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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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3,222 records · Page 51

Determination of Local Experimental Heat-Transfer Coefficients on Combustion Side of an Ammonia-Oxygen Rocket

Local experimental heat-transfer coefficients were measured in the chamber and throat of a 2400-pound-thrust ammonia-oxygen rocket engine with a nominal chamber pressure of 600 pounds per square inch absolute. Three injector configurations were used. The rocket engine was run over a range of oxidant-fuel ratio and chamber pressure. The injector that achieved the best performance also produced the highest rates of heat flux at design conditions. The heat-transfer data from the best-performing injector agreed well with the simplified equation developed by Bartz at the throat region. A large spread of data was observed for the chamber. This spread was attributed generally to the variations of combustion processes. The spread was least evident, however, with the best-performing injector.

Curt H Liebert

Trajectory Engineering with Modular Patched Conics for Entry Systems and TPS (TEMPEST)

Brief Presenter Biography (35 word limit): Bohdan Wesely is an Aerospace Engineer in the Entry Systems and Technology Division at Ames. He has worked on a variety of projects for NASA including integrated TPS (thermal protection system) flight hardware deliveries and testing services for commercial partners. Introduction: TEMPEST is a new trajectory analysis framework that is designed to fill the gap between dedicated flight mechanics tools and aerothermal and TPS sizing tools. The project started as an SJSU master’s thesis and has since evolved into a general conceptual design tool capable of studying a wide variety of entry problems. Development is ongoing in the Entry Systems and Technology Division at NASA ARC. Why TEMPEST: Space missions involving entry into a planetary atmosphere involve a series of unique requirements across multiple disciplines. Whether it is traditional entry descent and landing (EDL), or aerocapture, the vehicle must navigate to its target landing location or orbit state, and the TPS must protect the payload during entry. The design process typically involves iterative handoffs between various flight mechanics, flow solver, and material response level tools. During the early conceptual phase, a wide variety of feasible trajectories are simulated in a Monte Carlo scenario which broadly satisfy the mission or landing requirements. Next, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), and other flow solver analyses are performed at various key trajectory points to generate an aero-database, heating and TPS design requirements also emerge at this stage. At this point, with updated aerodynamics from the various flow solvers, trajectories can be re-run, this in turn can change the required freestream conditions for the CFD tools, and as a project progresses, these analyses converge, and uncertainty is reduced. However, there is always a “hand-off” occurring between two inherently coupled phenomena. Analysis Description: One of the goals with TEMPEST is to use a variety of first principles estimation methods coupled with an atmosphere model to predict vehicle aerothermodynamics across the entire flight regime while propagating a 3 or 6 degree of freedom (DoF) trajectory. Aerodynamics methods include modified Newtonian, Maxwell and Cercignani- Lampis-Lord (CLL) for continuum, transitional, and free molecular flow regimes. Aerothermodynamics include boundary layer and reference enthalpy methods, and Mutation++ for non-equilibrium chemistry modeling. TEMPEST is also capable of stitching multiple trajectory segments together to study mission scenarios like multi-pass aerocapture and aero-gravity assists. Most of the program is implemented in MATLAB using modern system objects, it relies on several C++ shared libraries for supporting tools like Gmsh, the Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM), and Mutation++. The various first principles aerothermal estimation methods are discretized across either a structured axisymmetric panel mesh or an unstructured tri-mesh generated from an open-source tool such as Gmsh, this allows solutions on the same mesh to be compared across tools such as CB-Aero. CFD Coupling. A physics-aware, gaussian process CFD anchoring scheme is proposed to adjust the various first principles methods as a CFD database is populated. One goal for this anchoring module is to inform the project where CFD should be run. Full knowledge of the entire trajectory, atmosphere, and aerothermodynamics allows for easier identification of high sensitivity areas and uncertainty quantification. While the first principles effects are well known and proven accurate in existing tools such as CB- Aero and Cart3D, a physics aware CFD anchoring scheme increases tool credibility across a project lifecycle. Material Response Modeling. Correct TPS sizing is critical for optimizing mass for science payloads and ensuring mission success. The process typically involves a thermal analysis along the trajectory with surface heating environments as a boundary condition. Several design constraints are maximum bondline temperature and maximum recession with various margining techniques. The material response tool FIAT, developed out of NASA Ames, is currently being integrated into the TEMPEST environment. TPS recession, shape change, mass loss, and mass property alteration are all factors that can perturb an entry trajectory. For missions like Mars 2020, recession was minimal and was safely handled separately as a post process. For missions such as Jupiter Galileo with a high TPS mass fraction or asteroid entries, recession plays a major role. The proposed fully coupled scheme is to use an epoch-based approach where the trajectory integration is halted after a recession threshold, the energy balance and FIAT are solved at each panel, the mesh, aerodynamics, and mass properties are updated, and the trajectory continues. Several computational tradeoffs have been made during the development of TEMPEST to limit the cost of a single trajectory and preserve its utility as a conceptual, rapid iteration tool. Conclusion: Development of TEMPEST is ongoing and the project is still in its infancy. This talk aims to showcase its unique capabilities to support future NASA entry systems missions.

