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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 487 records · Page 27

Hypersonic ramjet experiment project. Phase 1: Computer program description, ramjet and scramjet cycle performance

A computer program was developed to describe the performance of ramjet and scramjet cycles. The program performs one dimensional calculations of the equilibrium, real-gas internal flow properties of the engine. The program can be used for the following: (1) preliminary design calculation and (2) design analysis of internal flow properties corresponding to stipulated flow areas. Only the combustion of hydrogen in air is considered in this case.

Jackson, R. J.↗

Post-processing flame-retardant for polyurethane

Treatment of polyurethane form with elastomer formulation after processing makes foam fire resistant without compromising physical properties. In testing, once ignition source is removed, combustion stops. Treatment also prevents molten particle formation, generates no smoke or toxic gases in fire, and does not deteriorate under prolonged exposure to Sun.

Monaghan, P.↗

Effect of refining variables on the properties and composition of JP-5

Potential future problem areas that could arise from changes in the composition, properties, and potential availability of JP-5 produced in the near future are identified. Potential fuel problems concerning thermal stability, lubricity, low temperature flow, combustion, and the effect of the use of specific additives on fuel properties and performance are discussed. An assessment of available crudes and refinery capabilities is given.

Lieberman, M.↗

Variation of pressure limits of flame propagation with tube diameter for various isooctane-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures

An investigation was made of the change in the pressure limits of flame propagation with tube diameter for various isooctane-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures. Pressure limits were measured in cylindrical glass tubes of four different inside diameters at six different oxygen-nitrogen ratios. Under the experimental conditions, flame propagation was found to be impossible in isooctane-oxygen mixtures with oxygen concentrations less than 11 to 12 percent. Critical tube diameters for flame propagation were calculated and the effect of pressure was determined and compared with the effect of pressure on quenching distance. Critical diameters were related to flame speeds for various isooctane-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures.

FUELS-PROPERTIES,PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL↗

Ignition-delay Characteristics in Modified Open-cup Apparatus of Several Fuels with Nitric Acid Oxidants Within Temperature Range 70 to 105 Degrees F

Fluid properties and low-temperature ignition delays were obtained for approximately 90 fuel-oxidant combinations. A red fuming nitric acid containing approximately 3 percent water and 19 percent nitrogen tetroxide froze at approximately -87 degrees F and ignited several low-viscosity fuel blends of aromatic amines in triethylamine at -76 degrees F and lower. With this acid, the following average ignition delays were obtained with a blend of 30 percent o-toluidine in triethylamine: ...

FUEL SYSTEMS - ENGINES, ROCKET↗

Theoretical performance of liquid ammonia and liquid fluorine as a rocket propellant

Theoretical values of performance parameters for liquid ammonia and liquid fluorine as a rocket propellant were calculated on the assumption of equilibrium composition during the expansion process for a wide range of fuel-oxidant and expansion ratios. The parameters included were specific impulse, combustion chamber temperature, nozzle-exit temperature, equilibrium composition, mean molecular weight, characteristic velocity, coefficient of thrust, ratio of nozzle-exit area to throat area, specific heat at constant pressure, coefficient of viscosity, and coefficient of thermal conductivity. The maximum value of specific impulse was 311.5 pound-seconds per pound for a chamber pressure of 300 pounds per square inch absolute (20.41 atm) and an exit pressure of 1 atmosphere.

COMBUSTION - ROCKET ENGINES↗

Ram acceleration from a two phase detonative system

A concept for ram acceleration is presented here, which uses a combination of a gas core and a layer of solid explosive or propellant to generate high thrust densities. The concept can be either self-synchronized or externally synchronized, and may be reusable. It has the potential to achieve very high acceleration rates, higher exit velocities and to lower the tube length requirements. Preliminary numerical simulations are presented and discussed, which show the characteristics of the flow fields. Stable conditions can be achieved for low mass loadings of solid explosive, and relatively slow combustion. Accurate knowledge of the thermo-chemical properties and the equations of state of the gas and solid components is essential for further tuning of the concept.

Cambier, Jean-Luc↗

Nondestructive Evaluation of Ceramic Matrix Composite Combustor Components

Combustor liners fabricated from a SiC/SiC composite (silicon carbide fibers in a silicon carbide matrix) were nondestructively interrogated before and after combustion rig testing by x-ray, ultrasonic, and thermographic techniques. In addition, mechanical test results were obtained from witness coupons, representing the as-manufactured liners, and from coupons machined from the components after combustion exposure. Thermography indications correlated with reduced material properties obtained after rig testing. The thermography indications in the SiC/SiC liners were delaminations and damaged fiber tows, as determined through microstructural examinations.

