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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2014

Exploring Mars for Evidence of Habitable Environments and Life

The climate of Mars has been more similar to that of Earth than has the climate of any other planet in our Solar System. But Mars still provides a valuable alternative example of how planetary processes and environments can affect the potential presence of life elsewhere. For example, although Mars also differentiated very early into a core, mantle and crust, it then evolved mostly if not completely without plate tectonics and has lost most of its early atmosphere. The Martian crust has been more stable than that of Earth, thus it has probably preserved a more complete record of its earliest history. Orbital observations determined that near-surface water was once pervasive. Orbiters have identified the following diverse aqueous sedimentary deposits: layered phyllosilicates, phyllosilicates in intracrater fans, plains sediments potentially harboring evaporitic minerals, deep phyllosilicates, carbonate-bearing deposits, intracrater clay-sulfate deposits, Meridiani-type layered deposits, valles-type layered deposits, hydrated silica-bearing deposits, and gypsum plains. These features, together with evidence of more vigorous past geologic activity, indicate that early climates were wetter and perhaps also somewhat warmer. The denser atmosphere that was required for liquid water to be stable on the surface also provided more substantial protection from radiation. Whereas ancient climates might have favored habitable environments at least in some localities, clearly much of the Martian surface for most of its history has been markedly less favorable for life. The combination of dry conditions, oxidizing surface environments and typically low rates of sedimentation are not conducive to the preservation of evidence of ancient environments and any biota. Thus a strategy is required whereby candidate sites are first identified and then characterized for their potential to preserve evidence of past habitable environments. Rovers are then sent to explore the most promising candidates. The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Opportunity revealed that water once flowed to the surface across the vast Meridiani plains, creating saline lakes whose waters were roiled by ancient winds that also sculptured their salt deposits into sand dunes. Opportunity then drove more than 30 km to explore even older deposits on a crater rim. MER Spirit found evidence that thermal waters (heated by volcanism or by impacts?) altered rocks to create sulfate salts, and siliceous sinters. These discoveries indicate that an early hydrological cycle apparently sustained precipitation, streams and lakes. Liquid water participated in rock weathering reactions, such as iron and sulfur oxidation, that created distinctive weathering regimes. Volcanism, impacts, groundwater and ice interacted at least locally. Redox chemical energy from volcanism, hydrothermal activity and weathering of crustal materials would have been available for any life. Thus conditions might have supported life in the past, at least locally. The main objective of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover is to determine the extent to which Gale crater hosted environments capable of supporting microbial life. The rover has already found stream gravels as well as sediments that might have been deposited in an ancient lake. The rover is now traversing to Mt. Sharp, a 5 km-high mound that is located on the crater floor and that exhibits layered sedimentary rocks having diverse minerals (sulfates and clays) that apparently formed in the presence of liquid water. This rock sequence was deposited over an extended time period in diverse potentially habitable watery environments. Curiosity is poised to characterize a a well-preserved rock record of hundreds of millions of years of diverse environments and profound climate change.

layered phyllosilicates↗
NASA NTRS1963

Landing Characteristics of a Re-entry Vehicle with a Passive Landing System for Impact Alleviation

An experimental investigation was made to determine the landing characteristics of a 1/8-scale dynamic model of a reentry vehicle using a passive landing system to alleviate the landing-impact loads. The passive landing system consisted of a flexible heat shield with a small section of aluminum honeycomb placed between the heat shield and the crew compartment at the point that would be the first to contact the landing surface. The model was landed on concrete and sand landing surfaces at parachute letdown velocities. The investigations simulated a vertical velocity of 30 ft/sec (full scale), horizontal velocities of 0, 15, 30, 40, and 50 ft/sec (full scale), and landing attitudes ranging from -30 degrees to 20 degrees. The model investigation indicated that stable landings could be made on a concrete surface at horizontal velocities up to about 30 ft/sec, but the stable landing-attitude range at these speeds was small. The aluminum honeycomb bottomed occasionally during landings on concrete. When bottoming did not occur, maximum normal and longitudinal accelerations at the center of gravity of the vehicle were approximately 50g and 30g, respectively.

