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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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117 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Photosynthetic capacity and dry mass partitioning in dwarf and semi-dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Efficient use of space and high yields are critical for long-term food production aboard the International Space Station. The selection of a full dwarf wheat (less than 30 cm tall) with high photosynthetic and yield potential is a necessary prerequisite for growing wheat in the controlled, volume-limited environments available aboard long-term spaceflight missions. This study evaluated the photosynthetic capacity and carbon partitioning of a full-dwarf wheat cultivar, Super Dwarf, which is routinely used in spaceflight studies aboard U.S. space shuttle and NASA/Mir missions and made comparisons with other dwarf and semi-dwarf wheat cultivars utilized in other ground-based studies in plant space biology. Photosynthetic capacity of the flag leaf in two dwarf (Super Dwarf, BB-19), and three semi-dwarf (Veery-10, Yecora Rojo, IBWSN 199) wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) was assessed by measuring: net maximum photosynthetic rate, RuBP carboxylation efficiency, chlorophyll concentration and flag leaf area. Dry mass partitioning of carbohydrates to the leaves, sheaths, stems and ear was also assessed. Plants were grown under controlled environmental conditions in three replicate studies: slightly enriched CO2 (370 micromoles mol-1), high photosynthetic photon flux (1000 micromoles m-2 s-1; 58 mol m-2 d-1) for a 16 h photoperiod, 22/15 degrees C day/night temperatures, ample nutrients and water provided by one-half strength Hoagland's nutrient solution (Hoagland and Arnon, 1950). Photosynthetic capacity of the flag leaf was determined at anthesis using net CO2 exchange rate versus internal CO2 concentration curves measured under saturating light (2000 micromoles m-2 s-1) and CO2 (1000 micromoles mol-1). Dwarf wheat cultivars had greater photosynthetic capacities than the taller semi-dwarfs, they averaged 20% higher maximum net photosynthetic rates compared to the taller semi-dwarfs, but these higher rates occurred only at anthesis, had slightly greater carboxylation efficiencies and significantly increased chlorophyll concentrations per unit leaf area. The reduced-height wheat had significantly less dry mass fraction in the stem but greater dry mass partitioned to the ear than the taller semi-dwarfs (Yecora rojo, IBWSN-199). Studies with detached heads confirm that the head is a significant sink in the shorter wheat cultivars.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1999

Investigation of Nucleate Boiling Mechanisms Under Microgravity Conditions

The present work is aimed at the experimental studies and numerical modeling of the bubble growth mechanisms of a single bubble attached to a heating surface and of a bubble sliding along an inclined heated plate. Single artificial cavity of 10 microns in diameter was made on the polished Silicon wafer which was electrically heated at the back side in order to control the surface nucleation superheat. Experiments with a sliding bubble were conducted at different inclination angles of the downward facing heated surface for the purpose of studying the effect of magnitude of components of gravity acting parallel to and normal to the heat transfer surface. Information on the bubble shape and size, the bubble induced liquid velocities as well as the surface temperature were obtained using the high speed imaging and hydrogen bubble techniques. Analytical/numerical models were developed to describe the heat transfer through the micro-macro layer underneath and around a bubble formed at a nucleation site. In the micro layer model the capillary and disjoining pressures were included. Evolution of the bubble-liquid interface along with induced liquid motion was modeled. As a follow-up to the studies at normal gravity, experiments are being conducted in the KC-135 aircraft to understand the bubble growth/detachment under low gravity conditions. Experiments have been defined to be performed under long duration of microgravity conditions in the space shuttle. The experiment in the space shuttle will provide bubble growth and detachment data at microgravity and will lead to validation of the nucleate boiling heat transfer model developed from the preceding studies conducted at normal and low gravity (KC-135) conditions.

Dhir, V. K.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Formation of Residual Gases from Source Materials in Closed Crystal Growth Systems

Different, non-constituent cases are present in crystal growth systems and may affect processes like growth rate in PVT or voids formation and detached solidification in melt growth systems. The presence of the gas may be detrimental or advantageous depending on its amount and composition, and on the process in question. The presence of the cases, their amount and composition, can be caused and changed by diffusion through and desorption from the growth container material. We have investigated these phenomena for silica glass ampoules. We also found, that residual cases can be generated by the source materials: even very high purity commercial elements and compounds may contain trace amounts of impurities, particularly oxides. The oxides may have low volatilities themselves but their reaction with other species, particularly carbon and hydrogen, may produce volatile compounds like water or carbon oxides. The amount of the gas and its composition is dependent on the original purity of the material (oxide contaminants) and the heat treatment of the source prior to sealing. In many cases. particularly at temperatures below about 900 C and in well-outgassed ampoules, this mechanism dominates. The problem is of a particular importance in sealed systems where the amount and composition of the gas cannot be directly controlled. Therefore, a reasonable knowledge and understanding of the origin, composition, magnitude, and change with time of gases present in sealed ampoules may be important for a meaningful control and interpretation of crystal growth processes. We have investigated this phenomenon in more details for a number of elements and compounds, primarily for II-VI and IV-VI materials. Different source pre-treatment and annealing procedures were applied, and subsequent consecutive annealings and measurements were done to determine the origin and development of the gas in the systems.

