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Handbook has been compiled by Cryogenic Data Center of National Bureau of Standards. It covers thermodynamic functions, physical properties, and heat transfer data for oxygen. Handbook addresses primarily low temperature regime, but also includes some data above room temperature.
The thermodynamic functions, transport properties, and physical properties of both liquid and gaseous hydrogen are presented. The low temperature regime is emphasized. The tabulation of the properties of normal hydrogen in both Si and engineering units is given along with the tabulation of parahydrogen.
There are five technologies which may have application for Large Deployable Reflector (LDR), one passive and four active. In order of maturity, they are passive stored cryogen systems, and mechanical, sorption, magnetic, and pulse-tube refrigerators. In addition, deep space radiators will be required to reject the heat of the active systems, and may be useful as auxiliary coolers for the stored cryogen systems. Hybrid combinations of these technologies may well be more efficient than any one alone, and extensive system studies will be required to determine the best trade-offs. Stored cryogen systems were flown on a number of missions. The systems are capable of meeting the temperature requirements of LDR. The size and weight of stored cryogen systems are proportional to heat load and, as a result, are applicable only if the low-temperature heat load can be kept small. Systems using chemisorption and physical adsorption for compressors and pumps have received considerable attention in the past few years. Systems based on adiabatic demagnetization of paramagnetic salts were used for refrigeration for many years. Pulse-tube refrigerators were recently proposed which show relatively high efficiency for temperatures in the 60 to 80 K range. The instrument heat loads and operating temperatures are critical to the selection and design of the cryogenic system. Every effort should be made to minimize heat loads, raise operating temperatures, and to define these precisely. No one technology is now ready for application to LDR. Substantial development efforts are underway in all of the technologies and should be monitored and advocated. Magnetic and pulse-tube refrigerators have high potential.
The laser ablation/ion storage facility at the UNLV Physics Department is dedicated to the study of atomic processes in low temperature plasmas. Our current program is directed to the study of charge transfer of multiply charged ions and neutrals that are of importance to astrophysics at energies less than 1 eV (about 10(exp 4) K). Specifically, we measure the charge transfer rate coefficient of ions such as N(2+), Si(3+), Si(3+), with helium and Fe(2+) with molecular and atomic hydrogen. All these ions are found in a variety of astrophysical plasmas. Their electron transfer reactions with neutral atoms can affect the ionization equilibrium of the plasma.
Chondritic meteorites and interplanetary dust particles commonly exhibit significant enrichments in deuterium (D) and N-15 relative to terrestrial materials. These anomalies are usually ascribed to low temperature chemical processes occurring in a presolar cold molecular cloud and/or physically similar regions of the outer solar nebula. The sizes of these anomalies vary considerably among different classes of meteorites, in some cases on a microscopic scale, reflecting differing degrees of alteration and dilution of the presolar components owing to parent body processing.
OSO-8 X-ray spectra from 2 to 20 keV were analyzed for 26 clusters of galaxies. Temperature, emission integrals, iron abundances, and low energy absorption measurements are given. Eight clusters have positive iron emission line detections at the 90% confidence level, and all twenty cluster spectra are consistent with Fe/H=0.000014 by number with the possible exception of Virgo. Physical correlations between X-ray spectral parameters and other cluster properties are examined. It is found that: (1) the X-ray temperature is approximately proportional to the square of the velocity dispersion of the galaxies; (2) the emission integral and therefore the bolometric X-ray luminosity is a strong function of the X-ray temperature; (3) the X-ray temperature and emission integral are better correlated with cluster central galaxy density than with richness; (4) temperature and emission integral are separately correlated with Rood-Sastry type; and (5) the fraction of galaxies which are spirals is correlated with the observed ram pressure in the cluster core.
