Results for “thermal integration” — Page 2

DOE OSTI2025

3D Printing of Polyelectrolyte Complex-Integrated Photocurable Hydrogel Resins

In this study, we developed a photocurable hydrogel resin incorporating a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) for 3D printing. Acrylamide-based monomers were formulated with varying PEC contents (0–15 wt %) in an aqueous KBr medium to fabricate patterned porous hydrogel structures. The morphology of printed hydrogels was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Notably, the PEC5 and PEC10 formulations exhibited optimal thermal stability and compressive properties, attributed to the homogeneous distribution of PEC domains within the hydrogel matrix. Furthermore, dye adsorption experiments demonstrated excellent removal efficiency, highlighting the potential of PEC-containing hydrogels for environmental remediation applications, particularly in the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater.

Yang, Jinchul [University of Tennesse Knoxville]↗

NASA NTRS2026

PROTECT: Production and Reuse of Thermally Efficient Ceramic Thermal Protection Systems

PROTECT (Production and Reuse Of Thermally Efficient Ceramic TPS) is a NASA Early Career Initiative focused on developing the next generation of reusable ceramic thermal protection systems (TPS). This project addresses key challenges in TPS design, including temperature capability, thermal stability, and refurbishment time, by integrating novel material development with predictive modeling. Leveraging enhanced capabilities in NASA’s Porous Microstructure Analysis (PuMA) software, PROTECT introduces new modeling tools to predict the thermal and mechanical behavior of fibrous ceramic materials. These tools enable accurate prediction of performance metrics such as thermal conductivity and structural integrity, reducing reliance on costly physical testing. Preliminary advances in these areas will be presented. To support model validation, PROTECT is building a comprehensive database of raw material properties using advanced characterization techniques, including micro computed tomography (CT) scanning in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The presentation will detail the sampling workflows and analysis methods used to generate this detailed microstructural data and how it is used to develop improved models in PuMA. This multi-center collaboration, spanning NASA (JSC, ARC, KSC, GRC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UIUC, and SpaceX, is developing tailored TPS solutions for LEO, lunar, and Martian missions. By bridging heritage systems with the demands of modern spaceflight, PROTECT contributes to the advancement of reusable TPS technologies for future exploration missions.

Propulsion, Refractory, and Coating Materials↗

NASA NTRS2026

Development of the Orion Life-Support Integration Facility (OLIF)

Testing the life support hardware of a vehicle that is going to take humans beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) in conditions similar to space is crucial. The Orion Life-Support Integration Facility (OLIF) at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) was designed and built to test the Orion vehicle’s hardware and software as integrated systems to provide a complete Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) system-level qualification. The existing 11 Foot human rated vacuum chamber has been adapted to accommodate and integrate various qualification and flight like components of the Orion vehicle’s Air Revitalization System (ARS), Pressure Control System (PCS), Active Thermal Control System (ATCS) and the Orion Crew Survival System Suits (OCSS). The ultimate goal was to create an analog testbed that could safely support up to four test subjects in open “shirt-sleeve” or closed suit loop configurations and simulate Orion Cabin conditions. This integrated hardware/software ARS and PCS will help identify any technical issues that should be addressed prior to the Artemis-2 mission. This paper will discuss the history of Orion ECLSS hardware development testing in the 11 Foot Chamber, the challenge of integrating flight hardware and software control systems, and the capabilities that make it a unique, world class facility for NASA. It will provide an overview of past and future testing, and the lessons learned along the way.

Peter A Masi↗

NASA NTRS2026

PROTECT: Production and Reuse of Thermally Efficient Ceramic Thermal Protection Systems

PROTECT (Production and Reuse Of Thermally Efficient Ceramic TPS) is a NASA Early Career Initiative focused on developing the next generation of reusable ceramic thermal protection systems (TPS). This project addresses key challenges in TPS design, including temperature capability, thermal stability, and refurbishment time, by integrating novel material development with predictive modeling. Leveraging enhanced capabilities in NASA’s Porous Microstructure Analysis (PuMA) software, PROTECT introduces new modeling tools to predict the thermal and mechanical behavior of fibrous ceramic materials. These tools enable accurate prediction of performance metrics such as thermal conductivity and structural integrity, reducing reliance on costly physical testing. Preliminary advances in these areas will be presented. To support model validation, PROTECT is building a comprehensive database of raw material properties using advanced characterization techniques, including micro computed tomography (CT) scanning in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The presentation will detail the sampling workflows and analysis methods used to generate this detailed microstructural data and how it is used to develop improved models in PuMA. This multi-center collaboration, spanning NASA (JSC, ARC, KSC, GRC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UIUC, and SpaceX, is developing tailored TPS solutions for LEO, lunar, and Martian missions. By bridging heritage systems with the demands of modern spaceflight, PROTECT contributes to the advancement of reusable TPS technologies for future exploration missions.

