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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Modeling Natural Space Ionizing Radiation Effects on External Materials

Predicting the effective life of materials for space applications has become increasingly critical with the drive to reduce mission cost. Programs have considered many solutions to reduce launch costs including novel, low mass materials and thin thermal blankets to reduce spacecraft mass. Determining the long-term survivability of these materials before launch is critical for mission success. This presentation will describe an analysis performed on the outer layer of the passive thermal control blanket of the Hubble Space Telescope. This layer had degraded for unknown reasons during the mission, however ionizing radiation (IR) induced embrittlement was suspected. A methodology was developed which allowed direct comparison between the energy deposition of the natural environment and that of the laboratory generated environment. Commercial codes were used to predict the natural space IR environment model energy deposition in the material from both natural and laboratory IR sources, and design the most efficient test. Results were optimized for total and local energy deposition with an iterative spreadsheet. This method has been used successfully for several laboratory tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The study showed that the natural space IR environment, by itself, did not cause the premature degradation observed in the thermal blanket.

Alstatt, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Experimental Simulations of Large-Scale Collisions

This report summarizes research on the effects of target porosity on the mechanics of impact cratering. Impact experiments conducted on a centrifuge provide direct simulations of large-scale cratering on porous asteroids. The experiments show that large craters in porous materials form mostly by compaction, with essentially no deposition of material into the ejecta blanket that is a signature of cratering in less-porous materials. The ratio of ejecta mass to crater mass is shown to decrease with increasing crater size or target porosity. These results are consistent with the observation that large closely-packed craters on asteroid Mathilde appear to have formed without degradation to earlier craters.

Housen, Kevin R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Examination of returned solar-max surfaces for impacting orbital debris and meteoroids

Previous theoretical studies predicted that in certain regions of earth orbit, the man-made earth orbiting debris environment will soon exceed the interplanetary meteoroid environment for sizes smaller than 1 cm. The surfaces returned from the repaired Solar Max Mission (SMM) by STS 41-C on April 12, 1984, offered an excellent opportunity to examine both the debris and meteoroid environments. To date, approximately 0.7 sq. met. of the thermal insulation and 0.05 sq. met of the aluminum louvers have been mapped by optical microscope for crater diameters larger than 40 microns. Craters larger in diameter than about 100 microns found on the initial 75 micron thick Kapton first sheet on the MEB (Main Electronics Box) blanket are actually holes and constitute perforations through that blanket. The following populations have been found to date in impact sites on these blankets: (1) meteoritic material; (2) thermal paint particles; (3) aluminum droplets; and (4) waste particles.

Kessler, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Pressure rig for repetitive casting

The invention is a pressure rig for repetitive casting of metal. The pressure rig performs like a piston for feeding molten metal into a mold. Pressure is applied to an expandable rubber diaphragm which expands like a balloon to force the metal into the mold. A ceramic cavity which holds molten metal is lined with blanket-type insulating material, necessitating only a relining for subsequent use and eliminating the lengthy cavity preparation inherent in previous rigs. In addition, the expandable rubber diaphragm is protected by the insulating material thereby decreasing its vulnerability to heat damage. As a result of the improved design the life expectancy of the pressure rig contemplated by the present invention is more than doubled. Moreover, the improved heat protection has allowed the casting of brass and other alloys with higher melting temperatures than possible in the conventional pressure rigs.

