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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

Three one-dimensional structural heating programs

Two computer programs for calculating profiles in a ten-element structure consisting of up to ten materials are presented, along with a third program for calculating the mean temperature for a payload container placed in an orbiting vehicle cargo bay. The three programs are related by the sharing of a common analytical technique; the energy balance is based upon one-dimensional heat transfer. The first program, NQLDW112, assumes a non-ablating surface. NQLDW117 is very similar but allows the outermost element to ablate. NQLDW040 calculates an average temperature profile through an idealized model of the real payload cannister and contents in the cargo bay of an orbiting vehicle.

Wing, L. D.↗

LANDSAT-D investigations in snow hydrology

Thematic mapper data for the southern Sierra Nevada area were registered to digital topographic data and compared to LANDSAT MSS and NOAA-7 AVHRR data of snow covered areas in order to determine the errors associated with using coarser resolution and to qualify the information lost when high resolution data are not available. Both the zenith and the azimuth variations in the radiative field are considered in an atmospheric radiative transfer model which deals with a plane parallel structured atmosphere composed of different layers, each assumed to be homogeneous in composition and to have a linear in tau temperature profile. Astronomical parameters for each layer are Earth-Sun distance and solar flux at the top of the atmosphere. Atmospheric parameters include pressure temperature, chemical composition of the air molecules, and the composition and size of the aerosol, water droplets, and ice crystals. Outputs of the model are the monochromatic radiance and irradiance at each level. The use of the model in atmospheric correction of remotely sensed data is discussed.

Dozier, J.↗

Structural and thermal response of 30 cm diameter ion thruster optics

Tabular and graphical data are presented which are intended for use in calibrating and validating structural and thermal models of ion thruster optics. A 30 cm diameter, two electrode, mercury ion thruster was operated using two different electrode assembly designs. With no beam extraction, the transient and steady state temperature profiles and center electrode gaps were measured for three discharge powers. The data showed that the electrode mount design had little effect on the temperatures, but significantly impacted the motion of the electrode center. Equilibrium electrode gaps increased with one design and decreased with the other. Equilibrium displacements in excess of 0.5 mm and gap changes of 0.08 mm were measured at 450 W discharge power. Variations in equilibrium gaps were also found among assemblies of the same design. The presented data illustrate the necessity for high fidelity ion optics models and development of experimental techniques to allow their validation.

Macrae, G. S.↗

Structural and thermal response of 30 cm diameter ion thruster optics

This paper presents tabular and graphical data intended for use in calibrating and validating structural and thermal models of ion thruster optics. A 30-cm-diameter, two electrode, mercury ion thruster was operated using two different electrode assembly designs. With no beam extraction, the transient and steady state temperature profiles and center electrode gaps were measured for three discharge powers. The data showed that the electrode mount design had little effect on the temperatures, but significantly impacted the motion of the electrode center. Equilibrium electrode gaps increased with one design and decreased with the other. Equilibrium displacements in excess of 0.5 mm and gap changes of 0.08 mm were measured at 450 W discharge power. Variations in equilibrium gaps were also found among assemblies of the same design. The presented data illustrate the necessity for high fidelity ion optics models and development of experimental techniques to allow their validation.

Macrae, G.↗

Low-Current, Xenon Orificed Hollow Cathode Performance for In-Space Applications

An experimental investigation of the operating characteristics of 3.2-mm diameter orificed hollow cathodes was conducted to examine low current and low flow rate operation. Cathode power was minimized with an orifice aspect ratio of approximately one and the use of an enclosed keeper. Cathode flow rate requirements were proportional to orifice diameter and the inverse of the orifice length. The minimum power consumption in diode mode was 10-W, and the minimum mass flow rate required for spot-mode emission was approximately 0.08-mg/s. Cathode temperature profiles were obtained using an imaging radiometer and conduction was found to be the dominant heat transfer mechanism from the cathode tube. Orifice plate temperatures were found to be weakly dependent upon the flow rate and strongly dependent upon the current.

