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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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NASA NTRS2007

The International Space Station as a Research Laboratory: A View to 2010 and Beyond

Assembly of International Space Station (ISS) is expected to be complete in 2010, with operations planned to continue through at least 2016. As we move nearer to assembly complete, replanning activities by NASA and ISS International Partners have been completed and the final complement of research facilities on ISS is becoming more certain. This paper will review pans for facilities in the US On-orbit Segment of ISS, including contributions from International Partners, to provide a vision of the research capabilities that will be available starting in 2010. At present, in addition to research capabilities in the Russian segment, the United States Destiny research module houses nine research facilities or racks. These facilities include five multi-purpose EXPRESS racks, two Human Research Facility (HRF) racks, the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), and the Minus Eighty-degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI), enabling a wide range of exploration-related applied as well as basic research. In the coming years, additional racks will be launched to augment this robust capability: Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR), Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR), Window Observation Rack Facility (WORF), Microgravity Science Research Rack (MSRR), Muscle Atrophy Research Exercise System (MARES), additional EXPRESS racks and possibly a second MELFI. In addition, EXPRESS Logistics Carriers (ELC) will provide attach points for external payloads. The European Space Agency s Columbus module will contain five research racks and provide four external attach sites. The research racks are Biolab, European Physiology Module (EPM), Fluid Science Lab (FSL), European Drawer System (EDS) and European Transport Carrier (ETC). The Japanese Kibo elements will initially support three research racks, Ryutai for fluid science, Saibo for cell science, and Kobairo for materials research, as well as 10 attachment sites for external payloads. As we look ahead to assembly complete, these new facilities represent a threefold increase from the current research laboratory infrastructure on ISS. In addition, the increase in resident crew size will increase from three to six in 2009, will provide the long-term capacity for completing research on board ISS. Transportation to and from ISS for crew and cargo will be provided by a fleet of vehicles from the United States, Russia, ESA and Japan, including accommodations for thermally-conditioned cargo. The completed ISS will have robust research accommodations to support the multidisciplinary research objective of scientists worldwide.

Uri, John J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Materials Research Conducted Aboard the International Space Station: Facilities Overview, Operational Procedures, and Experimental Outcomes

The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and Maintenance Work Area (MWA) are facilities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that were used to successfully conduct experiments in support of, respectively, the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) and the In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI). The capabilities of these facilities are briefly discussed and then demonstrated by presenting "real-time" and subsequently down-linked video-taped examples from the abovementioned experiments. Data interpretation, ISS telescience, some lessons learned, and the need of such facilities for conducting work in support of understanding materials behavior, particularly fluid processing and transport scenarios, in low-gravity environments is discussed.

Grugel, Richard N.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment: A Proposed ISS Experiment

The Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment (SHERE) is a proposed International Space Station (ISS) glovebox experiment designed to study the effect of preshear on the transient evolution of the microstructure and viscoelastic tensile stresses for monodisperse dilute polymer solutions. Collectively referred to as Boger fluids, these polymer solutions have become a popular choice for rheological studies of non-Newtonian fluids and are the non-Newtonian fluid used in this experiment. The SHERE hardware consists of the Rheometer, Camera Arm, Interface Box, Cabling, Keyboard, Tool Box, Fluid Modules, and Stowage Tray. Each component will be described in detail in this paper. In the area of space exploration, the development of in-situ fabrication and repair technology represents a critical element in evolution of autonomous exploration capability. SHERE has the capability to provide data for engineering design tools needed for polymer parts manufacturing systems to ensure their rheological properties have not been impacted in the variable gravity environment and this will be briefly addressed.

Hall, Nancy R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Boiling Experiment Facility for Heat Transfer Studies in Microgravity

Pool boiling in microgravity is an area of both scientific and practical interest. By conducting tests in microgravity, it is possible to assess the effect of buoyancy on the overall boiling process and assess the relative magnitude of effects with regards to other "forces" and phenomena such as Marangoni forces, liquid momentum forces, and microlayer evaporation. The Boiling eXperiment Facility is now being built for the Microgravity Science Glovebox that will use normal perfluorohexane as a test fluid to extend the range of test conditions to include longer test durations and less liquid subcooling. Two experiments, the Microheater Array Boiling Experiment and the Nucleate Pool Boiling eXperiment will use the Boiling eXperiment Facility. The objectives of these studies are to determine the differences in local boiling heat transfer mechanisms in microgravity and normal gravity from nucleate boiling, through critical heat flux and into the transition boiling regime and to examine the bubble nucleation, growth, departure and coalescence processes. Custom-designed heaters will be utilized to achieve these objectives.

