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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 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Effect of cavitation on fluid stability in polymer thickened fluids and lubricants

The effects of cavitating flow on the polymeric additives used in functional fluids are described. A comparison of thermal and mechanical stability tests for these polymer solutions show distinct differences in the machanism of the polymer degradation. The thermal degradation tests appear to cause an unzippering or depolymerization type of reaction in which there is no particular selectivity based on molecular weight. The mechanical degradation of these fluids appears to be based on molecular weight. Measurements of molecular weight distributions during mechanical degradation show that for a given level of intensity only molecules above a certain minimum size are degraded. The effects of ultrasonic radiation on polymer degradation are reported. Tests were conducted to demonstrate the mechanism of mechanical polymer degradiation in an orifice. A more severe test than the orifice test in which two tapered roller bearings loaded against each other produce the mechanical breakdown is discussed.

Duda, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Mechanical loader for testing composites

Device applies constant preload to environmentally cycled specimens. Loading spring for each specimen has sufficiently large deflection to insure insignificant degree of change in specimen load during thermal cycling.

Daniel, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Enabling More than Moore: Accelerated Reliability Testing and Risk Analysis for Advanced Electronics Packaging

For five decades, the semiconductor industry has distinguished itself by the rapid pace of improvement in miniaturization of electronics products-Moore's Law. Now, scaling hits a brick wall, a paradigm shift. The industry roadmaps recognized the scaling limitation and project that packaging technologies will meet further miniaturization needs or ak.a "More than Moore". This paper presents packaging technology trends and accelerated reliability testing methods currently being practiced. Then, it presents industry status on key advanced electronic packages, factors affecting accelerated solder joint reliability of area array packages, and IPC/JEDEC/Mil specifications for characterizations of assemblies under accelerated thermal and mechanical loading. Finally, it presents an examples demonstrating how Accelerated Testing and Analysis have been effectively employed in the development of complex spacecraft thereby reducing risk. Quantitative assessments necessarily involve the mathematics of probability and statistics. In addition, accelerated tests need to be designed which consider the desired risk posture and schedule for particular project. Such assessments relieve risks without imposing additional costs. and constraints that are not value added for a particular mission. Furthermore, in the course of development of complex systems, variances and defects will inevitably present themselves and require a decision concerning their disposition, necessitating quantitative assessments. In summary, this paper presents a comprehensive view point, from technology to systems, including the benefits and impact of accelerated testing in offsetting risk.

Ghaffarian, Reza↗
DOE OSTI2024

Towards Polymer-Free, Femto-Second Laser-Welded Glass/Glass Solar Modules

This project explores the use of femto-second (fs) lasers to form glass-to-glass welds for hermetically sealed, polymer-free solar modules. Low iron solar glass coupons were welded together without the use of glass filler using a fs laser with dedicated optics to elongate the focal plane parallel to the incident beam. The resulting welds were then stress tested to failure to reveal the critical stress intensity factor, KIc. These values were used in a structural mechanics model of a 1 m by 2 m glass/glass module under a simulated static load test. The results show that the fs laser welds are strong enough for a suitably framed module to pass the IEC 61215 static load test with a load of 5400 Pa. Key to this finding is that the module must be framed and braced, and the glass must be ribbed to allow pockets for the cells and welds inside the border of the module. The result is a module design that is completely polymer-free, hermetically sealed, has improved thermal properties, and is easily recycled.

femto-second laser welded↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermostructural Testing of PICA-D for NASA Planetary Science Missions

Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator–Domestic (PICA‑D) has been selected as the heatshield thermal protection system (TPS) material for two upcoming NASA planetary science missions: the Dragonfly mission to Titan and the Mars Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL). Early testing revealed differences between PICA‑D and heritage PICA, particularly in in‑plane (IP) tensile stiffness and thermal expansion. Thermostructural analyses using Finite Element Method (FEM) tools subsequently predicted the potential for IP compressive failure in the near‑surface layers of PICA‑D under both Dragonfly and SRL flight environments. Over the past three years, the Dragonfly and SRL teams have carried out an extensive thermostructural qualification campaign to address these concerns and validate PICA‑D for flight. This effort began with a comprehensive mechanical property characterization program at Kratos test laboratories, which significantly improved understanding of PICA‑D mechanical behavior and increased the fidelity of FEM predictions. The teams also conducted six large‑scale test entries at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) solar tower, exposing PICA‑D articles—including gap fillers and representative design features or flaws—to combined thermal and mechanical loads. The talk will summarize key findings from these mechanical and thermostructural test campaigns and present the current status of PICA‑D qualification for NASA’s planetary science missions.

