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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 NTRS1990

Morphological instability in a float zone

This paper examines the morphological instability of the freezing interface of the float zone in a crystal sheet for which the height of the liquid zone L = Lf + Lm (where Lf and Lm are the planar positions of the solidifying and melting interfaces) is smaller than the width and the thickness of the sheet. The Lf and Lm positions are calculated, and basic state concentration profiles are determined for a planar interfacial system. A linear stability analysis of this system is performed showing that the growth rate of disturbances is a modified version of the growth rate for a directional solidification system. It was found that shorter melt zone configurations are less susceptible to long wavelength morphological instability, indicating that, to suppress morphological instability in a float zone system, it is necessary to decrease the liquid zone height.

Humphreys, Laura B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Interfacial dynamics of two liquids under an oscillating gravitational field

The evolution of two miscible liquids meeting at an initially sharp interface inside a cavity under microgravity g-jitter conditions is studied numerically. The response of the interface and kinematics of the flowfield to various g-jitter accelerations and aspect ratio variations is shown. The interface region acts like a vortex source sheet, and it can be unstable to Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. The vortices produced along the interface can serve as a stirring mechanism to promote local mixing. Below the critical Stokes-Reynolds number, the destabilization of the interface results in deformation into wavy structures. In some parameter regions, these structures oscillate in time; in others, they are quasi-steady. Above the critical Stokes-Reynolds number, 'chaotic' instability results, and the interface breaks into concentration pockets. The morphology of the initial breakup is similar to observed Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Subsequent mixing of the two fluids after the breakup of the interface is then very rapid.

Duval, Walter M. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Convective and morphological instability in vapor crystal growth

Theoretical and experimental work on the fluid dynamics of physical vapor transport is reported. It is shown that diffusion in viscous interaction with container walls leads to concentration gradients normal to the main transport direction. Consequently any convection threshold is removed. This coupling with convective instabilities makes the theoretical interpretation of earthbound (anisotropic) morphological stability studies on vapor-solid interfaces intractable. Hence low-gravity experiments are suggested that will allow for the establishment of morphological stability criteria under diffusion controlled conditions.

Rosenberger, F.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Potential Flow Interactions With Directional Solidification

The effect of convective melt motion on the growth of morphological instabilities in crystal growth has been the focus of many studies in the past decade. While most of the efforts have been directed towards investigating the linear stability aspects, relatively little attention has been devoted to experimental and numerical studies. In a pure morphological case, when there is no flow, morphological changes in the solid-liquid interface are governed by heat conduction and solute distribution. Under the influence of a convective motion, both heat and solute are redistributed, thereby affecting the intrinsic morphological phenomenon. The overall effect of the convective motion could be either stabilizing or destabilizing. Recent investigations have predicted stabilization by a flow parallel to the interface. In the case of non-parallel flows, e.g., stagnation point flow, Brattkus and Davis have found a new flow-induced morphological instability that occurs at long wavelengths and also consists of waves propagating against the flow. Other studies have addressed the nonlinear aspects (Konstantinos and Brown, Wollkind and Segel)). In contrast to the earlier studies, our present investigation focuses on the effects of the potential flow fields typically encountered in Hele-Shaw cells. Such a Hele-Shaw cell can simulate a gravity-free environment in the sense that buoyancy-driven convection is largely suppressed, and hence negligible. Our interest lies both in analyzing the linear stability of the solidification process in the presence of potential flow fields, as well as in performing high-accuracy nonlinear simulations. Linear stability analysis can be performed for the flow configuration mentioned above. It is observed that a parallel potential flow is stabilizing and gives rise to waves traveling downstream. We have built a highly accurate numerical scheme which is validated at small amplitudes by comparing with the analytically predicted results for the pure morphological case. We have been able to observe nonlinear effects at larger times. Preliminary results for the case when flow is imposed also provide good validation at small amplitudes.