Delombard, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2009

High-Grading Lunar Samples

Astronauts on long-duration lunar missions will need the capability to high-grade their samples to select the highest value samples for transport to Earth and to leave others on the Moon. We are supporting studies to define the necessary and sufficient measurements and techniques for high-grading samples at a lunar outpost. A glovebox, dedicated to testing instruments and techniques for high-grading samples, is in operation at the JSC Lunar Experiment Laboratory. A reference suite of lunar rocks and soils, spanning the full compositional range found in the Apollo collection, is available for testing in this laboratory. Thin sections of these samples are available for direct comparison. The Lunar Sample Compendium, on-line at http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/compendium.cfm, summarizes previous analyses of these samples. The laboratory, sample suite, and Compendium are available to the lunar research and exploration community. In the first test of possible instruments for lunar sample high-grading, we imaged 18 lunar rocks and four soils from the reference suite using the Multispectral Microscopic Imager (MMI) developed by Arizona State University and JPL (see Farmer et. al. abstract). The MMI is a fixed-focus digital imaging system with a resolution of 62.5 microns/pixel, a field size of 40 x 32 mm, and a depth-of-field of approximately 5 mm. Samples are illuminated sequentially by 21 light emitting diodes in discrete wavelengths spanning the visible to shortwave infrared. Measurements of reflectance standards and background allow calibration to absolute reflectance. ENVI-based software is used to produce spectra for specific minerals as well as multi-spectral images of rock textures.

Allen, Carlton↗
NASA NTRS2009

High-Grading Lunar Samples for Return to Earth

Astronauts on long-duration lunar missions will need the capability to "high-grade" their samples to select the highest value samples for transport to Earth and to leave others on the Moon. We are supporting studies to defile the "necessary and sufficient" measurements and techniques for highgrading samples at a lunar outpost. A glovebox, dedicated to testing instruments and techniques for high-grading samples, is in operation at the JSC Lunar Experiment Laboratory.

Allen, Carlton↗
NASA NTRS2010

Geolab in NASA's First Generation Pressurized Excursion Module: Operational Concepts

We are building a prototype laboratory for preliminary examination of geological samples to be integrated into a first generation Habitat Demonstration Unit-1/Pressurized Excursion Module (HDU1-PEM) in 2010. The laboratory GeoLab will be equipped with a glovebox for handling samples, and a suite of instruments for collecting preliminary data to help characterize those samples. The GeoLab and the HDU1-PEM will be tested for the first time as part of the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), NASAs annual field exercise designed to test analog mission technologies. The HDU1-PEM and GeoLab will participate in joint operations in northern Arizona with two Lunar Electric Rovers (LER) and the DRATS science team. Historically, science participation in DRATS exercises has supported the technology demonstrations with geological traverse activities that are consistent with preliminary concepts for lunar surface science Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). Next years HDU1-PEM demonstration is a starting point to guide the development of requirements for the Lunar Surface Systems Program and test initial operational concepts for an early lunar excursion habitat that would follow geological traverses along with the LER. For the GeoLab, these objectives are specifically applied to enable future geological surface science activities. The goal of our GeoLab is to enhance geological science returns with the infrastructure that supports preliminary examination, early analytical characterization of key samples, insight into special considerations for curation, and data for prioritization of lunar samples for return to Earth.

Evans, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Enhancement of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer and Control of Bubble Motion in Microgravity Using Electric Fields - BCOEL

The BCOEL project focuses on improving pool boiling heat transfer and bubble control in microgravity by exposing the fluid to electric fields. The electric fields induce a body force that can replace gravity in the low gravity environment, and enhance bubble removal from thc heated surface. A better understanding of microgravity effects on boiling with and without electric fields is critical to the proper design of the phase-change-heat-removal equipment for use in space-based applications. The microgravity experiments will focus on the visualization of bubble formation and shape during boiling. Heat fluxes on the boiling surface will be measured, and, together with the measured driving temperature differences, used to plot boiling curvcs for different electric field magnitudes. Bubble formation and boiling processes were found to be extremely sensitive to g-jitter. The duration of the experimental run is critical in order to achieve steady state in microgravity experiments. The International Space Station provides conditions suitable for such experiments. The experimental appararus to be used in the study is described in the paper. The apparatus will be tested in the KC-135 first, and microgravity experiments will be conducted on board of the International Space Station using the Microgravity Science Glovebox as the experimental platform.

