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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,495 records · Page 83
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1961

A Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a Transonic-Transport Configuration Utilizing Drag-Reducing Devices at Mach Numbers from 0.20 to 1.03

The static longitudinal stability and control and lateral characteristics of a transonic-transport model, incorporating recent drag-reducing devices, has been investigated in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel. The wing was cambered, had a thickened root and a taper ratio of 0.3. Wing sweepback angles of 45 degrees and 40 degrees were investigated with corresponding aspect ratios of 7 and 8, respectively. Modifications to the model for reducing the drag were: a forward fuselage addition and special bodies (four big enough to house jet engines) added to the upper surface of the wing. Other components and changes investigated included an empennage, a wing-tip body, wing fences, wing trailing-edge flaps, horizontal-tail settings, and wing dihedral angle. The investigation covered the Mach number range from 0.20 to 1.03 for the angle-of-attack range from -5 degrees to 15.4 degrees, and a sideslip angle of -5 degrees, in the Reynolds number range from 0.52 times 10(exp 6) to 1.94 times 10(exp 6) based on the wing mean aerodynamic chord. The various fuselage and wing additions delayed the drag-rise Mach number and greatly reduced the drag beyond the drag rise. The wing bodies markedly alleviated unstable pitch tendencies throughout the test Mach number range. At low landing speeds, the wing bodies exhibited little interference with the ability of trailing-edge flaps to increase the lift near maximum lift coefficient; and the use of fences greatly reduced the severe longitudinal instability trend at landing attitudes. The model with a 6 degree dihedral angle exhibited positive lateral and directional stability characteristics in the presence of the fuselage and wing additions. An increase in drag-rise Mach number associated with the fuselage and wing additions on the 40 degree sweptback wing combination was similar to that for the comparable 45 degree combination. These additions did, however, reduce the drag of the 40 degree sweptback configurations more than the 45 degree configurations in the transonic speed range.

Loving, Donald L.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dynamical Masses for a Complete Census of Local Dwarf Galaxies

The 2020s are poised to continue the past two decades of significant advances based on observations of dwarf galaxies in the nearby universe. Upcoming wide-field photometric surveys will probe substantially deeper than previous data sets, pushing the discovery frontier for new dwarf galaxies to fainter magnitudes, lower surface brightnesses, and larger distances. These dwarfs will be compelling targets for testing models of galaxy formation and cosmology, including the properties of dark matter and possible modifications to gravity. However, most of the science that can be extracted from nearby dwarf galaxies relies on spectroscopy with large telescopes. We suggest that maximizing the scientific impact of near-future imaging surveys will require both major spectroscopic surveys on 6-10m telescopes and multiplexed spectroscopy with even larger apertures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modulating the Pseudoelastic Response of Nitinol Using Ion Implantation

This work explores whether ion beam modification can be used to modulate the austenite to martensite phase transformation in Nickel-Titanium (NiTi), thereby achieving novel or localized transformation properties in near-surface regions. We report this could provide alternatives to laser shot peening or other surface treatment methods and possibly expand applications in biomedical, aerospace, and other fields. Irradiation induces defects and internal stress that can serve as nucleation and/or pinning sites for the phase transformation. Thus, it can augment more convention- al approaches, including alloying, severe mechanical work, grain size reduction, and precipitation of coherent precipitates. A range of outcomes is possible in principle, including a shift of the critical stress or temperature for onset of the transformation, linearization, reduction of hysteresis, stabilization, and extent of transformation strain.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of Ti Modification on Microstructures and Properties of Carbidic Austempered Ductile Iron

In this paper, we investigated the effect of titanium modification on microstructures and properties of carbidic austempered ductile iron (CADI) containing 3.72 wt.% C, 2.77 wt.% Si, and 0.51 wt.% Mn. The results showed that with the addition of 0.1 wt.% Ti, TiC particles were formed, and distributed in carbides and matrix. Microstructural observation indicated that the maximum diameter of graphite nodules decreased from 58 to 40 μm, and the shape of carbides transformed from network to fragmentation, which was related to the nucleation of the eutectic structure (γ + (Fe, Cr){sub 3}C) where TiC particles act as the nucleus. After isothermal quenching at 300 °C, the hardness of Ti-bearing CADI was 3.5 HRC higher than ordinary CADI, and the impact toughness was increased by 14.3%. Additionally, due to the decrease in exfoliation, the wear loss of Ti-bearing CADI was 14.8% lower than ordinary CADI during the block-on-ring wear test at the surface load of 300 N.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1977

