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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 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Long-life assessment of graphite epoxy materials for Space Station Freedom pressure vessels

Graphite/epoxy composite overwrapped pressure vessels are being considered for use on Space Station Freedom because of their light weight and high efficiency. These composite pressure vessels weigh roughly one-third of comparable all-metal aluminum pressure vessels, and could result in a 15,000-lb weight saving for the propulsion and fluid management and distribution systems. These vessels must resist failures under sustained pressure loads for crew safety considerations and adequate protection of the space structure during their 30-yr life. Weibull statistical analysis techniques have been applied, and a model developed, for predicting long-term stress-rupture behavior based on published short-term test data on composite strands and pressure vessels. Graphite/epoxy materials are calculated to have a 99.99-percent probability of surviving stress rupture for 30 yr under a sustained load of 50 percent ultimate failure strength. Stress-rupture lifetimes are predicted to increase as the size of the pressure vessels increases in support of the viscoelastic load-transfer mechanism proposed for stress rupture of fiber/epoxy composite materials.

Thomas, Donald A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Power spectral density analysis of the electromyogram from a work task performed in a full pressure suit

Surface electromyograms (EMG) taken from three upper torso muscles during a push-pull task were analyzed by a power spectral density technique to determine the utility of the spectral analysis for identifying changes in the EMG caused by muscular fatigue. The results confirmed the value of the frequency analysis for identifying fatigue producing muscular performance. Data revealed reliable differences between muscles in fatigue induced responses to various locations in the reach envelope at which the subjects were required to perform the push-pull exercise, and the differential sensitivity of individual muscles to the various reach positions; i.e., certain reach positions imposed more fatigue related shifts in EMG power than did others. It was found that a pressurized space suit changed the pattern of normal shirtsleeve muscle fatigue responses in all three of the muscles.

Lafevers, E. V.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Catalytic oxidation of trace levels of methane in oxygen in a tubular reactor

An experimental investigation of catalytic oxidation of trace levels of methane in oxygen was conducted in a tubular reactor. Two noble metal solid catalysts were explored: a 1-percent platinum on gamma alumina and a 0.5-percent rhodium on gamma alumina. For each catalyst the activity was determined as a function of temperature, pressure, space velocity, and methane concentration. The rhodium catalyst was considerably more active than the platinum catalyst. For each catalyst mass transfer had a pronounced effect upon activity at low space velocity.

Warshay, M.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Baseline performance of the GPU 3 Stirling engine

A 10 horsepower single-cylinder rhombic-drive Stirling engine was converted to a research configuration to obtain data for validation of Stirling computer simulations. The engine was originally built by General Motors Research Laboratories for the U.S. Army in 1965 as part of a 3 kW engine-generator set, designated the GHU 3 (Ground Power Unit). This report presents test results for a range of heater gas temperatures, mean compression-space pressures, and engine speeds with both helium and hydrogen as the working fluids. Also shown are initial data comparisons with computer simulation predictions.

Thieme, L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Low-Power Baseline Test Results for the GPU 3 Stirling Engine

A 7.5 kW (10 hp) Stirling engine was converted to a research configuration in order to obtain data for validating Stirling-cycle computer simulations. Test results for a range of heater-tube gas temperatures, mean compression-space pressures, and engine speeds with both helium and hydrogen as the working fluid are summarized. An instrumentation system to determine indicated work is described and preliminary results are presented.

Thieme, L. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Initial results of sensitivity tests - Performed on the RE-1000 free-piston Stirling engine

Tests have been performed over several years to investigate the dynamics of a free-piston Stirling engine for the purpose of computer code validation. Tests on the 1 kW (1.33 hp) single cylinder engine have involved the determination of the sensitivity of the engine performance to variations in working space pressure, heater and cooler temperatures, regenerator porosity, power piston mass, and displacer dynamics. Maps of engine performance have been recorded with the use of an 81.2 percent porosity regenerator. Both a high-efficiency displacer and a high-power displacer were tested; efficiencies up to 33 percent were recorded, and power output of approximately 1500 W was obtained. Preliminary results of the sensitivity tests are presented, and descriptions of future tests are given.

Schreiber, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

RE-1000 free-piston Stirling engine update

A free piston Stirling engine was tested. The tests performed over the past several years on the single cylinder engine were designed to investigate the dynamics of a free piston Stirling engine. The data are intended to be used primarily for computer code validation. The tests designed to investigate the sensitivity of the engine performance to variations in working space pressure, heater and cooler temperatures, regenerator porosity, power piston mass and displacer dynamics were completed. In addition, some data were recorded with alternate working fluids. A novel resonant balance system for the engine was also tested. Some preliminary test results of the tests performed are presented along with an outline of future tests to be run with the engine coupled to a hydraulic output unit. A description of the hydraulic output unit is given.

