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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 NTRS2006

Cryogenic Durability of a Carbon Fiber Reinforced Cyanate Ester Composite: Degree-of-Cure Effect

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, producing extremely cold temperatures on the optical portion of the observatory. Specifically, the Optical Telescope Element (OTE) and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) will operate at approximately -240 C. Construction of the structural components of the OTE and ISIM require bonding dissimilar materials together, e.g. Invar-36 (an iron-nickel alloy) to a carbon fiber reinforced cyanate ester composite (CFRCE) with an epoxy adhesive. While these materials enable the cryogenic stability required for optical performance, their joint strength at these extreme conditions presents a unique design challenge. Therefore, the current study presents a detailed investigation into the optimization of cryogenic composite durability. It is demonstrated that by controlling the degree-of-cure of a laminate, one can achieve an enhanced resistance to microcracking and an improved residual strength following cryogenic cycling to -253 C.

Polis, Daniel L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Displacements of Metallic Thermal Protection System Panels During Reentry

Bowing of metallic thermal protection systems for reentry of a previously proposed single-stage-to-orbit reusable launch vehicle was studied. The outer layer of current metallic thermal protection system concepts typically consists of a honeycomb panel made of a high temperature nickel alloy. During portions of reentry when the thermal protection system is exposed to rapidly varying heating rates, a significant temperature gradient develops across the honeycomb panel thickness, resulting in bowing of the honeycomb panel. The deformations of the honeycomb panel increase the roughness of the outer mold line of the vehicle, which could possibly result in premature boundary layer transition, resulting in significantly higher downstream heating rates. The aerothermal loads and parameters for three locations on the centerline of the windward side of this vehicle were calculated using an engineering code. The transient temperature distributions through a metallic thermal protection system were obtained using 1-D finite volume thermal analysis, and the resulting displacements of the thermal protection system were calculated. The maximum deflection of the thermal protection system throughout the reentry trajectory was 6.4 mm. The maximum ratio of deflection to boundary layer thickness was 0.032. Based on previously developed distributed roughness correlations, it was concluded that these defections will not result in tripping the hypersonic boundary layer.

Daryabeigi, Kamran↗
NASA NTRS2006

Electro-Chemically Enhanced Mechanical Polishing of Nickel Mandrels

Grinding and mechanical polishing techniques used for x-ray optics mandrel figuring lead to mid-frequency surface ripple. These small figure variations have to be addressed in order to improve the performance of the resulting x-ray mirrors. If the electrochemical etching is combined with mechanical polishing, the figuring and the surface finishing cm be done simultaneously and be used to correct the mid-frequency surface ripple. It is shown that the electrochemical mechanical polishing method allows selective removal of nickel alloy without mandrel surface microroughness degradation.

Gubarev, Mikhail↗
NASA NTRS2006

On-board Optical Spectrometry for Detection of Mixture Ratio and Eroded Materials in Rocket Engine Exhaust Plume

Optical spectrometry can provide means to characterize rocket engine exhaust plume impurities due to eroded materials, as well as combustion mixture ratio without any interference with plume. Fiberoptic probes and cables were designed, fabricated and installed on Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), allowing monitoring of the plume spectra in real time with a Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) fiberoptic spectrometer, located in a test-stand control room. The probes and the cables survived the harsh engine environments for numerous hot-fire tests. When the plume was seeded with a nickel alloy powder, the spectrometer was able to successfully detect all the metallic and OH radical spectra from 300 to 800 nanometers.

Barkhoudarian, Sarkis↗
NASA NTRS2010

SSME - Materials and Methods for Addressing High-Pressure Hydrogen Embrittlement

From the humid, corrosion-friendly atmosphere of KSC, to the extreme heat of ascent, to the cold vacuum of space, the Space Shuttle faced one hostile environment after another. One of those harsh environments the hydrogen environment existed within the shuttle itself. Liquid hydrogen was the fuel that powered the shuttle s complex, powerful, and reusable main engine. Hydrogen provided the high specific impulse the bang per pound of fuel needed to perform the shuttle s heavy lifting duties. Hydrogen, however, was also a potential threat to the very metal of the propulsion system that used it. The diffusion of hydrogen atoms into a metal can make it more brittle and prone to cracking a process called hydrogen embrittlement. This effect can reduce the toughness of carefully selected and prepared materials. A concern that exposure to hydrogen might encourage crack growth was present from the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program, but the rationale for using hydrogen was compelling. This paper outlines the material characterization, anomaly resolution, and path to understanding of hydrogen embrittlement on superalloys through the course of the SSME program. Specific examples of nickel alloy turbine housings and single crystal turbine blades are addressed. The evolution of fracture mechanics analytical methods is also addressed.