Propulsion, Refractory, and Coating Materials↗

NASA NTRS1996

Minimum Heating Re-Entry Trajectories for Advanced Hypersonic Launch Vehicles

Optimal re-entry trajectories are generated for reusable launch vehicles which minimize: (1) the heat absorbed at the vehicle surface, (2) the lower surface temperature, and (3) the heat absorbed by the internal structure. The approach uses the energy state approximation technique and a finite control volume heat transfer code coupled to a flight path integration code. These trajectories are compared to the optimal re-entry trajectory minimizing the integrated convective heat rate to determine which trajectory produces the minimum internal structural temperatures for a given thermal protection system. Three different thermal protection systems are considered: tile, blanket, and metallic.

Robert Windhorst↗

DOE OSTI2026

Integral Nuclear Data and Benchmarking Needs for Fusion Energy Systems

Fusion energy systems are currently being designed and optimized using radiation transport codes. To deal with the unique environment inside a fusion-based system, many of these designs incorporate novel materials able to withstand the high radiation fields, ensure adequate cooling and thermal protection, and produce tritium. Validation plays a vital role in building trust in the predictive power of these models and computational methods. Validation of a code consists of modeling documented real-world experiments and comparing the code-predicted response to the measured response. Adequate validation requires measured responses from real-world experiments, also known as integral data, that mimic the system being designed, including materials, impinging radiation, and temperature, among other variables. The most trusted integral data are experimental responses that have been through a rigorous benchmarking process that develops a recommended computational model and evaluates all experimental uncertainties. Finally, there are a few research groups around the world that have been producing integral data for fusion applications, but a substantial investment is needed to address the unique validation needs of the fusion community.

Fusion↗

DOE OSTI2026

Advanced blade-shaped thermal energy storage device: Development and application

Thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCMs) is a promising approach for capturing and reusing excess thermal energy, yet widespread adoption is limited by low thermal conductivity, bulky configurations, and inadequate scalability. Here, this study presents a modular, blade-shaped TES prototype designed to address these challenges. The device integrates a lightweight aluminum shell, an embedded serpentine coil for active or passive heat exchange, and a cost-effective corrugated metal mesh for enhanced PCM thermal conductivity. With thickness-to-length and thickness-to-width ratios of 0.03 and 0.08, respectively, the blade-shaped TES achieves a compact, modular form factor suitable for space-constrained applications. Experimental testing demonstrated the efficient charge and discharge behavior of blade-shaped TES, capturing PCM superheating, phase-change transitions, and subcooling dynamics, with charging and discharging efficiencies of 94.9% and 94.6%, respectively. Also, the system can potentially achieve higher energy density than that of conventional TES designs. When integrated into a household refrigerator during the study, three blade-shaped TES modules successfully shifted 100% of peak-time compressor operation to off-peak hours, reducing energy consumption while maintaining more stable compartment temperatures. The blade-shaped TES's thin geometry, modularity, and enhanced thermal performance support scalable deployment across residential, commercial, and industrial applications, providing a versatile, cost-effective solution for high-efficiency, demand-flexible thermal energy management.

Blade-shaped↗

NASA NTRS2026

The Hyperspectral Microwave Photonic Instrument (HyMPI) and its NEDT Performance

This work presents an overview of a hyperspectral microwave-photonic spectrometer and demonstrates the system end-to-end noise equivalent delta temperature (NEDT) performance. The system aims at augmenting the remote sensing capability from space, with a focus on the Earth’s planetary boundary layer (PBL) thermal microwave (MW) spectral region (0-200 GHz). Combining a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) channelizer and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) spectrometer, the PIC & ASIC (PICASIC) module is capable of processing 40 GHz spectra at hyperspectral (4 MHz) resolution. The photonic technology is agnostic to the spectral region and multiple photonic modules can cover the entire 200 GHz spectrum. Measured results of the end-to-end system NEDT agree with predicted values confirming that the NEDT is primarily dominated by the noise figure of the MW front-end, with the optical link adding no significant noise. The data also demonstrate that a single module enables simultaneous super- and hyper-spectral resolution channel analysis across a 40 GHz range.

spectrometer↗

DOE OSTI2026

Integrated Neutronics Modeling for Inertial Fusion Energy Systems: Development and Application to LD-FIRST

