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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 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1975

Vapor-modulated heat pipe report. Flight data analysis and further development of variable-conductance heat pipes

The design and testing of a heat pipe for spacecraft application is presented. The application in mind calls for heat loads up to 20 watts, a set-point temperature of 294K, and a sink that varies from -220K to nearly as high as the set-point. The overall heat pipe length is 137 cm. Two basically different mechanisms of achieving variable conductance in the pipe by vapor-flow throttling were studied. In one, the thermal resistance between the heat source and sink is due to a saturation-temperature drop corresponding to the vapor-pressure drop developed across the valve. In the other, the pressure difference across the valve induces capillary groove and wick dry out in an evaporation region, and thus results in an increased thermal resistance. This mechanism was selected for fabrication and testing. The pipe is a stainless-steel/methanol two-heat-pipe system. Results are presented and discussed. Engineering drawings and specifications of the pipe are shown.

Eninger, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Atmospheric ozone measurements made from B-747 airliners - Spring 1975

Atmospheric ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere north of the equator has been registered aboard two commercial B-747 airliners during the Spring of 1975. This monitoring is part of a much broader and continuing project developed by NASA and known as the Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP). Additional flight and meteorological conditions have also been automatically recorded on board concurrent with the ozone measurements. Independently-derived tropopause pressure information was available from NMC data archives and was used to identify stratospheric and tropospheric flight. The composite ozone, flight and meteorological data are reported for selected dates in March, April, and May. Attention is drawn particularly to the vertical profiles of atmospheric ozone mixing ratio as a function of both distance from the tropopause and curvature of the streamlines. The GASP observations suggest that ozone levels typical of the lower stratosphere are often embedded in the upper troposphere, principally during occasions when cyclonic wind curvature was noted.

Falconer, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Catalytic trimerization of aromatic nitriles and triaryl-s-triazine ring cross-linked high temperature resistant polymers and copolymers made thereby

Triazine compounds and cross-linked polymer compositions are made by heating aromatic nitriles to a temperature in the range of from about 100 C to about 700 C, and preferably in the range of from about 200 C to about 350 C, in the presence of a catalyst or mixture of catalysts selected from one or more of the following groups: (1) organic sulfonic and sulfinic acids, (2) organic phosphonic and phosphinic acids, and (3)metallic acetylacetonates, at a pressure in the range of from about atmospheric pressure to about 10,000 psi and preferably in the range of from about 200 psi to about 750 psi. Aromatic nitrile-modified (terminated and/or appended) imide, benzimidazole, imidazopyrrolone, quinoxaline, and other condensation type prepolymers or their precopolymers are made which are trimerized with or without a filler by the aforementioned catalytic trimerization process into triaryl-s-triazine ring containing or cross-linked polymeric or copolymeric products useful in applications requiring high thermal-oxidative stability and high performance structural properties at elevated temperatures.

Hsu, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Atmospheric pressure and temperature profiling using near IR differential absorption lidar

The present investigation is concerned with differential absorption lidar techniques for remotely measuring the atmospheric temperature and pressure profile, surface pressure, and cloud top pressure-height. The procedure used in determining the pressure is based on the conduction of high-resolution measurements of absorption in the wings of lines in the oxygen A band. Absorption with respect to these areas is highly pressure sensitive in connection with the mechanism of collisional line broadening. The method of temperature measurement utilizes a determination of the absorption at the center of a selected line in the oxygen A band which originates from a quantum state with high ground state energy.

Korb, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Atmospheric environment for Space Shuttle (STS-51D)

A summary of selected atmospheric conditions observed near the space shuttle STS-51D launch time on April 12, 1985, at Kennedy Space Center Florida is presented. Values of ambient pressure, temperature, moisture, ground winds, visual observations (cloud), and winds aloft are included. The sequence of prelaunch Jimsphere measured vertical wind profiles is given in this report. The final atmospheric tape, which consists of wind and thermodynamic parameters versus altitude, for STS-51D vehicle ascent is constructed. The STS-51D ascent atmospheric data tape is compiled by Marshall Space Flight Center's Atmospheric Sciences Division to provide an internally consistent data set for use in post-flight performance assessments.

