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At least 361 records · Page 20

Manufacturing Aids

Contractor's work for Lewis Research Center on "thermal barrier" coatings designed to improve aircraft engine efficiency resulted in two related but separate spinoffs. The Materials and Manufacturing Technology Center of TRW, Inc. invented a robotic system for applying the coating, and in the course of that research found it necessary to develop a new, extremely accurate type of optical gage that offers multiple improvements in controlling the quality of certain manufactured parts.

Source record↗

Development of Advanced Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings Using a High-Heat-Flux Testing Approach

The development of low conductivity, robust thermal and environmental barrier coatings requires advanced testing techniques that can accurately and effectively evaluate coating thermal conductivity and cyclic resistance at very high surface temperatures (up to 1700 C) under large thermal gradients. In this study, a laser high-heat-flux test approach is established for evaluating advanced low conductivity, high temperature capability thermal and environmental barrier coatings under the NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) program. The test approach emphasizes the real-time monitoring and assessment of the coating thermal conductivity, which initially rises under the steady-state high temperature thermal gradient test due to coating sintering, and later drops under the cyclic thermal gradient test due to coating cracking/delamination. The coating system is then evaluated based on damage accumulation and failure after the combined steady-state and cyclic thermal gradient tests. The lattice and radiation thermal conductivity of advanced ceramic coatings can also be evaluated using laser heat-flux techniques. The external radiation resistance of the coating is assessed based on the measured specimen temperature response under a laser- heated intense radiation-flux source. The coating internal radiation contribution is investigated based on the measured apparent coating conductivity increases with the coating surface test temperature under large thermal gradient test conditions. Since an increased radiation contribution is observed at these very high surface test temperatures, by varying the laser heat-flux and coating average test temperature, the complex relation between the lattice and radiation conductivity as a function of surface and interface test temperature may be derived.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Overview of NASA's UEET and TBCC/RTA Programs

A general overview of NASA's Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) and Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC)/Revolutionary Turbine Accelerator (RTA) is presented. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Shaw, Robert J.↗

Overview of NASA Glenn Seal Program

The Seal Team is divided into four primary areas. These areas include turbine engine seal development, structural seal development, acoustic seal development, and adaptive seal development. The turbine seal area focuses on high temperature, high speed shaft seals for secondary air system flow management. The structural seal area focuses on high temperature, resilient structural seals required to accommodate large structural distortions for both space- and aero-applications. Our goal in the acoustic seal project is to develop non-contacting, low leakage seals exploiting the principles of advanced acoustics. We are currently investigating a new acoustic field known as Resonant Macrosonic Synthesis (RMS) to see if we can harness the large acoustic standing pressure waves to form an effective air-barrier/seal. Our goal in the adaptive seal project is to develop advanced sealing approaches for minimizing blade-tip (shroud) or interstage seal leakage. We are planning on applying either rub-avoidance or regeneration clearance control concepts (including smart structures and materials) to promote higher turbine engine efficiency and longer service lives.

Steinetz, Bruce M.↗

Modeling of High Speed Reacting Flows: Established Practices and Future Challenges

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has proven to be an invaluable tool for the design and analysis of high- speed propulsion devices. Massively parallel computing, together with the maturation of robust CFD codes, has made it possible to perform simulations of complete engine flowpaths. Steady-state Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations are now routinely used in the scramjet engine development cycle to determine optimal fuel injector arrangements, investigate trends noted during testing, and extract various measures of engine efficiency. Unfortunately, the turbulence and combustion models used in these codes have not changed significantly over the past decade. Hence, the CFD practitioner must often rely heavily on existing measurements (at similar flow conditions) to calibrate model coefficients on a case- by-case basis. This paper provides an overview of the modeled equations typically employed by commercial- quality CFD codes for high-speed combustion applications. Careful attention is given to the approximations employed for each of the unclosed terms in the averaged equation set. The salient features (and shortcomings) of common models used to close these terms are covered in detail, and several academic efforts aimed at addressing these shortcomings are discussed.

