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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 37 records · Page 2

Graphite element serves as radiant heat source

Radiators using a graphite heating element as a radiant heat source have high heat flux and long operational lives. They are used to test the thermal resistance of materials.

Source record↗

Current-Activated Reactive Ultrafast Joining (CARUJ)

We have demonstrated Current Activated Reactive Ultrafast Joining (CARUJ) as a novel approach for rapid fabrication of similar and dissimilar materials, such as ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal joint assemblies. The CARUJ technology utilizes resistive heating of carbon-based materials to apply localized heat at, (through or around) joint zones at rates of 10 1 -10 2 ˚C/min, enabling joining at time scales considerably shorter (several minutes as opposed to hours) than conventional approaches for similar systems. Herein, we present our findings while evaluating the CARUJ concept. Three methods of heat application were evaluated: (i) using carbon joule heating elements to apply heat directly through the joint interface; (ii) using flexible joule heating elements to locally apply heat around the assembly interface; and (iii) non-contact heating of the joint assembly using inductive power. Schemes (ii) and (iii) proved to be the most effective in producing mechanically sound reliable joints. We demonstrated single-step fabrication of dense SiC-SiC joints with a Si- SiC interface using minimal pressure (1–2 MPa) in under 30 minutes. Measured average joint strengths of about 15 MPa are initially achieved for joined bodies when tested in single lap offset (SLO) compressive shear, while tuning of the interfacial composition along with a reduction in interlayer thickness, results in improved joint strengths of approximately 43 MPa. We further demonstrated SiC-SiC joining using Active Brazing Alloys (ABAs) proof of concept joining of tubular geometries. The versatility of CARUJ is demonstrated by utilizing non-contact heating via induction, to join dissimilar materials systems of SiC, SS316 and MAX phase ceramics with ABA interlayers. The localized and rapid heat application realizes a versatile material joining technique that can be extended for joining components at the plant site.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Transparent multi-zone crystal growth furnace and method for controlling the same

A crystal growth system, comprising: a furnace; a plurality of heating elements coupled to said furnace, each said plurality of heating elements defining a heat zone, each said heating element set to a desired temperature value; a plurality of thermocouples associated with respective heat zones to detect a temperature value; a translation system for passing an ampoule containing crystal growth material through said furnace into said heat zones and providing a positional location of said ampoule and; a multi-variable self-tuning temperature controller connected to said plurality of heating elements, said plurality of thermocouples and said translation system, said controller monitoring each said zone temperature value and upon considering the thermal interaction of heating zones and the moving thermal inertia of the ampoule, adjusting voltage input to said heat zones to obtain optimal crystal growth within said ampoule.

Duval, Walter↗

Transparent multi-zone crystal growth furnace and method for controlling the same

A crystal growth system, comprising: a furnace; a plurality of heating elements coupled to said furnace, each said plurality of heating elements defining a heat zone, each said heating element set to a desired temperature value; a plurality of thermocouples associated with respective heat zones to detect a temperature value; a translation system for passing an ampoule containing crystal growth material through said furnace into said heat zones and providing a positional location of said ampoule and; a multi-variable self-tuning temperature controller connected to said plurality of heating elements, said plurality of thermocouples and said translation system, said controller monitoring each said zone temperature value and upon considering the thermal interaction of heating zones and the moving thermal inertia of the ampoule, adjusting voltage input to said heat zones to obtain optimal crystal growth within said ampoule.

Duval, Walter↗

A high-temperature heat sensitive element

This invention concerns the high-temperature heat sensitive element which is stable at high temperatures. A solid solution of the main component MgO-Al2O3-Cr2O3-Fe2O3 which contains spinel crystal structure is mixed with the secondary component ZrO2 at the mol ratio of 100 : 0.1 to 5.0 and sintered to prepare a high-temperature heat sensitive element.

Oguro, M.↗

Thermocouple, multiple junction reference oven

An improved oven for maintaining the junctions of a plurality of reference thermocouples at a common and constant temperature is described. The oven is characterized by a cylindrical body defining a heat sink with axially extended-cylindrical cavity a singularized heating element which comprises a unitary cylindrical heating element consisting of a resistance heating coil wound about the surface of metallic spool with an axial bore defined and seated in the cavity. Other features of the oven include an annular array of radially extended bores defined in the cylindrical body and a plurality of reference thermocouple junctions seated in the bores in uniformly spaced relation with the heating element, and a temperature sensing device seated in the axial bore for detecting temperature changes as they occur in the spool and circuit to apply a voltage across the coil in response to detected drops in temperatures of the spool.

