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At least 667 records · Page 37

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1989

Mechanical properties characterization of composite sandwich materials intended for space antenna applications

The composite materials proposed for use in the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) program contains a new, high modulus graphite fiber as the reinforcement. A study was conducted to measure certain mechanical properties of the new fiber-reinforced material as well as of a composite-faced aluminum honeycomb sandwich structure. Properties were measured at -157, 22, and 121 C. Complete characterization of this material was not intended. Longitudinal tensile, picture-frame shear, short-beam shear, and flexural tests were performed on specimens of the composite face-sheet materials. Unidirectional, cross-plied, and quasi-isotropic fiber composite ply layup designs were fabricated and tested. These designs had been studied by using NASA's Integrated Composite Analyzer (ICAN) computer program. Flexural tests were conducted on (+/- 60/0 deg) sub s composite-faced sandwich structure material. Resistance strain gages were used to measure strains in the tensile, picture-frame, and sandwich flexural tests. The sandwich flexural strength was limited by the core strength at 157 and 22 c. The adhesive bond strength was the limiting factor at 121 C. Adhesive mechanical properties are reflected in sandwich structure flexural properties when the span-to-depth ratio is great enough to allow a significant shear effect on the load-deflection behavior of the sandwich beam. Most measured properties agreed satisfactorily with the properties predicted by ICAN.

Bowles, Kenneth J.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Laser-Induced Incandescence in Microgravity

Knowledge of soot concentration is important due to its presence and impact upon a wide range of combustion processes ranging from diffusion to premixed flames, laminar to turbulent processes and homogeneous to heterogeneous combustion. Measurement of soot volume fraction (f(sub v)) is essential to discerning its formation and growth. The presence of soot also affects other physical and chemical properties of combustion thereby affecting studies not directly concerned with either its formation or growth, such as radiative heat transfer, CO oxidation and fuel vaporization or pyrolysis rates. Microgravity offers unique opportunities for studying both soot growth and the effect of soot radiation upon flame structure and spread. Spatial scales and residence time scales are greatly extended in 0-g facilitating soot growth studies. With the varied geometries, short duration microgravity test times and time-varying processes there is a demand for measurement of f(sub v) with high spatial and temporal resolution. Laser-induced incandescence (LII) has advanced f(sub v) measurements in many 1-g combustion processes. To create laser-induced incandescence, a pulsed high intensity laser heats soot to incandescence temperatures. Using appropriate spectral and temporal detection conditions, the resulting incandescence can be selectively detected apart from the non-laser-heated soot and flame gases. Theoretical modelling and experiments have shown that the resulting incandescence is representative of f(sub v). Using an intensified array camera and a laser sheet for excitation, one- and two-dimensionally resolved LII images of f(sub v) have been obtained in 1-g. LII has been characterized and developed at NASA-Lewis for soot volume fraction determination in a wide range of 1-g combustion applications. Broadly grouped, the characterization work has included studies of excitation intensity, excitation wavelength and the optimum temporal and spectral detection conditions to enable an accurate representation of soot volume fraction by LII. Tests for special requirements imposed by different combustion processes have been performed in laminar and turbulent diffusion flames, rich sooting premixed flames, single droplet combustion, and other heterogeneous combustion. These studies demonstrated LII's high sensitivity, temporal and spatial capabilities and its geometric versatility. In contrast to the advantages offered to combustion studies by a microgravity environment, advanced diagnostics, specifically those requiring pulsed laser diagnostics have been limited due to the size, weight and power limitations in a low-gravity environment. Reported here are the first demonstrations of LII performed in a microgravity environment. Examples are shown for laminar and turbulent gas-jet diffusion flames in 0-g.

VanderWal, Randy L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Electromagnetic compatibility characterization of a BAe Stirling-cycle cryocooler for space application

This paper describes the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) measurements of an 80-K Stirling-cycle cooler. The measurements, performed in the JPL EMC test facility, include dc magnetic field characterization, radiated magnetic and electric field emissions, and conducted emissions on the internal lines between the cooler electronics and the cooler. The measurements conform to both the MILSTD-461C specifications as well as to the specifications for the NASA Earth Observing System.

