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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 NTRS2009

A Study of Ablation-Flowfield Coupling Relevant to the Orion Heatshield

The coupled interaction between an ablating surface and the surrounding aerothermal environment is studied. An equilibrium ablation model is coupled to the LAURA flowfield solver, which allows the char ablation rate (m-dot(sub c)) to be computed as part of the flowfield solution. The wall temperature (T(sub w)) and pyrolysis ablation rate (m-dot(sub g)) may be specified by the user, obtained from the steady-state ablation approximation, or computed from a a material response code. A 32 species thermochemical nonequilibrium flowfield model is applied, which permits the treatment of C, H, O, N, and Si containing species. Coupled ablation cases relevant to the Orion heatshield are studied. These consist of diffusion-limited oxidation cases with Avcoat as the ablation material. The m-dot(sub c) values predicted from the developed coupled ablation analysis were compared with those obtained from a typical uncoupled ablation analysis. The coupled results were found to be as much as 50% greater than the uncoupled values. This is shown to be a result of the cumulative effect of the two fundamental approximations inherent in the uncoupled analysis.

Johnston, Christopher O.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Molten Silicate Reactivity with Environmental Barrier Coating Materials for Gas Turbine Engine Applications

Rare earth (RE) disilicates are utilized in environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) to protect SiC-based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) from destructive reactions with water vapor and other combustion species. These coating materials, however, degrade when exposed to molten silicate deposits primarily composed of calcium-magnesium aluminosilicates (CMAS). Coating materials are exposed to CMAS by engine ingestion of dust particulates from terrestrial sources during operation. Due to continual increases in engine operating temperature, it is important to understand the high temperature thermochemical mechanisms that drive corrosion of these materials. This work focuses on characterizing reaction products between disilicates and CMAS and optimizing coating chemistries to mitigate damage.

Stokes, Jamesa L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

General Model for Multicomponent Ablation Thermochemistry

A previous paper (AIAA 94-2042) presented equations and numerical procedures for modeling the thermochemical ablation and pyrolysis of thermal protection materials which contain multiple surface species. This work describes modifications and enhancements to the Multicomponent Ablation Thermochemistry (MAT) theory and code for application to the general case which includes surface area constraints, rate limited surface reactions, and non-thermochemical mass loss (failure). Detailed results and comparisons with data are presented for the Shuttle Orbiter reinforced carbon-carbon oxidation protection system which contains a mixture of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), silica (SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC), and carbon (C).

Milos, Frank S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Overview of Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) Capabilities, Upgrades, and Overlaps in Advanced Material Testing Areas

The Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) was designed to perform non-nuclear testing of nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) fuel elements and materials. NTREES can simulate the thermal hydraulic environment within the reactor of an NTR and has been leveraged to provide data on the thermochemical, thermomechanical and thermohydraulic performance of components and materials. Active upgrades to the NTREES facility include installing a DC power supply for DC powered joule heating, a supply gas chiller for a cryogenically cool gas supply, gas pre-heaters with sample holders for testing samples too small to be inductively heated by bathing them in hot gas, and a high temperature digital image correlation (DIC) capability for measuring high temperature strains real time. In addition to NTR testing, given the commonality of high enthalpy flow environments between the reactor of an NTP engine and the aerothermal heating of high-speed flight, the unique capabilities of NTREES to provide high temperature gas flows at high pressure without combustion or electrode spallation byproducts may lend itself to additional usage of the facility beyond the original intent.

Michael P Schoenfeld↗
NASA NTRS1986

Thermal barrier coating life-prediction model development

The program focuses on predicting the lives of two types of strain-tolerant and oxidation-resistant thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems that are produced by commercial coating suppliers to the gas turbine industry. The plasma-sprayed TBC system, composed of a low-pressure plasma-spray (LPPS) or an argon shrouded plasma-spray (ASPS) applied oxidation resistant NiCrAlY or (CoNiCrAlY) bond coating and an air-plasma-sprayed yttria partially stabilized zirconia insulative layer, is applied by both Chromalloy, Klock, and Union Carbide. The second type of TBS is applied by the electron beam-physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) process by Temescal. The second year of the program was focused on specimen procurement, TMC system characterization, nondestructive evaluation methods, life prediction model development, and TFE731 engine testing of thermal barrier coated blades. Materials testing is approaching completion. Thermomechanical characterization of the TBC systems, with toughness, and spalling strain tests, was completed. Thermochemical testing is approximately two-thirds complete. Preliminary materials life models for the bond coating oxidation and zirconia sintering failure modes were developed. Integration of these life models with airfoil component analysis methods is in progress. Testing of high pressure turbine blades coated with the program TBS systems is in progress in a TFE731 turbofan engine. Eddy current technology feasibility was established with respect to nondestructively measuring zirconia layer thickness of a TBC system.