Buddhavarapu, Sudhir S.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Effect of surface texture by ion beam sputtering on implant biocompatibility and soft tissue attachment

The objectives in this report were to use the ion beam sputtering technique to produce surface textures on polymers, metals, and ceramics. The morphology of the texture was altered by varying both the width and depth of the square pits which were formed by ion beam erosion. The width of the ribs separating the pits were defined by the mask used to produce the texture. The area of the surface containing pits varies as the width was changed. The biological parameters used to evaluate the biological response to the texture were: (1) fibrous capsule and inflammatory response in subcutaneous soft tissue; (2) strength of the mechanical attachment of the textured surface by the soft tissue; and (3) morphology of the epidermal layer interfacing the textured surface of percutaneous connectors. Because the sputter yield on teflon ribs was approximately an order of magnitude larger than any other material the majority of the measurements presented in the report were obtained with teflon.

Gibbons, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Oxide morphology and spalling model for NiAl

A scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive spectrographic unit was used to study in detail the Al2O3 oxide morphology and oxide-metal interface of a nickel-rich NiAl alloy (Ni-42 at% Al) with a view toward providing information relevant to spalling theories in the MCrAlY system. In addition, the kinetics of spalling was studied for critical evaluation of one of the step-process spall models and for collection of pertinent experimental data. Cyclic oxidation tests were run in 1-atm air at about 1100 C, and isothermal specimens were examined from 2 min to 200 hr of exposure. It is shown that oxide spalling occurs primarily at the oxide-metal interface in an intergranular mode, that crystallographic Kirkendall voids arise as a result of oxidation, and that the fractional area of spalled oxide varies widely in cyclic tests but increases with the square of oxide thickness for isothermal tests. A spall model is developed in the form of a summation series.

Smialek, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Solidification of undercooled metals

The present investigation is concerned with the subject of undercooling (i.e., supercooling) in the case of metal alloys, taking into account the effects of undercooling on microstructure and microsegregation in alloys which solidify in a crystalline manner. Techniques for obtaining a large degree of undercooling are discussed. These techniques make it possible to eliminate heterogeneous nucleants from the melt and to remove container nucleation effects. The nucleation behavior of small metal droplets is considered along with the formation of a dispersion of fine droplets in a suitable inert medium, the mixing of fine metal powders with glass powder, and the levitation melting technique. Attention is given to solidification with rapid interface velocity, aspects of dendritic morphology, and thermal measurements during solidification of undercooled droplets.

Flemings, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Plasmas in the outer heliosphere

We review the observed properties of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere, including observations from Voyager and the Pioneers, as well as from inner heliospheric probes as appropriate. These observations are crucial to modeling of the heliosphere and its interactions with the interstellar medium, since the wind ram pressure and its temporal variations are important in understanding the distance to the termination shock and heliopause and how those boundaries might vary in time. We focus on results since Solar Wind 7. Among the issues we will discuss are: (1) the time scales for and statistical properties of variations in the ram pressure in the outer heliosphere, and how those variations might affect the morphology of the heliospheric/interstellar medium interface; (2) the question of possible solar wind slowing in the outer heliosphere due to the pick-up of interstellar ions; (3) the issue of whether there is bulk heating of the solar wind associated either with interstellar ion pick-up or with continued heating due to stream-stream interactions; (4) evidence for latitudinal variations in solar wind properties; and (5) the 1.3 year periodicities apparent in the outer heliosphere, and the close correspondence with similar variations seen with inner heliospheric probes.

Belcher, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Hydrodynamic interactions in directional solidification

A binary liquid undergoes unidirectional solidification. The one-dimensional steady state is susceptible to morphological instability that causes the solid/liquid interface to change from a planar state to a cellular pattern. This paper examines the effects on this transition of volume-change convection, buoyancy-driven convection or forced flows. It emphasizes how flows alter stability limits, create scale and pattern changes in morphology, and create, through coupling, new instabilities. Emphasis is placed on the physical mechanisms of the interactions.

