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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 433 records · Page 24

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NASA NTRS1996

Interaction of Peroxynitric Acid with Solid H2O Ice

The uptake of peroxynitric acid (PNA), HO2NO2 or HNO4, on solid H2O ice at 193 K (-80 C) was studied using a fast flow-mass spectrometric technique. An uptake coefficient of 0.15 +/- 0.10 was measured, where the quoted uncertainty denotes 2 standard deviations. The uptake process did not result in the production of gas phase products. The composition of the condensed phase was investigated using programmed heating (3 K/min) of the substrate coupled with mass spectrometric detection of desorbed species. Significant quantities of HNO, and HNO3 desorbed from the substrates at temperatures above 225 K and 246 K, respectively. The desorbed HNO3, which was less than 9% of the desorbed HNO, and remained unchanged upon incubation of the substrate, was likely due to impurities in the HNO4 samples rather than reaction of HNO, on the substrate. The onset temperatures for HNO4 desorption increased with increasing H2O to HNO4 ratios, indicating that HNO4, like HNO3, tends to be hydrated in the presence of water. These observations suggest possible mechanisms for removal of HNO4 or repartitioning of total odd nitrogen species in the Earth's upper troposphere and stratosphere.

Li, Zhuangjie↗

NASA NTRS2003

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2003

opics covered include: Integrated Electrode Arrays for Neuro-Prosthetic Implants; Eroding Potentiometers; Common/Dependent-Pressure-Vessel Nickel-Hydrogen Batteries; 120-GHz HEMT Oscillator With Surface-Wave-Assisted Antenna; 80-GHz MMIC HEMT Voltage-Controlled Oscillator; High-Energy-Density Capacitors; Microscale Thermal-Transpiration Gas Pump; Instrument for Measuring Temperature of Water; Improved Measurement of Coherence in Presence of Instrument Noise; Compact Instruments Measure Helium-Leak Rates; Irreversible Entropy Production in Two-Phase Mixing Layers; Subsonic and Supersonic Effects in Bose-Einstein Condensate; Nanolaminate Mirrors With "Piston" Figure-Control Actuators; Mixed Conducting Electrodes for Better AMTEC Cells; Process for Encapsulating Protein Crystals; Lightweight, Self-Deployable Wheels; Grease-Resistant O Rings for Joints in Solid Rocket Motors; LabVIEW Serial Driver Software for an Electronic Load; Software Computes Tape-Casting Parameters; Software for Tracking Costs of Mars Projects; Software for Replicating Data Between X.500 and LDAP Directories; The Technical Work Plan Tracking Tool; Improved Multiple-DOF SAW Piezoelectric Motors; Propulsion Flight-Test Fixture; Mechanical Amplifier for a Piezoelectric Transducer; Swell Sleeves for Testing Explosive Devices; Linear Back-Drive Differentials; Miniature Inchworm Actuators Fabricated by Use of LIGA; Using ERF Devices to Control Deployments of Space Structures; High-Temperature Switched-Reluctance Electric Motor; System for Centering a Turbofan in a Nacelle During Tests; Fabricating Composite-Material Structures Containing SMA Ribbons; Optimal Feedback Control of Thermal Networks; Artifacts for Calibration of Submicron Width Measurements; Navigating a Mobile Robot Across Terrain Using Fuzzy Logic; Designing Facilities for Collaborative Operations; and Quantitating Iron in Serum Ferritin by Use of ICP-MS.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2012

Thermal Regeneration of Sulfuric Acid Hydrates after Irradiation

In an attempt to more completely understand the surface chemistry of the jovian icy satellites, we have investigated the effect of heating on two irradiated crystalline sulfuric acid hydrates, H2SO4 4H2O and H2SO4 H2O. At temperatures relevant to Europa and the warmer jovian satellites, post-irradiation heating recrystallized the amorphized samples and increased the intensities of the remaining hydrate's infrared absorptions. This thermal regeneration of the original hydrates was nearly 100% efficient, indicating that over geological times, thermally-induced phase transitions enhanced by temperature fluctuations will reform a large fraction of crystalline hydrated sulfuric acid that is destroyed by radiation processing. The work described is the first demonstration of the competition between radiation-induced amorphization and thermally-induced recrystallization in icy ionic solids relevant to the outer Solar System.