Schreiber, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1985

RE-1000 free-piston Stirling engine update

A free piston Stirling engine was tested. The tests performed over the past several years on the single cylinder engine were designed to investigate the dynamics of a free piston Stirling engine. The data are intended to be used primarily for computer code validation. The tests designed to investigate the sensitivity of the engine performance to variations in working space pressure, heater and cooler temperatures, regenerator porosity, power piston mass and displacer dynamics were completed. In addition, some data were recorded with alternate working fluids. A novel resonant balance system for the engine was also tested. Some preliminary test results of the tests performed are presented along with an outline of future tests to be run with the engine coupled to a hydraulic output unit. A description of the hydraulic output unit is given.

Schreiber, J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Injection of dust into the Martian atmosphere - Evidence from the Viking Gas Exchange experiment

The hypothesis that predawn midlatitude storms are triggered by a soil humidification process is examined. A freeze/thaw model of the process is evaluated in the Viking Gas Exchange experiments conducted on Mars. The humidification-driven desorption and desiccation state of Martian soil samples are analyzed. The periodic humidification of equatorial regolith soil is studied in terms of pore space pressure during desorption events and soil diffusivity; the thermal properties of the regolith surface layer are modeled using the program of Clifford (1984). Consideration is given to the diurnal and seasonal cycles of the humidification process, the permanent, low-albedo features in the midlatitudes, and the production of H2SO4 and HCl aerosols.

Huguenin, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Inflatable Rings For Temporary Sealing

Inflatable rings seal joint. After inflation, space pressurized to test for leakage through joint. Rings protect surface of aperture from contact with metal structure of plug, and accommodate out-of-roundness and irregular surface contours without leaking. Pressure seal requires no preparation or cleanup.

Lesh, Paul L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dynamic Stability Analysis Using Free-Flight CFD

Blunt body probes are the primary design for atmospheric entry. The blunted capsule shape, while desirable for the decreased forebody heating, typically experiences dynamic instability at low supersonic and transonic flight. At moderate to low supersonic conditions, the unsteady wake begins to adversely interact with the vehicle in free-flight resulting in attitude oscillations which can grow in time and result in tumbling. Understanding vehicle dynamics is thus important when considering vehicle entry design and guidance navigation and control (GN&C) considerations. Historically, dynamic stability has been carried out exclusively using experimental techniques. The wide range of experimental approaches provide reasonable coverage in Mach and dynamic pressure space for a given trajectory, however achieving flight similitude is often difficult or impossible. Advancements in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques allow for dynamic motion of the vehicle surface during the simulation with either forced/prescribed motion or free motion in response to fluid forces. Several examples of CFD software with the ability to simulate fluid dynamics and vehicle motion are available in literature. The Free-Flight CFD (FF-CFD) capability developed by NASA Ames within the US3D flow solver has shown extensive validation and verification (V&V) efforts from moderate to low supersonic flow across a range of vehicle architectures. The solver is able to simulate full rotational and translation motion resulting in full 6 degrees-of-freedom (DoF) motion. The validation and verification efforts the solver's ability to predict the motion of a ballistic range model as compared to experimental results. Similar to other computational capabilities in literature, FF-CFD relied on heritage data reduction methodologies and processes for reducing dynamic data into aerodynamic coefficients intended for use in design and trajectory codes. These heritage approaches, initially developed with the assumptions (and restrictions) of ground test facilities, resulted in the significant culling of the full 6-DoF dynamic data set to discrete values which are then fit using an aerodynamic model. Recent development of simulation and data reduction methodologies has resulted in an improved approach to FF-CFD simulations of vehicle dynamics which leverage the control of dynamic constraints within a simulation set-up. The presentation of this work will cover the constrained dynamic simulation approach for deriving dynamic coefficients for a Genesis capsule. The methodology will be outlined and a discussion of implications in motion restriction will be discussed. Finally, reconstructed vehicle trajectories using FF-CFD derived aerodynamic coefficients will be presented.

Joseph M Brock↗
NASA NTRS2017

Wavenumber-frequency Spectra of Pressure Fluctuations on a Generic Space Vehicle Measured via Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint

Time histories of pressure fluctuations on a generic, hammerhead space vehicle model were measured using unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP). The test was conducted in the 11-foot transonic wind tunnel of NASA Ames Research Center over a Mach number range of 0.6 M 1.2, and angles of attack of -4 4. The model was coated with a porous binder and PtTFPP-based porous polymer paint. An elaborate system of four high-speed cameras, and forty LED lamps was used for image acquisition. Various steps for image registration, reduction of shot noise, photogrammetry procedure to map images from the four cameras on a grid for the model, and finally a calibration procedure to convert the measured fluctuations in light intensity to fluctuating pressure, are discussed in the paper. The calibration process using a set of unsteady pressure sensors mounted on the model, was found to overcome some of the inherent problems of the fast response paint, such as rapid photo-degradation, non-linearity in pressure response, and significant temperature sensitivity. Comparison of spectra of pressure fluctuations between UPSP and pressure sensors demonstrated the ability of the paint to faithfully follow fluctuations up to 10 kHz, the maximum attempted. It was also found that the camera bit-depth and the illumination level limited the lowest measurable levels of pressure fluctuations to around 140dB. The large data set exposed various critical transonic flow physics not seen before, such as a coupling of the shock motion on the Payload Fairing (PF) with the separated flow region on the upper stage of the launch vehicle, and upstream convection of pressure fluctuation on PF at certain Mach numbers. The data also confirmed the expectation of a general lowering of the coefficient of pressure fluctuation with Mach number. The availability of the data set on a dense, regularly-spaced, surface grid allowed for the calculation of wavenumber-frequency (k-) spectra via straightforward applications of Fourier transform. The k- spectra were compared for the separated flow regions on the Second Stage, and the shock-boundary layer interactions on PF. The former showed self-similarity with Mach number while the latter was distinctly different, and confirmed the upstream propagation of pressure fluctuations. The k- spectra were dominated by the convected fluctuations; the acoustic domain was not discernable. These data, valuable for the vibro-acoustics analysis of aerospace vehicles, are believed to be the first obtained for the transonic flight regime, and pave the path for application on production models of aerospace vehicles.

buffet↗
NASA NTRS1971

Space shuttle low pressure auxiliary propulsion subsystem design definition: Design handbook

A detailed description of recommended low pressure auxiliary propulsion subsystems (APS) for a space shuttle orbiter and booster is presented. The APS designs are the product of a study to identify and evaluate APS concepts, and to perform in-depth design and performance analyses for the most attractive of these. Selected APS baselines use the main engine propellant tanks as low pressure gas accumulators. For the orbiter, propellants from separate liquid tanks are used for main engine tank resupply. Resupply propellants are first circulated through tubular, passive heat exchangers, where they are vaporized and superheated prior to injection into the main engine tanks. Warm propellant vapors from the main engine tanks are mixed with additional liquid propellants in a downstream liquid/vapor mixer and supplied to the engines at constant temperature and pressure (constant density). The booster APS requires no separate propellant storage, since propellant residuals, trapped in the main engine tanks following boost, are sufficient to meet APS propellant demands.

Bruns, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of predicted and experimental real-gas pressure distributions on space shuttle orbiter nose for shuttle entry air data system

An experimental investigation of inviscid real-gas effects on the pressure distribution along the Space Shuttle Orbiter nose center line up to an angle of attack of 32 deg was performed in support of the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS). Free-stream velocities from 4.8 to 6.6 kn/s were generated at hypersonic conditions with helium, air, and CO2, resulting in normal-shock density ratios from 3.7 to 18.4. The experimental results for pressure distribution agreed closely with numerical results. Modified Newtonian theory deviates from both experiment and the numerical results as angle of attack increases or shock density ratio decreases. An evaluation of the use of modified Newtonian theory for predicting SEADS pressure distributions in actual flight conditions was made through comparison with numerical predictions.

Shinn, J. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cross-Validation of Computational and Experimental Distributed Surface Pressures on the Space Launch System

This paper presents a new workflow for comparing experimental pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) data to computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations by way of mapping data from corresponding grids utilizing interpolation methods. In addition to generating quantitative and qualitative point-to-point comparisons between PSP and CFD data, this workflow extracts sectional loading data from both grids and generates lineload comparison charts for corresponding PSP and CFD runs. Experimental PSP data presented in this paper were taken from a 2016 NASA Ames Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11- by 11-Foot Transonic WindTunnel Facility test of the NASA Space Launch System. CFD simulation data for comparison purposes were generated using the FUN3D code. Overall, interpolation onto PSP grids versus CFD grids yields comparable surface pressure fields. However, lineload comparisons are easier to make on the CFD grid-mapped data due to the grid topology and the current capabilities of the lineload analysis tools at NASA Langley Research Center. This workflow is written using contemporary software (Python, Tecplot, PyTecplot), is compatible with existing tools at NASA Langley, and is developed to be adaptable depending on the situation.

SLS↗
NASA NTRS1954

A theoretical study of the effect of forward speed on the free-space sound-pressure field around propellers

The sound-pressure field of a rotating propeller in forward flight in free space is analyzed by replacing the normal-pressure distribution over the propeller associated with thrust and torque by a distribution of acoustic pressure doublets acting at the propeller disk and subject to uniform rectilinear motion. The basic element used to synthesize the field is the pressure field of a concentrated force moving uniformly at subsonic speeds, for which an expression generalizing one of Lamb's for the fixed concentrated force is given. The sound field is expressed by integration over the propeller disk, and also by integration over an effective ring, and is given both for the near pressure field and, in a simpler form, for the far field. Some illustrated examples are calculated and discussed.

Garrick, I E↗