This article is part of the multi-objective Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) onboard the International Space Station, which utilized the Flow Boiling Module (FBM) for experiments during February - July 2022. This study investigates pressure drop characteristics of microgravity flow boiling of n-Perfluorohexane in FBM's rectangular channel of 5.0 x 2.5 mm(2) cross-sectional area and 114.6 mm heated length. Both subcooled and saturated inlet conditions are studied, while one or two opposite walls of the four are uniformly heated, to amass a large database of 3393 datapoints. Operating parameters explored include mass velocity (180.0 - 3200.1 kg/m(2)s), inlet quality (-0.62 - 0.87, corresponding to inlet subcooling of 46.0 - 0 degrees C), inlet pressure (119.6 - 200.4 kPa), wall heat flux (< 55.1 W/cm(2)), and heating configuration (one or two opposite walls heated). Pressure drop typically increases with increasing mass velocity, increasing inlet quality (for fixed mass velocity), and increasing heat flux (until a point after which it asymptotically reaches a plateau), and is higher for double-sided heating. Inlet pressure did not have an appreciable effect. The primary reason for most of these physical trends is flow acceleration increasing bulk flow velocities and both frictional and accelerational components of pressure drop. Only 2478 datapoints (with smaller experimental uncertainties) are considered for further analysis and assessment of prediction tools. 1099 purely saturated flow boiling datapoints are used to assess 7 mixture viscosity models used with the Homogeneous Equilibrium Model (HEM) and 17 empirical correlations used with the Separated Flow Model (SFM). Of these, the original SFM proposed by Lockhart and Martinelli (1949) is most accurate with a 17.1% mean absolute error (MAE). 1065 purely subcooled flow boiling datapoints are used to assess 9 seminal correlations, of which, the one by Hahne et al. (1993) is most accurate with 34.1% MAE. Finally, following a statistical analysis of input parameters, an artificial neural network with 6 hidden layers is developed and trained using the Adam algorithm. It accurately predicts the testing subset of the entire database with a 5.24% MAE, while conforming to expected physical trends in previously unseen data.

This study is an elaboration on flow instabilities observed during flow boiling experiments conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE). During highly subcooled flow boiling, liquid backflow into the channel that rapidly condenses vapor within the channel was observed. Experiments were conducted with an enhanced sampling frequency of 30 Hz and an extended image sequence recording duration of at least 4 seconds at 500 frames per second to further investigate the instability. Identical experiments were performed both in microgravity onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in Earth gravity during vertical upflow. Instabilities in microgravity are more severe than those in Earth gravity and, at their most severe, propagate to the channel's upstream region. Instabilities are observed within the channel when the intensity, I, which is dependent on inlet pressure fluctuations and mass velocity, exceeds 1.8 x 105 W/m2. Parametric trends of the frequency and amplitude of inlet pressure fluctuations during instability are examined, which reveal instabilities are most severe at low flow rates, high inlet subcoolings, and high heat fluxes. Various stability maps proposed in the literature are evaluated against the present database, and instabilities only manifest for subcooling numbers greater than 14. A subset of the database containing the Onset of Flow Instability (OFI) point is extracted to first evaluate correlations available in the literature and then develop a new correlation. The new correlation is applicable in both microgravity and Earth gravity conditions and predicts the database with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 1.3%.

Proposed NASA missions to Moon and Mars involve producing cryogenic propellant in-situ to reduce launch mass and requirements. One technique for liquefaction of the gases produced through electrochemical processes is to circulate cold gaseous neon or helium through broad area cooling tubes attached to the outside of the propellant tanks. To determine the performance of this liquefaction process tests were conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center in a 2.1 cubic meter tank with a broad area cooling network (CryoFILL). A thermal/fluid model of the tank and its cooling loop is developed in Thermal Desktop. Details of the model and the model predictions and comparison to some of the experimental data from the CryoFILL liquefaction tests are presented here.

