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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

Vacuum ultraviolet radiation and thermal cycling effects on atomic oxygen protective photovoltaic array blanket materials

The importance of synergistic environmental exposure is demonstrated through the evaluation of DuPont 93-1 in simulated LEO environment. Changes in optical properties, surface condition, and mass loss data are described. The qualitative results indicate the necessity for exposure of materials to a series of simulated LEO environments in order to properly determine synergistic effects and demonstrate the overall LEO durability of candidate materials. It is shown that synergistic effects may occur with vacuum thermal cycling combined with VUV radiation followed by atomic oxygen exposure. Testing the durability of candidate solar array blanket materials in a test sequence with necessary synergistic effects makes it possible to determine the appropriate material for providing structural support and maintaining the proper operating temperature for solar cells in the SSF Photovaltaic Power System.

Brady, J.↗

Effect of thermal aging on the tribological properties of polyimide films and polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride films

The effect of thermal aging on the weight loss, adherence, friction and wear of polyimide films and polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride films applied to 440C-HT stainless steel disks and to 304 stainless steel thin foils was studied. The films were exposed at temperatures of 315, 345, 370 or 400 C for 100 hours or more and then evaluated at temperatures of 25, 315 or 345 C in atmospheres of dry or moist air. Polyimide films were found to be brittle after thermal exposure; but polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride films possessed good adherence and gave low friction and wear results. Thus, polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride films appear to be good candidates for solid lubrication applications where long thermal soaks are prevalent.

Fusaro, R. L.↗

Constraints on Cosmological Parameters From The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect and Thermal Bremsstrahlung

We discuss the possibility of constraining cosmological parameters using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect and thermal bremsstrahlung caused by intra-cluster gas in clusters of galaxies. The new generation of X-ray satellites and ground based interferometers dedicated to SZ observations will enable one to reduce uncertainties in these measurements, and thus make this method potentially quite promising in the near future. The importance of this method is that, unlike most other methods, it is based on physical principles, no 'standard candles' or 'rulers' needed. We estimate the accuracy achievable in the determination of the matter density, OMEGA(sub m), the cosmological constant, OMEGA(sub LAMBDA), and the Hubble constant, h, using the redshift dependence of the angular diameter distance derived from observations in the near future. We demonstrate that constraints from the angular diameter distance are orthogonal to those from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) fluctuations in the parameter space defined by OMEGA(sub m), OMEGA(sub LAMBDA), and h. Assuming a statistical error of five percent in the angular diameter distance for each cluster in a sample of five hundred clusters, we show that the redshift dependence of the angular diameter distance combined with constraints from CMB fluctuations can put stringent constraints on OMEGA(sub m) (+/- 0.03), OMEGA(sub LAMBDA) (+/- 0.03) and h (+/- 0.03, 3(sigma) errors). We also show that, with as few as 50 clusters between redshifts 0.01 and 1.5 with an assumed 10% statistical error in the angular diameter distance determination, one can distinguish between models with zero cosmological constant and spatially flat models with a cosmological constant with high confidence level (independently from the supernova results) and put meaningful constraints on OMEGA(sub m) (+/- 0.01), OMEGA(sub LAMBDA) (+/- 0.01) and h (+/- 0.01, 3(sigma) errors). With the expected advances in observational technology, we will be limited by systematic errors. We discuss the sources of systematic errors and how they can be reduced.

Molnar, S. M.↗

The effect of thermal exposure on the mechanical properties of aluminum-graphite composites

To promote the development of aluminum-graphite composites with improved properties for aerospace applications, composite samples were fabricated by solid-state diffusion bonding of liquid-phase Al-infiltrated Thornel 50 fibers, and their mechanical properties were measured at room temperature in the as-received condition, after temperature exposure and after thermal cycling. The interface structure in aluminum-graphite composites and its effect on the composite properties, the effect of thermal cycling on the tensile properties of the composites, and the characteristics of failures of the composites in tension is discussed. The studied composites exhibited tensile properties corresponding well with those predicted by the rule of mixtures. Thermal cycling between 20 C and 500 C, as well as the formation of the Al4C3 at the Al-graphite interfaces at temperatures above 500 C resulted in degradation of the composite strength. Scanning electron microscopy of fractured surfaces indicated that the relatively weak interface governs the mode of failure in tension.

