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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
DOE OSTI2021

Stress-dominated growth of two-dimensional materials on nonplanar substrates

Curved features are ubiquitous on solid surfaces, but the effect of surface curvatures on growth of two-dimensional (2D) materials has not yet been established. Using a newly developed method based on the Metropolis algorithm and taking graphene as a prototype, we find that a curved feature on substrates can result in a variety of topological defects in 2D materials. As the feature's size increases by just nanometers, the defects can vary from adatoms, dislocation pairs, and grain boundary scars to long-range grain boundaries, in contrast to previously reported defect-free modes of rigid colloidal crystals growing on spheres. We identify an important role of curvature-induced lattice stress in lowering the growth rate over the curved features and driving a plastic instability in the materials. When the feature's size increases to several nanometers, the stress effect is compromised by an enhanced effect of geodesic curvature, yielding long-range grain boundaries as a result of increased local growth rate on the feature with respect to that on flat regions. Here we further provide a ‘phase diagram’ of defects that helps to guide a rational choice of geometrical parameters of features towards the growth of high-quality 2D materials as well as controllable creation of topological defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Controlled Self-Assembly of Gold Nanotetrahedra into Quasicrystals and Complex Periodic Supracrystals

The self-assembly of shape-anisotropic nanocrystals into large-scale structures is a versatile and scalable approach to creating multifunctional materials. The tetrahedral geometry is ubiquitous in natural and manmade materials, yet regular tetrahedra present a formidable challenge in understanding their self-assembly behavior as they do not tile space. Here, we report diverse supracrystals from gold nanotetrahedra including the quasicrystal (QC) and the dimer packing predicted more than a decade ago and hitherto unknown phases. We solve the complex three-dimensional (3D) structure of the QC by a combination of electron microscopy, tomography, and synchrotron X-ray scattering. Nanotetrahedron vertex sharpness, surface ligands, and assembly conditions work in concert to regulate supracrystal structure. We also discover that the surface curvature of supracrystals can induce structural changes of the QC tiling and eventually, for small supracrystals with high curvature, stabilize a hexagonal approximant. Finally, our findings bridge the gap between computational design and experimental realization of soft matter assemblies and demonstrate the importance of accurate control over nanocrystal attributes and the assembly conditions to realize increasingly complex nanopolyhedron supracrystals.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Orientation-controlled crystallization of γ-glycine films with enhanced piezoelectricity

Glycine, the simplest amino acid, is considered a promising functional biomaterial owing to its excellent biocompatibility and strong out-of-plane piezoelectricity. Practical applications require glycine films to be manufactured with their strong piezoelectric polar $\langle$001$\rangle$ direction aligned with the film thickness. Based on the recently-developed solidification approach of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and glycine aqueous solution, in this work, we demonstrate that the crystal orientation of the as-synthesized film is determined by the orientation of glycine crystal nuclei. By controlling the local nucleation kinetics via surface curvature tuning, here we shifted the nucleation site from the edge to the middle of the liquid film, and thereby aligned the $\langle$001$\rangle$ direction vertically. As a result, the PVA–glycine–PVA sandwich film exhibits the highest average piezoelectric coefficient d 33 of 6.13 ± 1.13 pC N –1 . This work demonstrates a promising kinetic approach to achieve crystallization and property control in a scalable biocrystal manufacturing process.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Investigation of magnetic noise from conductive shields in the 10–300 kHz frequency range

Here we present experimental and theoretical investigations of magnetic noise originating from radio-frequency (RF) conductive shields of flat geometry in the inductance-dominated impedance regime below 300 kHz. The measurement is based on a Q-factor determination of a coil that provides a sufficient sensitivity, placed at the position where the shield magnetic noise is measured. The theory is based on calculations of magnetic field and inductance of one or a few flat rings that emulate a conductive shield. The theoretical model is found to be in close agreement with experimental data. It can be used to predict the magnetic noise of a conductive shield with different thicknesses, conductivities, and temperatures at different distances for a wide range of frequencies. Although the model can be generalized for a more arbitrary shield geometry, in its presented form, it can be applied to the magnetic noise predictions when the shield surface curvature is not large. One important conclusion is that the RF conductive shield can generate the magnetic noise much lower than femtotesla, and, thus, it can be used in many precision experiments targeting minute high-frequency magnetic signals, such as detection of magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear quadrupole resonance signals and search for axion dark matter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale Modeling Framework for Lithium Nucleation in 3D Porous Carbon Anodes

Porous carbon scaffolds offer a promising route for mitigating non-uniform lithium (Li) plating to enhance the safety and longevity of Li metal batteries. However, the influence of microstructural morphology on Li nucleation is not well understood. Here, we present a multiscale modeling framework to investigate how the porous microstructure of carbon materials affects Li nucleation behavior. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations quantify the nucleation energy barriers of Li on graphene as a function of Li content, surface curvature, and applied potential, providing key parameters for a classical nucleation theory (CNT) model. From macroscale half-cell simulations, we obtained Li concentration and electrical potential profiles to define boundary conditions for mesoscopic simulations. At the mesoscale, three distinct synthetic 3D microstructures with different porosities and characteristic feature sizes are generated to resolve local distributions of Li flux, current density, and mechanical stress. These outputs are integrated into the CNT model to map spatial variation in nucleation rates. Our findings reveal trade-offs between suppressing nucleation rates and achieving spatial uniformity, offering design guidelines for optimizing porous carbon anodes to balance nucleation control and mechanical integrity.

