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At least 145 records · Page 8

Effect of ice contamination of liquid-nitrogen drops in film boiling

Previously reported vaporization time data of liquid nitrogen drops in film boiling on a flat plate are about 30 percent shorter than predicted from standard laminar film boiling theory. This theory, however, had been found to successfully correlate the data for conventional fluids such as water, ethanol, benzene, or carbon tetrachloride. Experimental evidence that some of the discrepancy for cryogenic fluids results from ice contamination due to condensation is presented. The data indicate a fairly linear decrease in droplet evaporation time with the diameter of the ice crystal residue. After correcting the raw data for ice contamination along with convection, a comparison of theory with experiment shows good agreement.

Schoessow, G. J.↗

A measurement of the width and shift of the Fe I 3719.94 A line broadened by helium

Results are reported for measurements of the widths and shifts of the overlapping helium-broadened profiles of the Fe I absorption lines at 3719.94 and 3722.56 A, which were performed in a ballistic piston compressor using a saturated solution of FeCl3 in ethanol. It is found that at 4000 K, the 3719.94-A line has a gamma/n (FWHM) value of approximately 5.2 billionths rad/sec per cu cm, the blue shift of this line corresponds to a beta/n value of about 0.49 billionth rad/sec per cu cm, and the 3722.56-A line has the same values. These results are compared with previous experimental determinations and with theoretical calculations of neutral-line broadening for the Fe I lines. The significance of these measurements with respect to the solar spectrum and cool DG white dwarfs is discussed.

Driver, R. D.↗

Solventless LARC-160 Polyimide Matrix Resin

The addition polyimide, LARC-160, which was originally synthesized from low cost liquid monomers as a laminating resin in ethanol, was prepared as a solventless, high viscosity, neat liquid resin. The resin was processed by hot-melt coating techniques into graphite prepreg with excellent tack and drape. Comparable data on graphite reinforced laminates made from solvent-coated and various hot-melt coated prepreg were generated. LARC-160, because of its liquid nature, can be easily autoclave processed to produce low void laminates. Liquid chromatographic fingerprints indicate good reaction control on resin scale ups. Minor changes in monomer ratios were also made to improve the thermal aging performance of graphite laminates.

Stclair, T. L.↗

PMR polyimide prepreg with improved tack characteristics

Current PMR Polyimide prepreg technology utilizes methanol or ethanol solvents for preparation of the PMR prepreg solutions. The volatility of these solvents limits the tack and drape retention characteristics of unprotected prepreg exposed to ambient conditions. Studies conducted to achieve PMR 15 Polyimide prepreg with improved tack and drape characteristics were described. Improved tack and drape retention were obtained by incorporation of an additional monomer. The effects of various levels of the added monomer on the thermo-oxidative stability and mechanical properties of graphite fiber reinforced PMR 15 composites exposed and tested at 316 C (600 F) were discussed.

Serafini, T. T.↗

The role of drop velocity in statistical spray description

The justification for describing a spray by treating drop velocity as a random variable on an equal statistical basis with drop size was studied experimentally. A double exposure technique using fluorescent drop photography was used to make size and velocity measurements at selected locations in a steady ethanol spray formed by a swirl atomizer. The size velocity data were categorized to construct bivariate spray density functions to describe the spray immediately after formation and during downstream propagation. Bimodal density functions were formed by environmental interaction during downstream propagation. Large differences were also found between spatial mass density and mass flux size distribution at the same location.

Groeneweg, J. F.↗

Effect of ice contamination on liquid-nitrogen drops in film boiling

Previously reported vaporization time data of liquid nitrogen drops in film boiling on a flat plate are about 30 percent shorter than predicted from standard laminar film boiling theory. This theory, however, had been found to successfully correlate the data for conventional fluids such as water, ethanol, benzene, or carbon tetrachloride. This paper presents experimental evidence that some of the discrepancy for cryogenic fluids results from ice contamination due to condensation. The data indicate a fairly linear decrease in droplet evaporation time with the diameter of the ice crystal residue. After correcting the raw data for ice contamination along with convection, a comparison of theory with experiment shows good agreement.

Schoessow, G. J.↗

PMR Polyimide prepreg with improved tack characteristics

Current PMR Polyimide prepreg technology utilizes methanol or ethanol solvents for preparation of the PMR prepreg solutions. The volatility of these solvents limits the tack and drape retention characteristics of unprotected prepreg exposed to ambient conditions. Studies conducted to achieve PMR 15 Polyimide prepreg with improved tack and drape characteristics are described. Improved tack and drape retention were obtained by incorporation of an additional monomer. The effects of various levels of the added monomer on the thermo-oxidative stability and mechanical properties of graphite fiber reinforced PMR 15 composites exposed and tested at 316 C (600 F) are discussed.

