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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 631 records · Page 35
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of nitrogen-containing species produced from nitric acid/water systems

The speciation of gases formed in the vapor phase above HNO 3 -H 2 O mixtures at room temperature is measured and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Although studies of speciation of compounds have been performed in the solution phase, in this study we focus solely on the gas phase species formed over HNO 3 -H 2 O mixtures and their concentrations as a function of time. The nitric acid concentration in the experiments range from 14 to 4 M. The NO 2 , NO, and N 2 O (collectively known at NOx) gases are measured by FTIR at 1585, 1850, and 2208 wavenumbers, respectively. The concentrations of these NOx species ranges from 0 to 3 ppm and change over time as a function of acid concentration. Two purities of commercially available HNO 3 are used to prepare the HNO 3 -H 2 O mixtures. An analysis of thermodynamic data shows that the formation of NOx gases without the presence of a catalyst are thermodynamically favorable.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2016

Making Mercury's Core with Light Elements

Recent results obtained from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging spacecraft showed the surface of Mercury has low FeO abundances (less than 2 wt%) and high S abundances (approximately 4 wt%), suggesting the oxygen fugacity of Mercury's surface materials is somewhere between 3 to 7 log10 units below the IW buffer. The highly reducing nature of Mercury has resulted in a relatively thin mantle and a large core that has the potential to exhibit an exotic composition in comparison to the other terrestrial planets. This exotic composition may extend to include light elements (e.g., Si, C, S). Furthermore, has argued for a possible primary floatation crust on Mercury composed of graphite, which may require a core that is C-saturated. In order to investigate mercurian core compositions, we conducted piston cylinder experiments at 1 GPa, from 1300 C to 1700 C, using a range of starting compositions consisting of various Si-Fe metal mixtures (Si5Fe95, Si10Fe90, Si22Fe78, and Si35Fe65). All metals were loaded into graphite capsules used to ensure C-saturation during the duration of each experimental run. Our experiments show that Fe-Si metallic alloys exclude carbon relative to more Fe-rich metal. This exclusion of carbon commences within the range of 5 to 10 wt% Si. These results indicate that if Mercury has a Si-rich core (having more than approximately 5 wt% silicon), it would have saturated in carbon at low C abundances allowing for the possible formation of a graphite floatation crust as suggested by. These results have important implications for the thermal and magmatic evolution of Mercury.

Vander Kaaden, Kathleen E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Diagnostic evaluations of microwave generated helium and nitrogen plasma mixtures

The goal of this work is to continue the development to fundamentally understand the plasma processes as applied to spacecraft propulsion. The diagnostic experiments used are calorimetric, dimensional, and spectroscopic measurements using the TM 011 and TM 012 modes in the resonance cavity. These experimental techniques are highly important in furthering the understanding of plasma phenomena and of designing rocket thrusters. Several experimental results are included using nitrogen and helium gas mixtures.

Haraburda, Scott S.↗
DOE OSTI2016

X-RAY IRRADIATION OF H{sub 2}O + CO ICE MIXTURES WITH SYNCHROTRON LIGHT

We irradiated a (4:1) mixture of water and carbon monoxide with soft X-rays of energies up to 1.2 keV. The experiments were performed using the spherical grating monochromator beamline at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan. Both monochromatic (300 and 900 eV) and broader energy fluxes (250–1200 eV) were employed. During the irradiation, the H{sub 2}O + CO mixture was ionized, excited, and fragmented, producing a number of reactive species. The composition of the ice has been monitored throughout both the irradiation and warm-up phases. We identified several products, which can be related through a plausible chemical reaction scheme. Such chemistry is initiated by the injection of energetic photoelectrons that produce multiple ionization events generating a secondary electron cascade. The results have been discussed in light of a model for protoplanetary disks around young solar-type stars.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Overview of T and D–T results in JET with ITER-like wall

