Analysis of failures of thermionic converters.
Thermionic converters failure, discussing life tests, mechanical defects and design and processing deficiencies
Rouklove, P.↗
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Accelerated battery-life testing - A concept
Test program, employing empirical, statistical and physical methods, determines service life and failure probabilities of electrochemical cells and batteries, and is applicable to testing mechanical, electrical, and chemical devices. Data obtained aids long-term performance prediction of battery or cell.
Mccallum, J.↗
Inorganic glass ceramic slip rings
Prototypes of slip rings have been fabricated from ceramic glass, a material which is highly resistant to deterioration due to high temperature. Slip ring assemblies were not structurally damaged by mechanical tests and performed statisfactorily for 200 hours.
Glossbrenner, E. W.↗
Deformation processes in forging ceramics
The deformation processes involved in the forging of refractory ceramic oxides were investigated. A combination of mechanical testing and forging are utilized to investigate both the flow and fracture processes involved. An additional hemisphere forging was done which failed prematurely. Analysis and comparison with available fracture data for AL2O3 indicated possible causes of the failure. Examination of previous forgings indicated an increase in grain boundary cavitation with increasing strain.
Cannon, R. M.↗
Investigation of gold embrittlement in connector solder joints
An investigation was performed to determine to what extent typical flight connector solder joints may be embrittled by the presence of gold. In addition to mapping of gold content in connector solder joints by an electron microprobe analyzer, metallographic examinations and mechanical tests (thermal shock, vibration, impact and tensile strength) were also conducted. A description of the specimens and tests, a discussion of the data, and some conclusions are presented.
Lane, F. L.↗
Experimental thermal mechanics of deployable boom structures
An apparatus was developed for thermal distortion measurements on deployable boom structures. The calibration procedure and thermal static bending plus twist measurements are considered. The thermal mechanics test facility is described. A table is presented for several examples of spacecraft applications of thermal static distortion measurements on 3-m deployable booms.
Predmore, R.↗
High-friction mechanical grips
Plasma-arc spraying offers method of preparing required surface at greatly reduced cost. Coarse-grained, tungsten carbide bonded-nickel coating is applied by spraying. Coating has been used successfully on wedge-shaped mechanical test grips.
Stevens, E. G.↗
Detection of lack of fusion using opaque additives, phase 1
Two major problems in welded aluminum spacecraft structure, reliable nondestructive inspection for incomplete weldment penetration and the rapid oxidation of aluminum surfaces left exposed to the atmosphere are investigated. The approach employed to solve both problems was to employ copper as a coating to prevent oxidation of the aluminum and as an opaque additive in the weldment to enhance X-ray detection in the event of incomplete penetration. Both plasma spray and vacuum vapor deposition techniques were evaluated for depositing the copper. A series of welded panels was made using three thicknesses of vacuum-vapor-deposited copper. All weldments were nondestructively inspected by X-ray, then excised into tensile and bend specimens. Mechanical tests were conducted and all data evaluated. It was determined that the vacuum-vapor-deposited coating was superior to a plasma sprayed coating of the same thickness. The vacuum-vapor-deposited coating was more uniform in thickness, provided complete coverage of the aluminum, and was free of cracks and porosity.
Cook, J. L.↗
Thermal static bending of deployable interlocked booms
Metal ribbons processed with a heat-forming treatment are enabled to form tubelike structures when deployed from a roll. Deployable booms of this have been utilized for gravity-gradient stabilization on the RAE, ATS, and Nimbus D satellites. An experimental thermal-mechanics test apparatus was developed to measure the thermal static bending and twist of booms up to 3 meters long. The apparatus was calibrated by using the correlation between calculated and observed thermal bending of a seamless tube. Thermal static bending values of 16 interlocked deployable booms were observed to be within a factor of 2.5 of the values calculated from seamless-tube theory. Out-of-Sun-plane thermal bending was caused by complex heat transfer across the interlocked seam. Significant thermal static twisting was not observed.
Staugaitis, C. L.↗
Fused Silica Surface Coating for a Flexible Silica Mat Insulation System
Fused silica insulation coatings have been developed for application to a flexible mat insulation system. Based on crystalline phase nucleation and growth kinetics, a 99+% SiO2 glass was selected as the base composition. A coating was developed that incorporated the high emissivity phase NiCr2O4 as a two phase coating with goals of high emittance and minimum change in thermal expansion. A second major coating classification has a plasma sprayed emittance coating over a sealed pure amorphous SiO2 layer. A third area of development centered on extremely thin amorphous SiO2 coatings deposited by chemical vapor deposition. The coating characterization studies presented are mechanical testing of thin specimens extracted from the coatings, cyclic arc exposures, and emittance measurements before and after arc exposures.