Leblanc, L. P.↗

A high temperature ceramic heat exchanger element for a solar thermal receiver

The development of a high-temperature ceramic heat exchanger element to be integrated into a solar receiver producing heated air was studied. A number of conceptual designs were developed for heat exchanger elements of differing configuration. These were evaluated with respect to thermal performance, pressure drop, structural integrity, and fabricability. The final design selection identified a finned ceramic shell as the most favorable concept. The shell is surrounded by a larger metallic shell. The flanges of the two shells are sealed to provide a leak-tight pressure vessel. The ceramic shell is to be fabricated by a innovative combination of slip casting the receiver walls and precision casting the heat transfer finned plates. The fins are bonded to the shell during firing. The unit is sized to produce 2150 F air at 2.7 atm pressure, with a pressure drop of about 2 percent of the inlet pressure. This size is compatible with a solar collector providing a receiver input of 85 kw(th). Fabrication of a one-half scale demonstrator ceramic receiver was completed.

Strumpf, H. J.↗

Self-regulating proportionally controlled heating apparatus and technique

A self-regulating proportionally controlled heating apparatus and technique is provided wherein a single electrical resistance heating element having a temperature coefficient of resistance serves simultaneously as a heater and temperature sensor. The heating element is current-driven and the voltage drop across the heating element is monitored and a component extracted which is attributable to a change in actual temperature of the heating element from a desired reference temperature, so as to produce a resulting error signal. The error signal is utilized to control the level of the heater drive current and the actual heater temperature in a direction to reduce the noted temperature difference. The continuous nature of the process for deriving the error signal feedback information results in true proportional control of the heating element without the necessity for current-switching which may interfere with nearby sensitive circuits, and with no cyclical variation in the controlled temperature.

Strange, M. G.↗

High-temperature ceramic heat exchanger element for a solar thermal receiver

A study has been completed on the development of a high-temperature ceramic heat exchanger element to be integrated into a solar reciver producing heated air. A number of conceptual designs were developed for heat exchanger elements of differing configuration. These were evaluated with respect to thermal performance, pressure drop, structural integrity, and fabricability. The final design selection identified a finned ceramic shell as the most favorable concept. The ceramic shell is surrounded by a larger metallic shell. The flanges of the two shells are sealed to provide a leak-tight pressure vessel. The ceramic shell is fabricated by an innovative combination of slip casting the receiver walls and precision casting the heat transfer finned plates. The fins are bonded to the shell during firing. Fabrication of a one-half scale demonstrator ceramic receiver has been completed.

Strumpf, H. J.↗

High-temperature ceramic heat exchanger element for a solar thermal receiver

A study was performed by AiResearch Manufacturing Company, a division of The Garrett Corporation, on the development a high-temperature ceramic heat exchanger element to be integrated into a solar receiver producing heated air. A number of conceptual designs were developed for heat exchanger elements of differing configuration. These were evaluated with respect to thermal performance, pressure drop, structural integrity, and fabricability. The final design selection identified a finned ceramic shell as the most favorable concept. The shell is surrounded by a larger metallic shell. The flanges of the two shells are sealed to provide a leak-tight pressure vessel. The ceramic shell is to be fabricated by an innovative combination of slip casting the receiver walls and precision casting the heat transfer finned plates. The fins are bonded to the shell during firing. The unit is sized to produce 2150 F ar at 2.7 atm pressure, with a pressure drop of about 2 percent of the inlet pressure. This size is compatible with a solar collector providing a receiver input of 85 kw(th). Fabrication of a one-half scale demonstrator ceramic receiver has been completed.

Strumpf, H. J.↗

Improvement in finite element meshes: Heat transfer in an infinite cylinder

An extension of a structural finite element mesh improvement technique to heat conduction analysis is presented. The mesh improvement concept was originally presented by Prager in studying tapered, axially loaded bars. It was further shown that an improved mesh can be obtained by minimizing the trace of the stiffness matrix. These procedures are extended and applied to the analysis of heat conduction in an infinitely long hollow circular cylinder.