Intrinsic defects and defect clusters play an important role in the room-temperature transport of cuprous oxide. Neutralization of these defects by doping and/or modifying the synthesis process is essential to improve the room-temperature hole mobility in cuprous oxide. Toward this end, we annealed polycrystalline cuprous oxide under Cu-rich conditions, which led to the neutralization of the intrinsic acceptor defect. The concentration of both the acceptor defects ( V Cu and V Cu split ) that are already present, reduces by four to five orders of magnitude. This is in accordance with the amount of possible Cu incorporation under different annealing conditions, indicating the backfilling of a large fraction of the Cu vacancies. Unforeseeably, the experimental conditions lead to the creation of yet another higher-order extended defect (3 V Cu + 2Cu i ) with a defect level at approximate to 0.5 eV above the valence band. The formation of such a defect is also indirectly suggested by the analysis of carrier concentration vs. temperature data and first-principles calculations. Such singly ionized higher-order defects with a possibly higher capture cross-section act as more effective traps resulting in reduced hole mobility.

Cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) thin films, antithetically exhibiting n-type conductivity, were electro–deposited on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates. Linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and chronopotentiometry studies coupled with structural characterization of the deposit identify the occurrence of multiple reduction reactions, including “corrosion” of Cu 2 O to Cu. Interestingly, an underpotential conversion (negative of +0.039 V vs Ag/AgCl) of the Cu 2 O film to Cu islands is observed during potentiostatic deposition. The same process is also shown as a potential spike in chronopotentiometry curves, during galvanostatic deposition, at current densities that are cathodic of −0.2 mAcm −1 . The reason for the formation of Cu is attributed to the decrease in local pH in the vicinity of the working electrode, whence thermodynamic conditions favor the formation of Cu. The proroguation of Cu formation is achieved by continuously stirring the solution, thereby stabilizing the pH at the electrode. Deferment of film corrosion to increasingly longer times is observed with increasing stirring rates. Mott-Schottky analysis of phase-pure films reveals the formation of degenerately doped n-type Cu 2 O films (n ∼10 20 cm −3 ). The phase pure Cu 2 O films could be used as an electron transport layer in several photo-conversion devices and ultimately pave the way for an oxide homojunction device.

In this article, we develop a low-temperature route for the synthesis of the high figure-of-merit transparent conductor, La-doped BaSnO3. Towards this, we first study the evolution of the cubic perovskite phase of the undoped BaSnO3 during solution combustion synthesis. A peroxo/superoxo precursor synthesized via H2O2 assisted co-precipitation is employed as the oxidizing agent. Typically, precursor drying is detrimental to the low-temperature conversion of the precursor to crystalline BaSnO3. The synthesis procedure developed herein is agnostic to the altered precursor composition obtained under the particular drying conditions. This is achieved by re-solvation of the precursor with ethyl alcohol prior to the annealing. The added ethanol plays the role of fuel, enabling an exothermic reaction of the components of the mixture, providing the heat of reaction for conversion and crystal growth. Complete conversion of the precursor to phase-pure BaSnO3 with a three-fold increase in the crystallite size at lower temperatures is thus achieved. We then demonstrate the facile incorporation of lanthanum as a dopant through this method. The low-temperature synthesized lanthanum substituted BaSnO3 displays optical absorption in the NIR region corresponding to free carrier generation, and n-type conductivity.

This study is part of the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE), a collaborative effort between the Purdue University Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (PU-BTPFL) and the NASA Glenn Research Center. The FBCE fitted with the Flow Boiling Module (FBM) was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021 and experiments were successfully performed from February to July 2022 to amass a large microgravity-flow-boiling database. This study is focused on heat transfer and flow visualization of microgravity flow boiling of n-Perfluorohexane in a rectangular channel of 5.0 mm height, 2.5 mm width (heated), and 114.6 mm length, with subcooled inlet conditions. High-speed-video photography is utilized to present flow patterns and temporal interfacial behavior. Heat transfer results are presented in the form of flow boiling curves and both parametric curves and streamwise profiles of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient. Firstly, the parametric effects of mass velocity (199.4 - 3200.0 kg/m2s), inlet subcooling (0.2 - 46.0 degrees C), and inlet pressure (124.2 - 176.7 kPa), on the aforementioned aspects are assessed for double-sided heating to establish them for a microgravity environment. Of these three parameters, mass velocity and inlet subcooling mostly determine the microgravity flow boiling behavior, while inlet pressure plays an insignificant role. Flow patterns for doublesided heating are more complex than those for single-sided heating due to interaction between the two vapor layers. Vapor interaction is minimized at high subcoolings and high mass velocities due to strong condensation offered by the subcooled bulk liquid layer separating them. Despite the different flow patterns, both single- and double-sided heating generally result in similar parametric trends and local heat transfer coefficients for similar operating conditions. Flow instabilities manifest as temporal flow anomalies and temperature oscillations, and their severity increases with increasing boiling number. Secondly, the effects of heating configuration are analyzed by comparing and contrasting several aspects of single- and double-sided heating data. The heat fluxes at which onset of nucleate boiling degradation (ONBD) and critical heat flux (CHF) occur are distinctly different for single- and double-sided heating. There exists a threshold inlet subcooling demarcating the dominance of flow acceleration and condensation effects in vapor removal from the near-wall region and replenishment of fresh liquid for boiling. Above the threshold, condensation from the near-wall region is dominant and single-sided heating yields higher heat fluxes, and below it, acceleration is dominant and double-sided yields higher heat fluxes. At mass velocity in the range of 200 - 2400 kg/m2s, the threshold inlet subcooling lies in the approximate range of 20 - 30 degrees C (corresponding inlet quality of roughly -0.40 - -0.20).

The nucleation and growth mechanism of functional oxides has a direct bearing on the structural and electronic properties of the deposit. We study the effect of electrolyte pH and deposition potential on the nucleation and growth of Cu 2 O on polycrystalline metal oxide (FTO) & metal (Au) substrates. Modelling of the recorded current-time transients indicates that both instantaneous and progressive nucleation occur with growth limited by diffusion or lattice incorporation of electro-active species or both. The preferred orientation of Cu 2 O shows a strong dependence on electrolyte pH. The films are (100) oriented on both substrates at pH 9 except at high applied potential on FTO where the orientation changes to (111). Interestingly, irrelevant of electrolyte pH, the grain size of Cu 2 O decreases with potential on FTO whereas it increases on Au substrates. We attribute this to a difference in the number of active nucleation sites between the two substrates. The nucleation and growth at pH 12 is observed to be dependent both on diffusion and lattice incorporation of electro-active species. Additionally, the films are primarily (111) oriented on both substrates, which is correlated to the availability of OH − ions.

The precipitation of a hydride in a solid metallic matrix results in the creation of accommodation energy in the system due to the large misfit strains involved in hydrogen transformations. Three dimensional axisymme-tric elastic and elasto-plastic finite element models have been evolved to evaluate the elastic and plastic accommodation energies during forward (hydride precipitation) and reverse (hydride dissolution) hydrogen transformations in metals. The model has been applied to the Niobium-Hydrogen system. The transformations have been analyzed by considering the transformation progressing from the centre to the surface of the system, and from the surface to the centre of the system. In the elastic model, the evaluated elastic accommodation energies are comparable to those obtained by continuum models. The elasto-plastic model revealed that plastic deformation during hydrogen transformations reduces the system accommodation energy compared to the pure elastic case.

