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At least 19 records

Isolated Fluid Oxygen Drop Behavior in Fluid Hydrogen at Rocket Chamber Pressures

A model has been developed for the behavior of an isolated fluid drop of a single compound immersed into another compound in finite, quiescent surroundings at supercritical conditions. The model is based upon fluctuation theory which accounts for both Soret and Dufour effects in the calculation of the transport matrix relating molar and heat fluxes to the transport properties and the thermodynamic variables.

Fluid↗

Customized Hermetic Feedthrough Developed to Isolate Fluids

A common problem occurs when refrigerant fluids wick inside the insulation of thermocouple wires through a compressor's casing feedthrough and then leak into the adjacent disconnect box outside the casing. Leaking fluids create an unfavorable situation inside the disconnect box and may contaminate the fluids. To address this problem, NASA Lewis Research Center s Manufacturing Engineering Division developed a customized hermetic feedthrough for a bank of Worthington compressors. In these compressors, bearing temperatures are measured by internal thermocouples embedded in bearings located inside the compressor casings. The thermocouple wires need to be routed outside the casing and read at another location. These wires are short and are terminated to a disconnect strip inside the casing. The bearings operate at about 170 F, but because the casing is filled with R12 refrigerant oil, the casing has a maximum temperature of about 100 F. The operating conditions of these compressors permit the use of an epoxy that is compatible with the R12 fluid. The desired finished product is a stainless steel tube that has been filled solid with epoxy after thermocouple wires bonded and sealed by epoxy have been inserted through its length. Shrink tubing extends from both ends of the tube. The process that was developed to isolate the thermocouple wires from the R12 fluid follows. For this application, use an 8-in.-long piece of 0.500-in. 304 stainless steel tube with six pairs of 24-gauge stranded, PTFE-insulated (polytetrafluoroethylene) type "T" thermocouple wires for each feedthrough. Use shrink tubing to strain relief the insulated wires at their exit from the stainless steel tube. Cut the wire to length and identify the location of the stainless steel tube sleeve with masking tape. Then, remove the outer insulation from a 2-in. section of wire that will be inside the tube, and carefully strip to bare wire a 1-in. section in the middle of the section with the outer insulation removed. For an effective seal, the epoxy must penetrate between the strands when stranded conductors are used. Make the seal with epoxy bond on the bare wire. The bare wire must be encapsulated with a thin layer of the epoxy that leaves only a very low profile. These encapsulated wires must cure before the assembly can be continued. Then, inspect the cured wires for complete encapsulation before going to the next step. Insert the wires in the stainless steel tube and orient them so that the epoxied stripped sections are staggered within the tube; then, apply shrink tubing to one end of the cleaned wires, positioning it inside the edge of the tube. The small gaps between the wires on the other end will be used to inject the epoxy into the tube. Let the epoxy cure inside the tube, free of any voids. Then, continue to fill the tube until the entire 8-in. length is nearly filled, allowing room for the other strain-relieving shrink tubing. Since this first design, the process has been adjusted to fit many needs and situations. Customized feedthroughs have been assembled from various wire types, wire gauges, and/or stainless steel tube passages. The fittings selected to mount these feedthroughs allow their use in other areas, such as pressure or vacuum systems.

Meredith, Roger D.↗

Effectiveness of Needleless Vial Adaptors and Blunt Cannulas for Drug Administration in a Microgravity Environment

Fluid Isolation in the medication vial: Air/ fluid isolation maneuvers were used to move the medication to the septum end of vial. This isolation may be achieved in multiple ways based on the experience of the astronaut with fluid management in microgravity. If vial adaptors/blunt cannula or syringe assembly is inserted into the to vial before fluid isolation commences, the stability of this assembly should be considered in an effort to limit the risk of "slinging off" of the vial during isolation. Alternatively, fluid isolation can be performed prior to attaching the syringe/vial adaptor assembly. Terrestrial practices for medication withdrawal from a nonvented vial require injection of an equivalent amount of air as the expected medication volume prior to withdrawing liquid. In microgravity, this action is still valid, however the injection of additional air into the vial creates a multitude of micro bubbles and increases the volume of medication mixed with air that then must be withdrawn to achieve the desired drug volume in syringe. This practice is more likely to be required when using vials >30ml in size and injection volumes >10mL. It is felt that based on the microgravity flight, the practice of air injection is more of a hindrance than help.

