Engineering topics

Smith, D. P.

Publications and source records attributed to Smith, D. P..

5 records

NASA NTRS1985

Equipment for Hot-to-serve Foods

Patented surface heating devices with a much faster air-to-solid heat transfer rate than previous air ovens were developed. The accelerated surface heating can brown, sear or crisp much more rapidly than in conventional ovens so that partially prepared food can be finished quickly and tastefully immediately before serving. The crisp, freshly browned surfaces result from the faster heat transfer which does not dry out the food. The devices are then compared to convection ovens and microwave heating processes.

Smith, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Stuffed MO layer as a diffusion barrier in metallizations for high temperature electronics

Auger electron spectroscopy was employed to characterize the diffusion barrier properties of molybdenum in the CrSi2/Mo/Au metallization system. The barrier action of Mo was demonstrated to persist even after 2000 hours annealing time at 300 C in a nitrogen ambient. At 340 C annealing temperature, however, rapid interdiffusion was observed to have occurred between the various metal layers after only 261 hours. The presence of controlled amounts of oxygen in the Mo layer is believed to be responsible for suppressing the short circuit interdiffusion between the thin film layers. Above 340 C, its is believed that the increase in the oxygen mobility led to deterioration of its stuffing action, resulting in the rapid interdiffusion of the thin film layers along grain boundaries.

Boah, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS1979

One atmosphere melting experiments on ilmenite basalt 12008

An evaluation of a crystal-fractionation model for Apollo 12 ilmenite basalts with melting experiments under controlled oxygen fugacities is reported. The crystallization sequence including olivine, chromium spinel, and pigeonite phases was determined, showing that the changes in melt composition are dominated by olivine crystallization and the decrease in MgO with a corresponding increase in CaO, Al2O3, and TiO2. It is concluded that the bulk composition of the ilmenite basalts was established by crystallization of olivine and minor spinel prior to the onset of pyroxene and plagioclase.

Rhodes, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Comparison of dynamic crystallization techniques on Apollo 15 quartz normative basalts

The paper compares dynamic crystallization techniques used on Apollo 15 quartz normative basalts which show differences related to their method. The variation of pyroxene core major element chemistry with cooling rate is confirmed, and it is shown that the Fe loss from liquid is shifted toward the En-Di joint; it is suggested that the nucleation temperature and breakdown of equilibrium partitioning as a function of cooling rate dictate the core composition. It is concluded that the different crystallization behavior that results from the Fe-capsule and Fe-loop container methods is related to the nucleation kinetics.

Lofgren, G. E.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Dynamic crystallization and kinetic melting of the lunar soil

Dynamic crystallization and kinetic melting tests have been conducted for a lunar soil that resembles the bulk composition of the matrices of melt-rock breccias. The melting tests indicate that plagioclase and olivine can exist for finite times above their equilibrium liquidus temperatures; within 20-30 C below its liquidus temperature the sample is choked with crystals. A range of textures from radiate to porphyritic pyroxene-plagioclase granophyric to subophitic to intergranular to intersertal to very fine-grained poikilitic is found in the dynamic crystallization experiments. The number of nuclei, as deduced from the textures, increases as the melting temperature deceases from above the liquidus to below.

Lofgren, G. E.↗