The Ames combined heating facility.
Heating facility for testing ablative heat shield material models in combined convective and radiative heating environment with constant or transient heating conditions
Gowen, F. E.↗
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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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Computer program of data reduction procedures for facilities using CO2-N2-O2-Ar equilibrium real-gas mixtures
Data reduction procedures for determining free-stream and post-normal-shock flow conditions are presented. These procedures are applicable to flows of CO2, N2, O2, Ar, or mixtures of these gases and include the effects of dissociation and ionization. The assumption of thermochemical equilibrium free-stream and post-normal-shock flow is made. Although derived primarily to meet the immediate needs of an expansion tube of a hot gas radiation research facility, these procedures are applicable to any supersonic or hypersonic test facility using these gases or mixtures thereof. The data reduction procedures are based on combinations of three of the following flow parameters measured in the immediate vicinity of the test section: (1) stagnation pressure behind normal shock, (2) free-stream static pressure, (3) stagnation-point heat-transfer rate, (4) free-stream velocity, and (5) free-stream density. Thus, these procedures do not depend explicitly upon measured or calculated upstream flow parameters. The procedures are incorporated into a single computer program written in FORTRAN IV language. A listing of this computer program is presented, along with a description of the inputs required and a sample of the data printout.
Miller, C. G., III↗
A thermal scale modeling study for Apollo and Apollo applications, volume 1
The program is reported for developing and demonstrating the capabilities of thermal scale modeling as a thermal design and verification tool for Apollo and Apollo Applications Projects. The work performed for thermal scale modeling of STB; cabin atmosphere/spacecraft cabin wall thermal interface; closed loop heat rejection radiator; and docked module/spacecraft thermal interface are discussed along with the test facility requirements for thermal scale model testing of AAP spacecraft. It is concluded that thermal scale modeling can be used as an effective thermal design and verification tool to provide data early in a spacecraft development program.
Shannon, R. L.↗
Equivalent electron fluence for space qualification of shallow junction heteroface GaAs solar cells
It is desirable to perform qualification tests prior to deployment of solar cells in space power applications. Such test procedures are complicated by the complex mixture of differing radiation components in space which are difficult to simulate in ground test facilities. Although it has been shown that an equivalent electron fluence ratio cannot be uniquely defined for monoenergetic proton exposure of GaAs shallow junction cells, an equivalent electron fluence test can be defined for common spectral components of protons found in space. Equivalent electron fluence levels for the geosynchronous environment are presented.
Wilson, J. W.↗
Long Duration Hot Hydrogen Exposure of Nuclear Thermal Rocket Materials
An arc-heater driven hyper-thermal convective environments simulator was recently developed and commissioned for long duration hot hydrogen exposure of nuclear thermal rocket materials. This newly established non-nuclear testing capability uses a high-power, multi-gas, wall-stabilized constricted arc-heater to .produce high-temperature pressurized hydrogen flows representative of nuclear reactor core environments, excepting radiation effects, and is intended to serve as a low cost test facility for the purpose of investigating and characterizing candidate fuel/structural materials and improving associated processing/fabrication techniques. Design and engineering development efforts are fully summarized, and facility operating characteristics are reported as determined from a series of baseline performance mapping runs and long duration capability demonstration tests.
Litchford, Ron J.↗
Charger-1: A Pulsed Fusion Propulsion Testbed
Presentation concerns the building a test facility for high power and thermonuclear fusion propulsion concepts, astrophysics modeling, radiation physics.
Adams, Robert B.↗
Brushed DC Motor Noise Above 1 GHz: 2018 DoD E3 Review
Agenda: Marshall EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) Test Facility (METF) Overview; Brushed DC Motor Overview; Literature Review; System Level Radiated Emissions; Component Radiated Emissions; Additional Data with COTS Hardware; Conclusion.