In 2021 JET exploited its unique capabilities to operate with T and D–T fuel with an ITER-like Be/W wall (JET-ILW). This second major JET D–T campaign (DTE2), after DTE1 in 1997, represented the culmination of a series of JET enhancements—new fusion diagnostics, new T injection capabilities, refurbishment of the T plant, increased auxiliary heating, in-vessel calibration of 14 MeV neutron yield monitors—as well as significant advances in plasma theory and modelling in the fusion community. DTE2 was complemented by a sequence of isotope physics campaigns encompassing operation in pure tritium at high T-NBI power. Carefully conducted for safe operation with tritium, the new T and D–T experiments used 1 kg of T (vs 100 g in DTE1), yielding the most fusion reactor relevant D–T plasmas to date and expanding our understanding of isotopes and D–T mixture physics. Furthermore, since the JET T and DTE2 campaigns occurred almost 25 years after the last major D–T tokamak experiment, it was also a strategic goal of the European fusion programme to refresh operational experience of a nuclear tokamak to prepare staff for ITER operation. The key physics results of the JET T and DTE2 experiments, carried out within the EUROfusion JET1 work package, are reported in this paper. Progress in the technological exploitation of JET D–T operations, development and validation of nuclear codes, neutronic tools and techniques for ITER operations carried out by EUROfusion (started within the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme and continuing under the Horizon Europe FP) are reported in (Litaudon et al Nucl. Fusion accepted), while JET experience on T and D–T operations is presented in (King et al Nucl. Fusion submitted).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1943

Researches on Preliminary Chemical Reactions in Spark-Ignition Engines

Chemical reactions can demonstrably occur in a fuel-air mixture compressed in the working cylinder of an Otto-cycle (spark ignition) internal-combustion engine even before the charge is ignited by the flame proceeding from the sparking plug. These are the so-called "prelinminary reactions" ("pre-flame" combustion or oxidation), and an exact knowledge of their characteristic development is of great importance for a correct appreciation of the phenomena of engine-knock (detonation), and consequently for its avoidance. Such reactions can be studied either in a working engine cylinder or in a combustion bomb. The first method necessitates a complicated experimental technique, while the second has the disadvantage of enabling only a single reaction to be studied at one time. Consequently, a new series of experiments was inaugurated, conducted in a motored (externally-driven) experimental engine of mixture-compression type, without ignition, the resulting preliminary reactions being detectable and measurable thermometrically.

Muehlner, E.↗
DOE OSTI2024

A mixture of grass–legume cover crop species may ameliorate water stress in a changing climate

Climate change models predict increasing precipitation variability in the mid-latitude regions of Earth, generating a need to reduce the negative impacts of these changes on crop production. Despite considerable research on how cover crops support agriculture in a changing climate, understanding is limited of how climate change influences the growth of cover crops. We investigated the early development of two common cover crop species—crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) and rye (Secale cereale)—and hypothesized that growing them in the mixture would ameliorate stress from drought or waterlogging. This hypothesis was tested in a 25-day greenhouse experiment, where the two factors (species number and water stress) were fully crossed in randomized blocks, and plant responses were quantified through survival, growth rate, biomass production and root morphology. Water stress negatively influenced the early growth of these two species in contrasting ways: crimson clover was susceptible to drought while rye performed poorly under waterlogging. Per-plant biomass in rye was always greater in mixture than in monoculture, while per-plant biomass of crimson clover was greater in mixture under drought. Both species grew longer roots in mixture than in monoculture under drought, and total biomass of mixtures did not differ significantly from the more-productive monoculture (rye) in any water condition. In the face of increasingly variable precipitation, growing crimson clover and rye together has potential to ameliorate water stress, a possibility that should be further investigated in field experiments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Autonomous Molecular Structure Imaging with High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy for Molecular Mixture Discovery

Due to its single-molecule sensitivity, high-resolution atomic force microscopy (HR-AFM) has proved to be a valuable and uniquely advantageous tool to study complex molecular mixtures, which hold promise for developing clean energy and achieving environmental sustainability. However, significant challenges remain to achieve the full potential of the sophisticated and time-consuming experiments. Automation combined with machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) is key to overcoming these challenges. Here we present Auto-HR-AFM, an AI tool to automatically collect HR-AFM images of petroleum-based mixtures. In this study, we trained an instance segmentation model to teach Auto-HR-AFM how to recognize features in HR-AFM images. Auto-HR-AFM then uses that information to optimize the imaging by adjusting the probe-molecule distance for each molecule in the run. Auto-HR-AFM is the initial tool that will lead to fully automated scanning probe microscopy (SPM) experiments, from start to finish. This automation will allow SPM to become a mainstream characterization technique for complex mixtures, an otherwise unattainable target.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2002

Design and Study of a LOX/GH2 Throttleable Swirl Injector for Rocket Applications