Loeffler, Mark J.↗

NASA NTRS1999

The Effect of Velocity on the Extinction Behavior of a Diffusion Flame during Transient Depressurization

Current fire suppression plans for the International Space Station include the use of venting (depressurization) as a method for extinguishing a fire. Until recently this process had only been examined as part of a material flammability experiment performed on Skylab in the early 1970's. Due to the low initial pressure (0.35 Atm) and high oxygen concentration (65%), the Skylab experimental results are not applicable for understanding the effects of venting on a fire in a space station environment (21%O2, 1 Atm). Recent research examined the extinction behavior of a diffusion flame over a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cylinder during a transient depressurization in low-gravity. The numerical model was used to examine extinction limits as a function of depressurization rate, forced flow velocity, and initial solid phase temperature. The experimental and numerically predicted extinction data indicated that as the solid phase temperature increased the pressure required to extinguish the flame decreased. The numerical model was also used to examine conditions not obtainable in the low-gravity experiments. From these simulations, a series of extinction boundaries were generated that showed a region of increased flammability existed at a forced flow of 10 cm/s. Analysis of these extinction boundaries indicated that they were quasi-steady in nature, and that the final extinction conditions were independent of the transient process. The velocity range in the previous study was limited and thus the results did not examine the effects of velocities less than 1 cm/s or greater than 20 cm/s. This study utilized low-gravity experiments performed on NASA's Reduced-gravity Research Aircraft Laboratory and numerical simulations to examine conditions applicable to the Space Station environment. This paper extends the analysis of the previous study to a comprehensive examination of the effect of increased velocity on extinction behavior and extinction limits during a transient depressurization in low-gravity. This is achieved by examining extinction data from buoyant (normal-gravity) and low-buoyant (low-gravity) depressurization. experiments, as well as from numerical predictions of flame behavior during depressurization in a non-buoyant (zero-gravity) environment.

Goldmeer, Jeffrey S.↗

NASA NTRS2019

The Kilopower Space Nuclear Fission Power Reactor

Nuclear fission power offers an attractive alternative to solar electric or radioisotope power systems for certain applications on the Moon, Mars, and deep space science missions. The advantages of independence from solar irradiance, high energy density, and abundance of fuel allow fission power systems to enable novel, high power mission architectures. While NASA has had numerous fission power programs throughout its history, few have gone far beyond the design phase. The recent test campaign called the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology project (KRUSTY) focused on a low power, kilowatt-scale design for simplicity and reduced cost, with the driving motivation to perform a full nuclear hardware prototype test. Following the successful completion of the KRUSTY nuclear hardware test in March of 2018, NASA has begun the formulation process for a Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) using the Kilopower reactor technology. In support of NASA's lunar surface initiatives, the Kilopower TDM will target a 1-3 kW fission electric power system that can survive the lunar night and operate for one year. The system will be heavily influenced by the KRUSTY reactor design, using a solid Uranium metal core with high temperature heat pipes and Stirling engine power conversion. During this formulation phase, continued engineering efforts are ongoing to improve heat transfer efficiency in the system, examine fission radiation damage effects, and begin to address the thermal and structural requirements of a Kilopower flight system.

