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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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A critical missile component required operational verification while subjected to combined environments within and beyond flight parameters. The testing schedule necessitated the design and fabrication of a test facility in order to provide the specified temperatures combined with humidity, altitude and vibration.
Vacuum environmental requirements, loop design, materials, and instrumentation for facility to be used for testing liquid metal Rankine cycle components
The performance of Michigan State University's Single-Event Effects Test Facility (SEETF) during its inaugural runs is evaluated. Beam profiles and other diagnostics are presented, and prospects for future development and testing are discussed.
This viewgraph presentation provides a detailed description of the Johnson Space Center's Power Systems Facility located in the Energy Systems Test Area (ESTA). Facilities and the resources used to support power and battery systems testing are also shown. The contents include: 1) Power Testing; 2) Power Test Equipment Capabilities Summary; 3) Source/Load; 4) Battery Facilities; 5) Battery Test Equipment Capabilities Summary; 6) Battery Testing; 7) Performance Test Equipment; 8) Battery Test Environments; 9) Battery Abuse Chambers; 10) Battery Abuse Capabilities; and 11) Battery Test Area Resources.
The nitric oxide planar laser-induced fluorescence (NO PLIF) imaging was used to characterize the air flow of the NASA Langley Arc Heated Scramjet Test Facility (AHSTF) configured with a Mach 6 nozzle. The arc raises the enthalpy of the test gas in AHSTF, producing nitric oxide. Nitric oxide persists as the temperature drops through the nozzle into the test section. NO PLIF was used to qualitatively visualize the flowfield at different experimental conditions, measure the temperature of the gas flow exiting the facility nozzle, and visualize the wave structure downstream of the nozzle at different operating conditions. Uniformity and repeatability of the nozzle flow were assessed. Expansion and compression waves on the free-jet shear layer as the nozzle flow expands into the test section were visualized. The main purpose of these experiments was to assess the uniformity of the NO in the freestream gas for planned experiments, in which NO PLIF will be used for qualitative fuel-mole-fraction sensitive imaging. The shot-to-shot fluctuations in the PLIF signal, caused by variations in the overall laser intensity as well as NO concentration and temperature variations in the flow was 20-25% of the mean signal, as determined by taking the standard deviation of a set of images obtained at constant conditions and dividing by the mean. The fluctuations within individual images, caused by laser sheet spatial variations as well as NO concentration and temperature variations in the flow, were about 28% of the mean in images, determined by taking standard deviation within individual images, dividing by the mean in the same image and averaged over the set of images. Applying an averaged laser sheet intensity correction reduced the within-image intensity fluctuations to about 10% suggesting that the NO concentration is uniform to within 10%. There was no significant difference in flow uniformity between the low and high enthalpy settings. While not strictly quantitative, the temperature maps show qualitative agreement with the computations of the flow.
The baseline electron accelerator for LHeC and one option for FCC-he is an Energy Recovery Linac. To prepare and study the necessary key technologies, CERNhas started – in collaboration with JLAB and Mainz University – the conceptual design of an ERL Test Facility (ERL-TF). Staged construction will allow the study under different conditions with up to 3 passes, beam energies of up to about 1 GeV and currents of up to 50 mA. The design and development of superconducting cavity modules, including coupler and HOM damper designs, are also of central importance for other existing and future accelerators and their tests are at the heart of the current ERL-TF goals. However, the ERL-TF could also provide a unique infrastructure for several applications that go beyond developing and testing the ERL technology at CERN. In addition to experimental studies of beam dynamics, operational and reliability issues in an ERL, it could equally serve for quench tests of superconducting magnets, as physics experimental facility on its own right or as test stand for detector developments. This contribution will describe the goals and the concept of the facility and the status of the R&D.
Electron beam irradiation near 10 MeV is suitable for wastewater treatment. The Upgraded Injector Test Facility (UITF) at Jefferson Lab is a CW superconducting linear accelerator capable of providing an electron beam of energy up to 10 MeV and up to 100 µA current. This contribution presents the beam transport simulations for a beamline to be used for the irradiation of wastewater samples at the UITF. The simulations were done using the code General Particle Tracer with the goal of obtaining an 8 MeV electron beam of radius (3-σ) of ~2.4 cm. The achieved energy spread is ~74.5 keV. The space charge effects were investigated when the bunch charge is varied to be up to 1000 times and the results showed that they do not affect the beam quality significantly.
Electron beam irradiation near 10 MeV is suitable for wastewater treatment. The Upgraded Injector Test Facility (UITF) at Jefferson Lab is a CW superconducting linear accelerator capable of providing an electron beam of energy up to 10 MeV and up to 100 µA current. This contribution presents the beam transport simulations for a beamline to be used for the irradiation of wastewater samples at the UITF. The simulations were done using the code General Particle Tracer with the goal of obtaining an 8 MeV electron beam of radius (3-σ) of ~2.4 cm. The achieved energy spread is ~74.5 keV. The space charge effects were investigated when the bunch charge is varied to be up to 1000 times and the results showed that they do not affect the beam quality significantly.
