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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 NTRS1993

Asymptotic behavior of modulated Taylor-Couette flows with a crystalline inner cylinder

The linear stability of a modulated Taylor-Couette system when the inner cylindrical boundary consists of a crystalline solid-liquid interface is considered. Both experimentally and in numerical calculations it is found that the two-phase system is significantly less stable than the analogous rigid-walled system for materials with moderately large Prandtl numbers. A numerical treatment based on Floquet theory is described, which gives results that are in good agreement with preliminary experimental findings. In addition, this instability is further examined by carrying out a formal asymptotic expansion of the solution in the limit of large Prandtl number. In this limit the Floquet analysis is considerably simplified, and the linear stability of the modulated system can be determined to leading order through a conventional stability analysis, without recourse to Floquet theory. The resulting simplified problem is then studied for both the narrow gap geometry and for the case of a finite gap. It is surprising that the determination of the linear stability of the two-phase system is considerably simpler than that of the rigid-walled system, despite the complications introduced by the presence of the crystal-melt interface.

Braun, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Thermal Convection Affects Shape Of Solid/Liquid Interface

Report describes experimental and theoretical study of effect of thermal convection on shape of interface between solid and liquid succinonitrile, clear commercially available plastic, in Bridgman (directional-solidification) apparatus in vertical and horizontal orientations.

Mennetrier, C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Immiscible phase incorporation during directional solidification of hypermonotectics

Solidification processes in immiscible samples were investigated by directly observing the events taking place at the solid-liquid interface during directional solidification. Visualization of these events was made possible through the use of a transparent metal analog system and a temperature gradient stage assembly fitted to an optical microscope. The immiscible transparent analog system utilized was the succinonitrile-glycerol system. This system has been shown to exhibit the same morphological transitions as observed in metallic alloys of monotectic composition. Both monotectic and hypermonotectic composition samples were directionally solidified in order to gain an improved understanding of the manner in which the excess hypermonotectic liquid is incorporated into the solidifying structure. The processing conditions utilized prevented sedimentation of the excess hypermonotectic liquid by directionally solidifying the samples in very thin (13 microns), horizontally oriented cells. High thermal gradient to growth rate ratios (G/R) were used in an effort to prevent constitutional supercooling and the subsequent formation of L(sub 2) droplets in advance of the solidification front during the growth of fibrous composite structures. Results demonstrated that hypermonotectic composites could be produced in samples up to two weight percent off of the monotectic composition by using a G/R ratio greater than or equal to 4.6 x 10(exp 4) C(s)/mm(sup 2) to avoid constitutional supercooling. For hypermonotectic samples processed with G/R ratios below 4.6 x 10(exp 4) C(s)/mm(sup 2), constitutional supercooling occurred and resulted in slight interfacial instability. For these samples, two methods of incorporation of the hypermonotectic liquid were observed and are reported. The correlation between the phase spacing, lambda, and the growth rate, R, was examined and was found to obey a relationship generally associated with a diffusion controlled coupled growth process. For samples with compositions ranging from the monotectic composition up to 2 percent off of the monotectic composition, data indicated that the square of the phase spacing (lambda) varied linearly with the inverse of the growth rate (R).

Andrews, J. Barry↗
NASA NTRS1994

The extensional rheology of non-Newtonian materials

It has been proposed to measure the extensional viscosity function of a non-Newtonian polymer solution in a reduced gravity environment as part of the Advanced Fluid Module. In ground-based extensional measurements, the no-sip boundary condition at solid-fluid interfaces always result in appreciable shear gradients in the test fluid; however the removal of gravitational body forces permits controlled extensional deformation of containerless test samples and the first unambiguous measurements of this kind. Imperative to successful implementation of this experiment is the generation and subsequent deformation of a stable cylindrical column of test fluid. A study of the generation and deformation of liquid bridges demonstrates that Newtonian liquid bridges undergo capillary breakup as anticipated when stretched beyond a critical aspect ratio; non-Newtonian liquid bridges, however, are stabilized by the strain-hardening phenomenon exhibited by these materials. Numerical simulations of Newtonian breakup are compared with experimental results, and show that previous ground-based attempts at measuring the extensional viscosity of Newtonian fluids are of limited accuracy.

