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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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

Preliminary analysis of measured sound propagation over various seasonal snow covers

Measurements of acoustic pulse propagation in the 5 to 500-Hz frequency band were conducted under various snow cover conditions during the 1989 to 1990 winter in New Hampshire. The objective was to determine the effect of snow cover thickness and other snow properties on the absorption of acoustic pulses. Blank pistol shots were used as the source of the acoustic waves, and geophones and microphones in an 80 m-long linear array served as receivers. Snow thicknesses ranged from 0.05 to 0.35 m, and densities varied from 100 to 350 kg m(sup -3) during the 10 separate measurement days. Preliminary analysis indicates that the peak pulse amplitude decayed in proportion to approx. gamma (sup -1.7) for most conditions and that the acoustic-to-seismic ratios varied from about 4 to 15 x 10(exp -6) m s(sup -1) Pa(sup -1). Theoretical waveforms were calculated for propagation in a homogeneous atmosphere using Attenborough's model of ground impedance. An automatic fitting procedure for the normalized experimental and theoretical waveforms was used to determine the effective flow resistivity of the snow covers, and gave values of 10 to 35 kN s m(sup -4), in agreement with earlier results.

Albert, Donald G.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Polyimide-Foam/Aerogel Composites for Thermal Insulation

Composites of specific types of polymer foams and aerogel particles or blankets have been proposed to obtain thermal insulation performance superior to those of the neat polyimide foams. These composites have potential to also provide enhanced properties for vibration dampening or acoustic attenuation. The specific type of polymer foam is denoted "TEEK-H", signifying a series, denoted H, within a family of polyimide foams that were developed at NASA s Langley Research Center and are collectively denoted TEEK (an acronym of the inventors names). The specific types of aerogels include Nanogel aerogel particles from Cabot Corporation in Billerica, MA. and of Spaceloft aerogel blanket from Aspen Aerogels in Northborough, MA. The composites are inherently flame-retardant and exceptionally thermally stable. There are numerous potential uses for these composites, at temperatures from cryogenic to high temperatures, in diverse applications that include aerospace vehicles, aircraft, ocean vessels, buildings, and industrial process equipment. Some low-temperature applications, for example, include cryogenic storage and transfer or the transport of foods, medicines, and chemicals. Because of thermal cycling, aging, and weathering most polymer foams do not perform well at cryogenic temperatures and will undergo further cracking over time. The TEEK polyimides are among the few exceptions to this pattern, and the proposed composites are intended to have all the desirable properties of TEEK-H foams, plus improved thermal performance along with enhanced vibration or acoustic-attenuation performance. A composite panel as proposed would be fabricated by adding an appropriate amount of TEEK friable balloons into a mold to form a bottom layer. A piece of flexible aerogel blanket material, cut to the desired size and shape, would then be placed on the bottom TEEK layer and sandwiched between another top layer of polyimide friable balloons so that the aerogel blanket would become completely encased in an outer layer of TEEK friable balloons. Optionally, the process could be further repeated to produce multiple aerogel-blanket layers interspersed with and encased by TEEK friable balloons.

Williams, Martha↗
NASA NTRS1974

Advanced acoustic cavity technology

A series of rocket motor firings was performed in a modified linear aerospike thrust chamber with the H2/O2 propellant combination to allow determination of the physical properties of the combustion gases in acoustic cavities located in the chamber side walls. A preliminary analytical study was first conducted to define theoretically both the appropriate cavity dimensions and the combustion gas flow field adjacent to the cavity openings. During the subsequent motor firings, cavity gas temperature profiles were measured and gas samples were withdrawn from the bottom of the cavities for compositional analysis by measurement of pressure/temperature variation and gas chromatography. Data were obtained with both radially and axially oriented cavities and with and without hydrogen bleed flow through the cavities. A simplified procedure was developed for predicting gas cavity and acoustic velocity for use in acoustic cavity design analyses.

Hines, W. S.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Effects of Nose Bluntness on Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Receptivity and Stability Over Cones

The receptivity to freestream acoustic disturbances and the stability properties of hypersonic boundary layers are numerically investigated for boundary-layer flows over a 5 straight cone at a freestream Mach number of 6.0. To compute the shock and the interaction of the shock with the instability waves, the Navier-Stokes equations in axisymmetric coordinates were solved. In the governing equations, inviscid and viscous flux vectors are discretized using a fifth-order accurate weighted-essentially-non-oscillatory scheme. A third-order accurate total-variation-diminishing Runge-Kutta scheme is employed for time integration. After the mean flow field is computed, disturbances are introduced at the upstream end of the computational domain. The appearance of instability waves near the nose region and the receptivity of the boundary layer with respect to slow mode acoustic waves are investigated. Computations confirm the stabilizing effect of nose bluntness and the role of the entropy layer in the delay of boundary-layer transition. The current solutions, compared with experimental observations and other computational results, exhibit good agreement.