Strangman, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Effect of temperature and heating rate on apparent lethal concentrations of pyrolysis products

The apparent lethal concentrations for 50 percent of the test animals of the pyrolysis products from twelve polymeric materials were studied as a function of temperature and heating rate. The materials were polyethylene, nylon 6, ABS, polycarbonate, polyether sulfone, polyaryl sulfone, wool fabric, aromatic polyamide fabric, polychloroprene foam, polyvinyl fluoride film, Douglas fir, and red oak. The apparent lethal concentration values of most materials vary significantly with temperature and heating rate. The apparent lethal concentration values, based on weight of sample charged, appears to effectively integrate the thermophysical, thermochemical, and physiological responses from a known quantity of material under specified imposed conditions.

Hilado, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Numerical Modeling of Ablation Heat Transfer

A unique numerical method has been developed for solving one-dimensional ablation heat transfer problems. This paper provides a comprehensive description of the method, along with detailed derivations of the governing equations. This methodology supports solutions for traditional ablation modeling including such effects as heat transfer, material decomposition, pyrolysis gas permeation and heat exchange, and thermochemical surface erosion. The numerical scheme utilizes a control-volume approach with a variable grid to account for surface movement. This method directly supports implementation of nontraditional models such as material swelling and mechanical erosion, extending capabilities for modeling complex ablation phenomena. Verifications of the numerical implementation are provided using analytical solutions, code comparisons, and the method of manufactured solutions. These verifications are used to demonstrate solution accuracy and proper error convergence rates. A simple demonstration of a mechanical erosion (spallation) model is also provided to illustrate the unique capabilities of the method.

Ewing, Mark E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Subscale solid motor nozzle tests, phase 4 and nozzle materials screening and thermal characterization, phase 5

Subscale solid motor nozzles containing a baseline material or low cost materials to be considered as potential replacements for the baseline material are designed and tested. Data are presented from tests of four identically designed 2.5 inch throat diameter nozzles and one 7 inch throat diameter nozzle. The screening of new candidate low cost materials, as well as their thermophysical and thermochemical characterization is also discussed.

Arnold, J.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Galileo probe forebody entry thermal protection - Aerothermal environments and heat shielding requirements

Solutions are presented for the aerothermal heating environments and the material thermal response for the forebody heatshield on the candidate 242 kg Galileo probe entering the modeled nominal and cold-dense Jovian atmospheres. In the flowfield analysis, a finite difference procedure was employed to obtain benchmark predictions of pressure, radiation and convective heating rates (both laminar and turbulent) and the corresponding wall blowing obtained under the steady state approximation. The fluxes over the probe flank were found to be in a range where spallation is an important mass loss mechanism. The predicted heating rates were also used as boundary conditions for a charring materials ablation which was used to predict thermochemical based surface recession, mass loss and bondline temperatures. The contingency factor of 30% currently employed by NASA was found to be insufficient for entry into the cold-dense atmosphere.

Nicolet, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Trajectory Based Heating and Ablation Calculations for MESUR Pathfinder Aeroshell

Based on the geometry of Mars Environment Survey (MESUR) Pathfinder aeroshell and an estimated Mars entry trajectory, two-dimensional axisymmetric time dependent calculations have been obtained using GIANTS (Gauss-Siedel Implicit Aerothermodynamic Navier-Stokes code with Thermochemical Surface Conditions) code and CMA (Charring Material Thermal Response and Ablation) Program for heating analysis and heat shield material sizing. These two codes are interfaced using a loosely coupled technique. The flowfield and convective heat transfer coefficients are computed by the GIANTS code with a species balance condition for an ablating surface, and the time dependent in-depth conduction with surface blowing is simulated by the CMA code with a complete surface energy balance condition. In this study, SLA-561V has been selected as heat shield material. The solutions, including the minimum heat shield thicknesses over aeroshell forebody, pyrolysis gas blowing rates, surface heat fluxes and temperature distributions, flowfield, and in-depth temperature history of SLA-561V, are presented and discussed in detail.

Chen, Y. K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Modeling the Gas Dynamics Environment in a Subscale Solid Rocket Test Motor

Subscale test motors are often used for the evaluation of solid rocket motor component materials such as internal insulation. These motors are useful for characterizing insulation performance behavior, screening insulation material candidates and obtaining material thermal and ablative property design data. One of the primary challenges associated with using subscale motors however, is the uncertainty involved when extrapolating the results to full-scale motor conditions. These uncertainties are related to differences in such phenomena as turbulent flow behavior and boundary layer development, propellant particle interactions with the wall, insulation off-gas mixing and thermochemical reactions with the bulk flow, radiation levels, material response to the local environment, and other anomalous flow conditions. In addition to the need for better understanding of physical mechanisms, there is also a need to better understand how to best simulate these phenomena using numerical modeling approaches such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD). To better understand and model interactions between major phenomena in a subscale test motor, a numerical study of the internal flow environment of a representative motor was performed. Simulation of the environment included not only gas dynamics, but two-phase flow modeling of entrained alumina particles like those found in an aluminized propellant, and offgassing from wall surfaces similar to an ablating insulation material. This work represents a starting point for establishing the internal environment of a subscale test motor using comprehensive modeling techniques, and lays the groundwork for improving the understanding of the applicability of subscale test data to full-scale motors. It was found that grid resolution, and inclusion of phenomena in addition to gas dynamics, such as two-phase and multi-component gas composition are all important factors that can effect the overall flow field predictions.