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is proposing a new Laser Driven Fusion Integration Research and Science Test Facility (LD-FIRST) with the goal of providing an experimental testbed for future Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) systems. However, IFE systems require detailed and accurate multiphysics modeling to quantify material damage, thermal loading, and tritium breeding within complex chamber environments. This article presents the first step in an integrated multiphysics framework that couples meshed CAD-based geometry within Monte Carlo neutronic simulations to enable high-fidelity analysis of IFE chamber concepts, with future coupling to external codes. The neutronics workflow utilizes OpenMC and its third-party capability to use CAD-based geometries through DAGMC and tally on unstructured meshes with Libmesh to evaluate neutron transport behavior, geometric fidelity, and material performance under reactor-relevant conditions. The use of tailored tallies on unstructured meshes in this framework allows direct transfer without interpolating to CFD simulation tools. Two IFE chambers were evaluated, both conceived by LLNL: HYLIFE-II and Laser IFE (LIFE). This work produced high-fidelity conformal surface and volumetric meshes of the HYLIFE-II and LIFE chambers with mapped spatial insight into material damage, thermal loading, and tritium breeding. The HYLIFE-II model was built utilizing available resources and used as a test case to verify that the neutronics framework can handle complex geometries. The LIFE chamber CAD was provided by LLNL and was the main focus of this work. This work analyzes multiple ternary alloy breeding materials for the LIFE chamber, across different 6 Li enrichments to produce data relevant to the LD-FIRST project. This work also investigates the level of model fidelity for the LIFE chamber, and results show that inclusion of detailed first wall and coolant structures increased the predicted tritium breeding ratio (TBR) by ~30%, highlighting the sensitivity of tritium breeding and the need for a high-fidelity simulation framework for IFE chambers. These developments provide a scalable toolset for the design and optimization of next-generation IFE chambers, forming a solid foundation for future coupled multiphysics analysis.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2026

Refractory-based thermal energy storage for industrial process heat: one-dimensional modeling, control, and optimization

The variable and weather-dependent output of wind and solar power plants present a substantial challenge for planning and operating electricity-systems, particularly in the absence of cost-effective and dispatchable energy storage technologies. This study investigates a high-temperature, electrically heated, refractory-based thermal energy storage (RTES) system that stores electrical energy as sensible heat in dense ceramic bricks over the 950–1800 °C range. The stored heat can be discharged as a controlled hot-gas stream for industrial heating, fuel substitution in high-temperature processes, or electricity generation. The main novelty is a comprehensive modelling, control, mapping, and optimization framework that integrates one-dimensional transient gas–solid heat transfer, fan-assisted discharge, bypass-flow regulation, reheating logic, fan-power evaluation, insulation-loss assessment, and genetic-algorithm-based design optimization. The model uses feedback from outlet temperature and delivered power to regulate discharge, while a two-stage genetic algorithm optimizes brick-channel geometry, gas-flow operation, and multilayer insulation thicknesses. Storage capacities below 50 MWh and discharge powers of 5–30 MW are analyzed to evaluate hold time, thermal delivery, fan-power penalty, heat loss, state-of-charge evolution, and indicative capital cost. Results demonstrate that optimized and well-insulated refractory-based thermal energy storage units can provide stable, efficient, and repeatable heat delivery over multiple discharge cycles. The generated performance and cost maps support modular refractory thermal energy storage as a practical option for large-scale integration of wind and solar generation and for high-temperature industrial process heat.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of an Integrated Solar Concentrator System and Carbothermal Reactor Using Solar Energy to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Oxygen from Regolith↗

DOE OSTI2024

Method and apparatus for providing thermal wear leveling

Exemplary embodiments provide thermal wear spreading among a plurality of thermal die regions in an integrated circuit or among dies by using die region wear-out data that represents a cumulative amount of time each of a number of thermal die regions in one or more dies has spent at a particular temperature level. In one example, die region wear-out data is stored in persistent memory and is accrued over a life of each respective thermal region so that a long term monitoring of temperature levels in the various die regions is used to spread thermal wear among the thermal die regions. In one example, spreading thermal wear is done by controlling task execution such as thread execution among one or more processing cores, dies and/or data access operations for a memory.

Roberts, David A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developmental and Cryogenic Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) Testing Lessons Learned

Developmental thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing is a critical step in maturing hardware designs and validating performance prior to flight qualification. Unlike qualification or acceptance testing, developmental testing provides flexibility to explore design margins, uncover integration challenges, and refine test approaches before formal verification activities begin. This presentation highlights the value of developmental testing while sharing common pitfalls encountered during developmental TVAC campaigns. Lessons learned from hands-on testing experience, including extensive developmental testing at cryogenic temperatures, will be shared in this presentation. Topics include test planning and preparation, instrumentation strategies, contamination control considerations, troubleshooting unexpected anomalies, and approaches for staying on schedule while meeting test objectives. The audience will gain practical insights and best practices that can improve test efficiency, reduce risk, and enhance the overall success of future developmental TVAC efforts.

