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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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At least 37 records · Page 2

Control blade degradation test under temperature gradient in steam atmosphere

The core of a boiling water reactor (BWR) consists of an array of fuel assemblies with cross-shaped control blades located between these assemblies. The typical control blade consists of a control blade sheath made of 316L-type S.S., a center pole made of 316L-type S.S., and control rods. In order to understand the degradation process of the control blade channel, control blade degradation tests were performed under various atmospheres with a temperature increase condition and in the presence of a temperature gradient. A test device was built. Four carbon heaters are set on both sides at the upper and the middle parts of the test device. The bottom ceramic part of the test device is cooled by water. Heating in the upper region and cooling at the bottom of the test piece give rise to the temperature gradient in the test piece. Temperatures of the test piece are measured by five W-Re type thermocouples placed close to the test piece. Steam carried by the argon gas is supplied from the bottom of the device and flows to the top inside a square carbon muffle in which the test piece is set. Three windows for visual observations are installed, with one located above the furnace and the others located at the back of the furnace. In the steam atmosphere with a steam flow rate of 0.0125 g/s/rod, the control blade, channel box, and fuel rods were degraded, especially at the upper part of the test piece. This result was similar to that observed in the argon atmosphere test. However, the observed degradation was rather different at a higher steam flow rate of 0.0417 g/s/rod. At the upper part of the test piece, only the control blade was degraded preferentially and did not react with the channel box wall. In contrast, the eutectic reaction of the stainless steel/boron carbide melt and zircaloy occurred at the lower part by coexisting with the relocated melt from the top part. These observations suggested the existence of a threshold condition for the control rod degradation between 0.0125 and 0.0417 g/s/rod which is significantly affected by the thickness of the oxide layer on zircaloy.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Study of controlled diffusion stator blading

Tests were conducted on a high tip speed, highly loaded front compressor stage having low aspect ratio rotor and stator airfoils. The stator airfoils were designed by the controlled diffusion procedure recently developed by P&WA for designing transonic cascade airfoils. The rotor blades consisted of multiple-circular-arc airfoil sections. The stage had a tip speed of 442 m/sec (1450 ft/sec), a hub/tip ratio of 0.597, a rotor aspect ratio of 1.3, and a stator aspect ratio of 1.45. At design speed the rotor-stator stage achieved an adiabatic efficiency of 89.1% at design flow and pressure ratio. Surge margin was 14%. The stage efficiency exceeded the design goal by 0.6 percentage points. The rotor efficiency was 92.4%, exceeding design by 0.3 percentage points. The controlled diffusion stator demonstrated a lower minimum loss over the multiple-circular-arc stator from the root to 70 percent span. A surge diffusion factor of 0.72 was reached at both the rotor tip and the stator root. The NAS3-22008 program demonstrated its intent: high efficiency and loading levels with low aspect ratio blades and the controlled diffusion stator in the unfavorable front stage environment.

Behlke, R. F.↗

Transonic turbine blade cascade testing facility

NASA LeRC has designed and constructed a new state-of-the-art test facility. This facility, the Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade, is used to evaluate the aerodynamics and heat transfer characteristics of blade geometries for future turbine applications. The facility's capabilities make it unique: no other facility of its kind can combine the high degree of airflow turning, infinitely adjustable incidence angle, and high transonic flow rates. The facility air supply and exhaust pressures are controllable to 16.5 psia and 2 psia, respectively. The inlet air temperatures are at ambient conditions. The facility is equipped with a programmable logic controller with a capacity of 128 input/output channels. The data acquisition system is capable of scanning up to 1750 channels per sec. This paper discusses in detail the capabilities of the facility, overall facility design, instrumentation used in the facility, and the data acquisition system. Actual research data is not discussed.

