Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Low-density”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records

Experimental Determination of Thermal Conductivity of Low-Density Ice

The thermal conductivity of low-density ice has been computed from data obtained in an experimental investigation of the heat transfer and mass transfer by sublimation for an iced surface on a flat plate in a high-velocity tangential air stream. The results are compared with data from several sources on the thermal conductivity of packed snow and solid glaze ice. The results show good agreement with the equations for the thermal conductivity of packed snow as a function of snow density. The agreement of the curves for packed snow near the solid ice regime with the values of thermal conductivity, of ice indicates that the curves are applicable over the entire-ice-density range.

Coles, Willard D.↗

An Experimental Study of the Ionization of Low-Density Gas Flows by Induced Discharges

Induced discharges are advantageous for ionizing low-density flows in that they introduce no electrode contamination into the flow and they provide a relatively high degree of ionization with good coupling of power into the gas. In this investigation a 40-megacycle oscillator was used to produce and maintain induced discharges in argon and mercury-vapor flows. Methods for preventing blowout of the discharge were determined, and power measurements were made with an in-line wattmeter. Some results with damped oscillations pulsed at 1,000 pulses per second are also presented.

Barger, R. L.↗

A Dispersion-Strengthened Low-Density Niobium Alloy and Its Elevated Temperature Mechanical Performance

In response to the elevated-temperature and weight-reduction demands of modern aerospace applications, a novel oxide-dispersion-strengthened low-density niobium alloy (LDNb-ODS) was fabricated using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). To overcome powder procurement barriers, L-PBF feedstock was produced by blending commercial Nb521, Ti64, and Cr powder with Y2O3 nanoparticles via resonant acoustic mixing. Following L-PBF and a 1400°C vacuum heat treatment, the alloy achieved a density of 6.73 g/cc and a fine mean grain size of 4.62 µm stabilized by uniform ~30 nm yttria dispersoids. Microstructural analysis revealed a chemically inhomogeneous build with lack-of-fusion defects and a titanium (Ti) shift from a nominal 31.5 wt% in the starting powder blend to 24.8 wt% in the printed part due to preferential Ti loss during printing. Elevated-temperature tensile testing demonstrated that LDNb-ODS maintained a superior specific yield strength of 60-85 MPa/(g/cc) up to 800°C, outperforming nickel-based alloys Ni625, Ni230, and GRX-810. Between 870°C and 950°C, its specific strength surpassed both Ni718 and Ni625. In rapid stress-rupture testing at 1093°C and 20.7 MPa, uncoated LDNb-ODS survived 21.4 hours (a tenfold increase over legacy C-103) while an R512E silicide coating extended rupture life to 84.8 hours, confirming that oxidation accelerates low-stress failure. These findings demonstrate that additive manufacturing of LDNb-ODS provides a viable, lightweight alternative to nickel-based superalloys for high-temperature (>850°C) aerospace components.

Low Density Niobium Alloy↗

Ionization and Deionization Processes in Low-Density Plasma Flows

Various plasma relaxation processes that are significant in laboratory plasma flows for aerospace physics studies are discussed on the basis of a survey of time decay studies of immobile plasmas. Some of the problems analyzed and discussed are: the relative importance of the various recombination mechanisms, catalytic deionization by electro- negative particles, delayed ionization produced by metastable action, and heating of the flow by deionization reactions.

Barger, Raymond L.↗

Charged-particle transport in turbulent astrophysical plasmas

The effect of electromagnetic fluctuations, or plasma turbulence, on the motion of the individual particles in a plasma is investigated. Two alternative methods are used to find a general equation governing the time-evolution of a distribution of charged particles subject to both an external force field and the random fields of the fluctuations. It is found that, for the high-temperature, low-density plasmas frequently encountered in the study of astrophysics, the presence of even a small amount of turbulence can have a very important effect on the behavior of the plasma. Two problems in which turbulence plays an important role are treated.

Newman, C. E., Jr.↗

Effects of Surface Recombination on Heat Transfer to Bodies in a High Enthalpy Stream of Partially Dissociated Nitrogen

Heat-transfer rates to two surfaces having widely different catalytic effectiveness are compared at a Mach number of 6 in a low-density stream of partially dissociated nitrogen. The heat-transfer rate to a polished copper cylinder is twice as great as the heat-transfer rate to a silicon-monoxide-coated cylinder when the stream total energy content is 9000 Btu/lb. Various methods for determining the stream energy content, the stream velocity, and the stream Mach number have been developed and compared. It is shown that methods for estimating the stream energy content by means of purely aerodynamic concepts may neglect the sizable fraction of the stream energy contained in molecular dissociation.

Winkler, Ernest L..↗

Advances in Design Capabilities for Planetary Missions from the NASA Entry Systems Modeling and Instrumentation Portfolio

The Entry Systems Modeling project (ESM) is supported by both the NASA Space Technology and the Science Mission Directorates and focuses on developing simulation tools and validated models for characterizing the performance of entry systems tailored to planetary destinations across the Solar System. ESM is organized into six technical capability areas that together address all relevant factors related to spacecraft entry, as well as some aspects of descent: Thermal Protection System (TPS) Materials; Aerothermodynamics; Entry & Descent Vehicle Dynamics; Guidance, Navigation, and Control; Vehicle Systems Analysis; and Advanced Tools and Numerical Methods. Development within the capability areas is undertaken explicitly with a focus on transition and infusion to science missions, human exploration missions, and commercial space activities. The present talk details developments that specifically impact science missions, including simulation tool capabilities that aid in mission design and model development to understand entry system performance at a given destination. Examples of the successful infusion and transition of such project outcomes to science missions also are provided. Several simulation tool development efforts within ESM have resulted in new design capabilities for missions. One such outcome is improved toolsets for mission trajectory and concept of operations design. Specifically, an initiative to couple a leading tool for entry, ascent/descent, and orbital trajectory optimization (Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II or POST2) to those used within the Agency for interplanetary trajectory optimization (Copernicus and Monte) has made substantial progress, with the outcomes to date promising to allow efficient trajectory optimization across mission phases. Additionally, toolchains for the evaluation of vehicle performance during entry and descent have been developed that allow assessment of multi-dimensional aeroheating on detailed vehicle geometries, characterization of deployment and inflation of parachutes, and assessment of vehicle dynamic stability during descent. These capabilities are achieved by coupling diverse sets of physics together – material response, computational fluid dynamics, radiation, and vehicle dynamics – to suitably describe complex entry and descent phenomena. Several model development and validation efforts for specific destinations and entry regimes also are underway within the ESM project. For instance, new experimental capabilities to validate radiation models at low densities/high altitudes recently have been established with project support, specifically the Low-Density Shock Tube (LDST) at the NASA Ames Research Center Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) facility. The LDST is being leveraged to develop improved models of shock layer kinetics and radiation in Titan atmospheres, while future studies will be conducted in the LDST and the existing high velocity shock tube to provide validation data for radiation models of Venus, Ice Giants, and Mars atmospheres. Models describing the aerothermal and thermo-structural performance of Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials has been another focus, with multiscale modeling activities on-going for the two leading TPS materials applicable to a range of entry conditions and science missions: the Phenolic-Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) and woven materials like 3D Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP). A continual effort is made to infuse and transition outcomes from ESM simulation tool and model development activities into relevant science missions. Significant progress has been made on this front, with missions such as Dragonfly, DAVINCI, and Mars Missions benefitting from project outcomes. The groundwork also is being laid to provide insights into forward looking missions to Gas/Ice Giants as well as for potential sample returns.

Justin Haskins↗