Fortinberry, Jarrod↗
RadBREAD: Radiation Biology Research at an Elevated Altitude through Dosimetry – A student-designed payload
NASA uses extreme environment platforms (ground testing facilities, high-altitude balloons and aircraft, and CubeSats) to provide greater understanding of the conditions and limitations of extra-terrestrial environments. As part of a two-week flight planned for summer 2021, RadBREAD (Radiation Biology Research at an Elevated Altitude through Dosimetry) will fly as a secondary payload consisting of a M-42C (German Aerospace Center, DLR) ionizing radiation dosimeter, UV micro-logger, and multiple desiccated yeast samples. The platform is a novel high-altitude solar-powered aircraft: the Swift Engineering High-Altitude samples. The platform is a novel high-altitude solar-powered aircraft: the Swift Engineering High-Altitude Long-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System (HALE UAS), which offers significantly longer flight durations than other high-altitude platforms. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae will provide meaningful biological correlation for the sensor readings, due to its resistance to extremely low temperature and pressure when desiccated, ease of genetic manipulation, and homology to human genes. The RadBREAD team comprises the 2020 cohort of NASA’s Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) research associates as well as NASA scientists, engineers and radiation experts from NASA and the DLR. Yeast survival, metabolic, and transcriptomic changes will be correlated with environmental data collected during long-term exposure to the upper atmosphere. Additionally, the team will evaluate the upper atmospheric environment (radiation, pressure, and temperature) provided by the HALE UAS platform as a Mars surface analog for biological payloads. We hypothesize that exposure to upper atmospheric conditions during the HALE UAS flight will alter the survival, metabolism, and transcriptome of desiccated wild-type S. cerevisiae upon rehydration compared to sensitive and tolerant yeast strains exposed to the same conditions, and between the flight samples compared to asynchronous ground controls.
radiation exposure↗
An evaluation of proposed acoustic treatments for the NASA LaRC 4 x 7 meter wind tunnel
The NASA LaRC 4 x 7 Meter Wind Tunnel is an existing facility specially designed for powered low speed (V/STOL) testing of large scale fixed wing and rotorcraft models. The enhancement of the facility for scale model acoustic testing is examined. The results are critically reviewed and comparisons are drawn with a similar wind tunnel (the DNW Facility in the Netherlands). Discrepancies observed in the comparison stimulated a theoretical investigation using the acoustic finite element ADAM System, of the ways in which noise propagating around the tunnel circuit radiates into the open test section. The reasons for the discrepancies noted above are clarified and assists in the selection of acoustic treatment options for the facility.
Abrahamson, A. L.↗
Effects of space environment on composites: An analytical study of critical experimental parameters
A generalized methodology currently employed at JPL, was used to develop an analytical model for effects of high-energy electrons and interactions between electron and ultraviolet effects. Chemical kinetic concepts were applied in defining quantifiable parameters; the need for determining short-lived transient species and their concentration was demonstrated. The results demonstrates a systematic and cost-effective means of addressing the issues and show qualitative and quantitative, applicable relationships between space radiation and simulation parameters. An equally important result is identification of critical initial experiments necessary to further clarify the relationships. Topics discussed include facility and test design; rastered vs. diffuse continuous e-beam; valid acceleration level; simultaneous vs. sequential exposure to different types of radiation; and interruption of test continuity.
Gupta, A.↗
Benchmark Shock Tube Experiments for Radiative Heating Relevant to Earth Re-Entry
Detailed spectrally and spatially resolved radiance has been measured in the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility for conditions relevant to high speed entry into a variety of atmospheres, including Earth, Venus, Titan, Mars and the Outer Planets. The tests that measured radiation relevant for Earth re-entry are the focus of this work and are taken from campaigns 47, 50, 52 and 57. These tests covered conditions from 8 km/s to 15.5 km/s at initial pressures ranging from 0.05 Torr to 1 Torr, of which shots at 0.1 and 0.2 Torr are analyzed in this paper. These conditions cover a range of points of interest for potential fight missions, including return from Low Earth Orbit, the Moon and Mars. The large volume of testing available from EAST is useful for statistical analysis of radiation data, but is problematic for identifying representative experiments for performing detailed analysis. Therefore, the intent of this paper is to select a subset of benchmark test data that can be considered for further detailed study. These benchmark shots are intended to provide more accessible data sets for future code validation studies and facility-to-facility comparisons. The shots that have been selected as benchmark data are the ones in closest agreement to a line of best fit through all of the EAST results, whilst also showing the best experimental characteristics, such as test time and convergence to equilibrium. The EAST data are presented in different formats for analysis. These data include the spectral radiance at equilibrium, the spatial dependence of radiance over defined wavelength ranges and the mean non-equilibrium spectral radiance (so-called 'spectral non-equilibrium metric'). All the information needed to simulate each experimental trace, including free-stream conditions, shock time of arrival (i.e. x-t) relation, and the spectral and spatial resolution functions, are provided.
