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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 NTRS2003

Robust and Simple Non-Reflecting Boundary Conditions for the Euler Equations: A New Approach Based on the Space-Time CE/SE Method

This paper reports on a significant advance in the area of non-reflecting boundary conditions (NRBCs) for unsteady flow computations. As a part of the development of the space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) method, sets of NRBCs for 1D Euler problems are developed without using any characteristics-based techniques. These conditions are much simpler than those commonly reported in the literature, yet so robust that they are applicable to subsonic, transonic and supersonic flows even in the presence of discontinuities. In addition, the straightforward multidimensional extensions of the present 1D NRBCs have been shown numerically to be equally simple and robust. The paper details the theoretical underpinning of these NRBCs, and explains their unique robustness and accuracy in terms of the conservation of space-time fluxes. Some numerical results for an extended Sod's shock-tube problem, illustrating the effectiveness of the present NRBCs are included, together with an associated simple Fortran computer program. As a preliminary to the present development, a review of the basic CE/SE schemes is also included.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗
NASA NTRS1987

Technologies applicable to space tethers

An investigation is presented of technologies which have been accumulated over the years, both on Earth and in space, dealing with tethers, ropes and cables. Many of these technologies can be applied, with modification, to both on-going and future space tether research and demonstration missions. The major areas of tether research and technology developments presented include multimegawatt power transmission, materials and structures, dynamics and control, environmental interactions, and in-space operations. These major topical areas are presented within the context of their associated research program or study.

Baracat, William A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Seal development activities at Allison Turbine Division

Brush seals are being evaluated for potential near and far term gas turbine engine applications. Development is in the form of rig component testing and engine testing. Allison has tested an engine with 20 individual brush seal positions. These seals were located throughout the engine. The emphasis of the current work is on obtaining long term performance data for brush seals. Very little of this data is available. Allison is presently developing film riding face seal technology to support future gas turbine engine applications. A face seal with an approximate 7 inch diameter was successfully tested to 1000 F, 100 psid, and 650 ft/sec. Seal leakage remained below 1 scfm throughout the duration of the test. A model for the compressible gas film was developed which separates the model for the compressible gas film was developed which separates the primary seal rings during operation. This model is based on the traditional Reynold's approach which is customarily applied to lubrication type problems. Because of the difficulty of experimentally verifying the program predictions, a commercial Navier-Stokes code was used in parallel. By comparing predictions for similar cases, it is expected that the limitations of the Reynold's model can be assessed as it applies to this particular seal.

Munson, John↗
NASA NTRS2007

Multiple-Parameter, Low-False-Alarm Fire-Detection Systems

Fire-detection systems incorporating multiple sensors that measure multiple parameters are being developed for use in storage depots, cargo bays of ships and aircraft, and other locations not amenable to frequent, direct visual inspection. These systems are intended to improve upon conventional smoke detectors, now used in such locations, that reliably detect fires but also frequently generate false alarms: for example, conventional smoke detectors based on the blockage of light by smoke particles are also affected by dust particles and water droplets and, thus, are often susceptible to false alarms. In contrast, by utilizing multiple parameters associated with fires, i.e. not only obscuration by smoke particles but also concentrations of multiple chemical species that are commonly generated in combustion, false alarms can be significantly decreased while still detecting fires as reliably as older smoke-detector systems do. The present development includes fabrication of sensors that have, variously, micrometer- or nanometer-sized features so that such multiple sensors can be integrated into arrays that have sizes, weights, and power demands smaller than those of older macroscopic sensors. The sensors include resistors, electrochemical cells, and Schottky diodes that exhibit different sensitivities to the various airborne chemicals of interest. In a system of this type, the sensor readings are digitized and processed by advanced signal-processing hardware and software to extract such chemical indications of fires as abnormally high concentrations of CO and CO2, possibly in combination with H2 and/or hydrocarbons. The system also includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based particle detector and classifier device to increase the reliability of measurements of chemical species and particulates. In parallel research, software for modeling the evolution of a fire within an aircraft cargo bay has been developed. The model implemented in the software can describe the concentrations of chemical species and of particulate matter as functions of time. A system of the present developmental type and a conventional fire detector were tested under both fire and false-alarm conditions in a Federal Aviation Administration cargo-compartment- testing facility. Both systems consistently detected fires. However, the conventional fire detector consistently generated false alarms, whereas the developmental system did not generate any false alarms.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Manned Mars Mission program concepts

This paper describes the SRS Manned Mars Mission and Program Analysis study designed to support a manned expedition to Mars contemplated by NASA for the purposes of initiating human exploration and eventual habitation of this planet. The capabilities of the interactive software package being presently developed by the SRS for the mission/program analysis are described, and it is shown that the interactive package can be used to investigate the impact of various mission concepts on the sensitivity of mass required in LEO, schedules, relative costs, and risk. The results, to date, indicate the need for an earth-to-orbit transportation system much larger than the present STS, reliable long-life support systems, and either advanced propulsion or aerobraking technology.

