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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Effects of Mesoscale Eddies in the Active Mixed Layer: Test of the Parametrisation in Eddy Resolving Simulations

In eddy resolving simulations, we test a mixed layer mesoscale parametrisation, developed recently by Canuto and Dubovikov [Ocean Model., 2011, 39, 200-207]. With no adjustable parameters, the parametrisation yields the horizontal and vertical mesoscale fluxes in terms of coarse-resolution fields and eddy kinetic energy (EKE). We compare terms of the parametrisation diagnosed from coarse-grained fields with the eddy mesoscale fluxes diagnosed directly from the high resolution model. An expression for the EKE in terms of mean fields has also been found to get a closed parametrisation in terms of the mean fields only. In 40 numerical experiments we simulated two types of flows: idealised flows driven by baroclinic instabilities only, and more realistic flows, driven by wind and surface fluxes as well as by inflow-outflow. The diagnosed quasi-instantaneous horizontal and vertical mesoscale buoyancy fluxes (averaged over 1-2 degrees and 10 days) demonstrate a strong scatter typical for turbulent flows, however, the fluxes are positively correlated with the parametrisation with higher (0.5-0.74) correlations at the experiments with larger baroclinic radius Rossby. After being averaged over 3-4 months, diffusivities diagnosed from the eddy resolving simulations are consistent with the parametrisation for a broad range of parameters. Diagnosed vertical mesoscale fluxes restratify mixed layer and are in a good agreement with the parametrisation unless vertical turbulent mixing in the upper layer becomes strong enough in comparison with mesoscale advection. In the latter case, numerical simulations demonstrate that the deviation of the fluxes from the parametrisation is controlled by dimensionless parameter estimating the ratio of vertical turbulent mixing term to mesoscale advection. An analysis using a modified omega-equation reveals that the effects of the vertical mixing of vorticity is responsible for the two-three fold amplification of vertical mesoscale flux. Possible physical mechanisms, responsible for the amplification of vertical mesoscale flux are discussed.

simulation↗
NASA NTRS1972

Interhemispheric comparison of atmospheric circulation features as evaluated from Nimbus satellite data

General circulation parameters in the Northern Hemisphere are calculated using atmospheric thermal structure obtained from Nimbus 3 SIRS multi-channel radiance information. The thermal structure up to 10 mb is obtained by using a regression technique with thickness between pressure levels as the dependent variable. General circulation parameters calculated on a daily basis include zonal and eddy available potential energy, and zonal and eddy kinetic energy. A second set of calculations is performed using National Meteorological Center grid data. A comparison of the two sets of calculations indicates that, although the energies calculated from the SIRS-derived structure underestimate the actual energies, maxima, minima, and trends are well identified. An example of mid-stratospheric energy changes during a breakdown of the polar-night vortex is also given.

Reiter, E. R.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A coupled radiative-convective-photochemical model of the stratosphere

A one-dimensional atmospheric model is described. The neutral photochemical processes of the troposphere and stratosphere are presented by a reaction set of 87 kinetic processes and 28 photolytic reactions, with vertical transport being taken into account by an eddy diffusion parameter. The vertical temperature profiles are coupled with the chemical calculations by means of a radiative-convective code. The model has the capability of including effects of multiple scattering and diurnal variations in species concentrations. The numerical solution methodology is described in detail, and current input data are given along with results obtained in a sample calculation.

Boughner, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Nova dust nucleation - Kinetics and photodissociation

Dust is observed to form in nova ejecta. The grain temperature is determined by the diluted nova radiation field rather than the gas kinetic temperature, making classical nucleation theory inapplicable. We used kinetic equations to calculate the growth of carbon nuclei in these ejecta. For expected values of the parameters too many clusters grew, despite the small sticking probability of atoms to small clusters, and the clusters only reached radii of about 100 A when the carbon vapor was depleted. We then included the effects of cluster photodissociation by ultraviolet radiation from the nova. This suppresses nucleation, but too well, and no grains form at all. Finally we suggest that a few growing carbon nuclei may be protected from photodissociation by a sacrificial surface layer of hydrogen.

