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Results for “liquid-liquid phase separation”

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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287 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Validation of the SINDA/FLUINT Code Using Several Analytical Solutions

The Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer and Fluid Integrator (SINDA/FLUINT) code has often been used to determine the transient and steady-state response of various thermal and fluid flow networks. While this code is an often used design and analysis tool, the validation of this program has been limited to a few simple studies. For the current study, the SINDA/FLUINT code was compared to four different analytical solutions. The thermal analyzer portion of the code (conduction and radiative heat transfer, SINDA portion) was first compared to two separate solutions. The first comparison examined a semi-infinite slab with a periodic surface temperature boundary condition. Next, a small, uniform temperature object (lumped capacitance) was allowed to radiate to a fixed temperature sink. The fluid portion of the code (FLUINT) was also compared to two different analytical solutions. The first study examined a tank filling process by an ideal gas in which there is both control volume work and heat transfer. The final comparison considered the flow in a pipe joining two infinite reservoirs of pressure. The results of all these studies showed that for the situations examined here, the SINDA/FLUINT code was able to match the results of the analytical solutions.

John R Keller↗
NASA NTRS1997

Evaluation of an Ejector Ramjet Based Propulsion System for Air-Breathing Hypersonic Flight

A Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine system is designed to combine the high thrust to weight ratio of a rocket along with the high specific impulse of a ramjet in a single, integrated propulsion system. This integrated, combined cycle propulsion system is designed to provide higher vehicle performance than that achievable with a separate rocket and ramjet. The RBCC engine system studied in the current program is the Aerojet strutjet engine concept, which is being developed jointly by a government-industry team as part of the Air Force HyTech program pre-PRDA activity. The strutjet is an ejector-ramjet engine in which small rocket chambers are embedded into the trailing edges of the inlet compression struts. The engine operates as an ejector-ramjet from takeoff to slightly above Mach 3. Above Mach 3 the engine operates as a ramjet and transitions to a scramjet at high Mach numbers. For space launch applications the rockets would be re-ignited at a Mach number or altitude beyond which air-breathing propulsion alone becomes impractical. The focus of the present study is to develop and demonstrate a strutjet flowpath using hydrocarbon fuel at up to Mach 7 conditions.

Scott R Thomas↗
NASA NTRS2017

Europa Propulsion Valve Seat Material Testing

The Europa mission and spacecraft design presented unique challenges for selection of valve seat materials that met the fluid compatibility requirements, and combined fluid compatibility and high radiation exposure level requirements. The Europa spacecraft pressurization system valves will be exposed to fully saturated propellant vapor for the duration of the mission. The effects of Nitrogen Tetroxide (NTO) and Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) propellant vapors on heritage valve seat materials, such as Vespel SP-1 and Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), were evaluated to determine if an alternate material is required. In liquid system applications, Teflon is the only available compatible valve seat material. Radiation exposure data for Teflon in an air or vacuum environment has been previously documented. Radiation exposure data for Teflon in an oxidizer environment such as NTO, was not available, and it was unknown whether the effects would be similar to those on air-exposed samples. Material testing was conducted by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) to determine the effects of propellant vapor on heritage seat materials for pressurization valve applications, and the effects of combined radiation and NTO propellant exposure on Teflon. The results indicated that changes in heritage pressurization valve seat materials' properties rendered them unsuitable for the Europa application. The combined radiation and NTO exposure testing of Teflon produced results equivalent to combined radiation and air exposure results.

