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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Structures and Materials Experimental Facilities and Capabilities Catalog

The NASA Center of Excellent for Structures and Materials at Langley Research Center is responsible for conducting research and developing useable technology in the areas of advanced materials and processing technologies, durability, damage tolerance, structural concepts, advanced sensors, intelligent systems, aircraft ground operations, reliability, prediction tools, performance validation, aeroelastic response, and structural dynamics behavior for aerospace vehicles. Supporting the research activities is a complementary set of facilities and capabilities documented in this report. Because of the volume of information, the information collected was restricted in most cases to one page. Specific questions from potential customers or partners should be directed to the points of contacts provided with the various capabilities. Grouping of the equipment is by location as opposed to function. Geographical information of the various buildings housing the equipment is also provided. Since this is the first time that such an inventory is ever collected at Langley it is by no means complete. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the equipment capabilities at hand are included but equipment is continuously being updated and will be reported in the future.

Horta, Lucas G.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Constitutive Theory Developed for Monolithic Ceramic Materials

With the increasing use of advanced ceramic materials in high-temperature structural applications such as advanced heat engine components, the need arises to accurately predict thermomechanical behavior that is inherently time-dependent and that is hereditary in the sense that the current behavior depends not only on current conditions but also on the material's thermomechanical history. Most current analytical life prediction methods for both subcritical crack growth and creep models use elastic stress fields to predict the time-dependent reliability response of components subjected to elevated service temperatures. Inelastic response at high temperatures has been well documented in the materials science literature for these material systems, but this issue has been ignored by the engineering design community. From a design engineer's perspective, it is imperative to emphasize that accurate predictions of time-dependent reliability demand accurate stress field information. Ceramic materials exhibit different time-dependent behavior in tension and compression. Thus, inelastic deformation models for ceramics must be constructed in a fashion that admits both sensitivity to hydrostatic stress and differing behavior in tension and compression. A number of constitutive theories for materials that exhibit sensitivity to the hydrostatic component of stress have been proposed that characterize deformation using time-independent classical plasticity as a foundation. However, none of these theories allow different behavior in tension and compression. In addition, these theories are somewhat lacking in that they are unable to capture the creep, relaxation, and rate-sensitive phenomena exhibited by ceramic materials at high temperatures. The objective of this effort at the NASA Lewis Research Center has been to formulate a macroscopic continuum theory that captures these time-dependent phenomena. Specifically, the effort has focused on inelastic deformation behavior associated with these service conditions by developing a multiaxial viscoplastic constitutive model that accounts for time-dependent hereditary material deformation (such as creep and stress relaxation) in monolithic structural ceramics. Using continuum principles of engineering mechanics, we derived the complete viscoplastic theory from a scalar dissipative potential function.

Janosik, Lesley A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Titanium and advanced composite structures for a supersonic cruise arrow wing configuration

Structural design studies were made, based on current technology and on an estimate of technology to be available in the mid 1980's, to assess the relative merits of structural concepts and materials for an advanced arrow wing configuration cruising at Mach 2.7. Preliminary studies were made to insure compliance of the configuration with general design criteria, integrate the propulsion system with the airframe, and define an efficient structural arrangement. Material and concept selection, detailed structural analysis, structural design and airplane mass analysis were completed based on current technology. Based on estimated future technology, structural sizing for strength and a preliminary assessment of the flutter of a strength designed composite structure were completed. An advanced computerized structural design system was used, in conjunction with a relatively complex finite element model, for detailed analysis and sizing of structural members.

Turner, M. J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nanoscale Mass Spectrometry Multimodal Imaging via Tip-Enhanced Photothermal Desorption

Materials ranging from adhesives, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, and personal care products are traditionally studied using macroscopic characterization techniques. However, their functionality is in reality defined by details of chemical organization on often noncrystalline matter with characteristic length scales on the order of microns to nanometers. Additionally, these materials are traditionally difficult to analyze using standard vacuum-based approaches that provide nanoscale chemical characterization due to their volatile and beam-sensitive nature. Therefore, approaches that operate under ambient conditions need to be developed that allow probing of nanoscale chemical phenomena and correlated functionality. Here, we demonstrate a tool for probing and visualizing local chemical environments and correlating them to material structure and functionality using advanced multimodal chemical imaging on a combined atomic force microscopy (AFM) and mass spectrometry (MS) system using tip-enhanced photothermal desorption with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). We demonstrate enhanced performance metrics of the technique for correlated imaging and point sampling and illustrate the applicability for the analysis of trace chemicals on a human hair, additives in adhesives on paper, and pharmaceuticals samples notoriously difficult to analyze in a vacuum environment. Overall, this approach of correlating local chemical environments to structure and functionality is key to advancing research in many fields ranging from biology, to medicine, to material science.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