Baurle, R. A.↗

LASTRAC.3d: Transition Prediction in 3D Boundary Layers

Langley Stability and Transition Analysis Code (LASTRAC) is a general-purpose, physics-based transition prediction code released by NASA for laminar flow control studies and transition research. This paper describes the LASTRAC extension to general three-dimensional (3D) boundary layers such as finite swept wings, cones, or bodies at an angle of attack. The stability problem is formulated by using a body-fitted nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinate system constructed on the body surface. The nonorthogonal coordinate system offers a variety of marching paths and spanwise waveforms. In the extreme case of an infinite swept wing boundary layer, marching with a nonorthogonal coordinate produces identical solutions to those obtained with an orthogonal coordinate system using the earlier release of LASTRAC. Several methods to formulate the 3D parabolized stability equations (PSE) are discussed. A surface-marching procedure akin to that for 3D boundary layer equations may be used to solve the 3D parabolized disturbance equations. On the other hand, the local line-marching PSE method, formulated as an easy extension from its 2D counterpart and capable of handling the spanwise mean flow and disturbance variation, offers an alternative. A linear stability theory or parabolized stability equations based N-factor analysis carried out along the streamline direction with a fixed wavelength and downstream-varying spanwise direction constitutes an efficient engineering approach to study instability wave evolution in a 3D boundary layer. The surface-marching PSE method enables a consistent treatment of the disturbance evolution along both streamwise and spanwise directions but requires more stringent initial conditions. Both PSE methods and the traditional LST approach are implemented in the LASTRAC.3d code. Several test cases for tapered or finite swept wings and cones at an angle of attack are discussed.

Chang, Chau-Lyan↗

Probabilistic Assessment of a CMC Turbine Vane

In order to demonstrate the advanced CMC technology under development within the Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) program, it has been planned to fabricate, test and analyze an all CMC turbine vane made of a SiC/SiC composite material. The objective was to utilize a 5-II Satin Weave SiC/CVI SiC/ and MI SiC matrix material that was developed in-house under the Enabling Propulsion Materials (EPM) program, to design and fabricate a stator vane that can endure successfully 1000 hours of engine service conditions operation. The design requirements for the vane are to be able to withstand a maximum of 2400 F within the substrate and the hot surface temperature of 2700 F with the aid of an in-house developed Environmental/Thermal Barrier Coating (EBC/TBC) system. The vane will be tested in a High Pressure Burner Rig at NASA Glenn Research Center facility. This rig is capable of simulating the engine service environment. The present paper focuses on a probabilistic assessment of the vane. The material stress/strain relationship shows a bilinear behavior with a distinct knee corresponding to what is often termed as first matrix cracking strength. This is a critical life limiting consideration for these materials. The vane is therefore designed such that the maximum stresses are within this limit so that the structure is never subjected to loads beyond the first matrix cracking strength. Any violation of this design requirement is considered as failure. Probabilistic analysis is performed in order to determine the probability of failure based on this assumption. In the analysis, material properties, strength, and pressures are considered random variables. The variations in properties and strength are based on the actual experimental data generated in house. The mean values for the pressures on the upper surface and the lower surface are known but their distributions are unknown. In the present analysis the pressures are considered normally distributed with a nominal variation. Temperature profile on the vane is obtained by performing a CFD analysis and is assumed to be deterministic.

Murthy, Pappu L. N.↗

2003 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System Workshop

The following reports were included in the 2003 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System Workshop:Low Emissions Alternative Power (LEAP); Overview of NASA Glenn Seal Developments; NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Project Overview; Development of Higher Temperature Abradable Seals for Industrial Gas Turbines; High Misalignment Carbon Seals for the Fan Drive Gear System Technologies; Compliant Foil Seal Investigations; Test Rig for Evaluating Active Turbine Blade Tip Clearance Control Concepts; Controls Considerations for Turbine Active Clearance Control; Non-Contacting Finger Seal Developments and Design Considerations; Effect of Flow-Induced Radial Load on Brush Seal/Rotor Contact Mechanics; Seal Developments at Flowserve Corporation; Investigations of High Pressure Acoustic Waves in Resonators With Seal-Like Features; Numerical Investigations of High Pressure Acoustic Waves in Resonators; Feltmetal Seal Material Through-Flow; "Bimodal" Nuclear Thermal Rocket (BNTR) Propulsion for Future Human Mars Exploration Missions; High Temperature Propulsion System Structural Seals for Future Space Launch Vehicles; Advanced Control Surface Seal Development for Future Space Vehicles; High Temperature Metallic Seal Development for Aero Propulsion and Gas Turbine Applications; and BrazeFoil Honeycomb.

