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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 217 records · Page 12

1,2-Dichlorohexafluoro-Cyclobutane (1,2-c-C4F6Cl2, R-316c) a Potent Ozone Depleting Substance and Greenhouse Gas: Atmospheric Loss Processes, Lifetimes, and Ozone Depletion and Global Warming Potentials for the (E) and (Z) stereoisomers

The atmospheric processing of (E)- and (Z)-1,2-dichlorohexafluorocyclobutane (1,2-c-C4F6Cl2, R-316c) was examined in this work as the ozone depleting (ODP) and global warming (GWP) potentials of this proposed replacement compound are presently unknown. The predominant atmospheric loss processes and infrared absorption spectra of the R-316c isomers were measured to provide a basis to evaluate their atmospheric lifetimes and, thus, ODPs and GWPs. UV absorption spectra were measured between 184.95 to 230 nm at temperatures between 214 and 296 K and a parametrization for use in atmospheric modeling is presented. The Cl atom quantum yield in the 193 nm photolysis of R- 316c was measured to be 1.90 +/- 0.27. Hexafluorocyclobutene (c-C4F6) was determined to be a photolysis co-product with molar yields of 0.7 and 1.0 (+/-10%) for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c, respectively. The 296 K total rate coefficient for the O(1D) + R-316c reaction, i.e., O(1D) loss, was measured to be (1.56 +/- 0.11) × 10(exp −10)cu cm/ molecule/s and the reactive rate coefficient, i.e., R-316c loss, was measured to be (1.36 +/- 0.20) × 10(exp −10)cu cm/molecule/s corresponding to a approx. 88% reactive yield. Rate coefficient upper-limits for the OH and O3 reaction with R-316c were determined to be <2.3 × 10(exp −17) and <2.0 × 10(exp −22)cu cm/molecule/s, respectively, at 296 K. The quoted uncertainty limits are 2(sigma) and include estimated systematic errors. Local and global annually averaged lifetimes for the (E)- and (Z)-R-316c isomers were calculated using a 2-D atmospheric model to be 74.6 +/- 3 and 114.1 +/-10 years, respectively, where the estimated uncertainties are due solely to the uncertainty in the UV absorption spectra. Stratospheric photolysis is the predominant atmospheric loss process for both isomers with the O(1D) reaction making a minor, approx. 2% for the (E) isomer and 7% for the (Z) isomer, contribution to the total atmospheric loss. Ozone depletion potentials for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c were calculated using the 2-D model to be 0.46 and 0.54, respectively. Infrared absorption spectra for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c were measured at 296 K and used to estimate their radiative efficiencies (REs) and GWPs; 100-year time-horizon GWPs of 4160 and 5400 were obtained for (E)- and (Z)-R-316c, respectively. Both isomers of R-316c are shown in this work to be long-lived ozone depleting substances and potent greenhouse gases.

UV cross section↗

Pinhole Effects on Venus Superpressure Balloon Lifetime

Experimental results are presented for a series of experiments that addressed the effect of small pinhole defects on the potential lifetime of a Venus superpressure balloon. The experiments were performed on samples of a candidate balloon envelope material through which a single small hole of 80 to 300 microns in diameter was deliberately made in each one by puncturing with a metal pin. The material was mounted horizontally in a test apparatus and then a 2-3 mm thick layer of sulfuric acid was placed on top to mimic balloon wetting at Venus. Acid penetration and damage manifested itself as a darkening of the aluminum metal and adhesive layers around the hole in the balloon material. There were no test conditions under which the acid simply fell through the pinhole due to gravity because the surface tension forces always compensated at this size. Very little acid-damaged material was observed for the smallest 80 micron pinholes while gas flowed through the hole due to balloon-like pressurization: the black spot size was approximately 0.2 mm in diameter after 6 days with 86% sulfuric acid. The damage area grew more quickly in the absence of gas flowing out of an 80 micron hole, namely at a rate of 2 mm/day. It was concluded that the flow of escaping gas out of the hole provides a substantial reduction of the rate of acid penetration and damage. Larger diameter pinholes of approximately 300 micron diameter showed larger growth rates of 0.7 mm/day with gas flow and 1.7 mm/day without. The pinhole size did not change over the duration of these experiments because the material has an outer layer of fluoropolymer film that remained intact during the process and thereby held the hole size constant. None of the damage rates measured in these experiments pose a threat to the lifetime of the balloon over the projected course of a 30 day mission because the affected area is too small to cause a structural failure either through direct damage or increased solar heating and attendant balloon pressurization leading to burst.

