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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Studies of exhaust products from solid propellant rocket motors fired in an environmental chamber

Experiments are described in which it was attempted to define the state of HCl when rocket motors using ammonium perchlorate and powdered aluminum filler in the fuel system are fired under various relative humidity conditions. A small, variable load rocket motor was developed so that controlled quantities of exhaust products could be produced in an environmental chamber. A technique is described for distinguishing the difference between HCl existing as a gas or existing as an acid aerosol.

Dawbarn, R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Studies of the exhaust products from solid propellant rocket motors

This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of conducting environmental chamber tests on the physical processes which occur when a solid rocket motor exhaust mixes with the ambient atmosphere. Of particular interest was the interaction between hydrogen chloride, aluminum oxide, and water vapor. The program consisted of three phases: (1) building a small rocket motor and using it to provide the exhaust species in a controlled environment; (2) evaluating instruments used to detect and measure HCl concentrations and if possible determining whether the HCl existed in the gaseous state or as an acid aerosol; (3) monitoring a series of 6.4-percent scale space shuttle motor tests and comparing the results to the environmental chamber studies. Eighteen firings were conducted in an environmental chamber with the initial ambient relative humidity set at values from 29 to 100 percent. Two additional firings were made in a large shed, and four were made on an open concrete apron. Six test firings at MSFC were monitored, and the ground level concentrations are reported. Evidence is presented which shows that the larger Al2O3 (5 to 50 micrometers) particles from the rocket motor can act as condensation nuclei. Under appropriate ambient conditions where there is sufficient water vapor this results in the formation of an acid aerosol. Droplets of this acid were detected both in the environmental chamber and in the scaled shuttle engine tests.

Dawbarn, R.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Processing of Space Resources to Enable the Vision for Space Exploration

The NASA human exploration program as directed by the Vision for Exploration (G.W. Bush, Jan. 14,2004) includes developing methods to process materials on the Moon and beyond to enable safe and affordable human exploration. Processing space resources was first popularized (O Neill 1976) as a technically viable, economically feasible means to build city sized habitats and multi GWatt solar power satellites in Earth/Moon space. Although NASA studies found the concepts to be technically reasonable in the post Apollo era (AMES 1979), the front end costs the limits of national or corporate investment. In the last decade analysis of space on has shown it to be economically justifiable even on a relatively small mission or commercial scenario basis. The Mars Reference Mission analysis (JSC 1997) demonstrated that production of return propellant on Mars can enable an order of magnitude decrease in the costs of human Mars missions. Analysis (by M. Duke 2003) shows that production of propellant on the Moon for the Earth based satellite industries can be commercially viable after a human lunar base is established. Similar economic analysis (Rapp 2005) also shows large cost benefits for lunar propellant production for Mars missions and for the use of lunar materials for the production of photovoltaic power (Freundlich 2005). Recent technologies could enable much smaller initial costs, to achieve mass, energy, and life support self sufficiency, than were achievable in the 1970s. If the Exploration Vision program is executed with a front end emphasis on space resources, it could provide a path for human self reliance beyond Earth orbit. This path can lead to an open, non-zero-sum, future for humanity with safer human competition with limitless growth potential. This paper discusses extension of the analysis for space resource utilization, to determine the minimum systems necessary for human self sufficiency and growth off Earth. Such a approach can provide a more compelling and comprehensive path to space resource utilization.

Curreri, Peter A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Liquefaction Study of Gaseous Oxygen Inside Mars Ascent Vehicle Propellant Tank

The in-situ production of propellants for Mars missions will utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Mars atmosphere to produce oxygen. The oxygen then needs to be cooled, liquefied, and stored to be available for Mars ascent propulsion, which could be up to 2 years after liquefaction starts. Recent investigations have demonstrated the feasibility of both achieving zero boiloff and controlling the pressure of oxygen within a tank using high-efficiency reverse turbo-Brayton-cycle cryocoolers. A tube-on-tank configuration is being studied in this work. The cooling fluid circulating in the cryocooler system is routed through a network of cooling tubes on the oxygen tank. The oxygen gas produced from the in-situ production process is introduced into the chilled tank. A series of analysis of this configuration has been performed to investigate the liquefaction rate inside the tank, the thermal gradient near the top of the tank where the oxygen gas feeding tubing is located. The analyses include 2D axisymmetric CFD analysis using ANSYS Fluent, 1D thermal analysis using Matlab, and 3D thermal analysis using MSC Patran/pthermal. These three models correlate and validate each other.