Stubbs, Sandy M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Heat transfer distributions around nominal ice accretion shapes formed on a cylinder in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel

Local heat transfer coefficients were obtained on irregular cylindrical shapes which typify the accretion of ice on circular cylinders in cross flow. The shapes were 2, 5, and 15 min accumulations of glaze ice and 15 min accumulation of rime ice. These icing shapes were averaged axially to obtain a nominal shape of constant cross section for the heat transfer tests. Heat transfer coefficients were also measured around the cylinder with no ice accretion. The models were run in a 15.2 x 68.6 cm (6 x 27 in.) wind tunnel at several velocities. The models were also run with a turbulence producing grid which gave about 3.5 percent turbulence. The effect of roughness was also simulated with sand grains glued to the surface. Results are presented as Nusselt number versus angle from the stagnation line for the smooth and rough models for both high and low levels of free stream turbulence. Roughness of the surface in the region prior to flow separation plays a major role in determining the heat transfer distribution. Free stream turbulence does not affect the distribution of heat transfer in this region but raises the level by a nearly uniform amount. For the rime shape, roughness had a larger effect in the near wedge shaped region past the initial separation point.

Van Fossen, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Method of purifying metallurgical grade silicon employing reduced pressure atmospheric control

A method in which a quartz tube is charged with chunks of metallurgical grade silicon and/or a mixture of such chunks and high purity quartz sand, and impurities from a class including aluminum, boron, as well as certain transition metals including nickel, iron, and manganese is described. The tube is then evacuated and heated to a temperature within a range of 800 C to 1400 C. A stream of gas comprising a reactant, such as silicon tetrafluoride, is continuously delivered at low pressures through the charge for causing a metathetical reaction of impurities of the silicon and the reactant to occur for forming a volatile halide and leaving a residue of silicon of an improved purity. The reactant which included carbon monoxide gas and impurities such as iron and nickel react to form volatile carbonyls.

Ingle, W. M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

New techniques for fusion bonding and replication for large glass reflectors

Lightweight, space-deployable glass honeycomb telescope primary mirror structures are produced by a novel method which involves the heating to softening temperature of many borosilicate or silica glass tube sections that are packed to form a honeycomb matrix and filled with a high expansion coefficient refractory sand. The close packed tubes yield a hexagonal-cell honeycomb. Attention is given to the results of an experiment in which a highly refractory master was used to shape a honeycomb of less refractory glass, employing a 1-micron thick, vacuum-deposited gold coating as a parting layer between the two.

Angel, J. R. P.↗
NASA NTRS2005

A Prototype Flux-Plate Heat-Flow Sensor for Venus Surface Heat-Flow Determinations

Venus is the most Earth-like planet in the Solar System in terms of size, and the densities of the two planets are almost identical when selfcompression of the two planets is taken into account. Venus is the closest planet to Earth, and the simplest interpretation of their similar densities is that their bulk compositions are almost identical. Models of the thermal evolution of Venus predict interior temperatures very similar to those indicated for the regions of Earth subject to solid-state convection, but even global analyses of the coarse Pioneer Venus elevation data suggest Venus does not lose heat by the same primary heat loss mechanism as Earth, i.e., seafloor spreading. The comparative paucity of impact craters on Venus has been interpreted as evidence for relatively recent resurfacing of the planet associated with widespread volcanic and tectonic activity. The difference in the gross tectonic styles of Venus and Earth, and the origins of some of the enigmatic volcano-tectonic features on Venus, such as the coronae, appear to be intrinsically related to Venus heat loss mechanism(s). An important parameter in understanding Venus geological evolution, therefore, is its present surface heat flow. Before the complications of survival in the hostile Venus surface environment were tackled, a prototype fluxplate heat-flow sensor was built and tested for use under synthetic stable terrestrial surface conditions. The design parameters for this prototype were that it should operate on a conforming (sand) surface, with a small, self-contained power and recording system, capable of operating without servicing for at least several days. The precision and accuracy of the system should be < 5 mW/sq m. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Morgan, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2009

