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NASA NTRS2008

Advanced Low Conductivity Thermal Barrier Coatings: Performance and Future Directions (Invited paper)

Thermal barrier coatings will be more aggressively designed to protect gas turbine engine hot-section components in order to meet future engine higher fuel efficiency and lower emission goals. In this presentation, thermal barrier coating development considerations and performance will be emphasized. Advanced thermal barrier coatings have been developed using a multi-component defect clustering approach, and shown to have improved thermal stability and lower conductivity. The coating systems have been demonstrated for high temperature combustor applications. For thermal barrier coatings designed for turbine airfoil applications, further improved erosion and impact resistance are crucial for engine performance and durability. Erosion resistant thermal barrier coatings are being developed, with a current emphasis on the toughness improvements using a combined rare earth- and transition metal-oxide doping approach. The performance of the toughened thermal barrier coatings has been evaluated in burner rig and laser heat-flux rig simulated engine erosion and thermal gradient environments. The results have shown that the coating composition optimizations can effectively improve the erosion and impact resistance of the coating systems, while maintaining low thermal conductivity and cyclic durability. The erosion, impact and high heat-flux damage mechanisms of the thermal barrier coatings will also be described.

Zhu, Dongming↗

NASA NTRS2008

Advanced Low Conductivity Thermal Barrier Coatings: Performance and Future Directions

Zhu, Dongming↗

NASA NTRS2011

Thermally Conductive Tape Based on Carbon Nanotube Arrays

To increase contact conductance between two mating surfaces, a conductive tape has been developed by growing dense arrays of carbon nanotubes (CNTs, graphite layers folded into cylinders) on both sides of a thermally conductive metallic foil. When the two mating surfaces are brought into contact with the conductive tape in between, the CNT arrays will adhere to the mating surface. The van der Waals force between the contacting tubes and the mating surface provides adhesion between the two mating surfaces. Even though the thermal contact conductance of a single tube-to-tube contact is small, the tremendous amount of CNTs on the surface leads to a very large overall contact conductance. Interface contact thermal resistance rises from the microroughness and the macroscopic non-planar quality of mating surfaces. When two surfaces come into contact with each other, the actual contact area may be much less than the total area of the surfaces. The real area of contact depends on the load, the surface roughness, and the elastic and inelastic properties of the surface. This issue is even more important at cryogenic temperatures, where materials become hard and brittle and vacuum is used, which prevents any gas conduction through the interstitial region. A typical approach to increase thermal contact conductance is to use thermally conducting epoxies or greases, which are not always compatible with vacuum conditions. In addition, the thermal conductivities of these compounds are often relatively low. The CNTs used in this approach can be metallic or semiconducting, depending on the folding angle and diameter. The electrical resistivity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been reported. MWCNTs can pass a current density and remain stable at high temperatures in air. The thermal conductivity of a MWCNT at room temperature is measured to be approximately 3,000 W/m-K, which is much larger than that of diamond. At room temperature, the thermal conductance of a 0.3 sq cm array of CNTs was measured to be as high as 10 W/K. The high thermal conductivity and the nanoscale size make CNTs ideal as thermal interface materials. The CNT-based thermal tape can be used for the thermal management of microelectronic packages and electronic systems. It also can be integrated with current device technology and packaging. The material would allow for an efficient method to manage excess heat generation without requiring any additional power. Lastly, the CNT tape can be used to enhance thermal contact conductance across two mating surfaces on some NASA missions.

Kashani, Ali↗

NASA NTRS2006

Thermal Conductivity of Polyimide/Nanofiller Blends

In efforts to improve the thermal conductivity of Ultem(TM) 1000, it was compounded with three carbon based nano-fillers. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), vapor grown carbon nanofibers (CNF) and expanded graphite (EG) were investigated. Ribbons were extruded to form samples in which the nano-fillers were aligned. Samples were also fabricated by compression molding in which the nano-fillers were randomly oriented. The thermal properties were evaluated by DSC and TGA, and the mechanical properties of the aligned samples were determined by tensile testing. The degree of dispersion and alignment of the nanoparticles were investigated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The thermal conductivity of the samples was measured in both the direction of alignment as well as perpendicular to that direction using the Nanoflash technique. The results of this study will be presented.