Vasquez, Peter↗
NASA NTRS2010

Silica/Polymer and Silica/Polymer/Fiber Composite Aerogels

Aerogels that consist, variously, of neat silica/polymer alloys and silica/polymer alloy matrices reinforced with fibers have been developed as materials for flexible thermal-insulation blankets. In comparison with prior aerogel blankets, these aerogel blankets are more durable and less dusty. These blankets are also better able to resist and recover from compression . an important advantage in that maintenance of thickness is essential to maintenance of high thermal-insulation performance. These blankets are especially suitable as core materials for vacuum- insulated panels and vacuum-insulated boxes of advanced, nearly seamless design. (Inasmuch as heat leakage at seams is much greater than heat leakage elsewhere through such structures, advanced designs for high insulation performance should provide for minimization of the sizes and numbers of seams.) A silica/polymer aerogel of the present type could be characterized, somewhat more precisely, as consisting of multiply bonded, linear polymer reinforcements within a silica aerogel matrix. Thus far, several different polymethacrylates (PMAs) have been incorporated into aerogel networks to increase resistance to crushing and to improve other mechanical properties while minimally affecting thermal conductivity and density. The polymethacrylate phases are strongly linked into the silica aerogel networks in these materials. Unlike in other organic/inorganic blended aerogels, the inorganic and organic phases are chemically bonded to each other, by both covalent and hydrogen bonds. In the process for making a silica/polymer alloy aerogel, the covalent bonds are introduced by prepolymerization of the methacrylate monomer with trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate, which serves as a phase cross-linker in that it contains both organic and inorganic monomer functional groups and hence acts as a connector between the organic and inorganic phases. Hydrogen bonds are formed between the silanol groups of the inorganic phase and the carboxyl groups of the organic phase. The polymerization process has been adapted to create interpenetrating PMA and silica-gel networks from monomers and prevent any phase separations that could otherwise be caused by an overgrowth of either phase. Typically, the resulting PMA/silica aerogel, without or with fiber reinforcement, has a density and a thermal conductivity similar to those of pure silica aerogels. However, the PMA enhances mechanical properties. Specifically, flexural strength at rupture is increased to 102 psi (=0.7 MPa), about 50 times the flexural strength of typical pure silica aerogels. Resistance to compression is also increased: Applied pressure of 17.5 psi (=0.12 MPa) was found to reduce the thicknesses of several composite PMA/silica aerogels by only about 10 percent.

Ou, Danny↗
NASA NTRS2012

Two Dimensional Heat Transfer around Penetrations in Multilayer Insulation

The objective of this task was to quantify thermal losses involving integrating MLI into real life situations. Testing specifically focused on the effects of penetrations (including structural attachments, electrical conduit/feedthroughs, and fluid lines) through MLI. While there have been attempts at quantifying these losses both analytically and experimentally, none have included a thorough investigation of the methods and materials that could be used in such applications. To attempt to quantify the excess heat load coming into the system due to the integration losses, a calorimeter was designed to study two dimensional heat transfer through penetrated MLI. The test matrix was designed to take as many variables into account as was possible with the limited test duration and system size. The parameters varied were the attachment mechanism, the buffer material (for buffer attachment mechanisms only), the thickness of the buffer, and the penetration material. The work done under this task is an attempt to measure the parasitic heat loads and affected insulation areas produced by system integration, to model the parasitic loads, and from the model produce engineering equations to allow for the determination of parasitic heat loads in future applications. The methods of integration investigated were no integration, using a buffer to thermally isolate the strut from the MLI, and temperature matching the MLI on the strut. Several materials were investigated as a buffer material including aerogel blankets, aerogel bead packages, cryolite, and even an evacuated vacuum space (in essence a no buffer condition).

Johnson, Wesley L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Survey of ISS and Visiting Vehicle Returned Surfaces for Environmental Characterization and Computer Model Development

The Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM) developed by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) is a data-driven model — extensive radar, optical, laboratory, and in situ measurement data sets have been used to build the model since its earliest versions. A salient aspect of professional software development is the verification and validation (V&V) process. Verification answers the question “Is the model built correctly?” while validation addresses the question “Did we build the correct model?” Less extensive, reserved, or independent data sets serve the validation requirement. Due to the dynamic nature of the orbital debris environment, it is critical to use contemporaneous data sources that represent the current environment to support ORDEM development and validation. ORDEM has utilized in situ data collected from Space Shuttle and Hubble Space Telescope surface inspections, now over a decade old. This historical dataset is fundamental for providing baseline in situ measurement data for sizes between 10 to 300 microns, but new data sources are being evaluated using returned surfaces from or near the International Space Station (ISS). This paper reviews a general microscopic survey of ISS soft goods, the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA-2) blanket, and a limited-scope feasibility study conducted on the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Dragon capsule’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) material. The PMA-2 blanket, exposed to the space environment between 09 July 2013 and 25 February 2015, is an approximately 3.7 m2-area blanket composed of a betacloth outer layer and multiple ballistic fabric inner layers. The SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule regularly visited the ISS from 2012 through 2020 and potentially provides a timely and well-characterized source of data for modeling purposes. The capsule’s lateral surfaces use SpaceX Proprietary Ablative Material (SPAM) TPS material, a syntactic foam, for thermal management during all mission phases. Seven SPAM extracted samples have been analyzed to date. This paper will provide an overview of the characterization completed for impact features by size, depth, impactor diameter, and the impactor residues chemical analyses, allowing a differentiation between micrometeoroids and orbital debris and a categorization by mass density and density class. Impactor diameter is estimated using damage equations generated from ground-based hypervelocity impact testing. The orbital debris impactors are compared to the current ORDEM 3.2 model of the environment at ISS altitudes. We briefly discuss the meteoroid impactors, including constituents and mass densities, in the general context of current models.