Sun, Jiangang G.↗

Effects of fuel viscosity on the primary breakup dynamics of a high-speed liquid jet with comparison to X-ray radiography

One of the major concerns in combustion engines is the sensitivity of engine performance to fuel prop- erties. Recent works have shown that even slight differences in fuel properties can cause significant changes in performance and emission of an engine. In order to design the combustion engines with multi-fuel flexi- bilities, the precise assessment of fuel sensitivity on liquid jet atomization process is a prerequisite since the resulting fuel/air mixture is critical to the subsequent combustion process. The present study is focusing on the effect of physical fuel properties, mostly viscosity difference, on the breakup process of the liquid jet injected into still air. Two different jet fuels, CAT-A2 and CAT-C3, are considered here as surrogates for a fossil-based fuel and a bio-derived high-viscosity alternative fuel. The simulations are performed using the volume-of-fluid (VoF) interface tracking method coupled to Lagrangian particle method in order to capture the breakup instabilities of jets and the resulting droplets. The investigations take the actual geometry of the injector into account to resolve the unsteady flow phenomena inside the nozzle that impact the turbu- lence transition and atomization. The simulation results are compared to the experimental measurement using X-ray radiography. Both simulation and X-ray measurements consistently describe the effects of different fuels on the fundamental properties of atomization including the breakup length, transverse liquid volume fraction and the droplet sauter-mean-diameter. The application of a Detailed Numerical Simulation approach complemented by unique X-ray diagnostics is novel and providing new understanding and research directions in engine spray dynamics

Breakup instability↗

The influence of Ca-Mg-Al hydrotalcite synthesized from brine water on thermal and mechanical properties of HTlc-EVA composite

Ca-Mg-Al hydrotalcite-like compound (Ca-Mg-Al HTlc) was prepared by co-precipitation method using brine water that is well known as the desalination process waste water. The structure of Ca-Mg-Al HTlc was determined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. Ca-Mg-Al HTlc was studied as a non-halogenated filler in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) matrix. Composites with different filler concentrations were prepared to evaluate the influence of Ca-Mg-Al HTlc on thermal and mechanical properties of EVA.The presence of Ca-Mg-Al HTlc in the composite has been confirmed by FTIR analysis. Thermal properties of composites show significant reduction of degradation temperature as well as the loading of HTlc in EVA. However, the total enthalpies combustion of composites with 1% and 5% HTlc loadings higher compared to neat EVA. Further, mechanical properties were determined by tensile test. The result shows that tensile strength and elongation at break of composites decrease relatively by Ca-Mg-Al HTlc addition.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Art of Extracting One-Dimensional Flow Properties from Multi-Dimensional Data Sets

The engineering design and analysis of air-breathing propulsion systems relies heavily on zero- or one-dimensional properties (e:g: thrust, total pressure recovery, mixing and combustion efficiency, etc.) for figures of merit. The extraction of these parameters from experimental data sets and/or multi-dimensional computational data sets is therefore an important aspect of the design process. A variety of methods exist for extracting performance measures from multi-dimensional data sets. Some of the information contained in the multi-dimensional flow is inevitably lost when any one-dimensionalization technique is applied. Hence, the unique assumptions associated with a given approach may result in one-dimensional properties that are significantly different than those extracted using alternative approaches. The purpose of this effort is to examine some of the more popular methods used for the extraction of performance measures from multi-dimensional data sets, reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and highlight various numerical issues that result when mapping data from a multi-dimensional space to a space of one dimension.

Baurle, R. A.↗

Effects of Initial Powder Size on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of As-Extruded GRCop-84

GRCop-84 was developed to meet the mechanical and thermal property requirements for advanced regeneratively cooled rocket engine main combustion chamber liners. It is a ternary Cu- Cr-Nb alloy having approximately 8 at% Cr and 4 at% Nb. The chromium and niobium constituents combine to form 14 vol% Cr2Nb, the strengthening phase. The alloy is made by producing GRCop-84 powder through gas atomization and consolidating the powder using extrusion, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) or vacuum plasma spraying (VPS). GRCop-84 has been selected by Rocketdyne, Ratt & Wlutney and Aerojet for use in their next generation of rocket engines. GRCop-84 demonstrates favorable mechanical and thermal properties at elevated temperatures. Compared to NARloy-Z, the currently used inaterial in the Space Shuttle, GRCop-84 has approximately twice the yield strength, 10-1000 times the creep life, and 1.5-2.5 times the low cycle fatigue life. The thermal expansion of GRCop-84 is 7515% less than NARloy-Z which minimizes thermally induced stresses. The thermal conductivity of the two alloys is comparable at low temperature but NARloy-Z has a 20-50 W/mK thermal conductivity advantage at typical rocket engine hot wall temperatures. GRCop-84 is also much more microstructurally stable than NARloy-Z which translates into better long term stability of mechanical properties. Previous research into metal alloys fabricated by means of powder metallurgy (PM), has demonstrated that initial powder size can affect the microstructural development and mechanical properties of such materials. Grain size, strength, ductility, size of second phases, etc., have all been shown to vary with starting powder size in PM-alloys. This work focuses on characterizing the effect of varying starting powder size on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of as- extruded GRCop-84. Tensile tests and constant load creep tests were performed on extrusions of four powder meshes: +140 mesh (great3er than l05 micron powder size), -140 mesh (less than or equal to 105 microns), -140 plus or minus 270 (53 - 105 microns), and - 270 mesh (less than or equal to 53 microns). Samples were tested in tension at room temperature and at 500 C (932 F). Creep tests were performed under vacuum at 500 C using a stress of 111 MPa (16.1 ksi). The fracture surfaces of selected samples from both tests were studied using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The as-extruded materials were also studied, using both optical microscopy and SEM analysis, to characterize changes within the microstructure.