Bohdan O Wesely

FY26 Progress on Demonstration of a Multiphysics Steady State Capability for Modeling Core Radial Expansion in SFRs

Under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Program, an integrated multiphysics approach is being developed to model the core bowing phenomena important to liquid metal-cooled fast reactors. Core bowing is an important passive safety mechanism in liquid metal-cooled fast reactors and involves multiphysics effects including radiation transport, fluid flow, heat transfer, and mechanical response to temperature and flux gradients. This report summarizes recent progress on developing a multiphysics, MOOSE-based workflow to predict core bowing and associated reactivity feedback. Significant new capabilities in the reactor physics code Griffin - sodium backfill and pin power reconstruction for deformed geometries - were applied in this effort. This year’s work included verification, code comparisons, sensitivity studies, and coupled demonstrations that advance the state of MOOSE-based core bowing workflow. Griffin’s sodium backfill capability was verified by demonstrating that its automated treatment of geometry expansion and material-density updates reproduces manual calculations exactly, confirming solid mass conservation and proper coolant backfilling in expanded geometries. Reconstructed pin powers were compared for Griffin’s ductheterogeneous and ring-heterogeneous treatments in single-, seven-, and nineteen-assembly cases, with best agreement observed in lower-leakage configurations and the duct-heterogeneous approach offering substantially lower computational cost. Thermal-hydraulic sensitivity sensitivities showed that MOOSE SCM, SAM, and CFD are expected to produce similar deformation predictions despite variances in their temperature predictions, and that explicit treatment of inter-assembly flow becomes increasingly important as gap flow rate increases. Finally, coupled demonstrations on small multi-assembly configurations using Griffin, MOOSE Solid Mechanics, MOOSE SCM, and Heat Conduction produced physically consistent reactivity feedback from thermal expansion and bowing. The coupled demonstrations simulated grid plate expansion as well as resultant core bowing at full power conditions. Simplifications were made in current workflow, namely the assumption of instantaneous full power conditions following hot zero power, and pre-expanding the Griffin geometry axially due to lack of an axial fuel pin expansion model and temperature feedback to Griffin.

Wozniak, Nicholas

Thermally-Choked Combustor Technology

A program is underway to demonstrate the practical feasibility of thermally-choked combustor technology with particular emphasis on rocket propulsion applications. Rather than induce subsonic to supersonic flow transition in a geometric throat, the goal is to create a thermal throat by adding combustion heat in a diverging nozzle. Such a device would have certain advantages over conventional flow accelerators assuming that the pressure loss due to heat addition does not severely curtail propulsive efficiency. As an aid to evaluation, a generalized one-dimensional compressible flow analysis tool was constructed. Simplified calculations indicate that the process is fluid dynamically and thermodynamically feasible. Experimental work is also being carried out in an attempt to develop, assuming an array of practical issues are surmountable, a practical bench-scale demonstrator using high flame speed H2/O2 combustibles.

William H. Knuth

Helmholtz Motor: A Novel Electric Machine That Enables High Temperature Superconducting Armatures

Electrified aircraft are being developed to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of operating subsonic transport aircraft. Achieving a substantial impact necessitates focusing on single- and twin-aisle aircraft which use propulsion systems with >20 MW ratings. For these aircraft, multi-MW superconducting electric machines are being developed due to their high specific power and high efficiency. Cryogenic electric machines are a promising technology for multi megawatt electric aircraft drivetrains. Second generation high temperature superconductors (HTS) are the ideal conductor for the field winding (typically the rotor) of superconducting machines, and they have attractive features for the armature winding (typically the stator) of these machines. However, their use in armature windings has been severely limited due to excessive AC losses in conventional electric machines. This presentation will present the working principle, design, and a performance trade study of a novel electric machine – termed a Helmholtz machine – that enables HTS armatures by significantly reducing AC losses. The working principle of the patent pending Helmholtz motor is to optimize the rotor-produced magnetic field (i.e., the field winding) so that it produces a magnetic field almost purely in the plane of the HTS. This is accomplished using 2 rotors that contain a set of matched Helmholtz coil pairs (or matched permanent magnet Halbach arrays). The armature (stator) HTS coils are positioned between the rotors and oriented to minimize the out of plane magnetic field. The armature HTS coils are also designed to minimize the out of plane component of their self field. The presentation will include the lessons learned in the sizing and design of this motor, including equations for how to match the magnet arrays. A performance trade study will be presented for a partially superconducting, radial flux version of the motor. The trade study involved an optimization of a motor design code based on analytical calculations (electromagnetic, AC loss, thermofluid, mechanical, and motor sizing) that determine the motor’s total efficiency and total specific power. The design code will be described in the presentation, with an emphasis on the calculation of magnetic fields, AC loss, and temperature distribution.