Hamilton, E. C.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Phase-field model of alloy solidification far from chemical equilibrium at the solid-liquid interface

We further develop a recently introduced phase-field model of far-from-equilibrium alloy solidification under additive manufacturing conditions [K. Ji et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 026203 (2023)]. This model utilizes enhanced solute diffusivity within the spatially diffuse interface region to quantitatively capture solute trapping with a larger interface width, thereby making simulations on experimentally relevant length and timescales computationally feasible. The main developments presented here include testing the robustness of different variational formulations, extending the model to concentrated alloys by incorporating solid and liquid free energies from thermodynamic databases, as illustrated for hypoeutectic Al-Ag alloys with CALPHAD, extending convergence tests as a function of interface width to 3D, and carrying out simulations in both 2D and 3D to examine existing theories of microstructure development. Our results indicate that the simplest variational formulation that interpolates the bulk free-energy density between its solid and liquid forms is the most robust. Remarkably, for hypoeutectic Al-Ag alloys, this formulation yields a high-velocity nonequilibrium phase diagram that is independent of interface width, thereby demonstrating that the framework of enhanced solute diffusivity can be nontrivially extended to concentrated alloys. Other variational formulations have restricted ranges of materials or processing parameters that can be reliably modeled. We use 2D simulations to construct high-velocity microstructure selection maps for dilute Al-Cu alloys. The results validate the important role of latent heat rejection at the interface and extend the limited predictions of linear stability analysis [A. Karma and A. Sarkissian, Phys. Rev. E 47, 513 (1993)] and sharp-interface 1D simulations to fully nonlinear regimes. Furthermore, 3D simulations, carried out using a computationally tractable axisymmetric cellular/dendritic interface shape, demonstrate a good convergence similar to that observed in 2D as a function of interface width. Full 3D simulations, in turn, reveal that the standard theory of absolute stability is a good predictor of the upper critical velocity beyond which steady-state growth becomes unstable, despite the different morphological manifestations of this instability in 2D and 3D.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2013

Sabots, Obturator and Gas-In-Launch Tube Techniques for Heat Flux Models in Ballistic Ranges

For thermal protection system (heat shield) design for space vehicle entry into earth and other planetary atmospheres, it is essential to know the augmentation of the heat flux due to vehicle surface roughness. At the NASA Ames Hypervelocity Free Flight Aerodynamic Facility (HFFAF) ballistic range, a campaign of heat flux studies on rough models, using infrared camera techniques, has been initiated. Several phenomena can interfere with obtaining good heat flux data when using this measuring technique. These include leakage of the hot drive gas in the gun barrel through joints in the sabot (model carrier) to create spurious thermal imprints on the model forebody, deposition of sabot material on the model forebody, thereby changing the thermal properties of the model surface and unknown in-barrel heating of the model. This report presents developments in launch techniques to greatly reduce or eliminate these problems. The techniques include the use of obturator cups behind the launch package, enclosed versus open front sabot designs and the use of hydrogen gas in the launch tube. Attention also had to be paid to the problem of the obturator drafting behind the model and impacting the model. Of the techniques presented, the obturator cups and hydrogen in the launch tube were successful when properly implemented

obturators↗
NASA NTRS2008

An Automated Method for Ozonesonde Calibration: New Insights

An automated method for preparation of the electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) ozonesonde is presented. Development of a computer-controlled system for preparation and calibration of the ECC is an improvement over the manual preparation method, and reduces subjectivity considerably. Preparation measurements in digital form aids analysis of the ECC before release and enhances post-flight data certification. Calibration of ozonesondes over a range of ozone concentrations between 0 mPA and 30 mPA is discussed. This presentation describes the automatic system, gives examples of calibrations. The automated system enables comparison of varying potassium iodide (KI) concentrations that should allow adjustment of earlier ozonesonde data obtained with different KT concentrations used since 1970, i.e., 2, 1.5, 1, and 0.5 percent. Preliminary results indicate ECC accuracy has a strong dependence on the electrolyte concentration and should not be considered linear with altitude.