Ghose, S.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Method of simultaneous measurement of radiative and lattice thermal conductivity.

A new technique of high-temperature thermal-conductivity measurement is described. A CO2 gas laser is used to generate a low-frequency temperature wave at one face of a small disk-shaped sample, and an infrared detector views the opposite face to detect the phase of the emerging radiation. A mathematical expression is derived which enables phase data at several frequencies to be used for the simultaneous determination of thermal diffusivity and mean extinction coefficient. Lattice and radiative thermal conductivities are then calculated. Test results for sintered aluminum oxide at temperatures from 530 to 1924 K are within the range of error of previously existing data.

Schatz, J. F.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Thermal Conductivity and Stability of HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 Evaluated for 1650 Deg C Thermal/Environmental Barrier Coating Applications

HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 are candidate thermal and environmental barrier coating (T/EBC) materials for gas turbine ceramic matrix composite (CMC) combustor applications because of their relatively low thermal conductivity and high temperature capability. In this paper, thermal conductivity and high temperature stability of hot-pressed and plasma sprayed specimens with representative partially-stabilized and fully-cubic HfO2-Y2O3 compositions and La2Zr2O7 were evaluated at temperatures up to 1700 C using a steady-state laser heat-flux technique. Sintering behavior of the plasmasprayed coatings was determined by monitoring the thermal conductivity increases during a 20-hour test period at various temperatures. Durability and failure mechanisms of the HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 coatings on mullite/SiC hexoloy or SiC/SiC CMC substrates were investigated at 1650 C under thermal gradient cyclic conditions. Coating design and testing issues for the 1650 C thermal/environmental barrier coating applications are also discussed.

Zhu, Dong-Ming↗

NASA NTRS1989

High accuracy thermal conductivity measurements near the lambda transition of helium with very high temperature resolution

Over the past few years extensive thermal conductivity measurements near the lambda point of helium were made. The original goal of measuring the thermal conductivity with a resolution of t = T/T sub lambda -1 of 3 x 10(-8) was reached, but with somewhat less accuracy than was hoped. Subtle effects in the apparatus near the transition were observed which reduced the ability to interpret the results. Nevertheless, for resolution of t is greater than or equal to 10(-7) reliable data was obtained, extending previous measurements by more than an order of magnitude. Deviations from theoretical predictions were observed for t is less than or equal to 3 x 10(-6) leading to the question of the validity of the present renormalization group analysis of transport properties, at least for the case of helium. This anomaly led to closer examination of the boundary effects in the measurements. During the experiments a totally unexpected effect in the very dilute He-3 - He-4 mixtures was observed which led to the explanation of the anomalous results. The concentration dependence of the thermal conductivity near T sub lambda in the superfluid phase was found to deviate strongly from the predictions. The results gave an independent verification of this behavior and caused reanalysis of the Khalatnikov theory of hydrodynamics of the mixtures. An alternative solution was found which is in better agreement with the experiment.

Fairbank, William M.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Measurement of high-temperature thermal conductivity of Lucalox /Al2O3/ using a heat pipe technique.

The thermal conductivity of Lucalox, a high-purity form of aluminum oxide, has been measured over the temperature range from 870 to 1400 C. The technique employed is a novel one using a lithium-filled heat pipe in series with a gas-gap variable-heat-conductance unit as a heat source. The procedure makes it possible to measure heat flux through the sample directly. The measurements indicate that the thermal conductivity of high-purity aluminum oxide has a minimum value of about 0.05 W/cm deg C at 950 C and increases with higher temperatures to values in the range of 0.3 W/cm deg C at 1400 C.

Forman, R.↗

NASA NTRS1988

High temperature thermal conductivity measurements on lanthanum sulfides using the flash method

In the past, high temperature specific heat and hence thermal conductivity measurements, using the flash method have not been very accurate. This is due to the difficulty of exactly determining the amount of heat deposited on the front face of a sample during each flash. This problem has now been solved by sputtering a thin layer of graphite on the standard reference and test samples. Data taken shows that the amount of heat deposited can now be determined to within about 2 percent resulting in more accurate thermal conductivity data. The results of measurements on several lanthanum sulfides with stoichiometries between LaS(1.35) and LaS(1.48) are reported and show a minimum in the lattice thermal conductivity at a composition of around LaS(1.41). This is believed to be due to the scattering of low-frequency phonons by large defects, i.e., second phase material (beta-phase) and pores.

