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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluation of Coatings for the Electrodynamic Dust Shield Application on Thermal Radiators

Space dust acts as a blackbody, becoming hot if left in direct sunlight. This is a problem for thermal radiators used in space missions, where the main function is to radiate heat away from an object. If dust lands on the thermal radiator, the unit will less effectively reject heat, and it will overheat, leading to electrical or system failure. The current state-of-the-art in active dust mitigation is the Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) which uses an electric field generated by alternating high positive and negative voltages (low current) to eject the charged dust off surfaces. An EDS made from copper coated Kapton is an ideal candidate to be bonded to a thermal radiator and coated with a low solar absorptance, high heat-emitter coating. This work compares the dust removal of copper-Kapton EDSs covered with different thermal radiator coatings in air and vacuum environments. The coatings include AZ-93 paint, Thermal Bright, and Solar White, a coating developed by the Applied Physics Lab (APL) at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The resistance and the thickness of the various coatings impact how well it works as an insulative layer for the EDS. Preliminary results indicate that Solar White may have better properties for dust removal and thermal rejection than the other coatings.

Krystal L. Acosta↗
NASA NTRS1985

Solar and thermal radiation in the Venus atmosphere

Attention is given to the solar and thermal radiation fields of Venus. Direct measurements and the results of numerical models based on direct measurements are presented. Radiation outside the atmosphere is considered with emphasis placed on global energy budget parameters, spectral and angular dependences, spatial distribution, and temporal variations of solar and thermal radiation. Radiation fluxes inside the atmosphere below 90 km are also considered with attention given to the solar flux at the surface, solar and thermal radiation fluxes from 100 km to the surface, and radiative heating and cooling below 100 km.

Moroz, V. I.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The polarization of thermal radiation from supermassive accretion disks

Thermal radiation from an accretion disk is a promising explanation for the optical-ultraviolet 'bump' noted in the spectra of active galactic nuclei. However, the expected polarization of radiation from a standard thin disk conflicts with observation. The polarization of light emitted by a thin disk with a rough surface and by a thick disk (radiation torus) is computed. Improved agreement with observations is found, particularly in the case of a thick disk.

Coleman, H. Howard↗
NASA NTRS1976

Solid rocket booster thermal radiation model, volume 1

A solid rocket booster (SRB) thermal radiation model, capable of defining the influence of the plume flowfield structure on the magnitude and distribution of thermal radiation leaving the plume, was prepared and documented. Radiant heating rates may be calculated for a single SRB plume or for the dual SRB plumes astride the space shuttle. The plumes may be gimbaled in the yaw and pitch planes. Space shuttle surface geometries are simulated with combinations of quadric surfaces. The effect of surface shading is included. The computer program also has the capability to calculate view factors between the SRB plumes and space shuttle surfaces as well as surface-to-surface view factors.

Watson, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Thermal radiation analysis system (TRASYS 2), programmer's manual

TRASYS, the Thermal Radiation Analysis System, is a digital computer software system with a generalized capability to solve the radiation-related aspects of thermal analysis problems. When used in conjunction with a generalized thermal analysis program such as the Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer (SINDA) program, any thermal problem that can be expressed in terms of a lumped parameter, radiation conductor thermal network can be solved. The function of TRASYS is twofold. It provides: 1) Internode radiation interchange data; 2) Incident and absorbed heat rate data from environmental radiant heat sources. Data of both types are provided in a format directly usable by the thermal analyzer programs.

Connor, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Cloud Scattering Impact on Thermal Radiative Transfer and Global Longwave Radiation

The potential importance of longwave (LW) cloud scattering has been recognized but the actual estimate of this effect on thermal radiation varies greatly among different studies. General circulation models (GCMs) generally neglect or simplify the multiple scattering in the LW. In this study, we use a rigorous radiative transfer algorithm to explicitly consider LW multiple-scattering and apply the GCM to quantify the impact of cloud LW scattering on thermal radiation fluxes. Our study shows that the cloud scattering effect on downward thermal radiation at the surface is concentrated in the infrared atmospheric window spectrum (800–1250 cm9exp −1)). The scattering effect on the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) is also present in the window region over low clouds but it is mainly in the far-infrared spectrum (300–600 cm(exp −1)) over high clouds. For clouds with small to moderate optical depth (τ < 10), the scattering effect on thermal fluxes shows large variation with the cloud τ and has a maximum at an optical depth of ∼3. For opaque clouds, the scattering effect approaches an asymptote and is smaller and less important. The 2-stream radiative transfer scheme could have an error over 10% with an RMS error around 3.5%–4.0% in the calculated LW flux. This algorithm error of the 2-stream approximation could readily exceed the no-scattering error in the LW, and thus it is worthless to include the time-consuming computation of multiple scattering in a 2-stream radiative transfer scheme. However, the calculation error rapidly decreases as stream number increases and the RMS error in LW flux using the 4-stream scheme is under 0.3%, an accuracy sufficient for most climate studies. We implement the 4-stream discrete-ordinate algorithm in the GISS GCM and run the GCM for 20 years with and without the LW scattering effect, respectively. When cloud LW scattering is included, we find that the global annual mean OLR is reduced by 2.7 W/m(exp 2), and the downward surface flux and the net atmospheric absorption are increased by 1.6 W/m2 and 1.8 W/m(exp 2), respectively. Using one year of ISCCP clouds and running the standalone radiative transfer offline, the global annual mean non-scattering errors in OLR, surface LW downward flux and net atmospheric absorption are 3.6 W/m(exp 2), −1.1 W/m(exp 2), and −2.5 W/m(exp 2), respectively. The global scattering impact of 2.7 W/m(exp 2) on the OLR is small when compared to the typical global OLR value of 240 W/m2, but it is significant when compared to cloud LW radiative forcing (30 W/m2) and net cloud forcing (−14 W/m(exp 2)). Overall, the effect of neglecting scattering on the thermal fluxes is comparable to the reported clear sky radiative effect of doubling CO2.

