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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 181 records · Page 10

Smoke characteristics of distillate and residual fuel burning in gas turbine combustors

During the development of a rich-lean staged dry low NOx combustor, the conventional trend of increasing smoke with increasing operating equivalence ratio was found when tests were run with distillate fuel (% H = 13.0). However, when tests were run with residual fuel (% H = 11.4), the trend was reversed. In addition, when the same combustor was run with blends of distillate fuel and residual fuel, a drastic improvement of smoke was observed when only 6 percent of residual fuel was mixed with distillate fuel, and for any blending of more than 10 percent of residual fuel the combustor was practically smoke free. A chemical analysis of fuel samples revealed an appreciable amount of trace metals in the residual fuel, giving rise to the suspicion that the smoke reduction may have been due in part to these trace metals. Of these elements found, vanadium is believed to be the most likely to cause smoke reduction because of its relatively high concentration.

Liu, T. M.↗

Residual stress in plasma sprayed ceramic turbine tip and gas path seal specimens

The residual stresses in a ceramic sheet material used for turbine blade tip gas path seals, were estimated. These stresses result from the plasma spraying process which leaves the surface of the sheet in tension. To determine the properties of plasma sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3 sheet material, its load deflection characteristics were measured. Estimates of the mechanical properties for sheet materials were found to differ from those reported for plasma sprayed bulk materials.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Helium Pressure Shift of the Hyperfine Clock Transition in Hg-201(+)

There are two stable odd isotopes of mercury with singly ionized hyperfine structure suitable for a microwave atomic clock: Hg-199(+) and Hg-201(+). We are investigating the viability of a trapped ion clock based on Hg-201(+) in a configuration that uses a buffer gas to increase ion loading efficiency and counter ion heating from rf trapping fields. Traditionally, either helium or neon is used as the buffer gas at approx. 10(exp -5) torr to confine mercury ions near room temperature. In addition to the buffer gas, other residual background gasses such as H2O, N2, O2, CO, CO2, and CH2 may be present in trace quantities. Collisions between trapped ions and buffer gas or background gas atoms/molecules produce a momentary shift of the ion clock transition frequency and constitute one of the largest systematic effects in this type of clock. Here we report an initial measurement of the He pressure shift in Hg-201(+) and compare this to Hg-199(+).

Larigani, S. Taghavi↗

Venous gas embolism - Time course of residual pulmonary intravascular bubbles

A study was carried out to determine the time course of residual pulmonary intravascular bubbles after embolization with known amounts of venous air, using an N2O challenge technique. Attention was also given to the length of time that the venous gas emboli remained as discrete bubbles in the lungs with 100 percent oxygen ventilation. The data indicate that venous gas emboli can remain in the pulmonary vasculature as discrete bubbles for periods lasting up to 43 + or - 10.8 min in dogs ventilated with oxygen and nitrogen. With 100 percent oxygen ventilation, these values are reduced significantly to 19 + or - 2.5 min.

Butler, B. D.↗

Residual stress in plasma-sprayed ceramic turbine tip and gas-path seal specimens

The residual stresses in a ceramic sheet material used for turbine blade tip gas path seals, were estimated. These stresses result from the plasma spraying process which leaves the surface of the sheet in tension. To determine the properties of plasma sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3 sheet material, its load deflection characteristics were measured. Estimates of the mechanical properties for sheet materials were found to differ from those reported for plasma sprayed bulk materials. Previously announced in STAR as N83-28380

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Irradiated Benzene Ice Provides Clues to Meteoritic Organic Chemistry

Aromatic hydrocarbons account for a significant portion of the organic matter in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, as a component of both the low molecular weight, solvent-extractable compounds and the insoluble organic macromolecular material. Previous work has suggested that the aromatic compounds in carbonaceous chondrites may have originated in the radiation-processed icy mantles of interstellar dust grains. Here we report new studies of the organic residue made from benzene irradiated at 19 K by 0.8 MeV protons. Polyphenyls with up to four rings were unambiguously identified in the residue by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry was used to determine molecular composition, and accurate mass measurements suggested the presence of polyphenyls, partially hydrogenated polyphenyls, and other complex aromatic compounds. The profile of low molecular weight compounds in the residue compared well with extracts from the Murchison and Orgueil meteorites. These results are consistent with the possibility that solid phase radiation chemistry of benzene produced some of the complex aromatics found in meteorites.

benzene↗

Ion Storage with the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT)