Khan, I. H.↗

Thermal Exposure Effects on Properties of Al-Li Alloy Plate Products

Aluminum-Lithium (AL-Li) alloys offer significant performance benefits for aerospace structural applications due to their higher specific properties compared with conventional aluminum alloys. For example, the application of an Al-Li alloy to the space shuttle external cryogenic fuel tank contributed to the weight savings that enabled successful deployment of International Space Station components. The composition and heat treatment of this alloy were optimized specifically for strength-toughness considerations for an expendable cryogenic tank. Time dependent properties related to reliability, such as thermal stability, fatigue, and corrosion, will be of significant interest when materials are evaluated for a reusable cryotank structure. As most aerospace structural hardware is weight sensitive, a reusable cryotank will be designed to the limits of the materials mechanical properties. Therefore, this effort was designed to establish the effects of thermal exposure on the mechanical properties and microstructure of one relatively production mature alloy and two developmental alloys C458 and L277. Tensile and fracture toughness behavior was evaluated after exposure to temperatures as high as 3oooF for up to IO00 hrs. Microstructural changes were also evaluated to correlate with the observed data trends. The ambient temperature parent metal data showed an increase in strength and reduction in elongation after exposure at lower temperatures. Strength reached a peak with intermediate temperature exposure followed by a decrease at highest exposure temperature. Characterizing the effect of thermal exposure on the properties of Al-Li alloys is important to defining a service limiting temperature, exposure time, and end-of-life properties.

Shah, Sandeep↗

Finite-amplitude behavior of a single baroclinic wave with multiple vertical modes - Effects of thermal damping

A quasi-geostrophic, beta-plane model possessing high vertical resolution is used to investigate the effects of thermal damping on the finite amplitude behavior of a baroclinic wave; both the wave field and zonal-mean flow of the model are, however, truncated to a single horizontal mode, so that the wave-mean flow interaction is purely baroclinic. For sufficiently strong thermal damping steady wave flows are obtained, while for weaker damping, nonsteady vacillating behavior is found. In the steady wave flows, the mean flow is linearly neutral. An especially interesting vacillation, characterized by two widely separated time scales, occurs in the model nonsteady regime and appears to be similar in some respects to behavior found in the two-layer model with only lower layer dissipation.

Barnes, J. R.↗

On thermal edge effects in composite laminates

Results are presented for a finite-element investigation of the combined influence of edge effects due to mechanical and thermal mismatch in composite laminates with free edges. Laminates of unidirectional boron/epoxy symmetrically bonded to sheets of aluminum and titanium were studied. It is shown that interlaminar thermal stresses may be more significant than the interlaminar stresses due to loading only. In addition, the stresses due to thermal mismatch may be of the same sign as those due to Poisson's mismatch or they may be of opposite sign depending upon material properties, stacking sequence, and direction of loading. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of thermal stresses in all-composite laminates.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

Analysis of a six-component, flow-through, strain-gage, force balance used for hypersonic wind tunnel models with scramjet exhaust flow simulation

The thermal effects of simulant gas injection and aerodynamic heating at the model's surface on the measurements of a non-watercooled, flow through balance were investigated. A stainless steel model of a hypersonic air breathing propulsion cruise missile concept (HAPCM-50) was used to evaluate this balance. The tests were conducted in the 20-inch Mach 6 wind tunnel at NASA-Langley. The balance thermal effects were evaluated at freestream Reynolds numbers ranging from .5 to 7 x 10(exp 6) ft and angles of attack between -3.5 to 5 deg at Mach 6. The injection gases considered included cold air, hot air, and a mixture of 50 percent Argon and 50 percent Freon-12. The stagnation temperatures of the cold air, hot air, and Ar-Fr(12) reached 111, 214, and 283 F, respectively within the balance. A bakelite sleeve was inserted into the inner tube of the balance to minimize the thermal effects of these injection gases. Throughout the tests, the normal force, side force, yaw moment, roll moment, and pitching moment balance measurements were unaffected by the balance thermal effects of the injection gases and the wind tunnel flow. However, the axial force (AF) measurement was significantly affected by balance heating. The average zero shifts in the AF measurements were 1.9, 3.8, and 5.9 percent for cold air, hot air, and Ar-Fr(12) injection, respectively. The AF measurements decreased throughout these tests which lasted from 70 to 110 seconds. During the cold air injection tests, the AF measurements were accurate up to at least ten seconds after the model was injected into the wind tunnel test section. For the hot air and Ar-Fr(12) tests, the AF measurements were accurate up to at least five seconds after model injection.

