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Results for “eutectic mixtures”

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 NTRS1975

Bonding of sapphire to sapphire by eutectic mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide

Bonding of an element comprising sapphire, ruby or blue sapphire to another element of such material with a eutectic mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide is discussed. The bonding mixture may be applied in the form of a distilled water slurry or by electron beam vapor deposition. In one embodiment the eutectic is formed in situ by applying a layer of zirconium oxide and then heating the assembly to a temperature above the eutectic temperature and below the melting point of the material from which the elements are formed. The formation of a sapphire rubidium maser cell utilizing eutectic bonding is shown.

Deluca, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Bonding of sapphire to sapphire by eutectic mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide

An element comprising sapphire, ruby or blue sapphire can be bonded to another element of such material with a eutectic mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. The bonding mixture may be applied in the form of a distilled water slurry or by electron beam vapor deposition. In one embodiment the eutectic is formed in situ by applying a layer of zirconium oxide and then heating the assembly to a temperature above the eutectic temperature and below the melting point of the material from which the elements are formed. The formation of a sapphire rubidium maser cell utilizing eutectic bonding is shown.

Deluca, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Zero-gravity growth of a sodium chloride-lithium fluoride eutectic mixture

Continuous and discontinuous lithium fluoride fibers embedded in a sodium chloride matrix were produced in space and on Earth, respectively. The production of continuous fibers in a eutectic mixture was attributed to the absence of convective current in the liquid during solidification in space. Image transmission and optical transmittance measurements of transverse sections of the space-grown and Earth-grown ingots were made with a light microscope and a spectrometer. It was found that better optical properties were obtained from samples grown in space. This was attributed to a better alignment of lithium fluoride fibers along the growth direction.

Yue, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

High-temperature molten salt thermal energy storage systems for solar applications

Alkali and alkaline earth carbonate latent-heat storage salts, metallic containment materials, and thermal conductivity enhancement materials were investigated to satisfy the high temperature (704 to 871 C) thermal energy storage requirements of advanced solar-thermal power generation concepts are described. Properties of the following six salts selected for compatibility studies are given: three pure carbonates, K2CO3, Li2CO3 and Na2CO3; two eutectic mixtures, BaCO3/Na2CO3 and K2CO3/NaCO3, and one off-eutectic mixture of Na2CO3/K2CO3.

Petri, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Solar dynamic heat receiver technology

A full-size, solar dynamic heat receiver was designed to meet the requirements specified for electrical power modules on the U.S. Space Station, Freedom. The heat receiver supplies thermal energy to power a heat engine in a closed Brayton cycle using a mixture of helium-xenon gas as the working fluid. The electrical power output of the engine, 25 kW, requires a 100 kW thermal input throughout a 90 minute orbit, including when the spacecraft is eclipsed for up to 36 minutes from the sun. The heat receiver employs an integral thermal energy storage system utilizing the latent heat available through the phase change of a high-temperature salt mixture. A near eutectic mixture of lithium fluoride and calcium difluoride is used as the phase change material. The salt is contained within a felt metal matrix which enhances heat transfer and controls the salt void distribution during solidification. Fabrication of the receiver is complete and it was delivered to NASA for verification testing in a simulated low-Earth-orbit environment. This document reviews the receiver design and describes its fabrication history. The major elements required to operate the receiver during testing are also described.

Sedgwick, Leigh M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Influence of convection on microstructure

The mechanism responsible for the difference in microstructure caused by solidifying the MnBi-Bi eutectic in space is sought. The objectives for the three year period are as follows: (1) completion of the following theoretical analyses - determination of the influence of the Soret effect on the average solid composition versus distance of off-eutectic mixtures directionally solidified in the absence of convection, determination of the influence of convection on the microstructure of off-eutectic mixtures using a linear velocity profile in the adjacent melt, determination of the influence of volumetric changes during solidification on microconvection near the freezing interface and on microstructure, and determination of the influence of convection on microstructure when the MnBi fibers project out in front of the bismuth matrix; (2) search for patterns in the effect of microgravity on different eutectics (for example, eutectic composition, eutectic temperature, usual microstructure, densities of pure constituents, and density changes upon solidification); and (3) determination of the Soret coefficient and the diffusion coefficient for Mn-Bi melts near the eutectic composition, both through laboratory experiements to be performed here and from data from Shuttle experiments.

