SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Space Shuttle Missions”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

877 records · Page 36

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1985

Suppression of Marangoni Convection in Float Zones

The basic purpose of this program is to demonstrate by means of an Earth-based 1-g experiment that the undesirable Marangoni (surface tension) convection can be suppressed or significantly reduced by means of gas jets directed tangentially to the free surface of the liquid in a float zone. These jets will establish the tangential shear stress field over the surface which must be adjusted to equal the counter-stress resultant of the Marangoni shear stress which causes the convection. For proposed materials processing in space (o-g), particularly of important, highly reactive semiconductor materials, e.g., silicon, microgravity will virtually eliminate the unwanted thermal-buoyancy convection in the liquid silicon, but will have no effect in reducing the Marangoni convection. Unless this can be sufficiently suppressed by other means, there may be no significant advantages to the proposed space processing of reactive semiconductors. Although some inert gas such as argon must be used for the corrosive liquid silicon, the Earth-based experiment uses air jets and various transparent oils, since the basic principle involved is the same. The first float zone is enclosed in a very small rectangular box with a quasi-planar free surface. Stable Marangoni convection has been achieved and velocities measured photographically. The air jet system with variable velocity and temperature is under construction. Three independent parameters must be optimized to attain maximum suppression: the gas velocity, angle of attack, and gas temperature.

Robert F Dressler↗

NASA NTRS1995

High-Performance Reactionless Scan Mechanism

A high-performance reactionless scan mirror mechanism was developed for space applications to provide thermal images of the Earth. The design incorporates a unique mechanical means of providing reactionless operation that also minimizes weight, mechanical resonance operation to minimize power, combined use of a single optical encoder to sense coarse and fine angular position, and a new kinematic mount of the mirror. A flex pivot hardware failure and current project status are discussed.

Ellen I Williams↗

NASA NTRS1994

Surface Characterization Through Shape Oscillations of Drops in Microgravity and 1-g

The goal of these experiments is to determine the rheological properties of liquid drops of single or multiple components in the presence or absence of surface active materials by exciting drops into their quadrupole resonance and observing their free decay. The resulting data coupled with appropriate theory should give a better description of the physics of the underlying phenomena, providing a better foundation than earlier empirical results could. The space environment makes an idealized geometry available (spherical drops) so that theory and experiment can be properly compared, and allows a 'clean' environment, by which is meant an environment in which no solid surfaces come in contact with the drops during the test period. Moreover, by considering the oscillations of intentionally deformed drops in microgravity, a baseline is established for interpreting surface characterization experiments done on the ground by other groups and ours. Experiments performed on the United States Microgravity Laboratory Laboratory (USML-1) demonstrated that shape oscillation experiments could be performed over a wide parameter range, and with a variety of surfactant materials. Results, however, were compromised by an unexpected, slow drop tumbling, some problems with droplet injection, and the presence of bubbles in the drop samples. Nevertheless, initial data suggests that the space environment will be useful in providing baseline data that can serve to validate theory and permit quantitative materials characterization at 1-g.

Robert E Apfel↗

NASA NTRS1983

Modeling a Li/SOCl2 battery for design purposes

A generalized code applicable to many different electrochemical systems and geometric designs is discussed. The code is to be set up so that physical property data such as thermal conductivity, viscosity, density, and configuration (e.g. physical dimensions) are the input data. Thus, by changing these parameters many different battery configurations can be handled. The outputs, as a function of time and space, are voltage, current, temperature, pressure, velocity, and species concentration.

Ernst, D. W.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery development

A comparison of the bipolar Ni-H2 battery with other energy systems to be used in future high-power space systems is presented. The initial design for the battery under the NASA-sponsored program is described and the candidate stack components are evaluated, including electrodes, separator, electrolyte reservoir plate, and recombination sites. The compressibility of the cell elements, electrolyte activation, and thermal design are discussed. Manufacturing and prototype test results are summarized.

Koehler, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Nickel-hydrogen battery design for the Transporter Energy Storage Subsystem (TESS)

Information is given in viewgraph form on nickel hydrogen battery design for the transporter energy storage subsystem (TESS). Information is given on use in the Space Station Freedom, the launch configuration, use in the Mobile Servicing Center, battery design requirements, TESS subassembley design, proof of principle testing of a 6-cell battery, possible downsizing of TESS to support the Mobile Rocket Servicer Base System (MBS) redesign, TESS output capacity, and cell testing.

Lapinski, John R.↗

NASA NTRS2025

ISS Radiator Face Sheet Anomaly Investigation and Return to Function

Maintaining sufficient heat rejection on the International Space Station (ISS) is critical to the function of the Low-Earth Orbit station. The External Active Thermal Control System (EATCS) rejects the excess heat generated by the US On-Orbit Segment (USOS) modules. The system uses single-phase liquid ammonia to collect the heat and reject it to six radiators (three on the Starboard side, three on the Port side). Each radiator is made up of eight panels. In September 2008, imagery of the Starboard radiators was conducted and showed one of the panels’ face sheets had peeled up from the internal honeycomb core structure. Out of an abundance of caution, the radiator was isolated from the rest of the EATCS and the ammonia was vented to space. Since the radiator was vented, periodic imagery of all radiator panels was taken to monitor any changes in the face sheet and inspect for other radiator anomalies. In January 2025, after years of trending and inspections, the radiator was reintegrated into the system to increase heat rejection capabilities. This paper will document the multi-year investigation that took place to determine root cause and mitigations implemented to reduce risk to the system. A summary of the data since the investigation will show rationale for reintegrating the radiator even with the damaged panel. The goal of the paper is to document the investigation for historical purposes and provide future programs with findings discovered during the investigation.