The reference conceptual design of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Engineering Test Facility (ETF), a prototype 200 MWe coal-fired electric generating plant designed to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of open cycle MHD, is summarized. Main elements of the design, systems, and plant facilities are illustrated. System design descriptions are included for closed cycle cooling water, industrial gas systems, fuel oil, boiler flue gas, coal management, seed management, slag management, plant industrial waste, fire service water, oxidant supply, MHD power ventilating
This paper presents methods and results of a detailed measurement uncertainty analysis that was performed for the Advanced Nozzle Test Facility, CE-22, located at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Results for the uncertainty in thrust and flow coefficients, in addition to other variables of interest, are provided. Results are presented separately as random uncertainty (characterizing errors inherent to instrument or measurement environment, impacting repeatability), systematic uncertainty (capturing inaccuracies due to measurement process, calibration, installation effects or other sources which may introduce bias), and total combined uncertainty. The statistical methods and engineering judgments used to estimate elemental uncertainties are described. The analysis tool MANTUS (Measurement Analysis Tool for Uncertainty in Systems) was used to quantify instrumentation system uncertainty, and statistical analysis and engineering judgment were used to quantify other random and systematic uncertainty sources. The Monte Carlo method was used to propagate systematic and random elemental uncertainties to determine the uncertainties of various calculated variables of interest.
An experimental and analytical fatigue life study was performed on the Grainex Mar-M 247 disk used in NASA s Turbine Seal Test Facility. To preclude fatigue cracks from growing to critical size in the NASA disk bolt holes due to cyclic loading at severe test conditions, a retirement-for-cause methodology was adopted to detect and monitor cracks within the bolt holes using eddy-current inspection. For the NASA disk material that was tested, the fatigue strain-life to crack initiation at a total strain of 0.5 percent, a minimum to maximum strain ratio of 0, and a bolt hole temperature of 649 C was calculated to be 665 cycles using -99.95 percent prediction intervals. The fatigue crack propagation life was calculated to be 367 cycles after implementing a safety factor of 2 on life. Thus, the NASA disk bolt hole total life or retirement life was determined to be 1032 cycles at a crack depth of 0.501 mm. An initial NASA disk bolt hole inspection at 665 cycles is suggested with 50 cycle inspection intervals thereafter to monitor fatigue crack growth.
The contents include: 1) Rope Seal; 2) Improvements to porous medial simulation in CFD-ACE+; 3) Porous media heat transfer validation case-stead-state and transient flat plate; 4) Simulation of GRC cold flow seal test fixture; 5) Simulation of calibration plate in the Panel Test Facility (PTF); and 6) Simulation of rope seal test in the PTF. This paper is in viewgraph form.
This report details operations and maintenance (O&M) activities performed across Fiscal Years 2022 through 2024 in support of the continued capabilities of the National Solar Thermal Testing Facility (NSTTF) at Sandia National Laboratories. The NSTTF O&M project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to support research activities and testing on behalf of external customers at the facility under award number CPS 38491. During the project period, the NSTTF made progress in the areas of site metrics, site maintenance and utilization tracking, and customer engagement. The O&M project also supported special initiatives including procurement of a heat exchanger for particle concentrating solar thermal processes and a scoping and cost study for refurbishment and repair of component in the NSTTF heliostat field.
A capture cavity cryomodule was fabricated and used in a beam line for quantum beam experiments at the Superconducting RF Test Facility (STF) of the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization in Japan. The cryomodule is about 4 m long and contains two nine-cell cavities. The cross section is almost the same as that of the STF cryomodules that were fabricated to develop superconducting RF cavities for the International Linear Collider. An attempt was made to reduce the large deflection of the helium gas return pipe (GRP) that was observed in the STF cryomodules during cool-down and warm-up. This paper briefly describes the structure and cryogenic performance of the captures cavity cryomodule, and also reports the measured displacement of the GRP and the cavity-containing helium vessels during regular operation.
Transient pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of regeneratively cooled nozzle assembly used in full scale, cold flow nuclear rocket test facility
A parametric study has been conducted for an oblique detonation-wave (ODW) 'scramaccelerator' suitable for projectile aerothermodynamics studies in real gas hypersonic test facilities. The results of the present analytical design evaluation indicate that an ODW scramaccelerator using conventional gaseous propellants can accelerate projectiles of 0.1 to 1000 kg masses to speeds in the 6-10 km/sec range. Potential applications for such an accelerator encompass a hypersonic ballistic test range, kinetic energy weapon accelerators, mass drivers to LEO, projectile terminal ballistics testing, projectile/target interaction studies, inertial welders, and shock compactors.
This facility operation report covers the refurbishment and initial testing of a vacuum creep frame used to conduct 1300°C tensile and creep tests on Mo- and Nb-based alloys. The report details the refurbishment of the frame and initial operation including 100 h creep experiments compared to similar tests in argon. Unlike the 25 mm dogbone specimens tested in argon, the vacuum load train requires 76 mm dog bone specimens. Testing in vacuum has eliminated concern of O embrittlement in argon and Nb alloy CB103 showed >120% tensile elongation at 1300°C and 1450°C. Also, a window in the vacuum chamber allows the use of digital image correlation (DIC) to measure strain rather than the load train displacement used in the argon frames. Comparison of the displacement and DIC results in the vacuum frame showed significant variation in primary creep deformation, likely due to the machine compliance, but similar secondary creep rates. Recently, ULTIMATE teams have submitted specimens for testing in vacuum. With the relatively low volume of creep testing, the facility performance metric of testing within 4 weeks of receiving specimens has been met.
This presentation suggests several Thermal Vacuum System (TVAC) control design approach methods for TVAC facilities. Over the past several years many aerospace companies have or are currently upgrading their TVAC testing facilities whether it be by upgrading old equipment or purchasing new. In doing so they are updating vacuum pumping and thermal capabilities of their chambers as well as their control systems. Although control systems are sometimes are considered second to the vacuum or thermal system upgrade process, they should not be taken lightly and must be planned and implemented with the equipment it is to control. Also, emphasis should be placed on how the operators will use the system as well as the requirements of "their" customers. Presented will be various successful methods of TVAC control systems from Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based to personal computer (PC) based control.