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Results for “mixing demonstration”

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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Helicopter crew/passenger vibration sensitivity -

Helicopter crew and passenger vibration sensitivity are presented. Pilot subjective ratings are established for discrete frequencies and the impact of combinations of harmonic frequencies is examined. A passenger long term comfort level and a short term limit are defined for discrete frequencies and compared with pilot ratings. The results show reasonable agreement between pilot and passenger. Subjective comfort levels obtained for mixed frequency environments clearly demonstrate the need for a multi-frequency criterion.

Gabel, R.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mercury vapor hollow cathode component studies

An experimental study of starting and operating characteristics of conventional hollow cathodes and of hollow cathodes without alkaline earth emissive materials demonstrated that the emissive mix is essential to obtain the desired cathode operation. Loss of the emissive mix by evaporation and chemical reaction was measured. New insert designs consisting of emissive mix supported on nickel and of barium impregnated porous tungsten were studied. Cathodes with a modified orifice geometry operated in a low voltage, 'spot' mode over a broad range of discharge current. Thermal degradation tests on cathode heaters showed the flame sprayed SERT II type to be the most durable at high temperatures. Thermal shock was observed to be a significant factor in limiting cathode heater life. A cathode having a barium impregnated porous tungsten tip and a heater which is potted in sintered alumina was found to have favorable operating characteristics.

Zuccaro, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Optical Processing With Photorefractive Semiconductors

Experimental phase-conjugate four-wave-mixing apparatus used to demonstrate capabilities of GaAs (and potentially of other photorefractive semiconductors like InP and CdTe) for optical processing of information. With modifications, performs any of three basic image-processing functions: transfer to different light beam, enhancement of edges, and autocorrelation. Includes crystal of GaAs of 5 by 9 by 9 mm with cubic crystalline axes. Advantages include high speed and compatibilty with other semiconductor devices.

Cheng, Li-Jen↗
NASA NTRS1991

Are some chondrule rims formed by impact processes? - Observations and experiments

The ability of high-speed impacts into a parent body regolith to account for the textures and compositions observed for rims on some chondrules is presently supported by both observational and experimental data. Experimental results obtained with a light-gas gun encompass recovered-grain characteristics ranging from fragmented projectile grains mixed with melted aerogel, demonstrating that rim-like thermal and mechanical alterations of projectiles may be due to a high-velocity encounter with a low density target. Irrespective of conclusions for other types of rims, granular and opaque rim characteristics seem inconsistent with nebular condensation.

Bunch, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Characteristics of a trapped-vortex (TV) combustor

The characteristics of a Trapped-Vortex (TV) combustor are presented. A vortex is trapped in the cavity established between two disks mounted in tandem. Fuel and air are injected directly into the cavity in such a way as to increase the vortex strength. Some air from the annular flow is also entrained into the recirculation zone of the vortex. Lean blow-out limits of the combustor are determined for a wide range of annular air flow rates. These data indicate that the lean blow-out limits are considerably lower for the TV combustor than for flames stabilized using swirl or bluff-bodies. The pressure loss through the annular duct is also low, being less than 2% for the flow conditions in this study. The instantaneous shape of the recirculation zone of the trapped vortex is measured using a two-color PIV technique. Temperature profiles obtained with CARS indicate a well mixed recirculation zone and demonstrate the impact of primary air injection on the local equivalence ratio.

Hsu, K.-Y.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Reliability Analysis of Uniaxially Ground Brittle Materials

The fast fracture strength distribution of uniaxially ground, alpha silicon carbide was investigated as a function of grinding angle relative to the principal stress direction in flexure. Both as-ground and ground/annealed surfaces were investigated. The resulting flexural strength distributions were used to verify reliability models and predict the strength distribution of larger plate specimens tested in biaxial flexure. Complete fractography was done on the specimens. Failures occurred from agglomerates, machining cracks, or hybrid flaws that consisted of a machining crack located at a processing agglomerate. Annealing eliminated failures due to machining damage. Reliability analyses were performed using two and three parameter Weibull and Batdorf methodologies. The Weibull size effect was demonstrated for machining flaws. Mixed mode reliability models reasonably predicted the strength distributions of uniaxial flexure and biaxial plate specimens.

