Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “ethane”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1979

Cryogenic thermal diode heat pipes

The development of spiral artery cryogenic thermal diode heat pipes was continued. Ethane was the working fluid and stainless steel the heat pipe material in all cases. The major tasks included: (1) building a liquid blockage (blocking orifice) thermal diode suitable for the HEPP space flight experiment; (2) building a liquid trap thermal diode engineering model; (3) retesting the original liquid blockage engineering model, and (4) investigating the startup dynamics of artery cryogenic thermal diodes. An experimental investigation was also conducted into the wetting characteristics of ethane/stainless steel systems using a specially constructed chamber that permitted in situ observations.

Alario, J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Hydrogen atom initiated chemistry

H Atoms have been created by the photolysis of H2S. These then initiated reactions in mixtures involving acetylene-ammonia-water and ethylene-ammonia-water. In the case of the acetylene system, the products consisted of two amino acids, ethylene and a group of primarily cyclic thio-compounds, but no free sulfur. In the case of the ethylene systems, seven amino acids, including an aromatic one, ethane, free sulfur, and a group of solely linear thio-compounds were produced. Total quantum yields for the production of amino acids were about 3 x 10 to the -5th and about 2 x 10 to the -4th with ethylene and acetylene respectively as carbon substrates. Consideration is given of the mechanism for the formation of some of the products and implications regarding planetary atmosphere chemistry, particularly that of Jupiter, are explored.

Hong, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Hot-atom synthesis of organic compounds on Jupiter

Results of recent laboratory 'simulations' of photochemical processes on Jupiter are combined with available data on mixing rates and exposure times in the Jovian atmosphere to give quantitative predictions of the rate at which hot-atom reactions produce organic molecules. It is shown that abstraction reactions on methane by hot H atoms from solar UV photolysis of H2S will produce no more than 4 times 10 to the -17th power g/sq cm/sec for a steady-state mole fraction of total organics of approximately 10 to the -16th power. This is roughly 10 to the 7th power times less than the limit of detection of the most sensitive gas analysis experiments ever flown on a spacecraft. By far the most common organic molecule produced by this mechanism is CH3SH, methyl mercaptan, which is produced at a rate at least 600 times smaller than the rate of production of ethane by direct photolysis of CH4 at high altitudes.

Lewis, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Infrared observations of the Jovian system from Voyager 2

As on Voyager 1, the infrared spectroscopy and radiometry instrument on Voyager 2 returned a large number of spectral and radiometric data on Jupiter and its satellites for varying conditions of latitude, longitude, local time, and phase and emission angles. The Voyager 2 average spectrum is slightly noisier than that from Voyager 1. The paper presents selected examples of results from the Voyager 2 infrared investigation, with particular reference to latitudinal variation of the abundance ratio of ethane to acetylene, atmospheric thermal structure, Jupiter's ring, and satellites.

Hanel, R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The upper atmosphere of Uranus - Mean temperature and temperature variations

The number-density, pressure, and temperature profiles of the Uranian atmosphere in the pressure interval from 0.3 to 30 dynes/sq cm are derived from observations of the occultation of SAO 158687 by Uranus on 1977 March 10, observations made from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory and the Cape Town station of the South African Astronomical Observatory. The mean temperature is found to be about 95 K, but peak-to-peak variations from 10 K to 20 K or more exist on a scale of 150 km or 3 scale heights. The existence of a thermal inversion is established, but the inversion is much weaker than the analogous inversion on Neptune. The mean temperature can be explained by solar heating in the 3.3 micron methane band with a methane mixing ratio of 4 x 10 to the -6th combined with the cooling effect of ethane with a mixing ratio of not greater than 4 x 10 to the -6th. The temperature variations are probably due to a photochemical process that has formed a Chapman layer.

Dunham, E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Four band differential radiometer for monitoring LNG vapors

The development by JPL of a four band differential radiometer (FBDR) which is capable of providing a fast rate of response, accurate measurements of methane, ethane, and propane concentrations on the periphery of a dispersing LNG cloud. The FBDR is a small, low power, lightweight, portable instrument system that uses differential absorption of near infrared radiation by the LNG cloud as a technique for the determination of concentration of the three gases as the LNG cloud passes the instrument position. Instrument design and data analysis approaches are described. The data obtained from the FBDR prototype instrument system deployed in an instrument array during two 40 cubic meter spill tests are discussed.

