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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 19 records

Effect of cavitation on fluid stability in polymer thickened fluids and lubricants

The effects of cavitating flow on the polymeric additives used in functional fluids are described. A comparison of thermal and mechanical stability tests for these polymer solutions show distinct differences in the machanism of the polymer degradation. The thermal degradation tests appear to cause an unzippering or depolymerization type of reaction in which there is no particular selectivity based on molecular weight. The mechanical degradation of these fluids appears to be based on molecular weight. Measurements of molecular weight distributions during mechanical degradation show that for a given level of intensity only molecules above a certain minimum size are degraded. The effects of ultrasonic radiation on polymer degradation are reported. Tests were conducted to demonstrate the mechanism of mechanical polymer degradiation in an orifice. A more severe test than the orifice test in which two tapered roller bearings loaded against each other produce the mechanical breakdown is discussed.

Duda, J. L.↗

Results of the Workshop on Two-Phase Flow, Fluid Stability and Dynamics: Issues in Power, Propulsion, and Advanced Life Support Systems

The Two-phase Flow, Fluid Stability and Dynamics Workshop was held on May 15, 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio to define a coherent scientific research plan and roadmap that addresses the multiphase fluid problems associated with NASA s technology development program. The workshop participants, from academia, industry and government, prioritized various multiphase issues and generated a research plan and roadmap to resolve them. This report presents a prioritization of the various multiphase flow and fluid stability phenomena related primarily to power, propulsion, fluid and thermal management and advanced life support; and a plan to address these issues in a logical and timely fashion using analysis, ground-based and space-flight experiments.

McQuillen, John↗

Multiphase Flow in Power and Propulsion Workshop Fluid Stability and Dynamics Workshop: Overview

The short term purpose of this research is to present a research plan and a roadmap developed for strategic research for the Office of Biological and Physical Research and the long term purpose is to conduct necessary ground-based and space-flight low gravity experiments, complemented by analyses, resulting in a documented framework for parameter prediction of needed by designers. This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Singh, Bhim↗

Multiphase Flow in Power and Propulsion Workshop Fluid Stability and Dynamics Workshop: Overview

The short term purpose of the workshop described by this viewgraph presentation is to present a research plan and a 'roadmap' developed for strategic research for the Office of Biological and Physical Research. The long term purpose of the workshop is to conduct necessary ground-based and space-flight low gravity experiments, complemented by analyses, resulting in a documented framework for parameter prediction of needed by designers. The presentation reviews several previous workshops which were similar, and describes the differences in this workshop. The presentation also includes a prioritizing scheme for microgravity issues, which includes four priority ratings.

McQuillen, John↗

Hormone purification by isoelectric focusing in space

The objective of the program was the definition and development of optimal methods for electrophoretic separations in microgravity. The approach is based on a triad consisting of ground based experiments, mathematical modeling and experiments in microgravity. Zone electrophoresis is a rate process, where separation is achieved in uniform buffers on the basis of differences in electrophoretic mobilities. Optimization and modeling of continuous flow electrophoresis mainly concern the hydrodynamics of the flow process, including gravity dependent fluid convection due to density gradients and gravity independent electroosmosis. Optimization of focusing requires a more complex model describing the molecular transport processes involved in electrophoresis of interacting systems. Three different focusing instruments were designed, embodying novel principles of fluid stabilization. Fluid stability was achieved by: (1) flow streamlining by means of membrane elements in combination with rapid fluid recycling; (2) apparatus rotation in combination with said membrane elements; and (3) shear stress induced by rapid recycling through a narrow gap channel.

Bier, M.↗

Fluid System Stability Analysis Techniques

Fluid systems, or networks, consist of multiple components that work together to achieve some desired thermofluid state. For any generic application, this fluid state can be a combination of the fluid pressure, flow rate, enthalpy, or species concentration. Fluid system components, such as pumps and valves, are often governed by nonlinear differential equations, resulting in complex component-to-component interactions. System-level fluid network stability occurs when the flow through the system can maintain a steady-state solution in the presence of small perturbations, which depends on these component interactions. System instability, however, can go undetected until issues arise during integrated system testing. This presentation explores a method for system designers to think of the fluid network as an assembly of components, each with their own thermofluid surfaces of partial stability, called nullclines. The intersections of all nullclines yields system-level solutions, called equilibrium points. When designers define operating points, they are tuning system parameters so that these equilibrium points move to the desired location in the thermofluid state plane. However, linearization theory shows us that the dynamic behavior around these points can be unstable. The local stability of these equilibrium points can be assessed analytically with eigen-analysis, or numerically by propagating state-plane samples to construct a phase portrait. Investigating a phase portrait can help designers gain a qualitative understanding of a system’s dynamic performance. This understanding can then help inform requirement definitions, component selection, and operational procedures. This presentation includes an example of the phase portrait technique on a system featuring a centrifugal pump and a back-pressure regulator (BPR). Numerical modeling of this system suggests that equilibrium points on the left-hand side of the pump curve are dynamically unstable.