Schmidlin, F. J.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Smaller, Lower-Power Fast-Neutron Scintillation Detectors

Scintillation-based fast-neutron detectors that are smaller and less power-hungry than mainstream scintillation-based fast-neutron detectors are undergoing development. There are numerous applications for such detectors in monitoring fast-neutron fluxes from nuclear reactors, nuclear materials, and natural sources, both on Earth and in outer space. A particularly important terrestrial application for small, low-power, portable fast-neutron detectors lies in the requirement to scan for nuclear materials in cargo and baggage arriving at international transportation facilities. The present development of miniature, low-power scintillation-based fast-neutron detectors exploits recent advances in the fabrication of avalanche photodiodes (APDs). Basically, such a detector includes a plastic scintillator, typically between 300 and 400 m thick with very thin silver mirror coating on all its faces except the one bonded to an APD. All photons generated from scintillation are thus internally reflected and eventually directed to the APD. This design affords not only compactness but also tight optical coupling for utilization of a relatively large proportion of the scintillation light. The combination of this tight coupling and the avalanche-multiplication gain (typically between 750 and 1,000) of the APD is expected to have enough sensitivity to enable monitoring of a fast-neutron flux as small as 1,000 cm(exp -2)s(exp -1). Moreover, pulse-height analysis can be expected to provide information on the kinetic energies of incident neutrons. It has been estimated that a complete, fully developed fast-neutron detector of this type, would be characterized by linear dimensions of the order of 10 cm or less, a mass of no more than about 0.5 kg, and a power demand of no more than a few watts.

Patel, Jagdish↗
NASA NTRS2003

Advanced Rainbow Solar Photovoltaic Arrays

Photovoltaic arrays of the rainbow type, equipped with light-concentrator and spectral-beam-splitter optics, have been investigated in a continuing effort to develop lightweight, high-efficiency solar electric power sources. This investigation has contributed to a revival of the concept of the rainbow photovoltaic array, which originated in the 1950s but proved unrealistic at that time because the selection of solar photovoltaic cells was too limited. Advances in the art of photovoltaic cells since that time have rendered the concept more realistic, thereby prompting the present development effort. A rainbow photovoltaic array comprises side-by-side strings of series-connected photovoltaic cells. The cells in each string have the same bandgap, which differs from the bandgaps of the other strings. Hence, each string operates most efficiently in a unique wavelength band determined by its bandgap. To obtain maximum energy-conversion efficiency and to minimize the size and weight of the array for a given sunlight input aperture, the sunlight incident on the aperture is concentrated, then spectrally dispersed onto the photovoltaic array plane, whereon each string of cells is positioned to intercept the light in its wavelength band of most efficient operation. The number of cells in each string is chosen so that the output potentials of all the strings are the same; this makes it possible to connect the strings together in parallel to maximize the output current of the array. According to the original rainbow photovoltaic concept, the concentrated sunlight was to be split into multiple beams by use of an array of dichroic filters designed so that each beam would contain light in one of the desired wavelength bands. The concept has since been modified to provide for dispersion of the spectrum by use of adjacent prisms. A proposal for an advanced version calls for a unitary concentrator/ spectral-beam-splitter optic in the form of a parabolic curved Fresnel-like prism array with panels of photovoltaic cells on two sides (see figure). The surface supporting the solar cells can be adjusted in length or angle to accommodate the incident spectral pattern. An unoptimized prototype assembly containing ten adjacent prisms and three photovoltaic cells with different bandgaps (InGaP2, GaAs, and InGaAs) was constructed to demonstrate feasibility. The actual array will consist of a lightweight thin-film silicon layer of prisms curved into a parabolic shape. In an initial test under illumination of 1 sun at zero airmass, the energy-conversion efficiency of the assembly was found to be 20 percent. Further analysis of the data from this test led to a projected energy conversion efficiency as high as 41 percent for an array of 6 cells or strings (GaP, AlGaAs, InGaP2, GaAs, and two different InGaAs cells or strings).

