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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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Low Earth orbital atomic oxygen environmental simulation facility for space materials evaluation

Simulation of low Earth orbit atomic oxygen for accelerated exposure in ground-based facilities is necessary for the durability evaluation of space power system component materials for Space Station Freedom (SSF) and future missions. A facility developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations's (NASA) Lewis Research Center provides accelerated rates of exposure to a directed or scattered oxygen beam, vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation, and offers in-situ optical characterization. The facility utilizes an electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source to generate a low energy oxygen beam. Total hemispherical spectral reflectance of samples can be measured in situ over the wavelength range of 250 to 2500 nm. Deuterium lamps provide VUV radiation intensity levels in the 115 to 200 nm range of three to five equivalent suns. Retarding potential analyses show distributed ion energies below 30 electron volts (eV) for the operating conditions most suited for high flux, low energy testing. Peak ion energies are below the sputter threshold energy (approximately 30 eV) of the protective coatings on polymers that are evaluated in the facility, thus allowing long duration exposure without sputter erosion. Neutral species are expected to be at thermal energies of approximately .04 eV to .1 eV. The maximum effective flux level based on polyimide Kapton mass loss is 4.4 x 10 exp 6 atoms/((sq. cm)*s), thus providing a highly accelerated testing capability.

Stidham, Curtis R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A high flux pulsed source of energetic atomic oxygen

The design and demonstration of a pulsed high flux source of nearly monoenergetic atomic oxygen are reported. In the present test setup, molecular oxygen under several atmospheres of pressure is introduced into an evacuated supersonic expansion nozzle through a pulsed molecular beam valve. A 10J CO2 TEA laser is focused to intensities greater than 10 to the 9th W/sq cm in the nozzle throat, generating a laser-induced breakdown with a resulting 20,000-K plasma. Plasma expansion is confined by the nozzle geometry to promote rapid electron-ion recombination. Average O-atom beam velocities from 5-13 km/s at fluxes up to 10 to the 18th atoms/pulse are measured, and a similar surface oxygen enrichment in polyethylene samples to that obtained on the STS-8 mission is found.

Krech, Robert H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Revisiting spontaneous Raman scattering for direct oxygen atom quantification

In this paper, the counterintuitive and largely unknown Raman activity of oxygen atoms is evaluated for its capacity to determine absolute densities in gases with significant O-density. The study involves C O 2 microwave plasma to generate a self-calibrating mixture and establish accurate cross sections for the 3 P 2 ↔<!-- ↔ --> 3 P 1 and 3 P 2 ↔<!-- ↔ --> 3 P 0 transitions. The approach requires conservation of stoichiometry, confirmed within experimental uncertainty by a 1D fluid model. The measurements yield σ<!-- σ --> J = 2 →<!-- → --> 1 = 5.27 ±<!-- ± --> s y s : 0.53 r a n d : 0.17 ×<!-- × --> 10 -<!-- - --> 31 c m 2 / s r and σ<!-- σ --> J = 2 →<!-- → --> 0 = 2.11 ±<!-- ± --> s y s : 0.21 r a n d : 0.06 ×<!-- × --> 10 -<!-- - --> 31 c m 2 / s r , and the detection limit is estimated to be 1 ×<!-- × --> 10 15 c m -<!-- - --> 3 for systems without other scattering species.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1988

The effects of atomic oxygen on polymeric materials

At the altitudes of low-earth orbit (LEO), atomic oxygen (AO) is the most abundant chemical species. This strong oxidizing agent reacts with virtually any organic material that is not already fully oxidized. Erosion by AO can be extensive and jeopardizes any protective coatings, thermal blankets, adhesives, and structural composites exposed on the exterior of satellites in LEO. Researchers prepared and tested organic materials for their susceptibility to AO using a commercial plasma asher which approximately simulates the oxygen effects in LEO. Experiments were performed on a polyimide, a polysulfone, and two epoxy adhesives into which low molecular-weight additives have been dissolved. Incorporated in the molecular structure of these additives are elements such as silicon whose nonvolatile oxides, which are formed on exposure to AO, remain as a coating on the surface to create a barrier between the remainder of the organic material and the AO. We find that the additives protect the materials, but the low solubility of some limit their utility. Concurrent studies are underway to measure the effect of the additives on the thermal expansion coefficients of the materials. Tows of aramid fibers, which are important components in the proposed tether satellite systems, have been eroded in the asher. The results which show that the square root of the mass remaining decreases linearly with the time of exposure (see the figure) are consistent with a constant rate of surface erosion. The tensile strength of these eroded tows decreases with time of exposure also; additional measurements are in progress.