Aaron Rodriguez↗

NASA NTRS2026

ISS Radiator Face Sheet Anomaly Investigation and Return to Function

Aaron Rodriguez↗

NASA NTRS1974

Skylab M551 Metals Melting Experiment

The objectives of the M551 Metals Melting Experiment are to (a) study behavior of molten metal, (b) characterize metals melted and solidified in the low gravity space environment compared to one-gravity of earth, and (c) determine feasibility of joining metals in space. The experiment used the electron beam (EB) and chamber of the M512 apparatus to make a dwell puddle and a melt in a rotating disc of varying thickness. Hence, the EB performed cut-through, full and partial penetration melts, in addition to a re-solidified button. The three disc materials were aluminum 2219-T87, 304 stainless steel and pure tantalum to provide a wide range of density and melting conditions. Observations to date include (a) the proof that EB welding, cutting and melting can be done successfully in low gravity. Earlier, some welding authorities had postulated that without gravity the EB would force the molten puddle out of contact. However, the experiment proved that surface tension forces predominate. (b) From the view-point of cast-solidification, small, equiaxed grains in Skylab specimens compared to large, elongated grains in ground-based specimens were observed. The former are thought to be associated with constitutional supercooling and nucleation where the latter are associated with dendritic solidification. In further support of the more equiaxed grain growth in Skylab, symmetric sub-grain patterns were frequently observed where there was much less symmetry in ground-based specimens. Further work is being done to explain the differences in solidification.

E C Mckannan↗

NASA NTRS1992

Spacecraft thermal control coatings: Comparison between flight results obtained on LDEF and MIR

The COMES experiment was installed outside of the MIR space station during an extravehicular activity. The experiment was exposed to vacuum, atomic oxygen, and ultraviolet radiation (UV) for 1.1 years. Due to a lack of knowledge about the spacecrafts actual attitude, there is a large uncertainty in the atomic oxygen fluence and the UV dose that was experienced by COMES. Additionally, contaminants of many different origins were observed on the COMES samples.

Jean-Claude Guillaumon↗

NASA NTRS1997

High Capacity Battery Cell Flight Qualified

The High Capacity Battery Cell project is an effort equally funded by the NASA Lewis Research Center and Hughes Space and Communications Company (a unit of Hughes Aircraft Company) to develop and flight qualify a higher capacity nickel hydrogen battery for continuing use on commercial spacecraft. The larger diameter, individual pressure vessel cell will provide approximately twice the power, while occupying the same volume, as the current state-of-the-art nickel hydrogen cell. These cells are also anticipated to reduce battery cost by 20 percent. The battery is currently booked for use on 26 spacecraft, with the first flight scheduled in 1997. A strong requirement for batteries with higher power levels (6 to 12 kW), long life, and reduced cost was identified in studies of the needs of commercial communications spacecraft. With the design developed in this effort, the higher power level was accommodated without having to modify the rest of the existing spacecraft bus. This design scaled-up the existing state-of-the-art nickel hydrogen battery cell from a 3.5-in., 50-Ahr cell to a 5.5-in., 350-Ahr cell. An improvement in cycle life was also achieved by the use of the 26-percent KOH electrolyte design developed by NASA Lewis. The cell design was completed, and flight batteries were built and flight qualified by Hughes Space and Communications Company with input from NASA Lewis. Two batteries were shipped in September 1996 to undergo life cycle testing under the purview of NASA Lewis.

McKissock, Barbara I.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Evidence for large baryonic feedback at low and intermediate redshifts from kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich observations with ACT and DESI photometric galaxies

Recent advances in cosmological observations have provided an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the distribution of baryons relative to the underlying matter. In this work, we show that the gas is more extended than the dark matter, and the amount of baryonic feedback at $z \lesssim 1$ disfavors low-feedback models such as that of state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulation IllustrisTNG compared with high-feedback models such as that of the original Illustris simulation. This has important implications for bridging the gap between theory and observations and understanding galaxy formation and evolution. Furthermore, a better grasp of the baryon-dark matter link is critical to future cosmological analyses, which are currently impeded by our limited knowledge of baryonic feedback. Here, we measure the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (kSZ) effect from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), stacked on the luminous red galaxy (LRG) sample of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) imaging survey. This is the first analysis to use photometric redshifts for reconstructing galaxy velocities. Due to the large number of galaxies comprising the DESI imaging survey, this is the highest signal-to-noise stacked kSZ measurement to date: we detect the signal at 13$σ$, finding strong evidence that the gas is more spread out than the dark matter, as well as a preference for larger feedback compared to some commonly used state-of-the-art hydrodynamical simulations. Here, our work opens up the possibility of recalibrating large hydrodynamical simulations using the kSZ effect. In addition, our findings highlight the importance of properly accounting for baryonic feedback with future surveys such as LSST through direct probes such as the kSZ, and shed light on long-standing enigmas in astrophysics, such as the “missing baryon” problem.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Vacuum Testing of the Cryostat Heat Removal System for COSI SMEX