Matejczk, Daniel↗
NASA NTRS2011

Methods of Antimicrobial Coating of Diverse Materials

Methods of coating diverse substrate materials with antimicrobial agents have been developed. Originally intended to reduce health risks to astronauts posed by pathogenic microorganisms that can grow on surfaces in spacecraft, these methods could also be used on Earth for example, to ensure sterility of surgical inserts and other medical equipment. The methods involve, generally, chemical preparation of substrate surfaces to enable attachment of antimicrobial molecules to the substrate surfaces via covalent bonds. Substrate materials that have been treated successfully include aluminum, glass, a corrosion-resistant nickel alloy, stainless steel, titanium, and poly(tetrafluoroethylene). Antimicrobial agents that have been successfully immobilized include antibiotics, enzymes, bacteriocins, bactericides, and fungicides. A variety of linkage chem istries were employed. Activity of antimicrobial coatings against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi was demonstrated. Results of investigations indicate that the most suitable combination of antimicrobial agent, substrate, and coating method depends upon the intended application.

Akse, James R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Modifications of a Composite-Material Combustion Chamber

Two short reports discuss modifications of a small, lightweight combustion chamber that comprises a carbon/carbon composite outer shell and an iridium/ rhenium inner liner. The first report discusses chamber design modifications made as results of hot-fire tests and post-test characterization. The Books & Reports 32 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2005 modifications were intended to serve a variety of purposes, including improving fabrication, reducing thermal-expansion mismatch stresses, increasing strength-to-weight ratios of some components, and improving cooling of some components. The second report discusses (1) the origin of stress in the mismatch between the thermal expansions of the Ir/Re liner and a niobium sleeve and flange attached to the carbon/ carbon shell and (2) a modification intended to relieve the stress. The modification involves the redesign of an inlet connection to incorporate a compressible seal between the Ir/Re liner and the Nb flange. A nickel alloy was selected as the seal material on the basis of its thermal-expansion properties and its ability to withstand the anticipated stresses, including the greatest stresses caused by the high temperatures to be used in brazing during fabrication.

Williams, Brian E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lightweight, Low-CTE Tubes Made From Biaxially Oriented LCPs

Tubes made from biaxially oriented liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs) have been developed for use as penetrations on cryogenic tanks. ( Penetrations in this context denotes feed lines, vent lines, and sensor tubes, all of which contribute to the undesired conduction of heat into the tanks.) In comparison with corresponding prior cryogenic-tank penetrations made from stainless steels and nickel alloys, the LCP penetrations offer advantages of less weight and less thermal conduction. An additional major advantage of LCP components is that one can tailor their coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs). The estimated cost of continuous production of LCP tubes of typical sizes is about $1.27/ft ($4.17/m) [based on 1998 prices]. LCP tubes that are compatible with liquid oxygen and that feature tailored biaxial molecular orientation and quasi-isotropic properties (including quasi-isotropic CTE) have been fabricated by a combination of proprietary and patented techniques that involve the use of counterrotating dies (CRDs). Tailoring of the angle of molecular orientation is what makes it possible to tailor the CTE over a wide range to match the CTEs of adjacent penetrations of other tank components; this, in turn, makes it possible to minimize differential-thermal expansion stresses that arise during thermal cycling. The fabrication of biaxially oriented LCP tubes by use of CRDs is not new in itself. The novelty of the present development lies in tailoring the orientations and thus the CTEs and other mechanical properties of the LCPs for the intended cryogenic applications and in modifications of the CRDs for this purpose. The LCP tubes and the 304-stainless-steel tubes that the LCP tubes were intended to supplant were tested with respect to burst strength, permeability, thermal conductivity, and CTE.