Superconducting electric machines

A Design Solution to the Spacecraft Look-Angle Problem

As the state of the art of the design of spacecraft has progressed, one of the difficult problems which has arisen is the positioning and articulating of spacecraft elements which must “see” in different directions without interference. Some of these elements are: solar panels or collectors, Sun sensors, communication antennas, star seekers, planet tracking and scanning devices, rocket motors, attitude-control jets, and scientific instruments. This Report presents a method of testing a spacecraft design to determine how well it satisfies these look-angle requirements. This method is applied to both simple and complex cases, and examples of its use are presented. A means of assessing spacecraft constraints on trajectories is discussed. The method was developed for the Mariner interplanetary spacecraft, but should be applicable to other cases.

MARINER PROGRAM

Synthetic battery cycling

The trend in energy storage is toward systems with high-voltage and high-power outputs. These conditions accentuate the cumulative effects of small differences in characteristics from cell to cell in any large multicell battery. These considerations are of particular concern with a number of emerging electrochemical concepts where convenient overcharge reactions do not exist. The use of interactive computer graphics is suggested as an aid in battery system development. Mathematical representations of simplistic but fully representative functions of many electrochemical concepts of current practical interest will permit battery-level charge and discharge phenomena to be analyzed in a qualitative manner prior to the assembly and testing of actual hardware. This technique will be a useful addition to the variety of tools available to the battery system designer as he bridges the gap between interesting single-cell life test data and reliable energy storage subsystems.

Thaller, L. H.

The Effects of Lunar Dust on EVA Systems During the Apollo Missions

Mission documents from the six Apollo missions that landed on the lunar surface have been studied in order to catalog the effects of lunar dust on Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) systems, primarily the Apollo surface space suit. It was found that the effects could be sorted into nine categories: vision obscuration, false instrument readings, dust coating and contamination, loss of traction, clogging of mechanisms, abrasion, thermal control problems, seal failures, and inhalation and irritation. Although simple dust mitigation measures were sufficient to mitigate some of the problems (i.e., loss of traction) it was found that these measures were ineffective to mitigate many of the more serious problems (i.e., clogging, abrasion, diminished heat rejection). The severity of the dust problems were consistently underestimated by ground tests, indicating a need to develop better simulation facilities and procedures.

James R Gaier

The Effects of Lunar Dust on EVA Systems During the Apollo Missions

Mission documents from the six Apollo missions that landed on the lunar surface have been studied in order to catalog the effects of lunar dust on Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) systems, primarily the Apollo surface space suit. It was found that the effects could be sorted into nine categories: vision obscuration, false instrument readings, dust coating and contamination, loss of traction, clogging of mechanisms, abrasion, thermal control problems, seal failures, and inhalation and irritation. Although simple dust mitigation measures were sufficient to mitigate some of the problems (i.e., loss of traction) it was found that these measures were ineffective to mitigate many of the more serious problems (i.e., clogging, abrasion, diminished heat rejection). The severity of the dust problems were consistently underestimated by ground tests, indicating a need to develop better simulation facilities and procedures.

James R Gaier

Mechanical Design and Operation of a Novel Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig (LESTR)