TPS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Effect of Micro-Structural Dispersity of SiMo Ductile Iron on High Temperature Performance during Static Oxidation

High silicon and molybdenum (SiMo) ductile iron is commonly used for car exhaust systems, and its micro-structural dispersity depends on intrinsic parameters, which include alloy composition and inoculation efficiency, as well as extrinsic factors, such as casting wall thickness and molding material, which define cooling rate during solidification. Micro-structural dispersity is referred to as the degree of heterogeneity of sizes of structural constituencies within the microstructure. A variation in the micro-structural dispersity could impact the high temperature performance of SiMo ductile iron during static oxidation and transient thermo-mechanical loading conditions. In this study, static high temperature tests were performed on SiMo ductile iron solidified in a casting with varying wall thicknesses from 5 mm to 100 mm. The faster solidified specimens (taken from near chilled casting surfaces) had extremely high micro-structural dispersity as compared to the thicker section samples. After thermal exposure, each of the samples were characterized using 2D sections and 3D µCT images, and the results indicated an order of magnitude difference in graphite phase dispersity. The surface degradation was quantified after static oxidation experiments were implemented at temperature intervals between 650 °C and 800 °C. Non-destructive µCT 3D analysis and SEM/EDS were performed on cross sections and used to quantify the scale topology and structure. Carbon analysis was used to decouple the scale formation and decarburization phenomena that occurred within the samples. These methods enabled the quantification of the oxidation of the SiMo cast iron with different micro-structural dispersity levels after being exposed to high temperature static oxidation. Additionally, the complex material behavior during oxidation-assisted transient thermo-mechanical loading will be presented in a separate article.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1985

Stress rate and proof-testing of silicon wafers

Fracture mechanics test methods were applied to evaluate the proof-test characteristics of single-crystal silicon wafers. The results indicate that the strength distribution of silicon wafers is truncated by proof-testing. No subcritical crack growth occurred during proof-loading, as inferred from the lack of a stress-rate effect on strength. Mechanical proof-testing appears to be an effective method for eliminating weak samples before cell processing.

Chen, C. P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Metal matrix composites: Testing, analysis, and failure modes; Proceedings of the Symposium, Sparks, NV, Apr. 25, 26, 1988

The present conference discusses the tension and compression testing of MMCs, the measurement of advanced composites' thermal expansion, plasticity theory for fiber-reinforced composites, a deformation analysis of boron/aluminum specimens by moire interferometry, strength prediction methods for MMCs, and the analysis of notched MMCs under tensile loading. Also discussed are techniques for the mechanical and thermal testing of Ti3Al/SCS-6 MMCs, damage initiation and growth in fiber-reinforced MMCs, the shear testing of MMCs, the crack growth and fracture of continuous fiber-reinforced MMCs in view of analytical and experimental results, and MMC fiber-matrix interface failures.

Johnson, W. S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Inlet Flow Test Calibration for a Small Axial Compressor Facility. Part 1: Design and Experimental Results

An axial compressor test rig has been designed for the operation of small turbomachines. The inlet region consisted of a long flowpath region with two series of support struts and a flapped inlet guide vane. A flow test was run to calibrate and determine the source and magnitudes of the loss mechanisms in the inlet for a highly loaded two-stage axial compressor test. Several flow conditions and IGV angle settings were established in which detailed surveys were completed. Boundary layer bleed was also provided along the casing of the inlet behind the support struts and ahead of the IGV. A detailed discussion of the flowpath design along with a summary of the experimental results are provided in Part 1.

Miller, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Preload Loss in a Spacecraft Fastener via Vibration-Induced Unwinding

Sound engineering practice requires that fasteners and bolted joints maintain preload in service. NASA recently concluded a series of vibration tests of a multicomponent structure intended to simulate an upper stage section of a launch vehicle. The stacked components were joined through six circumferentially placed bolted cup-cone-style pyrotechnic joint mechanisms designed to share spacecraft structural loads and then enable separation during ascent. Over the course of the vibration test campaign, all six bolted cup-cone mechanisms experienced some degree of preload loss with two mechanisms losing half of their original bolt preload. A subsequent forensic anomaly investigation concluded that vibration-induced unwinding of the preload nut-and-bolt assemblies occurred despite the use of safety wire and high levels of thread friction. A series of experiments were done to better understand how large, heavily preloaded fasteners could unwind. Additionally, thread friction torque was measured and the fastener locking capability of safety wire was evaluated. The friction coefficient between the clamped cup-cone components was characterized and finally a highly instrumented mechanism-level vibration test was done to reproduce the unwinding phenomenon to better understand the mechanism's behavior. The conclusion drawn was that vibration and structural forces led to relative motion (sliding) of the clamped components, resulting in self-loosening and unwinding effects on the nut-and-bolt assembly. To counter this phenomenon, more effective fastener locking methodologies were recommended and a follow-on effort was initiated to quantify the relationship between preload, component motion, and resulting unwinding forces. It is hoped that elucidation of these effects can be used to design more effective fastener locking features.

