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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2023

Venus Surface Environmental Chamber Test of SiC JFET-R Multi-Chip Circuit Board

This poster describes a first attempt to demonstrate a multi-chip prototype lander control and sensor signal digitization electronics circuit board comprised of ten NASA Glenn IC Generation 11 SiC JFET-R IC chips in 460 °C, 9.4 MPa harsh Venus surface conditions. The lander circuit ceased electrical operation prematurely at 107 °C as the Venus chamber heated up. Optical and SEM post-test inspections indicate fatal dielectric cracks occurred on only one of the ten SiC chips.

silicon carbide↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Progress Towards Prolonged Deployment of SiC JFET-R ICs Into Previously Inaccessible Hostile Environments

This invited presentation describes demonstration of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and ceramic packaging that are arguably the most environmentally durable transistor electronics ever demonstrated. SiC junction field effect transistor-resistor (JFET-R) ICs with two-level interconnect have successfully operated for over 1 year in 500 °C air-ambient [1], 60 days in 460 °C and 9.3 MPa pressure caustic Venus surface environment test chamber [2], and radiation exposure through 7 Mrad(Si) total ionizing dose (TID) and 86 MeV-cm2/mg heavy ion strikes [3]. Furthermore, these ICs have also demonstrated operation from -190 °C to +812 °C (over 1000 °C T-span) without significant change in signal (input /output) or power supply voltages [4]. With modest adjustments, the SiC JFET-R fabrication process is compatible with semiconductor mass-production tools and materials. As an initial step towards this end, the processing that forms the SiC JFETs and resistors (without interconnect) for the NASA Glenn “Generation 12” design prototype JFET-R ICs was conducted at GE Research. Once the COVID-delayed IC interconnect and bond pad fabrication processing on these wafers is completed at NASA Glenn, the resulting chips will be packaged and oven-tested [5]. It is expected that further technology transfer to complete commercial production will lower investment and risk barriers to useful application deployment. For NASA, an initial high-value deployment is opening the Venus surface to extended missions for robotic scientific exploration.

Silicon Carbide↗
NASA NTRS2020

Progressing -190 °C to +500 °C Durable SiC JFET ICs From MSI to LSI

This invited paper describes prototype SiC JFET integrated circuit (IC) and packaging technology that has produced arguably the most harsh-environment durable electronics ever demonstrated. Prototype medium-scale integration (MSI) ICs fabricated by NASA Glenn Research Center have successfully operated for over 1 year in 500 °C air-ambient, over 60 days in 460 °C and 9.3 MPa pressure caustic Venus surface environment test chamber, from -190 °C to +812 °C, and radiation exposure through 7 MRad(Si) total ionizing dose and 86 MeV-cm2/mg heavy ion strikes. Recent on-going work focused on upscaling this “go anywhere” IC capability from MSI to large-scale integration (LSI) prototype via benchmark memory ICs is described.

Integrated Circuits↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER)

World class facility and a Planetary Science Community's asset. GEER is capable of simulating a variety of temperature, pressure and atmospheric gas mixes to simulate extreme environments in the Solar System.

GEER↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER)

World class facility and a Planetary Science Community's asset. GEER is capable of simulating a variety of temperature, pressure and atmospheric gas mixes to simulate extreme environments in the Solar System.

GEER↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Progress Towards SiC ASICs for Extreme Temperature and Radiation Environments

This presentation describes development and demonstrations of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and ceramic packaging that are arguably the most environmentally durable transistor electronics ever demonstrated. Silicon carbide (SiC) junction field effect transistor-resistor (JFET-R) ICs fabricated by NASA Glenn Research Center with two-level interconnect have successfully operated for over 1 year in 500 °C air-ambient, 60 days in 460 °C and 9.3 MPa pressure caustic Venus surface environment test chamber, and radiation exposure through 7 Mrad(Si) total ionizing dose (TID) and 86 MeV-cm2/mg heavy ion strikes. Furthermore, these ICs have also demonstrated operation from -190 °C to +812 °C (over 1000 °C temperature span) without significant change in signal (input /output) or power supply voltages. While the operating frequency and functional complexity is far below silicon-based ICs, these SiC application specific ICs (ASICs) are nevertheless becoming capable of providing unique and advantageous harsh-environment circuit functionality without cooling/sheltering overhead. With modest adjustments, the SiC JFET-R fabrication process is compatible with semiconductor mass-production tools and materials. As an initial step towards manufacture, a majority of processing steps to realize the next SiC JFET-R IC prototype wafer run have been outsourced to commercial foundry. It is expected that further upscaling combined with technology transfer to commercial production will lower investment and risk barriers to useful application deployment.