Spiegelberg, Stephen H.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Orientation and velocity dependence of the nonequilibrium partition coefficient

Monte Carlo simulations based on a Spin-1 Ising Model for binary alloys have been used to investigate the non-equilibrium partition coefficient (k(sub neq)) as a function of solid-liquid interface velocity and orientation. In simulations of Si with a second component k(sub neq) is greater in the [111] direction than the [100] direction in agreement with experimental results reported by Azlz et al. The simulated partition coefficient scales with the square of the step velocity divided by the diffusion coefficient of the secondary component in the liquid.

Beatty, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Advancement of X-Ray Microscopy Technology and its Application to Metal Solidification Studies

The technique of x-ray projection microscopy is being used to view, in real time, the structures and dynamics of the solid-liquid interface during solidification. By employing a hard x-ray source with sub-micron dimensions, resolutions of 2 micrometers can be obtained with magnifications of over 800 X. Specimen growth conditions need to be optimized and the best imaging technologies applied to maintain x-ray image resolution, contrast and sensitivity. It turns out that no single imaging technology offers the best solution and traditional methods like radiographic film cannot be used due to specimen motion (solidification). In addition, a special furnace design is required to permit controlled growth conditions and still offer maximum resolution and image contrast.

Kaukler, William F.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Microstructural Development during Directional Solidification of Peritectic Alloys

A thorough understanding of the microstructures produced through solidification in peritectic systems has yet to be achieved, even though a large number of industrially and scientifically significant materials are in this class. One type of microstructure frequently observed during directional solidification consists of alternating layers of primary solid and peritectic solid oriented perpendicular to the growth direction. This layer formation is usually reported for alloy compositions within the two-phase region of the peritectic isotherm and for temperature gradient and growth rate conditions that result in a planar solid-liquid interface. Layered growth in peritectic alloys has not previously been characterized on a quantitative basis, nor has a mechanism for its formation been verified. The mechanisms that have been proposed for layer formation can be categorized as either extrinsic or intrinsic to the alloy system. The extrinsic mechanisms rely on externally induced perturbations to the system for layer formation, such as temperature oscillations, growth velocity variations, or vibrations. The intrinsic mechanisms approach layer formation as an alternative type of two phase growth that is inherent for certain peritectic systems and solidification conditions. Convective mixing of the liquid is an additional variable which can strongly influence the development and appearance of layers due to the requisite slow growth rate. The first quantitative description of layer formation is a model recently developed by Trivedi based on the intrinsic mechanism of cyclic accumulation and depiction of solute in the liquid ahead of the interface, linked to repeated nucleation events in the absence of convection. The objective of this research is to characterize the layered microstructures developed during ground-based experiments in which external influences have been minimized as much as possible and to compare these results to the current the model. Also, the differences between intrinsic and externally influenced layer formation were explored. The choice of alloy system is critical to a study of the formation of layered microstructures. The ideal system would have a well-characterized phase diagram, equal densities of both elements in the liquid state to minimize compositionally-driven convective flows, a low peritectic temperature to simplify directional solidification and the achievement of a high temperature gradient in the liquid, a broad composition range for the peritectic reaction, and a reasonable hardness at room temperature to facilitate handling and metallographic preparation. The In-Sn system was selected initially due to a very low peritectic temperature and the nearly equal densities of In and Sn in the liquid state. Since the In-rich peritectic reaction had apparently not been utilized previously for solidification research, experiments were conducted to check the phase diagram in the region of interest. The alloys in this system proved to be difficult to handle and prepare in bulk form with the equipment available, so experiments were initiated with the Sn-Cd system. Layered microstructures had been observed previously in Sn-Cd.

