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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 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Laboratory studies of sticking coefficients and heterogeneous reactions important in the stratosphere

The discovery of ozone depletion during spring in the Antarctic stratosphere has received wide spread attention. Both meteorological and chemical mechanisms have been used in attempts to explain this observation. The chemical theory focused on the chlorofluoromethanes released into the atmosphere. However, gas-phase, homogeneous reactions alone in the model can not adequately explain such a depletion. Heterogeneous reactions on ice surfaces could be important in the Antarctic stratosphere. These reactions are thought to convert ClONO2 and N2O5 into HNO3 in the solid phase while Cl2, HOCl, and ClNO2 are released into the stratosphere as gas-phase products. The photolysis of Cl2, HOCl, and ClNO2, then produces active chlorine which subsequently removes ozone through several catalytic cycles, including the Cl2O2 mechanism. The polar stratospheric clouds are thought to consist of mixtures of water ice, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid. Condensation of HCl onto the PSC's could provide active surfaces for heterogeneous reactions.

Leu, Ming-Taun↗
NASA NTRS1988

Vestibular-related neuroscience and manned space flight

The effects of weightlessness on the human vestibular system are examined, reviewing the results of recent investigations. The functional, neurophysiological, and neurochemical changes which occur during adaptation to weightlessness are discussed; theoretical models proposed to explain the underlying mechanism are outlined; and particular attention is given to the author's experiments on squirrel monkeys. There, good correlations were found between (1) the recovery of locomotor balance function in the acute compensation phase after unilateral labyrinthectomy and (2) the bilateral imbalance in the optical density of GABA-like immunoreactivity.

Igarashi, Makoto↗
NASA NTRS1990

Refractory metal alloys and composites for space power systems

Results are presented on recent studies of refractory-metal-alloy and refractory-metal-composite technologies for space power systems, with emphasis on work performed at the Lewis Research Center in support of the Ground Engineering System (GES) for the SP-100 reactor. Special attention is given to the mechanical properties of alloys with compositions Nb-1Zr and Nb-0.1Zr-0.1C (the PWC-11 alloy) and to advanced fiber-reinforced composites. The results to date indicate that, for the GES at a power level of about 100 kWe, the PWC-11 has attractive creep properties that will extend the capabilities of the SP-100 reactor compared to a similar system fabricated from Nb-1Zr. On the other hand, tungsten-reinforced Nb-1Zr composites were found to provide a ten-fold and four-fold creep strength over Nb-1Zr and PWC-11, respectively, at 1400 to 1500 K.

Stephens, R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The soft X-ray background and its origins

A review on the soft X-ray background is presented, with emphasis on diffuse galactic emission. Particular attention is given to emission mechanisms for the galactic diffuse background, the observational data, models of the 0.5-1 keV and of the 70-284 eV emission, and limits on the extragalactic flux.

Mccammon, Dan↗
NASA NTRS1991

The geomagnetic tail

A review is presented of the plasma sheet and lobe regions of the magnetotail, focusing principally on large-scale processes or microprocesses with some large-scale effects. Consideration is given to quiet and average structures, not necessarily related to activity phases, with quasi-steady convection aspects, and with the characteristics of dynamic phases including acceleration mechanisms and single particle aspects. Attention is given to various activity models, average and quiet time properties, properties and effects of magnetospheric convection, dynamics of the magnetotail, and the near tail, substorm current wedge.

Birn, Joachim↗
NASA NTRS1992

Electrostatic turbulence in the earth's central plasma sheet produced by multiple-ring ion distributions

Attention is given to a mechanism to generate a broad spectrum of electrostatic turbulence in the quiet time central plasma sheet (CPS) plasma. It is shown theoretically that multiple-ring ion distributions can generate short-wavelength (less than about 1), electrostatic turbulence with frequencies less than about kVj, where Vj is the velocity of the jth ring. On the basis of a set of parameters from measurements made in the CPS, it is found that electrostatic turbulence can be generated with wavenumbers in the range of 0.02 and 1.0, with real frequencies in the range of 0 and 10, and with linear growth rates greater than 0.01 over a broad range of angles relative to the magnetic field (5-90 deg). These theoretical results are compared with wave data from ISEE 1 using an ion distribution function exhibiting multiple-ring structures observed at the same time. The theoretical results in the linear regime are found to be consistent with the wave data.

