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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Free radical propulsion concept

The concept of a free radical propulsion system, utilizing the recombination energy of dissociated low molecular weight gases to produce thrust, is analyzed. The system, operating at a theoretical impulse with hydrogen, as high as 2200 seconds at high thrust to power ratio, is hypothesized to bridge the gap between chemical and electrostatic propulsion capabilities. A comparative methodology is outlined by which characteristics of chemical and electric propulsion for orbit raising mission can be investigated. It is noted that free radicals proposed in rockets previously met with difficulty and complexity in terms of storage requirements; the present study proposes to eliminate the storage requirements by using electric energy to achieve a continuous-flow product of free radicals which are recombined to produce a high velocity propellant. Microwave energy used to dissociate a continuously flowing gas is transferred to the propellant via three-body-recombination for conversion to propellant kinetic energy. Microwave plasma discharge was found in excess of 90 percent over a broad range of pressure in preliminary experiments, and microwave heating compared to electrothermal heating showed much higher temperatures in gasdynamic equations.

Hawkins, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Free radical propulsion concept

A free radical propulsion concept utilizing the recombination energy of dissociated low molecular weight gases to produce thrust was examined. The concept offered promise of a propulsion system operating at a theoretical impulse, with hydrogen, as high as 2200 seconds at high thrust to power ratio, thus filling the gas existing between chemical and electrostatic propulsion capabilities. Microwave energy used to dissociate a continuously flowing gas was transferred to the propellant via three body recombination for conversion to propellant kinetic energy. Power absorption by the microwave plasma discharge was in excess of 90 percent over a broad range of pressures. Gas temperatures inferred from gas dynamic equations showed much higher temperatures from microwave heating than from electrothermal heating. Spectroscopic analysis appeared to corroborate the inferred temperatures of one of the gases tested.

Hawkins, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spatial Distribution of Free Radicals in PMR-15 Polyimide Resins

Prior studies have shown that free radicals generated by heating polyimides above 300 C are stable at room temperature and are involved in thermo-oxidative degradation in the presence of oxygen gas. Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI) is a technique to determine the spatial distribution of free radicals. X-band (9.5 GHz) EPR images of PMR-15 polyimide were obtained with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.18 mm along a 2-mm dimension of the sample. In a polyimide sample that was not thermocycled, the radical distribution was uniform along the 2-mm dimension of the sample. For a polyimide sample that was exposed to thermocycling in air for 300 1-h cycles at 335 C, one-dimensional EPRI showed a higher concentration of free radicals in the surface layers than in the bulk sample. A spectral-spatial two-dimensional image showed that the EPR lineshape of the surface layer remained the same as that of the bulk. These EPRI results suggest that the thermo-oxidative degradation of PMR-15 resin involves free radicals present in the oxygen-rich surface layer.

Ahn, Myong K.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging of the Spatial Distribution of Free Radicals in PMR-15 Polyimide Resins

Prior studies have shown that free radicals generated by heating polyimides above 300 C are stable at room temperature and are involved in thermo-oxidative degradation in the presence of oxygen gas. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging (EPRI) is a technique to determine the spatial distribution of free radicals. X-band (9.5 GHz) EPR images of PMR-15 polyimide were obtained with a spatial resolution of about 0.18 mm along a 2 mm dimension of the sample. In a polyimide sample that was not thermocycled, the radical distribution was uniform along the 2 mm dimension of the sample. For a polyimide sample that was exposed to thermocycling in air for 300 one-hour cycles at 335 C, one-dimensional EPRI showed a higher concentration of free radicals in the surface layers than in the bulk sample. A spectral-spatial two-dimensional image showed that the EPR lineshape of the surface layer remained the same as that of the bulk. These EPRI results suggest that the thermo-oxidative degradation of PMR-15 resin involves free radicals present in the oxygen-rich surface layer.

