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Results for “reactor diagnostics”

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 NTRS1992

Wall catalytic recombination and boundary conditions in nonequilibrium hypersonic flows - With applications

The meaning of catalysis and its relation to aerodynamic heating in nonequilibrium hypersonic flows are discussed. The species equations are described and boundary conditions for them are derived for a multicomponent gas and for a binary gas. Slip effects are included for application of continuum methods to low-density flows. Measurement techniques for determining catalytic wall recombination rates are discussed. Among them are experiments carried out in arc jets as well as flow reactors. Diagnostic methods for determining the atom or molecule concentrations in the flow are included. Results are given for a number of materials of interest to the aerospace community, including glassy coatings such as the RCG coating of the Space Shuttle and for high temperature refractory metals such as coated niobium. Methods of calculating the heat flux to space vehicles in nonequilibrium flows are described. These methods are applied to the Space Shuttle, the planned Aeroassist Flight Experiment, and a hypersonic slender vehicle such as a transatmospheric vehicle.

Scott, Carl D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Detection of Chamber Conditioning Through Optical Emission and Impedance Measurements

During oxide etch processes, buildup of fluorocarbon residues on reactor sidewalls can cause run-to-run drift and will necessitate some time for conditioning and seasoning of the reactor. Though diagnostics can be applied to study and understand these phenomena, many of them are not practical for use in an industrial reactor. For instance, measurements of ion fluxes and energy by mass spectrometry show that the buildup of insulating fluorocarbon films on the reactor surface will cause a shift in both ion energy and current in an argon plasma. However, such a device cannot be easily integrated into a processing system. The shift in ion energy and flux will be accompanied by an increase in the capacitance of the plasma sheath. The shift in sheath capacitance can be easily measured by a common commercially available impedance probe placed on the inductive coil. A buildup of film on the chamber wall is expected to affect the production of fluorocarbon radicals, and thus the presence of such species in the optical emission spectrum of the plasma can be monitored as well. These two techniques are employed on a GEC (Gaseous Electronics Conference) Reference Cell to assess the validity of optical emission and impedance monitoring as a metric of chamber conditioning. These techniques are applied to experimental runs with CHF3 and CHF3/O2/Ar plasmas, with intermediate monitoring of pure argon plasmas as a reference case for chamber conditions.

Cruden, Brett A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Two-Photon Laser-Induced Fluorescence O and N Atoms for the Study of Heterogeneous Catalysis in a Diffusion Reactor

Advanced laser-based diagnostics have been developed to examine catalytic effects and atom/surface interactions on thermal protection materials. This study establishes the feasibility of using laser-induced fluorescence for detection of O and N atom loss in a diffusion tube to measure surface catalytic activity. The experimental apparatus is versatile in that it allows fluorescence detection to be used for measuring species selective recombination coefficients as well as diffusion tube and microwave discharge diagnostics. Many of the potential sources of error in measuring atom recombination coefficients by this method have been identified and taken into account. These include scattered light, detector saturation, sample surface cleanliness, reactor design, gas pressure and composition, and selectivity of the laser probe. Recombination coefficients and their associated errors are reported for N and O atoms on a quartz surface at room temperature.

Pallix, Joan B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Vertical reactor coolant pump instabilities

The investigation conducted at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant to determine and correct increasing vibrations in the vertical reactor coolant pumps is described. Diagnostic procedures to determine the vibration causes and evaluate the corrective measures taken are also described.

Jones, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Diagnostics of seeded RF plasmas: An experimental study related to the gaseous core reactor

Measurements of the temperature profiles in an RF argon plasma were made over magnetic field intensities ranging from 20 amp turns/cm to 80 amp turns/cm. The results were compared with a one-dimensional numerical treatment of the governing equations and with an approximate closed form analytical solution that neglected radiation losses. The average measured temperatures in the plasma compared well with the numerical treatment, though the experimental profile showed less of an off center temperature peak than predicted by theory. This may be a result of the complex turbulent flow pattern present in the experimental torch and not modeled in the numerical treatment. The radiation term cannot be neglected for argon at the power levels investigated. The closed form analytical approximation that neglected radiation led to temperature predictions on the order of 1000 K to 2000 K higher than measured or predicted by the numerical treatment which considered radiation losses.

Thompson, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Experimental investigations of a uranium plasma pertinent to a self-sustaining plasma source

The research is pertinent to the realization of a self-sustained fissioning plasma for applications such as nuclear propulsion, closed cycle MHD power generation using a plasma core reactor, and heat engines such as the nuclear piston engine, as well as the direct conversion of fission energy into optical radiation (nuclear pumped lasers). Diagnostic measurement methods and experimental devices simulating plasma core reactor conditions are discussed. Studies on the following topics are considered: (1) ballistic piston compressor (U-235); (2) high pressure uranium plasma (natural uranium); (3) sliding spark discharge (natural uranium); (4) fission fragment interaction (He-3 and U-235); and (5) nuclear pumped lasers (He-3 and U-235).

