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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Identification and analysis of stem‐specific promoters from sugarcane and energy cane for oil accumulation in their stems

Abstract Considerable recent progress has been achieved in bioengineering oil accumulation in the vegetative tissues of plants, opening an opportunity for large scale production of biodiesel, jet fuel, lubricants, and high‐value lipid bioproducts. For the highly productive C4 crops, such as sugarcane, energy cane, Miscanthus, and fiber sorghums, the bulk of the biomass is the stem. However, little success has been made in accumulating oil in the stem. Since engineering a trait with a constitutive promoter often results in pleiotropic effects that counter trait improvement, identification of stem parenchyma‐specific promoters is a prerequisite for efficient use of the ample photoassimilates stored in mature stem parenchyma cells. In this study, we first identified two TST genes encoding homologues of tonoplast sugar transporters that were strongly and almost exclusively expressed in the stems of canes via a combination of RNA‐seq atlas analysis, in silico analysis of a sugarcane genome, phylogenetic analysis, and quantitative PCR analysis. They were further confirmed in the pith parenchyma cells of the mature stem by RNA in situ hybridization. When fused with the β‐Glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene, the promoters of two alleles, TST2b‐1A and TST2b‐1C , from one TST gene demonstrated that they could drive the GUS expression exclusively in the stem in Arabidopsis.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS1979

Operating characteristics of a large-bore roller bearing to speeds of 3 times 10 to the 6th power DN

A 118-millimeter-bore roller bearing was studied parametrically at speeds from 10,000 to 25,500 rpm. The bearing had a round outer ring (not preloaded), and provisions were made for lubrication and cooling through the inner ring. In some tests the outer ring was also cooled. The bearing ran successfully at 300,00 DN with very small evidence of cage slip. Load, which was varied from 2200 to 8900 newtons (500 to 2000 lb), had no effect on bearing temperature or cage slip over the speed range tested. Bearing temperature varied inversely with cage slip for all test conditions. Cooling the outer ring decreased its temperature but increased the inner-ring temperature. Heat rejected to the lubricant (power loss within the bearing) increased with both shaft speed and total oil flow rate to the inner ring.

Schuller, F. T.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Evaluation of the Tribological Behavior of Krytox 143AB with Nano-onions

Nanoparticles have been widely developed over the past ten years and have found several applications. This work presents the use of carbon nano-onions, i.e. nanoparticles, as a potential additive in an oil for aerospace application. It was shown that these particles can provide adequate lubrication very similar to graphitic material.

Street, Kenneth W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Transition of PS300 Solid Lubricant Coating Technology to Field Aided by Demonstration on Key Substrate Alloys

PS300 is a high-temperature solid lubricant coating originally developed to lubricate nickel-based superalloy shafts operating against foil air bearings in Oil-Free turbomachinery applications. PS300 is a plasma-spray-deposited coating developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. It is available for non-exclusive licensing and has found applications in aerospace and industry. PS300 reduces friction and wear from below room temperature to over 650 C in both oxidizing and reducing environments. Early development centered on coating nickel-based shafts for use in turbomachinery. Potential industrial and aerospace customers, however, expressed interest in using the coating on a wide variety of substrates including steels, stainless steels, and nonferrous alloys like aluminum and titanium. To support this interest, a research program was carried out at Glenn in which nine different substrate candidate materials were evaluated for suitability with the PS300 coating. The materials were first coated with PS300 and then tested for coating strength and adhesion both before and after exposure to high-temperature air.