Okoro, Chika L.↗

Uniform Pt/Pd Bimetallic Nanocrystals Demonstrate Platinum Effect on Palladium Methane Combustion Activity and Stability

Bimetallic catalytic materials are in widespread use for numerous reactions, as the properties of a monometallic catalyst are often improved upon addition of a second metal. In studies with bimetallic catalysts, it remains challenging to establish clear structure–property relationships using traditional impregnation techniques, due to the presence of multiple coexisting active phases of different sizes, shapes, and compositions. Here, a convenient approach to prepare small and uniform Pt/Pd bimetallic nanocrystals with tailorable composition is demonstrated, despite the metals being immiscible in the bulk. By depositing this set of controlled nanocrystals onto a high-surface-area alumina support, we systematically investigate the effect of adding platinum to palladium catalysts for methane combustion. At low temperatures and in the absence of steam, all bimetallic catalysts show activity nearly identical with that of Pt/Al 2 O 3 , with much lower rates in comparison to that of the Pd/Al 2 O 3 sample. BUt, unlike Pd/Al 2 O 3 , which experiences severe low-temperature steam poisoning, all Pt/Pd bimetallic catalysts maintain combustion activity on exposure to excess steam. These features are due to the influence of Pt on the Pd oxidation state, which prevents the formation of a bulk-type PdO phase. Despite lower initial combustion rates, hydrothermal aging of the Pd-rich bimetallic catalyst induces segregation of a PdO phase in close contact to a Pd/Pt alloy phase, forming more active and highly stable sites for methane combustion. Altogether, this work unambiguously clarifies the activity and stability attributes of Pt/Pd phases which often coexist in traditionally synthesized bimetallic catalysts and demonstrates how well-controlled bimetallic catalysts elucidate structure–property relationships.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Heat transfer in rocket engine combustion chambers and regeneratively cooled nozzles

A conjugate heat transfer computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to describe regenerative cooling in the main combustion chamber and nozzle and in the injector faceplate region for a launch vehicle class liquid rocket engine was developed. An injector model for sprays which treats the fluid as a variable density, single-phase media was formulated, incorporated into a version of the FDNS code, and used to simulate the injector flow typical of that in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). Various chamber related heat transfer analyses were made to verify the predictive capability of the conjugate heat transfer analysis provided by the FDNS code. The density based version of the FDNS code with the real fluid property models developed was successful in predicting the streamtube combustion of individual injector elements.

Source record↗

Study of optical properties of cerium ion doped barium aluminate phosphor

In the recent years due to their various optical and technological applications aluminate materials have attracted attention of several researchers. When these materials are doped with rare earth ions they show properties favorable for many optical applications such as high quantum efficiencies. These materials are used in various applications such as lamp phosphors, optically and thermoluminescence dosimeter etc Barium aluminate BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} doped with Ce is well known long lasting phosphor. This paper reports synthesis of BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}: Ce phosphor prepared by a simple combustion synthesis. The samples were characterized for the phase purity, chemical bonds and luminescent properties.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Combustion synthesis of advanced composite materials

Self-propagating high temperature (combustion) synthesis (SHS), has been investigated as a means of producing both dense and expanded (foamed) ceramic and ceramic-metal composites, ceramic powders and whiskers. Several model exothermic combustion synthesis reactions were used to establish the importance of certain reaction parameters, e.g., stoichiometry, green density, combustion mode, particle size, etc. on the control of the synthesis reaction, product morphology and properties. The use of an in situ liquid infiltration technique and the effect of varying the reactants and their stoichiometry to provide a range of reactant and product species i.e., solids, liquids and gases, with varying physical properties e.g., volatility and thermal conductivity, on the microstructure and morphology of synthesized composite materials is discussed. Conducting the combustion synthesis reaction in a reactive gas environment to take advantage of the synergistic effects of combustion synthesis and vapor phase transport is also examined.

Moore, John J.↗