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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 1,693 records · Page 94
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

The role of biaxial stresses in discriminating between meaningful and illusory composite failure theories

The irrelevance of most composite failure criteria to conventional fiber-polymer composites is claimed to have remained undetected primarily because the experiments that can either validate or disprove them are difficult to perform. Uniaxial tests are considered inherently incapable of validating or refuting any composite failure theory because so much of the total load is carried by the fibers aligned in the direction of the load. The Ten-Percent Rule, a simple rule-of-mixtures analysis method, is said to work well only because of this phenomenon. It is stated that failure criteria can be verified for fibrous composites only by biaxial tests, with orthogonal in-plane stresses of the same as well as different signs, because these particular states of combined stress reveal substantial differences between the predictions of laminate strength made by various theories. Three scientifically plausible failure models for fibrous composites are compared, and it is shown that only the in-plane shear test (orthogonal tension and compression) is capable of distinguishing between them. This is because most theories are 'calibrated' against the measured uniaxial tension and compression tests and any cross-plied laminate tests dominated by those same states of stress must inevitably 'confirm' the theory.

Hart-Smith, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

In Situ Heating Behavior by Infrared Microspectroscopy of Organic Components in Tagish Lake Meteorite

The Tagish Lake meteorite is a new type of water- and carbon-rich carbonaceous chondrite. Its total carbon content is approx. 5 wt% and the organic carbon content reaches approx.1.3 wt%. We reported from the Tagish Lake sample#TL3B6 the first in situ observation of the hollow organic globules. TL3B6 is generally enriched in the organic globules that consist of aliphatic and oxygenated functionality similar to the material produced by the laboratory simulation of UV photolysis of interstellar ice analogs suggesting that the organic globules in Tagish Lake may be extremely primitive organic material that formed before or during the formation of the solar system. Here we report the micro-sampling FTIR analysis of the TL3B6 and the in situ step heating experiments: which can allow us to place 1) significant constraints on the organic functionality in Tagish Lake; 2) the thermal stability of the organics; and 3) thermal history of the meteorite and its parent body. For comparison, the membranous films formed from hydrothermal reaction of an OH-bearing amino acid (theronine: Thr) and silica mixture were examined.

Nakamura, K.↗
NASA NTRS2014

A Computational and Experimental Study of Coflow Laminar Methane/Air Diffusion Flames: Effects of Fuel Dilution, Inlet Velocity, and Gravity

The influences of fuel dilution, inlet velocity, and gravity on the shape and structure of laminar coflow CH4-air diffusion flames were investigated computationally and experimentally. A series of nitrogen-diluted flames measured in the Structure and Liftoff in Combustion Experiment (SLICE) on board the International Space Station was assessed numerically under microgravity (mu g) and normal gravity (1g) conditions with CH4 mole fraction ranging from 0.4 to 1.0 and average inlet velocity ranging from 23 to 90 cm/s. Computationally, the MC-Smooth vorticity-velocity formulation was employed to describe the reactive gaseous mixture, and soot evolution was modeled by sectional aerosol equations. The governing equations and boundary conditions were discretized on a two-dimensional computational domain by finite differences, and the resulting set of fully coupled, strongly nonlinear equations was solved simultaneously at all points using a damped, modified Newton's method. Experimentally, flame shape and soot temperature were determined by flame emission images recorded by a digital color camera. Very good agreement between computation and measurement was obtained, and the conclusions were as follows. (1) Buoyant and nonbuoyant luminous flame lengths are proportional to the mass flow rate of the fuel mixture; computed and measured nonbuoyant flames are noticeably longer than their 1g counterparts; the effect of fuel dilution on flame shape (i.e., flame length and flame radius) is negligible when the flame shape is normalized by the methane flow rate. (2) Buoyancy-induced reduction of the flame radius through radially inward convection near the flame front is demonstrated. (3) Buoyant and nonbuoyant flame structure is mainly controlled by the fuel mass flow rate, and the effects from fuel dilution and inlet velocity are secondary.