Steinetz, Bruce M.↗

Aviation Particle Emissions Workshop

The Aviation Particle Emissions Workshop was held on November 18 19, 2003, in Cleveland, Ohio. It was sponsored by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) under the Vehicle Systems Program (VSP) and the Ultra- Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Project. The objectives were to build a sound foundation for a comprehensive particulate research roadmap and to provide a forum for discussion among U.S. stakeholders and researchers. Presentations included perspectives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and United States airports. There were five interactive technical sessions: sampling methodology, measurement methodology, particle modeling, database, inventory and test venue, and air quality. Each group presented technical issues which generated excellent discussion. The five session leads collaborated with their members to present summaries and conclusions to each content area.

Wey, Chowen C.↗

Probabilistic Analysis of a SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite Turbine Vane

To demonstrate the advanced composite materials technology under development within the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program, it was planned to fabricate, test, and analyze a turbine vane made entirely of silicon carbide-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix composite (SiC/SiC CMC) material. The objective was to utilize a five-harness satin weave melt-infiltrated (MI) SiC/SiC composite material developed under this program to design and fabricate a stator vane that can endure 1000 hours of engine service conditions. The vane was designed such that the expected maximum stresses were kept within the proportional limit strength of the material. Any violation of this design requirement was considered as the failure. This report presents results of a probabilistic analysis and reliability assessment of the vane. Probability of failure to meet the design requirements was computed. In the analysis, material properties, strength, and pressure loading were considered as random variables. The pressure loads were considered normally distributed with a nominal variation. A temperature profile on the vane was obtained by performing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and was assumed to be deterministic. The results suggest that for the current vane design, the chance of not meeting design requirements is about 1.6 percent.

Murthy, Pappu L. N.↗

Adaptive Development

The goal of this research is to develop and demonstrate innovative adaptive seal technologies that can lead to dramatic improvements in engine performance, life, range, and emissions, and enhance operability for next generation gas turbine engines. This work is concentrated on the development of self-adaptive clearance control systems for gas turbine engines. Researchers have targeted the high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade tip seal location for following reasons: Current active clearance control (ACC) systems (e.g., thermal case-cooling schemes) cannot respond to blade tip clearance changes due to mechanical, thermal, and aerodynamic loads. As such they are prone to wear due to the required tight running clearances during operation. Blade tip seal wear (increased clearances) reduces engine efficiency, performance, and service life. Adaptive sealing technology research has inherent impact on all envisioned 21st century propulsion systems (e.g. distributed vectored, hybrid and electric drive propulsion concepts).

Source record↗

Residual Stresses Modeled in Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications continue to increase as the need for greater engine efficiency in aircraft and land-based gas turbines increases. However, durability and reliability issues limit the benefits that can be derived from TBC's. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms that cause TBC failure is a key to increasing, as well as predicting, TBC durability. Oxidation of the bond coat has been repeatedly identified as one of the major factors affecting the durability of the ceramic top coat during service. However, the mechanisms by which oxidation facilitates TBC failure are poorly understood and require further characterization. In addition, researchers have suspected that other bond coat and top coat factors might influence TBC thermal fatigue life, both separately and through interactions with the mechanism of oxidation. These other factors include the bond coat coefficient of thermal expansion, the bond coat roughness, and the creep behavior of both the ceramic and bond coat layers. Although it is difficult to design an experiment to examine these factors unambiguously, it is possible to design a computer modeling "experiment" to examine the action and interaction of these factors, as well as to determine failure drivers for TBC's. Previous computer models have examined some of these factors separately to determine their effect on coating residual stresses, but none have examined all the factors concurrently. The purpose of this research, which was performed at DCT, Inc., in contract with the NASA Lewis Research Center, was to develop an inclusive finite element model to characterize the effects of oxidation on the residual stresses within the TBC system during thermal cycling as well as to examine the interaction of oxidation with the other factors affecting TBC life. The plasma sprayed, two-layer thermal barrier coating that was modeled incorporated a superalloy substrate, a NiCrAlY bond coat, and a ZrO2-8 wt % Y2O3 ceramic top coat. We examined the effect on stress during burner rig thermal cycling of the following independent variables: creep in the bond coat and top coat, oxidation, bond coat coefficient of thermal expansion, number of thermal cycles, and interfacial roughness. All these factors were suspected of influencing TBC failure. The model showed that all the material properties studied had a significant effect on the coating's residual stresses if the interface of the bond coat was rough. Bond coat expansion, bond coat oxidation, and bond coat creep had the highest effect on coating stresses, and these were highly interactive. The model also showed that the mechanism of stress generation during thermal cycling changed with the number of thermal cycles. Bond coat and top coat creep dominated stress generation during early thermal cycles, greatly increasing delamination stresses at the peaks of the bond coat. Therefore, creep is the prime driver for delamination cracking early in life, but cracking is limited to the bond coat peak region. Oxidation of the bond coat, on the other hand, tended to dominate stress generation during later cycles by greatly increasing delamination stresses over bond coat valleys. These results indicate that oxidation is the driver for the continued cracking necessary to cause ceramic layer spallation.