Materials science↗
NASA NTRS1971

Vibration detection using lasers

Interference displacement patterns produced when light from a laser illuminates diffusely reflecting, vibrating surface are observed and photographed. Standing wave modes on model surface can be interpreted in order to yield amplitude and frequency of vibrations. Flat, white surfaces yield best interference patterns, even over considerable surface curvature.

Massey, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Mean and fluctuating flow measurements in axisymmetric supersonic boundary layer flow subjected to distributed adverse pressure gradients

Measurements have been made of the mean flow properties and turbulent fluctuations in adiabatic turbulent boundary layer flows subjected to distributed adverse pressure gradients. In the freestream region upstream of the adverse pressure gradient the Mach number was 3.86, the unit Reynolds number 5.3 million per foot. The boundary layer developed on the wall of an axisymmetric nozzle and straight test section. In order to avoid the effects of streamwise surface curvature the adverse pressure gradients at the test section wall were induced by contoured centerbodies mounted on the wind tunnel centerline. The flow under study simulated that which might be found in an axially symmetric engine inlet of a supersonic aircraft.

Gootzait, E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Lateral conduction effects on heat-transfer data obtained with the phase-change paint technique

A computerized tool, CAPE, (Conduction Analysis Program using Eigenvalues) has been developed to account for lateral heat conduction in wind tunnel models in the data reduction of the phase-change paint technique. The tool also accounts for the effects of finite thickness (thin wings) and surface curvature. A special reduction procedure using just one time of melt is also possible on leading edges. A novel iterative numerical scheme was used, with discretized spatial coordinates but analytic integration in time, to solve the inverse conduction problem involved in the data reduction. A yes-no chart is provided which tells the test engineer when various corrections are large enough so that CAPE should be used. The accuracy of the phase-change paint technique in the presence of finite thickness and lateral conduction is also investigated.

Maise, G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Investigation of supersonic turbulent boundary-layer separation on a compression ramp by an integral method

An investigation was made to determine the feasibility of using a boundary layer integral method to study the separation of a turbulent boundary layer on a two dimensional ramp at supersonic speeds. The numerical calculations were made for a free stream Mach number of 3, a Reynolds number of 10 million, and over a ramp angle range from 0 deg to 30 deg. For ramp angles where no flow separation was indicated, theoretical calculations were in reasonable agreement with experimental data except for a somewhat belated rise in pressure. For larger ramp angles, where separation was present, the investigation produced results that were not in agreement with experiment or with results calculated by time dependent Navier-Stokes methods. This apparently was true because no provision had been made for a proper shock boundary layer interaction where strong normal pressure gradients are induced within the boundary layer under the shock independent of surface curvature effects.

Patel, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Unsteady Newton-Busemann flow theory. I - Airfoils

Newtonian flow theory for unsteady flow at very high Mach numbers is completed by the addition of a centrifugal force correction to the impact pressures. The correction term is the unsteady counterpart of Busemann's centrifugal force correction to impact pressures in steady flow. For airfoils of arbitary shape, exact formulas for the unsteady pressure and stiffness and damping-in-pitch derivatives are obtained in closed form, which require only numerical quadratures of terms involving the airfoil shape. They are applicable to airfoils of arbitrary thickness having sharp or blunt leading edges. For wedges and thin airfoils these formulas are greatly simplified, and it is proved that the pitching motions of thin airfoils of convex shape and of wedges of arbitrary thickness are always dynamically stable according to Newton-Busemann theory. Leading-edge bluntness is shown to have a favorable effect on the dynamic stability; on the other hand, airfoils of concave shape tend toward dynamic instability over a range of axis positions if the surface curvature exceeds a certain limit. As a byproduct, it is also shown that a pressure formula recently given by Barron and Mandl for unsteady Newtonian flow over a pitching power-law shaped airfoil is erroneous and that their conclusion regarding the effect of pivot position on the dynamic stability is misleading.

Hui, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Evidence of imbedded vortices in a three-dimensional shear flow

Vortex phenomena encountered in an investigation of the streamwise development of the three-dimensional wake region behind the tip of a three-dimensional wedge model are reported. Pressure profiles were measured by pitot probes downstream of a tip with a nearly constant surface pressure level and a nearly continuous surface curvature in a blowdown air tunnel operating at Mach 6. Rather than the simple three-dimensional quasi-parallel shear flow expected, the measurements indicated the presence of a flow with large deficits in longitudinal pitot pressure, which are usually associated with the core region of quasi-steady longitudinal vortices. Vapor screen flow visualizations also support the presence of longitudinal vortices located primarily in the tip region and evidently forming in the vicinity of the wake neck. An increase in overall wake thickness by 100% is also observed. The origin of the vortices as quasi-steady Taylor-Gortler vortices generated in the concavely curved shear layer near the wake neck is considered. It is pointed out that the existence of longitudinal vortexes suggests that three-dimensional turbulence modeling may be much more difficult than previously supposed.