Schneider, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Amorphous silicon deposition diagnostics using coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy

This paper reports on an in situ silicon deposition process diagnostics, using CARS performed at state-of-the-art a-Si:H film deposition conditions in a reactor designed for a-Si:H solar cell fabrication. The diagnostics procedure measures the silane depletion in an RF plasma as a function of the silane flow rate (where the relationship is linear between 50-percent depletion, at a flow rate of 5.6 sccm, and about 8-percent depletion, at 80 sccm) and the RF power (where the silane depletion is linearly dependent on the RF power in the region of 4 to 12 W). The linear RF power dependence of the silane depletion is considered to be consistent with the mechanism of silane decomposition primarily by electron impact dissociations, while the flow rate dependence is interpreted in terms of the residence time of the SiH4 molecules in the glow discharge region, where an increase of the residence time at a low flow rate results in a high depletion ratio.

Shing, Y. H.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Fuel Cell/Reformers Technology Development

NASA Glenn Research Center is interested in developing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell for use in aerospace applications. Solid oxide fuel cell requires hydrogen rich feed stream by converting commercial aviation jet fuel in a fuel processing process. The grantee's primary research activities center on designing and constructing a test facility for evaluating injector concepts to provide optimum feeds to fuel processor; collecting and analyzing literature information on fuel processing and desulfurization technologies; establishing industry and academic contacts in related areas; providing technical support to in-house SOFC-based system studies. Fuel processing is a chemical reaction process that requires efficient delivery of reactants to reactor beds for optimum performance, i.e., high conversion efficiency and maximum hydrogen production, and reliable continuous operation. Feed delivery and vaporization quality can be improved by applying NASA's expertise in combustor injector design. A 10 KWe injector rig has been designed, procured, and constructed to provide a tool to employ laser diagnostic capability to evaluate various injector concepts for fuel processing reactor feed delivery application. This injector rig facility is now undergoing mechanical and system check-out with an anticipated actual operation in July 2004. Multiple injector concepts including impinging jet, venturi mixing, discrete jet, will be tested and evaluated with actual fuel mixture compatible with reforming catalyst requirement. Research activities from September 2002 to the closing of this collaborative agreement have been in the following areas: compiling literature information on jet fuel reforming; conducting autothermal reforming catalyst screening; establishing contacts with other government agencies for collaborative research in jet fuel reforming and desulfurization; providing process design basis for the build-up of injector rig facility and individual injector design.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1979

High temperature UF6 RF plasma experiments applicable to uranium plasma core reactors

An investigation was conducted using a 1.2 MW RF induction heater facility to aid in developing the technology necessary for designing a self critical fissioning uranium plasma core reactor. Pure, high temperature uranium hexafluoride (UF6) was injected into an argon fluid mechanically confined, steady state, RF heated plasma while employing different exhaust systems and diagnostic techniques to simulate and investigate some potential characteristics of uranium plasma core nuclear reactors. The development of techniques and equipment for fluid mechanical confinement of RF heated uranium plasmas with a high density of uranium vapor within the plasma, while simultaneously minimizing deposition of uranium and uranium compounds on the test chamber peripheral wall, endwall surfaces, and primary exhaust ducts, is discussed. The material tests and handling techniques suitable for use with high temperature, high pressure, gaseous UF6 are described and the development of complementary diagnostic instrumentation and measurement techniques to characterize the uranium plasma, effluent exhaust gases, and residue deposited on the test chamber and exhaust system components is reported.

Roman, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Fusion for Space Propulsion

The need for fusion propulsion for interplanetary flights is discussed. For a propulsion system, there are three important system attributes: (1) The absolute amount of energy available, (2) the propellant exhaust velocity, and (3) the jet power per unit mass of the propulsion system (specific power). For efficient and affordable human exploration of the solar system, propellant exhaust velocity in excess of 100 km/s and specific power in excess of 10 kW/kg are required. Chemical combustion obviously cannot meet the requirement in propellant exhaust velocity. Nuclear fission processes typically result in producing energy in the form of heat that needs to be manipulated at temperatures limited by materials to about 2,800 K. Using the fission energy to heat a low atomic weight propellant produces propellant velocity of the order of 10 kinds. Alternatively the fission energy can be converted into electricity that is used to accelerate particles to high exhaust velocity. However, the necessary power conversion and conditioning equipment greatly increases the mass of the propulsion system. Fundamental considerations in waste heat rejection and power conditioning in a fission electric propulsion system place a limit on its jet specific power to the order of about 0.2 kW/kg. If fusion can be developed for propulsion, it appears to have the best of all worlds - it can provide the largest absolute amount of energy, the propellant exhaust velocity (> 100 km/s), and the high specific jet power (> 10 kW/kg). An intermediate step towards fusion propulsion might be a bimodal system in which a fission reactor is used to provide some of the energy to drive a fusion propulsion unit. There are similarities as well as differences between applying fusion to propulsion and to terrestrial electrical power generation. The similarities are the underlying plasma and fusion physics, the enabling component technologies, the computational and the diagnostics capabilities. These physics and engineering capabilities have been demonstrated for a fusion reactor gain (Q) of the order of unity (TFTR: 0.25, JET: 0.65, JT-60: Q(sub eq) approx. 1.25). These technological advances made it compelling for considering fusion for propulsion.