Jasper, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

SSME fuel preburner phase 1/phase 2+ comparison

An analytical comparison of the predicted combustion flowfields for the Phase 1 and Phase 2+ fuel preburner configurations using an advanced CFD combustion code is currently underway at Rocketdyne. The Phase 2+ injector has a modified element design. The redesigned element provides for improved atomization through a shift in the injector element/face bleed flow split while maintaining an acceptable pressure drop. Cold-flow tests of the new design have been encouraging. As a complement to those tests, the Advanced Rocket Injector Combustor Code (ARICC) was selected to conduct a detailed combustion flowfield simulation. ARICC models two-dimensional (or axisymmetric), transient, turbulent, two-phase mixing and combustion flowfields. It is derived from a member of the Los Alamos ICEd-ALE family of codes. Unique features of ARICC include explicit representation of the coaxial LOX jet and hydrogen gas flows, distributed atomization processes, droplet breakup, and supercritical vaporation processes. Predictions of temperature and OH concentration profiles for the Phase 1 and Phase 2+ injector flowfields indicate a trend toward more uniform temperature distributions and shorter flame lengths with the Phase 2+ design.

Jensen, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Detection of NO sub x,C2H4 concentrations by using CO and CO2 lasers

A laser, especially the infrared line tunable laser, opens up a new way to monitor the atmospheric environment, and already has gotten effective practical application. One of the most serious problems in open path remote measurement at atmospheric pressure is the broadening effect which leads to increased linewidths, spectral interferences, and, as a result, tends to reduce detection sensitivity, so measuring laser wavelengths should be selected carefully, and interaction between the measuring wavelength and gas to be measured must be known very well. Therefore, N2O, No, NO2, CH4, NH3 and C2H4 absorption properties at some lines of CO and CO2 line tunable lasers were studied. The absorption coefficients of NO, NO2, and C2H4; some results on detection of NO sub x, C2H4 concentrations in both laboratory and field; and selection of measuring wavelengths and error analysis are discussed.

Gengchen, W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

High-alpha vortex decoupling investigations on a chine forebody/Delta wing configuration at transonic Mach numbers

A test program conducted in the LaRC 8-foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel on a blended chine/delta wing model to verify the concept of controlled vortex decoupling via inboard leading-edge flaps for improved high-alpha lateral/directional characteristics is discussed. This test extended the Mach number range of a data base previously generated in a LaRC 7 ft. by 10 ft High Speed Tunnel investigation. Six-component force/moment, forebody surface pressures, and central and twin tall static and dynamic loads were measured at Mach numbers of 0.4 to 1.2; laser light-sheet visualizations were also performed. Selected data are analyzed and discussed, emphasizing lateral/directional improvements and tail environment enhanced attainable by leading-edge flaps in the maximum lift region.

Rao, Dhanvada M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The multiple-function multi-input/multi-output digital controller system for the AFW wind-tunnel model

A real time multiple-function digital controller system was developed for the Active Flexible Wing (AFW) Program. The digital controller system (DCS) allowed simultaneous execution of two control laws: flutter suppression and either roll trim or a rolling maneuver load control. The DCS operated within, but independently of, a slower host operating system environment, at regulated speeds up to 200 Hz. It also coordinated the acquisition, storage, and transfer of data for near real time controller performance evaluation and both open- and closed-loop plant estimation. It synchronized the operation of four different processing units, allowing flexibility in the number, form, functionality, and order of control laws, and variability in the selection of the sensors and actuators employed. Most importantly, the DCS allowed for the successful demonstration of active flutter suppression to conditions approximately 26 percent (in dynamic pressure) above the open-loop boundary in cases when the model was fixed in roll and up to 23 percent when it was free to roll. Aggressive roll maneuvers with load control were achieved above the flutter boundary. The purpose here is to present the development, validation, and wind tunnel testing of this multiple-function digital controller system.

Hoadley, Sherwood T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A wall interference assessment/correction system

A Wall Signature method, the Hackett method, has been selected to be adapted for the 12-ft Wind Tunnel wall interference assessment/correction (WIAC) system in the present phase. This method uses limited measurements of the static pressure at the wall, in conjunction with the solid wall boundary condition, to determine the strength and distribution of singularities representing the test article. The singularities are used in turn for estimating wall interferences at the model location. The Wall Signature method will be formulated for application to the unique geometry of the 12-ft Tunnel. The development and implementation of a working prototype will be completed, delivered and documented with a software manual. The WIAC code will be validated by conducting numerically simulated experiments rather than actual wind tunnel experiments. The simulations will be used to generate both free-air and confined wind-tunnel flow fields for each of the test articles over a range of test configurations. Specifically, the pressure signature at the test section wall will be computed for the tunnel case to provide the simulated 'measured' data. These data will serve as the input for the WIAC method-Wall Signature method. The performance of the WIAC method then may be evaluated by comparing the corrected parameters with those for the free-air simulation. Each set of wind tunnel/test article numerical simulations provides data to validate the WIAC method. A numerical wind tunnel test simulation is initiated to validate the WIAC methods developed in the project. In the present reported period, the blockage correction has been developed and implemented for a rectangular tunnel as well as the 12-ft Pressure Tunnel. An improved wall interference assessment and correction method for three-dimensional wind tunnel testing is presented in the appendix.

