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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 1,207 records · Page 67
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Effect on combined cycle efficiency of stack gas temperature constraints to avoid acid corrosion

To avoid condensation of sulfuric acid in the gas turbine exhaust when burning fuel oils contaning sulfur, the exhaust stack temperature and cold-end heat exchanger surfaces must be kept above the condensation temperature. Raising the exhaust stack temperature, however, results in lower combined cycle efficiency compared to that achievable by a combined cycle burning a sulfur-free fuel. The maximum difference in efficiency between the use of sulfur-free and fuels containing 0.8 percent sulfur is found to be less than one percentage point. The effect of using a ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC) and a fuel containing sulfur is also evaluated. The combined-cycle efficiency gain using a TBC with a fuel containing sulfur compared to a sulfur-free fuel without TBC is 0.6 to 1.0 percentage points with air-cooled gas turbines and 1.6 to 1.8 percentage points with water-cooled gas turbines.

Nainiger, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Pilot line report: Development of a high efficiency thin silicon solar cell

Alternate processing technologies were developed and introduced into the pilot line with a resulting increase in the efficiency of the thin cells. The introduction of an aluminum paste alloy technique for the formation of a back surface field represents a significant advance over previous techniques. The fabrication and results for quantities in excess of 2000 2 cm x 2 cm thin cells and 1000 5 cm x 5 cm thin cells are described. Substantial improvement in performance and yield of the thin cells were obtained. The overall yield of the 2 cm x 2 cm pilot line was better than 38%, while the best lot yield was greater than 51%. The average power density of the 2 cm x 2 cm cells was approximately 16.8 mW/sq cm with an average AMO (at 25 C) efficiency of 12.4%. The lot yield of the 5 cm x 5 cm pilot line improved from only 7% at the beginning of the operation to better than 17% as experience was gained. The average 5 cm x 5 cm thin cell had an AMO efficiency (at 25 C) of 11.5%.

Storti, G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Efficiency enhancement of coupled-cavity TWT's through cavity resonance tapering

The paper examines efficiency enhancement of coupled-cavity traveling-wave tube (TWT) through cavity resonance tapering. Beam-wave resynchronization through circuit velocity reduction is used for TWT efficiency enhancement, with circuit velocity reduction in coupled cavity TWT's accomplished through period tapering. However, the amount of the latter is limited by the stability considerations, so that beyond a critical value of velocity reduction, the tube may be subject to zero drive oscillations originating in the velocity taper region. The coupled-cavity resonance tapering allows the velocity reduction to continue beyond the limit of stable period tapering, and it is accomplished by a gradual reduction in the cavity resonance frequency, with the period and the circuit bandwidth unchanged. The advantages of cavity resonance tapering vs period tapering are discussed, and test data are presented with the results of large-signal computer calculations. It is shown that cavity resonance tapering can produce efficiencies as period tapering without incurring the same risk of lower band-edge oscillations.

Connolly, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Design of Spur Gears for Improved Efficiency

A method to calculate spur gear system loss for a wide range of gear geometries and operating conditions was used to determine design requirements for an efficient gearset. The effects of spur gear size, pitch, ratio, pitch line velocity and load on efficiency were determined. Peak efficiencies were found to be greater for large diameter and fine pitched gears and tare (no-load) losses were found to be significant.

Anderson, N. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

High-efficiency thin-film GaAs solar cells, phase2

Thin GaAs epi-layers with good crystallographic quality were grown using a (100) Si-substrate on which a thin Ge epi-interlayer was grown by CVD from germane. Both antireflection-coated metal oxide semiconductor (AMOS) and n(+)/p homojunction structures were studied. The AMOS cells were fabricated on undoped-GaAs epi-layers deposited on bulk poly-Ge substrates using organo-metallic CVD film-growth, with the best achieved AM1 conversion efficiency being 9.1%. Both p-type and n(+)-type GaAs growth were optimized using 50 ppm dimethyl zinc and 1% hydrogen sulfide, respectively. A direct GaAs deposition method in fabricating ultra-thin top layer, epitaxial n(+)/p shallow homojunction solar cells on (100) GaAs substrates (without anodic thinning) was developed to produce large area (1 sq/cm) cells, with 19.4% AM1 conversion efficiency achieved. Additionally, an AM1 conversion efficiency of 18.4% (17.5% with 5% grid coverage) was achieved for a single crystal GaAs n(+)/p cell grown by OM-CVD on a Ge wafer.

