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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 757 records · Page 42

Reusable Reentry Satellite (RRS): Configuration trade study

The overall Reusable Reentry Satellite (RRS) Phase B Study objective is to design a relatively inexpensive satellite to access space for extended periods of time, with eventual recovery of experiments on Earth. The expected principal use for such a system is research on the effects of variable gravity (0-1.5 g) and radiation on small animals, plants, lower life forms, tissue samples, and materials processes. The RRS will be capable of: (1) being launched by a variety of expendable launch vehicles; (2) operating in low earth orbit as a free flying unmanned laboratory; and (3) executing independent atmospheric reentry and soft landing. The RRS will be designed to be refurbished and reused up to three times a year for a period of 10 years. The information provided in this report describes the process involved in the evolution of the RRS overall configuration. This process considered reentry aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, internal equipment layout, and vehicle mass properties. This report delineates the baseline design decisions that were used to initiate the RRS design effort. As a result, there will be deviations between this report and the RRS Final Report. In those instances, the RRS Final Report shall be considered to be the definitive reference.

Source record↗

Surfactant studies for bench-scale operation

A phase 2 study was initiated to investigate surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction, with the objective of quantifying the enhancement in liquid yields and product quality. This publication covers the first quarter of work. The major accomplishments were: the refurbishment of the high-pressure, high-temperature reactor autoclave, the completion of four coal liquefaction runs with Pittsburgh #8 coal, two each with and without sodium lignosulfonate surfactant, and the development of an analysis scheme for the product liquid filtrate and filter cake. Initial results at low reactor temperatures show that the addition of the surfactant produces an improvement in conversion yields and an increase in lighter boiling point fractions for the filtrate.

Hickey, Gregory S.↗

Surfactant studies for bench-scale operation

A phase 2 study has been initiated to investigate surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction, with the objective of quantifying the enhancement in liquid yields and product quality. This report covers the second quarter of work. The major accomplishments were: completion of coal liquefaction autoclave reactor runs with Illinois number 6 coal at processing temperatures of 300, 325, and 350 C, and pressures of 1800 psig; analysis of the filter cake and the filtrate obtained from the treated slurry in each run; and correlation of the coal conversions and the liquid yield quality to the surfactant concentration. An increase in coal conversions and upgrading of the liquid product quality due to surfactant addition was observed for all runs.

Hickey, Gregory S.↗

A Preliminary Investigation of the Cr3Si-Mo Pseudo-Binary Phase Diagram

An investigation was undertaken to study the phase relations in Cr3Si alloyed with Mo varying from 10 to 83.5 wt. % of the material. Specimens were prepared from arc-melted buttons that were subsequently heat treated at 1673 K for 200 h and air quenched to room temperature to structures. Alloys containing more than 20 wt. % MO were primarily two-phase materials of M3Si and M5Si3, where M is (Cr,Mo). Three alloys contained less than 5% of a third phase, which also had the M5Si3 crystal structure. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was performed on several specimens at temperatures up to 2073 K in order to determine a solidus curve for the M3Si phase. Since only one DTA peak was observed in each alloy, the M5Si3 phase must melt above 2073 K, the maximum temperature examined. A preliminary pseudo-binary phase diagram for (Cr,Mo)3Si and a portion of the 1673 K isothermal section of the Cr-Mo-Si ternary phase diagram are presented.

Dickerson, R. M.↗

Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering Studies of Liquid–Liquid Phase Separation in Silicate Melts

Incongruent liquid-liquid phase separation is a common phenomenon in molten oxides, but there are few structural studies due to the high temperatures involved ca. >1600oC. In this work, we present a high-energy x-ray combined small/wide angle scattering (SAXS/WAXS) method that can directly probe non-equilibrium phase diagrams. The Porod exponent in the SAXS signal is extracted, which measures the roughness of the interface formed between different phases. Problematic volatilization of silica in Al 2 O 3 -, CaO-, and MgO-bearing silica-rich liquids were minimized using levitation, laser heating and rapid time-resolved measurements (lasting tens of seconds), to probe the kinetics of the phase separation process. The WAXS measurement simultaneously probes the local atomic structure of the liquid state and shows that the primary structural changes are associated with the SiO 2 network. Cation coordination numbers extracted from pair distribution functions support the model that the origin of phase separation in binary silicate systems is due to Coulombic repulsions between poorly screened cations. For CaO-SiO 2 , the liquid-liquid phase separation is found to correlate with a pause in the temperature dependent atomic disorder associated with SiO4 tetrahedra.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Comparative studies of cross-phase dynamics in turbulent momentum flux and particle flux at the tokamak edge