The Cryostat Heat Removal System (CHRS) of the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) consists of cryocooler, three transport aluminum ammonia Constant Conductance Heat Pipes (CCHP), three radiators with CCHP spreaders and Cryocooler Control Electronics (CCE) attached to a separate radiator. A Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) test was conducted at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to characterize the integrated COSI CHRS in the flat configuration. This presentation summarizes the measured COSI CHRS performance along with lessons learned.

Pipes↗

NASA NTRS1989

Spray Combustion Stability

The central purpose of this project is the improvement of liquid-fueled rocket motor design technology in order to assist the establishment of economical commercial access to space through the development of engines with enhanced performance and reliability. Specific research effort is focused on spray physics and associated combustion instability phenomena. Results concerning high pressure droplet gasification model, droplet turbulent dispersion model, and spray atomization model will contribute to the development of new computational tools for design of stable liquid propellant rocket engines.

Pak-Yan Liang↗

DOE OSTI2024

Framework of compressive sensing and data compression for 4D-STEM

Four-dimensional Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (4D-STEM) is a powerful technique for high-resolution and high-precision materials characterization at multiple length scales, including the characterization of beam-sensitive materials. However, the field of view of 4D-STEM is relatively small, which in absence of live processing is limited by the data size required for storage. Furthermore, the rectilinear scan approach currently employed in 4D-STEM places a resolution- and signal-dependent dose limit for the study of beam sensitive materials. Improving 4D-STEM data and dose efficiency, by keeping the data size manageable while limiting the amount of electron dose, is thus critical for broader applications. Here we introduce a general method for reconstructing 4D-STEM data with subsampling in both real and reciprocal spaces at high fidelity. The approach is first tested on the subsampled datasets created from a full 4D-STEM dataset, and then demonstrated experimentally using random scan in real-space. The same reconstruction algorithm can also be used for compression of 4D-STEM datasets, leading to a large reduction (100 times or more) in data size, while retaining the fine features of 4D-STEM imaging, for crystalline samples.

4D-STEM↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

3D Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) Full-Scale Heatshield Development for Mars Sample Return (MSR) Earth Entry System (EES)

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission will be returning samples of Martian soil to Earth. The samples will be returned in the Earth Entry System (EES). The EES capsule is protected by a new thermal protection system; the 3-Dimensionally Woven, Mid-Density, Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) material which is derived from the Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET). The baseline 3MDCP design is a single piece thermal protection system that avoids the manufacturing and certification challenges associated with a tiled configuration. A 3MDCP heatshield begins as a flat woven preform that is formed to the final heatshield shape and then infused with phenolic resin. A NASA Ames lead team, in collaboration with Spirit Textiles (formerly TEAM Inc.), Fiber Materials Inc. (FMI, a Spirit AeroSystems Company), and Kratos SRE, has been developing and demonstrating the processes to fabricate the 3MDCP heatshield and characterize the resulting properties. The process of forming the flat woven preform into the final heatshield shape, a sphere-cone geometry with a 52.5° cone angle, involves local but substantial movement of the yarns in the weave. This results in continuous fibers across the single piece heatshield, albeit with property variations between different regions of the heatshield. This presentation will provide a high-level status of 3MDCP development for the MSR EES heatshield. This will include an overview of the manufacturing processes with an emphasis on the impact of forming on fiber orientation, material properties, and performance. Results comparing preliminary formed and flat materials will be shown. Additionally, the presentation will layout the broader plan for property testing and tie-in to aerothermal performance.

Peter Edward Marshall↗

NASA NTRS1993

The 1992 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop

This document contains the proceedings of the 23rd annual NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, hosted by the Marshall Space Flight Center on November 15-19, 1992. The workshop was attended by scientists and engineers from various agencies of the U.S. Government, aerospace contractors, and battery manufacturers, as well as international participation in like kind from a number of countries around the world. The subjects covered included nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium based technologies, as well as advanced technologies including sodium-sulfur and various bipolar designs.

Brewer, Jeffrey C.↗

NASA NTRS1998

The 1997 NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop

This document contains the proceedings of the 30th annual NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop, hosted by the Marshall Space Flight Center on November 18-20, 1997. The workshop was attended by scientists and engineers from various agencies of the U.S. Government, aerospace contractors, and battery manufacturers, as well as international participation in like kind from a number of countries around the world. The subjects covered included nickel-cadmium, nickel-hydrogen, nickel-metal hydride, lithium, lithium-ion, and silver-zinc technologies, as well as various aspects of nickel electrode design.

Brewer, Jeffrey C.↗