Kara, Kursat↗
NASA NTRS1995

Detecting Structural Failures Via Acoustic Impulse Responses

Advanced method of acoustic pulse reflectivity testing developed for use in determining sizes and locations of failures within structures. Used to detect breaks in electrical transmission lines, detect faults in optical fibers, and determine mechanical properties of materials. In method, structure vibrationally excited with acoustic pulse (a "ping") at one location and acoustic response measured at same or different location. Measured acoustic response digitized, then processed by finite-impulse-response (FIR) filtering algorithm unique to method and based on acoustic-wave-propagation and -reflection properties of structure. Offers several advantages: does not require training, does not require prior knowledge of mathematical model of acoustic response of structure, enables detection and localization of multiple failures, and yields data on extent of damage at each location.

Bayard, David S.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Frequency response of a vaporization process to distorted acoustic disturbances

The open-loop response properties expressed as the mass vaporized in phase and out of phase with the pressure oscillations were numerically evaluated for a vaporizing n-heptane droplet. The evaluation includes the frequency dependence introduced by periodic oscillation in droplet mass and temperature. A given response was achieved over a much broader range of frequency with harmonically distorted disturbances than with sinusoidal disturbances. The results infer that distortion increases the probability of incurring spontaneous and triggered instability in any rocket engine combustor by broadening the frequency range over which the vaporization process can support an instability.

Heidmann, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Development of high temperature containerless processing equipment and the design and evaluation of associated systems required for microgravity materials processing and property measurements

The development of high temperature containerless processing equipment and the design and evaluation of associated systems required for microgravity materials processing and property measurements are discussed. Efforts were directed towards the following task areas: design and development of a High Temperature Acoustic Levitator (HAL) for containerless processing and property measurements at high temperatures; testing of the HAL module to establish this technology for use as a positioning device for microgravity uses; construction and evaluation of a brassboard hot wall Acoustic Levitation Furnace; construction and evaluation of a noncontact temperature measurement (NCTM) system based on AGEMA thermal imaging camera; construction of a prototype Division of Amplitude Polarimetric Pyrometer for NCTM of levitated specimens; evaluation of and recommendations for techniques to control contamination in containerless materials processing chambers; and evaluation of techniques for heating specimens to high temperatures for containerless materials experimentation.

Rey, Charles A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The observation and interpretation of the profile of C IV lambda-1548 emitted from a quiet region of the sun

The average properties of the quiet chromospheric network as seen in the transition region line of C IV at 1548 A have been investigated. Line profile data for the study were taken with the OSO 8 High Resolution Ultraviolet Spectrometer, which has moderate angular resolution, high spectral resolution, and good relative photometric accuracy. The profiles, when classified and averaged according to their intensities, were found to be symmetric and Gaussian in shape at all intensity levels. A marginally significant increase in line width with line intensity was detected but the average relative redshift in the network that has been a feature of other OSO 8 studies was not found. The network-to-cell contrast ratio was of the order of 13:1 with the extreme extending to 50.1. The measured average width of 0.22 A (FWHM) is in good agreement with earlier work. Finally, a theoretical interpretation is presented, based on both the line width measurement and consideration of the profile symmetry properties. It is concluded that acoustic waves alone cannot supply enough energy to balance the radiative and conductive losses from the corona. The data are, however, consistent with heating by Alfven waves.

Bruner, E. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Noise reduction in a Mach 5 wind tunnel with a rectangular rod-wall sound shield

A rod wall sound shield was tested over a range of Reynolds numbers of 0.5 x 10 to the 7th power to 8.0 x 10 to the 7th power per meter. The model consisted of a rectangular array of longitudinal rods with boundary-layer suction through gaps between the rods. Suitable measurement techniques were used to determine properties of the flow and acoustic disturbance in the shield and transition in the rod boundary layers. Measurements indicated that for a Reynolds number of 1.5 x 10 to the 9th power the noise in the shielded region was significantly reduced, but only when the flow is mostly laminar on the rods. Actual nozzle input noise measured on the nozzle centerline before reflection at the shield walls was attenuated only slightly even when the rod boundary layer were laminar. At a lower Reynolds number, nozzle input noise at noise levels in the shield were still too high for application to a quiet tunnel. At Reynolds numbers above 2.0 x 10 the the 7th power per meter, measured noise levels were generally higher than nozzle input levels, probably due to transition in the rod boundary layers. The small attenuation of nozzle input noise at intermediate Reynolds numbers for laminar rod layers at the acoustic origins is apparently due to high frequencies of noise.