Eaton, Andrew M.↗
NASA NTRS2023

An Ensemble Neural Network Model for Predicting Rare-Earth Oxide and Silicate Heat Capacities at High Temperature

In this work, a neural network model was developed to predict the constant pressure heat capacity for materials in the rare-earth oxide—silica material space. Several model architectures were trained and tested on heat capacity data generated from first-principles density functional theory calculations. Hyperparameter optimization was performed, and the optimal model was selected for heat capacity predictions. The optimal model architecture was found to have a root-mean-squared error of 5.12 ± 3.37 J/mol-K. The optimal model architecture was then used in a bagging ensemble model trained using the leave-one-group-out method to provide error estimates for model predictions. The out-of-bag score for the ensemble model was 0.997. The predicted heat capacities agree well with the DFT and experimental results and were computed orders of magnitude faster than DFT simulations. Machine learning shows the potential to provide a suitable surrogate model for thermochemical property predictions for candidate environmental barrier coating materials but refining of input material features and model architectures could further improve accuracy for these models.

environmental barrier coatings↗
NASA NTRS1982

Nonmetallic materials handbook. Volume 2: Epoxy and silicone materials

Chemical and physical property test data obtained during qualification and receiving inspection testing of nonmetallic materials for the Viking Mars Lander program is presented. Thermochemical data showing degradation as a function of temperature from room temperature through 773 K is included. These data include activation energies for thermal degradation, rate constants, and exo- and/or endotherms. Thermal degradations carried out under vacuum include mass spectral data taken simultaneously during the decomposition. Many materials have supporting data such as condensation rates of degassed products and isothermal weight loss. Changes in mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties after exposure to 408 K in nitrogen for times ranging from 380 to 570 hours are included for many materials.

Podlaseck, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Fire dynamics of modern aircraft from a materials point of view

A general approach for selecting polymers to increase fire safety in aircraft is described. It is shown that polymer flammability and thermal protection capability are related to the molecular structure of the polymer and its thermochemical properties. These criteria are used to develop advanced fire-resistant materials which can achieve increased survivability in both post-crash and in-flight fires. The degree of fire hardening of materials depends greatly on the available heat load and fire threat present. It is shown that improvements in fire safety can be achieved by the use of polymers possessing certain basic thermochemical parameters such as high char yield.

Parker, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Fire dynamics of modern aircraft from a materials point of view

A general approach for selecting polymers to increase fire safety in aircraft is described. It is shown that polymer flammability and thermal protection capability are related to the molecular structure of the polymer and its thermochemical properties. These criteria are used to develop advanced fire-resistant materials that can achieve increased survivability in both post-crash and in-flight fires. The degree of fire hardening of materials depends greatly on the available heat load and fire threat present. It is shown that improvements in fire safety can be achieved by the use of polymers possessing certain basic thermochemical parameters such as high char yield.

Parker, J. A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Experimental Investigations into the Material Response of Heatshields, High-Temperature Coatings, and Meteors.

Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) gained heritage during the Stardust mission and is the baseline thermal protection system (TPS) material for missions to Mars. However, PICA is friable, so a thin layer of siloxane resin (NuSil) is applied to the surface of the heatshield to suppress the spread of particulate matter during cleanroom activities. Until recently, the thermochemical response of NuSil had not been accounted for in material response models. Therefore, a test campaign was executed at the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HyMETS) facility to investigate the material response of NuSil and provide crucial insight for model development. Finally, salient results from an experiment supported by the Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP) will be discussed, which probed the material response of the Tamdakht meteorite and notable analogs. Bio: Dr. Bessire is a senior research scientist in the thermal protection system materials branch at the NASA Ames Research Center. His research focuses on developing analytical techniques designed to inform and validate the development of material response models.

Brody K. Bessire↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of PICA-NuSil at the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HyMETS)

Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) gained heritage during theStardust mission and is the baseline thermal protection system (TPS) material for missions to Mars. However, PICA is friable, so a thin layer of siloxane resin (NuSil) is applied to the surface of the heat shield to suppress the spread of particulate matter during cleanroom activities. Until recently, the thermochemical response of NuSil had not been accounted for in material response models. Therefore, a test campaign was executed at the Hypersonic Materials Environmental Test System (HyMETS) facility to investigate the material response of NuSil and provide crucial insight for model development. Finally, salient results from an experiment supported by the AsteroidThreat Assessment Project (ATAP) will be discussed, which probed the materialr esponse of the Tamdakht meteorite and notable analogs.

Brody K. Bessire↗