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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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NASA NTRS1985

Suppression of Marangoni Convection in Float Zones

The basic purpose of this program is to demonstrate by means of an Earth-based 1-g experiment that the undesirable Marangoni (surface tension) convection can be suppressed or significantly reduced by means of gas jets directed tangentially to the free surface of the liquid in a float zone. These jets will establish the tangential shear stress field over the surface which must be adjusted to equal the counter-stress resultant of the Marangoni shear stress which causes the convection. For proposed materials processing in space (o-g), particularly of important, highly reactive semiconductor materials, e.g., silicon, microgravity will virtually eliminate the unwanted thermal-buoyancy convection in the liquid silicon, but will have no effect in reducing the Marangoni convection. Unless this can be sufficiently suppressed by other means, there may be no significant advantages to the proposed space processing of reactive semiconductors. Although some inert gas such as argon must be used for the corrosive liquid silicon, the Earth-based experiment uses air jets and various transparent oils, since the basic principle involved is the same. The first float zone is enclosed in a very small rectangular box with a quasi-planar free surface. Stable Marangoni convection has been achieved and velocities measured photographically. The air jet system with variable velocity and temperature is under construction. Three independent parameters must be optimized to attain maximum suppression: the gas velocity, angle of attack, and gas temperature.

Robert F Dressler↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Strong Thermoset Regolith UV-Curable Composite Technology (STRUCT) Overview

Future lunar surface missions require construction materials that can be manufactured in situ using lo-cal resources while operating under extreme environmental conditions. Many Lunar material demands can be solved solely with regolith by compacting or sintering. And yet past Lunar missions rely on polymeric materials, and sustained Lunar missions must reduce Earth-supplied polymers dependence. Dual-cure (Ultraviolet (UV) and thermal) polymer-regolith composites offer a promising pathway by leveraging solar UV radiation, moderate thermal in-put, and regolith. Mission mass limits, power availability and energy constraints on the lunar surface further motivate low-energy processing and curing strategies for surface construction materials. The Strong Thermoset Regolith UV-Curable Composite Technology (STRUCT) project has successfully synthesized and demonstrated dual-cure photopolymer resins derivable from in-situ resources [3]. Morphological, thermal, and mechanical characterization show that the newly formulated UV curable resin systems integrates well with lunar regolith simulants. Processing and chemistry changes, and computational analysis advanced the composite design. X-ray CT scanned and computational analysis demonstrate that resin, regolith and additives are well incorporated. The large fraction of regolith, 95% by mass, large char yield (82% mass), low thermal conductivity (0.26 W/m/K), confirm this material as a promising high-performance thermal and structural material.

thermal conductivity↗

NASA NTRS2018

GOES-R Lithium-Ion Battery Life Test & Workhorse Battery Performance

The GOES R series lithium-ion battery life test results are presented for the next-generation GOES R series weather satellites. Lockheed Martin is under contract to NASA Goddard to build and deliver four GOES-R series satellites which are operated by NOAA. In addition, Lockheed Martin is required to build a GOES R series flight battery to flight drawings and processes and perform an accelerated geosynchronous earth-orbiting (GEO) life test consisting of 30 real-time eclipse seasons and 30 accelerated solstice seasons. The GOES R series batteries are designed and built by Saft America, Inc. Space and Defense Division in Cockeysville, MD with Saft VL48E cells. The GOES R series life test battery which has been built to flight drawings and processes has undergone 21 seasons of accelerated GEO testing (which is equivalent to over 10 years on-orbit). This presentation includes a description of the life test and latest test results through season 20. The life test battery capacity measurements prior to cycling and after seasons 4, 10, and 20 which have shown little or no change are summarized. In addition, the performance of the GOES R series workhorse batteries performance are presented. These GOES R series workhorse batteries are used during spacecraft testing and have shown no discernable capacity loss after 7 years of mostly ambient operation and cold storage since activation. An overview of the electrical power subsystem and battery charge is, also, addressed.

Tucker, Jon↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA BPS Reduced Gravity Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Study

The Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), and its predecessors, has sponsored extensive flight and ground experiments yielding benchmark datasets in many materials science research areas including thermophysical properties and solidification microstructure formation and evolution. The subject study sought to motivate and focus BPS’s engagement within the broader Integrated ICME community to understand the phenomena underlying material processing, structure, and properties in the microgravity environment of space and to support future space exploration efforts.