Lograsso, Thomas A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Convective Influence on Radial Segregation During Unidirectional Solidification of the Binary Alloy HgCdTe

In order to simulate the space environment for basic research into the crystal growth mechanism, Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te crystals were grown by the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger method in the presence of an applied axial magnetic field. The influence of convection, by magneto hydrodynamic damping, on mass transfer in the melt and segregation at the solid-liquid interface was investigated by measuring the axial and radial compositional variations in the grown samples. The reduction of convective mixing in the melt through the application of the magnetic field is found to have a large effect on radial segregation and interface morphology in the grown crystals. Direct comparisons are made with a Hg(0.8)Cd(0.2)Te crystal grown without field and also in the microgravity environment of space during the second United States Microgravity Payload Mission (USMP-2).

Watring, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Simple Inexpensive Bridgman-Stockbarger Crystal Growth System for Organic Materials

Direct observation of solid-liquid interface is important for the directional solidification to determine the desired interface shape by controlling the growth parameters. To grow good quality single crystals of novel organic nonlinear optical materials, a simple inexpensive Bridgman-Stockbarger (BS) crystal growth system has been designed and fabricated. Two immiscible liquids have been utilized to create two zones for this crystal growth system. Bulk single crystals of benzil derivative and n-salicylidene-aniline have been successfully grown in this system. The optimum lowering rate has been found to be 0.1 mm/h for the flat interface. Results on the crystal growth and other parameters of the grown crystals are presented.

Choi, J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Advancement of X-Ray Microscopy Technology and Its Application to Metal Solidification Studies

The technique of x-ray projection microscopy is being used to view, in real time, the structures and dynamics of the solid-liquid interface during solidification. By employing a hard x-ray source with sub-micron dimensions, resolutions of 2 microns can be obtained with magnifications of over 800 X. Specimen growth conditions need to be optimized and the best imaging technologies applied to maintain x-ray image resolution, contrast and sensitivity. It turns out that no single imaging technology offers the best solution and traditional methods like radiographic film cannot be used due to specimen motion (solidification). In addition, a special furnace design is required to permit controlled growth conditions and still offer maximum resolution and image contrast.

Kaukler, William F.↗
NASA NTRS1997

JOVE: Program Accomplishments and Research Continuation Plans

We designed and constructed a centrifuge for high gravity materials science research. One Master's theses project on the directional solidification of Pb-Sn alloys demonstrated effects of high gravity on the fluid flow at the solid-liquid interface during processing. These results were published. Another investigation applied flow visualization techniques to image flow patterns in a water cell. This activity supported our research proposal for aqueous growth of L-Anginin Phosphate Single Crystals in a high gravity environment. This proposal was well reviewed but ultimately denied funding.

Hmelo, Anthony B.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Thermal Problems in Material processing of High-Temperature Materials

In this final report axial segregation in unsteady diffusion dominated directional solidification of a binary alloy with a planar solid-liquid interface profile is considered. The analysis is an extension of the work of Smith et al. to account for an arbitrary initial axial concentration profile. This situation is important in the experimental studies of growth of crystals in a microgravity environment in which the growth is from melts formed by re-melting crystals that have a known axial impurity profile. Three situations are discussed. There are the initial transient, a re-solidified crystal, and multipass solidification.

Korpela, Seppo A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Study of Magnetic Damping Effect on Convection and Solidification Under G-Jitter Conditions