Wilcox, William R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Determining eutectic composition in metal alloys

Tube crucible and furnace are used to separate eutectic mixture from trial-melt ingot. As ingot is a slowly heated to melting point, initial surface meeting will be eutectic mixture. Molten metal is collected at bottom of crucible, where it is solidified.

Ashbrook, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Computational Design of Eutectic Molten Salt Mixtures: What Can Thermodynamic Models Do?

In the search for efficient energy storage battery technologies, designing stable electrolytes has been a long-standing challenge. Electrolytes based on molten salt eutectics are known for their stability with minimum parasitic reactions when compared to their widely used organic counterparts. However, the operating temperatures of these molten salt electrolyte-based batteries are dictated by the melting point of the eutectic mixtures. Design and high throughput screening of low melting temperature eutectic molten salt mixtures have been hindered by the lack of computational models. In this work, we develop thermodynamic models to predict the eutectic points of several molten salt mixtures. The framework of the COSMO-SAC model is used for the predictions and is compared with experimental data and other thermodynamic approaches. Rapid thermodynamics-based approaches, as shown in this study, can accelerate the discovery of new materials, complementing experimental techniques.

Ashwin Ravichandran↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Designing Molten Salt Eutectics: A Combined Thermodynamic Modeling and Machine Learning Approach

Designing stable electrolytes with target properties is an important challenge in realizing next generation energy storage devices. Molten salt eutectics-based electrolytes are known for their stability with minimal parasitic reactions when compared to traditional organic electrolytes and are an attractive option for different battery chemistries. The operating temperature of the molten salt batteries depends on the melting temperature of the eutectic and hence there is a necessity to discover novel low melting temperature molten salt eutectic mixtures for energy storage applications. In this work we develop a high throughput computational screening approach for molten salt mixtures using thermodynamic modeling and machine learning (ML). COSMO-SAC model and ML approaches were independently developed based on the existing experimental data and these models were further used to predict the eutectic melting temperature and composition of several new binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures. We show that combining ML and thermodynamic modeling strategies is effective in exploring the vast design space of molten salt mixtures.

Thermodynamics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Designing Molten Salt Eutectics

Designing stable electrolytes with target properties is an important challenge in realizing next generation energy storage devices. Molten salt eutectics-based electrolytes are known for their stability with minimal parasitic reactions when compared to traditional organic electrolytes and are an attractive option for different battery chemistries. The operating temperature of the molten salt batteries depends on the melting temperature of the eutectic and hence there is a necessity to discover novel low melting temperature molten salt eutectic mixtures for energy storage applications. In this work we develop a high throughput computational screening approach for molten salt mixtures using thermodynamic modeling and machine learning (ML). COSMO-SAC model and ML approaches were independently developed based on the existing experimental data and these models were further used to predict the eutectic melting temperature and composition of several new binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures. We show that combining ML and thermodynamic modeling strategies is effective in exploring the vast design space of molten salt mixtures.

Ashwin Ravichandran↗
NASA NTRS1996

Design of the Heat Receiver for the U.S./Russia Solar Dynamic Power Joint Flight Demonstration

A joint U.S./Russia program is being conducted to develop, fabricate, launch, and operate a solar dynamic demonstration system on Space Station Mir. The goal of the program is to demonstrate and confirm that solar dynamic power systems are viable for future space applications such as the International Space Station Alpha The major components of the system include a heat receiver, a closed Brayton cycle power conversion unit, a power conditioning and control unit, a concentrator, a radiator, a thermal control system, and a Space Shuttle Carrier. This paper discusses the design of the heat receiver component. The receiver comprises a cylindrical cavity, the walls of which are lined with a series of tubes running the length of the cavity. The engine working fluid, a mixture of xenon and helium, is heated by the concentrated sunlight incident on these tubes. The receiver incorporates integral thermal storage, using a eutectic mixture of lithium fluoride and calcium difluoride as the thermal storage solid-to-liquid phase change materiaL This thermal storage is required to enable power production during eclipse. The phase change material is contained in a series of individual containment canisters.