Johnson, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

An Analysis Method for Superconducting Resonator Parameter Extraction with Complex Baseline Removal

A new semi-empirical model is proposed for extracting the quality (Q) factors of arrays of superconducting microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs). The determination of the total internal and coupling Q factors enables the computation of the loss in the superconducting transmission lines. The method used allows the simultaneous analysis of multiple interacting discrete resonators with the presence of a complex spectral baseline arising from reflections in the system. The baseline removal allows an unbiased estimate of the device response as measured in a cryogenic instrumentation setting.

semi-empirical model↗
NASA NTRS2015

Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Studies: Evaluation Number 18

This is the eighteenth in a series of evaluated sets of rate constants, photochemical cross sections, heterogeneous parameters, and thermochemical parameters compiled by the NASA Panel for Data Evaluation. The data are used primarily to model stratospheric and upper tropospheric processes, with particular emphasis on the ozone layer and its possible perturbation by anthropogenic and natural phenomena. The evaluation is available in electronic form from the following Internet URL: http://jpldataeval.jpl.nasa.gov/

Atmospheric Chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1998

Volume Diffusion Growth Kinetics and Step Geometry in Crystal Growth

The role of step geometry in two-dimensional stationary volume diff4sion process used in crystal growth kinetics models is investigated. Three different interface shapes: a) a planar interface, b) an equidistant hemispherical bumps train tAx interface, and c) a train of right angled steps, are used in this comparative study. The ratio of the super-saturation to the diffusive flux at the step position is used as a control parameter. The value of this parameter can vary as much as 50% for different geometries. An approximate analytical formula is derived for the right angled steps geometry. In addition to the kinetic models, this formula can be utilized in macrostep growth models. Finally, numerical modeling of the diffusive and convective transport for equidistant steps is conducted. In particular, the role of fluid flow resulting from the advancement of steps and its contribution to the transport of species to the steps is investigated.

Mazuruk, Konstantin↗
NASA NTRS1990

Magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas - Prescribed fields

The structure of the dissipation region during magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasma is investigated by examining a prescribed two-dimensional magnetic x line configuration with an imposed inductive electric field E(y). The calculations represent an extension of recent MHD simulations of steady state reconnection (Biskamp, 1986; Lee and Fu, 1986) to the collisionless kinetic regime. It is shown that the structure of the x line reconnection configuration depends on only two parameters: a normalized inductive field and a parameter R which represents the opening angle of the magnetic x lines.

Burkhart, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Prediction of engine and near-field plume reacting flows in low-thrust chemical rockets

A computational model is employed to study the reacting flow within the engine and near-field plumes of several small gaseous hydrogen-oxygen thrusters. The model solves the full Navier-Stokes equations coupled with species diffusion equations for a hydrogen-oxygen reaction kinetics system and includes a two-equation q-omega model for turbulence. Predictions of global performance parameters and localized flowfield variables are compared with experimental data in order to assess the accuracy with which these flowfields are modeled and to identify aspects of the model which require improvement. Predicted axial and radial velocities 3 mm downstream of the exit plane show reasonable agreement with the measurements. The predicted peak in axial velocity in the hydrogen film coolant along the nozzle wall shows the best agreement; however, predictions within the core region are roughly 15 percent below measured values, indicating an underprediction of the extent to which the hydrogen diffuses and mixes with the core flow. There is evidence that this is due to three-dimensional mixing processes which are not included in the axisymmetric model.

Weiss, Jonathan M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

SLS-2 involvement

The purpose of this study is to support Russian space flight experiments carried out on rats flown aboard Space Shuttle Mission SLS-2. The Russian experiments were designed to determine the effects of space flight on immunological parameters. The Russian experiment included the first in-flight dissection of rodents that allowed the determination of kinetics of when space flight affected immune responses. The support given the Russians by this laboratory was to carry out assays for immunologically important cytokines that could not readily be carried out in their home laboratories. These included essays of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, interferon-gamma and possibly other cytokines.

Sonnenfeld, Gerald↗
NASA NTRS1995

Properties of the solar wind electrons between 1 and 3.3 AU from Ulysses thermal noise measurements

