Materials for potassium lubricated journal bearings quarterly progress report no. 5, apr. 22 - jul. 22, 1964
Potassium lubricated journal bearings for use in space system turbogenerators
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Potassium lubricated journal bearings for use in space system turbogenerators
Finite element equations are developed for studying surface temperatures resulting from frictional heating in sliding systems. The equations include the effect of velocity of moving components, an effect which is found to be quite significant, even at low sliding velocities. A program was written using the equations and it was applied to the study of surface temperatures in two different sliding systems: dry or boundary lubricated sleeve bearings and a labyrinth gas path seal configuration. Very good agreement was achieved between analytical predictions using the program and experimental temperature measurements. The program was used to study the influence of various material parameters on surface temperatures in the two sliding systems.
An investigation was conducted to survey anticipated requirements for solid lubricants in lunar and Martian environments, as well as the effects of these environments on lubricants and their performance and durability. The success of habitats and vehicles on the Moon and Mars, and ultimately, of the human exploration of and permanent human presence on the Moon and Mars, are critically dependent on the correct and reliable operation of many moving mechanical assemblies and tribological components. The coefficient of friction and lifetime of any lubricant generally vary with the environment, and lubricants have very different characteristics under different conditions. It is essential, therefore, to select the right lubrication technique and lubricant for each mechanical and tribological application. Several environmental factors are hazardous to performance integrity on the Moon and Mars. Potential threats common to both the Moon and Mars are low ambient temperatures, wide daily temperature swings (thermal cycling), solar flux, cosmic radiation, and large quantities of dust. The surface of Mars has the additional challenges of dust storms, winds, and a carbon dioxide atmosphere. Solid lubricants and coatings are needed for lunar and Martian applications, where liquid lubricants are ineffective and undesirable, and these lubricants must perform well in the extreme environments of the Moon, Mars, and space, as well as on Earth, where they will be assembled and tested. No solid lubricants and coatings and their systems currently exist or have been validated that meet these requirements, so new solid lubricants must be designed and validated for these applications.
Some present-day aeropropulsion systems impose severe demands on the thermal and oxidative stability of lubricant, bearing, and seal materials. These demands will be much more severe for operational systems around the turn of the century. Solid lubricants with maximum temperature capabilities of about 1100 C are known. Unfortunately, none of the solid lubricants with the highest temperature capabilities are effective below approximately 400 C. However, research shows that silver and stable fluorides, such as calcium and barium fluoride act synergistically to provide lubrication from below room temperature to approximately 900 C. Plasma-sprayed, self-lubricating composite coatings that were developed at Lewis are described. Background information is given on coatings, designed as PS100 and PS101, that contain the solid lubricants in a Nichrome matrix. These coatings have low friction coefficients over a wide temperature range, but they have inadequate wear resistance for some long-duration applications. Wear resistance was dramatically improved in a recently developed coating PS200, by replacing the Nichrome matrix material with metal-bonded chromium carbide containing dispersed silver and calcium fluoride/barium fluoride eutectic (CaF2/BaF2). The lubricants control friction and the carbide matrix provides excellent wear resistance. Successful tests of these coatings are discussed.
The construction and the materials used in different magnetic storage devices are defined. The theories of friction and adhesion, interface temperatures, wear, and solid-liquid lubrication relevant to magnetic storage systems are presented. Experimental data are presented wherever possible to support the relevant theories advanced.
Conventional spin axis ball bearings have been unreliable in spacecraft, often failing by two heretofore uncontrolled processes: ball retainer instability and lubricant breakdown. The Space Cartridge Bearing System (SCBS) addresses each of these mechanisms directly, leading to a bearing system with absolute freedom from retainer instability and negligible lubricant degradation rate. The result is a reliable plug-in bearing cartridge with a definite design life.
An investigation has been conducted in the NACA Cleveland altitude wind tunnel to evaluate the performance characteristics of a modified X24C-4B turbojet engine over a range of simulated altitudes from 5000 to 45,000 feet, simulated flight Mach numbers from 0.25 to 1.07, and engine speeds from 4000 to 12,500 rpm. The engine was modified by the manufacturer to improve the velocity and temperature profiles within the engine. Performance data are graphically presented to show the effect of altitude at a flight Mach number of 0.25 and the effect of flight Mach number at an altitude of 25,000 feet. Original and modified engine performances for several specific operating conditions are compared. A complete tabulation of average pressures and temperatures throughout the engine, performance data, and lubrication and fuel-system data is presented.
Gas lubricated bearings used in Brayton cycle closed loop system turbomachinery in design of two-shaft power plant
SHABERTH computer program developed to predict steady-state and transient thermal performance of multi-bearing shaft system operating with either wet or dry friction. Calculates loads, torques, temperatures, and fatigue lives for ball and/or roller bearings on single shaft. Enables study of many causes of instabilities in bearings. Also provides for analysis of reaction of system to termination of supply of lubricant to bearings and other lubricated mechanical elements. Valuable software tool in design and analysis of shaft bearing systems. Written in FORTRAN IV.
Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) turbine systems are under consideration for future space electric power generation. CBC turbines convert thermal energy from a nuclear reactor, or other heat source, to electrical power using a closed-loop cycle. The operating fluid in the closed-loop is commonly a high pressure inert gas mixture that cannot tolerate contamination. One source of potential contamination in a system such as this is the lubricant used in the turbomachine bearings. Gas Foil Bearings (GFB) represent a bearing technology that eliminates the possibility of contamination by using the working fluid as the lubricant. Thus, foil bearings are well suited to application in space power CBC turbine systems. NASA Glenn Research Center is actively researching GFB technology for use in these CBC power turbines. A power loss model has been developed, and the effects of a very high ambient pressure, start-up torque, and misalignment, have been observed and are reported here.
