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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 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Impact-Facilitated Hydrothermal Alteration in the Rim of Endeavour Crater, Mars

Endeavour crater, a Noachian-aged, 22 km diameter impact structure on Meridiani Planum, Mars, has been investigated by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunuity for over 2000 sols (Mars days). The rocks of the western rim region (oldest to youngest) are: (i) the pre-impact Matijevic fm.; (ii) rim-forming Shoemaker fm. polymict impact breccias; (iii) Grasberg fm., fine-grained sediments draping the lower slopes; and (iv) Burns fm., sulfate-rich sandstones that onlap the Grasberg fm. The rim is segmented and transected by radial fracture zones. Evidence for fluid-mediated alteration includes m-scale detections of phyllosilicates from orbit, and cm-scale variations in rock/soil composition/mineralogy documented by the Opportunity instrument suite. The m-scale phyllosilicate detections include Fe(3+)-Mg and aluminous smectites that occur in patches in the Matijevic and Shoemaker fms. Rock compositions do not reveal substantial differences for smectite-bearing compared to smectite-free rocks. Interpretation: large-scale hydrothermal alteration powered by impact-deposited heat acting on limited water supplies engendered mineralogic transfomations under low water/rock, near-isochemical conditions. The cm-scale alterations, localized in fracture zones, occurred at higher water/rock as evidenced by enhanced Si and Al contents through leaching of more soluble elements, and deposition of Mg, Ni and Mn sulphates and halogen salts in soils. Visible/near infrared reflectance of narrow curvilinear red zones indicate higher nanophase ferric oxide contents and possibly hydration compared to surrounding outcrops. Broad fracture zones on the rim have reflectance features consistent with development of ferric oxide minerals. Interpretation: water fluxing through the fractures in a hydrothermal system resulting from the impact engendered alteration and leaching under high water/rock conditions. Late, localized alteration is documented by Ca-sulfate-rich veins that are not confined to fracture zones; some cross-cut the Grasberg fm. Interpretation: late fluid mobilization of soluble elements, likely in a later alteration event.

Mittlefehldt, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Characterization and Detailed Analysis of Regression Behavior for HTPB Solid Fuels Containing High Aluminum Loadings

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's Materials and Processes Department, with support from the Propulsion Systems Department, has renewed the development and maintenance of a hybrid test bed for exposing ablative thermal protection materials to an environment similar to that seen in solid rocket motors (SRM). The Solid Fuel Torch (SFT), operated during the Space Shuttle program, utilized gaseous oxygen for oxidizer and an aluminized hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) fuel grain to expose a converging section of phenolic material to a 400 psi, 2-phase flow combustion environment. The configuration allows for up to a 2 foot long, 5 inch diameter fuel grain cartridge. Wanting to now test rubber insulation materials with a turn-back feature to mimic the geometry of an aft dome being impinged by alumina particles, the throat area has now been increased by several times to afford flow similarity. Combined with the desire to maintain a higher operating pressure, the oxidizer flow rate is being increased by a factor of 10. Out of these changes has arisen the need to characterize the fuel/oxidizer combination in a higher mass flux condition than has been previously tested at MSFC, and at which the literature has little to no reporting as well. For (especially) metalized fuels, hybrid references have pointed out possible dependence of fuel regression rate on a number of variables: mass flux, G - oxidizer only (G0), or - total mass flux (Gtot), Length, L, Pressure, P, and Diameter, D.

