familiar three-element 0-45-90 rosette. Rosette designs have been found which minimize the necessary calibration procedures and permit more stress components to be measured. It has been established that stress sensors on the surface of (110) test chips are sensitive to four out of the six stress components at a point.

Kang, Y. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Contribution of low-energy ionospheric protons to the plasma sheet

The magnetospheric transport of low-energy ionospheric ions is examined by means of three-dimensional particle codes. Emphasis is placed on the behavior of polar wind and cleft originating protons. It is demonstrated that, via nonadiabatic motion inside the neutral sheet, these ions can significantly contribute to the populations of the plasma sheet. The importance of this contribution is found to depend critically upon the dynamics of particles originating from the highest latitudes, as these possibly have access to the distant tail. Hence it is shown that polar wind H(+) expelled into the magnetosphere at very low energies (in the electron volt range) preferentially feed the plasma sheet during quiet times, experiencing accelerations up to several kiloelectron volts upon return into the inner magnetosphere. In contrast, during disturbed times, the intensifying magnetospheric convection confines this population to low L shells where it travels in a nearly adiabatic manner. As for the protons originating from the cleft fountain, the simulations reveal that they can be transported up to the vicinity of the distant neutral line in the nightside sector. Via interaction with the neutral sheet, these ionospheric ions are rapidly raised to the characteristic plasma sheet energy range. The density levels contributed by these populations are quite substantial when compared to those measured in situ. These simulations establish an active role of low-energy ionospheric ions in the overall magnetospheric dynamics.

Delcourt, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Study of Analytic Statistical Model for Decay of Light and Medium Mass Nuclei in Nuclear Fragmentation

The angular momentum independent statistical decay model is often applied using a Monte-Carlo simulation to describe the decay of prefragment nuclei in heavy ion reactions. This paper presents an analytical approach to the decay problem of nuclei with mass number less than 60, which is important for galactic cosmic ray (GCR) studies. This decay problem of nuclei with mass number less than 60 incorporates well-known levels of the lightest nuclei (A less than 11) to improve convergence and accuracy. A sensitivity study of the model level density function is used to determine the impact on mass and charge distributions in nuclear fragmentation. This angular momentum independent statistical decay model also describes the momentum and energy distribution of emitted particles (n, p, d, t, h, and a) from a prefragment nucleus.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Lower Hybrid Oscillations in Multicomponent Space Plasmas Subjected to Ion Cyclotron Waves

It is found that in multicomponent plasmas subjected to Alfven or fast magnetosonic waves, such as are observed in regions of the outer plasmasphere and ring current-plasmapause overlap, lower hybrid oscillations are generated. The addition of a minor heavy ion component to a proton-electron plasma significantly lowers the low-frequency electric wave amplitude needed for lower hybrid wave excitation. It is found that the lower hybrid wave energy density level is determined by the nonlinear process of induced scattering by ions and electrons; hydrogen ions in the region of resonant velocities are accelerated; and nonresonant particles are weakly heated due to the induced scattering. For a given example, the light resonant ions have an energy gain factor of 20, leading to the development of a high-energy tail in the H(+) distribution function due to low-frequency waves.

Khazanov, G. V.↗
NASA NTRS1996

X-Ray Photoemission Measurements of La(1-x)Ca(x)CoO3(x = 0, 0.5)

X-ray photoemission measurements of the core levels and valence electronic structure of LaCoO3 and La(0.5)Ca(0.5)CoO3 high quality epitaxial films are presented. Shifts of the core levels and main valence band features are consistent with a doping-induced change in the chemical potential. Oxygen states are found to significantly contribute to a peak in the valence band at 1 eV binding energy, verifying earlier results of cluster calculations. A Fermi level crossing of this same band upon doping is observed, yielding a high Fermi level density of states.