Verhoff, Vincent G.↗

Transonic turbine blade cascade testing facility

NASA LeRC has designed and constructed a new state-of-the-art test facility. This facility, the Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade, is used to evaluate the aerodynamics and heat transfer characteristics of blade geometries for future turbine applications. The facility's capabilities make it unique: no other facility of its kind can combine the high degree of airflow turning, infinitely adjustable incidence angle, and high transonic flow rates. The facility air supply and exhaust pressures are controllable to 16.5 psia and 2 psia, respectively. The inlet air temperatures are at ambient conditions. The facility is equipped with a programmable logic controller with a capacity of 128 input/output channels. The data acquisition system is capable of scanning up to 1750 channels per sec. This paper discusses in detail the capabilities of the facility, overall facility design, instrumentation used in the facility, and the data acquisition system. Actual research data is not discussed.

Verhoff, Vincent G.↗

Tower and rotor blade vibration test results for a 100-kilowatt wind turbine

The predominant natural frequencies and mode shapes for the tower and the rotor blades of the ERDA-NASA 100-kW wind turbine were determined. The tests on the tower and the blades were conducted both before and after the rotor blades and the rotating machinery were installed on top of the tower. The tower and each blade were instrumented with an accelerometer and impacted by an instrumented mass. The tower and blade structure was analyzed by means of NASTRAN, and computed values agree with the test data.

Linscott, B. S.↗

Effects of geometry and materials on low cycle fatigue life of turbine blades in LOX/hydrogen rocket engines

This paper presents the results of an advanced turbine blade test program aimed at improving turbine blade low cycle fatigue (LCF) life. A total of 21 blades were tested in a blade thermal tester. The blades were made of MAR-M-246(Hf)DS and PWA-1480SC in six different geometries. The test results show that the PWA-1480SC material improved life by a factor of 1.7 to 3.0 over the current MAR-M-246(Hf)DS. The geometry changes yielded life improvements as high as 20 times the baseline blade made of PWA-1480SC and 34 times the baseline MAR-M-246DS blade.

Ryan, R. M.↗

The analysis and testing of blade platform friction dampers used in the high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME)

Premature cracking of the first stage turbine blades in HPFTP of the SSME could be alleviated by redesign of the platform friction dampers that are used to reduce the vibration response of the blades. Analytical studies by the lumped mass method of friction damper effectiveness and spin pit tests of a straingaged bladed disk have been performed. Methodologies used in the program are described. Preliminary results show that the effectiveness of the blade platform dampers can be increased if the frequency and amplitude of the most damaging forcing functions can be defined.

Dominic, R. J.↗

Fan Blade Shake Test Results for the 40- by 80-/80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel

This report documents the shake tests performed on the first set of hydulignum fan blades for the 40- by 80-/80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel. The purpose of the shake test program is described. The test equipment and test procedures are reviewed. Results from each shake test are presented and the overall findings of the shake test program are discussed.

Warmbrodt, W.↗

Testing And Analysis Of Rubbing Of Turbine-Blade Tips

Unique combination of established techniques of experimentation and theoretical analysis devised to study stresses induced in turbine blades by intermittent or periodic rubbing of tips of blades in turbine housings. Rubbing is inevitable consequence of modern high-speed, high-efficiency turbine designs, which call for blade-tip clearances as small as possible. Necessary to quantify stresses caused by rubbing in order to predict fatigue lives of blades. Testing apparatus simulates blade-tip rubbing and measures dynamic responses of blades.

Davis, Gary A.↗

Turbine blade thermal fatigue testing Pratt and Whitney aircraft hollow core blades

The results of low cycle fatigue testing on turbine blades for use in hydrogen/oxygen rocket engines is presented. Cored blade and cored blades with circulation were tested in the MSFC thermal fatigue tester. Both blade configurations showed significant low cycle fatigue life improvements when compared to baseline solid blades.