Liquefaction↗
NASA NTRS2016

Modeling of Gaseous Oxygen Liquefaction Inside Mars Ascent Vehicle Propellant Tank

The In-Situ production of propellants for Mars missions has been considered to utilize the Carbon dioxide (CO2) in Mars atmosphere to produce Oxygen using a high temperature solid oxide electrolyzer. The oxygen then needs to be cooled, liquefied, and stored to be available for propulsion and other end users. The storage period could be up to two years either in the actual Mars ascent propulsion tanks or in a separate tank. Recent investigations have demonstrated the feasibility of both achieving zero-boil-off and controlling the pressure of oxygen within a tank using high efficiency cryocoolers. A representative configuration of tube on tank liquefaction using cryocooler is shown in Fig. 1.

Cryogenic fluids↗
NASA NTRS2017

Modeling of Liquefaction of Cryogenic Propellant in a Tank

Over the past decades NASA has been focusing to develop technology that would to allow for production of cryogenic propellants on the surface of Mars. The in-situ propellant production reduces the amount of propellants needed to be taken to Mars and ultimately to reduce mission cost. Utilizing Martian resources, the produced gaseous propellants (i.e., oxygen and methane) are liquefied and stored prior to use on the Mars ascent vehicle. In this paper, a model for the liquefaction process of gaseous propellants in a cryogenically refrigerated tank is presented. The tank is considered to be cylindrical with elliptical top and bottom domes. A multi-node transient model is developed based on the mass and energy conservation equations and wall-gas and liquid-gas interface mass and heat transfer correlations. Description of the model and predicted results will be presented in the final paper.

Hedayat, A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Facility design consideration for continuous mix production of class 1.3 propellant

In November of 1989, NASA awarded the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) contract to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company (LMSC) for production of advanced solid rocket motors using the continuous mix process. Aerojet ASRM division (AAD) was selected as the facility operator and RUST International Corporation provided the engineering, procurement, and construction management services. The continuous mix process mandates that the mix and cast facilities be 'close-coupled' along with the premix facilities, creating unique and challenging requirements for the facility designer. The classical approach to handling energetic materials-division into manageable quantities, segregation, and isolation-was not available due to these process requirements and quantities involved. This paper provides a description of the physical facilities, the continuous mix process, and discusses the monitoring and detection techniques used to mitigate hazards and prevent an incident.

Williamson, K. L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

JANNAF 28th Propellant Development and Characterization Subcommittee and 17th Safety and Environmental Protection Subcommittee Joint Meeting

This volume contains 37 unclassified/unlimited-distribution technical papers that were presented at the JANNAF 28th Propellant Development & Characterization Subcommittee (PDCS) and 17th Safety & Environmental Protection Subcommittee (S&EPS) Joint Meeting, held 26-30 April 1999 at the Town & Country Hotel and the Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California. Volume II contains 29 unclassified/limited-distribution papers that were presented at the 28th PDCS and 17th S&EPS Joint Meeting. Volume III contains a classified paper that was presented at the 28th PDCS Meeting on 27 April 1999. Topics covered in PDCS sessions include: solid propellant rheology; solid propellant surveillance and aging; propellant process engineering; new solid propellant ingredients and formulation development; reduced toxicity liquid propellants; characterization of hypergolic propellants; and solid propellant chemical analysis methods. Topics covered in S&EPS sessions include: space launch range safety; liquid propellant hazards; vapor detection methods for toxic propellant vapors and other hazardous gases; toxicity of propellants, ingredients, and propellant combustion products; personal protective equipment for toxic liquid propellants; and demilitarization/treatment of energetic material wastes.

