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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 1,711 records · Page 95

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NASA NTRS1990

Superfluid helium on-orbit resupply

The requirements for superfluid helium (SFHe) resupply were investigated, and the results were used to develop a conceptual design for a superfluid helium tanker (SFHT) which is designed to meet a 50-mission requirement. The SFHT design uses a conventional dewar approach with multiple vapor cooled shields, and a porous-plug phase separator for on-orbit temperature control. An open loop refrigeration approach is used for ground conversion of normal He to SFHe, allowing near-total fill of the supply tank. Design diagrams of the SFHT concept and of various SFHT subsystems are presented.

Eberhardt, Ralph N.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Experimental verification of a tank to tank He II transfer model with trade study results

A computer program has been developed to study the thermodynamics of tank to tank superfluid helium transfer. The model includes a supply and a receiver tank connected by a transfer line. The convey of He II from one tank to the other is controlled by a fountain effect pump (FEP). Phase separators are present in both the supply and receiver tank to regulate the bath temperature. Description of this model has been published elsewhere. In the present paper, data from a transfer experiment are used to verify the accuracy of this model. The experiment consisted of an FEP made of a 2-micron sintered stainless steel porous plug. Superfluid has been transferred from a liquid helium bath into a glass beaker. Bath temperatures, flowrate and heater power records are available. These results are compared to the predictions of the computer program and good agreement is found between the two. This model is very useful for the study and design of superfluid transfer systems, e.g., the Superfluid Helium Tanker (SFHT) and the Particle Astrophysics Magnet Facility (ASTROMAG).

Yuan, S. W. K.↗

NASA NTRS1990

JPL research to develop a He-3/He-4 dilution refrigerator for space applications

A research program to develop a He-3/He-4 solution refrigerator for space applications is underway. The results of the effort to use an electric field as a substitute for gravity to control the He-3/He-4 mixture interface that separates phases in terrestrial units are described. Further, experimental results obtained from an engineering model of a single-cycle dilution refrigerator with a mixing chamber capable of operating in a zero-gravity environment are described. Future research and development plans are outlined, in particular the need to test the operation of a single-cycle as well as a continuously operating dilution refrigerator in space.

Petrac, D.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Supercooling effects in Cu-10 wt pct Co alloys solidified at different cooling rates

Electromagnetic levitation and electron beam surface melting were employed to study the effects of supercooling and cooling rate on the solidification of Cu-10 wt pct Co alloys. Two major effects were observed in the supercooled alloys: the nucleation of a metastable copper-rich phase which contains 13 wt pct to 20 wt pct Co in samples supercooled between 105 and 150 K and liquid phase separation which occurs in samples supercooled 150 K or more. The microstructure of the electron beam melted surfaces consisted of very fine spheres which were similar to those of the sample supercooled more than 150 K but with a refined microstructure. The results indicate that a dynamic bulk supercooling of 150 K may exist in the molten pool during the solidification of electron beam melted surfaces.

Munitz, A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Random-anisotropy Blume-Emery-Griffiths model

The results are described of studies of a random-anisotropy Blume-Emery-Griffiths spin-1 Ising model using mean-field theory, transfer-matrix calculations, and position-space renormalization-group calculations. The interplay between the quenched randomness of the anisotropy and the annealed disorder introduced by the spin-1 model leads to a rich phase diagram with a variety of phase transitions and reentrant behavior. The results may be relevant to the study of the phase separation of He-3 - He-4 mixtures in porous media in the vicinity of the superfluid transition.

Maritan, Amos↗

NASA NTRS1993

Freeze-Drying Makes Improved IPN And Semi-IPN Polymers

Novel process developed for production of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN's) or semi-IPN's with greater fracture toughness and resistance to microcracks. Process controls degree of phase separation in IPN's. In experiment, IPN's and semi-IPN's formed by dissolving constituents in another common solvent in traditional method. Resins and composite materials produced were tested for both traditional and freeze-drying processes. Glass-transition temperatures and data from dynamic mechanical tests of freeze-dried IPN's and semi-IPN's demonstrated freeze-drying process provided much improved IPN's and semi-IPN's.