This study is the culmination of a long-term collaborative effort between researchers from the Purdue University Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (PU-BTPFL) and the NASA Glenn Research Center to investigate gravitational effects on flow boiling and flow condensation. The science and design concepts for this large-scale effort were initiated in 2011 and included several studies detailing various aspects of two-phase fluid physics in both Earth gravity and microgravity, culminating in construction of the largescale experimental facility named "Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE)". The experiment was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021. Following the successful installation of FBCE, equipped with the Flow Boiling Module (FBM), onboard the ISS and completion of several safety checks, flow boiling experiments were performed for five months from February 2022 until July 2022. This resulted in a large flow boiling database covering broad ranges of operating parameters and heating configurations spanning several research objectives. This study investigates microgravity flow boiling of n-perfluorohexane with subcooled inlet in a single-side-heated rectangular channel of dimensions 114.6mm heated length, 2.5-mm heated width, and 5.0-mm height. Key operating parameters investigated are mass velocity (199.90 - 3200.13 kg/m 2 s), inlet subcooling (0.10 - 45.76 degrees C), and inlet pressure (113.30 - 164.29 kPa). Images and image sequences acquired via high-speed-video are presented to elucidate the interfacial flow physics. To analyze and explain the effects of various parameters in microgravity, heat transfer results are presented as flow boiling curves, streamwise profiles of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient, and parametric trends of local and averaged heat transfer coefficient. Mass velocity and inlet subcooling significantly influenced most of the aforementioned aspects of flow boiling, whereas effects of inlet pressure were comparatively insignificant. Although the data and observed flow physics might be different, the parametric effects and trends in microgravity are similar to vertical upflow in Earth gravity. Some cases, especially low mass velocities, high heat fluxes, and large degrees of inlet subcooling, experienced temporally anomalous flow behaviors caused by two-phase flow instabilities manifesting as flow reversals and resulted in deviations in overall trends. Severe thermodynamic non-equilibrium is observed throughout the channel. Overall, FBCE's ISS experiments were successful for subcooled inlet with single-sided heating of rectangular channel, and the collected data well established the various effects on flow boiling physics in highly controlled long-term microgravity conditions. (c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Terminal solid solutions in the ZnO1−xSex system (0≤x≤0.15,0.95≤x≤1) exhibit extreme bandgap reduction attributable to band anti-crossing (BAC). In this work, we perform a theoretical investigation of alloying in this system (0≤x≤1). The temperature-composition phase diagram of ZnO1−xSex is obtained via first principles and cluster expansion-based Monte–Carlo simulations. For 0≤x≤0.05, a solid solution in the wurtzite structure and for 0.5≤x≤1, a solid solution in the sphalerite structure is obtained. The alloy system exhibits a miscibility gap in the range of 0.05≤x≤0.5. Only the solid solutions are seen to obey bandgap reduction predicted by BAC. The bandgap of the alloys, calculated using the Δ-sol method, shows a bowing behavior as predicted by the BAC model. Difference in the electronegativities of O and Se atoms in the lattice leads to hybridization of O-2p and Se-4p electronic states. Interaction between these electronic states also leads to a split in the valence band edge at the O-rich end and a split in the conduction band edge at the Se-rich end. The effective mass, estimated from the density of states, of holes at the O-rich end and that of electrons at the Se-rich end, increases with alloying. These fundamental insights should help in choosing suitable alloy compositions for optimal photocurrent density when these materials are used as photoanodes.

