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

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NASA NTRS1982

A Two-Way Spinoff

Gougeon Brothers, Inc. successfully applied their boat building expertise to a NASA problem in wind turbine development. NASA and the department of Energy began experimenting with large wind turbine machines as an energy alternative to fossil fuels. During the development of a first generation wind turbine generator known as MOD-OA, Lewis Research Center faced the problem of supersize rotor blades made of metal that kept failing under stress. Using the techniques they had developed for fabricating wood composite structures, the Gougeon Brothers went on to build several sets of blades for the MOD-OA system; all worked successfully. Gougeon Brothers acquired new know-how during the course of studying rotor blade aerodynamics which they applied to their boat building. They developed the innovative "aerodynamic mast" for sailboats. Their mast, a strong, lightweight wood composite which needs no supporting rigging and is free to rotate with the wind, could cut a ship's fuel cost by as much as 40 percent.

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NASA NTRS2003

Thermographic Inspections Save Skins and Prevent Blackouts

Scanning thermography involves heating a component s surface and subsequently measuring the surface temperature, using an infrared camera to identify structural defects such as corrosion and disbonding. It is a completely noninvasive and noncontacting process. Scans can detect defects in conventional metals and plastics, as well as in bonded aluminum composites, plastic- and resinbased composites, and laminated structures. The apparatus used for scanning is highly portable and can cover the surface of a test material up to six times faster than conventional thermography. NASA scientists affirm that the technology is an invaluable asset to the airlines, detecting potential defects that can cause structural failure.In 1996, ThermTech Services, Inc., of Stuart, Florida, approached NASA in an effort to evaluate the technology for application in the power and process industries, where corrosion is of serious concern. ThermTech Services proceeded to develop the application for inspecting boiler waterwall tubing at fossil-fueled electric-generating stations. In 1999, ThermTech purchased the rights to NASA s patented technology and developed the specialized equipment required to apply the inspecting method to power plant components. The ThermTech robotic system using NASA technology has proved to be extremely successful and cost effective in performing detailed inspections of large structures such as boiler waterwalls and aboveground chemical storage tanks. It is capable of inspecting a waterwall, tank-wall, or other large surfaces at a rate of approximately 10 square feet per minute or faster.

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NASA NTRS2003

Laboratory Studies of Heterogeneous Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance

The objective of this study is to conduct measurements of chemical kinetics parameters for heterogeneous reactions of importance in the stratosphere and the troposphere. It involves the elucidation of the mechanism of the interaction of HC1 vapor with ice surfaces, which is the first step in the heterogeneous chlorine activation processes, as well as the investigation of the atmospheric oxidation mechanism of soot particles emitted by biomass and fossil fuels. The techniques being employed include turbulent flow- chemical ionization mass spectrometry and optical ellipsometry, among others. The next section summarizes our research activities during the first year of the project, and the section that follows consists of the statement of work for the second year.

Molina, Mario J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Baseline Testing of the Club Car Carryall With Asymmetric Ultracapacitors

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center initiated baseline testing of the Club Car Carryall with asymmetric ultracapacitors as a way to reduce pollution in industrial settings, reduce fossil fuel consumption, and reduce operating costs for transportation systems. The Club Car Carryall provides an inexpensive approach to advance the state of the art in electric vehicle technology in a practical application. The project transfers space technology to terrestrial use via non-traditional partners, and provides power system data valuable for future space applications. The work was done under the Hybrid Power Management (HPM) Program, which includes the Hybrid Electric Transit Bus (HETB). The Carryall is a state of the art, ground up, electric utility vehicle. A unique aspect of the project was the use of a state of the art, long life ultracapacitor energy storage system. Innovative features, such as regenerative braking through ultracapacitor energy storage, are planned. Regenerative braking recovers much of the kinetic energy of the vehicle during deceleration. The Carryall was tested with the standard lead acid battery energy storage system, as well as with an asymmetric ultracapacitor energy storage system. The report concludes that the Carryall provides excellent performance, and that the implementation of asymmetric ultracapacitors in the power system can provide significant performance improvements.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Large-scale Distribution of CH4 in the Western North Pacific: Sources and Transport from the Asian Continent