high temperature↗
NASA NTRS1992

The thermal engine of Venus: Implications from the impact crater distribution

Questions concerning the state of Venus' volcanological activity are currently under investigation. These questions were raised by the imaging radar and altimetric data obtained by the Magellan spacecraft, which began mapping Venus in Sept. 1990. Clues about the answers to these questions are provided by the nature and distribution of impact craters on the surface of Venus. Statistical tests show that the distribution of craters on Venus cannot be distinguished from a completely spatially random population. Further, the majority of craters look relatively pristine; only about 5 percent of the observed craters appear to be embayed or flooded by lavas. The simplest interpretation of these observations is a model in which the impact craters lie on a surface that has been undisturbed by volcanological and tectonic processes since the time the surface was formed. Counting up the number of craters and estimating the rate at which meteoroids strike the surface then gives an age for the venusian surface of 500 million years; in this model the volcanic activity since that time has been essentially nil. This scenario is described as a 'production' model, or perhaps more appropriately, a 'catastrophic' model.

Phillips, Roger J.↗
NASA NTRS2017

GEER Status Update

History: The Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) first became operational in the early part of 2015. Since that time GEER has completed a number of scientific tests and has undergone improvements in the chemical delivery system and analytics following a year of operations experience. Recent Updates: In June 2016, the GEER process system was rebuilt to provide a more robust system, higher accuracy and new capabilities. New insulation was installed on the exterior of the pressure vessel and gas lines. The newly revamped GEER plumbing system can provide extremely precise custom gas mixtures using any gas desired by the investigator in any combination. GEER can heat the resulting mixture up to 500 deg C and 1500 psia. The 304 stainless steel vessel walls were polished to reduce corrosion rate and reduce unwanted chemical reactions. The process lines were replaced with high purity Sulfinert coated tubing. The GEER team added the ability to individually boost specialty gases to GEER thus allowing operators to make very precise changes to the gas chemistry inside of GEER during a test while at high temperature and pressure. High accuracy mass flow meters were added to further improve gas mixing accuracy and precision. An in-line, integrated Inficon MicroGC Fusion was added for real time gas analysis along with a high purity gas sampling system, providing fully automated, real time analysis of the gas chemistry inside of GEER in minutes. This complements a co-located mass spectrometer and both are used for regular monitoring of the vessel chemistry. All internal vessel components were replaced with polished 304SS equivalents. Hot vent down capability was increased. Finally, an automated liquid injection system was added and is rated for max vessel operating conditions of (1500 psia, 500 C). Recent Results and Publications: In May 2016, GEER completed a test that exposed high temperature electronics to Venus surface conditions for 21.5 days. This demonstrated the potential for operating robotic spacecraft in the Venus environment without the need for thermal or environmental protection. Results from this test were published in December 2016 and received national media attention. In April 2017 GEER implemented an 80 day test at Venus surface conditions to simulate chemical weathering of expected Venus minerals. This test supported a ROSES award to a team led by Prof. Ralph Harvey of Case Western Reserve University. The test concluded in July 2017 and nearly doubled previous operation record of 42 days at Venus surface conditions. Preliminary results of these and previous experiments were presented at the recent Venus Modeling Workshop. In June 2017, NASA TM2017-219437 "Chemical and Microstructural Changes in Metallic and Ceramic Materials Exposed to Venusian Surface Conditions" was published. This report provides an extensive and valuable resource detailing the behavior of a variety of engineering materials at Venus surface conditions. Community Involvement: An external science advisory panel has been formed.

Kremic, Tibor↗
NASA NTRS2012

Experimental Investigation into the Radar Anomalies on the Surface of Venus

Radar mapping of thc surface of Venus shows areas of high reflectivity (low emissivity) in the Venusian highlands at altitudes between 2.5-4.75 kilometers. The origin of the radar anomalies found in the Venusian highlands remains unclear. Most explanations of the potential causes for these radar anomalies come from theoretical work. Previous studies suggest increased surface roughness or materials with higher dielectric constants as well as surface atmospheric interactions. Several possible candidates of high-dielectric materials are tellurium) ferroelectric materials, and lead or bismuth sulfides. While previous studies have been influential in determining possible sources for the Venus anomalies, only a very few hypotheses have been verified via experimentation. This work intends to experimentally constrain the source of the radar anomalies on Venus. This study proposes to investigate four possible materials that could potentially cause the high reflectivities on the surface of Venus and tests their behavior under simulated Venusian conditions.

