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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

High-Pressure Lightweight Thrusters

Returning samples of Martian soil and rock to Earth is of great interest to scientists. There were numerous studies to evaluate Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission architectures, technology needs, development plans, and requirements. The largest propulsion risk element of the MSR mission is the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). Along with the baseline solid-propellant vehicle, liquid propellants have been considered. Similar requirements apply to other lander ascent engines and reaction control systems. The performance of current state-ofthe- art liquid propellant engines can be significantly improved by increasing both combustion temperature and pressure. Pump-fed propulsion is suggested for a single-stage bipropellant MAV. Achieving a 90-percent stage propellant fraction is thought to be possible on a 100-kg scale, including sufficient thrust for lifting off Mars. To increase the performance of storable bipropellant rocket engines, a high-pressure, lightweight combustion chamber was designed. Iridium liner electrodeposition was investigated on complex-shaped thrust chamber mandrels. Dense, uniform iridium liners were produced on chamber and cylindrical mandrels. Carbon/carbon composite (C/C) structures were braided over iridium-lined mandrels and densified by chemical vapor infiltration. Niobium deposition was evaluated for forming a metallic attachment flange on the carbon/ carbon structure. The new thrust chamber was designed to exceed state-of-the-art performance, and was manufactured with an 83-percent weight savings. High-performance C/Cs possess a unique set of properties that make them desirable materials for high-temperature structures used in rocket propulsion components, hypersonic vehicles, and aircraft brakes. In particular, more attention is focused on 3D braided C/Cs due to their mesh-work structure. Research on the properties of C/Cs has shown that the strength of composites is strongly affected by the fiber-matrix interfacial bonding, and that weakening interface realizes pseudo-plastic behavior with significant increase in the tensile strength. The investigation of high-temperature strength of C/Cs under high-rate heating (critical for thrust chambers) shows that tensile and compression strength increases from 70 MPa at room temperature to 110 MPa at 1,773 K, and up to 125 MPa at 2,473 K. Despite these unique properties, the use of C/Cs is limited by its high oxidation rate at elevated temperatures. Lining carbon/carbon chambers with a thin layer of iridium or iridium and rhenium is an innovative way to use proven refractory metals and provide the oxidation barrier necessary to enable the use of carbon/ carbon composites. Due to the lower density of C/Cs as compared to SiC/SiC composites, an iridium liner can be added to the C/C structure and still be below the overall thruster weight. Weight calculations show that C/C, C/C with 50 microns of Ir, and C/C with 100 microns of Ir are of less weight than alternative materials for the same construction.

Holmes, Richard↗

Carbon in oxides and silicates - Dissolution versus exsolution

A theory of CO2 dissolution in the solid state is developed, using the idea proposed by Freund (1983) concerning dissolution of CO/CO2 in MgO on the basis of their experimental results obtained with an MgO-containing carbon impurity. It is shown that the dissolution mechanism may be linked to an internal redox reaction by which a certain number of lattice oxygens change their formal oxidation state from -2 to -1, while the carbon becomes reduced. The similarities between the mechanisms of CO and/or CO2 dissolution and that of H2O dissolution are pointed out. A hypothesis is proposed concerning the exsolution of reduced carbon from supersaturated solid solutions under conditions which permit C-C bond formation.

Freund, F.↗

Transport phenomena of reactive fluid flow in heterogeneous combustion processes.

A previously developed computer program was used to model two transient hybrid combustion processes involving tubes of solid Plexiglas. In the first study, representing combustion of a hybrid rocket, the oxidizing gas was oxygen, and calculations were continued sufficiently long to obtain steady-state values. Systematic variations were made in reaction rate constant, mass flow rate, and pressure, alternatively using constant and temperature dependent regression rate models for the fuel surface. Consistent results were obtained, as is evidenced by the values for the mass function of the reaction product and the flame temperature, for which plots are supplied. In the second study, fire initiation in a duct was studied, with an air mixture as the oxidizing gas. It was demonstrated that a satisfactory flame spread mechanism could be reproduced on the computer. In both of the above applications, the general, transient, two-dimensional conservation equations were represented, together with chemical reactions, solid-fuel interface conditions, and heat conduction in the solid fuel.

