Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “responsive material”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

Thermal Analysis Methods For Earth Entry Vehicle

Thermal analysis of a vehicle designed to return samples from another planet, such as the Earth Entry vehicle for the Mars Sample Return mission, presents several unique challenges. The Earth Entry Vehicle (EEV) must contain Martian material samples after they have been collected and protect them from the high heating rates of entry into the Earth's atmosphere. This requirement necessitates inclusion of detailed thermal analysis early in the design of the vehicle. This paper will describe the challenges and solutions for a preliminary thermal analysis of an Earth Entry Vehicle. The aeroheating on the vehicle during entry would be the main driver for the thermal behavior, and is a complex function of time, spatial position on the vehicle, vehicle temperature, and trajectory parameters. Thus, the thermal analysis must be closely tied to the aeroheating analysis in order to make accurate predictions. Also, the thermal analysis must account for the material response of the ablative thermal protection system (TPS). For the exo-atmospheric portion of the mission, the thermal analysis must include the orbital radiation fluxes on the surfaces. The thermal behavior must also be used to predict the structural response of the vehicle (the thermal stress and strains) and whether they remain within the capability of the materials. Thus, the thermal analysis requires ties to the three-dimensional geometry, the aeroheating analysis, the material response analysis, the orbital analysis, and the structural analysis. The goal of this paper is to describe to what degree that has been achieved.

Amundsen, Ruth M.↗

Physical concepts in the development of constitutive equations

Proposed viscoplastic material models include in their formulation observed material response but do not generally incorporate principles from thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Numerous hypotheses were made for material response based on first principles. Many of these hypotheses were tested experimentally. The proposed viscoplastic theories and the experimental basis of these hypotheses must be checked against the hypotheses. The physics of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics, and the effects of defects, are reviewed for their application to the development of constitutive laws.

Cassenti, B. N.↗

Comparison Between DSMC and CFD for Hypersonic Planetary Entry Simulations

Hypersonic planetary entry flows span a wide range of Knudsen numbers between rarefied and continuum flows. While computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques cannot provide an accurate solution for flows in the rarefied regime, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is capable of providing accurate solutions for flows in both in the rarefied and continuum regimes but becomes prohibitively expensive as the Knudsen number decreases. For the purpose of thermal protection systems (TPS) design and post-flight reconstruction, various selected points along an entry trajectory are often solved using hypersonic solvers. The quantities of interest that are obtained from that exercise are generally surface quantities, such as pressure, heat flux and enthalpy. Then, material response solvers are used to either design the heat shield to an optimal thickness based on a choice of material, or to provide in-depth heating profiles through the material at various select locations, and compare with flight instrumentation such as the ones that flew on NASA’s two most recent Mars missions, MSL and Mars2020. While most of the heating is generally experienced during the continuum part of the entry, the heating within the rarefied regime is significant for some atmospheres, and hence the flow solutions need to be computed using the DSMC method. Ensuring consistency between hypersonic CFD and the DSMC is crucial so that reliable surface quantities can be passed to material response solvers. Studies were performed to compare the two methods at various select locations, for both non-reacting argon flows as well reacting CO2/N2 flows. Preliminary conclusions show that, for non-reacting flows, the agreement between the two methods for surface heating is excellent (within expected uncertainties) for a freestream Knudsen number of 0.0006, and gets progressively worse as the Knudsen number increases to 0.06. Continuum breakdown analyses were performed and showed that, in general, the Gradient Length Local Knudsen number (KnGLL) from Boyd [1] and associated criteria (KnGLL > 0.05) can be accurately used to predict zones of breakdown in the flow, and associated errors for surface quantities. Furthermore, when studying reacting flow, our studies showed that while flow quantities are highly dependent on relaxation parameters and chemistry rates, it is possible to obtain a good agreement for surface heating, as long as the continuum breakdown in minimal (see Fig. 1). Finally, we studied the impact of the grid refinement on the surface quantities in DSMC.