Brad M Addona↗
NASA NTRS2026

A Review of Superconducting Electric Machines with On-Board Cryocoolers

This paper reviews the evolution and emerging direction of superconducting electric machines that employ onboard cryocoolers integrated directly into the rotor, eliminating the need for cryogenic fluid coupling and, in some cases, rotary seals. Traditional low-temperature superconducting (LTS) machines relied on external cryogenic systems and liquid helium transfer couplers, which introduced excessive complexity, poor reliability, and significant parasitic energy losses. The advent of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) has enabled compact, closed-cycle cryocoolers that support self-contained, fluid-free refrigeration architectures suitable for rotating applications. This paper examines the key technological challenges associated with on-board cryocooler integration and reviews three representative efforts by KAIST, NASA, and Hinetics, each illustrating distinct strategies and milestones toward practical implementation. KAIST demonstrated early proof-of-concept for rotating machines with on-board cryocoolers, NASA developed a shaft-integrated Stirling-type pulse tube cryocooler for a 1.4 MW hybrid-electric motor, and Hinetics achieved full-scale validation of a self-contained HTS rotor incorporating a commercial Stirling cryocooler and spoke-suspension torque tube. Collectively, these achievements confirm the technical feasibility of on-board cryogenic refrigeration and highlight steady progress toward compact and efficient superconducting rotating systems across various applications. Embedding cryocoolers directly within the rotor enables practical, efficient, and commercially viable superconducting propulsion technologies.

Cryogenics↗
NASA NTRS2026

Biobased Polybenzoxazine Derived from Furfurylamine and Piceol with Low Cure Temperature and Advanced Properties for Composite Matrices

A novel benzoxazine made from furfurylamine, paraformaldehyde, and piceol, Bz-FA-HA, is assessed for applications in fiber reinforced (FR) composites. Piceol is a biobased phenolic compound derived from the roots of Norwegian spruce trees and contains a methyl ketone group at the para position. Bz-FA-HA is a liquid at room temperature, has a viscosity of < 1 Pa.s at temperatures above 90 °C, and a Tonset of cure at 132 °C. The carbonyl is found to react with the furan ring, yielding a crosslinking reaction, when cured above 180 °C as indicated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Poly(Bz-FA-HA) has a Tg > 350 °C, attributed to the crosslinking reaction. Furthermore, the storage modulus is > 3 GPa, regardless of cure temperature. Poly(Bz-FA-HA) has a char yield at 800 °C of 65.0 % (62.3 % at 1000 °C), and a Tonset of decomposition of 357 °C in nitrogen. The resulting carbon formed during pyrolysis shrinks during the carbonization reaction and scanning electron microscopy imaging shows a cross-section with micro cracks. The high processability, advanced mechanical properties, and exceptional char yield make it a promising candidate as the matrix for FR composites.

Benzoxazine↗
NASA NTRS1993

Preliminary Design and Implementation of the Baseline Digital Baseband Architecture for Advanced Deep Space Transponders

The baseline design and implementation of the digital baseband architecture for advanced deep space transponders is investigated and identified. Trade studies on the selection of the number of bits for the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and optimum sampling schemes are presented. In addition, the proposed optimum sampling scheme is analyzed in detail. Descriptions of possible implementations for the digital baseband (or digital front end) and digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) for carrier tracking are also described.

T M Nguyen↗
NASA NTRS1995

Lithium Battery Space Experiment

The In-Space Technology Experiments Program selected the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to conduct a Phase A study of the Lithium Battery Experiment. The experiment will mark the first time a rechargeable lithium battery will be flown in space. The operation of the battery involves lithium deposition and dissolution processed. Micro gravity influences these processes significantly. The experiment will check the rate capability, discharge voltage, capacity and the phenomena affecting cycle life. The paper describes the design and methodology of this experiment.

Mueller, R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Surface Characterization Through Shape Oscillations of Drops in Microgravity and 1-g

The goal of these experiments is to determine the rheological properties of liquid drops of single or multiple components in the presence or absence of surface active materials by exciting drops into their quadrupole resonance and observing their free decay. The resulting data coupled with appropriate theory should give a better description of the physics of the underlying phenomena, providing a better foundation than earlier empirical results could. The space environment makes an idealized geometry available (spherical drops) so that theory and experiment can be properly compared, and allows a 'clean' environment, by which is meant an environment in which no solid surfaces come in contact with the drops during the test period. Moreover, by considering the oscillations of intentionally deformed drops in microgravity, a baseline is established for interpreting surface characterization experiments done on the ground by other groups and ours. Experiments performed on the United States Microgravity Laboratory Laboratory (USML-1) demonstrated that shape oscillation experiments could be performed over a wide parameter range, and with a variety of surfactant materials. Results, however, were compromised by an unexpected, slow drop tumbling, some problems with droplet injection, and the presence of bubbles in the drop samples. Nevertheless, initial data suggests that the space environment will be useful in providing baseline data that can serve to validate theory and permit quantitative materials characterization at 1-g.

