Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “dioxide”

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

Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber Engineering Development Unit Cabin Air Inlet Testing

This paper reviews a test series conducted on the Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber Engineering Development Unit, a ground test analog for the Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber Technology Demonstration currently operating on the International Space Station. For this test series conducted in mid-2022, an alternate FBCO2 inlet air location (direct from the cabin) was evaluated. This paper presents test results, rationale for observed performance changes, and possible ramifications for the flight FBCO2 Scrubber.

Life Support↗

Status of the Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber ISS Technology Demonstration 2022-2023

The Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber flight demonstration is presently operating onboard the International Space Station. After being launched in August and activated in September 2021, the system has been removing metabolic CO2 from the cabin as a supplement and replacement for other CO2 removal systems, specifically the two Carbon Dioxide Removal Assemblies. This paper describes on-orbit operations and changes (including installation of the Calnetix blower) during 2022 and early 2023. Performance of the system especially as affected by changes in the on-orbit configuration will be described. System reliability, software changes, and ongoing efforts will be summarized.

Life Support↗

Vapor grown silicon dioxide improves transistor base-collector junctions

Vapor grown silicon dioxide layer protects base-collector junction in silicon planar transistors during the emitter diffusion process. This oxide fills in any imperfections that exist in the thermally grown oxide layer and is of greater thickness than that layer. This process is used to deposit protective silicon dioxide coatings on optical surfaces.

Carley, D. R.↗

Gamma radiation characteristics of plutonium dioxide fuel

Investigation of plutonium dioxide as an isotopic fuel for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators yielded the isotopic composition of production-grade plutonium dioxide fuel, sources of gamma radiation produced by plutonium isotopes, and the gamma flux at the surface.

Gingo, P. J.↗

Solid amine compounds as sorbents for carbon dioxide: A concept

Solid amine compounds were examined as possible absorbents for removal of carbon dioxide in life support systems of type which may be employed in high altitude aircraft, spacecraft, or submarines. Many solid amine compounds release absorbed carbon dioxide when heated in vacuum, therefore, when properly packaged spent amine compounds can be readily regenerated and put back into service.

Sutton, J. G.↗

The reaction of hydrogen peroxide with nitrogen dioxide and nitric oxide.

The reactions were studied with the aid of a mass spectrometer. A pinhole bleed system provided continuous sampling of the gas mixture in the cell during the reaction. It was found that the homogeneous reactions of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide with hydrogen peroxide are too slow to be of any significance in the upper atmosphere. However, the heterogeneous reactions may be important in the conversion of nitric oxide to nitrogen dioxide in the case of polluted urban atmospheres.

Gray, D.↗

Regeneration of oxygen from carbon dioxide and water.

In a closed ecological system it is necessary to reclaim most of the oxygen required for breathing from respired carbon dioxide and the remainder from waste water. One of the advanced physicochemical systems being developed for generating oxygen in manned spacecraft is the solid electrolyte-electrolysis system. The solid electrolyte system consists of two basic units, an electrolyzer and a carbon monoxide disproportionator. The electrolyzer can reclaim oxygen from both carbon dioxide and water. Electrolyzer preparation and assembly are discussed together with questions of reactor design and electrolyzer performance data.

Weissbart, J.↗

Carbon dioxide adsorbent study

A study was initiated on the feasibility of using the alkali metal carbonate - bi-carbonate solid-gas reaction to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of an EVA life support system. The program successfully demonstrates that carbon dioxide concentrations could be maintained below 0.1 mole per cent using this chemistry. Further a practical method for distributing the carbonates in a coherent sheet form capable of repeated regeneration (50 cycles) at modest temperatures (423 K), without loss in activity was also demonstrated. Sufficiently high reaction rates were shown to be possible with the carbonate - bi-carbonate system such that EVA hardware could be readily designed. Experimental and design data were presented on the basis of which two practical units were designed. In addition to conventional thermally regenerative systems very compact units using ambient temperature cyclic vacuum regeneration may also be feasible. For a one man - 8 hour EVA unit regenerated thermally at the base ship a system volume of 14 liters is estimated.

Onischak, M.↗

Fuel-Retention Properties of Tungsten-Uranium Dioxide Composites

Although tungsten-uranium dioxide composites appear very promising, as fuel element materials for high-temperature nuclear rocket reactors, one of the major problems with these materials is the loss of fuel at reactor operating temperatures (near or above 4500 F). Substantial fuel losses occur by vaporization whenever the uranium dioxide is directly exposed to elevated temperature environments and by fuel migration and vaporization when reactor operating conditions that involve thermal cycling are simulated. Several methods of minimizing fuel loss have been evaluated and appear quite promising.

Gedwill, Michael A.↗

Carbon dioxide hydrate and floods on Mars

Ground ice on Mars probably consists largely of carbon dioxide hydrate. This hydrate dissociates upon release of pressure at temperatures between 0 and 10 C. The heat capacity of the ground would be sufficient to produce up to 4% (by volume) of water at a rate equal to that at which it can be drained away. Catastrophic dissociation of carbon dioxide hydrate during some past epoch when the near-surface temperature was in this range would have produced chaotic terrain and flood channels.

Milton, D. J.↗

Electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrator subsystem math model

A steady state computer simulation model has been developed to describe the performance of a total six man, self-contained electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrator subsystem built for the space station prototype. The math model combines expressions describing the performance of the electrochemical depolarized carbon dioxide concentrator cells and modules previously developed with expressions describing the performance of the other major CS-6 components. The model is capable of accurately predicting CS-6 performance over EDC operating ranges and the computer simulation results agree with experimental data obtained over the prediction range.

Marshall, R. D.↗

GASP: A computer code for calculating the thermodynamic and transport properties for ten fluids: Parahydrogen, helium, neon, methane, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, oxygen, fluorine, argon, and carbon dioxide

A FORTRAN IV subprogram called GASP is discussed which calculates the thermodynamic and transport properties for 10 pure fluids: parahydrogen, helium, neon, methane, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, oxygen, fluorine, argon, and carbon dioxide. The pressure range is generally from 0.1 to 400 atmospheres (to 100 atm for helium and to 1000 atm for hydrogen). The temperature ranges are from the triple point to 300 K for neon; to 500 K for carbon monoxide, oxygen, and fluorine; to 600 K for methane and nitrogen; to 1000 K for argon and carbon dioxide; to 2000 K for hydrogen; and from 6 to 500 K for helium. GASP accepts any two of pressure, temperature and density as input conditions along with pressure, and either entropy or enthalpy. The properties available in any combination as output include temperature, density, pressure, entropy, enthalpy, specific heats, sonic velocity, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and surface tension. The subprogram design is modular so that the user can choose only those subroutines necessary to the calculations.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Environmental carbon dioxide control

A study of environmental carbon dioxide control for NASA EVA missions found solid potassium carbonate to be an effective regenerable absorbent in maintaining low carbon dioxide levels. The supported sorbent was capable of repeated regeneration below 150 C without appreciable degradation. Optimum structures in the form of thin pliable sheets of carbonate, inert support and binder were developed. Interpretation of a new solid-gas pore closing model helped predict the optimum sorbent and analysis of individual sorbent sheet performance in a thin rectangular channel sorber can predict packed bed performance.

Onischak, M.↗