Pater, Ruth H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

NASA In-step: Permeable Membrane Experiment

Viewgraphs on the Permeable Membrane Experiment are presented. An experiment overview is given. The Membrane Phase Separation Experiment, Membrane Diffusion Interference Experiment, and Membrane Wetting Experiment are described. Finally, summary and conclusions are discussed.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1993

Shear-induced surface alignment of polymer dispersed liquid crystal microdroplets on the boundary layer

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal thin films have been deposited on a glass substrate, utilizing the processes of polymerization and solvent evaporation induced phase separation. Liquid crystal microdroplets trapped on the upper surface of the thin film respond to the shear stress due to air or gas flow on the surface layer. Response to an applied step shear stress input on the surface layer has been measured by measuring the time response of the transmitted light intensity. Initial results on the measurements of the light transmission as a function of the air flow differential pressure indicate that these systems offer features suitable for boundary layer and gas flow sensors.

Parmar, D. S.↗

NASA NTRS1991

SHOOT performance testing

The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) Flight Demonstration is a shuttle attached payload designed to demonstrate the technology necessary to resupply liquid helium dewars in space. Many SHOOT components will also have use in other aerospace cryogenic systems. The first of two SHOOT dewar systems has been fabricated. The ground performance testing of this dewar is described. The performance tests include measurements of heat leak, impedances of the two vent lines, heat pulse mass gauging accuracy, and superfluid transfer parameters such as flow rate and efficiency. A laboratory dewar was substituted for the second flight dewar for the transfer tests. These tests enable a precise analytical model of the transfer process to be verified. SHOOT performance is thus quantified, except for components such as the liquid acquisition devices and a phase separator which cannot be verified in one gravity.

Dipirro, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Mechanical Foam Remover

Filter removes foam from soapy water stream discharged by primary phase separator of water-reclamation system. Uses no antifoam chemicals, contains no moving parts and requires no energy input other than small energy needed to pump water through filter.

Streech, Neil↗

NASA NTRS1992

A neural network prototyping package within IRAF

We outline our plans for incorporating a Neural Network Prototyping Package into the IRAF environment. The package we are developing will allow the user to choose between different types of networks and to specify the details of the particular architecture chosen. Neural networks consist of a highly interconnected set of simple processing units. The strengths of the connections between units are determined by weights which are adaptively set as the network 'learns'. In some cases, learning can be a separate phase of the user cycle of the network while in other cases the network learns continuously. Neural networks have been found to be very useful in pattern recognition and image processing applications. They can form very general 'decision boundaries' to differentiate between objects in pattern space and they can be used for associative recall of patterns based on partial cures and for adaptive filtering. We discuss the different architectures we plan to use and give examples of what they can do.

Bazell, D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

WISPER: Wirless Space Power Experiment

The 1993 Advanced Design Project at the University of Alaska Fairbanks was to design a spacecraft as a technology demonstration of wireless power transmission (WPT). With cost effectiveness as a design constraint, a micro-satellite in low earth orbit (LEO) was chosen for the mission. Existing and near term technologies were analyzed and selected for the project. In addition to the conceptual design of the payload, support systems, and structure, the analysis included attention to safety, environmental impact, cost, and schedule for construction and operation. Wireless power beaming is not a new concept. Experimental demonstrations and study efforts have continued since the early 1960's. With the latest progress in transmitter and receiver technology, the next natural step is to beam power from earth to space. This proposed flight demonstration will advance the science of power beaming and prove the viability of various applications of WPT in space. Two methods of power beaming will be examined during the two separate phases of the spacecraft life. The first phase will demonstrate the technology and examine the theory of microwave power transmission at a high frequency. Special aspects of the first phase will include a highly accurate attitude control system and a 14 m inflatable parabolic antenna. The second phase will investigate the utilization of high intensity laser power using modified photovoltaic arrays. Special instrumentation on the spacecraft will measure the conversion efficiency from the received microwave or laser power to direct current power.

