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At least 199 records · Page 11

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NASA NTRS1988

Physical principles of ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation of advanced composites

Results are presented from the continued investigations into the use of ultrasonic measurement techniques for the detection and characterization of porosity. The effects that bleeder cloth impressions (left after the cure process) have on the capability of polar backscatter to interrogate volume effects such as porosity are described. Some preliminary data regarding a comparison of phase sensitive and phase insensitivie detection for materials characterization is presented.

Miller, James G.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Advanced Composite Pistons

New concept involving improved configuration of reinforcing fibers and improved fabrication process proposed to improve thermal and mechanical properties of composite piston structures. Reduces amount of labor necessary to manufacture piston structures, with attendant reductions in costs. Single knitted-carbon-fiber sock used to form external surfaces of piston. Advantages include elimination of heavy dependence on inherently weak interlaminar properties of carbon-carbon; ease of automation to reduce fabrication costs; readily modifiable architecture to vary mechanical properties to desired values; and reduction in number of elements required to fabricate pistons. Advantage of piston structures lies in applications where light weight and high specific performance primary considerations.

Taylor, Allan H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Advanced composite materials for precision segmented reflectors

The objective in the NASA Precision Segmented Reflector (PSR) project is to develop new composite material concepts for highly stable and durable reflectors with precision surfaces. The project focuses on alternate material concepts such as the development of new low coefficient of thermal expansion resins as matrices for graphite fiber reinforced composites, quartz fiber reinforced epoxies, and graphite reinforced glass. Low residual stress fabrication methods will be developed. When coupon specimens of these new material concepts have demonstrated the required surface accuracies and resistance to thermal distortion and microcracking, reflector panels will be fabricated and tested in simulated space environments. An important part of the program is the analytical modeling of environmental stability of these new composite materials concepts through constitutive equation development, modeling of microdamage in the composite matrix, and prediction of long term stability (including viscoelasticity). These analyses include both closed form and finite element solutions at the micro and macro levels.

Stein, Bland A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Elastic/plastic analyses of advanced composites investigating the use of the compliant layer concept in reducing residual stresses resulting from processing

High residual stresses within intermetallic and metal matrix composite systems can develop upon cooling from the processing temperature to room temperature due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the fiber and matrix. As a result, within certain composite systems, radial, circumferential, and/or longitudinal cracks have been observed to form at the fiber-matrix interface. The compliant layer concept (insertion of a compensating interface material between the fiber and matrix) was proposed to reduce or eliminate the residual stress buildup during cooling and thus minimize cracking. The viability of the proposed compliant layer concept is investigated both elastically and elastoplastically. A detailed parametric study was conducted using a unit cell model consisting of three concentric cylinders to determine the required character (i.e., thickness and material properties) of the compliant layer as well as its applicability. The unknown compliant layer mechanical properties were expressed as ratios of the corresponding temperature dependent Ti-24Al-11Nb (a/o) matrix properties. The fiber properties taken were those corresponding to SCS-6 (SiC). Results indicate that the compliant layer can be used to reduce, if not eliminate, radial and circumferential residual stresses within the fiber and matrix and therefore also reduce or eliminate the radial cracking. However, with this decrease in in-plane stresses, one obtains an increase in longitudinal stress, thus potentially initiating longitudinal cracking. Guidelines are given for the selection of a specific compliant material, given a perfectly bonded system.

Arnold, Steven M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Flat tensile specimen design for advanced composites

Finite element analyses of flat, reduced gage section tensile specimens with various transition region contours were performed. Within dimensional constraints, such as maximum length, tab region width, gage width, gage length, and minimum tab length, a transition contour radius of 41.9 cm produced the lowest stress values in the specimen transition region. The stresses in the transition region were not sensitive to specimen material properties. The stresses in the tab region were sensitive to specimen composite and/or tab material properties. An evaluation of stresses with different specimen composite and tab material combinations must account for material nonlinearity of both the tab and the specimen composite. Material nonlinearity can either relieve stresses in the composite under the tab or elevate them to cause failure under the tab.