Strumpf, Hal J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Directional solidification of eutectic composites in space environment

The Ni-Ni3Ta eutectic and a nickel-base alloy containing 30 wt pct Ta were solidified unidirectionally in an electron beam floating zone melting apparatus. It was found that the volume fraction of the Ni3Ta phase in the Ni-Ni3Ta eutectic mixture was increased from 7.6 to 36 volume pct in agreement with the theory as predicted. Tensile properties of the randomly solidified and unidirectionally solidified Ni-Ni3Ta eutectic were determined as function of solidification rate and temperature. It was found that the ultimate tensile strength decreased as both the test temperature and solidification rate increased. An elongation of 40 pct was obtained for a nickelbase alloy containing 30 wt at room temperature. This unusually large elongation was attributed to the superplastic behavior of the alloy. The critical currents versus the external fields at 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.2 deg for the unidirectionally solidified Pb-Sn eutectic were measured. The values of critical fields at zero critical currents were obtained by extrapolation.

Yue, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The mechanical properties of fluoride salts at elevated temperatures

The deformation behavior of CaF2 and LiF single crystals compressed in the 111 and the 100 line directions, respectively, are compared with the mechanical properties of polycrystalline LiF-22 (mol pct) CaF2 eutectic mixture in the temperature range 300 to 1275 K for strain rates varying between 7 x 10 to the -7th and 0.2/s. The true stress-strain curves for the single crystals were found to exhibit three stages in an intermediate range of temperatures and strain rates, whereas those for the eutectic showed negative work-hardening rates after a maximum stress. The true stress-strain rate data for CaF2 and LiF-22 CaF2 could be represented by a power-law relation with the strain rate sensitivities lying between 0.05 and 0.2 for both materials. A similar relation was found to be unsatisfactory in the case of LiF.

Raj, S. V.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Zero-gravity growth of NaF-NaCl eutectics in the NASA Skylab program

Continuous and discontinuous NaF fibers, embedded in a NaCl matrix, were produced in space and on earth. The production of continuous fibers in a eutectic mixture is attributed to the absence of convection current in the liquid during solidification in space. Image transmission and optical transmittance measurements of transverse sections of the space-grown and earth-grown ingots were made with a light microscope and a spectrometer. It is shown that better optical properties were obtained from samples grown in space. This was attributed to a better alignment of NaF fibers along the ingot axis. A new concept is advanced to explain the phenomenon of transmittance versus far infrared wavelength of the directionally solidified NaCl-NaF eutectic in terms of the two-dimensional Bragg Scattering and the polarization effect of Rayleigh scattering. This concept can be applied to other eutectic systems as long as the index of refraction of the matrix over a range of wavelengths is known. Experimental data are in agreement with the theoretical prediction.

Yue, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Eutectic bonding of sapphire to sapphire

Eutectic mixture of aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide provides new bonding technique for sapphires and rubies. Technique effectively reduces possibility of contamination. Bonding material is aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide mixture that matches coefficient of thermal expansion of sapphire.

Deluca, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Solidification of NaCl-NaF eutectic in space

Continuous and discontinuous NaF fibers, embedded in a NaCl matrix, have been produced in space and on earth, respectively. The production of continuous fibers in a eutectic mixture was attributed to the absence of convection current in the liquid during solidification in space. Image transmission and optical transmittance measurements of transverse sections of the space-grown and earth-grown ingots were made with a light microscope and a spectrometer. It was found that better optical properties were obtained from samples grown in space. This was attributed to a better alignment of NaF fibers along the ingot axis.

Yue, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Halide eutectic growth experiment MA-131

Fiberlike sodium chloride/lithium fluoride eutectic mixtures have been produced on earth and in space by the directional solidification technique. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations were made on longitudinal and transverse sections of Apollo Soyuz Test Project space grown and earth grown ingots. It was found that samples grown in space have a higher percentage of fibers alined with the growth axis. The enhanced alinement of fibers is attributed to the absence of convection currents in the liquid during solidification. Optical transmittance measurements of transverse sections of the space grown and earth grown ingots were performed with an infrared spectrometer. For a given sample thickness, the highest transmittance was obtained from ingots grown in space. For samples of different thicknesses, grown either in space or on earth, it was found that the thinner the sample, the higher the transmittance. This is in agreement with the general optical property of transparent materials.

Yue, A. S.↗