Hailey, M.↗

Positive isolation disconnect

A positive isolation disconnect was developed for component replacement in serviced liquid and gaseous spacecraft systems. Initially a survey of feasible concepts was made to determine the optimum method for fluid isolation, sealing techniques, coupling concepts, and foolproofing techniques. The top concepts were then further evaluated, including the fabrication of a semifunctional model. After all tradeoff analyses were made, a final configuration was designed and fabricated for development testing. This resulted in a 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) line and 12.7 mm (1/2 inch) line positive isolation disconnect, each unit consisting of two coupled disconnect halves, each capable of fluid isolation with essentially zero clearance between them for zero leakage upon disconnect half disengagement. An interlocking foolproofing technique was incorporated that prevents uncoupling of disconnect halves prior to fluid isolation.

Rosener, A. A.↗

Flight representative positive isolation disconnect

Resolutions were developed for each problem encountered and a tradeoff analysis was performed to select a final configuration for a flight representative PID (Positive Isolation Disconnect) that is reduced in size and comparable in weight and pressure drop to the developmental PID. A 6.35 mm (1/4-inch) line size PID was fabricated and tested. The flight representative PID consists of two coupled disconnect halves, each capable of fluid isolation with essentially zero clearance between them for zero leakage upon disconnect half disengagement. An interlocking foolproofing technique prevents uncoupling of disconnect halves prior to fluid isolation. Future development efforts for the Space Shuttle subsystems that would benefit from the use of the positive isolation disconnect are also recommended. Customary units were utilized for principal measurements and calculations with conversion factors being inserted in equations to convert the results to the international system of units.

Rosener, A. A.↗

On the dynamical buoyancy of vortices

In this paper we consider the effect of dynamical buoyancy (Parker) on the motion of stratified fluid vortex tubes. We find that the dynamical buoyancy force does not necessarily lead to a buoyant rise if there exists a flow field external to a tube. In particular, the vortex tubes presented in our previous work are shown to have a pressure force exactly canceling the buoyancy force so that they do not move vertically (i.e., parallel to gravity) at all. Moreover, we construct a more general class of vortex tubes and find that their vertical motion can be either up or down, depending on the detailed vorticity distribution, regardless of the fact that they are all dynamically buoyant. We find that the vertical motion is intimately related to the horizontal self-motion of stratified fluid vortex tubes. Finally, we note that the presence of dynamical buoyancy implies that steady state compressible flow solutions for isolated fluid regions in a gravitational field do not exist. These results may have relevance to astrophysical convection.

Arendt, Steve↗

Manifold Integrated Pyrovalve

The Manifold Integrated Pyrovalve (MI-PV) provides a state-of-the-art, low mass, low volume, normally-closed (NC) pyrotechnic isolation valve configuration which is optimized for small free-flier applications. Small scale free-flier (e.g. CubeSat) applications require high pressure fluid isolation valves with leak rates low enough to endure long pad stays, and often have severe mass and volume limitations. The MI-PV utilizes a unique configuration where the shear section and the pyrotechnic ram assembly (PRA) are installed directly into a ported gas manifold, allowing elimination of heavy fluid fittings and connections. This configuration can be readily scaled and adapted to the needs of other long duration missions.

valve pyrovalve pyrotechnic↗

The development of a positive isolation disconnect

Conceptual design and developmental testing were conducted to determine the feasibility of a highly reliable, positive isolation disconnect (PID) for potential inflight maintenance of Shuttle environmental control/life support system subsystems. The PID design consists of two coupled valves, each capable of fluid isolation through the use of individually operated opposing poppets. An integral level clamping mechanism couples the two valves and locks the bodies together. The coupling lever is locked in position by turning the valve stems that have foolproof caps. The stem shaft has an integral cam that turns inside a yoke to open the poppet to permit fluid flow. Results of 5000 life cycle tests, hydraulic lock test, leakage tests, and pressure drop tests are included.

Rosener, A. A.↗

Transport of absolute angular momentum in quasi-axisymmetric equatorial jet streams

It is well known that prograde equatorial jet stresses cannot occur in an axisymmetric inviscid fluid, owing to the constraints of local angular momentum conservation. For a viscous fluid, the constraints of mass conservation prevent the formation of any local maximum of absolute angular momentum (m) without a means of transferring m against its gradient (delta m) in the meridional plane. The circumstances under which m can be diffused up-gradient by normal molecular viscosity are derived, and illustrated with reference to numerical simulations of axisymmetric flows in a cylindrical annulus. Viscosity is shown to act so as to tend to expel m from the interior outwards from the rotation axis. Such an effect can produce local super-rotation even in a mechanically isolated fluid. The tendency of viscosity to result in the expulsion of m is shown to be analogous in certain respects to a vorticity-mixing hypothesis for the effects of non-axisymmetric eddies of the zonally-averaged flow. It is shown how the advective and diffusive transport of m by non-axisymmetric eddies can be represented by the Transformed Eulerian Mean meridional circulation and the Eliassen-Palm (EP) flux of Andrews and McIntyre respectively, in the zonal mean. Constraints on the form and direction of the EP flux in an advective/diffusive flow for such eddies are derived, by analogy with similar constraints on the diffusive flux of m due to viscosity.