A LOX/GH2 swirl injector was designed for a 10:1 propellant throttling range. To accomplish this, a dual LOX (liquid oxygen) manifold was used feeding a single common vortex chamber of the swirl element. Hot-fire experiments were conducting for rocket chamber pressures from 80 to 800 psia at a mixture ratio of nominally 6.0 using steady flow, single-point-per-firing cases as well as dynamic throttling conditions. Low frequency (mean) and high frequency (fluctuating) pressure transducer data, flow meter measurements, and Raman spectroscopy images for mixing information were obtained. The injector design, experimental setup, low frequency pressure data, and injector performance analysis will be presented. C efficiency was very high (approximately 100%) at the middle of the throttle-able range with somewhat lower performance at the high and low ends. From the analysis of discreet steady state operating conditions, injector pressure drop was slightly higher than predicted with an inviscid analysis, but otherwise agreed well across the design throttling range. Analysis of the dynamic throttling data indicates that the injector may experience transient conditions that effect pressure drop and performance when compared to steady state results.

Greene, Christopher↗
DOE OSTI2016

Quantification of process variables for carbothermic synthesis of UC 1-x N x fuel microspheres

This report details the continued investigation of process variables involved in converting sol-gel-derived, urania-carbon microspheres to ~820-μm-dia. UC 1-x N x fuel kernels in flow-through, vertical Mo and W crucibles at temperatures up to 2123 K. Experiments included calcining of air-dried UO 3 -H 2 O-C microspheres in Ar and H 2 -containing gases, conversion of the resulting UO 2 -C kernels to dense UO2:2UC in the same gases and vacuum, and its conversion in N 2 to UC 1-x N x (x = ~0.85). The thermodynamics of the relevant reactions were applied extensively to interpret and control the process variables. Producing the precursor UO 2 :2UC kernel of ~96% theoretical density was required, but its subsequent conversion to UC 1-x N x at 2123 K was not accompanied by sintering and resulted in ~83-86% of theoretical density. Increasing the UC 1-x N x kernel nitride component to ~0.98 in flowing N 2 -H 2 mixtures to evolve HCN was shown to be quantitatively consistent with present and past experiments and the only useful application of H 2 in the entire process.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Measurement of distribution coefficients on TODGA resin and development of a group separation for mixed activation and fission product samples

Batch equilibrium experiments were performed to determine the distribution coefficients for Sc, Ir, and Ta on N,N,N’,N’tetraoctyl-1,5-diglycolamide (TODGA) resin in various acid matrices. Distribution coefficients were determined in hydrochloric acid (Sc, Ir), nitric acid (Sc, Ta), and a mixture of nitric acid and 0.2M hydrofluoric acid (Sc, Ir, Ta). The distribution coefficients determined through these experiments were then utilized to create a group separation method for activation products, fission products, and environmental constituents.

Louie, Christina A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Ultraviolet Irradiation of Pyrimidine in Interstellar Ice Analogs: Formation and Photo-Stability of Nucleobases

Astrochemistry laboratory experiments recently showed that molecules of prebiotic interest can potentially form in space, as supported by the detection of amino acids in organic residues formed by the UV photolysis of ices simulating interstellar and cometary environments (H2O, CO, CO2, CH3OH, NH3, etc.). Although the presence of amino acids in the interstellar medium (ISM) is still under debate, experiments and the detection of amino acids in meteorites both support a scenario in which prebiotic molecules could be of extraterrestrial origin, before they are delivered to planets by comets, asteroids, and interplanetary dust particles. Nucleobases, the informational subunits of DNA and RNA, have also been detected in meteorites, although they have not yet been observed in the ISM. Thus, these molecules constitute another family of prebiotic compounds that can possibly form via abiotical processes in astrophysical environments. Nucleobases are nitrogen-bearing cyclic aromatic species with various functional groups attached, which are divided into two classes: pyrimidines (uracil, cytosine, and thymine) and purines (adenine and guanine). In this work, we study how UV irradiation affects pyrimidine mixed in interstellar ice analogs (H2O, NH3, CH3OH). In particular, we show that the UV irradiation of H2O:pyrimidine mixtures leads to the production of oxidized compounds including uracil, and show that both uracil and cytosine are formed upon irradiation of H2O:NH3:pyrimidine mixtures. We also study the photostability of pyrimidine and its photoproducts formed during these experiments.

