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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 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Internal gravity waves in the solar atmosphere. II - Effects of radiative damping

In the solar photosphere, temperature fluctuations associated with acoustic-gravity waves may be rapidly smoothed by the transfer mechanism of radiation between hotter and cooler regions. The present investigation of the radiative effects on internal gravity waves takes into account the parameterization of the radiative energy, employing the Newtonian cooling approximation. A linear analysis of the propagation of internal gravity waves is carried out in a model of the solar atmosphere which is taken to be homogeneous in the horizontal coordinates. Linear wave properties both with and without radiative cooling are summarized, and the variation with height of energy fluxes and of nonlinearities in the waves is discussed. Attention is given to the significance of the obtained results in terms of energy balance in the chromosphere and in relation to spectral line observations.

Mihalas, B. W.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The field and plasma configuration of a filament overlying a solar bipolar magnetic region

This paper presents an analytic model for a finite-size straight filament suspended horizontally in a steady state over a bipolar magnetic region. The equations of magnetostatic equilibrium are integrated exactly. The solution obtained illustrates the roles played by the electric current, magnetic field, pressure, and plasma weight in the balance of force everywhere in space. A specific example of a filament of diameter 50,000 km, with a density two orders of magnitude over the corona and supported by a magnetic field of about 4 gauss is included. The filament temperature can take values ranging from a small fraction to a few times the coronal temperature, depending on the internal electric current of the filament. To produce a cool filament, such as the quiescent prominence, the solution is required to have an internal field with a strong component along the filament, giving rise to helical structures. A hot filament such as the X-ray coronal loop can be produced as a twisted magnetic flux tube embedded in a strong background field aligned parallel to the filament and having lower density and temperature. The basic steps of construction can be used to develop models more realistic than the ones presented for their analytic simplicity.

Low, B. C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Passive heat removal in horizontally oriented micro-HTGRs

There are novel, horizontally oriented high-temperature gas-cooled micro-reactor (HTGR) designs under consideration because of their portability, simplicity, and reliable operation. These features of the micro-HTGR design can meet the fission battery attributes, such as economic, standardize, installed, unattended and reliable. Although there have been HTGR related safety studies, micro-HTGRs when horizontally oriented are expected to exhibit significantly different thermal physics. During the unavailability of helium circulation, the internal reactor core is designed to cool by block-to-block conduction and radiation, and the reactor vessel surface is cooled by the ambient air. This scenario is anticipated during the transport of the micro-HTGR in a shipping container. The conduction and radiation between the prismatic micro-HTGR blocks in the core can be influenced by variances in the thermal contacts. This work investigated the conduction within a simulated horizontal HTGR core. An experimental setup was used to validate a numerical model. The experimental setup consisted of a hexagonal assembly with scaled prismatic blocks placed within a high-temperature vacuum environment. The gaps between the blocks were well controlled and monitored. The experimental setup was designed in such a way that the temperature variation in the axial direction was minimal, such that the experiment could be observed as a 2D (r, ) heat transfer problem. The pressurized tube was equipped with Infra-Red (IR) transparent windows, and an IR camera was used to capture the spatio-temporal temperature evolution in the hexagonal block assembly during the cooldown experiments. The experimental scenario was computationally modeled with a finite element analysis (FEA) program. Once validated, the computational model was used to investigate the impact of gap conductance on overall decay heat removal. Using a conservative estimate for gap conductance value (100 W/m 2 -K) between the prismatic blocks, there is a negligible increase in temperature observed during decay heat generation.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1997

Thermal Radiation Effects Analyzed in Translucent Composite and Thermal Barrier Coating

