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Engineering topics

Miller, M. F.

Publications and source records attributed to Miller, M. F..

Three Isotopes of Oxygen in Lunar Samples - The Same as Earth or Different?

One of the most important measurements that can be made for any extraterrestrial sample is determination of the relative abundance of O-16, O-17 and O-18. To make the comparison, investigators report their results as delta (δ) values compared to terrestrial delta O-17 vs delta O-18 for a suite of specimens because for any given reservoir, i.e. a planetary parent body such as the Earth or Mars, the numbers should define a line of gradient approximately one half. Different bodies should be identified from their delta O-17 which has traditionally been defined by the equation delta O-17 = delta O-17 - (a constant, ca. 0.52) × delta O-18.

Pillinger, C. T.↗

Repair of boron/aluminum composites

A program was performed to determine the repairability of boron/aluminum aerospace structural components. During the program, a list of repair guidelines was prepared to aid in determining the proper repair techniques for a given structure. These guidelines included specifying types of repair material and their applicability, corrosion prevention procedures, design criteria, and inspection criteria. Six sets of boron/aluminum structural components were repaired and tested to compare as-fabricated and repaired performance. The specimens included a honeycomb-stiffened panel, elastically buckled tubes, a skin-stringer panel, a tube combining bending and tension, a splice joint specimen, and a tension field panel. All but one set of specimens, when repaired, exceeded the strength of the original specimens. The repairs resulted in an average weight increase per structure of 9% and an average performance increase of 27%. It is concluded that metal-matrix composite material, damaged in service, can be repaired by techniques not very different from those currently in use for conventional materials.

Christian, J. L.↗

Design, manufacture, development, test, and evaluation of boron/aluminum structural components for space shuttle. Volume 4: Repairability

The repairability of boron/aluminum structural components was investigated. It was demonstrated that metal matrix composite material, damaged in service, can be repaired by techniques that are not very different from those currently in use for conventional materials. A list of repair guidelines was prepared to aid in determining the proper repair techniques for a given structure. The guidelines include specifying types of repair material and their applicability, corrosion prevention procedures, design criteria, and inspection criteria. Boron/aluminum structural components were repaired and tested to compare as-fabricated and repaired performance. All but one set of specimens, when repaired, exceeded the strength of the original specimens.

Miller, M. F.↗

Boron/aluminum for space applications

Several experimental boron/aluminum structures have been built for aircraft and space vehicle applications. The success of these structures has led to the decision to use boron/aluminum tubular struts on the mid-fuselage section of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The suitability of boron/aluminum for this application has been demonstrated in a program that involved fabricating 100 tubes and performing static, fatigue, corrosion, thermal/mechanical fatigue, and damage tolerance tests on them. Other potential applications for boron/aluminum on the Space Shuttle include the wing carry-through panels and side panels for the mid-fuselage, and the landing gear struts. These applications result in significant weight savings over conventional non-composite designs at moderate costs. Boron/aluminum can now be considered a production material that, in many cases, is competitive on a weight and/or cost basis with an all-metal or resin composite system.

Robertson, A. R.↗