The objective of the work presented here is to quantify the effects of purge gas temperature, pressure, and mass flow rate on Hydrazine (Hz) decontamination rates of the Ares I Roll Control System and Reaction Control System. A survey of experts in this field revealed the absence of any decontamination rate prediction models. Three basic decontamination methods were identified for analysis and modeling. These include low pressure eduction, high flow rate purge, and pulse purge. For each method, an approach to predict the Hz mass transfer rate, as a function of system pressure, temperature, and purge gas mass flow rate, is developed based on the applicable physics. The models show that low pressure eduction is two orders of magnitude more effective than the high velocity purge, which in turn is two orders of magnitude more effective than the pure diffusion component of pulse purging of deadheads. Eduction subjects the system to low pressure conditions that promote the extraction of Hz vapors. At 120 F, Hz is saturated at approximately 1 psia. At lower pressures and 120 F, Hz will boil, which is an extremely efficient means to remove liquid Hz. The Hz boiling rate is predicted by equating the rate at which energy is added to the saturated liquid Hz through heaters at the tube outer wall with the energy removed from the liquid through evaporation. Boil-off fluxes were predicted by iterating through the range of local pressures with limits set by the minimum allowed pressure of 0.2 psia and maximum allowed wall temperature of 120 F established by the heaters, which gives a saturation pressure of approximately 1.0 psia. Figure 1 shows the resulting boil-off fluxes as a function of local eduction pressure. As depicted in figure 1, the flux is a strong inverse function of eduction pressure, and that minimizing the eduction pressure maximizes the boil-off flux. Also, higher outer wall temperatures lead to higher boil-off fluxes and allow for boil-off over a greater range of eduction pressures.
Propellant loading from the Storage Tank to the External Tank is one of the very important and time consuming pre-launch ground operations for the launch vehicle. The propellant loading system is a complex integrated system involving many physical components such as the storage tank filled with cryogenic fluid at a very low temperature, the long pipe line connecting the storage tank with the external tank, the external tank along with the flare stack, and vent systems for releasing the excess fuel. Some of the very important parameters useful for design purpose are the prediction of pre-chill time, loading time, amount of fuel lost, the maximum pressure rise etc. The physics involved for mathematical modeling is quite complex due to the fact the process is unsteady, there is phase change as some of the fuel changes from liquid to gas state, then conjugate heat transfer in the pipe walls as well as between solid-to-fluid region. The simulation is very tedious and time consuming too. So overall, this is a complex system and the objective of the work is student's involvement and work in the parametric study and optimization of numerical modeling towards the design of such system. The students have to first become familiar and understand the physical process, the related mathematics and the numerical algorithm. The work involves exploring (i) improved algorithm to make the transient simulation computationally effective (reduced CPU time) and (ii) Parametric study to evaluate design parameters by changing the operational conditions
Research continues toward the improvement and increased understanding of high-density plasma tools. Such reactor systems are lauded for their independent control of ion flux and energy enabling high etch rates with low ion damage and for their improved ion velocity anisotropy resulting from thin collisionless sheaths and low neutral pressures. Still, with the transition to 300 mm processing, achieving etch uniformity and high etch rates concurrently may be a formidable task for such large diameter wafers for which computational modeling can play an important role in successful reactor and process design. The inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactor is the focus of the present investigation. The present work attempts to understand the fundamental physical phenomena of such systems through computational modeling. Simulations will be presented using both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques and the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for argon and chlorine discharges. ICP reactors generally operate at pressures on the order of 1 to 10 mTorr. At such low pressures, rarefaction can be significant to the degree that the constitutive relations used in typical CFD techniques become invalid and a particle simulation must be employed. This work will assess the extent to which CFD can be applied and evaluate the degree to which accuracy is lost in prediction of the phenomenon of interest; i.e., etch rate. If the CFD approach is found reasonably accurate and bench-marked with DSMC and experimental results, it has the potential