Ceramic parts and coatings are needed to withstand high temperatures in advanced aircraft engines. In hot environments, such as in the combustion chambers of these engines, infrared and visible radiation can penetrate into some ceramics and heat them internally. The internal temperatures depend on radiative effects combined with heat conduction, and on convection and radiation at the material boundaries. Since engine temperatures are high, radiant emission can be large from within translucent parts and coatings, and this must be included in the analysis. Transient and steady-state behavior are both important. During a transient, radiant penetration provides more rapid internal heating than conduction alone, and the temperature distributions are usually considerably different than for steady-state conditions; this can produce transient thermal stresses. Analytical and numerical methods are being used at the NASA Lewis Research Center to predict transient temperatures and heat flows in translucent materials. A transient analysis was done for a composite of two translucent layers. The layer refractive indices were larger than 1, producing internal reflections at the boundaries and at the internal interface. In addition, steady-state results were computed for a two-layer composite with one layer opaque. The results were used to assess the importance of internal radiation in a zirconia thermal barrier coating on a cooled metal wall. Since the radiative transfer equations are rather complex, especially when internal scattering is included, approximate methods are being investigated that might be convenient for computer design programs. An approximate two-flux method was used and verified by comparisons with solutions that used exact radiative transfer relations. The two-flux equations include scattering without increasing solution difficulty.

Siegel, Robert↗
DOE OSTI2025

Analysis of measurements from an array of radioxenon samplers near to Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station

As part of a scientific research and development project, the radionuclide fingerprint of an operating advanced gas-cooled reactor 25 (AGR) has been studied across several facets (Goodwin et al., 2024). One part of this project was to deploy an array of 26 radioxenon samplers to the region for a period of around 1 year, to measure any radioxenon emissions from the reactors of the 27 Hartlepool nuclear power station at a range of tens of kilometres away. The array of 3 sensors was operational for around 12 28 months from March 2022 and detected many occurrences of isotopes of radioxenon. Here we provide a detailed analysis and 29 interpretation of the data and where possible, attribution of detections to a source or region. Whilst a key part of this work is to 30 measure any emissions of radioxenon from Hartlepool, this work presents one of the most comprehensive efforts to determine the 31 source of a great number of (mostly) 133Xe detections. A combination of different types of atmospheric dispersion modelling 32 techniques, including the use of stack monitoring data from nearby civil radioxenon-emitting nuclear facilities has enabled the 33 majority of detections to be attributed to one or more possible sources. Whilst emissions from Hartlepool have been detected on 34 the systems, the majority of detections are associated with a medical isotope production facility in Fleurus, Belgium (IRE).

Advanced gas-cooled reactor↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Hybrid Stochastic-Interval Operation Strategy for Multi-Energy Microgrids

Increasing deployment of distributed energy resources intensifies interactions among electric, gas, heating, and cooling systems. Inherent uncertainties ranging from internal parameters to external inputs also impose significant challenges on system operation. A coordinated scheduling method is, therefore, desired for facilitating efficient operation of multi-energy microgrids under multiple uncertainties. In this paper, a deterministic coordinated scheduling model is developed first with detailed modeling of system dynamics and device parameters to fully characterize complex interactions among multi-energy carriers. Then, a hybrid stochastic-interval method is proposed to account for heterogeneous uncertainties in decisions of operational strategies. Specifically, performance and efficiency uncertainties of distributed energy resources, and injection uncertainty of renewable sources and multienergy demands are characterized by interval-based uncertain operation regions and probability distributions, respectively. A scenario-based two-stage algorithm is developed to solve the problem so that multiple uncertainties are preserved in the entire decision-making process. Moreover, adjustable operational strategies are determined to hedge uncertainty by considering operators’ risk preferences. The validity of the proposed method is verified by comprehensive case studies on a test system.

hybrid stochastic-interval approach↗
NASA NTRS1983

Small Gas Turbine Combustor Primary Zone Study

A development process is described which consists of design, fabrication, and preliminary test evaluations of three approaches to internal aerodynamic primary zone flow patterns: (1) conventional double vortex swirl stabilization; (2) reverse flow swirl stabilization; and (3) large single vortex flow system. Each concept incorporates special design features aimed at extending the performance capability of the small engine combustor. Since inherent geometry of these combustors result in small combustion zone height and high surface area to volume ratio, design features focus on internal aerodynamics, fuel placement, and advanced cooling. The combustors are evaluated on a full scale annular combustor rig. A correlation of the primary zone performance with the overall performance is accomplished using three intrusion type gas sampling probes located at the exit of the primary zone section. Empirical and numerical methods are used for designing and predicting the performance of the three combustor concepts and their subsequent modifications. The calibration of analytical procedures with actual test results permits an updating of the analytical design techniques applicable to small reverse flow annular combustors.