flames↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measuring alpha eigenvalue of a subcritical system by a intense pulsed neutron source

Intense-Pulsed-Neutron-Source (IPNS) technique is a new approach to measure the subcriticality of a reactor system, which has been theoretically analyzed by us while not been verified in experiment in other reference. In INPS technique the reactivity is derived via the system response to a prompt pulsed neutron source. The method utilizes very intense neutron pulses (about 1010 neutrons/pulse) with the duration ranging from 10 ns to 100 ns, which are generated by the dense plasma focus (DPF) device filled with pure DT mixture as the working gas. The neutron pulse in high intensity provides the opportunity to measure the signal using a scintillator and a photo-multiplier tube (PMT) (the intense pulse radiation measure method) with the flight distance of only twenty centimeters. The attenuation of the dense plasma focus device must be faster than the subcritical system so that the attenuation of the system can be researched. In this paper, after a neutron pulse is injected into the subcritical reactor, the subcriticality is determined by measuring the instantaneous characteristics of the leaking reactor neutron. The Monte Carlo analysis shows that, with the linear arrangement of the dense plasma focus, the subcritical system and the detector, the signal-to-noise ratio at the measure point meets the investigate requirement, in which the 14 MeV neutrons are attenuated by the subcritical system. The detector is close with the subcritical system to reduce the influence of the outer background and the spread of time-of-flight of the neutrons. The measure system utilizing gated detection technology is characterized with fast attenuation time and large linear current, the a value obtained with this method is 2.05 μs{sup -1} while the measurements using the {sup 252}Cf stochastic pulsed source method and the Rossi-a method were 2.18μs{sup -1} and 2.16μs{sup -1}.It showed that the measured result obtained with dense plasma focus instantaneous pulsed source is consistent with those obtained with the other two traditional methods. This new method utilized only a single-shot pulse to determine the a value of the reactor system. Therefore, this quick measure method is recommendable. The influence caused by energy response of the detector should been taken into account since the measured result reflects the time behavior of group particle. The influence is discussed preliminarily in this paper. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1974

Automated life-detection experiments for the Viking mission to Mars

As part of the Viking mission to Mars in 1975, an automated set of instruments is being built to test for the presence of metabolizing organisms on that planet. Three separate modules are combined in this instrument so that samples of the Martian surface can be subjected to a broad array of experimental conditions so as to measure biological activity. The first, the Pyrolytic Release Module, will expose surface samples to a mixture of C-14O and C-14O2 in the presence of Martian atmosphere and a light source that simulates the Martian visible spectrum. The assay system is designed to determine the extent of assimilation of CO or CO2 into organic compounds. The Gas Exchange Module will incubate surface samples in a humidified CO2 atmosphere. At specified times, portions of the incubation atmosphere will be analyzed by gas chromatography to detect the release or uptake of CO2 and several additional gases. The Label Release Module will incubate surface samples with a dilute aqueous solution of simple radioactive organic substrates in Martian atmosphere, and the gas phase will be monitored continuously for the release of labeled CO2.

Klein, H. P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Proton irradiation of simple gas mixtures: Influence of irradiation parameters

In order to get information about the influence of irradiation parameters on radiolysis processes of astrophysical interest, methane gas targets were irradiated with 6.5 MeV protons at a pressure of 1 bar and room temperature. Yields of higher hydrocarbons like ethane or propane were found by analysis of irradiated gas samples using gas chromatography. The handling of the proton beam was of great experimental importance for determining the irradiation parameters. In a series of experiments current density of the proton beam and total absorbed energy were shown to have a large influence on the yields of produced hydrocarbons. Mechanistic interpretations of the results are given and conclusions are drawn with regard to the chemistry and the simulation of various astrophysical systems.