DSMC↗

Comparison Between DSMC and CFD for Hypersonic Planetary Entry Simulations

Hypersonic planetary entry flows span a wide range of Knudsen numbers between rarefied and continuum flows. While computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques cannot provide an accurate solution for flows in the rarefied regime, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is capable of providing accurate solutions for flows in both in the rarefied and continuum regimes but becomes prohibitively expensive as the Knudsen number decreases. For the purpose of thermal protection systems (TPS) design and post-flight reconstruction, various selected points along an entry trajectory are often solved using hypersonic solvers. The quantities of interest that are obtained from that exercise are generally surface quantities, such as pressure, heat flux and enthalpy. Then, material response solvers are used to either design the heat shield to an optimal thickness based on a choice of material, or to provide in-depth heating profiles through the material at various select locations, and compare with flight instrumentation such as the ones that flew on NASA’s two most recent Mars missions, MSL and Mars2020. While most of the heating is generally experienced during the continuum part of the entry, the heating within the rarefied regime is significant for some atmospheres, and hence the flow solutions need to be computed using the DSMC method. Ensuring consistency between hypersonic CFD and the DSMC is crucial so that reliable surface quantities can be passed to material response solvers. Studies were performed to compare the two methods at various select locations, for both non-reacting argon flows as well reacting CO2/N2 flows. Preliminary conclusions show that, for non-reacting flows, the agreement between the two methods for surface heating is excellent (within expected uncertainties) for a freestream Knudsen number of 0.0006, and gets progressively worse as the Knudsen number increases to 0.06. Continuum breakdown analyses were performed and showed that, in general, the Gradient Length Local Knudsen number (KnGLL) from Boyd and associated criterion (KnGLL > 0.05) seems conservative in predicting zones of breakdown in the flow, and associated errors for surface quantities. Updated criteria of KnGLL = 2.0 and 0.5 appear to be more appropriate for surface and flow quantities, respectively. Furthermore, when studying reacting flows, our studies showed that while flow quantities are highly dependent on relaxation parameters and chemistry rates, it is possible to obtain a good agreement for surface heating, as long as the continuum breakdown is minimal.

DSMC↗

Development of a simplified analytical method for representing material cyclic response

Development of a simplified method for estimating structural inelastic stress and strain response to cyclic thermal loading is presented. The method assumes that high temperature structural response is the sum of time independent plastic and time dependent elastic/creep components. The local structural stress and strain response predicted by linear elastic analysis is modified by the simplified method to predict the inelastic response. The results with simulations by a nonlinear finite element analysis and used time independent plasticity and unified time dependent material model are compared.

Moreno, V.↗

Predictive multiscale modeling for Unidirectional Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers

This paper presents a predictive multiscale modeling scheme for Unidirectional (UD) Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP). A bottom-up modeling procedure is discussed for predicting the performance of UD structures. UD material responses are computed from high fidelity Representative Volume Elements (RVEs). A data-driven Reduced Order Modeling approach compresses RVEs into Reduced Order Models so material responses can be computed in a concurrent fashion along with the structural level simulation. The approach presented in this paper is validated against experimental data and is believed to provide design guidance for future fiber reinforced polymers development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fully ab-initio all-electron calculation of dark matter-electron scattering in crystals with evaluation of systematic uncertainties

We calculate target-material responses for dark matter–electron scattering at the all-electron level using atom-centered Gaussian basis sets. The all-electron effects enhance the material response at high momentum transfers from dark matter to electrons, q ≳ O ( 10 α m e ) , compared to calculations using conventional plane wave methods, including those used in ; this enhances the expected event rates at energy transfers E ≳ 10 eV , especially when scattering through heavy mediators. We carefully test a range of systematic uncertainties in the theory calculation, including those arising from the choice of basis set, exchange-correlation functional, number of unit cells in the Bloch sum, k -mesh, and neglect of scatters with very high momentum transfers. We provide state-of-the-art crystal form factors, focusing on silicon and germanium. Our code and results are made publicly available as a new tool, called (“”). Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Dreyer, Cyrus E.↗

Interaction of Long-lived Reactive Species from Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma with Polymers: Chemical Modification by Ozone and Reactive Oxygen-Nitrogen Species

Atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) sources are able to generate a variety of reactive species that have different effects on materials, such as functionalization, etching and deposition. In this article, we study the effect of long-lived reactive neutral species on polymers using a model plasma-surface interaction (PSI) system that consists of ultra-thin (~10 nm) polystyrene (PS) films and a surface micro-discharge (SMD) reactor operated with various N 2 /O 2 working gas mixtures. We characterized and quantified the reactive species generated by SMD using IR and UV absorption, and we found that O 3 , N 2 O 5 , N 2 O and HNO 3 are the dominant long-lived reactants near the target surface. When exposing PS films to these reactive species, we observed material responses including film thickness expansion, surface and bulk oxidation, and surface organic nitrate formation. The quantity of these changes varied with the N 2 /O 2 working gas composition. By correlating material response with gas phase species, we find that the chemical modification of PS strongly depends on the density of O 3 in the gas phase, which is indicative of an essential role of O 3 in the remote APP treatment of polymers. Our results show that O 3 causes polymer surface oxidation, participates in the diffusion-reaction process in the polymer bulk, and results in aromatic ring cleavage and the formation of carbonyl groups. In contrast, we did not find a correlation between surface organic nitrate and individual long-lived reactive species mentioned above. This indicates that surface organic nitrate formation on polymer surfaces might result from the interaction of multiple reactive species, including O 3 and nitrogen containing species. A model for the interphase mass transfer of reactive species from gas to solid was also described.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Establishing temperature upper limits for the ASME Section III, Division 5 design by elastic analysis methods