Kittur, Madan G.↗

Improvement of finite element meshes - Heat transfer in an infinite cylinder

An extension of a structural finite element mesh improvement technique to heat conduction analysis is presented. The mesh improvement concept was originally presented by Prager in studying tapered, axially loaded bars. It was further shown that an improved mesh can be obtained by minimizing the trace of the stiffnes matrix. These procedures are extended and applied to the analysis of heat conduction in an infinitely long hollow circular cylinder.

Kittur, Madan G.↗

An improved method of Nusselt number calculation

A novel method for calculating the Nusselt number, Nu, in a steady-state Rayleigh-Benard convection problem is presented, in which calculations are done for a square box with constant temperature, free-slip boundary conditions at the top and bottom, and a reflection symmetry along the side walls. The element heat flux is obtained by averaging over the entire element; element heat fluxes are then projected to the adjacent nodes. Compared with previous methods, the approach reduces the calculated depth variation in horizontally averaged flux by more than a factor of 10 and shows more rapid convergence of Nu as a function of grid size.

Ho-Liu, Phyllis↗

Heat exchanger for electrothermal devices

An improved electrothermal device is disclosed. An electrothermal thruster utilizes a generally cylindrical heat exchanger chamber to convert electricity to heat which raises the propellant temperature. A textured, high emissivity heat element radiatively transfers heat to the inner wall of this chamber that is ion beam morphologically controlled for high absorptivity. This, in turn, raises the temperature of a porous heat exchanger material in an annular chamber surrounding the cylindrical chamber. Propellant gas flows through the annular chamber and is heated by the heat exchanger material.

Zavesky, Ralph J.↗

Adaptation of Wallace's approach to the specific heat of elemental solids with significant intrinsic anharmonicity, particularly the light actinide metals

The quasiharmonic approximation is the most common method for modeling the specific heat of solids; however, it fails to capture the effects of intrinsic anharmonicity. In this study, we introduce the “elastic softening approximation,” an alternative approach to modeling intrinsic anharmonic effects on thermodynamic quantities, which is grounded in Wallace's thermodynamic framework that tracks entropy changes resulting from the continuous change (e.g., softening) of phonons as a function of temperature. A key finding of our study is a correlation between Poisson's ratio and the differential rate of phonon softening at finite frequencies, compared to lower frequencies relevant to elastic moduli measurements. We observe that elemental solids such as α -Be, diamond, Al, Cu, In, W, Au, and Pb, which span a wide range of Poisson's ratios and exhibit varying degrees of intrinsic anharmonicity, consistently follow this trend. When applied to α -U, α -Pu, and δ -Pu, our method reveals unusually large anharmonic phonon contributions at elevated temperatures across all three light actinide metals. These findings are attributed to the unique combination of enhanced covalency and softer elastic moduli inherent in the actinides, potentially influenced by their 5 f -electron bonding. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solution accuracies of finite element reentry heat transfer and thermal stress analyses of Space Shuttle Orbiter

Accuracies of solutions (structural temperatures and thermal stresses) obtained from different thermal and structural FEMs set up for the Space Shuttle Orbiter (SSO) are compared and discussed. For studying the effect of element size on the solution accuracies of heat-transfer and thermal-stress analyses of the SSO, five SPAR thermal models and five NASTRAN structural models were set up for wing midspan bay 3. The structural temperature distribution over the wing skin (lower and upper) surface of one bay was dome shaped and induced more severe thermal stresses in the chordwise direction than in the spanwise direction. The induced thermal stresses were extremely sensitive to slight variation in structural temperature distributions. Both internal convention and internal radiation were found to have equal effects on the SSO.

Ko, William L.↗

Thermally Activated Joining Apparatus

A thermally activated joining apparatus is provided for reversibly joining piping components of a fluid management system. The joining apparatus includes a thermally activated sealant layers for securing the components together in a leakage free manner. A thermal conductor includes a ring shaped contact portion disposed between the layers for transferring heat from one or more heating elements to the sealant layers. After the seal in place, the components can later be disconnected by supplying heat from the heating element or elements through the thermal conductor to the sealant layers to cause breaking of the seal and thereby enable separation of components.

Melvin A Bryant, III↗