Herman, Cila↗
NASA NTRS2011

GeoLab's First Field Trials, 2010 Desert RATS: Evaluating Tools for Early Sample Characterization

As part of an accelerated prototyping project to support science operations tests for future exploration missions, we designed and built a geological laboratory, GeoLab, that was integrated into NASA's first generation Habitat Demonstration Unit-1/Pressurized Excursion Module (HDU1-PEM). GeoLab includes a pressurized glovebox for transferring and handling samples collected on geological traverses, and a suite of instruments for collecting preliminary data to help characterize those samples. The GeoLab and the HDU1-PEM were tested for the first time as part of the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS), NASA's analog field exercise for testing mission technologies. The HDU1- PEM and GeoLab participated in two weeks of joint operations in northern Arizona with two crewed rovers and the DRATS science team.

Evans, Cindy A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The LEAN Payload Integration Process

It is recognized that payload development and integration with the International Space Station (ISS) can be complex. This streamlined integration approach is a first step toward simplifying payload integration; making it easier to fly payloads on ISS, thereby increasing feasibility and interest for more research and commercial organizations to sponsor ISS payloads and take advantage of the ISS as a National Laboratory asset. The streamlined integration approach was addressed from the perspective of highly likely initial payload types to evolve from the National Lab Pathfinder program. Payloads to be accommodated by the Expedite the Processing of Experiments for Space Station (EXPRESS) Racks and Microgravity Sciences Glovebox (MSG) pressurized facilities have been addressed. It is hoped that the streamlined principles applied to these types of payloads will be analyzed and implemented in the future for other host facilities as well as unpressurized payloads to be accommodated by the EXPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC). Further, a payload does not have to be classified as a National Lab payload in order to be processed according to the lean payload integration process; any payload that meets certain criteria can follow the lean payload integration process.

Jordan, Lee P.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Technical Tension Between Achieving Particulate and Molecular Organic Environmental Cleanliness: Data from Astromaterial Curation Laboratories

NASA Johnson Space Center operates clean curation facilities for Apollo lunar, Antarctic meteorite, stratospheric cosmic dust, Stardust comet and Genesis solar wind samples. Each of these collections is curated separately due unique requirements. The purpose of this abstract is to highlight the technical tensions between providing particulate cleanliness and molecular cleanliness, illustrated using data from curation laboratories. Strict control of three components are required for curating samples cleanly: a clean environment; clean containers and tools that touch samples; and use of non-shedding materials of cleanable chemistry and smooth surface finish. This abstract focuses on environmental cleanliness and the technical tension between achieving particulate and molecular cleanliness. An environment in which a sample is manipulated or stored can be a room, an enclosed glovebox (or robotic isolation chamber) or an individual sample container.

Allton, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2012

This issue contains the following briefs: (1) Optical Comb from a Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator for Spectroscopy and Astronomy Instruments Calibration (2) Real-Time Flight Envelope Monitoring System (3) Nemesis Autonomous Test System (4) Mirror Metrology Using Nano-Probe Supports (5) Automated Lab-on-a-Chip Electrophoresis System (6) Techniques for Down-Sampling a Measured Surface Height Map for Model Validation (7) Multi-Component, Multi-Point Interferometric Rayleigh/Mie Doppler Velocimeter (8) Frequency to Voltage Converter Analog Front-End Prototype (9) Dust-Tolerant Intelligent Electrical Connection System (10) Gigabit Ethernet Asynchronous Clock Compensation FIFO (11) High-Speed, Multi-Channel Serial ADC LVDS Interface for Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA (12) Glovebox for GeoLab Subsystem in HDU1-PEM (13) Modified Process Reduces Porosity when Soldering in Reduced Gravity Environments (14) Use of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes for Covalent Attachment of Nanotubes to Silicon (15) Flexible Plug Repair for Shuttle Wing Leading Edge (16) Three Dimensionally Interlinked, Dense, Solid Form of Single-Walled CNT Ropes (17) Axel Robotic Platform for Crater and Extreme Terrain Exploration (18) Site Tamper and Material Plow Tool - STAMP (19) Magnetic Interface for Segmented Mirror Assembly (20) Transpiration-Cooled Spacecraft-Insulation-Repair Fasteners (21) Fluorescence-Based Sensor for Monitoring Activation of Lunar Dust (22) Aperture Ion Source (23) Virtual Ultrasound Guidance for Inexperienced Operators (24) Model-Based Fault Diagnosis: Performing Root Cause and Impact Analyses in Real Time (25) Interactive Schematic Integration Within the Propellant System Modeling Environment (26) Magnetic and Electric Field Polarizations of Oblique Magnetospheric Chorus Waves (27) Variable Sampling Mapping.