The matter antimatter reaction represents the densest form of energy storage/release known to modern physics: as such it offers one of the most compact sources of power for future deep space exploration. To take the first steps along this path, NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center is developing a storage system referred to as the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) with a goal of maintaining 10(exp 12) particles for up to 18 days. Experiments have been performed with this hardware using normal matter (positive hydrogen ions) to assess the device's ability to hold charged particles. These ions are currently created using an electron gun method to ionize background gas; however, this technique is limited by the quantity that can be captured. To circumvent this issue, an ion source is currently being commissioned which will greatly increase the number of ions captured and more closely simulate actual operations expected at an antiproton production facility. Ions have been produced, stored for various time intervals, and then extracted against detectors to measure species, quantity and energy. Radio frequency stabilization has been tested as a method to prolong ion lifetime: results show an increase in the baseline 1/e lifetime of trapped particles from hours to days. Impurities in the residual background gas (typically carbon-containing species CH4, CO, CO2, etc.) present a continuing problem by reducing the trapped hydrogen population through the mechanism of ion charge exchange.

Martin, James↗

Effects of dust formation on chemical abundances

Gas-phase abundances of C, Mg, Si, Ca, and Fe have been measured for a number of planetary nebulae on the basis of optical, ultraviolet, and infrared emission-line intensities. The abundances of Si, Ca, and Fe show characteristic depletions of one to two orders-of-magnitude as a result of grain formation. Magnesium shows a similar depletion in the outer parts of several planetary nebulae, but it is undepleted in their inner parts. Carbon is not detectably depleted by grain formation. Efficient condensation of refractory elements can easily occur during the early stages of formation of a planetary nebula; but the observed, residual gas-phase abundances are not understood. Observations of molecules in the envelopes of late-type stars may provide useful clues.

Shields, G. A.↗

Injection, confinement, and diagnosis of electrons and positrons in a permanent magnet dipole trap

Abstract Prerequisites for the goal of studying long-lived, magnetically confined, electron–positron pair plasmas in the laboratory include the injection of both species into the trap, long trapping times, and suitable diagnostic methods. Here we report recent progress on these tasks achieved in a simple dipole trap based on a supported permanent magnet. For the injection of electrons, both an $$\textbf{E}\times B$$ E × B drift technique (of a $$\sim $$ ∼ 2– $$\upmu $$ μ A, 6-eV beam) and “edge injection” (from a filament emitting a few mA and biased to some tens of volts) have been demonstrated; the former is suitable for low-density beams with smaller spatial and velocity spreads, while the latter employs fluctuations arising from collective behavior. To diagnose the edge-injected electrons, image potentials and currents induced on a wall probe, the magnet case, and wall electrodes were measured. Confinement of drift-injected positrons, measured experimentally, exhibited at least two well-separated timescales. Simulations reproduced this qualitatively, using a simple model of elastic collisions with residual background gas, and point to small adjustments for increasing trapping times. In a major upgrade to diagnostic capabilities, 25 bismuth germanate detectors, placed in three reentrant ports, are able to localize annihilation gammas, which will be used in future experiments to distinguish between different loss channels. Graphical abstract

von der Linden, J. (ORCID:0000000327477813)↗

Slow ions in plasma wind tunnels

One of the limitations of simulation experiments for the study of interaction between a satellite and its space environment is the background of slow ions in the plasma chamber. These ions appear to be created by charge exchange between the beam ions and residual neutral gas and may affect measurements of the current and potential in the wake. Results are presented for a plasma wind tunnel experiment to study the effect of slow ions on both the ion and electron current distribution and the electron temperature in the wake of a body in a streaming plasma. It is shown that the effect of slow ions for beam ion density not exceeding 3 is not significant for measurements of ion current variations in the wake zone. This is not the case when studies are aimed at the quantitative examination of electron current and temperature variations in the near wake zone. In these instances, the measurements of electron properties in the wake should be done at very low system pressures or over a range of system pressures in order to ascertain the influence of slow ions.

Oran, W. A.↗

3D Simulations of Ion Thruster Accelerator Grid Erosion Accounting for Charge Exchange Ion Space Charge

Accelerator (accel) grid sputtering by ions formed through charge-exchange (CEX) reactions between beam ions and residual neutral gas is a critical life-limiting mechanism for gridded ion thrusters. The three-dimensional ion optics code CEX3D is designed to simulate this grid erosion for a single beamlet, with a particular emphasis on non-axisymmetric features such as the "pits and grooves" erosion commonly observed on the accel grid downstream face in two-grid thrusters. The treatment of CEX ions in the code was recently upgraded with a new particle-in-cell (PIC) module to account for the influence of these ions' space charge on the electrostatic potential downstream of the grids. In order to achieve reasonable computation times while resolving the Debye length near the grids and avoiding gross violations of the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition, macroparticle velocities in the PIC calculation are limited through a rescaling procedure that preserves ion trajectories and space charge density. The code accounts for beam divergence, finite momentum transfer in CEX collisions, and radial losses of CEX ions from the beam; these effects are important for determining the CEX ion flux to the accel grid because the calculated potential downstream of the grids can become very flat. The upgraded code has been used to simulate operation of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) during the 51 kHr Long Duration Test - a selection of results is presented and compared with experimental data.