Yeh, Y. C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

An approximate solution to improve computational efficiency of impedance-type payload load prediction

The computational efficiency of the impedance type loads prediction method was studied. Three goals were addressed: devise a method to make the impedance method operate more efficiently in the computer; assess the accuracy and convenience of the method for determining the effect of design changes; and investigate the use of the method to identify design changes for reduction of payload loads. The method is suitable for calculation of dynamic response in either the frequency or time domain. It is concluded that: the choice of an orthogonal coordinate system will allow the impedance method to operate more efficiently in the computer; the approximate mode impedance technique is adequate for determining the effect of design changes, and is applicable for both statically determinate and statically indeterminate payload attachments; and beneficial design changes to reduce payload loads can be identified by the combined application of impedance techniques and energy distribution review techniques.

White, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

High efficiency ultrathin coplanar back contact cells

Efforts to fabricate high efficiency, ultrathin coplanar back contact cells are described. Included is a description of design considerations, cell fabrication, and theoretical and experimental analyses of loss mechanisms. The results of these efforts has been the fabrication of a 11.8% AM0 efficient, 50 micron cell when measured at 25 C. Design and process changes required to increase the efficiency are indicated.

Storti, G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Thrust and efficiency of a self-field MPD thruster

Thrust and efficiency of a quasi-steady multi-MW argon MPD thruster are determined for one-millisecond current pulses. Terminal voltage and impulse bit per pulse are measured for a benchmark thruster geometry on a swinging gate thrust stand in a dielectric vacuum tank, at a background pressure of 0.0001 torr, for a range of argon flow rates and arc currents. The quasi-steady thrust data scale quadratically with arc current, and confirm previous estimates of the electromagnetic and electrothermal components of thrust from magnetic and pressure probe measurements. Thruster efficiency is found to increase monotonically with specific impulse, reaching a value of 25% for 4.5 to 6.0 g/sec at 2000 seconds. Results of further experiments show that the inferred specific impulse for voltage fluctuation onset can be increased to 3000 seconds, and the thrust efficiency to above 30%.

Burton, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Effect of positive pulse charge waveforms on the energy efficiency of lead-acid traction cells

The effects of four different charge methods on the energy conversion efficiency of 300 ampere hour lead acid traction cells were investigated. Three of the methods were positive pulse charge waveforms; the fourth, a constant current method, was used as a baseline of comparison. The positive pulse charge waveforms were: 120 Hz full wave rectified sinusoidal; 120 Hz silicon controlled rectified; and 1 kHz square wave. The constant current charger was set at the time average pulse current of each pulse waveform, which was 150 amps. The energy efficiency does not include charger losses. The lead acid traction cells were charged to 70 percent of rated ampere hour capacity in each case. The results of charging the cells using the three different pulse charge waveforms indicate there was no significant difference in energy conversion efficiency when compared to constant current charging at the time average pulse current value.

Smithrick, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The ultimate efficiency of photosensitive systems

These systems have in common two important but not independent features: they can produce a storable fuel, and they are sensitive only to radiant energy with a characteristic absorption spectrum. General analyses of the conversion efficiencies were made using the operational characteristics of each particular system. An efficiency analysis of a generalized system consisting of a blackbody source, a radiant energy converter having a threshold energy and operating temperature, and a reservoir is reported. This analysis is based upon the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and leads to a determination of the limiting or ultimate efficiency for an energy conversion system having a characteristic threshold.

Buoncristiani, A. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Design of spur gears for improved efficiency

A method to calculate spur gear system power loss for a wide range of gear geometries and operating conditions is used to determine design requirements for an efficient gearset. The effects of spur gear size, pitch, ratio, pitch-line-velocity and load on efficiency are shown. A design example is given to illustrate how the method is to be applied. In general, peak efficiencies were found to be greater for larger diameter and fine pitched gears and tare (no-load) losses were found to be significant.