Kibbey, Timothy P.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Near Earth Asteroid Scout: NASA's Solar Sail Mission to a NEA

NASA is developing a solar sail propulsion system for use on the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout reconnaissance mission and laying the groundwork for their use in future deep space science and exploration missions. Solar sails use sunlight to propel vehicles through space by reflecting solar photons from a large, mirror-like sail made of a lightweight, highly reflective material. This continuous photon pressure provides propellant-less thrust, allowing for very high delta V maneuvers on long-duration, deep space exploration. Since reflected light produces thrust, solar sails require no onboard propellant. The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission, funded by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Program and managed by NASA MSFC, will use the sail as primary propulsion allowing it to survey and image Asteroid 1991VG and, potentially, other NEA’s of interest for possible future human exploration. The NEA Scout spacecraft is housed in a 6U CubeSat-form factor and utilizes an 86 square meter solar sail for a total mass less than 14 kilograms. The mission is in partnership with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with support from Langley Research Center and science participants from various institutions. NEA Scout will be launched on the maiden flight of the Space Launch System in 2019. The solar sail for NEA Scout will be based on the technology developed and flown by the NASA NanoSail-D and flown on The Planetary Society’s Lightsail-A. Four approximately-7-meter stainless steel booms wrapped on two spools (two overlapping booms per spool) will be motor driven and pull the sail from its stowed volume. The sail material is an aluminized polyimide approximately 2.5 microns thick. As the technology matures, solar sails will increasingly be used to enable science and exploration missions that are currently impossible or prohibitively expensive using traditional chemical and electric propulsion systems. This paper will summarize the status of the NEA Scout mission and solar sail technology in general.

Near Earth Asteroid↗
NASA NTRS2017

Near Earth Asteroid Scout: NASA's Solar Sail Mission to a NEA

NASA is developing a solar sail propulsion system for use on the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout reconnaissance mission and laying the groundwork for their use in future deep space science and exploration missions. Solar sails use sunlight to propel vehicles through space by reflecting solar photons from a large, mirror-like sail made of a lightweight, highly reflective material. This continuous photon pressure provides propellantless thrust, allowing for very high Delta V maneuvers on long-duration, deep space exploration. Since reflected light produces thrust, solar sails require no onboard propellant. The Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission, funded by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Program and managed by NASA MSFC, will use the sail as primary propulsion allowing it to survey and image Asteroid 1991VG and, potentially, other NEA's of interest for possible future human exploration. NEA Scout uses a 6U cubesat (to be provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), an 86 m(exp. 2) solar sail and will weigh less than 12 kilograms. NEA Scout will be launched on the first flight of the Space Launch System in 2018. The solar sail for NEA Scout will be based on the technology developed and flown by the NASA NanoSail-D and The Planetary Society's Lightsail-A. Four approximately 7 m stainless steel booms wrapped on two spools (two overlapping booms per spool) will be motor deployed and pull the sail from its stowed volume. The sail material is an aluminized polyimide approximately 2.5 microns thick. As the technology matures, solar sails will increasingly be used to enable science and exploration missions that are currently impossible or prohibitively expensive using traditional chemical and electric propulsion systems. This paper will summarize the status of the NEA Scout mission and solar sail technology in general.

Johnson, Les↗
NASA NTRS2019

NIAC Project: 10 meter Sub-Orbital Large Balloon Reflector (LBR)

In Section 1 we summarize the technological approaches to the Large Balloon Reflector (LBR) that are discussed at length in our Phase I Technical report. Within each subsection we highlight how the work was advanced in Phase II. In Section 2 the work and lessons learned from the 3 and 5 meter LBR prototypes are described. In Section 3 the LBR Sensor Package stratospheric flight is described. Section 4 puts LBR in the context of on-going NASA missions.In Sections 5 and 6 the dissemination of results and plans to realize a stratospheric LBR are discussed. Instead of attempting to maintain the pointing of a large telescope at the end of a tether, we propose to deploy a telescope in the benign, protected environment within the carrier balloon. The telescope is itself a balloon, spherical in shape, metalized on one side and anchored to the top of the carrier balloon via a rotating azimuth plate (see Figure 2). The carrier balloon serves as both a stable mount and a radome for the inner balloon reflector. Light from space (or the atmosphere or ground) first passes through the ~2 mil thick polyethylene skin of the carrier balloon and then through the ~1 mil thickMylar side of the inner balloon. Together these layershave < 8% absorption at the wavelengths of interest.The incoming light then encounters the aluminized,spherical, back surface of the inner balloon and isthen focused into a receiving system. To achieve the performance of a 10 meter parabolic reflector, a 20 meter diameter inner balloon can be used with a modest size (~1 meter) spherical corrector.

