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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 253 records · Page 14

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NASA NTRS1993

Configuration development study of the OSU 1 hypersonic research vehicle

In an effort to insure the future development of hypersonic cruise aircraft, the possible vehicle configurations were examined to develop a single-stage-to-orbit hypersonic research vehicle (HRV). Based on the needs of hypersonic research and development, the mission goals and requirements are determined. A body type is chosen. Three modes of propulsion and two liquid rocket fuels are compared, followed by the optimization of the body configuration through aerodynamic, weight, and trajectory studies. A cost analysis is included.

Stein, Matthew D.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Ignition and combustion characteristics of metallized propellants, phase 2

Secondary atomization and ignition characteristics of aluminum/hydrocarbon gel propellants were investigated. Models of gel droplet shell formation were applied to aluminum/liquid hydrocarbon propellants to examine the effects of solid loading and ultimate particle size on the minimum droplet diameter permitting secondary atomization. A one-dimensional model of a gel-fueled rocket combustion chamber was developed. A model for radiant heat transfer from hot aluminum oxide particles to the chamber walls is included. A two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code was used to estimate nozzle two-phase losses and overall engine performance.

Mueller, D. C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Design, analysis, and fabrication of oxide-coated iridium/rhenium combustion chambers

Iridium-coated rhenium (Ir/Re) combustion chambers provide high temperature, oxidation-resistant operation for radiation-cooled liquid-fueled rocket engines. A 22-N (5-lb(sub f)) chamber has been operated for 15 hours at 2200 C (4000 F) using nitrogen tetroxide/monomethyl hydrazine (NTO/MMH) propellant, with negligible internal erosion. The oxidation resistance of these chambers could be further increased by the addition of refractory oxide coatings, providing longer life and/or operation in more oxidizing and higher temperature environments. The oxide coatings would serve as a thermal and diffusion barrier for the iridium coating, lowering the temperature of the iridium layer while also preventing the ingress of oxygen and egress of iridium oxides. This would serve to slow the failure mechanisms of Ir/Re chambers, namely the diffusion of rhenium to the inner surface and the oxidation of iridium. Such protection could extend chamber lifetimes by tens or perhaps hundreds of hours, and allow chamber operation on stoichiometric or higher mixture ratio oxygen/hydrogen (O2/H2) propellant. Extensive thermomechanical, thermochemical, and mass transport modeling was performed as a key material/structure design tool. Based on the results of these analyses, several 22-N oxide-coated Ir/Re chambers were fabricated and delivered to NASA Lewis Research Center for hot-fire testing.

Jang, Q.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Lunar Base Sitting

Speculation with regard to a permanent lunar base has been with us since Robert Goddard was working on the first liquid-fueled rockets in the 1920's. With the infusion of data from the Apollo Moon flights, a once speculative area of space exploration has become an exciting possibility. A Moon base is not only a very real possibility, but is probably a critical element in the continuation of our piloted space program. This article, originally drafted by World Space Foundation volunteers in conjuction with various academic and research groups, examines some of the strategies involved in selecting an appropriate site for such a lunar base. Site selection involves a number of complex variables, including raw materials for possible rocket propellant generation, hot an cold cycles, view of the sky (for astronomical considerations, among others), geological makeup of the region, and more. This article summarizes the key base siting considerations and suggests some alternatives. Availability of specific resources, including energy and certain minerals, is critical to success.

Staehle, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Stress-Simulating Witness Panels

Special panel fixtures developed for verifying integrity of bonds between propellants and insulators in solid-fuel rocket motors by applying, to specimens of propellant and insulator material, stresses similar to those caused by shrinkage during fabrication of motors. Assemblies of fixtures and specimens called "stress-simulating witness panels." Concept also applicable to stress testing of bonds in other manufactured products subject to shrinkage or to swelling.

Graham, Robert P.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Replacing Chlorinated-Solvent-Based Cleaners And Adhesives

Brief report describes tests conducted to assess feasibility of using selected chemicals as replacements for selected cleaners, primers, and adhesives containing chlorinated solvents. Cleaners, primers, and adhesives in question used in bonding insulating material in steel cases of solid-fuel rocket motors. Necessary to phase out use of chlorinated solvents because of concerns over toxicity and adverse effects on ozone layer in upper atmosphere.

Heaton, Harley↗

NASA NTRS1995

Flexseal Insulator Test Assembly

Small-scale version of solid-fuel rocket motor flexseal nozzle bearing assembly instrumented and tested in compression-testing fixture simulating conditions during rocket motor operation described in report.

