Wesley L. Johnson

Glenn Research Center

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James E. Fesmire

Genmab (United States)

David W. Plachta

Glenn Research Center

William Notardonato

Kennedy Space Center

Adam Swanger

Kennedy Space Center

Thomas M. Tomsik

Glenn Research Center

Kevin Jumper

Kennedy Space Center

R. Balasubramaniam

ICMR-National Institute of Virology

David J. Chato

Glenn Research Center

K. Kelleher

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Philip S. Callahan

California Institute of Technology

Cooperative Institutions

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Glenn Research Center

California Institute of Technology

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Astrogeology Science Center

United States Geological Survey

Kennedy Space Center

Graf Research (United States)

Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Observatoire de Paris

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NASA Glenn Research Center Creek Road Cryogenic Complex: Testing between 2005–2019

Cryogenics (2020)

Jason Hartwig Wesley L. Johnson Helmut H. Bamberger Michaël Meyer Jason Wendell

Creek Road Cryogenic Complex (CRCC) is the principle cryogenic fluids technology test facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center. CRCC consists of the Small Multipurpose Research Facility (SMiRF), Cryogenic Component Lab-7 (CCL-7), a calorimeter, a superconducting motor testbed, and a shop area building. It is capable of simulating many extreme environments including transients during launch and ascent from Earth, Low Earth Orbit, and Lunar, Martian, and Titan atmosphere and surface conditions. The facility can handle liquid helium, liquid hydrogen, liquid nitrogen, liquid argon, liquid oxygen, liquid methane, and liquefied natural gas. It also provides gaseous nitrogen and helium. This paper presents a summary of CRCC's test capabilities, available test tanks, as well as a brief summary and history of recent testing from 2005–2019.

Center (category theory)

10.1016/j.cryogenics.2020.103038

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Citations (6)

Modeling Transmission Effects on Multilayer Insulation

Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications (2014)

Robert C. Youngquist Mark A. Nurge Wesley L. Johnson Stanley Starr

Multilayer insulation (MLI), commonly used in cryogenics, is typically composed of many layers of thin polymer sheets each coated with a thin film of highly reflective metal. The primary purpose of this insulation is to block radiative energy transfer. However, at very low temperatures where blackbody radiation occurs at long wavelengths, some energy may be transmitted through these layers, degrading the performance of the insulation. Traditional modeling techniques assume that the films are opaque and are not easily extended to include radiative transmission through the layers. In order to model the effect of wavelength dependent transmission on the thermal performance of MLI, an L1-norm energy vector is defined and combined with a square energy distribution matrix. The key here is that the energy distribution matrix describes one time step of the radiation—one set of reflections, transmissions, and absorptions—and since this matrix is square, it can be easily raised to a large power, describing the final state of the system quickly. This approach removes the need to track every reflected and transmitted radiation element, but instead determines the eventual location where the thermal radiation energy is deposited. This method can be generalized to model dependence of the reflection and transmission of the radiation on wavelength or angle of propagation, to include thermal conduction effects, and to model transient behavior. The results of this work predict the degree of transmission dependent degradation expected to be seen when using state-of-the-art MLI in low temperature cryogenic systems.

Radiant energy

Opacity

Radiation properties

Thermal Radiation

10.1115/1.4028570

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Citations (8)

Tank Applied Testing of Load-Bearing Multilayer Insulation (LB-MLI)

49th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference (2014)

Wesley L. Johnson David W. Plachta Juan G. Valenzuela Jeffrey R. Feller

The development of long duration orbital cryogenic storage systems will require the reduction of heat loads into the storage tank. In the case of liquid hydrogen, complete elimination of the heat load at 20 K is currently impractical due to the limitations in lift available on flight cryocoolers. In order to reduce the heat load, without having to remove heat at 20 K, the concept of Reduced Boil-Off uses cooled shields within the insulation system at approximately 90 K. The development of Load-Bearing Multilayer Insulation (LB-MLI) allowed the 90 K shield with tubing and cryocooler attachments to be suspended within the MLI and still be structurally stable. Coupon testing both thermally and structurally were performed to verify that the LB-MLI should work at the tank applied level. Then tank applied thermal and structural (acoustic) testing was performed to demonstrate the functionality of the LB-MLI as a structural insulation system. The LB-MLI showed no degradation of thermal performance due to the acoustic testing and showed excellent thermal performance when integrated with a 90 K class cryocooler on a liquid hydrogen tank.

