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At least 217 records · Page 12

Durable solid lubricant coatings for foil gas bearings to 315 deg C

The durability and friction characteristics of bonded solid lubricant films on compliant gas bearings were measured. Coating compositions, which were judged to be suitable for use to at least 315 C, were selected for this study. Most of the data were obtained with polyimide-bonded graphite fluoride coatings and with silicate-bonded graphite coatings. These coatings were applied to the bore of Inconel 750 foil bearings. The journals were A286 stainless steel, with a rms surface finish of 0.2 microns. The foils were subjected to repeated start/stop cycles under a 14 kPa (2 psi) bearing unit load. Sliding contact occurred during lift-off and coast down at surface velocities less than 6 m/s (3000 rpm). Testing continued until 9000 cycles were accumulated or until a rise in starting torque indicated that the coating had failed. The coatings were evaluated in the temperature range from 25 C to 315 C. Comparisons in coating performance as well as discussions of their properties and methods of application are given.

Wagner, R. C.↗

Silicon Foils Growth by Interface-controlled Crystallization

During interface controlled crystallization (ICC) the chance to accelerate the removal of crystallization heat is the basis for high pulling rates of about 100 mm/min. The forced heat flow from the extended crystallization front to a cooling ramp is controlled by a lubricating melt film which also influences the crystallization behavior by suppressing nucleation centers. The basic principles of this full casting technique are presented and the influences of process parameters on the morphology of prepared silicon foils are demonstrated. Three different types of crystalline structure were found in silicon foils grown to ICC technique: dendritic, coarse granular and monocrystalline with (111) 211 orientation. The criteria for their appearance of process variables are discussed.

Helmreich, D.↗

Experimental test program for evaluation of solid lubricant coating as applied to compliant foil gas bearings to 315 deg C

An experimental apparatus and test procedure was developed to compare the performance of two solid lubricant coatings for air lubricated compliant foil gas bearings in the temperature range of 25 to 315 C. Polyimide bonded additive (SBGC) were tested extensively for durability and frictional characteristics. A partial arc bearing constructed of Inconel X-750 was coated on the bore with one of these coatings. The foil was subjected to repeated start/stop cycles. Performance comparisons reveal that although both coatings survive thousands of start/stop cycles, only the PBGF coated bearing achieves the specified 9000 start/stops. There is enough wear on the SBGC coated bearing to warrant termination of the test prior to 9000 start/stop cycles due to coating failure. The frictional characteristics of the PBGF are better at the elevated temperatures than at lower temperatures; a marked increase in sliding friction occurs as the temperature decreases. The SBGC maintains relatively constant frictional characteristics independent of operating temperature.

Wagner, R. C.↗

Foil bearing lubrication theory including compressibility effects

An analysis is presented to determine the film thickness in a foil bearing. Using the Reynolds equation and including the compressibility effects of the gas, an equation was developed applicable to the film thickness in a foil bearing. The bearing was divided into three regions, namely, the entrance region, middle region and exit region. Solutions are obtained for the film thickness in each region.

Gorla, Rama Subba Reddy↗

Steel Foil Improves Performance Of Blasting Caps

Blasting caps, which commonly include deep-drawn aluminum cups, give significantly higher initiation performance by application of steel foils on output faces. Steel closures 0.005 in. (0.13 mm) thick more effective than aluminum. Caps with directly bonded steel foil produce fragment velocities of 9,300 ft/s (2.8 km/s) with large craters and unpredictable patterns to such degree that no attempts made to initiate explosions. Useful in military and aerospace applications and in specialized industries as mining and exploration for oil.

