Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “generative diffusion”

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 1,279 records · Page 71

Chromizing of 3Cr Steel

Grade 315 steel (Fe-2.9 Cr-1.7 W-0.7 Mo-0.3 Mn-0.3 Si-0.2 V-0.1 Ni-0.13 C-0.01 N) was chromized by the halide-activated pack cementation (HAPC) process. Key process parameters, i.e., coating temperatures and pack compositions, were investigated. Ammonium chloride-activated packs in the 700-1000 C range produced coatings nominally in the 1-8 {micro}m range, as determined by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Coatings applied in the 900-1000 C temperature range resulted in Cr-rich coatings. The predominant phase in the coating was identified as Cr23C6 by X-ray diffraction. In addition, the presence of chromium nitride, Cr2N, was observed in the coating. The power generation industry is faced with an ever-increasing demand for energy while simultaneously having to reduce carbon emissions. These goals can be facilitated by increasing plant efficiency through the use of higher operating temperatures and pressures. Traditional construction materials, e.g., the ferritic Grade 22 high strength low alloy steel, are limited to operations below {approx} 550 C. Therefore, new materials are required for future plants designed to operate up to 650 C and possibly higher. These new materials need to have improved tensile strength, ductility, toughness, corrosion resistance, and creep properties at elevated temperatures. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is investigating the oxidation and creep behavior of various coatings on Grade 315 steel (Fe-2.9 Cr-1.7 W-0.7 Mo-0.3 Mn-0.3 Si-0.2 V-0.1 Ni-0.13 C-0.01 N), a super-bainitic steel developed for superior creep properties. Thin, chemical vapor-deposited (CVD) aluminide coatings were used to compensate for the reduced corrosion and oxidation resistance that resulted from the low chromium content of the alloy. However, the aluminized Grade 315 alloys performed less-than-favorably under conditions relevant to fossil boilers, leading to the conclusion that higher chromium contents are required for the formation of corrosion-resistant oxide scales in these environments. The halide activated pack cementation (HAPC) process offers a promising low-cost and versatile alternative to CVD as a means of improving corrosion resistance via formation of a protective Cr-containing coating.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

CO 2 Capture Characteristics of Hyperbranched Poly(alkylene imine): A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Approach

This study explores the CO 2 capture characteristics of hyperbranched poly(ethylenimine) (HB-PEI) and poly- (propyleneimine) (HB-PPI) through molecular dynamics simulations using density functional theory-calibrated force fields. Key features such as density, free volume, glass transition temperature, CO 2 /H 2 O distribution, and molecular diffusion are systematically investigated to elucidate structure−function relationships under dry and hydrated conditions. HB-PEI demonstrates a slightly higher density and lower free volume compared to HB-PPI yet shows superior CO 2 capture due to the high amine concentration. Glass transition analysis indicates a higher thermal mobility in HBPEI, enhancing the CO 2 diffusivity. Pair correlation and coordination analyses confirm a stronger affinity of CO 2 with primary and secondary amines, particularly in hydrated environments where water competes with CO 2 for binding sites. Despite its more compact structure, HB-PEI outperformed HB-PPI in CO 2 and H 2 O transport, as confirmed by higher diffusion coefficients across all hydration levels. These findings highlight a critical balance among polymer architecture, amine accessibility, and hydration in designing next-generation solid amine sorbents for efficient direct air capture applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

