SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SUPERHEATING”

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.

At least 73 records · Page 4

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2003

A Reassessment of the Emplacement and Erosional Potential of Turbulent, Low-Viscosity Lavas on the Moon

We have reevaluated the role of thermal erosion by low-viscosity lunar lavas as a mechanism or the formation of the lunar sinuous rilles. We have adapted the model of Williams et aL and used the compositions of an Apollo 12 basalt and a terrestrial komatiitic basalt to investigate the compositional and environmental effects on the flow behavior of low-viscosity lavas on the Moon and Earth. Our model predict that lunar lava could have erupted as turbulent flows that were capable of flowing hundreds of kilometers on a sufficiently flat, unobstructed substrate. These results are consistent with previous studies. Modeling of lava over a substrate of the same composition shows that thermal erosion rates would have been low (approx. 10 cm/d). As a result, long-duration eruptions (approximately months to years) would have been required to incise deep (tens to hundreds of meters) channels. Partial melting and mechanical removal of the substrate, a mechanism suggested by Hulme to enhance erosion, only slightly increases thermal erosion rules. Other factors, such as higher flow rates or lava superheating, could have produced deep rilles by thermal erosion during shorter-duration eruption. A superheated lunar lava not only would have had a higher erosion rate (approx. 40 cm/d) but also would have remained uncrusted for tens of kilometers, which is consistent with the open channel morphology of most sinuous rilles. For lunar lavas with large volatile (t.e., vesicle) contents, the presence of vesicles would have tended to increase viscosity at low strain rates, resulting in shorter turbulent flow distances, lower thermal erosion rates, and thus shallower erosion channel depths for given eruption durations.

William, David A.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Crystal Growth of CdTe by Gradient Freeze in Universal Multizone Crystallizator (UMC)

In the case of unsealed melt growth of an array of II-VI compounds, namely, CdTe, CdZnTe and ZnSe, there is a tremendous amount of experimental data describing the correlations between melt conditions and crystal quality. The results imply that the crystallinity quality can be improved if the melt was markedly superheated or long-time held before growth. It is speculated that after high superheating the associated complex dissociate and the spontaneous nucleation is retarded. In this study, crystals of CdTe were grown from melts which have undergone different thermal history by the unseeded gradient freeze method using the Universal Multizone Crystallizator (UMC). The effects of melt conditions on the quality of grown crystal were studied by various characterization techniques, including Synchrotron White Beam X-ray Topography (SWSXT), infrared microscopy, chemical analysis by glow discharge mass spectroscopy (GDMS), electrical conductivity and Hall measurements.

Su, Ching-Hua↗

NASA NTRS2005

Time and Space Resolved Wall Temperature Measurements during Nucleate Boiling with Constant Heat Flux Boundary Conditions

The lack of temporally and spatially resolved measurements under nucleate bubbles has complicated efforts to fully explain pool-boiling phenomena. The objective of this current work is to acquire time and space resolved temperature distributions under nucleate bubbles on a constant heat flux surface. This was performed using a microheater array with 100 micron resolution that allowed effectively simultaneous measurements of surface temperature while supplying a constant dissipative heat flux. This data is then correlated with high speed (> 1000Hz) visual recordings of the bubble growth and departure from the heater surface acquired from below and from the side of the heater. The data indicate that a significant source of energy during bubble nucleation and initial growth is the superheated layer around the bubble. Bubble coalescence was not observed to decrease surface temperature as significantly as bubble departure from the surface. Since bubble departure is typically followed by a sharp increase in the heater surface temperature, it is surmised that the departing bubble effectively removes the superheated layer, allowing a high local heat transfer rate with the bulk fluid through transient conduction/micro-convection during rewetting.

Myers, Jerry G.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Extension of Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program's Fluid Property Database

This internship focused on the development of additional capabilities for the General Fluid Systems Simulation Program (GFSSP). GFSSP is a thermo-fluid code used to evaluate system performance by a finite volume-based network analysis method. The program was developed primarily to analyze the complex internal flow of propulsion systems and is capable of solving many problems related to thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. GFSSP is integrated with thermodynamic programs that provide fluid properties for sub-cooled, superheated, and saturation states. For fluids that are not included in the thermodynamic property program, look-up property tables can be provided. The look-up property tables of the current release version can only handle sub-cooled and superheated states. The primary purpose of the internship was to extend the look-up tables to handle saturated states. This involves a) generation of a property table using REFPROP, a thermodynamic property program that is widely used, and b) modifications of the Fortran source code to read in an additional property table containing saturation data for both saturated liquid and saturated vapor states. Also, a method was implemented to calculate the thermodynamic properties of user-fluids within the saturation region, given values of pressure and enthalpy. These additions required new code to be written, and older code had to be adjusted to accommodate the new capabilities. Ultimately, the changes will lead to the incorporation of this new capability in future versions of GFSSP. This paper describes the development and validation of the new capability.