Methane (CH4) mixing ratios in the northern Pacific Basin were sampled from two aircraft during the TRACE-P mission (Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific) from late February through early April 2001 using a tunable diode laser system. Described in more detail by Jacob et al., the mission was designed to characterize Asian outflow to the Pacific, determine its chemical evolution, and assess changes to the atmosphere resulting from the rapid industrialization and increased energy usage on the Asian continent. The high-resolution, high-precision data set of roughly 13,800 CH4 measurements ranged between 1602 ppbv in stratospherically influenced air and 2149 ppbv in highly polluted air. Overall, CH4 mixing ratios were highly correlated with a variety of other trace gases characteristic of a mix of anthropogenic industrial and combustion sources and were strikingly correlated with ethane (C2H6) in particular. Averages with latitude in the near-surface (0-2 km) show that CH4 was elevated well above background levels north of 15 deg N close to the Asian continent. In the central and eastern Pacific, levels of CH4 were lower as continental inputs were mixed horizontally and vertically during transport. Overall, the correlation between CH4 and other hydrocarbons such as ethane (C2H6), ethyne (C2H2), and propane (C3H8) as well as the urban/industrial tracer perchloroethene (C2Cl4), suggests that for CH4 colocated sources such as landfills, wastewater treatment, and fossil fuel use associated with urban areas dominate regional inputs at this time. Comparisons between measurements made during TRACE-P and those of PEM-West B, flown during roughly the same time of year and under a similar meteorological setting 7 years earlier, suggest that although the TRACE-P CH4 observations are higher, the changes are not significantly greater than the increases seen in background air over this time interval.

Bartlett, Karen B.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Correction to "Asian chemical Outflow to the Pacific in Spring: Origins, Pathways, and Budgets" by Isabelle Bey et al.

We analyze the Asian outflow of CO, ozone, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to the Pacific in spring by using the GEOS-CHEM global three-dimensional model of tropospheric chemistry and simulating the Pacific Exploratory Mission-West (PEM-West B) aircraft mission in February-March 1994. The GEOS-CHEM model uses assimilated meteorological fields from the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS). It reproduces relatively well the main features of tropospheric ozone, CO, and reactive nitrogen species observed in PEM-West B, including latitudinal and vertical gradients of the Asian pollution outflow over the western Pacific although simulated concentrations of CO tend to be too low (possibly because biogenic sources are underestimated). We use CO as a long-lived tracer to diagnose the processes contributing to the outflow. The highest concentrations in the outflow are in the boundary layer (0-2 km), but the strongest outflow fluxes are in the lower free troposphere (2-5 km) and reflect episodic lifting of pollution over central and eastern China ahead of eastward moving cold fronts. This frontal lifting, followed by westerly transport in the lower free troposphere, is the principal process responsible for export of both anthropogenic and biomass burning pollution from Asia. Anthropogenic emissions from Europe and biomass burning emissions from Africa make also major contributions to the Asian outflow over the western Pacific; European sources dominate in the lower troposphere north of 40 degrees N, while African sources are important in the upper troposphere at low latitudes. For the period of PEM-West B (February-March) we estimate that fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning make comparable contributions to the budgets of CO, ozone, and NO, in the Asian outflow. We find that 13% of NO, emitted in Asia is exported as NO, or PAN, a smaller fraction than for the United States because of higher aerosol concentrations that promote heterogeneous conversion of NOx to HNO3. Production and export of ozone from Asia in spring is much greater than from the United States because of the higher photochemical activity.

Bey, Isabelle↗
NASA NTRS2004

Laboratory Studies of Heterogeneous Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance

The objective of this study is to conduct measurements of chemical kinetics parameters for heterogeneous reactions of importance in the stratosphere and the troposphere. It involves the elucidation of the mechanism of the interaction of HCl vapor with ice surfaces, which is the first step in the heterogeneous chlorine activation processes, as well as the investigation of the atmospheric oxidation mechanism of soot particles emitted by biomass and fossil fuels. The techniques being employed include turbulent flow-chemical ionization mass spectrometry and optical ellipsometry, among others.

Molina, Mario J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Airborne Measurements of Carbonaceous Aerosols in Southern Africa during the Dry Biomass Burning Season

Particulate matter collected aboard the University of Washington's (UW) Convair-580 research aircrafi over southem Afiica during the dry biomass burning season was analyzed for total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), and black carbon (BC) contents using thermal and optical methods. Samples were collected in smoke plumes of burning savanna and in regional haze. A known artifact, produced by the adsorption of organic gases on the quartz filter substrates used to collect the particulate matter samples, comprised a significant portion of the TC collected. Consequently, conclusions derived from the data are greatly dependent on whether or not OC concentrations are corrected for this artifact. For example, the estimated aerosol coalbedo (1 - single scattering albedo (SSA)), which is a measure of aerosol absorption, of the biomass smoke samples is 60% larger using corrected OC concentrations. Thus, the corrected data imply that the biomass smoke is 60% more absorbing than do the uncorrected data. The BC to (corrected) OC mass ratio (BC/OC) of smoke plume samples (0.18 plus or minus 0.06) is lower than that of samples collected in the regional haze (0.25 plus or minus 0.08). The difference may be due to mixing of biomass smoke with background air characterized by a higher BC/OC ratio. A simple source apportionment indicates that biomass smoke contributes about three quarters of the aerosol burden in the regional haze, while other souxes (e.g., fossil fuel burning) contribute the remainder.