Simplified Approach to Predicting Rough Surface Transition

Turbine vane heat transfer predictions are given for smooth and rough vanes where the experimental data show transition moving forward on the vane as the surface roughness physical height increases. Consistent with smooth vane heat transfer, the transition moves forward for a fixed roughness height as the Reynolds number increases. Comparisons are presented with published experimental data. Some of the data are for a regular roughness geometry with a range of roughness heights, Reynolds numbers, and inlet turbulence intensities. The approach taken in this analysis is to treat the roughness in a statistical sense, consistent with what would be obtained from blades measured after exposure to actual engine environments. An approach is given to determine the equivalent sand grain roughness from the statistics of the regular geometry. This approach is guided by the experimental data. A roughness transition criterion is developed, and comparisons are made with experimental data over the entire range of experimental test conditions. Additional comparisons are made with experimental heat transfer data, where the roughness geometries are both regular and statistical. Using the developed analysis, heat transfer calculations are presented for the second stage vane of a high pressure turbine at hypothetical engine conditions.

Boyle, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Simplified Approach to Predicting Rough Surface Transition

Turbine vane heat transfer predictions are given for smooth and rough vanes where the experimental data show transition moving forward on the vane as the surface roughness physical height increases. Consiste nt with smooth vane heat transfer, the transition moves forward for a fixed roughness height as the Reynolds number increases. Comparison s are presented with published experimental data. Some of the data ar e for a regular roughness geometry with a range of roughness heights, Reynolds numbers, and inlet turbulence intensities. The approach ta ken in this analysis is to treat the roughness in a statistical sense , consistent with what would be obtained from blades measured after e xposure to actual engine environments. An approach is given to determ ine the equivalent sand grain roughness from the statistics of the re gular geometry. This approach is guided by the experimental data. A roughness transition criterion is developed, and comparisons are made with experimental data over the entire range of experimental test co nditions. Additional comparisons are made with experimental heat tran sfer data, where the roughness geometries are both regular as well a s statistical. Using the developed analysis, heat transfer calculatio ns are presented for the second stage vane of a high pressure turbine at hypothetical engine conditions.

Boyle, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Assessing the Effects of Various Surface Textures and Features on Turbulent Heat Transfer in Hypersonic Flight