Vandersande, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS2015

High Thermal Conductivity NARloy-Z-Diamond Composite Liner for Advanced Rocket Engines

NARloy-Z (Cu-3Ag-0.5Zr) alloy is state-of-the-art combustion chamber liner material used in liquid propulsion engines such as the RS-68 and RS-25. The performance of future liquid propulsion systems can be improved significantly by increasing the heat transfer through the combustion chamber liner. Prior work1 done at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has shown that the thermal conductivity of NARloy-Z alloy can be improved significantly by embedding high thermal conductivity diamond particles in the alloy matrix to form NARloy-Z-diamond composite (fig. 1). NARloy-Z-diamond composite containing 40vol% diamond showed 69% higher thermal conductivity than NARloy-Z. It is 24% lighter than NARloy-Z and hence the density normalized thermal conductivity is 120% better. These attributes will improve the performance and life of the advanced rocket engines significantly. The research work consists of (a) developing design properties (thermal and mechanical) of NARloy-Z-D composite, (b) fabrication of net shape subscale combustion chamber liner, and (c) hot-fire testing of the liner to test performance. Initially, NARloy-Z-D composite slabs were made using the Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST) for the purpose of determining design properties. In the next step, a cylindrical shape was fabricated to demonstrate feasibility (fig. 3). The liner consists of six cylinders which are sintered separately and then stacked and diffusion bonded to make the liner (fig. 4). The liner will be heat treated, finish-machined, and assembled into a combustion chamber and hot-fire tested in the MSFC test facility (TF 115) to determine perform.

Bhat, Biliyar↗

NASA NTRS2007

Thermal Conductivity of Polyimide/Carbon Nanofiller Blends

In efforts to improve the thermal conductivity (TC) of Ultem(TM) 1000, it was compounded with three carbon based nano-fillers. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), vapor grown carbon nanofibers (CNF) and expanded graphite (EG) were investigated. Ribbons were extruded to form samples in which the nano-fillers were aligned. Samples were also fabricated by compression molding in which the nano-fillers were randomly oriented. The thermal properties were evaluated by DSC and TGA, and the mechanical properties of the aligned samples were determined by tensile testing. The degree of dispersion and alignment of the nanoparticles were investigated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The thermal conductivity of the samples was measured in both the direction of alignment as well as perpendicular to that direction using the Nanoflash technique. The results of this study will be presented.

Ghose, S.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Thermally conductive support structure

A structure for supporting and at least transferring heat energy away from at least a first heat source interconnected thereto is disclosed. In one embodiment, the structure includes a deck member having a plurality of layers of thermally conductive fibers packed within a matrix material. Fibers of at least a first layer are orientable to transfer heat energy toward at least a first sidewall of the deck member, and fibers of at least a second layer are orientable about .+-.45.degree. relative to the fibers of the first layer to enhance the structural strength of the deck member. In another embodiment, fibers of at least a first layer of thermally conductive fibers of the deck member are orientable to transfer heat energy from a first heat source to a second, cooler heat source, both of which are interconnectable to the deck member, such that the first and second heat sources operate at substantially uniform temperatures. In this embodiment, fibers of at least a second layer of thermally conductive fibers are orientable about .+-.45.degree. relative to the fibers of the first layer to enhance the structural strength of the deck member. Fibers of at least a third layer of thermally conductive fibers are orientable substantially orthogonally relative to the fibers of the first layer to transfer heat energy away from at least the first heat source to at least a first sidewall of the deck member.

Herzl, Alfred↗

NASA NTRS1989

A model for including thermal conduction in molecular dynamics simulations

A technique is introduced for including thermal conduction in molecular dynamics simulations for solids. A model is developed to allow energy flow between the computational cell and the bulk of the solid when periodic boundary conditions cannot be used. Thermal conduction is achieved by scaling the velocities of atoms in a transitional boundary layer. The scaling factor is obtained from the thermal diffusivity, and the results show good agreement with the solution for a continuous medium at long times. The effects of different temperature and size of the system, and of variations in strength parameter, atomic mass, and thermal diffusivity were investigated. In all cases, no significant change in simulation results has been found.