Rhodes, W. H.↗
Selection of a surface tension propellant management system for the Viking 75 Orbiter.
Discussion of the propellant management system requirements derived for the Viking 75 mission, and review of a series of surface tension propellant management system design concepts. The chosen concept is identified and its mission operation described. The ullage bubble and bulk liquid positioning characteristics are presented, along with propellant dynamic considerations entailed by thrust initiation/termination. Pressurization design considerations, required to assure minimum disturbance to the bulk propellant, are introduced as well as those of the tank ullage vent. Design provisions to assure liquid communication between tank ends are discussed. Results of a preliminary design study are presented, including mechanical testing requirements to assure structural integrity, propellant compatibility, and proper installation.
Dowdy, M. W.↗
Investigation of mounting discrete chip components for hybrid microelectronic applications.
In the assembly of hybrid microcircuits, passive and active discrete chip components are attached by epoxy cements and by solders. This study was initiated to determine the integrity of such attachments. Alumina substrates were subjected to a group of thermal and mechanical test environments defined by test methods in MIL-STD-883. Lot samples of substrates with assembly variations were subjected to separately applied testing and to serial testing. These test methods were applied sequentially to the same lot of substrates. Epoxy cements were generally satisfactory with respect to separate tests, although sequential tests severely degraded epoxy bond strengths of all types. Bond strengths to unglazed substrates were slightly superior to those of the same components on glazed types. Solder joints were vulnerable to catastrophic failure in several environments, especially temperature cycling and thermal shock. Vibration and impact shock also produced solder joint failures.
Caruso, S. V.↗
Study of the possibility of using solar radiant energy for welding and brazing metals
The solar spectrum at the surface of the earth is analyzed. A facility for creating concentrated solar radiant energy flux is described, and data on its energetic capabilities are presented. The technology of solar welding by the fusion technique and joining by high-temperature brazing is examined. The use of concentrated solar radiant energy for welding and brazing metals and alloys is shown. The results of mechanical tests and microscopic and macroscopic studies are presented.
Dvernyakov, V. S.↗
Investigation of discrete component chip mounting technology for hybrid microelectronic circuits
The use of polymer adhesives for high reliability microcircuit applications is a radical deviation from past practices in electronic packaging. Bonding studies were performed using two gold-filled conductive adhesives, 10/90 tin/lead solder and Indalloy no. 7 solder. Various types of discrete components were mounted on ceramic substrates using both thick-film and thin-film metallization. Electrical and mechanical testing were performed on the samples before and after environmental exposure to MIL-STD-883 screening tests.
Caruso, S. V.↗
Elastrostatic-discharge damage to semiconductors
Failure mechanisms, test techniques, and quality control procedures for difficult-to-detect class of failures have been devised. Test circuit provides electrostatic discharge similar to those encountered in production situation and assists in evaluation of susceptibility of specific circuits and devices
Freeman, E. R., Jr.↗
Background
An analysis was made of the UF6 fueled gas core reactor as a function of cavity reactor criticality and fluid mechanics tests, investigations of uranium optical emission spectra, and radiant heat transfer power plant studies. Data are also given on nuclear and thermodynamic cycle analysis.
Source record↗
Evaluation of an advanced directionally solidified gamma/gamma'-alpha Mo eutectic alloy
An attempt was made to improve on the properties of the candidate jet engine turbine blade material AG-60, a gamma/gamma prime-alpha Mo eutectic composite. Alloy 38 (AG-170) was evaluated in the greatest detail. This alloy, Ni-5.88 A1-29.74 Mo-1.65 V-1.2C Re (weight percent), represents an improvement beyond AG-60, based on mechanical testing of the transverse and/or longitudinal orientations over a range of temperatures in tension, shear, rupture, and rupture after thermal exposure. It is likely that other alloys in the study represent a similar improvement.
Henry, M. F.↗
Fatigue life prediction of bonded primary joints
The validation of a proposed fatigue life prediction methodology was sought through the use of aluminum butt and scarf joint and graphite/epoxy butt joint specimens in a constant amplitude fatigue environment. The structural properties of the HYSOL 9313 adhesive system were obtained by mechanical test of molded heat adhesive specimens. Aluminum contoured double cantilever beam specimens were used to generate crack velocity versus stress intensity factor data. The specific objectives were: (1) to ascertain the feasibility of predicting fatigue failure of an adhesive in a primary bonded composite structure by incorporating linear elastic crack growth behavior; and (2) to ascertain if acoustic emission and/or compliance measurement techniques can be used to detect flaws.
Knauss, J. F.↗