This study investigates critical heat flux (CHF) for subcooled flow boiling of n-Perfluorohexane based on results of pre-launch Earth-gravity Mission Sequence Tests (MSTs) of the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE), which was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2021. CHF mea-surements were made in a rectangular channel having a 2.5 mm by 5 mm cross-section and a 114.6-mm long heated segment. Both single-sided and double-sided heating were tested in vertical upflow in Earth gravity for a variety of inlet conditions. The inlet subcooling was varied in the range of 0.4 - 32.0 degrees C and encompassed both near-saturated and highly subcooled conditions. Experimental trends and high-speed video records were investigated to better understand the mechanism of CHF. Overall trends show CHF increases as flow rate and/or inlet subcooling are increased. Flow features from the events around CHF justify the applicability of the Interfacial Lift-off Model and the determination of limiting criteria for its application. The present experimental data are combined with prior databases for various flow orienta-tions with respect to Earth gravity and microgravity data collected on parabolic flights. Predictions are made using the Interfacial Lift-off Model for this consolidated subcooled-inlet FBCE-CHF database. A heat utility ratio was included in the model to capture the effects of subcooling and corresponding thermo-dynamic non-equilibrium. An overall mean absolute error of 19.04% indicates good predictive capability of the model for both heating configurations, different gravity environments, and a wide range of inlet subcooling. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical polishing is an ultra-precision class finishing process to achieve a nanoscale surface finish. During nano-polishing of any engineering materials, the material removal takes place in the form of atomic-clusters. However, quantifying the process characteristics becomes difficult from a mechanical and metallurgical point of view. To understand the mechanism of material removal on polycrystalline material during nano-polishing through abrasives, a molecular dynamics simulation has been implemented. This simulation work investigates nano-polishing on polycrystalline copper (p-Cu) with two different cases of abrasive sizes at different cutting velocities. Results were analysed for the temperature, percentage of material removal, shear slip planes, dislocations, and interaction forces between abrasive and p-Cu workmaterial. Increased abrasive sizes and velocities resulted in increasing interaction forces during nano-cutting until shear slip formation. The p-Cu grains adjacent to the abrasive undergoes different elastoplastic deformation due to the shear slip and sessile dislocations, which affected the surface finish. This work is helpful to utilize mechanical nano-polishing or diamond turning process parameters for efficient material removal from polycrystalline surface.

Crystallographic orientation and grain size for monocrystalline and polycrystalline materials respectively play a critical role in defining their mechanical behaviour under nanoindentation. To understand their effects on mechanical properties, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations help in revealing the underlying physical phenomena governing the nanoindentation behaviour. This paper attempts to comparatively analyse and study the effects of crystallographic orientations of monocrystalline copper {(100), (110) and (111)} and critical grain size of polycrystalline copper on the nanoindentation response using MD simulations. The results obtained for indentation load vs. depth curve, hardness, dislocations, and elastic recovery were analysed for comparison. Cu-(111) exhibited an average hardness of 12.62 GPa, which is 18.27% more than that of Cu-poly. The pile-ups of 8 angstrom size were observed in Cu-poly; and this was higher than any of copper system studied here. The dislocation extraction algorithm (DXA) analysis revealed that the total dislocations in Cu-(111) was 34.23% and 153.8% lower than that of Cu-(110) and Cu-poly, respectively. Cu-(111) comprised of highest Stair-rod dislocation along with LC and Hirth locks. Furthermore, a prismatic loop comprised of sessile dislocations also appeared in Cu-(111). The elastic depth recovery rate for Cu-(100) was 52.75%, 41.60% and 40.66% higher than that of Cu-(100), Cu-(111) and Cu-poly, respectively. This study revealed that the nanoindentation based mechanical performances of monocrystalline copper systems, specifically Cu((111))were superior to any other copper systems.

This article is part of a series of studies culminating from the multi-objective Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) onboard the International Space Station, which utilized the Flow Boiling Module (FBM) for experiments between February and July 2022. This study investigates microgravity flow boiling of n-Perfluorohexane with liquid-vapor mixture (two-phase) inlet conditions to the FBM with either one or two opposite walls heated. The FBM's channel has a rectangular cross-sectional area of 5.0 × 2.5 mm2 and a heated length of 114.6 mm. Key parameters of interest include mass velocity (180 – 2400 kg/m2s), inlet quality (-0.01 – 0.87), inlet pressure (120 – 200 kPa), and heat flux (1.8 W/cm2 to critical heat flux), and a large database is amassed. The flow is visualized via a high-speed video camera and photographs are recorded at each heating increment to assess the periodic flow patterns within the channel and the near-wall interfacial behavior. Flow patterns are complex and mainly characterized by high- and low-density fronts alternately traversing the channel to yield high- and low-density-dominant periods of boiling. At all operating conditions, high-density fronts are faster during high-density-dominant periods. At low inlet qualities, the flow is annular near the channel inlet with a central vapor core surrounded by an annular liquid layer. Each high-density front having a high liquid fraction leaves a thin liquid layer sheared onto the heated walls. Boiling occurs within the liquid layer and a vapor layer is formed next to the heated wall. Inlet quality and mass velocity most dictate the overall flow patterns followed by heating configuration, and to a much lesser extent, heat flux and inlet pressure. Heat transfer characteristics are assessed via averaged boiling curves, streamwise profiles of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient, and parametric curves of local and averaged heat transfer coefficients. Inlet pressure has an insignificant effect on heat transfer. At similar operating conditions, both the heating configurations yield similar trends and values of heat transfer coefficient and critical heat flux (CHF, slightly higher for single-sided) even though double-sided heating adds twice the heat to the fluid and doubly raises local quality. The heat fluxes required for both onset of nucleate boiling degradation and CHF are larger at high mass velocities and low inlet qualities. For a fixed inlet quality, high mass velocities yield higher average heat transfer coefficients at both lower and higher heat fluxes, while the nucleate boiling regime at intermediate heat fluxes is unaffected. For a fixed mass velocity, higher inlet qualities yield higher and lower average heat transfer coefficients at lower and higher heat fluxes, respectively.

