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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 1,675 records · Page 93
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Evaluation and Selection of Replacement Thermal Control Materials for the Hubble Space Telescope

The mechanical and optical properties of the metallized Teflon(Registered Trademark) FEP thermal control materials on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have degraded over the nearly seven years the telescope has been in orbit. Given the damage to the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) that was apparent during the second servicing mission (SM2), the decision was made to replace the outer layer during subsequent servicing missions. A Failure Review Board was established to investigate the damage to the MLI and identify a replacement material. The replacement material had to meet the stringent thermal requirements of the spacecraft and maintain structural integrity for at least ten years. Ten candidate materials were selected and exposed to ten-year HST-equivalent doses of simulated orbital environments. Samples of the candidates were exposed sequentially to low and high energy electrons and protons, atomic oxygen, x-ray radiation, ultraviolet radiation and thermal cycling. Following the exposures, the mechanical integrity and optical properties of the candidates were investigated using Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and a Laboratory Portable Spectroreflectometer (LPSR). Based on the results of these simulations and analyses, the FRB selected a replacement material and two alternates that showed the highest likelihood of providing the requisite thermal properties and surviving for ten years in orbit.q

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb Evaluated Under Fretting Conditions

Material parameters govern many of the design decisions in any engineering task. When two materials are in contact and microscopically small, relative motions (either vibratory or creeping) occur, and fretting fatigue can result. Fretting fatigue is a material response influenced by the materials in contact as well as by such variables as loading and vibratory conditions. Fretting produces fresh, clean interacting surfaces and induces adhesion, galling, and wear in the contact zone. Time, money, and materials are unnecessarily wasted when galling and wear result in excessive fretting fatigue that leads to poorly performing, unreliable mechanical systems. Fretting fatigue is a complex problem of significant interest to aircraft engine manufacturers. It can occur in a variety of engine components. Numerous approaches, depending on the component and the operating conditions, have been taken to address the fretting problems. The components of interest in this investigation were the low-pressure turbine blades and disks. The blades in this case were titanium aluminide, Ti-48Al-2Cr- 2Nb, and the disk was a nickel-base superalloy, Inconel 718 (IN 718). A concern for these airfoils is the fretting in fitted interfaces at the dovetail where the blade and disk are connected. Careful design can reduce fretting in most cases, but not completely eliminate it, because the airfoils frequently have a skewed (angled) blade-disk dovetail attachment, which leads to a complex stress state. Furthermore, the local stress state becomes more complex when the influence of the metal-metal contact and the edge of contact are considered.

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa↗
NASA NTRS2010

Electrostatic Evaluation of the ARES I FTS Antenna Materials

Surface resistivity and volume resistivity data show all the tested non-metallic materials of the Ares I FTS antenna assembly to be insulative. The external materials (White foam, phenolic) should be able to develop a large surface charge density upon tribocharging with ice crystal impingement. Dielectric breakdown tests on the FTS antenna housing materials show that each of the insulative materials are very resistive to electrical breakdown. The thicknesses of these materials in a nominal housing should protect the antenna from direct breakdown from external triboelectric charging potentials. Per data from the Air Force study, a maximum external electric potential in the range of 100kV can be developed on surfaces tribocharged by ice crystal impingement. Testing showed that under operational pressure ranges, this level of exterior voltage can result in a potential of about 6 kV induced on the electrically floating interior antenna vanes. Testing the vanes up to this voltage level showed that electrostatic discharges can occur between the electrically floating vanes and the center, grounded screw heads. Repeated tests with multiple invisible and visible discharges caused only superficial physical damage to the vanes. Fourier analysis of the discharge signals showed that the frequency range of credible discharges would not interfere with the nominal operation of the FTS antenna. However, due to the limited scope, short timetable, and limited funding of this study, a direct measurement of the triboelectric charge that could be generated on the Ares I antenna housing when the rocket traverses an ice cloud at supersonic speeds was not performed. Instead, data for the limited Air Force study [3] was used as input for our experiments. The Air Force data used was not collected with a sensor located to provide us with the best approximation at the geometry of the Ares I rocket, namely that of the windshield electrometer, because brush discharges to the metal frame of the windshield periodically depleted any charge accumulated. The configuration of the Ares I antenna assembly does not include any exposed metals in the vicinity and the windshield data could not be used. Since the windshield sensor data was unusable, we decided that the Patch 2 location would provide us with a rough approximation to the Ares I antenna configuration and would give us an indication of the possible charging levels that would develop. This was the data that we used in this study. Whether these charging levels would be of the same order of magnitude as the actual charges developed by the Ares I traversing a cloud with ice particles is at this point unknown. An actual experimental test, requiring the acquisition of additional instrumentation, is strongly advised before a final recommendation can be formulated regarding the safe levels of electrostatic charging on the antenna housing. Thus the results of this study should be considered to be preliminary.