Sullivan, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The 1994 TIMS airborne calibration experiment: Castaic Lake, California

This summary describes the 9 March 1994 Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) airborne calibration experiment conducted at Castaic Lake, California. This experiment was a collaborative effort between the TIMS and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) science teams at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). TIMS was flown on the NASA/Ames Research Center C130 with the new retractable air fence installed in the TIMS instrument bay. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the fence would reduce the air turbulence in the TIMS instrument bay, thereby reducing the errors in calibration caused by wind-blast cooling of the blackbody reference sources internal to TIMS. Previous experiments have indicated that the wind blast effect could cause TIMS to over-estimate surface temperatures by more than 10 C. We have examined the TIMS data from twelve lines flown over Castaic Lake. Four of the lines were flown at an altitude of approximately 2.5 km (MSL), four at an altitude of approximately 6.7 km, and four at approximately 8.3 km. At each altitude there were flights with northern and southern headings, with the aircraft level and at a positive pitch (nose-up attitude). The suite of twelve flights was designed to subject the TIMS/air fence system to different wind conditions and air temperatures. The TIMS flights were supported by a ground-truth team, who measured lake surface temperatures from a boat, and an atmosphere characterization team, who launched an airsonde and measured solar irradiance with a Reagan Sun Photometer. The Reagan measurements were used to construct a time-series of estimates of the total abundance of water vapor in the atmospheric column. These estimates were used to constrain modifications of the airsonde water vapor profile measurements made when processing the TIMS data with a customized version of the MODTRAN radiative transfer code.

Realmuto, Vincent J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Residual life assessment of the SSME/ATD HPOTP turnaround duct (TAD)

This paper is concerned with the prediction of the low cycle thermal fatigue behavior of a component in a developmental (ATD) high pressure liquid oxygen turbopump (HPOTP) for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). This component is called the Turnaround Duct (TAD). The TAD is a complex single piece casting of MAR-M-247 material. Its function is to turn the hot turbine exhaust gas (1200 F hydrogen rich gas steam) such that it can exhaust radially out of the turbopump. In very simple terms, the TAD consists of two rings connected axially by 22 hollow airfoil shaped struts with the turning vanes placed at the top, middle, and bottom of each strut. The TAD is attached to the other components of the pump via bolts passing through 14 of the 22 struts. Of the remaining 8 struts, four are equally spaced (90 deg interval) and containing a cooling tube through which liquid hydrogen passes on its way to cool the shaft bearing assemblies. The remaining 4 struts are empty. One of the pump units in the certification test series was destructively examined after 22 test firings. Substantial axial cracking was found in two of the struts which contain cooling tubes. None of the other 20 struts showed any sign of internal cracking. This unusual low cycle thermal fatigue behavior within the two cooling tube struts is the focus of this study.

Gross, R. Steven↗
NASA NTRS1999

Analysis and Design of the NASA Langley Cryogenic Pressure Box

A cryogenic pressure box was designed and fabricated for use at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to subject 72 in. x 60 in. curved panels to cryogenic temperatures and biaxial tensile loads. The cryogenic pressure box is capable of testing curved panels down to -423 F (20K) with 54 psig maximum pressure on the concave side, and elevated temperatures and atmospheric pressure on the convex surface. The internal surface of the panel is cooled by high pressure helium as that is cooled to -423 F by liquid helium heat exchangers. An array of twelve independently controlled fans circulate the high pressure gaseous helium to provide uniform cooling on the panel surface. The load introduction structure, consisting of four stainless steel load plates and numerous fingers attaching the load plates to the test panel, is designed to introduce loads into the test panel that represent stresses that will he observed in the actual tank structure. The load plates are trace cooled with liquid nitrogen to reduce thermal gradients that may result in bending the load plates, and thus additional stresses in the test panel. The design of the cryogenic systems, load introduction structure, and control system are discussed in this report.

