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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Modelling and Simulation of a Thermoelectric Heat Pump with Micro-Channel Heat Transfer

Thermoelectric heat pumps (TEHPs) have advantages of modularity and simple design for heating and cooling in some applications. Models of thermoelectric (TE) heat pumps are widely studied. Nevertheless, most existing modeling work focuses on the TE material or air-sourced TE modules. TEHP modeling, especially the relationship between modules and heat exchangers, has not been comprehensively conducted. This work presents a water-to-water TEHP modeling framework that combines Goldsmid’s approach for TE material performance, Gnielinski’s correlation for convective heat transfer, and thermal balance theory for heat exchange networks. This combined framework provides an accurate theoretical analysis of the water-to-water TEHP system. Subsequently, the framework was used to empirically determine TE material properties (electric resistivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient) that minimize modeling errors versus experimentally observed values from the literature. Finally, an additional set of experimental TEHP data was used to validate the model, all with relative absolute deviations of approximately 10% when predicting heating capacity and 10%–20% when forecasting cooling capacity at a 30 K temperature lift. For future work, people can further develop models of TEHPs with an air-based heat sink on one side and water channels on the other side.

Wan, Hanlong↗
NASA NTRS1998

A Thermal Physiological Comparison of Two HazMat Protective Ensembles With and Without Active Convective Cooling

Wearing impermeable garments for hazardous materials clean up can often present a health and safety problem for the wearer. Even short duration clean up activities can produce heat stress injuries in hazardous materials workers. It was hypothesized that an internal cooling system might increase worker productivity and decrease likelihood of heat stress injuries in typical HazMat operations. Two HazMat protective ensembles were compared during treadmill exercise. The different ensembles were created using two different suits: a Trelleborg VPS suit representative of current HazMat suits and a prototype suit developed by NASA engineers. The two life support systems used were a current technology Interspiro Spirolite breathing apparatus and a liquid air breathing system that also provided convective cooling. Twelve local members of a HazMat team served as test subjects. They were fully instrumented to allow a complete physiological comparison of their thermal responses to the different ensembles. Results showed that cooling from the liquid air system significantly decreased thermal stress. The results of the subjective evaluations of new design features in the prototype suit were also highly favorable. Incorporation of these new design features could lead to significant operational advantages in the future.

Williamson, Rebecca↗
NASA NTRS2015

The Effect of Core Configuration on Thermal Barrier Thermal Performance

Thermal barriers and seals are integral components in the thermal protection systems (TPS) of nearly all aerospace vehicles. They are used to minimize heat transfer through interfaces and gaps and protect underlying temperature-sensitive components. The core insulation has a significant impact on both the thermal and mechanical properties of compliant thermal barriers. Proper selection of an appropriate core configuration to mitigate conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer through the thermal barrier is challenging. Additionally, optimization of the thermal barrier for thermal performance may have counteracting effects on mechanical performance. Experimental evaluations have been conducted to better understand the effect of insulation density on permeability and leakage performance, which can significantly impact the resistance to convective heat transfer. The effect of core density on mechanical performance was also previously investigated and will be reviewed. Simple thermal models were also developed to determine the impact of various core parameters on downstream temperatures. An extended understanding of these factors can improve the ability to design and implement these critical TPS components.

flow tests↗
DOE OSTI2025

Predictions of Cell-to-Cell Propagation and Vent Gas Production in the Thermal Runaway of Lithium-Ion Battery Stacks

This work presents the thermal runaway propagation model LIM1TR (Lithium-ion Modeling with 1-D Thermal Runaway) as an efficient tool to predict different cell-to-cell thermal runaway propagation scenarios. Here, we explored the vent gas volume production and reaction duration highlighting the relationship between these parameters and thermal runaway propagation due to convection by the vented gases. Two metrics based on gas production rate and heating rate are utilized as good indicators of the start and end of thermal runaway. LIM1TR results are compared with and validated by experiments from the literature for single-cell and multicell array experiments of 5 Ah and 10 Ah cells. By accounting for intraparticle diffusion of reacting species in the electrodes, we were able to capture the general dynamics of thermal runaway propagation and estimate acceptable reaction durations compared with the experimental values. Simulation results further demonstrated that varying heating modes lead to distinct reaction durations, consistent with experimental observations. Vent gas volume predictions indicate the need to consider both full and partial oxidation of the electrolyte. The outcomes of this work are building blocks for further investigations of module-to-module propagation by vented gases through convective heat transfer.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1989

