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Results for “Performance Fluid”

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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2020

Effective and Environmentally Compliant Cleaner Solstice® Performance Fluid

On January 1, 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency identified exemptions on the continued use of the hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-225ca and -225cb. As these solvents are commonly used in cleaning and verification of aerospace propulsion systems using liquid and gaseous oxygen, the NESC supported the Agency initiative to identify and characterize acceptable alternate fluids. Honeywell’s Solstice® Performance Fluid (PF), PF-high purity (HP), and PF-HP spray are an effective nonflammable cleaning solution system, with a favorable toxicity profile and low environmental impact. Solstice PF is suitable for electronics, metal, and precision cleaning. It can be used in vapor degreasing equipment and may be dispensed with a propellant to create an aerosol contact cleaner. Solstice PF has been shown to have negligible ozone depletion and a global warming potential of 1. With these characterized environmental and solvency properties, Solstice PF, PF-HP, or PF-HP spray may be an excellent choice for a variety of cleaning applications.

Effective Compliant Cleaner↗
NASA NTRS2005

Capillary Driven Flows Along Differentially Wetted Interior Corners

Closed-form analytic solutions useful for the design of capillary flows in a variety of containers possessing interior corners were recently collected and reviewed. Low-g drop tower and aircraft experiments performed at NASA to date show excellent agreement between theory and experiment for perfectly wetting fluids. The analytical expressions are general in terms of contact angle, but do not account for variations in contact angle between the various surfaces within the system. Such conditions may be desirable for capillary containment or to compute the behavior of capillary corner flows in containers consisting of different materials with widely varying wetting characteristics. A simple coordinate rotation is employed to recast the governing system of equations for flows in containers with interior corners with differing contact angles on the faces of the corner. The result is that a large number of capillary driven corner flows may be predicted with only slightly modified geometric functions dependent on corner angle and the two (or more) contact angles of the system. A numerical solution is employed to verify the new problem formulation. The benchmarked computations support the use of the existing theoretical approach to geometries with variable wettability. Simple experiments to confirm the theoretical findings are recommended. Favorable agreement between such experiments and the present theory may argue well for the extension of the analytic results to predict fluid performance in future large length scale capillary fluid systems for spacecraft as well as for small scale capillary systems on Earth.

Golliher, Eric L.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Waterhammer Modeling for the Ares I Upper Stage Reaction Control System Cold Flow Development Test Article

The Upper Stage Reaction Control System provides three-axis attitude control for the Ares I launch vehicle during active Upper Stage flight. The system design must accommodate rapid thruster firing to maintain the proper launch trajectory and thus allow for the possibility to pulse multiple thrusters simultaneously. Rapid thruster valve closure creates an increase in static pressure, known as waterhammer, which propagates throughout the propellant system at pressures exceeding nominal design values. A series of development tests conducted in the fall of 2009 at Marshall Space Flight Center were performed using a water-flow test article to better understand fluid performance characteristics of the Upper Stage Reaction Control System. A subset of the tests examined waterhammer along with the subsequent pressure and frequency response in the flight-representative system and provided data to anchor numerical models. This thesis presents a comparison of waterhammer test results with numerical model and analytical results. An overview of the flight system, test article, modeling and analysis are also provided.

Williams, Jonathan H.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Spacecraft attitude impacts on COLD-SAT non-vacuum jacketed LH2 supply tank thermal performance

The Cryogenic On-Orbit Liquid Depot - Storage, Acquisition and Transfer (COLD-SAT) spacecraft will be launched into low earth orbit to perform fluid management experiments on the behavior of subcritical liquid hydrogen (LH2). For determining the optimum on-orbit attitude for the COLD-SAT satellite, a comparative analytical study was performed to determine the thermal impacts of spacecraft attitude on the performance of the COLD-SAT non-vacuum jacketed LH2 supply tank. Tank thermal performance was quantified by total conductive and radiative heat leakage into the pressure vessel due to the absorbed solar, earth albedo and infra-red on-orbit fluxes, and also by the uniformity of the variation of this leakage on the vessel surface area. Geometric and thermal analysis math models were developed for the spacecraft and the tank as part of this analysis, based on their individual thermal/structural designs. Two quasi-inertial spacecraft attitudes were investigated and their effects on the tank performance compared. The results are one of the criteria by which the spacecraft orientation in orbit was selected for the in-house NASA Lewis Research Center design.

Arif, Hugh↗
NASA NTRS1990

Spacecraft attitude impacts on COLD-SAT non-vacuum jacketed LH2 supply tank thermal performance

The Cryogenic On-Orbit Liquid Depot - Storage, Acquisition and Transfer (COLD-SAT) spacecraft will be launched into low earth orbit to perform fluid management experiments on the behavior of subcritical liquid hydrogen (LH2). For determining the optimum on-orbit attitude for the COLD-SAT satellite, a comparative analytical study was performed to determine the thermal impacts of spacecraft attitude on the performance of the COLD-SAT non-vacuum jacketed LH2 supply tank. Tank thermal performance was quantitied by total conductive and radiative heat leakage into the pressure vessel due to the absorbed solar, earth albedo and infra-red on-orbit fluxes, and also by the uniformity of the variation of this leakage on the vessel surface area. Geometric and thermal analysis math models were developed for the spacecraft and the tank as part of this analysis, based on their individual thermal/structural designs. Two quasi-inertial spacecraft attitudes were investigated and their effects on the tank performance compared. The results are one of the criteria by which the spacecraft orientation in orbit was selected for the in-house NASA Lewis Research Center design.

