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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

Overview of Coupon Testing of an IM7/8552 Composite Required to Characterize High-Energy Impact Dynamic Material Models

As part of NASA’s Advanced Composites Project (ACP), a significant research effort was established to develop and mature analysis methods for composite materials particularly applicable to high-energy dynamic impact applications. An overall goal was to develop and advance analysis methods that can be characterized using fundamental coupon level tests. Based on this fundamental characterization, simulations at the higher levels of a building block approach can be purely predictive. The tests described in this report were performed on a unidirectional carbon fiber polymer matrix composite, IM7/8552 tape, as this material system is representative of a modern aerospace grade carbon fiber tape system. These tests were chosen to provide fundamental material characterization data for three representative progressive damage and failure analysis material models available within the LS-DYNA commercial transient dynamic finite element code for use in the simulation of the dynamic and impact response of composite materials. Two of the material models, MAT162 and MAT261, are well established material models within LS-DYNA. The third material model, MAT213, is under active development. Testing consisted primarily of ASTM-type standard tests, and the tests that were performed were consistent with the needs of all three models. Additionally, coupon level tests were performed that can be used to characterize a delamination model (e.g., cohesive zone or tie-break contact). While, the tests described in this report provide fundamental material characterization data for all three of the material models mentioned above, the data is applicable to additional material models not discussed.

Justusson, Brian P.↗

Measurements of energy distribution and wall temperature in flowing hydrogen microwave plasma systems

An electrothermal propulsion concept utilizing a microwave plasma system as the mechanism to convert electromagnetic energy into translational energy of the flowing gas is being investigated. A calorimetric experimental system has been designed and built enclosing the microwave plasma system to accurately determine the net energy transferred to the flowing gas. For a flow rate of 8900 micromoles/sec, a pressure of 7.4 torr, and an absorbed power level of 80 W, an energy transfer efficiency of 50 percent has been measured. A heat transfer model that characterizes the energy transfer processes in the plasma is developed. A wall temperature for the plasma system is calculated.

Chapman, R.↗

Integrated energy balance analysis for Space Station Freedom

An integrated simulation model is described which characterizes the dynamic interaction of the energy transport subsystems of Space Station Freedom for given orbital conditions and for a given set of power and thermal loads. Subsystems included in the model are the Electric Power System (EPS), the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS), the External Thermal Control System (ETCS), and the cabin Temperature and Humidity Control System (THC) (which includes the avionics air cooling, cabin air cooling, and intermodule ventilation systems). Models of the subsystems were developed in a number of system-specific modeling tools and validated. The subsystem models are then combined into integrated models to address a number of integrated performance issues involving the ability of the integrated energy transport system of Space Station Freedom to provide power, controlled cabin temperature and humidity, and equipment thermal control to support operations.

Tandler, John↗

Accreting X-ray pulsar atmospheres heated by Coulomb deceleration of protons

Results are presented from detailed self-consistent models of accreting magnetized neutron star atmospheres, heated by the gradual deceleration of infalling protons via Coulomb encounters. The temperature and density gradients are calculated assuming momentum and energy balance, coupled with the radiative transfer for two polarizations. The cyclotron resonance effects were treated approximately. These models are characterized by power-law energy spectra, with single pulses at higher frequencies and multiple pulses at lower ones for some aspect angles, as well as a phase-dependent spectral index.

Meszaros, P.↗

Modeling and Characterization of Crushable Composite Structures

The crushing response and the energy absorption capacity of a quasi-isotropic C-shaped composite panel is presented to simulate the progressive damage and failure mechanisms involved in the component testing. Crushable composite structures are widely used for impact applications, as because of their great high-energy absorption capability and lower weight. Simulating the crush characteristics of composite structures is challenging, as the conventional tools fail to accurately represent the failure mechanisms at the component level. Here, a cost-effective predictive tool ‘CZone’ is applied for simulating the crushing response of composite materials. CZone for Abaqus (CZA) is an add-on capability for Abaqus/Explicit and combines with the commercially available impact modeling capabilities included within the Abaqus finite element software package.

crush zone↗

Use of Satellite Data Assimilation to Infer Land Surface Thermal Inertia

There are two important but observationally uncertain parameters in the grid averaged surface energy budgets of mesoscale models - surface moisture availability and thermal heat capacity. A technique has been successfully developed for assimilating Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) skin temperature tendencies during the mid-morning time frame to improve specification of surface moisture. In a new application of the technique, the use of satellite skin temperature tendencies in early evening is explored to improve specification of the surface thermal heat capacity. Together, these two satellite assimilation constraints have been shown to significantly improve the characterization of the surface energy budget of a mesoscale model on fine spatial scales. The GOES assimilation without the adjusted heat capacity was run operationally during the International H2O Project on a 12-km grid. This paper presents the results obtained when using both the moisture availability and heat capacity retrievals in concert. Preliminary results indicate that retrieved moisture availability alone improved the verification statistics of 2-meter temperature and dew point forecasts. Results from the 1.5 month long study period using the bulk heat capacity will be presented at the meeting.