Hawkins, Joseph↗

NASA NTRS1994

Influence of flow on interface shape stability in low gravity

The objectives are to: (1) Understand the influence in low gravity of flow on interface shape. For example, document and control the influence of axial flow on the Plateau-Rayleigh instability of a liquid bridge; and (2) Extend the ground-based density-matching technique of low gravity simulation to situations with flow; that is, develop Plateau chamber experiments for which flow can be controlled. Containerless containment of liquid by surface tension has broad importance in low gravity. For space vehicles, the behavior of liquid/gas interfaces is crucial to successful liquid management systems. In microgravity science, free interfaces are exploited in various applications. Examples include float-zone crystal growth, phase separation near the critical point of liquid mixtures (spinoidal decomposition) and quenching of miscibility gap molten metal alloys. In some cases, it is desired to stabilize the capillary instability while in others it is desired to induce capillary breakup. In all cases, understanding the stability of interface shape in the presence of liquid motion is central.

Steen, Paul H.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Cooling of solar flares plasmas. 1: Theoretical considerations

Theoretical models of the cooling of flare plasma are reexamined. By assuming that the cooling occurs in two separate phase where conduction and radiation, respectively, dominate, a simple analytic formula for the cooling time of a flare plasma is derived. Unlike earlier order-of-magnitude scalings, this result accounts for the effect of the evolution of the loop plasma parameters on the cooling time. When the conductive cooling leads to an 'evaporation' of chromospheric material, the cooling time scales L(exp 5/6)/p(exp 1/6), where the coronal phase (defined as the time maximum temperature). When the conductive cooling is static, the cooling time scales as L(exp 3/4)n(exp 1/4). In deriving these results, use was made of an important scaling law (T proportional to n(exp 2)) during the radiative cooling phase that was forst noted in one-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical simulations (Serio et al. 1991; Jakimiec et al. 1992). Our own simulations show that this result is restricted to approximately the radiative loss function of Rosner, Tucker, & Vaiana (1978). for different radiative loss functions, other scaling result, with T and n scaling almost linearly when the radiative loss falls off as T(exp -2). It is shown that these scaling laws are part of a class of analytic solutions developed by Antiocos (1980).

Cargill, Peter J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Knowledge acquisition and interface design for learning on demand systems

The rapid changes in our world precipitated by technology have created new problems and new challenges for education and training. A knowledge 'explosion' is occurring as our society moves toward a service oriented economy that relies on information as the major resource. Complex computer systems are beginning to dominate the workplace, causing alarming growth and change in many fields. The rapidly changing nature of the workplace, especially in fields related to information technology, requires that our knowledge be updated constantly. This characteristic of modern society poses seemingly unsolvable instructional problems involving coverage and obsolescence. The sheer amount of information to be learned is rapidly increasing, while at the same time some information becomes obsolete in light of new information. Education, therefore, must become a lifelong process that features learning of new material and skills as needed in relation to the job to be done. Because of the problems cited above, the current model of learning in advance may no longer be feasible in our high-technology world. In many cases, learning in advance is impossible because there are simply too many things to learn. In addition, learning in advance can be time consuming, and often results in decontextualized knowledge that does not readily transfer to the work environment. The large and growing discrepancy between the amount of potentially relevant knowledge available and the amount a person can know and remember makes learning on demand an important alternative to current instructional practices. Learning on demand takes place whenever an individual must learn something new in order to perform a task or make a decision. Learning on demand is a promising approach for addressing the problems of coverage and obsolescence because learning is contextualized and integrated into the task environment rather than being relegated to a separate phase that precedes work. Learning on demand allows learners to see for themselves the usefulness of new knowledge for actual problem situations, thereby increasing the motivation for learning new information. Finally, learning on demand makes new information relevant to the task at hand, leading to more informed decision making, better quality products, and improved performance.