Louise Littles↗

NASA NTRS2026

Fatigue Life of Flow-Formed Aluminum 2195 and 6061 Alloys

The successful design and fabrication of metallic cryotanks for commercial aviation applications require lightweight, durable materials capable of withstanding high pressures and cryogenic temperatures through tens of thousands of thermomechanical refueling cycles. Flow forming is an advanced manufacturing technique that offers high-rate production and scalability for fabricating integrally stiffened cylinders suitable for cryotank applications. This work establishes the durability of flow-formed aluminum alloys by characterizing their fatigue life performance under conditions that mimic cryotank refueling cycles. Residual stresses in flow-formed aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) 2195-T6 cylinders were assessed using the contour method and found to be minimal. Fatigue life testing was conducted on flow-formed Al-Li 2195-T6 at room temperature and cryogenic temperatures (-321°F [-196°C]), with wrought Al-Li 2195-T6 serving as a baseline for comparison. Results showed that flow-formed materials exhibited fatigue performance comparable to or better than wrought materials, with no statistically significant differences observed between different specimen orientations relative to processing directions. Fractography revealed reduced delaminations in the flow-formed Al-Li 2195 samples as compared to wrought, indicating potential improvement to the microstructure that could result in improved service properties. Texture analysis using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) indicated recrystallization during heat treatment, potentially contributing to reduced delamination susceptibility. These findings demonstrating flow-formed material durability coupled with the high manufacturing efficiency of flow forming, makes flow forming an attractive process to produce aircraft cryotanks.

EBF3↗

NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 2

Topics covered include: Ringwoodite-olivine assemblages in Dhofar L6 melt veins; Amorphization of forsterite grains due to high energy heavy ion irradiation: Implications for grain processing in ISM; Validation of AUTODYN in replicating large-scale planetary impact events; A network of geophysical observatories for mars; Modelling catastrophic floods on the surface of mars; Impact into coarse grained spheres; The diderot meteorite: The second chassignite; Galileo global color mosaics of Io; Ganymede's sulci on global and regional scales; and The cold traps near the south pole of the moon.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2026

Hermal Evolution of Volatile-Rich Planetesimals: Implications for Lithological Diversity in Ryugu and CI Chondrites

Ryugu samples and CI chondrites record aqueous alteration processes in primitive, volatile-rich planetesimals and exhibit a wide range of lithologies defined by mineral assemblages and alteration degrees as proposed to be types I–VI in [4]. The similarity in lithological diversity and proportions between Ryugu and CIs suggests that they originated from parent bodies with comparable internal structures and thermal histories. However, the mechanism responsible for generating such lithological diversity within a single parent body remains unclear.

S Yamazaki↗

NASA NTRS1997

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program Update

The objectives of NASA's Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program is to: develop, maintain and provide tools for the validation and assessment of aerospace battery technologies; accelerate the readiness of technology advances and provide infusion paths for emerging technologies; provide NASA projects with the required database and validation guidelines for technology selection of hardware and processes relating to aerospace batteries; disseminate validation and assessment tools, quality assurance, reliability, and availability information to the NASA and aerospace battery communities; and ensure that safe, reliable batteries are available for NASA's future missions.

Manzo, Michelle↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Pragmatic Stress Prediction on Additively Manufactured Coupons

Prediction of residual stresses from process parameters for additively manufactured large metal parts is computationally expensive. NASA is currently developing meter-scale parts with direct energy deposition. Practically, the predictive computational methods need to efficiently scale-up to meter-scale parts. Coupled thermal-mechanical multi-physics simulations have been developed with the pragmatic method using ABAQUS, COMSOL Multiphysics, ALE3D software. The residual stresses are a result of the manufacturing process which creates thermal cycling of the build layers. The pragmatic method uses lumped thermal layers for stress predictions to reduce computational costs. The stress predictions as well as deformations of the different codes are compared with each other and with ANSYS Additive using identical material models, boundary and initial conditions. The codes were used to simulate three different geometries: a thin wall, hollow cylinder and twin-cantilever part. The coupon parts were then manufactured with Inconel-625. The residual stresses in these parts were measured using X-ray diffraction as well as neutron beam diffraction at NIST. The stress measurements for the two technologies are compared. The pragmatic stress prediction method enabled predictions of the multi-centimeter scale parts using desktop computer workstations in only a few hours for each coupon. The results of the simulated stress predictions compared favorably with the measured stresses even though thermally lumped layers were employed. Finally, a two-meter scale nozzle was simulated using ANSYS Additive. The simulations were used to examine the build orientation trade-space with respect to resulting geometric deformation. The predicted deformations were compared to measurements of an actual subscale part manufactured with direct energy deposition.