Cocchiaro, James E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Liquefaction and Storage of In-Situ Oxygen on the Surface of Mars

The In-Situ production of propellants for Martian and Lunar missions has been heavily discussed since the mid 1990's. One portion of the production of the propellants is the liquefaction, storage, and delivery of the propellants to the stage tanks. Two key technology development efforts are required: large refrigeration systems (cryocoolers) to perform the liquefaction and high performance insulation within a soft vacuum environment. Several different concepts of operation may be employed to liquefy the propellants based on how and where these two technologies are implemented. The concepts that were investigated include: using an accumulator tank to store the propellant until it is needed, liquefying in the flow stream going into the tank, and liquefying in the flight propellant tank itself. The different concept of operations were studied to assess the mass and power impacts of each concept. Additionally, the trade between insulation performance and cryocooler mass was performed to give performance targets for soft vacuum insulation development. It was found that liquefying within the flight propellant tank itself adds the least mass and power requirements to the mission.

Cryogenic Fluid Management↗
NASA NTRS2000

Recent Advances and Applications in Cryogenic Propellant Densification Technology

This purpose of this paper is to review several historical cryogenic test programs that were conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), Cleveland, Ohio over the past fifty years. More recently these technology programs were intended to study new and improved denser forms of liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2) cryogenic rocket fuels. Of particular interest are subcooled cryogenic propellants. This is due to the fact that they have a significantly higher density (eg. triple-point hydrogen, slush etc.), a lower vapor pressure and improved cooling capacity over the normal boiling point cryogen. This paper, which is intended to be a historical technology overview, will trace the past and recent development and testing of small and large-scale propellant densification production systems. Densifier units in the current GRC fuels program, were designed and are capable of processing subcooled LH2 and L02 propellant at the X33 Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) scale. One final objective of this technical briefing is to discuss some of the potential benefits and application which propellant densification technology may offer the industrial cryogenics production and end-user community. Density enhancements to cryogenic propellants (LH2, LO2, CH4) in rocket propulsion and aerospace application have provided the opportunity to either increase performance of existing launch vehicles or to reduce the overall size, mass and cost of a new vehicle system.

Tomsik, Thomas M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mars Atmospheric In Situ Resource Utilization Projects at the Kennedy Space Center

The atmosphere of Mars, which is 96 percent carbon dioxide (CO2), is a rich resource for the human exploration of the red planet, primarily by the production of rocket propellants and oxygen for life support. Three recent projects led by NASAs Kennedy Space Center have been investigating the processing of CO2. The first project successfully demonstrated the Mars Atmospheric Processing Module (APM), which freezes CO2 with cryocoolers and combines sublimated CO2 with hydrogen to make methane and water. The second project absorbs CO2 with Ionic Liquids and electrolyzes it with water to make methane and oxygen, but with limited success so far. A third project plans to recover up to 100 of the oxygen in spacecraft respiratory CO2. A combination of the Reverse Water Gas Shift reaction and the Boudouard reaction eventually fill the reactor up with carbon, stopping the process. A system to continuously remove and collect carbon has been tested with encouraging results.

oxygen production and recovery↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mars Atmospheric In Situ Resource Utilization Projects at the Kennedy Space Center

The atmosphere of Mars, which is approximately 95% carbon dioxide (CO2), is a rich resource for the human exploration of the red planet, primarily by the production of rocket propellants and oxygen for life support. Three recent projects led by NASA's Kennedy Space Center have been investigating the processing of CO2. The first project successfully demonstrated the Mars Atmospheric Processing Module (APM), which freezes CO2 with cryocoolers and combines sublimated CO2 with hydrogen to make methane and water. The second project absorbs CO2 with Ionic Liquids and electrolyzes it with water to make methane and oxygen, but with limited success so far. A third project plans to recover up to 100% of the oxygen in spacecraft respiratory CO2. A combination of the Reverse Water Gas Shift reaction and the Boudouard reaction eventually fill the reactor up with carbon, stopping the process. A system to continuously remove and collect carbon is under construction.