Nuevo, Michel↗
DOE OSTI2019

Investigating the Effect of Added Salt on the Chain Dimensions of Poly(ethylene oxide) through Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

We have measured the effect of added salt on the chain dimensions of mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt (LiTFSI) in the melt state through small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments. Scattering profiles from blends of hydrogenated and deuterated PEO mixed with LiTFSI were measured as a function of salt concentration. Scattering profiles from pure deuterated PEO/LiTFSI mixtures were used for background-subtraction purposes. The densities of PEO/LiTFSI mixtures of varying salt concentrations were measured to calculate partial molar monomer volumes of PEO and LiTFSI to account for nonideal mixing. Kratky plots of the scattering profiles were used to calculate the salt concentration dependence of statistical segment length. At low salt concentrations, segment length decreases with increasing salt concentration, before increasing with increasing salt concentration in the high salt concentration regime. The random phase approximation was used to predict theoretical scattering profiles from the calculated segment lengths and partial molar volumes; there is excellent agreement between the theoretical and measured scattering profiles at all salt concentrations. There appears to be a correlation between chain dimensions and coordination between lithium ions and EO monomers. Finally, the scattering profiles of the pure deuterated PEO/LiTFSI mixtures suggested the presence of ion clusters of characteristic size of 0.6 nm at high salt concentrations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

The effect of polymer-induced attraction on dynamical arrests of polymer composites with bimodal particle size distributions

We explore the flow properties of nanocomposite melts where the particles have bimodal size distributions and experience a weak attraction produced by suspending silica particles in polyethylene glycol melts with a molecular weight of 2000 (PEG2000). The polymer is unentangled and adsorbs to the particle surface. Here, the volume fraction ratio of large particles to total particle volume fraction, R, is systematically varied to study the effects of this polymer-induced attraction on suspension rheology. The maximum volume fraction, Φm, of the particles varies in a nonmonotonic manner of R as demonstrated in studies of the same mixtures when suspended in polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of 400 (PEG400), where the particles experience excluded volume interactions. The dynamical arrest volume fraction Φx, of nanocomposite melts in PEG2000 monotonically increases with R. In frequency sweep experiments, the plateau elastic modulus is dominated by attractive interactions and increases with the total particle volume fraction, Φc, proportionally with 1/(h2< D >), where < D > is the volume average particle diameter and h is the average particle-particle surface separation. As R is varied, this universal yielding behavior occurs at constant surface separation, h, suggesting that the flow properties of the mixtures can be understood as being equivalent to flow properties of homogeneous particle suspensions experiencing short-range attractions with an extent independent of particle size.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1993

Flame balls - Past, present and future

This paper discusses analytical and numerical work that has been carried out in order to understand flame-balls and related phenomena that have been observed in microgravity experiments. The importance of heat losses is identified, whether from conduction, convection, or radiation. Accurate numerical simulations for hydrogen-air mixtures with radiation losses reveal a flammability limit of 3.5 percent of hydrogen by volume, a value close to the experimental one. The important role of stability analyses is emphasized, with particular attention to the role of three-dimensional instabilities in explaining unsteady spheroidal flames and flame-strings, objects that are observed in the experiments. We speculate that the dynamics of flame-strings is affected by in-depth radiation absorption for mixtures containing SF6, and report on some preliminary calculations in which this phenomenon is accounted for.

Buckmaster, J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Structure and Dynamics of Interfaces: Drops and Films

We aim to acquire measurements of the structure and dynamics of certain liquid-fluid interfaces using an ensemble of techniques in collaboration: (1) Total internal reflection (TIR) Surface light scattering spectroscopy (SLSS), (2) Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and (3) Drop-shape analysis. SLSS and BAM can be done on a shared interfacial footprint. Results using a 50-50 mixture of pentane-isohexane, which extends the range of NASA's Confined Vapor Bubble (CVB) experiment, yield surface tension results that differ from the expected Langmuir Fit. These results were confirmed using both the SLSS and drop-shape analysis approaches.

pentane-isohexane mixture↗
NASA NTRS1975

Fluid physics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer experiments in space

An overstudy committee was formed to study and recommend fundamental experiments in fluid physics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer for experimentation in orbit, using the space shuttle system and a space laboratory. The space environment, particularly the low-gravity condition, is an indispensable requirement for all the recommended experiments. The experiments fell broadly into five groups: critical-point thermophysical phenomena, fluid surface dynamics and capillarity, convection at reduced gravity, non-heated multiphase mixtures, and multiphase heat transfer. The Committee attempted to assess the effects of g-jitter and other perturbations of the gravitational field on the conduct of the experiments. A series of ground-based experiments are recommended to define some of the phenomena and to develop reliable instrumentation.

Dodge, F. T.↗