Domonkos, Matthew T.↗

Chemical models for simulating single-walled nanotube production in arc vaporization and laser ablation processes

Chemical kinetic models for the nucleation and growth of clusters and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) growth are developed for numerical simulations of the production of SWNTs. Two models that involve evaporation and condensation of carbon and metal catalysts, a full model involving all carbon clusters up to C80, and a reduced model are discussed. The full model is based on a fullerene model, but nickel and carbon/nickel cluster reactions are added to form SWNTs from soot and fullerenes. The full model has a large number of species--so large that to incorporate them into a flow field computation for simulating laser ablation and arc processes requires that they be simplified. The model is reduced by defining large clusters that represent many various sized clusters. Comparisons are given between these models for cases that may be applicable to arc and laser ablation production. Solutions to the system of chemical rate equations of these models for a ramped temperature profile show that production of various species, including SWNTs, agree to within about 50% for a fast ramp, and within 10% for a slower temperature decay time.

Nanotubes, Carbon/chemistry↗

Acoustics of Jet Surface Interaction - Scrubbing Noise

Concepts envisioned for the future of civil air transport consist of unconventional propulsion systems in the close proximity to the structure or embedded in the airframe. While such integrated systems are intended to shield noise from the community, they also introduce new sources of sound. Sound generation due to interaction of a jet flow past a nearby solid surface is investigated here using the generalized acoustic analogy theory. The analysis applies to the boundary layer noise generated at and near a wall, and excludes the scattered noise component that is produced at the leading or the trailing edge. While compressibility effects are relatively unimportant at very low Mach numbers, frictional heat generation and thermal gradient normal to the surface could play important roles in generation and propagation of sound in high speed jets of practical interest. A general expression is given for the spectral density of the far field sound as governed by the variable density Pridmore-Brown equation. The propagation Green's function is solved numerically for a high aspect-ratio rectangular jet starting with the boundary conditions on the surface and subject to specified mean velocity and temperature profiles between the surface and the observer. It is shown the magnitude of the Green's function decreases with increasing source frequency and/or jet temperature. The phase remains constant for a rigid surface, but varies with source location when subject to an impedance type boundary condition. The Green's function in the absence of the surface, and flight effects are also investigated

Jet Noise↗

Temperature and Humidity Profiles in the TqJoint Data Group of AIRS Version 6 Product for the Climate Model Evaluation

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) mission is entering its 13th year of global observations of the atmospheric state, including temperature and humidity profiles, outgoing long-wave radiation, cloud properties, and trace gases. Thus AIRS data have been widely used, among other things, for short-term climate research and observational component for model evaluation. One instance is the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) which uses AIRS version 5 data in the climate model evaluation. The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) is the home of processing, archiving, and distribution services for data from the AIRS mission. The GES DISC, in collaboration with the AIRS Project, released data from the version 6 algorithm in early 2013. The new algorithm represents a significant improvement over previous versions in terms of greater stability, yield, and quality of products. The ongoing Earth System Grid for next generation climate model research project, a collaborative effort of GES DISC and NASA JPL, will bring temperature and humidity profiles from AIRS version 6. The AIRS version 6 product adds a new "TqJoint" data group, which contains data for a common set of observations across water vapor and temperature at all atmospheric levels and is suitable for climate process studies. How different may the monthly temperature and humidity profiles in "TqJoint" group be from the "Standard" group where temperature and water vapor are not always valid at the same time? This study aims to answer the question by comprehensively comparing the temperature and humidity profiles from the "TqJoint" group and the "Standard" group. The comparison includes mean differences at different levels globally and over land and ocean. We are also working on examining the sampling differences between the "TqJoint" and "Standard" group using MERRA data.

climate model evaluation↗

Simulation of nanosecond laser-induced thermal dynamics of hollow gold nanoshells for hyperthermia therapy

