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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 271 records · Page 15

Segregation effects during solidification in weightless melts

Two types of melt segregation effects were studied: (1) evaporative segregation, or segregation due to surface evaporation; and (2) freezing segregation, or segregation due to liquid-solid phase transformation. These segregation effects are closely related. In fact, evaporative segregation always precedes freezing segregation to some degree and must often be studied prior to performing meaningful solidification experiments. This is particularly true since evaporation may cause the melt composition, at least at the critical surface regions or layers to be affected manyfold within seconds so that the surface region or layer melting point and other thermophysical properties, nucleation characteristics, base for undercooling, and critical velocity to avoid constitutional supercooling, may be completely unexpected. An important objective was, therefore, to develop the necessary normal evaporation equations for predicting the compositional changes within specified times at temperature and to correlate these equations with actual experimental data collected from the literature.

Li, C.↗

Some experiments related to L-star instability in rocket motors

The role of solid phase heterogeneity on the low-pressure L-star instability of nonmetallized AP/PBAN propellants is explored. Four particle size distributions are employed in propellants that are otherwise identical. Over one hundred test firings were conducted in the 21/2 in. diameter L-star burner. Pressure time histories in the chamber and color movies of two firings constitute the raw data. An economical firing program was used which enables the interesting range of L-star values to be covered during a single firing (at a set mean pressure), through the variations in the depleting propellant volume. Time-independent combustion, Helmholtz mode, chuff mode, and the pressure-burst phenomena are revealed as the principal signatures. Of these, the Helmholtz mode is found to be the most ordered form of instability.

Kumar, R. N.↗

Theoretical researches into planetary atmospheres and their influence upon surface features

The interface between certain geological and atmospheric phenomena on Mars was studied by examining those geological features which are associated with the presence of water in the liquid or solid phases. Several classes of Martian surface features thought to have had their origins in flow processes were studied in order to determine the role ice may have played in their creations. Preliminary studies concerning the behavior of Martian ice shelves were conducted, with the conclusion that flow rates of Martian and earth ice sheets are similar. Withdrawal of subsurface ice was found to be among the explanations for the origins of the chaotic terrains and drifted blocks.

Goody, R.↗

Onset phenomena in superfluid helium

Onset phenomena in superfluid helium have been studied by measuring the rotational decay constant of a levitated, superconducting niobium sphere coated with an unsaturated superfluid film. The novel features of onset that were observed are discussed. Previous observations of a two-layer-thick solid phase of helium underlying the film have been confirmed.

Wang, T. G.↗

Exploratory study on microanalysis of thin films by backscattering techniques

Solid phase epitaxial growth of Si layers was studied by backscattering spectrometry for controllable electrical characteristics. Samples were fabricated by vacuum deposition on a thin layer of Sb before deposition of the amorphous Si layer. Analysis of the resulting SPEG layer showed that Sb was present in the SPEG layer of Si. The characteristic of the SPEG layer against the Si substrate was rectifying. A scanning microprobe picture of a cleaved sample established the presence of a depletion region more than 1 micron below the surface. Hall effect data indicated that the SPEG layer was n-type, with average free carrier concentration of about 10 to the 19th power cm/3 and average electron mobility of about 40 sq cm/Vs. SPEG with Pd silicide or Ni silicide transport layers showed fast initial transient growth regimes with slower growth in the steady state regimes.

Mayer, J. W.↗

MEMS reagent and sample handling procedure: Feasibility of viral antibody detection by passive immune agglutination

An attempt was made to develop a test requiring no preadsorption steps for the assessment of antibodies to rubella and mumps viruses using the passive immune agglutination (PIA) method. Both rubella and mumps antigens and antibodies were prepared. Direct PIA tests, using rubella antigen-coated beads, and indirect PIA tests, using rubella antibody-coated beads, were investigated. Attempts, using either method, were unsuccessful. Serum interference along with nonspecific agglutination of beads by the rubella antigen resulted in no specific response under the test conditions investigated. A new, highly sensitive approach, the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test system, is recommended to overcome the nonspecificity. This system is a logical outgrowth of some of the solid phase work done on MEMS and represents the next generation tests system that can be directly applied to early disease detection and monitoring.

