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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Standardization of a Volumetric Displacement Measurement for Two-Body Abrasion Scratch Test Data Analysis

A limitation has been identified in the existing test standards used for making controlled, two-body abrasion scratch measurements based solely on the width of the resultant score on the surface of the material. A new, more robust method is proposed for analyzing a surface scratch that takes into account the full three-dimensional profile of the displaced material. To accomplish this, a set of four volume- displacement metrics was systematically defined by normalizing the overall surface profile to denote statistically the area of relevance, termed the Zone of Interaction. From this baseline, depth of the trough and height of the plowed material are factored into the overall deformation assessment. Proof-of-concept data were collected and analyzed to demonstrate the performance of this proposed methodology. This technique takes advantage of advanced imaging capabilities that allow resolution of the scratched surface to be quantified in greater detail than was previously achievable. When reviewing existing data analysis techniques for conducting two-body abrasive scratch tests, it was found that the ASTM International Standard G 171 specified a generic metric based only on visually determined scratch width as a way to compare abraded materials. A limitation to this method was identified in that the scratch width is based on optical surface measurements, manually defined by approximating the boundaries, but does not consider the three-dimensional volume of material that was displaced. With large, potentially irregular deformations occurring on softer materials, it becomes unclear where to systematically determine the scratch width. Specifically, surface scratches on different samples may look the same from a top view, resulting in an identical scratch width measurement, but may vary in actual penetration depth and/or plowing deformation. Therefore, two different scratch profiles would be measured as having identical abrasion properties, although they differ significantly.

Street, K. W. Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Parts Quality Management: Direct Part Marking via Data Matrix Symbols for Mission Assurance

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part-marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using 15 marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, orbital), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (data plates, label printing, direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including in-house vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Moss, Chantrice↗
DOE OSTI2026

Optimal binning of correlated measurements

Experimental measurements are commonly represented on a discrete grid, requiring a balance between granularity and statistical noise. Two strategies have traditionally been used to improve such representations: selecting an appropriate bin width to control discretization error and applying kernel-based smoothing to suppress fluctuations. Despite their shared goal, these approaches have largely developed independently, without a unified statistical description of how discretization and correlation jointly determine measurement precision. Here, we extend the discussion of optimal interval averaging to a correlation-aware setting by Gaussian process regression, which explicitly accounts for correlations among neighboring bins. Starting from first principles, we derive the mean-squared error of discretized measurements and obtain closed-form asymptotic expressions for the optimal bin width and correlation length. When recast in reduced variables, the theory reveals distinct universal scaling laws governing the error in the correlation-free and correlation-controlled regimes. Characterized by intrinsically smooth intensity profiles and counting-based statistics, neutron scattering measurements are well suited for demonstrating the enhanced error contraction enabled by inter-bin correlations. We show that such improvement is achievable over the experimentally accessible Q-range and across multiple instruments and material systems. These results show that explicitly accounting for correlations systematically reshapes the limits of precision in discretized, noise-limited measurements. More broadly, the framework provides a transferable statistical foundation for optimizing data representation, inference, and experimental design across the physical and data sciences.

Tung, Chi-Huan [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000221972074)↗
NASA NTRS1989

Design of a Solar Sail Mission to Mars

An evaluation of the design of the solar sail includes key areas such as structures, sail deployment, space environmental effects, materials, power systems, telemetry, communications, attitude control, thermal control, and trajectory analysis. Deployment and material constraints determine the basic structure of the sail, while the trajectory of the sail influences the choice of telemetry, communications, and attitude control systems. The thermal control system of the sail for the structures and electronics takes into account the effects of the space environment. Included also are a cost and weight estimate for the sail.

Eastridge, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2013

Parts Quality Management: Direct Part Marking of Data Matrix Symbol for Mission Assurance

A United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of twelve NASA programs found widespread parts quality problems contributing to significant cost overruns, schedule delays, and reduced system reliability. Direct part marking with Data Matrix symbols could significantly improve the quality of inventory control and parts lifecycle management. This paper examines the feasibility of using direct part marking technologies for use in future NASA programs. A structural analysis is based on marked material type, operational environment (e.g., ground, suborbital, Low Earth Orbit), durability of marks, ease of operation, reliability, and affordability. A cost-benefits analysis considers marking technology (label printing, data plates, and direct part marking) and marking types (two-dimensional machine-readable, human-readable). Previous NASA parts marking efforts and historical cost data are accounted for, including inhouse vs. outsourced marking. Some marking methods are still under development. While this paper focuses on NASA programs, results may be applicable to a variety of industrial environments.