Chaiken, Max↗

DOE OSTI2025

Autonomous Synthesis of Metastable Materials Using a Modular Mixed-Flow Reactor

Understanding and controlling atomic-level processes at solid-liquid interfaces is key to advancing technologies in energy storage, carbon capture, critical element recovery, and materials synthesis. Many of these processes are dominated by the formation of short-lived intermediate precipitates that determine the final properties of synthesized materials. However, studying these intermediates is challenging due to their sensitivity and the reliance on trial-and-error methods. To address this, we developed an automated variable-volume mixed-flow reactor (MFR) to optimize metastable material synthesis and investigate rapid kinetic processes. This state-of-the-art MFR system, paired with an automated modeling framework, enables efficient synthesis and real-time analysis of transient phases. Benchmarking with advanced capabilities, such as wide-/small-angle X-ray scattering, allows us to resolve fast nucleation and growth dynamics that were previously inaccessible. By combining automation, ML-guided optimization, and tailored kinetic modeling, this approach provides a robust platform for improving material design and achieving precise control over solid-liquid reactions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1981

Weathering of Mars - Antarctic analog studies

Subaerial extrusion of lavas above permafrost is proposed as a possible weathering regime leading to the presence of Martian surface fines, and the characteristics of this process are examined through a study of the analogous altered terrestrial basalts from Antarctica. On the basis of mineralogical and petrological analyses of samples obtained from core cuttings recovered by the Dry Valley Drilling Program from rocks predominantly of an aklalic basalt-phonolite suite, it is found that in the absence of liquid water, weathering is geologically slow, and that zeolites predominate over clays as secondary mineral. Of the possible weathering processes proposed for Mars, it is concluded that both subaerial extrusion and subpermafrost intrusion of lavas involving liquid water would be less important volumetrically than the hydrothermal alteration of impact melt sheets if water were present during an intense phase of early bombardment, or than subsequent solid-gas alteration reactions. It is thus predicted that the present Martian fines should contain a major contribution from the ancient crust as typified by the southern cratered highlands, and a lesser contribution from the younger basaltic lavas.

Berkley, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Natural melting within a spherical shell

Fundamental heat transfer experiments were performed on the melting of a phase change medium in a spherical shell. Free expansion of the medium into a void space within the sphere was permitted. A step function temperature jump on the outer shell wall was imposed and the timewise evolution of the melting process and the position of the solid-liquid interface was photographically recorded. Numerical integration of the interface position data yielded information about the melted mass and the energy of melting. It was found that the rate of melting and the heat transfer were significantly affected by the movement of the solid medium to the base of the sphere due to gravity. The energy transfer associated with melting was substantially higher than that predicted by the conduction model. Furthermore, the radio of the measured values of sensible energy in the liquid melt to the energy of melting were nearly proportional to the Stefan number. The experimental results are in agreement with a theory set forth in an earlier paper.

Bahrami, Parviz A.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Extraction and Separation of Rare-Earth Elements from Coal Fly Ash and Leachate using a Recyclable Ionic Liquid

Coal fly ash (CFA) can be a promising source for recovering rare-earth elements (REEs), as it contains a broad range of REEs with average concentrations frequently exceeding those in traditional rare earth mines. Recent research from our group has demonstrated that REEs can be preferentially extracted from CFA solids using a recyclable ionic liquid (IL), betainium bis-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Hbet][Tf2N]). When CFA was heated with the mixture of IL and an aqueous solution above 65°C, most leached REEs partitioned into the IL phase and were separated from the bulk elements. Subsequent acid stripping of the REE-loaded IL removed the REEs and regenerated the IL for reuse in multiple extraction cycles. This IL-based REE-CFA recovery method has been applied to ten CFA samples derived from different coal sources, including ash recovered from disposal ponds. Analysis of 34 elements confirmed the process consistently achieved high REE recovery efficiency, with strong selectivity over bulk and trace elements across diverse CFA types. In addition to the IL-solid extraction, the performance of [Hbet][Tf2N] in extracting REEs from fly-ash leachates have been evaluated by four commonly used leaching reagents, including HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, and citrate. During the IL-leachate extraction, [Hbet][Tf2N] was mixed and heated with a Class C fly ash leachate generated from each leaching reagent, followed by an acid stripping. It was observed that the partitioning and recovery of REEs increased as the leachate pH increased from 3 to 11. Among the investigated leachates, HCl and citrate proved to be the most compatible with IL extraction, exhibiting a slightly higher REE recovery and a lower non-REE co-extraction compared to the IL-solid extraction. Sc, Y, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, and Yb consistently showed a high recovery rate from both CFA solids and leachates. Notably, Pr, Tb, and Ho, which were not previously leached from the CFA solids, were partially recovered from the leachates. Overall, our studies revealed the strong potential of [Hbet][Tf2N] for effectively recovering REEs from leachates, highlighting its applicability as a sustainable strategy for other aqueous REE feedstocks. Furthermore, a techno-economic analysis will be performed to quantify the economic viability of the IL-based REE recovery method and guide future process improvement.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2026