Huba, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Standard cost elements for technology programs

The suitable structure for an effective and accurate cost estimate for general purposes is discussed in the context of a NASA technology program. Cost elements are defined for research, management, and facility-construction portions of technology programs. Attention is given to the mechanisms for insuring the viability of spending programs, and the need for program managers is established for effecting timely fund disbursement. Formal, structures, and intuitive techniques are discussed for cost-estimate development, and cost-estimate defensibility can be improved with increased documentation. NASA policies for cash management are examined to demonstrate the importance of the ability to obligate funds and the ability to cost contracted funds. The NASA approach to consistent cost justification is set forth with a list of standard cost-element definitions. The cost elements reflect the three primary concerns of cost estimates: the identification of major assumptions, the specification of secondary analytic assumptions, and the status of program factors.

Christensen, Carisa B.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Dynamics of face seals for high speed turbomachinery

Face seals in rocket engine fuel and oxidizer turbopumps have been the subject of intense investigation for over 25 years. While advances have been made in the understanding of thin film lubrication between seal faces, valuable data has been produced on the friction and wear of material pairs in cryogenic environments; pioneering work has been done on the effect of lubricant phase change in seals, and many improvements have been made in mechanical seal design. Relatively superficial attention has been given to the vibrational dynamics of face seals in high-speed turbomachinery. BHR Group Ltd. (formerly BHRA) has recently completed the first stage of a study, commissioned by the European Space Agency, to investigate this area. This has involved the development of a two-dimensional adiabatic, turbulent lubrication model for thick gas film applications, the production of an integrated mathematical model of gas seal vibrational dynamics for thin film applications, implementation in software, the undertaking of an experimental program to validate software against variations in operating conditions and design variables, and suggestions for improved seal design.

Leefe, Simon↗
NASA NTRS1997

Models of Speed Discrimination

The prime purpose of this project was to investigate various theoretical issues concerning the integration of information across visual space. To date, most of the research efforts in the study of the visual system seem to have been focused in two almost non-overlaping directions. One research focus has been the low level perception as studied by psychophysics. The other focus has been the study of high level vision exemplified by the study of object perception. Most of the effort in psychophysics has been devoted to the search for the fundamental "features" of perception. The general idea is that the most peripheral processes of the visual system decompose the input into features that are then used for classification and recognition. The experimental and theoretical focus has been on finding and describing these analyzers that decompose images into useful components. Various models are then compared to the physiological measurements performed on neurons in the sensory systems. In the study of higher level perception, the work has been focused on the representation of objects and on the connections between various physical effects and object perception. In this category we find the perception of 3D from a variety of physical measurements including motion, shading and other physical phenomena. With few exceptions, there seem to be very limited development of theories describing how the visual system might combine the output of the analyzers to form the representation of visual objects. Therefore, the processes underlying the integration of information over space represent critical aspects of vision system. The understanding of these processes will have implications on our expectations for the underlying physiological mechanisms, as well as for our models of the internal representation for visual percepts. In this project, we explored several mechanisms related to spatial summation, attention, and eye movements. The project comprised three components: 1. Modeling visual search for the detection of speed deviation. 2. Perception of moving objects. 3. Exploring the role of eye movements in various visual tasks.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2000

Investigation of Electromagnetic Field Threat to Fuel Tank Wiring of a Transport Aircraft

National Transportation Safety Board investigators have questioned whether an electrical discharge in the Fuel Quantity Indication System (FQIS) may have initiated the TWA-800 center wing tank explosion. Because the FQIS was designed to be incapable of producing such a discharge on its own, attention has been directed to mechanisms of outside electromagnetic influence. To support the investigation, the NASA Langley Research Center was tasked to study the potential for radiated electromagnetic fields from external radio frequency (RF) transmitters and passenger carried portable electronic devices (PEDs) to excite the FQIS enough to cause arcing, sparking or excessive heating within the fuel tank.