Liquid hydrogen

Shields

Heat shield

Pipe insulation

Heat load

Cryogenics

Insulation system

10.2514/6.2014-3581

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Citations (9)

Experimental Results of Integrated Refrigeration and Storage System Testing

William Notardonato Wesley L. Johnson Kevin Jumper

Launch operations engineers at the Kennedy Space Center have identified an Integrated Refrigeration and Storage system as a promising technology to reduce launch costs and enable advanced cryogenic operations. This system uses a close cycle Brayton refrigerator to remove energy from the stored cryogenic propellant. This allows for the potential of a zero loss storage and transfer system, as well and control of the state of the propellant through densification or re-liquefaction. However, the behavior of the fluid in this type of system is different than typical cryogenic behavior, and there will be a learning curve associated with its use. A 400 liter research cryostat has been designed, fabricated and delivered to KSC to test the thermo fluid behavior of liquid oxygen as energy is removed from the cryogen by a simulated DC cycle cryocooler. Results of the initial testing phase focusing on heat exchanger characterization and zero loss storage operations using liquid oxygen are presented in this paper. Future plans for testing of oxygen densification tests and oxygen liquefaction tests will also be discussed. KEYWORDS: Liquid Oxygen, Refrigeration, Storage

Liquid oxygen

Brayton cycle

Cryogenics

Cryostat

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Citations (4)

Cryogenic Fluid Management for the Artemis Program and Beyond

Hans C. Hansen Wesley L. Johnson Michaël Meyer Arthur Werkheiser Jonathan Stephens

NASA is endeavoring on an ambitious return to the Moon and eventually on to Mars through the Artemis Program leveraging innovative technologies to establish sustainable exploration architectures collaborating with US commercial and international partners [1]. Future NASA architectures have baselined cryogenic propulsion systems to support lunar missions and ultimately future missions to Mars. NASA has been investing in maturing CFM active and passive storage, transfer, and gauging technologies over the last decade plus primarily focused on ground development with a few small-scale microgravity fluid experiments. Recently, NASA created a Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) Technology Roadmap identifying the critical gaps requiring further development to reach a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6 prior to infusion to flight applications. To address the technology gaps the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) strategically plans to invest in a diversified CFM portfolio approach through ground and flight demonstrations, collaborating with international partners, and leveraging Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) opportunities with US industry through the Tipping Point and Announcement of Collaborative Opportunities (ACO) solicitations. Once proven, these system capabilities will enable the high performing cryogenic propellant systems needed for the Artemis Program and beyond.

Space research

Technology readiness level

Habitability

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Thermal Performance Testing of Order Dependancy of Aerogels Multilayered Insulation

Wesley L. Johnson James E. Fesmire Jonathan Demko

Robust multilayer insulation systems have long been a goal of many research projects. Such insulation systems must provide some degree of structural support and also mechanical integrity during loss of vacuum scenarios while continuing to provide insulative value to the vessel. Aerogel composite blankets can be the best insulation materials in ambient pressure environments; in high vacuum, the thermal performance of aerogel improves by about one order of magnitude. Standard multilayer insulation (MU) is typically 50% worse at ambient pressure and at soft vacuum, but as much as two or three orders of magnitude better at high vacuum. Different combinations of aerogel and multilayer insulation systems have been tested at Cryogenics Test Laboratory of NASA Kennedy Space Center. Analysis performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed an importance to the relative location of the MU and aerogel blankets. Apparent thermal conductivity testing under cryogenic-vacuum conditions was performed to verify the analytical conclusion. Tests results are shown to be in agreement with the analysis which indicated that the best performance is obtained with aerogel layers located in the middle of the blanket insulation system.

