Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Load Control”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12

Flexible radiator system: Executive summary

A full scale prototype flexible radiator panel was designed, built and tested. The panel, has approximately 173 sq ft of radiating area and is designed to reject 1.33 kW of heat to a 0 F sink with a 100 F fluid inlet. The panel is constructed from a flexible Teflon/silver mesh fin surrounding 1/8 inch Teflon tubes. The prototype panel is stowed on a 10 inch diameter by 4 foot wide drum. (It rolls up to a diameter of 17 inches when fully stowed). Deployment of the soft tube prototype is via two four inch diameter Kevlar/Mylar inflation tubes with flat springs incorporated in each tube. Nitrogen is normally used for the deployment with approximately 1 psi required. The springs retract the panels when the inflation tubes are deflated. Another method of deployment available for the soft tube flexible is a motor driven deployable boom. This eliminates the need for expendables when the panel area is varied during the mission for heat load control. The soft tube panel is designed for a 90% probability of no punctured tube in a 30 day mission. The acceptable working fluids for this soft tube flexible are Coolanol 15, Coolanol 20 and Glycol/water (a eutectic mixture).

Oren, J. R.↗

Thermal-mechanical fatigue crack growth in Inconel X-750

Thermal-mechanical fatigue crack growth (TMFCG) was studied in a gamma-gamma' nickel base superalloy Inconel X-750 under controlled load amplitude in the temperature range from 300 to 650 C. In-phase (T sub max at sigma sub max), out-of-phase (T sub min at sigma sub max), and isothermal tests at 650 C were performed on single-edge notch bars under fully reversed cyclic conditions. A dc electrical potential method was used to measure crack length. The electrical potential response obtained for each cycle of a given wave form and R value yields information on crack closure and crack extension per cycle. The macroscopic crack growth rates are reported as a function of delta k and the relative magnitude of the TMFCG are discussed in the light of the potential drop information and of the fractographic observations.

Marchand, N.↗

Challenges in the development of the orbiter radiator system

Major technical challenges which were met in the design and development of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Radiator System are discussed. This system rejects up to 30 kW of waste heat from eight individual radiators having a combined surface area of 175 sq m. The radiators, which are deployable, are mounted on the inside of the payload bay doors for protection from aerodynamic heating during ascent and re-entry. While in orbit the payload bay doors are opened to expose the radiators for operation. An R21 coolant loop accumulates waste heat from various components in the Orbiter and delivers the heat to the radiators for rejection to space. Specific challenges included high acoustically induced loads during lift-off, severe radiating area constraints, demanding heat load control requirements, and long life goals. Details of major design and analysis efforts are discussed. The success of the developed hardware in satisfying mission objectives showed how well the design challenge was met.

Williams, J. L.↗

Development of an energy absorbing passenger seat for the B-720 test aircraft

An evaluation is made of the experimental results obtained in the 720B airliner flight crash testing of an energy-absorbing passenger seat design, which has been derived through modification of a standard three-passenger commercial aviation seat. The highly instrumented 720B aircraft was crashed at the end of a remotely controlled flight on a specially prepared, gravel-covered ground site. In order to limit acceleration upon impact, the seat tested had been designed and fabricated to collapse under a controlled load. The aircraft impact's shock pulse is absorbed by tubes which crush under load as axial columns.

Eichelberger, C. P.↗

Thermal-mechanical fatigue crack growth in Inconel X-750

Thermal-mechanical fatigue crack growth (TMFCG) was studied in a 'gamma-gamma' nickel base superalloy Inconel X-750 under controlled load amplitude in the temperature range from 300 to 650 C. In-phase (T sub max at sigma sub max), out-of-phase (T sub min at sigma sub max), and isothermal tests at 650 C were performed on single-edge notch bars under fully reversed cyclic conditions. A dc electrical potential method was used to measure crack length. The electrical potential response obtained for each cycle of a given wave form and R value yields information on crack closure and crack extension per cycle. The macroscopic crack growth rates are reported as a function of delta k and the relative magnitude of the TMFCG are discussed in the light of the potential drop information and of the fractographic observations.

Marchand, N.↗

Deformation and failure of transversely loaded composite plates

Quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy clamped circular plates were loaded under control point loading. Deflections and strains at various locations were monitored up to failure. Various damage mechanisms, such as intralaminar matrix cracking, delaminations and fiber breaks, are correlated with the strain records. The damage at various stages of deformation was characterized by means of X-radiography. Results are compared with an approximate isotropic plate theory.

Daniel, I. M.↗

Model 360 rotor test at DNW - Review of performance and blade airload data

The results of tests on a pressure gage instrumented model rotor, performed at the Duits Nederlandse Windtunnel (DNW) are discussed. The rotor, which was a 1/5 scale model of the Boeing Vertol model 360 rotor, was tested both in the anechoic open jet test section, and in the 8 x 6 m closed test section of the DNW. The wind tunnel, the blade instrumentation, and the test conditions are described, and data on rotor performance, blade and control loads, and blade-pressure and acoustic measurements are presented.

Dadone, Leo↗

Optimization of nonlinear aeroelastic tailoring criteria

A static flexible fighter aircraft wing configuration is presently addressed by a multilevel optimization technique, based on both a full-potential concept and a rapid structural optimization program, which can be applied to such aircraft-design problems as maneuver load control, aileron reversal, and lift effectiveness. It is found that nonlinearities are important in the design of an aircraft whose flight envelope encompasses the transonic regime, and that the present structural suboptimization produces a significantly lighter wing by reducing ply thicknesses.

Abdi, F.↗

High temperature fatigue behavior of a SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb composite

A series of tension-tension strain- and load-controlled tests were conducted on unidirectional SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb (at percent) composites at 425 and 815 C. Several regimes of damage were identified using Talrega's concept of fatigue life diagrams. Issues of test technique, test control mode, and definition of failure were also addressed.

Bartolotta, P. A.↗

Experimental and numerical study of the British Experimental Rotor Programme blade

Wind-tunnel tests on the British Experimental Rotor Programme (BERP) tip are described, and the results are compared with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. The test model was molded using the Lynx-BERP blade tooling to provide a semispan, cantilever wing comprising the outboard 30 percent of the rotor blade. The tests included both surface-pressure measurements and flow visualization to obtain detailed information of the flow over the BERP tip for a range of angles of attack. It was observed that, outboard of the notch, favorable pressure gradients exist which ensure attached flow, and that the tip vortex also remains stable to large angles of attack. On the rotor, these features yield a very gradual break in control loads when the retreating-blade limit is eventually reached. Computational and experimental results were generally found to be in good agreement.

Brocklehurst, Alan↗

Tensile and fatigue behavior of tungsten/copper composites

Work on W/Cu unidirectional composites was initiated to study the behavior of this ductile-ductile composite system under thermomechanical fatigue and to examine the applicability of fatigue-life prediction methods for thermomechanical fatigue of this metal matrix composite. The first step was to characterize the tensile behavior of four ply, 10 vol. percent W/Cu plates at room and elevated temperatures. Fatigue tests were conducted in load control on 0 degree specimens at 260 C. The maximum cyclic stress was varied but the minimum cyclic stress was kept constant. All tests were performed in vacuum. The strain at failure increased with increasing maximum cyclic stress.

Verrilli, Michael J.↗

Macromolecular crystal growing system

A macromolecular crystal growing system especially designed for growing crystals in the low gravity of space as well as the gravity of earth includes at least one tray assembly, a carrier assembly which receives the tray, and a refrigeration-incubation module in which the carrier assembly is received. The tray assembly includes a plurality of sealed chambers with a plastic syringe and a plug means for the double tip of the syringe provided therein. Ganging mechanisms operate the syringes and plugs simultaneously in a precise and smooth operation. Preferably, the tray assemblies are mounted on ball bearing slides for smooth operation in inserting and removing the tray assemblies into the carrier assembly. The plugging mechanism also includes a loading control mechanism. A mechanism for leaving a syringe unplugged is also provided.

Snyder, Robert S.↗

A summary of the active flexible wing program

A summary of the NASA/Rockwell Active Flexible Wing Program is presented. Major elements of the program are presented. Key program accomplishments included single- and multiple-mode flutter suppression, load alleviation and load control during rapid roll maneuvers, and multi-input/multi-output multiple-function active controls tests above the open-loop flutter boundary.

Perry, Boyd, III↗

The effect of matrix mechanical properties on (0)8 unidirectional SiC/Ti composite fatigue resistance

The relationship between constituent and MMC properties in fatigue loading is investigated with low-cycle fatigue-resistance testing of an alloy Ti-15-3 matrix reinforced with SiC SCS-6 fibers. The fabrication of the composite is described, and specimens are generated that are weak and ductile (WD), strong and moderately ductile (SM), or strong and brittle (SB). Strain is measured during MMC fatigue tests at a constant load amplitude with a load-controlled waveform and during matrix-alloy fatigue tests at a constant strain amplitude using a strain-controlled waveform. The fatigue resistance of the (0)8 SiC/Ti-15-3 composite is found to be slightly influenced by matrix mechanical properties, and the composite- and matrix-alloy fatigue lives are not correlated. This finding is suggested to relate to the different crack-initiation and -growth processes in MMCs and matrix alloys.

Gabb, T. P.↗

A summary of the Active Flexible Wing program

This paper presents a summary of the NASA/Rockwell Active Flexible Wing program. Major elements of the program are presented. Key program accomplishments included single- and multiple-mode flutter suppression, load alleviation and load control during rapid roll maneuvers, and multi-input/multi-ouput multiple-function active controls tests above the open-loop flutter boundary.

Perry, Boyd, III↗

Effect of interlaminar normal stresses on the uniaxial zero-to-tension fatigue behavior of graphite/epoxy tubes

Fatigue tests conducted with and without internal pressure have been found to possess approximately the same fatigue life as (+/-45)s graphite/epoxy tubes for zero-to-tension axial load-controlled conditions on an axial torsion servohydraulic apparatus. These tests therefore cannot be considered as confirmations of the suspected detrimental effect of interlaminar tensile stresses on the fatigue performance of thin-walled tubes. The addition of 90-deg plies on both the inside and the outside is found to significantly improve the tubes' static and fatigue strengths.

Krempl, Erhard↗

High-temperature fatigue behavior of a SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb composite

A series of tension-tension strain- and load-controlled tests were conducted on unidirectional SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb (at. percent) composites at 425 and 815 C. Several regimes of damage were identified using Talreja's concept of fatigue life diagrams. Issues of test technique, test control mode, and definition of failure were also addressed.

Bartolotta, Paul A.↗

Thermomechanical fatigue behavior of SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb in air and argon environments

A series of tension-tension, load-controlled thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) tests were conducted on a titanium aluminide composite in both laboratory air and a flowing argon environment. Results from these tests show that the environment plays an increasingly important role as applied stress levels are decreased. Differences in damage mechanisms between the two environments were observed which corresponds to observed variations in TMF lives.

Bartolotta, Paul A.↗