to serve as a design tool due to the rapid time relative to DSMC. The continuum CFD simulation solves the governing equations for plasma flow using a finite difference technique with an implicit Gauss-Seidel Line Relaxation method for time marching toward a converged solution. The equation set consists of mass conservation for each species, separate energy equations for the electrons and heavy species, and momentum equations for the gas. The sheath is modeled by imposing the Bohm velocity to the ions near the walls. The DSMC method simulates each constituent of the gas as a separate species which would be analogous in CFD to employing separate species mass, momentum, and energy equations. All particles including electrons are moved and allowed to collide with one another with the stipulation that the electrons remain tied to the ions consistent with the concept of ambipolar diffusion. The velocities of the electrons are allowed to be modified during collisions and are not confined to a Maxwellian distribution. These benefits come at a price in terms of computational time and memory. The DSMC and CFD are made as consistent as possible by using similar chemistry and power deposition models. Although the comparison of CFD and DSMC is interesting, the main goal of this work is the increased understanding of high-density plasma flowfields that can then direct improvements in both techniques. This work is unique in the level of the physical models employed in both the DSMC and CFD for high-density plasma reactor applications. For example, the electrons are simulated in the present DSMC work which has not been done before for low temperature plasma processing problems. In the CFD approach, for the first time, the charged particle transport (discharge physics) has been self-consistently coupled to the gas flow and heat transfer.
It is demonstrated that short period acoustic waves appear adequate to heat the low chromosphere in the region just above the temperature minimum, these waves are unlikely to provide sufficient energy to heat the chromosphere above tau-5000 A(normal) less than 10 to the -6th. Calculations also show that the electron density to H density ratio from chromospheric models is too low for the H2 molecule to affect the population of H(-).
Advanced polymer matrix composites (PMC's) are desirable for structural materials in diverse applications such as aircraft, civil infrastructure and biomedical implants because of their improved strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. For example, the next generation military and commercial aircraft requires applications for high strength, low weight structural components subjected to elevated temperatures. A possible disadvantage of polymer-based composites is that the physical and mechanical properties of the matrix often change significantly over time due to the exposure of elevated temperatures and environmental factors. For design, long term exposure (i.e. aging) of PMC's must be accounted for through constitutive models in order to accurately assess the effects of aging on performance, crack initiation and remaining life. One particular aspect of this aging process, physical aging, is considered in this research.
Long-duration space exploration will require spacecraft systems that can operate effectively over several years with minimal or no maintenance. Aerospace lubricants are key components of spacecraft systems. Physical Sciences Inc., has synthesized and characterized novel ionic liquids for use in aerospace lubricants that contribute to decreased viscosity, friction, and wear in aerospace systems. The resulting formulations offer low vapor pressure and outgassing properties and thermal stability up to 250 C. They are effective for use at temperatures as low as -70 C and provide long-term operational stability in aerospace systems. In Phase II, the company scaled several new ionic liquids and evaluated a novel formulation in a NASA testbed. The resulting lubricant compounds will offer lower volatility, decreased corrosion, and better tribological characteristics than standard liquid lubricants, particularly at lower temperatures.
Attention is called to several pitfalls that often beset investigators who make thermal emittance studies. The pitfalls mentioned include the following: (1) conflicting meanings of several frequently used terms as found in the literature, each meaning having authoritative sponsorship; (2) incomplete and hence potentially misleading descriptions of specimens on which reported data arc based; (3) reference to emissivity or remittance as a property of a surface rather than a volume property (influenced by the surface); (4) occasional omission of diffuse reflection from analyses of the optical properties of inhomogeneous bodies; (5) failure to observe the restrictions upon conditions that are required for validity of basic equations; (6)uncertainties as to the effective temperature, peculiar to specimens having low absorption indices; and (7) lack of suitable physical standards. Several suggestions are made for avoiding or minimizing the consequences of the pitfalls discussed.