VERA and VERA-EDU 3.5 Release Notes

The Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications components included in this distribution include selected computational tools and supporting infrastructure that solve neutronics, thermal-hydraulics, fuel performance, and coupled neutronics-thermal hydraulics problems. The infrastructure components provide a simplified common user input capability and provide for the physics integration with data transfer and coupled-physics iterative solution algorithms. Neutronics analysis can be performed for 2D lattices, 2D core and 3D core problems for pressurized water reactor geometries that can be used to calculate criticality and fission rate distributions by pin for input fuel compositions. MPACT uses the Method of Characteristics transport approach for 2D problems. For 3D problems, MPACT uses the 2D/1D method which uses 2D MOC in a radial plane and diffusion or SPn in the axial direction. MPACT includes integrated cross section capabilities that provide problem-specific cross sections generated using the subgroup methodology. The code can be executed both 2D and 3D problems in parallel to reduce overall run time. A thermal-hydraulics capability is provided with CTF (an updated version of COBRA-TF) that allows thermal-hydraulics analyses for single and multiple assemblies using the simplified VERA common input. This distribution also includes coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics capabilities to allow calculations using MPACT coupled with CTF. The VERA fuel rod performance component BISON calculates, on a 2D or 3D basis, fuel rod temperature, fuel rod internal pressure, free gas volume, clad integrity and fuel rod waterside diameter. These capabilities allow simulation of power cycling, fuel conditioning and deconditioning, high burnup performance, power uprate scoping studies, and accident performance. Input/Output capabilities include the VERA Common Input (VERAIn) script which converts the ASCII common input file to the intermediate XML used to drive all of the physics codes in the VERA Core Simulator (VERA-CS). VERA component codes either input the VERA XML format directly, or provide a preprocessor which can convert the XML into native input. VERAView is an interactive graphical interface for the visualization and engineering analyses of output data from VERA. The python-based software is easy to install and intuitive to use, and provides instantaneous 2D and 3D images, 1D plots, and alpha-numeric data from VERA multi-physics simulations. Testing within CASL has focused primarily on Westinghouse four-loop reactor geometries and conditions with example problems included in the distribution.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Black holes in our galactic halo: compatibility with FGST and PAMELA data and constraints on the first stars

10−10{sup 5}m{sub ☉} black holes with dark matter spikes that formed in early minihalos and still exist in our Milky Way Galaxy today are examined in light of recent data from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (FGST). The dark matter spikes surrounding black holes in our Galaxy are sites of significant dark matter annihilation. We examine the signatures of annihilations into gamma-rays, e{sup +}/e{sup −}, and neutrinos. We find that some significant fraction of the point sources detected by FGST might be due to dark matter annihilation near black holes in our Galaxy. We obtain limits on the properties of dark matter annihilations in the spikes using the information in the FGST First Source Catalog as well as the diffuse gamma-ray flux measured by FGST. We determine the maximum fraction of high redshift minihalos that could have hosted the formation of the first generation of stars and, subsequently, their black hole remnants. The strength of the limits depends on the choice of annihilation channel and black hole mass; limits are strongest for the heaviest black holes and annhilation to b b-bar and W{sup +}W{sup −} final states. The larger black holes considered in this paper may arise as the remnants of Dark Stars after the dark matter fuel is exhausted and thermonuclear burning runs its course; thus FGST observations may be used to constrain the properties of Dark Stars. Additionally, we comment on the excess positron flux found by PAMELA and its possible interpretation in terms of dark matter annihilation around these black hole spikes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

TU-AB-BRA-07: Distortion-Free 3D Diffusion MRI On An MRI-Guided Radiotherapy System for Longitudinal Tumor Response Assessment

Purpose: To develop a reliable, 3D distortion-free diffusion MRI technique for longitudinal tumor response assessment and MRI-guided adaptive radiotherapy(RT). Methods: A diffusion prepared 3D turbo spin echo readout (DP-TSE) sequence was developed and compared with the conventional diffusion-weighted single-shot echo-planar-imaging (DW-ssEPI) sequence in a commercially available diffusion phantom, and one head-and-neck and one brain cancer patient on an MRI-guided RT system (ViewRay). In phantom study, the geometric fidelity was quantified as the ratio between the left-right (RL) and anterior-posterior (AP) dimension. Ten slices were measured on DP-TSE, DW-ssEPI and standard TSE images where the later was used as the geometric reference. ADC accuracy was verified at both 0°C (reference ADC available) and room temperature with a range of diffusivity between 0.35 and 2.0*10{sup −3}mm{sup 2}/s. The ADC reproducibility was assessed based on 8 room-temperature measurements on 6 different days. In the pilot single-slice in-vivo study, CT images were used as the geometric reference, and ADC maps from both diffusion sequences were compared. Results: Distortion and susceptive-related artifact were severe in DW-ssEPI, with significantly lower RL/AP ratio (0.9579±0.0163) than DP-TSE (0.9990±0.0031) and TSE (0.9995±0.0031). ADCs from the two diffusion sequences both matched well with the vendor-provided values at 0°C; however DW-ssEPI fails to provide accurate ADC for high diffusivity vials at room temperature due to high noise level (10 times higher than DP-TSE). The DP-TSE sequence had excellent ADC reproducibility with <4% ADC variation among 8 separate measurements. In patient study, DP-TSE exhibited substantially improved geometric reliability. ROI analysis in ADC maps generated from DP-TSE and DW-ssEPI showed <5% difference where high b-value images were excluded from the latter approach due to excessive noise level. Conclusion: A diffusion MRI sequence with excellent geometric fidelity, accurate and highly reproducible ADC measurements was proposed for longitudinal tumor response assessment using an MRI-guided RT system. Yu Gao acknowledges research support from ViewRay.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration for High Order S{sub N} Transport on Meshes with Curved Surfaces