An innovative radial gradient material design using hot isostatic pressing for applications in extreme environments

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are highly advanced continuous or discontinuous structures whose structural and material properties vary along a singular geometric dimension either in the axial or radial direction. Here, the radial gradient FGM design makes for an optimal structural design to incorporate a bi-metallic structure with a copper-based high entropy alloy (Cu-HEA) with good mechanical properties and high irradiation resistance, and Chromium (Cr) with great corrosion resistance. This study focuses on the experimental design of a metal powder loading mechanism to fabricate a bi-metallic radial gradient structure using Cu-HEA and 99.9 % pure Cr metal powders. The powder loading strategy uses custom-designed concentric cylindrical dividers to separate the individual compositions. Two benchtop trial runs were performed for design optimization. The optimized design was then implemented to eventually load the HEA and Cr powders for consolidation via powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing (PM-HIP). The electron microscopy analysis reveals the successful fabrication of the radial gradient structure with the chemical mapping analysis, demonstrating the gradual composition shift from the HEA at the center to the pure-Cr at the periphery via a three-step gradient.

High Entropy Alloys (HEAs)↗
NASA NTRS1979

Research in structures and materials for future space transportation systems - An overview

The paper provides a review of some of the advances of the past decade in structures and materials that have application to future space transportation systems. The paper concentrates on metallic thermal protection systems and structures which could provide the structural efficiency, reliability, and durability dictated by future space utilization requirements. The need for completely reusable, on-board cryogenic fuel tanks is cited as the most challenging technical opportunity and potential thermostructural concepts for tanks are identified. Other critical areas needing technology advances are discussed. Finally, the unique research opportunities offered by the Shuttle Orbiter experiments program for testing structures and thermal protection systems are explored.

Kelly, H. N.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Nano-Magnets and Additive Manufacturing for Electric Motors

High power density is required for application of electric motors in hybrid electric propulsion. Potential path to achieve high power density in electric motors include advanced materials, lightweight thermal management, lightweight structural concepts, high power density power electronics, and advanced manufacturing. This presentation will focus on two key technologies for achieving high power density, advanced magnets and additive manufacturing. The maximum energy product in current magnets is reaching their theoretical limits as a result of material and process improvements. Future improvements in the maximum energy product for magnets can be achieved through development of nanocomposite magnets combining the hard magnetic phase and soft magnetic phase at the nanoscale level. The presentation will provide an overview of the current state of development for nanocomposite magnets and the future path for doubling the maximum energy product. The other part of the presentation will focus on the role of additive manufacturing in fabrication of high power density electric motors. The presentation will highlight the potential opportunities for applying additive manufacturing to fabricate electric motors.

materials↗
DOE OSTI2025

Machine learning approaches for intentional materials engineering

In this article, the development of nanoporous metals and metallic composites through dealloying processes presents significant opportunities in materials engineering. However, designing multicomponent precursor alloys and establishing corresponding processing methods that yield predictable compositions and nanostructures remain a complex challenge. This article explores how machine learning (ML)-augmented computational and experimental methodologies can tackle these challenges by predicting precursor alloy compositions, final nanoporous structures, and mechanical properties, while integrating ML-enabled autonomous experimentation for material design and quantification. We highlight recent advancements in applying ML to nanostructured materials design via dealloying and discuss how techniques from other nanomaterial designs can be adapted for improved control over morphological and compositional outcomes in nanoporous and nanocomposite materials. Furthermore, we explore the role of ML in autonomous synchrotron x-ray experimentation, enabling real-time feedback between modeling and experimental setups. ML-driven approaches to microstructure characterization and mechanical property prediction are also examined, with a focus on modeling and advanced imaging techniques such as three-dimensional nanotomography. Finally, this article outlines future directions for ML-enhanced materials science, emphasizing the exploration of high-dimensional parameter spaces and the incorporation of materials kinetics into processing and property evaluation, ultimately advancing the design of nanoporous structures and materials science.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Preface to the JPCM special issue on intense radiation sources in condensed matter and materials physics

This special issue is designed to honour the contributions of our colleague Neville Greaves who was among the first to apply newly-available synchrotron x-ray techniques to study the synthesis, structures and properties of advanced materials [1, 2]. His wide ranging work on ceramics, glasses and nanomaterials was celebrated in a recent issue of the J. Non-Cryst. Solids [3]. Neville's contributions to synchrotron research, highlighted here, focussed on design and construction of new beamline capabilities and sample environments to probe materials under different physical and chemical conditions, integrating various techniques to obtain complementary data on structure and bonding. The innovative nature of his work is illustrated by his studies of liquids and glasses, where he incorporated aerodynamic levitation into these experimental techniques, using both synchrotron x-ray and neutron beams to probe the structural transformations and dynamics combined with molecular dynamics simulations to study atomic scale organisation. His work has had a major impact on fundamental condensed matter physics and chemistry as well as applied materials science; and in this issue, we present contributions from colleagues using and developing new experimental techniques at current and next-generation synchrotron, neutron and free-electron laser sources and in their own laboratories, that probe the fundamental physics, chemistry and functional properties of novel materials and processes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS2019

Experimental Methods in Materials for Structural Impact Dynamics

Over the past two decades significant technological advances have completely changed the way in which experimental testing is conducted in Structural Impact Dynamics applications. Probably the two most significant advances have been the advent of high speed digital video cameras and the use of Digital Image Correlation techniques to measure deformations and strains at high rates. These advances have led to significantly more accurate measurements of material and structural response under high rate loading, which has also led to advances in computational modeling techniques for Impact Dynamics. In this address we will review the past, present and what the future may hold for experimental methods in the field of Structural Impact Dynamics.

Structural Impact Dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantum computation of silicon electronic band structure

Development of quantum architectures during the last decade has inspired hybrid classical–quantum algorithms in physics and quantum chemistry that promise simulations of fermionic systems beyond the capability of modern classical computers, even before the era of quantum computing fully arrives. Strong research efforts have been recently made to obtain minimal depth quantum circuits which could accurately represent chemical systems. Here, we show that unprecedented methods used in quantum chemistry, designed to simulate molecules on quantum processors, can be extended to calculate properties of periodic solids. In particular, we present minimal depth circuits implementing the variational quantum eigensolver algorithm and successfully use it to compute the band structure of silicon on a quantum machine for the first time. We are convinced that the presented quantum experiments performed on cloud-based platforms will stimulate more intense studies towards scalable electronic structure computation of advanced quantum materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2013

Next-Generation MKIII Lightweight HUT/Hatch Assembly

The MK III (H-1) carbon-graphite/ epoxy Hard Upper Torso (HUT)/Hatch assembly was designed, fabricated, and tested in the early 1990s. The spacesuit represented an 8.3 psi (≈58 kPa) technology demonstrator model of a zero prebreathe suit. The basic torso shell, brief, and hip areas of the suit were composed of a carbon-graphite/epoxy composite lay-up. In its current configuration, the suit weighs approximately 120 lb (≈54 kg). However, since future planetary suits will be designed to operate at 0.26 bar (≈26 kPa), it was felt that the suit's re-designed weight could be reduced to 79 lb (≈35 kg) with the incorporation of lightweight structural materials. Many robust, lightweight structures based on the technologies of advanced honeycomb materials, revolutionary new composite laminates, metal matrix composites, and recent breakthroughs in fullerene fillers and nanotechnology lend themselves well to applications requiring materials that are both light and strong. The major problem involves the reduction in weight of the HUT/ Hatch assembly for use in lunar and/or planetary applications, while at the same time maintaining a robust structural design. The technical objective is to research, design, and develop manufacturing methods that support fa b rica - tion of a lightweight HUT/Hatch assembly using advanced material and geometric redesign as necessary. Additionally, the lightweight HUT/Hatch assembly will interface directly with current MK III hardware. Using the new operating pressure and current MK III (H-1) interfaces as a starting block, it is planned to maximize HUT/Hatch assembly weight reduction through material selection and geometric redesign. A hard upper torso shell structure with rear-entry closure and corresponding hatch will be fabricated. The lightweight HUT/Hatch assembly will retrofit and interface with existing MK III (H-1) hardware elements, providing NASA with immediate "plug-andplay" capability. NASA crewmembers will have a lightweight, robust, life-support system that will minimize fatigue during extraterrestrial surface sojourns. Its unique feature is the utilization of a new and innovative family of materials used by the aerospace industry, which at the time of this reporting has not been used for the proposed application.

McCarthy, Mike↗
NASA NTRS1990

Optimum structural design of robotic manipulators with fiber reinforced composite materials

High-speed robotic arms with advanced structural characteristics can be fabricated from optimally tailored fiber reinforced composites. An integrated design methodology is presented for the optimal structural synthesis of composite robotic manipulators. Optimum configurations of ply angles and ply thicknesses are predicted for maximum structural end-effector stiffness and maximum end-effector load carrying capacity, without altering the geometric dimensions of the links. Multiple posture finite element-based static performance criteria are implemented. A new finite element has been developed for the modeling of tubular composite links. Unique features are the inclusion of shear effects and coupling between stretching and flexure. Numerical solutions are obtained via an efficient optimization algorithm. Applications to an existing SCARA-class manipulator illustrate the effectiveness of the method and demonstrate the dramatic influence of the multi-postural design criteria on the optimal design. For a filament wound structure using a high strength carbon fiber in a thermoplastic matrix, the resultant optimum ply configurations have increased the specific stiffness and specific load capacity by factors of 1.5 and 16, respectively, in comparison to identically sized aluminum links.

Saravanos, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A study of the stress wave factor technique for evaluation of composite materials

The acousto-ultrasonic approach for nondestructive evaluation provides a measurement procedure for quantifying the integrated effect of globally distributed damage characteristic of fiber reinforced composite materials. The evaluation procedure provides a stress wave factor that correlates closely with several material performance parameters. The procedure was investigated for a variety of materials including advanced composites, hybrid structure bonds, adhesive bonds, wood products, and wire rope. The research program focused primarily on development of fundamental understanding and applications advancements of acousto-ultrasonics for materials characterization. This involves characterization of materials for which detection, location, and identification of imperfections cannot at present be analyzed satisfactorily with mechanical performance prediction models. In addition to presenting definitive studies on application potentials, the understanding of the acousto-ultrasonic method as applied to advanced composites is reviewed.

Duke, J. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Composite structural materials

A decade long program to develop critical advanced composite technology in the areas of physical properties, structural concept and analysis, manufacturing, reliability, and life predictions is reviewed. Specific goals are discussed. The status of the chemical vapor deposition effects on carbon fiber properties; inelastic deformation of metal matrix laminates; fatigue damage in fibrous MMC laminates; delamination fracture toughness in thermoplastic matrix composites; and numerical analysis of composite micromechanical behavior are presented.

Loewy, Robert G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Composites boost 21st-century aircraft engines

Research and development in light-weight, high-temperature composite materials for ultrahigh-bypass engines to be used in high-speed civil transport/rotocraft is presented. It is noted that the expected benefits to be attained by this R&D include weight reduction, lowered fuel consumption, and lower direct operating costs. A major effort underway in this area is the Advanced High Temperature Engine Materials Technology Program (HITEMP) of NASA, which focuses on providing revolutionary high-temperature composite materials: to 425 C (800 F) for polymer-matrix composites (PMCs), to 1250 C (2280 F) for metal-matrix/intermetallic-matrix composites (MMCs/IMCs), and to as high as 1650 C (3000 F) for ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs). Analytical modeling is being used to investigate the structural behavior of these advanced materials in six distinct areas: micromechanics, deformation and damage, fatigue, fracture, trade-off studies, and load definition. It is concluded that the development of advanced materials such as high-temperature composites is highly dependent on the availability of high-temperature fibers. The wide range of fiber characteristics needed will require the development of more than one fiber. In general, a candidate fiber should have low density, high strength, high stiffness, a CTE matching the matrix, chemical compatibility with the matrix, environmental stability and appropriate fiber diameter.

Stephens, Joseph R.↗