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At least 1,693 records · Page 94
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Integral Channel Nozzles and Heat Exchangers using Additive Manufacturing Directed Energy Deposition NASA HR-1 Alloy

Heat exchangers for use in propulsion applications are very critical components because they must be efficient, compact and light and often operate with working fluids at extreme temperatures or pressures or both. Various components and systems use heat exchangers such as combustion chambers of gas turbines and internal combustion engines, fuel cells (air supply and thermal management), electric batteries (thermal management), evaporators and recuperators of waste-heat-to-power systems, and rocket engines. Even if the results are more generally applicable, the heat exchangers applications to which this study is more closely related are regeneratively cooled rocket nozzles and chambers, and repressurization systems for the launch vehicles. These components are often thin-walled and contain pressurized fluids, like propellants at cryogenic or elevated temperatures. Given that the environments that these propulsion components must endure are challenging, the manufacturing to meet these specifications often require long lead times due to specialty processes and unique tooling associated with the combined thin-wall integral channel and large-scale structures. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers programmatic advantages for reduction in processing time and cost in addition to various technical advantages, including the possibility to achieve enhanced hardware complexity targeted to superior performance, part consolidation, and the capability of processing of novel alloys. While AM is already being utilized for heat exchanger components in propulsion applications, almost all these AM components are made by means of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF). L-PBF allows for fine features but is rather limited with respect to the overall size of the components that can be manufactured. Recent developments are maturing the Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED) process which may be used, for example, to make integral channel thin-wall regeneratively-cooled rocket nozzles with diameters greater than 1 m. This paper highlights some integral channel heat exchanger demonstrator hardware applications of LP-DED, as well as the characterization of this process in combination with the use of the NASA HR-1 alloy. To properly utilize LP-DED for heat exchanger manufacturing, various aspects are being characterized such as geometry limitations, measurement of surface texture and geometric angled surfaces, surface enhancements for internal channels, and material evaluation. NASA HR-1 (FeNi-Cr) is a high strength hydrogen resistant superalloy developed for use in aerospace applications, such as heat exchangers. Some aspects and considerations about the design of heat exchangers are summarized together with data relevant to LP-DED manufacturing in combination with the NASA HR-1 alloy. Microchannels were successful deposited down to 2.54 mm and 1 mm wall thickness, wall angles of 30°, both with high reproducibility. It was also found that the areal surface roughness is highly dependent on the size of the powder feedstock used for deposition. The characterization of these LP-DED features is critical for fluid flow and heat transfer predictions as it can be exploited to enhance heat transfer at the cost of increased pressure drop.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Integral Channel Nozzles and Heat Exchangers using Additive Manufacturing Directed Energy Deposition NASA HR-1 Alloy

Heat exchangers for use in propulsion applications are very critical components because they must be efficient, compact and light and often operate with working fluids at extreme temperatures or pressures or both. Various components and systems use heat exchangers such as combustion chambers of gas turbines and internal combustion engines, fuel cells (air supply and thermal management), electric batteries (thermal management), evaporators and recuperators of waste-heat-to-power systems, and rocket engines. Even if the results are more generally applicable, the heat exchangers applications to which this study is more closely related are regeneratively cooled rocket nozzles and chambers, and repressurization systems for the launch vehicles. These components are often thin-walled and contain pressurized fluids, like propellants at cryogenic or elevated temperatures. Given that the environments that these propulsion components must endure are challenging, the manufacturing to meet these specifications often require long lead times due to specialty processes and unique tooling associated with the combined thin-wall integral channel and large-scale structures. Additive manufacturing (AM) offers programmatic advantages for reduction in processing time and cost in addition to various technical advantages, including the possibility to achieve enhanced hardware complexity targeted to superior performance, part consolidation, and the capability of processing of novel alloys. While AM is already being utilized for heat exchanger components in propulsion applications, almost all these AM components are made by means of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF). L-PBF allows for fine features but is rather limited with respect to the overall size of the components that can be manufactured. Recent developments are maturing the Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED) process which may be used, for example, to make integral channel thin-wall regeneratively-cooled rocket nozzles with diameters greater than 1 m. This paper highlights some integral channel heat exchanger demonstrator hardware applications of LP-DED, as well as the characterization of this process in combination with the use of the NASA HR-1 alloy. To properly utilize LP-DED for heat exchanger manufacturing, various aspects are being characterized such as geometry limitations, measurement of surface texture and geometric angled surfaces, surface enhancements for internal channels, and material evaluation. NASA HR-1 (FeNi-Cr) is a high strength hydrogen resistant superalloy developed for use in aerospace applications, such as heat exchangers. Some aspects and considerations about the design of heat exchangers are summarized together with data relevant to LP-DED manufacturing in combination with the NASA HR-1 alloy. Microchannels were successful deposited down to 2.54 mm and 1 mm wall thickness, wall angles of 30°, both with high reproducibility. It was also found that the areal surface roughness is highly dependent on the size of the powder feedstock used for deposition. The characterization of these LP-DED features is critical for fluid flow and heat transfer predictions as it can be exploited to enhance heat transfer at the cost of increased pressure drop.

additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bed form-induced hyporheic exchange and geochemical hotspots

Small-scale bed form topographies control hyporheic exchange and biogeochemical processes within aquatic sediments, which ultimately affect water quality and nutrient cycling at the watershed scale. The impact of three-dimensional and small-scale bed form topographies on hyporheic exchange and solute mixing is investigated in the present work. The effect of bed form morphologies on the development of zones of enhanced reaction rates (i.e., hotspots) is also studied. A computational fluid dynamics model to simulate river flow over bed forms is combined with a subsurface flow and multicomponent reactive solute transport model. A wide variety of bed form topographies are generated using geometric models by varying parameters controlling curvature as well as bed form wavelength and amplitude. The results in this research suggest that out-of-phase bed forms generate more complex hyporheic flow patterns which reduce the efficiency of solute transformations. Higher phase shifts in bed form shapes result in overall higher average velocity, larger zones of enhanced pressure and reaction rates, and higher amounts of solute exchange. Moreover, the bed form shapes control the reaction process for a wide range of sediment conductivities. Here this study advances the understanding of the effects of complex and small scale morphological features on hyporheic exchange processes including the rate and spatio-temporal distribution of reaction hotspots.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intracore Natural Circulation Study in the High Temperature Test Facility

The development of the Modular High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor is a significant milestone in advanced nuclear reactor technology. One of the concerns for the reactor’s safe operation is the effects of a loss-of-flow accident (LOFA) where the coolant circulators are tripped, and forced coolant flow through the core is lost. Depending on the steam generator placement, loop or intracore natural circulation develops to help transfer heat from the core to the reactor cavity, cooling system. This paper investigates the fundamental physical phenomena associated with intracore coolant natural circulation flow in a one-sixth Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of the Oregon State University High Temperature Test Facility (OSU HTTF) following a loss-of-flow accident transient. This study employs conjugate heat transfer and steady-state flow along with an SST k-ω turbulence model to characterize the phenomenon of core channel-to-channel natural convection. Previous studies have revealed the importance of complex flow distribution in the inlet and outlet plenums with the potential to generate hot coolant jets. For this reason, complete upper and lower plenum volumes are included in the analyzed computational domain. CFD results also include parametric studies performed for a mesh sensitivity analysis, generated using the STAR-CCM+ software. The resulting channel axial velocities and flow directions support the test facility scaling analysis and similarity group distortions calculation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evaluation of a Robust, In-Situ Surface Treatment for Pipeline Solids Deposition Mitigation in Flowing Systems