Shock Tube↗
Europa Propulsion Valve Seat Material Testing
The Europa mission and spacecraft design presented unique challenges for selection of valve seat materials that met the fluid compatibility requirements, and combined fluid compatibility and high radiation exposure level requirements. The Europa spacecraft pressurization system valves will be exposed to fully saturated propellant vapor for the duration of the mission. The effects of Nitrogen Tetroxide (NTO) and Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) propellant vapors on heritage valve seat materials, such as Vespel SP-1 and Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), were evaluated to determine if an alternate material is required. In liquid system applications, Teflon is the only available compatible valve seat material. Radiation exposure data for Teflon in an air or vacuum environment has been previously documented. Radiation exposure data for Teflon in an oxidizer environment such as NTO, was not available, and it was unknown whether the effects would be similar to those on air-exposed samples. Material testing was conducted by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) to determine the effects of propellant vapor on heritage seat materials for pressurization valve applications, and the effects of combined radiation and NTO propellant exposure on Teflon. The results indicated that changes in heritage pressurization valve seat materials' properties rendered them unsuitable for the Europa application. The combined radiation and NTO exposure testing of Teflon produced results equivalent to combined radiation and air exposure results.
Addona, Brad M.↗
26th Space Simulation Conference Proceedings. Environmental Testing: The Path Forward
Topics covered include: A Multifunctional Space Environment Simulation Facility for Accelerated Spacecraft Materials Testing; Exposure of Spacecraft Surface Coatings in a Simulated GEO Radiation Environment; Gravity-Offloading System for Large-Displacement Ground Testing of Spacecraft Mechanisms; Microscopic Shutters Controlled by cRIO in Sounding Rocket; Application of a Physics-Based Stabilization Criterion to Flight System Thermal Testing; Upgrade of a Thermal Vacuum Chamber for 20 Kelvin Operations; A New Approach to Improve the Uniformity of Solar Simulator; A Perfect Space Simulation Storm; A Planetary Environmental Simulator/Test Facility; Collimation Mirror Segment Refurbishment inside ESA s Large Space; Space Simulation of the CBERS 3 and 4 Satellite Thermal Model in the New Brazilian 6x8m Thermal Vacuum Chamber; The Certification of Environmental Chambers for Testing Flight Hardware; Space Systems Environmental Test Facility Database (SSETFD), Website Development Status; Wallops Flight Facility: Current and Future Test Capabilities for Suborbital and Orbital Projects; Force Limited Vibration Testing of JWST NIRSpec Instrument Using Strain Gages; Investigation of Acoustic Field Uniformity in Direct Field Acoustic Testing; Recent Developments in Direct Field Acoustic Testing; Assembly, Integration and Test Centre in Malaysia: Integration between Building Construction Works and Equipment Installation; Complex Ground Support Equipment for Satellite Thermal Vacuum Test; Effect of Charging Electron Exposure on 1064nm Transmission through Bare Sapphire Optics and SiO2 over HfO2 AR-Coated Sapphire Optics; Environmental Testing Activities and Capabilities for Turkish Space Industry; Integrated Circuit Reliability Simulation in Space Environments; Micrometeoroid Impacts and Optical Scatter in Space Environment; Overcoming Unintended Consequences of Ambient Pressure Thermal Cycling Environmental Tests; Performance and Functionality Improvements to Next Generation Thermal Vacuum Control System; Robotic Lunar Lander Development Project: Three-Dimensional Dynamic Stability Testing and Analysis; Thermal Physical Properties of Thermal Coatings for Spacecraft in Wide Range of Environmental Conditions: Experimental and Theoretical Study; Molecular Contamination Generated in Thermal Vacuum Chambers; Preventing Cross Contamination of Hardware in Thermal Vacuum Chambers; Towards Validation of Particulate Transport Code; Updated Trends in Materials' Outgassing Technology; Electrical Power and Data Acquisition Setup for the CBER 3 and 4 Satellite TBT; Method of Obtaining High Resolution Intrinsic Wire Boom Damping Parameters for Multi-Body Dynamics Simulations; and Thermal Vacuum Testing with Scalable Software Developed In-House.