pragmatic method↗

NASA NTRS2000

Implementation of Self-Align Local Poly Interconnection on 0.25 Micron Flash Memory

For ETOX Flash technology. the self-aligned source module plays a critical role in minimizing cell size. For advanced Flash technology using the shallow-trench isolation (STI) scheme, however, it is difficult to form a stable source line. The Flash process in this experiment features an ETOX structure and with SIN spacer. Poly-Si (implanted poly) is used as the local interconnection material connecting the source line and was successfully implemented in the ETOX flash array in this paper.

C H Lee↗

NASA NTRS2020

Evidence for Multiple Diagenetic Episodes in Ancient Fluvial‐Lacustrine Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars

The Curiosity rover's exploration of rocks and soils in Gale crater has provided diverse geochemical and mineralogical data sets, underscoring the complex geological history of the region. We report the crystalline, clay mineral, and amorphous phase distributions of four Gale crater rocks from an 80‐m stratigraphic interval. The mineralogy of the four samples is strongly influenced by aqueous alteration processes, including variations in water chemistries, redox, pH, and temperature. Localized hydrothermal events are evidenced by gray hematite and maturation of amorphous SiO 2 to opal‐CT. Low‐temperature diagenetic events are associated with fluctuating lake levels, evaporative events, and ground water infiltration. Among all mudstones analyzed in Gale crater, the diversity in diagenetic processes is primarily captured by the mineralogy and X‐ray amorphous chemistry of the drilled rocks. Variations indicate a transition from magnetite to hematite and an increase in matrix‐associated sulfates suggesting intensifying influence from oxic, diagenetic fluids up section. Furthermore, diagenetic fluid pathways are shown to be strongly affected by unconformities and sedimentary transitions, as evidenced by the intensity of alteration inferred from the mineralogy of sediments sampled adjacent to stratigraphic contacts.

C N Achilles↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization and Analysis of an Open Rotor Stage: Part 1

Successful design of open rotor propulsors requires effective analysis across multiple disciplines, including aerodynamics, acoustics, and structures. A viable design must not only be efficient but must also produce an acceptable level of noise and meet all static and dynamic structural requirements. For design and optimization, this is especially challenging because running high fidelity analyses is resource-intensive, and optimizing a design may require many thousands of cases to be analyzed. For this reason, the NASA team has applied design methodology that utilizes low-cost aerodynamic methods, machine learning models, and high-fidelity analyses when necessary. This includes standard two-dimensional methods such as throughflow analysis and quasi-3D blade-to-blade CFD, as well as some newly developed methods. Optimization using 3D CFD is necessary to maximize performance, and this is considered as well. All optimizations are carried out subject to structural constraints evaluated using finite element analysis. Doing this accurately requires a robust trunnion design, capable of pitching the blade between cruise and takeoff conditions while maintaining acceptable factor of safety. Hot to cold analysis must also be applied in order to correctly determine the as-manufactured shape. For acoustics, the unsteady pressures on the blade surfaces must be predicted, and this can be done either through full-annulus unsteady CFD or through a nonlinear harmonic method (NLH). NLH can run much faster, allowing some acoustic considerations to be made earlier in the design process. The design process is ongoing, and this presentation will review the current status and planned next steps. This part of the talk will focus on aerodynamic performance and be followed by a talk on structures and acoustics.

Design↗

NASA NTRS1994

Vapor Transport Crystal Growth of Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride in Microgravity

Two epitaxial growth experiments of Hg 1-x Cd x Te layers on (100) CdTe substrates in closed ampoules using HgI 2 as a transport agent have been performed during the USML-1 mission. The characterization results to date demonstrate a considerable improvement of the space-grown epitaxial layers relative to ground-control specimens in terms of morphology, compositional uniformity, and structural micro homogeneity. These results show the effects of microgravity and fluid dynamic disturbances on-ground on the deposition and growth processes. The continued analysis of this technologically important system is designed to further elucidate the observed crystallographic improvements and their relation to mass flow.