Hung, W. S. Y.↗

Toughening of BIS maleimide resins: Synthesis and characterization of maleimide terminated poly(arylene ether) oligomers and polymers

Amine functional poly(arylene ether) sulfones were previously reported. Herein, the chemistry was extended to amorphous poly(arylene ether) ketones because of their higher fracture toughness values, relative to the polysulfones. It was demonstrated that the amino functional oligomers undergo a self-crosslinking reaction at temperatures above about 220 C. This produces an insoluble, but ductile network that has excellent resistance. A ketamine structure hypothesis was proposed and verified using solid state magic angle NMR. In most cases, the water generated upon ketamine formation is too low to produce porosity and solid networks are obtained. The stability of the ketamine networks towards hydrolysis is excellent. The chemistry was further demonstrated to be able to crosslink preformed nonfunctional poly(arylene ether) ketones if a difunctional amine was utilized. This concept has the possibility of greatly improving the creep resistance of thermoplastics. Also, a new technique was developed for converting the amine functional oligomers cleanly into maleimide structures. This method involves reacting maleic anhydride with monomeric aminophenols in the presence of solvent mixtures.

Mcgrath, J. E.↗

STS-82 Flight Day 06 Highlights

The sixth day of the STS-82 mission begins with the crew, Commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Pilot Scott J. Horowitz, Payload Commander Mark C. Lee, and Mission Specialists Gregory J. Harbaugh, Steven L. Smith, Joseph R. Tanner, and Steven A. Hawley conducting the third spacewalk of the mission. Lee and Smith are seen removing and replacing a Data Interface Unit which provides command and data interfaces between Hubble's data management system and other subsystems. They also replace an old reel-to-reel style Engineering and Science Tape Recorder with a new digital Solid State Recorder (SSR) that will allow simultaneous recording and playback of data. The final task for Lee and Smith is the change out of one of four Reaction Wheel Assembly units that use spin momentum to move the telescope toward a target and maintain it in a stable position.

Source record↗

Following the Water: the Evolution of Ice-forming Regions in the Early Solar Nebula

The abundances of water-vapor and water-ice during the first ten million years of the protoplanetary solar nebula are simulated using a new condensation/sublimation model. This study builds on a "snow line" model reported in ApJ 627 L153 (2005); it uses a simple phenomenological model where water vapor molecules evolve from solar atomic abundance and eventually condenses to ice at colder points in the nebula once the water-vapor partial pressure exceeds a value determined by the phase diagram for water. The synthesis of water vapor from elementary species is modeled with a chemical network consisting of about 400 species and 4000 reactions. The evolution of the icy zone (and its relative abundance of solid ice) is traced from a limited region in the early hotter disk to its final state at the time when the gas is expelled and a planetary system begins to form. Possible effects of this dynamic motion on disk chemistry and organic molecule formation are also described.

Davis, Sanford S.↗

Modeling a Transient Catalytic Combustor

Transient model of monolith catalytic combustor presented in report done under NASA/DOE contract. Model assumes quasi-steady gas phase and thermally "thin" solid. In gas-phase treatment, several quasi-global chemical reactions assumed capable of describing CO and unburnt hydrocarbon emissions in fuel-lean operations. In steady-state computation presented, influence of selected operating and design parameters on minimum combustor length studied. When fast transient responses required, both steady and unsteady studies made to achieve meaningful compromise in design.