Packard, Edward A.↗
Investigation of Flux Spreading in a Light-Trapping, Planar-Cavity Receiver for Enclosed Solar Particle Heating
Concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) technology development has recently focused on increasing the operating temperatures to accommodate high efficiency power cycles and thermochemical processes. Inert solid particles as heat transfer media enable solar receivers to operate above 700 degrees Celsius resulting in increased system thermal efficiency compared to the conventional molten salt based CSP system. An open-cavity falling-particle solar receiver that can efficiently heat particles by direct heating from concentrated solar radiation faces challenges with large particle losses from wind and unable to support thermochemical reactions. A light-trapping, planar cavity reiver (LTPCR) where particles are indirectly heated can significantly minimize the particle losses during the operation, support thermochemical reactions, and offer scalability potential. The LTPCR features an array of vertical planar receiver/absorber panels arranged within a cavity configuration. Concentrated solar radiation from heliostats is focused onto the receiver walls, where heat is indirectly transferred to solid particles flowing inside the receiver channels. Heat transfer occurs through direct contact between the receiver panel walls and particles, and can be enhanced by fluidizing particles with air. This fluidization increases particle-wall contact and extends particle residence time, maximizing heat transfer efficiency. The unique vertical planar receiver structure originated from a near-blackbody tubular light absorber, effectively distributing the incoming solar beam spread across the panel walls and trapping light. This flux spreading effect, driven by cosine projection, converts high incident solar flux into a lower, more uniform heat flux on the panel walls. This redistribution enhances heat transfer efficiency between particle-wall or reaction gases-wall, while preventing localized overheating of the receiver panel. Indirect planar cavity solar receivers completely separate solid particles from the ambient environment that can greatly reduce the thermal losses in heated particles resulting in high efficiency at high temperatures above 700 degrees Celsius. This design ensures no particle losses to the environment during the operation while open-cavity designs can experience significant particle losses from wind. An experimental investigation was conducted to observe flux spreading on the receiver panel wall. A lab-scale prototype planar receiver, fabricated using Haynes 230 alloy, was tested under direct concentrated solar radiation using the high-flux solar furnace (HFSF) facility at NREL. The experiment was performed under normal peak radiative heat fluxes ranging from 800 to 1900 kW/m2. A temperature distribution on the panel wall was measured using a thermal imaging camera (FLIR A 6600). To prevent overheating at the receiver front tip, prism-shaped heat shields (Zircar UNIFROM C1) were placed in front of the receiver, and their influence on flux spreading was also studied. Absorbed flux distribution on the panel wall was modeled using SolTrace. The total solar power and flux distributions delivered from HFSF were determined based on the heliostat mirror optical properties, direct normal irradiance (DNI) on the on-sun testing days, peak flux measurement during the on-sun testing, and shutter/attenuator settings Due to the large incident angles of the solar beam on the panel wall, the angular optical properties of Haynes 230 alloy and Zircar heat shields were incorporated into the model. This flux distribution model was then integrated into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to predict the receiver panel wall temperature, which was compared with the experimental measurements. Both prediction and measurements identified a temperature hotspot at the backside of the panel, indicating that the incident solar beam can fully reach to the rear of the receiver. The heat shields positioned at the front of the receiver effectively reduced the excessive temperature rise at the receiver front tip. Overall, the temperature was well distributed over the panel wall, with a minor hotspot at the back of the receiver. The model slightly overpredicted the temperature, possibly due to discrepancies in optical properties of the panel and an underprediction of thermal loss in the receiver. The advancement of the particle LTPCR offers a viable alternative to open-cavity receivers by addressing particle loss issues. Additionally, it presents a pathway for enabling solar thermochemical processes, extending CSP technology beyond power generation to fuel and chemical production.
14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
Radiation Hardened Foam Cold Test Plan – Phase-I: Foam Adhesion, Contamination Fixation, Moisture Stresses, Pipe Cutting, and Thermal Profile Testing
This document outlines the Phase-I test objectives and implementation plan for a down-selective foam fixative technology intended to facilitate activities in support of the Savannah River Site (SRS) F/H labs deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) efforts. It is a collaborative effort between Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Florida International University (FIU), and the SRS F/H labs team intended to test and evaluate the potential of an intumescent, fire-retardant foam in mitigating the release of contamination during dismantling operations on radioactively contaminated piping in legacy facilities. The cold test plan addresses specific requirements highlighted by site and safety personnel and will be executed in FIU’s Outdoor Test and Evaluation Facility using a mock-up that replicates the operational conditions at the proposed hot test location at F/H labs. Results from the cold test plan will inform the hot test at F/H labs, which will use the foam fixative to confine and/or isolate residual contamination within a 3-dimensional void space of Hastelloy C-22 piping designated for removal from the site and transported to a proper disposal facility. Phase-I testing will address eight test objectives: (1) evaluation of the adhesion and bonding properties of foam fixative in piping, (2) evaluation of the adhesion of the foam fixative in piping under varying moisture conditions, (3) determination of the heat profile of the foam fixative during curing, (4) determination of the relationship between pipe diameter and foam fixative quantity, (5) determination of the internal pipe pressure after foam deployment and curing, (6) development of a leak test standard operating procedure to test for the effectiveness of the foam plug, (7) initiation of a literature review to determine if using a hot tap is a viable method to deliver foam into piping, and (8) initiation of a 10-foot mock up test that will be used in Phase-II cold testing. The cold test will be conducted at FIU and all testing activities will comply with SRNL Conduct of R&D Protocols (SRNL-IM-2020-00019).