Moss, Chantrice↗
NASA NTRS1984

Statistics and thermodynamics of fracture

A probabilistic model of the fracture processes unifying the phenomenological study of long term strength of materials, fracture mechanics and statistical approaches to fracture is briefly outlined. The general framework of irreversible thermodynamics is employed to model the deterministic side of the failure phenomenon. The stochastic calculus is used to account for thg failure mechanisms controlled by chance; particularly, the random roughness of fracture surfaces.

Chudnovsky, A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Experimental measurement of passive material and structural damping for flexible space structures

Among the design objectives for large space structures are the maintenance of tight dimensional tolerance and the reduction of settling time after disturbance input. Two options are under consideration for the design of flexible structures to meet these objectives, including an active control option and a passive control option. In connection with both options, it is necessary to include material and structural damping in the design. A description is presented of the results of an experimental investigation of the damping of metallic and fibrous composite materials, taking into account also the analytical modeling and experimental verification of frictional damping schemes. To demonstrate how material and frictional damping can be combined, a simple structural optimization is performed, indicating the potential for significant savings in mass by the addition of frictional dampers.

Crawley, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Mass loss rates and anisotropies in the outflows from late-type stars

It has been found that late-type giants and supergiants are losing large amounts of mass. However, it is still not known why these stars lose mass. In connection with the aim to understand this process, it is attempted to establish more accurate mass loss rates in order to consider in detail a popular model for mass loss, taking into account the hypothesis that radiation pressure on grains is important or even controls the mass outflows. This hypothesis can be tested by comparing measurements of the flux from the star, the mass loss rate, and the outflow velocity of the material. The largest uncertainty is related to the mass loss rate. Most models for interpreting the observations of these stars have been for spherically symmetric envelopes. However, highly anisotropic outflows have been observed. It is, therefore, one of the purposes of this investigation to study the importance of the anisotropy in the physical characteristics of the outflow. It is found that anisotropy does not greatly alter the important basic photochemical processes, and that radiation pressure on grains can be important.

Jura, M.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Effect of Crystal Orientation on Analysis of Single-Crystal, Nickel-Based Turbine Blade Superalloys

High-cycle fatigue-induced failures in turbine and turbopump blades is a pervasive problem. Single-crystal nickel turbine blades are used because of their superior creep, stress rupture, melt resistance, and thermomechanical fatigue capabilities. Single-crystal materials have highly orthotropic properties making the position of the crystal lattice relative to the part geometry a significant and complicating factor. A fatigue failure criterion based on the maximum shear stress amplitude on the 24 octahedral and 6 cube slip systems is presented for single-crystal nickel superalloys (FCC crystal). This criterion greatly reduces the scatter in uniaxial fatigue data for PWA 1493 at 1,200 F in air. Additionally, single-crystal turbine blades used in the Space Shuttle main engine high pressure fuel turbopump/alternate turbopump are modeled using a three-dimensional finite element (FE) model. This model accounts for material orthotrophy and crystal orientation. Fatigue life of the blade tip is computed using FE stress results and the failure criterion that was developed. Stress analysis results in the blade attachment region are also presented. Results demonstrate that control of crystallographic orientation has the potential to significantly increase a component's resistance to fatigue crack growth without adding additional weight or cost.

Swanson, G. R.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fiber Sorbents – A Versatile Platform for Sorption-Based Gas Separations

Increasing demand for high-purity fine chemicals and a drive for process intensification of large-scale separations have driven significant work on the development of highly engineered porous materials with promise for sorption-based separations. While sorptive separations in porous materials offer energy-efficient alternatives to longstanding thermal-based methods, the particulate nature of many of these sorbents has sometimes limited their large-scale deployment in high-throughput applications such as gas separations, for which the necessary high feed flow rates and gas velocities accrue prohibitive operational costs. These processability limitations have been historically addressed through powder shaping methods aimed at the fabrication of structured sorbent contactors based on pellets, beads or monoliths, commonly obtained as extrudates. These structures overcome limitations such as elevated pressure drops commonly recorded across powder adsorption beds but often accrue thermal limitations arising from elevated particle density and aggregation, which ultimately cap their maximum separation performance. Furthermore, the harsh mechanical strain to which powder particles are subjected during contactor fabrication, in the form of extrusion/compression forces, can result in partial pore occlusion and framework degradation, further limiting their performance. Here, we present the development of porous fiber sorbents as an alternative sorbent contactor design capable of addressing sorbent processability limitations while enabling an array of performance-maximizing heat integration capabilities. This new sorbent form factor leverages pre-existing know-how from hollow fiber spinning to produce fiber-shaped sorbent contactors through the phase inversion of known polymers in a process known as dry-jet/wet quenching. The process of phase inversion allows microporous sorbent particles to be latched onto a macroporous polymer matrix under mild processing conditions, thus making it compatible with soft porous materials prone to amorphization under traditional pelletization conditions. Sorbent fibers can be created with different geometries through control of the spinning apparatus and process, offering the possibility to produce monolithic and hollow fibers alike, the latter of which can be integrated with thermalization fluid flows. In this Account, we summarize our progress in the field of fiber sorbents from both design and application standpoints. We further guide the reader through the evolution of this field from the early inceptive work on zeolite hollow fibers to recent developments on MOF fibers. We highlight the versatile nature of fiber sorbents, both from the composition, fabrication and structure points of view, and further demonstrate how fiber sorbents offer alternative paths in tackling new and challenging chemical separation challenges like direct air capture (DAC), with a final perspective on the future of the field.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nanoscale Structure and Interfacial Electrochemical Reactivity of Moiré-Engineered Atomic Layers