In order to describe the distribution function f(v) of the solar wind electrons, the simplest model which is commonly used consists of the sum of two Maxwellians representing two distinct populations: a core (density n(sub c), temperature T(sub c)) and a halo (density n(sub h), temperature T(sub h)). It is possible, with the latter assumptions on the electron f(v), to determine the quasi-thermal noise (QTN) induced on an antenna by the motion of the ambient electrons in the solar wind. Using this distribution and the spectroscopy of thermal noise measurements from the radio receiver on Ulysses in the ecliptic plane, we deduce the total electron density N(sub e), the core temperature T(sub c), and the core and halo kinetic pressures N(sub c)T(sub c) and N(sub h)T(sub h). From these electron parameters, we can define a 'global' electron temperature as T(sub e) = (N(sub c)T(sub c) + N(sub h)T(sub h))/N(sub e). Here we present different radial gradients of T(sub e), between 1 and 3.3 AU, as a function of three classes of N(sub e) at 1 AU: low, intermediate, and high densities. In general all these gradients are found to be positive with different polytrope power law indexes between N(sub e) and T(sub e), which are in general lower than unity. We also show different behaviors of the ratio N(sub h)T(sub h)/N(sub c)T(sub c) for each density class considered. Some possible interpretations for these observations are discussed.

Maksimovic, M.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The sun at minimum activity: Results from the CELIAS experiment on SOHO

The charge element and isotope analysis system (CELIAS) experiment, designed to continuously measure the composition of the solar wind and solar suprathermal particles, is presented. Information on proton velocity, kinetic temperature, density and out-of-ecliptic flow angle is obtained. A preliminary statistical analysis of proton parameters and freeze-in temperatures, obtained during the first 18 months of the operation of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), is presented. The first determinations of neon isotopic abundances with CELIAS yielded an excellent agreement with the Apollo-foil experiment. The magnesium isotopic composition in the solar wind agrees with the data acquired from earth.

Bochsler, P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Diurnal Variability of the Hydrologic Cycle and Radiative Fluxes: Comparisons Between Observation and a GCM

The simulated diurnal cycle is in many ways an ideal test bed for new physical parameterizations. The purpose of this paper is to compare observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission, the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment, the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Experiment, and the Anglo-Brazilian Amazonian Climate Observation Study with the diurnal variability of the Amazonian hydrologic cycle and radiative energy budget as simulated by the Colorado State University general circulation model, and to evaluate improvements and deficiencies of the model physics. The model uses a prognostic cumulus kinetic energy (CKE) to relax the quasi-equilibrium closure of the Arakawa-Schubert cumulus parameterization. A parameter, alpha, is used to relate the CKE to the cumulus mass flux. This parameter is expected to vary with cloud depth, mean shear, and the level of convective activity, but up to now a single constant value for all cloud types has been used. The results of the present study show clearly that this approach cannot yield realistic simulations of both the diurnal cycle and the monthly mean climate state. Improved results are obtained using a version of the model in which alpha is permitted to vary with cloud depth.

Lin, Xin↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Multiphysics Study to Improve Specific Energy of Primary Batteries for Low Temperature Operation for Deep Space Missions

Several lander missions on the outer planets such as Europa, Enceladus, and Titan require electrical power to operate scientific and communication equipment. The traditional power generation methods, such as a photovoltaic array, are not feasible as their efficiency drops significantly at these vast distances. The novel radioisotope power systems are not practical today based on current lander designs and the effectiveness of these systems. To perform in situ science on distant planets, a high specific energy battery (>700 Wh/kg) needs to operate for about 480 hours under cold temperatures (-40C or 0C) [1]. While a primary battery such as Li-CFx can provide high specific energy at room temperature, its specific capacity decreases significantly at low temperatures. One of the causes for this drop is low ion and electrical conductivity, and slower reaction kinetics. Slower transport and facile kinetics lead to an increase in the battery’s resistance and higher voltage drops during the cell operation, thus reducing specific capacity. Both the transport and kinetics show a strong dependence on temperature. Thus, a small temperature rise can lead to an increase in the reaction rate and ion conductivity; since the temperature, cell resistance, and specific capacity are interdependent. A conventional battery model accounts for ohmic, thermodynamic, and, electrochemical, and chemical decomposition heating. The ohmic heating can be controlled by designing a resistive microstructure and varying the ratios of the active materials [2]. The kinetics can be improved by increasing the surface area, reducing the particle size, or adding a catalyst. These parameters are often optimized to achieve high specific energy at room temperatures. A similar optimization study is not available at low temperatures and for a primary (high specific energy) battery. For this presentation, we will explore the effect of geometrical, microstructural, and material properties on optimal specific capacity at low temperatures through multiphysics simulations. The ion transport resistance depends on the porosity and the tortuosity of an electrode and the separator.

M. Mehta↗
NASA NTRS2018

Clockwork Axions in Cosmology. Is Chromonatural Inflation Chrononatural?