Lo, Ching F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Atmospheric gravitational influence on geodetic satellite orbits - Starlette analysis

The atmosphere is constantly in motion. The changing gravitational force due to the air mass movement will slightly perturb the orbit of a satellite. As the instrument accuracy for geodetic satellites improves, failure to model this perturbation can result in significant systematic errors in the orbit determination. The latter, in turn, will degrade the Earth's gravity solutions. A direct modeling technique to analyze the atmospheric gravitational influence on geodetic satellite is developed. We use the global surface pressure data from the ECMWF Initial Analysis Database to compute the gravitational force due to atmospheric perturbation exerted on given satellite as a function of time during selected orbital arcs. Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) tracking data for selected Starlette (altitude 900 km) orbital arcs are used to test the computed force model. Although only a slight reduction in the rms residuals is observed when the atmospheric gravitational perturbation is included in the force model for data reduction of the SLR data, significant improvement is obtained in the predictability of the satellite orbit. Comprehensive studies involving more definitive test criteria and more refined models are still needed.

Chao, B. F.↗
NASA NTRS1949

Performance of conical jet nozzles in terms of flow and velocity coefficients

Performance characteristics of conical jet nozzles were determined in an investigation covering a range of pressure ratios from 1.0 to 2.8, cone half-angles from 5 degrees to 90 degrees, and outlet-inlet diameter ratios from 0.50 to 0.91. All nozzles investigated had an inlet diameter of 5 inches. The flow coefficients of the conical nozzles investigated were dependent on the cone half-angle, outlet-inlet diameter ratio, and pressure ratio. The velocity coefficients were essentially constant at pressure ratios below the critical. For increasing pressures above critical pressure ratio, there was a small decrease in velocity coefficient that was dependent on pressure ratio and independent of cone half-angle and outlet-inlet diameter ratio. Therefore the variation in performance (air flow and thrust) of several nozzles, selected for the same performance at a particular design condition, was proportional to the ratio of their flow coefficients.

Grey, Ralph E↗
NASA NTRS1993

A wall interference assessment/correction system

A Wall Signature method originally developed by Hackett was selected to be adapted for the Ames 12-ft Wind Tunnel Wall Interference Assessment/Correction (WIAC) System in the project. This method uses limited measurements of the static pressure at the wall, in conjunction with the solid wall boundary condition, to determine the strength and distribution of singularities representing the test article. The singularities are used in turn for estimating wall interference at the model location. The lifting interference will be treated separately by representing in a horseshoe vortex system for the model's lifting effects. The development and implementation of a working prototype will be completed, delivered, and documented with a software manual. The WIAC code will be validated by conducting numerically simulated experiments rather than actual wind tunnel experiments. The simulations will be used to generate both free-air and confined wind-tunnel flow fields for each of the test articles over a range of test configurations. Specifically, the pressure signature at the test section wall will be computed for the tunnel case to provide the simulated 'measured' data. These data will serve as the input for the WIAC method - Wall Signature method. The performance of the WIAC method then may be evaluated by comparing the corrected parameters with those for the free-air simulation. The following two additional tasks are included in the supplement No. 1 to the basic Grant. On-line wall interference calculation: The developed wall signature method (modified Hackett's method) for Ames 12-ft Tunnel will be the pre-computed coefficients which facilitate the on-line calculation of wall interference; and support system effects estimation: The effects on the wall pressure measurements due to the presence of the model support systems will be evaluated.

Lo, Ching F.↗
NASA NTRS1995

A record of all marker bands found in the upper rivet rows of 2 adjacent bays from a fuselage lap splice joint

A full scale fuselage test article was subjected to 60,000 load cycles (pressurizations) to study the effect of widespread fatigue damage in fuselage structures. Every 10,000 cycles coded marker block loading sequences were used to mark the fracture surfaces of the fatigue cracks propagating within the panel. The loading sequences consisted of series of underloads combined with a series of full pressurizations. The combination of loads and underloads marked the fracture surfaces with marker bands that could later be used to reconstruct the fatigue crack growth history of selected regions within the test article. Thirty rivet holes comprising the upper rivet rows from two adjacent bays (bays #3 and #4) from a fuselage lap splice joint were examined for the purpose of this study. Optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to locate the marker bands.