Experiments were conducted in the NASA Ames Hypervelocity Free Flight Aerodynamic Facility (ballistic range) to quantify the effects on turbulent convective heat transfer of distributed surface roughness, and of isolated features, representative of thermal protection systems on atmospheric entry vehicles. The surface textures and features were applied on the conic frusta of 45o sphere-cone models having a nose-to-base radius ratio of 0.5, similar to the forebody geometry of the Galileo and Pioneer-Venus entry probes. Test conditions were selected to provide turbulent roughness Reynolds numbers, k+, in the ranges expected for outer planet entry missions. Turbulent flow on the conic frustum was achieved by tripping the flow on the sphere-segment nose cap with distributed surface roughness, created by sand-blasting the nose cap. Surface textures included distributed, acreage, roughness, as well as cavity and groove discrete features. The majority of the data to be presented are results for distributed roughness, which includes both random, sand-grain-like roughness, and regular pattern roughness. The pattern roughness was designed to represent the roughness on woven thermal protection system materials, such as NASA’s 3-D Medium Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP), also known as HEEET, developed by the Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environments Technology project. The pattern roughness tested is a 3-D wavy surface, and includes three different roughness element height-to-spacing ratios representative of two configurations of 3MDCP, and spanning ratios measured both before, and after, ablation in an arc jet test facility. The patterns tested in the ballistic range were laser-etched on metal models, and represented an idealized version of the real-world materials in which each roughness element was nearly identical. Additional tests were performed wherein the laser-etched patterns were degraded by sand-blasting with various sized grit media, to produce regular patterns with superimposed irregular roughness, more representative of flight materials. Results of each will be compared. The discrete features tested included cylindrical cavities and rectangular grooves of various width-to-depth ratios. Cavities represent either heatshield damage, such as from micro-meteoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) damage, or from designed penetrations, such as on the Genesis sample return capsule. The grooves were scaled representations of seams between segments of HEEET material in a notional tiled thermal protection system. The tests examined the effects on turbulent heating downstream of the isolated features. The tests were conducted at speeds between 3 km/s and 4 km/s in air between 0.15 atm and 0.25 atm (Mach numbers between 9 and 12). Roughness Reynolds numbers, k+, ranged from 12 to 70 for the sand roughness, and as high as 200 for the pattern roughness. Boundary-layer parameters required for calculating k+ were evaluated using computational fluid dynamics simulations using the DPLR (Data Parallel Line Relaxation) code. Each model included both rough- and smooth-wall segments, and heat transfer augmentation factors were determined as the ratio of the rough-wall to smooth-wall heat flux measured on each test.

hypersonic↗
NASA NTRS1984

Heat transfer distributions around nominal ice accretion shapes formed on a cylinder in the NASA Lewis icing research tunnel

Local heat transfer coefficients were obtained on irregular cylindrical shapes which typify the accretion of ice on circular cylinders in cross flow. The ice shapes were grown on a 5.1 cm (2.0 in.) diameter cylinder in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel. The shapes were 2, 5, and 15 min accumulations of glaze ice and 15 min accumulation of rime ice. Heat transfer coefficients were also measured around the cylinder with no ice accretion. These icing shapes were averaged axially to obtain a nominal shape of constant cross section for the heat transfer tests. Heat transfer coefficients around the perimeter of each shape were measured with electrically heated copper strips embedded in the surface of the model which was cast from polyurethane foam. Each strip contained a thermocouple to measure the local surface temperature. The models were run in a 15.2 x 68.6 cm (6 x 27 in.) wind tunnel at several velocities. Background turbulence in the wind tunnel was less than 0.5 percent. The models were also run with a turbulence producing grid which gave about 3.5 percent turbulence at the model location with the model removed. The effect of roughness was also simulated with sand grains glued to the surface. Results are presented as Nusselt number versus angle from the stagnation line for the smooth and rough models for both high and low levels of free stream turblence. Roughness of the surface in the region prior to flow separation plays a major role in determining the heat transfer distribution.

Vanfossen, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Particle Morphology and Elemental Composition of Smoke Generated by Overheating Common Spacecraft Materials

Fire safety in the indoor spacecraft environment is concerned with a unique set of fuels which are designed to not combust. Unlike terrestrial flaming fires, which often can consume an abundance of wood, paper and cloth, spacecraft fires are expected to be generated from overheating electronics consisting of flame resistant materials. Therefore, NASA prioritizes fire characterization research for these fuels undergoing oxidative pyrolysis in order to improve spacecraft fire detector design. A thermal precipitator designed and built for spacecraft fire safety test campaigns at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) successfully collected an abundance of smoke particles from oxidative pyrolysis. A thorough microscopic characterization has been performed for ten types of smoke from common spacecraft materials or mixed materials heated at multiple temperatures using the following techniques: SEM, TEM, high resolution TEM, high resolution STEM and EDS. Resulting smoke particle morphologies and elemental compositions have been observed which are consistent with known thermal decomposition mechanisms in the literature and chemical make-up of the spacecraft fuels. Some conclusions about particle formation mechanisms are explored based on images of the microstructure of Teflon smoke particles and tar ball-like particles from Nomex fabric smoke.