Phillip Anz-meador↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Survey of ISS and Visiting Vehicle Returned Surfaces for Environmental Characterization and Computer Model Development

The Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM) developed by the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) is a data-driven model — extensive radar, optical, laboratory, and in situ measurement data sets have been used to build the model since its earliest versions. A salient aspect of professional software development is the verification and validation (V&V) process. Verification answers the question “Is the model built correctly?” while validation addresses the question “Did we build the correct model?” Less extensive, reserved, or independent data sets serve the validation requirement. Due to the dynamic nature of the orbital debris environment, it is critical to use contemporaneous data sources that represent the current environment to support ORDEM development and validation. ORDEM has utilized in situ data collected from Space Shuttle and Hubble Space Telescope surface inspections, now over a decade old. This historical dataset is fundamental for providing baseline in situ measurement data for sizes between 10 to 300 microns, but new data sources are being evaluated using returned surfaces from or near the International Space Station (ISS). This paper reviews a general microscopic survey of ISS soft goods, the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA-2) blanket, and a limited-scope feasibility study conducted on the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Dragon capsule’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) material. The PMA-2 blanket, exposed to the space environment between 09 July 2013 and 25 February 2015, is an approximately 3.7 m2-area blanket composed of a betacloth outer layer and multiple ballistic fabric inner layers. The SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule regularly visited the ISS from 2012 through 2020 and potentially provides a timely and well-characterized source of data for modeling purposes. The capsule’s lateral surfaces use SpaceX Proprietary Ablative Material (SPAM) TPS material, a syntactic foam, for thermal management during all mission phases. Seven SPAM extracted samples have been analyzed to date. This paper will provide an overview of the characterization completed for impact features by size, depth, impactor diameter, and the impactor residues chemical analyses, allowing a differentiation between micrometeoroids and orbital debris and a categorization by mass density and density class. Impactor diameter is estimated using damage equations generated from ground-based hypervelocity impact testing. The orbital debris impactors are compared to the current ORDEM 3.2 model of the environment at ISS altitudes. We briefly discuss the meteoroid impactors, including constituents and mass densities, in the general context of current models.

Phillip Anz-Meador↗
NASA NTRS1973

Photogeology of the dark material in the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon

Regional relations and characteristics of the dark material as observed on photographs of the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon are reviewed to provide a background for interpretations of its nature and origin. The dark material seems to be a surficial deposit that covers mare and highland areas near the southeastern edge of the Serenitatis Basin. The age of the dark material, as deduced from photogeologic analysis, is ambiguous: contact relations near its western edge suggest that it is older than the central light basalts of Mare Serenitatis; evidence elsewhere indicates that it may be younger. The origin of the dark material is also uncertain, and the following alternate hypotheses are briefly considered: (1) thick regolith, (2) dark impact ejecta, (3) pyroclastic blanket, or (4) a material of different origin in different places.

Lucchitta, B. K.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Thermal Contributions to the Degradation of Ground-Laboratory- and Space-Irradiated Teflon Investigated

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is covered with two primary types of thermal control materials, radiators and multilayer insulation blankets, which passively control temperatures during orbit. Both of these thermal control materials utilize back-surface metalized Teflon FEP (DuPont, fluorinated ethylene propylene) as the exterior (spacefacing) layer because of its excellent optical properties (low solar absorptance and high thermal emittance). The aluminized-FEP (Al-FEP) outermost layer of the multilayer insulation blankets on the HST has become embrittled while in space, resulting in severe on-orbit cracking (see the photographs). During the second servicing mission, an extremely embrittled piece of Al-FEP was retrieved that had curled, exposing the backsurface aluminum to space (see the photograph on the right). Because the aluminum surface has a lower thermal emittance than the FEP, this curled piece reached 200 C during orbit, 150 C higher than the nominal temperature extreme. To better understand the effect of temperature on the rate of degradation, and on the mechanism of degradation, of this insulation material in the low-Earth-orbit environment, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center conducted experiments to determine the effect of heating on the degradation of FEP that has been irradiated in a ground laboratory facility or in space on the HST. For this study, Teflon FEP retrieved from the HST during the third servicing mission after 9.7 years of space exposure was provided to Glenn by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

deGroh, Kim K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Analysis of Ag/FEP Thermal Control Blanket Performance From Multiple Satellites

