Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to MacDowell, Louis.
This viewgraph presentation reviews Computer-Aided Corrosion Program Management at John F. Kennedy Space Center. The contents include: 1) Corrosion at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC); 2) Requirements and Objectives; 3) Program Description, Background and History; 4) Approach and Implementation; 5) Challenges; 6) Lessons Learned; 7) Successes and Benefits; and 8) Summary and Conclusions.
Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is a major problem affecting NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), other government agencies, and the general public. Problems include damage to KSC launch support structures, transportation and marine infrastructures, as well as building structures. A galvanic liquid applied coating was developed at KSC in order to address this problem. The coating is a non-epoxy metal rich ethyl silicate liquid coating. The coating is applied as a liquid from initial stage to final stage. Preliminary data shows that this coating system exceeds the NACE 100 millivolt shift criterion. The remainder of the paper details the development of the coating system through the following phases: Phase I: Development of multiple formulations of the coating to achieve easy application characteristics, predictable galvanic activity, long-term protection, and minimum environmental impact. Phase II: Improvement of the formulations tested in Phase I including optimization of metallic loading as well as incorporation of humectants for continuous activation. Phase III: Application and testing of improved formulations on the test blocks. Phase IV: Incorporation of the final formulation upgrades onto large instrumented structures (slabs).
No abstract available
At the Kennedy Space Center, NASA relies on stainless steel (SS) tubing to supply the gases and fluids required to launch the Space Shuttle. 300 series SS tubing has been used for decades but the highly corrosive environment at the launch pad has proven to be detrimental to these alloys. An upgrade with higher alloy content materials has become necessary in order to provide a safer and long lasting launch facility. In the effort to find the most suitable material to replace the existing AISI 304L SS ([iNS S30403) and AISI 316L SS (UNS S31603) shuttle tubing, a study involving atmospheric exposure at the corrosion test site near the launch pads and electrochemical measurements is being conducted. This paper presents the results of an investigation in which stainless steels of the 300 series, 304L, 316L, and AISI 317L SS (UNS S31703) as well as highly alloyed stainless steels 254-SMO (UNS S32154), AL-6XN (N08367) and AL29-4C ([iNS S44735) were evaluated using direct current (DC) electrochemical techniques under conditions designed to simulate those found at the Space Shuttle Launch pad. The electrochemical results were compared to the atmospheric exposure data and evaluated for their ability to predict the long-term corrosion performance of the alloys.
The corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is an insidious problem for the Kennedy Space Center, government agencies, and the general public. Existing corrosion protection systems on the market are costly, complex, and time-consuming to install, require continuous maintenance and monitoring, and require specialized skills for installation. NASA's galvanic liquid-applied coating offers companies the ability to conveniently protect embedded steel rebar surfaces from corrosion. Liquid-applied inorganic galvanic coating contains one ore more of the following metallic particles: magnesium, zinc, or indium and may contain moisture attracting compounds that facilitate the protection process. The coating is applied to the outer surface of reinforced concrete so that electrical current is established between metallic particles and surfaces of embedded steel rebar; and electric (ionic) current is responsible for providing the necessary cathodic protection for embedded rebar surfaces.
This paper presents the methodology for comparing the relative effectiveness of four chemical products used for rinsing airplanes and helicopters. The products were applied on a weekly basis to a series of flat alloy panels exposed to an oceanfront marine environment for one year. The results are presented along with comparisons of exposures of the same alloys that were not washed, were washed with seawater, or washed with de-ionized water.