Arif, Hugh↗
NASA NTRS1993

On-orbit refueling

During the past decade, both NASA and the DOD have conducted numerous space servicing studies. These studies have shown that fluid resupply of on-orbit spacecraft is feasible and would allow for extended spacecraft utilization. In order to prove that the studies have validity, an on-orbit flight demonstration of automatic fluid resupply is required. To embark on this flight demonstration, the system concepts, operational procedures, and conceptual service and target vehicles must be identified. Hernandez Engineering, Inc. (HEI), under the direction of the Space Servicing System Project Office of the NASA/JSC New Initiatives Office, has conducted a systems engineering and integration study. The study objective was to develop preliminary concepts for a flight demonstration of automatic rendezvous, proximity operations, capture, and fluid transfer utilizing servicer and target vehicles. The results show that a servicer vehicle/target kit can be launched to orbit with an ELV and automatically rendezvous and dock with the explorer platform (EP). The servicer vehicle can then separate from the EP/kit, perform proximity maneuvers, redock with the EP/kit, and perform fluid transfer operations. After the on-orbit flight demonstration is completed, the servicer/kit can be separated from the EP and be deorbited into the Earth's atmosphere.

Moore, James S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Heat pipe stability. 1: A preliminary investigation into thermally assisted cavitation

The notion is introduced of thermally assisted cavitation by localized fluctuations in capillary forces. Because cavitation in liquids can be closely approximated by an isothermal process, only momentum and mass balances are used to introduce the notion for liquids under mechanical tension. Brief attention is given to developing a stability theory in terms of the stiffness and compliance coefficients for a working fluid. Interestingly, the particular thermodynamic approach taken can be used to suggest experiments relating working fluid performance to meniscus behavior. A correction to the liquid flow equation is suggested.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Liquid solar collector

Report documents evaluation test on commercial flat-plate solar collector that uses water as working fluid. Performance was measured before and after 34-day exposure to natural environment. Tables in metric and English units present data on air and water temperatures, waterflow, insolation, efficiency, and windspeed and direction.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1993

The properties of perfluoropolyethers used for space applications

The perfluoropolyether (PFPE) class of liquid lubricants has been used for space applications for over two decades. At first, these fluids performed satisfactorily as early spacecraft placed few demands on their performance. However, as other spacecraft components have become more reliable and lifetimes have been extended, PFPE lubricant deficiencies have been exposed. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the PFPE properties that are important for successful long term operation in space.

Jones, William R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The Nozzle Acoustic Test Rig: an Acoustic and Aerodynamic Free-jet Facility

The nozzle acoustic test rig (NATR) was built at NASA Lewis Research Center to support the High Speed Research Program. The facility is capable of measuring the acoustic and aerodynamic performance of aircraft engine nozzle concepts. Trade-off studies are conducted to compare performance and noise during simulated low-speed flight and takeoff. Located inside an acoustically treated dome with a 62-ft radius, the NATR is a free-jet that has a 53-in. diameter and is driven by an air ejector. This ejector is operated with 125 lb/s of compressed air, at 125 psig, to achieve 375 lb/s at Mach 0.3. Acoustic and aerodynamic data are collected from test nozzles mounted in the free-jet flow. The dome serves to protect the surrounding community from high noise levels generated by the nozzles, and to provide an anechoic environment for acoustic measurements. Information presented in this report summarizes free-jet performance, fluid support systems, and data acquisition capabilities of the NATR.

Castner, Raymond S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Properties of Perfluoropolyethers for Space Applications

The perfluoropolyether (PFPE) class of liquid lubricants has been used for space applications for over two decades. At first, these fluids performed satisfactorily as early spacecraft placed few demands on their performance. However, as other spacecraft components have become more reliable and lifetimes have been extended, PFPE lubricant deficiencies have been exposed. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the PFPE properties that are important for successful long term operation in space.

Jones, William R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Properties of Perfluoropolyethers for Space Applications

The perfluoropolyether (PEPE) class of liquid lubricants has been used for space applications for over two decades. At first, these fluids performed satisfactorily, as early spacecraft placed few demands on their performance. However, as other spacecraft components have become more reliable and lifetimes have been extended, PEPE lubricant deficiencies have been exposed. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the PEPE properties that are important for successful long term operation in space.