Bailey, G. D.↗

Nuclear magnetic resonance study of thermal oxidation of polyisoprene

An investigation was conducted concerning the microstructural changes occurring in cis- and trans-1,4-polyisoprenes during uncatalized thermal oxidation in the solid phase. The investigation made use of approaches based on proton and carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy. The oxidation of squalene and dihydromyrcene in the liquid phase was also studied. The studies provide the first NMR spectroscopic evidence for the presence of epoxy and peroxide, hydroperoxide, and alcohol groups within the oxidized polyisoprene chain.

Golub, M. A.↗

Interaction of metal layers with polycrystalline Si

Solid-phase reactions of metal films deposited on 0.5-micron-thick polycrystalline layers of Si grown by chemical vapor deposition at 640 C were investigated by MeV He-4 backscattering spectrometry, glancing angle X-ray diffraction, and SEM observations. For the metals Al, Ag, and Au, which form simple eutectics, heat treatment at temperatures below the eutectic results in erosion of the poly-Si layer and growth of Si crystallites in the metal film. Crystallite formation is observed at temperatures exceeding 550 C for Ag, at those exceeding 400 C for Al, and at those exceeding 200 C for Au films. For Pd, Ni, and Cr, heat treatment results in silicide formation. The same initial silicides (Pd2Si, Ni2Si, and CrSi2), are formed at similar temperatures on single-crystal substrates.

Nakamura, K.↗

Monte Carlo simulation of the classical two-dimensional one component plasma

Monte Carlo simulation, lattice dynamics in the harmonic approximation, and solution of the hypernetted chain equation were used to study the classical two-dimensional one component plasma. The system consists of a single species of charged particles immersed in a uniform neutralizing background. The particles interact via a l/r potential, where r is the two dimensional separation. Equations of state were calculated for both the liquid and solid phases. Results of calculation of the thermodynamic functions and one and two particle correlation functions are presented.

Gann, R. C.↗

The vibrational spectrum and lattice dynamics of polycrystalline ammonium hydrosulfide

The infrared spectra of alkali metal and ammonium hydrosulfides have been recorded from wavenumbers of 200 to 4000 at liquid nitrogen temperatures, and the Raman spectra of these substances have been recorded from wavenumbers of 0 to 4000 over the temperature range 83-390 K. No evidence of a second solid phase was obtained. Internal and external fundamentals were assigned, in detail, based on selection rules, isotopic frequency shifts, and analogy with structurally similar salts. Barriers to anion and cation reorientation of 3.8 and 1.9 kcal/mole, respectively, have been calculated from librational assignments. The implications of the infrared spectrum of ammonium hydrosulfide for the possible spectroscopic detection of this substance in the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter are discussed.

Bragin, J.↗

Partitioning of transition metals between diopside and coexisting silicate liquids. I - Nickel, cobalt, and manganese

Distribution coefficients have been found for the partitioning of Ni, Co, and Mn between calcium-rich clinopyroxenes and coexisting silicate liquids. Values are found for the 1110-1360 C temperature range. The breakdown of Henry's Law was not observed. The measured clinopyroxene/liquid distribution coefficients ranged from 1.5-14.0 for Ni, 0.5-2.0 for Co, and 0.3-1.2 for Mn. Analyses of pyroxenes grown from charges differing in the amounts of transition metals indicate that Ni and Co occupy the M1 site of diopside and that Mn occupies the M1 and M2 sites. Equilibrium constants were found in terms of the activities of the components in the liquid and solid phases. These activities are based on the mole fractions. An activity/concentration model was used for the liquid phase in order to explain the variations in the clinopyroxene/liquid coefficients due to bulk composition.

Lindstrom, D. J.↗

Infrared spectra of molecules and materials of astrophysical interest

The Raman spectra of gaseous, liquid and solid, and infrared spectra of gaseous and solid isopropylamine-d sub 0 and -d sub 2 was investigated between 4000 and 50 cm superscript -1. Differences between the spectrum of the solid phase and that of the fluid phases were interpreted in terms of an equilibrium between low energy s-trans and high energy gauche conformers, and a complete vibrational assignment was proposed for the s-trans conformer. The far infrared spectra of the gaseous compounds contained bands due to the asymmetric amino and coupled methyl torsions; the assignment of these bands was aided by observation of a number of two quantum transitions for each vibrational mode. The asymmetric potential functions were calculated, which resulted in values for the enthalpy differences between conformers in the gaseous phase of 446 and 523 callmole for the sub 0 -d and -d sub 2 compounds, respectively. The methyl torsional potential function of isopropylamine-d sub 0 was calculated which led to a value for the barrier height to internal rotation of the methyl rotors of 4.23 + or - 0.06 kcal/mole. Values for the ideal gas thermodynamic functions were calculated over a range of temperatures.