Dynamic insulation

Cryogenics

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Two Dimensional Heat Transfer around Penetrations in Multilayer Insulation

Wesley L. Johnson A. O. Kelly Kevin Jumper

The objective of this task was to quantify thermal losses involving integrating MLI into real life situations. Testing specifically focused on the effects of penetrations (including structural attachments, electrical conduit/feedthroughs, and fluid lines) through MLI. While there have been attempts at quantifying these losses both analytically and experimentally, none have included a thorough investigation of the methods and materials that could be used in such applications. To attempt to quantify the excess heat load coming into the system due to the integration losses, a calorimeter was designed to study two dimensional heat transfer through penetrated MLI. The test matrix was designed to take as many variables into account as was possible with the limited test duration and system size. The parameters varied were the attachment mechanism, the buffer material (for buffer attachment mechanisms only), the thickness of the buffer, and the penetration material. The work done under this task is an attempt to measure the parasitic heat loads and affected insulation areas produced by system integration, to model the parasitic loads, and from the model produce engineering equations to allow for the determination of parasitic heat loads in future applications. The methods of integration investigated were no integration, using a buffer to thermally isolate the strut from the MLI, and temperature matching the MLI on the strut. Several materials were investigated as a buffer material including aerogel blankets, aerogel bead packages, cryolite, and even an evacuated vacuum space (in essence a no buffer condition).

Buffer (optical fiber)

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Citations (10)

Power plant production of inertial confinement fusion targets

C. D. Hendricks Wesley L. Johnson

Many of the current techniques for fabricating experimental targets appear to be directly extendable to the high-rate, low-cost production of reactor targets. This report describes several new techniques that, in conjunction with the expansion of existing techniques, can constitute a target factory. We have evaluated this concept on the basis of a generalized reactor target design and the projected specifications of reactor-grade targets.

Factory (object-oriented programming)

Fusion power

10.2172/6170535

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Citations (3)

Profiles of Material Properties in Induction-Hardened Steel Determined through Inversion of Resonant Acoustic Measurements

AIP conference proceedings (2005)

Wesley L. Johnson

Electromagnetic‐acoustic measurements of resonant frequencies of induction‐hardened steel shafts were used in an inverse calculation to determine parameters of the radial variations in the shear constant and density, including the effects of material variations and residual stress. Parameters determined for the profile of the shear constant were consistent with independent measurements on cut specimens and estimates of the acoustoelastic contribution. The profiles determined for material variations were close to those of the measured hardness.

Electromagnetic induction

Induction hardening

10.1063/1.1916820

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Citations (3)

Repeatability of Cryogenic Multilayer Insulation

Wesley L. Johnson Mark H. Vanderlaan Jessica Wood Noah Rhys Wei Guo

Due to the variety of requirements across aerospace platforms, and one off projects, the repeatability of cryogenic multilayer insulation has never been fully established. The objective of this test program is to provide a more basic understanding of the thermal performance repeatability of MLI systems that are applicable to large scale tanks. There are several different types of repeatability that can be accounted for: these include repeatability between multiple identical blankets, repeatability of installation of the same blanket, and repeatability of a test apparatus. The focus of the work in this report is on the first two types of repeatability. Statistically, repeatability can mean many different things. In simplest form, it refers to the range of performance that a population exhibits and the average of the population. However, as more and more identical components are made (i.e. the population of concern grows), the simple range morphs into a standard deviation from an average performance. Initial repeatability testing on MLI blankets has been completed at Florida State University. Repeatability of five GRC provided coupons with 25 layers was shown to be +/- 8.4 whereas repeatability of repeatedly installing a single coupon was shown to be +/- 8.0. A second group of 10 coupons have been fabricated by Yetispace and tested by Florida State University, through the first 4 tests, the repeatability has been shown to be +/- 16. Based on detailed statistical analysis, the data has been shown to be statistically significant.

Repeatability

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