Materials performance data from operational spacecraft and spacecraft experiments has slowly accumulated over the years. Much of this data is obtained indirectly by analyzing temperature measurements telemetered to ground. Due to the Space Transportation System (STS) program, materials performance data has also been obtained by flying materials on satellites, or on the Space Shuttle itself, for limited periods of time, and then returning the materials to ground for post-flight examination. During the course of NASA contract NAS8-98213, the authors have extended the analysis of data reported for selected materials flown on a variety of spacecraft over the past 30 years. In this paper we discuss changes in two properties of silver- or aluminum-backed (metallized) FEP Teflon due to exposure to specific environmental factors on-orbit. First, the change in solar absorptance (alpha(sub s)) of metallized FEP Teflon as a function of particulate radiation will be discussed. Data providing the change in solar absorptance of metallized FEP as a function of days on orbit has been published for NTS-2 satellite, several NavStar Global Positioning Satellites (GPS), the SCATHA experiment, and the ML-101 satellite. The unique approach that we have taken is to calculate the absorbed radiation dose within the Ag/FEP for the various satellite orbits, and to plot the change in solar absorptance, alpha(sub s), as a function of the dose; the behavior agrees with the same data from laboratory tests. Second, the variation of the atomic oxygen induced material recession rate of metallized FEP will be discussed. Data from certain Space Shuttle flights, a Lockheed experiment [approximately 105 days in low Earth orbit (LEO)], and the Long Duration Exposure Facility allows the variation of the material recession rate of Ag/FEP to be estimated under conditions that include atomic oxygen exposure.

Pippin, Gary↗
NASA NTRS1982

Remote sensing studies of lunar dark-halo impact craters - Preliminary results and implications for early volcanism

A summary of the nature and origin of lunar dark-halo craters is presented. New remote sensing data for dark-haloed impact craters were obtained and interpreted. A variety of spectral, thermal, radar, and photogeologic data are presented which confirm the hypothesis that Copernicus H crater excavated mare basalt from beneath lighter deposits emplaced by the Copernicus impact event. Multispectral imagery suggests that analogous impact re-exposure of basaltic material on the ejecta blankets of other large Copernican and Eratosthenian craters resulted in the formation of other dark-halo craters. Preliminary analyses of near-infrared spectra of dark-haloed impact craters in the Schickard-Schiller region are consistent with the hypothesis that basaltic material was excavated from beneath light plains. These light plains may have been emplaced as a result of the Orientale impact event. Additional evidence is presented which suggests that both pre- and post-Orientale volcanic activity was more prevalent in this region than has previously been recognized.

Hawke, B. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mottled terrain - A continuing Martian enigma

The mottled plains material found in the northern Martian lowlands is discussed in terms of Mariner and Viking images as well as geologic mapping based on Viking images. The mottling in Mariner 9 images of this area was associated with albedo contrasts between bright crater-ejecta blankets and dark intercrater material, and dark-crested knobs. The interpretation of the plains material based on the Mariner images is compared to an interpretation of the higher-quality Viking images. Based on the newer images, the mottled terrain is theorized to be comprised of the four constituent members of the Vastitas Borealis formation of Late Hesperian age. Fluvial, aeolian, and glaciotectonic processes are responsible for the extensive modifications of the apparently volcanic formations. The northern plains are not completely understood in spite of the Viking images, and the varied geology in those plains requires more sampling to confirm the theories.

Scott, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Aerogel-Based Insulation Materials for Cryogenic Applications

Many different aerogel-based materials are now being used in thermal insulation systems for cryogenic applications. These materials include flexible composite blankets, bulk-fill particles, and polymer composites in both evacuated and non-evacuated environments. In ambient environments, aerogels provide superior thermal performance compared to conventional polymeric foam and cellular glass insulations while offering unique advantages in avoiding problems with weathering, moisture, and mechanical damage. Aerogels are also used as spacer materials in multilayer insulation systems. These layered systems provide combined structural-thermal capability for cryogenic systems in either vacuum-jacketed or externally-applied insulation designs. Test data (effective thermal conductivity) include a wide range of both commercial and experimental aerogel materials. Testing was performed using laboratory cryostats and standard methods including full range vacuum (from ambient pressure to high vacuum) and boundary temperatures 293 K and 78 K. Examples of aerogel-based insulation systems are given for both evacuated and non-evacuated applications.