An Atom-Precise Approach to Damp First-Order Phase Transitions and Its Implications for Neuromorphic Signal Processing

Neuromorphic computing inspired by mammalian intelligence aims to emulate the nonlinear dynamics of biological neurons and synapses to achieve fast, low-energy, and highly efficient information processing. Brain-inspired computing relies on the design and discovery of materials exhibiting nonlinear current–voltage profiles, frequently underpinned by electronic state transitions, to achieve spiking neurons and dynamically tunable synapses. A signature challenge in the design of artificial neurons is controlling the steepness of first-order transitions in active elements, as abrupt transitions are at risk of driving unstable voltage and temperature oscillations, which result in catastrophic device failure. A critical knowledge gap is the lack of structure–function correlations mapping the composition and atomistic structure of crystalline solids to nonlinear dynamical response characteristics. Here, we address the key question of how modification of atomistic structure correlates with alteration of neuron-like functionality. Constructing oscillator circuits from millimeter-scale single crystals enables high-resolution atomic structure solutions, which we use to demonstrate that the selective positioning of Pb cations modifies charge ordering along a one-dimensional CuxV2O5 framework even at low insertion stoichiometries, thereby providing an atom-precise design parameter for damping first-order transitions. We use temperature-variant X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy to elucidate the suppression of Cu-ion shuttling based on the precise positioning of Pb ions in seven-coordinated tunnel interstitial sites as the mechanistic basis for transition broadening, thus bridging a critical gap between statistical mechanics and quantum chemical descriptions of phase transitions. Such mechanistic understanding thus paves the way to site-selective modification strategies for modulating the sharpness of first-order transitions, with an exemplary demonstration here in tuning neuronal signal processing.

Crystal structure↗

DOE OSTI2024

Fracture Dynamics in Silicon Anode Solid-State Batteries

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) with silicon anodes could enable improved safety and energy density compared to lithium-ion batteries. However, degradation arising from the massive volumetric changes of silicon anodes during cycling is not well understood in solid-state systems. Here, we use operando X-ray computed microtomography to reveal micro- to macro-scale chemo-mechanical degradation processes of silicon anodes in SSBs. Mud-type channel cracks driven by biaxial tensile stress form across the electrode during delithiation. We also find detrimental cracks at the silicon/ solid electrolyte interface that form due to local reaction competition between neighboring domains of different sizes. Continuum phase-field damage modeling quantifies stress-driven channel cracking and shows that the lithiated silicon stress state is critical for determining the extent of interfacial fracture. This work reveals the mechanisms that govern SSBs compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries and provides guidelines for engineering chemomechanically resilient electrodes for high-energy batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS2004

Potential High-Temperature Shape-Memory Alloys Identified in the Ti(Ni,Pt) System

"Shape memory" is a unique property of certain alloys that, when deformed (within certain strain limits) at low temperatures, will remember and recover to their original predeformed shape upon heating. It occurs when an alloy is deformed in the low-temperature martensitic phase and is then heated above its transformation temperature back to an austenitic state. As the material passes through this solid-state phase transformation on heating, it also recovers its original shape. This behavior is widely exploited, near room temperature, in commercially available NiTi alloys for connectors, couplings, valves, actuators, stents, and other medical and dental devices. In addition, there are limitless applications in the aerospace, automotive, chemical processing, and many other industries for materials that exhibit this type of shape-memory behavior at higher temperatures. But for high temperatures, there are currently no commercial shape-memory alloys. Although there are significant challenges to the development of high-temperature shape-memory alloys, at the NASA Glenn Research Center we have identified a series of alloy compositions in the Ti-Ni-Pt system that show great promise as potential high-temperature shape-memory materials.