Creel, T. R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Reduction of Convection in Closed Tube Vapor Transport Experiments

The primary objective of this effort was to develop a method for suppressing convective flows during the growth of mercurous chloride crystals by vapor transport in closed tubes to levels approaching those obtained in the microgravity environment. Mercurous chloride was chosen because it is a technologically interesting acoustical optical material whose optical properties are believed to be affected by convective flows. Since the Grashof number scales as the cube of the smallest dimension in the flow system, reduction of the size scale can be extremely effective in reducing unwanted convective flows. However, since materials of practical interest must be grown at least on the cm scale, reduction of the overall growth system is not feasible. But if the region just above the growing crystal could be restricted to a few mm, considerable reduction in flow velocity would result. By suspending an effusive barrier in the growth ampoule just above the growth interface, it should be possible to reduce the convective velocity in this vicinity to levels approaching flows in microgravity. If successful, this growth technique will offer a screening test for proposed space experiments that involve vapor transport to see if reduction of convection will result in improved material and will set a new standard against which the improvements obtained in microgravity may be judged. In addition, it may provide an improved method for preparing materials on Earth whose growth is affected adversely by convection. If the properties of this material can be improved there is a potential commercial interest from Brimrose Inc., who has agreed to fabricate and test devices from the crystals we have grown. This report describes the development of the growth facility, the purification processes developed for preparing the starting material, and the results from growth experiments with and without the effusive baffle. Mercurous chloride turned out to be a more difficult material to deal with than originally anticipated. At growth temperatures, it is extremely sensitive to practically any impurity which causes it to form oxychlorides and/or to decompose into elemental mercury and bichloride of mercury. We were unable to find a suitable method for protecting the magnetic material used to suspend the effusion barrier from the attack of mercurous chloride vapor. Although we were successful in growing single crystals of mercurous chloride without the effusion baffle, they exhibited severe microcracking which we attribute to wall-induced thermal stresses. This leads us to believe that uncontrolled convection may not be the most important problem in the development of this material and a new growth process was attempted that eliminates the wall-induced stress. Unfortunately, the grant ran out before this new method could be adequately tested.

Naumann, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Polyimide Foams

A fully imidized, solvent-free polyimide foam having excellent mechanical, acoustic, thermal, and flame resistant properties is produced. A first solution is provided, which includes one or more aromatic dianhydrides or derivatives of aromatic dianhydrides, and may include one or more aromatic diamines, dissolved in one or more polar solvents, along with an effective amount of one or more blowing agents. This first solution may also advantageously include effective amounts respectively of one or mores catalysts, one or more surfactants, and one or more fire retardants. A second solution is also provided which includes one or more isocyanates. The first and second solutions are rapidly and thoroughly mixed to produce an admixture, which is allowed to foam-in an open container, or in a closed mold-under ambient conditions to completion produce a foamed product. This foamed product is then cured by high frequency electromagnetic radiation, thermal energy, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the process is adapted for spraying or extrusion.

Juan M Vazquez↗
NASA NTRS2005

Polyimide foams

A fully imidized, solvent-free polyimide foam having excellent mechanical, acoustic, thermal, and flame resistant properties is produced. A first solution is provided, which includes one or more aromatic dianhydrides or derivatives of aromatic dianhydrides, and may include one or more aromatic diamines, dissolved in one or more polar solvents, along with an effective amount of one or more blowing agents. This first solution may also advantageously include effective amounts respectively of one or mores catalysts, one or more surfactants, and one or more fire retardants. A second solution is also provided which includes one or more isocyanates. The first and second solutions are rapidly and thoroughly mixed to produce an admixture, which is allowed to foam?in an open container, or in a closed mold?under ambient conditions to completion produce a foamed product. This foamed product is then cured by high frequency electromagnetic radiation, thermal energy, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the process is adapted for spraying or extrusion.

Vazquez, Juan M.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Polyimide foams

A fully imidized, solvent-free polyimide foam having excellent mechanical, acoustic, thermal, and flame resistant properties is produced. A first solution is provided, which includes one or more aromatic dianhydrides or derivatives of aromatic dianhydrides, and may include one or more aromatic diamines, dissolved in one or more polar solvents, along with an effective amount of one or more blowing agents. This first solution may also advantageously include effective amounts respectively of one or mores catalysts, one or more surfactants, and one or more fire retardants. A second solution is also provided which includes one or more isocyanates. The first and second solutions are rapidly and thoroughly mixed to produce an admixture, which is allowed to foam--in an open container, or in a closed mold--under ambient conditions to completion produce a foamed product. This foamed product is then cured by high frequency electromagnetic radiation, thermal energy, or a combination thereof. Alternatively, the process is adapted for spraying or extrusion.