Heat flux sensors were used to characterize the performance of insulation on the Structural Heat Intercept, Insulation, and Vibration Evaluation Rig (SHIIVER), a large-scale test article designed to simulate upper stage cryogenic propellant tank thermal performance in simulated space environments. Usually, the insulation heat loads are derived from calculations removing all other heat sources and attributing the residual heat load to the insulation system. Testing for SHIIVER included the tank being just insulated with spray-on-foam insulation as well as covering the domes with multilayer insulation while leaving the barrel section insulated with spray-on-foam. Heat flux sensors were located at multiple locations on both domes as well as on the barrel section of the tank. Results from the SHIIVER testing using the heat flux sensors are compared to other calculated heat inputs for both liquid nitrogen and liquid hydrogen testing as a function of tank fill level. Further investigation into the transient nature of the SHIIVER testing including the heat flux sensors provided insight into heat flow patterns that may not have been otherwise seen using temperature sensors and calculated insulation heat loads. While the demonstrated uncertainties in the absolute values in the heat flux sensors are high, the values and the trends match well with other calculation methods. The results of SHIIVER allow for the use of heat flux sensors for measurements of insulation performance and dynamic system thermal response for future applications.

There is interest at NASA, other space agencies, and industry, in the liquefaction of fluids produced through in-situ processes on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars. A multi-center team at NASA recently considered multiple different refrigeration cycles and refrigeration integration methodologies and how these might fit into early liquefaction plants for NASA's exploration initiatives and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). The rate of liquefaction for ISRU is quite slow in comparison to large scale terrestrial applications. These studies concluded that, for both structural and heat spreading reasons, integrating the refrigeration tubing on the surface of the storage tank wall is an attractive path to pursue in the near term. In order to develop a technology development path and inform investors, it was desired to investigate the sensitivity of gravity of the processes involved.An analysis of the condensation processes within the tank is performed. The objective is to determine the sensitivity of liquefaction to gravitational effects. The heat transfer mechanisms include forced convection heat removal to the refrigeration system (or cryocooler), conduction through the tank wall heat exchanger, and convection and condensation on the inner tank wall. Gravity affects the liquefaction process via condensate liquid drainage, natural convection in the ullage, and the shape of the liquid-vapor interface within the tank. Analysis of these mechanisms shows that while there is some sensitivity to gravitational level in general, within the bounds of current interest (rate of liquefaction appropriate to Lunar and Martian applications, and cooling capacity of the cryocooler), this sensitivity of liquefaction to gravity is quite small. Thus, system level testing on the Earth should suffice for the performance prediction and demonstration of liquefaction op-erations as applicable to Lunar and Martian applications.