Theory of local thermal instability in spherical systems

The gasdynamical properties of local thermal instability in optically thin astrophysical plasmas as it occurs in spherical accretion and winds is investigated. In a medium characterized by both thermal and hydrostatic equilibrium, if the cooling function is not an explicit function of position and does not display isentropic thermal instability, then isobaric thermal instability by the Field criterion is present if and only if convective instability is present by the Schwarzschild criterion. In this case, thermal overstability cannot occur. Convective instability by the Schwarzschild criterion will also occur in accretion flows locally dominated by external heating or in marginally unbound, radiatively cooling outflows. A very general Lagrangian equation for the development of nonradial thermal instability in flows with spherical symmetry is derived and is solved analytically in certain regimes. The results are applied to cluster X-ray cooling flows.

Balbus, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Lightweight, Thermally Insulating Structural Panels

Lightweight, thermally insulating panels that also serve as structural members developed. Honeycomb-core panel filled with low-thermal-conductivity, opacified silica aerogel preventing convection and minimizes internal radiation. Copper coating on face sheets reduces radiation. Overall thermal conductivities of panels smaller than state-of-art commercial non-structurally-supporting foam and fibrous insulations. On Earth, panels suitable for use in low-air-pressure environments in which lightweight, compact, structurally supporting insulation needed; for example, aboard high-altitude aircraft or in partially evacuated panels in refrigerators.

Eisen, Howard J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Diffusion–convection model of runaway electrons due to large magnetohydrodynamic perturbations in post-thermal quench plasmas

Systematic test particle tracing simulations for runaway electrons (REs) are performed for six post-thermal quench equilibria from DIII-D and ITER, where large scale, kink-like n = 1 (n is the toroidal mode number) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities are found. The modeled particle guiding center orbits allow extraction of the effective diffusion–convection coefficients of REs in the presence of large three-dimensional (3D) perturbations up to 10% of the equilibrium toroidal field. With a fixed spatial distribution of the field perturbation, the RE transport coefficients along the plasma radial coordinate track reasonably well with the surface-averaged perturbation level. A substantial variation in the value of the transport coefficients—by three orders of magnitude in most cases, however, occurs with varying launching location of REs along the plasma radius. Large 3D perturbations almost always lead to comparable diffusion and convection processes, meaning that diffusion alone is insufficient to describe the particle motion. At lower (but still high) level of perturbation, the RE convection is found to be dominant over diffusion. A similar observation is made when the perturbation is too strong. In the presence of large perturbation, the dependence of the RE transport on the particle energy is sensitive to the spatial distribution of the perturbation. Based on numerically obtained RE transport coefficients, an analytic fitting model is proposed to quantify the particle diffusion and convection processes due to large MHD events in post-thermal quench plasmas. The model is shown to reasonably well reproduce the direct test particle tracing results for the RE loss fraction and can, thus, be useful for incorporating into other kinetic RE codes in order to simulate the RE beam evolution in the presence of large 3D perturbations.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Design Optimization of A generic Fissile Solution for Mo99 production using Electron Beam-based Neutron Generator using MCNP+CFD