Sack, Norbert J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Thermal Decomposition of Calcium Perchlorate/Iron-Mineral Mixtures: Implications of the Evolved Oxygen from the Rocknest Eolian Deposit in Gale Crater, Mars

A major oxygen release between 300 and 500 C was detected by the Mars Curiosity Rover Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument at the Rocknest eolian deposit. Thermal decomposition of perchlorate (ClO4-) salts in the Rocknest samples are a possible explanation for this evolved oxygen release. Releative to Na-, K-, Mg-, and Fe-perchlorate, the thermal decomposition of Ca-perchlorate in laboratory experiments released O2 in the temperature range (400-500degC) closest to the O2 release temperatures observed for the Rocknest material. Furthermore, calcium perchlorate could have been the source of Cl in the chlorinated-hydrocarbons species that were detected by SAM. Different components in the Martian soil could affect the decomposition temperature of calcium per-chlorate or another oxychlorine species. This interaction of the two components in the soil could result in O2 release temperatures consistent with those detected by SAM in the Rocknest materials. The decomposition temperatures of various alkali metal perchlorates are known to decrease in the presence of a catalyst. The objective of this work is to investigate catalytic interactions on calcium perchlorate from various iron-bearing minerals known to be present in the Rocknest material

Bruck, A. M.↗
DOE OSTI2019

b - τ Yukawa unification in SUSY SU(5) with mirage mediation: LHC and dark matter implications

We consider a class of b - τ Yukawa unified Supersymmetric (SUSY) SU(5) GUTs, in which the asymptotic gaugino M 1,2,3 masses are generated through the mirage mediated supersymmetry breaking, which is a combination of the gravity and anomaly mediation. Due to the contributions from the anomaly contribution, M 3 is always lighter than M 1 and M 2 , and consequently for the range of asymptotic masses considered, the gluino mass \( {m}_{\tilde{g}} \) at low scale is bounded from above at about 4 TeV. We realize two different regions, in one of which the MSSM μ -term is less than about 3 TeV. This region yields a stop mass up to 5 TeV, and the stop mass is nearly degenerate with the LSP neutralino for mass around 0.8 to 1.7 TeV. A stau mass can be realized up to about 5 TeV, and the stau mass is approximately degenerate with the LSP neutralino for mass around 2 to 3 TeV. In addition, an A-funnel solution with \( {m}_A\approx 2{m}_{{\tilde{\chi}}_1^0} \) and \( {m}_{{\tilde{\chi}}_1^0}\sim 700-900 \) GeV is realized. These three cases yield LSP dark matter abundance in accordance with observations. A second region, on the other hand, arises for \( {m}_{\tilde{g}}\lesssim 1.1{m}_{{\tilde{\chi}}_1^0} \) . The μ -term is rather large (≳20 TeV), and the LSP neutralino is a bino-wino mixture. The gluino mass (~ 0 . 8-1 . 2 TeV) is nearly degenerate with the LSP neutralino mass and hence, the gluino-neutralino coannihilation processes play a role in reducing the relic abundance of LSP neutralino down to ranges allowed by the current WMAP measurements. The two regions above can be distinguished through the direct detection experiments. The first region with relatively low μ values yields Higgsino-like DM, whose scattering on the nucleus typically has a large cross-section. We find that such solutions are still allowed by the current results from the LUX experiment, and they will be severely tested by the LUX-Zeplin (LZ) experiment. The second region contains bino-wino DM whose scattering cross-section is relatively low. These solutions are harder to rule out in the foreseeable future.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Investigating the Influence of the Initial Biomass Distribution and Injection Strategies on Biofilm-Mediated Calcite Precipitation in Porous Media