Mackenzie Byrnes↗

DOE OSTI2024

A Novel Approach to Investigate Thermal Protection Systems Materials

The Koo Research Group (KRG) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) and KAI has specialized in “Ablation Research” for more than fifteen years. Recently, the group has developed several incredibly unique capabilities that can advance “Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) Materials Research & Development” using an integrated experimental and numerical approach. The paper aims to introduce the methodology KRG has developed to solve this challenging problem. It will discuss how the KRG develops “Process-Properties-Performance” relationships of novel TPS materials in a systematical approach using (a) processing and fabrication, (b) thermal characterization of properties, (c) aerothermal testing, (d) microstructures characterization and analysis, and (e) numerical modeling. Progress and challenges of this research will also be discussed.

Engineering↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Harness Thermal Heat Loss Measurement for A Lunar Surface-Deployed LEMS Artemis III Payload

The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is an autonomous, survive-the-lunar-night seismic suite to be deployed on the Lunar surface by the Artemis III crew and designed to operate continuously for two years. It will see the extremes of the Lunar south pole thermal environment where surface temperatures range from -200°C to +20°C and where nighttime duration is at least 354 hours. Given power and mass constraints, the thermal system is limited to 2.5 Watts of heat during the lunar night. The electrical harnessing named the Signal and Power Passthrough (SAPP) was designed to minimize heat loss while meeting power and signal integrity requirements. To mitigate risk due to uncertainty associated with the harnessing materials, routing, and tie-downs, a flight-like thermal conductance test was performed to measure the heat loss. The test methodology, results, and model correlation are presented.

Thermal↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Harness Thermal Heat Loss Measurement for A Lunar Surface-Deployed LEMS Artemis III Payload

The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) is an autonomous, survive-the-lunar-night seismic suite to be deployed on the Lunar surface by the Artemis III crew and designed to operate continuously for two years. It will see the extremes of the Lunar south pole thermal environment where surface temperatures range from -200°C to +20°C and where nighttime duration is at least 354 hours. Given power and mass constraints, the thermal system is limited to 2.5 Watts of heat during the lunar night. The electrical harnessing named the Signal and Power Passthrough (SAPP) was designed to minimize heat loss while meeting power and signal integrity requirements. To mitigate risk due to uncertainty associated with the harnessing materials, routing, and tie-downs, a flight-like thermal conductance test was performed to measure the heat loss. The test methodology, results, and model correlation are presented.

TVAC↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Design and Thermal Vacuum Testing of the StarBurst Instrument

The StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer is a small satellite mission serving as a wide-field gamma-ray observatory designed to capture the initial emissions of short gamma-ray bursts, electromagnetic signatures of neutron star mergers. This paper presents the final thermal design and analysis of the StarBurst Instrument, comprising the bus-to-instrument interface plate, control electronics, and twelve crystal detector units, which form the core of the mission’s science capability. The passive thermal control system design requires consideration of restrictive keep-out zones, unknown orbital parameters, and narrow temperature limits of the detectors. Also summarized is the instrument level thermal vacuum cycle test, correlated model refinements, and updated model results. Following successful completion of the instrument test campaign, the hardware was integrated with the spacecraft bus for spacecraft level testing, including additional thermal vacuum testing. The results from the spacecraft level thermal vacuum test will further inform the instrument thermal model, ensuring accurate flight temperature predictions. StarBurst launches as a secondary payload in 2027 and has a mission duration of at least one year.

StarBurst↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Final Thermal Design and Thermal Vacuum Testing of the StarBurst Instrument

The StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer is a small satellite mission serving as a wide-field gamma-ray observatory designed to capture the initial emissions of short gamma-ray bursts, electromagnetic signatures of neutron star mergers. This paper presents the final thermal design and analysis of the StarBurst Instrument, comprising the bus-to-instrument interface plate, control electronics, and twelve crystal detector units, which form the core of the mission’s science capability. The passive thermal control system design requires consideration of restrictive keep-out zones, unknown orbital parameters, and narrow temperature limits of the detectors. Also summarized is the instrument level thermal vacuum cycle test, correlated model refinements, and updated model results. Following successful completion of the instrument test campaign, the hardware was integrated with the spacecraft bus for spacecraft level testing, including additional thermal vacuum testing. The results from the spacecraft level thermal vacuum test will further inform the instrument thermal model, ensuring accurate flight temperature predictions. StarBurst launches as a secondary payload in 2027 and has a mission duration of at least one year.

StarBurst↗