In this report, we investigate numerically the thermodynamics of hollow gold nanoshell (AuNS) irritated by near-infrared (NIR) light. Simulations are performed for the AuNS in aqueous medium. The nanostructure is illuminated by a nanosecond pulsed laser at plasmonic resonance. The spatiotemporal evolution of the temperature profile inside and outside the AuNS is computed using a numerical framework based on the finite element method (FEM). In particular, we show how the temperature varies with the laser fluence and pulse duration. The aim of this study is to provide a description of the physics of heat release of AuNSs and useful insights for the development of these nanostructures for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, photothermal cancer therapy and optoporation of cells.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Performance of Embedded Sensors in 3D Printed SiC

This report summarizes recent advances in embedding sensors in 3D printed silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic components under the Transformational Challenge Reactor (TCR) program. The additive manufacturing technologies developed under this program will enable fabrication of complex structures with embedded fuels and sensors. The sensors will be capable of characterizing fuel performance using spatially distributed measurements at the most strategic locations that would be otherwise inaccessible using conventional manufacturing techniques. While previous programmatic updates describe initial concepts for embedding sensors, materials selection, and initial characterization of the embedded sensors, the technology requires further demonstration, and quality-significant procedures must be established before the embedding technology is ready for adoption by industry. To this end, this report describes the most effective techniques that have been used to embed functional sensors in 3D printed components using a combination of binder-jet additive manufacturing and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). A detailed procedure describes each step in the process and is available upon request. Molybdenum (Mo)-sheathed thermocouples have been successfully embedded in complex SiC components, and temperatures were monitored in situ during the embedding process. Post-embedding measurements showed no significant hysteresis, and characterization of the interface revealed qualitatively strong bonding around the entire perimeter of the sensor sheath. Distributed fiber-optic temperature sensors were able to briefly measure temperature profiles during CVI, but they ultimately failed prior to completion of the CVI run. The failure appears to be related to the fiber coating at temperatures close to 1,000°C. Future work will focus on irradiation testing of embedded thermocouples and other sheathed electrical sensors, as well as the identification of fiber-optic sensor coatings that can survive CVI.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Martian occultation of epsilon Gem as observed from the C. E. Kenneth Mees Observatory

Ground-based observations of the occultation of epsilon Gem by Mars on April 8, 1976 have been reduced to yield the scale height and temperature profiles of the Martian atmosphere for number densities between 10 to the 13th and 10 to the 15th per cu cm. The deduced variations in temperature are remarkably similar to the in situ measurements from the Viking landers.

French, R. G.↗

A mathematical characterization of vegetation effect on microwave remote sensing from the Earth

In passive microwave remote sensing of the earth, a theoretical model that utilizes the radiative transfer equations was developed to account for the volume scattering effects of the vegetation canopy. Vegetation canopies such as alfalfa, sorghum, and corn are simulated by a layer of ellipsoidal scatterers and cylindrical structures. The ellipsoidal scatterers represent the leaves of vegetation and are randomly positioned and oriented. The orientation of ellipsoids is characterized by a probability density function of Eulerian angles of rotation. The cylindrical structures represent the stalks of vegetation and their radii are assumed to be much smaller than their lengths. The underlying soil is represented by a half-space medium with a homogeneous permittivity and uniform temperature profile. The radiative transfer quations are solved by a numerical method using a Gaussian quadrature formula to compute both the vertical and horizontal polarized brightness temperature as a function of observation angle. The theory was applied to the interpretation of experimental data obtained from sorghum covered fields near College Station, Texas.

Choe, Y.↗

A numerical and experimental analysis of reactor performance and deposition rates for CVD on monofilaments

The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT is adopted to simulate a cylindrical upflow reactor designed for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on monofilaments. Equilibrium temperature profiles along the fiber and quartz reactor wall are experimentally measured and used as boundary conditions in numerical simulations. Two-dimensional axisymmetric flow and temperature fields are calculated for hydrogen and argon; the effect of free convection is assessed. The gas and surface chemistry is included for predicting silicon deposition from silane. The model predictions are compared with experimentally measured silicon CVD rates. Inferences are made for optimum conditions to obtain uniformity.