Hogue, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2017

ECLSS Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) Metal Materials Compatibility Study- Electrochemical and Crevice Corrosion Evaluation

Electrochemical and crevice corrosion laboratory test results are presented for three noble metal candidates with possible application on the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) in support of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The three metal candidates, which included Inconel 625, Hastelloy C276 and Titanium 6Al-4V, were evaluated in two solutions representative of the acidic pretreatment formulations utilized during processing of waste liquids within the ECLSS. Final test results and data analysis indicated that the passive layer on all three metals provides excellent corrosion protection in both solutions under standard test conditions.

Lee, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Evaluation of Cyclo Olefin Polymer as Sabot Material for High-Density Projectiles

Assuring the integrity of spacecraft and its occupants are a priority in the field of space exploration. Micrometeoroids and orbital debris are one of the primary threats that affect spacecraft materials due to the high kinetic energies involved with hypervelocity impacts. Improvement of projectile launching capabilities prompts the investigation of adequate materials for the manufacturing of sabots able to carry high-density projectiles without catastrophic failure. Polycarbonate has been the chosen material by the Hypervelocity Team at White Sands Test Facility for sabots on the 0.50 caliber launcher; however, there is a material constraint when the projectile becomes significantly dense and the inertial stresses surpass the yield strength of the sabot material. This research proposes a new polymer material for manufacturing sabots, known as cyclo olefin polymer (COP) with the purpose of successfully shooting the intended high-density projectiles. In this investigation, both polycarbonate and COP were analyzed using tensile and impact testing to observe the differences in their mechanical properties. The experimental details along with the detailed characterization of the materials are presented.

Tarango, Estebanne↗
DOE OSTI2025

Photothermal Properties of Nanostructured Black Titanium Dioxide for Targeted Cellular and Microbial Elimination

Heterophase black titanium dioxide (hB-TiO 2 ), characterized by broadened near-infrared (NIR) absorption, has emerged as a promising photothermally active nanomaterial. This study focused on the synthesis of nanoscale hB-TiO 2 and its evaluation as a multifunctional agent for photothermal therapy (PTT). The purity and composition of the mixed-phase nanoscale hB-TiO 2 were demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, and the morphology of nanoparticles was imaged by transmission electron microscopy. Extensive additional characterization was conducted to validate the optoelectronic properties. The material was further evaluated in biological systems using NIH 3T3-GFP fibroblasts and the fungus Candida albicans. Nanoscale hB-TiO 2 exhibited good biocompatibility in the absence of laser irradiation and effectively ablated both NIH 3T3-GFP cells and C. albicans following 20 min of laser exposure. This noninvasive treatment strategy leverages NIR-responsive materials to induce localized hyperthermia. The findings provide grounds for the use of selectively induced hyperthermia, which could be employed for the targeted destruction of cells or fungi with minimal impact on surrounding tissue if the material is functionalized with specific targeting groups and delivered to cells or fungal infections.

Irradiation↗
DOE OSTI2016

Explicit accounting of electronic effects on the Hugoniot of porous materials

A generalized enthalpy based equation of state, which includes thermal electron excitations explicitly, is formulated from simple considerations. Its application to obtain Hugoniot of materials needs simultaneous evaluation of pressure-volume curve and temperature, the latter requiring solution of a differential equation. The errors involved in two recent papers [Huayun et al., J. Appl. Phys. 92, 5917 (2002); 92, 5924 (2002)], which employed this approach, are brought out and discussed. In addition to developing the correct set of equations, the present work also provides a numerical method to implement this approach. Constant pressure specific heat of ions and electrons and ionic enthalpy parameter, needed for applications, are calculated using a three component equation of state. The method is applied to porous Cu with different initial porosities. Comparison of results with experimental data shows good agreement. It is found that temperatures along the Hugoniot of porous materials are significantly modified due to electronic effects.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simplified, Infiltration-free Ceramic Matrix Composite Manufacturing