Ingram, J.↗

The J-2X Fuel Turbopump - Design, Development, and Test

Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), a NASA subcontractor, is executing the design, development, test, and evaluation (DDT&E) of a liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen two hundred ninety four thousand pound thrust rocket engine initially intended for the Upper Stage (US) and Earth Departure Stage (EDS) of the Constellation Program Ares-I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV). A key element of the design approach was to base the new J-2X engine on the heritage J-2S engine with the intent of uprating the engine and incorporating SSME and RS-68 lessons learned. The J-2S engine was a design upgrade of the flight proven J-2 configuration used to put American astronauts on the moon. The J-2S Fuel Turbopump (FTP) was the first Rocketdyne-designed liquid hydrogen centrifugal pump and provided many of the early lessons learned for the Space Shuttle Main Engine High Pressure Fuel Turbopumps. This paper will discuss the design trades and analyses performed for the current J-2X FTP to increase turbine life; increase structural margins, facilitate component fabrication; expedite turbopump assembly; and increase rotordynamic stability margins. Risk mitigation tests including inducer water tests, whirligig turbine blade tests, turbine air rig tests, and workhorse gas generator tests characterized operating environments, drove design modifications, or identified performance impact. Engineering design, fabrication, analysis, and assembly activities support FTP readiness for the first J-2X engine test scheduled for July 2011.

Tellier, James G.↗

Large, low cost composite wind turbine blades

A woven roving E-glass tape, having all of its structural fibers oriented across the tape width was used in the manufacture of the spar for a wind turbine blade. Tests of a 150 ft composite blade show that the transverse filament tape is capable of meeting structural design requirements for wind turbine blades. Composite blades can be designed for interchangeability with steel blades in the MOD-1 wind generator system. The design, analysis, fabrication, and testing of the 150 ft blade are discussed.

Gewehr, H. W.↗

Structural Testing of the Blade Reliability Collaborative Effect of Defect Wind Turbine Blades

Two 8.3-meter (m) wind turbine blades intentionally constructed with manufacturing flaws were tested to failure at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) south of Boulder, Colorado. Two blades were tested; one blade was manufactured with a fiberglass spar cap and the second blade was manufactured with a carbon fiber spar cap. Test loading primarily consisted of flap fatigue loading of the blades, with one quasi-static ultimate load case applied to the carbon fiber spar cap blade. Results of the test program were intended to provide the full-scale test data needed for validation of model and coupon test results of the effect of defects in wind turbine blade composite materials. Testing was part of the Blade Reliability Collaborative (BRC) led by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The BRC seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the causes of unexpected blade failures (Paquette 2012), and to develop methods to enable blades to survive to their expected operational lifetime. Recent work in the BRC includes examining and characterizing flaws and defects known to exist in wind turbine blades from manufacturing processes (Riddle et al. 2011). Recent results from reliability databases show that wind turbine rotor blades continue to be a leading contributor to turbine downtime (Paquette 2012).

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Modal analysis of UH-60A instrumented rotor blades

The dynamic characteristics of instrumented and production UH-60A Black Hawk main rotor blades were measured, and the results were validated with NASTRAN finite element models. The blades tested included pressure and strain-gage instrumented blades, which are part of the NASA Airloads Flight Research Phase of the Modern Technology Rotor Program. The dynamic similarity of the blades was required for accurate data collection in this program. Therefore, a nonrotating blade modal analysis was performed on the first 10 free-free modes to measure blade similarities. The results showed small differences between the modal frequencies of instrumented and production blades and a close correlation with the NASTRAN models. This type of modal testing and analysis is recommended as a standard procedure for future instrumented blade flight testing.

Hamade, Karen S.↗

Modal analysis of UH 60A instrumented rotor blades

The dynamic characteristics of instrumented and production UH-60A Black Hawk main rotor blades were measured, and the results were validated with NASTRAN finite element models. The blades tested included pressure and strain-gage instrumented blades which are part of NASA's Airloads Flight Research Phase of the Modern Technology Rotor Program. The dynamic similarity of the blades was required for accurate data collection in this program. Therefore, a nonrotating blade modal analysis was performed on the first 10 free-free modes to measure blade similarities. The results showed small differences between the modal frequencies of instrumented and production blades and a close correlation with the NASTRAN models. This type of modal testing and analysis is recommended as a standard procedure for future instrumented blade flight testing.

Hamade, Karen S.↗