Kohler, E.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Operational Testing of 4H-SiC JFET ICs for 60 Days Directly Exposed to Venus Surface Atmospheric Conditions

Prolonged Venus surface missions (lasting months instead of hours) have proven infeasible to date in the absence of a complete suite of electronics able to function for such durations without protection from the planet’s extreme conditions of ~460 °C, ~9.3 MPa (~ 92 Earth atmospheres) chemically reactive environment. Here we report testing data from a successful two-month (60-day) operational demonstration of two 175-transistor 4H-SiC junction field effect transistor (JFET) semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) directly exposed (no cooling and no protective chip packaging) to a high-fidelity physical and chemical reproduction of Venus surface atmospheric conditions in a test chamber. These results extend the longest reported duration of electronics operation in Venus surface atmospheric conditions almost 3-fold and were accomplished using prototype SiC JFET chips of more than 7-fold increased complexity. The demonstrated advancement marks a significant step towards realization of electronics with sufficient complexity and durability for implementing robotic landers capable of returning months of scientific data from the surface of Venus.

Integrated Circuit↗
NASA NTRS2018

Sixty Earth-Days Test of a Prototype Pt/HTCC Alumina Package in Simulated Venus Environment

This paper presents experimental results of a prototype high temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) package with Au/Pt metallization in a three-phase harsh environment test that culminated with 60-day demonstration in simulated Venus surface environment of 465 degC with corrosive atmosphere at 90 bar pressure. The prototype package is based on previously developed and reported HTCC package successfully tested with multiple analog and digital silicon carbide (SiC) high temperatures semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) at NASA Glenn Research Center in 500 degC Earth air ambient for over ten thousands hours, and short-term tested at temperatures above 800 degC. The three-phase harsh environment test started with 48 hours in 465 degC Earth air, followed by 48 hours in 465 degC nitrogen at 90 bar pressure and 1400 hours in simulated Venus surface environment of 465 degC with corrosive atmosphere at 90 bar. Initial analytical results of the package materials and surfaces after exposure to Venus environment are discussed to assess the stability of the packaging materials in the tested environments. The test in simulated Venus environment was implemented in the NASA Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER). The results of this study suggest that an effective encapsulation of areas of surface metallization and vicinities may help to improve electrical performance of a HTCC alumina packaging system in Venus environment.

Chen, Liangyu↗
NASA NTRS2018

Sixty Earth-Days Test of a Prototype Pt/HTCC Alumina Package in Simulated Venus Environment

This paper presents experimental results of a prototype high temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) package with Au/Pt metallization in a three-phase harsh environment test that culminated with 60-day demonstration in simulated Venus surface environment of 465 degrees Centigrade with corrosive atmosphere at 90 bars pressure. The prototype package is based on a previously developed and reported HTCC package successfully tested with multiple analog and digital silicon carbide (SiC) high temperatures semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) at NASA Glenn Research Center in 500 degrees Centigrade Earth air ambient for over ten thousand hours, and short-term tested at temperatures above 800 degrees Centigrade. The three-phase harsh environment test started with 48 hours in 465 degrees Centigrade Earth air, followed by 48 hours in 465 degrees Centigrade nitrogen at 90-bar pressure and 1400 hours in simulated Venus surface environment of 465 degrees Centigrade with corrosive atmosphere at 90 bars. Initial analytical results of the package materials and surfaces after exposure to the Venus environment are discussed to assess the stability of the packaging materials in the tested environments. The test in a simulated Venus environment was implemented in the NASA Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER). The results of this study suggest that an effective encapsulation of areas of surface metallization and vicinities may help to improve electrical performance of a HTCC alumina packaging system in Venus environment.

Chen, Liang-Yu↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Glenn Extreme Environments Rig (GEER) Facility Users Guide

The Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER) is a large capacity pressure vessel capable of simulating high pressure and temperature conditions with a specified, custom mixture of gas. The chamber is certified for operation in physical and chemical conditions representative of the surface conditions of Venus. It can accommodate large scientific or engineering test articles while maintaining the specified conditions indefinitely. The user-configurable gas supply is capable of handling a mixture of up to nine independent streams for injection directly into the vessel. GEER is supported in part by NASA’s Planetary Science Division under the Science Mission Directorate and is available for use by the commercial, academic, and research communities. GEER was operationally commissioned in November of 2014. At that time, it successfully maintained the temperature, pressure, and chemistry of the Venus surface atmosphere. In the spring of 2015, GEER began operations for engineering and scientific research. Since then, over 20 tests have been successfully conducted in the chamber with a variety of atmospheric test conditions.