Patel, Kishan↗

NASA NTRS2015

Numerical Investigation of Microgravity Tank Pressure Rise Due to Boiling

The ability to control self-pressurization in cryogenic storage tanks is essential for NASAs long-term space exploration missions. Predictions of the tank pressure rise in Space are needed in order to inform the microgravity design and optimization process. Due to the fact that natural convection is very weak in microgravity, heat leaks into the tank can create superheated regions in the liquid. The superheated regions can instigate microgravity boiling, giving rise to pressure spikes during self-pressurization. In this work, a CFD model is developed to predict the magnitude and duration of the microgravity pressure spikes. The model uses the Schrage equation to calculate the mass transfer, with a different accommodation coefficient for evaporation at the interface, condensation at the interface, and boiling in the bulk liquid. The implicit VOF model was used to account for the moving interface, with bounded second order time discretization. Validation of the models predictions was carried out using microgravity data from the Tank Pressure Control Experiment, which flew aboard the Space Shuttle Mission STS-52. Although this experiment was meant to study pressurization and pressure control, it underwent boiling during several tests. The pressure rise predicted by the CFD model compared well with the experimental data. The ZBOT microgravity experiment is scheduled to fly on February 2016 aboard the ISS. The CFD model was also used to perform simulations for setting parametric limits for the Zero-Boil-Off Tank (ZBOT) Experiments Test Matrix in an attempt to avoid boiling in the majority of the test runs that are aimed to study pressure increase rates during self-pressurization. *Supported in part by NASA ISS Physical Sciences Research Program, NASA HQ, USA

pressure rise↗

DOE OSTI2022

Initial Design and Experimental Results of a Novel Near-Isothermal Compressor for Heat Pump Applications

In efforts to increase the efficiency of residential and commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, it is found that the compressor has the highest electrical energy usage of the system. Therefore, it is appropriate to try to increase the efficiency of this component to reduce its energy usage. Another challenge with heat pump design is that some compressor types have drawbacks that make modulation difficult. To answer these challenges, we are developing an isothermal liquid compressor. The compressor uses propylene glycol to compress carbon dioxide. In the compression chamber the propylene glycol can enter either from the bottom to create a liquid piston for compression or it can enter through a spray nozzle at the top of the chamber. In the latter case, heat transfer from the gas to be compressed to the liquid droplets is high. This allows near isothermal operation of the compressor, which increases the efficiency by 17% to 30%, compared to adiabatic compression. In addition, the isothermal liquid compressor enables very efficient and simple part load modulation.Experimental results demonstrating the operation of the liquid compressor are presented. Initial data demonstrated a temperature rise of 7 K at pressure ratios of almost 4. For comparison at the same initial pressure, temperature, and pressure ratio, adiabatic compression would result in a temperature increase of approximately 70 K. Plotting data on a P-h diagram demonstrates that the compression started at superheated state and ended in supercritical state. Testing was later performed with repeated compressions in the superheated region of the P-h diagram at liquid flow rates of 2 x 10-3 m3/min and 2 x 10-3 m3/min to understand the limitations of the prototype for use with an actual heat pump system. This work demonstrated a novel cycle on a T-s diagram. Results from this work will be used to develop a second-generation prototype where more rapid cycling is possible.

Kowalski, Steve↗

DOE OSTI2022

Thermal protection barrier

A thermal protection barrier including a base layer having a high melting temperature granular media having free standing granules disposed within the base layer and a distributor grid layer having a plurality of spaced-apart distributors composed of a high melting temperature material disposed adjacent to the base layer. The spaced-apart distributors are dimensioned and configured to provide load bearing support to the thermal protection barrier prior to a breach of the thermal protection barrier and to divide and disperse a superheated flowing mass to the free standing granules of the base layer upon occurrence of a breach. In certain embodiments, the thermal protection barrier is positioned adjacent to a nuclear system such that, upon occurrence of a loss of containment accident, the distributor grid layer is positioned and configured to divide and disperse a superheated flowing nuclear mass to the free standing granules.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

DOE OSTI2024

System design and analysis of thermal power dispatch systems for boiling water reactors