Buchanan, Eric↗

NASA NTRS1995

Bondable Stainless Surface Coats Protect Against Rust

Report describes tests conducted to assess use of bondable stainless surface (BOSS) coating materials to protect steel cases of solid-fuel rocket motors against corrosion and to provide surface microstructure and chemistry suitable for bonding to insulating material. Eliminates need to cover cases with grease to prevent corrosion and degreasing immediately prior to use.

Davis, G. D.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Investigation of Advanced Processed Single-Crystal Turbine Blade Alloys

This investigation studied the influence of thermal processing and microstructure on the mechanical properties of the single-crystal, nickel-based superalloys PWA 1482 and PWA 1484. The objective of the program was to develop an improved single-crystal turbine blade alloy that is specifically tailored for use in hydrogen fueled rocket engine turbopumps. High-gradient casting, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), and alternate heat treatment (HT) processing parameters were developed to produce pore-free, eutectic-free microstructures with different (gamma)' precipitate morphologies. Test materials were cast in high thermal gradient solidification (greater than 30 C/cm (137 F/in.)) casting furnaces for reduced dendrite arm spacing, improved chemical homogeneity, and reduced interdendritic pore size. The HIP processing was conducted in 40 cm (15.7 in.) diameter production furnaces using a set of parameters selected from a trial matrix study. Metallography was conducted on test samples taken from each respective trial run to characterize the as-HIP microstructure. Post-HIP alternate HT processes were developed for each of the two alloys. The goal of the alternate HT processing was to fully solution the eutectic gamma/(gamma)' phase islands and to develop a series of modified (gamma)' morphologies for subsequent characterization testing. This was accomplished by slow cooling through the (gamma)' solvus at controlled rates to precipitate volume fractions of large (gamma)'. Post-solution alternate HT parameters were established for each alloy providing additional volume fractions of finer precipitates. Screening tests included tensile, high-cycle fatigue (HCF), smooth and notched low-cycle fatigue (LCF), creep, and fatigue crack growth evaluations performed in air and high pressure (34.5 MPa (5 ksi)) hydrogen at room and elevated temperature. Under the most severe embrittling conditions (HCF and smooth and notched LCF in 34.5 MPa (5 ksi) hydrogen at 20 C (68 F), screening test results showed increases in fatigue life typically on the order of 1OX, when compared to the current Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Alternate Turbopump (AT) blade alloy (PWA 1480).

Peters, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Spray combustion stability

The central purpose of this project is the improvement of liquid-fueled rocket motor design technology in order to assist the establishment of economical commercial access to space through the development of engines with enhanced performance and reliability. Specific research effort in the project is focused on spray physics and associated combustion instability phenomena. Results garnered from this work will contribute to the development of new computational tools for design of stable liquid propellant rocket engines. The specific objectives of the research effort include identifying and evaluating physical submodels which pertain to spray combustion stability with the idea of enhancing or refining existing submodels with a more comprehensive approach. In particular, any refinements to the spray combustion physical submodels which are achieved during the project will be channeled back to Rocketdyne for incorporation in their ARICC liquid rocket combustor code as second generation improvements. Also, as the ARICC code forms the basis or future CFD development, some effort is devoted to an evaluation of the code's capability for modeling oscillating pressure waves within the combustor.

Liang, Pak-Yan↗

NASA NTRS1996

Portable Spray Booth

Portable spray booth provides for controlled application of coating materials with high solvent contents. Includes contoured shroud and carbon filter bed limiting concentration of fumes in vicinity. Designed to substitute spraying for brush application of solvent-based adhesive prior to installing rubber waterproof seals over joints between segments of solid-fuel rocket motor. With minor adjustments and modifications, used to apply other solvent-based adhesives, paints, and like.

