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At least 55 records · Page 3

Spatial profile of thermoelectric effects during Peltier pulsing in Bi and Bi/MnBi eutectic

The spatial profile of the thermal transients that occur during and following the current pulsing associated with Peltier Interface Demarcation during directional solidification is studied. Results for pure Bi are presented in detail and compared with corresponding results for the Bi/MnBi eutectic. Significant thermal transients occur throughout the sample that can be accounted for by the Peltier effect, the Thomson effect, and Joule heating. These effects are separated and their behavior is studied as a function of time, current density, and position with respect to the solid/liquid interface.

Silberstein, R. P.↗

Mephisto: Interfacial Destabilization in Metal Alloys

The destabilizing mechanisms at a solidification interface were studied to obtain information on the kinetics and morphologies in the transient and steady state, and to separate the influences of liquid phase instabilities from interfacial instabilities. A differential seebeck voltage measurements technique was developed to provide a continuous record of the solid-liquid interface temperature as the solidification rate is varied to determine the kinetic coefficients. Signal processing and noise suppression techniques allow nonovolt precision which corresponds to mK accuracy for the interfacial temperature.

Favier, J. J.↗

Transient and diffusion analysis of Hg Cd Te

The solution of the one dimensional planar interface solidification problem is presented. Numerical solutions are applied to experimental solute profiles to determine the effective diffusion constant for Hg Co Te. Progress on the design and construction of a high gradient furnace is reported.

Clayton, J. C.↗

Thermoelectric and morphological effects of Peltier pulsing on directional solidification of eutectic Bi-Mn

Extensive in situ thermal measurements using Peltier Interface Demarcation (PID) during directional solidification of eutectic Bi/MnBi were carried out. Observations indicate that significant thermal transients occur throughout the sample as a result of the Peltier pulsing. The contributions of the Peltier, Thomson, and Joule heats were separated and studied as a function of pulse intensity and polarity. The Joule and the combined Peltier and Thomson thermal contributions were determined as a function of time during and after the current pulses, close to the solid/liquid interface. Variations of the Bi/MnBi particle morphology clearly reveal the interface shape, changes in interface velocity, meltback, and temporary loss of cooperative growth, as a result of the pulsing.

Silberstein, R. P.↗

Determination of the Solid/Liquid Interface Shape and Resultant Radial Homogeneity in Directionally Solidified Hg(0.89)Mn(0.11)Te

Directional solidification and interrupted directional solidification experiments were used to determine tile shape of the solid/liquid interface and the resultant radial homogeneity in Hg(0.89)Mg(0.11)Te. For directionally solidified samples solidified at a rate of 0.09 microns/sec in a thermal gradient of 83 C/cm, a maximum of 0.006 molar percent MnTe radial variation across the Hg0.89)Mn(0.11)Te boules at specific locations was determined using an FTIR technique. This FTIR evaluation of the radial homogeneity also indicated an asymmetrical, convex interface shape during solidification. The asymmetrical, convex shape of the growth interface was confirmed by interrupted directional solidification experiments. These were performed under the same growth conditions as the normally completed directional solidification experiments except that the samples were quenched before the final growth transient was reached. In these experiments, etching and scanning X-ray fluorescence were used to reveal the shape of the solid/liquid interface. Microprobe analysis of composition gradients across the interface was used to confirm the authors' previous work in evaluating the segregation coefficient of Hg(0.89)Mn(0.11)Te alloy. Microprobe analysis of the interface region of the interrupted growth sample revealed a dendritic structure containing secondary and tertiary dendritic arms.

Price, M. W.↗

Transient cryogenic liquid discharge in normal and micro-gravity

Transient discharge of liquid cryogens from partially filled tanks under microgravity is considered. The discharge is made to a low-pressure site through a straight tube. The ultimate objective of the study is to predict the transient mass flow rate. In addition, the pressure history in the tank is of interest, since the pressure falls below the triple point toward the end of the dump, causing solidification in the tank and/or the discharge line. As first steps, experiments have been performed in normal gravity and attempts are made to predict the transient rate and pressure history under this condition. Experiments are performed with liquid nitrogen dumped to sites with pressures below the triple point. Homogeneous equilibrium and nonequilibrium two-phase critical flow models are compared to the experimental results. Equilibrium and nonequilibrium tank pressure history models are also compared to experimental data.