Attachment of bacteria in porous media is a complex mixture of processes resulting in the transfer and immobilization of suspended cells onto a solid surface within the porous medium. However, quantifying the rate of attachment is difficult due to the many simultaneous processes possibly involved in attachment, including straining, sorption, and sedimentation, and the difficulties in measuring metabolically active cells attached to porous media. Preliminary experiments confirmed the difficulty associated with measuring active Sporosarcina pasteurii cells attached to porous media. However, attachment is a key process in applications of biofilm-mediated reactions in the subsurface such as microbially induced calcite precipitation. Independent of the exact processes involved, attachment determines both the distribution and the initial amount of attached biomass and as such the initial reaction rate. As direct experimental investigations are difficult, this study is limited to a numerical investigation of the effect of various initial biomass distributions and initial amounts of attached biomass. This is performed for various injection strategies, changing the injection rate as well as alternating between continuous and pulsed injections. The results of this study indicate that, for the selected scenarios, both the initial amount and the distribution of attached biomass have minor influence on the Ca 2+ precipitation efficiency as well as the distribution of the precipitates compared to the influence of the injection strategy. The influence of the initial biomass distribution on the resulting final distribution of the precipitated calcite is limited, except for the continuous injection at intermediate injection rate. But even for this injection strategy, the Ca 2+ precipitation efficiency shows no significant dependence on the initial biomass distribution.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2017

Metastable solidification of hypereutectic Co 2 Si-CoSi composition: Microstructural studies and in-situ observations

Metastable solidification of undercooled Co 60 Si 40 melts was investigated by microstructural studies and in-situ high-energy X-ray diffraction. Five solidification paths were identified. Three of them were observed at low undercoolings, which show uncoupled and coupled growth of stable β-Co 2 Si and CoSi compounds. The other paths were observed at high undercoolings, which show peritectic and primary crystallization of a metastable Co 5 Si 3 compound. The β-Co 2 Si and Co 5 Si 3 compounds crystallize into a hexagonal crystal structure and experience solid-state decomposition. Microstructure formation depends on solidification path. The coupled and uncoupled growth of the stable compounds produces a regular lamellar eutectic structure and an anomalous eutectic structure, respectively. The crystallization and solid-state decomposition of the metastable Co 5 Si 3 compound brings about a fine-grained two-phase mixture, which represents another type of anomalous eutectic structure. Here, the results provide proof of two rare mechanisms of anomalous eutectic formation and shed light onto metastable phase relations in the undercooled region of the Co-Si system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mineral Scaling in 3D Interfacial Solar Evaporators–A Challenge for Brine Treatment and Lithium Recovery

In this work, we analyzed the effects of mineral scaling on the performance of a 3D interfacial solar evaporator, with a focus on the cations relevant to lithium recovery from brackish water. The field has been rapidly moving toward resource recovery applications from brines with higher cation concentrations. However, the potential complications caused by common minerals in these brines other than NaCl have been largely overlooked. Therefore, in this study, we thoroughly examined the effects of two common cations (calcium and magnesium) on the long-term solar evaporation performance of a 3D graphene oxide stalk. The 3D stalk can achieve an evaporation flux as high as 17.8 kg m –2 h –1 under one-sun illumination, and accumulation of NaCl on the stalk surface has no impact. However, the presence of CaCl 2 and MgCl 2 significantly reduces the evaporative flux even in solutions lacking scale-forming anions. A close examination of scale formation during long-term evaporation experiments revealed that CaCl 2 and MgCl 2 tend to precipitate out within the stalk, thus blocking water transport through the stalk and significantly dropping the evaporation rates. These findings imply that research attention is needed to modify and optimize the internal water transport channels for 3D evaporators. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of testing realistic mixtures–including prominent divalent cations– and testing long-term operations in interfacial solar evaporation research and investigating approaches to mitigate the negative impacts of divalent cations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Femtosecond X-ray Diffraction of Laser-shocked Forsterite (Mg 2 SiO 4 ) to 122 GPa