Serafini, T. T.↗

The role of drop velocity in statistical spray description

The justification for describing a spray by treating drop velocity as a random variable on an equal statistical basis with drop size was studied experimentally. A double-exposure technique using fluorescent drop photography was used to make size and velocity measurements at selected locations in a steady ethanol spray formed by a swirl atomizer. The size-velocity data were categorized to construct bivariate spray density functions to describe the spray immediately after formation and during downstream propagation. It was found that a statistical treatment of drop velocity was supported by the data. Spray density function shapes and modal characteristics depended strongly on position and the amount of droplet-gas interaction that had occurred. Bimodal density functions were formed by environmental interaction during downstream propagation. Large differences were also found between spatial mass density and mass flux size distributions at the same location.

Groeneweg, J. F.↗

A search for interstellar glycine

A search has been made for the simplest amino acid - glycine - in Sgr B2, Ori A, and seven other molecular clouds. Six different lines were sought ranging from 83.4 GHz down to 22.7 GHz, and radio telescopes at Parkes, New South Wales, Kitt Peak, Arizona, and Onsala, Sweden, were used. On the assumption of reasonable values for excitation temperature and Boltzmann distributions over rotational energy states, upper limits of column densities for glycine of a few times 10 to the 12th per sq cm to a few times 10 to the 14th per sq cm were typically established in the sources surveyed. Glycine appears to be less abundant than ethanol or ethyl cyanide in molecular clouds such as Sgr B2 and Ori A.

Brown, R. D.↗

Optical constants of alcohols in the infrared

The spectral reflectances at near-normal incidence for methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, and 1-pentanol are reported for the spectral range 6700-350 kaysers. The real and imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction of these liquids are obtained in the range 4000-400 kaysers by use of Kramers-Kronig phase-shift analysis. For all of the alcohols studied, the strength for the OH-stretch bands is directly proportional to the number of OH groups per unit volume; similar relations are established for CH- and CO-stretch bands. Absorption cross sections for stretch vibrations of the three groups are considered, and the role of characteristic group intensities in intensity spectroscopy is discussed.

Sethna, P. P.↗

Marangoni bubble motion in zero gravity

It was shown experimentally that the Marangoni phenomenon is a primary mechanism for the movement of a gas bubble in a nonisothermal liquid in a low gravity environment. A mathematical model consisting of the Navier-Stokes and thermal energy equations, together with the appropriate boundary conditions for both media, is presented. Parameter perturbation theory is used to solve this boundary value problem; the expansion parameter is the Marangoni number. The zeroth, first, and second order approximations for the velocity, temperature and pressure distributions in the liquid and in the bubble, and the deformation and terminal velocity of the bubble are determined. Experimental zero gravity data for a nitrogen bubble in ethylene glycol, ethanol, and silicone oil subjected to a linear temperature gradient were obtained using the NASA Lewis zero gravity drop tower. Comparison of the zeroth order analytical results for the bubble terminal velocity showed good agreement with the experimental measurements. The first and second order solutions for the bubble deformation and bubble terminal velocity are valid for liquids having Prandtl numbers on the order of one, but there is a lack of appropriate data to test the theory fully.

Thompson, R. L.↗

Glass shell manufacturing in space

Residual gases always found in glass shells are CO2, O2 and N2. In those cases where high water vapor pressure is maintained in the furnace, water is also found in the shells. Other evidence for the existence of water in shells is the presence of water-induced surface weathering of the interior shell surface. Water and CO2 are the predominant volatiles generated by the pyrolysis of both inorganic and hydrolyzed metal-organic gels. The pyrolysates of unhydrolyzed metal-organic gels also contain, in addition to water and CO2, significant levels of organic volatiles, such as ethanol and some hydrocarbons; on complete oxidation, these produce CO2 and water as well. Water is most likely the initial blowing agent, it is produced copiously during the initial stages of heating. In the later stages, CO2 becomes the dominant gas as H2O is lost at increasing rates. Water in the shell arises mainly from gel dehydration, CO2 by sodium bicarbonate/carbonate decomposition and carbon oxidation, and O2 and N2 by permeation of the ambient furnace air through the molten shell wall.

