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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

ISEE observations of the plasma sheet boundary, plasma sheet, and neutral sheet. I - Electric field, magnetic field, plasma, and ion composition

The first simultaneous study of dc and ac electric and magnetic fields, E x B velocity, plasma flows, ratio of plasma to magnetic field pressure, total energy density, energetic particles, and ion composition from the ISEE satellites and ground and interplanetary magnetic fields has been made to determine (1) the relationship of the previously observed electric fields at the plasma sheet boundary and at the neutral sheet to plasma parameters, and (2) whether the phenomena occurring during quiet and active times were consistent with the formation of a near-earth neutral line during substorms or with the boundary layer model. Five observations made during the study of two substorms were seen to be in agreement with the neutral-line model. The observations are consistent with the satellite being located at varying distances from the neutral line and diffusion region where reconnection and plasma acceleration were occurring. Although the z component (into or out of the ecliptic plane) of E x B convection was generally toward the neutral sheet, there were examples when it was consistent with the inferred motion of the plasma sheet past the satellite. A synthesis of previous reports on large electric fields at the plasma sheet boundary and variable fields at the neutral sheet including the associated plasma flows is also described.

Cattell, C. A.↗

Additively Reinforced Thermoformable PETG Composite Sheets for Improved Structural Efficiency

Thermoforming of short-fiber reinforced thermoplastic sheets offers a viable pathway for producing lightweight composite components; however, inherent anisotropy in fiber-reinforced sheets can limit structural performance under multidirectional loading. In this work, short carbon fiber, glass fiber, and hybrid fiber–reinforced PETG sheets were evaluated as candidate feedstock materials for thermoforming, with flexural and tensile testing performed both along the primary fiber direction and in the off-axis orientation to establish baseline stiffness, strength, and anisotropy. As expected, short carbon fiber PETG exhibited the highest stiffness and strength in the primary fiber direction, while all systems showed reduced performance in the off-axis direction. This off-axis performance reduction provides clear justification for the use of additive reinforcement when such thermoformed sheets are intended for structural applications. The intended manufacturing sequence involves thermoforming the reinforced sheet first, followed by the application of additively manufactured lattice reinforcement; therefore, the reinforcement strategy does not impose limitations on sheet formability during thermoforming. Post-forming lattice reinforcement significantly reduced load-normalized displacement by approximately 95–99% relative to non-reinforced sheets and improved weight-normalized stiffness by ~70%. These findings demonstrate that geometry-driven additive reinforcement can effectively compensate for off-axis property reductions in thermoformed PETG composites, enabling enhanced multidirectional structural performance without compromising manufacturability.

Talabi, Isaac [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000340215594)↗

Projections of Future Sea Level Contributions from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets: Challenges Beyond Dynamical Ice Sheet Modeling

As Earth's climate warms, rising sea levels are becoming a great concern. Providing substantiated and well-informed guidance on the amount and rate of future sea level rise is important, but remains challenging. Observations of the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets-Earth's largest freshwater reservoirs-reveal their ongoing, rapid, and complex changes in response to an evolving climate. The improved understanding of ice sheet behavior resulting from observations is driving the development of ice sheet models, and is allowing better simulation of past, present, and future ice sheet evolution. However, insight into future changes requires a better understanding of how ice sheets interact with other components of the Earth system and associated feedbacks. As climate models start to include dynamical ice sheet components, our understanding of such interactions and the feedback mechanisms will advance. These new developments in ice sheet modeling and their implementation in climate models are timely, as observations indicate an accelerating contribution of ice sheets to sea level rise.

ice sheet model↗

A panel method study of vortex sheets with special emphasis on sheets of axisymmetric geometry

The self induced evolution of a vortex sheet was simulated by modeling the sheet using an integration of discrete elements of vorticity. Replacing small sections of a vortex sheet by flat panels of constant vorticity is found to reproduce more accurately the initial conditions for the Lagrangian simulation technique than replacement by point vortices. The flat panel method for the vortex sheet was then extended to model axisymmetric vortex sheets. The local and far field velocities induced by the axisymmetric panels were obtained using matched asymptotic analysis, and some of the uncertainties involved in other models of the axisymmetric vortex sheet have been eliminated. One important result of this analysis is the determination of the proper choice of core size for a circular vortex filament which may replace a section of an axisymmetric vortex sheet. Roll-up of both two dimensional and axisymmetric vortex sheets was computed using the panel methods developed in the report.

