Effects of dust accumulation and removal on radiator surfaces on Mars

Conference · Thu Jan 10 04:00:00 EST 1991 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

OSTI ID:5288788

Gaier, J R; Perez-Davis, M E; Rutledge, S K ^[1]; Hotes, D; Olle, R ^[2]

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1. NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
2. 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--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States) Journal Volume: 217:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210600* -- Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
ALLOYS
BASALT
COOLING SYSTEMS
COPPER
DAMAGE
DUSTS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MARS PLANET
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
PLANETS
POWER REACTORS
RADIATORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
REACTORS
ROCKS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNNELS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WIND TUNNELS
ZIRCONIUM ADDITIONS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS