Effects of dust accumulation and removal on radiator surfaces on Mars
- NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
- Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Tests were carried out to assess the impact of wind blown dust accumulation and abrasion on radiator surfaces on Mars. High emittance arc-textured copper (Cu) and niobium-1%-zirconium (Nb-1%Zr) samples were subjected to basaltic dust laden wind at Martian pressure (1000 Pa) at speeds varying from 19 to 97 m/s in the Martian Surface Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. The effect of accumulated dust was also observed by pre-dusting some of the samples before the test. Radiator degradation was determined by measuring the change in the emittance after dust was deposited and/or removed. The principal mode of degradation was abrasion. Arc-textured Nb-1%Zr proved to be more susceptible to degradation than Cu, and pre-dusting appeared to be an effective way to lessen the abrasion.
- OSTI ID:
- 5288788
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910116-; CODEN: APCPC; TRN: 91-027524
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 217:3; Conference: 8. symposium on space nuclear power systems, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 6-10 Jan 1991; ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
MARS PLANET
DUSTS
RADIATORS
DAMAGE
SPACE POWER REACTORS
BASALT
COPPER
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
WIND TUNNELS
ZIRCONIUM ADDITIONS
ALLOYS
COOLING SYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
PLANETS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
ROCKS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNNELS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
VOLCANIC ROCKS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable