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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10

Fracture Mechanics Testing of Titanium 6AL-4V in LMP-103S Propellant

Propellant tank safe-life analysis is a spacecraft propulsion subsystem Launch Range processing requirement. The material property inputs for the safe-life analysis include the stress intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking (KEAC). The KEAC for titanium alloy Ti 6Al-4V in LMP-103S propellant was determined experimentally using an innovative test method following ASTM E1681, Standard Test Method for Determining Threshold Stress Intensity Factor for Environment-Assisted Cracking of Metallic Materials. This effort was a collaboration between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA Kennedy Space Center to expose the test specimens in the propellant, while loaded in the test fixtures, for 1000- hour (42 days) at 50°C. Two test rounds have been completed to date; 1) testing mechanically loaded specimens but without propellant and 2) testing mechanically loaded specimens wetted with LMP-103S propellant. The dry test was to evaluate the crack growth without exposure to the LMP-103S propellant, and further assess the un-wetted stress intensity factor for the full 1000-hour duration. The second round of testing included the propellant soak for the requisite 1000- hour at 50°C. Current results show that the threshold intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking (exposed to LMP103S) is 22.5 ksi√in for the bulk material and 36. 2 ksi√in for the weld material. A generic ‘candidate’ tank geometry and material thickness is developed for a damage tolerance of known surface cracks below the nondestructive inspection technique detection limit. Evaluations with and without the use of a threshold intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking is performed for the required 4x propellant tank service life using the software tool NASGRO. SP2024_00239

Green propulsion↗

Drawbar Pull (DP) Procedures for Off-Road Vehicle Testing

As NASA strives to explore the surface of the Moon and Mars, there is a continued need for improved tire and vehicle development. When tires or vehicles are being designed for off-road conditions where significant thrust generation is required, such as climbing out of craters on the Moon, it is important to use a standard test method for evaluating their tractive performance. The drawbar pull (DP) test is a way of measuring the net thrust generated by tires or a vehicle with respect to performance metrics such as travel reduction, sinkage, or power efficiency. DP testing may be done using a single tire on a traction rig, or with a set of tires on a vehicle; this report focuses on vehicle DP tests. Though vehicle DP tests have been used for decades, there are no standard procedures that apply to exploration vehicles. This report summarizes previous methods employed, shows the sensitivity of certain test parameters, and provides a body of knowledge for developing standard testing procedures. The focus of this work is on lunar applications, but these test methods can be applied to terrestrial and planetary conditions as well. Section 1.0 of this report discusses the utility of DP testing for off-road vehicle evaluation and the metrics used. Section 2.0 focuses on test-terrain preparation, using the example case of lunar terrain. There is a review of lunar terrain analogs implemented in the past and a discussion on the lunar terrain conditions created at the NASA Glenn Research Center, including methods of evaluating the terrain strength variation and consistency from test to test. Section 3.0 provides details of the vehicle test procedures. These consist of a review of past methods, a comprehensive study on the sensitivity of test parameters, and a summary of the procedures used for DP testing at Glenn.

wheel↗

Research Problems Associated with Limiting the Applied Force in Vibration Tests and Conducting Base-Drive Modal Vibration Tests

The intent of this paper is to make a case for developing and conducting vibration tests which are both realistic and practical (a question of tailoring versus standards). Tests are essential for finding things overlooked in the analyses. The best test is often the most realistic test which can be conducted within the cost and budget constraints. Some standards are essential, but the author believes more in the individual's ingenuity to solve a specific problem than in the application of standards which reduce problems (and technology) to their lowest common denominator. Force limited vibration tests and base-drive modal tests are two examples of realistic, but practical testing approaches. Since both of these approaches are relatively new, a number of interesting research problems exist, and these are emphasized herein.

tests tailored tests cost analysis↗

Additively Manufactured Carbon Fiber and Fused Deposition Modeling PLA Interlaminar Shear Testing Report

This test report summarizes the torsional test setup, procedure, and results for interlaminar shear (ILS) failure of additively manufactured carbon fiber (CFAM) material developed at LLNL. In addition, the report also includes testing of fused deposition modeled (FDM) polylactic acid (PLA), including ILS test standard D7078 and the same torsional test mentioned above. The test hopes to characterize ILS properties of CFAM, however substantial further testing and improvements still need to be done to induce a proper failure mode. This testing was performed by Sundi Win as part of her summer internship project in Kinetic Technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Implementation and extension of the impulse transfer function method for future application to the space shuttle project. Volume 1: Analysis and correlation studies

Computer programming, data processing, and a correlation study that employed data collected in the first phase test were used to demonstrate that standard test procedures and equipment could be used to collect a significant number of transfer functions from tests of the Lunar Module test article LTA-11. The testing consisted of suspending the vehicle from the apex fittings of the outrigger trusses through a set of air springs to simulate the free-free state. Impulsive loadings were delivered, one at a time, at each of the landing gear's attachment points, in three mutually perpendicular directions; thus a total of 36 impulses were applied to the vehicle. Time histories of each pulse were recorded on magnetic tape along with 40 channels of strain gage response and 28 channels of accelerometer response. Since an automated data processing system was not available, oscillograph playbacks were made of all 2400 time histories as a check on the validity of the data taken. In addition, one channel of instrumentation was processed to determine its response to a set of forcing functions from a prior LTA-11 drop test. This prediction was compared with drop test results as a first measure of accuracy.