Rubin, Leslie↗
NASA NTRS2015

Low Cost Upper Stage-Class Propulsion (LCUSP)

NASA is making space exploration more affordable and viable by developing and utilizing innovative manufacturing technologies. Technology development efforts at NASA in propulsion are committed to continuous innovation of design and manufacturing technologies for rocket engines in order to reduce the cost of NASA's journey to Mars. The Low Cost Upper Stage-Class Propulsion (LCUSP) effort will develop and utilize emerging Additive Manufacturing (AM) to significantly reduce the development time and cost for complex rocket propulsion hardware. Benefit of Additive Manufacturing (3-D Printing) Current rocket propulsion manufacturing techniques are costly and have lengthy development times. In order to fabricate rocket engines, numerous complex parts made of different materials are assembled in a way that allow the propellant to collect heat at the right places to drive the turbopump and simultaneously keep the thrust chamber from melting. The heat conditioned fuel and oxidizer come together and burn inside the combustion chamber to provide thrust. The efforts to make multiple parts precisely fit together and not leak after experiencing cryogenic temperatures on one-side and combustion temperatures on the other is quite challenging. Additive manufacturing has the potential to significantly reduce the time and cost of making rocket parts like the copper liner and Nickel-alloy jackets found in rocket combustion chambers where super-cold cryogenic propellants are heated and mixed to the extreme temperatures needed to propel rockets in space. The Selective Laser Melting (SLM) machine fuses 8,255 layers of copper powder to make a section of the chamber in 10 days. Machining an equivalent part and assembling it with welding and brazing techniques could take months to accomplish with potential failures or leaks that could require fixes. The design process is also enhanced since it does not require the 3D model to be converted to 2-D drawings. The design and fabrication process can be sped up and improved with fewer errors to be accomplished in weeks instead of months.

Vickers, John↗
NASA NTRS2015

Material Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components for Rocket Propulsion

To advance Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for production of rocket propulsion components the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying state of the art characterization techniques to interrogate microstructure and mechanical properties of AM materials and components at various steps in their processing. The materials being investigated for upper stage rocket engines include titanium, copper, and nickel alloys. Additive manufacturing processes include laser powder bed, electron beam powder bed, and electron beam wire fed processes. Various post build thermal treatments, including Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP), have been studied to understand their influence on microstructure, mechanical properties, and build density. Micro-computed tomography, electron microscopy, and mechanical testing in relevant temperature environments has been performed to develop relationships between build quality, microstructure, and mechanical performance at temperature. A summary of GRCs Additive Manufacturing roles and experimental findings will be presented.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS2015

Materials Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components for Rocket Propulsion

To advance Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for production of rocket propulsion components the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying state of the art characterization techniques to interrogate microstructure and mechanical properties of AM materials and components at various steps in their processing. The materials being investigated for upper stage rocket engines include titanium, copper, and nickel alloys. Additive manufacturing processes include laser powder bed, electron beam powder bed, and electron beam wire fed processes. Various post build thermal treatments, including Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP), have been studied to understand their influence on microstructure, mechanical properties, and build density. Micro-computed tomography, electron microscopy, and mechanical testing in relevant temperature environments has been performed to develop relationships between build quality, microstructure, and mechanical performance at temperature. A summary of GRC's Additive Manufacturing roles and experimental findings will be presented.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Optimizing the Electroforming Process to Enhance the Thickness Uniformity of Full Shell X-Ray Optics

Electroforming replication technology at Marshall Space Flight Center has a long heritage of producing highquality full-shell X-ray mirrors for various applications. Nickel alloys are electroformed onto a super-polished mandrel in the electroforming process, then separated to form the replicated full-shell optic. Various parameters in the electroplating configuration could result in the nonuniformity of the shell’s thickness. Thickness nonuniformities primarily occur due to non-uniform electric field distributions in the electroforming tank during the deposition. Using COMSOL Multiphysics simulations, we have studied the electric field distributions during the deposition process. Using these studies, we have optimized the electric fields inside the tank using customized shields and insulating gaskets on the mandrel. These efforts reduced thickness non-uniformity from over 20% to under 5% percent. Improving the thickness uniformity of the shell aids in better mounting and alignment of shells in the optics module. Optimization of the electroforming process, in some cases, improved the optical performance of the shells. COMSOL optimizing of the electroforming process and the experimental results validating these simulations are presented in this article.