Durig, J. R.↗

Chemical condensation sequences in supernova ejecta

Equilibrium condensation is investigated for composition and pressures representative of supernova (SN) ejecta. The results are compared with those obtained for the solar nebula, and the distribution of elements among the various gaseous species and solid phases is computed for solar and SN-shell condensation sequences. The data are applied to problems concerning the observed mass fractionations of Si, Mg, and O in Allende, as well as to the strong depletion of heavy-element abundances in the interstellar medium. The results indicate that dust grains from a SN could have introduced isotopic anomalies into the solar nebula, that many minerals produced in SN ejecta are the same as those predicted to be stable in the solar nebula, and that the observed depletion of heavy elements in the interstellar gas could be due to dust formation in SN ejecta.

Lattimer, J. M.↗

The role of thermophysics in the design, optimization and understanding of semiconductor crystal growth in space

The compound semiconductor material PbSnTe has been investigated by NASA Langley Research Center as part of the Material Processing in Space (MPS) experiment in the framework of the Space Shuttle program. The long-range goal of the research is the improving of the performance of infrared detectors for use in remote sensing experiments. Three distinct techniques will be used in the low-g environment of space: two techniques involving bulk growth from melt and a vapor growth technique. In order to establish realistic estimates of the required time for experiments and to determine the thermal gradients that will be required to avoid constitutional supercooling, the diffusion coefficients must be accurately measured, however more data especially in the vapor-solid phase relations are needed.

Crouch, R. K.↗

Photochemistry of monodentate and bidentate carbonato complexes of rhodium (3)

A scheme for the photochemical fixation of water is proposed which involves a five-step reaction sequence; the first step involves the 2 electron reduction of a metal by a coordinated carbonate ligand, with corresponding oxidation of the carbonate to CO2 and O2. Ligand field photolysis of trans- (RH(en)2 H2O CO3) ClO4, and (Rh(en)2 CO3) CLO4 have been studied in the solid state and in aqueous solution at various pH values. Both salts are photoinert in the solid phase, but are quite photoreactive in aqueous solution. In solution, the monodentate ion undergoes efficient isomerization to a mixture of cis and trans - (Rh(en)2 H2O CO3)+, presumably with water exchange. A minor pH increase upon photolysis is evidence of inefficient carbonate (CO3 =) release, with formation of (Rh(en)2 (H2O)2)3+. In contrast, aqueous solutions of the bidentate carbonato complex undergo efficient pH decrease upon ligand field photolysis. Changes in the electronic spectrum (200-500 nm) and pH changes indicate that the desired redox is occurring. The pH increase is due to the aqueous behavior of CO2.

Sheridan, P. S.↗

An empirical propellant response function for combustion stability predictions

An empirical response function model was developed for ammonium perchlorate propellants to supplant T-burner testing at the preliminary design stage. The model was developed by fitting a limited T-burner data base, in terms of oxidizer size and concentration, to an analytical two parameter response function expression. Multiple peaks are predicted, but the primary effect is of a single peak for most formulations, with notable bulges for the various AP size fractions. The model was extended to velocity coupling with the assumption that dynamic response was controlled primarily by the solid phase described by the two parameter model. The magnitude of velocity coupling was then scaled using an erosive burning law. Routine use of the model for stability predictions on a number of propulsion units indicates that the model tends to overpredict propellant response. It is concluded that the model represents a generally conservative prediction tool, suited especially for the preliminary design stage when T-burner data may not be readily available. The model work included development of a rigorous summation technique for pseudopropellant properties and of a concept for modeling ordered packing of particulates.

Hessler, R. O.↗

Combustion behavior of solid fuel ramjets

Nonreacting flowfield characteristics and fundamental fuel properties are considered with respect to their use in estimating the obtainable combustion efficiency for fuels and/or combustor geometries. It is shown that near wall turbulence intensity in nonreacting flow appears to correlate reasonably well with the fuel regression pattern in identical geometries. The HTPB based fuels exhibit solid phase exothermic reactions in contrast to purely endothermic reactions for plexiglas. It is further shown that combustion pressure oscillations appear to be related to physically induced disturbances to the fluctuating shear layers at the fuel grain and aft mixing chamber inlets.

Netzer, D. W.↗