Mantus, M.↗

Comparison Made of Operating Characteristics of Spiral Bevel Gears Manufactured Using Different Methods

Spiral bevel gears are important components on all current rotorcraft drive systems. These components are required to operate at high speeds, high loads, and for an extremely large number of load cycles. In this application, spiral bevel gears are used to redirect the shaft from the horizontal gas turbine engine to the vertical rotor. Because of the high expense of manufacturing these gears, methods that can achieve the same level of performance at reduced cost are highly desirable to aerospace gear manufacturers. Gears manufactured for aerospace applications use high-quality materials and are manufactured to tight tolerances. Special manufacturing machine tools and computer numerically controlled coordinate measurement systems have enabled rotorcraft drive system manufacturers to produce extremely high-quality gears during their normal production. Because of low production rates for rotorcraft, these gears are manufactured in small batches, and thus are unable to benefit from the economics of high production numbers as in other industries. In this investigation, two different manufacturing methods, face-milled and face-hobbed, were used to fabricate spiral bevel gears. For face-milled spiral bevel gears, grinding of the contacting surfaces is the final manufacturing step. At least two different specialty machines are needed to generate the teeth for face-milled spiral bevel gears. For face-hobbed gears, hard cutting is the final manufacturing process. The same machine is used to rough cut and finish cut the gears. This study compared the operational behavior of face-milled spiral bevel gears with that of face-hobbed spiral bevel gears. Test hardware was manufactured to fit within NASA Glenn Research Center's Spiral Bevel Test Facility and to aerospace quality standards. Tests were conducted for stress, vibration, and noise. A comparison of the results attained indicated that the face-hobbed gears had a lower alternating stress level with a more even distribution of loading across the teeth, and slightly reduced levels of vibration and noise. Results of this study show that the face-hobbed method is a viable and lower-cost alternative for producing aerospace-quality spiral-bevel gears.

Handschuh, Robert F.↗

Repeatability and Reproducibility of Compression Strength Measurements Conducted According to ASTM E9

Ten commercial laboratories participated in an interlaboratory study to establish the repeatability and reproducibility of compression strength tests conducted according to ASTM International Standard Test Method E9. The test employed a cylindrical aluminum AA2024-T351 test specimen. Participants measured elastic modulus and 0.2 % offset yield strength, YS(0.2 % offset), using an extensometer attached to the specimen. The repeatability and reproducibility of the yield strength measurement, expressed as coefficient of variations were cv(sub r)= 0.011 and cv(sub R)= 0.020 The reproducibility of the test across the laboratories was among the best that has been reported for uniaxial tests. The reported data indicated that using diametrically opposed extensometers, instead of a single extensometer doubled the precision of the test method. Laboratories that did not lubricate the ends of the specimen measured yield stresses and elastic moduli that were smaller than those measured in laboratories that lubricated the specimen ends. A finite element analysis of the test specimen deformation for frictionless and perfect friction could not explain the discrepancy, however. The modulus measured from stress-strain data were reanalyzed using a technique that finds the optimal fit range, and applies several quality checks to the data. The error in modulus measurements from stress-strain curves generally increased as the fit range decreased to less than 40 % of the stress range.

Luecke, William E.↗

Combining RNA-SEQ Datasets from NASA GENELAB: An Evaluation of Correction Methods