Thermal radiation transport is integral to multiphysics applications such as inertial confinement fusion and astrophysics. Materials in these problems can be exceptionally optically thick and diffusive. A transport solver must be capable of accurate and efficient solutions to such problems. Previously, Woods et al. established a proof-of-concept for high order (HO) discontinuous Galerkin finite element (DGFEM) transport on meshes with curved surfaces. They numerically demonstrated the spatial convergence is order p + 1. Remarkably, these convergence rates are relatively invariant to the amount of curvature of the spatial mesh. We present here an extension of this work that demonstrates a rapidly-convergent iterative solver for the FEM transport equations on meshes with curved sides. We use the modified interior penalty (MIP) diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA) established by Wang and Ragusa. The partially consistent MIP equations stem from the symmetric interior penalty (IP) derivation of the diffusion equation. The IP method is not stable for optically thick cells so it was combined with the diffusion conforming form (DCF), a discretized diffusion equation derived from the discretized S N equations that is not stable for intermediate optical thicknesses. The MIP equations adapt a 'switch' to the IP method in optically thinner regions and the DCF method in optically thicker regions. The literature does not reveal any Fourier analyses performed for iterative transport on meshes with curved surfaces. Wang and Ragusa performed a Fourier analysis for orthogonal meshes and our results appear to be as expected. Previous literature has reported on some of the sensitivities that affect the spectral radius of DSA schemes: polynomial order, and scattering ratios. Presently, we focus on the sensitivity of the spectral radius to polynomial order, scattering ratio, the constant C, and mesh curvature for varying cell thicknesses. We also numerically study the behavior of the spectral radius to verify our DSA implementation. A sequence of problems is designed to exercise the acceleration. As the problems become more optically thick and diffusive, the accelerated solution continues to converge toward the analytic solution. We employ the Modular Finite Element Methods (MFEM) package, developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to generate the linear algebraic system of equations for each angle in the discrete ordinates quadrature set, and use UMFPack to solve this system of equations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

MULTIBAND NONTHERMAL EMISSION FROM THREE TeV SHELL-TYPE SUPERNOVA REMNANTS

Nonthermal radiative properties of three TeV shell-type supernova remnants (SNRs) RX J1713.7-3946, RX J0852.0-4622, and RCW 86, argued to be expanding into low-density hot bubbles created by the wind of the massive progenitor stars, are investigated based on a semi-analytical solution to diffusive acceleration at nonlinear shocks. In the model, a free-escape boundary upstream of the shock is used to mimic the escape of cosmic rays from the SNR, with the dynamic reaction of the self-generated magnetic field via resonant streaming instability on the shock taken into account. Origins of the {gamma}-rays from the three remnants are studied with appropriate parameters, and consistent results with the multiband observed fluxes are obtained within the nonlinear diffusive shock acceleration regime. The order of the resulting downstream magnetic field strength for the three SNRs is between 60 and 100 {mu}G, and the observed TeV {gamma}-rays are mainly produced via the decay of neutral {pi} mesons produced from the hadronic collisions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Simulation of stochastic diffusion via first exit times