Chaplin, Vernon H.↗

Molecularly engineered Li compensation agent-integrated separator enabling regeneration of degraded LiFePO 4

Lithium replenishment separators (LRSs) integrating pre-lithiation agents can regenerate degraded lithium cathodes via facile reassembly with a fresh anode and the LRS. A persistent challenge is the formation of gas or solid residues during pre-lithiation. To address this, for the first time, we develop an LRS based on a molecularly engineered dilithium salt of tetrafluorohydroquinone, which compensates for lithium loss while generating decomposition products that dissolve in the electrolyte as a favorable additive, without forming gas or solid residues, thus offering a green route for lithium compensation. A pristine LiFePO 4 ‖graphite full cell with the LRS exhibits 9.3% higher overall capacity than a polypropylene separator (PPS) cell after 50 cycles at 0.5C, and the degraded LiFePO 4 ‖graphite full cell incorporating this LRS achieves a 44.9% higher capacity than the PPS-based cell after 200 cycles at 0.5C. Our LRS demonstrates strong potential for high-performance lithium-ion batteries and spent battery regeneration.

Tao, Fujun [Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA (U↗

Presolar Grains as Tracers of Nebular Processes

This grant provided two years of funding to investigate the abundances of presolar diamond, SiC, and graphite in primitive chondritic meteorites. The original proposal was for a three-year study, but two years of funding were awarded. The proposed work plan for the first year included preparation of acid residues for two meteorites and noble-gas measurements on those residues and residues of two other meteorites that had been previously prepared. The meteorites to be measured were Acfer 003, Adrar 214, RC075, and Axtell. In the second year, the plan called for measuring Renazzo and Murchison, and beginning chemical processing on another set of meteorites, including Murray, which were to be measured in the third year. All of the meteorites listed above have been measured and the results were presented in three abstracts. The project is continuing under follow-on grants and one of two planned major papers is almost ready for submission.

Huss, Gary R.↗

Analysis of solid propellant combustion in a closed vessel including secondary reaction

A theory for combustion of solid propellants in a closed vessel is presented allowing for residual exothermic chemical reaction in the bulk of the gas in the vessel. Particular attention is given to propellants exhibiting thick gaseous flame zones such as nitrocellulose, double-base and nitramine propellants. For these, the reaction at high pressures is assumed to involve mainly the oxidation of residual hydrocarbons by NO. It is shown that the direct dynamic coupling between the exothermicity, the molecular weight reduction and the changing pressure can influence the dp/dt-p traces obtained, in a manner not directly related to mass burning rate of the solid. Energy and species conservation equations are derived for the bulk of the vessel in differential form; the system is solved numerically. The results show the effect of extended chemical reaction upon measurable combustion characteristics such as dp/dt-p and burn rate pressure exponent, demonstrating its potential importance in interpretation of closed vessel firing data, depending on the pace of the residual gas phase reactions.

Benreuven, M.↗

Ancient carbon and noble gas fractionation

Noble gases in ancient terrestrial kerogen and meteoritic carbonaceous residues are compared in terms of their elemental fractionation with respect to atmospheric and the cosmic reservoirs, respectively. Fractionation factors for the heavy noble gases are almost identical in both types of samples. Therefore, some features of the interaction between carbon phases and noble gases in very different environments of origin appear to be similar. These findings underscore the plausibility of the meteoritic carbonaceous residues as a noble gas carrier and as a novel vehicle for achieving the elemental fractionation required to derive the planetary noble gas pattern from cosmic abundances.

Frick, U.↗

The Texaco coal gasification process for manufacture of medium BTU gas

The development of the Texaco coal gasification process is discussed with particular emphasis on its close relationship to the fully commercialized Texaco synthesis gas generation process for residual oil gasification. The end uses of the product gas are covered, with special attention to electric power generation via combined cycle technology. Control of SO2, NOx, and particulate emissions in the power generating mode is also covered. The application of this technology in a proposed Texaco-Southern California Edison demonstration project is mentioned. Investment information released for a 1000-megawatt advanced combined cycle gasification facility, is also reviewed.

Schlinger, W. G.↗