Bement, Laurence J.↗

Foil perforation particulate impact records on LDEF MAP AO023: Incident mass distributions

An array of multiple foils varying from 1.5 to 3.0 microns exposed on Long Duration Exposure Facility's (LEDF's) geocentrically stabilized exposure platform provides perforation distributions which relate to particulate flux mass distributions and impact velocity in LDEF's orbital reference frame. The application of physical modeling enables a preliminary separation into orbital and interplanetary components, both of which have differing velocities and hence penetration effectiveness. Thin foil hypervelocity calibration data and parametric penetration formulae developed to relate target hole diameter to projectile dimensions are critically examined and a new formula offered for the ballistic limit situation. Incorporating projectile density, target density, and target strength and dimensional scaling from submicron particulates to centimeter scale data, it contrast very significantly with previous formulae in the interpretation of space impact data. Perforation flux distributions for the leading, trailing, and space pointing faces and associated mass distributions for the two populations are presented.

Mcdonnell, J. A. M.↗

Theoretical performance of foil journal bearings

A modified forward iteration approach for the coupled solution of foil bearings is presented. The method is used to predict the steady state theoretical performance of a journal type gas bearing constructed from an inextensible shell supported by an elastic foundation. Bending effects are treated as negligible. Finite element methods are used to predict both the foil deflections and the pressure distribution in the gas film.

Carpino, M.↗

Liquid hydrogen turbopump foil bearing

Space transfer vehicles and other power and propulsion systems require long-life turbopumps. Rolling element bearings used in current turbopumps do not have sufficient life for these applications. Process fluid foil bearings have established long life, with exceptional reliability, over a wide range of temperatures and fluids in many high-speed turbomachinery applications. However, liquid hydrogen turbopumps require high-load capacity bearings. An experimental study was conducted to measure foil journal bearing load capacity in liquid hydrogen, using a bearing designed specifically for cryogenic hydrogen turbopump applications. Additional performance parameters such as power loss, stability, cooling flow requirements, and bearing life were measured. These tests showed a load capacity safety factor of approximately 10 for liquid hydrogen turbopump applictions. These tests also demonstrated good rotor stability, low power loss and cooling flow, and long life.

Saville, M.↗

Rhenium-Foil Witness Cylinders

Cylindrical portion of wall of combustion chamber replaced with rhenium foil mounted on holder. Rhenium oxidizes without melting, indicating regions of excess oxidizer in combustion-chamber flow. Rhenium witness foils also useful in detecting excess oxygen and other oxidizers at temperatures between 2,000 and 3,600 degrees F in burner cores of advanced gas-turbine engines.

Knight, B. L.↗

Fission fragment assisted reactor concept for space propulsion: Foil reactor

The concept is to fabricate a reactor using thin films or foils of uranium, uranium oxide and then to coat them on substrates. These coatings would be made so thin as to allow the escaping fission fragments to directly heat a hydrogen propellant. The idea was studied of direct gas heating and direct gas pumping in a nuclear pumped laser program. Fission fragments were used to pump lasers. In this concept two substrates are placed opposite each other. The internal faces are coated with thin foil of uranium oxide. A few of the advantages of this technology are listed. In general, however, it is felt that if one look at all solid core nuclear thermal rockets or nuclear thermal propulsion methods, one is going to find that they all pretty much look the same. It is felt that this reactor has higher potential reliability. It has low structural operating temperatures, very short burn times, with graceful failure modes, and it has reduced potential for energetic accidents. Going to a design like this would take the NTP community part way to some of the very advanced engine designs, such as the gas core reactor, but with reduced risk because of the much lower temperatures.

Wright, Steven A.↗

Robot Would Apply Brazing Foil Automatically

Robotic system positions brazing-foil preforms accurately and tack-welds them in place in or on large workpieces in preparation for brazing. Automates time-consuming, skill-dependent, labor-intensive brazing-foil-application procedure. Robotically attached preforms satisfies specifications better and more consistently than manually installed preforms do. Specially developed software controls system.

Gilbert, Jeffrey L.↗

Thermal conductance of pressed metallic contacts augmented with Indium foil or Apiezon-N (tm) grease at liquid helium temperatures

The thermal conductance of pressed contacts which have been augmented with Indium foil or Apiezon-N (tm) grease was measured over the temperature range of 1.6 to 6.0 K, with applied forces from 22 N to 670 N. The sample pairs were fabricated from OFHC copper, 6061-T6 aluminum, free-machining brass, and 304 stainless steel. Although the thermal conductance was found to increase with increasing applied contact force, the force dependence was less than in earlier work. The addition of Indium foil or Apiezon-NT grease between the contact surfaces resulted in an improvement over uncoated surfaces ranging from a factor of approximately 3 for stainless steel to an order of magnitude for copper contacts.

