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NASA NTRS2014

Fabrication of Turbine Disk Materials by Additive Manufacturing

Precipitation-strengthened, nickel-based superalloys are widely used in the aerospace and energy industries due to their excellent environmental resistance and outstanding mechanical properties under extreme conditions. Powder-bed additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer the potential to revolutionize the processing of superalloy turbine components by eliminating the need for extensive inventory or expensive legacy tooling. Like selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM) constructs three-dimensional dense components layer-by-layer by melting and solidification of atomized, pre-alloyed powder feedstock within 50-200 micron layers. While SLM has been more widely used for AM of nickel alloys like 718, EBM offers several distinct advantages, such as less retained residual stress, lower risk of contamination, and faster build rates with multiple-electron-beam configurations. These advantages are particularly attractive for turbine disks, for which excessive residual stress and contamination can shorten disk life during high-temperature operation. In this presentation, we will discuss the feasibility of fabricating disk superalloy components using EBM AM. Originally developed using powder metallurgy forging processing, disk superalloys contain a higher refractory content and precipitate volume fraction than alloy 718, thus making them more prone to thermal cracking during AM. This and other challenges to produce homogeneous builds with desired properties will be presented. In particular, the quality of lab-scale samples fabricated via a design of experiments, in which the beam current, build temperature, and beam velocity were varied, will be summarized. The relationship between processing parameters, microstructure, grain orientation, and mechanical response will be discussed.

oxidation↗

NASA NTRS2013

High Contrast Internal and External Coronagraph Masks Produced by Various Techniques

Masks for high contrast internal and external coronagraphic imaging require a variety of masks depending on different architectures to suppress star light. Various fabrication technologies are required to address a wide range of needs including gradient amplitude transmission, tunable phase profiles, ultra-low reflectivity, precise small scale features, and low-chromaticity. We present the approaches employed at JPL to produce pupil plane and image plane coronagraph masks, and lab-scale external occulter type masks by various techniques including electron beam, ion beam, deep reactive ion etching, and black silicon technologies with illustrative examples of each. Further development is in progress to produce circular masks of various kinds for obscured aperture telescopes.

Phase Induced Amplitude Apodization Complex Mask C↗

NASA NTRS2017

Validation of a Thermo-Ablative Model of Elastomeric Internal Insulation Materials

In thermo-ablative material modeling, as in many fields of analysis, the quality of the existing models significantly exceeds that of the experimental data required for their validation. In an effort to narrow this gap, a laboratory-scale internal insulation test bed was developed that exposes insulation samples to realistic solid rocket motor (SRM) internal environments while being instrumented to record real-time rates of both model inputs (i.e., chamber pressure, total surface heat flux, and radiative heat flux) as well as model outputs (i.e., material decomposition depths (MDDs) and in-depth material temperatures). In this work, the measured SRM internal environment parameters were used in conjunction with equilibrium thermochemistry codes as inputs to one-dimensional thermo-ablative models of the PBINBR and CFEPDM insulation samples used in the lab-scale test firings. The computed MDD histories were then compared with those deduced from real-time X-ray radiography of the insulation samples, and the calculated in-depth temperatures were compared with those measured by embedded thermocouples. The results of this exercise emphasize the challenges of modeling and testing elastomeric materials in SRM environments while illuminating the path forward to improved fidelity.

Martin, Heath T.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Relationship of Powder Feedstock Variability to Microstructure and Defects in Selective Laser Melted Alloy 718

Powder-bed additive manufacturing processes use fine powders to build parts layer by layer. For selective laser melted (SLM) Alloy 718, the powders that are available off-the-shelf are in the 10-45 or 15-45 micron size range. A comprehensive investigation of sixteen powders from these typical ranges and two off-nominal-sized powders is underway to gain insight into the impact of feedstock on processing, durability and performance of 718 SLM space-flight hardware. This talk emphasizes an aspect of this work: the impact of powder variability on the microstructure and defects observed in the as-fabricated and full heated material, where lab-scale components were built using vendor recommended parameters. These typical powders exhibit variation in composition, percentage of fines, roughness, morphology and particle size distribution. How these differences relate to the melt-pool size, porosity, grain structure, precipitate distributions, and inclusion content will be presented and discussed in context of build quality and powder acceptance.