DellaCorte, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS2005

Tribological Behavior of Nano-Onions in Krytox 143AB Evaluated

Nanoparticles have been developed over the past 10 years and have found several applications. This work presents the use of carbon nano-onions as a potential oil additive for aerospace applications. Researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center tested lubricant lifetimes in ambient air and ultrahigh vacuum and characterized the breakdown products of the friction and wear. These carbon nanoparticles can provide adequate lubrication very similar to that of graphitic material when run in air. Soot represents one of the very first nanostructured materials, although it has rarely been considered as such. Changes in the carbon nanostructure, resulting in increased graphitic layer plane length, correlate with reactivity loss. Upon heating spherically shaped nanometer-sized carbon black in the absence of oxidant, graphene sheets form, and the initial soot particle templates the growth of a graphitic particle into what is best described as a sphere with many flat sides having a hollow interior. Because there are no edge sites, these polygonal graphitic particles, or nano-onions, are relatively resistant to oxidation. Graphite is used as a solid lubricant because of its stability at moderately high temperatures. However, the temperature at which graphite oxidizes rapidly is strongly influenced by surface area. With the size of particles typically employed in lubrication, a great amount of thermal stability is lost because of size reduction either during preparation or during lubrication of contacting parts. Therefore, we have undertaken a study of the lubricating ability of graphitic nano-onions (ref. 1).

Street, Kenneth W.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Evaluation of Vapor Pressure and Ultra-High Vacuum Tribological Properties of Ionic Liquids (2) Mixtures and Additives

Ionic liquids are salts, many of which are typically viscous fluids at room temperature. The fluids are characterized by negligible vapor pressures under ambient conditions. These properties have led us to study the effectiveness of ionic liquids containing both organic cations and anions for use as space lubricants. In the previous paper we have measured the vapor pressure and some tribological properties of two distinct ionic liquids under simulated space conditions. In this paper we will present vapor pressure measurements for two new ionic liquids and friction coefficient data for boundary lubrication conditions in a spiral orbit tribometer using stainless steel tribocouples. In addition we present the first tribological data on mixed ionic liquids and an ionic liquid additive. Post mortem infrared and Raman analysis of the balls and races indicates the major degradation pathway for these two organic ionic liquids is similar to those of other carbon based lubricants, i.e. deterioration of the organic structure into amorphous graphitic carbon. The coefficients of friction and lifetimes of these lubricants are comparable to or exceed these properties for several commonly used space oils.

Morales, Wilfredo↗
NASA NTRS1980

Ferrographic and spectrographic analysis of oil sampled before and after failure of a jet engine

An experimental gas turbine engine was destroyed as a result of the combustion of its titanium components. Several engine oil samples (before and after the failure) were analyzed with a Ferrograph as well as plasma, atomic absorption, and emission spectrometers. The analyses indicated that a lubrication system failure was not a causative factor in the engine failure. Neither an abnormal wear mechanism, nor a high level of wear debris was detected in the oil sample from the engine just prior to the test in which the failure occurred. However, low concentrations of titanium were evident in this sample and samples taken earlier. After the failure, higher titanium concentrations were detected in oil samples taken from different engine locations. Ferrographic analysis indicated that most of the titanium was contained in spherical metallic debris after the failure.

Jones, W. R., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Material-Dependent Antagonistic Effects between Soot and ZDDP

While soot in engine oil is known to accelerate the wear of diesel and gasoline direct-injection compression-ignition engines, there is a lack of consensus on the wear mechanism though various hypotheses have been proposed in the literature. Particularly, some recently observed antagonistic effects between soot and a common lubricant antiwear additive, zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDDP), while others did not. The discrepancy is, in part, explained by the strong alloy dependence of such antagonism discovered in this study. Specifically, four alloys, 52100 steel and M2, M50, and A2 tool steels, are tested in lubricants containing carbon black (CB, a soot surrogate) with and without ZDDP present. Adding the CB alone to the oil increases the wear rate for all steel alloys as expected. However, distinct wear performance is observed for the four steel alloys when ZDDP is introduced to the CB-containing oil: while the 52100 steel has notable wear reduction, the three tool steels suffer significant wear increase. Comprehensive tribofilm characterization suggests that the Mo content in the steel alloy and the sulfur from ZDDP strongly influence wear behavior. The combination of CB/Mo-catalyzed sulfidation and CB-accelerated abrasion is hypothesized to be responsible for the high wear of the Mo-alloyed tool steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1998

Ion Implantation of Perfluoropolyether-Lubricated Surfaces for Improved Tribological Performance

