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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 1,531 records · Page 85

Testing of Densified Liquid Hydrogen Stratification in a Scale Model Propellant Tank

Propellant densification has been identified as a critical technology in the development of a single stage to orbit (SSTO) launch vehicle. The densification of cryogenic propellant through sub-cooling allows more propellant to be stored in a given volume. This allows for higher propellant mass fractions than would otherwise be possible with conventional, normal boiling point, cryogenic fluids. One critical step in determining the viability of densified propellant technology for launch vehicles is to perform the sequential process necessary to load a propellant tank with densified propellants. This paper describes a test program that was conducted at NASA to demonstrate the ability to load densified LH2 into a sub-scale propellant rank. This work was done through a collaborative effort between NASA Lewis Research Center and the Lockheed Martin Michoud Space Systems (LMMSS). The tank, is made from composite materials similar to that to be used on X-33, is formed from two lobes with a center seprum. Test results are shown for data that was collected on filling the sub-scale tank with densified liquid hydrogen propellant that was produced at the NASA Plum Brook Station. Data is compared to analytical predictions.

Greene, W. D.↗

Treatment of Oil & Gas Produced Water.

Production of oil and gas reserves in the New Mexico Four Corners Region results in large volumes of "produced water". The common method for handling the produced water from well production is re-injection in regulatory permitted salt water disposal wells. This is expensive (%7E $5/bbl.) and does not recycle water, an ever increasingly valuable commodity. Previously, Sandia National Laboratories and several NM small business tested pressure driven membrane-filtration techniques to remove the high TDS (total dissolved solids) from a Four Corners Coal Bed Methane produced water. Treatment effectiveness was less than optimal due to problems with pre-treatment. Inadequate pre-treatment allowed hydrocarbons, wax and biological growth to foul the membranes. Recently, an innovative pre-treatment scheme using ozone and hydrogen peroxide was pilot tested. Results showed complete removal of hydrocarbons and the majority of organic constituents from a gas well production water. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was made possible through funding from the New Mexico Small Business Administration (NMSBA) Program at Sandia National Laboratories. Special thanks to Juan Martinez and Genaro Montoya for guidance and support from project inception to completion. Also, special thanks to Frank McDonald, the small businesses team POC, for laying the ground work for the entire project; Teresa McCown, the gas well owner and very knowledgeable- fantastic site host; Lea and Tim Phillips for their tremendous knowledge and passion in the oil & gas industry.; and Frank Miller and Steve Addleman for providing a pilot scale version of their proprietary process to facilitate the pilot testing.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Automated procedures for sizing aerospace vehicle structures /SAVES/

Results from a continuing effort to develop automated methods for structural design are described. A system of computer programs presently under development called SAVES is intended to automate the preliminary structural design of a complete aerospace vehicle. Each step in the automated design process of the SAVES system of programs is discussed, with emphasis placed on use of automated routines for generation of finite-element models. The versatility of these routines is demonstrated by structural models generated for a space shuttle orbiter, an advanced technology transport,n hydrogen fueled Mach 3 transport. Illustrative numerical results are presented for the Mach 3 transport wing.

Giles, G. L.↗

High Pressure Reverse Flow APS Engine

A design and test demonstration effort was undertaken to evaluate the concept of the reverse flow engine for the APS engine application. The 1500 lb (6672 N) thrust engine was designed to operate on gaseous hydrogen and gaseous oxygen propellants at a mixture ratio of 4 and to achieve the objective performance of 435 sec (4266 Nsec/kg) specific impulse. Superimposed durability requirements called for a million-cycle capability with 50 hours duration. The program was undertaken as a series of tasks including the initial preliminary design, design of critical test components and finally, the design and demonstration of an altitude engine which could be used interchangeably to examine operating parameters as well as to demonstrate the capability of the concept. The program results are reported with data to indicate that all of the program objectives were met or exceeded within the course of testing on the program. The analysis effort undertaken is also reported in detail and supplemented with test data in some cases where prior definitions could not be made. The results are contained of these analyses as well as the test results conducted throughout the course of the program. Finally, the test data and analytical results were combined to allow recommendations for a flight weight design. This preliminary design effort is also detailed.