Characterization↗

NASA NTRS2019

Integrated Refrigeration and Storage of LNG for Compositional Stability

Growing interest in liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a rocket fuel necessitates a greater technical understanding of the compositional changes due to preferential boil-off (or weathering) that occurs during long duration storage. The purity of methane in LNG can range from 90 to 98%, and is subject to preferential boil-off due to its low boiling point compared to other constituents despite the use of high-performance thermal insulation systems. Active heat extraction (i.e. refrigeration) is required to completely eliminate weathering. For future operational safety and reliability, and to better understand the quality and efficiency of the LNG as a cryofuel, a 400-liter Cryostat vessel was designed and constructed to measure the composition and temperatures of the LNG at a number of different liquid levels over long durations. The vessel is the centerpiece of a custom-designed lab-scale integrated refrigeration and storage (IRaS) system employing a pulse tube cryocooler capable of roughly 50 W of lift at 100 K. Instrumentation includes ten temperature sensors mounted on a vertical rake and five liquid sample tubes corresponding to five liquid levels. Two modes of operation are studied. The first is without refrigeration in order to determine a baseline in the change in composition, and to study stratification of the LNG. The second is performed with the cryocooler active to determine the operational parameters of the IRaS system for eliminating the weathering as well as stratification effects in the bulk liquid. The apparatus design and test method, as well as preliminary test results are presented in this paper. As a bonus in cost-saving and operational efficiency, the capability of the IRaS system to provide zero-loss capabilities such as zero boil-off (ZBO) keeping of the LNG and zero-loss filling/transfer operations are also discussed.

Rose, Laura P.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Integrated Refrigeration and Storage of LNG for Compositional Stability

Rose, L.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Scale-Up of the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) System

The Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) system is designed for efficient, safe and reliable carbon dioxide (CO2) removal from cabin air on long-duration missions to the Moon, deep space, and Mars. CDRILS integrates an ionic liquid sorbent with hollow fiber membrane contactors for rapid CO2 removal and recovery. The liquid-based system provides continuous CO2 delivery, which avoids complicated valve networks to switch between absorbing and desorbing beds and enables simpler integration to the Sabatier without the need for the CO2 Management System (CMS). Ionic liquids are particularly desirable as liquid absorbents for space applications since they are non-volatile, non-odorous, and have high oxidative stability. The hollow fiber membrane contactors offer both high contact area and rigorous containment between the gas and liquid phases in a microgravity environment. Scale-up of the CDRILS technology has presented a series of fascinating challenges, since the interaction between hollow fiber properties, ionic liquid properties and performance is complex. Properties measured with lab-scale hollow fiber contactors are used to estimate the performance of contactors that are similar in scale to flight-scale demonstrations. To accomplish this, component and system models have been built to relate the key scrubber and stripper design and operating variables with performance, and experiments directed to validate the models have been performed. System size, weight and power are determined by component selection, arrangement, and operating conditions. Reliability will be extremely important for any long-range mission and depends on the stability of the ionic liquids and hollow fiber contactors. We report on our continuing long term stability experiments for the ionic liquid and contactor materials and our investigation of the physical properties of additional ionic liquids.

Yates, Stephen F.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Cold-Walled Molten Regolith Electrolysis Reactor for Lunar Oxygen Production

On the lunar surface, production of commodi-ties to support human presence, such as water, food and oxygen, and sustain the growth of a per-manent outpostwill likely require the use oflocal resources. The moon is covered almost entirely withfragmented oxide minerals known as regolithhundreds of meter thick.As a resource, it is rich in oxygen (> 42 wt.%) bound in a solid state with a variety of metals. The molten regolith electrolysis (MRE)reactor is a promising technology for the production of gaseous oxygen from the lunar reg-olithin a simple, single-stepreaction that requires minimalconsumable materials, produces oxygen and metals with high electrical efficiency and high yields from any regolithcomposition.This process involvesmelting regolith to~1600°C then electro-lyzing the molten pool to separate metal and oxy-gen ions that are then collected as liquid metal and gaseous oxygen at the respective electrodes. Lab-scale demonstrations of the MRE technology have previously reliedon external heating sources to bring the entirety of the reactor up to the operating temperaturewhich creates corrosive interfaces be-tween the molten regolith and the containment ma-terial in the reactor, limiting the overall lifespan of a reactor[1]. The Gaseous Lunar Oxygen from Regolith Electrolysis (GaLORE) project is focused on the development of a “cold-walled” or “Joule-heated” reactor design in which an internal heating source is used to selectively melt a pool of regolith between the electrodes of the reactor, leaving a shell of solidified regolith between the molten pool and the containment vessel of the reactor. This next generation reactor concept has been under development as molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) by MIT and Boston Metal for the production of iron from pure ores for terrestrial application [2]. The GaLORE project in engaged in early development of the technology for use with varying lunar regolith compositionsin the lunar environment. Thermal modelling of a proposed cold-walledreac-tor design were used as a scaffold to develop pa-rameters for a feasible reactor shape and size as well as target energy consumption[3]. The current development effort for the cold-walled reactor de-sign will be presented as a trade study of the most promising techniques for melting regolithwithin the constraints imposed by the lunar environment.Heater devices are designed to accommodate lim-ited electrical power availabilityon the moon, a wide range of regolith compositions that may be seen on the moon, limited metals available for re-placing consumed parts,and the low thermal con-ductivity of granular regolith in vacuum.Heater de-vices will be down-selectedbased on performance measurements within the above operationalcon-straints,and selected devices will be integrated into a reactor with electrodes to begin producing oxygen. [1]Sibille,L.,Sadoway, D.R.,Sirk, A., Tripathy,P.,Melendez, O., Standish, E., Dominguez, J. A., Stefanescu, D.M.,Curreri, P.A., Poizeau,S.,2009. “Recent Advancesin Scale-up Development of Molten Regolith Electrolysis for Oxygen Production in support of a Lunar Base.”AIAA 2009-659, 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 5 -8 January 2009, Orlando, FL. [2] Boston Metal, https://www.boston-metal.com/moe-technology/#moe-process[3]Schreiner, S.S.,Sibille, L., Dominguez, J.A., Hoffman, J.A., 2016. "A parametric sizing model for Molten Regolith Electrolysis reactors to pro-duce oxygen on the Moon." Advances in Space Research 57.,7,1585-1603.