Since 2012, researchers at the Purdue University Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (PU-BTPFL) and NASA Glenn Research Center have been collaborating on a long-term effort to study flow boiling and condensation in microgravity. The ultimate goal has been to develop the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) for the International Space Station (ISS). Based on the findings from prior flow boil-ing experiments both at different orientations in Earth gravity and onboard parabolic flights simulating short durations of microgravity, a final refined experiment design, construction, and operating procedure have been arrived at for long-duration microgravity flow boiling experiments onboard the ISS. This study investigates flow boiling of n-Perfluorohexane with subcooled inlet in a rectangular channel of dimen-sions 114.6 mm heated length, 2.5 mm width, and 5 mm height. These pre-launch experiments (Mission Sequence Testing) were conducted in vertical upflow orientation in Earth gravity using the same exper-imental rig that was launched to the ISS in August 2021. The various operating parameters varied are heating configuration (single-and double-sided), mass velocity (180 - 3200 kg/m(2)s), inlet subcooling ( + 0 - 32 degrees C, encompassing both highly subcooled and near-saturated inlet conditions), and inlet pressure (119 - 191 kPa). High-speed video flow visualization images are presented to explain the two-phase in-terfacial physics within the channel's heated section. Heat transfer results in terms of flow boiling curves, streamwise profiles of wall temperature and heat transfer coefficient, and averaged heat transfer coef-ficients are analyzed and parametric effects elucidated. Severe temporal thermodynamic equilibrium is observed for near-saturated inlet at very low velocities. Nucleate boiling degradation starts at larger heat fluxes for single-sided heating than double-sided at low mass velocities with highly subcooled inlet, and conversely at high mass velocities with near-saturated inlet. Nucleate boiling degradation can be de-layed to higher heat fluxes by highly subcooling the inlet and increasing mass velocity. The entire local heat transfer coefficient profiles are degraded at higher heat fluxes for near-saturated inlet, but only the downstream part for highly subcooled inlet. This study also confirmed reliability of the upcoming ISS experimental data for subcooled inlet conditions and the collected Earth-gravity data will be used for comparison against the ISS data. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The demonstration of vapor cooling on a structural skirt was one of the main objectives of the Structural Heat Intercept, Insulation, and Vibration Evaluation Rig (SHIIVER) testing. SHIIVER consisted of a 4-meter diameter stainless steel tank with an aluminum forward skirt. The forward skirt was cooled by directing effluent vapor from the tank through two flow channels that each went 360 degrees around the interior of the skirt in a helical pattern. Flow rates, temperatures, and pressures in the system were measured allowing for the calculation of heat load removed via cooling stream and heat load reduction into the tank. Testing occurred at fill levels between 25% and 90% full using both liquid hydrogen and liquid nitrogen. Boil-off rate was varied independent of the skirt performance by adding multilayer insulation over the spray-on-foam insulation on the tank domes, while leaving the barrel insulated only with spray-on-foam. The results from the testing, which demonstrate vapor cooling removed heat flow from the tank flange and reduces total propellant heat load by as much as 19%, are analyzed and discussed.

Understanding the dispersion of heat around a cryogenic fluid tank, specifically the interaction between the cryogenic fluid and the tank wall is critical in the analysis of long duration cryogen storage in microgravity. The heat transfer interaction between a cryogenic storage tank and heat sources from external spacecraft structures is also one of the many factors that determine how much heat enters a tank. Recent flight experiments with two-phase fluids have indicated that local concentrations of heat input (also known as “hot spots”) can cause unwanted affects including local boiling. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models can provide a detailed assessment of the heat transfer occurring across a cryogenic storage system. However, CFD modeling takes time to construct and run. A simpler approach that can act as initial guidance for later CFD modeling analyzes external “hot spots” as point or finite heat sources. A radial, finite element network or a local direct solution can effectively estimate the heat spread across a cryogenic storage tank by calculating the temperature and heat load as a function of distance from the heat source. This calculation accounts for the convective heat transfer between the cryogenic fluid and storage tank surface. Similar approaches can be used to determine the effectiveness of cooling from a cryocooler as a finite, local heat sink. This approach allows for quick approximations of the thermal map across a cryogenic tank as well as sensitivity analysis under a wide range of design parameters including gravitational fields as implied through natural convection coefficients.