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NASA NTRS2009

Preliminary Findings from the SHERE ISS Experiment

The Shear History Extensional Rheology Experiment (SHERE) is an International Space Station (ISS) glovebox experiment designed to study the effect of preshear on the transient evolution of the microstructure and viscoelastic tensile stresses for monodisperse dilute polymer solutions. The SHERE experiment hardware was launched on Shuttle Mission STS-120 (ISS Flight 10A) on October 22, 2007, and 20 fluid samples were launched on Shuttle Mission STS-123 (ISS Flight 10/A) on March 11, 2008. Astronaut Gregory Chamitoff performed experiments during Increment 17 on the ISS between June and September 2008. A summary of the ten year history of the hardware development, the experiment's science objectives, and Increment 17's flight operations are discussed in the paper. A brief summary of the preliminary science results is also discussed.

Hall, Nancy R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Contribution to "AIAA Aerospace Year in Review" article

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Microgravity Science Program is dedicated to promoting our understanding of materials processing by conducting relevant experiments in the microgravity environment and supporting related modeling efforts with the intent of improving ground-based practices. Currently funded investigations include research on dopant distribution and defect formation in semiconductors, microstructural development and transitions in dendritic casting alloys, coarsening phenomena, competition between thermal and kinetic phase formation, and the formation of glassy vs. crystalline material. NASA Microgravity Materials Science Principle Investigators are selected for funding either through a proposal in response to a NASA Research Announcement or by collaborating on a team that has successfully proposed to a foreign space agency research announcement. In the latter case, a US investigator can then apply to NASA for funding through an unsolicited proposal. The International Space Station (ISS) facilities used for the experimental investigations are provided primarily by partnering with foreign agencies and often US investigators are working as a part of a larger team studying a specific area of materials science. Facilities for conducting experiments aboard the ISS include the European Space Agency (ESA) Low Gradient Facility (LGF) and the Solidification and Quench (SQF) modular inserts to the Materials Research Rack/Materials Science Laboratory and are primarily used for controlled solidification studies. The French Space Agency (CNES) provided DECLIC facility allows direct observation of morphological development in transparent materials that solidify analogously to metals. The ESA provided Electro ]Magnetic Levitator (EML) is designed to levitate, melt and then cool samples in order to determine material properties, study nucleation behavior, and document phase transitions. Finally, the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) serves as a onboard facility for supporting the hardware required to conduct a number of smaller, short-term investigations.

Grugel, Richard N.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Overview of NASA's Microgravity Materials Research Program

The NASA microgravity materials program is dedicated to conducting microgravity experiments and related modeling efforts that will help us understand the processes associated with the formation of materials. This knowledge will help improve ground based industrial production of such materials. The currently funded investigations include research on the distribution of dopants and formation of defects in semiconductors, transitions between columnar and dendritic grain morphology, coarsening of phase boundaries, competition between thermally and kinetically favored phases, and the formation of glassy vs. crystalline material. NASA microgravity materials science investigators are selected for funding either through a proposal in response to a NASA Research Announcement or by participation in a team proposing to a foreign agency research announcement. In the latter case, a US investigator participating in a successful proposal to a foreign agency can then apply to NASA for funding of an unsolicited proposal. The program relies on cooperation with other aerospace partners from around the world. The ISS facilities used for these investigations are provided primarily by partnering with foreign agencies and in most cases the US investigators are working as a part of a larger team studying a specific area of materials science. The following facilities are to be utilized for the initial investigations. The ESA provided Low Gradient Facility and the Solidification and Quench Inserts to the Materials Research Rack/Materials Science Laboratory are to be used primarily for creating bulk samples that are directionally solidified or quenched from a high temperature melt. The CNES provided DECLIC facility is used to observe morphological development in transparent materials. The ESA provided Electro-Magnetic Levitator (EML) is designed to levitate, melt and then cool samples in order to study nucleation behavior. The facility provides conditions in which nucleation of the solid is not triggered from the wall and in which fluid flows in the sample can be controlled and manipulated. These conditions allow scientists ideal conditions for understanding the relative amounts and distribution of different phases that form in the solid. Finally, the Coarsening of Solid Liquid Melts hardware allows quenching of low temperature samples in the Microgravity Science Glovebox.