Preliminary analysis of remote infrared imagery of shuttle during entry: An aerothermodynamic flight experiment

The preliminary feasibility of remote high-resolution infrared imagery of the space shuttle orbiter lower surface during entry to obtain accurate measurements of aerodynamic heat transfer to that vehicle was examined. In general, it was determined that such such images can be taken from an existing aircraft/telescope system (the C-141 AIRO) with a minimum modification or addition of systems using available technology. These images will have a spatial resolution of about 0.3 m and a temperature resolution much better than 2.5 percent. The data from these images will be at conditions and at a scale not reproducible in ground based facilities and should aid in the reduction of the prudent factors of safety required to account for phenomenological uncertainties on the thermal protection system design. Principal phenomena to be observed include laminar heating, boundary-layer transition, turbulent heating, surface catalysis, and flow separation and reattachment.

Swenson, B. L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Crater modification by gravity - A mechanical analysis of slumping

An analysis of the stability of a crater from a mechanical point of view indicates that the observed slumping of lunar craters requires a perfectly plastic constitutive relation for the lunar surface rock. The angle of internal friction of this material must be less than a few degrees. The evidence for a perfectly plastic constitutive relation is described, and a simplified model of a crater in a perfectly plastic medium is used to investigate the nature of its collapse. Crater stability is found to depend principally upon a dimensionless parameter equal to the product of the density, acceleration of gravity, and depth divided by the yield strength. Criteria for stability, 'slope failures', and 'floor failures' are reported.

Melosh, H. J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Resonance in radio frequency sheath admittance and enhanced impurity emission near the ion cyclotron frequency

Ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) is of considerable interest among all auxiliary heating techniques, because it transfers power directly to ions, targets the high-density core, and involves the cheapest radio-frequency (RF) components. During ICRH operation, RF sheaths form on the ICRH antenna itself, nearby hardware, and far-field surfaces. These sheaths are associated with large hot-spot formation and impurity emissions. This work presents high-resolution numerical modelling of RF sheaths in nuclear fusion scenarios using hPIC2, a Debye-scale particle-in-cell code. The modelling reveals a new RF sheath phenomenon which occurs when the RF is resonant with a species ion cyclotron frequency or harmonic in an oblique magnetic field. This resonance of the RF sheath causes modifications of the energy-angle distributions of the ions impacting on the walls, with consequent increase in wall impurity emission. Due to the 1/ R scaling of the magnetic field in a tokamak, such cases are possible on divertor or vacuum chamber surfaces, depending on the geometry of the tokamak and the RF heating scenario. A simple physics interpretation using a driven damped harmonic oscillator is proposed, where the ion sheath transit time plays the role of damping the RF sheath admittance. Critically, the resonance leads to increased ion heat flux at the wall as well as increased physical sputtering, despite a lack of increase in RF rectified sheath potential.

ICRH antenna↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improved Representations of Land‐Atmosphere Interactions Over the Continental U.S. Through Dynamic Root Modeling