Mardesich, Nick↗
NASA NTRS1980

The place of space technology in economic development: Reflections on present and future aspects

The effects of the development of satellite applications on the orientation of the space effort were examined. The gap between available and exploited technology, the impact of the current economic climate and future trends are discussed. Europe's low level of public funding for its space effort, in comparison to other space powers, and the dangers of complacency regarding Europe's competitiveness in the space market are illustrated. A proposal for the general direction which Europe's future strategy must take if European independence in this field is to be preserved is presented.

Lebeau, A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

In situ multi-tier auto-ignition detection applied to dual-fuel combustion simulations

Here we use an anomaly detection methodology that is centered on analyzing fourth-order joint moments (co-kurtosis), particularly focusing on its application in auto-ignition of combustion problems with large numbers of species. Unsupervised anomaly detection is challenging to generalize across problem types and domains. A recent technique, centered on analyzing information in the fourth-order joint moment co-kurtosis, has shown promise, especially for high-dimensional scientific data. In this work we present developments to the co-kurtosis based anomaly detection method needed to make it effective and scalable for large-scale distributed scientific data, such as those generated by massively parallel simulations. An in situ co-kurtosis algorithm is employed as the anomaly detection method for identifying ignition kernels in simulations of turbulent combustion. Here, we extend an existing methodology which identifies regions of the domain where anomalies are present, and add another tier of anomaly detection where the individual samples contributing to the anomaly are identified. We apply this algorithm on-the-fly to a variety of turbulent reacting flow problems and compare it to the widely used (but significantly more expensive) chemical explosive mode analysis (CEMA). We demonstrate the ability of the method to detect and identify the onset of low and high temperature ignition which can be used for computational steering, as chemical and combustion anomalies occur intermittently at spatio-temporal locations unknown a priori. Finally, we apply our lightweight in situ algorithm to an exascale high-fidelity simulation with a total of 2.4 Trillion degrees of freedom, performed using an adaptive mesh refinement solver. Furthermore, through a scalability analysis, we show that the relative computational cost of this in-situ anomaly detection algorithm compared to an iteration of the reacting flow solver is negligible.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1999

Static and Vibration Analyses of General Wing Structures Using Equivalent Plate Models

An efficient method, using equivalent plate model, is developed for studying the static and vibration analyses of general built-up wing structures composed of skins, spars, and ribs. The model includes the transverse shear effects by treating the built-up wing as a plate following the Reissner-Mindlin theory, the so-called First-order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT). The Ritz method is used with the Legendre polynomials being employed as the trial functions. This is in contrast to previous equivalent plate model methods which have used simple polynomials, known to be prone to numerical ill-conditioning, as the trial functions. The present developments are evaluated by comparing the results with those obtained using MSC/NASTRAN, for a set of examples. These examples are: (i) free-vibration analysis of a clamped trapezoidal plate with (a) uniform thickness, and (b) non-uniform thickness varying as an airfoil, (ii) free-vibration and static analyses (including skin stress distribution) of a general built-up wing, and (iii) free-vibration and static analyses of a swept-back box wing. The results obtained by the present equivalent plate model are in good agreement with those obtained by the finite element method.

Kapania, Rakesh K.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Arrays of Miniature Microphones for Aeroacoustic Testing