Background: Conducting space biology experiments aboard the International Space Station, particularly those utilizing complex model organisms like mice, is expensive and difficult due to limited crew availability, hardware, and space. As a result, sample numbers from these studies are low, reducing the statistical power of any one experiment. Aggregating spaceflight datasets serves as a method to increase sample numbers, allowing for novel insights through bioinformatic analysis of ‘omics data from merged datasets. However, aggregating datasets can introduce unwanted variation including 1) differences in sample handling, processing, and sequencing platforms between datasets (technical variation) as well as 2) differences in experimental design between datasets. Methods: In the present study, NASA GeneLab-hosted RNAseq datasets from mouse liver tissues were used to evaluate several statistical methods to correct for this unwanted variation through two approaches, reference-based and standard. The following correction algorithms were applied with (reference-based) and/or without (standard) considering Universal Mouse RNA Reference samples: ComBat and ComBat_seq from the SVA package, the median polish, empirical Bayes, and ANOVA-based algorithms from the MBatch package, and negative binomial regression normalization in the DESeq2 package. For each approach, after the correction algorithm was applied, differential gene expression (DGE) analysis of flight and ground control samples was performed with the combined data. The robustness of each tool was evaluated using BatchQC to determine statistical differences between datasets before and after correction, Principal Component Analysis to evaluate global gene expression in samples before and after correction, and by comparing DGE analysis of individual datasets and combined datasets before and after correction. Results: The results showed that the reference-based approach introduced several additional (and likely artificial) differentially expressed genes when compared with the respective standard approach. Conclusions: Of the methods tested, standard ComBat_seq and DESeq2 were identified as the most robust correction methods for combining spaceflight mouse liver RNAseq datasets hosted on GeneLab.

Finsam Samson↗

Promoted Combustion Behavior of 316 Stainless Steel and 6061 Aluminum Alloys in Elevated Pressure Nitrox Environments

Promoted combustion testing (outlined in the ASTM G124 “Standard Test Method for Determining the Combustion Behavior of Metallic Materials in Oxygen Enriched Atmospheres”) refers to a useful testing method to evaluate how metallic materials will behave when combusted in environments with high oxygen concentrations, elevated pressure, or both. These tests yield data which is useful for engineers and scientists from a variety of industries who need and rely on oxygen systems. Oxygen Compatibility Assessments (OCA’s) are vital for ensuring that materials will be safe for use, and these assessments rely on data from OCA’s or interpolation if a desired pressure/concentration is outside of previously tested bounds. It was identified that these bounds leave out significant areas of data for materials which are tested at high pressures (above 1500 psi) and variable oxygen concentrations (with nitrogen as the diluent gas). For this reason, the authors posited that conducting promoted combustion testing on materials above 1500 psi and in various concentrations of oxygen would be incredibly useful in future analyses for oxygen compatibility with similar environments (such as breathing air) as well as for further understanding of how materials behave at very high pressures (such as 10000 psi). Two materials were selected which are commonly used in industry today - 316 stainless steel and 6061 aluminum – and they were tested and analyzed for the purposes of this study.

oxygen compatibility↗

Test Methodology to Evaluate the Safety of Materials Using Spark Incendivity

For many years scientists and engineers have been searching for the proper test method to evaluate an electrostatic risk for materials used in hazardous environments. A new test standard created by the International Electrotechnical Commission is a promising addition to conventional test methods used throughout industry. The purpose of this paper is to incorporate this test into a proposed new methodology for the evaluation of materials exposed to flammable environments. However, initial testing using this new standard has uncovered some unconventional behavior in materials that conventional test methods were thought to have reconciled. For example some materials tested at higher humidities were more susceptible to incendive discharges than at lower humidity even though the surface resistivity was lower.

Buhler, Charles↗

Development of Standardized Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials

Lunar exploration requires scientific and engineering studies using standardized testing procedures that ultimately support flight certification of technologies and hardware. It is necessary to anticipate the range of source materials and environmental constraints that are expected on the Moon and Mars, and to evaluate in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) coupled with testing and development. Physical properties of the regolith dominate processes such as excavation and drilling, while chemical properties dominate processes such as elemental extraction. We describe here the development of standardized lunar regolith simulant (SLRS) materials that are traceable interlaboratory standards for testing and technology development. These SLRS materials must simulate the lunar regolith in terms of physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. A comprehensive simulant development program has been outlined and is in progress. A summary of these issues is contained in the 2005 Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials

Carpenter, P.↗

DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDIZED LUNAR REGOLITH SIMULANT MATERIALS

Lunar exploration activities require scientific and engineering studies that use standardized testing procedures and ultimately support flight certification of hardware and the development of technologies for their use on the lunar surface. It is necessary to anticipate the full range of source materials and environmental constraints that are expected on the Moon and Mars, and to evaluate in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) coupled with testing and development. Historical use of lunar simulants has focused on physical aspects of the lunar regolith for landing and transportation activities. Lunar mare simulants MLS-1 and JSC-1 have been developed, but supplies have been exhausted. Renewed emphasis on exploration and ISRU activities requires development of standardized simulant reference materials that are traceable interlaboratory standards for testing and simulate the lunar regolith in terms of physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. This new generation of lunar regolith simulants must therefore support both technological development and testing methods. These issues were extensively discussed at the 2005 Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials Workshop.