Jones, William R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Space Shuttle solid rocket motor slag expulsion mechanisms

A 13 psi pressure perturbation occurred at approximately 68 seconds on the right Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) during the STS-54 space shuttle mission. While pressure perturbations are a normal characteristic of RSRM operation, the magnitude of the STS-54 perturbation and the resulting thrust imbalance between the left and right motors was outside of flight experience. A joint Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Thiokol Corporation (RSRM manufacturer) team soon narrowed the probable cause to a temporary nozzle restriction due to slag expulsion. In support of the team, Rockwell Aerospace performed fluid finite element simulations and vehicle flight dynamic correlations to investigate possible slag expulsion mechanisms responsible for pressure perturbations. Results of the simulations and analyses provided evidence that the combination of flight induced accelerations acting on accumulated slag and nozzle vectoring were the most probable cause of RSRM slag expulsion.

Hopson, Charles B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Tensoral Present and Future

The coding of high-performance fluids simulations requires significant knowledge of both numerical and computational details. The magnitude and complexity of low-level details is often enough to discourage many users of turbulence data wishing to study more important, higher-level fluid dynamical questions. These same complexities are often a practical barrier to simulation experts who develop, verify and maintain the codes which generate this data. Future fluids codes, with high resolution and complex geometries, are likely to involve far more coding complexity. The research--the design and implementation of the Tensoral computer language--aims to greatly ease the coding of today's simulation and post-processing codes and at the same time provide a general computational tool for future simulations.

Dresselhaus, Eliot↗
NASA NTRS2015

Replacement of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) -225 Solvent for Cleaning and Verification Sampling of NASA Propulsion Oxygen Systems Hardware, Ground Support Equipment, and Associated Test Systems

Since the 1990's, NASA's rocket propulsion test facilities at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Stennis Space Center (SSC) have used hydrochlorofluorocarbon-225 (HCFC-225), a Class II ozone-depleting substance, to safety clean and verify the cleanliness of large scale propulsion oxygen systems and associated test facilities. In 2012 through 2014, test laboratories at MSFC, SSC, and Johnson Space Center-White Sands Test Facility collaborated to seek out, test, and qualify an environmentally preferred replacement for HCFC-225. Candidate solvents were selected, a test plan was developed, and the products were tested for materials compatibility, oxygen compatibility, cleaning effectiveness, and suitability for use in cleanliness verification and field cleaning operations. Honewell Soltice (TradeMark) Performance Fluid (trans-1-chloro-3,3, 3-trifluoropropene) was selected to replace HCFC-225 at NASA's MSFC and SSC rocket propulsion test facilities.

Burns, H. D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TO252: Parabolic Flight Demonstration of Fluid Dispensing Tube Performance Limits for Drop Delivery

Ring Shear Drop (RSD) ISS flight hardware failed to pin sample fluid drops between two rings, likely due to dynamic instability inherent to the dispensing tube (D-Tube) design. The first parabolic flight tested 5 D-tube tip designs with two bounding surface tension fluids, enabling an engineering design decision. D-tube Tip Cage Design was selected based on the November 2020 parabolic flight test data. Flight Operations Program (FOP) approved a reflight proposal to include 2 parabolic flight days during the April/May 2021 campaign with following objectives: • Validate ISS hardware flight design with actual flight fluids (test as you fly), demonstrating the ability to deliver 1” fluid drops in near-microgravity conditions. • Demonstrate pinning of 1” flight fluid drops: a secondary pinning ring is planned to be installed in the parabolic flight hardware to meet this objective. Fluid flow rates will also be varied as needed and as possible. • Provide data to validate computational models used to guide ISS operational deployment decisions and demonstrate the viability of the redesigned hardware to accommodate a range of future flight investigations. This presentation introduces highlights and lessons learned during this recent flight campaign for discussion in the Flight Opportunities Program Panel, “Leveraging Suborbital Flight Tests to Advance Science and Technology."

Sridhar Gorti↗
NASA NTRS2001

Evaluation of GLAS Demonstration Model Loop Heat Pipe Thermal Vacuum Performance with Various Fluid Charges

Two loop heat pipes (LHPs) are to be used for tight thermal control of the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument, planned for flight in late 2001. The LHPs are charged with Propylene as a working fluid. One LHP will be used to transport 110 W from a laser a radiator, the other will transport 190 W from electronic boxes to a separate radiator. The application includes a large amount of thermal mass in each LHP system and low initial startup powers. This along with some non-ideal flight design compromises, such as a less than ideal charge level for this design concept with a symmetrical secondary wick, lead to inadequate performance of the flight LHPs during the flight thermal vacuum test in October of 2000. This presentation focuses on identifying; the sources of the flight test difficulties by modifying the charge and test setup of the successfully tested Development Model Loop Heat Pipe (DM LHP). While very similar to the flight design, the DM L14P did have several significant difference in design and method of testing. These differences were evaluated for affect on performance by conforming the DM LHP to look more like the flight units. The major difference that was evaluated was the relative fill level of the working fluid within the concentrically design LHP compensation chamber. Other differences were also assessed through performance testing including starter heater size and "hot biasing" of major interior components. Performance was assessed with respect to startup, low power operation, conductance, and control heater power. The results of the testing showed that performance improves as initial charge increases, and when the starter heater is made smaller. The "hot biasing" of the major components did not appear to have a detrimental effect. As a result of test results of the DM LHP, modifications are being made to the flight units to increase the fluid charge and increase the watt-density of the starter heater.

Baker, Charles↗