Smoke↗
NASA NTRS1967

Dynamic Model Investigation of Water Pressures and Accelerations Encountered During Landings of the Apollo Spacecraft

An experimental investigation was made to determine impact water pressures, accelerations, and landing dynamics of a 1/4-scale dynamic model of the command module of the Apollo spacecraft. A scaled-stiffness aft heat shield was used on the model to simulate the structural deflections of the full-scale heat shield. Tests were made on water to obtain impact pressure data at a simulated parachute letdown (vertical) velocity component of approximately 30 ft/sec (9.1 m/sec) full scale. Additional tests were made on water, sand, and hard clay-gravel landing surfaces at simulated vertical velocity components of 23 ft/sec (7.0 m/sec) full scale. Horizontal velocity components investigated ranged from 0 to 50 ft/sec (15 m/sec) full scale and the pitch attitudes ranged from -40 degrees to 29 degrees. Roll attitudes were O degrees, 90 degrees, and 180 degrees, and the yaw attitude was 0 degrees.

Tests↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Origin of the Terra Meridiani Sediments: Volatile Transport and the Formation of Sulfate Bearing Layered Deposits on Mars

The chemistry, sedimentology, and geology of the Meridiani sedimentary deposits are best explained by eolian reworking of the sublimation residue of a large scale ice/dust deposit. This large ice deposit was located in close proximity to Terra Meridiani and incorporated large amounts of dust, sand, and SO2 aerosols generated by impacts and volcanism during early martian history. Sulfate formation and chemical weathering of the initial igneous material is hypothesized to have occurred inside of the ice when the darker mineral grains were heated by solar radiant energy. This created conditions in which small films of liquid water were created in and around the mineral grains. This water dissolved the SO2 and reacted with the mineral grains forming an acidic environment under low water/rock conditions. Subsequent sublimation of this ice deposit left behind large amounts of weathered sublimation residue which became the source material for the eolian process that deposited the Terra Meridiani deposit. The following features of the Meridiani sediments are best explained by this model: The large scale of the deposit, its mineralogic similarity across large distances, the cation-conservative nature of the weathering processes, the presence of acidic groundwaters on a basaltic planet, the accumulation of a thick sedimentary sequence outside of a topographic basin, and the low water/rock ratio needed to explain the presence of very soluble minerals and elements in the deposit. Remote sensing studies have linked the Meridiani deposits to a number of other martian surface features through mineralogic similarities, geomorphic similarities, and regional associations. These include layered deposits in Arabia Terra, interior layered deposits in the Valles Marineris system, southern Elysium/Aeolis, Amazonis Planitia, and the Hellas basin, Aram Chaos, Aureum Chaos, and Ioni Chaos. The common properties shared by these deposits suggest that all of these deposits share a common formation process which must have acted over a large area of Mars. The results of this study suggest a mechanism for volatile transport on Mars without invoking an early greenhouse. They also imply a common formation mechanism for most of the sulfate minerals and layered deposits on Mars, which explains their common occurrence.

Niles, P.B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Non-equilibrium freezing of water-ice in sandy basaltic regoliths and implications for fluidized debris flows on Mars

Many geomorphic features on Mars were attributed to Earth-analogous, cold-climate processes involving movement of water or ice lubricated debris. Clearly, knowledge of the behavior of water in regolith materials under Martian conditions is essential to understanding the postulated geomorphic processes. Experiments were performed with sand-sized samples of natural basaltic regoliths in order to further elucidate how water/regolith interactions depend upon grain size and mineralogy. The data reveal important contrasts with data for clay-mineral substrates and suggest that the microphysics of water/mineral interactions might affect Martian geomorphic processes in ways that are not fully appreciated. Sand and silt sized fractions of two soils from the summit of Mauna Kea were used as Mars-analogous regolith materials. Temperatures were measured for water/ice phase transitions as wet slurries of individual soil fractions which were cooled or heated at controlled rates under a carbon dioxide atmosphere. Freezing and melting of ice was studied as a function of water/soil mass ratio, soil particle size, and thermal-cycle rate. Comparison tests were done under the same conditions with U.S. Geological Survey standard rock powders.