Noebe, Ronald D.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison of In-situ Near Infrared Melt Pool Imagery to Optical Microscopy Measurements

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly growing technology. An area of major importance is the integrity and repeatability of AM parts. The goal is to reduce obstacles to certify AM built parts to allow for use in critical aerospace applications. In-situ nondestructive evaluation sensors can be used for build assessment and can potentially play a key role in certifying AM parts. For example, melt pool features are understood to have a strong correlation to microstructural defects and the use of a near infrared (NIR) camera can be used to record the melt pool, cooling areas, and temperature gradients during the build. This work explores the use of a low cost NIR camera to obtain single line track imagery of the Ti-6Al-4V melt pools for various processing parameters. The NIR camera is radiometrically calibrated and configured in-line with the laser source to obtain high resolution imagery of the melt pool shape and dynamics. The challenge to measure melt pool shapes is to identify the transition points between the metal solid to liquid phase. Factors for melt pool measurements such as thermal camera pixel resolution, surface emissivity, and blurring due to the laser beam movement are discussed. Lastly, the melt pool imagery are compared to optical microscopy measurements for validation.

additive manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS1988

Navier-Stokes calculation of solid-propellant rocket motor internal flowfields

A comprehensive numerical analysis has been carried out to study the detailed physical and chemical processes involved in the combustion of homogeneous propellant in a rocket motor. The formulation is based on the time-dependent full Navier-Stokes equations, with special attention devoted to the chemical reactions in both gas and condensed phases. The turbulence closure is achieved using both the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic model and a modified k-epsilon two-equation scheme with a low Reynolds number and near-wall treatment. The effects of variable thermodynamic and transport properties are also included. The system of governing equations are solved using a multi-stage Runge-Kutta shceme with the source terms treated implicitly. Preliminary results clearly demonstrate the presence of various combustion regimes in the vicinity of propellant surface. The effects of propellant combustion on the motor internal flowfields are investigated in detail.

Hsieh, Kwang-Chung↗

NASA NTRS1986

Display system software for the integration of an ADAGE 3000 programmable display generator into the solid modeling package C.A.D. software

A software system that integrates an ADAGE 3000 Programmable Display Generator into a C.A.D. software package known as the Solid Modeling Program is described. The Solid Modeling Program (SMP) is an interactive program that is used to model complex solid object through the composition of primitive geomeentities. In addition, SMP provides extensive facilities for model editing and display. The ADAGE 3000 Programmable Display Generator (PDG) is a color, raster scan, programmable display generator with a 32-bit bit-slice, bipolar microprocessor (BPS). The modularity of the system architecture and the width and speed of the system bus allow for additional co-processors in the system. These co-processors combine to provide efficient operations on and rendering of graphics entities. The resulting software system takes advantage of the graphics capabilities of the PDG in the operation of SMP by distributing its processing modules between the host and the PDG. Initially, the target host computer was a PRIME 850, which was later substituted with a VAX-11/785. Two versions of the software system were developed, a phase 1 and a phase 2. In phase 1, the ADAGE 3000 is used as a frame buffer. In phase II, SMP was functionally partitioned and some of its functions were implemented in the ADAGE 3000 by means of ADAGE's SOLID 3000 software package.