A phased-array system comprised of custom-made and commercially available microelectromechanical system (MEMS) silicon microphones and custom ancillary hardware has been developed for use in aeroacoustic testing in hard-walled and acoustically treated wind tunnels. Recent advances in the areas of multi-channel signal processing and beam forming have driven the construction of phased arrays containing ever-greater numbers of microphones. Traditional obstacles to this trend have been posed by (1) the high costs of conventional condenser microphones, associated cabling, and support electronics and (2) the difficulty of mounting conventional microphones in the precise locations required for high-density arrays. The present development overcomes these obstacles. One of the hallmarks of the new system is a series of fabricated platforms on which multiple microphones can be mounted. These mounting platforms, consisting of flexible polyimide circuit-board material (see left side of figure), include all the necessary microphone power and signal interconnects. A single bus line connects all microphones to a common power supply, while the signal lines terminate in one or more data buses on the sides of the circuit board. To minimize cross talk between array channels, ground lines are interposed as shields between all the data bus signal lines. The MEMS microphones are electrically connected to the boards via solder pads that are built into the printed wiring. These flexible circuit boards share many characteristics with their traditional rigid counterparts, but can be manufactured much thinner, as small as 0.1 millimeter, and much lighter with boards weighing as much as 75 percent less than traditional rigid ones. For a typical hard-walled wind-tunnel installation, the flexible printed-circuit board is bonded to the tunnel wall and covered with a face sheet that contains precise cutouts for the microphones. Once the face sheet is mounted, a smooth surface is established over the entire array due to the flush mounting of all microphones (see right side of figure). The face sheet is made from a continuous glass-woven-fabric base impregnated with an epoxy resin binder. This material offers a combination of high mechanical strength and low dielectric loss, making it suitable for withstanding the harsh test section environment present in many wind tunnels, while at the same time protecting the underlying polyimide board. Customized signal-conditioning hardware consisting of line drivers and antialiasing filters are coupled with the array. The line drivers are constructed using low-supply-current, high-gain-bandwidth operational amplifiers designed to transmit the microphone signals several dozen feet from the array to external acquisition hardware. The anti-alias filters consist of individual Chebyshev low-pass filters (one for each microphone channel) housed on small printed-circuit boards mounted on one or more motherboards. The mother/daughter board design results in a modular system, which is easy to debug and service and which enables the filter characteristics to be changed by swapping daughter boards with ones containing different filter parameters. The filter outputs are passed to commercially- available acquisition hardware to digitize and store the conditioned microphone signals. Wind-tunnel testing of the new MEMS microphone polyimide mounting system shows that the array performance is comparable to that of traditional arrays, but with significantly less cost of construction.

Shams, Qamar A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Gas Sensors Based on Coated and Doped Carbon Nanotubes

Efforts are underway to develop inexpensive, low-power electronic sensors, based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), for measuring part-per-million and part-per-billion of selected gases (small molecules) at room temperature. Chemically unmodified SWCNTs are mostly unresponsive to typical gases that one might wish to detect. However, the electrical resistances of SWCNTs can be made to vary with concentrations of gases of interest by coating or doping the SWCNTs with suitable materials. Accordingly, the basic idea of the present development efforts is to incorporate thus-treated SWCNTs into electronic devices that measure their electrical resistances.

Li, Jing↗
NASA NTRS2009

Structural/Radiation-Shielding Epoxies

A development effort was directed toward formulating epoxy resins that are useful both as structural materials and as shielding against heavy-ion radiation. Hydrogen is recognized as the best element for absorbing heavy-ion radiation, and high-hydrogen-content polymers are now in use as shielding materials. However, high-hydrogen-content polymers (e.g. polyethylene) are typically not good structural materials. In contrast, aromatic polymers, which contain smaller amounts of hydrogen, often have the strength necessary for structural materials. Accordingly, the present development effort is based on the concept that an ideal structural/ heavy-ion-radiation-shielding material would be a polymer that contains sufficient hydrogen (e.g., in the form of aliphatic molecular groups) for radiation shielding and has sufficient aromatic content for structural integrity.

Connell, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1996

GaAs Solar Cell Radiation Handbook

The handbook discusses the history of GaAs solar cell development, presents equations useful for working with GaAs solar cells, describes commonly used instrumentation techniques for assessing radiation effects in solar cells and fundamental processes occurring in solar cells exposed to ionizing radiation, and explains why radiation decreases the electrical performance of solar cells. Three basic elements required to perform solar array degradation calculations: degradation data for GaAs solar cells after irradiation with 1 MeV electrons at normal incidence; relative damage coefficients for omnidirectional electron and proton exposure; and the definition of the space radiation environment for the orbit of interest, are developed and used to perform a solar array degradation calculation.

Anspaugh, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1961

The Theory of Artificial Satellites in Terms of the Orbital True Longitude

The author's previous theory of the artificial satellite is derived in terms of the. disturbed eccentric anomaly. The present development, in terms of the orbital true longitude, is a substantial improvement over the earlier work in that it leads to the faster convergence for large eccentricities and to a smaller number of terms in the series representing the perturbations. Moreover, each approximation of the radius vector and of the parameters determining the position of the orbit plane is obtained not in the form of a truncated infinite series but in the form of trigonometric polynomials in two arguments. These arguments are the mean true anomaly and the mean argument of the latitude. The present theory, like the previous one, permits the computation of perturbations of any desired order. Thus, any future information about earth's gravitational field can easily be included.

Musen, Peter↗