Tien, J. S.↗

Elucidation of Free Radical and Optogalvanic Spectroscopy Associated with Microgravity Combustion via Conventional and Novel Laser Platforms

Combustion studies under both normal gravity and microgravity conditions depend a great deal on the availability and quality of the diagnostic systems used for such investigations. Microgravity phenomena are specially susceptible to even small perturbations and therefore non-intrusive diagnostic techniques are of paramount importance for successful understanding of reduced-gravity combustion phenomena. Several non-intrusive diagnostic techniques are available for probing and delineating normal as well as reduced gravity combustion processes, such as Rayleigh scattering, Raman scattering, Mie scattering, velocimetry, interferometric and Schlieren techniques, emission and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy. Our approach is to use the LIF technique as a non-intrusive diagnostic tool for the study of combustion-associated free radicals and use the concomitant optogalvanic transitions to accomplish precise calibration of the laser wavelengths used for recording the excitation spectra of transient molecular species. In attempting to perform spectroscopic measurements on chemical intermediates, we have used conventional laser sources as well as new and novel platforms employing rare-earth doped solid-state lasers. Conventional (commercially available) sources of tunable UV laser radiation are extremely cumbersome and energy-consuming devices that are not very suitable for either in-space or in-flight (or microgravity drop tower) experiments. Traditional LIF sources of tunable UV laser radiation involve in addition to a pump laser (usually a Nd:YAG laser with an attached frequency-doubling stage), a tunable dye laser. In turn, the dye laser has to be provided with a dye circulation system and a subsequent stage for frequency-doubling of the dye laser radiation, together with a servo-tuning system (termed the 'Autotracker') to follow the wavelength changes and also an optical system (called the 'Frequency Separator') for separation of the emanating visible and UV beams. In contrast to this approach, we have devised an alternate arrangement for recording LIF excitation spectra of free radicals (following appropriate precursor fragmentation) that utilizes a tunable rare-earth doped solid state laser system with direct UV pumping. We have designed a compact and portable tunable UV laser system incorporating features necessary for both in-space and in-flight spectroscopy experiments. For the purpose of LIF excitation, we have developed an all-solid-state tunable UV laser that employs direct pumping of the solid-state UV-active medium employing UV harmonics from a Nd:YAG laser. An optical scheme with counterpropagating photolysis and excitation beams focused by suitable lenses into a reaction vacuum chamber was employed.

Misra, Prabhakar↗

Polyimidazopyrrolone model compounds.

Study of model reactions between phthalic anhydride and o-phenylenediamine under conditions analogous to the polymerization and post cyclization of dianhydrides with bis(o-diamines) to form polyimidazopyrrolones (Pyrrones). Solid-state thermal conversion of the amide-acid-amine affords a unique dimeric species containing amide, imide, and benzimidazole functions. It was confirmed that melt techniques lead to disproportionation products. The application of these findings to related polymer syntheses is discussed.

Young, P. R.↗

Batteries at NASA - Today and Beyond

NASA uses batteries for virtually all of its space missions. Batteries can be bulky and heavy, and some chemistries are more prone to safety issues than others. To meet NASA's needs for safe, lightweight, compact and reliable batteries, scientists and engineers at NASA develop advanced battery technologies that are suitable for space applications and that can satisfy these multiple objectives. Many times, these objectives compete with one another, as the demand for more and more energy in smaller packages dictates that we use higher energy chemistries that are also more energetic by nature. NASA partners with companies and universities, like Xavier University of Louisiana, to pool our collective knowledge and discover innovative technical solutions to these challenges. This talk will discuss a little about NASA's use of batteries and why NASA seeks more advanced chemistries. A short primer on battery chemistries and their chemical reactions is included. Finally, the talk will touch on how the work under the Solid High Energy Lithium Battery (SHELiB) grant to develop solid lithium-ion conducting electrolytes and solid-state batteries can contribute to NASA's mission.

batteries↗

Advanced Multi-Phase Flow CFD Model Development for Solid Rocket Motor Flowfield Analysis

