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At least 1,423 records · Page 79

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DOE OSTI2025

Controlling Oxidation of Nb in Oxygen Abundant Environments

Modern particle accelerators depend on Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities made from high-purity niobium (Nb) to achieve optimal performance, including high quality factors and strong accelerating gradients. However, when exposed to air, niobium naturally forms a complex oxide layer that can introduce surface imperfections and carbon contamination. This work examines an alternative oxidation strategy under oxygen-rich conditions to better regulate the oxide formation process. The ultimate objective is to improve surface uniformity and cleanliness, thereby reducing defect density and enhancing performance. We used Confocal Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to analyze surface changes. We used standard metrics, like Arithmetic Average Roughness (Ra) and Root Mean Square (Rq). Three oxidation methods were applied: short, extended, and a repeated HF and H₂O₂ oxidation process. Preliminary results show promising reductions in carbon contamination and surface defects.

Romero, Juan [Fermilab]↗

NASA NTRS1971

The pressure and deformation profile between two colliding lubricated cylinders

The pressure and deformation profiles between two colliding lubricated cylinders are obtained by solving the coupled, time-dependent elastohydrodynamic equations with an iterative procedure. The analysis includes effects which were not considered in a previous solution, namely, the effect of the lubricant compressibility and the effect of a lubricant with composite pressure-viscosity coefficients. It is found that the local approach velocity plays an important role during final stages of normal approach. It causes the lubricant to be entrapped within the contact region; neither the pressure nor the deformation profile converges to the Hertzian profile for a dry contact. The use of a smaller pressure-viscosity coefficient at high pressures reduces the sharp pressure gradient at the center of the contact and produces a much milder variation of load with respect to the film thickness. The effect of compressibility of the lubricant is found to be relatively small.

Lee, K.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The use of computer-generated color graphic images for transient thermal analysis

Color computer graphics techniques were investigated as a means of rapidly scanning and interpreting large sets of transient heating data. The data presented were generated to support the conceptual design of a heat-sink thermal protection system (TPS) for a hypersonic research airplane. Color-coded vector and raster displays of the numerical geometry used in the heating calculations were employed to analyze skin thicknesses and surface temperatures of the heat-sink TPS under a variety of trajectory flight profiles. Both vector and raster displays proved to be effective means for rapidly identifying heat-sink mass concentrations, regions of high heating, and potentially adverse thermal gradients. The color-coded (raster) surface displays are a very efficient means for displaying surface-temperature and heating histories, and thereby the more stringent design requirements can quickly be identified. The related hardware and software developments required to implement both the vector and the raster displays for this application are also discussed.

Edwards, C. L. W.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Improved Electrophoresis Cell

Several proposed modifications are expected to improve performance of a continous-flow electrophoresis cell. Changes would allow better control of buffer flow and would increase resolution by suppressing thermal gradients. Improved electrophoresis device would have high resolution and be easy to operate. Improvements would allow better flow control and heat dissipation.

Rhodes, P. H.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Giant molecular complexes and OB associations. I - The Rosette molecular complex

CO observations of the Rosette molecular complex associated with Mon OB2 are presented. The complex is extended along the galactic plane, has a maximum extent of about 100 pc, and shows a striking interaction with the Rosette Nebula. The molecular gas appears to be embedded in a H I cloud with a mass comparable to the molecular mass. The molecular mass is estimated to be 130,000 solar masses, and the inferred volume density is about 30 per cu cm. The complex has an overall velocity gradient of 0.20 km/s pc. At high resolution the CO appears to be very clumpy.

Blitz, L.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Growing Single-Crystal Sheets by Controlled Cooling

Immersed heating and cooling elements establish desired temperature gradients. Method envisions use of high-pressure, Czochralski crystalgrowth apparatus as presently employed to grow gallium arsenide and gallium phosphide but modified to accept deep crucibles so deep layers of encapsulant used, plus X-ray or optical or sonic-imaging system to observe growth of crystal submerged in encapsulant. Method especially applicable to horizontal growth of ribbons of compound semiconductors.

Morrison, A. D.↗

NASA NTRS1985

The effect of finite-amplitude baroclinic waves on passive, low-level, atmospheric constituents, with applications to comma cloud evolution

The redistribution of a low-level, passive constituent of the atmosphere under the influence of a growing baroclinic wave is examined by a series of analytical calculations based on a two-level, highly truncated model. It is shown that a constituent confined to the lower half of the atmosphere, and initially homogeneous in the horizontal, will tend to achieve maximum concentration in the low pressure/warm sector portion of the wave and minimum concentration in the high pressure/cold outbreak region with sharpest gradient between the maxima and minima roughly coinciding with the cold front. This distribution is further accentuated if an initial meridional gradient of the constituent exists. Assuming as a rough first approximation, that water vapor can be considered to be such a passive constituent, it is shown that the implied relative humidity field and cloud distribution will tend to evolve into the comma-type form commonly observed on satellite images of mid-latitude cyclone waves. Moreover, the solution is shown to replicate the complex flow regime associated with the comma formation, elucidating the dynamical roles of vertical motion and advection in the cloud evolution.