Walker, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS2019

Remarkable Diversity of Refractory Inclusions in the Miller Range 090019 CO3.1 Chondrite

We have characterized the mineralogy, textures, bulk compositions, modal abundances and some mineral compositions in a suite of approximately 140 refractory inclusions from the MIL090019 carbonaceous chondrite. All of these 140 inclusions are found in a single thin section of this CO3.1 chondrite. These inclusions range from grossite- and hibonite-rich varieties, melilite-, spinel-, fassaite-diopside- and anorthite-rich types, and include a subset of aluminous AOAs (amoeboidal olivine aggregates). Grossite- and hibonite-bearing inclusions were discussed briefly in previous abstracts. X-ray mapping by energy dispersive spectrometry has permitted us to extract the bulk compositions of these inclusions from hyperspectral x-ray datasets. The bulk compositions of these inclusions represent the full range of recognized CAI (Calcium-Aluminum–rich Inclusions) types.

Ross, D. Kent↗
NASA NTRS2019

NEA Scout Thermal Control

The Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout) is a 6U CubeSat that will fly to a near earth asteroid using a solar sail. The mission is a joint project between NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The CubeSat will be deployed as a secondary payload during the Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). The CubeSat will use an 85 sq m (915 sq ft) aluminized polyimide solar sail for deep space propulsion. A multispectral camera will be used to characterize a small asteroid (<300 feet in diameter). The primary thermal architecture is a passive design with heaters to keep temperatures above the minimum allowable. Thermal vacuum testing was done on subsystems where possible. However for some long lead subsystems thermal vacuum testing will not be done until the final assembly.

Stewart, Elijah↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Apollo Sample 64455: Petrologic and Geochemical Characterization of a Glass-Coated Impact Melt Rock

Introduction and Background: Impact melts are a key product of the impact cratering process. Impact melts can turbulently entrain pre-existing rock fragments, and melt part of those entrained materials until thermal equilibrium is achieved [1–3]. Lunar impact melt rocks are valuable for determining the precise ages of basin-forming and cratering events, which anchor the cratering chronology and dynamics of the entire solar system [4, and references therein]. Additionally, entrained clasts can inform on the petrology and age of crustal materials that predate the melt-forming impact. In lithologies where no pristine samples are available, entrained materials may hold the record of endogenous lunar volatiles, provided we can untangle their impact histories as high temperature impact melt can heat the clasts and may alter their native volatiles or isotopic signatures [5–6]. Here, we characterize an Apollo 16 sample, 64455,70B, in an effort to understand the physical, microstructural, and geochemical consequences of impact melt contact metamorphism. We acquired optical light and x-ray maps of the sample, as well as quantitative analyses via electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). These tasks allow us to better understand the interaction between impact melts and entrained clasts, ultimately closing knowledge gaps in high-temperature impact processing on planetary surfaces. Sample Description: Sample 64455 is an oblong crystalline rock encased in glass to form an egg-like shape [7–8]. The impact melt coating has altered the outer (1 to 2 mm) rind of the crystalline rock and has preserved schlieren. The interior crystalline rock is likely a crystalline impact melt rock based on its bulk Ir content of 2.25 parts per billion [9]. The composition of the impact melt glass rind cannot be solely derived from the crystalline interior, the glassy rind is more aluminous and less magnesian [10]. Neither the crystalline interior nor the glassy rind were radiometrically age dated, although several studies investigated its cosmogenic isotopes and exposure ages, which reveal the sample was exposed on the lunar surface for ~1–2 Ma [11–13]. Preliminary Results: The interior crystalline rock consists primarily of plagioclase with interstitial pyroxene and olivine. Plagioclase grains are zoned and compositions range from An97–89, while pyroxene compositions generally range from En68Fs19Wo13 to En82Fs15Wo3 and olivine are Fo77 to Fo85. Minor phases include Fe-Ni metal, Ca-phosphates, a K- and Si-rich phase, sulfides, and Fe-phosphides. The glass rind contains approximately 44 wt.% SiO2, 25 wt.% Al2O3, 6 wt.% FeO, 8 wt.% MgO, and 14 wt.% CaO, with other oxides at <1 wt.% each, although the composition of the glass becomes more variable closest to the crystalline rock. The rind consists of rounded plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine crystals with interstitial melt. In some locations, the rounded crystals are surrounded by closely-packed, blade-like crystals, <5 µm in width. These results indicate that the crystalline interior has partially melted where in contact with the high-temperature impact melt and while further investigation is needed, pyroxene may have preferentially melted relative to olivine and plagioclase. Future Work: We plan to conduct electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping in order to determine crystallinity and crystal orientation. Next using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data in conjunction with EBSD and EPMA information, we will model the diffusion of moderately volatile elements between the melt and remnant crystals.