Sugioka, I.↗

Time-Varying Ice Sheet Mask: Implications on Ice-Sheet Mass Balance and Crustal Uplift

Mass-balance estimates of the polar ice sheets presently rely on static ice masks to identify the area under investigation. However, the vintage of available ice masks can differ by more than a decade and the resolution of the imagery used to delineate ice extent can differ by an order of magnitude, despite evidence of ongoing ice-sheet retreat. We show that using a fine resolution, time-varying ice mask significantly improves mass-balance estimates of the northwestern sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet and affects interpretation of local crustal uplift. Accounting for ice margin retreat using a time-varying ice mask between 2003–2015 results in 1.0–6.8% less ice-sheet mass loss relative to assuming one of several existing static ice masks. This indicates that mass-balance estimates that use a static ice mask will progressively overestimate mass loss where the ice sheet is predominantly retreating, meaning a negative bias on mass-balance. This trend is anticipated to be amplified in a future warming scenario unless updated ice masks are incorporated. For altimetry-derived mass-balance estimates, this ice-mask induced bias approaches the magnitude of the ice-sheet-wide uncertainty presently associated with spatiotemporal variability in modeled firn compaction. Further, at five GNET stations, the ice-mask-induced bias is equivalent to 5–15% of the modeled uplift due to elastic deformation. Given present and projected negative trends in Greenland Ice Sheet mass-balance and areal extent, we conclude that studies of its mass-balance should begin incorporating dynamic, periodically updated, fine-resolution ice masks. This methodological refinement will reduce bias in estimates of both ice-sheet mass-balance and crustal uplift.

Kristian K. Kjeldsen↗

Improved Treatment of Snow Over Ice Sheets in the NASA GISS Climate Model: Towards Ice Sheet–Climate Coupling

Representing the interactions between ice sheets and climate is essential for more accurate prediction of climate change and sea level rise. Ice sheets interact with the overlying atmosphere via the accumulation of snow and its compaction into firn, then ice, as well as the melting of surface snow and ice and the creation of runoff water. Getting an adequate representation of heat transfer, compaction, and melting processes is essential for an accurate representation of snow on land ice in global climate models. We are implementing an improved snow model on top of land ice as part of an effort to couple the NASA GISS climate model with the PISM ice sheet model. The new snow model includes additional layers and processes that are not currently incorporated (e.g., liquid water retention, percolation and refreezing, and snow densification), and mass and energy transfer methods that are consistent with both static ice sheets (with implicit iceberg fluxes) and interactive ice sheets (with explicit dynamics). We are tuning the densification scheme of this snow model with temperature and density data from common FirnCover and SumUp observations at locations in the accumulation zone of Greenland, and we compare the resulting density profiles to other SumUp density profiles in Greenland and Antarctica. We will assess the impact of this new snow model in climate model simulations with a static ice sheet compared with the previous (simpler) 2-layer snow model. Finally, we aim to use the non-coupled simulations as a baseline to assess the impact of dynamic coupling with an interactive ice sheet model.

snow↗

Idiot sheets - Preparing and using Database guide sheets

In connection with the utilization of databases, problems can arise with respect to the understanding or evaluation of the provided information. Database guide sheets can be an important aid for overcoming these problems. A number of systems are already sufficiently documented by guide sheets, while other systems do not have guide sheets with adequate descriptive information. Details regarding database guide sheets are discussed, taking into account the type of descriptive information provided, the sample online record, and access points and other related functions for searching the database. Attention is given to cases when a guide sheet should be made, details regarding the preparation of such a sheet, the importance of neatness, and important points which should be kept in mind when guide sheets are being prepared.

Jack, R. F.↗

Slicing of silicon into sheet material: Silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

Multiblade slurry sawing is used to slice 10 cm diameter silicon ingots into wafers 0.024 cm thick using 0.050 cm of silicon per slice (0.026 cm kerf loss). Total slicing time is less than twenty hours, and 143 slices are produced simultaneously. Productivity (slice area per hour per blade) is shown as a function or blade load and thickness, and abrasive size. Finer abrasive slurries cause a reduction in slice productivity, and thin blades cause a reduction of wafer accuracy. Sawing induced surface damage is found to extend 18 microns into the wafer.