The Lunar Environment Structural Test Rig (LESTR) was developed to address a critical gap in mechanical property data for metal alloy wire materials under lunar-relevant conditions down to 40 K. Conventional aerospace material databases provide thermophysical properties for bulk metals over a wide temperature range, but validated mechanical and physical property data below 77 K, particularly for small-diameter wires, remain limited and are generally the exception rather than the rule. These conditions are essential for Artemis mission hardware such as shape memory alloy (SMA) rover tires. LESTR’s design requirements were to combine a high-stiffness electrodynamic load frame with closed- cycle cryogenic cooling, high-vacuum capability (10–6 torr), and noncontact optical strain measurement to enable tensile, four-point bend, and fatigue testing of wires or other materials and geometries at temperatures from 40 to 125 K. These considerable requirements were merged with the need to lower the barrier of testing for the end user as measured in terms of cost-per-test cycle, safety improvement, and reduction in upkeep costs associated with state-of-the-art solutions associated with cryomechanical material characterization. The system incorporates modular gripping and alignment fixtures; precision thermal management using cryocoolers and embedded heaters; and integrated instrumentation for displacement, load, temperature, and vacuum control. Calibration procedures establish correlations between tooling and specimen temperature, ensuring accurate thermal conditions across the design envelope unbound by cryofluid conditions in heritage immersion-based test systems. Initial validation tests using Inconel (Special Metals Corp.) wire demonstrated accurate ultimate strength and post-yield behavior. The load frame operation was also verified under representative service conditions, including thermal cycling and prolonged fatigue loading. By generating mechanical property data at ultralow temperatures, LESTR fills a critical gap in existing materials databases and provides a scalable platform for iterative alloy development and durability assessment for planetary hardware. This capability supports NASA’s long-term objectives for surface exploration by enabling design confidence for components operating in extreme cryogenic environments.

LESTR

Validation Data for Benchmarking Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing Process Simulations

Residual stresses cause geometric distortion and affect mechanical performance of additively manufactured structures, yet they are notoriously difficult to assess and predict. Distortion (warpage) can drive parts outside dimensional tolerance limits, leading to part rejection or rework. For parts that meet tolerance, locked-in residual stress fields can affect structural integrity during operation, particularly subcritical cracking by fatigue, creep, or corrosion. This work develops benchmark data for a common additive manufacturing process (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) that can be applied for calibration and validation of physical process models that predict residual stress fields. The work includes design of two different samples of differing geometry, detailed manufacturing records for a set of physical samples, and an extensive set of residual stress measurement data developed using two diverse techniques (the contour method and neutron diffraction). An initial application of the work is also reported, where a modeling challenge was issued to secure residual stress model predictions from two independent laboratories that were blind to residual stress measurement data. These initial blind residual stress predictions show significant discrepancies relative to the measurement data, illustrating the potential value of the underlying validation data. An open repository for this work, including the sample designs, manufacturing process records, and the residual stress data, is also provided for future application in non-blind validation efforts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Building Operation Model (Morpheus) for Dallas Fort Worth Airport (CRADA CRD-19-16301 Final Report)

The primary objective of this project was to leverage digital twin technology to enhance the design and operation of DFW Airport terminals and their associated energy systems. To achieve this, Morpheus, a building digital twin, was developed to guide improvements in airport operations, specifically targeting reductions in peak power demand and overall energy consumption.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI

Calibration of the Nonlinear Viscoelastic SPECtacular Model for 828-CTBN/DEA/GMB and 828/Z/AlOx

Nonlinear viscoelastic model calibrations are developed for two filled epoxies: an adduct of Epon 828 DGEBA and CTBN cross-linked with diethanolamine (DEA) filled with glass microballoons, called 828-CTBN/DEA/GMB, and Epon 828 DGEBA cross-linked with Ancamine Z and filled with alumina, called 828/Z/AlOx. The thermo-mechanical responses of these materials are represented using the SPECtacular constitutive model, an extension of the Simplified Potential Energy Clock (SPEC) model. The model couples

Cundiff, Kenneth Noel [Sandia National Laboratorie

Radiation hardening design of nuclear powered spacecraft

The design and operation of space systems utilizing nuclear fueled power systems must consider the radiation environment from the earliest stages of their design. A range of nuclear systems are being considered for present and future satellite systems capable of supplying tens of kilowatts to multimegawatt and generating a corresponding range of radiation environments. The effects of these radiations on electronics and materials can be minimized by implementing early design considerations which maximize the design efficiency and minimize the impact on system mass. Space systems design considerations for the radiation environment must include all sources in addition to the self induced gamma ray and neutron radiation. These include the orbital dependent environment from the high energy electron and protons encountered in natural space. The system trades which the designer must consider in the development of space platforms which utilize nuclear reactor power supplies are discussed.

R E Schmidt

Technoeconomic Studies for the Rorex Creek Pumped Storage Hydro Project: An Evaluation of New Pumped Storage Hydro in the Tennessee Valley Authority System

This report evaluates the economic viability of the proposed 1,200 MW, 23,365 MWh Rorex Creek Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH) plant that would be located near Pisgah, Alabama. In addressing this question, this study has developed processes, models and data that better value PSH from a utility perspective, more specifically a vertically integrated utility, enabling optimal PSH design and deployment. This study is designed to enhance TVA’s toolset in making PSH investment decisions and contribute to the design of a more cost-effective, stable future grid. These techniques can then be applied to a broader range of assets and utilities.