Ahn, Myong K.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The free radical chemistry of cloud droplets and its impact upon the composition of rain

Calculations are presented that simulate the free radical chemistries of the gas phase and aqueous phase within a warm cloud during midday. It is demonstrated that in the presence of midday solar fluxes, the heterogeneous scavenging of OH and HO2 from the gas phase by cloud droplets can represent a major source of free radicals to cloud water, provided the accommodation or sticking coefficient for these species impinging upon water droplets is not less than 0.0001. The aqueous-phase of HO2 radicals are found to be converted to H2O2 by aqueous-phase chemical reactions at a rate that suggests that this mechanism could produce a significant fraction of the H2O2 found in cloud droplets. The rapid oxidation of sulfur species dissolved in cloudwater by this free-radical-produced H2O2 as well as by aqueous-phase OH radicals could conceivably have a significant impact upon the chemical composition of rain.

Chameides, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Free Radicals Generated by Ionizing Radiation Signal Nuclear Translocation of p53

The p53 tumor suppressor is a transcription factor that regulates several pathways, which function collectively to maintain the integrity of the genome. Nuclear localization is critical for wild-type function. However, the signals that regulate subcellular localization of p53 have not been identified. Here, we examine the effect of ionizing radiation on the subcellular localization of p53 in two cell lines in which p63 is normally sequestered in the cytoplasm and found that ionizing radiation caused a biphasic translocation response. p53 entered the nucleus 1-2 hours postirradiation (early response), subsequently emerged from the nucleus, and then again entered the nucleus 12-24 hours after the cells had been irradiated (delayed response). These changes in subcellular localization could be completely blocked by the free radical scavenger, WR1065. By comparison, two DNA-damaging agents that do not generate free radicals, mitomycin C and doxorubicin, caused translocation only after 12-24 h of exposure to the drugs, and this effect could not be inhibited by WR1065. Hence, although all three DNA-damaging agents induced relocalization of p53 to the nucleus, only the translocation caused by radiation was sensitive to free radical scavenging. We suggest that the free radicals generated by ionizing radiation can signal p53 translocation to the nucleus.

Martinez, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Laboratory detection of a new interstellar free radical CH2CN(2B1)

An asymmetric-top free radical CH2CN with a 2B1 ground state was detected by laboratory microwave spectroscopy. The radical was produced in a free-space absorption cell by a DC glow discharge in pure CH3CN gas. About 60 fine-structure components were observed for the N = 11-10 to 14-13 a-type rotational transitions in the frequency region of 220-260 GHz. Hyperfine resolved components for the N = 4-3 and 5-4 transitions were resolved in the 80 and 100 GHz regions, respectively. Molecular constants were determined and U100602 and U80484 from Sgr B2, and U40240 and U20120 from TMC-1 were assigned to the N = 5-4, 4-3, 2-1, and 1-0 transitions with K(-1) = 0 of the CH2CN radical.

Saito, Shuji↗
NASA NTRS1973

Current status of free radicals and electronically excited metastable species as high energy propellants

A survey is presented of free radicals and electronically excited metastable species as high energy propellants for rocket engines. Nascent or atomic forms of diatomic gases are considered free radicals as well as the highly reactive diatomic triatomic molecules that posess unpaired electrons. Manufacturing and storage problems are described, and a review of current experimental work related to the manufacture of atomic hydrogen propellants is presented.

Rosen, G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Differential effect of denervation on free radical scavenging enzymes in slow and fast muscle of rat

To determine the effect of denervation on the free radical scavenging systems in relation to the mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the slow twitch soleus and fast twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles, the sciatic nerve of the rat was crushed in the mid-thigh region and the muscle tissue levels of 5 enzymes were studied 2 and 5 weeks following crush. Radioimmunoassays were utilized for the selective measurement of cuprozinc (cytosolic) and mangano (mitochondrial) superoxide dismutases. These data represent the first systematic report of free radical scavening systems in slow and fast muscles in response to denervation. Selective modification of cuprozinc and manganosuperoxide dismutases and differential regulation of GSH-peroxidase was demonstrated in slow and fast muscle.

Asayama, K.↗