The laser ablation/ion storage facility at the UNLV Physics Department has been dedicated to the study of atomic and molecular processes in low temperature plasmas. Our program focuses on the charge transfer (electron capture) of multiply charged ions and neutrals important in astrophysics. The electron transfer reactions with atoms and molecules is crucial to the ionization condition of neutral rich photoionized plasmas. With the successful deployment of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory by NASA high resolution VUV and X-ray emission spectra fiom various astrophysical objects have been collected. These spectra will be analyzed to determine the source of the emission and the chemical and physical environment of the source. The proper interpretation of these spectra will require complete knowledge of all the atomic processes in these plasmas. In a neutral rich environment, charge transfer can be the dominant process. The rate coefficients need to be known accurately. We have also extended our charge transfer measurements to KeV region with a pulsed ion beam. The inclusion of this facility into our current program provides flexibility in extending the measurement to higher energies (KeV) if needed. This flexibility enables us to address issues of immediate interest to the astrophysical community as new observations are made by high resolution space based observatories.
Interpretation of planetary observations and proper modeling of planetary atmospheres are critically upon accurate laboratory data for the chemical and physical properties of the constitutes of the atmospheres. It is important that these data are taken over the appropriate range of parameters such as temperature, pressure, and composition. Availability of accurate, laboratory data for vapor pressures and equilibrium constants of condensed species at low temperatures is essential for photochemical and cloud models of the atmospheres of the outer planets. In the absence of such data, modelers have no choice but to assume values based on an educated guess. In those cases where higher temperature data are available, a standard procedure is to extrapolate these points to the lower temperatures using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Last summer the vapor pressures of acetylene (C2H2) hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and cyanoacetylene (HC3N) was measured using two different methods. At the higher temperatures 1 torr and 10 torr capacitance manometers were used. To measure very low pressures, a technique was used which is based on the infrared absorption of thin film (TFIR). This summer the vapor pressure of acetylene was measured the TFIR method. The vapor pressure of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was measured using capacitance manometers. Results for H2O agree with literature data over the common range of temperature. At the lower temperatures the data lie slightly below the values predicted by extrapolation of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Thin film infrared (TFIR) data for acetylene lie significantly below the values predicted by extrapolation. It is hoped to bridge the gap between the low end of the CM data and the upper end of the TFIR data in the future using a new spinning rotor gauge.
Characterization and potential space applications of graphite fluoride fibers from commercially available graphitized carbon fibers are presented. Graphite fluoride fibers with fluorine to carbon ratios of 0.65 and 0.68 were found to have electrical resistivity values of 10(exp 4) and 10(exp 11) Ohms-cm, respectively, and thermal conductivity values of 24 and 5 W/m-K, respectively. At this fluorine content range, the fibers have tensile strength of 0.25 + or - 0.10 GPa (36 + or - 14 ksi), Young's modulus of 170 + or - 30 GPa (25 + or - 5 Msi). The coefficient of thermal expansion value of a sample with fluorine to carbon ratio of 0.61 was found to be 7 ppm/C. These properties change and approach the graphite value as the fluorine content approach 0. Electrically insulative graphite fluoride fiber is at least five times more thermally conductive than fiberglass. Therefore, it can be used as a heat sinking printed circuit board material for low temperature, long life power electronics in spacecraft. Also, partially fluorinated fiber with tailor-made physical properties to meet the requirements of certain engineering design can be produced. For example, a partially fluorinated fiber could have a predetermined CTE value in -1.5 to 7 ppm/C range and would be suitable for use in solar concentrators in solar dynamic power systems. It could also have a predetermined electrical resistivity value suitable for use as a low observable material. Experimental data indicate that slightly fluorinated graphite fibers are more durable in the atomic oxygen environment than pristine graphite. Therefore, fluorination of graphite used in the construction of spacecraft that would be exposed to the low Earth orbit atomic oxygen may protect defect sites in atomic oxygen protective coatings and therefore decrease the rate of degradation of graphite.