Worthem, Dennis W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Extension-bend-twist coupling behavior of thin-walled advanced composite beams with initial twist

An analytical model is developed for assessing the extension-bend-twist coupling behavior of nonhomogeneous anisotropic beams with initial twist. The model is formulated as a coupled two-dimensional boundary value problem, where the displacement solutions are defined with pretwist-dependent functions that represent the extension, bending, and torsion, and unknown functions that represent local in-plane deformations and out-of-plane cross-section warping. The unknown deformation functions are determined by applying the principle of minimum potential energy to a discretized representation of the cross section. Numerical results are presented that fully verify this approach and illustrate the strong extension-twist coupling behavior present in pretwisted beams with thin-wall laminated composite cross sections as a function of ply angle, initial twist level, and initial twist axis location. Cross-sections analyzed include; thin laminated rectangles with either asymmetric or symmetric ply stacking sequences and a thin-wall single cell D-section composed of a graphite/epoxy woven cloth.

Kosmatka, J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Nonlinear mechanical behavior of thermoplastic matrix materials for advanced composites

Two recent theories of nonlinear mechanical response are quantitatively compared and related to experimental data. Computer techniques are formulated to handle the numerical integration and iterative procedures needed to solve the associated sets of coupled nonlinear differential equations. Problems encountered during these formulations are discussed and some open questions described. Bearing in mind these cautions, the consequences of changing parameters that appear in the formulations on the resulting engineering properties are discussed. Hence, engineering approaches to the analysis of thermoplastic matrix material can be suggested.

Arenz, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

A guide to structural factors for advanced composites used on spacecraft

The use of composite materials in spacecraft systems is constantly increasing. Although the areas of composite design and fabrication are maturing, they remain distinct from the same activities performed using conventional materials and processes. This has led to some confusion regarding the precise meaning of the term 'factor of safety' as it applies to these structures. In addition, composite engineering introduces terms such as 'knock-down factors' to further modify material properties for design purposes. This guide is intended to clarify these terms as well as their use in the design of composite structures for spacecraft. It is particularly intended to be used by the engineering community not involved in the day-to-day composites design process. An attempt is also made to explain the wide range of factors of safety encountered in composite designs as well as their relationship to the 1.4 factor of safety conventionally applied to metallic structures.

Vanwagenen, Robert↗

NASA NTRS1990

The weight optimization of an armored crashworthy crewseat through the use of advanced composites and design

The development of composite-related technology applicable to armored crashworthy helicopter crewseats is discussed. The main objective was to achieve a significant weight reduction relative to the first-generation seats exemplified by the UH-60A and the AH-64A designs. This weight reduction was achieved while maintaining full compliance with the most recent version of the military crashworthy crewseat specification, MIL-S-58095A. The technology developed during this effort is intended to apply to the next generation of Army helicopters, such as LHX.

Lindsay, Howard A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The Utilization of Advanced Composites in Military Aircraft

The purpose of this workshop was to identify the current state of the art in key issues related to compression loading and fluid effects in composite materials. In the area of compression loading, there was considerable concern over the different results obtained from various test methods. It was agreed that failure modes produced by the various test methods along with a better fundamental understanding of compression failure were key issues in the development of compression test methods. In the area of fluid effects, a lack of a comprehensive data base hampers identification of key mechanisms leading to fluid degradation. This is further complicated by the fact that interactions depend on the fluid and composite under consideration.

Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Developm↗

NASA NTRS1992

Microcracking, microcrack-induced delamination, and longitudinal splitting of advanced composite structures

A combined analytical and experimental study was conducted to analyze microcracking, microcrack-induced delamination, and longitudinal splitting in polymer matrix composites. Strain energy release rates, calculated by a variational analysis, were used in a failure criterion to predict microcracking. Predictions and test results were compared for static, fatigue, and cyclic thermal loading. The longitudinal splitting analysis accounted for the effects of fiber bridging. Test data are analyzed and compared for longitudinal splitting and delamination under mixed-mode loading. This study emphasizes the importance of using fracture mechanics analyses to understand the complex failure processes that govern composite strength and life.

Nairn, John A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The First NASA Advanced Composites Technology Conference, part 1

Papers are presented from the conference. The ACT program is a multiyear research initiative to achieve a national goal of technology readiness before the end of the decade. Conference papers recorded results of research in the ACT program on new materials development and processing, innovative design concepts, analysis development and validation, cost effective manufacturing methodology, and cost tracking and prediction procedures. Papers presented on major applications programs approved by the Department of Defense are also included.

Davis, John G., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Resin transfer molding for advanced composite primary aircraft structures

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) has been identified by Douglas Aircraft Company (DAC) and industry to be one of the promising processes being developed today which can break the cost barrier of implementing composite primary structures into a commercial aircraft production environment. The RTM process developments and scale-up plans Douglas Aircrart will be conducting under the NASA ACT contract are discussed.