Turbulent transport events, including turbulent transport flux of momentum (i.e., turbulent momentum flux or Reynolds stress) and turbulent transport flux of particle (i.e., turbulent particle flux), have important effects on the confinement performance of magnetic confinement fusion devices. Poloidal Reynolds stress is the ensemble average of the product of radial velocity fluctuations and poloidal velocity fluctuations, i.e., $\langle {\widetilde{v}}_{r}{\widetilde{v}}_{\theta }\rangle$. Turbulent particle flux is the ensemble average of the product of radial velocity fluctuations and density fluctuations, i.e., $\langle \widetilde{n}{\widetilde{v}}_{r}\rangle$. Changes in either amplitude of fluctuations or cross phase between fluctuations can cause changes in turbulent transport. In this paper, cross-phase dynamics in the Reynolds stress and turbulent particle flux at the tokamak edge are studied in detail. Reynolds stress and turbulent particle flux are, respectively, written as the product of fluctuation amplitudes and an average cross-phase factor. The mathematical expressions of the average cross-phase factors are derived. The average cross-phase factors and the power spectra of cross phase are obtained using experimental measurement data. It is found that the cross-phase dynamics in Reynolds stress and particle flux are very different. Reynolds stress is found to be more sensitive to cross phase than particle flux is. In the strong $E\times B$ shear layer, spatial slips of cross phase lead to the obvious radial gradient of Reynolds stress. In the no/weak $E\times B$ shear region, the cross phase in Reynolds stress tends to lock. Here, phase locking refers to that the power spectra of phase tend to distribute around a fixed phase which does not change with radial position, while phase slip means that the power spectra of cross phase tend to distribute around a phase that varies with radial position. Phase slip or locking mainly describes the central phase weighted by the power spectra, while the phase scattering mainly describes the dispersion of the power spectrum distribution of the phase. The increased scattering of cross phase, which indicates the power spectra distribution of the phase is more dispersed, contributes to the decreased Reynolds stress for higher collisionality. The cross phase in particle flux tends to lock in both strong and no/weak shear regions. The degree of scattering of cross phase in the particle flux does not change obviously as collisionality increases. For higher collisionality, it is the increased density fluctuation amplitude rather than cross-phase dynamics that leads to the increased particle flux. The underlying physical mechanism that causes Reynolds stress and particle flux to exhibit different phase dynamics is discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A polarimetrically oriented X-ray stare at the accreting pulsar EXO 2030+375

Accreting X-ray pulsars (XRPs) are presumed to be ideal targets for polarization measurements, as their high magnetic field strength is expected to polarize the emission up to a polarization degree of ∼80%. However, such expectations are being challenged by recent observations of XRPs with the Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Explorer (IXPE). Here, we report on the results of yet another XRP, namely, EXO 2030+375, observed with IXPE and contemporarily monitored with Insight-HXMT and SRG/ART-XC. In line with recent results obtained with IXPE for similar sources, an analysis of the EXO 2030+375 data returns a low polarization degree of 0%–3% in the phase-averaged study and a variation in the range of 2%–7% in the phase-resolved study. Using the rotating vector model, we constrained the geometry of the system and obtained a value of ∼60° for the magnetic obliquity. When considering the estimated pulsar inclination of ∼130°, this also indicates that the magnetic axis swings close to the observer’s line of sight. Our joint polarimetric, spectral, and timing analyses hint toward a complex accreting geometry, whereby magnetic multipoles with an asymmetric topology and gravitational light bending significantly affect the behavior of the observed source.

EXO 2030+375↗

Orientational Ordering of a Liquid-Crystal Suspension of Carbon Nanotubes in a Magnetic Field

A statistical theory is proposed to describe a suspension of carbon nanotubes in a nematic liquid crystal. The mean-field approach is used, and dispersion attraction, the excluded volume effects, the diamagnetism of liquid crystal molecules, and the strong diamagnetism of nanotubes are taken into account. The influence of the volume fraction of impurity, temperature, and magnetic field on the orientational ordering of a liquid crystal matrix and carbon nanotubes is studied. The concentration and temperature phase transitions in the suspension are investigated for various magnetic fields. The concentration and field shifts of the point of the phase transition between nematic and isotropic or paranematic phases are studied.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Raman study of the improper ferroelectric phase transition in iron iodine boracite

The reduction in the dielectric anomaly near the phase transition temperature in improper ferroelectrics suggests that this behavior may be exploited to significantly enhance the figure-of-merit for pyroelectric infrared detection. This reduction is associated with a decoupling of the thermal and dielectric responses which, in turn, reflects the unusual nature of the lattice instability at the phase transition. In order to elucidate the characteristics of the phonon behavior connected with the lattice instability, Raman scattering of Fe3B7O13I has been examined in both the paraelectric and ferroelectric phases. The results of this study as well as results from earlier measurements on other boracites, provides insight into the nature of the mode softening.