Orwoll, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Synthesis of low color, atomic oxygen resistant polyimides

The purpose of this project was to develop low color, atomic oxygen resistant polyimides for potential applications on spacecraft in low earth orbit. The material is needed in order to protect satellites and spacecraft from the gases and radiation found at those altitudes. Phosphorous containing polyimides have been shown to be especially resistant to corrosion and weight loss under oxygen plasma. Unfortunately the color of these phosphorous containing polyimides is still too high for them to be good heat insulators. While they are not as effective as teflon, the current material of choice. polyimides are much less dense than teflon and would be especially valuable if they could be made with low color. The approach taken was to synthesize a monomer which would contain the elements needed for giving the final polyimide its desired properties. In particular the monomer should incorporate phosphine or phosphine oxides and have bulky side groups to block any color forming charge transfer structures. The target molecule, 3,5-di-(trifluoromethylphenyl)-bis(3-aminophenyl) phosphine oxide, (containing both a phosphine oxide group and a bulky ditrifluoromethylphenyl group) was synthesized via three reactions in overall yield of 21 percent. In addition, a model compound, bis(3-phenylamine) phenyl phosphine oxide, was synthesized two different ways in order to establish the conditions for the nitration of phosphine oxides and their reduction to the amine. Finally, a trisubstituted phosphine oxide was synthesized. In all, seven phosphorus containing organic compounds were synthesized, purified and characterized. The model compound was reacted with oxydiphthalic anhydride to form a polyamic acid with inherent viscosity of 0.34. This material was cast into a film and heated, forming a normally colored fairly strong polyimide with a Tg of 240 C. The target compound was reacted with 6-fluorodiphthalic anhydride to give a polyamic acid with inherent viscosity of 0.19 and cast to give a heavily cracked colored film with a Tg of 230 C.

MacInnes, Dave↗
NASA NTRS1988

Atomic oxygen effects on candidate coatings for long-term spacecraft in low earth orbit

Candidate atomic oxygen protective coatings for long-term low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft were evaluated using the Los Alamos National Laboratory O-atom exposure facility. The coatings studied include Teflon, Al2O3, SiO2, and SWS-V-10, a silicon material. Preliminary results indicate that sputtered PTFE Teflon (0.1 micrometers) has a fluence lifetime of 10 to the 19th power O-atoms/cm (2), and sputtered silicon dioxide (0.1 micrometers), aluminum oxide (0.1 micrometers), and SWS-V-10, a silicone, (4 micrometers) have fluence lifetimes of 10 to the 20th power to 10 to the 21st power O-atoms/cm (2). There are large variations in fluence lifetime data for these coatings.

Lan, E. H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The concentration of atomic oxygen in the auroral lower thermosphere

A method is described to determine the concentration of atomic oxygen in the altitude range 100 to 160 km in an aurora from the ratio of the volume emission rates of the O(1S) 5577 A to N2(+) in 3914 A emissions. Applying the technique to previously published measurements it is found that the O density at 100 km is typically about 1 x 10 to the 11th per cu cm. The occurrence of densities in excess of 2 x 10 to the 11th per cu cm in the aurora at 100 km is rare.

Torr, D. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Atomic oxygen effects on metals

The effect of specimen geometry on the attack of metals by atomic oxygen is addressed. This is done by extending the coupled-currents approach in metal oxidation to spherical and cylindrical geometries. Kinetic laws are derived for the rates of oxidation of samples having these geometries. It is found that the burn-up time for spherical particles of a given diameter can be as much as a factor of 3 shorter than the time required to completely oxidize a planar sample of the same thickness.

Fromhold, Albert T.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Simultaneous Laser-induced Fluorescence of Nitric Oxide and Atomic Oxygen in the Hypersonic Materials Environment Test System Arcjet Facility

Simultaneous nitric oxide (NO) and atomic oxygen (O) laser induced fluorescence (LIF) experiments were performed in the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HYMETS) facility at the NASA Langley Research Center. The data serves as an experimental database for validation for chemical and thermal nonequilibrium models used in hypersonic flows. Measurements were taken over a wide range of stagnation enthalpies (6.7 - 18.5 MJ/kg) using an Earth atmosphere simulant with a composition of 75% N2, 20% O2, and 5% Ar (by volume). These are the first simultaneous measurements of NO and O LIF to be reported in literature for the HYMETS facility. The maximum O LIF mean signal intensity was observed at a stagnation enthalpy of approximately 12 MJ/kg while the maximum NO LIF mean signal intensity was observed at a stagnation enthalpy of 6.7 MJ/kg. Experimental results were compared to simple fluorescence model that assumes equilibrium conditions in the plenum and frozen chemistry in the isentropic nozzle expansion (Mach 5). The equilibrium calculations were performed using CANTERA v2.1.1 with 16 species. The fluorescence model captured the correlation in mean O and NO LIF signal intensities over the entire range of stagnation enthalpies tested. Very weak correlations between single-shot O and NO LIF intensities were observed in the experiments at all of the stagnation enthalpy conditions.

Johansen, Craig↗
NASA NTRS2018

Atomic Oxygen Interactions and the Design of MISSE-9 and MISSE-10 Experiments

Spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, including radiation (cosmic rays, ultraviolet, x-ray, and charged particle radiation), micrometeoroids and orbital debris, temperature extremes, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen (AO). These environmental exposures can result in erosion, embrittlement and optical property degradation, threatening spacecraft performance and durability. While all of these environmental exposures can cause degradation to spacecraft components, AO is a particularly serious structural, thermal, and optical threat, to exterior oxidizable spacecraft components.

Atomic Oxygen↗