Carpenter, P.↗

CONSTRAINT-INDEPENDENT CONSTANT CTOA DETERMINATION FOR DUCTILE STABLE CRACK GROWTH

Crack tip opening angle (CTOA) has been used as a reliable fracture toughness parameter for decades to characterize stable ductile crack growth for thin-walled aerospace structures in the low-constraint conditions. Recently, the CTOA parameter was also applied to the pipeline industry, and a CTOA test standard ASTM E3039 was thus developed for testing a critical constant CTOA. Research showed that the constant CTOA can reasonably describe fracture toughness required to arrest a dynamic crack propagation for a modern gas pipeline. However, the CTOA fracture criterion requires constraint-independent CTOA toughness against stable ductile crack growth. ASTM E3039 recommends a drop weight tearing test (DWTT) specimen for CTOA testing. Since a shallow crack is used, DWTT measured CTOA may depend on constraint level at the crack tip. To understand if it is the case, this paper evaluates the critical CTOA for a set of fracture toughness tests on single edge notched bend (SENB) specimens with shallow and deep cracks based on four CTOA estimation models. In which, the Ln(P)-LLD linear fit model is similar to that used by ASTM E3039 in the CTOA calculation. Fracture test data for X80 pipeline steel and HY80 structural steel are considered in the CTOA evaluation. The results show that the four CTOA models can determine a crack size-independent constant CTOA over stable ductile crack growth for the SENB specimens. As a result, CTOA determined by ASTM E3039 is constraintindependent and transferable to use for an actual crack propagating in a gas pipeline.

Zhu, Xian-Kui↗

Thermal blanket metallic film groundstrap and second surface mirror vulnerability to arc discharges

Available data on the geosynchronous orbit energetic plasma environment were examined, and a crude model was generated to permit an estimation to be made of the number of arc discharges per year to which a thermal blanket groundstrap would be subjected. Laboratory experiments and a survey of the literature on arc discharge characteristics were performed to define typical and worst case arc discharge current waveforms. In-air tests of different groundstrap configurations to a standardized test pulse were performed and a wide variability of durability values were found. A groundstrap technique, not used thus far, was found to be far superior than the others.

Inouye, G. T.↗

Report on JANNAF panel on shotgun/relative quickness testing

As the need for more energetic solid propellants continues, a number of problems arises. One of these is the tendency of high energy propellants to transition from burning (deflagration) to detonation in regions where the propellant is present in small particle sizes; e.g., in case bonding areas of a motor after a rapid depressurization causes a shear zone at the bond interface as the stressed propellant and motor case relax at different rates. In an effort to determine the susceptibility of propellants to high strain rate break up (friability), and subsequent DDT, the propulsion community uses the shotgun/relative quickness test as one of a number of screening tests for new propellant formulations. Efforts to standardize test techniques and equipment are described.

Gould, R. A.↗

Static tensile and tensile creep testing of five ceramic fibers at elevated temperatures

Static tensile and tensile creep testing of five ceramic fibers at elevated temperature was performed. J.P. Stevens, Co., Astroquartz 9288 glass fiber, Nippon Carbon, Ltd., (Dow Corning) Nicalon NLM-102 silicon carbide fiber, and 3M Company Nextel 312, 380, and 480 alumina/silica/boria fibers were supplied in unsized tows. Single fibers were separated from the tows and tested in static tension and tensile creep. Elevated test temperatures ranged from 400 to 1300 C and varied for each fiber. Room temperature static tension was also performed. Computer software was written to reduce all single fiber test data into engineering constants using ASTM Standard Test Method D3379-75 as a reference. A high temperature furnace was designed and built to perform the single fiber elevated temperature testing up to 1300 C. A computerized single fiber creep apparatus was designed and constructed to perform four fiber creep tests simultaneously at temperatures up to 1300 C. Computer software was written to acquire and reduce all creep data.

Zimmerman, Richard S.↗

Static tensile and tensile creep testing of five ceramic fibers at elevated temperatures

Static tensile and tensile creep testing of five ceramic fibers at elevated temperature was performed. J.P. Stevens, Co., Astroquartz 9288 glass fiber; Nippon Carbon, Ltd., (Dow Corning) nicalon NLM-102 silicon carbide fiber; and 3M Company Nextel 312, 380, and 480 alumina/silica/boria fibers were supplied in unsized tows. Single fibers were separated from the tows and tested in static tension and tensile creep. Elevated test temperatures ranged from 400 C to 1300 C and varied for each fiber. Room temperature static tension was also performed. Computer software was written to reduce all single fiber test data into engineering constants using ASTM Standard Test Method D3379-75 as a reference. A high temperature furnace was designed and built to perform the single fiber elevated temperature testing up to 1300 C. A computerized single fiber creep apparatus was designed and constructed to perform four fiber creep tests simultaneously at temperatures up to 1300 C. Computer software was written to acquire and reduce all creep data.

Zimmerman, Richard S.↗