Senneff, J. M.↗

Scramjet exhaust simulation technique for hypersonic aircraft nozzle design and aerodynamic tests

Current design philosophy for scramjet-powered hypersonic aircraft results in configurations with the entire lower fuselage surface utilized as part of the propulsion system. The lower aft-end of the vehicle acts as a high expansion ratio nozzle. Not only must the external nozzle be designed to extract the maximum possible thrust force from the high energy flow at the combustor exit, but the forces produced by the nozzle must be aligned such that they do not unduly affect aerodynamic balance. The strong coupling between the propulsion system and aerodynamics of the aircraft makes imperative at least a partial simulation of the inlet, exhaust, and external flows of the hydrogen-burning scramjet in conventional facilities for both nozzle formulation and aerodynamic-force data acquisition. Aerodynamic testing methods offer no contemporary approach for such vehicle design requirements. NASA-Langley has pursued an extensive scramjet/airframe integration R&D program for several years and has recently developed a promising technique for simulation of the scramjet exhaust flow for hypersonic aircraft. Current results of the research program to develop a scramjet flow simulation technique through the use of substitute gas blends are described in this paper.

Hunt, J. L.↗

Tests of blending and correlation of distillate fuel properties

The development of a fuel test matrix, results from tests of several blends of distillate aircraft fuels, and the use of correlations in formulation determination during a NASA-sponsored program to identify new aircraft fuels are described. The program was initiated in order to characterize fuel blends which are appropriate for different types of combustors in use and under development. The fuels were required to feature a specified range of properties. Attention is given to fuel volatility, hydrogen content, aromatic content, freezing point, kinematic viscosity, and naphthalene content. Paraffinic and naphtenic base stocks were employed, using alkyl benzene, naphthene benzenes, and naphthalenes to adjust the blend properties. Categories for the test fuels comprised source-controlled and composition controlled fuels. Test results and compositions of various fuels are provided.

Erwin, J.↗

Processes and process development in Japan

The commercialization of solar power generation necessitates the development of low cost manufacturing method of silicon suitable for solar cells. The manufacturing methods of semiconductor grade silicon (SEG-Si) and the development of solar grade silicon (SOG-Si) in foreign countries was investigated. It was concluded that the most efficient method of developing such materials was the hydrogen reduction process of trichlorosilane (TCS), using a fluidized bed reactor. The low cost reduction of polysilicon requires cost reductions of raw materials, energy, labor, and capital. These conditions were carefully reviewed. The overall conclusion was that a development program should be based on the TCS-FBR process and that the experimental program should be conducted in test facilities capable of producing 10 tons of silicon granules per year.

Noda, T.↗

NERVA upgrade: Non-nuclear components

The design of engine based upon the original accomplishmentns of the ROVER/NERVA program (but with the use of advanced technologies) is discussed. Some hypothetical requirements for a typical manned Mars mission are outlined. The following subject areas are covered: typical mission NTR propulsion requirements; performance of NTR operating with high pressure hydrogen; NTR expander cycles; ROVER/NERVA core reactor; Mars propulsion 100 K NTR thrust chamber thermal design parameters; 100 K NTR nozzle assembly; NTR integrated pneumatic-fluidics control system; and 100 K flight thrust module/feed system module assembly.

Gunn, Stanley↗

Rocket-Based Combined Cycle Engine Concept Development

The development of rocket-based combined cycle (RBCC) propulsion systems is part of a 12 year effort under both company funding and contract work. The concept is a fixed geometry integrated rocket, ramjet, scramjet, which is hydrogen fueled and uses hydrogen regenerative cooling. The baseline engine structural configuration uses an integral structure that eliminates panel seals, seal purge gas, and closeout side attachments. Engine A5 is the current configuration for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the ART program. Engine A5 models the complete flight engine flowpath of inlet, isolator, airbreathing combustor, and nozzle. High-performance rocket thrusters are integrated into the engine enabling both low speed air-augmented rocket (AAR) and high speed pure rocket operation. Engine A5 was tested in GASL's new Flight Acceleration Simulation Test (FAST) facility in all four operating modes, AAR, RAM, SCRAM, and Rocket. Additionally, transition from AAR to RAM and RAM to SCRAM was also demonstrated. Measured performance demonstrated vision vehicle performance levels for Mach 3 AAR operation and ramjet operation from Mach 3 to 4. SCRAM and rocket mode performance was above predictions. For the first time, testing also demonstrated transition between operating modes.