Cohen, Stuart

Corrosion Resistance of Lignin-Based Thermoplastic Adhesive-Bonded Aluminum Joints

Adhesive-bonded joints are essential for lightweight, multimaterial automotive structures. We developed a lignin-based thermoplastic adhesive with adhesion strength comparable to conventional epoxy adhesives (20–23 MPa), while offering exceptional durability, recyclability, and corrosion resistance. Unlike commercial epoxy adhesives requiring refrigerated storage, our adhesive retains its bonding potential after a year of ambient conditioning. Bonded joints can be repeatedly disassembled and rejoined with less than 2% strength loss. After 500 h of salt fog exposure, the adhesive-bonded aluminum joints exhibited a 24% strength reduction, compared to 61% reduction in strength of joints based on a commercial epoxy adhesive.

Yu, Zeyang [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000209002374)

Thin-Film Embedded Sensors for Battery Health Monitoring

Hybrid or all-electric aircraft are being developed as the next generation of aircraft to both allow new forms of aviation and decrease environmental impact. Since these types of aircraft are based on high-capacity battery technology, safe operation of these batteries becomes increasingly important. In particular, the potential for battery failure due to uncontrolled chemical reactions resulting in thermal runaway, catastrophic failure, and battery fires must be addressed in order for such battery technology to have the level of safety needed for standard aviation implementation. Efforts to ensure battery safety often involve engineering solutions that seek to contain rather than prevent such events by early detection. Such approaches increase the system weight and decrease the power per unit mass provided by the battery system. Existing methods for measuring battery parameters to determine the battery state-of-health are limited. These methods include electrical measurements of the cell current and/or voltage output as well as temperature measurements taken externally on the cell surface. Such external temperature measurements are limited in their ability to provide early warning of impending battery failure. In response, an effort to develop sensors operating internal to battery for health monitoring has been ongoing in the NASA Sensor-based Prognostics to Avoid Runaway Reactions & Catastrophic Ignition (SPARRCI) project. The basic approach associated with this sensor work is the deposition of thin film sensors on the battery separator located between the anode and cathode of the battery. These thin film sensors are then monitored to determine changes in battery parameters and health. Microfabrication techniques are employed to minimize the overall impact of the sensors on battery operation through the implementation of sensors with minimal size, weight, and power consumption. The thickness of the films, which are fabricated through physical vapor deposition (sputtering), are on the order of thousands of angstroms and can have minimal surface area. Thin film sensors for system health management have been implemented for a many decades on complex components for aerospace applications. However, the application of thin films of this type on a battery separator for internal battery monitoring applications has not previously been demonstrated to our knowledge. This paper describes the development of sensors for the internal battery monitoring through the use of thin film sensor technology. Thin metal films were successfully deposited on a battery separator polymer material with good adherence and electrical continuity. Multiple types of sensors have been deposited, as well as lead connections from the sensor to the edge of the separator material. The ability of these thin film sensors immersed in electrolyte to perform multiple types of battery parameter measurements has been demonstrated. For example, a multiparameter sensor system measured multiple properties simultaneously inside of a pouch cell over a wide temperature range. Further, real time measurement of interior temperature changes in a battery pouch cell with an integrated interior temperature sensor was demonstrated. These changes include detecting a fault in the battery (shorting) in situ with rapid response time (less than a minute) corresponding to a more limited response by a temperature sensor mounted externally. Other aspects of monitoring battery health were also explored, such as real-time measurement of simulated dendrite growth/metal deposition by sensor on separator material demonstrated. Future efforts will include improvements in the durability of the sensor structure to allow introduction of the approach into standard battery fabrication techniques. Overall, this work is a step forward in providing a method to prevent catastrophic battery failures and provide a foundation for safer, lighter, and higher energy batteries for the electric aircraft industry.

thin film battery health

Advancing the Oxygen Generation Assembly Design to Increase Reliability and Reduce Costs for a Future Long Duration Mission

The state-of-the-art Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) has been reliably producing breathing oxygen for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over eight years. Lessons learned from operating the ISS OGA have led to proposing incremental improvements to advance the baseline design for use in a future long duration mission. These improvements are intended to reduce system weight, crew maintenance time and resupply mass from Earth while increasing reliability. The proposed improvements include replacing the cell stack membrane material, deleting the nitrogen purge equipment, replacing the hydrogen sensors, deleting the wastewater interface, replacing the hydrogen dome and redesigning the cell stack power supply. The development work to date will be discussed and forward work will be outlined. Additionally, a redesigned system architecture will be proposed.

Kevin C Takada