Vazquez, Juan M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Effect of Mechanical and Thermal Loading Histories on Residual Properties of SiCf/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

Silicon Carbide based Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) are attractive materials for use in high-temperature structural applications in the aerospace and nuclear industries. Under high stresses and temperatures, creep degradation is the dominant damage mechanism in CMCs. Consequently, chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC) incorporating SylramicTM-iBN SiC fibers coated with boron nitride (BN) interphase and CVI-SiC matrix were tested to examine creep behavior in air at a range of elevated temperatures of (2200 - 2700 F). Samples that survived creep tests were evaluated via RT fast fracture tensile tests to determine residual properties, with the use of acoustic emission (AE) to assess stress dependent damage initiation and progression. Microscopy of regions within the gage section of the tested specimens was performed. Observed material degradation mechanisms are discussed.

creep↗
NASA NTRS1999

Intermediate Temperature Stress Rupture of a Woven Hi-Nicalon, BN-Interphase, SiC Matric Composite in Air

Woven Hi-Nicalon (TM) reinforced melt-infiltrated SiC matrix composites were tested under tensile stress-rupture conditions in air at intermediate temperatures. A comprehensive examination of the damage state and the fiber properties at failure was performed. Modal acoustic emission analysis was used to monitor damage during the experiment. Extensive microscopy of the composite fracture surfaces and the individual fiber fracture surfaces was used to determine the mechanisms leading to ultimate failure. The rupture properties of these composites were significantly worse than expected compared to the fiber properties under similar conditions. This was due to the oxidation of the BN interphase. Oxidation occurred through the matrix cracks that intersected the surface or edge of a tensile bar. These oxidation reactions resulted in minor degradation to fiber strength and strong bonding of the fibers to one another at regions of near fiber-to-fiber contact. It was found that two regimes for rupture exist for this material: a high stress regime where rupture occurs at a fast rate and a low stress regime where rupture occurs at a slower rate. For the high stress regime, the matrix damage state consisted of through thickness cracks. The average fracture strength of fibers that were pulled-out (the final fibers to break before ultimate failure) was controlled by the slow-crack growth rupture criterion in the literature for individual Hi-Nicalon (TM) fibers. For the low stress regime, the matrix damage state consisted of microcracks which grew during the rupture test. The average fracture strength of fibers that were pulled-out in this regime was the same as the average fracture strength of individual fibers pulled out in as-produced composites tested at room temperature.

Morscher, Gregory N.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The ion-ion acoustic instability

This paper considers the linear theory of ion-acoustic-like instabilities in a homogeneous Vlasov plasma with two ion components, a less dense beam and a more dense core, with a relative drift velocity. Numerical solutions of the full electrostatic dispersion equation are presented, and the properties of the ion-ion acoustic instability are studied in detail. At relatively cold beam temperatures, the instability is fluid-like, but it becomes a beam resonant kinetic instability as the beam temperature becomes of the order of the core temperature; if the mode is unstable, its threshold lies well below the threshold of the electron-ion acoustic instability. An electron temperature anisotropy enhances the instability, and at sufficiently large beam-core relative drift speeds, electron magnetization can either detract from or enhance the instability.

Gary, S. Peter↗
NASA NTRS1991

Computational simulation of acoustic fatigue for hot composite structures

Predictive methods/computer codes for the computational simulation of acoustic fatigue resistance of hot composite structures subjected to acoustic excitation emanating from an adjacent vibrating component are discussed. Select codes developed over the past two decades at the NASA Lewis Research Center are used. The codes include computation of acoustic noise generated from a vibrating component, degradation in material properties of a composite laminate at use temperature, dynamic response of acoustically excited hot multilayered composite structure, degradation in the first ply strength of the excited structure due to acoustic loading, and acoustic fatigue resistance of the excited structure, including the propulsion environment. Effects of the laminate lay-up and environment on the acoustic fatigue life are evaluated. The results show that, by keeping the angled plies on the outer surface of the laminate, a substantial increase in the acoustic fatigue life is obtained. The effect of environment (temperature and moisture) is to relieve the residual stresses leading to an increase in the acoustic fatigue life of the excited panel.

Singhal, Surendra N.↗