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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

The preparation of steatite suspension for spray drying

Liquifying agents were investigated for preparation of highly concentrated steatite suspensions which are to be spray-dried. Organic additives for improving the molding properties and strength of green compacts are described. Demands on properties of the spray-dried granules are defined with regard to shrinkage of the molded compacts.

Jirousek, L.↗

Space and Industrial Brine Drying Technologies

This survey describes brine drying technologies that have been developed for use in space and industry. NASA has long considered developing a brine drying system for the International Space Station (ISS). Possible processes include conduction drying in many forms, spray drying, distillation, freezing and freeze drying, membrane filtration, and electrical processes. Commercial processes use similar technologies. Some proposed space systems combine several approaches. The current most promising candidates for use on the ISS use either conduction drying with membrane filtration or spray drying.

water recovery↗

Investigations into the burning-out of organic substances in the ceramic body

Pressed compacts were made of spray dried alumina containing water soluble polyvinyl alcohol or cellulose derivative binder. The burning out of organic binder on gradual heating was investigated by visual and microscopic observations of the cross section and by thermogravimetry. Burning out proceeds inward from the peripheries, gradually reducing the size of the black core, which first consists of a dark boundary layer and later turns uniformly black with a sharp boundary. A detailed mechanism of the burning out process between and within the spray dried granules is observed under the microscope. Oxygen atmosphere accelerates the burning out process.

Locher, C.↗

Inexpensive Antireflection Coating for Solar Cells

Continuous method for applying antireflection coating to solar cells increases efficiency of devices by preventing energy from being reflected away, but adds little to manufacturing cost. Method consists of spraying solution on cells or glass collector plates, drying sprayed layer, and curing it. Solution is formulated to spread evenly over surfaces.

Tracy, C. E.↗

Improved Small-Particle Powders for Plasma Spraying

Improved small-particle powders and powder-processing conditions have been developed for use in plasma spray deposition of thermal-barrier and environmental barrier coatings. Heretofore, plasma-sprayed coatings have typically ranged in thickness from 125 to 1,800 micrometers. As explained below, the improved powders make it possible to ensure complete coverage of substrates at unprecedently small thicknesses of the order of 25 micrometers. Plasma spraying involves feeding a powder into a hot, high-velocity plasma jet. The individual powder particles melt in the plasma jet as they are propelled towards a substrate, upon which they splat to build up a coating. In some cases, multiple coating layers are required. The size range of the powder particles necessarily dictates the minimum thickness of a coating layer needed to obtain uniform or complete coverage. Heretofore, powder particle sizes have typically ranged from 40 to 70 micrometers; as a result, the minimum thickness of a coating layer for complete coverage has been about 75 micrometers. In some applications, thinner coatings or thinner coating layers are desirable. In principle, one can reduce the minimum complete-coverage thickness of a layer by using smaller powder particles. However, until now, when powder particle sizes have been reduced, the powders have exhibited a tendency to cake, clogging powder feeder mechanisms and feed lines. Hence, the main problem is one of synthesizing smaller-particle powders having desirable flow properties. The problem is solved by use of a process that begins with a spray-drying subprocess to produce spherical powder particles having diameters of less than 30 micrometers. (Spherical-particle powders have the best flow properties.) The powder is then passed several times through a commercial sifter with a mesh to separate particles having diameters less than 15 micrometers. The resulting fine, flowable powder is passed through a commercial fluidized bed powder feeder into a plasma spray jet.

Nguyen, QuynhGiao, N.↗

Development of fire-resistant, low smoke generating, thermally stable end items for commercial aircraft and spacecraft using a basic polyimide resin

A terpolyimide precursor was developed which can be foamed by microwave methods and yields foams possessing the best seating properties. A continuous process, based on spray drying techniques, permits production of polyimide powder precursors in large quantities. The constrained rise foaming process permits fabrication of rigid foam panels with improved mechanical properties and almost unlimited density characteristics. Polyimide foam core rigid panels were produced by this technique with woven fiberglass fabric bonded to each side of the panel in a one step microwave process. The fire resistance of polyimide foams was significantly improved by the addition of ceramic fibers to the powder precursors. Foams produced from these compositions are flexible, possess good acoustical attenuation and meet the minimum burnthrough requirements when impinged by high flux flame sources.