Previous studies have identified the oversimplified root system representation as a key factor leading to inaccuracies in vegetation‐atmosphere feedbacks. In this study, a dynamic root water uptake scheme in the Noah‐MP land surface model has been coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to investigate its impact on the surface hydroclimate variables and land‐atmosphere interactions. To evaluate the impact of the dynamic root, two coupled simulations were conducted, one with the dynamic root water uptake scheme (DynRt) and one with the static root water uptake scheme (StcRt), which is based on the default root representation in Noah‐MP, with slight modifications, primarily in vegetation‐related parameters. Both DynRt and StcRt simulations were conducted with a small ensemble of three members to account for variations in physical parameterizations, initial and boundary forcing and model setup. When compared with reference data sets, the DynRt simulations show improved results than the StcRt simulations, reducing biases in the simulated leaf area index, surface energy fluxes, soil moisture and precipitation. Two different mechanisms through which roots affect land‐atmosphere coupling have been identified. Over the transitional climate zone between the dry and wet climate, the dynamic root scheme affects surface climate and land‐atmosphere coupling mainly through changes in soil moisture through hydraulic redistribution by plant root system. Over the energy‐limited mesic zone, the dynamic root affects regional land‐atmosphere coupling mainly through changes in carbon allocation. This work highlights the importance of dynamic root representation in improving vegetation‐atmosphere simulations by enhancing predictions of water, energy, and carbon fluxes.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1983

Determination of hydrogen permeability in commercial and modified superalloys

The results of hydrogen permeability measurements on several iron- and cobalt-base alloys as well as on two long-ranged ordered alloys over the range of 705 to 870 C (1300 to 1600 F) are summarized. The test alloys included wrought alloys N-155, IN 800, A-286, 19-9DL, and 19-9DL modifications with aluminum, niobium, and misch metal. In addition, XF-818, CRM-6D, SA-F11, and HS-31 were evaluated. Two wrought long-range ordered alloys, Ni3Al and (Fe,Ni)3(V,Al) were also evaluated. All tests were conducted at 20.7 MPa pressure in either pure and/or 1% CO2-doped H2 for test periods as long as 133 h. Detailed analyses were conducted to determine the relative permeability rankings of these alloys and the effect of doping, exit surface oxidation, specimen design variations, and test duration on permeability coefficient, and permeation activation energies were determined. The two long-range ordered alloys had the lowest permeability coefficients in pure H2 when compared with the eight commercial alloys and their modifications. With CO2 doping, significant decrease in permeability was observed in commercial alloys--no doped tests were conducted with the long-range ordered alloys.

Bhattacharyya, S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Disruption of the tagF Orthologue in the epa Locus Variable Region of Enterococcus faecalis Causes Cell Surface Changes and Suppresses an eep -Dependent Lysozyme Resistance Phenotype

The disease-producing capacity of the opportunistic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis is enhanced by the ability of the bacterium to evade killing by antimicrobial agents. Survival of E. faecalis in the presence of the human antimicrobial enzyme lysozyme is mediated in part by the site 2 metalloprotease Eep; however, a complete model of enterococcal lysozyme resistance has not been elucidated. To better understand the molecular basis for lysozyme resistance in E. faecalis, we analyzed Δeep suppressor mutants that acquire resistance to lysozyme through mutation of the gene OG1RF_11713, a predicted teichoic acid biosynthesis-encoding gene located within the variable region of the enterococcal polysaccharide antigen (epa) locus. Sequence comparisons revealed that OG1RF_11713 is most similar to the cytidine-5'-diphosphate (CDP)-glycerol:poly-(glycerolphosphate)glycerophosphotransferase TagF from Staphylococcus epidermidis. Inactivation of OG1RF_11713 in both the wild-type and Δeep genetic backgrounds was sufficient to increase the resistance of E. faecalis OG1RF to lysozyme. Minimal amounts of N-acetylgalactosamine were detectable in cell wall carbohydrate extracts of OG1RF_11713 deletion mutants, and this was associated with a reduction in negative cell surface charge. Targeted disruption of OG1RF_11713 was also associated with increased susceptibility to the antibiotic polymyxin B and membrane-targeting detergents and decreased susceptibility to the lantibiotic nisin. Furthermore, this work implicates OG1RF_11713 as a major determinant of cell envelope integrity and provides further validation that lysozyme resistance is intrinsically linked to the modification of enterococcal cell wall polysaccharides.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2018

Modification of carbonyl iron particles by carboxyl-containing polydimethylsiloxanes