Anderson, N. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Traveling-wave tube efficiency improvement with textured pyrolytic graphite multistage depressed collector electrodes

The improved efficiency of a multistage depressed collector (MDC) with ion-beam textured pyrolytic graphite electrode surfaces is demonstrated by comparison with the performance of other MDC's tested with the same microwave RF amplifier traveling-wave tube (TWT). Because of the sensitivity of overall TWT efficiency to collector efficiency, significant improvements in TWT performance are possible with the use of textured pyrolytic graphite MDC's.

Curren, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Study of relationships of material properties and high efficiency solar cell performance on material composition

The performance improvements obtainable from extending the traditionally thin back-surface-field (BSF) layer deep into the base of silicon solar cells under terrestrial solar illumination (AM1) are analyzed. This extended BSF cell is also known as the back-drift-field cell. About 100 silicon cells were analyzed, each with a different emitter or base dopant impurity distribution whose selection was based on physically anticipated improvements. The four principal performance parameters (the open-circuit voltage, the short-circuit current, the fill factor, and the maximum efficiency) are computed using a FORTRAN program, called Circuit Technique for Semiconductor-device Analysis, CTSA, which numerically solves the six Shockley Equations under AM1 solar illumination at 88.92 mW/cm, at an optimum cell thickness of 50 um. The results show that very significant performance improvements can be realized by extending the BSF layer thickness from 2 um (18% efficiency) to 40 um (20% efficiency).

Sah, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Preliminary announcement of an 85 percent efficient reflector antenna

The aperture efficiency is defined in the usual way to include the spillovers, illumination, phase, and cross polarization efficiencies of the projected circular aperture. The antenna comprises a 157.1-lambda main reflector, a 47.1-lambda subreflector, and a 5.1-lambda aperture feedhorn. Both reflectors are shaped in such a way as to provide quasi-uniform aperture illumination with a degree of spillover control. By using an offset feed geometry, the configuration provides an unblocked main reflector. An analysis of expected performance yields a theoretical 86.5% aperture efficiency, whereas the measurement technique yields 84.9%. The estimated measurement tolerance is now + or - 3% (approximately + or - 0.15 dB) on a high confidence (approximately + or - 3sigma) basis.

Cha, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

High energy efficient solid state laser sources

Slab glass performance studies demonstate 18 J of output at 2 Hz with 2.3% wall plug efficiency. The goal is to achieve 10 J per pulse at 10 Hz and 3% wall plug efficiency during the next annual period. The slab concept was extended to Nd:YAG and to Nd:GGG. To date over 80 W of CW output power at 2% efficiency was generated in slab Nd:YAG. A multiplexed slab Nd:YAG pre-amplifier was invented and a Nd:YAG oscillator was demonstrated with 100kHz linewidth for eventual use in wind velocity measurements.

Byer, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Structural efficiency studies of corrugated compression panels with curved caps and beaded webs

Curved cross-sectional elements are employed in structural concepts for minimum-mass compression panels. Corrugated panel concepts with curved caps and beaded webs are optimized by using a nonlinear mathematical programming procedure and a rigorous buckling analysis. These panel geometries are shown to have superior structural efficiencies compared with known concepts published in the literature. Fabrication of these efficient corrugation concepts became possible by advances made in the art of superplastically forming of metals. Results of the mass optimization studies of the concepts are presented as structural efficiency charts for axial compression.

Davis, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

High efficiency IMPATT diodes for 60 GHz intersatellite link applications

Intersatellite links are expected to play an increasingly important role in future satellite systems. Improved components are required to properly utilize the wide bandwidth allocated for intersatellite link applications around 60 GHz. IMPATT diodes offer the highest potential performance as solid state power sources for a 60 GHz transmitter. Presently available devices do not have the desired power and efficiency. High efficiency, high power IMPATT diodes for intersatellite link applications are being developed by NASA and other government agencies. The development of high efficiency 60 GHz IMPATT diodes by NASA is described.

Haugland, E. J.↗