Ely, Jay J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

New Method Developed To Purify Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes for Aerospace Applications

Single wall carbon nanotubes have attracted considerable attention because of their remarkable mechanical properties and electrical and thermal conductivities. Use of these materials as primary or secondary reinforcements in polymers or ceramics could lead to new materials with significantly enhanced mechanical strength and electrical and thermal conductivity. Use of carbon-nanotube-reinforced materials in aerospace components will enable substantial reductions in component weight and improvements in durability and safety. Potential applications for single wall carbon nanotubes include lightweight components for vehicle structures and propulsion systems, fuel cell components (bipolar plates and electrodes) and battery electrodes, and ultra-lightweight materials for use in solar sails. A major barrier to the successful use of carbon nanotubes in these components is the need for methods to economically produce pure carbon nanotubes in large enough quantities to not only evaluate their suitability for certain applications but also produce actual components. Most carbon nanotube synthesis methods, including the HiPCO (high pressure carbon monoxide) method developed by Smalley and others, employ metal catalysts that remain trapped in the final product. These catalyst impurities can affect nanotube properties and accelerate their decomposition. The development of techniques to remove most, if not all, of these impurities is essential to their successful use in practical applications. A new method has been developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to purify gram-scale quantities of single wall carbon nanotubes. This method, a modification of a gas phase purification technique previously reported by Smalley and others, uses a combination of high-temperature oxidations and repeated extractions with nitric and hydrochloric acid. This improved procedure significantly reduces the amount of impurities (catalyst and nonnanotube forms of carbon) within the nanotubes, increasing their stability significantly. The onset of decomposition of the purified nanotubes (determined by thermal gravimetric analysis in air) is more than 300 C higher than that of the crude nanotubes. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of nanotubes purified by this method reveals near complete removal of iron catalyst particles. Analysis of the nanotubes using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy revealed that the iron content of the nanotubes was reduced from 22.7 wt% in the crude nanotubes to less than 0.02 wt%. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed a decrease in iron content after purification as well as an increase in oxygen content due to the formation of carboxylic acid groups on the surface of the nanotubes. Nanotubes purified by this improved method can be readily dispersed in common organic solvents, in particular N,N-dimethylformamide, using prolonged ultrasonic treatment. These dispersions can then be used to incorporate single wall carbon nanotubes into polymer films.

Lebron, Marisabel↗
NASA NTRS2008

Influence of Test Procedures on the Thermomechanical Properties of a 55NiTi Shape Memory Alloy

Over the past few decades, binary NiTi shape memory alloys have received attention due to their unique mechanical characteristics, leading to their potential use in low-temperature, solid-state actuator applications. However, prior to using these materials for such applications, the physical response of these systems to mechanical and thermal stimuli must be thoroughly understood and modeled to aid designers in developing SMA-enabled systems. Even though shape memory alloys have been around for almost five decades, very little effort has been made to standardize testing procedures. Although some standards for measuring the transformation temperatures of SMA s are available, no real standards exist for determining the various mechanical and thermomechanical properties that govern the usefulness of these unique materials. Consequently, this study involved testing a 55NiTi alloy using a variety of different test methodologies. All samples tested were taken from the same heat and batch to remove the influence of sample pedigree on the observed results. When the material was tested under constant-stress, thermal-cycle conditions, variations in the characteristic material responses were observed, depending on test methodology. The transformation strain and irreversible strain were impacted more than the transformation temperatures, which only showed an affect with regard to applied external stress. In some cases, test methodology altered the transformation strain by 0.005-0.01mm/mm, which translates into a difference in work output capability of approximately 2 J/cu cm (290 in!lbf/cu in). These results indicate the need for the development of testing standards so that meaningful data can be generated and successfully incorporated into viable models and hardware. The use of consistent testing procedures is also important when comparing results from one research organization to another. To this end, differences in the observed responses will be presented, contrasted and rationalized, in hopes of eventually developing standardized testing procedures for shape memory alloys.

Padula, Santo A., II↗
NASA NTRS2013

Out of This World: A University Partnership Model for Functional Clothing Design

University collaborations with external partners can be difficult to initiate, especially in early-stage or emerging topics. External collaborators may be reluctant to commit the level of funding required to ensure that the topic is given adequate attention, and low-stakes mechanisms are relatively rare. Here, we present a successful model for collaboration between universities and NASA, which uses existing project-based coursework as a vehicle for exploration of emerging topics. This model leverages existing structures, reducing the financial and intellectual commitment of both University and NASA research partners, and facilitating pilot investigations for exploration of potential areas for more in-depth research. We outline the logistical structure and benefits for University and NASA partners over 1.5 years of collaboration.