It is known that the simulations of solid rocket motor internal flow field with AL-based propellants require complex multi-phase turbulent flow model. The objective of this study is to develop an advanced particulate multi-phase flow model which includes the effects of particle dynamics, chemical reaction and hot gas flow turbulence. The inclusion of particle agglomeration, particle/gas reaction and mass transfer, particle collision, coalescence and breakup mechanisms in modeling the particle dynamics will allow the proposed model to realistically simulate the flowfield inside a solid rocket motor. The Finite Difference Navier-Stokes numerical code FDNS is used to simulate the steady-state multi-phase particulate flow field for a 3-zone 2-D axisymmetric ASRM model and a 6-zone 3-D ASRM model at launch conditions. The 2-D model includes aft-end cavity and submerged nozzle. The 3-D model represents the whole ASRM geometry, including additional grain port area in the gas cavity and two inhibitors. FDNS is a pressure based finite difference Navier-Stokes flow solver with time-accurate adaptive second-order upwind schemes, standard and extended k-epsilon models with compressibility corrections, multi zone body-fitted formulations, and turbulence particle interaction model. Eulerian/Lagrangian multi-phase solution method is applied for multi-zone mesh. To simulate the chemical reaction, penalty function corrected efficient finite-rate chemistry integration method is used in FDNS. For the AL particle combustion rate, the Hermsen correlation is employed. To simulate the turbulent dispersion of particles, the Gaussian probability distribution with standard deviation equal to (2k/3)(exp 1/2) is used for the random turbulent velocity components. The computational results reveal that the flow field near the juncture of aft-end cavity and the submerged nozzle is very complex. The effects of the turbulent particles affect the flow field significantly and provide better prediction of the ASRM performance. The multi-phase flow analysis using the FDNS code in the present research can be used as a design tool for solid rocket motor applications.

Liaw, Paul↗

Plasma Assisted Trash Conversion with CO2 Carrier Gas

A sub-atmospheric plasma solid-to-gas conversion system operating under 500 W was tested to be viable for waste conversion to a gaseous state without the use of a feedstock gas as shown in previous plasma torch works. This manuscript lays the groundwork into the feasibility of low-pressure solid-to-gas conversion, reaction chemistry of the by-product gases, and power consumption. The results have shown the possibility of gasification at reduced pressures without the consumable use of a feedstock carrier gas in previous studies. Thus far, the percent gasification averaged around 36% in pre-pellet trials, with the system being far from optimized. The products include H2, CO2, CO, C2H4, and C2H6. Hydrogen production was higher as expected in a CO2-like environment once the gasification process begins. The energy required to generate the plasma was on the order of that previously reported at atmospheric pressures. The ability to eliminate the need for any consumables that were required in previous iterations greatly improves the cost and operational logistics of plasma gasification equipment. Although further development of the system is needed for increased gasification percentages, elimination of useable commodities greatly favors such a system for trash management beyond low Earth orbit.

Malay Shah↗

Friction Stir Welding Development at NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state process that pan be used to join materials without melting. The process was invented by The Welding Institute (TWI), Cambridge, England. Friction stir welding exhibits several advantages over fusion welding in that it produces welds with fewer defects and higher joint efficiency and is capable of joining alloys that are generally considered non-weldable with a fusion weld process. In 1994, NASA-Marshall began collaborating with TWI to transform FSW from a laboratory curiosity to a viable metal joining process suitable for manufacturing hardware. While teamed with TWI, NASA-Marshall began its own FSW research and development effort to investigate possible aerospace applications for the FSW process. The work involved nearly all aspects of FSW development, including process modeling, scale-up issues, applications to advanced materials and development of tooling to use FSW on components of the Space Shuttle with particular emphasis on aluminum tanks. The friction stir welding process involves spinning a pin-tool at an appropriate speed, plunging it into the base metal pieces to be joined, and then translating it along the joint of the work pieces. In aluminum alloys the rotating speed typically ranges from 200 to 400 revolutions per minute and the translation speed is approximately two to five inches per minute. The pin-tool is inserted at a small lead angle from the axis normal to the work piece and requires significant loading along the axis of the tool. An anvil or reaction structure is required behind the welded material to react the load along the axis of the pin tool. The process requires no external heat input, filler material, protective shielding gas or inert atmosphere typical of fusion weld processes. The FSW solid-state weld process has resulted in aluminum welds with significantly higher strengths, higher joint efficiencies and fewer defects than fusion welds used to join similar alloys.