Gokoglu, S. A.↗

An Experimental Study of Ignition Effects and Flame Growth Over a Thin Solid Fuel in Low-Speed Concurrent Flow Using Drop-Tower Facilities

An experimental study of ignition and flame growth over a thin solid fuel in oxidizer flow speeds from 0 to 10 cm/sec concurrent flow was performed. This study examined the differences between ignition using a resistively heated wire (woven in a sawtooth pattern over the leading edge of the fuel), and a straight resistively heated wire augmented by a chemical ignitor doped onto the leading edge of the fuel. Results showed that the chemical system yielded non-uniform ignition bursts, while the system using only the hotwire gave more uniform ignition. At speeds up to 2.5 cm/sec, the chemical system yielded non-uniform pyrolysis fronts, while the hotwire system gave more uniform pyrolysis fronts. At speeds of 5 cm/sec or greater, both systems gave uniform pyrolysis fronts. The chemically-ignited flames tended to become too dim to see faster than the hotwire-ignited flames, and the flame lengths were observed to be shorter (after the initial burst subsided) for the chemical system for all speeds. Flame and pyrolysis element velocities were measured. Temperature profiles for selected tests were measured using thermocouples at the fuel surface and in the gas phase. Comparisons between the flame element velocities and peak temperatures recorded in these tests with calculated spread rates and peak temperatures from a steady-state model are presented. Agreement was found to be within 20% for most flame elements for nominal velocities of 5 cm/sec and 7.5 cm/sec.

Pettegrew, Richard Dale↗

Bridgman Growth of Detached GeSi Crystals

Ge(1-x)Si(x)(0 less than x less than 0.12) has been grown by the vertical Bridgman technique using adjustments in the applied temperature profile to control the pressure difference between the bottom and top of the melt. Using this technique, a pressure difference is created by decreasing the temperature in the gas volume above the melt while the sample is molten but prior to growth. A maximum pressure difference approximately equal to the hydrostatic pressure of the molten sample can thus be obtained. Several GeSi crystals were grown in pyrolitic boron nitride ampoules. When a pressure difference was applied, samples were reproducibly grown mostly detached. For comparison, samples were also grown in a configuration in which gas could flow freely between the gap below the melt and the volume above the melt and no pressure difference could be established. These samples were initially attached. Existence of detachment was determined both by measuring the surface roughness of the samples with a profilometer and by observations of the sample surfaces with optical and electron microscopy.

Volz, M. P.↗

Bridgman Growth of Detached GeSi Crystals

Ge(1-x)Si(x) (0 less than x less than 0.12) has been grown by the vertical Bridgman technique using adjustments in the applied temperature profile to control the pressure difference between the bottom and top of the melt. Using this technique. a pressure difference is created by decreasing the temperature in the gas volume above the melt while the sample is molten but prior to growth. A maximum pressure difference approximately equal to the hydrostatic pressure of the molten sample can thus be obtained. Several GeSi crystals were grown in pyrolitic boron nitride ampoules. When a pressure difference was applied, samples were reproducibly grown mostly detached. For comparison, samples were also grown in a configuration in which gas could flow freely between the gap below the melt and the volume above the melt and no pressure difference could be established. These samples were initially attached. Existence of detachment was determined both by measuring the surface roughness of the samples with a profilometer and by observations of the sample surfaces with optical and electron microscopy.