Salem, Jonathan A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Polar Stratospheric Descent of NO(y) and CO and Arctic Denitrification During Winter 1992-1993

Observations inside the November 1994 Antarctic stratospheric vortex and inside the April 1993 remnant Arctic stratospheric vortex by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) Fourier transform spectrometer are reported. In both instances, elevated volume mixing ratios (VMRS) of carbon monoxide (CO) were measured. A peak Antarctic CO VMR of 60 ppbv (where 1 ppbv = 10(exp -9) per unit Volume) was measured at a potential temperature of 710 K (about 27 km), about 1 km below the altitude of a pocket of elevated NO(y) (total reactive nitrogen) at a deep minimum in N2O (<5 ppbv). The Arctic observations also show a region of elevated vortex CO with a peak VMR of 90 ppbv it 630-670 K (-25 km) but no corresponding enhancement in NO(sub y) perhaps because of stronger dynamical activity in the northern hemisphere polar winter and/or interannual variability in the production of mesospheric or lower thermospheric NO. By comparing vortex and extravortex observations of NO(y) obtained at the same N2O VMR, Arctic vortex denitrification of 5 +/- 2 ppbv at 470 K (at approximately 18 km) is inferred. We show that our conclusion of substantial Arctic winter 1992-1993 denitrification is robust by comparing our extravortex observations with previous polar measurements obtained over a wide range of winter conditions. Correlations of NO(y) with N2O measured at the same potential temperature by ATMOS in the Arctic vortex and at midlatitudes on board the ER-2 aircraft several weeks later lie along the same mixing line. The result demonstrates the consistency of the two data sets and confirms that the ER-2 sampled fragments of the denitrified Arctic vortex following its breakup. An analysis of the ATMOS Arctic measurements of total hydrogen shows no evidence for significant dehydration inside the vortex.

Rinsland, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Correlations of Stratospheric Abundances of CH4 and N2O Derived from ATMOS Measurements

Atmospheric Trace MOlecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) measurements made over a wide range of altitudes and latitudes demonstrate compact correlations between mixing ratios of CH, and N,O. Tight but distinct correlations are observed for the tropics, the springtime Arctic vortex, and the extra-tropics/extra-vortex regions, indicating dynamical isolation between these regions. Little variability is apparent in correlations between CH4 and N20 from measurements made in different years (1992, 1993, and 1994), seasons (March/April and November), and hemispheres.

Rinsland, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Abundances of Solid N2 and Gaseous CO2 in Interstellar Dense Molecular Clouds

We present 2338-2322 per centimeter (4.277-4.307 micrometer) infrared spectra of a number of N2-containing mixed molecular ices and demonstrate that the strength of the infrared "forbidden" band due to the N=N stretch near 2328 per centimeter (4.295 micrometer) is extremely sensitive to the composition of the ice. The strength of the 2328 per centimeter N2 fundamental is significantly enhanced relative to that of pure N2 ice when NH3, H2O, or CO2 are present, but is largely unaffected by the presence of CO, CH4 or O2. We use the laboratory data in coil junction with ISO data that probes several lines-of-sight through dense molecular clouds to place limits on the abundance of interstellar solid phase N2 and the composition of the ices. Deriving upper limits is complicated by the presence of overlapping absorptions due to CO2 gas in the clouds and, in some cases, to photospheric CO in the background star. These upper limits are just beginning to be low enough to constrain interstellar grain models and the composition of possible N2-bearing interstellar ices. We outline the search criteria that will need to be met if solid interstellar N2 is to be detected in the future. We also discuss some of the implications of the presence of warm CO2 gas along the lines-of-sight to embedded protostars and demonstrate that its presence may help resolve certain puzzles associated with the previously derived gas/solid CO2 ratios and the relative abundances of polar and nonpolar ices towards these objects. Finally, we briefly comment on the possible implications of these results for the interpretation of N2 detections on outer solar system bodies.

Sandford, Scott A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Self-Recovery Experiments in Extreme Environments Using a Field Programmable Transistor Array

Temperature and radiation tolerant electronics, as well as long life survivability are key capabilities required for future NASA missions. Current approaches to electronics for extreme environments focus on component level robustness and hardening. However, current technology can only ensure very limited lifetime in extreme environments. This paper describes novel experiments that allow adaptive in-situ circuit redesign/reconfiguration during operation in extreme temperature and radiation environments. This technology would complement material/device advancements and increase the mission capability to survive harsh environments. The approach is demonstrated on a mixed-signal programmable chip (FPTA-2), which recovers functionality for temperatures until 28 C and with total radiation dose up to 250kRad.

space vehicle electronics↗
NASA NTRS2004

High temperature experiments using programmable transistor array

Temperature and radiation tolerant electronics, as well as long life survivability are key capabilities required for future NASA missions. Current approaches to electronics for extreme environments focus on component level robustness and hardening. Compensation techniques such as bias cancellation circuitry have also been employed. However, current technology can only ensure very limited lifetime in extreme environments. This paper presents a novel approach, based on evolvable hardware technology, which allows adaptive in-situ circuit redesign/reconfiguration during operation in extreme environments. This technology would complement material/device advancements and increase the mission capability to survive harsh environments. The approach is demonstrated on a mixed-signal programmable chip, which recovers functionality until 280oC. We show in this paper the functionality recovery at high temperatures for a variety of circuits, including rectifiers, amplifiers and filters.