The response of forsterite, Mg 2 SiO 4 , under dynamic compression is of fundamental importance for understanding its phase transformations and high-pressure behavior. Here, we have carried out an in situ X-ray diffraction study of laser-shocked polycrystalline and single-crystal forsterite from 19 to 122 GPa using the Matter in Extreme Conditions end-station of the Linac Coherent Light Source. Under laser-based shock loading, forsterite does not transform to the high-pressure equilibrium assemblage of MgSiO 3 bridgmanite and MgO periclase, as has been suggested previously. Instead, we observe forsterite and forsterite III, a metastable polymorph of Mg 2 SiO 4 , coexisting in a mixed-phase region from 33 to 75 GPa for both polycrystalline and single-crystal samples. Densities inferred from X-ray diffraction are consistent with earlier gas-gun shock data. At higher stress, the response is sample-dependent. Polycrystalline samples undergo amorphization above 79 GPa. For [010]- and [001]-oriented crystals, a mixture of crystalline and amorphous material is observed to 108 GPa, whereas the [100]-oriented forsterite adopts an unknown phase at 122 GPa. The first two sharp diffraction peaks of amorphous Mg 2 SiO 4 show a similar trend with compression as those observed for MgSiO 3 in both recent static- and laser-driven shock experiments. This study provides new insight into the transformation of forsterite under nanosecond-duration shock loading. This work emphasizes the importance of formation of metastable phases along the Hugoniot and adds to evidence that the 300-K single-crystal diamond anvil cell experiments have relevance for understanding structures formed under shock compression. In particular, the metastable phase forsterite III has now been shown to form under dynamic compression from 10s to 100s of nanoseconds as well as under 300-K static compression. Upon compression to higher pressures, Mg 2 SiO 4 transforms to an amorphous phase. These results have broad relevance for understanding the behavior of silicates under dynamic compression.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Long range electrostatic forces in ionic liquids

Ionic liquids are pure salts that are liquid under ambient conditions. As liquids composed solely of ions, the scientific consensus has been that ionic liquids have exceedingly high ionic strengths and thus very short Debye screening lengths. However, several recent experiments from laboratories around the world have reported data for the approach of two surfaces separated by ionic liquids which revealed remarkable long range forces that appear to be electrostatic in origin. Evidence has accumulated demonstrating long range surface forces for several different combinations of ionic liquids and electrically charged surfaces, as well as for concentrated mixtures of inorganic salts in solvent. The original interpretation of these forces, that ionic liquids could be envisioned as “dilute electrolytes,” was controversial, and the origin of long range forces in ionic liquids remains the subject of discussion. Here we seek to collate and examine the evidence for long range surface forces in ionic liquids, identify key outstanding questions, and explore possible mechanisms underlying the origin of these long range forces. Long range surface forces in ionic liquids and other highly concentrated electrolytes hold diverse implications from designing ionic liquids for energy storage applications to rationalizing electrostatic correlations in biological self-assembly.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Phase Transitions in (Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 Olivine under Shock Compression

The response of forsterite, Mg 2 SiO 4 , under dynamic compression is of fundamental importance for understanding its phase transformations and high-pressure behavior. Here, we have carried out an in situ X-ray diffraction study of laser-shocked polycrystalline and single-crystal forsterite from 19 to 122 GPa using the Matter in Extreme Conditions end-station of the Linac Coherent Light Source. Under laser-based shock loading, forsterite does not transform to the high-pressure equilibrium assemblage of MgSiO 3 bridgmanite and MgO periclase, as has been suggested previously. Instead, we observe forsterite and forsterite III, a metastable polymorph of Mg 2 SiO 4 , coexisting in a mixed-phase region from 33 to 75 GPa for both polycrystalline and single-crystal samples. Densities inferred from X-ray diffraction are consistent with earlier gas-gun shock data. At higher stress, the response is sample-dependent. Polycrystalline samples undergo amorphization above 79 GPa. For [010]- and [001]-oriented crystals, a mixture of crystalline and amorphous material is observed to 108 GPa, whereas the [100]-oriented forsterite adopts an unknown phase at 122 GPa. The first two sharp diffraction peaks of amorphous Mg 2 SiO 4 show a similar trend with compression as those observed for MgSiO 3 in both recent static- and laser-driven shock experiments. This study provides new insight into the transformation of forsterite under nanosecond-duration shock loading. This work emphasizes the importance of formation of metastable phases along the Hugoniot and adds to evidence that the 300-K single-crystal diamond anvil cell experiments have relevance for understanding structures formed under shock compression. In particular, the metastable phase forsterite III has now been shown to form under dynamic compression from 10s to 100s of nanoseconds as well as under 300-K static compression. Upon compression to higher pressures, Mg 2 SiO 4 transforms to an amorphous phase. These results have broad relevance for understanding the behavior of silicates under dynamic compression.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Watershed zonation through hillslope clustering for tractably quantifying above- and below-ground watershed heterogeneity and functions