As shown by NASA resources dedicated to measuring residual gravity (SAMS and OARE systems), g-jitter is a critical issue affecting space experiments on solidification processing of materials. This study aims to provide, through extensive numerical simulations and ground based experiments, an assessment of the use of magnetic fields in combination with microgravity to reduce the g-jitter induced convective flows in space processing systems. We have so far completed asymptotic analyses based on the analytical solutions for g-jitter driven flow and magnetic field damping effects for a simple one-dimensional parallel plate configuration, and developed both 2-D and 3-D numerical models for g-jitter driven flows in simple solidification systems with and without presence of an applied magnetic field. Numerical models have been checked with the analytical solutions and have been applied to simulate the convective flows and mass transfer using both synthetic g-jitter functions and the g-jitter data taken from space flight. Some useful findings have been obtained from the analyses and the modeling results. Some key points may be summarized as follows: (1) the amplitude of the oscillating velocity decreases at a rate inversely proportional to the g-jitter frequency and with an increase in the applied magnetic field; (2) the induced flow approximately oscillates at the same frequency as the affecting g-jitter, but out of a phase angle; (3) the phase angle is a complicated function of geometry, applied magnetic field, temperature gradient and frequency; (4) g-jitter driven flows exhibit a complex fluid flow pattern evolving in time; (5) the damping effect is more effective for low frequency flows; and (6) the applied magnetic field helps to reduce the variation of solutal distribution along the solid-liquid interface. Work in progress includes numerical simulations and ground-based measurements. Both 2-D and 3-D numerical simulations are being continued to obtain further information on g-jitter driven flows and magnetic field effects. A physical model for ground-based measurements is completed and some measurements of the oscillating convection are being taken on the physical model. The comparison of the measurements with numerical simulations is in progress. Additional work planned in the project will also involve extending the 2-D numerical model to include the solidification phenomena with the presence of both g-jitter and magnetic fields.

Li, Ben Q.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Potential Flow Interactions With Directional Solidification

The effect of convective melt motion on the growth of morphological instabilities in crystal growth has been the focus of many studies in the past decade. While most of the efforts have been directed towards investigating the linear stability aspects, relatively little attention has been devoted to experimental and numerical studies. In a pure morphological case, when there is no flow, morphological changes in the solid-liquid interface are governed by heat conduction and solute distribution. Under the influence of a convective motion, both heat and solute are redistributed, thereby affecting the intrinsic morphological phenomenon. The overall effect of the convective motion could be either stabilizing or destabilizing. Recent investigations have predicted stabilization by a flow parallel to the interface. In the case of non-parallel flows, e.g., stagnation point flow, Brattkus and Davis have found a new flow-induced morphological instability that occurs at long wavelengths and also consists of waves propagating against the flow. Other studies have addressed the nonlinear aspects (Konstantinos and Brown, Wollkind and Segel)). In contrast to the earlier studies, our present investigation focuses on the effects of the potential flow fields typically encountered in Hele-Shaw cells. Such a Hele-Shaw cell can simulate a gravity-free environment in the sense that buoyancy-driven convection is largely suppressed, and hence negligible. Our interest lies both in analyzing the linear stability of the solidification process in the presence of potential flow fields, as well as in performing high-accuracy nonlinear simulations. Linear stability analysis can be performed for the flow configuration mentioned above. It is observed that a parallel potential flow is stabilizing and gives rise to waves traveling downstream. We have built a highly accurate numerical scheme which is validated at small amplitudes by comparing with the analytically predicted results for the pure morphological case. We have been able to observe nonlinear effects at larger times. Preliminary results for the case when flow is imposed also provide good validation at small amplitudes.

Buddhavarapu, Sudhir S.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Flight Experiment to Study Double-Diffusive Instabilities in Silver-Doped Lead Bromide Crystals

A detailed study on the effect of convection on crystal quality was carried out by growing lead bromide crystals in transparent Bridgman furnace. Direct observations were made on the solid-liquid interface and a new kind of instability was observed. This could be explained on the basis of toroidal flow in the AgBr-doped lead bromide sample. With the increasing translation velocity, the interface changed from flat to depressed, and then formed a cavity in the center of the growth tube. The crystal grown at the lowest thermal Rayleigh number showed the highest quality and crystal grown at the largest thermal Rayleigh number showed the worst quality. Numerical studies were carried out to provide a framework for interpreting the observed convective and morphological instabilities, and to determine the critical (limiting) concentration of dopant for a particular growth velocity and gravity level. Theoretical instability diagrams were compared with data obtained from the experimental studies. These studies provided basic data on convective behavior in doped lead bromide crystals grown by the commercially important Bridgman process.