K D Grossman↗

NASA NTRS2017

Fabrication of coronagraph masks and laboratory scale star-shade masks: characteristics, defects and performance

NASA WFIRST mission has planned to include a coronagraph instrument to find and characterize exoplanets. Masks are needed to suppress the host star light to better than 10-8 – 10-9 level contrast over a broad bandwidth to enable the coronagraph mission objectives. Such masks for high contrast coronagraphic imaging require various fabrication technologies to meet a wide range of specifications, including precise shapes, micron scale island features, ultra-low reflectivity regions, uniformity, wave front quality, etc. We present the technologies employed at JPL to produce these pupil plane and image plane coronagraph masks, and lab-scale external occulter masks, highlighting accomplishments from the high contrast imaging testbed (HCIT) at JPL and from the high contrast imaging lab (HCIL) at Princeton University. Inherent systematic and random errors in fabrication and their impact on coronagraph performance are discussed with model predictions and measurements.

Casey Wilson, Robert↗

NASA NTRS2016

Design of an Excavation Robot: Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) 2.0

To continue on a sustainable and flexible path, NASA needs to address the challenge of collecting and moving large amounts of regolith at the destination. Acquiring the water resources on Mars will require mining significant quantities of regolith and this is not possible with the state-of-the-art low mass excavation systems. Low gravity environments (Mars = 3/8 G) and launch mass restrictions limit the traction and the resulting reaction force of the vehicle, making current terrestrial techniques impractical. This project addressed this challenge by developing a completely new technology that can mine large quantities of regolith on Mars. Recent measurements by the “Curiosity” rover on Mars have found that the regolith contains ~ 2% water by weight globally, ~4% in Jezero Crater (Human Architecture Team’s reference landing site), and much more at the poles(Leshin et al, 2013). RASSOR 2.0 is a planetary excavator, which has a mass of 66 kg, with a 0.38 kg vehicle mass per kilogram, per hour of excavation rate and power usage of 4 W per kg of regolith excavation rate. A single RASSOR 2.0 can excavate a minimum of 2.7 metric tons of regolith per day.This is accomplished by using counteracting excavation forces on two opposing digging implements called bucket drums and an autonomous mining control system. This work has addressed several major research areas outlined in the NASA Technology Area (TA) 04 Robotics & Autonomous Systems and TA 07 Human Destination Systems roadmaps. This project started at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 as a low fidelity “proof of concept” prototype which has successfully demonstrated basic regolith simulant excavation functionality in a lab-scale gravity off load test. The foundational technology described here was awarded US patent number: US 9027265 for a “Zero horizontal reaction force excavator” on May 12, 2015.