Vasquez, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Troposheric Ozone Derived from Cloud Slicing Technique

In this talk, an overview of the Cloud Slicing Technique for deriving the ozone vertical profile from coincident satellite measurements of cloud top pressure and above cloud column ozone from the total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) instrument will be presented. This technique is an extension of "Convective Cloud Differential (CCD) technique which has been used to derive tropospheric column ozone in the tropics from 1979 to the present time using Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) high density level 2 footprint measurements. The CCD based tropospheric ozone data have provided an unique insight into the temporal variability of ozone in the tropics from the seasonal to decadal time scales including 1997-1998 El Nino event. These data are now available from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center via world-wide-web.

Chandra, Sushil↗
NASA NTRS2003

Simulated Fuel Usage for Drag Compensated Spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit

Atmospheric drag causes the greatest uncertainty in the spacecraft flight dynamics equation for spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The continuously varying atmospheric density levels require increased spacecraft tracking to accurately predict spacecraft location. In addition, periodic propulsive maneuvers must be designed and performed to counteract the effects of drag on the spacecraft orbit. If atmospheric drag effects can be continuously and autonomously counteracted through the use of a drag-free control system, they will essentially be eliminated from the spacecraft flight dynamics equation. The main perturbations on the spacecraft will then be those due to the Earth s gravitational field, which are easily predicted. Although theoretically beneficial from a flight dynamics perspective, the costs associated with drag-free control must be determined and weighed against those benefits before the feasibility of drag-free control of spacecraft in LEO can be determined. Through the use of a MATLAEV Satellite Tool Kit simulation, this paper attempts to quantify one such cost associated with drag-free control: the amount of fuel needed for continuous drag compensation as measured by cumulative orbital velocity changes, or AV. This AV cost can then be compared to the fuel required for more traditional, periodic orbit raising maneuvers of every two to four weeks. The simulation considers various sized spacecraft, as measured by the spacecraft ballistic coefficient, in circular orbits of various altitudes and inclinations. The time between orbit raising maneuvers is allowed to decrease until it approaches near continuous. In this manner, the trend in AV cost can be seen as drag compensation moves from periodic to near continuous.

Fleck, Melissa E.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Transient Plume Model Testing Using LADEE Spacecraft Attitude Control System Operations

The Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft is being designed for a mission featuring low altitude orbits of the Moon to take relevant ambient measurements before that environment becomes altered by future exploration activities. Instruments include a neutral mass spectrometer capable of measuring ambient species density levels below 100 molecules/cu cm. Coincidentally, with a favorable combination of spacecraft orientations, it is also possible to measure plume gases from LADEE attitude control system thruster operations as they are reflected from the daytime lunar surface and subsequently intercepted by the spacecraft as it orbits overhead. Under such circumstances, it may be possible to test a variety of properties and assumptions associated with various transient plume models or to infer certain aspects regarding lunar surface properties.

Woronowicz, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Repetitive Interrogation of 2-Level Quantum Systems

Trapped ion clocks derive information from a reference atomic transition by repetitive interrogations of the same quantum system, either a single ion or ionized gas of many millions of ions. Atomic beam frequency standards, by contrast, measure reference atomic transitions in a continuously replenished "flow through" configuration where initial ensemble atomic coherence is zero. We will describe some issues and problems that can arise when atomic state selection and preparation of the quantum atomic system is not completed, that is, optical pumping has not fully relaxed the coherence and also not fully transferred atoms to the initial state. We present a simple two-level density matrix analysis showing how frequency shifts during the state-selection process can cause frequency shifts of the measured clock transition. Such considerations are very important when a low intensity lamp light source is used for state selection, where there is relatively weak relaxation and re-pumping of ions to an initial state and much weaker 'environmental' relaxation of the atomic coherence set-up in the atomic sample.