Kniskern, Marc W.↗

Orbital atomic oxygen effects on thermal control and optical materials - STS-8 results

The effects of exposing 23 specimens of optical and thermal control materials to space at 120 km altitude for over 40 hrs during the STS-8 mission are discussed. Ten samples of paint targeted for the Space Telescope (ST) and the Tethered Satellite were exposed, and included polyurethane, oxide, silicone, and glossy black and white samples which were scanned for alterations in the optical properties after being retrieved. Nine mirror-type materials were also investigated, along with silver specimens typical of solar cell interconnects. The oxygen flow at the orbital altitude was 3.5 x 10 to the 20th atoms/cu cm. The exposures caused no degradation of the magnesium fluoride mirror coatings, while the Kapton coating for the ST solar cell panels showed evidence of losing thickness. The Ag solar cell contacts will require coatings to extend their lifetimes. Overcoatings were also proven necessary for inhibiting degradation of painted surfaces.

Whitaker, A. F.↗

Effect of thermal exposure, forming, and welding on high-temperature, dispersion-strengthened aluminum alloy: Al-8Fe-1V-2Si

The feasibility of applying conventional hot forming and welding methods to high temperature aluminum alloy, Al-8Fe-1V-2Si (FVS812), for structural applications and the effect of thermal exposure on mechanical properties were determined. FVS812 (AA8009) sheet exhibited good hot forming and resistance welding characteristics. It was brake formed to 90 deg bends (0.5T bend radius) at temperatures greater than or equal to 390 C (730 F), indicating the feasibility of fabricating basic shapes, such as angles and zees. Hot forming of simple contoured-flanged parts was demonstrated. Resistance spot welds with good static and fatigue strength at room and elevated temperatures were readily produced. Extended vacuum degassing during billet fabrication reduced porosity in fusion and resistance welds. However, electron beam welding was not possible because of extreme degassing during welding, and gas-tungsten-arc welds were not acceptable because of severely degraded mechanical properties. The FVS812 alloy exhibited excellent high temperature strength stability after thermal exposures up to 315 C (600 F) for 1000 h. Extended billet degassing appeared to generally improve tensile ductility, fatigue strength, and notch toughness. But the effects of billet degassing and thermal exposure on properties need to be further clarified. The manufacture of zee-stiffened, riveted, and resistance-spot-welded compression panels was demonstrated.

Kennedy, J. R.↗

Observation of anomalous thermal Hall effect in a Kagome superconductor

Broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in superconductors can induce not only spontaneous magnetization by the finite angular momentum of Cooper pairs but also the anomalous thermal Hall effects (ATHEs), whose detection has been extremely challenging. Here, we report the successful observation of an ATHE developing below the superconducting transition temperature at zero magnetic field in the kagome-lattice superconductor CsV 3 Sb 5 . This finding is verified by the absence of a signal in a conventional type-II superconductor using the same setup and by ruling out the trapped-vortex effects through micro-Hall array measurements. Both the temperature dependence and the magnitude of the observed anomalous thermal Hall conductivity are quite different from those expected for the quantized thermal edge current of an intrinsic ATHE but consistent with extrinsic impurity-induced ATHEs in chiral superconductivity. Our study of ATHE offers an alternative approach to probe TRS breaking in the superconducting states.

Yoshida, Hiroki [Univ. of Tokyo, Chiba (Japan)] (O↗

Altitude Effects on Thermal Ice Protection System Performance; a Study of an Alternative Approach

Research has been conducted to better understand the phenomena involved during operation of an aircraft's thermal ice protection system under running wet icing conditions. In such situations, supercooled water striking a thermally ice-protected surface does not fully evaporate but runs aft to a location where it freezes. The effects of altitude, in terms of air pressure and density, on the processes involved were of particular interest. Initial study results showed that the altitude effects on heat energy transfer were accurately modeled using existing methods, but water mass transport was not. Based upon those results, a new method to account for altitude effects on thermal ice protection system operation was proposed. The method employs a two-step process where heat energy and mass transport are sequentially matched, linked by matched surface temperatures. While not providing exact matching of heat and mass transport to reference conditions, the method produces a better simulation than other methods. Moreover, it does not rely on the application of empirical correction factors, but instead relies on the straightforward application of the primary physics involved. This report describes the method, shows results of testing the method, and discusses its limitations.

ice protection system performance↗

Some inelastic effects of thermal cycling on yttria-stabilized zirconia

The effects of inelastic behavior of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) materials were analyzed. The results show these materials to be sensitive to small changes in temperature and are supported by measurements of inelastic behavior in disc and bar specimens at temperatures as low as 1010 C (1850 F). At higher thermomechanical loadings, the test specimens can deform to strains above 1 percent.

Hendricks, R. C.↗