Duong, Vu↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Statistical Engineering Toward Commercial Supersonic Flight: NASA's Quesst Mission

NASA’s Quesst Mission has dual goals of demonstrating low-noise supersonic technology in flight and surveying public reactions to low-noise supersonic overflight. For half a century, commercial aircraft have been required to fly slower than the speed of sound over land to prevent “creating an unacceptable situation” on the ground due to sonic booms. However, aircraft shaping techniques honed through decades of research have dramatically changed the way shockwaves from supersonic flight merge together as they travel to the ground. What used to sound like a boom on the ground will be transformed into a thump. NASA is now building a full-scale, piloted demonstration aircraft called the X-59 to demonstrate low-noise supersonic flight. In 2024, the X-59 aircraft will commence a national series of community overflight surveys to collect data on how people perceive “sonic thumps.” The results will be provided to national and international noise regulators as they consider creating new standards that allow commercial supersonic flight over land at acceptably low noise levels. In this presentation we provide historical context for the current prohibitions on supersonic commercial flight. Using data collected during earlier NASA tests, we demonstrate how generalized linear mixed models can be used to inform the functional dose-response curve. We also illustrate simulation experiments of the variability of sonic thump exposure across the United States. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges in designing the future community studies and generalizing them to a nationally-representative dose-response curve.

Quesst↗
DOE OSTI2022

Use of a non-collinear wave mixing technique to image internal microscale damage in concrete

This research demonstrates the feasibility of using a non-collinear wave mixing technique to image internal microscale damage throughout the interior volume of a relatively large (28 cm thick) concrete component. By exploiting the underlying mechanics of nonlinear wave mixing, it is possible to mix two incident waves with frequencies low enough to propagate without being scattered by the inherently heterogenous, concrete microstructure, while still being sensitive to damage features with length scales well below these incident wavelengths. For this study, scanning and imaging is accomplished by manually adjusting the locations of the two incident waves, while a knowledge of the wave speeds in concrete plus synchronization identifies the location of the mixing zone—the specific volume of concrete being imaged. The viability of the proposed technique is demonstrated by examining a concrete prism specimen with known, embedded internal microscale damage.

Kim, Jin-Yeon (ORCID:0000000255180032)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Chemical recycling of mixed textile waste

Globally, less than 0.5% of postconsumer textile waste is recycled, with the majority incinerated or ending up in landfills. Most postconsumer textiles are mixed fibers, complicating mechanical recycling due to material blends and contaminants. Here, we demonstrate the chemical conversion of postconsumer mixed textile waste using microwave-assisted glycolysis over a ZnO catalyst followed by solvent dissolution. This approach electrifies the process heat while allowing rapid depolymerization of polyester and spandex to their monomers in 15 minutes. A simple solvent dissolution enables the separation of cotton and nylon. We assess the quality of all components through extensive material characterization, discuss their potential for sustainable recycling, and provide a techno-economic analysis of the economic feasibility of the process.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Shear-free mixing to achieve accurate temporospatial nanoscale kinetics through scanning-SAXS: ion-induced phase transition of dispersed cellulose nanocrystals

Time-resolved in situ characterization of well-defined mixing processes using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is usually challenging, especially if the process involves changes of material viscoelasticity. In specific, it can be difficult to create a continuous mixing experiment without shearing the material of interest; a desirable situation since shear flow both affects nanoscale structures and flow stability as well as resulting in unreliable time-resolved data. Here, we demonstrate a flow-focusing mixing device for in situ nanostructural characterization using scanning-SAXS. Given the interfacial tension and viscosity ratio between core and sheath fluids, the core material confined by sheath flows is completely detached from the walls and forms a zero-shear plug flow at the channel center, allowing for a trivial conversion of spatial coordinates to mixing times. With this technique, the time-resolved gel formation of dispersed cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was studied by mixing with a sodium chloride solution. It is observed how locally ordered regions, so called tactoids, are disrupted when the added monovalent ions affect the electrostatic interactions, which in turn leads to a loss of CNC alignment through enhanced rotary diffusion. The demonstrated flow-focusing scanning-SAXS technique can be used to unveil important kinetics during structural formation of nanocellulosic materials. However, the same technique is also applicable in many soft matter systems to provide new insights into the nanoscale dynamics during mixing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Origin of Hot Subluminous Horizontal-Branch Stars in (omega) Centauri and NGC 2808