Simmonds, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Observations of Saturn in the 5- to 8-micron spectral region

A spectrum of Saturn obtained from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory exhibits an emission peak at 6.8 microns attributed to ethane, but is otherwise dominated by absorption from 5.3 to 7.2 microns. While the large absorption in this spectral region is consistent with the presence of ammonia gas or ammonia ice, or both, such an explanation is inconsistent with the lack of a major absorption near 3.0 microns.

Witteborn, F. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Composition and thermal profiles of the Jovian upper atmosphere determined by the Voyager ultraviolet stellar occultation experiment

During the occultation of the star Regulus (B7 type) by Jupiter as seen from the Voyager 2 spacecraft on July 9, 1979, two absorbing regions were detected. Between 911 and 1200 A, H2 was absorbing over a 600 km altitude range. Above 1300 A, the rapid increase of the absorption by the hydrocarbons was observed over an altitude interval of approximately 100 km with a height resolution of 3 km. The analysis of these absorption features has provided the height profiles of molecular hydrogen, methane, ethane, and acetylene, as well as the thermal profile in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. Combining the Voyager ultraviolet spectrometer results with other data, such as those obtained by the Voyager infrared and radioscience instruments, has yielded a comprehensive model of the composition and structure of the atmosphere of Jupiter.

Festou, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Some fundamental acoustic observations in combusting turbulent jets

A study is presented of the possibility of using the acoustic radiation emitted from turbulent combustion zones to characterize the structure, mechanics and properties of turbulent combustion. Theoretical consideration is given to the acoustic characteristics of a nonpremixed open turbulent jet flame and the response of the acoustic spectrum to changes in combustion conditions. Experimental observations made of the acoustic emissions from a laboratory burner that establishes turbulent flames at the exit of a fully developed pipe flow as well as two commercial burners using methane, ethane and propane fuels are then presented which reveal changes in the acoustic amplitudes in three high-frequency bands associated with changes in the air-fuel ratio. Results suggest a means for combustion diagnostics and demonstrate the possibility of using acoustic measurements in investigations of combustion zone processes.

Ramohalli, K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Calculation of the thermodynamic properties of a mixture of gases as a function of temperature and pressure

The evaluation of the thermodynamic properties of a gas mixture can be performed using a generalized correlation which makes use of the second virial coefficient. This coefficient is based on statistical mechanics and is a function of temperature and composition, but not of pressure. The method provides results accurate to within 3 percent for gases which are nonpolar or only slightly polar. When applied to highly polar gases, errors of 5 to 10 percent may result. For gases which associate, even larger errors are possible. The sequences of calculations can be routinely programmed for a digital computer. The thermodynamic properties of a mixture of neon, argon and ethane were calculated by such a program. The result will be used for the design of the gas replenishment system for the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope.

Colon, G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Composition of Jupiter

The chemistry of Jupiter's atmosphere is reviewed. The various molecules that were discovered on Jupiter are summarized. The compounds: methane, ammonia water, ethane, acetylene, carbon monoxide, phosphine, and germane.

Prinn, R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Air pollutant production by algal cell cultures

The production of phytotoxic air pollutants by cultures of Chlorella vulgaris and Euglena gracilis is considered. Algal and plant culture systems, a fumigation system, and ethylene, ethane, cyanide, and nitrogen oxides assays are discussed. Bean, tobacco, mustard green, cantaloupe and wheat plants all showed injury when fumigated with algal gases for 4 hours. Only coleus plants showed any resistance to the gases. It is found that a closed or recycled air effluent system does not produce plant injury from algal air pollutants.

Fong, F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Moderate temperature Na cells. III - Electrochemical and structural studies of Cr0.5V0.5S2 and its Na intercalates

Experimental results are reported on the behavior of a rechargeable Na cell incorporating a Cr0.5V0.5S2 cathode. The cell operates at 130 C and uses as electrolyte a 1M solution of NaI in 1,2-bis(2-methoxy-ethoxy)ethane (triglyme). The mechanism of discharge of Cr0.5V0.5S2 involves Na intercalation. It is found that the maximum rechargeable capacity of the Cr0.5V0.5S2 cathode is 0.7 e(overbar)/mol. With an average cell voltage of 1.9 V, the theoretical specific energy of the cathode is 273 W-hr/kg.