Manufacturing of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) with carbon fiber and carbon matrix includes a time- and labor-intensive ceramic infiltration step that is responsible for more than half of the total manufacturing cost. To make CMCs cost-competitive in price-sensitive markets, like concentrated solar power, it is essential to develop a CMC manufacturing process that skips the ceramic infiltration process. In this work, we will show how a high-char-yield preceramic resin can eliminate the infiltration step while maintaining material density and evaluate the technoeconomic impact of our CMC manufacturing process. Here, we monitor both morphology and porosity to determine the quality of CMCs made with different preceramic resins and evaluate the impact of polymer infiltration and pyrolyzing cycles.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Advanced thermal barrier coatings for operation in high hydrogen content fueled gas turbines

The Center for Thermal Spray Research (CTSR) at Stony Brook University in partnership with its industrial Consortium for Thermal Spray Technology is investigating science and technology related to advanced metallic alloy bond coats and ceramic thermal barrier coatings for applications in the hot section of gasified coal-based high hydrogen turbine power systems. In conjunction with our OEM partners (GE and Siemens) and through strategic partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (materials degradation group and high temperature materials laboratory), a systems approach, considering all components of the TBC (multilayer ceramic top coat, metallic bond coat & superalloy substrate) is being taken during multi-layered coating design, process development and subsequent environmental testing. Recent advances in process science and advanced in situ thermal spray coating property measurement enabled within CTSR has been incorporated for full-field enhancement of coating and process reliability. The development of bond coat processing during this program explored various aspects of processing and microstructure and linked them to performance. The determination of the bond coat material was carried out during the initial stages of the program. Based on tests conducted both at Stony Brook University as well as those carried out at ORNL it was determined that the NiCoCrAlYHfSi (Amdry) bond coats had considerable benefits over NiCoCrAlY bond coats. Since the studies were also conducted at different cycling frequencies, thereby addressing an associated need for performance under different loading conditions, the Amdry bond coat was selected as the material of choice going forward in the program. With initial investigations focused on the fabrication of HVOF bond coats and the performance of TBC under furnace cycle tests , several processing strategies were developed. Two-layered HVOF bond coats were developed to render optimal balance of density and surface roughness and resulted in improved TBC lifetimes. Processing based approaches of identifying optimal processing regimes deploying advanced in-situ coating property measurements and in-flight diagnostic tools were used to develop process maps for bond coats. Having established a framework for the bond coat processing using the HVOF process, effort were channeled towards fabrication of APS and VPS bond coats with the same material composition. Comparative evaluation of the three deposition processes with regard to their microstrcuture , surface profiles and TBC performance were carried out and provided valuable insights into factors that require concurrent consideration for the development of bond coats for advanced TBC systems. Over the course of this program several advancements were made on the development of durable thermal barrier coatings. Process optimization techniques were utilized to identify processing regimes for both conventional YSZ as well as other TBC compositions such as Gadolinium Zirconate and other Co-doped materials. Measurement of critical properties for these formed the initial stages of the program to identify potential challenges in their implementation as part of a TBC system. High temperature thermal conductivity measurements as well as sintering behavior of both YSZ and GDZ coatings were evaluated as part of initial efforts to undersand the influence of processing on coating properties. By effectively linking fundamental coating properties of fracture toughness and elastic modulus to the cyclic performance of coatings, a durability strategy for APS YSZ coatings was developed. In order to meet the goals of fabricating a multimaterial TBC system further research was carried out on the development of a gradient thermal conductivity model and the evaluation of sintering behavior of multimaterial coatings. Layer optimization for desired properties in the multimaterial TBC was achieved by an iterative feedback approach utilizing process maps and in-situ and ex-situ coating property sensors. Addressing the challenges pertaining to the integration of the two materials YSZ and GDZ led to one of most the critical outcomes of this program, the development of durable multimaterial, multifunctional TBC systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1980

Advanced ceramic material for high temperature turbine tip seals

Forty-one material systems were evaluated for potential use in turbine blade tip seal applications at 1370 C. Both ceramic blade tip inserts and abradable ceramic tip shoes were tested. Hot gas erosion, impact resistance, thermal stability, and dynamic rub performance were the criteria used in rating the various materials. Silicon carbide and silicon nitride were used, both as blade tips and abradables. The blade tip inserts were fabricated by hot pressing while low density and honeycomb abradables were sintered or reaction bonded.