Morrisette, E. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Slab-geometry Nd:glass laser performance studies

It is noted that slab-geometry solid-state lasers potentially provide significant performance improvements relative to conventional rod-geometry lasers. Experimental measurements that use an Nd:glass test-bed slab laser are presented. A comparison is made between the results and computer-model predictions of the slab-geometry approach. The computer model calculates and displays the temperature and stress fields in the slab, and on the basis of these predicts birefringence and index-of-refraction distributions. The effect that these distributions have on optical propagation is determined in a polarization-sensitive ray-tracing section of the model. Calculations are also made of stress-induced surface curvature and the resulting focusing effects. The measurements are found to be in good agreement with the computer-model predictions. It is concluded that the slab configuration offers significant laser-performance advantages in comparison with the traditional rod-laser geometry.

Eggleston, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Wind-tunnel Investigation of Effects of Rear Upper Surface Modification on a NASA Supercritical Airfoil

Wind tunnel tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 0.81 to examine the effects on supercritical airfoil of modifying the rear upper surface to reduce the magnitude of an intermediate off design second velocity peak. The modification was accomplished by increasing the upper surface curvature around the 50 percent chord station and reducing the curvature over approximately the rearmost 30 percent of the airfoil while maintaining the same trailing edge thickness.

Harris, C. D.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Alteration of outer flow structures for turbulent drag reduction

Paper reviews large eddy behavior in turbulent boundary layers and presents a survey of turbulent wall layers subjected to abrupt changes in boundary conditions. From this survey several methods have been identified with potential for altering the turbulence production process in the outer region of the boundary layer and reducing the turbulent skin-friction drag over relatively long downstream distances; these include convex longitudinal surface curvature, large-eddy breakup devices, and Emmons spot alteration. Paper also presents results of an ongoing experimental study to parametrically evaluate large-eddy breakup devices as a turbulent drag reduction concept and reproduce the 20 percent net drag reductions found in large-eddy breakup experiments at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Hefner, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A review of turbulent-boundary-layer heat transfer research at Stanford, 1958-1983

For the past 25 years, there has existed in the Thermosciences Laboratory of the Mechanical Engineering Department of Stanford University a research program, primarily experimental, concerned with heat transfer through turbulent boundary layers. In the early phases of the program, the topics considered were the simple zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer with constant and with varying surface temperature, and the accelerated boundary layer. Later equilibrium boundary layers were considered along with factors affecting the boundary layer, taking into account transpired flows, flows with axial pressure gradients, transpiration, acceleration, deceleration, roughness, full-coverage film cooling, surface curvature, free convection, and mixed convection. A description is provided of the apparatus and techniques used, giving attention to the smooth plate rig, the rough plate rig, the full-coverage film cooling rig, the curvature rig, the concave wall rig, the mixed convection tunnel, and aspects of data reduction and uncertainty analysis.

Moffat, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A study of a collision avoidance system mounted on a curved ground plane

Research conducted on a traffic advisory and collision avoidance system (TCAS 2) mounted on a curved ground plane is described. It is found that a curved finite ground plane can be used as a good simulation model for the fuselage of an aircraft but may not be good enough to model a whole aircraft due to the shadowing of the vertical stabilizer, wings, etc. The surface curvature of this curved disc significantly affects the monopulse characteristics in the azimuth plane but not as much in the elevation plane. These variations of the monopulse characteristics verify the need of a lookup table for the 64 azimuth beam positions. The best location of a TCAS 2 array on a Boeing 737 is to move it as far from the vertical stabilizer as possible.

Law, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Experimental study using nearfield acoustic holography of sound transmission through fuselage sidewall structures

The reduction of cabin noise in lightweight, propeller-driven aircraft is an especially difficult problem in noise control. Nearfield Acoustic Holography (NAH) was used to determine the mode of vibration and acoustic intensity for panels which differed in: construction (number of stiffening ribs, size of stifening ribs, construction material, and panel surface curvature); boundary support condition (free edge condition or clamped edge condition); and mode of excitation (structural-borne forces or airborne forces). The different samples of aircraft panels are described and the measurement of the natural response frequencies was discussed under various boundary support and excitation conditions. The results of the NAH measurements are presented.

Maynard, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Low Reynolds number separation bubble research at UTRC

The facilities and techniques being applied in investigations of laminar separation bubbles on low Re airfoils at the United Technologies Research Center are described. The research is focused on developing a database and predictive models for use in designing compressor, fan and turbine blades. Flow data are gathered primarily by laser Doppler velocimetry. Experimental procedures are being devised which will permit formation of a short bubble for characterizations of the velocity profiles in and around the bubble and boundary layer. Further tests are directed at defining the size and location of the bubble and the transition in the separated shear layer. The sensitivity of the bubble to alterations in the Re, pressure gradient, turbulence intensity and the turbulence scales will be examined. The effects of surface curvature and roughness on the bubble will also be studied. Details of the wind tunnel facility and the steps being taken to define conditions for reliably producing the short bubble are outlined.

Patrick, W. P.↗