Saltzman, B.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Two gimbal bearing case studies: Some lessons learned

Two troublesome, torque related problems associated with gimbal actuators are discussed. Large, thin section angular contact bearings can have a surprisingly high torque sensitivity to radial thermal gradients. A predictive thermal-mechanical bearing analysis, as described, was helpful in establishing a safe temperature operating envelope. In the second example, end-of-travel torque limits of an oscillatory gimbal bearing appoached motor stall during limit cycling life tests. Bearing modifications required to restore acceptable torque performance are described. The lessons learned from these case studies should benefit designers of precision gimbals where singular bearing torque related problems are not uncommon.

Loewenthal, Stuart H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Directional solidification of Al-Ni/SiC composites during parabolic trajectories

Aluminum-6.1 wt. pct. nickel-silicon carbide composites containing varying volume fractions and particle sizes of SiC were directionally solidified at different translation rates and temperature gradients, under variable gravity levels. High-gravity, high-volume fractions of particles or high effective viscosity of liquid favored the engulfment of particles by the melt interface. Solidification under low gravity seemed to deflocculate the SiC particle agglomerates, while opposite results were obtained when solidifying under high gravity. Intercellular spacings were higher under low gravity solidfication.

Dhindaw, B. K.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Semidiscrete Galerkin modelling of compressible viscous flow past a circular cone at incidence

A numerical study of the laminar and compressible boundary layer, about a circular cone in a supersonic free stream, is presented. It is thought that if accurate and efficient numerical schemes can be produced to solve the boundary layer equations, they can be joined to numerical codes that solve the inviscid outer flow. The combination of these numerical codes is competitive with the accurate, but computationally expensive, Navier-Stokes schemes. The primary goal is to develop a finite element method for the calculation of 3-D compressible laminar boundary layer about a yawed cone. The proposed method can, in principle, be extended to apply to the 3-D boundary layer of pointed bodies of arbitrary cross section. The 3-D boundary layer equations governing supersonic free stream flow about a cone are examined. The 3-D partial differential equations are reduced to 2-D integral equations by applying the Howarth, Mangler, Crocco transformations, a linear relation between viscosity, and a Blasius-type of similarity variable. This is equivalent to a Dorodnitsyn-type formulation. The reduced equations are independent of density and curvature effects, and resemble the weak form of the 2-D incompressible boundary layer equations in Cartesian coordinates. In addition the coordinate normal to the wall has been stretched, which reduces the gradients across the layer and provides high resolution near the surface. Utilizing the parabolic nature of the boundary layer equations, a finite element method is applied to the Dorodnitsyn formulation. The formulation is presented in a Petrov-Galerkin finite element form and discretized across the layer using linear interpolation functions. The finite element discretization yields a system of ordinary differential equations in the circumferential direction. The circumferential derivatives are solved by an implicit and noniterative finite difference marching scheme. Solutions are presented for a 15 deg half angle cone at angles of attack of 5 and 10 deg. The numerical solutions assume a laminar boundary layer with free stream Mach number of 7. Results include circumferential distribution of skin friction and surface heat transfer, and cross flow velocity distributions across the layer.

Meade, Andrew James, Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Comparison of solution approaches for minimum-fuel, low-thrust, power-limited orbital transfers

An initial assessment of the feasibility of a function space gradient method for computing solutions to minimum-fuel power-limited transfers encompassing a wide range of thrust to weight ratios is conducted. Three transfers between coplanar ellipses are used as test cases. The gradient method performs best at the high end of the thrust to weight ratio range. At the lower end, there is reduced sensitivity of the fuel consumption to the control profiles. The minimum fuel consumption and the trajectory are computed quite accurately but the control profiles are in error. An approximate analytical solution, obtained by Edelbaum using the method of averaging, is discussed.

Mease, Kenneth D.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Thermoelastic vibration test techniques

The structural integrity of proposed high speed aircraft can be seriously affected by the extremely high surface temperatures and large temperature gradients throughout the vehicle's structure. Variations in the structure's elastic characteristics as a result of thermal effects can be observed by changes in vibration frequency, damping, and mode shape. Analysis codes that predict these changes must be correlated and verified with experimental data. The experimental modal test techniques and procedures used to conduct uniform, nonuniform, and transient thermoelastic vibration tests are presented. Experimental setup and elevated temperature instrumentation considerations are also discussed. Modal data for a 12 by 50 inch aluminum plate heated to a temperature of 475 F are presented. These data show the effect of heat on the plate's modal characteristics. The results indicated that frequency decreased, damping increased, and mode shape remained unchanged as the temperature of the plate was increased.