Palosz, W.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Investigation of Mechanisms Associated with Nucleate Boiling Under Microgravity Conditions

The focus of the present work is to experimentally study and to analytically/numerically model the mechanisms of growth of bubbles attached to, and sliding along, a heated surface. To control the location of the active cavities, the number, the spacing, and the nucleation superheat, artificial cavities will be formed on silicon wafers. In order to study the effect of magnitude of components of gravitational acceleration acting parallel to, and normal to the surface, experiments will be conducted on surfaces inclined at different angles including a downward facing surface. Information on the temperature field around bubbles, bubble shape and size, and bubble induced liquid velocities will be obtained through the use of holography, video/high speed photography and hydrogen bubble techniques, respectively. Analytical/numerical models will be developed to describe the heat transfer including that through the micro-macro layer underneath and around a bubble. In the micro layer model capillary and disjoining pressures will be included. Evolution of the interface along with induced liquid motion will be modelled. Subsequent to the world at normal gravity, experiments will be conducted in the KC-135 or the Lear jet especially to learn about bubble growth/detachment under low gravity conditions. Finally, an experiment will be defined to be conducted under long duration of microgravity conditions in the space shuttle. The experiment in the space shuttle will provide microgravity data on bubble growth and detachment and will lead to a validation of the nucleate boiling heat transfer model developed from the preceding studies performed at normal and low gravity (KC-135 or Lear jet) conditions.

Dhir, Vijay K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Design and testing of a model CELSS chamber robot

A robot system for use in an enclosed environment was designed and tested. The conceptual design will be used to assist in research performed by the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) project. Design specifications include maximum load capacity, operation at specified environmental conditions, low maintenance, and safety. The robot system must not be hazardous to the sealed environment, and be capable of stowing and deploying within a minimum area of the CELSS chamber facility. This design consists of a telescoping robot arm that slides vertically on a shaft positioned in the center of the CELSS chamber. The telescoping robot arm consists of a series of links which can be fully extended to a length equal to the radius of the working envelope of the CELSS chamber. The vertical motion of the robot arm is achieved through the use of a combination ball screw/ball spline actuator system. The robot arm rotates cylindrically about the vertical axis through use of a turntable bearing attached to a central mounting structure fitted to the actuator shaft. The shaft is installed in an overhead rail system allowing the entire structure to be stowed and deployed within the CELSS chamber. The overhead rail system is located above the chamber's upper lamps and extends to the center of the CELSS chamber. The mounting interface of the actuator shaft and rail system allows the entire actuator shaft to be detached and removed from the CELSS chamber. When the actuator shaft is deployed, it is held fixed at the bottom of the chamber by placing a square knob on the bottom of the shaft into a recessed square fitting in the bottom of the chamber floor. A support boot ensures the rigidity of the shaft. Three student teams combined into one group designed a model of the CELSS chamber robot that they could build. They investigated materials, availability, and strength in their design. After the model arm and stand were built, the class performed pre-tests on the entire system. A stability pre-test was used to determine whether the model robot arm would tip over on the stand when it was fully extended. Results showed the stand tipped when 50 Newtons were applied horizontally to the top of the vertical shaft while the arm was fully extended. This proved that it was stable. Another pre-test was the actuator slip test used to determine if there is an adequate coefficient of friction between the actuator drive wheels and drive cable to enable the actuator to fully extend and retract the arm. This pre-test revealed that the coefficient of friction was not large enough to prevent slippage. Sandpaper was glued to the drive wheel and this eliminated the slippage problem. The class preformed a fit test in the CELSS chamber to ensure that the completed robot arm is capable of reaching the entire working envelope. The robot was centered in the chamber and the arm was fully extended to the sides of the chamber. The arm was also able to retract to clear the drain pipes separating the upper and lower plant trays.