Gagliani, J.↗

Deflocculation of clay suspensions using sodium polyacrylates

Rheological properties of elutriated kaolin suspensions deflocculated by Na polyacrylate (DAC 3 and DAC 4) were studied and compared to those deflocculated by the conventional Na2CO3 water and glass and imported Dispex N40. The deflocculating effect of Na polyacrylate was comparable to that of Dispex N40. The optimum amounts of Na polyacrylate were determined for suspensions based on 5-type kaolin. The Na polyacrylate can be successfully used for decreasing the water content of ceramic slips for casting and spray drying.

Jedlicka, P.↗

Thermocapillary Convection in Liquid Droplets

The purpose of this video is to understand the effects of surface tension on fluid convection. The fluid system chosen is the liquid sessile droplet to show the importance in single crystal growth, the spray drying and cooling of metal, and the advance droplet radiators of the space stations radiators. A cross sectional representation of a hemispherical liquid droplet under ideal conditions is used to show internal fluid motion. A direct simulation of buoyancy-dominant convection and surface tension-dominant convection is graphically displayed. The clear differences between two mechanisms of fluid transport, thermocapillary convection, and bouncy dominant convection is illustrated.

Source record↗

Potential utilization of algal protein concentrate as a food ingredient in space habitats

Green alga Scenedesmus obliquus was studied as one of the potential sources of macronutrients in a space habitat. Algal protein concentrate (70.5% protein) was incorporated into a variety of food products such as bran muffins, fettuccine (spinach noodle imitation) and chocolate chip cookies. Food products containing 20 to 40% of incorporated algal proteins were considered. In the sensory analysis the greenish color of the bran muffins and cookies was not found to be objectional. The mild spinachy flavor (algae flavor) was less detectable in chocolate chip cookies than in bran muffins. The color and taste of the algae noodles were found to be pleasant and compared well with commercially available spinach noodles. Commercially available spray-dried Spirulina algae was also incorporated so the products can be compared with those containing Scenedesmus obliquus concentrate. Food products containing commercial algae had a dark green color and a "burnt after taste" and were less acceptable to the panelists.

NASA Discipline Life Support Systems↗

Improved reflective coating for integrating spheres

Inorganic salts or oxide material is transparent in single-crystal form, has high refractive index, smooth cleavage, and chemical stability, is stable to radiations of interest, partially soluble and easily dispersed in liquid for spraying, and readily dried /cured/ with reasonable cohesion and adhesion, and has good mechanical stability.

Stuart, J. W.↗

Protective Coating For Laser Drilling Of Silicon

Sodium silicate prevents spattered silicon from fusing with surrounding material. Sodium silicate solution applied to wafer by dipping and draining or by spinning; application by spraying also works. When dried in oven, solution leaves thin coating of sodium silicate glass.

Shlichta, Paul J.↗

Capsulation of moldings made from silicon ceramic material

Ceramic articles are potted for hot isostatic pressing by porous glass and/or ceramic coating which is sintered to a pressure-tight coating in vacuo. Thus, a powdered SiO2 glass mixture with saturated alcohol sterin is sprayed on a SI3N4 ceramic, dried, introduced into the press which is evacuated to less than 0.013 mbar and heated to approximately 1200 C to drive off the organic binder and leave a powdered glass coating on the ceramic. The coating is sintered by heating to approximately 1200 C for 0.5 to 2 hours and forms a tight gass-impermeable layer. The press is heated to approximately 1700 C at 1000-300 bar and isostatic pressing is performed in the conventional manner.