Holden, S. C.↗

Slicing of silicon into sheet material. Silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

Fabrication of a prototype large capacity multiple blade slurry saw is considered. Design of the bladehead which will tension up to 1000 blades, and cut a 45 cm long silicon ingot as large as 12 cm in diameter is given. The large blade tensioning force of 270,000 kg is applied through two bolts acting on a pair of scissor toggles, significantly reducing operator set-up time. Tests with an upside-down cutting technique resulted in 100% wafering yields and the highest wafer accuracy yet experienced with MS slicing. Variations in oil and abrasives resulted only in degraded slicing results. A technique of continuous abrasive slurry separation to remove silicon debris is described.

Holden, S. C.↗

Hot forming of silicon sheet, silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the low cost silicon solar array project

The hot workability of polycrystalline silicon was studied. Uniaxail stress-strain curves are given for strain rates in the range of .0001 to .1/sec and temperatures from 1100 to 1380 C. At the highest strain rates at 1380 C axial strains in excess of 20% were easily obtainable without cracking. After deformations of 36%, recrystallization was completed within 0.1 hr at 1380 C. When the recrystallization was complete, there was still a small volume fraction of unrecyrstallized material which appeared very stable and may degrade the electronic properties of the bulk materials. Texture measurements showed that the as-produced vapor deposited polycrystalline rods have a 110 fiber texture with the 110 direction parallel to the growth direction and no preferred orientation about this axis. Upon axial compression perpendicular to the growth direction, the former 110 fiber axis changed to 111 and the compression axis became 110 . Recrystallization changed the texture to 110 along the former fiber axis and to 100 along the compression axis.

Graham, C. D., Jr.↗

Slicing of silicon into sheet material: Silicon sheet growth development for the large area silicon sheet task of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array project

The limits of blade tolerance were defined. The standard blades are T-2 thickness tolerance. Good results were obtained by using a slurry fluid consisting of mineral oil and a lubricity additive. Adjustments of the formulation and fine tuning of the cutting process with the new fluid are necessary. Test results and consultation indicate that the blade breakage encountered with water based slurries is unavoidable. Two full capacity (974 wafer) runs were made on the large prototype saw. Both runs resulted in extremely low yield. However, the reasons for the low yield were lack of proper technique rather than problems with machine function. The test on the effect of amount of material etched off of an as-sawn wafer on solar cell efficiency were completed. The results agree with previous work at JPL in that the minimum material removed per side that gives maximum efficiency is on the order of 10 microns.

Fleming, J. R.↗

Slicing of Silicon into Sheet Material. Silicon Sheet Growth Development for the Large Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project

Tests on mineral oil slurries show that the potential for workability and low cost is present. However, slurries tested to date which had sufficient lubricity exhibited wafer breakage problems near the end of the run for as-yet unknown reasons. The first test of the large prototype saw under cutting force control was largely successful in that the controller worked perfectly. Unfortunately a technique error (excessive stroke shortening) caused blade breakage and low yield. The latest run of the large saw pointed up the fact that an indication of end-of-stoke vertical motion, or bounce, is necessary. A circuit to provide such indication was fabricated and installed. Preliminary tests show it to be excessively noise sensitive; therefore, work on grounding and shielding to reduce this sensitivity is in progress.

Fleming, J. R.↗

Slicing of Silicon into Sheet Material: Silicon Sheet Growth Development for the Large Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project

Testing of low cost low suspension power slurry vehicles is presented. Cutting oils are unlikely to work, but a mineral oil with additives should be workable. Two different abrasives were tested. A cheaper silicon carbide from Norton gave excellent results except for excessive kerf loss: the particles were too big. An abrasive treated for lubricity showed no lubricity improvement in mineral oil vehicle. The bounce fixture was tested for the first time under constant cut rate conditions (rather than constant force). Although the cut was not completed before the blades broke, the blade lifetime of thin (100 micrometer) blades was 120 times the lifetime without the fixture. The large prototype saw completed a successful run, producing 90% cutting yield (849 wafers) at 20 wafers/cm. Although inexperience with large numbers of wafers caused cleaning breakage to reduce this yield to 74%, the yield was high enough that the concept of the large saw is proven workable.