ection III, Division 5 of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides two broad paths for the design of high temperature, safety-critical nuclear components: design by elastic analysis and design by inelastic analysis. The design by elastic analysis approach, as the name suggests, uses a linear elastic stress analysis of the component and applies design rules designed to bound response of the actual structure, which will undergo both creep and plasticity. Currently, the Code allows the use of the elastic approach for all operating temperatures up to the maximum use temperatures in the Code. The bounds used in the elastic approach assume an uncoupled material response combining rate dependent creep with rate independent plasticity. However, at elevated temperatures creep and plasticity are coupled, rate dependent mechanisms and so the elastic analysis rules may become non-conservative. We present several examples of potential non-conservatism in the elastic analysis rules at high operating temperatures. Then we describe a systematic method for determining a temperature cutoff describing the transition from non-unified, rate independent plasticity material response to a rate dependent, unified plastic response. Logically, this transition temperature sets the upper bound for the allowable, conservative use of the design by elastic analysis approach and so we propose these temperatures, determined for all the Section III, Division 5 Class A materials, as Code limits for the applicability of the elastic approach.

Messner, M. C.↗

Relationship of compressive stress-strain response of engineering materials obtained at constant engineering and true strain rates

In this paper, a Johnson–Cook model was used as an example to analyze the relationship of compressive stress-strain response of engineering materials experimentally obtained at constant engineering and true strain rates. There was a minimal deviation between the stress-strain curves obtained at the same constant engineering and true strain rates. The stress-strain curves obtained at either constant engineering or true strain rates could be converted from one to the other, which both represented the intrinsic material response. There is no need to specify the testing requirement of constant engineering or true strain rates for material property characterization, provided that either constant engineering or constant true strain rate is attained during the experiment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Heatshield Entry Modeling Using a Design, Analysis, and Optimization Toolbox

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) was protected during its Mars atmospheric entry by an instrumented heatshield that used NASA's Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA). PICA is a lightweight carbon fiber/polymeric resin material that offers excellent performances for protecting probes during planetary entry. The Mars Entry Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI) suite on MSL offers unique in-flight validation data for models of atmospheric entry and material response. MEDLI recorded, among others, time-resolved in-depth temperature data of PICA using thermocouple sensors assembled in the MEDLI Integrated Sensor Plugs (MISP). The objective of this work is to showcase the capability of the Design, Analysis, and Optimization of Thermal Protection Materials (DAOTPM) software. DAO-TPM is a Python based framework that works as a link between mission design, aerothermal and radiative environment computation, Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) microstructure analysis, material response and optimization tools. The toolbox has a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows the user to build as well as run the various software and utilities used to design, analyze and optimize a heatshield during atmospheric entry.

Meurisse, Jeremie B. E.↗

Thermomechanical characterization of Hastelloy-X under uniaxial cyclic loading

In most high-temperature engineering applications, components are subjected to complex combinations of thermal and mechanical loading during service. A number of viscoplastic constitutive models were proposed which potentially can provide mathematical descriptions of material response under such conditions. Implementation of these models into large finite element codes such as MARC has already resulted in much improved inelastic analysis capability for hot-section aircraft engine components. However, a number of questions remain regarding the validity of methods adopted in characterizing these constitutive models for particular high-temperature materials. One area of concern is that the majority of experimental data available for this purpose are determined under isothermal conditions. This is in contrast to service conditions which, as noted above, almost always involve some form of thermal cycling. The obvious question arises as to whether a constitutive model characterized using an isothermal data base can adequately predict material response under thermomechanical conditions. An experimental program was initiated within the HOST program to address this particular concern. The results of the most recent isothermal and thermomechanical experiments are described.

Ellis, J. R.↗

Galileo Heat Shield Response Experiment Data Reduction and Analyses

The Galileo heat shield response experiment consists of 10 Analog Resistance Ablation Detectors (ARADs) embedded in the carbon phenolic heat shield. As the vehicle descends into the atmosphere of Jupiter, these ARADs will in effect measure the recession as a function of time at various locations on the heat shield. This recession data will be used to reconstruct the time-dependent shape of the vehicle. The shape data is of critical importance to the Atmospheric Reconstruction Experiment which must know mass and drag coefficient of the vehicle in order to determine the structure of the Jovian atmosphere. The data is also intrinsically useful as a database for evaluating the accuracy of our numerical codes and methodology for predicting highly radiating reentry flowfields and coupled heat shield material response. This paper will document the reduction of the data from the ARAD sensors, reconstruction of the heat shield shape history, and comparison of the actual heat shield response with previous calculations and experiments. If possible, we will also include results from new calculations which couple the shock layer flow with the transient material response.