Glass, David E.↗
NASA NTRS1956

Exhaust Nozzles for Supersonic Flight with Turbojet Engines

Good internal performance over a wide range of flight conditions can be obtained with either a plug nozzle or a variable ejector nozzle that can provide a divergent shroud at high pressure ratios. For both the ejector and the plug nozzle, external flow can sometimes cause serious drag losses and, for some plug-nozzle installations, external flow can cause serious internal performance losses. Plug-nozzle cooling and design of the secondary-air-flow systems for ejectors were also considered .

Shillito, Thomas B.↗
NASA NTRS2012

360 deg Camera Head for Unmanned Sea Surface Vehicles

The 360 camera head consists of a set of six color cameras arranged in a circular pattern such that their overlapping fields of view give a full 360 view of the immediate surroundings. The cameras are enclosed in a watertight container along with support electronics and a power distribution system. Each camera views the world through a watertight porthole. To prevent overheating or condensation in extreme weather conditions, the watertight container is also equipped with an electrical cooling unit and a pair of internal fans for circulation.

Townsend, Julie A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

(abstract) The 1994 TIMS Airborne Calibration Experiment: Castaic Lake, California

This summary describes the 9 March 1994 TIMS airborne calibration experiment conducted at Castaic Lake, California. TIMS was flown on the NASA/ARC C-130 with the new retractable air fence installed in the TIMS instrument bay. The purpose of this experiment was to determine is the fence would reduce the air turbulence in the TIMS instrument bay, thereby reducing the errors in calibration caused by wind-blast cooling of the blackbody reference sources internal to TIMS. Previous experiments have indicated that the wind blast effect could cause TIMS to over-estimate surface temperatures by more than 10°C. A suite of twelve flight was designed to subject the TIMS/air fence system to different wind conditions and air temperatures. The TIMS flights were supported by a ground-truth team, who measured lake surface temperatures from a boat, and a atmosphere characterization team, who launched an airsonde and measured solar irradiance with a Reagan Sun Photometer.

TIMS↗
NASA NTRS2015

Analysis of Turbine Blade Relative Cooling Flow Factor Used in the Subroutine Coolit Based on Film Cooling Correlations

Heat transfer correlations of data on flat plates are used to explore the parameters in the Coolit program used for calculating the quantity of cooling air for controlling turbine blade temperature. Correlations for both convection and film cooling are explored for their relevance to predicting blade temperature as a function of a total cooling flow which is split between external film and internal convection flows. Similar trends to those in Coolit are predicted as a function of the percent of the total cooling flow that is in the film. The exceptions are that no film or 100 percent convection is predicted to not be able to control blade temperature, while leaving less than 25 percent of the cooling flow in the convection path results in nearing a limit on convection cooling as predicted by a thermal effectiveness parameter not presently used in Coolit.

Air cooling↗
NASA NTRS2012

Radioisotope Stirling Engine Powered Airship for Low Altitude Operation on Venus

The feasibility of a Stirling engine powered airship for the near surface exploration of Venus was evaluated. The heat source for the Stirling engine was limited to 10 general purpose heat source (GPHS) blocks. The baseline airship utilized hydrogen as the lifting gas and the electronics and payload were enclosed in a cooled insulated pressure vessel to maintain the internal temperature at 320 K and 1 Bar pressure. The propulsion system consisted of an electric motor driving a propeller. An analysis was set up to size the airship that could operate near the Venus surface based on the available thermal power. The atmospheric conditions on Venus were modeled and used in the analysis. The analysis was an iterative process between sizing the airship to carry a specified payload and the power required to operate the electronics, payload and cooling system as well as provide power to the propulsion system to overcome the drag on the airship. A baseline configuration was determined that could meet the power requirements and operate near the Venus surface. From this baseline design additional trades were made to see how other factors affected the design such as the internal temperature of the payload chamber and the flight altitude. In addition other lifting methods were evaluated such as an evacuated chamber, heated atmospheric gas and augmented heated lifting gas. However none of these methods proved viable.

Colozza, Anthony J.↗