Dunne, Lucy E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fatigue Behavior and Mechanisms of High-Entropy Alloys

Fatigue failures of structural materials pose enormous risks to in-service structures, as well as human lives. The development of advanced durable structural materials with fatigue resistance has important social impact. The novel concept of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) has engendered considerable attention due to their exhibited unusual mechanical properties, and correspondingly opening a new road to design fatigue-resistant structural materials. Here, the present work discusses and reviews the current findings on fatigue behavior and mechanisms of HEAs. Based on the understanding of fatigue-resistant favorable deformation mechanisms in HEAs, the perspectives from the viewpoint of materials design are provided to advance the development of fatigue-resistant HEAs, and future works are also suggested.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1992

A source mechanism producing HF-induced plasma lines (HFPLS) with up-shifted frequencies

Attention is given to a nonlinear scattering process analyzed as a source mechanism producing the frequency up-shifted HFPLs observed in the Arecibo ionospheric heating experiments. A physical picture is offered to explain how Langmuir waves with frequencies greater than the HF heater wave frequency can be produced in the heating experiments and be detected by incoherent radars as frequency up-shifted HFPLs. Since the considered scattering process occurs in a region near the reflection height, it explains why the frequency up-shifted HFPLs should originate from the altitude near the reflection height as observed. The theory also shows that the amount of frequency up-shift is inversely proportional to the frequency of the HF heater and increases linearly with the electron temperature. The quantitative analysis of the theory shows a good agreement with the experimental results.

Kuo, S. P.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multiparametric AFM Insights into Electron Transport Mechanisms in Biomemristors

Biomemristors have attracted significant attention due to their applications in biodegradable and flexible electronic devices, and their prospective functions in information storage, neural synapses, and neuromorphic computation. Hence, understanding biomaterials' resistive switching (RS) mechanism is essential to design novel biomemristors with enhanced performance. In the last decade, various atomic force microscopy (AFM) modes, such as Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM), in situ/operando visualize the electron transport behaviors within biomemristors at the nanoscale. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of multiparametric AFM techniques to characterize biomemristors and inspire new ideas in developing next-generation consumer electronics. We also summarize the progress of revealing the internal mechanism of biomemristors with functional AFM to visualize and understand the switching behavior. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of further utilizing multiparametric AFM to explore the electron transport mechanisms in biomemristors are presented.

Shi, Chenyang↗
NASA NTRS1981

The spontaneous concentration of magnetic field in the photosphere of the sun

The basic physics of magnetic flux tubes in the solar photosphere is reviewed, with areas still open to conjecture pointed out. The question of the concentration of individual small flux tubes to levels of 1-2 kilogauss, when the average solar surface magnetic field is on the order of 10 gauss, by processes of twisting and the formation of flux ropes made up of tubes wound around each other is considered together with the effects of turbulence on the flux tube. Mechanisms for tube compression by the evacuation of the gas contained within a flux tube are then examined, and the possibility of field concentration through the cooling of the gas within the tube in a superadiabatic process is suggested. Attention is then given to possible mechanisms serving to maintain the concentration of flux tubes far below the surface of the sun which gives rise to sunspots and pores as the flux tree emerges through the surface.

Parker, E. N.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Dissipative melting as a mechanism for core formation

Cosmochemical studies strongly favor a near-homogeneous accretion of the earth. These studies also show that core segregation probably occurred within the first 100,000 years of earth history. Mechanisms of core formation have received relatively little attention. The principal purpose of this paper is to examine dissipative melting as a possible mechanism for core segregation. For a large iron body migrating through the mantle, the potential energy lost by the body is dissipated by frictional heating. If the body has a radius greater than about 30 km, the frictional heating is sufficient to melt a path through which the body can fall. If the iron body is liquid (as expected) with a low viscosity, it would penetrate the mantle as a diapir. The problem of an immiscible liquid body melting its way through a solid is solved, and a family of diapir shapes is obtained. It is found that dissipative heating may be a viable mechanism for core segregation if sufficiently large bodies of liquid iron can form.

Turcotte, D. L.↗