Robert E Apfel↗
NASA NTRS2026

Impact Testing of 410 Stainless Steel for Material Impact Model Development

A project is underway to develop a consistent set of material properties, impact test data, and failure analysis for a variety of metallic aircraft materials that can be used to develop improved impact failure and deformation models. This project is jointly funded by the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center. Particular features of this set of data are that all material property and impact test data are obtained using traceable material, the test methods and procedures are extensively documented, and all the raw data are available. Four parallel efforts are currently underway: measurement of material deformation and failure response over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures, failure analysis of material property specimens and impact test articles, development of improved numerical modeling techniques for deformation and failure, and impact testing of flat panels and substructures for model validation. This report describes impact testing performed on 410 stainless steel sheet and plate samples of different thicknesses with two different types of projectiles, one a regular cylinder and one with a more complex geometry incorporating features representative of a jet engine fan blade. Data from this testing will be used in validating material models developed under this program. The material tests and the material models developed in this program will be published in separate reports.

410 Stainless Steel↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Rocket Ready for Artemis II Lunar Mission

In early 2026, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission, an approximately 10-day long lunar mission that will fly three NASA astronauts and one CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut on a free-return trajectory around the Moon, following a one-day checkout of their Orion spacecraft in Earth orbit. The mission will be the first to launch astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and on top of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The mission will also deploy four 12U CubeSats as secondary payloads from the Orion stage adapter, following Orion separation and departure. The payloads, developed by four of NASA’s international partners, will perform a variety of science and technology investigations. The SLS and Orion for the mission are currently stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and are undergoing final preparations to rollout to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test before launch. In addition to preparations for the Artemis II mission, significant progress is being made on the SLS for the Artemis III mission, which is targeted to return astronauts to the lunar surface no later than 2029. Major components of the core stage and solid rocket boosters are already at NASA Kennedy undergoing build-up for the mission. Data from the Artemis II launch and mission, as well as progress to subsequent missions, as available, will be presented.

Bruce Askins↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Rocket Ready for Artemis II Lunar Mission

In early 2026, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission, an approximately 10-day long lunar mission that will fly three NASA astronauts and one CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut on a free-return trajectory around the Moon, following a one-day checkout of their Orion spacecraft in Earth orbit. The mission will be the first to launch astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft and on top of the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The mission will also deploy four 12U CubeSats as secondary payloads from the Orion stage adapter, following Orion separation and departure. The payloads, developed by four of NASA’s international partners, will perform a variety of science and technology investigations. The SLS and Orion for the mission are currently stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and are undergoing final preparations to rollout to Launch Pad 39B for a tanking test before launch. In addition to preparations for the Artemis II mission, significant progress is being made on the SLS for the Artemis III mission, which is targeted to return astronauts to the lunar surface no later than 2029. Major components of the core stage and solid rocket boosters are already at NASA Kennedy undergoing build-up for the mission. Data from the Artemis II launch and mission, as well as progress to subsequent missions, as available, will be presented.

Bruce R Askins↗
NASA NTRS2026

Space Suit Material Compatibility with Space Vehicle Coolant PMS-1.5R

During a survey of 82P on February 11, 2023, a shiny substance was detected on the Progress vehicle. The suspected material was PMS-1.5R, a low volatility silicone oil coolant used in the vehicle. Crew exposure to the coolant was a concern as the low volatility would increase residence time, the time a material will stay on a surface after exposure to vacuum. A review of space suit materials revealed several materials with compatibility concerns that could impact Extravehicular Activity (EVA) operations and safety. To understand the risk, space suit materials were exposed to a simulant and tested. This testing provided the basis for rationale generated to continue with EVA operations for US EVA 86 on April 2, 2023. This testing also served as the basis to assess impacts to ISS EMU hardware due to potential contamination brought inside ISS on Russian space suits during RS EVA 61 on October 25, 2023, following an ISS Russian Multipurpose Lab Module (MLM) radiator leak of the same fluid on October 9, 2023. This paper will discuss the testing performed and analyze test results impacts to EVA operations. Additional work was conducted to determine coolant evaporation rates in space vacuum and demonstrate that no significant unreacted coolant from the MLM leak would remain on ISS surfaces long enough to contaminate the EMU or affect the ISS ECLSS water separator.