Freborg, A. M.↗

Noncontact Determination of Antisymmetric Plate Wave Velocity in Ceramic Matrix Composites

High-temperature materials are of increasing importance in the development of more efficient engines and components for the aeronautics industry. In particular, ceramic matrix composite (CMC) and metal matrix composite (MMC) structures are under active development for these applications. The acousto-ultrasonic (AU) method has been shown to be useful for assessing mechanical properties in composite structures. In particular, plate wave analysis can characterize composites in terms of their stiffness moduli. It is desirable to monitor changes in mechanical properties that occur during thermomechanical testing and to monitor the health of components whose geometry or position make them hard to reach with conventional ultrasonic probes. In such applications, it would be useful to apply AU without coupling directly to the test surface. For a number of years, lasers have been under investigation as remote ultrasonic input sources and ultrasound detectors. The use of an ultrasonic transducer coupled through an air gap has also been under study. So far at the NASA Lewis Research Center, we have been more successful in using lasers as ultrasonic sources than as output devices. On the other hand, we have been more successful in using an air-coupled piezoelectric transducer as an output device than as an input device. For this reason, we studied the laser in/air-coupled-transducer out combination-using a pulsed NdYAG laser as the ultrasonic source and an air-coupled-transducer as the detector. The present work is focused on one of the AU parameters of interest, the ultrasonic velocity of the antisymmetric plate-wave mode. This easily identified antisymmetric pulse can be used to determine shear and flexure modulus. It was chosen for this initial work because the pulse arrival times are likely to be the most precise. The following schematic illustrates our experimental arrangement for using laser in/air-transducer out on SiC/SiC composite tensile specimens. The NdYAG pulse was directed downward by a 90 infrared prism to the top of the specimen, but at the edge of one end. An energy sensor measured a single pulse at 13 millijoules (mJ) before it passed through the prism, which attenuated 15 percent of its energy. It also provided an output trigger for the waveform time-delay synthesizer.

Kautz, Harold E.↗

The Multistage Compressor Facility

Research and developments of new aerospace technologies is one of Glenn Research Center's specialties. One facility that deals with the research of aerospace technologies is the High-speed Multistage Compressor Facility. This facility will be testing the performance and efficiency of an Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) two-stage compressor. There is a lot of preparation involved with testing something of this caliber. Before the test article can be installed into the test rig, the facility must be fully operational and ready to run. Meaning all the necessary instrumentation must be calibrated and installed in the facility. The test rig should also be in safe operating condition, and the proper safety permits obtained. In preparation for the test, the Multistage Compressor Facility went through a few changes. For instance the facility will now be utilizing slip rings, the gearbox went through some maintenance, new lubrications systems replaced the old ones, and special instrumentation needs to be fine tuned to achieve the maximum amount of accurate data. Slips rings help gather information off of a rotating device - in this case from a shaft - onto stationary contacts. The contacts (or brushes) need to be cooled to reduce the amount of frictional heat produced between the slip ring and brushes. The coolant being run through the slip ring is AK-225, a material hazardous to the ozone. To abide by the safety regulations the coolant must be run through a closed chiller system. A new chiller system was purchased but the reservoir that holds the coolant was ventilated which doesn t make the system truly closed and sealed. My task was to design and have a new reservoir built for the chiller system that complies with the safety guidelines. The gearbox had some safety issues also. Located in the back of the gearbox an inching drive was set up. When the inching drive is in use the gears and chain are bare and someone can easily get caught up in it. So to prevent anyone from getting hurt in the gears I designed a chain guard. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Flegel, Ashlie↗

Acoustic Pyrometry Applied to Gas Turbines and Jet Engines

Internal gas temperature is one of the most fundamental parameters related to engine efficiency and emissions production. The most common methods for measuring gas temperature are physical probes, such as thermocouples and thermistors, and optical methods, such as Coherent Anti Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) or Rayleigh scattering. Probes are relatively easy to use, but they are intrusive, their output must be corrected for errors due to radiation and conduction, and their upper use temperature is limited. Optical methods are nonintrusive, and they measure some intrinsic property of the gas that is directly related to its temperature (e.g., lifetime or the ratio of line strengths). However, optical methods are usually difficult to use, and optical access is not always available. Lately, acoustic techniques have been receiving some interest as a way to overcome these limitations.