Davis, Stephen H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Time development of a perturbed-spherical nucleus in a pure supercooled liquid. I - Power-law growth of morphological instabilities. II - Nonlinear development

The linear growth stage of the morphological instabilities developing at the liquid-solid interface during crystal growth from an axisymmetric spherical nucleus is analyzed. The corresponding growth rate parameters are calculated numerically, and it is shown that morphological instabilities for free growth evolve according to a power law in agreement with WKB results and contrary to an exponential law found in a quasi-stationary approximation. The time evolution of an arbitrary perturbed liquid-solid interface from a linear into the nonlinear stage is studied. The initial perturbations include the eigenfunctions for the linear problem, localized perturbations of the grain-boundary type, and a stochastic noise. It is shown that the perturbations grow and spread in a wavelike manner. The formation of a predendritic growth stage is characterized by establishment of constant values of tip radius and velocity.

Pines, V.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Aerobic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria: Environmental selection and diversification

Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria oxidize reduced inorganic compounds to sulfuric acid. Lithotrophic sulfur oxidizer use the energy obtained from oxidation for microbial growth. Heterotrophic sulfur oxidizers obtain energy from the oxidation of organic compounds. In sulfur-oxidizing mixotrophs energy are derived either from the oxidation of inorganic or organic compounds. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are usually located within the sulfide/oxygen interfaces of springs, sediments, soil microenvironments, and the hypolimnion. Colonization of the interface is necessary since sulfide auto-oxidizes and because both oxygen and sulfide are needed for growth. The environmental stresses associated with the colonization of these interfaces resulted in the evolution of morphologically diverse and unique aerobic sulfur oxidizers.

Caldwell, D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Influence of convection on microstructure

The influence was studied of convection during directional solidification on the resulting microstructure of eutectics, specifically lead/tin and manganese/bismuth. A theory was developed for the influence of convection on the microstructure of lamellar and fibrous eutectics, through the effect of convection on the concentration field in the melt in front of the growing eutectic. While the theory agrees with the experimental spin-up spin-down results, it predicts that the weak convection expected due to buoyancy will not produce a measurable change in eutectic microstructure. Thus, this theory does not explain the two fold decrease in MnBi fiber size and spacing observed when MnBi-Bi is solidified in space or on Earth with a magnetic field applied. Attention was turned to the morphology of the MnBi-Bi interface and to the generation of freezing rate fluctuations by convection. Decanting the melt during solidification of MnBi-Bi eutectic showed that the MnBi phase projects into the melt ahead of the Bi matrix. Temperature measurements in a Bi melt in the vertical Bridgman-Stockbarger configuration showed temperature variations of up to 25 C. Conclusions are drawn and discussed.

Wilcox, William R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Primary arm spacing in directionally solidified Pb-10 wt percent Sn alloys

The dependence of primary arm spacings on growth speed was investigated for cellular and dendritic arrays in Pb-10 wt percent Sn samples directionally solidified under a constant positive thermal gradient in the melt. The gradient of constitutional supercooling was varied from almost zero (near the break-down of the planar liquid-solid interface at small growth speeds, cellular morphology) to near unity (large growth speeds, dendritic morphology). The spatial arrangements of cells and dendrites, as given by their coordination number, are not very different from each other. It appears that primary arm spacing maxima and the cell to dendrite transition are strongly influenced by the magnitude of the solute partition coefficient. The planar to cellular bifurcation is supercritical in Pb-Sn which has a high partition coefficient, as compared to the subcritical behavior reported in Al-Cu and succinonitrile-acetone, both of which have low partition coefficients. The primary arm spacing model due to Hunt agrees with the experimentally observed trend for the whole growth regime. There is a good quantitative agreement at higher gradients of supercooling. However, the model overpredicts the primary arm spacings at low gradients of constitutional supercooling.

Chopra, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Primary arm spacing in directionally solidified Pb-10 wt pct Sn alloys

The dependence of primary arm spacings on growth speed was investigated for cellular and dendritic arrays in Pb-10 wt percent Sn samples directionally solidified under a constant positive thermal gradient in the melt. The gradient of constitutional supercooling was varied from almost zero (near the break-down of the planar liquid-solid interface at small growth speeds, cellular morphology) to near unity (large growth speeds, dendritic morphology). The spatial arrangements of cells and dendrites, as given by their coordination number, are not very different from each other. It appears that primary arm spacing maxima and the cell to dendrite transition are strongly influenced by the magnitude of the solute partition coefficient. The planar to cellular bifurction is supercritical in Pb-Sn which has a high partition coefficient, as compared to the subcritical behavior reported in Al-Cu and succinonitrile-acetone, both of which have low partition coefficients. The primary arm spacing model due to Hunt agrees with the experimentally observed trend for the whole growth regime. There is a good quantitative agreement at higher grdients of supercooling. However, the model overpredicts the primary arm spacings at low gradients of constitutional supercooling.