Thio, Y. C. Francis↗
NASA NTRS1984

Interactive computer modeling of combustion chemistry and coalescence-dispersion modeling of turbulent combustion

An interactive computer code for simulation of a high-intensity turbulent combustor as a single point inhomogeneous stirred reactor was developed from an existing batch processing computer code CDPSR. The interactive CDPSR code was used as a guide for interpretation and direction of DOE-sponsored companion experiments utilizing Xenon tracer with optical laser diagnostic techniques to experimentally determine the appropriate mixing frequency, and for validation of CDPSR as a mixing-chemistry model for a laboratory jet-stirred reactor. The coalescence-dispersion model for finite rate mixing was incorporated into an existing interactive code AVCO-MARK I, to enable simulation of a combustor as a modular array of stirred flow and plug flow elements, each having a prescribed finite mixing frequency, or axial distribution of mixing frequency, as appropriate. Further increase the speed and reliability of the batch kinetics integrator code CREKID was increased by rewriting in vectorized form for execution on a vector or parallel processor, and by incorporating numerical techniques which enhance execution speed by permitting specification of a very low accuracy tolerance.

Pratt, D. T.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Plasma Reactor Modeling and Validation Experiments

Plasma processing is a key processing stop in integrated circuit manufacturing. Low pressure, high density plum reactors are widely used for etching and deposition. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source has become popular recently in many processing applications. In order to accelerate equipment and process design, an understanding of the physics and chemistry, particularly, plasma power coupling, plasma and processing uniformity and mechanism is important. This understanding is facilitated by comprehensive modeling and simulation as well as plasma diagnostics to provide the necessary data for model validation which are addressed in this presentation. We have developed a complete code for simulating an ICP reactor and the model consists of transport of electrons, ions, and neutrals, Poisson's equation, and Maxwell's equation along with gas flow and energy equations. Results will be presented for chlorine and fluorocarbon plasmas and compared with data from Langmuir probe, mass spectrometry and FTIR.

Meyyappan, M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Supercritical Water Oxidation and a Preliminary Concept for Lunar Application

Abstract: Water is a critical resource for crewed space exploration missions and reclamation of aqueous waste streams presents the only long-term viable option. Although early Artemis missions are considering water as part of the payload manifest, it would be extremely advantageous if follow-on missions were supplied—either in total or in part—by a reclamation technology that would operate autonomously between missions. An attractive technology is currently under ongoing research at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) that employs a Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) process to destroy all hydrocarbons in the waste stream. Testing of an aqueous waste stream simulant, typical of what is generated on the International Space Station (ISS), has shown reductions in Total Organic Carbon (TOC) of greater than 99% with reactor residence times less than 30 s. Recent effort has been directed toward developing a conceptual design based on the current tubular reactor used in the evaluation of the conversion of SCWO. This conceptual design along with the results of recent SCWO conversion experiments will be presented. Recent design enhancements to achieve shorter residence times along with “production simulation” tests will be presented. The diagnostics used in assessing the extent of the waste conversion include a total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, Raman analyses, and measurements of pH, turbidity, and conductivity. Results obtained from the modified reactor configuration will also be compared to those of the Phase I configuration presented in earlier work.

SCWO↗
NASA NTRS2000

Simulation and Experimental Measurements of Inductively Coupled CF4 and CF4/Ar Plasmas

The recently developed code SEMS (semiconductor equipment modeling software)is applied to the simulation of CF4 and CF4/Ar inductively coupled plasmas (ICP). This work builds upon the earlier nitrogen, transformer coupled plasma (TCP) SEMS research by demonstrating its accuracy for more complex reactive mixtures, moving closer to the realization of a virtual plasma reactor. Attention is given to the etching of and/or formation of carbonaceous films on the quartz dielectric window and diagnostic aperatures. The simulations are validated through comparisons with experimental measurements using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) and UV absorption spectroscopy for CFx and SiFx neutral radicals, QMS (quadrupole mass spectrometry) for the ions, and Langmuir probe measurements of electron number density and temperature in an ICP GEC reference cell.