In molecular biology it is of interest to simulate diffusion stochastically. In the mesoscopic model we partition a biological cell into unstructured subvolumes. In each subvolume the number of molecules is recorded at each time step and molecules can jump between neighboring subvolumes to model diffusion. The jump rates can be computed by discretizing the diffusion equation on that unstructured mesh. If the mesh is of poor quality, due to a complicated cell geometry, standard discretization methods can generate negative jump coefficients, which no longer allows the interpretation as the probability to jump between the subvolumes. We propose a method based on the mean first exit time of a molecule from a subvolume, which guarantees positive jump coefficients. Two approaches to exit times, a global and a local one, are presented and tested in simulations on meshes of different quality in two and three dimensions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Magnetic-Field Diffusion Effects in Beam Position Monitors I: Theory

Beam position monitors (BPMs) provide time-resolved measurements of the current and centroid position of high-current electron beams in linear induction accelerators (LIAs). One of the types of detectors used in BPMs is the B-dot loop, which generates a signal from the EMF due to the time varying magnetic flux through the loop. If some of the boundaries of the loop are composed of thick metal walls with finite conductivity, the resulting signal must be corrected for the magnetic field diffusion into the metal. The theoretically predicted flux due to diffusion is in remarkable agreement with experimental measurements

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Vortex/Flame Interactions in Microgravity Pulsed Jet Diffusion Flames

Significant differences have been observed between the structure of laminar, transitional, and turbulent flames under downward, upward, and microgravity conditions. These include flame height, jet shear layer, flame instability, flicker, lift-off height, blow-off Reynolds number, and radiative properties. The primary objective of this investigation is to identify the mechanisms involved in the generation and interaction of large-scale structures in microgravity flames. This involves a study of vortex/flame interactions in a space-flight experiment utilizing a controlled, well-defined set of disturbances imposed on a laminar diffusion flame. The results provide a better understanding of the naturally occurring structures that are an inherent part of microgravity turbulent flames. The paper presents the current progress in this program.

Bahadori, M. Y.↗

Mineralogical Composition of the Different Types of Bright Deposits on Vesta

VIR-MS, Dawn's Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, obtained hyperspectral images of a wide part of Vesta's surface at a variety of spatial resolutions [1]. Vesta spectra are similar to those of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites. Moreover, they are characterized by the two iron-bearing pyroxene bands at 0.9 (band I) and 1.9 microns (band II). Vesta surface's is dominated by eucrite/howardite with some diogenitic regions situated in the southern hemisphere near the Rheasilvia basin [2]. The surface is heavily craterized and impacts can expose fresh material, thus generating the Bright Material Deposits (BMD) observed within and surrounding certain craters. BMD can be classified into six different types based on their morphological characteristics: Crater Wall/Scarp Material (CWM), Radial Material (RM), Slope Material (SM), Patchy Material (PM), Spot Material (SpM) and Diffuse Plains Material (DPM) [3]. The most widespread BMD are CWM, SM and RM. CWM, SM, RM originate from impacts. CWM is situated on the edge of the craters. Mass wasting from the crater walls and generates the SM, while RM is associated with the ejecta of the craters [4]. BMD are characterized by albedo greater than that of the vestan average, 0.38 [5]. Therefore the different types of deposits present distinct levels of reflectance respect to the Surrounding Regions (SR), in particular: the CWM and SM is approx.40% brighter, the RM is approx.30- 40% brighter; the SpM is about 20-25% brighter and the PM is about 20% brighter. Near the edge of the Rheasilvia basin it is possible to find some extremely bright areas ~80% brighter than the vestan average [6].

Zambon, F.↗

Probing phonon focusing, thermomechanical behavior, and moiré patterns in van der Waals architectures using surface acoustic waves

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) propagate along solid-air, solid-liquid, and solid-solid interfaces. Their characteristics depend on the elastic properties of the solid. Combining transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we probe atomic environments around intrinsic defects that generate SAWs in vertically stacked two-dimensional (2D) bilayers of MoS 2 . Our joint experimental-simulation study provides insights into SAW-induced structural and dynamical changes and thermomechanical responses of MoS 2 bilayers. Using MD simulations, we compute mechanical properties from the SAW velocity and thermal conductivity from thermal diffusion of SAWs. The results for Young’s modulus and thermal conductivity of an MoS 2 monolayer are in good agreement with experiments. The presence of defects, such as nanopores which generate SAWs, reduces the thermal conductivity of 2D-MoS 2 by an order of magnitude. We also observe dramatic changes in moiré patterns, phonon focusing, and cuspidal structures on 2D-MoS 2 layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Particle and flow field measurements by laser holography