Kirchstetter, Thomas W.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evaporator Development for an Evaporative Heat Pipe System

As fossil fuel resources continue to deplete, research for alternate power sources continues to develop. One of these alternate technologies is fuel cells. They are a practical fuel source able to provide significant amounts of power for applications from laptops to automobiles and their only byproduct is water. However, although this technology is over a century old and NASA has been working with it since the early 1960 s there is still room for improvement. The research I am involved in at NASA's Glenn Research Center is focusing on what is called a regenerative fuel cell system. The unique characteristic of this type of system is that it used an outside power source to create electrolysis of the water it produces and it then reuses the hydrogen and oxygen to continue producing power. The advantage of this type of system is that, for example, on space missions it can use solar power to recharge its gas supplies between periods when the object being orbited blocks out the sun. This particular system however is far from completion. This is because of the many components that are required to make up a fuel cell that need to be tested individually. The specific part of the system that is being worked on this summer of 2004 is the cooling system. The fuel cell stack, that is the part that actually creates the power, also produces a lot of heat. When not properly cooled, it has been known to cause fires which, needless to say are not conducive to the type of power that is trying to be created. In order to cool the fuel cell stack in this system we are developing a heat pipe cooling system. One of the main components of a heat pipe cooling system is what is known as the evaporator, and that is what happens to be the part of the system we are developing this summer. In most heat pipe systems the evaporator is a tube in which the working fluid is cooled and then re-circulated through the system to absorb more heat energy from the fuel cell stack. For this system, instead of a tube, the evaporator is made up of a stack-up of screen material and absorbent membranes inside a stainless steel shell and held together by a film adhesive and epoxy. There is an initial design for this flat plate evaporator, however is has not yet been made. The components of the stack-up are known, so all testing is focused on how it will all go together. This includes finding an appropriate epoxy to make the evaporator conductive all the way through and finding a way to hold the required tight tolerances as the stainless steel outer shell is put together. By doing the tests on smaller samples of the stack-ups and then testing the fill size component, the final flat plate evaporator will reach its final design so that research can continue on other parts of the regenerative fue1 cell system, and another step in the improvement of fue1 cell technology can be made.

Peters, Leigh C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Flame Design: A Novel Approach Developed to Produce Clean, Efficient Diffusion Flames

Soot formation and flame extinction are vital concerns in the combustion of fossil fuels. In particular, soot is responsible for pollutant emissions, and extinction can cause inefficient or unstable burning. Normal-gravity experiments have demonstrated that flames can be designed to improve both characteristics by redirecting some or all of the nitrogen from the oxidizer into the fuel. Such nitrogen exchange can produce permanently blue flames, which are soot free under all possible flame conditions. Furthermore, this approach can lead to stronger, extinction-resistant flames. Past investigations of nitrogen exchange were unable to identify the physical mechanisms responsible for its benefits because these mechanisms cannot be isolated when normal-gravity flames are studied. In contrast, the Diffusion Flame Extinction and Soot Inception (DESI) experiment considers spherical flames, where nearly perfect spherical symmetry affords new levels of control. Because of buoyancy, spherical flames cannot be created in Earth s gravity. DESI was conceived by principal investigator Professor R.L. Axelbaum of Washington University in St. Louis. Tests to date have utilized the 2.2-Second Drop Tower at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. The experiment is slated for testing aboard the International Space Station in a few years. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain the connection between nitrogen exchange and permanently blue flames. These are the structure (chemical effects) and hydrodynamics (flow direction and speed). In normal-gravity flames, the structure and hydrodynamics are coupled, since nitrogen exchange simultaneously modifies both. Spherical microgravity flames, on the other hand, allow independent control of these factors. Specifically, structure can be modified via nitrogen exchange, and flow direction can be reversed by swapping the ambient and burner-feed gases. In DESI, these variations can be accomplished without changing the theoretical flame temperature.

Axelbaum, Richard L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Protonic Conduction of BaCe0.85YO. 1503 Doped with SrTiO3

Reformers based on ceramic membrane technology potentially offer hydrogen production that is comparable to the cost of fossil fuels. Protonic conducting ceramic with the chemical formula AB03 offers the promise of highly selective hydrogen separation at intermediate temperature (400-800 C). Among different perovskite-type oxides, BaCe03 and SrCe03 based compositions show high protonic conductivities but strong resistance to densification. X-ray diffraction studies on sintered specimens of BaCe0.85Y0.1503-6 show multi-phase formation which was found to show dependence upon powder synthesis method. Doping with SrTiO3 suppresses multi-phase formation and enhances grain growth. Conductivity measurements in temperature range of 200 to 1000 C were performed by ac impedance spectroscopy under dry and wet conditions. Sintering behavior, phase formation and conductivity results will be reported.