Space Suit Materials↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Risk Reduction Project in Pad Abort-1 Launch Vehicle Loads & Dynamics

The Pad Abort (PA-1) system includes the Launch Abort System (LAS) and the Command Module (CM). The PA-1 abort flight test will launch from the White Sands Missile Range. Prior to the ignition, the vehicle will be resting, without restraints, on a short support structure. The Launch Abort Motor will ignite and burn for less than 5 seconds before a 20 second coast. Then the LAS will separate from the CM and the CM will descend via parachute to a soil landing. The static firing of the Abort Motor (ST-1) for PA-1 Launch Vehicle resulted in unexpected higher levels that superseded the environment predictions and all the design and test loads of all subassemblies and components. A rapid project was put in place to develop the flight environments, loads and associated uncertainties for the Verification Load Cycle (VLC) of PA-1. An acoustic test and shaker test of the CM were planned and executed in support of the developments of damping and transfer functions. Instead of using the traditional structure-borne envelops, the actual ST-1 pressures and forces were used to develop the internal accelerations. The PA-1 motor was cooled to 60 Deg F using thermal conditioning to reduce the thrust profile. The plumes of the abort motor were studied to determine if the airborne environments would be reduced. The combination of all items, noted above, allowed a reduction in loads for VLC.

Sasan C Armand↗
NASA NTRS1999

Initial Test Firing Results for Solid CO/GOX Cryogenic Hybrid Rocket Engine for Mars ISRU Propulsion Applications

ORBITEC is developing methods for producing, testing, and utilizing Mars-based ISRU fuel/oxidizer combinations to support low cost, planetary surface and flight propulsion and power systems. When humans explore Mars we will need to use in situ resources that are available, such as: energy (solar); gases or liquids for life support, ground transportation, and flight to and from other surface locations and Earth; and materials for shielding and building habitats and infrastructure. Probably the easiest use of Martian resources to reduce the cost of human exploration activities is the use of the carbon and oxygen readily available from the CO2 in the Mars atmosphere. ORBITEC has conducted preliminary R&D that will eventually allow us to reliably use these resources. ORBITEC is focusing on the innovative use of solid CO as a fuel. A new advanced cryogenic hybrid rocket propulsion system is suggested that will offer advantages over LCO/LOX propulsion, making it the best option for a Mars sample return vehicle and other flight vehicles. This technology could also greatly support logistics and base operations by providing a reliable and simple way to store solar or nuclear generated energy in the form of chemical energy that can be used for ground transportation (rovers/land vehicles) and planetary surface power generators. This paper describes the overall concept and the test results of the first ever solid carbon monoxide/oxygen rocket engine firing.

Eric E Rice↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Effect of Gravity on the Combustion of Bulk Metals

In recent years, metal combustion studies at the University of Colorado have focused on the effects of gravity (g) on the ignition and burning behavior of bulk metals. The impetus behind this effort is the understanding of the ignition conditions and flammability properties of structural metals found in oxygen (O,sub>2 ) systems for space applications. Since spacecraft are subjected to higher-than-1g loads during launch and reentry and to a zero-gravity environment while in orbit, the study of ignition and combustion of bulk metals at different gravitational accelerations is of great practical concern. From the scientific standpoint, studies conducted under low gravity conditions provide simplified boundary conditions, since buoyancy is removed, and make possible the identification of fundamental ignition and combustion mechanisms. This investigation is intended to provide experimental verification of the influence of natural convection on the burning behavior of metals. In addition, the study offers the first findings of the influence of gravity on ignition of bulk metals and on the combustion mechanism and structure of metal-oxygen, vapor-phase diffusion flames in a buoyancy-free environment. Titanium (Ti) and magnesium (Mg) metals were chosen because of their importance as elements of structural materials and their simple chemical composition-pure metals instead of multicomponent alloys to simplify chemical and spectroscopic analyses. In addition, these elements present the two different combustion modes observed in metals: heterogeneous or surface burning (for Ti) and homogeneous or gas-phase reaction (for Mg). Finally, Mg, Ti, and their oxides exhibit a wide range of thermophysical and chemical properties. Metal surface temperature profiles, critical and ignition temperatures, propagation rates, burning times, and spectroscopic measurements are obtained under normal and reduced gravity. Visual evidence of all phenomena is provided by high-speed photography.