Molybdenum-99 ( 99 Mo) is a medical isotope used in 80% of all medical imaging procedures today. However, 99 Mo is not directly administered to patients for imaging; its decay product, technetium-99m ( 99 mTc), is a metastable isotope with a half-life of ~6 hours. Such a short half-life does not allow for production, separation, and application to a patient before decaying further. Therefore, the solution is to produce the precursor to 99 mTc, 99 Mo. 99 Mo has a half-life of 66 hours, long enough to produce the material and send it to the desired location before it fully decays. Under National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) highly enriched uranium (HEU) minimization mission, the Material Management and Minimization (M3) office leads the Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) program. A major goal of the Mo-99 program is to develop methods of producing 99 Mo using low enriched uranium (LEU) opposed to the traditionally used HEU domestically in the U.S. Internationally, LEU is the new standard for use in research reactors and isotope production facility. In this study, we introduce a generic fissile solution system for 99 Mo production facility meeting the design requirement of 1) LEU usage as fissile material and 2) subcritical fissile system coupled with a horizontal electron beam (E-beam) accelerator. The focus of this research is to optimize a fissile solution configuration for maximum 99 Mo production yield using MCNP model, and ultimately implement the optimized design with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to understand thermal hydraulic behavior and solution convection characteristic. The report consists of two parts: 1) isotope yield calculation and criticality analysis with a wide range of parametric test matrix, and 2) thermal hydraulic analysis for solution mixing and cooling assessment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1976

The evolution of cumulonimbus systems in relation to low-level thermally-driven mesoscale systems

The importance of extra-storm scale mesoscale systems to the genesis and propagation of cumulonimbus systems is discussed, with the primary role of the mesoscale systems viewed as the initiator of cumulonimbus convection. It is demonstrated that thermally driven mesoscale systems such as the Florida sea breeze and Colorado ridge/valley circulations play an important role in the genesis, organization, and intensity of cumulonimbus systems. In the case of the Colorado ridge/valley circulation, however, the importance of the circulation to the genesis and propagation of severe storm systems over the Western Great Plains still remains to be demonstrated.

Cotton, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Solid state convection models of lunar internal temperature

Thermal models of the Moon were made which include cooling by subsolidus creep and consideration of the creep behavior of geologic material. Measurements from the Apollo program on seismic velocities, electrical conductivity of the Moon's interior, and heat flux at two locations were used in the calculations. Estimates of 1500 to 1600 K were calculated for the temperature, and one sextillion to ten sextillion sq cm/sec were calcualted for the viscosity of the deep lunar interior.

Schubert, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Role of convection in the moon.

Conduction solutions of the problem of the moon's thermal history can be unstable to solid state convection. To examine the role of solid convection, the stability of models in which the initial distribution of radioactive heat sources is homogeneous and the initial temperature profile is due to accretional heating is analyzed in detail. Growth rates of instabilities are compared with the appropriate conduction times in order to determine the effective viscosities for which solid convection is a dominant process. It is found that instability growth may not have been rapid enough to prevent the extensive partial melting predicted by conduction theory, but convection after resolidification is likely to have occurred, and thus the moon would have cooled faster than it would if it were purely conducting.

Cassen, P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The structure of three-dimensional convection beneath oceanic spreading centres

The combined effects of buoyancy forces due to thermal expansion and compositional gradients in the mantle beneath spreading centers have been investigated in a series of numerical experiments. Compositional buoyancy leads to three-dimensional flow beneath the spreading axis, with along-axis variations in upwelling and melt production. Thermal buoyancy drives upwelling beneath the axis and convective overturn, which forms rolls aligned perpendicular to the spreading axis. The distance from the axis at which these rolls form is controlled by the spreading rate, mantle viscosity, and relative strength of compositional buoyancy. Implications of the results for the spreading center structure are examined.

Sparks, David W.↗
NASA NTRS1972

A thermal scale modeling study for Apollo and Apollo applications, volume 2

The development and demonstration of practical thermal scale modeling techniques applicable to systems involving radiation, conduction, and convection with emphasis on cabin atmosphere/cabin wall thermal interface are discussed. The Apollo spacecraft environment is used as the model. Four possible scaling techniques were considered: (1) modified material preservation, (2) temperature preservation, (3) scaling compromises, and Nusselt number preservation. A thermal mathematical model was developed for use with the Nusselt number preservation technique.

Shannon, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Integrated transient thermal-structural finite element analysis

An integrated thermal structural finite element approach for efficient coupling of transient thermal and structural analysis is presented. Integrated thermal structural rod and one dimensional axisymmetric elements considering conduction and convection are developed and used in transient thermal structural applications. The improved accuracy of the integrated approach is illustrated by comparisons with exact transient heat conduction elasticity solutions and conventional finite element thermal finite element structural analyses.