Nolen, R. J.↗

Capillary device refilling

An analytical and experimental study was conducted dealing with refilling start baskets (capillary devices) with settled fluid. A computer program was written to include dynamic pressure, screen wicking, multiple-screen barriers, standpipe screens, variable vehicle mass for computing vehicle acceleration, and calculation of tank outflow rate and vapor pullthrough height. An experimental apparatus was fabricated and tested to provide data for correlation with the analytical model; the test program was conducted in normal gravity using a scale-model capillary device and ethanol as the test fluid. The test data correlated with the analytical model; the model is a versatile and apparently accurate tool for predicting start basket refilling under actual mission conditions.

Blatt, M. H.↗

Binders for Thermal-Control Coatings

Methyl trialkoxysilane hydrolysates have been found to be superior binders for radiative thermal-control coatings. Using sprayed test panels, candidate coating formulations were optimized with respect to binder/ pigment radio, ethanol content, pigment particle size, coating thickness, and curing conditions. Binders are made from monomers of trialkoxy-silanes or chain-extended alkoxysilanes. Monomers are believed to polymerize to ladder-type structures like methyl silicone.

Patterson, W. J.↗

Ripplon scattering using grating heterodyne spectroscopy

Heterodyne photon spectroscopy was used for the study of the viseo-elastic properties of the liquid interface by studying the scattering from thermal ripplons. A theory of a heterodyne apparatus based on a grating is presented, and the heterodyne condition is given in terms of the parameters of the experimental set-up. Emphasis was placed on the study of the instrumental function and its influence on the measurement data. The instrumental function is not always gaussian, but its functional form depends on the parameters of the experimental set-up. An algorithm is suggested to arrive at the center frequency and half width at half height of the spectrum from the noisy experimental data, and applied to the measurement data obtained from ethanol and water surfaces.

Sirohi, R. S.↗

Advanced development: Fuels

The solar thermal fuels and chemicals program at Jet Propulsion Laboratory are described. High technology is developed and applied to displace fossil fuel (oil) use in the production/processing of valuable fuels and chemicals. The technical and economic feasibility is demonstrated to extent that enables the industry to participate and commercialize the product. A representative process, namely Furfural production with a bottoming of acetone, butanol and ethanol, is described. Experimental data from all solar production of furfural is discussed. Estimates are given to show the attractiveness of this process, considering its flexibility to be adaptable to dishes, troughs or central receivers. Peat, lignite and low rank coal processing, heavy oil stripping and innovative technologies for process diagnostics and control are mentioned as examples of current projects under intensive development.

Ramohalli, K.↗

Development of silane-hydrolysate binder for UV-resistant thermal control coatings

Detailed characterizaton and formulation studies were performed on a methyltriakoxysilane hydrolysate as a binder for thermal control coatings. The binder was optimized by varying hydrolysis temperature, time, catalyst type, and water concentration. The candidate coating formulations, based on this binder with TiO2 pigment, were optimized via a detailed series of sprayed test panels that included the parameters of binder/pigment ratio, ethanol content, pigment particle size, coating thickness and cure conditions. A typical optimized coating was prepared by acetic acid catalyzed hydrolysis of methyltriethoxysilane with 3.25 mol-equivalents of water over a 24 hour period at room temperature. The resulting hydrolysate was directly mixed with pre-milled TiO2 (12 grams pigment/26 grams binder) to yield a sprayable consistency. Panels were sprayed to result in a nominal cure coating thickness of 2 mils. Cure was affected by air drying for 24 hr at room temperature plus 72 hr at 150 F. These coatings are typically extremely tough and abrasion-resistant, with an absorptance (alpha) of 0.20 and emittance (e) of 0.89. No significant coating damage was observed in the mandrel bend test, even after exposure to thermal cycling from -160 to 160 F. Vacuum exposure of the coatings for 930 hours at 1 equivalent UV sun resulted in no visible degradation and no significant increase in absorptance.

Patterson, W. J.↗

Chemicals from biomass - The U.S. prospects for the turn of the century

Historically, chemicals from biomass have been and are expected to be economical in three major areas: byproducts, specialty items and polymers. Assessments of producing major chemicals from biomass in a processing plant based on the available conversion techniques indicate that they are not economically attractive, with the possible exception of conversion to ammonia and ethanol. The deterrents are the heavy capital investments, dependability of raw material supply and transportation costs for large plants, lack of operation experience, inadaptability of market variations, and competition from petroleum and coal. More importantly, it is also shown that even if chemicals from biomass were economical today, the resultant savings in petroleum would be far less than those achieved through other options available for the utilization of biomass as fuel and structural material. Thus, it is concluded that near-term research and development must be toward improved conversion processes, recovery of valuable products from waste streams at existing plants, more efficient use of biomass of energy and more efficient production of superior material products.

Sarbolouki, M. N.↗