Rossmann, A.↗

Probing a Spray Using Frequency-Analyzed Light Scattering

Frequency-analyzed laser-light scattering (FALLS) is a relatively simple technique that can be used to measure principal characteristics of a sheet of sprayed liquid as it breaks up into ligaments and then the ligaments break up into droplets. In particular, through frequency analysis of laser light scattered from a spray, it is possible to determine whether the laser-illuminated portion of the spray is in the intact-sheet region, the ligament region, or the droplet region. By logical extension, it is possible to determine the intact length from the location of the laser beam at the transition between the intact-sheet and ligament regions and to determine a breakup frequency from the results of the frequency analysis. Hence, FALLS could likely be useful both as a means of performing research on sprays in general and as a means of diagnostic sensing in diverse applications in which liquid fuels are sprayed. Sprays are also used for drying and to deposit paints and other coating materials.

Eskridge, Richard↗

Cleaning Process Development for Metallic Additively Manufactured Parts

Additive Manufacturing of metallic components for aerospace applications offers many advantages over traditional manufacturing techniques. As a new technology, many aspects of its widespread utilization remain open to investigation. Among these are the cleaning processes that can be used for post finishing of parts and measurements to verify effectiveness of the cleaning processes. Many cleaning and drying processes and measurement methods that have been used for parts manufactured using conventional techniques are candidates that may be considered for cleaning and verification of additively manufactured parts. Among these are vapor degreasing, ultrasonic immersion and spray cleaning, followed by hot air drying, vacuum baking and solvent displacement drying. Differences in porosity, density, and surface finish of additively manufactured versus conventionally manufactured parts may introduce new considerations in the selection of cleaning and drying processes or the method used to verify their effectiveness. This presentation will review the relative strengths and weaknesses of different candidate cleaning and drying processes as they may apply to additively manufactured metal parts for aerospace applications. An ultrasonic cleaning technique for exploring the cleanability of parts will be presented along with an example using additively manufactured Inconel 718 test specimens to illustrate its use. The data analysis shows that this ultrasonic cleaning approach results in a well-behaved ultrasonic cleaning/extraction behavior. That is, it does not show signs of accelerated cavitation erosion of the base material, which was later confirmed by neutron imaging. In addition, the analysis indicated that complete cleaning would be achieved by ultrasonic immersion cleaning at approximately 5 minutes, which was verified by subsequent cleaning of additional parts.

Tramel, Terri L.↗

Drying Milk With Boiler Exhaust

Considerable energy saved in powdered-milk industry. Only special requirement boiler fired with natural gas or other clean fuel. Boiler flue gas fed to spray drier where it directly contacts product to be dried. Additional heat supplied by auxillary combustor when boiler output is low. Approach adaptable to existing plants with minimal investment because most already equipped with natural-gas-fired boilers.

Broussard, M. R.↗

Droplet-surface Impingement Dynamics for Intelligent Spray Design

Spray cooling has high potential in thermal management and life support systems by overcoming the deleterious effect of microgravity upon two-phase heat transfer. In particular spray cooling offers several advantages in heat flux removal that include the following: 1. By maintaining a wetted surface, spray droplets impinge upon a thin fluid film rather than a dry solid surface 2. Most heat transfer surfaces will not be smooth but rough. Roughness can enhance conductive cooling, aid liquid removal by flow channeling. 3. Spray momentum can be used to a) substitute for gravity delivering fluid to the surface, b) prevent local dryout and potential thermal runaway and c) facilitate liquid and vapor removal. Yet high momentum results in high We and Re numbers characterizing the individual spray droplets. Beyond an impingement threshold, droplets splash rather than spread. Heat flux declines and spray cooling efficiency can markedly decrease. Accordingly we are investigating droplet impingement upon a) dry solid surfaces, b) fluid films, c) rough surfaces and determining splashing thresholds and relationships for both dry surfaces and those covered by fluid films. We are presently developing engineering correlations delineating the boundary between splashing and non-splashing regions.

VanderWal, Randy L.↗