Vogan, J. W.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Pencil-like zinc oxide micro/nano-scale structures: Hydrothermal synthesis, optical and photocatalytic properties

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Zinc oxide micro/nanopencils have been synthesized hydrothermally. • Photocatalytic activity has been evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under UV light irradiation. • ZnO nanopencils exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity than the commercial ZnO. - Abstract: Zinc oxide micro/nanopencils have been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal process using zinc acetate and diamines as structure-directing agents. The morphology, the structure, the crystallinity and the composition of the materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The optical properties of synthesized ZnO were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the material has been evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. As a result, after the lapse of 150 min, around 82% bleaching was observed, with ZnO nanopencils yielding more photodegradation compared to that of commercial ZnO (61%)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1982

Advances in nondestructive evaluation technology

Research at NASA Langley's Materials Characterization Instrumentation Section has followed the philosophy of improving the science base of nondestructive evaluation and advancing the state of the art of quantitative interpretability of physical measurements of materials. Details of several R&D programs choosen to highlight the last several years are given. Applications of these technologies are presented in the area of stress measurement, characterization of metal heat treatment, and evaluation of material internal structure. A second focus of the program is on quantitative transducers/measurements that have resulted in better data in irregular inhomogeneous materials such as composites. Examples are presented of new capabilities resulting from these advances that include fatigue and impact damage evaluation.

Joseph S. Heyman↗
DOE OSTI2014

Materials Properties at Internal Interfaces: Fundamental Atomic Issues

During the course of this research, the microscopy methods were applied to many different systems (see publication list). However, the work can be broadly classified into three main areas: the statistical distribution of grain boundary structures under different doping conditions, the identification of individual dopant atoms in oxide materials, and the evaluation of nucleation and growth processes in liquid and more recently. The main results from each of these efforts will be discussed in the final report.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2013

Erosion, Transportation, and Deposition on Outer Solar System Satellites: Landform Evolution Modeling Studies

Mass movement and landform degradation reduces topographic relief by moving surface materials to a lower gravitational potential. In addition to the obvious role of gravity, abrasive mechanical erosion plays a role, often in combination with the lowering of cohesion, which allows disaggregation of the relief-forming material. The identification of specific landform types associated with mass movement and landform degradation provides information about local sediment particle size and abundance and transportation processes. Generally, mass movements can be classified in terms of the particle sizes of the transported material and the speed the material moved during transport. Most degradation on outer planet satellites appears consistent with sliding or slumping, impact erosion, and regolith evolution. Some satellites, such as Callisto and perhaps Hyperion and Iapetus, have an appearance that implies that some additional process is at work, most likely sublimation-driven landform modification and mass wasting. A variant on this process is thermally driven frost segregation as seen on all three icy Galilean satellites and perhaps elsewhere. Titan is unique among outer planet satellites in that Aeolian and fluvial processes also operate to erode, transport, and deposit material. We will evaluate the sequence and extent of various landform-modifying erosional and volatile redistribution processes that have shaped these icy satellites using a 3-D model that simulates the following surface and subsurface processes: 1) sublimation and re-condensation of volatiles; 2) development of refractory lag deposits; 3) disaggregation and downward sloughing of surficial material; 4) radiative heating/cooling of the surface (including reflection, emission, and shadowing by other surface elements); 5) thermal diffusion; and 6) vapor diffusion. The model will provide explicit simulations of landform development and thusly predicts the topographic and volatile evolution of the surface and final landscape form as constrained by DEMs. We have also simulated fluvial and lacustrine modification of icy satellites landscapes to evaluate the degree to which fluvial erosion of representative initial landscapes can replicate the present Titan landscape.

erosion↗
DOE OSTI2017

Validation of Material Models For Automotive Carbon Fiber Composite Structures Via Physical And Crash Testing (VMM Composites Project)