A C Stadermann↗
NASA NTRS2020

Design and Analysis of V-Groove Passive Cryogenic Radiators for Space-borne Telescopes & Instruments

V-groove passive radiators are extremely efficient passive designs to thermally isolate a cryogenic telescope or instrument from warm environments in space, like the Sun, Earth, Moon or Spacecrafts. Compared to traditional multi-layer insulation blankets employed for thermal isolation, the V-Groove radiators provide as much as an order of magnitude improvement. The V-Groove design typically constitutes three low emissivity, lightweight and thin aluminized Mylar/Kapton sheets angled from each other by just few degrees. These successively reflect heat from warmer shields to space via their angular openings, thus minimizing heat flow into the cryogenic system. Thermal analysis of these V-Groove radiators is typically performed by sophisticated thermal software that uses hundreds of thousands of rays to simulate radiative heat flow between successive shields via reflections, which can be very time & resource intensive. We have arrived at very simple closed form equations to predict the thermal behavior of these radiators, that includes their radiative heat transfer factors and temperatures as a function of their basic thermo-optical properties and inter-shield angles. These predictions can be done by hand calculators or in spreadsheet tools like MS-Excel. They compare very well to those from sophisticated computer programs. The ease in the use of these simple equations allow for instantaneous predictions of cryogenic temperatures and their trends for design options and trade studies. A case study of this was utilized for the telescope project that is currently being designed for an all sky spectral survey of the universe. This paper will describe the derivations of these equations, their comparison with computer software results and their applicability for current and future cryogenic space telescope and instrument missions

Bhandari, Pradeep↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dusty Environment Classification and Testing: Dust Mitigation Slide Cleaning Material Study

During the Apollo missions many mechanisms, equipment, and surfaces were contaminated by lunar dust and often negatively affected. The methods used to clear these devices of dust proved ineffective, which led to premature failure in some cases. Systems being designed for upcoming missions to the Moon will need to address the performance degradation risk of dust contamination. Surfaces at risk include thermal control surfaces, solar cells, camera and sensor optics, seals, metal joints and tools, and space suit assemblies. To improve state of the art dust mitigation approaches, the dust mitigation team at NASA Glenn Re-search Center (GRC) explored the effects imposed on substrates during cleaning activities in the presence of lunar dust. The Uniform Dust Deposition System (UDDS) was used to conduct a study of various cleaning techniques on different substrates. Test substrates and cleaning media were selected to represent a wide range of structural and functional materials. Substrates included orthofabric, thermal radiator coating, aluminum, quartz glass, silicone rubber, aluminized Mylar, and FEP. Cleaning materials included cloth wipes, tapes, a brush, and a pliable cleaner concept. Cleaning material / substrate pairs were rated on cleaning efficiency, substrate damage, cleaning material longevity, and ease of use. The best performing cleaning method varied based on application.