The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) elevation scan bearings lubricated with Pennzane SHF X2000 and 2% lead naphthenate (PbNp) were life tested for a seven-year equivalent Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operation. The bearing life assembly was tested continuously at an accelerated and normal rate using the scanning patterns developed for the CERES Earth Observing System AM-1 mission. A post-life-test analysis was performed on the collected data, bearing wear, and lubricant behavior.
Recent breakthroughs in gas foil bearing solid lubricants and computer based modeling has enabled the development of revolulionary Oil-Free turbomachinery systems. These innovative new and solid lubricants at low speeds (start-up and shut down). Foil bearings are hydrodynamic, self acting fluid film bearings made from thin, flexible sheet metal foils. These thin foils trap a hydrodynamic lubricating air film between their surfaces and moving shaft surface. For low temperature applications, like ainrafl air cycle machines (ACM's), polymer coatings provide important solid lubrication during start-up and shut down prior to the development of the lubricating fluid film. The successful development of Oil-Free gas turbine engines requires bearings which can operate at much higher temperatures (greater than 300 C). To address this extreme solid lubrication need, NASA has invented a new family of compostie solid lubricant coatings, NASA PS300.
A team of NASA bearing and lubrication experts was assembled to assess the risk for the rolling-element bearings used in the International Space Station (ISS) centrifuge rotor (CR) to seize or otherwise fail to survive for the required 10-year life. The CR was designed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and their subcontractor, NEC Toshiba Space Systems, Ltd. (NTSpace). The NASA team performed a design audit for the most critical rolling-element bearing systems and reviewed the lubricant selected. There is uncertainty regarding the ability of the Braycote 601 grease (Castrol Limited) to reliably provide the 10-year continuous life required without relubrication of the system. The fatigue life of the Rotor Shaft Assembly (RSA) spring loaded face-to-face mount at a 99-percent probability of survival (L1 life) for the ball bearing set was estimated at 700 million hours and the single ball bearing (Row 3) at 58 million hours. These lives satisfy the mission requirements for fatigue. Rolling-element seizure tests on the RSA and fluid slip joint bearings were found unlikely to stop the centrifuge, which can cause damage to the ISS structure. The spin motor encoder duplex angular-contact ball bearings have a hard preload and a large number of small balls have the highest risk of failure. These bearings were not tested for seizure even though they are less tolerant to debris or internal clearance reductions.
Gas lubricated bearings used in Brayton cycle closed-loop system turbomachinery in design of two-shaft power plant
An analysis has been made of Civil Aeronautics Administration and Civil Aeronautics Board commercial airplane fire records collected during the 10-year period ending July 1, 1948. The results of the analysis show that: 1. Gasoline was most frequently the initial combustible ignited in flight and ground fires and is considered to be the most hazardous of the combustibles carried. 2. Although electrical-ignition sources are the most frequent flight-fire ignition source by a small margin, the exhaust system is concluded to be the most hazardous ignition source because it is necessarily located near the lubricating-oil and gasoline-plumbing systems and the resulting fires are relatively severe. The electrical-ignition sources usually involve only the electrical insulation and result in small-volume fires. The exhaust system was found to be the most frequent ground-fire ignition source. 3. Engine failures were the most frequent cause of the union of combustible and ignition source that resulted in flight fires. 4. Fuel-plumbing-system failures were the most frequent cause of fires occurring during ground operation. 5. The evidence concerning crash fires was not sufficiently extensive to provide information concerning the factors that affect the start and the spread of fire. In order that future records may be more useful, all crash accidents should be studied to determine why fire does or does not occur and to establish data that relate the occurrence and the spread of fire to airplane design and operation.
The Stirling space power machine incorporates a linear alternator to generate electrical power. The alternator is a reciprocating device that is driven by a solar or nuclear-powered Stirling engine. The power piston and cylinder are made of titanium 6Al-4V (Ti6-4) alloy, and are designed to be lubricated by a hydrodynamically-generated gas film. Rubbing occurs during starts and stops and there is the possibility of an occasional high speed rub. Since titanium is known to have a severe galling tendency in sliding contacts, a 'back-up', self-lubricating coating on the cylinder and/or the piston is needed. This report describes the results of a research program to study the lubrication of Ti6-4 with the following chromium carbide based materials: plasma-sprayed PS212 coatings and sintered PM212 counterfaces. Program objectives are to achieve adherent coatings on Ti6-4 and to measure the friction and wear characteristics of the following sliding combinations under conditions simulative of the Stirling-driven space power linear alternator: Ti6-4/Ti6-4 baseline, Ti6-4/PS212-coated Ti6-4, and PS212-coated Ti6-4/PM212.
The Stirling space power machine incorporates a linear alternator to generate electrical power. The alternator is a reciprocating device that is driven by a solar or nuclear-powered Stirling engine. The power piston and cylinder are made of titanium 6A1-4V (Ti6-4) alloy, and are designed to be lubricated by a hydrodynamically-generated gas film. Rubbing occurs during starts and stops and there is a possibility of an occasional high speed rub. Since titanium is known to have a severe galling tendency in sliding contacts, a 'backup,' self-lubricating coating on the cylinder and/or the piston is needed. This report describes the results of a research program to study the lubrication of Ti6-4 with the following chromium carbide based materials: plasma-sprayed PS212 coatings and sintered PM212 counterfaces. Program objectives are to achieve adherent coatings on Ti6-4 and to measure the friction and wear characteristics of the following sliding combinations under conditions simulative of the Stirling-driven space power linear alternator: Ti6-4/Ti6-4 baseline, Ti6-4/PS212 coated Ti6-4, and Ps212 coated Ti6-4/PM212
Phenol resin bonded, woven glass and Teflon fiber lubricant for J-2 rocket engine gimbal system