Chopra, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Thermal effects in rapid directional solidification - Linear theory

We study the morphological instability of the planar solid/liquid interface for a unidirectionally-solidified dilute binary mixture. We use a model developed by Boettinger et al. (1985, 1986), Aziz (1982), and Jackson et al. (1980), which allows for nonequilibrium effects on the interface through velocity-dependent segregation and attachment kinetics. Two types of instabilities are found in the linear stability analysis: (1) a cellular instability, and (2) an oscillatory instability driven by disequilibrium effects. Merchant and Davis (1990) characterized these instabilities subject to the frozen-temperature approximation (FTA). The present work relaxes the FTA by including the effects of latent heat and the full temperature distribution. Thermal effects slightly postpone the onset of the cellular instability but dramatically postpone the onset of the oscillatory instability; however, the absolute-stability conditions, at which at high speed the cellular and oscillatory instabilities are suppressed, remain unchanged from the FTA.

Huntley, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Effects of Ground and Space Processing on the Properties of Organic, Polymeric, and Colloidal Materials

In recent years, a great deal of interest has been directed toward the use of organic materials in the development of high-efficiency optoelectronic and phototonic devices. There is a myriad of possibilities among organic materials which allow flexibility in the design of unique structures with a variety of functional groups. The use of nonlinear optical (NLO) organic materials as thin film wave-guides allows full exploitation of their desirable qualifies by permitting long interaction lengths and large susceptibilities allowing modest power input. There are several methods in use to prepare thin films such as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and self-assembly techniques, vapor deposition, growth from sheared solution or melt, and melt growth between glass plates. Organic-based materials have many features that make them desirable for use in optical devices, such as high second-and third-order nonlinearity, flexibility of molecular design, and damage resistance to optical radiation. However, their use in devices has been hindered by processing difficulties for crystals and thin films. We discuss the potential role of microgravity processing of a few organic and polymeric materials. It is of interest to note how materials with second-and third-order NLO behavior may be improved in a diffusion-limited environment and ways in which convection may be detrimental to these materials. We focus our discussion on third-order materials for all-optical switching, and second-order materials for frequency conversion and electrooptics. The goal of minimizing optical loss obviously depends on processing methods. For solution-based processes, such as solution crystal growth and solution photopolymerization, it is well known that thermal and solutal density gradients can initiate buoyancy-driven convection. Resultant fluid flows can affect transport of material to and from growth interfaces and become manifest in the morphology and homogeneity of the growing film or crystal. Likewise, buoyancy-driven convection can hinder production of defect-free, high-quality crystals or films during crystal and film growth by vapor deposition.

Frazier, Donald O.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Opto-electronic morphological processor

The opto-electronic morphological processor of the present invention is capable of receiving optical inputs and emitting optical outputs. The use of optics allows implementation of parallel input/output, thereby overcoming a major bottleneck in prior art image processing systems. The processor consists of three components, namely, detectors, morphological operators and modulators. The detectors and operators are fabricated on a silicon VLSI chip and implement the optical input and morphological operations. A layer of ferro-electric liquid crystals is integrated with a silicon chip to provide the optical modulation. The implementation of the image processing operators in electronics leads to a wide range of applications and the use of optical connections allows cascadability of these parallel opto-electronic image processing components and high speed operation. Such an opto-electronic morphological processor may be used as the pre-processing stage in an image recognition system. In one example disclosed herein, the optical input/optical output morphological processor of the invention is interfaced with a binary phase-only correlator to produce an image recognition system.

Yu, Jeffrey W.↗