heat transfer↗
NASA NTRS2018

Aerogel-Based Insulation Materials for Cryogenic Applications

Many different aerogel-based materials are now being used in thermal insulation systems for cryogenic applications. These materials include flexible composite blankets, bulk-fill particles, and polymer composites in both evacuated and non-evacuated environments. In ambient environments, aerogels provide superior thermal performance compared to conventional polymeric foam and cellular glass insulations while offering unique advantages in solving problems with weathering, moisture, and mechanical damage. Aerogels are also used as spacer materials in multilayer insulation systems. These layered systems provide combined structural-thermal capability for cryogenic systems in either vacuum-jacketed or externally-applied insulation designs. Test data (effective thermal conductivity) include a wide range of both commercial and experimental aerogel materials. Testing was performed using laboratory cryostats and standard methods including full range vacuum (from ambient pressure to high vacuum) and boundary temperatures 293 K and 78 K. Examples of aerogel-based insulation systems are given for both evacuated and non-evacuated applications.

aerogel layered composites↗
NASA NTRS1999

Insulation Testing Using Cryostat Apparatus with Sleeve

The method and equipment of testing continuously rolled insulation materials is presented in this paper. Testing of blanket and molded products is also facilitated. Materials are installed around a cylindrical copper sleeve using a wrapping machine. The sleeve is slid onto the vertical cold mass of the cryostat. The gap between the cold mass and the sleeve measures less than 1 mm. The cryostat apparatus is a liquid nitrogen boiloff calorimeter system that enables direct measurement of the apparent thermal conductivity (k-value) of the insulation system at any vacuum level between 5 x 10(exp -5) and 760 torr. Sensors are placed between layers of the insulation to provide complete temperature-thickness profiles. The temperatures of the cold mass (maintained at 77.8 kelvin (K)), the sleeve (cold boundary temperature (CBT)), the insulation outer surface (warm boundary temperature (WBT)), and the vacuum can (maintained at 313 K by a thermal shroud) are measured. Plots of CBT, WBT, and layer temperature profiles as functions of vacuum level show the transitions between the three dominant heat transfer modes. For this cryostat apparatus, the measureable heat gain is from 0.2 to 20 watts. The steady-state measurement of k-value is made when all temperatures and the boiloff rate are stable.

Fesmire, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Lunar basin formation and highland stratigraphy

Multiring impact basins, formed after solidification of the lunar crust, account for most or all premare regional deposits and structures expressed in the lunar landscape and for major topographic and gravity variations. A fresh basin has two or more concentric mountain rings, a lineated ejecta blanket, and secondary impact craters. Crackled material on the floor may be impact melt. The ejecta blanket was emplaced at least partly as a ground-hugging flow and was probably hot. A suggested model of basin formation is that the center lifts up and the rings form by inward collapse during evisceration. The resulting basin is shallow and has a central uplift of the mantle. This results in a central gravity high and a ring low. Later flooding by mare basalt has since modified most near side basins. Highland deposits of plains, furrowed and pitted terrain, and various hills, domes, and craters that were interpreted before the Apollo missions as being volcanic can now be interpreted as being basin related.

Howard, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Spacecraft microbial burden reduction due to atmospheric entry heating: Jupiter

Planetary quarantine analyses performed for recent unmanned Mars and Venus missions assumed that the probability of contamination by a spacecraft given accidental impact was equivalent to one. However, in the case of the gaseous outer planets, the heat generated during the inadvertent entry of a spacecraft into the planetary atmosphere might be sufficient to cause significant microbial burden reduction. This could affect navigation strategy by reducing the necessity for biasing the aim point away from the planets. An effort has been underway to develop the tools necessary to predict temperature histories for a typical spacecraft during inadvertent entry. In order that the results have general applicability, parametric analyses were performed. The thermal response of the spacecraft components and debris resulting from disintegration was determined. The temperature histories of small particles and composite materials, such as thermal blankets and an antenna, were given special attention. Guidelines are given to indicate the types of components and debris most likely to contain viable organisms, which could contaminate the lower layers of the Jovian atmosphere (approximately one atmosphere of pressure).

Gonzalez, C. C.↗