The possibility of preparing magnetic particles with the “core–shell” structure was demonstrated. The procedure is based on the treatment of carbonyl iron particles with polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) containing terminal or distributed over the chain carboxyl groups attached via the alkyl or aryl spacer. The presence of carboxyl-containing PDMS grafted to the surface of carbonyl iron particles was revealed by electron microscopy. Magnetorheological fluids and magnetic elastomers containing magnetic particles with the “core–shell” structure were obtained, and their rheological properties were studied.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2013

Erosion, Transportation, and Deposition on Outer Solar System Satellites: Landform Evolution Modeling Studies

Mass movement and landform degradation reduces topographic relief by moving surface materials to a lower gravitational potential. In addition to the obvious role of gravity, abrasive mechanical erosion plays a role, often in combination with the lowering of cohesion, which allows disaggregation of the relief-forming material. The identification of specific landform types associated with mass movement and landform degradation provides information about local sediment particle size and abundance and transportation processes. Generally, mass movements can be classified in terms of the particle sizes of the transported material and the speed the material moved during transport. Most degradation on outer planet satellites appears consistent with sliding or slumping, impact erosion, and regolith evolution. Some satellites, such as Callisto and perhaps Hyperion and Iapetus, have an appearance that implies that some additional process is at work, most likely sublimation-driven landform modification and mass wasting. A variant on this process is thermally driven frost segregation as seen on all three icy Galilean satellites and perhaps elsewhere. Titan is unique among outer planet satellites in that Aeolian and fluvial processes also operate to erode, transport, and deposit material. We will evaluate the sequence and extent of various landform-modifying erosional and volatile redistribution processes that have shaped these icy satellites using a 3-D model that simulates the following surface and subsurface processes: 1) sublimation and re-condensation of volatiles; 2) development of refractory lag deposits; 3) disaggregation and downward sloughing of surficial material; 4) radiative heating/cooling of the surface (including reflection, emission, and shadowing by other surface elements); 5) thermal diffusion; and 6) vapor diffusion. The model will provide explicit simulations of landform development and thusly predicts the topographic and volatile evolution of the surface and final landscape form as constrained by DEMs. We have also simulated fluvial and lacustrine modification of icy satellites landscapes to evaluate the degree to which fluvial erosion of representative initial landscapes can replicate the present Titan landscape.

erosion↗
NASA NTRS1983

Analytical and Experimental Evaluation of the Heat Transfer Distribution over the Surfaces of Turbine Vanes

Three airfoil data sets were selected for use in evaluating currently available analytical models for predicting airfoil surface heat transfer distributions in a 2-D flow field. Two additional airfoils, representative of highly loaded, low solidity airfoils currently being designed, were selected for cascade testing at simulated engine conditions. Some 2-D analytical methods were examined and a version of the STAN5 boundary layer code was chosen for modification. The final form of the method utilized a time dependent, transonic inviscid cascade code coupled to a modified version of the STAN5 boundary layer code featuring zero order turbulence modeling. The boundary layer code is structured to accommodate a full spectrum of empirical correlations addressing the coupled influences of pressure gradient, airfoil curvature, and free-stream turbulence on airfoil surface heat transfer distribution and boundary layer transitional behavior. Comparison of pedictions made with the model to the data base indicates a significant improvement in predictive capability.

Hylton, L. D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Instabilities orginating from suction holes used for Laminar Flow Control (LFC)