Milos, Frank S.↗

AERACEPT (Aerosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology): Enabling Technology for Planetary Atmospheric Science Probes

Aerosols –clouds, hazes, and dusts –are a key part of planetary mass and energy balance, but difficult to study remotely. Current technology limits in situ measurements to once-in-a-lifetime flagship missions, which is not enough to characterize such highly dynamic systems. AERACEPT (AErosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology) is an early-stage technology allowing asingle aeroshell body toact as both anentry vehicle and aerosol-samplingpassivedescent sonde, using the aeroshell’sown velocityto drive aerosol capture and separationthrough a series of embedded inlets.It takes advantage ofrecently developed thermal protection materials (3D-CC and 3MDCP)in combination withheritage aerosol sampling technologies fromboth planetary and airborne science (high-speed inlets and particle separation). By eliminating the need for heat shield separation, deployable parachutes, ordescent control, AERACEPT reducesthe mass, volume, and complexity ofplanetary aerosol sampling. Verifying AERACEPT’s performance involves modeling interdependencies between the size and geometry of the sampling inlets, the material response of the hypersonic phase of entry, the thermal conditions throughout the probe’s descent, the subsonic flow and particle sampling efficiency, the needed amount of sample, andthe cadence at which the sample can be analyzed. AERACEPT’s current predictions, using the Nephele Venus cloud mission concept (sampling between 63km to 39km, all subsonic) indicates AERACEPT can obtain >20 μL of particle material (roughly 10x the limit of detection) from droplets larger than 0.2 μm, with sample heating limited to <15 K above ambient. Validation testing for the thermal material response model has recently been performed at the UIUC Plasmatron facility, and for the flow and particle capture models is planned for this fall at the Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory.

AERACEPT↗

New insights on carbon black suspension rheology—Anisotropic thixotropy and antithixotropy

We report a detailed experimental study of peculiar thixotropic dynamics of carbon black (CB, Vulcan XC-72) suspensions in mineral oil, specifically the observation of sequential stress increase then decrease at a fixed shear rate in a step-down test. We verify that such dynamics, though peculiar, come from a true material response rather than experimental artifacts. We also reveal how this long-time stress decay is associated with antithixotropic structural change rather than viscoelastic stress relaxation by using orthogonal superposition (OSP) rheometry to probe viscoelastic moduli during the step-down tests. The orthogonal storage and loss moduli are present, showing this two-timescale recovery then decay response, which demonstrates that this response is antithixotropic, and it involves shear-induced structuring. We further show a mechanical anisotropy in the CB suspension under shear using OSP. Based on the rheological results, a microstructural schematic is proposed, considering qualitatively thixotropic structure build-up, antithixotropic densification, and anisotropic structure evolution. Our observation for these CB suspensions is outside the standard paradigm of thixotropic structure-parameter models, and the elastic response provides us with new insight into the transient dynamics of CB suspensions.

Mechanics↗

High-Fidelity Modeling of Fuel-To-Coolant Thermomechanical Transport Behaviors Under Transient Conditions

This report summarizes the work completed under NEUP project number 21-24006. The objectives of this project are to advance the high-fidelity modeling capabilities and important phenomena that is important for high-burnup UO 2 and accident tolerant fuels (ATF) during transient conditions. Accurate modeling of the time-dependent phenomena that impact material performance must be used to determine the figures of merit and safety margin. Phenomena such as fuel fragmentation, cladding oxidation, pellet-clad interaction, clad ballooning, and clad rupture are examples that pose challenges to modeling during these transients. This project focused on the development of high-fidelity tightly coupled multiphysics models that can capture the time-dependent material response and associated thermal hydraulic conditions during these events. These models can then be validated against existing separate effects tests and in-pile integral experiments and will be used to model Transient Reactor Test facility (TREAT) loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCA) experiments. To achieve the project objective, we used a combination of NEAMS and NRC codes to model various LOCA test sets for the separate effects and in-pile integral experiments. BlueCRAB tool set, which can accurately predict material response at a sub-fuel pin level, as well as modeling the entire reactor system response to these events. Fuel performance was modeled using BISON (various versions) and FAST (version 1.2.1). BISON and FAST can model on a sub-fuel pin level the fuel performance under transient conditions. Both have simplified thermal hydraulic models that are capable of providing basic coolant boundary conditions. To better capture the thermomechanical interaction between the fuel, clad, and coolant, more sophisticated thermal hydraulic models are necessary.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