Hansen, Timothy D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Spray combustion stability

Liang, Pak-Yan↗

NASA NTRS1994

A Theoretical Evaluation of Secondary Atomization Effects on Engine Performance for Aluminum Gel Propellants

A one-dimensional model of a gel-fueled rocket combustion chamber has been developed. This model includes the processes of liquid hydrocarbon burnout, secondary atomization. aluminum ignition, and aluminum combustion. Also included is a model of radiative heat transfer from the solid combustion products to the chamber walls. Calculations indicate that only modest secondary atomization is required to significantly reduce propellant burnout distances, aluminum oxide residual size and radiation heat wall losses. Radiation losses equal to approximately 2-13 percent of the energy released during combustion were estimated. A two-dimensional, two-phase nozzle code was employed to estimate radiation and nozzle two-phase flow effects on overall engine performance. Radiation losses yielded a 1 percent decrease in engine I(sub sp). Results also indicate that secondary atomization may have less effect on two-phase losses than it does on propellant burnout distance and no effect if oxide particle coagulation and shear induced droplet breakup govern oxide particle size. Engine I(sub sp) was found to decrease from 337.4 to 293.7 seconds as gel aluminum mass loading was varied from 0-70 wt percent. Engine I(sub sp) efficiencies, accounting for radiation and two-phase flow effects, on the order of 0.946 were calculated for a 60 wt percent gel, assuming a fragmentation ratio of 5.

Mueller, D. C.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Endoscopic Shearography and Thermography Methods for Nondestructive Evaluation of Lined Pressure Vessels

The goal of this research effort was the development of methods for shearography and thermography inspection of coatings, bonds, or laminates inside rocket fuel or oxidizer tanks, fuel lines, and other closed structures. The endoscopic methods allow imaging and inspection inside cavities which are traditionally inaccessible with shearography or thermography cameras. The techniques are demonstrated and suggestions for practical application are made in this report. Drawings of the experimental setups, detailed procedures, and experimental data are included.

Lansing, Matthew D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Space Exploration: Past, Present and Future

The most recent scientific results from space exploration carried out by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are discussed. To aid understanding of these results, a brief background of JPL's history is presented, followed by a description of the Deep Space Network, JPL's system of antennas which communicates with spacecraft. The results from the missions of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are described. The atmosphere, rings, satellites and magnetospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are discussed with particular emphasis on novelty of the discoveries and the challenges encountered in explaining them. A brief discussion of the impact of spray research upon space exploration follows. This is because most recently launched missions used liquid fueled rockets to escape Earth's gravity. A summary of future missions and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's new policies is presented in the conclusion.

Bellan, Josette↗

NASA NTRS1997

Endoscopic Shearography and Thermography Methods for Nondestructive Evaluation of Lined Pressure Vessels

The goal of this research effort was the development of methods for shearographic and thermographic inspection of coatings, bonds, or laminates inside rocket fuel or oxidizer tanks, fuel lines, and other closed structures. The endoscopic methods allow imaging and inspection inside cavities that are traditionally inaccessible with shearography or thermography cameras. The techniques are demonstrated and suggestions for practical application are made in this report. Drawings of the experimental setups, detailed procedures, and experimental data are included.

Russell, S. S.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Computer Aided Grid Interface: An Interactive CFD Pre-Processor

NASA maintains an applications oriented computational fluid dynamics (CFD) efforts complementary to and in support of the aerodynamic-propulsion design and test activities. This is especially true at NASA/MSFC where the goal is to advance and optimize present and future liquid-fueled rocket engines. Numerical grid generation plays a significant role in the fluid flow simulations utilizing CFD. An overall goal of the current project was to develop a geometry-grid generation tool that will help engineers, scientists and CFD practitioners to analyze design problems involving complex geometries in a timely fashion. This goal is accomplished by developing the Computer Aided Grid Interface system (CAGI). The CAGI system is developed by integrating CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) geometric system output and / or Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files (including all the NASA-IGES entities), geometry manipulations and generations associated with grid constructions, and robust grid generation methodologies. This report describes the development process of the CAGI system.

Soni, Bharat K.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Computer Aided Grid Interface: An Interactive CFD Pre-Processor

NASA maintains an applications oriented computational fluid dynamics (CFD) efforts complementary to and in support of the aerodynamic-propulsion design and test activities. This is especially true at NASA/MSFC where the goal is to advance and optimize present and future liquid-fueled rocket engines. Numerical grid generation plays a significant role in the fluid flow simulations utilizing CFD. An overall goal of the current project was to develop a geometry-grid generation tool that will help engineers, scientists and CFD practitioners to analyze design problems involving complex geometries in a timely fashion. This goal is accomplished by developing the CAGI: Computer Aided Grid Interface system. The CAGI system is developed by integrating CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) geometric system output and/or Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) files (including all the NASA-IGES entities), geometry manipulations and generations associated with grid constructions, and robust grid generation methodologies. This report describes the development process of the CAGI system.

Soni, Bharat K.↗