Fluid System↗

Fluid System Stability Analysis Techniques

Fluid systems, or networks, consist of multiple components that work together to achieve some desired thermofluid state. For any generic application, this fluid state can be a combination of the fluid pressure, flow rate, enthalpy, or species concentration. Fluid system components, such as pumps and valves, are often governed by nonlinear differential equations, resulting in complex component-to-component interactions. System-level fluid network stability occurs when the flow through the system can maintain a steady-state solution in the presence of small perturbations, which depends on these component interactions. System instability, however, can go undetected until issues arise during integrated system testing. This presentation explores a method for system designers to think of the fluid network as an assembly of components, each with their own thermofluid surfaces of partial stability, called nullclines. The intersections of all nullclines yields system-level solutions, called equilibrium points. When designers define operating points, they are tuning system parameters so that these equilibrium points move to the desired location in the thermofluid state plane. However, linearization theory shows us that the dynamic behavior around these points can be unstable. The local stability of these equilibrium points can be assessed analytically with eigen-analysis, or numerically by propagating state-plane samples to construct a phase portrait. Investigating a phase portrait can help designers gain a qualitative understanding of a system’s dynamic performance. This understanding can then help inform requirement definitions, component selection, and operational procedures. This presentation includes an example of the phase portrait technique on a system featuring a centrifugal pump and a back-pressure regulator (BPR). Numerical modeling of this system suggests that equilibrium points on the left-hand side of the pump curve are dynamically unstable.

Fluid System↗

Fluid column stability in the presence of periodic accelerations

The interface stability of fluid columns in the presence of a periodic acceleration field with a component normal to the longitudinal axis of the isothermal cylinder was investigated. Floquet theory was used in the investigation and the column was taken as infinite. The finite length case was also studied and axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric oscillations were considered. Results for the infinite length case were good approximations to those for the finite length column.

Lyell, M. J.↗

Morphological stability and fluid dynamics of vapor crystal growth

Research on morphological stability and fluid dynamics of crystal growth is discussed. Interfacial heat and mass transfer research is discussed. The finding of surface roughening is a precursor to a solid-solid phase transition was further quantified. Progress was obtained with the mass spectroscopic characterization of GeSe-Ge I sub 4.

Rosenberger, F. E.↗

Morphological Stability and Fluid Dynamics of Vapor Crystal Growth

A fundamental understanding of the conditions under which crystals can retain morphological stability, i.e., shape stability of the advancing interface, during growth from vapors was studied. Morphological stability (MS) is a necessary condition for the growth of homogeneous single crystals required for numerous device applications. For crystallization from melts, the MS concepts are well developed and are essentially based on heat and mass transfer conditions about the advancing interface. For crystallization from vapors, the MS requirements are more complex and not well understood. The added complexity arises from the fact that anisotropies in interfacial kinetics are typically stronger in crystallization from vapors than from melts. These pronounced anisotropies root in the distinctly lower atomic roughness of most vapor-solid interfaces.

Rosenberger, F.↗

Stability of fluid flow in a cylindrical annulus

Helical flow in an annulus between two coaxial cylinders is investigated with regard to its stability against the formation of helical vortices of the type known as Taylor's annular vortices. Assuming the annulus to be small and the velocities to vary linearly with radius, it is shown that the problem can be reduced to the classical case of flow between two rotating cylinders. An appropriate stability criterion for helical flows is derived from Rayleigh's stability criterion applicable to such flows.

Ludwieg, H.↗

Stochastic fluctuations in relativistic fluids: Causality, stability, and the information current

We develop a general formalism for introducing stochastic fluctuations around thermodynamic equilibrium which takes into account, for the first time, recent developments in the causality and stability properties of relativistic hydrodynamic theories. The method is valid for any covariantly stable theory of relativistic viscous fluid dynamics derived from a covariant maximum entropy principle. We illustrate the formalism with some applications, showing how it could be used to consistently introduce fluctuations in a model of relativistic heat diffusion and in conformally invariant Israel-Stewart theory in a general hydrodynamic frame. Furthermore, the latter example is used to study the hydrodynamic frame dependence of the symmetric two-point function of fluctuations of the energy-momentum tensor.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Morphological stability and fluid dynamics of vapor crystal growth

Progress is reported in establishing the capabilities of thermal deflection spectroscopy for measurements of the concentration field around a growing crystal. Work was completed on the inclusion of the next nearest neighbor interaction into a surface roughness model and the resulting formalism was applied to copper, zinc, and lead. Other work in mass spectroscopy and vapor transport is discussed.

Rosenberger, F. E.↗