Markus, Alan↗

NASA NTRS1992

Application of neural networks to prediction of advanced composite structures mechanical response and behavior

Two types of neural networks were used to evaluate acousto-ultrasonic (AU) data for material characterization and mechanical reponse prediction. The neural networks included a simple feedforward network (backpropagation) and a radial basis functions network. Comparisons of results in terms of accuracy and training time are given. Acousto-ultrasonic (AU) measurements were performed on a series of tensile specimens composed of eight laminated layers of continuous, SiC fiber reinforced Ti-15-3 matrix. The frequency spectrum was dominated by frequencies of longitudinal wave resonance through the thickness of the specimen at the sending transducer. The magnitude of the frequency spectrum of the AU signal was used for calculating a stress-wave factor based on integrating the spectral distribution function and used for comparison with neural networks results.

Cios, K. J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Combustion synthesis of advanced composite materials

Self-propagating high temperature (combustion) synthesis (SHS), has been investigated as a means of producing both dense and expanded (foamed) ceramic and ceramic-metal composites, ceramic powders and whiskers. Several model exothermic combustion synthesis reactions were used to establish the importance of certain reaction parameters, e.g., stoichiometry, green density, combustion mode, particle size, etc. on the control of the synthesis reaction, product morphology and properties. The use of an in situ liquid infiltration technique and the effect of varying the reactants and their stoichiometry to provide a range of reactant and product species i.e., solids, liquids and gases, with varying physical properties e.g., volatility and thermal conductivity, on the microstructure and morphology of synthesized composite materials is discussed. Conducting the combustion synthesis reaction in a reactive gas environment to take advantage of the synergistic effects of combustion synthesis and vapor phase transport is also examined.

Moore, John J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Readying advanced composites for the microscope

Concerns related to the proper preparation of composite specimens for microstructural analysis are examined. Proper preparation will minimize the amount of surface and subsurface damage at each stage of the procedure so that the microstructural features of the final-polished specimen can be accurately determined as a function of the composite's response to processing, testing, or service conditions. This requires that an optimum combination of abrasive type, size, and bond be applied during each grinding, lapping, and polishing step. Machine settings, such as polishing speed, force, and relative polishing direction, are also important. Guidelines are given for each step of the six-stage specimen preparation process: sectioning, planar grinding, sample integrity, polishing, and etching.

Zipperian, Donald C.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Innovative fabrication processing of advanced composite materials concepts for primary aircraft structures

The autoclave based THERM-X(sub R) process was evaluated by cocuring complex curved panels with frames and stiffeners. The process was shown to result in composite parts of high quality with good compaction at sharp radius regions and corners of intersecting parts. The structural properties of the postbuckled panels fabricated were found to be equivalent to those of conventionally tooled hand laid-up parts. Significant savings in bagging time over conventional tooling were documented. Structural details such as cocured shear ties and embedded stiffener flanges in the skin were found to suppress failure modes such as failure at corners of intersecting members and skin stiffeners separation.

Kassapoglou, Christos↗

NASA NTRS1992

Advanced composites structural concepts and materials technologies for primary aircraft structures: Structural response and failure analysis

Non-linear analysis methods were adapted and incorporated in a finite element based DIAL code. These methods are necessary to evaluate the global response of a stiffened structure under combined in-plane and out-of-plane loading. These methods include the Arc Length method and target point analysis procedure. A new interface material model was implemented that can model elastic-plastic behavior of the bond adhesive. Direct application of this method is in skin/stiffener interface failure assessment. Addition of the AML (angle minus longitudinal or load) failure procedure and Hasin's failure criteria provides added capability in the failure predictions. Interactive Stiffened Panel Analysis modules were developed as interactive pre-and post-processors. Each module provides the means of performing self-initiated finite elements based analysis of primary structures such as a flat or curved stiffened panel; a corrugated flat sandwich panel; and a curved geodesic fuselage panel. This module brings finite element analysis into the design of composite structures without the requirement for the user to know much about the techniques and procedures needed to actually perform a finite element analysis from scratch. An interactive finite element code was developed to predict bolted joint strength considering material and geometrical non-linearity. The developed method conducts an ultimate strength failure analysis using a set of material degradation models.

Dorris, William J.↗