McGill, Preston↗

Rapid Polymer Sequencer

Solid-state nanopore-based analysis of nucleic acid polymers is revolutionary. No other technique can determine information content in single molecules of genetic material at the speed of 1 subunit per microsecond. Because individual molecules are counted, the output is intrinsically quantitative. The nanopore approach is more generalized than any other method and in principle may be used to analyze any polymer molecule, including proteins. The approach to the development of a solid-state nanopore device is novel in the use of nanofabrication, nanoelectronic components, and high-speed signal acquisition. A novel geometry of the solid-state nanopore (less than 5 nm in length and 5 nm in diameter) will enable 1 to 5 nucleotide resolution measurements. This means that maximum resolution will be improved at least 100-fold compared to biological ion-channel measurements. The solid-state nanopore sensor will be made to enable sequencing DNA at a much faster rate than presently possible without the need for extensive sample preparation procedures, such as enzymatic amplification and labeling reactions. It will analyze electronic properties of individual subunits of DNA or RNA, to obtain linear composition of each genetic polymer molecule.

technology opportunity↗

Ketimine modifications as a route to novel amorphous and derived semicrystalline poly(arylene ether ketone) homo- and copolymers

A series of amine terminal amorphous poly(arylene ether ketone) oligomers of controlled molecular weights (2-15 K) were synthesized. These oligomers have been found to undergo 'self-crosslinking' reactions upon heating above 220 C, via the reaction of the terminal amine groups with the in-chain keto carbonyl functionalities. The resulting networks are ductile, chemically resistant, and nonporous. The networks obtained via generated ketimine functionality were characterized by solid state NMR. They have also been found to be remarkably stable toward hydrolysis. Ketimine functional bishalide monomers have also been synthesized. Such monomers have been utilized to synthesize a wide variety of amorphous poly(arylene ether) ketimine polymers. A high molecular weight hydroquinone functional poly(arylene ether) ketimine has been acid treated to regenerate a poly(arylene ether ketone) backbone in solution. This novel procedure thus allows for the synthesis of important matrix resins under relatively mild conditions.

Mohanty, D. K.↗

Rapid Solid-State Metathesis Routes to Nanostructured Silicon-Germainum

Methods for producing nanostructured silicon and silicon-germanium via solid state metathesis (SSM). The method of forming nanostructured silicon comprises the steps of combining a stoichiometric mixture of silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) and an alkaline earth metal silicide into a homogeneous powder, and initating the reaction between the silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) with the alkaline earth metal silicide. The method of forming nanostructured silicon-germanium comprises the steps of combining a stoichiometric mixture of silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) and a germanium based precursor into a homogeneous powder, and initiating the reaction between the silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) with the germanium based precursors.

Kaner, Richard B.↗

Nonequilibrium hypersonic aerothermodynamics

Nonequilibrium phenomena in hypersonic flows are examined on the basis of theoretical models and selected experimental data, in an introduction intended for second-year graduate students of aerospace engineering. Chapters are devoted to the physical nature of gas atoms and molecules, transitions of internal states, the formulation of the master equation of aerothermodynamics, the conservation equations, chemical reactions in CFD, the behavior of air flows in nonequilibrium, experimental aspects of nonequilibrium flow, a review of experimental results, and gas-solid interaction. Diagrams, graphs, and tables of numerical data are provided.

Park, Chul↗