For over 30 years, perfluoropolyethers (PFPE's) have been the liquid lubricants of choice for space applications because of their proven tribological performance and desirable properties, such as low vapor pressure and a wide liquid temperature range. These oils are used in such space mechanisms as gyroscopes, scanning mirrors, actuators, and filter wheels. In the past few years, there have been several incidents during which PFPE-lubricated space mechanisms have shown anomalous behavior. These anomalies are thought to be the result of PFPE degradation. Investigative research focused on understanding and modeling the degradation of PFPE lubricants has shown that PFPE's degrade and lose their desirable properties while under boundary-lubricated, sliding/rolling contacts and at elevated temperatures. These performance deficiencies are strongly dependent on the surface chemistry and reactivity of the lubricated contacts, which dictate the formation of harmful catalytic by-products. One way to inhibit tribo-induced degradation may be to use passivated surfaces that do not promote the formation of harmful by-products. Such a passivated surface would inhibit PFPE degradation and increase the lifetime of the lubricated mechanism. Ion implantation is one such passivation technique. This surface-treatment technique can modify the surface properties of materials without affecting either the properties or dimensions of the bulk material beneath the treated layer. By introducing a foreign species into a submicron surface layer, ion implantation can induce unique surface microstructures.

Shogrin, Brad↗
NASA NTRS1996

Spherical Joint Piston and Connecting Rod Developed

Under an interagency agreement with the Department of Energy, the NASA Lewis Research Center manages a Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Technology (HDET) research program. The overall program objectives are to reduce fuel consumption through increased engine efficiency, reduce engine exhaust emissions, and provide options for the use of alternative fuels. The program is administered with a balance of research contracts, university research grants, and focused in-house research. The Cummins Engine Company participates in the HDET program under a cost-sharing research contract. Cummins is researching and developing in-cylinder component technologies for heavy-duty diesel engines. An objective of the Cummins research is to develop technologies for a low-emissions, 55-percent thermal efficiency (LE-55) engine. The best current-production engines in this class achieve about 46-percent thermal efficiency. Federal emissions regulations are driving this technology. Regulations for heavy duty diesel engines were tightened in 1994, more demanding emissions regulations are scheduled for 1998, and another step is planned for 2002. The LE-55 engine emissions goal is set at half of the 1998 regulation level and is consistent with plans for 2002 emissions regulations. LE-55 engine design requirements to meet the efficiency target dictate a need to operate at higher peak cylinder pressures. A key technology being developed and evaluated under the Cummins Engine Company LE-55 engine concept is the spherical joint piston and connecting rod. Unlike conventional piston and connecting rod arrangements which are joined by a pin forming a hinged joint, the spherical joint piston and connecting rod use a ball-and-socket joint. The ball-and-socket arrangement enables the piston to have an axisymmetric design allowing rotation within the cylinder. The potential benefits of piston symmetry and rotation are reduced scuffing, improved piston ring sealing, improved lubrication, mechanical and thermal load symmetry, reduced bearing stresses, reduced running clearances, and reduced oil consumption. The spherical joint piston is a monolithic, squeeze-cast, fiber-reinforced aluminum piston. The connecting rod has a ball end that seats on a spherical saddle within the piston and is retained by a pair of aluminum bronze holder rings. The holder rings are secured by a threaded ring that mates with the piston. As part of the ongoing research and development activity, the Cummins Engine Company successfully completed a 100-hr test of the spherical joint piston and connecting rod at LE- 55 peak steady-state engine conditions. In addition, a 100-hr transient cycle test that varied engine conditions between LE-55 no-load and LE-55 full-load was successfully completed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2014

Intentional Collaboration & Innovation Spaces at NASA

Collaboration and Innovation (C&I) are extremely popular terms in corporate jargon, and institutions with reputations for creativity often have clever and fun spaces set aside for hatching ideas and developing products or services. In and of themselves, a room full of "collaboration furniture" and electronics can't make C&I happen, any more than oil makes a gas or diesel engine run. As with the engine, though, quality lubrication is a huge factor in the smooth operation, power, and longevity of C&I activity. This paper describes spaces deliberately set up at numerous NASA field centers to support collaborative and creative thinking and processes. (Sometimes support is not so much a matter of doing things to spark discussion as it is removing constraints imposed by traditional settings and making information sharing as easy as possible.) Some spaces are rooms or suites dedicated to C&I, with significant electronic support and/or intentional lack thereof (to emphasize the human element). Others are small, comfortable "roosting places" that invite conversations of opportunity. Descriptions include the sponsoring organization, underlying goals and philosophies, lessons learned, and opportunities to excel. There is discussion about how such areas might interconnect within centers, across NASA, and with external entities using current technology and what tools and approaches may be in our future.