Davis, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2005

Progress on the Plasmoid Thruster Experiment (PTX)

A plasmoid, also called a compact toroid, is a compact plasma structure with an integral magnetic field, that may be categorized according to the relative strength of the poloidal and toroidal magnetic field (Bp and Bt, respectively). An object with Bp/Bt much greater than 1 is called a Field Reverse Configuration (FRC); if Bp = Bt, it is called a Spheromak. The plasmoid thruster is a pulsed inductive device which operates by repetitively producing plasmoids that are accelerated and ejected at high velocity. As the process is inductive, this thruster avoids the problem of electrode erosion. Also, the magnetic structure of the plasmoid should suppress thermal and mass losses to the wall, and improve detachment of the plasma exhaust from the thruster. This concept should be capable of producing an Isp of 5,000 seconds and greater, with thrust densities of order 10(exp 5) N/sq m. The plasmoid thruster consists chiefly of a conical theta-pinch coil. Propellant is introduced onto a bias magnetic field, produced by an auxiliary coil, and is then pre-ionized, freezing in the magnetic field. The theta-pinch coil is then energized producing a field aligned anti- parallel to the bias field. The reversed field reconnects with the bias field to form the plasmoid. The magnetic pressure of the reversed field accelerates the plasmoid out of the thruster . A series of experiments have been conducted on the PTX device, which consisted of a single turn conical theta-pinch coil, driven by a 560 nF, 35 kV capacitor bank, which rang at a frequency of 500 kHz, and served all three functions required for formation: pre-ionization, bias field loading, and field reversal. Initial ionization was found to occur in an annular region at the exit plane of the coil, and was found to be reproducible with a variety of gases, including H2, D2, Ar, and an H2/N2 mixture (75% / 25%). A fast gas valve for injecting propellant has been tested, as well as a ringing pre-ionization circuit (operating at 5 Mhz) to better control the plasmoid formation. Velocities as high as 20 km/s have been measured for a plasmoid propagating into a static back-fill of neutral gas. Magnetic field and density measurements indicate that the plasmoid retains its structure well into the down-stream exhaust region, and that it is capable of pushing a dense cloud of neutral gas in front of it. Further experiments will focus on the effects of coil geometry and bias-field strength on the performance of the device. A high-power solid-state switching system is being developed in order to replace the spark-gap switch.

Martin, Adam↗
NASA NTRS2004

Transition from Pool to Flow Boiling: The Effect of Reduced Gravity

Applications of boiling heat transfer in space can be found in the areas of thermal management, fluid handling and control, power systems, on-orbit storage and supply systems for cryogenic propellants and life support fluids, and for cooling of electronic packages for power systems associated with various instrumentation and control systems. Recent interest in exploration of Mars and other planets, and the concepts of in-situ resource utiliLation on Mars highlights the need to understand the effect of gravity on boiling heat transfer at gravity levels varying from 1>= g/g(sub e) >=10(exp -6). The objective of the proposed work was to develop a mechanistic understanding of nucleate boiling and critical heat flux under low and micro-gravity conditions when the velocity of the imposed flow is small. For pool boiling, the effect of reduced gravity is to stretch both the length scale as well as the time scale for the boiling process. At high flow velocities, the inertia of the liquid determines the time and the length scales and as such the gravitational acceleration plays little role. However, at low velocities and at low gravity levels both liquid inertia and buoyancy are of equal importance. At present, we have little understanding of the interacting roles of gravity and liquid inertia on the nucleate boiling process. Little data that has been reported in the literature does not have much practical value in that it can not serve as a basis for design of heat exchange components to be used in space. Both experimental and complete numerical simulations of the low velocity, low-gravity nucleate boiling process were carried out. A building block type of approach was used in that first the growth and detachment process of a single bubble and flow and heat transfer associated with the sliding motion of the bubble over the heater surface after detachment was studied. Liquid subcooling and flow velocity were varied parametrically. The experiments were conducted at 1 g(sub e), while varying the orientation of surface with respect to the gravity vector. In the laboratory experiments, holographic interferometry was used to obtain data on velocity and temperature fields associated with a bubble prior to, and after detachment and during sliding motion. A test rig for conducting experiments in the KC-135 was developed, but experiments could not be conducted due to the unavailability of the aircraft prior to completion of the project. Numerical simulations modeling the micro and macro regions of the bubble were carried out in three dimensions. The results of the experiments were used to validate analytical/numerical models.