Nuclear power plants are crucial to meeting net zero emission goals and achieving energy sustainability. Integrating these plants with clean energy technologies such as high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) may improve the efficiency and economic competitiveness of these plants. Here, the current study investigates the design and operation of a thermal power dispatch (TPD) system for coupling boiling water reactors (BWRs) to HTSE plants. The TPD system extracts a portion of the steam from the reactor’s main steam line and transfers its thermal energy to an HTSE plant through a power transport loop. A TPD system for 5 % steam extraction has been designed and the system performance during steady and transient operations has been analyzed. The TPD system dispatched a total of 197 MW thermal energy to the HTSE plant under nominal design conditions. Saturated steam at 7.17 MPa from the BWR plant was condensed and subcooled to a temperature of 168 °C, while a mass flow rate of 91.1 kg/s of superheated steam was dispatched to the HTSE plant. Furthermore, the system performance during transient operation showed a continuous transition from the initial hot standby mode to the nominal power dispatch level. The transient simulation results emphasized the importance of investigating component level performance for the TPD system design. The current results will guide future works on the development of integrated energy systems for hydrogen production or process heat applications.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Film condensation with high heat fluxes and scaled experiments using pure steam for reactor containment cooling

Condensation tests were performed using a newly developed test facility for scaling the passive containment cooling system (PCCS) to a small modular reactor (SMR). The PCCS of the SMR plays a pivotal role in ensuring greater safety, reliability, and compactness than what is afforded by traditional reactors. Therefore, a well-designed PCCS is essential to SMRs. However, previous studies and test data were unsuitable for scaling, due to high variation in the test geometry and operating conditions. This study intends to close this research gap by using a novel designed scaled test facility consisting of vertical condensing test sections featuring 1-, 2-, and 4-inch-diameter condensing tubes with annular water cooling, and by applying superheated and saturated steam with different steam mass flow ranges of 5–25 g/s. Further, the primary test data, including axial temperatures, mass flow rates, and pressures, were used in conjunction with a standard data reduction method to estimate critical parameters such as heat fluxes, heat transfer coefficients, and condensation rates. These scaled test data would support improving empirical correlations and validating condensation models to identify scaling distortion for SMR PCCSs.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Advanced blade-shaped thermal energy storage device: Development and application

Thermal energy storage (TES) using phase change materials (PCMs) is a promising approach for capturing and reusing excess thermal energy, yet widespread adoption is limited by low thermal conductivity, bulky configurations, and inadequate scalability. Here, this study presents a modular, blade-shaped TES prototype designed to address these challenges. The device integrates a lightweight aluminum shell, an embedded serpentine coil for active or passive heat exchange, and a cost-effective corrugated metal mesh for enhanced PCM thermal conductivity. With thickness-to-length and thickness-to-width ratios of 0.03 and 0.08, respectively, the blade-shaped TES achieves a compact, modular form factor suitable for space-constrained applications. Experimental testing demonstrated the efficient charge and discharge behavior of blade-shaped TES, capturing PCM superheating, phase-change transitions, and subcooling dynamics, with charging and discharging efficiencies of 94.9% and 94.6%, respectively. Also, the system can potentially achieve higher energy density than that of conventional TES designs. When integrated into a household refrigerator during the study, three blade-shaped TES modules successfully shifted 100% of peak-time compressor operation to off-peak hours, reducing energy consumption while maintaining more stable compartment temperatures. The blade-shaped TES's thin geometry, modularity, and enhanced thermal performance support scalable deployment across residential, commercial, and industrial applications, providing a versatile, cost-effective solution for high-efficiency, demand-flexible thermal energy management.

Blade-shaped↗

DOE OSTI2021

Experimental study of flash boiling spray with isooctane, hexane, ethanol and their binary mixtures