Here, the electronic properties of atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) materials can be precisely manipulated by vertically stacking them with a controlled offset (for example, a rotational offset─i.e., twist─between the layers, or a small difference in lattice constant) to generate moiré superlattices. In recent years, the application of this “twistronics” concept to interfacial electrochemistry has unveiled unique pathways for tailoring the electrochemical reactivity. Furthermore, this Account provides an overview of our work that leveraged a suite of structural characterization methods, such as interferometric four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy, dark-field transmission electron microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy, along with nanoscale electrochemical measurement techniques, namely, scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM), to uncover and dissect the profound impact of electrode electronic structure, controlled by interlayer twist, on interfacial electron transfer kinetics.

Charge transfer↗
NASA NTRS2000

Biological removal of gaseous ammonia in biofilters: space travel and earth-based applications

Gaseous NH3 removal was studied in laboratory-scale biofilters (14-L reactor volume) containing perlite inoculated with a nitrifying enrichment culture. These biofilters received 6 L/min of airflow with inlet NH3 concentrations of 20 or 50 ppm, and removed more than 99.99% of the NH3 for the period of operation (101, 102 days). Comparison between an active reactor and an autoclaved control indicated that NH3 removal resulted from nitrification directly, as well as from enhanced absorption resulting from acidity produced by nitrification. Spatial distribution studies (20 ppm only) after 8 days of operation showed that nearly 95% of the NH3 could be accounted for in the lower 25% of the biofilter matrix, proximate to the port of entry. Periodic analysis of the biofilter material (20 and 50 ppm) showed accumulation of the nitrification product NO3- early in the operation, but later both NO2- and NO3- accumulated. Additionally, the N-mass balance accountability dropped from near 100% early in the experiments to approximately 95 and 75% for the 20- and 50-ppm biofilters, respectively. A partial contributing factor to this drop in mass balance accountability was the production of NO and N2O, which were detected in the biofilter exhaust.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗
NASA NTRS2023

Applications of Flow Control to Wing High-Lift Leading Edge Devices on a Commercial Aircraft

Active flow control was applied to the leading edge region of a representative future short/medium-range twin-engine airplane to improve aerodynamic performance during high-lift operations. The study is aimed at enhanced lift over the practical angle of attack range, including stall, and at reduced drag. These benefits translate to airplane performance improvements, such as longer range or larger payload. Various flow control applications were explored using Computational Fluid Dynamics and the aerodynamic performance enhancements were benchmarked against the baseline configuration. The computational analyses are used to quantify aerodynamic benefits, as well as the input required for actuation. The results were used in a system integration study for identifying potential practical implementations, which are described in a companion paper. Combined with the integration analysis, the objective of this project is to identify the most promising flow control candidates that potentially provide material net airplane level enhancements using onboard fluidic sources. Depending on the implementation of active flow control, the current study indicates that up to 1.5% net improvement in L/D at takeoff and 4% increase in maximum lift during landing are potentially achievable, after accounting for factors of system integration.

CFD↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enabling resonant ultrasound spectroscopy in high magnetic fields

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) is a powerful method to determine elastic constants with high accuracy and precision from a single measurement of the mechanical resonances of a sample. Conventionally, the quantitative extraction of elastic moduli with RUS assumes free boundary conditions which can often lead to the adoption of unstable sample positioning between ultrasonic transducers that is incompatible with extreme environments like high magnetic fields. We show that, under specific conditions, introducing a small amount of adhesive between a RUS sample and ultrasonic transducers introduces a perturbation to the free resonance condition which can be accounted for by a simple model. This means elastic constants can be determined to within the uncertainty of conventional RUS, but with significant improvements including sample stability and control of sample orientation. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach with measurements on a range of materials including room temperature measurements on polycrystalline metals, temperature-dependent measurements of the structural phase transition in strontium titanate single crystals, and magnetic field-dependent measurements of magnetic phase transitions in gadolinium polycrystals up to 14 T.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS2000