Holograms make transmission recordings of aerodynamic events which are real-illuminated with ground-glass light diffusers and with no requirements for precision. The three-dimensional interferograms can be recorded by stored-beam, double-exposure, and double-plate techniques. Weak traveling shock waves, generated by rotating blade rows of an aircraft fan compressor, can be visualized by rapid double-exposure holograms recorded with a ruby laser. The same laser technique can also determine flow velocities from holograms of small flow-entrained particles. Particles larger than one-quarter millimeter are recorded under rear diffuse illumination conditions. Smaller particles can be recorded by their own forward scattering of laser light through the sensitivity of the holographic process for weak signals. Since the holographic apparatus can be path-matched, both particle and flow interferograms can be recorded with lasers of short coherence length.

Wuerker, R. F.↗

Two-dimensional electron gas at the Ti-diffused BiFeO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface

Oxide heterostructures with the broken translational symmetry often trigger a two-dimensional quantum confinement and associated unique electronic properties that cannot be observed in bulk constituents. Particular interest is devoted to the formation of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at heterointerfaces between two insulators, which offers a fertile ground for fabricating advanced electronic devices. Here, we combine atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomistic first-principles calculations to demonstrate that the (100) BiFeO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} interface takes on a metallic nature and a 2DEG is generated at this interface. Our findings also reveal that the electronic reconstruction due to the polar discontinuity and the variation in valence state of Ti arising from diffusion of Ti cations in SrTiO{sub 3} to Fe sites of BiFeO{sub 3} are critical to the formation of 2DEG at the heterointerface.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Oriented Morphology and Anisotropic Transport in Uniaxially Stretched Perfluorosulfonate Ionomer Membranes

Relations between morphology and transport sensitively govern proton conductivity in perfluorsulfonate ionomers (PFSIs) and thus determine useful properties of these technologically important materials. In order to understand such relations, we have conducted a broad systematic study of H{sup +}-form PFSI membranes over a range of uniaxial extensions and water uptakes. On the basis of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and {sup 2}H NMR spectroscopy, uniaxial deformation induces a strong alignment of ionic domains along the stretching direction. We correlate ionic domain orientation to transport using pulsed-field-gradient {sup 1}H NMR measurements of water diffusion coefficients along the three orthogonal membrane directions. Intriguingly, we observe that uniaxial deformation enhances water transport in one direction (parallel-to-draw direction) while reducing it in the other two directions (two orthogonal directions relative to the stretching direction). We evaluate another important transport parameter, proton conductivity, along two orthogonal in-plane directions. In agreement with water diffusion experiments, orientation of ionic channels increases proton conduction along the stretching direction while decreasing it in the perpendicular direction. These findings provide valuable fodder for optimal application of PFSI membranes as well as for the design of next generation polymer electrolyte membranes.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Sensitive Detection: Photoacoustics, Thermography, and Optical Radiation Pressure