Montoya, R. J.↗

DOE OSTI2024

A finite difference informed random walker (FDiRW) solver for strongly inhomogeneous diffusion problems

In nature, many complex multi-physics coupling problems exhibit strong diffusivity inhomogeneity. For instance, in the context of radionuclide absorption by porous wasteform materials within a flowing waste stream, the difference of species’ diffusivity in solid and liquid phases spans by 3~8 orders of magnitude. To solve the diffusion equations with strongly inhomogeneous diffusivity, traditional discretization-based methods, such as the Finite Difference Method (FDM), require infinitesimally small time steps (<10 -10 ) as high spatial resolutions are employed in most microstructure evolution processes, leading to prohibitively high computational costs. Here, this work developed an integrated numerical approach (FDiRW: Finite Difference informed Random Walk) to tackle this challenge. The idea is that utilizing the Random Walk concept, the fast diffusion is modeled as a superposition of point source’s solution for a concentration distribution while FDM is used to obtain the point source’s solution at each node. A mesh-coarsening algorithm is developed to generate an exclusive coarse mesh for FDiRW approach to maximize its efficiency. The effectiveness of the coarse mesh-based FDiRW approach is validated by benchmarking Finite Difference solutions. Numerical results demonstrated that FDiRW achieves a remarkable 1000x computational efficiency improvement over FDM while preserving desired accuracy for a medium-sized model of 192 × 192 × 192 grids. Finally, as models scale up, a floating-point operations (PLOPs) analysis of the FDiRW algorithm reveals that its computational complexity grows quadratically in terms of the number of nodes employed in computation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1996

Solid Surface Combustion Experiment Completes a Series of Eight Successful Flights

The Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) was the first combustion experiment to fly in the space shuttle and the first such experiment in the NASA spaceflight program since Skylab. SSCE was actually a series of experiments designed to begin to characterize flame spreading over solid fuels in microgravity and the differences of this flame spreading from normal gravity behavior. These experiments should lead to a better understanding of the physical processes involved--increasing our understanding of fire behavior, both in space and on Earth. SSCE results will help researchers evaluate spacecraft fire hazards. These experiments were conceived by the principal investigator, Professor Robert A. Altenkirch, Dean of Engineering at Washington State University. In the first five flights, the fuel sample--ashless filter paper instrumented with three thermocouples--was mounted in a sealed chamber filled with a 50-percent or 35-percent mixture of oxygen in nitrogen at pressures of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 atm. In the next three flights, a polymethyl methacrylate (plexiglass) fuel was instrumented with three thermocouples and tested in a 70-percent or 50-percent mixture of oxygen and nitrogen at pressures of 1.0 and 2.0 atm. SSCE is a self-contained, battery-operated experiment that can be flown either in the shuttle middeck or in the Spacelab module. More information about the hardware configuration have been published. This past year, the final two of eight flights were completed on STS-64 and STS-63. The NASA Lewis Research Center designed and built the SSCE payload and performed engineering, testing, scientific, and flight operations support. The SSCE project was supported in some way by nearly every major sector of Lewis' organization. Professor Altenkirch developed a numerical simulation of the flame-spreading process from first principles (of fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics). The spread rates, flame shape, and thermodynamic data from the SSCE flights are being compared directly with the results of the computational model. Results from the eight flights will be used to formulate an improved solid-phase pyrolysis model. In addition, some results of the flights have been published and presented at international combustion symposiums. Additional solid fuel combustion experiments are being investigated for future tests with the existing hardware.

Source record↗

DOE OSTI2026

Probing Dynamic Phase Changes in Electrochemical Systems with Cryogenic and in Situ Analytical Electron Microscopy (Final Technical Report)

In this project, we focus on the advancement of our newly developed, unique in situ and cryogenic analytical electron microscopy (AEM) techniques and the development of additional high-end capabilities to quantitatively elucidate the mechanisms of resistive state changes in solid-state electrochemical materials for non-volatile, neuromorphic memory. The objectives of the proposed research are (1) to characterize and elucidate the mechanisms by which electronic state changes occur in various solid-state devices to build guiding principles for electrochemically activated smart materials; (2) to advance our understanding of such mechanisms by coupling cryogenic and in situ techniques to control kinetics of the observed mechanisms while mitigating probe-induced damage; and (3) to utilize additional advanced techniques including electron-beam induced current and quantum mechanical simulations in order to identify the underlying fundamental science of such processes, including roles of defect formation and its effect on phase nucleation, as well as dynamics of these processes in the electrochemical systems at the nanometer scale.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