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
Space Suit Radiator Performance in Lunar and Mars Environments
During an ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA), both the heat generated by the astronaut's metabolism and that produced by the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) must be rejected to space. The heat sources include the heat of adsorption of metabolic CO2, the heat of condensation of water, the heat removed from the body by the liquid cooling garment and the load from the electrical components. Although the sublimator hardware to reject this load weighs only 3.48 lbs, an additional eight pounds of water are loaded into the unit of which about six to eight are sublimated and lost; this is the single largest expendable during an eight-hour EVA. Using a radiator to reject heat from the Astronaut during an EVA, we can significantly reduce the amount of expendable water consumed by the sublimator. Last year we reported on the design and initial operational assessment tests of our novel radiator designated the Radiator And Freeze Tolerant heat eXchanger (RAFT-X). Herein, we report on tests conducted in the NASA Johnson Space Center Chamber E Thermal Vacuum Test Facility. Up to 800 Btu/h of heat were rejected in lunar and Mars environments with temperatures as cold as -150 F. Tilting the radiator did not cause an observable loss in performance. The RAFT-X endured freeze / thaw cycles and in fact, the heat exchanger was completely frozen three times without any apparent damage to the unit. We were also able to operate the heat exchanger in a partially frozen configuration to throttle the heat rejection rate from 530 Btu/h at low water flow rate down to 300 Btu/h. Finally, the deliberate loss of a single loop heat pipe only degraded the heat rejection performance by about 2 to 5%.
Nabity, James↗
Space Suit Radiator Performance in Lunar and Mars Environments
During an ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA), both the heat generated by the astronaut's metabolism and that produced by the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) must be rejected to space. The heat sources include the heat of adsorption of metabolic CO2, the heat of condensation of water, the heat removed from the body by the liquid cooling garment and the load from the electrical components. Although the sublimator hardware to reject this load weighs only 3.48 lbs, an additional eight pounds of water are loaded into the unit of which about six to eight are sublimated and lost; this is the single largest expendable during an eight-hour EVA. Using a radiator to reject heat from the Astronaut during an EVA, we can significantly reduce the amount of expendable water consumed by the sublimator. Last year we reported on the design and initial operational assessment tests of our novel radiator designated the Radiator And Freeze Tolerant heat eXchanger (RAFT-X). Herein, we report on tests conducted in the NASA Johnson Space Center Chamber E Thermal Vacuum Test Facility. Up to 800 Btu/h of heat were rejected in lunar and Mars environments with temperatures as cold as 150 F. Tilting the radiator did not cause an observable loss in performance. The RAFT-X endured freeze/thaw cycles and in fact, the heat exchanger was completely frozen three times without any apparent damage to the unit. We were also able to operate the heat exchanger in a partially frozen configuration to throttle the heat rejection rate from 530 Btu/h at low water flow rate down to 300 Btu/h. Finally, the deliberate loss of a single loop heat pipe only degraded the heat rejection performance by about 2 to 5%.
Paul, Heather↗
Comparison of Different Measurement Technologies for the In-Flight Assessment of Radiated Acoustic Intensity
A series of tests was planned and conducted in the Interior Noise Test Facility at Boeing Field, on the NASA Aries 757 flight research aircraft, and in the Structural Acoustic Loads and Transmission Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. These tests were designed to answer several questions concerning the use of array methods in flight. One focus of the tests was determining whether and to what extent array methods could be used to identify the effects of an acoustical treatment applied to a limited portion of an aircraft fuselage. Another focus of the tests was to verify that the arrays could be used to localize and quantify a known source purposely placed in front of the arrays. Thus the issues related to backside sources and flanking paths present in the complicated sound field were addressed during these tests. These issues were addressed through the use of reference transducers, both accelerometers mounted to the fuselage and microphones in the cabin, that were used to correlate the pressure holograms. measured by the microphone arrays using either SVD methods or partial coherence methods. This correlation analysis accepts only energy that is coherent with the sources sensed by the reference transducers, allowing a noise control engineer to only identify and study those vibratory sources of interest. The remainder of this paper will present a detailed description of the test setups that were used in this test sequence and typical results of the NAH/IBEM analysis used to reconstruct the sound fields. Also, a comparison of data obtained in the laboratory environments and during flights of the 757 aircraft will be made.
Klos, Jacob↗