Volz, M. P.↗

Remote Sensing of Cloud Top Height from SEVIRI: Analysis of Eleven Current Retrieval Algorithms

The role of clouds remains the largest uncertainty in climate projections. They influence solar and thermal radiative transfer and the earth's water cycle. Therefore, there is an urgent need for accurate cloud observations to validate climate models and to monitor climate change. Passive satellite imagers measuring radiation at visible to thermal infrared (IR) wavelengths provide a wealth of information on cloud properties. Among others, the cloud top height (CTH) - a crucial parameter to estimate the thermal cloud radiative forcing - can be retrieved. In this paper we investigate the skill of ten current retrieval algorithms to estimate the CTH using observations from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) onboard Meteosat Second Generation (MSG). In the first part we compare ten SEVIRI cloud top pressure (CTP) data sets with each other. The SEVIRI algorithms catch the latitudinal variation of the CTP in a similar way. The agreement is better in the extratropics than in the tropics. In the tropics multi-layer clouds and thin cirrus layers complicate the CTP retrieval, whereas a good agreement among the algorithms is found for trade wind cumulus, marine stratocumulus and the optically thick cores of the deep convective system. In the second part of the paper the SEVIRI retrievals are compared to CTH observations from the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) instruments. It is important to note that the different measurement techniques cause differences in the retrieved CTH data. SEVIRI measures a radiatively effective CTH, while the CTH of the active instruments is derived from the return time of the emitted radar or lidar signal. Therefore, some systematic differences are expected. On average the CTHs detected by the SEVIRI algorithms are 1.0 to 2.5 kilometers lower than CALIOP observations, and the correlation coefficients between the SEVIRI and the CALIOP data sets range between 0.77 and 0.90. The average CTHs derived by the SEVIRI algorithms are closer to the CPR measurements than to CALIOP measurements. The biases between SEVIRI and CPR retrievals range from −0.8 kilometers to 0.6 kilometers. The correlation coefficients of CPR and SEVIRI observations vary between 0.82 and 0.89. To discuss the origin of the CTH deviation, we investigate three cloud categories: optically thin and thick single layer as well as multi-layer clouds. For optically thick clouds the correlation coefficients between the SEVIRI and the reference data sets are usually above 0.95. For optically thin single layer clouds the correlation coefficients are still above 0.92. For this cloud category the SEVIRI algorithms yield CTHs that are lower than CALIOP and similar to CPR observations. Most challenging are the multi-layer clouds, where the correlation coefficients are for most algorithms between 0.6 and 0.8. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the SEVIRI retrievals for boundary layer clouds. While the CTH retrieval for this cloud type is relatively accurate, there are still considerable differences between the algorithms. These are related to the uncertainties and limited vertical resolution of the assumed temperature profiles in combination with the presence of temperature inversions, which lead to ambiguities in the CTH retrieval. Alternative approaches for the CTH retrieval of low clouds are discussed.

Hamann, U.↗

Temperature Inversions below 1 km from a V-Band Scanning Radiometer at the North Slope of Alaska

A single-channel (56.7 GHz) scanning radiometer was deployed in August 2022 at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) North Slope of Alaska site near Utqiaġvik. The radiometer is designed to provide temperature profiles between 0 and 1 km every 5 min. Averaging kernels show that this single-channel radiometer, taking observations at 10 discrete elevation angles, yields approximately the same information as a seven-channel V-band radiometer scanning three elevation angles. The instrument is able to reproduce the occurrence of temperature inversions between the surface and 1 km and their strength showing a correlation of 0.85, bias of −0.6 K, and slope of 1.04 with respect to radiosondes. Uncertainty in the inversion base height varies from 50 m near the surface to ∼300 m above 0.4 km when compared with radiosondes. Conversely, the inversion top height is overestimated and has higher uncertainty due to the degrading effects of the averaging kernels on the vertical resolution of the retrievals. Thanks to the high temporal resolution of the retrievals, the diurnal cycle of boundary layer temperature was evaluated showing that the radiometer can capture some aspects of the boundary layer thermal structure. The present analysis provides an overview of the capabilities of this simple observing configuration for selected applications.

Atmospheric profilers↗