Blake W. Beckley↗
NASA NTRS2017

Static Wind Tunnel Testing of a Legged Venus Lander

A static wind tunnel test was conducted to determine the static aerodynamic coe cients of the surface lander design proposed by the Venus In-Situ Atmospheric and Geochemical Explorer (VISAGE). The baseline design of the lander consists of a spherical pressure vessel with a top-mounted circular drag plate for aerodynamic deceleration, and three xed landing legs. A modular subscale lander model, which allowed testing of several drag plate and landing leg con gurations, was fabricated using rapid-prototyping techniques. The model was tested with four di erent drag plates and three di erent leg con gurations, at a dynamic pressure of 1610 Pa and Mach number of 0.15. Testing was conducted using legs of varying diameter in order to determine the appropriate scaling of the results to Reynolds numbers representative of terminal descent at Venus. The static aerodynamic force (axial, normal, and side), and moment (rolling, pitching, yawing) coe cients for each lander con guration were determined as a function of model orientation. All model con gurations were found to be statically stable in the range of total angles of attack considered (0 to 30 deg). However, the drag performance and degree of static stability of the model were dependent on the dihedral angle of the circular drag plate. The results will enable the creation of a preliminary aerodatabase for the VISAGE lander concept, and allow the e ect of design changes on aerodynamic performance to be evaluated.

Rabinovitch, Jason↗
NASA NTRS1992

Atmospheric effects on ejecta emplacement and crater formation on Venus from Magellan

Surface signatures of energy partitioning are used as a framework for testing extrapolations from laboratory experiments and other planetary settings to assess the effects of both gravity and an atmosphere on impact crater formation on Venus. The dense lower atmosphere of Venus is found to assume the role of a low-density target for bodies smaller than about 4 km in diameter. Air blasts created by cratering in the atmosphere produce distinctive surface signatures that allow the derivation of an independent assessment of impactor energy at the limit of break up. Dynamic pressures during entry of larger bodies will exceed their strength limit but may not prevent penetration of the atmosphere due to aerodynamic reshaping that minimizes the drag coefficient. This process may account for the formation of unusually small craters (1-3 km). The dense atmosphere of Venus preserves signatures of early time cratering processes on the surface that are typically lost on atmosphere-free surfaces.

Schultz, Peter H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Venus Pressure Chamber: A Small Testing Facility Available to the Community

Venus is an inhospitable planet where the surface mean. temperature is approximately 740K and the global mean pressure is approximately 95 bars. The atmosphere is comprised mostly of CO2 (approximately 96.5%) and N2 (approximately3.5%) with trace amounts of CO and other reactive gases. Although Venus is very similar in size and mass with the Earth and is Earth's nearest planetary neighbor, it has not received many visitors from Earth, especially those that can land on the surface. The challenge most often cited for this scarcity of surface probes is the workability/survivability of instruments and equipment in Venus' harsh environment. In order to overcome this obstacle, a small pressure chamber has been acquired for use by the scientific community. It is housed at Goddard Space. Flight Center in Maryland and is available to the community for testing of small flight components, instruments and short-term experiments that require high temperatures and pressures.

Johnson, Natasha M.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Hot spot heat transfer - Its application to Venus and implications to Venus and earth

Using a model that gives a relationship between surface elevation, lithospheric thickness, and heat flux, the hot spot heat loss mechanism is tested for Venus. The mechanism is found to readily explain the predicted heat loss of the planet with a modest number of hot spots (of the order of 35). Lithospheric thickness variations can explain approximately 93 percent of the mapped topography of Venus. Above a radius of 6053 km, additional compensation is required, and this can be effected by incorporating a variable thickness crust into the model. If it is assumed that the crust is generated on the crests of the hot spots, probably by processes associated with volcanism, the model is consistent with nearly 99 percent of the mapped topography of Venus. In addition, the model is basically consistent with available gravity data and interpretations that suggest compensated topography and great depths of compensation (100-1000 km) for the midlatitudes of the planet. It is thought that the approximately 1 percent of the topography not explained by hot spot crustal generation is compensated at a shallower depth primarily by variations in crustal thickness that are not directly related to hot spot volcanism.

Morgan, P.↗