Dhir, Vijay K.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Boiling on Microconfigured Composite Surfaces Enhanced

Boiling heat transfer is one of the key technologies for the two-phase active thermal-control system used on space platforms, as well as for the dynamic power systems aboard the International Space Station. Because it is an effective heat transfer mode, boiling is integral to many space applications, such as heat exchangers and other cooling devices. Nucleate boiling near the critical heat flux (CHF) can transport very large thermal loads with a much smaller device and much lower pumping power than for single-phase heat exchangers. However, boiling performance sharply deteriorates in a reduced-gravity environment, and operation in the CHF regime is somewhat perilous because of the risk of burnout to the device surface. New materials called microconfigured metal-graphite composites can enhance boiling. The photomicrograph shows the microconfiguration (x3000) of the copper-graphite (Cu-Gr) surface as viewed by scanning electronic microscope. The graphite fiber tips appear as plateaus with rugged surfaces embedded in the copper matrix. It has been experimentally demonstrated that this type of material manifests excellent boiling heat transfer performance characteristics and an increased CHF. Nonisothermal surfaces were less sensitive to variations of wall superheat in the CHF regime. Because of the great difference in conductivity between the copper base and the graphite fiber, the composite surfaces have a nonisothermal surface characteristic and, therefore, will have a much larger "safe" operating region in the CHF regime. In addition, the thermocapillary forces induced by the temperature differences between the fiber tips and the metal matrix play an important role in bubble detachment, and may not be adversely affected in a reduced-gravity environment. All these factors indicate that microconfigured composites may improve the reliability and economy (dominant factors in all space applications) of various thermal components found on spacecraft during future missions.

Chao, David F.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Enhanced Boiling on Micro-Configured Composite Surfaces Under Microgravity Conditions

In order to accommodate the growing thermal management needs of future space platforms, several two-phase active thermal control systems (ATCSs) have evolved and were included in the designs of space stations. Compared to the pumped single-phase liquid loops used in the conventional Space Transportation System and Spacelab, ATCSs offer significant benefits that may be realized by adopting a two-phase fluid-loop system. Alternately, dynamic power systems (DPSs), based on the Rankine cycle, seem inevitably to be required to supply the electrical power requirements of expanding space activities. Boiling heat transfer is one of the key technologies for both ATCSs and DPSs. Nucleate boiling near critical heat flux (CHF) can transport very large thermal loads with much smaller device size and much lower pumping power. However, boiling performance deteriorates in a reduced gravity environment and operation in the CHF regime is precarious because any slight overload will cause the heat transfer to suddenly move to the film boiling regime, which in turn, will result in burnout of the heat transfer surfaces. New materials, such as micro-configured metal-graphite composites, can provide a solution for boiling enhancement. It has been shown experimentally that this type of material manifests outstanding boiling heat transfer performance and their CHF is also extended to higher values. Due to the high thermal conductivity of graphite fiber (up to 1,200 W/m-K in the fiber direction), the composite surfaces are non-isothermal during the boiling process. The composite surfaces are believed to have a much wider safe operating region (a more uniform boiling curve in the CHF regime) because non-isothermal surfaces have been found to be less sensitive to variations of wall superheat in the CHF regime. The thermocapillary forces formed by the temperature difference between the fiber tips and the metal matrix play a more important role than the buoyancy in the bubble detachment, for the bubble detachment manifests itself by a necking process which should not be weakened by reduced gravity. In addition, the composite surfaces introduce no extra pressure drop, no fouling and do not impose significant primary or maintenance costs. All of these suggest that this type of composite is an ideal material for the challenge of accounting for both reliability and economy of the relevant components applied in the ATCSs, the DPSs and other devices in future space missions. The aim of the proposed work is to experimentally investigate high nucleate pool boiling performance on a micro-configured metal-graphite composite surface and to determine the mechanisms of the nucleate boiling heat transfer both experimentally and theoretically. Freon-113 and water will be used as the test liquids to investigate wettability effects on boiling characteristics. The Cu-Gr and Al-Gr composites with various volume fractions of graphite fibers will be tested to obtain the heat transfer characteristic data in the nucleate boiling region and in the CHF regime. In the experiments, the bubble emission and coalescence processes will be recorded by a video camera with a magnifying borescope probe immersed in the working fluid. The temperature profile in the thermal boundary layer on the composite surfaces will be measured by a group of micro thermocouples consisting of four ultra fine micro thermocouples. This instrument was developed and successfully used to measure the temperature profile of evaporating liquid thin layers by the proposers in a study performed at the NASA/Lewis Research Center. A two tier model to explain the nucleate boiling process and the performance enhancement on the composite surfaces has been suggested by the authors. According to the model, the thicknesses of the microlayer and the macrolayer underneath the bubbles and mushrooms, can be estimated by the geometry of the composite surface. The experimental results will be compared to the predictions from the model, and in turn, to revise and improve it.

Zhang, Nengli↗