Research during the granting period has been carried out in several areas concerned with sensitive detection. An infrared pyrometer based on the photoacoustic effect has been developed. The sensitivity of this instrument to temperature differentials has been shown to be 50 mK. An investigation of transients that accompany photoacoustic waves generated by pulsed lasers has been carried out. Experiments have shown the existence of the transients, and a theory based on rapid heat diffusion has been developed. The photoacoustic effect in one dimension is known to increase without bound (in the linear acoustics regime) when an optical beam moves in a fluid at the sound speed. A solution to the wave equation for pressure has been found that describes the photoacoustic effect in a cell where an infrared optical grating moves at the sound speed. It was shown that the amplification effect exists along with a cavity resonance that can be used to great advantage in trace gas detection. The theory of the photoacoustic effect in a structure where the acoustic properties periodically vary in a one-dimensional based has been formulated based on solutions to a Mathieu equation. It was found that it is possible to excite photoacoustic waves within the band gaps to produce large amplitude acoustic waves. The idea of self-oscillation in a photoacoustic cell using a continuous laser has been investigated. A theory has been completed showing that in a compressive wave, the absorption increases as a result of the density increase leading to further absorption and hence an increased amplitude photoacoustic effect with the result that in a resonator, self-oscillation can place. Experiments have been carried out where irradiation of a suspension of absorbing carbon particles with a high power laser has been shown to result in cavitation luminescence. That is, following generation of CO and H 2 from the carbon particles through the carbon-steam reaction, an expanding gas bubble is produced, which during the phase where the bubble collapses, a sonoluminescent flash is produced. Work on the voltage generated by a spherical, colloidal object irradiated with an acoustic wave has been determined. The theory of X-ray imaging using a grating to generate a spatially heterodyned image has been formulated. The properties of X-ray images taken with a grating placed before the object and the resulting image Fourier transformed and filtered has been determined. The method essentially heterodynes the spatial component of the object in the image which can be used to eliminate scatter that degrades contrast. Another area of investigation is the motion of the components in a separation method known as thermal diffusion, or the Soret effect. By exploring the mathematics of the effect, it was found that the underlying mechanism of the separation is propagation of a shock whose features are masked typically by the effects of viscosity.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Synthesis, crystal structures and optical properties of two congruent-melting isotypic diphosphates: LiM{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} (M=Na, K)

Two new isotypic diphosphates, LiNa{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} (1) and LiK{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} (2), have been synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction. The single-crystal X-ray structural analyses have shown that they crystallize in the orthorhombic space group C222{sub 1} (No. 20) with the unit cells: a=5.4966(2) A, b=9.1365(4) A, c=12.2764(5) A for compound 1 and a=6.0373(14) A, b=9.339(2) A, c=13.292(3) A for compound 2. The LiM{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} (M=Na, K) consist of two-dimensional [LiP{sub 2}O{sub 7}]{sup 3-} layers, which are composed by LiO{sub 4} tetrahedral and diphosphate groups, the Na or K atoms are filled in the interlayers and balance the charge. Second harmonic generation (SHG) on powder samples have been measured using Kurtz and Perry techniques. Thermal analyses, IR spectroscopy, UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectra, and band structure calculations are performed on the reported compounds. - Graphical Abstract: LiM{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} (M=Na, K) consists of a two-dimensional infinite [LiP{sub 2}O{sub 7}]{sup 3-} layer, which is composed by LiO{sub 4} tetrahedra and diphosphate groups. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LiNa{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} and LiK{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} are new compounds in the Li{sub 2}O-M{sub 2}O (M=Na, K)-P{sub 2}O{sub 5} systems. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Crystal structures of LiNa{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} and LiK{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} consist of two-dimensional [LiP{sub 2}O{sub 7}]{sup 3-} layers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LiNa{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} and LiK{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} are congruent melting compounds.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Laminar Soot Processes (LSP) Experiment: Findings From Space Flight Measurements

The present experimental study of soot processes in hydrocarbon-fueled laminar nonbuoyant and nonpremixed (diffusion) flames at microgravity within a spacecraft was motivated by the relevance of soot to the performance of power and propulsion systems, to the hazards of unwanted fires, and to the emission of combustion-generated pollutants. Soot processes in turbulent flames are of greatest practical interest, however, direct study of turbulent flames is not tractable because the unsteadiness and distortion of turbulent flames limit available residence times and spatial resolution within regions where soot processes are important. Thus, laminar diffusion flames are generally used to provide more tractable model flame systems to study processes relevant to turbulent diffusion flames, justified by the known similarities of gas-phase processes in laminar and turbulent diffusion flames, based on the widely-accepted laminar flamelet concept of turbulent flames. Unfortunately, laminar diffusion flames at normal gravity are affected by buoyancy due to their relatively small flow velocities and, as discussed next, they do not have the same utility for simulating the soot processes as they do for simulating the gas phase processes of turbulent flames.

Sunderland, P. B.↗