Fleming, J. R.↗

Slicing of Silicon into Sheet Material. Silicon Sheet Growth Development for the Large Area Silicon Sheet Task of the Low Cost Solar Array Project

The use of multiblade slurry sawing to produce silicon wafers from ingots was investigated. The commercially available state of the art process was improved by 20% in terms of area of silicon wafers produced from an ingot. The process was improved 34% on an experimental basis. Economic analyses presented show that further improvements are necessary to approach the desired wafer costs, mostly reduction in expendable materials costs. Tests which indicate that such reduction is possible are included, although demonstration of such reduction was not completed. A new, large capacity saw was designed and tested. Performance comparable with current equipment (in terms of number of wafers/cm) was demonstrated.

Fleming, J. R.↗

Thermo Physics Facilities Branch Brochure ARC Jet Complex Fact Sheets, Hypervelocity Free-Flight Aerodynamic Facility Fact Sheets, Ames Vertical Gun Range Fact Sheets

The Ames Arc Jet Complex has a rich heritage of over 40 years in Thermal Protection System (TPS) development for every NASA Space Transportation and Planetary program, including Apollo, Space Shuttle, Viking, Pioneer-Venus, Galileo, Mars Pathfinder,Stardust, NASP,X-33,X-34,SHARP-B1 and B2,X-37 and Mars Exploration Rovers. With this early TPS history came a long heritage in the development of the arc jet facilities. These are used to simulate the aerodynamic heating that occurs on the nose cap, wing leading edges and on other areas of the spacecraft requiring thermal protection. TPS samples have been run in the arc jets from a few minutes to over an hour,from one exposure to multiple exposures of the same sample, in order t o understand the TPS materials response to a hot gas flow environment (representative of real hyperthermal environments experienced in flight). The Ames Arc l e t Complex is a key enabler for customers involved in the three major areas of TPS development: selection, validation, and qualification. The arc jet data are critical for validating TPS thermal models, heat shield designs and repairs, and ultimately for flight qualification.

Fretter, E. F.↗

The warped neutral sheet and plasma sheet in the near-earth geomagnetic tail

An analysis of ISEE 2 plasma and magnetic field data indicates that the plasma sheet and neutral sheet in the near-earth magnetotail are warped in such a manner that in summer (winter) the neutral sheet rises above (dips below) the solar magnetospheric equatorial plane near the center of the tail, but dips below (rises above) the equatorial plane along the tail flanks. In the near tail, the neutral sheet crosses the equatorial plane at about 12 earth radii from the aberrated X axis, considerably closer to the center of the tail than has been inferred from data obtained farther downstream. This increase in the warp with decreasing distance from the earth is consistent with theoretical predictions. In the near tail, the warp is sufficiently strong when the dipole tilt angle is large that even in quiet times the upper or lower edge of the plasma sheet can be found close to the solar magnetospheric equatorial plane along the tail flanks. The seasonal dependence of the warp can produce certain dawn-dusk asymmetries in satellite data which are more apparent than real.

Gosling, J. T.↗

Ice-age Ice-sheet Rheology: Constraints from the Last Glacial Maximum Form of the Laurentide Ice Sheet

State-ot-the-art thermomechanical models of the modern Greenland ice and the ancient Laurenticle ice sheet that covered Canada at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) are not able to explain simultaneously the observed forms of these cryospheric structures when the same, anisotropy-enhanced, version of the conventional Glen flow law is employed to describe their rheology. The LGM Laurenticle ice sheet. predicted to develop in response to orbital climate forcing, is such that the ratio of its thickness to its horizontal extent is extremely large compared to the aspect ratio inferred on the basis of surface-geomorphological and solid-earth-geophysical constraints. We show that if the Glen flow law representation of the rheology is replaced with a new rheology based upon very high quality laboratory measurements of the stress-strain-rate relation, then the aspect ratios of both the modern Greenland ice sheet and the Laurenticle ice sheet, that existed at the LGM, are simultaneously explained with little or no retuning of the flow law.

Peltier, W. Richard↗