Lapenta, William↗

Projected Impact of Climate Change on the Energy Budget of the Arctic Ocean by a Global Climate Model

The annual energy budget of the Arctic Ocean is characterized by a net heat loss at the air-sea interface that is balanced by oceanic heat transport into the Arctic. The energy loss at the air-sea interface is due to the combined effects of radiative, sensible, and latent heat fluxes. The inflow of heat by the ocean can be divided into two components: the transport of water masses of different temperatures between the Arctic and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the export of sea ice, primarily through Fram Strait. Two 150-year simulations (1950-2099) of a global climate model are used to examine how this balance might change if atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase. One is a control simulation for the present climate with constant 1950 atmospheric composition, and the other is a transient experiment with observed GHGs from 1950 to 1990 and 0.5% annual compounded increases of CO2 after 1990. For the present climate the model agrees well with observations of radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere, atmospheric advective energy transport into the Arctic, and surface air temperature. It also simulates the seasonal cycle and summer increase of cloud cover and the seasonal cycle of sea-ice cover. In addition, the changes in high-latitude surface air temperature and sea-ice cover in the GHG experiment are consistent with observed changes during the last 40 and 20 years, respectively. Relative to the control, the last 50-year period of the GHG experiment indicates that even though the net annual incident solar radiation at the surface decreases by 4.6 W(per square meters) (because of greater cloud cover and increased cloud optical depth), the absorbed solar radiation increases by 2.8 W(per square meters) (because of less sea ice). Increased cloud cover and warmer air also cause increased downward thermal radiation at the surface so that the net radiation into the ocean increases by 5.0 Wm-2. The annual increase in radiation into the ocean, however, is compensated by larger increases in sensible and latent heat fluxes out of the ocean. Although the net energy loss from the ocean surface increases by 0.8 W (per square meters), this is less than the interannual variability, and the increase may not indicate a long-term trend. The seasonal cycle of heat fluxes is significantly enhanced. The downward surface heat flux increases in summer (maximum 2 of 19 W per square meters or 23% in June) while the upward heat flux increases in winter (maximum of 16 W per square meters or 28% in November). The increased downward flux in summer is due to a combination of increases in absorbed solar and thermal radiation and smaller losses of sensible and latent heat. The increased heat loss in winter is due to increased sensible and latent heat fluxes, which in turn are due to reduced sea-ice cover. On the other hand, the seasonal cycle of surface air temperature is damped, as there is a large increase in winter temperature but little change in summer.

Miller, James R.↗

Interplanetary Radiation and Internal Charging Environment Models for Solar Sails

A Solar Sail Radiation Environment (SSRE) model has been developed for defining charged particle environments over an energy range from 0.01 keV to 1 MeV for hydrogen ions, helium ions, and electrons. The SSRE model provides the free field charged particle environment required for characterizing energy deposition per unit mass, charge deposition, and dose rate dependent conductivity processes required to evaluate radiation dose and internal (bulk) charging processes in the solar sail membrane in interplanetary space. Solar wind and energetic particle measurements from instruments aboard the Ulysses spacecraft in a solar, near-polar orbit provide the particle data over a range of heliospheric latitudes used to derive the environment that can be used for radiation and charging environments for both high inclination 0.5 AU Solar Polar Imager mission and the 1.0 AU L1 solar missions. This paper describes the techniques used to model comprehensive electron, proton, and helium spectra over the range of particle energies of significance to energy and charge deposition in thin (less than 25 micrometers) solar sail materials.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

Microwave characteristics of the ocean surface in the 1-10 GHz band

The microwave characteristics of calm, rough, and foam-covered ocean surfaces were studied, and a technique was developed for deriving thermodynamic ocean surface temperatures from brightness temperatures measured by an earth-orbiting radiometer. This investigation encompassed frequencies in the range 1 to 10 GHz (wavelength range of 30 to 3 cm) and was based on the use of a one-dimensional geometrical optics roughness model, including shadowing and multiple scattering of radiant electromagnetic energy. Provision is made in the model for characterizing surface roughness through the rms slope versus wind velocity relations previously established. Suitable foam and atmospheric models were superimposed on the roughness model.

Strong, A. E.↗

Modeling Microbiological Interactions with Hydrothermal Flow

All organisms require energy. Characterizing and quantifying the biological demand for energy places constraints on the possible interactions of organisms with each other and with the environment. This talk will consider energetic and mass transfer constraints on the ecology of hydrothermal vent microbes. Following a general introduction to the biological energy requirements and their link to environmental conditions, energy constraints will be applied to several vent-relevant case studies.

Hoehler, Tori↗

Assimilation of Remotely Sensed Leaf Area Index into the Noah-MP Land Surface Model: Impacts on Water and Carbon Fluxes and States over the Continental U.S.