The main goal of this study is to understand the effect of fuel properties on flash boiling sprays using multi-hole injectors. Macroscopic characteristics were investigated using Diffused Backlight Imaging (DBI) and quantified with liquid penetration length and spray angles. Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) was applied to measure the droplet size and velocity. Behaviors of spray with three single-component fuels (isooctane, hexane, ethanol) under different ambient pressures (100 kPa, 80 kPa, 50 kPa, 22 kPa) as well as their binary mixtures under different blend ratios (10%, 30%, 85%) were reported and analyzed. The results showed that adding ethanol or hexane to isooctane could both promote flash boiling by increasing the overall vapor pressure thus superheated degree. Under mixing ratios of 10% and 30%, sprays with ethanol blends showed more severe flash boiling comparing with sprays with hexane blends. Shorter liquid penetration and better liquid dispersion have been observed. Comparing with isooctane spray, the droplet size continuously decreased with increasing hexane content due to enhanced breakup and faster vaporization. Sprays with ethanol mixtures showed a different trend. Noticeable droplet size reduction has been observed for spray with 10% ethanol content. However, droplet size did not further decrease with higher blend ratios regardless of higher flash boiling intensity. Such observations indicate severe vaporization inhibition caused by the high latent heat of vaporization of ethanol. For sprays with all test fuels, collapsing occurred when the pressure ratio of ambient pressure to saturation pressure (Rp) dropped below 0.3.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2021

Experimental study of sprays with isooctane, hexane, ethanol and their binary mixtures under different flash boiling intensities

Here, this work investigated the behaviors of single-component and multi-component sprays under different flash boiling intensities. Isooctane, hexane, ethanol, isooctane-hexane, and isooctane-ethanol mixtures were used as test fuels. The pressure ratio of the ambient pressure over saturation pressure (R p ) was used as the indicator of the superheated degree. Macroscopic characteristics of the sprays under 10 different R p (1.1 to 0.14) were investigated using Diffused Backlight Imaging (DBI). Droplet size, which revealed the spray microscopic characteristics, was also investigated using Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA). The results showed that ambient pressure reduction led to higher flash boiling intensity, significant spray morphology changes, and smaller droplet size, regardless of the fuel type and blend ratios. Spray collapse was observed for all sprays once R p dropped below 0.3. Spray collapse dramatically increased the liquid penetration length, expanded the near-field spray angle, and reduced the far-field angle for sprays with all the fuels. Fuel properties, such as the latent heat of vaporization, had significant impacts on droplet size distributions, thus altering the liquid penetration length and spray angles. Under similar R p , sprays with high ethanol content generally had larger droplet sizes compared with other fuel sprays due to the high latent heat of vaporization. The larger droplets caused the high ethanol content sprays to be more resistant to the plume trajectory change, resulting in a smaller far-field spray angle variations with changing R p . At R p of 0.28, sprays with the similar latent heat of vaporization have similar droplet sizes, and droplet sizes at different radial locations were also similar to each other.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing a detection system for fissile material in nuclear disarmament verification

In arms control treaties, verification plays a crucial role in detecting non-compliance, deterring future violations, and building trust between state parties. Neutron interrogation that induces fission reactions in fissile isotopes and measures the resulting fission neutrons, could be employed for this purpose. This study aims to develop a system which can determine the presence of fissile material while intrinsically protecting information. In this paper, we focus on optimizing the system for discriminating between an enriched uranium block from a depleted uranium (DU) block. The system was built and we report on benchmark measurements with DU and 16% enriched uranium blocks. Furthermore, the Excalibur (Experiment for Calibration with Uranium) neutron source, a neutron spectrometer (redBubble Technology Industries (BTI) N-Probe), and superheated droplet detectors were used for these measurements. MCNP simulations provided insights into detector responses to fissile materials with varying isotopic compositions, confirming that the system functioned as designed.

Active neutron interrogation↗

DOE OSTI2020

Hydrodynamic behavior of wrapped coil water heater tank

In this work, a numerical investigation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been carried out to analyze the thermal behavior of a water tank integrated to a heat pump water heating system (HPWH). The heat pump condenser is a long coil wrapped around the water tank and insulated from outside from which heat is transferred from the heat pump cycle into the water stored inside the tank. The simulated water tank has a capacity of about 170 L with the charging inlet located at the bottom segment of the tank and the discharging outlet located at the top segment of the tank like commercially available water heaters. The tank was simulated during charging/discharging process with isothermal boundary condition at the tank wall to represent the majority of the process for refrigerant condensation inside the heat pump condenser (excluding superheated and sub-cooled section). Three flow rates were selected to represent low, medium and high flow pattern. Both mean and turbulent flow properties were calculated and analyzed. Heat transfer mechanisms inside the tank are quantified by calculating Richardson and Péclet numbers to show the relative contribution of driving forces. The calculations show that advection is dominant over diffusion. Mixing factor is calculated and presented. It is found that the rate of increase of mixing is nonlinear with the increase in flow rate. Mixing increased by a factor of four when the flow rate increased by a factor of two.

stratification↗

DOE OSTI2025

Metastability and Ostwald step rule in the crystallisation of diamond and graphite from molten carbon