RASSOR↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Space Irradiance Simulator for Advanced Studies and Materials Research

A lab-scale experimental apparatus that mimics the solar-thermal environment of space has recently been developed and tested at NASA Kennedy Space Center in support of novel materials research for future space science and exploration applications. The Space Irradiance Simulator (SIRS) apparatus exposes specimens up to roughly 61 mm in diameter to a similar thermal environment that exists at distances as close as 0.4 AU from the Sun. This includes a high vacuum environment, access to a deep cryogenic background temperature with optical properties that closely imitate a blackbody, and irradiance from a broadband solar “point” source at fluxes as high as 9300 W/m2. Cooling is provided by a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler capable of 25 W of cooling power at 20 K, with a base temperature of 14 K. A commercially available Xeon lamp acts as the solar source, creating broadband electromagnetic radiation with a spectrum similar to that of the Sun. Light is beamed through the vacuum chamber and onto a sample suspended within the cold-mass via a flexible quartz fiber bundle in conjunction with a custom vacuum feedthrough. The system design, fabrication, and operation are discussed; and results from the initial checkout testing of the system are presented.

A. M. Swanger↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Updated Analysis of the Trash Compaction and Processing System: Water Collected from Trash, Evaluation of the Source Contaminant Control System, and Zotek® F30 Foam Processing

The Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) aims to reduce volume, biologically safen, physically stabilize, manage effluents, and recover resources from astronaut trash in the International Space Station (ISS). At NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), there are two test systems: the Heat Melt Compactor (HMC), which compacts the trash into a tile with temperature and pressure, and the Source Contaminant Control System (SCCS), which is the gas management subsystem aimed to reduce contaminants by converting them into carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water (H 2 O) vapor. Both the HMC and SCCS serve as test systems that support TCPS development by conducting risk reduction activities associated with an ISS technology demonstration. In this paper, the risk reduction activities discussed are the testing of different trash models for operational scenarios in the HMC, investigating the water extracted from those trash models, and managing the gaseous effluents from the trash via contaminant conversion through the SCCS. The HMC has undergone several tests of different trash models and cases in which a containment bag is used or not. For the first topic, this paper will analyze the water collected and recovered from these tests and analyze the effect of specific trash containment bags. For the second topic, this paper will individually evaluate the carbon bed and catalytic oxidizer (CatOx) to understand what components the carbon bed removes and what contaminants are converted in the CatOx. For the third and final topic, this paper will discuss Zotek® F30 foam processing in the HMC unit and testing verification in correlation to defined TCPS requirements. A foam model was added to reduce the volume of foam that take up space in the ISS. Overall, this paper is a compilation and an updated analysis of tests conducted in the lab-scale TCPS at ARC within the past year.

TCPS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

PLIF for Space Technology and Exploration Applications

Highlights from recent PLIF test campaigns at large-scale NASA facilities and lab-scale developments are summarized. The measurements presented here have the potential to aid researchers in validating complex simulations and inform designs for spaceflight vehicles.

PLIF↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fundamental Research to Enable In-Situ Resource Utilization for NASA’s Artemis Program and Beyond Taking Place at The Glenn Research Center

In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is regarded by many to be the key to future sustainability in space. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) recently published a list of ranked technology shortfalls. ISRU specific capabilities of ‘Extraction and separation of water from extraterrestrial surface material’, ‘Extraction and separation of oxygen from extraterrestrial surface material’, and ‘Produce propellants and mission consumables from extracted in-situ resources’ are within the top 80 shortfalls identified. A team of researchers and engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, are performing fundamental research and technology maturation to ensure concepts and technologies are ready to support when the mission architecture is primed for ISRU to activate. Through analytical modeling and initial lab-scale testing, researchers are establishing concepts that mature to more sophisticated tests in relevant environments. Numerous studies are underway assessing fundamental behaviors of regolith during various steps of a conceptual ISRU production plant. This paper shares some of GRC’s recent advancements in ISRU research and technology development, in the hopes of providing valuable information to the ISRU community at large, spark ideas for future collaborative endeavors, as well as spur interest in utilizing some of the world-class expertise and facilities GRC has to offer.

ISRU↗

DOE OSTI2023

High Throughput Laser Processing for Enhanced Battery Performance and Manufacturing