Accurate representation of vegetation states is required for the modeling of terrestrial water-energy-carbon exchanges and the characterization of the impacts of natural and anthropogenic vegetation changes on the land surface. This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of assimilating remote sensing-based Leaf Area Index (LAI) retrievals over the Continental U.S. in the Noah-MP land surface model, during a time period of 2000 to 2017. The results demonstrate that the assimilation has a beneficial impact on the simulation of key water budget terms such as soil moisture, evapotranspiration, snow depth, terrestrial water storage and streamflow, when compared with a large suite of reference datasets. In addition, the assimilation of LAI is also found to improve the carbon fluxes of Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE). Most prominent improvements in the water and carbon variables are observed over the agricultural areas of the U.S., where assimilation improves the representation of vegetation seasonality impacted by cropping schedules. The systematic, added improvements from assimilation in a configuration that employs high quality boundary conditions highlight the significant utility of LAI data assimilation in capturing the impacts of vegetation changes.

anthropogenic vegetation↗

A model of diffuse radar scattering from Martian surface rocks

Two physically plausible surface rock-orientation models are presently used to characterize the depolarized component of diffuse radar energy scattering on Mars, and plots of scattering cross-section are derived as a function of Doppler shift. The spectral shapes thus modeled exhibit similarities to observed spectra; their magnitudes are generally within a factor of about 2 of measured values. While surface inhomogeneities could account for the degree of discrepancy, subsurface element scattering may also be implicated.

Calvin, Wendy M.↗

Fundamental Remote Sensing Science Research Program. Part 1: Scene Radiation and Atmospheric Effects Characterization Project

Brief articles summarizing the status of research in the scene radiation and atmospheric effect characterization (SRAEC) project are presented. Research conducted within the SRAEC program is focused on the development of empirical characterizations and mathematical process models which relate the electromagnetic energy reflected or emitted from a scene to the biophysical parameters of interest.

R E Murphy↗

Non-Maxwellian velocity distribution functions associated with steep temperature gradients in the solar transition region. Paper 1: Estimate of the electron velocity distribution functions

It was shown that, in the presence of the steep temperature gradients characteristic of EUV models of the solar transition region, the electron and proton velocity distribution functions are non-Maxwellian and are characterized by high energy tails. The magnitude of these tails are estimated for a model of the transition region and the heat flux is calculated at a maximum of 30 percent greater than predicted by collision-dominated theory.

Roussel-Dupre, R.↗

Characterizing the Energy Scale of the XRS on Astro-E2

The XRS on Astro-E2 consists of a microcalorimeter array with 31 active pixels. The XRS energy scale, which converts the measured pulse heights to the energies of the photons incident on the array, is a non-linear function of the thermal properties of the pixels and the power and noise conditions on the array. Each of the pixels operates independently and requires an individual energy scale. Analytic models of the XRS pulses are currently being developed that will be used to model the energy scale. However, because of the inherent complexity, a full empirical calibration of the energy scale is being conducted. The XRS energy scale has been calibrated for a range of operating conditions including variations in the detector temperature, bath temperatures, and photon flux. This allows us to characterize the functional dependence of the energy scale on these variables and to then generate a semi-empirical model that can be used to account for variations in operating conditions in space. We will present the results of the empirical characterization and comparisons to the analytic models.

Cottam, J.↗

Solar Activity Across the Scales: from Small-Scale Quiet-Sun Dynamics to Magnetic Activity Cycles

Observations as well as numerical and theoretical models show that solar dynamics is characterized by complicated interactions and energy exchanges among different temporal and spatial scales. It reveals magnetic self-­‐organization processes from the smallest scale magnetized vortex tubes to the global activity variation known as the solar cycle. To understand these multiscale processes and their relationships, we use a two-­fold approach: 1) рealistic 3D radiative MHD simulations of local dynamics together with high-­‐resolution observations by IRIS, Hinode, and SDO; and 2) modeling of solar activity cycles by using simplified MHD dynamo models and mathematical data assimilation techniques. We present recent results of this approach, including the interpretation of observational results from NASA heliophysics missions and predictive capabilities. In particular, we discuss the links between small-­‐scale dynamo processes in the convection zone and atmospheric dynamics, as well as an early prediction of Solar Cycle 25.

Magneti↗

Solar Activity Across the Scales: From Small-Scale Quiet-Sun Dynamics to Magnetic Activity Cycles

Observations as well as numerical and theoretical models show that solar dynamics is characterized by complicated interactions and energy exchanges among different temporal and spatial scales. It reveals magnetic self-organization processes from the smallest scale magnetized vortex tubes to the global activity variation known as the solar cycle. To understand these multiscale processes and their relationships, we use a two-fold approach: 1) realistic 3D radiative MHD simulations of local dynamics together with high resolution observations by IRIS, Hinode, and SDO; and 2) modeling of solar activity cycles by using simplified MHD dynamo models and mathematical data assimilation techniques. We present recent results of this approach, including the interpretation of observational results from NASA heliophysics missions and predictive capabilities. In particular, we discuss the links between small-scale dynamo processes in the convection zone and atmospheric dynamics, as well as an early prediction of Solar Cycle 25.

Solar↗