Curved Thermopiezoelectric Shell Structures Modeled by Finite Element Analysis

"Smart" structures composed of piezoelectric materials may significantly improve the performance of aeropropulsion systems through a variety of vibration, noise, and shape-control applications. The development of analytical models for piezoelectric smart structures is an ongoing, in-house activity at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field focused toward the experimental characterization of these materials. Research efforts have been directed toward developing analytical models that account for the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response of piezoelectric composite materials. Current work revolves around implementing thermal effects into a curvilinear-shell finite element code. This enhances capabilities to analyze curved structures and to account for coupling effects arising from thermal effects and the curved geometry. The current analytical model implements a unique mixed multi-field laminate theory to improve computational efficiency without sacrificing accuracy. The mechanics can model both the sensory and active behavior of piezoelectric composite shell structures. Finite element equations are being implemented for an eight-node curvilinear shell element, and numerical studies are being conducted to demonstrate capabilities to model the response of curved piezoelectric composite structures (see the figure).

Lee, Ho-Jun↗
NASA NTRS1987

NASA JSC neural network survey results

A survey of Artificial Neural Systems in support of NASA's (Johnson Space Center) Automatic Perception for Mission Planning and Flight Control Research Program was conducted. Several of the world's leading researchers contributed papers containing their most recent results on artificial neural systems. These papers were broken into categories and descriptive accounts of the results make up a large part of this report. Also included is material on sources of information on artificial neural systems such as books, technical reports, software tools, etc.

Greenwood, Dan↗
DOE OSTI2025

Coupled THM modeling of bentonite heating and hydration in tank tests with a new temperature-dependent water retention model

This study presents a coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) model for simulating the heating and hydration behavior of bentonite, a buffer material in deep geological repositories (DGRs). The model incorporates a new temperature-dependent soil water retention curve which captures the thermal-induced shift in water retention behavior. It also distinguishes between liquid and gas permeability, modeling intrinsic gas permeability as a function of accessible porosity to improve vapor transport and desaturation predictions. The model was validated against two large-scale tank tests, demonstrating good agreement with measured temperature, relative humidity, and water inflow data. It revealed a complex porosity evolution driven by thermal expansion, vapor movement, vapor condensation, and hydration-induced swelling during heating and hydration processes. The simulation results also suggest that the permeability of the hydration layer plays a critical role in controlling water intake. Clogging of this layer can significantly reduce the volume of water inflow during the hydration phase. Furthermore, while the model effectively captures key THM behavior, further development of the mechanical constitutive law is required to account for possible thermo-elasto-plastic volume changes and microstructural effects. Overall, the model provides a robust tool for evaluating the evolution of bentonite-based barrier material in DGRs.

Guo, Guanlong [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborato↗
NASA NTRS2026

Development and Validation of a High-Vacuum Thermal Conductivity Testbed for Aerospace Interface Materials

Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) are critical components in spacecraft thermal management systems, where thermal performance is strongly influenced by vacuum conditions, interface contact resistance, and layered metallic joint behavior. However, manufacturer-reported thermal conductivity values are often derived under idealized conditions and may not accurately represent performance within operational aerospace applications. To address this limitation, the Testbed for Advanced Interface Materials in Vacuum (TAIMV) was developed as a modular vacuum-compatible thermal conductivity characterization platform capable of evaluating aerospace-relevant TIM configurations under both ambient and high-vacuum environments. The testbed was derived from the ASTM C1044-16 guarded hot plate methodology and incorporates interchangeable layers of stainless steel coupon geometries, independently controlled main and guard heaters, embedded resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), thermocouples, multi-layer insulation (MLI), and a temperature-controlled cold plate to characterize through-thickness thermal gradients across layered interfaces. In the current configuration, interface compression is limited to the nominal contact pressure generated by the experimental stack assembly. Initial experimental campaigns were conducted at ambient pressure and below 1×10-5 torr for vacuum cases using multiple interface materials including Braycote 601EF and Krytox-based greases across a range of thermal operating conditions. In parallel, a coupled numerical Python thermal model was developed to predict temperature distribution throughout the stack while accounting for conduction, radiation, and parasitic heat transfer pathways and effective interface resistance effects. Experimental measurements and numerical predictions showed consistent thermal trends across multiple operating conditions and environmental states. Results also revealed measurable differences between ambient and vacuum thermal behavior, demonstrating the importance of interface resistance, parasitic heat transfer mechanisms, and stack geometry in determining effective thermal performance within layered thermal interfaces. The presented work establishes a foundation for future thermal model correlation efforts and expanded characterization of aerospace thermal interface materials under representative environmental conditions. Future work will focus on the integration of a load cell system to enable controlled pressure-dependent characterization of thermal interface materials under compressive loading. This capability will allow investigation of the influence of contact pressure on effective thermal conductivity, interface resistance, and thermal performance within layered aerospace thermal interfaces under representative operational conditions.

Thermal Development Testing↗