Venus↗

Development of Long-Lifetime Pulsed Gas Valves for Pulsed Electric Thrusters

The design and test results for two types of pulsed gas valves are presented. The valves, a piezo valve and a solenoid actuated valve, must have exceedingly long lifetime to support gas-fed pulsed electric thruster operation for missions of interest. The performance of both valves was tested, with both demonstrating the capability to throttle the gas flow rate while maintaining low leakage levels below 10(exp -3) sccs of He at the beginning of valve lifetime. The piezo valve varies the flow rate by changing the amount that the valve is open, which is a function of applied voltage. This valve demonstrated continuous throttlability from 0-10 mL/s, with opening and closing times of 100 microsecond or less. The solenoid actuated valve flow rate changes as a function of the inlet gas pressure, with demonstrated flow rates in these tests from 2.7-11 mL per second. The valve response time is slower than the piezo valve, opening in 1-2 ms and closing in several ms. The solenoid actuated valve was tested to one million cycles, with the valve performance remaining relatively unchanged throughout the test. Galling of the sliding plunger caused the valve to bind and fail just after one million cycles, but at this point in the test the valve sealing surface leak rate still appeared to be well below the maximum target leak rake of 1×10(exp -3) sccs of He.

Burkhardt, Wendel M.↗

Constraints from Airborne (210)Pb Observations on Aerosol Scavenging and Lifetime in a Global Chemical Transport Model

Lead-210 distribution and lifetime in the atmosphere are not sensitive to ice in-cloud scavenging in convective updraft. Ice in-cloud scavenging in stratiform clouds reduce tropospheric (210)Pb lifetime by approximately 1 day and results in better agreements with observed surface observations and aircraft measured profiles. However, the process results in significant underestimate of (210)Pb in UT/LS.

Zhang, Bo↗

MODIS On-Orbit Thermal Emissive Bands Lifetime Performance

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a leading heritage sensor in the fleet of Earth Observing System for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in space orbit on two spacecrafts. They are the Terra (T) and Aqua (A) platforms. Both instruments have successfully continued to operate beyond the 6 year design life time, with the T-MODIS currently functional beyond 15 years and the A-MODIS operating beyond 13 years respectively. The MODIS sensor characteristics include a spectral coverage from 0.41 micron 14.4 micron, of which wavelengths ranging from 3.7 micron 14. 4 micron cover the thermal infrared region also referred to as the Thermal Emissive Bands (TEBs). The TEBs is calibrated using a v-grooved BlackBody (BB) whose temperature measurements are traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology temperature scales. The TEBs calibration based on the onboard BB is extremely important for its high radiometric fidelity. In this paper, we provide a complete characterization of the lifetime instrument performance of both MODIS instruments in terms of the sensor gain, the Noise Equivalent difference Temperature, key instrument telemetry such as the BB lifetime trends, the instrument temperature trends, the Cold Focal Plane telemetry and finally, the total assessed calibration uncertainty of the TEBs.

Madhavan, Sriharsha↗

Space-and Ground-Based Non-Accelerated Long Lifetime Data for Ruggedized Commercial Non-Planar Ring Oscillator (NPRO) Lasers

Lifetime data is presented for ruggedized commercial NPRO lasers used in the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) Instrument on NASA’s Aura Earth-orbiting spacecraft, including 20 years of data from two life test units on the ground, 12 years of on-orbit data from TES Laser A, and 2 years of on-orbit data from TES Laser B. The TES lasers are diode-pumped Non-Planar Ring Oscillator (NPRO) lasers using Nd:YAG crystals. Since accelerated life testing was not possible on the complete laser, early prototype lasers that had gone through thermal cycling and vibration testing were placed on non-accelerated life tests with the hope of gathering at least a couple of years of data before launch. Long-term lifetime data for hybrid laser systems in space applications is not abundant, and out of necessity, accelerated reliability testing is usually done over a relatively short time with a large number of devices. The data presented in this paper is unique as it tracks the optical power output over time of a total of four lasers on the order of decades rather than months or years. Two of the lasers have each been on life test for over 20 years on the ground and are still operating, and the other two lasers have been on-orbit for 14 years. TES Laser A was still operating when the TES Instrument was decommissioned in January 2018. Therefore, the data presented covers over 450,000 non-accelerated device-hours, with 23% of those hours being in space.

Kane, T.J.↗