Wu, Yue↗

NASA NTRS1968

Measurement of Thermal Conductance of Multilayer and Other Insulation Materials

Thermal conductance measurements on space suit thermal insulation candidates

Fried, E.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Fabrication of High Thermal Conductivity NARloy-Z-Diamond Composite Combustion Chamber Liner for Advanced Rocket Engines

NARloy-Z alloy (Cu-3 percent, Ag-0.5 percent, Zr) is a state of the art alloy currently used for fabricating rocket engine combustion chamber liners. Research conducted at NASA-MSFC and Penn State – Applied Research Laboratory has shown that thermal conductivity of NARloy-Z can be increased significantly by adding diamonds to form a composite (NARloy-Z-D). NARloy-Z-D is also lighter than NARloy-Z. These attributes make this advanced composite material an ideal candidate for fabricating combustion chamber liner for an advanced rocket engine. Increased thermal conductivity will directly translate into increased turbopump power and increased chamber pressure for improved thrust and specific impulse. This paper describes the process development for fabricating a subscale high thermal conductivity NARloy-Z-D combustion chamber liner using Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST). The FAST process uses a mixture of NARloy-Z and diamond powders which is sintered under pressure at elevated temperatures. Several challenges were encountered, i.e., segregation of diamonds, machining the super hard NARloy-Z-D composite, net shape fabrication and nondestructive examination. The paper describes how these challenges were addressed. Diamonds coated with copper (CuD) appear to give the best results. A near net shape subscale combustion chamber liner is being fabricated by diffusion bonding cylindrical rings of NARloy-Z-CuD using the FAST process.

Bhat, Biliyar N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Effective thermal conductivity of composites with fibre-matrix debonding

Debonding of the fiber-matrix interface is a major cause for the degradation of the mechanical properties and the loss of thermal conductivity of fiber-reinforced composites. This paper discusses two analytical approaches for modeling the thermal conduction problem of composites. One is based on the concept of modeling the thermal barrier by an equivalent heat transfer coefficient at the fiber-matrix interface, as described by Hasselman and Johnson (1987) and Benveniste and Miloh (1986). The other approach, suggested by Hatta and Taya (1986), is by treating a composite with debonded interface as a coated-fiber composite. The major advantage of the latter aproach is that the thickness of the fiber coating can be realistically modeled depending upon the extent of degradation of the composite with the thermal conductivity of the coating as that of air.

Fadale, T. D.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Thermal Conductivity and Water Vapor Stability of Ceramic HfO2-Based Coating Materials

HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 are candidate thermal/environmental barrier coating materials for gas turbine ceramic matrix composite (CMC) combustor liner applications because of their relatively low thermal conductivity and high temperature capability. In this paper, thermal conductivity and high temperature phase stability of plasma-sprayed coatings and/or hot-pressed HfO2-5mol%Y2O3, HfO2-15mol%Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 were evaluated at temperatures up to 1700 C using a steady-state laser heat-flux technique. Sintering behavior of the plasma-sprayed coatings was determined by monitoring the thermal conductivity increases during a 20-hour test period at various temperatures. Durability and failure mechanisms of the HfO2-Y2O3 and La2Zr2O7 coatings on mullite/SiC Hexoloy or CMC substrates were investigated at 1650 C under thermal gradient cyclic conditions. Coating design and testing issues for the 1650 C thermal/environmental barrier coating applications will also be discussed.

Zhu, Dong-Ming↗

NASA NTRS1987

A numerical study of transient, thermally-conductive solar wind

A numerical analysis of transient solar wind starting at the solar surface and arriving at 1 AU is performed by an implicit numerical method. The model hydrodynamic equations include thermal conduction terms for both steady and unsteady simulations. Simulation results show significant influence of thermal conduction on both steady and time-dependent solar wind. Higher thermal conduction results in higher solar wind speed, higher temperature, but lower plasma density at 1 AU. Higher base temperature at the solar surface gives lower plasma speed, lower temperature, but higher density at 1 AU. Higher base density, on the other hand, gives lower velocity, lower temperature, but higher density at 1 AU.

Han, S. M.↗