Abstract The formation/precipitation and deposition of pipeline solids, such as gas hydrates, asphaltenes, and waxes have long plagued production fields. Given the vast differences in chemistries of these solids, any current prevention or mitigation strategy, particularly for cases where multiple issues are a concern, is likely to involve an extensive assortment of undefined chemical additives that are both costly and add complexity to the system. Surface treatments (coatings), on the other hand, present a relatively new viable option for management strategies. A chemically and physically robust surface treatment with the ability to address deposition issues for multiple pipeline solids could not only decrease the operating expenditures for a field through material cost savings and obviation of downstream separation, but could also simplify produced fluids by eliminating additional chemicals from the mixture. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility of a particular surface treatment as part of a solids management strategy. This work utilizes an omniphobic surface treatment to probe its effects on gas hydrate, asphaltene, and wax deposition. Specifically, high pressure rocking cells are employed to study gas hydrate nucleation and deposition. A bench-scale flowloop filled with crude oil and heptane is used to quantify the deposition of crude oil and asphaltenes after a set time period. Lastly, a mechanical shear device measures the adhesion force of wax deposits on untreated/treated surfaces. The gas hydrate rocking cell tests demonstrate an increase in induction time and occasional elimination of hydrate nucleation with the surface treatment. Moreover, the same apparatus indicates that the critical shear to avoid hydrate deposition may be lowered in the presence of the surface treatment compared to untreated pristine carbon steel coupons. A custom-built asphaltene flowloop then establishes that this surface treatment is effective in dramatically reducing the deposition of the aliphatic components of a crude oil, with a moderate reduction in the asphaltene fraction. Finally, mechanical adhesion force measurements for solidified paraffin wax display trends in agreement with the asphaltene results. The surface treatment on both pristine and corroded surfaces is able to reduce the adhesion of wax deposits to values below a pristine, untreated surface.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evaluation of PHOENICS as a design analysis tool for SSME

The use of the computational fluid dynamics computer code PHOENICS was proposed as a design analysis tool for improving the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME). The PHOENICS is a general purpose computer code for the simulation of fluid-flow, heat-transfer and combustion processes arising in engineering, scientific research and environment. It analyzes one or two-phase flows, in one, two, or three dimensions. The application of PHOENICS to evaluate the performance of high-pressure gaseous-hydrogen filters is examined. The usefulness of the code and the ability of the code to handle successively more complex features of the device are demonstrated.

Ventrice, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Studies in turbulence

Various papers on turbulence are presented. Individual topics addressed include: modeling the dissipation rate in rotating turbulent flows, mapping closures for turbulent mixing and reaction, understanding turbulence in vortex dynamics, models for the structure and dynamics of near-wall turbulence, complexity of turbulence near a wall, proper orthogonal decomposition, propagating structures in wall-bounded turbulence flows. Also discussed are: constitutive relation in compressible turbulence, compressible turbulence and shock waves, direct simulation of compressible turbulence in a shear flow, structural genesis in wall-bounded turbulence flows, vortex lattice structure of turbulent shear slows, etiology of shear layer vortices, trilinear coordinates in fluid mechanics.

Gatski, Thomas B.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A Selection of Experimental Test Cases for the Validation of CFD Codes, Volume 2

This report presents the results of a study by Working Group 14 of the AGARD Fluid Dynamics Panel. The thirty nine test cases that are documented cover the subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow regimes and five classes of geometries. Included in the five classes of geometries are: Two Dimensional Airfoils; Three Dimensional Wings, designed for predominantly attached flow conditions; Slender Bodies, typical of missile type configurations; Delta Wings, characterized by a conical type of vortex flow; and Complex Configurations, either in a geometrical sense or because of complicated flow interactions. The report is presented in two volumes. Volume 1 provides a review of the theoretical and experimental requirements, a general introduction, summary of the test cases and recommendations for the future. Volume 2 contains detailed information on the test cases.

Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Developm↗
NASA NTRS2003

Spaceflight Holography Investigation in a Virtual Apparatus

The movement of a particle in a fluid is one of the most fundamental processes in physics and plays an important role in materials science. For example, the physics of crystal growth from a nucleation site in solution can be dominated by movement of the solution over the crystal surface. Gravity usually dominates the equations of motion, but in microgravity other terms can dominate, making the equation much more complex. Until recently, the equations were solved only by numerical methods and/or by neglecting terms. During this study, we discovered an exact solution to the equations, which shows that the usually neglected terms become extremely important in microgravity. We also developed diagnostic recording methods using holography to save all of the particle field data, allowing the experiment to essentially be transferred from space back to earth in what we call the virtual apparatus . We will record holograms of particle distributions in motion in microgravity and bring them back to earth for analysis, allowing the study of the full three-dimensional motion of sets of particles, allowing us to test the new analytical solutions. The experiment will also provide accurate measurements of the quasi-steady acceleration of the space platform and other interesting microgravity and g-jitter effects. This program will produce the flight definition for an experiment in the microgravity environment of space to validate the theoretical model. We will design an experiment with the help of the theoretical model that is optimized for testing the model, measuring g, g-jitter, and other microgravity phenomena.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2015

Overview of Global/Regional Models Used to Evaluate Tropospheric Ozone in North America

Ozone (O3) is an important greenhouse gas, toxic pollutant, and plays a major role in atmospheric chemistry. Tropospheric O3 which resides in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is highly reactive and has a lifetime on the order of days, however, O3 in the free troposphere and stratosphere has a lifetime on the order of weeks or months. Modeling O3 mixing ratios at and above the surface is difficult due to the multiple formation/destruction processes and transport pathways that cause large spatio-temporal variability in O3 mixing ratios. This talk will summarize in detail the global/regional models that are commonly used to simulate/predict O3 mixing ratios in the United States. The major models which will be focused on are the: 1) Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ), 2) Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx), 3) Goddard Earth Observing System with Chemistry (GEOS-Chem), 4) Real Time Air Quality Modeling System (RAQMS), 5) Weather Research and Forecasting/Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)'s Model for OZone And Related chemical Tracers (MOZART), and 7) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) AM3 model. I will discuss the major modeling components which impact O3 mixing ratio calculations in each model and the similarities/differences between these models. This presentation is vital to the 2nd Annual Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) Conference as it will provide an overview of tools, which can be used in conjunction with TOLNet data, to evaluate the complex chemistry and transport pathways controlling tropospheric O3 mixing ratios.

Mixing Ratios↗
NASA NTRS2020

Updated Stagnation-Point Aeroheating Correlations for Mars Entry

The objective of this work was to develop new stagnation-point aeroheating engineering correlations for Mars entry vehicles. New convective and radiative heating relations were formulated over a wide range of entry conditions. These relations were based on computational fluid dynamics simulations informed by recent experimental testing and modeling enhancements. For convective heating, a relation similar to the Sutton-Graves relation was developed that is accurate to within ±25% across the domain of relevant Mars entry conditions. For radiative heating, two different functional forms were developed: exponential and polynomial relations. Each of these relation, which represents two different levels of complexity for implementation, were able to predict the radiative heating within about ±25%. The correlations were tested by applying them to the Mars Pathfinder entry trajectory to demonstrate their applicability. These new correlations are significant improvement over existing relations in terms of the accuracy, domain of applicability, and the captured physics, including CO2 inferred radiation and thermochemical nonequilibrium.

Thomas K West, IV↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ADVANCES IN PLUME-SURFACE INTERACTION SIMULATION CAPABILITY UNDER LUNAR LANDING CONDITIONS

The Fluid Dynamics Branch at theNASA Marshall Space Flight Center has assembled a portfolio of simulation tools to predict Plume-SurfaceInteraction (PSI) environments during extra-terrestrial propulsive landings. Particular focus is on engineering support for lunar landers such as robotic CommercialLunar Payload Services (CLPS) and the HumanLander System (HLS). Extension of existing PSI simulation capabilities are required to accurately capture the complex plume flow conditions and surface soil particle composition effects that arise in the lunar environment. The required model development and implementation, and extensive verification and validation of the key simulation tools, Loci/Chem [1]and Loci/Boltzmann [2], and Loci/GGFS [3] are now performed under a NASA Space Technology MissionDirectorate (STMD) funded multi-year GameChanging Development (GCD) project. The project will implement and mature these new modeling features and verify and validate them for the Mars andMoon environments with the aid of existing and new experiments to be performed under this project