Willard, Scott A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Conceptual Design Study of a Closed Brayton Cycle Turbogenerator for Space Power Thermal-To-Electric Conversion System

A conceptual design study was completed for a 360 kW Helium-Xenon closed Brayton cycle turbogenerator. The selected configuration is comprised of a single-shaft gas turbine engine coupled directly to a high-speed generator. The engine turbomachinery includes a 2.5:1 pressure ratio compression system with an inlet corrected flow of 0.44 kg/sec. The single centrifugal stage impeller discharges into a scroll via a vaned diffuser. The scroll routes the air into the cold side sector of the recuperator. The hot gas exits a nuclear reactor radiator at 1300 K and enters the turbine via a single-vaned scroll. The hot gases are expanded through the turbine and then diffused before entering the hot side sector of the recuperator. The single shaft design is supported by air bearings. The high efficiency shaft mounted permanent magnet generator produces an output of 370 kW at a speed of 60,000 rpm. The total weight of the turbogenerator is estimated to be only 123 kg (less than 5% of the total power plant) and has a volume of approximately 0.11 cubic meters. This turbogenerator is a key element in achieving the 40 to 45% overall power plant thermal efficiency.

Hansen, Jeff L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

CF2 Detection in Radio-Frequency Ar/CHF3 Plasmas by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

CFx radicals, in particular CF2, are instrumental in anisotropic etching of SiO2. In order to optimize the CFx radical population in a given process environment, it is imperative that we understand their production mechanism. Towards this goal, we have conducted a series of quantitative measurements of CF2 radicals in low pressure RF plasmas similar to those used in SiO2 etching. In this study, we present preliminary results for Ar/CHF3 plasmas operating at pressures ranging from 10-50 mTorr and powers ranging from 100-500 W in the GEC reference cell, modified for inductive (transformer) coupling. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscop) is used to observe the absorption features of the CF2 radical in the 1114 cm-1 and 1096 cm-1 spectral regions. The FTIR spectrometer is equipped with a high-sensitivity mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector and has afixed resolution of 0.125 cm- 1. The CF2 concentrations are measured for a range of operating pressures and discharge power levels, and are compared to measurements of the relative CF2 concentrations made by mass spectrometry using the method of appearance potential for radical selectivity.

Kim, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Active-Controlled Fluid Film Based on Wave-Bearing Technology

It has been known since 1967 that the steady-state and dynamic performance, including the stability of a wave bearing, are highly dependent on the wave amplitude. A wave-bearing profile can be readily obtained by elastically distorting the stationary bearing sleeve surface. The force that distorts the elastic sleeve surface could be an applied force or pressure. The magnitude and response of the distorting force would be defined by the relation between the bearing surface stiffness and the bearing pressure, or load, in a feedback loop controller. Using such devices as piezoelectric or other electromechanical elements, one could step control or fully control the bearing. The selection between these systems depends on the manner in which the distortion forces are applied, the running speed, and the reaction time of the feedback loop. With these techniques, both liquid- (oil-) or gas- (air-) lubricated wave bearings could be controlled. This report gives some examples of the dependency of the bearing's performance on the wave amplitude. The analysis also was proven experimentally.

Dimofte, Florin↗
NASA NTRS2014

Advanced Supported Liquid Membranes for CO2 Control in Extravehicular Activity Applications

Developing a new, robust, portable life support system (PLSS) is currently a high priority for NASA in order to support longer and safer extravehicular activity (EVA) missions. One of the critical PLSS functions is maintaining the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the suit at acceptable levels. Although the Metal Oxide (MetOx) canister has worked well, it has a finite CO2 adsorption capacity. Consequently, the unit would have to be larger and heavier to extend EVA times. Therefore, new CO2 control technologies must be developed to meet mission objectives without increasing the size of the PLSS. Although recent work has centered on sorbents that can be regenerated during the EVA, this strategy increases the system complexity and power consumption. A simpler approach is to use a membrane that selectively vents CO2 to space. A membrane has many advantages over current technology: it is a continuous system with no theoretical capacity limit, it requires no consumables, and it requires no hardware for switching beds between absorption and regeneration. Unfortunately, conventional gas separation membranes do not have adequate selectivity for use in the PLSS. However, the required performance could be obtained with a supported liquid membrane (SLM), which consists of a micro porous material filled with a liquid that selectively reacts with CO2 over oxygen (O2). In a current Phase II SBIR project, Reaction Systems has developed a new reactive liquid, which has effectively zero vapor pressure making it an ideal candidate for use in an SLM. The SLM function has been demonstrated with representative pressures of CO2, O2, and water (H2O). In addition to being effective for CO2 control, the SLM also vents moisture to space. Therefore, this project has demonstrated the feasibility of using an SLM to control CO2 in an EVA application. 1 President

Wickham, David T.↗