Abraham, K. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Porous plate analog burner study of composite solid propellant flame structure

A porous plate burner system for studying the structure and interaction of diffusion flames from adjacent unlike sources of oxidizer to simulate the behavior of solid propellant flames is presented. The passage of oxidizer gases through ports of determined diameters represents decomposing oxidizer crystals, and are adjustable for various oxidizer/fuel ratio experiments. Tests with air, ethane, oxygen, and oxygen-air mixtures are described, with parameters of flow rate, oxygen/fuel ratio, and pressure. Coarse ports are found to be oxidizer rich, while fine ports are stoichiometric. More heat feedback is found with fine ports, indicating that fine particle propellant systems burn faster unless fuel allocation is such that the reduced temperature overcomes the reduced diffusion length. Further observations on the interactions of flames are reported.

Strand, L. D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Photochemistry of NH3, CH4 and PH3 - Possible applications to the Jovian planets

It is found that the photolysis of NH4 at 185 nm in the presence of a two-fold excess of CH4 results in the loss of about 0.25 mole of CH4 per mole of NH3 decomposed. The loss is shown to arise from the abstraction of hydrogen atoms from CH4 by photolytically generated hot hydrogen atoms. It is concluded that NH3 photolysis in the H2-abundant atmosphere of Jupiter is not responsible for the presence of the carbon compounds observed there, such as ethane, acetylene, and hydrogen cyanide, but may have had a role in the early atmosphere of Titan. Also, it is found that the photolysis of PH3 with a 206 nm light source gives P2H4, which in turn is converted to a red-brown solid. The course of the photolysis is not changed appreciably when the temperature is lowered to 157 K except that the concentration of P2H4 increases, while the presence of H2 has no effect on the P2H4 yield. Photolysis of 9:1 NH3:PH3 is found to give a rate of decomposition of PH3 that is comparable with that observed by the direct photolysis of PH3 and comparable amounts of the red-brown solid and P2H4 are observed. In addition, the implications of these results for the structures of the compounds responsible for the wide array of colors observed in the atmosphere of Jupiter are examined.

Ferris, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Plasma polymerized high energy density dielectric films for capacitors

High energy density polymeric dielectric films were prepared by plasma polymerization of a variety of gaseous monomers. This technique gives thin, reproducible, pinhole free, conformable, adherent, and insoluble coatings and overcomes the processing problems found in the preparation of thin films with bulk polymers. Thus, devices are prepared completely in a vacuum environment. The plasma polymerized films prepared all showed dielectric strengths of greater than 1000 kV/cm and in some cases values of greater than 4000 kV/cm were observed. The dielectric loss of all films was generally less than 1% at frequencies below 10 kHz, but this value increased at higher frequencies. All films were self healing. The dielectric strength was a function of the polymerization technique, whereas the dielectric constant varied with the structure of the starting material. Because of the thin films used (thickness in the submicron range) surface smoothness of the metal electrodes was found to be critical in obtaining high dielectric strengths. High dielectric strength graft copolymers were also prepared. Plasma polymerized ethane was found to be thermally stable up to 150 C in the presence of air and 250 C in the absence of air. No glass transitions were observed for this material.

Yamagishi, F. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Low-temperature heat pipe experiment package (HEPP) for LDEF (S1001)

The principal objectives of the experiment are to determine zero-g start-up performance for conventional and diode low temperature heat pipes, to evaluate heat pipe performance in zero-g for an extended period of time, to determine zero-g transport capability of each heat pipe, and to determine diode operation, including forward conductance, turndown ratio, and transient behavior. Two heat pipes, a fixed conductance transporter heat pipe and a thermal diode heat pipe, are coupled with a radiant cooler system. Both pipes are charged with ethane. Also integrated with the radiator is a phase change material (PCM) canister which provides temperature stability during transport tests. N-heptane, which has a melting/freezing point of 182 K, is used as the PCM. The high heat capacity (28 W-hr of latent heat) provided by the canister permits high power heat pipe testing at constant temperature.

Mcintosh, R., Jr.↗