Ratekin, G.↗

Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of Polycyclic Aromatic Nitrogen Heterocycles (PANHS) and their Ions

In recent years, polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANHs) have attracted a good deal of attention because of their potent carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, and their prevalence in our environment. Such species also play a prominent role in the chemistry of life up to and including the very nucleobases from which our DNA is constructed. Surprisingly, these compounds may even be common outside of our terrestrial environment. To wit, it is now widely accepted that polycyclic aromatic materials are abundant in space and represent a major reservoir of organic carbon in the interstellar medium and developing planetary systems. Given that nitrogen is the fourth most abundant chemically reactive element in space (surpassed only by hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen), it is entirely reasonable to suspect that PANHs may represent an important component of that organic reservoir. Motivated by their intrinsic merit and with special attention toward evaluating their exobiological significance, we have initiated a program to study the spectroscopic and chemical properties of P A " s under conditions relevant to extraterrestrial environments. Here we present the first results of that program-infrared spectroscopic measurements on a series of PANH"s in neutral and cationic forms, isolated in inert matrices at cryogenic temperatures.temperatures. The species studied include: 1 -, and 2-azabenz[a]anthracene, 1-, 2-, and 4- azachrysene, dibenz[a,h]acridine, and dibenz[a,J)acridine. The experimental measurements are also compared with theoretical spectra calculated using density functional theory. General spectroscopic trends observed in this series of compounds are discussed and the implications of these results for Astrophysics and Exobiology are considered.

Mattioda, Andrew L.↗

Asymptotic expansions of the hydrogenic radial dipole integral

A method is presented for an asymptotic expansion of the hydrogenic radial dipole integral for discrete-discrete transitions from initial state n'l' to final state nl. The advantage of this simple method is that it allows all the necessary algebraic manipulations to be done by the computer programming package REDUCE-2. Expansion coefficients up to the coefficient of the l/n17 term are obtained for all initial states with n' < or = 10. However, only the coefficients which are not calculated by Klarsfeld are tabulated in this paper.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

NASA's Space Launch System Gains Momentum Toward Integration and Testing

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) entered a new phase in 2017, completing major structural manufacturing on the core stage and delivering the first flight hardware to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The program is now transitioning to integration, assembly and testing in preparation for launch readiness in late 2019. Core stage prime contractor Boeing concluded welding of the major core stage components for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) with the liquid hydrogen flight tank, following completion of the engine section, liquid oxygen tank, and forward skirt. Technicians also completed assembly of the bolted intertank, and all sections are currently in hardware integration. The engine section structural test article was shipped to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and began testing in 2017. The core stage pathfinder shipped to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). Booster prime contractor Orbital ATK made significant progress casting motor segments for SLS, with several segments finishing processing and in storage. Forward and aft sections of the boosters are being refurbished at KSC. RS-25 prime contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne completed SLS adaptation testing and qualification of four new EM-1 controllers. The four EM-1 engines are ready and waiting for shipment from NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC) to Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) for core stage integration in preparation for green run testing at SSC. The EM-1 Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS) became the first major piece of SLS to arrive at KSC. Welding is complete on the EM-1 Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter (LVSA) and the flight Orion Stage Adapter (OSA). SLS is critical to U.S. leadership in future human and robotic space exploration, including a presence on the moon in preparation for missions deeper into space. This paper will elaborate on 2017 SLS progress and progress envisioned for 2018.

Askins, Bruce R.↗

Massachusetts Fuel Cell Bus Project: Demonstrating a Total Transit Solution for Fuel Cell Electric Buses in Boston

The Federal Transit Administration's National Fuel Cell Bus Program focuses on developing commercially viable fuel cell bus technologies. Nuvera is leading the Massachusetts Fuel Cell Bus project to demonstrate a complete transit solution for fuel cell electric buses that includes one bus and an on-site hydrogen generation station for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). A team consisting of ElDorado National, BAE Systems, and Ballard Power Systems built the fuel cell electric bus, and Nuvera is providing its PowerTap on-site hydrogen generator to provide fuel for the bus.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Milestone 2.8: Preliminary Radiolytic Gas Generation Measurements from Helium-Backfilled Samples

