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At least 73 records · Page 4

International Space Station (ISS) Gas Logistics Planning in the Post Shuttle Era

Over its life the International Space Station (ISS) has received gas (nitrogen, oxygen, and air) from various sources. Nitrogen and oxygen are used in the cabin to maintain total pressure and oxygen partial pressures within the cabin. Plumbed nitrogen is also required to support on-board experiments and medical equipment. Additionally, plumbed oxygen is required to support medical equipment as well as emergency masks and most importantly EVA support. Gas are supplied to ISS with various methods and vehicles. Vehicles like the Progress and ATV deliver nitrogen (both as a pure gas and as air) and oxygen via direct releases into the cabin. An additional source of nitrogen and oxygen is via tanks on the ISS Airlock. The Airlock nitrogen and oxygen tanks can deliver to various users via pressurized systems that run throughout the ISS except for the Russian segment. Metabolic oxygen is mainly supplied via cabin release from the Elektron and Oxygen Generator Assembly (OGA), which are water electrolyzers. As a backup system, oxygen candles (Solid Fuel Oxygen Generators-SFOGs) supply oxygen to the cabin as well. In the past, a major source of nitrogen and oxygen has come from the Shuttle via both direct delivery to the cabin as well as to recharge the ISS Airlock tanks. To replace the Shuttle capability to recharge the ISS Airlock tanks, a new system was developed called Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS). NIORS consists of high pressure (7000 psi) tanks which recharge the ISS Airlock tanks via a blowdown fill for both nitrogen and oxygen. NORS tanks can be brought up on most logistics vehicles such as the HTV, COTS, and ATV. A proper balance must be maintained to insure sufficient gas resources are available on-orbit so that all users have the required gases via the proper delivery method (cabin and/or plumbed).

Leonard, Daniel J.↗

Several new catalysts for reduction of oxygen in fuel cells

Test results prove nickel carbide or nitride, nickel-cobalt carbide, titanium carbide or nitride, and intermetallic compounds of the transition or noble metals to be efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction in alkaline electrolytes in low temperature fuel cells.

Cattabriga, R. A.↗

On Soot Inception in Nonpremixed Flames and the Effects of Flame Structure

A simplified three-step model of soot inception has been employed with high activation energy asymptotics to study soot inception in nonpremixed counterflow systems with emphasis on understanding the effects of hydrodynamics and transport. The resulting scheme yields three zones: (1) a fuel oxidation zone wherein the fuel and oxidizer react to form product as well as a radical R, (e.g., H), (2) a soot/precursor formation zone where the radical R reacts with fuel to form "soot/precursor" S, and (3) a soot/precursor consumption zone where S reacts with the oxidizer to form product. The kinetic scheme, although greatly simplified, allows the coupling between soot inception and flame structure to be assessed. The results yield flame temperature, flame location, and a soot/precursor index S(sub I) as functions of Damkohler number for S formation. The soot/precursor index indicates the amount of S at the boundary of the formation region. The flame temperature indirectly indicates the total amount of S integrated over the formation region because as S is formed less heat release is available. The results show that unlike oxidation reactions, an extinction turning-point behavior does not exist for soot. Instead, the total amount of S slowly decreases with decreasing Damkohler number (increasing strain rate), which is consistent with counterflow flame experiments. When the Lewis number of the radical is decreased from unity, the total S reduces due to reduced residence time for the radical in the soot formation region. Similarly, when the Lewis number of the soot/precursor is increased from unity the amount of S increases for all Damkohler numbers. In addition to studying fuel-air (low stoichiometric mixture fraction) flames, the air-side nitrogen was substituted into the fuel, yielding diluted fuel-oxygen (high stoichiometric mixture fraction) flames with the same flame temperature as the fuel - air flames. The relative flame locations were different however, and, consistent with counterflow flame experiments, this difference was found to dramatically reduce the total amount of S generated because the change in stoichiometric mixture fraction affects residence times, temperatures and concentrations in the soot/precursor formation and consumption zones. Furthermore, while the soot/precursor consumption reaction had a negligible effect on the soot process for fuel-air flames it was very important to diluted fuel - oxygen flames.