Johnson, Dean L.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Developing a Novel Platform for Characterizing Thermoelectric Materials for Uncooled Detectors for Land Imaging Applications

Thermal land imaging (imaging at ~8-14 micron optical wavelength) is an essential tool for understanding and managing terrestrial freshwater resources. Current thermal imaging instruments employ low temperature detectors, which require cryocoolers. Consequently, cost-saving reductions in size, weight, and power can be achieved by employing uncooled detectors. One uncooled detector concept, which NASA is pursuing, is a thermopile detector with sub-micron thick doped-Si thermoelectric materials. In order to characterize the thermoelectric properties of the doped silicon, we designed and optimized a novel apparatus. This simple apparatus measures the Seebeck coefficient with thermally isolated stages and LABVIEW automation. We optimized thermal stability using PID tuning and optimized the thermal contact between the thin film samples and stages using electrically conductive springs. Utilizing our apparatus, we measured the Seebeck coefficient of 0.45 micron thick phosphorus-doped single crystal Si samples bonded to alumina substrates. Using these Seebeck coefficient measurements and four-wire electrical resistivity measurements, we determined the relationship between the thermoelectric figure of merit and dopant concentration. These characterization results for doped-Si will guide our thermopile detector design to provide an optimal and competitive detector alternative for future thermal imaging instruments.

Reid, Riley A.↗

DOE OSTI2017

Characterizing dislocation configurations and their evolution during creep of a new 12% Cr steel

Highlights: • Applicability of different techniques to characterize particular dislocation configuration. • XRD models in combination with TEM and EBSD to measure the dislocation density. • Substructure evolution during creep of a new 12% Cr steel is discussed. - Abstract: In this research, different types of dislocations are characterized and quantified in a newly developed 12% Cr steel in as-received as well as in crept conditions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns are analyzed using three different models. The dislocation densities are determined employing the Convolution Multiple Whole Profile (CMWP) fitting, the analysis of the asymptotic part of the X-ray line profile (Groma's method), and the Rietveld refinement coupling Popa's and Williamson-Smallman approaches. CMWP method is used to measure the internal dislocation density inside the subgrains consisting of mobile and dipole dislocations, and the results show good agreement with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) measurements. Groma's method is used to evaluate the total dislocation density, with results comparable to those obtained from the combination of Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and TEM. Rietveld method gives the internal dislocation density or mobile dislocation density depending on the model chosen. The experimentally determined results such as creep strain, dislocation densities and subgrain size are compared with theoretical predictions and they are found in good agreement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1991

Single-parameter characterization of discrete-dislocation pileup tipfield and its application to physically based micro-mechanics

The equivalence between continuous dislocation pileups and cracks is reviewed. The force on the leading dislocation is defined and a general method of calculation of the force is proposed. The equivalence relations are given. Based on the analysis by Eshelby, Frank, and Nabarro and the numerical calculations by Chou and Li and Armstrong et al, it will be shown that the force, F, on the locked leading dislocation of a discrete pileup is capable of characterizing uniquely the stress, strain, and displacement fields at the tip of the pileup, including the positions of the discrete mobile dislocations behind the leading dislocation. Conversely, the positions of the mobile dislocations can be used to measure F. If the propagation of micro-slips and the initiation of micro-fractures at the tip of a pileup are controlled by resolved shear stress and normal cleavage stress respectively, the resolved shear stress intensity coefficient, ReSIC, and the resolved cleavage stress intensity coefficient, ReCIC, must be constant.

Liu, H. W.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Selection and Evaluation of An Alloy for Nozzle Application

The goal was to select and characterize a material with superior weldability and hydrogen resistance for nozzle application under Second Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (2GRLV) program funded by NASA_MSFC. Currently standard A-286 is used for SSME nozzle.Howewer, material with superior weldability and hydrogen resistance will be desired for (2GRLV).