The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently managing nearly 13 metric tons of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel (ASNF) with the intention of extended (> 50 years) dry storage in helium-backfilled canisters. Due to in-reactor and cooling pond conditions, oxyhydroxide corrosion layers have formed on the surface of the ASNF elements. These corrosion layers are susceptible to radiolysis and the formation of molecular hydrogen gas (H 2 ) due to the fuel’s inherent radiation field. Consequently, a rigorous evaluation of the effect of helium gas on radiolytic H 2 production is necessary to support the Technical Considerations and Challenges for Extended (> 50 yrs) Dry Storage of ASNF program, especially as previous Task 2 - Oxyhydroxide Layer Radiolytic Gas Generation Resolution work demonstrated a significant effect of gas composition on the radiolytic yield (G-value) of H 2 . Here we report preliminary G-values for the radiolytic formation of H 2 from the gamma irradiation of pre-corroded aluminum alloy 1100 coupons flame sealed in helium environments. Irradiations yielded G(H 2 ) values of (5.1 ± 0.5) x 10 –4 and (9.4 ± 0.9) x 10 –4 µmol J –1 for pristine coupons, and (10.1 ± 0.4) x 10 –4 and (15.1 ± 1.2) x 10 –4 µmol J –1 for pre-corroded coupons for 0% and 50% relative humidity, respectively. These helium environment G(H 2 ) values are between 28% and 58% higher than previously reported values for argon environments. This enhancement is attributed to the significant difference in first ionization energy between helium (24.59 eV) and argon (15.76) facilitating additional processes, e.g., Penning ionization. These new preliminary helium environment G(H 2 ) values will be employed by Task 3 - Sealed and Vented System Episodic Breathing and Gas Generation Prediction to model the effect of radiolytic H 2 accumulation in helium environments to evaluate the practicality of the extended storage standard canister design.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Hydrogen retention in lithium and lithium oxide films

Pure lithium (Li) surfaces are difficult to maintain in fusion devices due to rapid oxide formation, therefore, parameterizing and understanding the mechanisms of hydrogen (H, D) retention in lithium oxide (Li 2 O) in addition to pure Li is crucial for Li plasma-facing material applications. To compare H retention in Li and Li 2 O films, measurements were made as a function of surface temperature (90–520 K) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions using temperature programmed desorption (TPD). In both cases, the total retention dropped with surface temperature, from 95% at 90 K to 35% at 520 K Li 2 O films retained H in similar amounts as pure Li. Finally, Molecular Dynamics (MD) modeling was used to elucidate the mechanisms of H retention, and results were consistent with experiments in terms of both retention fraction and the drop of retention with temperature.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

In-Situ Electrochemical Generation and Utilization of Hydrogen Peroxide for Disinfection

Disinfection needs to meet personal hygiene requirements at the International Space Station (ISS) is currently accomplished through the use of pre-packaged, disposable, wetted wipes, which represent an appreciable carry-along mass and disposal burden. However, as human missions travel further into the solar system the availability of resources to resupply will be diminished. Therefore, next-generation system should use onboard utilities to create on demand disinfectants, thereby reducing the dependence on earth-based supplies and further eliminating storage and disposal problems. Accordingly, we are developing an in-situ approach to electrochemically generate hydrogen peroxide disinfecting solution utilizing onboard life support supplies (Air/Water) to neutralize surface microorganisms present in closed living systems. As discussed within our 2019 and 2021 ICES papers (ICES-2019-38 and ICES-2021-273), we have continued to improve our TRL by scaling the electrochemical generation production process and validating the system in a zero-gravity parabolic loop flight test. In this paper we will demonstrate a system that can achieve over 1 L of >2 w/w% peroxide per day with DI water and air feeds. The hydrogen peroxide solutions generated were sent to NASA for microbial control property characterization. Overall, the electrochemical peroxide generation system offers a more economical and practical alternative, with the disinfectant being generated on demand and in-situ (using available life support materials of Air/Water); and applied to reusable cloths. The specific application of interest to this program is crew contact surfaces in space vehicles, but this technology could be utilized for waste water disinfection, heat exchanger biofouling remediation, and laundry applications. The peroxide generation system will also be able to address Earth-based needs in various settings such as field hospitals, restaurants, military, warehouses, movie theatres, among many others.