longwave cloud scattering↗
DOE OSTI2026

Heat Transfer in Nuclear Waste Glasses: Measurements and Modeling of Thermal Radiation Properties

We measured and modeled near infrared extinction of nuclear waste glasses from 300 °C to 1150 °C to enable predictive radiation heat transfer and thermal conductivity estimates. A composition and redox informed model resolved contributions from key chromophores (Fe+2-O-Fe+3, V+4, free and bonded ?Si-OH groups) and, when present, spinel particles that can cause strong scattering. The model reproduced measured absorption from room temperature up to 1150 °C, with minor discrepancies near 1 µm (likely due to possible trace impurities) and 2.5 µm (linked to uncertainty in hydroxy groups). Spectra showed silicate melts were semitransparent mainly in the 0.5–4.0 µm window, responsible for radiation thermal conductivity that generally increases with increasing temperature. We quantified the dependence of effective thermal conductivity on dissolved water and provided distributions across >100 LAW/HLW/DFHLW melts at 1150 °C, supporting improved melter heat transfer modeling.

Ferkl, Pavel↗
NASA NTRS1995

Polaradiometric pyrometer in which the parallel and perpendicular components of radiation reflected from an unpolarized light source are equalized with the thermal radiation emitted from a measured object to determine its true temperature

A radiation pyrometer for measuring the true temperature of a body is provided by detecting and measuring thermal radiation from the body based on the principle that the effects of angular emission I(sub 1) and reflection I(sub 2) on the polarization states p and s of radiation are complementary such that upon detecting the combined partial polarization state components I(sub p) =I(sub 1p) + I(sub 2p) and I(sub s)=I(sub 1s) + I(sub 2s) and adjusting the intensity of the variable radiation source of the reflected radiation I(sub 2) until the combined partial radiation components I(sub p) and I(sub s) are equal, the effects of emissivity as well as diffusivity of the surface of the body are eliminated, thus obviating the need for any post processing of brightness temperature data.

Abtahi, Ali A.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Thermal Radiator for CO2 Deposition in Deep Space Transit (FY21 XHab Final Report - University of North Texas)

This UNT Senior design team was tasked by NASA to develop a variable conductance thermal radiator prototype for CO2 deposition for deep space transit. NASA selects university teams every year to partake in the X-HAB Academic Innovation Challenge, with this year’s number of teams being six. Air Revitalization is a crucial system for any space travel, be it for Low Earth Orbit, such as the International Space Station, or for deep space transit. Current systems, such as the Carbon Dioxide Removal Apparatus aboard the ISS, require upkeep and maintenance, which cannot be done on long distance space missions. For the past several years, NASA has done research on Cryogenic systems for Carbon Dioxide removal. These systems operate on the fact that Carbon Dioxide freezes at a higher temperature than Oxygen and Nitrogen, so Carbon Dioxide can be frozen out of the cabin atmosphere without the use of filters, which degrade over time. To cool the cabin air down to a temperature where Carbon Dioxide freezes, Stirling cryocoolers have been used, which have shown promise in the hope of Carbon Dioxide deposition for Cabin Air Revitalization. Cryogenic systems are much more reliable but require significant energy input to operate. Physical systems, such as radiators, have generally not been used for this task, as there is a need to be able to “turn off” the rejection of heat to allow the frozen carbon dioxide to be collected. However, with working fluids pumped through a physical radiator, that aspect of operation can be achieved. The goal of this challenge is to determine the effectiveness of a variable conductance thermal radiator that can reject heat to deep space, without the use of a dedicated cryocooler to remove energy from the cabin air. The proposed design uses piping, hot and cold working fluids, and non-condensable gas to absorbl heat from the cabin air on one side of the radiator and reject the heat to deep space by means of thermal radiation. As well, the system will allow for the recovery of deposited Carbon Dioxide. The UNT X-HAB 2021 team will create a model radiator and test its performance with simulated heat sources and sinks and extrapolate those data points to analyze for real world conditions.

Travis Seaver↗