Many cosmological models rely on large couplings of axions to gauge fields. Examples include theories of magnetogenesis, inflation on a steep potential, chiral gravitational waves, and chromonatural inflation. Such theories require a mismatch between the axion field range and the mass scale appearing in the aFF~ coupling. This mismatch suggests an underlying monodromy, with the axion winding around its fundamental period a large number of times. We investigate the extent to which this integer can be explained as a product of smaller integers in a UV completion: in the parlance of our times, can the theory be “clockworked”? We argue that a clockwork construction producing a potential μ4cos(ajFa) for an axion of fundamental period Fa will obey the constraint μ < Fa. For a some applications, including chromonatural inflation with sub-Planckian field range, this constraint obstructs a clockwork UV completion. Alternative routes to a large coupling include fields of large charge (an approach limited by strong coupling) or kinetic mixing (requiring a lighter axion). Our results suggest that completions of axion cosmologies that explain the large parameter in the theory potentially alter the phenomenological predictions of the model.

Cosmology of Theories beyond the SM↗
NASA NTRS1996

Computer Modeling of Non-Isothermal Crystallization

A realistic computer model for simulating isothermal and non-isothermal phase transformations proceeding by homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation and interface-limited growth is presented. A new treatment for particle size effects on the crystallization kinetics is developed and is incorporated into the numerical model. Time-dependent nucleation rates, size-dependent growth rates, and surface crystallization are also included. Model predictions are compared with experimental measurements of DSC/DTA peak parameters for the crystallization of lithium disilicate glass as a function of particle size, Pt doping levels, and water content. The quantitative agreement that is demonstrated indicates that the numerical model can be used to extract key kinetic data from easily obtained calorimetric data. The model can also be used to probe nucleation and growth behavior in regimes that are otherwise inaccessible. Based on a fit to data, an earlier prediction that the time-dependent nucleation rate in a DSC/DTA scan can rise above the steady-state value at a temperature higher than the peak in the steady-state rate is demonstrated.

Kelton, K. F.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Preliminary scaling laws for plasma current, ion kinetic temperature, and plasma number density in the NASA Lewis Bumpy Torus plasma

Parametric variation of independent variables which may affect the characteristics of the NASA Lewis Bumpy Torus plasma have identified those which have a significant effect on the plasma current, ion kinetic temperature, and plasma number density, and those which do not. Empirical power-law correlations of the plasma current, and the ion kinetic temperature and number density were obtained as functions of the potential applied to the midplane electrode rings, the background neutral gas pressure, and the magnetic field strength. Additional parameters studied include the type of gas, the polarity of the midplane electrode rings (and hence the direction of the radial electric field), the mode of plasma operation, and the method of measuring the plasma number density. No significant departures from the scaling laws appear to occur at the highest ion kinetic temperatures or number densities obtained to date.

Roth, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Containerless processing of undercooled melts

The investigation focused on the control of microstructural evolution in Mn-Al, Fe-Ni, Ni-V, and Au-Pb-Sb alloys through the high undercooling levels provided by containerless processing, and provided fundamental new information on the control of nucleation. Solidification analysis was conducted by means of thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and metallographic characterization on samples processed in a laboratory scale drop tube system. The Mn-Al alloy system offers a useful model system with the capability of phase separation on an individual particle basis, thus permitting a more complete understanding of the operative kinetics and the key containerless processing variables. This system provided the opportunity of analyzing the nucleation rate as a function of processing conditions and allowed for the quantitative assessment of the relevant processing parameters. These factors are essential in the development of a containerless processing model which has a predictive capability. Similarly, Ni-V is a model system that was used to study duplex partitionless solidification, which is a structure possible only in high under cooling solidification processes. Nucleation kinetics for the competing bcc and fcc phases were studied to determine how this structure can develop and the conditions under which it may occur. The Fe-Ni alloy system was studied to identify microstructural transitions with controlled variations in sample size and composition during containerless solidification. This work was forwarded to develop a microstructure map which delineates regimes of structural evolution and provides a unified analysis of experimental observations. The Au-Pb-Sb system was investigated to characterize the thermodynamic properties of the undercooled liquid phase and to characterize the glass transition under a variety of processing conditions. By analyzing key containerless processing parameters in a ground based drop tube study, a carefully designed flight experiment may be planned to utilize the extended duration microgravity conditions of orbiting spacecraft.

Perepezko, J. H.↗