Kim, Q.↗

Space Station Furnace Facility. Volume 1: Requirements definition and conceptual design study, executive summary

The Space Station Freedom Furnace (SSFF) Study was awarded on June 2, 1989, to Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE) to define an advanced facility for materials research in the microgravity environment of Space Station Freedom (SSF). The SSFF will be designed for research in the solidification of metals and alloys, the crystal growth of electronic and electro-optical materials, and research in glasses and ceramics. The SSFF is one of the first 'facility' class payloads planned by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) of the Office of Space Science and Applications of NASA Headquarters. This facility is planned for early deployment during man-tended operations of the SSF with continuing operations through the Permanently Manned Configuration (PMC). The SSFF will be built around a general 'Core' facility which provides common support functions not provided by SSF, common subsystems which are best centralized, and common subsystems which are best distributed with each experiment module. The intent of the facility approach is to reduce the overall cost associated with implementing and operating a variety of experiments. This is achieved by reducing the launch mass and simplifying the hardware development and qualification processes associated with each experiment. The Core will remain on orbit and will require only periodic maintenance and upgrading while new Furnace Modules, samples, and consumables are developed, qualified, and transported to the SSF. The SSFF Study was divided into two phases: phase 1, a definition study phase, and phase 2, a design and development phase. The definition phase 1 is addressed. Phase 1 was divided into two parts. In the first part, the basic part of the effort, covered the preliminary definition and assessment of requirements; conceptual design of the SSFF; fabrication of mockups; and the preparation for and support of the Conceptual Design Review (CoDR). The second part, the option part, covered requirements update and documentation; refinement of the selected conceptual design through additional trades and analyses; design, fabrication, and test of the Development Model; and design, fabrication, and test of the Interrack Demonstration Unit; and support of the requirements definition review (RDR). The purpose of part 2 was to prove concept feasibility.

Source record↗

Noise Budget for the X-Ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometer (XMS) Core Array

The purpose of this document is to present and archive the noise budget for the XMS detector, in order, at this stage in mission planning, to learn the scale of the requirements placed on the other instrument subsystems. This document mainly concerns the core array, specifically the baseline version that emerged from the trade studies associated with the ESA Phase A study report. Qualitative extension to the Hydra approach to the outer array is included at the end.

Kilbourne, Caroline Anne↗

Magnetometer instrument team studies for the definition phase of the outer planets grand tour

The objectives of magnetic field investigations on missions to the outer planets were defined as well as an instrumentation system, a program of studies and instrument development tasks was proposed for the mission definition phase of the Outer Planets Grand Tour project. A report on the status of this program is given. Requirements were also established for the spacecraft and the mission which would insure their compatibility with the magnetic field investigation proposed for the outer planets missions and developed figures of merit for encounter trajectories. The spacecraft-instrumentation interface and the on-board data handling system were defined in various reports by the Project Team and in the reports by the Science Steering Group. The defining program for exploring the outer planets within the more restrictive constraints of the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn project included defining a limited magnetic field investigation.

Coleman, P. J., Jr.↗

Variation of γ′ Formers and Refractory Elements for Enhanced Creep resistance and Phase Stability of HAYNES® 282® Alloy

Modifications to the chemistry of alloy 282 were performed to improve the alloy’s resistance to long term creep deformation as well as phase stability. Alloys were prepared using vacuum induction melting, computationally optimized homogenization heat treatment and hot working. Phase stability studies were carried out for up to 5,000 hours at 800°C and 900°C while creep testing was performed at conditions leading to lives past 7,000 hours for temperatures ranging from 740°C to 900°C. The formation of σ and μ phases were reduced in the modified alloy. Atom probe tomography (APT) was performed on the specimens from the phase stability study to investigate changes in the elemental partitioning to the γ and γ′ phases. Post deformation microstructures were analyzed using EBSD and TEM to study the influence of the detrimental phases on damage accumulation during creep.