Heribert Wiedemeier↗

NASA NTRS2026

QS ATMS Calibration Data Book Government Version: Pre-Launch Version

The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) SN301 is an instrument onboard the QuickSounder Satellite System, QuickSounder mission (renamed QS). Throughout this document the mission may be referred to as QuickSounder or QS. The purpose of this document is to provide information needed to interpret and process QS ATMS science data. The contents of the data book incorporate results from pre-launch subsystem-level and instrument-level testing as well as post-launch testing performed during instrument commissioning. Major milestones include instrument thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing in May 2024 and observatory TVAC testing in 2026. QS launch will be no earlier than Feb. 15, 2027.

Microwave Radiometer↗

NASA NTRS1985

WINDSAT Free Flyer Using the Advanced TIROS-N Satellite

The results of this study show the feasibility of carrying a wind measuring lidar on an ATN-derivative free flying spacecraft. The overall configuration fits within the Shuttle bay and uses the same techniques for STS Launch as the proposed SAATN spacecraft. The lidar can be made light enough that the total weight of the satellite is well within the capability of the onboard propulsion system for transfers to a Sun synchronous orbit at 833 km attitude. The principal techniques for weight minimization are the use of the Perkin Elmer proprietary HIP process for the telescope, new packaging concepts for the laser and for the optics-laser interface, and the application of current technology to the signal processing hardware. Power minimization is achieved for the lidar primarily by use of a low pulse repetition frequency, i.e., 2pps, and again by the use of current processor technology. The power capability of the spacecraft is enhanced by increasing the ATN array size 25 percent, through the addition of two more solar array panels of the present size, and by limiting the range of Sun angles over which the spacecraft is operated. The same basic concept for the lidar as proposed in the Shuttle Windsat study is recommended here, but there are some changes in details to improve weight and power. No major technology break-throughs are required for the lidar, but some technology experiments are recommended for the laser subsystem to verify isotopic gas lifetime and performance, modulator life and weight, and for space qualification. Spacecraft changes are all natural modifications or growth to accommodate the payload. Overall, the proposed system provides substantial margin for the uncertainties for the future and for potential payload change, and also demonstrates the reasonableness of the Windsat Free Flyer concept.

Herbert M Gurk↗

NASA NTRS1994

Core-Centering of Compound Drops in Capillary Oscillations: Observations on USML-1 Experiments in Space

Using the existing inviscid theories, an attempt is made to explain the centering of the oscillating liquid shell. Experiments on liquid shells and liquid-core compound drops were conducted using acoustic levitation, in a low-gravity environment during a Space Shuttle flight. It was observed that their inner and outer interfaces became concentric when excited into capillary oscillations. Using the existing inviscid theories, and attempt is made to explain the centering of the oscillating liquid shell. It is concluded that viscosity needs to be considered in order to provide a realistic description of the centering process.

T G Wang↗

NASA NTRS1989

NASA aerospace battery systems program update

An overview of a battery systems program designed to enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of NASA's aerospace primary and secondary batteries as well as battery power systems is presented. The status of research in all three areas is reviewed. The approach to achieving the program objectives involves increasing the fundamental understanding of primary and secondary cells; providing for improved nickel-cadmium manufacturing process control; providing for the establishment of a NASA standard nickel-hydrogen cell design; establishing specifications, design and operational guidelines for both primary and secondary cells and batteries; providing training relating to the above areas; and opening and maintaining communication lines within NASA and the aerospace battery community.

Manzo, Michelle A.↗

NASA NTRS1998

High performance zinc anode for battery applications

An improved zinc anode for use in a high density rechargeable alkaline battery is disclosed. A process for making the zinc electrode comprises electrolytic loading of the zinc active material from a slightly acidic zinc nitrate solution into a substrate of nickel, copper or silver. The substrate comprises a sintered plaque having very fine pores, a high surface area, and 80-85 percent total initial porosity. The residual porosity after zinc loading is approximately 25-30%. The electrode of the present invention exhibits reduced zinc mobility, shape change and distortion, and demonstrates reduced dendrite buildup cycling of the battery. The disclosed battery is useful for applications requiring high energy density and multiple charge capability.

Casey, John E., Jr.↗