Rabi interrogation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

AAM Project: High Density Vertiplex (HDV) Research and Capabilities

NASA is currently engaged in dedicated research into vertiports through its Advanced Air Mobility Project, housed within the Airspace Operations Safety Program (AOSP), through a Sub-Project referred to as High Density Vertiplex, or simply HDV. This effort’s mission is to develop a reference automation architecture for vertiports that will enable operations to scale to the density levels envisioned for future environments. Through the development of the HDV Concept of Operations and accompanying architecture documents a research roadmap was developed as part of the effort's formulation process that laid the foundations for the work and schedule to be completed as part of the HDV scope and technical challenge. This presentation provides the background of the HDV Sub-Project and outlines the concept and capabilities as it has developed to date. Summaries of the completed work package and status of current work package will be provided with details on specific capabilities and supporting integration developments.

vertiport↗
DOE OSTI2024

System and method for high power diode based additive manufacturing

The present disclosure relates to a system for performing an Additive Manufacturing (AM) fabrication process on a powdered material, deposited as a powder bed and forming a substrate. The system makes use of a laser for generating a laser beam, and an optical subsystem. The optical subsystem is configured to receive the laser beam and to generate an optical signal comprised of electromagnetic radiation sufficient to melt or sinter the powdered material. The optical subsystem uses a digitally controlled mask configured to pattern the optical signal as needed to melt select portions of a layer of the powdered material to form a layer of a 3D part. A power supply and at least one processor are also included for generating a plurality of different power density levels selectable based on a specific material composition, absorptivity and diameter of the powder particles, and a known thickness of the powder bed. The powdered material is used to form the 3D part in a sequential layer-by-layer process.

El-Dasher, Bassem S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Application of a Triple Bubbler Inside Molten Salt for Pyroprocessing Safeguards Purposes

The application of a triple bubbler system within molten salt environments, specifically a eutectic mixture of LiCl-KCl, is explored for nuclear safeguards purposes, focusing on nuclear material accountancy (NMA) and holdup accountancy in pyroprocessing techniques. Traditional holdup accountancy methods, which involve periodic sampling and lengthy lead times, are being supplemented by the development of actinide sensors using electrochemistry. However, these methods alone are insufficient to meet regulatory requirements set by agencies like NRC and IAEA. The triple bubbler device measures salt level, density, and surface tension simultaneously using three dip tubes of varying diameters and heights. This study investigates the accuracy and robustness of the triple bubbler in molten salt conditions at temperatures ranging from 450-550°C. The updated bubbler design, utilizing tantalum metal and larger tube geometry, demonstrated minimal plugging and maintained measurement accuracy within acceptable uncertainties: 0.611% for depth, 1.34% for density, and approximately 40% for surface tension. Results indicate that the triple bubbler system is effective for real-time, accurate measurements in pyroprocessing environments, making it a promising tool for ensuring compliance with nuclear safeguards and supporting nuclear non-proliferation efforts.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-Energy, High-Power Sodium-Ion Batteries from a Layered Organic Cathode

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) attract significant attention due to their potential as an alternative energy storage solution, yet challenges persist due to the limited energy density of existing cathode materials. In principle, redox-active organic materials can tackle this challenge because of their high theoretical energy densities. However, electrode-level energy densities of organic electrodes are compromised due to their poor electron/ion transport and severe dissolution. Here, we report the use of a low-bandgap, conductive, and highly insoluble layered metal-free cathode material for SIBs. It exhibits a high theoretical capacity of 355 mAh g –1 per formula unit, enabled by a four-electron redox process, and achieves an electrode-level energy density of 606 Wh kg –1 electrode (90 wt % active material) along with excellent cycling stability. It allows for facile two-dimensional Na+ diffusion, which enables a high intrinsic rate capability. Growth of the active cathode material in the presence of as little as 2 wt % carboxyl-functionalized carbon nanotubes improves charge transport and charge transfer kinetics and further enhances the power performance. Altogether, these allow the construction of SIB cells built from an affordable, sustainable organic small molecule, which provide a cathode energy density of 472 Wh kg –1 electrode when charging/discharging in 90 s and a top specific power of 31.6 kW kg –1 electrode .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