fasteners↗
NASA NTRS1992

Composite fuselage shell structures research at NASA Langley Research Center

Fuselage structures for transport aircraft represent a significant percentage of both the weight and the cost of these aircraft primary structures. Composite materials offer the potential for reducing both the weight and the cost of transport fuselage structures, but only limited studies of the response and failure of composite fuselage structures have been conducted for transport aircraft. The behavior of these important primary structures must be understood, and the structural mechanics methodology for analyzing and designing these complex stiffened shell structures must be validated in the laboratory. The effects of local gradients and discontinuities on fuselage shell behavior and the effects of local damage on pressure containment must be thoroughly understood before composite fuselage structures can be used for commercial aircraft. This paper describes the research being conducted and planned at NASA LaRC to help understand the critical behavior or composite fuselage structures and to validate the structural mechanics methodology being developed for stiffened composite fuselage shell structure subjected to combined internal pressure and mechanical loads. Stiffened shell and curved stiffened panel designs are currently being developed and analyzed, and these designs will be fabricated and then tested at Langley to study critical fuselage shell behavior and to validate structural analysis and design methodology. The research includes studies of the effects of combined internal pressure and mechanical loads on nonlinear stiffened panel and shell behavior, the effects of cutouts and other gradient-producing discontinuities on composite shell response, and the effects of local damage on pressure containment and residual strength. Scaling laws are being developed that relate full-scale and subscale behavior of composite fuselage shells. Failure mechanisms are being identified and advanced designs will be developed based on what is learned from early results from the LaRC research activities. Results from combined load tests will be used to validate analytical models of critical nonlinear response mechanisms as well as shell scaling laws.

Starnes, James H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Detecting gear tooth fracture in a high contact ratio face gear mesh

This paper summarized the results of a study in which three different vibration diagnostic methods were used to detect gear tooth fracture in a high contact ratio face gear mesh. The NASA spiral bevel gear fatigue test rig was used to produce unseeded fault, natural failures of four face gear specimens. During the fatigue tests, which were run to determine load capacity and primary failure mechanisms for face gears, vibration signals were monitored and recorded for gear diagnostic purposes. Gear tooth bending fatigue and surface pitting were the primary failure modes found in the tests. The damage ranged from partial tooth fracture on a single tooth in one test to heavy wear, severe pitting, and complete tooth fracture of several teeth on another test. Three gear fault detection techniques, FM4, NA4*, and NB4, were applied to the experimental data. These methods use the signal average in both the time and frequency domain. Method NA4* was able to conclusively detect the gear tooth fractures in three out of the four fatigue tests, along with gear tooth surface pitting and heavy wear. For multiple tooth fractures, all of the methods gave a clear indication of the damage. It was also found that due to the high contact ratio of the face gear mesh, single tooth fractures did not significantly affect the vibration signal, making this type of failure difficult to detect.

Zakrajsek, James J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

NiH2 Cycle Life Study

Cycle life studies have been performed at Eagle Picher Technologies (EPT), on HST Mantech design cells with various pedigrees of slurry and dry sinter processed electrodes, to evaluate peak load voltage performance during generic load profile testing. These tests provide information for determining voltage and capacity fade (degradation) mechanisms, and their impact on nickel hydrogen cell cycle life. Comparison of peak load voltage fade, as a function of State of Charge and cycle life, with capacity data from HST indicates that the cycle life limiting mechanism is due to impedance growth, and formation of a second discharge plateau. With a second plateau on discharge, capacity from the cell is still available, but at an unacceptable low voltage of 0.8 V per cell (17.6 V battery). Data shows that cell impedance increases with cycle number and depth of discharge, as expected.