Thornton, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

CO2 Insulation for Thermal Control of the Mars Science Laboratory

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is sending a large (>850 kg) rover as part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission to Mars in 2011. The rover's primary power source is a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) that generates roughly 2000 W of heat, which is converted to approximately 110 W of electrical power for use by the rover electronics, science instruments, and mechanism-actuators. The large rover size and extreme thermal environments (cold and hot) for which the rover is designed for led to a sophisticated thermal control system to keep it within allowable temperature limits. The pre-existing Martian atmosphere of low thermal conductivity CO2 gas (8 Torr) is used to thermally protect the rover and its components from the extremely cold Martian environment (temperatures as low as -130 deg C). Conventional vacuum based insulation like Multi Layer Insulation (MLI) is not effective in a gaseous atmosphere, so engineered gaps between the warm rover internal components and the cold rover external structure were employed to implement this thermal isolation. Large gaps would lead to more thermal isolation, but would also require more of the precious volume available within the rover. Therefore, a balance of the degree of thermal isolation achieved vs. the volume of rover utilized is required to reach an acceptable design. The temperature differences between the controlled components and the rover structure vary from location to location so each gap has to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to arrive at an optimal thickness. For every configuration and temperature difference, there is a critical thickness below which the heat transfer mechanism is dominated by simple gaseous thermal conduction. For larger gaps, the mechanism is dominated by natural convection. In general, convection leads to a poorer level of thermal isolation as compared to conduction. All these considerations play important roles in the optimization process. A three-step process was utilized to design this insulation. The first step is to come up with a simple, textbook based, closed-form equation assessment of gap thickness vs. resultant thermal isolation achieved. The second step is a more sophisticated numerical assessment using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software to investigate the effect of complicated geometries and temperature contours along them to arrive at the effective thermal isolation in a CO2 atmosphere. The third step is to test samples of representative geometries in a CO2 filled chamber to measure the thermal isolation achieved. The results of these assessments along with the consistency checks across these methods leads to the formulation of design-guidelines for gap implementation within the rover geometry. Finally, based on the geometric and functional constraints within the real rover system, a detailed design that accommodates all these factors is arrived at. This paper will describe in detail this entire process, the results of these assessments and the final design that was implemented.

CO2↗
NASA NTRS1998

1-D Transient Thermal Modeling of an Ablative Material (MCC-1) Exposed to a Simulated Convective Titan 4 Launch Environment

The purpose of the work is to demonstrate that the flat test panel substrate temperatures are consistent with analysis predictions for MCC-1 applied to a aluminum substrate. The testing was performed in an aerothermal facility on samples of three different thicknesses of MCC-1 on an aluminum substrate. The results of the test were compared with a Transient Thermal model. The key assumptions of the Transient Thermal model were: (1) a one-dimensional heat transfer; (2) a constant ablation recession rate (determined from pre and post-test measurements); (3) ablation temperature of 540 degrees F; (4) Char left behind the ablation front; and (5) temperature jump correction for incident heat transfer coefficient. Two methods were used to model the heating of bare MCC-1: (1) Directly input surface temperature as a function of time; and (2) Aerothermal heating using calibration plate data and subtracting the radiation losses to tunnel walls. The results are presented as graphs. This article is presented in Viewgraph format.

Reinarts, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The role of thermal and lubricant boundary layers in the transient thermal analysis of spur gears

An improved convection heat-transfer model has been developed for the prediction of the transient tooth surface temperature of spur gears. The dissipative quality of the lubricating fluid is shown to be limited to the capacity extent of the thermal boundary layer. This phenomenon can be of significance in the determination of the thermal limit of gears accelerating to the point where gear scoring occurs. Steady-state temperature prediction is improved considerably through the use of a variable integration time step that substantially reduces computer time. Computer-generated plots of temperature contours enable the user to animate the propagation of the thermal wave as the gears come into and out of contact, thus contributing to better understanding of this complex problem. This model has a much better capability at predicting gear-tooth temperatures than previous models.

El-Bayoumy, L. E.↗