Purwin, T. P.↗

Dendritic Alloy Solidification Experiment (DASE)

A space experiment, and supporting ground-based research, is proposed to study the microstructural evolution in free dendritic growth from a supercooled melt of the transparent model alloy succinonitrile-acetone (SCN-ACE). The research is relevant to equiaxed solidification of metal alloy castings. The microgravity experiment will establish a benchmark for testing of equiaxed dendritic growth theories, scaling laws, and models in the presence of purely diffusive, coupled heat and solute transport, without the complicating influences of melt convection. The specific objectives are to: determine the selection of the dendrite tip operating state, i.e. the growth velocity and tip radius, for free dendritic growth of succinonitrile-acetone alloys; determine the growth morphology and sidebranching behavior for freely grown alloy dendrites; determine the effects of the thermal/solutal interactions in the growth of an assemblage of equiaxed alloy crystals; determine the effects of melt convection on the free growth of alloy dendrites; measure the surface tension anisotropy strength of succinon itrile -acetone alloys establish a theoretical and modeling framework for the experiments. Microgravity experiments on equiaxed dendritic growth of alloy dendrites have not been performed in the past. The proposed experiment builds on the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE) of Glicksman and coworkers, which focused on the steady growth of a single crystal from pure supercooled melts (succinonitrile and pivalic acid). It also extends the Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) of the present investigators, which is concerned with the interactions and transients arising in the growth of an assemblage of equiaxed crystals (succinonitrile). However, these experiments with pure substances are not able to address the issues related to coupled heat and solute transport in growth of alloy dendrites.

Beckermann, C.↗

Simulation and Experimental Validation of an Integrated Heat Pump – Thermal Energy Storage Using a Room-Temperature Phase Change Material

As the dependence on electrical heat pumps (HPs) and intermittent renewables increases, grid strains are expected to grow. This necessitates an energy storage system to reduce the mismatch between energy supply and demand. Thus, a proposed dual-mode commercially available 14.1 kW HP was integrated with a single 22°C phase change material (PCM) thermal storage system (TES) to load-shift both cooling and heating loads. The HP-TES system was manufactured and experimentally tested using a novel test matrix based on AHRI 210/240 psychrometric conditions. Furthermore, transient dual-mode system-level HP-TES models were developed in Modelica and validated using the experimental test conditions. Base HP cooling and heating experimental tests at ambient temperatures of 35°C and −8.3°C show that the modified HP-TES maintained the rated system capacity and performance. The HP-TES discharge provided approximately 30% and 50% reductions in cooling and heating demand, respectively. The transient HP-TES models predicted system capacity and total power input for discharge and recharge operating modes within ±4% mean percentage error, and recharge power input within ±2%, with maximum errors occurring at the equipment startup. During system operation, the sources of model deviations are first-order polynomial fits of the PCM digital scanning calorimetry (DSC) data and unaccounted supercooling in the PCM during solidification. Nonetheless, the model predictions agree with the experimental tests, demonstrating the availability of robust, accurate, and validated transient models that can be used for further validation and the development of system controls.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Fluid dynamics and kinematics of molten metals in the low-gravity environment of Skylab

The response of molten metals to mechanical and thermal driving forces in nominal and microgravity is analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. The magnitude and transient behavior of internal fluid circulations, surface deformations, and globule trajectories and their effects on solidification in the Skylab electron beam sphere forming and metals melting experiments are determined. The theoretical approach consists of dimensional analysis of the governing differential equations. Experimental aspects include evaluation of specimens from terrestrial, KC-135 research aircraft, and actual Skylab tests and analysis of high speed movies taken during the melting processes. Several gravity variations and gravity independent results were successfully predicted based on expected differences and similarities in fluid dynamics.

Bourgeois, S. V.↗

An investigation of the solidification of a metal and two n-paraffins using an acoustic technique.

A novel acoustic technique is described for following the motion of the solid-liquid interface during the freezing of mercury, n-hexadecane and n-octadecane where heat transfer is unidirectional. It is shown that the actual amount of solidification occurring in a given time differs from that predicted using a numerical solution to the transient heat conduction problem. The differences are small for mercury but large for the paraffins. They are interpreted in terms of the nature of the solid-liquid interface. Furthermore the experimental and predicted temperature distributions in the liquid and solid phases differ. These differences are extremely small for mercury. The data for the three materials conform to a relationship observed previously according to which the thickness of the solidified layer is a linear function of the square root of time.

Bailey, J. A.↗

Mixed gravity mode growth during directional dendritic solidification aboard the KC-135

NASA's KC-135, which flies a cyclic parabolic route designed to furnish periods of low gravity alternating with periods of high gravity, has been used to directionally solidify a superalloy and a FE-C-Si alloy. Probable transient effects, due to the rapid changes in the gravity levels, must be taken into account. An effort is presently made to show that experimental design is especially critical in the case of dendritic directional solidification experiments in which mixed gravity modes occur; inappropriate design easily leads to anomalous structures and data.

Grugel, Richard N.↗

Thermophysical property sensitivity effects in steel solidification

The simulation of advanced solidification processes via digital computer techniques has gained widespread acceptance during the last decade or so. Models today can predict transient temperature fields, fluid flow fields, important microstructural parameters, and potential defects in castings. However, the lack of accurate thermophysical property data on important industrial alloys threatens to limit the ability of manufacturers to fully capitalize on the technology's benefits. A study of the sensitivity of one such numerical model of a steel plate casting to imposed variations in the data utilized for the thermal conductivity, specific heat, density, and heat of fusion is described. The sensitivity of the data's variability is characterized by its effects on the net solidification time of various points along the centerline of the plate casting. Recommendations for property measurements are given and the implications of data uncertainty for modelers are discussed.