For widespread adoption of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) need to achieve energy densities of >275 Wh/kg, cell costs less than $100/kWh, and charge to more than 80% capacity within 15 minutes. Recently, it has been shown that introducing a secondary pore network in thick battery electrodes enables higher extracted capacity without a severe reduction in charge/discharge rate performance. Secondary pore networks consisting of ordered arrays of microstructures reduce tortuosity of Li+-ion transport deep into the thick electrodes, diminishing detrimental concentration gradients within the cell. Ultrafast (femtosecond)-pulsed laser ablation is a promising method to introduce such micro pores or channels in thick battery electrodes as it allows for precise control of pattern geometries, results in minimal damage to the electrode, and can be introduced into existing roll-to-roll electrode manufacturing lines. We have explored laser patterning to create secondary pore networks in a variety of battery electrode materials for both anode and cathode applications and characterized the laser-material interaction parameters. In addition, advanced materials characterization techniques (SEM-EDS, XRD) were used to explore whether ultrafast laser ablation affects the remaining electrode materials' morphology and structure. Furthermore, we have translated lab-scale laser ablation to high-throughput roll-to-roll processing at industrially relevant scales. Finally, we worked with Argonne National Laboratory, developers of the battery cost-analysis package BatPac, to estimate the additional manufacturing costs (CapEx and OpEx) for incorporation of laser-ablation processing to current battery electrode manufacturing. We estimate that ultrafast laser processing will add only -$1kWh, which for considerable improvements in cell performance, creates a compelling case for industry adoption.

battery↗

DOE OSTI2023

Automated tracking of prefabricated components for areal-time evaluator to optimize and automateinstallation

Trade associations for prefabricated construction estimate that about 50% of prefabricated wall projects have alignment problems that lead to defects and rework. Additionally, component installation times average between 30 and 60 minutes per component. To address these issues, a real-time evaluator (RTE) system was introduced to decrease cost and automate prefabricated component installation by reducing the installation time, decreasing rework, and enhancing energy performance through higher installation quality. The RTE uses commonly available hardware and software to perform autonomous tracking to measure the real-time location and orientation of components as they are crane-lifted and installed. The hardware, software, and algorithms that allow the autonomous tracking of components are detailed. An algorithm to automate the initial search for a component with three attached retroreflectors is proposed. Algorithms to automate the measurement of component position and orientation are also proposed. Simple lab-scale proof-of-concept experiments were conducted to assess the algorithms for automation of component searching, measurement of real-time movement, and measurement of component orientation. With additional development, the system can be used as a tool to generate the commands for autonomous crane operation or single-task construction robots.

Hayes, Nolan↗

DOE OSTI2023

NETL Direct Air Capture Center

In 2022 Congress authorized the $25M National Energy Technology Laboratory Direct Air Capture Center. The facility will be specifically targeted at accelerating the commercialization of technologies beyond the conceptual stage which have not yet reached full pilot-scale (TRL 3 to 6). The ability to operate over a wide range of conditions will help the developers to understand how their technologies respond in different climates, from summer to winter and arid to tropical. NETL recognizes that DAC technology is still early in its evolution, and a wide variety of highly varied technologies are being explored. The Center will be designed with substantial flexibility to accommodate the rapidly evolving technological landscape. Testing systems at three scales will be included: lab-scale systems designed to examine the long-term stability of DAC materials, bench-scale module testing systems capable of probing flow dynamics, and small pilot-scale skid rooms able to test prototype DAC units under a wide variety of climate conditions. The NETL DAC Center will feature dedicated engineering, technician, scientific and logistical support for experimental system design, installation, operation of experiments, and interpretation of results for projects including but not limited to kinetics of absorption/desorption, thermal duty, and post-mortem elemental characterization to understand degradation. The NETL DAC Center projects will also have access to dedicated process modeling and analysis to evaluate the technoeconomic aspects of new technologies. NETL’s Systems Engineering and Analysis (SEA) team, the Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI), and the Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) are all potential collaborators with NETL’s testing partners from industry, academia, and other research institutions. NETL also has world class capabilities in device scale modeling (i.e., MFIX) that will be available to help design more efficient contactors and optimize unique internal configurations that can be realized by advanced manufacturing. The talk will cover the design and capabilities of the center, the planned availability, and feedback will be solicited from the audience on DAC testing needs.

Luebke, David↗

DOE OSTI2023

DOE Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program Overview

Slides discussing the DOE Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification Program Overview to include focus on LEU UCO TRISO fuel in cylindrical compacts, with data for fuel qualification in support of reactor licensing and a path to establish a domestic commercial TRISO fuel fabrication capability. Timelines from 2004 through 2029. Major program highlights include: Developed fuel performance models based on past observed behavior, Study to understand differences between US and German (“good”) fuel, Developed and improved fuel fabrication and characterization methods, Fabricated lab-scale fuel (AGR-1) with very high quality; excellent in-pile and post-irradiation high-temperature fuel performance, Scale-up coating fabrication (AGR-2) with excellent in-pile performance, AGR-3/4 fuel fabrication and irradiation experiment to assess FP transport behavior, Scale-up matrix fabrication (AGR-5/6/7); & fuel performance evaluation in progress.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