dust mitigation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Subscale Motor Test Bed Development to Simulate Solid Rocket Motor Internal Environments for Material Characterization

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Materials and Processes Department, with support from the Propulsion Systems Department has developed a test bed for exposing ablative thermal protection materials to an environment similar to that of solid rocket motors (SRMs) by using a hybrid-propellant combustor. The Solid Fuel Torch (SFT) is a pressurized. small-scale hybrid rocket motor which utilizes an aluminized solid fuel and a gaseous oxygen (GOx) oxidizer to vary internal environments which can be tailored to specific program needs. The baseline design for the SFT was developed to support the Space Shuttle Program and was redesigned to support Space Launch System (SLS) Booster program requirements. There are four configurations of the SFT testbed: 1.) Insulation configuration with the option of a “dome” or “converging cone” insulation test section, 2.) Super Sonic Blast Tube configuration to simulate nozzle exit cone environments, 3.) Flow Straightened configuration which includes an additional instrumented length between the fuel grain and the insulation, and 4.) Constant Diameter Throat configuration which includes a cylindrical phenolic test section to test samples with different ply angles under the same environment simultaneously. Motor pressures for each configuration can range from 150 to 1500 psi with heat fluxes up to 1200 BTU/sq.ft/s. This paper discusses the development of each configuration and the results obtained during the initial test series.

C.L. Bower↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

New Solid Propellant Additives: Evaluation for NASA Mission Use Cases

Researchers and small companies have been investigating and developing new solid rocket motor propellant ingredients with renewed vigor. Lithium-aluminum alloy is an ingredient of particular interest, but most of the advertisement about its benefits are focused on defense tactical rocket applications. This paper develops a framework to evaluate this and other propellants against standard aluminized composite propellant for mass-limited missions like many NASA in-space applications. It shows a way to estimate density’s effect with an exponent less than 1 depending on mission and technology parameters, and an algorithm for directly calculating delta-velocity or payload performance improvement.

Lithium-aluminum↗
NASA NTRS2022

Dusty Environment Classification and Testing: Dust Mitigation Slide Wipes & Tapes

During the Apollo missions many mechanisms, equipment, and surfaces were contaminated by lunar dust and often negatively affected. The methods used to clear these devices of dust proved ineffective, which led to premature failure in some cases. Systems being designed for upcoming missions to the Moon will need to address the performance degradation risk of dust contamination. Surfaces at risk include thermal control surfaces, solar cells, camera and sensor optics, seals, metal joints and tools, and space suit assemblies. To improve state of the art dust mitigation approaches, the dust mitigation team at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) explored the effects imposed on substrates during cleaning activities in the presence of lunar dust. The Uniform Dust Deposition System (UDDS) was used to conduct a study of various cleaning techniques on different substrates. Test substrates and cleaning media were selected to represent a wide range of structural and functional materials. Substrates included orthofabric, thermal radiator coating, aluminum, quartz glass, silicone rubber, aluminized Mylar, and FEP. Cleaning materials included cloth wipes, tapes, a brush, and a pliable cleaner concept. Cleaning material / substrate pairs were rated on cleaning efficiency, substrate damage, cleaning material longevity, and ease of use. The best performing cleaning method varied based on application.

lunar simulant↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stable electrolyte matrix for molten carbonate fuel cells

An electrolyte matrix for use with molten carbonate fuel cells having an enhanced stability and lifetime is provided. The electrolyte matrix includes lithium aluminate as a support material and a coarsening inhibitor. The coarsening inhibitor may be in the form of discrete particles or a dopant present in the support material. The coarsening inhibitor may include MnO 2 , Mn 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , LiFe 2 O 3 , or mixtures thereof. The coarsening inhibitor prevents the formation of large pores in the electrolyte matrix during operation of the fuel cell, increasing the performance and the service lifetime of the electrolyte matrix.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Stable electrolyte matrix for molten carbonate fuel cells