Efforts are underway to replace superalloys used in the hot sections of gas turbine engines with materials possessing better mechanical and physical properties. Alloys based on the intermetallic NiAl have demonstrated potential; however, they generally suffer from low fracture resistance (toughness) at room temperature and from poor strength at elevated temperatures. Directional solidification of NiAl alloyed with both Cr and Mo has yielded materials with useful toughness and elevated-temperature strength values. The intermetallic alloy NiAl has been proposed as an advanced material to extend the maximum operational temperature of gas turbine engines by several hundred degrees centigrade. This intermetallic alloy displays a lower density (approximately 30-percent less) and a higher thermal conductivity (4 to 8 times greater) than conventional superalloys as well as good high-temperature oxidation resistance. Unfortunately, unalloyed NiAl has poor elevated temperature strength (approximately 50 MPa at 1027 C) and low room-temperature fracture toughness (about 5 MPa). Directionally solidified NiAl eutectic alloys are known to possess a combination of high elevated-temperature strength and good room-temperature fracture toughness. Research has demonstrated that a NiAl matrix containing a uniform distribution of very thin Cr plates alloyed with Mo possessed both increased fracture toughness and elevated-temperature creep strength. Although attractive properties were obtained, these alloys were formed at low growth rates (greater than 19 mm/hr), which are considered to be economically unviable. Hence, an investigation was warranted of the strength and toughness behavior of NiAl-(Cr,Mo) directionally solidified at faster growth rates. If the mechanical properties did not deteriorate with increased growth rates, directional solidification could offer an economical means to produce NiAl-based alloys commercially for gas turbine engines. An investigation at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field was undertaken to study the effect of the directional solidification growth rate on the microstructure, room temperature fracture toughness, and strength at 1027 C of a Ni-33Al-31Cr-3Mo eutectic alloy. The directionally solidified rates varied between 7.6 and 508 millimeters per hour Essentially fault-free, alternating (Cr, Mo)/NiAl lamellar plate microstructures (left photograph) were formed during growth at and below 12.7 mm/hr, whereas cellular microstructures (right photograph) with the (Cr, Mo) phase in a radial spokelike pattern were developed at faster growth rates. The compressive strength at 1027 C continuously increased with increasing growth rate and did not indicate a maxima as was reported for directionally solidified Ni-33Al-34Cr. Surprisingly, samples with the lamellar plate microstructure (left photograph) possessed a room-temperature fracture toughness of approximately 12 MPa(sup square root of m), whereas all the alloys with a cellular microstructure had a toughness of about 17 MPa(sup square root of m). These results are significant since they clearly demonstrate that Ni-33Al-31Cr-3Mo can be directionally solidified at much faster growth rates without any observable deterioration in its mechanical properties. Thus, the potential to produce strong, tough NiAl-based eutectics at commercially acceptable growth rates exists. Additional testing and alloy optimization studies are underway.
This report compiles a list of commercial and developmental niobium-based alloys developed during the Space Age (late 1950s through mid-1970s) for extreme-temperature applications, including rocket engine thrust chambers, hypersonic re-entry thermal protection systems, and space fission reactor loops. Niobium (Nb) was widely pursued because it provided the lowest density (~8.6 g/cc) among the primary refractory metals, a high melting temperature (~2470°C), exceptional low-temperature ductility, good formability, and compatibility with liquid alkali metals. An evaluation of physical metallurgy mechanisms, focusing on solid-solution strengthening via heavy refractory solutes (W, Mo, Ta), dual-purpose reactive solutes (Hf, Zr, Ti), and dispersion strengthening using carbides, nitrides, and oxides is presented. Additionally, the report compares Western and Soviet Union metallurgical approaches, explaining how supply chain factors and manufacturing infrastructure influenced element selection, interstitial chemistry, and alloy identification/naming conventions. Cataloging these historical alloy chemical compositions serves as a foundational reference for modern alloy additive manufacturing, thermodynamic CALPHAD modeling, and machine-learning discovery pipelines for next-generation extreme-environment niobium-based alloys.