Overfelt, Tony↗

Development of HPC based phase field simulations tool for modification of alloy morphology to enhance material properties during additive manufacturing (AM) process

Currently, additive manufacturing (AM) technology is extensively used to manufacture aerospace components because of the unique advantages of the technique in producing custom designs, complex geometries in a near-net fashion that significantly reduces the manufacturing cost, and improved energy efficiency. However, the thermodynamic properties of existing aerospace alloys and the thermal conditions that prevail in most of the powder-bed based additive manufacturing processes lead to undesirable columnar / columnar-dendritic microstructures that promote solidification cracking during the process, and the development of anisotropy in the mechanical properties of the as-built components. Time consuming, energy-intensive post AM treatments are required to recover the mechanical properties of the wrought components for which the existing alloy compositions were designed for. However, novel alloy compositions, that exploit the AM thermal conditions to produce fine, equiaxed grain structures in the as-built condition, with mechanical properties equal to or exceeding those of the wrought work-horse alloy, Ti-6Al-4V has recently been demonstrated in Ti-Cu alloys. Significant energy savings up to 66% can be obtained for a typical aerospace component through digitally designing the AM process, process parameters, and alloy composition. The current project focused on developing a fundamental understanding of the evolution of the columnar to equiaxed transition (CET) occurring during solidification under AM thermal conditions in Ti-Cu and Ti-Cu-X alloys using high-fidelity phase field (PF) simulations using the leadership class computing facilities that exist in the national laboratories. The simulations were able to capture the effect of alloy and process conditions on CET, and clearly showed the beneficial effect of a ternary solute addition to Ti-Cu binary alloys on CET. The simulations indicated that bulk nucleation in the liquid ahead of the solidifying epitaxial front was promoted by a large, transient, thermal undercooling promoted by the mismatch between the growth rate of the dendrite tips in the epitaxial front and the imposed solidification rate. AM experiments performed at Raytheon Technologies Research Center using the same thermal conditions used in the PF simulations indicated the formation of equiaxed grains, although the grain size was bigger than the ones reported in the literature. On the other hand, the equiaxed grain size predicted by PF simulations were smaller than the grain size of Ti-Cu alloys reported in the literature. The industry will follow up the existing work in a future program that would involve further optimization of the process for the Ti-Cu-X alloys to demonstrate the application of the process and the alloy to a specific aerospace component.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Susceptibility of materials processing experiments to low-level accelerations

The types of material processing experiments being considered for shuttle can be grouped into four categories: (1) contained solidification experiment; (2) quasicontainerless experiments; (3) containerless experiments; and (4) fluids experiments. Low level steady acceleration, compensated and uncompensated transient accelerations, and rotation induced flow factors that must be considered in the acceleration environment of a space vehicle whose importance depends on the type of experiment being performed. Some control of these factors may be exercised by the location and orientation of the experiment relative to shuttle and by the orbit vehicle attitude chosen for mission. The effects of the various residual accelerations can have serious consequence to the control of the experiment and must be factored into the design and operation of the apparatus.

Naumann, R. J.↗

Thermosolutal convection and macrosegregation in dendritic alloys

A mathematical model of solidification, that simulates the formation of channel segregates or freckles, is presented. The model simulates the entire solidification process, starting with the initial melt to the solidified cast, and the resulting segregation is predicted. Emphasis is given to the initial transient, when the dendritic zone begins to develop and the conditions for the possible nucleation of channels are established. The mechanisms that lead to the creation and eventual growth or termination of channels are explained in detail and illustrated by several numerical examples. A finite element model is used for the simulations. It uses a single system of equations to deal with the all-liquid region, the dendritic region, and the all-solid region. The dendritic region is treated as an anisotropic porous medium. The algorithm uses the bilinear isoparametric element, with a penalty function approximation and a Petrov-Galerkin formulation. The major task was to develop the solidification model. In addition, other tasks that were performed in conjunction with the modeling of dendritic solidification are briefly described.

Poirier, David R.↗

Geometry-Dependent Solidification Regimes in Metal Additive Manufacturing

Recent modeling and experimental work in additive manufacturing has suggested that cross-sectional geometry may play a significant role in the local development of the solidification structure through its influence on the heat source path. This effect has been rationalized as the transition from a quasi-static point heat source regime, to a regime dominated by the quasi-static motion of an equivalent line source. This work provides a simple analytical framework for determining the conditions under which a system transitions between these regimes. Here, a transient semi-analytical heat transfer model is used to examine a wide range of process conditions and material properties. A simple analytical expression is derived and shown to accurately predict the transition between solidification regimes over these conditions. The functional form of this expression is then used to help understand the importance of various material properties, process parameters, and geometric factors on the characteristics of the solidification conditions. This approach may be used as a simple guideline for optimizing process conditions in response to variations in cross-sectional geometry to produce more consistent microstructural distributions in additively manufactured components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