A small-scale wind tunnel previously used for turbulent boundary layer studies has been modified for experiments in laminar flow control. The facility incorporates suction through interchangeable porous test surfaces which are used to stabilize the boundary layer and delay transition to turbulent flow. The thin porous test surfaces are supported by a baffled plenum chamber box which also acts to gather the flow through the surface into tubes which are routed to a high pressure fan. An elliptic leading edge is attached to the assembly to establish a new layer on the test plate. A slot is used to remove the test section flow below the leading edge. The test section was lengthened and fitted with a new ceiling. Substantial modifications were also made to the 3D probe traverse. Detailed studies have been made using isolated holes to explore the underlying instability mechanisms. The suction is perturbed harmonically and data are averaged on the basis of the phase of the disturbance. Conditions corresponding to strong suction and without suction have been studied. In both cases, 3D contour surfaces in the vicinity of the hole show highly three-dimensional T-S waves that fan out away from the hole with streamwise distance. With suction, the perturbations on the centerline are much stronger and decay less rapidly, while the far field is similar to the case without suction. Downstream the contour surfaces of the bow-shaped TS waves develop spanwise irregularities which eventually form into clumps. The contours remain smooth when suction is not applied. Even without suction, the harmonic point source is challenging for CFD; e.g. DNS has been used for streamwise growth. With suction, grid resources are consumed by the hole and this makes DNS even more expensive. Limited DNS results so far indicate that the vortices which emanate from suction holes appear to be stable. The spanwise clumping observed in the experiment is evidence of a secondary instability that could be associated with suction vortices. A typical porous surface for LFC consists of 0.002 inch diameter holes with 0.020 inch grid spacing L, which is too small to resolve disturbances. A 20:1 scale porous test surface has been machined for improved spatial resolution while the L/d is still representative of flight conditions. Designers of porous surfaces use Goldsmith's criterion to minimize crossstream interaction. However nothing is known about the streamwise interactions. Results using two holes, aligned but displaced in the streamwise direction, indicate that partial TS wave cancellation is possible, depending on the hole spacing and disturbance frequency. Using DNS for streamwise interaction studies will be prohibitively expensive if linear superposition cannot be used for the multiple holes.

Watmuff, Jonathan H.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluating the effect of ionomer chemical composition in silver-ionomer catalyst inks toward the oxygen evolution reaction by half-cell measurements and water electrolysis

The effect of anion exchange ionomer (AEI) chemistry on the kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was systematically studied in both half-cell and single-cell electrolysis experiments. OER was studied in 1 M K 2 CO 3 at 50°C using an array of ionomer-silver catalyst inks deposited on Ni foam. Different ionomer modifications were investigated to optimize the OER performance. The AEI used in this work features a block copolymer backbone of polychloromethylstyrene-b-polycyclooctene-b-polychloromethylstyrene which was functionalized with either benzyltrimethylammonium (TMA) or benzylmethylpiperidinium (MPRD) quaternary ammonium cations. Here, using an MPRD quaternary ammonium cation shifted the rate determining step at high overpotentials, ultimately providing enhanced performance. Increasing the catalyst ink dilution was also found to substantially improve mass activity and catalyst utilization (increase from 35 to 88 A g –1 Ag), likely by reducing the ionomer thickness and decreasing transport resistances. In the final ionomer modification, the Ni foam substrate was leveraged to partially hydrogenate the polycyclooctene midblock to be polyethylene-like at the Ni interface. A significant increase in the electrochemical surface area (Cdl increased from 8.8 to 20.8 mF cm –2 ) and performance (by 47 mA cm –2 or 29 A g –1 Ag) was observed with the incorporation of polyethylene. Kinetic results from half-cell experiments were validated via single-cell anion exchange membrane electrolysis experiments, where the optimized electrode displayed enhanced performance in both 1 M K 2 CO 3 and DI H 2 O.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2018

Adsorption of Molecular Nitrogen in Electrical Double Layers near Planar and Atomically Sharp Electrodes

Here, the adsorption of gas molecules at electrode–electrolyte interfaces is an important step in electrochemical reactions. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the adsorption of dissolved N 2 in the electrical double layers (EDLs) of an aqueous electrolyte near planar and 1 nm radius spherical carbon electrodes. The adsorption of N 2 is found to be overall enriched near neutral electrodes regardless of their surface curvature, although it can be locally enriched or depleted depending on the distance from the electrode surface. In comparison, the adsorption of N 2 in the EDL near negatively charged electrodes is found to increase under a moderate surface charge density, but decrease under a high surface charge density, especially near a planar electrode. By analyzing the potential of mean force for dissolved N 2 , the solvent-induced effects are found to play important roles in influencing the adsorption of N 2 in the EDLs. The adsorption behavior of N 2 molecules, especially their dependence on the surface charge and curvature of electrodes, is further rationalized by examining the structure of interfacial water molecules, their interference with the hydration shell of N 2 , and their modification by the electrification of electrodes.

42 ENGINEERING↗