Chao, B. H.↗

Evaluation parameters for the alkaline fuel cell oxygen electrode

Studies were made of Pt- and Au-catalyzed porous electrodes, designed for the cathode of the alkaline H2/O2 fuel cell, employing cyclic voltammetry and the floating half-cell method. The purpose was to obtain parameters from the cyclic voltammograms which could predict performance in the fuel cell. It was found that a satisfactory relationship between these two types of measurement could not be established; however, useful observations were made of relative performance of several types of carbon used as supports for noble metal catalysts and of some Au catalysts. The best half-cell performance with H2/O2 in a 35 percent KOH electrolyte at 80 C was given by unsupported fine particle Au on Teflon; this electrode is used in the Orbiter fuel cell.

Singer, J.↗

Hydrogen-fueled engine

A hydrogen-oxygen fueled internal combustion engine is described, which utilizes an inert gas, such as argon, as a working fluid to increase the efficiency of the engine, eliminate pollution, and facilitate operation of a closed cycle energy system. In a system where sunlight or other intermittent energy source is available to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water, the oxygen and inert gas are taken into a diesel engine into which hydrogen is injected and ignited. The exhaust is cooled so that it contains only water and the inert gas. The inert gas in the exhaust is returned to the engine for use with fresh oxygen, while the water in the exhaust is returned to the intermittent energy source for reconversion to hydrogen and oxygen.

Laumann, E. A.↗

Oxygen-hydrogen fuel cell with an iodine-iodide cathode - A concept

Fuel cell uses a porous cathode through which is fed a solution of iodine in aqueous iodide solution, the anode is a hydrogen electrode. No activation polarization appears on the cathode because of the high exchange-current density of the iodine-iodide electrode.

Javet, P.↗

Design considerations for a 10-kW integrated hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell system

Integration of an alkaline fuel cell subsystem with an alkaline electrolysis subsystem to form a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for low earth orbit (LEO) applications characterized by relatively high overall round trip electrical efficiency, long life, and high reliability is possible with present state of the art technology. A hypothetical 10 kW system computer modeled and studied based on data from ongoing contractual efforts in both the alkaline fuel cell and alkaline water electrolysis areas. The alkaline fuel cell technology is under development utilizing advanced cell components and standard Shuttle Orbiter system hardware. The alkaline electrolysis technology uses a static water vapor feed technique and scaled up cell hardware is developed. The computer aided study of the performance, operating, and design parameters of the hypothetical system is addressed.

Hoberecht, M. A.↗

Design considerations for a 10-kW integrated hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell system

Integration of an alkaline fuel cell subsystem with an alkaline electrolysis subsystem to form a regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system for low earth orbit (LEO) applications characterized by relatively high overall round trip electrical efficiency, long life, and high reliability is possible with present state of the art technology. A hypothetical 10 kW system computer modeled and studied based on data from ongoing contractual efforts in both the alkaline fuel cell and alkaline water electrolysis areas. The alkaline fuel cell technology is under development utilizing advanced cell components and standard Shuttle Orbiter system hardware. The alkaline electrolysis technology uses a static water vapor feed technique and scaled up cell hardware is developed. The computer aided study of the performance, operating, and design parameters of the hypothetical system is addressed.

Hoberecht, M. A.↗

Bifunctional catalytic electrode

The present invention relates to an oxygen electrode for a unitized regenerative hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell and the unitized regenerative fuel cell having the oxygen electrode. The oxygen electrode contains components electrocatalytically active for the evolution of oxygen from water and the reduction of oxygen to water, and has a structure that supports the flow of both water and gases between the catalytically active surface and a flow field or electrode chamber for bulk flow of the fluids. The electrode has an electrocatalyst layer and a diffusion backing layer interspersed with hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. The diffusion backing layer consists of a metal core having gas diffusion structures bonded to the metal core.

Cisar, Alan↗