Detrois, Martin↗

Combined spectroscopic imaging STM and ARPES study of different gaps measured in the cuprate phase diagram

A comparative study of the gaps measured in two techniques, angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, is presented herein. In particular the study focuses on the more overdoped region of the cuprate phase diagram in the superconducting state. While the total densities of states measured in the two techniques agree very well, it is shown that the peak in the density of states, Δ DOS , is consistently displaced to higher energies relative to the maximal superconducting gap, Δ 0 , determined in photoemission. The difference between the two gaps is more evident for the less doped samples reflecting increased normalization of bands. This observation will clearly influence the boundaries in the phase diagrams of the cuprates defined by these two techniques.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Studies of Two-Phase Flow Dynamics and Heat Transfer at Reduced Gravity Conditions

The ability to predict gas-liquid flow patterns is crucial to the design and operation of two-phase flow systems in the microgravity environment. Flow pattern maps have been developed in this study which show the occurrence of flow patterns as a function of gas and liquid superficial velocities as well as tube diameter, liquid viscosity and surface tension. The results have demonstrated that the location of the bubble-slug transition is affected by the tube diameter for air-water systems and by surface tension, suggesting that turbulence-induced bubble fluctuations and coalescence mechanisms play a role in this transition. The location of the slug-annular transition on the flow pattern maps is largely unaffected by tube diameter, liquid viscosity or surface tension in the ranges tested. Void fraction-based transition criteria were developed which separate the flow patterns on the flow pattern maps with reasonable accuracy. Weber number transition criteria also show promise but further work is needed to improve these models. For annular gas-liquid flows of air-water and air- 50 percent glycerine under reduced gravity conditions, the pressure gradient agrees fairly well with a version of the Lockhart-Martinelli correlation but the measured film thickness deviates from published correlations at lower Reynolds numbers. Nusselt numbers, based on a film thickness obtained from standard normal-gravity correlations, follow the relation, Nu = A Re(sup n) Pr(exp l/3), but more experimental data in a reduced gravity environment are needed to increase the confidence in the estimated constants, A and n. In the slug flow regime, experimental pressure gradient does not correlate well with either the Lockhart-Martinelli or a homogeneous formulation, but does correlate nicely with a formulation based on a two-phase Reynolds number. Comparison with ground-based correlations implies that the heat transfer coefficients are lower at reduced gravity than at normal gravity under the same flow conditions. Nusselt numbers can be correlated in a fashion similar to Chu and Jones.

Witte, Larry C.↗

The Influence of Hydrogenation on the Structure, Magnetic and Magnetocaloric Properties of Tb–Dy–Co Alloys with a Laves Phase Structure

A complex study of structure, phase composition, surface topology, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties was performed for TbCo{sub 2} and Tb{sub 0.3}Dy{sub 0.7}Co{sub 2} compounds and for a Tb{sub 0.3}Dy{sub 0.7}Co{sub 2}H{sub 0.5} hydride with a low hydrogen content. The hydrogenation was established to impact the structural features at the micro- and nanolevels, as well as the fundamental and functional properties. Introducing even a small amount of hydrogen in the crystal lattice of Tb{sub 0.3}Dy{sub 0.7}Co{sub 2} compound is found to cause an increase in both the Curie temperature and the magnetic moment at the cobalt atoms. The magnetic phase transition from the paramagnetic to the magnetically ordered state changes from the first (in Tb{sub 0.3}Dy{sub 0.7}Co{sub 2}) to the second (in TbCo{sub 2} and Tb{sub 0.3}Dy{sub 0.7}Co{sub 2}H{sub 0.5}) order, leading to a noticeable decrease in the magnetocaloric effect.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Space station WP-04 power system. Volume 1: Executive summary

Major study activities and results of the phase B study contract for the preliminary design of the space station Electrical Power System (EPS) are summarized. The areas addressed include the general system design, man-tended option, automation and robotics, evolutionary growth, software development environment, advanced development, customer accommodations, operations planning, product assurance, and design and development phase planning. The EPS consists of a combination photovoltaic and solar dynamic power generation subsystem and a power management and distribution (PMAD) subsystem. System trade studies and costing activities are also summarized.

Hallinan, G. J.↗

Simulation and generalized Langevin equation study of lipid subdiffusion in biomembrane phases

In biomembranes lipid mobility exhibits deviations from the classical diffusive behavior of Brownian particles, i.e. ‘anomalous’ diffusion. The question arises as to how this anomalous diffusive behavior varies in gel, ripple, and fluid biomembrane phases. Here, in this study, we perform all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayers in the three different phases and analyze the results using the framework of the Generalized Langevin Equation (GLE). This analysis emphasizes sub-diffusive behavior on the relatively short, picosecond-nanosecond timescales, capturing local molecular constraints and transient caging effects during the crossover of atomic dynamics from vibrational to incipient anharmonic motion. The ripple and gel phases are found to exhibit strong transient caging and prolonged memory effects resulting in distinct sub-diffusive behavior. The role of hydrogen bonding in lipid confinement is also examined, demonstrating its influence on phase-dependent molecular ordering and on short-time diffusional constraints. These findings demonstrate the GLE framework’s utility in characterizing molecular transport and lipid dynamics, with implications for longer timescale membrane dynamics.

Malik, Sheeba [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL↗