Abstract Experimental challenges in determining the phase diagram of carbon at temperatures and pressures near the graphite-diamond-liquid triple point are often related to the persistence of metastable crystalline or glassy phases, superheated crystals, or supercooled liquids. A deeper understanding of the crystallisation kinetics of diamond and graphite is crucial for effectively interpreting the outcomes of these experiments. Here, we reveal the microscopic mechanisms of diamond and graphite nucleation from liquid carbon through molecular simulations with first-principles machine learning potentials. Our simulations accurately reproduce the experimental phase diagram of carbon near the triple point and show that liquid carbon crystallises spontaneously upon cooling. Metastable graphite crystallises in the domain of diamond thermodynamic stability at pressures above the triple point. Furthermore, whereas diamond crystallises through a classical nucleation pathway, graphite follows a two-step process in which low-density fluctuations forego ordering. Calculations of the nucleation rates of the two competing phases confirm this result and reveal a manifestation of Ostwald’s step rule, where the strong metastability of graphite hinders the transformation to the stable diamond phase. Our results provide a key to interpreting melting and recrystallisation experiments and shed light on nucleation kinetics in polymorphic materials with deep metastable states.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

DOE OSTI2026

Probing the atomic dynamics of ultrafast melting with femtosecond electron diffraction

Melting is an every-day phase transition that is determined by thermodynamic parameters like temperature and pressure. In contrast, ultra-fast melting is governed by the microscopic response to a rapid energy input and, thus, can reveal the strength and dynamics of atomic bonds as well as the energy flow rate to the lattice. Accurately describing these processes remains challenging and requires detailed insights into transient states encountered. Here, we present data from femtosecond electron diffraction measurements that capture the structural evolution of copper during the ultrafast solid-to-liquid phase transformations. At absorbed energy densities 2-4 times the melting threshold, melting begins at the surface slightly below the nominal melting point followed by rapid homogeneous melting throughout the volume. Molecular dynamics simulations reproduce these observations and reveal a weak electron-lattice energy transfer rate for the given experimental conditions. Both simulations and experiments show no indications of rapid lattice collapse when its temperature surpasses proposed limits of superheating, providing evidence that the inherent dynamics limits the speed of disordering in ultrafast melting of metals.

FOS: Physical sciences↗

DOE OSTI2021

The microscopic mechanism of bulk melting of ice

We study the initial stages of homogeneous melting of a hexagonal ice crystal at coexistence and at moderate superheating. Our trajectory-based computer simulation approach provides a comprehensive picture of the events that lead to melting, from the initial accumulation of 5+7 defects, via the formation of L-D and interstitial-vacancy pairs, to the formation of a liquid nucleus. Of the different types of defects that we observe to be involved in melting, a particular kind of 5+7 type defect (type 5) plays a prominent role as it often forms prior to the formation of the initial liquid nucleus and close to the site where the nucleus forms. Hence, like other solids, ice homogeneously melts via the prior accumulation of defects.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Simulations of Heat Transfer Using Tight-Fitting Twisted Tape Inserts for First Wall Cooling in Molten Salt Breeder Blankets

One of the major components in fusion energy systems is the fusion blanket, which has a vacuum vessel to contain the plasma. As part of the fusion blanket/vacuum vessel, the first wall and plasma-facing components require sufficient cooling to prevent material degradation during operation from the superheated plasma. Most fusion blanket concepts involve first wall and divertor coolant channels with heat transfer enhancements (HTEs) that are intended to withstand the incident high heat fluxes of 1 to 5 MW/m 2 . Twisted tape inserts are a proposed HTE that have been investigated previously for first wall cooling and monoblock divertor cooling channels and in other nonfusion heat transfer components. By inserting twisted tapes into straight pipes, the amount of turbulence in the system can be increased at lower Reynolds numbers by swirling the flow. This results in better heat transfer characteristics with marginal increases in frictional pressure losses. In particular, simulations of high-Prandtl-number fluids such as the proposed molten salt FLiBe in twisted tapes, which is prototypic to liquid immersion blankets, have not been previously explored. Here, in this study, we simulate various Prandtl numbers in pipes with twisted tape inserts using large eddy simulations to determine the effects of increasing Prandtl numbers on heat transfer performance. The quantities of particular interest are the Nusselt number and the friction factor, which were recovered using data reduction techniques to determine impacts on heat transfer and pressure losses. This work serves as a starting point for determining the feasibility of twisted tape inserts for liquid immersion blanket concepts.

LES↗