A method of making an electrolyte matrix includes: preparing a slurry comprising a support material, a coarsening inhibitor, an electrolyte material, and a solvent; and drying the slurry to form an electrolyte matrix. The support material comprises lithium aluminate, the coarsening inhibitor comprises a material selected from the group consisting of MnO 2 , Mn 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , ZrO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , LiFe 2 O 3 , and mixtures thereof, and the coarsening inhibitor has a particle size of about 0.005 μm to about 0.5 μm.

Hilmi, Abdelkader↗
DOE OSTI2022

The effect of barrier films and exposure on the aging of vacuum insulation panels with fumed silica cores

Vacuum insulation panels have very low thermal conductivities compared to conventional insulation materials. The reduction of the core pressure significantly lowers gas phase conduction and overall thermal conductivity. As a consequence, increases in gas pressure can significantly increase thermal conductivity of the VIP. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the core is sensitive to moisture content. For vacuum insulation panels with fumed silica cores, work shows that the measured thermal conductivity increases by 0.5 x 10-3 W/mK per mass percent increase in water content [1]. This is significant since the thermal conductivity of vacuum insulation panels with fumed silica cores is in the range of 0.004 W/mK. This work investigates the long-term behavior of vacuum insulation panels comprised of fumed silica cores with polymer (ethylene vinyl alcohol) and metalized (aluminized) barrier films exposed to different exposure conditions: ambient conditions; exterior conditions in a mixed humid climate; and 24oC and 80 percent relative humidity. Results show that the increase in thermal conductivity is more pronounced for vacuum insulation panels made using polymer barrier films compared to the same panel protected by a metalized film. The increase is more pronounced when exposed to high relative humidity, 80 percent. After almost two years exposure, the decrease in thermal conductivity for vacuum insulation panels protected by a metalized barrier films are between 4 and 11 percent depending on exposure condition. The smallest decrease is for ambient conditions where the largest decrease is for exposure to 80 percent relative humidity. Similar behavior was observed for panels protected using polymer films, except the decrease in thermal conductivity was significantly higher, between approximately 20 and 60 percent, in the same order as for panels protected by metalized films. Measurements are ongoing with an attempt to develop a better relationship between these types of tests and vacuum insulation panel service life.

Aldykiewicz Jr, Antonio↗
DOE OSTI2022

Zinc oxide based sorbent and process for preparing same

Zinc oxide-based sorbents, and processes for preparing and using them are provided, wherein the sorbents are preferably used to remove one or more reduced sulfur species from gas streams. The sorbents contain an active zinc component, optionally in combination with one or more promoter components and/or one or more substantially inert components. The active zinc component is a two-phase material, consisting essentially of a zinc oxide (ZnO) phase and a zinc aluminate (ZnAl 2 O 4 ) phase. Each of the two phases is characterized by a relatively small crystallite size of typically less than about 50 nm (500 Angstroms). Preferably the sorbents are prepared by using an alkali metal base to convert a precursor mixture, containing a precipitated zinc oxide precursor and a precipitated aluminum oxide precursor, to the two-phase, active zinc oxide containing component, with the resulting sorbent having a sodium level within a desired range.

Shen, Jian-Ping↗
DOE OSTI2023

Thermal barrier coatings

High temperature stable thermal barrier coatings useful for substrates that form component parts of engines such as a component from a gas turbine engine exposed to high temperatures are provided. The thermal barrier coatings include a multiphase composite and/or a multilayer coating comprised of two or more phases with at least one phase providing a low thermal conductivity and at least one phase providing mechanical and erosion durability. Such low thermal conductivity phase can include a rare earth zirconate and such mechanical durability phase can include a rare earth a rare earth aluminate. The different phases are thermochemically compatible even at high temperatures above about 1200° C.

Wolfe, Douglas E.↗