Scott, David W.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Identification of triacylglycerol remodeling mechanism to synthesize unusual fatty acid containing oils

Abstract Typical plant membranes and storage lipids are comprised of five common fatty acids yet over 450 unusual fatty acids accumulate in seed oils of various plant species. Plant oils are important human and animal nutrients, while some unusual fatty acids such as hydroxylated fatty acids (HFA) are used in the chemical industry (lubricants, paints, polymers, cosmetics, etc.). Most unusual fatty acids are extracted from non-agronomic crops leading to high production costs. Attempts to engineer HFA into crops are unsuccessful due to bottlenecks in the overlapping pathways of oil and membrane lipid synthesis where HFA are not compatible. Physaria fendleri naturally overcomes these bottlenecks through a triacylglycerol (TAG) remodeling mechanism where HFA are incorporated into TAG after initial synthesis. TAG remodeling involves a unique TAG lipase and two diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT) that are selective for different stereochemical and acyl-containing species of diacylglycerol within a synthesis, partial degradation, and resynthesis cycle. The TAG lipase interacts with DGAT1, localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (with the DGATs) and to puncta around the lipid droplet, likely forming a TAG remodeling metabolon near the lipid droplet-ER junction. Each characterized DGAT and TAG lipase can increase HFA accumulation in engineered seed oils.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2005

Cost-Cutting Powdered Lubricant

Scientists at NASA's Glenn Research Center developed a high-temperature, solid lubricant coating material that is saving the manufacturing industry millions of dollars. The material came out of 3 decades of tribological research, work studying high-temperature friction, lubrication, and the wearing of interacting surfaces that are in relative motion. It was developed as a shaft coating deposited by thermal spraying to protect foil air bearings used in oil-free turbomachinery, like gas turbines, and is meant to be part of a larger project: an oil-free aircraft engine capable of operating at high temperatures with increased reliability, lowered weight, reduced maintenance requirements, and increased power. This advanced coating, PS300, is a self-lubricating bearing material containing chromium oxide, with additions of a low-temperature start up lubricant (silver) and a high-temperature lubricant, making it remarkably stable at high temperatures, and better suited than previously available materials for high-stress conditions. It improves efficiency, lowers friction, reduces emissions, and has been used by NASA in advanced aeropropulsion engines, refrigeration compressors, turbochargers, and hybrid electrical turbogenerators. PS300 is ideal in any application where lowered weight and reduced maintenance are desired, and high-temperature uses and heavy operating speeds are expected. It has notable uses for the Space Agency, but it has even further-reaching potential for the industrial realm.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

The laser interferometer skin-friction meter - A numerical and experimental study

Limits to the applicability of thin-film lubrication theory are established. The following two problems are considered: (1) the response of the oil film to a time-varying skin friction such as is encountered in turbulent boundary layers, and (2) a 'surface-wave instability' encountered at high skin-friction levels. Results corresponding to the first problem reveal that the laser interferometer skin-friction meter may, in principle, be applied to the measurement of instantaneous skin friction. In addressing the second problem, it is shown that the observed surface waves are not the result of a hydrodynamic instability.

Murphy, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1952

Lubrication and Cooling Studies of Cylindrical-Roller Bearings at High Speeds

The results of an experimental investigation of the effect of oil inlet distribution and oil inlet temperature on the inner and outer-race temperatures of 75-millimeter-bore (size 215) cylindrical-roller inner-race-riding cage-type bearings are reported. A radial-load test rig was used over a range of dn values (product of the bearing bore in mm and the shaft speed in r.p.m) from 0.3 x 10(5) to 1.2 x 10(6) and static radial loads from 7 to 1113 pounds.