Salerno, Louis J.↗

Carbon-Fiber/Epoxy Tube Lined With Aluminum Foil

Carbon-fiber/epoxy composite tube lined with welded aluminum foil useful as part of lightweight heat pipe in which working fluid ammonia. Aluminum liner provides impermeability for vacuum seal, to contain ammonia in heat pipe, and to prevent flow of noncondensable gases into heat pipe. Similar composite-material tubes lined with foils also incorporated into radiators, single- and two-phase thermal buses, tanks for storage of cryogenic materials, and other plumbing required to be lightweight.

Gernet, Nelson J.↗

Nonlinear Dynamics of a Foil Bearing Supported Rotor System: Simulation and Analysis

Foil bearings provide noncontacting rotor support through a number of thin metal strips attached around the circumference of a stator and separated from the rotor by a fluid film. The resulting support stiffness is dominated by the characteristics of the foils and is a nonlinear function of the rotor deflection. The present study is concerned with characterizing this nonlinear effect and investigating its influence on rotordynamical behavior. A finite element model is developed for an existing bearing, the force versus deflection relation characterized, and the dynamics of a sample rotor system are studied. Some conclusions are discussed with regard to appropriate ranges of operation for such a system.

Li, Feng↗

The Evaluation of a Modified Chrome Oxide Based High Temperature Solid Lubricant Coating for Foil Gas Bearings

This paper describes the friction and wear performance of PS304, a modified chrome oxide based coating, for foil gas bearings. PS304 contains 60 wt% NiCr binder, 20 wt% Cr2O3 hardener, and 10 wt% each Ag, and BaF2/CaF2 lubricants. For evaluation, the coating is plasma spray deposited onto test journals which are slid against a superalloy partial arc foil bearing. The test load was 10 KPa (1.5 psi) and the bearings were run under start/stop cyclic conditions. The data show good wear performance of the bearing, especially at temperatures above 25 deg. C. Bearing friction was moderate (micron approx. or equal to 0.4) over the entire temperature range. Based upon the results obtained, the PS304 coating has promise for high temperature, oil-free turbomachinery applications.

DellaCorte, Chris↗

Load Capacity Estimation of Foil Air Journal Bearings for Oil-Free Turbomachinery Applications

This paper introduces a simple "Rule of Thumb" (ROT) method to estimate the load capacity of foil air journal bearings, which are self-acting compliant-surface hydrodynamic bearings being considered for Oil-Free turbo-machinery applications such as gas turbine engines. The ROT is based on first principles and data available in the literature and it relates bearing load capacity to the bearing size and speed through an empirically based load capacity coefficient, D. It is shown that load capacity is a linear function of bearing surface velocity and bearing projected area. Furthermore, it was found that the load capacity coefficient, D, is related to the design features of the bearing compliant members and operating conditions (speed and ambient temperature). Early bearing designs with basic or "first generation" compliant support elements have relatively low load capacity. More advanced bearings, in which the compliance of the support structure is tailored, have load capacities up to five times those of simpler designs. The ROT enables simplified load capacity estimation for foil air journal bearings and can guide development of new Oil-Free turbomachinery systems.

DellaCorte, Christopher↗

High Temperature Performance Evaluation of a Compliant Foil Seal

The key points to be gleaned from the effort reported herein are that the CFS (Compliant Foil Seal) has been demonstrated in conjunction with a foil bearing in a small gas turbine simulator at temperatures as high as 1000 F and outperformed a comparable brush seal. Having demonstrated the feasibility of the CFS, it would appear that this new seal design has application potential in a wide range of machines. What remains is to demonstrate performance at higher pressure ratios, consistent performance at large rotor excursions and the ability to manufacture the seal in much larger sizes exceeding by an order of magnitude that which has been tested to date.

Salehi, Mohsen↗