in situ resource utilization↗
NASA NTRS2023

Solid-State Thermodynamic Vent System for Control of Cryogenic Propellants

A Solid-State Thermodynamic Vent System (STVS) is a novel Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) technology for spacecraft cryogenic propellant tanks that may reduce boiloff while providing greater control over the propellent condition. By exploiting the vacuum-induced cryocooling potential of cryogen-saturated silica aerogel material, an internal STVS heat exchanger expels some sacrificial cryogenic propellant to the vacuum of space to produce cooling within the storage tank. This cooling is transferred directly to the stored fluid, thereby reducing boiloff and increasing hold times. The primary STVS project objective was to design and build a bespoke STVS heat exchanger that employed aerogel blanket material and perform a ground demonstration of the technology using liquid nitrogen (LN2) as the cryogenic propellant. This demonstration aimed to prove that an STVS can have a positive influence on the tank boiloff, shown through a reduction in mass flow rate out of the system during operation, and exercise control over the tank pressure. Testing proved the effectiveness of the concept by reducing the LN2 boiloff rate and tank pressure by roughly 70% and 77% respectively during a single pump-down cycle, which sacrificed around 1.8 kg of propellant.

Propellant Production↗
NASA NTRS2000

Development and Application of Computational/In Vitro Toxicological Methods for Chemical Hazard Risk Reduction of New Materials for Advanced Weapon Systems

The development of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is essential for reducing the chemical hazards of new weapon systems. The current collaboration between HEST (toxicology research and testing), MLPJ (computational chemistry) and PRS (computational chemistry, new propellant synthesis) is focusing R&D efforts on basic research goals that will rapidly transition to useful products for propellant development. Computational methods are being investigated that will assist in forecasting cellular toxicological end-points. Models developed from these chemical structure-toxicity relationships are useful for the prediction of the toxicological endpoints of new related compounds. Research is focusing on the evaluation tools to be used for the discovery of such relationships and the development of models of the mechanisms of action. Combinations of computational chemistry techniques, in vitro toxicity methods, and statistical correlations, will be employed to develop and explore potential predictive relationships; results for series of molecular systems that demonstrate the viability of this approach are reported. A number of hydrazine salts have been synthesized for evaluation. Computational chemistry methods are being used to elucidate the mechanism of action of these salts. Toxicity endpoints such as viability (LDH) and changes in enzyme activity (glutahoione peroxidase and catalase) are being experimentally measured as indicators of cellular damage. Extrapolation from computational/in vitro studies to human toxicity, is the ultimate goal. The product of this program will be a predictive tool to assist in the development of new, less toxic propellants.

Frazier, John M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Oxygen production for interplanetary return missions

Interplanetary missions with extraterrestrial returns are limited by large propulsion mass requirements. The injected mass landed on an extraterrestrial body can be reduced substantially by utilizing indigenous materials for the production of propellant on the extraterrestrial body. Analyses reported show that for Mars return missions, in situ production of oxygen during the wait between landing and the next low-energy return opportunity reduces the Earth-launch mass requirements to the allowable limit for direct entry and direct return missions. A small chemical processor using radioisotope thermal energy can extract oxygen several times its own mass from carbon dioxide, during the several-hundred-days wait on Mars. The fundamental element of the concept is the electrolytic process. Solid electrolyte cells for extracting oxygen from gaseous feedstock are identified. The basic physical principles underlying the extraction process are analyzed, and the relations between the major parameters established. The laboratory equipment for experimental investigation of the process is presented.

Richter, R.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Survey of Constellation-Era LOX/Methane Development Activities and Future Development Needs

NASA formed the Constellation Program in 2005 to achieve the objectives of maintaining American presence in low-Earth orbit, returning to the moon for purposes of establishing an outpost, and laying the foundation to explore Mars and beyond in the first half of the 21st century. The Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) was formulated to address the technology needs to address Constellation architecture decisions. The Propellants and Cryogenic Advanced Development (PCAD) project was tasked with risk mitigation of specific propulsion related technologies to support ETDP. Propulsion systems were identified as critical technologies owing to the high gear-ratio of lunar Mars landers Cryogenic propellants offer performance advantage over storables (NTOMMH) Mass savings translate to greater payload capacity In-situ production of propellant an attractive feature; methane and oxygen identified as possible Martian in-situ propellants New technologies were required to meet more difficult missions High performance LOX/LH2 deep throttle descent engines High performance LOX/LCH4 ascent main and reaction control system (RCS) engines The PCAD project sought to provide those technologies through Reliable ignition pulse RCS Fast start High efficiency engines Stable deep throttling.

Propulsion system components↗