Hollandsworth, Roger P.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Step-loaded creep testing of Zircaloy-4 cladding at higher temperatures in the α-phase

A refined understanding of zirconium-based cladding thermomechanical performance during rapid transients is essential for enhancing the safety and operation of light-water reactors. Traditional models for zirconium alloys under accident conditions generally assume that creep dominates fuel cladding performance. Here, these historic models have largely remained unchanged and serve as the basis for safety criteria development. As the U.S. nuclear industry pursues higher burnup levels, the increased release of fission gases during transients raises the risk of cladding failure in the low-temperature hcp α-phase, making the fidelity of these models of greater importance. Creep testing was conducted from 550–700°C with 25–120 MPa applied hoop stresses to investigate Zircaloy-4 deformation at accident-relevant temperatures in the α-phase. Step-loading was employed to capture creep behavior across a wide stress range from a single sample. The stress-strain rate data at higher temperatures (650 and 700°C) were well-described by isotropic versions of the Erbacher and Kaddour models, while the lower temperature data (550 and 600°C) were underpredicted by both anisotropic and isotropic model variants. Greater strain rates during the initial loading step at 650 and 700°C were attributed to recrystallization and grain growth of sub-micron crystallites. Yet, texture analysis revealed the basal split texture remained after testing. These observations produced results suggesting Zircaloy-4 claddings experience higher creep rates across the α-phase than previously thought, possibly related to dynamic anisotropy due to temperature dependent activation of deformation mechanisms, effects of biaxial loading, and variation in material condition between the current testing used in previous model development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Initial development of an in-situ, passive material surveillance test article for monitoring high temperature reactor structural components

This report describes the development of a family of passively-actuated surveillance test articles, suitable for use in an in-situ reactor test program monitoring the degradation in structural material properties caused by the reactor environment. The test articles apply creep-fatigue-type cyclic load to a test section driven by changes in the reactor coolant temperature converted to mechanical force by differential thermal expansion. The report describes three types of test articles, all of which apply the load to a 316H test section using Alloy 617 as the driver material. The three types of specimens each serve a unique purpose: (1) initial proof-of-concept, (2) validation of the models used to size the specimens to achieve a given strain range, and (3) demonstration that the articles can be miniaturized for use in an actual operating reactor. In addition to the specimen design, fabrication, and testing, this report describes the outline of two types of in-situ monitoring programs, using the test article. Monitoring programs such as these could be a critical component in gaining regulator acceptance for Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) designs using structural materials for which there is little long-term experimental environmental testing or operating experience available for calibrating the component structural design.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Matrix Fatigue Cracking Mechanisms of Alpha(2) TMC for Hypersonic Applications

The objective of this work was to understand matrix cracking mechanisms in a unidirectional alpha(sub 2) TMC in possible hypersonic applications. A (0)(sub 8) SCS-6/Ti-24Al-11Nb (at. percent) TMC was first subjected to a variety of simple isothermal and nonisothermal fatigue cycles to evaluate the damage mechanisms in simple conditions. A modified ascent mission cycle test was then performed to evaluate the combined effects of loading modes. This cycle mixes mechanical cycling at 150 and 483 C, sustained loads, and a slow thermal cycle to 815 C. At low cyclic stresses and strains more common in hypersonic applications, environment-assisted surface cracking limited fatigue resistance. This damage mechanism was most acute for out-of-phase nonisothermal cycles having extended cycle periods and the ascent mission cycle. A simple linear fraction damage model was employed to help understand this damage mechanism. Time-dependent environmental damage was found to strongly influence out-of-phase and mission life, with mechanical cycling damage due to the combination of external loading and CTE mismatch stresses playing a smaller role. The mechanical cycling and sustained loads in the mission cycle also had a smaller role.

Gabb, Timothy P.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Crack-growth behavior in thick welded plates of Inconel 718 at room and cryogenic temperatures

Results of mechanical-properties and axial-load fatigue and fracture tests performed on thick welded plates of Inconel 718 superalloy are presented. The test objectives were to determine the tensile strength properties and the crack-growth behavior in electron-beam, plasma-arc, and gas tungsten are welds for plates 1.90 cm (0.75 in) thick. Base-metal specimens were also tested to determine the flaw-growth behavior. The tests were performed in room-temperature-air and liquid nitrogen environments. The experimental crack-growth-rate data are correlated with theoretical crack-growth-rate predictions for semielliptical surface flaws.

Forman, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Fatigue of 1018 steel in hydrogen

Tests are performed at different hydrogen pressures and mechanical load parameter values (applied load, stress concentration factor, applied load frequency) to study enhanced fatigue crack growth in SAE 1018 steel. Oxygen was introduced as a hydrogen-oxygen gas mixture environment in order to compare the role of oxygen in crack inhibition with that previously reported for both static and cyclic loading of higher strength steels. In a number of experiments, a thin film of palladium was applied to the specimen surface to facilitate the study of steel-hydrogen interaction in the absence of any surface impedance to hydrogen entry. The kinetics of the diffusing atoms are found to be influenced by the stress field around the notch tip and the applied frequency. An increment in environmental effect occurred when applied load or stress concentration factor was increased.

Lo, S. H.↗