X-ray optics↗
NASA NTRS2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center Technical Bulletin No. 24-01: Material Compatibility of Common Aerospace Metals in MMH/MON-3

The NESC evaluated material compatibility of some common aerospace metals in monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (MON-3). Previous work had identified a lack of quantitative compatibility data for nickel alloy 718, 300 series stainless steel, and titanium Ti-6Al-4V in MMH and MON-3 to support the use of zero-failure-tolerant, thin-walled pressure barriers in these propellants. Static (i.e., not flowing) general corrosion and electrochemistry testing was conducted, evaluating varied processing forms and heat treatment of the metals, water content of propellant, and exposure duration. Corrosion-rate data for all tested product forms, fluids, and durations were on the order of 1 x 10 –6 inch per year rather than the previously documented “less than 1 x 10 –3 inch per year”. The majority of the corrosion products were seen in the first 20 days of exposure, with an overall corrosion rate decreasing with time due to the increased divisor (time). It is therefore recommended that corrosion testing be performed at multiple short-term durations to inform the need for longer-duration testing.

Heather K Hickman↗
NASA NTRS2003

The Effect of Stabilization Heat Treatments on the Tensile and Creep Behavior of an Advanced Nickel-Based Disk Alloy

As part of NASA s Advanced Subsonic Technology Program, a study of stabilization heat treatment options for an advanced nickel-base disk alloy, ME 209, was performed. Using a simple, physically based approach, the effect of stabilization heat treatments on tensile and creep properties was analyzed in this paper. Solutions temperature, solution cooling rate, and stabilization temperature/time were found to have a significant impact on tensile and creep properties. These effects were readily quantified using the following methodology. First, the effect of solution cooling rate was assessed to determine its impact on a given property. The as-cooled property was then modified by using two multiplicative factors which assess the impact of solution temperature and stabilization parameters. Comparison of experimental data with predicted values showed this physically based analysis produced good results that rivaled the statistical analysis employed, which required numerous changes in the form of the regression equation depending on the property and temperature in question. As this physically based analysis uses the data for input, it should be noted that predictions which attempt to extrapolate beyond the bounds of the data must be viewed with skepticism. Future work aimed at expanding the range of the stabilization/aging parameters explored in this study would be highly desirable, especially at the higher solution cooling rates.

Gayda, John↗
NASA NTRS1984

Study of high performance alloy electroforming

Nickel-manganese alloy electrodeposits from an electrolyte containing more manganese ion than previously used is being evaluated at two bath operating temperatures with a great variety of pulse plating conditions. Saccharine was added as a stress reducing agent for the electroforming of several of the samples with highest manganese content. All specimens for mechanical property testing have been produced but are not through the various heat treatments as yet. One of the heat treatment will be at 343 C (650 F), the temperature at which the MCC outer electroformed nickel shell is stress relieved. A number of retainer specimens from prior work have been tested for hardness before and after heat treatment. There appears to be a fairly good correlation between hardness and mechanical properties. Comparison of representative mechanical properties with hardnesses are made for nickel-manganese electrodeposits and nickel-cobalt-manganese deposits.

Malone, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1951

Influence of Chemical Composition on Rupture Properties at 1200 Degrees F. of Forged Chromium-Cobalt-Nickel-Iron Base Alloys in Solution-Treated and Aged Condition

The influence of systematic variations of chemical composition on rupture properties at 1200 degrees F. was determined for 62 modifications of a basic alloy containing 20 percent chromium, 20 percent nickel, 20 percent cobalt, 3 percent molybdenum, 2 percent tungsten, 1 percent columbium, 0.15 percent carbon, 1.7 percent manganese, 0.5 percent silicon, 0.12 percent nitrogen and the balance iron. These modifications included individual variations of each of 10 elements present and simultaneous variations of molybdenum, tungsten, and columbium. Laboratory induction furnace heats were hot-forged to round bar stock, solution-treated at 2200 degrees F., and aged at 1400 degrees F. The melting and fabrication conditions were carefully controlled in order to minimize all variable effects on properties except chemical composition. Information is presented which indicates that melting and hot-working conditions play an important role in high-temperature properties of alloys of the type investigated.

Reynolds, E E↗