Downey, James Patton↗
NASA NTRS2012

Overview of NASA's Microgravity Materials Science Program

The microgravity materials program was nearly eliminated in the middle of the aughts due to budget constraints. Hardware developments were eliminated. Some investigators with experiments that could be performed using ISS partner hardware received continued funding. Partnerships were established between US investigators and ESA science teams for several investigations. ESA conducted peer reviews on the proposals of various science teams as part of an ESA AO process. Assuming he or she was part of a science team that was selected by the ESA process, a US investigator would submit a proposal to NASA for grant funding to support their part of the science team effort. In a similar manner, a US materials investigator (Dr. Rohit Trivedi) is working as a part of a CNES selected science team. As funding began to increase another seven materials investigators were selected in 2010 through an NRA mechanism to perform research related to development of Materials Science Research Rack investigations. One of these has since been converted to a Glovebox investigation.

Downey, James Patton↗
NASA NTRS2012

Burning Questions in Gravity-Dependent Combustion Science

Building upon a long history of spaceflight and ground based research, NASA's Combustion Science program has accumulated a significant body of accomplishments on the ISS. Historically, NASAs low-gravity combustion research program has sought: to provide a more complete understanding of the fundamental controlling processes in combustion by identifying simpler one-dimensional systems to eliminate the complex interactions between the buoyant flow and the energy feedback to the reaction zone to provide realistic simulation of the fire risk in manned spacecraft and to enable practical simulation of the gravitational environment experienced by reacting systems in future spacecraft. Over the past two decades, low-gravity combustion research has focused primarily on increasing our understanding of fundamental combustion processes (e.g. droplet combustion, soot, flame spread, smoldering, and gas-jet flames). This research program was highly successful and was aided by synergistic programs in Europe and in Japan. Overall improvements were made in our ability to model droplet combustion in spray combustors (e.g. jet engines), predict flame spread, predict soot production, and detect and prevent spacecraft fires. These results provided a unique dataset that supports both an active research discipline and also spacecraft fire safety for current and future spacecraft. These experiments have been conducted using the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR), the Microgravity Science Glovebox and the Express Rack. In this paper, we provide an overview of the earlier space shuttle experiments, the recent ISS combustion experiments in addition to the studies planned for the future. Experiments in combustion include topics such as droplet combustion, gaseous diffusion flames, solid fuels, premixed flame studies, fire safety, and super critical oxidation processes.

Urban, David↗
NASA NTRS2012

Flammability Aspects of a Cotton-Fiberglass Fabric in Opposed and Concurrent Airflow in Microgravity

Microgravity combustion tests burning fabric samples were performed aboard the International Space Station. The cotton-fiberglass blend samples were mounted inside a small wind tunnel which could impose air flow speeds up to 40 cm/s. The wind tunnel was installed in the Microgravity Science Glovebox which supplied power, imaging, and a level of containment. The effects of air flow speed on flame appearance, flame growth, and spread rates were determined in both the opposed and concurrent flow configuration. For the opposed flow configuration, the flame quickly reached steady spread for each flow speed, and the spread rate was fastest at an intermediate value of flow speed. These tests show the enhanced flammability in microgravity for this geometry, since, in normal gravity air, a flame self-extinguishes in the opposed flow geometry (downward flame spread). In the concurrent flow configuration, flame size grew with time during the tests. A limiting length and steady spread rate were obtained only in low flow speeds ( 10 cm/s) for the short-length samples that fit in the small wind tunnel. For these conditions, flame spread rate increased linearly with increasing flow. This is the first time that detailed transient flame growth data was obtained in purely forced flows in microgravity. In addition, by decreasing flow speed to a very low value (around 1 cm/s), quenching extinction was observed. The valuable results from these long-duration experiments validate a number of theoretical predictions and also provide the data for a transient flame growth model under development.

Ferkul, Paul V.↗