hydrogen peroxide↗

DWPF SIMULANT CPC STUDIES FOR SB7B

Lab-scale DWPF simulations of Sludge Batch 7b (SB7b) processing were performed. Testing was performed at the Savannah River National Laboratory - Aiken County Technology Laboratory (SRNL-ACTL). The primary goal of the simulations was to define a likely operating window for acid stoichiometry for the DWPF Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT). In addition, the testing established conditions for the SRNL Shielded Cells qualification simulation of SB7b-Tank 40 blend, supported validation of the current glass redox model, and validated the coupled process flowsheet at the nominal acid stoichiometry. An acid window of 105-140% by the Koopman minimum acid (KMA) equation (107-142% DWPF Hsu equation) worked for the sludge-only flowsheet. Nitrite was present in the SRAT product for the 105% KMA run at 366 mg/kg, while SME cycle hydrogen reached 94% of the DWPF Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycle limit in the 140% KMA run. The window was determined for sludge with added caustic (0.28M additional base, or roughly 12,000 gallons 50% NaOH to 820,000 gallons waste slurry). A suitable processing window appears to be 107-130% DWPF acid equation for sludge-only processing allowing some conservatism for the mapping of lab-scale simulant data to full-scale real waste processing including potentially non-conservative noble metal and mercury concentrations. This window should be usable with or without the addition of up to 7,000 gallons of caustic to the batch. The window could potentially be wider if caustic is not added to SB7b. It is recommended that DWPF begin processing SB7b at 115% stoichiometry using the current DWPF equation. The factor could be increased if necessary, but changes should be made with caution and in small increments. DWPF should not concentrate past 48 wt.% total solids in the SME cycle if moderate hydrogen generation is occurring simultaneously. The coupled flowsheet simulation made more hydrogen in the SRAT and SME cycles than the sludge-only run with the same acid stoichiometric factor. The slow acid addition in MCU seemed to alter the reactions that consumed the small excess acid present such that hydrogen generation was promoted relative to sludge-only processing. The coupled test reached higher wt.% total solids, and this likely contributed to the SME cycle hydrogen limit being exceeded at 110% KMA. It is clear from the trends in the SME processing GC data, however, that the frit slurry formic acid contributed to driving the hydrogen generation rate above the SME cycle limit. Hydrogen generation rates after the second frit addition generally exceeded those after the first frit addition. SRAT formate loss increased with increasing acid stoichiometry (15% to 35%). A substantial nitrate gain which was observed to have occurred after acid addition (and nitrite destruction) was reversed to a net nitrate loss in runs with higher acid stoichiometry (nitrate in SRAT product less than sum of sludge nitrate and added nitric acid). Increased ammonium ion formation was also indicated in the runs with nitrate loss. Oxalate loss on the order 20% was indicated in three of the four acid stoichiometry runs and in the coupled flowsheet run. The minimum acid stoichiometry run had no indicated loss. The losses were of the same order as the official analytical uncertainty of the oxalate concentration measurement, but were not randomly distributed about zero loss, so some actual loss was likely occurring. Based on the entire set of SB7b test data, it is recommended that DWPF avoid concentrating additional sludge solids in single SRAT batches to limit the concentrations of noble metals to SB7a processing levels (on a grams noble metal per SRAT batch basis). It is also recommended that DWPF drop the formic acid addition that accompanies the process frit 418 additions, since SME cycle data showed considerable catalytic activity for hydrogen generation from this additional acid (about 5% increase in stoichiometry occurred from the frit formic acid). Frit 418 also does not appear to need formic acid addition to prevent gel formation in the frit slurry. Simulant processing was successful using 100 ppm of 747 antifoam added prior to nitric acid instead of 200 ppm. This is a potential area for DWPF to cut antifoam usage in any future test program. An additional 100 ppm was added before formic acid addition. Foaming during formic acid addition was not observed. No build-up of oily or waxy material was observed in the off-gas equipment. Lab-scale mercury stripping behavior was similar to SB6 and SB7a. More mercury was unaccounted for as the acid stoichiometry increased.

08 HYDROGEN↗