Macks, E Fred↗
NASA NTRS1986

Analysis of Lubricant Jet Flow

Computer program, IMPOUT 2, developed using newly-established "limit formulas" to prevent lubricant non-impingement on pinion. Program used to analyze impingement depth on gear teeth for oil jet located at out-of-mesh position with arbitrary offset and inclination angles and with arbitrary addendum and center-distance modification. IMPOUT 2 program written in ANSI FORTRAN IV for use on CDC 750.

Townsend, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Ball Bearings Equipped for In Situ Lubrication on Demand

In situ systems that provide fresh lubricants to ball/race contacts on demand have been developed to prolong the operational lives of ball bearings. These systems were originally intended to be incorporated into ball bearings in mechanisms that are required to operate in outer space for years, in conditions in which lubricants tend to deteriorate and/or evaporate. These systems may also be useful for similarly prolonging bearing lifetimes on Earth. Reservoirs have been among the means used previously to resupply lubricants. Lubricant- resupply reservoirs are bulky and add complexity to bearing assemblies. In addition, such a reservoir cannot be turned on or off as needed: it supplies lubricant continuously, often leading to an excess of lubricant in the bearing. A lubricator of the present type includes a porous ring cartridge attached to the inner or the outer ring of a ball bearing (see Figure 1). Oil is stored in the porous cartridge and is released by heating the cartridge: Because the thermal expansion of the oil exceeds that of the cartridge, heating causes the ejection of some oil. A metal film can be deposited on a face of the cartridge to serve as an electrical-resistance heater. The heater can be activated in response to a measured increase in torque that signals depletion of oil from the bearing/race contacts. Because the oil has low surface tension and readily wets the bearing-ring material, it spreads over the bearing ring and eventually reaches the ball/race contacts. The Marangoni effect (a surface-tension gradient associated with a temperature gradient) is utilized to enhance the desired transfer of lubricant to the ball/race contacts during heating. For a test, a ball bearing designed for use at low speed was assembled without lubricant and equipped with a porous-ring lubricator, the resistance heater of which consumed a power of less than 1 W when triggered on by a torque-measuring device. In the test, a load of 20 lb (.89 N) was applied and the bearing was turned at a rate of 200 RPM. The lubricator control was turned on at the beginning of the test, turned off for about 800 seconds, then turned on again. As shown in Figure 2, the controlled lubricator stabilized the torque in a low range, starting immediately after initial turn-on and immediately after resumption of the lubricator control.

Marchetti, Mario↗
NASA NTRS2013

Performance and Analysis of Perfluoropolyalkyl Ether Grease Used on Space Shuttle Actuators--A Case Study

Actuators used on the United States space shuttle fleet are lubricated with unspecified amounts of Braycote 601 (Castrol Braycote) grease consisting of a perfluoropolyalkyl ether (PFPAE) base oil thickened with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filler. Each shuttle has four body flap actuators (BFAs) (two on each wing) on a common segmented shaft and four rudder speed brake (RSB) actuators. The actuators were designed to operate for 10 years and 100 flights without periodic relubrication. Visible inspection of two partially disassembled RSB actuators in continuous use for 19 years raised concerns over possible grease degradation due to discoloration of the grease on several places on the surfaces of the gears. Inspection revealed fretting, micropitting, wear and corrosion of the bearings and gears. A small amount of oil dripped from the disassembled actuators. Whereas new grease is beige in appearance, the discolored grease consisted of both grey and reddish colors. Grease samples taken from the actuators together with representative off-the-shelf new and unused grease samples were analyzed by gravimetry for oil content; by inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP) for metals content; Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for base oil decomposition; and by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) for determination of the molecular weight distributions of the grease oil. The Braycote 601 grease was stable after 19 years of continuous use in the sealed RSB actuators and was fit for its intended purpose. There were no significant chemical differences between the used grease samples and new and unused samples. Base oil separation was not significant within the sealed actuators. No corrosive effect in the form of iron fluoride was detected. The grey color of grease samples was due to metallic iron. The red color was due to oxidation of the metallic wear particles from the gears and the bearings comprising the actuators.

Morales, Wilfredo↗