Gooding, J. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Where Safety and Testing Fuse

White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is located in the beautiful southwest desert of Las Cruces, NM. At the base of the Organ Mountains, WSTF personnel, in addition to hazardous testing and operations, have a variety of environmental safety concerns from extreme heat, high winds, lightning, cold, and wandering wildlife. This presentation will describe how our site handles and eliminates these safety concerns.

Nicholas D Fevrier↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Importance of Meteorological Measurement for the Scientific Study of the Mesosphere

The rocket-borne falling sphere technique has been providing temperature and wind measurements to 90 km. For example, the High Resolution Doppler Imager (HRDI) experiment on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) and during the GUARA Campaign. The measurement of temperature and wind using the falling sphere method is well known, but will be briefly reviewed. The vertical resolution of the data is examined at different geographical locations and seasons. Time/height sections characterizing the temperature and wind structure will be presented for low (Alcantara, Brazil), middle (Wallops Island and Barking Sands, Hawaii), and high latitudes (ARR and ESRANGE). We address radar quality required, data smoothing, and expected measurement accuracy. Special emphasis will be given to the data gathered during the GUARA campaign, especially small- and large-scale motions including transports of momentum and heat. In the GUARA campaign, the combined Use of small meteorological payloads to measure large scale temperature and wind variations coupled with measurements of small scale turbulence from the larger rockets provided clear cut evidence of gravity wave breaking in the 85 to 90 km region.

Schmidlin, F. J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Importance of Meteorological Measurements for the Scientific Study of the Mesosphere

The rocket-borne falling sphere technique has been providing temperature and wind measurements to 90 km. For example, the HRDI experiment on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) and during the GUARA Campaign. The measurement of temperature and wind using the falling sphere method is well known, but will be briefly reviewed. The vertical resolution of the data is examined at different geographical locations and seasons. Time/height sections characterizing the temperature and wind structure will be presented for low (Alcantara, Brazil), middle (Wallops Island and Barking Sands, Hawaii), and high latitudes (ARR and ESRANGE). We address radar quality required, data smoothing, and expected measurement accuracy. Special emphasis will be given to the data gathered during the GUARA campaign, especially small- and large-scale motions including transports of momentum and heat. In the GUARA campaign, the combined use of small meteorological payloads to measure large scale temperature and wind variations coupled with measurements of small scale turbulence from the larger rockets provided clear cut evidence of gravity wave breaking in the 85 to 90 km region.

Schmidlin, F. J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Assessment of Models of Chemically Reacting Granular Flows

A report presents an assessment of a general mathematical model of dense, chemically reacting granular flows like those in fluidized beds used to pyrolize biomass. The model incorporates submodels that have been described in several NASA Tech Briefs articles, including "Generalized Mathematical Model of Pyrolysis of Biomass" (NPO-20068) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 2 (February 1998), page 60; "Model of Pyrolysis of Biomass in a Fluidized-Bed Reactor" (NPO-20708), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 6 (June 2001), page 59; and "Model of Fluidized Bed Containing Reacting Solids and Gases" (NPO- 30163), which appears elsewhere in this issue. The model was used to perform computational simulations in a test case of pyrolysis in a reactor containing sand and biomass (i.e., plant material) particles through which passes a flow of hot nitrogen. The boundary conditions and other parameters were selected for the test case to enable assessment of the validity of some assumptions incorporated into submodels of granular stresses, granular thermal conductivity, and heating of particles. The results of the simulation are interpreted as partly affirming the assumptions in some respects and indicating the need for refinements of the assumptions and the affected submodels in other respects.

Bellan, Josette↗