Read, P. L.↗

Positive isolation disconnect

A disconnect composed basically of two halves each consisting of a poppet valve operable to isolate fluid with essentially zero fluid loss is presented. The two halves are coupled together by a quickly releasable coupling which may be either a coupling ring tightened or loosened by a twisting motion, or a clamp operated by a pivoted to prevent disconnecting the two halves until both valves are in closed condition. The positive feature of the device is one requiring a valve closing step before a disconnect step, and takes structural form in an accentric lobe mounted on the valve operating stem. If some obstruction prevents the poppet from moving to its seat, the eccentric lobe cannot be rotated to the closed position, and the interlock prevents a disconnect.

Friedell, M. V.↗

Lightweight Motorized Valve

Redesigned actuator assembly weighs 50 percent less. Isolator valve operated by ac motor instead of usual dc solenoid. Valve weighs only 3 lb (1.4 kg). New valve functions with either two-phase or three-phase power. Developed for isolating fluids in propellant tanks, manifolds, and interconnecting lines of Space Shuttle reaction control and orbital maneuvering subsystems, valve suited to applications in which leakage must be kept to minimum at high pressure differences - in petroleum and chemical processing.

Gonzalez, R.↗

Maintenance components for Space Station long life fluid systems

The Space Station elements or modules will maintain thermal conditioning by way of fluid systems. Because of the Station's 20 year minimum orbital lifetime, these fluid system designs must allow for on-orbit maintenance. This paper describes the maintenance assessment of the various Space Station thermal control system options, their components and the recommended maintenance approach for each. The design and utilization of the primary fluid isolation servicing method, the Maintainable Maintenance Disconnect Valve (MMDV) and the effects of selecting different levels for the orbital replacement unit (ORU) are also presented.

Greene, John B., Jr.↗

Effectiveness of Needles Vial Adaptors and Blunt Cannulas for Drug Administration in a Microgravity Environment

The need for a new system of injectable medications aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was identified. It is desired that this system fly medications in their original manufacturer's packaging, allowing the system to comply with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) guidelines while minimizing the resupply frequency due to medication expiration. Pre-filled syringes are desired, however, the evolving nature of the healthcare marketplace requires flexibility in the redesign. If medications must be supplied in a vial, a system is required that allows for the safe withdrawal of medication from the vial into a syringe for administration in microgravity. During two reduced gravity flights, the effectiveness of two versions of a blunt cannula and needleless vial adaptors was evaluated to facilitate the withdrawal of liquid medication from a vial into a syringe for injection. Other parameters assessed included the ability to withdraw the required amount of medication and whether this is dependent on vial size, liquid, or the total volume of fluid within the vial. Injectable medications proposed for flight on ISS were used for this evaluation. Due to differing sizes of vials and the fluid properties of the medications, the needleless vial adaptors proved to be too cumbersome to recommend for use on the ISS. The blunt cannula, specifically the plastic version, proved to be more effective at removing medication from the various sizes of vials and are the recommended hardware for ISS. Fluid isolation within the vials and syringes is an important step in preparing medication for injection regardless of the hardware used. Although isolation is a challenge in the relatively short parabolas during flight, it is not an obstacle for sustained microgravity. This presentation will provide an overview of the products tested as well as the challenges identified during the microgravity flights.

Hailey, Melinda↗

Experimental Results of the First Two Stages of an Advanced Transonic Core Compressor Under Isolated and Multi-Stage Conditions

NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Program calls for investigation of the technology barriers associated with improved fuel efficiency of large gas turbine engines. Under ERA the task for a High Pressure Ratio Core Technology program calls for a higher overall pressure ratio of 60 to 70. This mean that the HPC would have to almost double in pressure ratio and keep its high level of efficiency. The challenge is how to match the corrected mass flow rate of the front two supersonic high reaction and high corrected tip speed stages with a total pressure ratio of 3.5. NASA and GE teamed to address this challenge by using the initial geometry of an advanced GE compressor design to meet the requirements of the first 2 stages of the very high pressure ratio core compressor. The rig was configured to run as a 2 stage machine, with Strut and IGV, Rotor 1 and Stator 1 run as independent tests which were then followed by adding the second stage. The goal is to fully understand the stage performances under isolated and multi-stage conditions and fully understand any differences and provide a detailed aerodynamic data set for CFD validation. Full use was made of steady and unsteady measurement methods to isolate fluid dynamics loss source mechanisms due to interaction and endwalls. The paper will present the description of the compressor test article, its predicted performance and operability, and the experimental results for both the single stage and two stage configurations. We focus the detailed measurements on 97 and 100 of design speed at 3 vane setting angles.

turbomachinery↗