Hash, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Collisional quenching of atoms and molecules on spacecraft thermal protection surfaces

Preliminary results of a research program to determine energy partitioning in spacecraft thermal protection materials due to atom recombination at the gas-surface interface are presented. The primary focus of the research is to understand the catalytic processes which determine heat loading on Shuttle, Aeroassisted OTV, and NASP thermal protection surfaces in nonequilibrium flight regimes. Highly sensitive laser diagnostics based on laser-induced fluorescence and resonantly-enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy are used to detect atoms and metastable molecules. At low temperatures, a discharge flow reactor is employed to measure deactivation/recombination coefficients for O-atoms, N-atoms, and O2. Detection methods are presented for measuring O-atoms, O2 and N2, and results for deactivation of O2 and O-atoms on reaction-cured glass and Ni surfaces. Both atom recombination and metastable product formation are examined. Radio-frequency discharges are used to produce highly dissociated beams of atomic species at energies characteristic of the surface temperature. Auger electron spectroscopy is employed as a diagnostic of surface composition in order to accurately define and control measurement conditions.

Marinelli, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The NASA CSTI high capacity power project

The SP-100 Space Nuclear Power Program was established in 1983 by DOD, DOE, and NASA as a joint program to develop technology for military and civil applications. Starting in 1986, NASA has funded a technology program to maintain the momentum of promising aerospace technology advancement started during Phase 1 of SP-100 and to strengthen, in key areas, the chances for successful development and growth capability of space nuclear reactor power systems for a wide range of future space applications. The elements of the Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) High Capacity Power Project include Systems Analysis, Stirling Power Conversion, Thermoelectric Power Conversion, Thermal Management, Power Management, Systems Diagnostics, Environmental Interactions, and Material/Structural Development. Technology advancement in all elements is required to provide the growth capability, high reliability and 7 to 10 year lifetime demanded for future space nuclear power systems. The overall project will develop and demonstrate the technology base required to provide a wide range of modular power systems compatible with the SP-100 reactor which facilitates operation during lunar and planetary day/night cycles as well as allowing spacecraft operation at any attitude or distance from the sun. Significant accomplishments in all of the project elements will be presented, along with revised goals and project timelines recently developed.

Winter, J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Spinoff 2013

Topics covered include: Innovative Software Tools Measure Behavioral Alertness; Miniaturized, Portable Sensors Monitor Metabolic Health; Patient Simulators Train Emergency Caregivers; Solar Refrigerators Store Life-Saving Vaccines; Monitors Enable Medication Management in Patients' Homes; Handheld Diagnostic Device Delivers Quick Medical Readings; Experiments Result in Safer, Spin-Resistant Aircraft; Interfaces Visualize Data for Airline Safety, Efficiency; Data Mining Tools Make Flights Safer, More Efficient; NASA Standards Inform Comfortable Car Seats; Heat Shield Paves the Way for Commercial Space; Air Systems Provide Life Support to Miners; Coatings Preserve Metal, Stone, Tile, and Concrete; Robots Spur Software That Lends a Hand; Cloud-Based Data Sharing Connects Emergency Managers; Catalytic Converters Maintain Air Quality in Mines; NASA-Enhanced Water Bottles Filter Water on the Go; Brainwave Monitoring Software Improves Distracted Minds; Thermal Materials Protect Priceless, Personal Keepsakes; Home Air Purifiers Eradicate Harmful Pathogens; Thermal Materials Drive Professional Apparel Line; Radiant Barriers Save Energy in Buildings; Open Source Initiative Powers Real-Time Data Streams; Shuttle Engine Designs Revolutionize Solar Power; Procedure-Authoring Tool Improves Safety on Oil Rigs; Satellite Data Aid Monitoring of Nation's Forests; Mars Technologies Spawn Durable Wind Turbines; Programs Visualize Earth and Space for Interactive Education; Processor Units Reduce Satellite Construction Costs; Software Accelerates Computing Time for Complex Math; Simulation Tools Prevent Signal Interference on Spacecraft; Software Simplifies the Sharing of Numerical Models; Virtual Machine Language Controls Remote Devices; Micro-Accelerometers Monitor Equipment Health; Reactors Save Energy, Costs for Hydrogen Production; Cameras Monitor Spacecraft Integrity to Prevent Failures; Testing Devices Garner Data on Insulation Performance; Smart Sensors Gather Information for Machine Diagnostics; Oxygen Sensors Monitor Bioreactors and Ensure Health and Safety; Vision Algorithms Catch Defects in Screen Displays; and Deformable Mirrors Capture Exoplanet Data, Reflect Lasers.

Source record↗