Abstract. In this study, we develop a watershed zonation approach for characterizing watershed organization and functions in a tractable manner by integrating multiple spatial data layers. We hypothesize that (1) a hillslope is an appropriate unit for capturing the watershed-scale heterogeneity of key bedrock-through-canopy properties and for quantifying the co-variability of these properties representing coupled ecohydrological and biogeochemical interactions, (2) remote sensing data layers and clustering methods can be used to identify watershed hillslope zones having the unique distributions of these properties relative to neighboring parcels, and (3) property suites associated with the identified zones can be used to understand zone-based functions, such as response to early snowmelt or drought and solute exports to the river. We demonstrate this concept using unsupervised clustering methods that synthesize airborne remote sensing data (lidar, hyperspectral, and electromagnetic surveys) along with satellite and streamflow data collected in the East River Watershed, Crested Butte, Colorado, USA. Results show that (1) we can define the scale of hillslopes at which the hillslope-averaged metrics can capture the majority of the overall variability in key properties (such as elevation, net potential annual radiation, and peak snow-water equivalent – SWE), (2) elevation and aspect are independent controls on plant and snow signatures, (3) near-surface bedrock electrical resistivity (top 20 m) and geological structures are significantly correlated with surface topography and plan species distribution, and (4) K-means, hierarchical clustering, and Gaussian mixture clustering methods generate similar zonation patterns across the watershed. Using independently collected data, we show that the identified zones provide information about zone-based watershed functions, including foresummer drought sensitivity and river nitrogen exports. The approach is expected to be applicable to other sites and generally useful for guiding the selection of hillslope-experiment locations and informing model parameterization.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1973

SAS-2 observations of gamma rays from the galactic plane

The SAS-2 gamma ray experiment has made measurements on the high energy gamma rays coming from the galactic center region. The gamma radiation in this region is very much more intense than in the anticenter region, in agreement with the observations made with the OSO-3 experiment of Kraushaar et al. (1973); and exhibits a narrow distribution along the plane which is nearly uniform in intensity from 330 deg to 30 deg. The energy spectrum in the range from 35 MeV to 210 MeV is quite flat, consistent with a cosmic ray-interstellar matter interaction pion-decay spectrum, or a mixture of this spectrum and a spectrum formed by Compton radiation from cosmic ray electrons. The intensity of the radiation in the anticenter direction is consistent with that expected from the cosmic ray-interstellar matter interaction origin, namely 0.000.002 photons.

Kniffen, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The role of surface generated radicals in catalytic combustion

Experiments were conducted to better understand the role of catalytic surface reactions in determining the ignition characteristics of practical catalytic combustors. Hydrocarbon concentrations, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide concentrations, hydroxyl radical concentrations, and gas temperature were measured at the exit of a platinum coated, stacked plate, catalytic combustor during the ignition of lean propane-air mixtures. The substrate temperature profile was also measured during the ignition transient. Ignition was initiated by suddenly turning on the fuel and the time to reach steady state was of the order of 10 minutes. The gas phase reaction, showed no pronounced effect due to the catalytic surface reactions, except the absence of a hydroxyl radical overshoot. It is found that the transient ignition measurements are valuable in understanding the steady state performance characteristics.

Santavicca, D. A.↗