Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-t27h7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-22T15:56:24.947Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Glass Shell Manufacturing in Space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Robert L. Nolen ,
Raymond L. Downs  and
Matthias A. Ebner
Robert L. Nolen
Affiliation:
KMS Fusion, Inc., P.O. Box 1567, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Raymond L. Downs
Affiliation:
KMS Fusion, Inc., P.O. Box 1567, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Matthias A. Ebner
Affiliation:
KMS Fusion, Inc., P.O. Box 1567, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Get access

Abstract

Highly-uniform, hollow glass spheres, which are used for inertial-confinement fusion targets, are formed from metalorganic gel powder feedstock in a drop-tower furnace. The modelling of this gel-to-sphere transformation has consisted of three phases: gel thermochemistry, furnace-to-gel heat transfer, and gravity-driven degradation of the concentricity of the molten shell.

The heat transfer from the furnace to the free-falling gel particle was modelled with forced convection. The gel mass, dimensions, and specific heat as well as furnace temperature profile and furnace gas conductivity, were controlled variables. This model has been experimentally verified. In the third phase, a mathematical model was developed to describe the gravity-driven degradation of concentricity in molten glass shells.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 9 , 1981 , 343
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Veatch, F., Alford, H. E. and Croft, R. D., To the Standard Oil Co. Hollow glass particles and method of producing same. U.S. Patent No. 3,030,215, April 17, 1962.Google Scholar
2.Beck, W. R. and O'Brien, D. L., To Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. Glass bubbles prepared by reheating solid glass particles. U.S. Patent No. 3,365,315, April 23, 1968.Google Scholar
3.Hendricks, C. D., To The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy. Method and apparatus for producing small hollow spheres. U. S. Patent No. 4,163,637, August 7, 1979.Google Scholar
4.Budrick, R. G., King, F. T., Nolen, R. L and Solomon, D. E., To KMSF Fusion Inc. Method for manufacturing glass frit. U.S. Patent No. 4,021,253, May 3, 1977.Google Scholar
5.Nolen, R. L., Downs, R. L., Miller, W. J., Ebner, M. A., Doletzky, N. E. and Solomon, D. E., in Digest of Topical Meeting on Inertial Confinement Fusion, (Opt. Soc. Am., Washington, D.C., 1978) Paper TuE-l.Google Scholar
6.Budrick, R. G., King, F. T., Martin, A. J., Nolen, R L. and Solomon, D. E., To KMS Fusion, Inc., Method and apparatus for making uniform pellets for fusion reactors. U. S. Patent No. 4,017,290, April 12, 1977.Google Scholar
7.O'Holleran, T. P., Nolen, R. L., Downs, R. L., Steinman, D. A. and Crawley, R. L., J. Vac. Sci. and Tech., 18(3), 1242–1243 (1981).Google Scholar
8.Downs, R. L., Ebner, M. A., Homyk, B. D. and Nolen, R. L., J. Vac. Sci. and Tech., 18(3), 1272–1275 (1981).Google Scholar
9.Jacobs, R. B. and Simms, R. A., unpublished results. A detailed description of the model will appear as an appendix to the final report of NASA Contract NAS8-33103, December 1981.Google Scholar
10.Wang, T. G., “Gravitation Effects on Target Fabrication”, Digest of Topical Meeting on Inertial Confinement Fusion (Optical Society of America), Washington, D. C., (1980). Also, NASA Contract Review Meeting, March 1980.Google Scholar
11.Jacobs, R. B., unpublished results. A detailed description of the model will appear as an appendix to the final report of NASA Contract NAS8-33103, December 1981.Google Scholar
12.Subramanian, R. S., Clarkson College of Technology, Potsdam, N.Y., private communication.Google Scholar