Pandey, Awadh↗

NASA NTRS2016

Characterization of Low Pressure Cold Plasma in the Cleaning of Contaminated Surfaces

The characterization of low pressure cold plasma is a broad topic which would benefit many different applications involving such plasma. The characterization described in this paper focuses on cold plasma used as a medium in cleaning and disinfection applications. Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) are the two analytical methods used in this paper to characterize the plasma. OES analyzes molecules in the plasma phase by displaying the light emitted by the plasma molecules on a graph of wavelength vs. intensity. OES was most useful in identifying species which may interact with other molecules in the plasma, such as atomic oxygen or hydroxide radicals. Extracting useful data from the MS is done by filtering out the peaks generated by expected molecules and looking for peaks caused by foreign ones leaving the plasma chamber. This paper describes the efforts at setting up and testing these methods in order to accurately and effectively characterize the plasma.

cold plasma characterization↗

DOE OSTI2018

Reduced-order microstructure-sensitive protocols to rank-order the transition fatigue resistance of polycrystalline microstructures

We present that the transition fatigue regime between low cycle fatigue (LCF) and high cycle fatigue (HCF) is often addressed in the design and performance evaluation of load-bearing components used in many structural applications. Transition fatigue is characterized by elevated levels of local inelastic deformation in significant regions of the microstructure as compared to HCF. Typically, crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) simulations are performed to model this phenomenon and to rank-order microstructures by their resistance to crack formation and early growth in the regime of transition fatigue. Unfortunately, these approaches require significant computational resources, inhibiting their use to explore novel materials for transition fatigue resistance. Reduced-order, microstructure-sensitive models are needed to accelerate the search for next-generation, fatigue-resistant materials. In a recent study, Paulson et al. (2018) extended the materials knowledge system (MKS) framework for rank-ordering the HCF resistance of polycrystalline microstructures. The efficacy of this approach lies in the reduced-dimensional representation of microstructures through 2-point spatial correlations and principal component analysis (PCA), in addition to the characterization of the HCF response with a small set of performance measures. In this work, these same protocols are critically evaluated for their applicability to rank-order the transition fatigue resistance of the same class of polycrystalline microstructures subjected to increased strain amplitudes. Success in this endeavor requires the formation of homogenization linkages that account for the significantly higher levels of local inelastic deformation and stress redistribution in transition fatigue as compared to HCF. Finally, a set of 12 α-titanium microstructures generated using the open access DREAM.3D software (Groeber and Jackson, 2014) are employed for this evaluation.

2-point correlations↗

NASA NTRS2009

Synthesis, Decomposition and Characterization of Fe and Ni Sulfides and Fe and CO Nanoparticles for Aerospace Applications

We describe several related studies where simple iron, nickel, and cobalt complexes were prepared, decomposed, and characterized for aeronautics (Fischer-Tropsch catalysts) and space (high-fidelity lunar regolith simulant additives) applications. We describe the synthesis and decomposition of several new nickel dithiocarbamate complexes. Decomposition resulted in a somewhat complicated product mix with NiS predominating. The thermogravimetric analysis of fifteen tris(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(III) has been investigated. Each undergoes substantial mass loss upon pyrolysis in a nitrogen atmosphere between 195 and 370 C, with major mass losses occurring between 279 and 324 C. Steric repulsion between organic substituents generally decreased the decomposition temperature. The product of the pyrolysis was not well defined, but usually consistent with being either FeS or Fe2S3 or a combination of these. Iron nanoparticles were grown in a silica matrix with a long-term goal of introducing native iron into a commercial lunar dust simulant in order to more closely simulate actual lunar regolith. This was also one goal of the iron and nickel sulfide studies. Finally, cobalt nanoparticle synthesis is being studied in order to develop alternatives to crude processing of cobalt salts with ceramic supports for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

Cowen, Jonathan E.↗

DOE OSTI2018

Use of Fiber Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing for Measuring Hydraulic Connectivity for Geothermal Applications

Advanced methods in reservoir characterization are required to effectively harness geothermal energy from fractured high-temperature, high-pressure crystalline rock. It is critical to determine sufficient fluid connection between injection and production wells to enhance sweep efficiency and optimize the lifetime of the reservoir. A technology is needed that can monitor hydraulic connectivity in real time at any depth in the reservoir, throughout the lifetime of the reservoir. GeoMechanics Technologies, in collaboration with California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and Silixa LLC, working in cooperation with the Department of Energy, Small Business Innovation Research through DOE SBIR Grant No: DE-SC-0017744, conducted a Phase I research project to investigate the use of fiber optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) to improve geothermal reservoir characterization. Fiber optic DAS technology uses inter-well pressure sensing in response to periodic injection to determine hydraulic connectivity in fractured geothermal reservoirs. Fiber optic technology is capable of withstanding high temperatures and pressures typical of geothermal reservoirs. This tool would provide nearly continuous pressure monitoring along the length of the wellbore, providing knowledge into hydraulic pathways even where perforations do not exist. Real-time hydraulic monitoring can be performed without interrupting normal field operations. Also, measurements can be obtained throughout the lifetime of the well, ideally accounting for any changes in operations or reservoir configurations or thermally induced changes in permeability. The objective of this research effort was to develop and document an innovative tool that can be used for geothermal reservoir characterization. GeoMechanics Technologies and partners investigated and documented the use of fiber optic DAS for measuring the hydromechanical response caused by fractures in a reservoir and how that correlates to reservoir connectivity. For this Phase I project, numerical simulations, laboratory testing, and a field demonstration were performed to further validate the effectiveness of DAS technology for detecting formation hydraulics. This report summarizes the project activities. The main significant findings are: 1. From the numerical simulations using conceptual models, it is concluded that a high permeability zone inside a reservoir shows a different strain pattern along vertical monitoring lines away from the injection, when inducing low frequency pressure pulses. 2. The order of magnitude of strain observed at a distance of 100 ft from the injection well ranged from nanostrain to microstrain. Such strains are detectable with DAS tools currently available to industry. 3. Laboratory experiments stressed the importance of cable design and layout in the field, making calibration on site necessary for each application individually. 4. Field comparison highlighted the operational conditions that play a role in adding noise to the DAS measurement, where temperature effects for this type of application are also considered as noise to the strain measurements. 5. The analyses conducted to date provide motivation for further research, development and application of this technology, combined with field testing.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications

Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.

Cryocooler↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications

Zero boil-off↗

DOE OSTI2018

Anticorrelated Contributions to Pre-edge Features of Aluminate Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy in Concentrated Electrolytes

Ion pairing within complex solutions and electrolytes is a difficult phenomenon to measure and investigate, yet it has significant impact upon macroscopic processes, such as crystal formation. Traditional methods of detecting and characterizing ion pairing are sensitive to contact ion pairs, may require minimum concentrations that limit applicability,and can have difficulty in characterizing solutions with many components. Because of its element specificity and sensitivity to local environment, X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) is a promising tool for investigating ion pairing in complex solutions. In concentrated sodium aluminate solutions, a shift in the pre-edge shoulder correlated to sodium concentration is observed, and the physical origins of that shift are investigated using energy specific time-dependent density functional theory of sub-ensembles obtained from ab-initio molecular dynamics. Two transitions are found to contribute to the pre-edge feature, yet they are anti-correlated with respect to the sodium...aluminate distance. Unexpectedly, this causes Al XANES to be an effective probe for longer-range ion interactions than the traditional counterparts of NMR or vibrational spectroscopies. Given the nature of the transitions involved, this observation may be extended to other systems where ion-ion interactions dominate, however a complete understanding of the contributing transitions is necessary for accurate analysis of XANES pre-edge features in concentrated electrolytes.

Wildman, Andrew↗

DOE OSTI2017

Development of Chemical and Metabolite Sensors for Rhodococcus opacus PD630

Rhodococcus opacus PD630 is a non-model, gram positive bacterium that possesses desirable traits for biomass conversion, including consumption capabilities for lignocellulose-based sugars and toxic lignin-derived aromatic compounds, significant triacylglycerol accumulation, relatively rapid growth rate, and genetic tractability. However, few genetic elements have been directly characterized in R. opacus, limiting its application for lignocellulose bioconversion. Here, we report the characterization and development of genetic tools for tunable gene expression in R. opacus, including: 1) six fluorescent reporters for quantifying promoter output, 2) three chemically inducible promoters for variable gene expression, and 3) two classes of metabolite sensors derived from native R. opacus promoters that detect nitrogen levels or aromatic compounds. Using these tools, we also provide insights into native aromatic consumption pathways in R. opacus. Overall, this work expands the ability to control and characterize gene expression in R. opacus for future lignocellulose-based fuel and chemical production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

NASA NTRS2010

Rapid Response Flood Water Mapping

Since the beginning of operation of the MODIS instrument on the NASA Terra satellite at the end of 1999, an exceptionally useful sensor and public data stream have been available for many applications including the rapid and precise characterization of terrestrial surface water changes. One practical application of such capability is the near-real time mapping of river flood inundation. We have developed a surface water mapping methodology based on using only bands 1 (620-672 nm) and 2 (841-890 nm). These are the two bands at 250 m, and the use of only these bands maximizes the resulting map detail. In this regard, most water bodies are strong absorbers of incoming solar radiation at the band 2 wavelength: it could be used alone, via a thresholding procedure, to separate water (dark, low radiance or reflectance pixels) from land (much brighter pixels) (1, 2). Some previous water mapping procedures have in fact used such single band data from this and other sensors that include similar wavelength channels. Adding the second channel of data (band 1), however, allows a band ratio approach which permits sediment-laden water, often relatively light at band 2 wavelengths, to still be discriminated, and, as well, provides some removal of error by reducing the number of cloud shadow pixels that would otherwise be misclassified as water.

Fritz Policelli↗

NASA NTRS2021

Extensive Characterization of Aerosol Optical Properties and Chemical Component Concentrations: Application of the GRASP/Component Approach to Long-term AERONET Measurements

A recently developed GRASP/Component approach (GRASP: Generalized Retrieval of Atmosphere and Surface Properties) was applied to AERONET (Aeronet Robotic Network) sun photometer measurements in this study. Unlike traditional aerosol component retrieval, this approach allows the inference of some information about aerosol composition directly from measured radiance, rather than indirectly through the inversion of optical parameters, and has been integrated into the GRASP algorithm. The newly developed GRASP/Component approach was applied to 13 AERONET sites for different aerosol types under the assumption of aerosol internal mixing rules to analyze the characteristics of aerosol components and their distribution patterns. The results indicate that the retrievals can characterize well the spatial and temporal variability of the component concentration for different aerosol types. A reasonable agreement between GRASP BC retrievals and MERRA-2 BC products is found for all different aerosol types. In addition, the relationships between aerosol component content and aerosol optical parameters such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), fine-mode fraction (FMF), absorption Ångström exponent (AAE), scattering Ångström exponent (SAE), and single scattering albedo (SSA) are also analyzed for indirect verifying the reliability of the component retrieval. It was demonstrated the GRASP/Component optical retrievals are in good agreement with AERONET standard products [e.g., correlation coefficient (R) of 0.93–1.0 for AOD, fine-mode AOD (AODF), coarse-mode AOD (AODC) and Ångström exponent (AE); R = ~ 0.8 for absorption AOD (AAOD) and SSA; RMSE (root mean square error) < 0.03 for AOD, AODF, AODC, AAOD and SSA]. Thus, it is demonstrated the GRASP/Component approach can provide aerosol optical products with comparable accuracy as the AERONET standard products from the ground-based sun photometer measurements as well as some additional important inside on aerosol composition.

Xindan Zhang↗

NASA NTRS1989

Spectral characterization of igneous rocks in the 8- to 12-micron region

This paper investigates the crystal-chemistry basis for the variation in spectral behavior of ingneous rocks, with the purpose of developing relationships useful for applications in the lithologic characterization of terrestrial and extraterrestrial surfaces. A new parameter is proposed for characterizing general rock and mineral type. The parameter, SCFM, defined as the ratio SiO2/(SiO2 + CaO + FeO + MgO), reflects the degree of depolymerization of the silica tetrahedra in both fine-grained and coarse-grained igneous rocks, and is a good descriptor of the composition of these rocks. Using spectra obtained in the laboratory on coarse-particulate mineral and solid-rock samples, the SCFM parameter was used to assess the effects of variations in the rock composition on the location, number, and width of spectral bands. A regression analysis of bands varying in width from 0.2 micron to 1.4 microns versus the SCFM value resulted in correlation coefficients ranging from 0.88 to 0.97.

Walter, Louis S.↗