Hot subluminous stars lying up to 0.7 mag below the extreme horizontal branch (EHB) are found in the ultraviolet (UV) color magnitude diagrams of both (omega) Cen and NGC 2808. In order to explore the evolutionary status of these subluminous stars, we have evolved a set of low-mass stars continuously from the main sequence through the helium-core flash to the HB (horizontal branch) for a wide range in the mass loss along the red-giant branch (RGB). Stars with the largest mass loss evolve off the RGB to high effective temperatures before igniting helium in their cores. Our results indicate that the subluminous EHB stars, as well as the gap within the EHB of NGC 2808, can be explained if these stars undergo a late helium-core flash while descending the white-dwarf cooling curve. Under these conditions the convection zone produced by the helium flash will penetrate into the stellar envelope, thereby mixing most, if not all, of the envelope hydrogen into the hot helium-burning interior, where it is rapidly consumed. This phenomenon is analogous to the 'born-again' scenario for producing hydrogen-deficient stars following a very late helium-shell flash. This 'flash mixing' of the stellar envelope greatly enhances the envelope helium and carbon abundances and, as a result, leads to a discontinuous jump in the HB effective temperature. We argue that the EHB gap in NGC 2808 is associated with this theoretically predicted dichotomy in the HB morphology. Using new helium- and carbon-rich stellar atmospheres, we show that these changes in the envelope abundances of the flash-mixed stars will suppress the UV flux by the amount needed to explain the hot subluminous EHB stars in (omega) Cen and NGC 2808. Moreover, we demonstrate that models without flash mixing lie, at most, only approximately 0.1 mag below the EHB, and hence fail to explain the observations. Flash mixing may also provide a new evolutionary channel for producing the high gravity, helium-rich sdO and sdB stars.

Sweigart, Allen V.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Inertia-induced mixing and reaction maximization in laminar porous media flows

Solute transport and biogeochemical reactions in porous and fractured media flows are controlled by mixing, as are subsurface engineering operations such as contaminant remediation, geothermal energy production, and carbon sequestration. Porous media flows are generally regarded as slow, so the effects of fluid inertia on mixing and reaction are typically ignored. Here, we demonstrate through microfluidic experiments and numerical simulations of mixing-induced reaction that inertial recirculating flows readily emerge in laminar porous media flows and dramatically alter mixing and reaction dynamics. An optimal Reynolds number that maximizes the reaction rate is observed for individual pore throats of different sizes. This reaction maximization is attributed to the effects of recirculation flows on reactant availability, mixing, and reaction completion, which depend on the topology of recirculation relative to the boundary of the reactants or mixing interface. Recirculation enhances mixing and reactant availability, but a further increase in flow velocity reduces the residence time in recirculation, leading to a decrease in reaction rate. The reaction maximization is also confirmed in a flow channel with grain inclusions and randomized porous media. Interestingly, the domain-wide reaction rate shows a dramatic increase with increasing Re in the randomized porous media case. This is because fluid inertia induces complex three-dimensional flows in randomized porous media, which significantly increases transverse spreading and mixing. This study shows how inertial flows control reaction dynamics at the pore scale and beyond, thus having major implications for a wide range of environmental systems.

Chen, Michael A. (ORCID:0000000294614710)↗
DOE OSTI2023

FEOTS v0.0.0: a new offline code for the fast equilibration of tracers in the ocean

Abstract. In this paper we introduce a new software framework for the offline calculation of tracer transport in the ocean. The Fast Equilibration of Ocean Tracers Software (FEOTS) is an end-to-end set of tools to efficiently calculate tracer distributions on a global or regional sub-domain using transport operators diagnosed from a comprehensive ocean model. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of a transport matrix model to an eddying ocean state. While a Newton–Krylov-based equilibration capability is still under development and not presented here, we demonstrate in this paper the transient modeling capabilities of FEOTS in an application focused on the Argentine Basin, where intense eddy activity and the Zapiola Anticyclone lead to strong mixing of water masses. The demonstration illustrates progress in developing offline passive tracer simulation capabilities, while highlighting the challenges of the impulse response functions approach in capturing tracer transports by a non-linear advection scheme. Our future work will focus on improving the computational efficiency of the code to reduce time-to-solution, using different basis functions to better represent non-linear advection operators, applying FEOTS to a parent model with unstructured grids (Ocean Model for Prediction Across Scales, MPAS-Ocean), and fully implementing a Newton–Krylov steady-state solver.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