Singh, N. B.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Reduction of Defects in Germanium-Silicon

It is well established that crystals grown without contact with a container have far superior quality to otherwise similar crystals grown in direct contact with a container. In addition to float-zone processing, detached-Bridgman growth is often cited as a promising tool to improve crystal quality, without the limitations of float zoning. Detached growth has been found to occur quite often during microgravity experiments and considerable improvements of crystal quality have been reported for those cases. However, no thorough understanding of the process or quantitative assessment of the quality improvements exists so far. This project will determine the means to reproducibly grow Ge-Si alloys in the detached mode. Specific objectives include: (1) measurement of the relevant material parameters such as contact angle, growth angle, surface tension, and wetting behavior of the GeSi-melt on potential crucible materials; (2) determination of the mechanism of detached growth including the role of convection; (3) quantitative determination of the differences of defects and impurities among normal Bridgman, detached Bridgman, and floating zone (FZ) growth; (4) investigation of the influence of defined azimuthal or meridional flow due to rotating magnetic fields on the characteristics of detached growth; (5) control time-dependent Marangoni convection in the case of FZ-growth by the use of a rotating magnetic field to examine the influence on the curvature of the solid-liquid interface and the heat and mass transport; and (6) grow high quality GeSi-single crystals with Si-concentration up to 10 at% and diameters up to 20 mm.

Szofran, Frank R.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Numerical Modeling of Physical Vapor Transport in Contactless Crystal Growth Geometry

Growth from the vapor under conditions of limited contact with the walls of the growth ampoule is beneficial for the quality of the growing crystal due to reduced stress and contamination which may be caused by interactions with the growth container. The technique may be of a particular interest for studies on crystal growth under microgravity conditions: elimination of some factors affecting the crystal quality may make interpretation of space-conducted processes more conclusive and meaningful. For that reason, and as a part of our continuing studies on 'contactless' growth technique, we have developed a computational model of crystal growth process in such system. The theoretical model was built, and simulations were performed using the commercial computational fluid dynamics code, (CFD) ACE. The code uses an implicit finite volume formulation with a gray discrete ordinate method radiation model which accounts for the diffuse absorption and reflection of radiation throughout the furnace. The three-dimensional model computes the heat transfer through the crystal, quartz, and gas both inside and outside the ampoule, and mass transport from the source to the crystal and the sink. The heat transport mechanisms by conduction, natural convection, and radiation, and mass transport by diffusion and convection are modeled simultaneously and include the heat of the phase transition at the solid-vapor interfaces. As the thermal boundary condition, temperature profile along the walls of the furnace is used. For different thermal profiles and furnace and ampoule dimensions, the crystal growth rate and development of the crystal-vapor and source-vapor interfaces (change of the interface shape and location with time) are obtained. Super/under-saturation in the ampoule is determined and critical factors determining the 'contactless' growth conditions are identified and discussed. The relative importance of the ampoule dimensions and geometry, the furnace dimensions and its temperature, and the properties of the grown material are analyzed. The results of the simulations are compared with related experimental results on growth of CdTe, CdZnTe, ZnTe, PbTe, and PbSnTe crystals by this technique.

Palosz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Macrosegregation of GeSi Alloys Grown in a Static Magnetic Field

Axial and radial macrosegregation profiles have been determined for GeSi alloy crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman technique. An axial 5 Tesla magnetic field was applied to several samples during growth to decrease the melt velocities by means of the Lorentz force. Compositions were measured with either energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) on a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS) on a microprobe. The crystals were processed in graphite, hot-pressed boron nitride (BN), and pyrolytic boron nitride (PBN) ampoules, which produced various solid-liquid interface shapes during solidification. Those samples grown in a graphite ampoule exhibited radial profiles consistent with a highly concave interface and axial profiles indicative of complete mixing in the melt. The samples grown in BN and PBN ampoules had less radial variation. Axial macrosegregation profiles of these samples fell between the predictions for a completely mixed melt and one where solute transport is dominated by diffusion. Possible explanations for the apparent insufficiency of the magnetic field to achieve diffusion controlled growth conditions are discussed.

Ritter, T. M.↗