Dynys, Frederick W.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Development and Testing of an Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing

The NASA Glenn Research Center has developed and tested a revolutionary Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing. The objective of this work is to develop a viable non-contact magnetic thrust bearing utilizing Halbach arrays for all-electric flight, and many other applications. This concept will help to reduce harmful emissions, reduce the Nation s dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate many of the concerns and limitations encountered in conventional axial bearings such as bearing wear, leaks, seals and friction loss. The Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing is inherently stable and requires no active feedback control system or superconductivity as required in many magnetic bearing designs. The Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearing is useful for very high speed applications including turbines, instrumentation, medical systems, computer memory systems, and space power systems such as flywheels. Magnetic fields suspend and support a rotor assembly within a stator. Advanced technologies developed for particle accelerators, and currently under development for maglev trains and rocket launchers, served as the basis for this application. Experimental hardware was successfully designed and developed to validate the basic principles and analyses. The report concludes that the implementation of Axial Halbach Magnetic Bearings can provide significant improvements in rotational system performance and reliability.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

An economic analysis of space solar power and its cost competitiveness as a supplemental source of energy for space and ground markets

Economic Growth has been historically associated with nations that first made use of each new energy source. There is no doubt that Solar Power Satellites is high as a potential energy system for the future. A conceptual cost model of the economics value of space solar power (SSP) as a source of complementary power for in-space and ground applications will be discussed. Several financial analysis will be offered based on present and new technological innovations that may compete with or be complementary to present energy market suppliers depending on various institutional arrangements for government and the private sector in a Global Economy. Any of the systems based on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, and synthetic fuels share the problem of being finite resources and are subject to ever-increasing cost as they grow ever more scarce with drastic increase in world population. Increasing world population and requirements from emerging underdeveloped countries will also increase overall demand. This paper would compare the future value of SSP with that of other terrestrial renewable energy in distinct geographic markets within the US, in developing countries, Europe, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

electric power inter-regional electricity trading↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Application of COSMIC Data to Global Change Research

Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is rising at about 0.5% per year, almost entirely due to emissions of fossil fuel combustion, and it is expected to cause increases in surface temperature measurements.

global change global change detection COSMIC proje↗
NASA NTRS2006

Re-Evaluating Satellite Solar Power Systems for Earth

The Solar Power Satellite System is a concept to collect solar power in space, and then transport it to the surface of the Earth by microwave (or possibly laser) beam, where if is converted into electrical power for terrestrial use. The recent increase in energy costs, predictions of the near-term exhaustion of oil, and prominence of possible climate change due to the "greenhouse effect" from burning of fossil fuels has again brought alternative energy sources to public attention, and the time is certainly appropriate to reexamine the economics of space based power. Several new concepts for Satellite Power System designs were evaluated to make the concept more economically feasible.

Landis, Geoffrey A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Development and Testing of a Radial Halbach Magnetic Bearing

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center has developed and tested a revolutionary Radial Halbach Magnetic Bearing. The objective of this work is to develop a viable non-contact magnetic bearing utilizing Halbach arrays for all-electric flight, and many other applications. This concept will help reduce harmful emissions, reduce the Nation s dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate many of the concerns and limitations encountered in conventional axial bearings such as bearing wear, leaks, seals and friction loss. The Radial Halbach Magnetic Bearing is inherently stable and requires no active feedback control system or superconductivity as required in many magnetic bearing designs. The Radial Halbach Magnetic Bearing is useful for very high speed applications including turbines, instrumentation, medical applications, manufacturing equipment, and space power systems such as flywheels. Magnetic fields suspend and support a rotor assembly within a stator. Advanced technologies developed for particle accelerators, and currently under development for maglev trains and rocket launchers, served as the basis for this application. Experimental hardware was successfully designed and developed to validate the basic principles and analyses. The report concludes that the implementation of Radial Halbach Magnetic Bearings can provide significant improvements in rotational system performance and reliability.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Torque Production in a Halbach Machine

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center initiated the investigation of torque production in a Halbach machine for the Levitated Ducted Fan (LDF) Project to obtain empirical data in determining the feasibility of using a Halbach motor for the project. LDF is a breakthrough technology for "Electric Flight" with the development of a clean, quiet, electric propulsor system. Benefits include zero emissions, decreased dependence on fossil fuels, increased efficiency, increased reliability, reduced maintenance, and decreased operating noise levels. A commercial permanent magnet brushless motor rotor was tested with a custom stator. An innovative rotor utilizing a Halbach array was designed and developed to fit directly into the same stator. The magnets are oriented at 90deg to the adjacent magnet, which cancels the magnetic field on the inside of the rotor and strengthens the field on the outside of the rotor. A direct comparison of the commercial rotor and the Halbach rotor was made. In addition, various test models were designed and developed to validate the basic principles described, and the theoretical work that was performed. The report concludes that a Halbach array based motor can provide significant improvements in electric motor performance and reliability.

Eichenberg, Dennis J.↗