Nelson, Wayne A.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Experimental Investigation of Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement in Microgravity in the Presence of Electric Fields

Boiling is an effective mode of heat transfer since high heat flux levels are possible driven by relatively small temperature differences. The high heat transfer coefficients associated with boiling have made the use of these processes increasingly attractive to aerospace engineering. Applications of this type include compact evaporators in the thermal control of aircraft avionics and spacecraft environments, heat pipes, and use of boiling to cool electronic equipment. In spite of its efficiency, cooling based on liquid-vapor phase change processes has not yet found wide application in aerospace engineering due to specific problems associated with the low gravity environment. After a heated surface has reached the superheat required for the initiation of nucleate boiling, bubbles will start forming at nucleation sites along the solid interface by evaporation of the liquid. Bubbles in contact with the wall will continue growing by this mechanism until they detach. In terrestrial conditions, bubble detachment is determined by the competition between body forces (e.g. buoyancy) and surface tension forces that act to anchor the bubble along the three phase contact line. For a given body force potential and a balance of tensions along the three phase contact line, bubbles must reach a critical size before the body force can cause them to detach from the wall. In a low gravity environment the critical bubble size for detachment is much larger than under terrestrial conditions, since buoyancy is a less effective means of bubble removal. Active techniques of heat transfer enhancement in single phase and phase change processes by utilizing electric fields have been the subject of intensive research during recent years. The field of electrohydrodynamics (EHD) deals with the interactions between electric fields, flow fields and temperature fields. Previous studies indicate that in terrestrial applications nucleate boiling heat transfer can be increased by a factor of 50 as compared to values obtained for the same system without electric fields. Imposing an external electric field holds the promise to improve pool boiling heat transfer in low gravity, since a phase separation force other than gravity is introduced. The goal of our research is to experimentally investigate the potential of EHD and the mechanisms responsible for EHD heat transfer enhancement in boiling in low gravity conditions.

Herman, Cila↗

NASA NTRS1997

Nucleation and Convection Effects in Protein Crystal Growth

Work during the second year under this grant (NAG8-1161) resulted in several major achievements. We have characterized protein impurities as well as microheterogeneities in the proteins hen egg white lysozyme and horse spleen apoferritin, and demonstrated the effects of these impurities on nucleation and crystallization. In particular, the purification of apoferritin resulted in crystals with an X-ray diffraction resolution of better than 1.8 A, i.e. a 1 A improvement over earlier work on the cubic form. Furthermore, we have shown, in association with studies of liquid-liquid phase separation, that depending on the growth conditions, lysozyme can produce all growth morphologies that have been observed with other proteins. Finally, in connection with our experimental and simulation work on growth step bunching, we have developed a system-dependent criterion for advantages and disadvantages of crystallization from solution under reduced gravity. In the following, these efforts are described in some detail.

Rosenberger, Franz↗

NASA NTRS1993

Theory of Metastable State Relaxation in a Gravitational Field for Non-Critical Binary Systems with Non-Conserved Order Parameter

A new mathematical ansatz is developed for solution of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau nonlinear partial differential equation describing metastable state relaxation in binary (solute+solvent) non-critical solutions with non-conserved scalar order parameter in presence of a gravitational field. It has been demonstrated analytically that in such systems metastability initiates heterogeneous solute redistribution which results in the formation of a non-equilibrium singly-periodic spatial solute structure in the new solute-rich phase. The critical radius of nucleation and the induction time in these systems are gravity-dependent. It has also been proved that metastable state relaxation in vertical columns of supersaturated non-critical binary solutions leads to formation of the solute concentration gradient. Analytical expression for this concentration gradient is found and analysed. It is concluded that gravity can initiate phase separation (nucleation or spinodal decomposition).

Izmailov, Alexander F.↗