As automotive fuel economy requirements increase, the push for reducing overall vehicle weight will likely include the consideration of materials that have not previously been part of mainstream vehicle design and manufacturing, including carbon fiber composites. Vehicle manufacturers currently rely on computer-aided engineering (CAE) methods as part of the design and development process, so going forward, the ability to accurately and predictably model carbon fiber composites will be necessary. If composites are to be used for structural components, this need applies to both, crash and quasi-static modeling. This final report covers the results of a five-year, $6.89M, 50% cost-shared research project between Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Advanced Materials Partnership (USAMP) under Cooperative Agreement DE-EE-0005661 known as “Validation of Material Models for Automotive Carbon Fiber Composite Structures Via Physical and Crash Testing (VMM).” The objective of the VMM Composites Project was to validate and assess the ability of physics-based material models to predict crash performance of automotive primary load-carrying carbon fiber composite structures. Simulation material models that were evaluated included micro-mechanics based meso-scale models developed by the University of Michigan (UM) and micro-plane models by Northwestern University (NWU) under previous collaborations with the DOE and Automotive Composites Consortium/USAMP, as well as five commercial crash codes: LS-DYNA, RADIOSS, VPS/PAM-CRASH, Abaqus, and GENOA-MCQ. CAE predictions obtained from seven organizations were compared with experimental results from quasi-static testing and dynamic crash testing of a thermoset carbon fiber composite front-bumper and crush-can (FBCC) system gathered under multiple loading conditions. This FBCC design was developed to demonstrate progressive crush, virtual simulation, tooling, fabrication, assembly, non-destructive evaluation and crash testing advances in order to assess the correlation of the predicted results to the physical tests. The FBCC was developed to meet a goal of 30-35% mass reduction while aiming for equivalent energy absorption as a steel component for which baseline experimental results were obtained from testing in the same crash modes. The project also evaluated crash performance of thermoplastic composite structures fabricated from commercial prepreg materials and low cost carbon fiber sourced from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The VMM Project determined that no set of predictions from a CAE supplier were found to be universally accurate among all the six crash modes evaluated. In general, crash modes that were most dependent on the properties of the prepreg were more accurate than those that were dependent on the behavior of the joints. The project found that current CAE modeling methods or best practices for carbon fiber composites have not achieved standardization, and accuracy of CAE is highly reliant on the experience of its users. Coupon tests alone are not sufficient to develop an accurate material model, but it is necessary to bridge the gap between the coupon data and performance of the actual structure with a series of subcomponent level tests. Much of the unreliability of the predictions can be attributed to shortcomings in our ability to mathematically link the effects of manufacturing and material variability into the material models. This is a subject of ongoing research in the industry. The final report is organized by key technical tasks to describe how the validation project developed, modeled and compared crash data obtained on the composite FBCC to the multiple sets of CAE predictions. Highlights of the report include a discussion of the quantitative comparison between predictions and experimental data, as well as an in-depth discussion of remaining technological gaps that exist in the industry, which are intended to spur innovations and improvements in CAE technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Palliative Radiation Therapy for Advanced Head and Neck Carcinomas: A Phase 2 Study

Purpose: Incurable head and neck cancer is hard to manage with usual palliative care. Radiation therapy (RT) in this setting is sometimes omitted because there is an apprehension that the side effects in the head and neck region might counterbalance the benefits. The objective of this phase 2 study was to evaluate whether highly conformal RT could improve the therapeutic ratio with this comprehensive Quality of Life (QOL) and toxicity evaluation. Methods and Materials: Patients from 2 academic centers, deemed unfit for radical treatment because of their poor medical condition or advanced cancer stage by an experienced tumor board, were offered 25 Gy in 5 daily intensity modulated RT fractions over 1 week to the symptomatic tumor volume. QOL was evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C15-PAL and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires, and toxicities with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. Survival and time to tumor progression were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Thirty-two patients were recruited, of whom 66% had at least T4, N3, or M1 disease. The QOL questionnaires completion rate was 86%. Eighty-eight percent of patients received the planned dose. The median overall survival and progression-free survival times were, respectively, 6.5 and 3.2 months. No grade 4 or 5 toxicity was seen. Only 13% of patients had any grade 3 toxicities, and 17% of patients reported no toxicity at all. The QOL was equal or improved, and head and neck symptoms remained equal to or lower than the baseline values for most patients at up to 6 months. Eighty-five percent of patients would have chosen to receive this RT regimen again when asked. Conclusions: This palliative RT regimen was highly tolerable and effective in preserving or improving self-reported QOL in most patients for up to 6 months, which corresponds to this population's median overall survival. Given the minimal side effects, intensification could be considered to achieve longer locoregional control.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