Melvyn C Branch↗
NASA NTRS2010

Precipitation Hardenable High Temperature Shape Memory Alloy

A composition of the invention is a high temperature shape memory alloy having high work output, and is made from (Ni+Pt+Y) x Ti (100-x) wherein x is present in a total amount of 49-55 atomic % Pt is present in a total amount of 10-30 atomic %, Y is one or more of Au, Pd. and Cu and is present in a total amount of 0 to 10 atomic %. The alloy has a matrix phase wherein the total concentration of Ni, Pt, and the one or more of Pd. Au, and Cu is greater than 50 atomic %.

Ronald D Noebe↗
NASA NTRS2026

Remote Sensing-Driven Hydrodynamic Modeling in Data-Scarce Regions: Integrating ICESat-2, Sentinel-2, SWOT and Re-analysis Models for Coastal Monitoring

Hydrodynamic models in coastal and estuarine systems are typically constrained by sparse bathymetry, boundary, and validation data, especially in regions where field campaigns are costly or impractical. Here we develop and test a fully satellite-driven framework for hydrodynamic modeling in South Africa’s Langebaan Lagoon without using any local in situ measurements. Bathymetry is derived by training multispectral Sentinel-2 reflectance against ICESat-2 ATL24 photon-derived depths using an XGBoost model optimized with Bayesian search. The final satellite-derived bathymetry reproduces independent ATL24 points with RMSE = 0.45 m and R 2 = 0.97. This bathymetry was used in a depth-averaged Delft3D Flexible Mesh model driven at the open boundary by TPXO tidal harmonics and by ERA5 winds. We validate modeled water surface elevation against 16 SWOT low-rate (250 m, unsmoothed) passes in 2023. SWOT–model comparisons yield an overall RMSE of 0.11 m and R 2 = 0.61, with typical point differences <0.10 m (∼7% of the 1.5 m tidal range), and showed consistent spatial gradients in water level from the offshore boundary, through Saldanha Bay, and into the lagoon. At the offshore boundary, TPXO and SWOT sea surface heights agree closely (R 2 = 0.86). A simple phase adjustment of ∼26,min between TPXO and SWOT lowers the RMSE from 0.18,m to 0.11,m, showing that phase offset accounts for some of the discrepancy, with additional errors likely linked to non-tidal signals. Our results demonstrate that combining passive optical, photon-counting LiDAR, radar interferometry, and global tidal/atmospheric models enables robust, transferrable hydrodynamic modeling in data-scarce coastal systems, offering a cost-effective pathway for monitoring.

ICESat-2↗
NASA NTRS1994

Protein Crystal Growth Results From the United States Microgravity Laboratory-1 Mission

Protein crystal growth experiments have been performed by this laboratory on 18 Space Shuttle missions since April, 1985. In addition, a number of microgravity experiments also have been performed and reported by other investigators. These Space Shuttle missions have been used to grow crystals of a variety of proteins using vapor diffusion, liquid diffusion, and temperature-induced crystallization techniques. The United States Microgravity Laboratory - 1 mission (USML-1, June 25 - July 9, 1992) was a Spacelab mission dedicated to experiments involved in materials processing. New protein crystal growth hardware was developed to allow in orbit examination of initial crystal growth results, the knowledge from which was used on subsequent days to prepare new crystal growth experiments. In addition, new seeding hardware and techniques were tested as well as techniques that would prepare crystals for analysis by x-ray diffraction, a capability projected for the planned Space Station. Hardware that was specifically developed for the USML-1 mission will be discussed along with the experimental results from this mission.

L J Delucas↗