Kehoe, Michael W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Determination of the effects of heating on modal characteristics of an aluminum plate with application to hypersonic vehicles

The structural integrity of proposed high speed aircraft can be seriously affected by the extremely high surface temperatures and large temperature gradients throughout the vehicle's structure. Variations in the structure's elastic characteristics as a result of thermal effects can be seen by changes in vibration characteristics. Analysis codes that predict these changes must be correlated and verified with experimental data. Analytical and experimental modal test results are given from uniform, nonuniform, and transient thermoelastic vibration tests of a 12 x 50 x 0.19 aluminum plate. The data show the effect of heat on the modal characteristics of the plate. The results showed that frequencies decreased, damping increased, and mode shapes remained unchanged as the temperature of the plate increased. Analytical predictions provided good correlation with experimental results.

Snyder, H. Todd↗

NASA NTRS1991

Modeling of the heat transfer in bypass transitional boundary-layer flows

A low Reynolds number k-epsilon turbulence model and conditioned momentum, energy and turbulence equations were used to predict bypass transition heat transfer on a flat plate in a high-disturbance environment with zero pressure gradient. The use of conditioned equations was demonstrated to be an improvement over the use of the global-time-averaged equations for the calculation of velocity profiles and turbulence intensity profiles in the transition region of a boundary layer. The approach of conditioned equations is extended to include heat transfer and a modeling of transition events is used to predict transition onset and the extent of transition on a flat plate. The events, which describe the boundary layer at the leading edge, result in boundary-layer regions consisting of: (1) the laminar, (2) pseudolaminar, (3) transitional, and (4) turbulent boundary layers. The modeled transition events were incorporated into the TEXSTAN 2-D boundary-layer code which is used to numerically predict the heat transfer. The numerical predictions in general compared well with the experimental data and revealed areas where additional experimental information is needed.

Simon, Frederick F.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Infrared Rugates by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Rugates are optical structures that have a sinusoidal index of refraction (harmonic gradient-index field). As their discrete high/ low index filter counterparts, they can be used as narrow rejection band filters. However, since rugates do not have abrupt interfaces, they tend to have a smaller absorption, hence deliver a higher in band reflectivity. The absence of sharp interfaces makes rugates even more desirable for high-energy narrow band reflectors. In this application, the lack of a sharp interface at the maximum internal standing wave electric field results in higher breakdown strengths. Our method involves fabricating rugates, with molecular beam epitaxy, on GaAs wafers as an Al(x)Ga(1-x)As single-crystal film.

Rona, M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Thermoelastic vibration test techniques

Kehoe, Michael W.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Refraction of high frequency noise in an arbitrary jet flow

Refraction of high frequency noise by mean flow gradients in a jet is studied using the ray-tracing methods of geometrical acoustics. Both the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) formulations are considered. In the former case, the mean flow is assumed parallel and the governing propagation equations are described by a system of four first order ordinary differential equations. The 3D formulation, on the other hand, accounts for the jet spreading as well as the axial flow development. In this case, a system of six first order differential equations are solved to trace a ray from its source location to an observer in the far field. For subsonic jets with a small spreading angle both methods lead to similar results outside the zone of silence. However, with increasing jet speed the two prediction models diverge to the point where the parallel flow assumption is no longer justified. The Doppler factor of supersonic jets as influenced by the refraction effects is discussed and compared with the conventional modified Doppler factor.

Khavaran, Abbas↗

NASA NTRS2001

Development of an Innovative Algorithm for Aerodynamics-Structure Interaction Using Lattice Boltzmann Method

The lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) is a kinetic formulation which offers an alternative computational method capable of solving fluid dynamics for various systems. Major advantages of the method are owing to the fact that the solution for the particle distribution functions is explicit, easy to implement, and the algorithm is natural to parallelize. In this final report, we summarize the works accomplished in the past three years. Since most works have been published, the technical details can be found in the literature. Brief summary will be provided in this report. In this project, a second-order accurate treatment of boundary condition in the LBE method is developed for a curved boundary and tested successfully in various 2-D and 3-D configurations. To evaluate the aerodynamic force on a body in the context of LBE method, several force evaluation schemes have been investigated. A simple momentum exchange method is shown to give reliable and accurate values for the force on a body in both 2-D and 3-D cases. Various 3-D LBE models have been assessed in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and robustness. In general, accurate 3-D results can be obtained using LBE methods. The 3-D 19-bit model is found to be the best one among the 15-bit, 19-bit, and 27-bit LBE models. To achieve desired grid resolution and to accommodate the far field boundary conditions in aerodynamics computations, a multi-block LBE method is developed by dividing the flow field into various blocks each having constant lattice spacing. Substantial contribution to the LBE method is also made through the development of a new, generalized lattice Boltzmann equation constructed in the moment space in order to improve the computational stability, detailed theoretical analysis on the stability, dispersion, and dissipation characteristics of the LBE method, and computational studies of high Reynolds number flows with singular gradients. Finally, a finite difference-based lattice Boltzmann method is developed for inviscid compressible flows.

Mei, Ren-Wei↗