Plume Surface Interaction↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multiscale Porous High-temperature Heat Exchanger Using Ceramic Co-extrusion

In this project, our MIT, Purdue, and GE team aims to design, model, fabricate, and test a novel high temperature, compact, and durable ceramic heat exchanger to be operated under high temperature and pressure conditions for aerospace applications. Our approach is grounded in introducing multiscale porosity, i.e., centimeter-scale channels embedded with micrometer-scale channels, into the ceramic heat exchanger to significantly improve its heat transfer performance and mechanical strength while maintaining minimal pressure losses. We first developed high-fidelity thermal-fluid-mechanical model capable of precisely capturing the heat transfer rate, temperature profile, pressure drop, and mechanical stress throughout the entire heat exchanger design. Guided by our model, we identified the optimal design parameters for the SiC heat exchanger body and manifolds. Then, we established a completed fabrication procedure to create multiscale features in the ceramic heat exchanger, including co-extrusion, lamination, burnout, and sintering. We fabricated multiple heat exchanger bodies consisting of 6 × 6 and 3 × 3 centimeter-scale channels where each individual centimeter-scale channel comprises 625 crack-free microchannels with 90 μm × 90 μm opening. Owing to the multiscale features, our fabricated heat exchanger bodies exhibited desirable mechanical strength with 156 MPa flexural strength under 1300 Celsius degree. Despite the demonstrated highly tailorable microscopic features and superior mechanical strength, we identified delamination due to the complex interaction among ceramic, polymer, and gas species can be a critical challenge to create fully defect-free heat exchanger, which requires further fundamental investigations in future works. To test the heat exchanger performance, we constructed a high-temperature and high-pressure experimental apparatus that can be safely operated under 400 Celsius degree and 4 bar. With insights gained from mechanistic modeling, material development, and detailed characterization, a cost model was finally developed to understand the market potential of the developed technology, where a cost of $43,000 Celsius degree/kW was envisioned. This project developed a transformative approach to high-performance heat exchanger design. The thermal-fluid-mechanical design approach developed in this project can serve as a generic tool to guide the design of various heat-exchangers operated under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. The material fabrication approach established in this project can be a useful guide for ceramic processing at extreme length scales.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

The role of surface forces in environment-enhanced cracking of brittle solids

Fracture initiation and propagation in brittle materials is promoted in surface-reactive (sorptive) environments, a phenomenon known as subcritical crack growth (SCG). Laboratory measured crack-propagation velocity vs. stress intensity factor relationships typically exhibit highly nonlinear, multi-stage characteristics that are sensitive to environmental factors such as adsorbate concentration and temperature. For practical purposes, empirical relationships (e.g., a power law) have been used to describe this complex phenomenon. However, how the overall SCG behavior emerges from the underlying fundamental processes near the crack tip, such as the interaction of the crack surfaces separated by only a few nanometers and mass transport within the nano-confined space, is still not well understood. This paper develops a mechanistic, surface-force-based fracture theory (SFFT) which integrates surface force models, fluid transport models, and linear elastic fracture mechanics to quantitatively explain the multi-stage characteristics of SCG in brittle solids. A numerical model is developed based on SFFT and solved through an implicit partitioned scheme for efficiency and modularity. The results are validated by Wiederhorn's data on crack propagation in soda-lime glasses at a wide range of relative humidity levels. We show that, for the first time, the entire range of an SCG curve can be captured by a single physics-based model. The predicted SCG curves reveal that the development of repulsive disjoining pressure behind the crack tip can be responsible for the reduced apparent fracture toughness in a sorptive environment. In conclusion, the shape of the SCG curve, and its changes with respect to the environment, is found to critically depend on the assumed transport models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Novel Approach for Bounding the Stress Experienced by the Core of Utility-Scale Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers Under Thermohydraulic Loads

Printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) have rapidly gained popularity since being introduced nearly three decades ago, and they are currently widely deployed in the petrochemical and aviation industry. Their compactness, thermohydraulic efficiency, inherent suitability for high temperature/pressure fluids containment, and demonstrated durability are some of the reasons the nuclear industry is seeking to adopt this technology as well. However, the relatively strict nuclear-related regulatory design code, especially when classified as critical to the safety of the reactors, is posing challenges to adopting the technology. From stress analysis point of view, one undesirable feature of PCHEs is their geometrical complexity, which is implied by their multilength-scale features. As a result, a full-scale model of a utility-scale exchanger cannot simply be solved on a computer because meshing such components results in a vast number of degrees-of-freedom. Here, this work seeks to address the challenge of stress analyses to PCHEs by presenting a method to simplify the geometry of PCHE designs. The models proposed by this work can be practically analyzed on a standard computer and provide a path for implementing ASME design rules. The analyses presented herein are divided into five separate investigations. Each is carried out to incrementally simplify the analyzed model by addressing features such as the shapes of the flow passages, the complex distribution of stress in large components, the three-dimensionality of the stress and strain, the thermal stresses caused by thermohydraulic operation observed experimentally and more.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1974

Theoretical study of the effects of refraction on the noise produced by turbulence in jets

The production of noise by turbulence in jets is an extremely complex problem. One aspect of that problem, the transmission of acoustic disturbances from the interior of the jet through the mean velocity profile and into the far field is studied. The jet (two-dimensional or circular cylindrical) is assumed infinitely long with mean velocity profile independent of streamwise location. The noise generator is a sequence of transient sources drifting with the surrounding fluid and confined to a short length of the jet.

Graham, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Internal reversing flow in a tailpipe offtake configuration for SSTOVL aircraft

A generic one-third scale model of a tailpipe offtake system for a supersonic short takeoff vertical landing (SSTOVL) aircraft was tested at LeRC Powered Lift Facility. The model consisted of a tailpipe with twin elbows, offtake ducts, and flow control nozzles, plus a small ventral nozzle and a blind flange to simulate a blocked cruise nozzle. The offtake flow turned through a total angle of 177 degrees relative to the tailpipe inlet axis. The flow split was 45 percent to each offtake and 10 percent to the ventral nozzle. The main test objective was to collect data for comparison to the performance of the same configuration predicted by a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Only the experimental results are given - the analytical results are published in a separate paper. Performance tests were made with unheated air at tailpipe-to-ambient pressure ratios up to 5. The total pressure loss through the offtakes was as high as 15.5 percent. All test results are shown as graphs, contour plots, and wall pressure distributions. The complex flow patterns in the tailpipe and elbows at the offtake openings are described with traversing flow angle probe and paint streak flow visualization data.

Mcardle, Jack G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The effect of gravity modulation on thermosolutal convection in an infinite layer of fluid

The effect of time-periodic vertical gravity modulation on the onset of thermosolutal convection in an infinite horizontal layer with stress-free boundaries is investigated using Floquet theory for the linear stability analysis. Situations for which the fluid layer is stably stratified in either the fingering or diffusive regimes of double-diffusive convection are considered. Results are presented both with and without steady background acceleration. Modulation may stabilize an unstable base solution or destabilize a stable base solution. In addition to synchronous and subharmonic response to the modulation frequency, instability in the double diffusive system can occur via a complex conjugate mode. In the diffusive regime, where oscillatory onset occurs in the unmodulated system, regions of resonant instability occur and exhibit strong coupling with the unmodulated oscillatory frequency. The response to modulation of the fundamental instability of the unmodulated system is described both analytically and numerically; in the double-diffusive system this mode persists under subcritical conditions as a high-frequency lobe.

Saunders, B. V.↗