Fralick, Gustave C.↗

Novel Vibration Damping of Ceramic Matrix Composite Turbine Blades Developed for RLV Applications

The Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) represents the next generation of space transportation for the U.S. space program. The goal for this vehicle is to lower launch costs by an order of magnitude from $10,000/lb to $1,000/lb. Such a large cost reduction will require a highly efficient operation, which naturally will require highly efficient engines. The RS-2200 Linear Aerospike Engine is being considered as the main powerplant for the RLV. Strong, lightweight, temperature-resistant ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials such as C/SiC are critical to the development of the RS-2200. Preliminary engine designs subject turbopump components to extremely high frequency dynamic excitation, and ceramic matrix composite materials are typically lightly damped, making them vulnerable to high-cycle fatigue. The combination of low damping and high-frequency excitation creates the need for enhanced damping. Thus, the goal of this project has been to develop well-damped C/SiC turbine components for use in the RLV. Foster-Miller and Boeing Rocketdyne have been using an innovative, low-cost process to develop light, strong, highly damped turbopump components for the RS-2200 under NASA s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field is managing this work. The process combines three-dimensionally braided fiber reinforcement with a pre-ceramic polymer. The three-dimensional reinforcement significantly improves the structure over conventional two-dimensional laminates, including high through-the-thickness strength and stiffness. Phase I of the project successfully applied the Foster-Miller pre-ceramic polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process to the manufacture of dynamic specimens representative of engine components. An important aspect of the program has been the development of the manufacturing process. Results show that the three-dimensionally braided carbon-fiber reinforcement provides good processability and good mechanical stiffness and strength in comparison to materials produced with competing processes as shown in the graphs.

Min, James B.↗

Automated Guided-Wave Scanning Developed to Characterize Materials and Detect Defects

The Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Group of the Optical Instrumentation Technology Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center has developed a scanning system that uses guided waves to characterize materials and detect defects. The technique uses two ultrasonic transducers to interrogate the condition of a material. The sending transducer introduces an ultrasonic pulse at a point on the surface of the specimen, and the receiving transducer detects the signal after it has passed through the material. The aim of the method is to correlate certain parameters in both the time and frequency domains of the detected waveform to characteristics of the material between the two transducers. The scanning system is shown. The waveform parameters of interest include the attenuation due to internal damping, waveform shape parameters, and frequency shifts due to material changes. For the most part, guided waves are used to gauge the damage state and defect growth of materials subjected to various mechanical or environmental loads. The technique has been applied to polymer matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites, and metal matrix composites as well as metallic alloys. Historically, guided wave analysis has been a point-by-point, manual technique with waveforms collected at discrete locations and postprocessed. Data collection and analysis of this type limits the amount of detail that can be obtained. Also, the manual movement of the sensors is prone to user error and is time consuming. The development of an automated guided-wave scanning system has allowed the method to be applied to a wide variety of materials in a consistent, repeatable manner. Experimental studies have been conducted to determine the repeatability of the system as well as compare the results obtained using more traditional NDE methods. The following screen capture shows guided-wave scan results for a ceramic matrix composite plate, including images for each of nine calculated parameters. The system can display up to 18 different wave parameters. Multiple scans of the test specimen demonstrated excellent repeatability in the measurement of all the guided-wave parameters, far exceeding the traditional point-by-point technique. In addition, the scan was able to detect a subsurface defect that was confirmed using flash thermography This technology is being further refined to provide a more robust and efficient software environment. Future hardware upgrades will allow for multiple receiving transducers and the ability to scan more complex surfaces. This work supports composite materials development and testing under the Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Project, but it also will be applied to other material systems under development for a wide range of applications.

Martin, Richard E.↗

Improved Method Being Developed for Surface Enhancement of Metallic Materials

Surface enhancement methods induce a layer of beneficial residual compressive stress to improve the impact (FOD) resistance and fatigue life of metallic materials. A traditional method of surface enhancement often used is shot peening, in which small steel spheres are repeatedly impinged on metallic surfaces. Shot peening is inexpensive and widely used, but the plastic deformation of 20 to 40 percent imparted by the impacts can be harmful. This plastic deformation can damage the microstructure, severely limiting the ductility and durability of the material near the surface. It has also been shown to promote accelerated relaxation of the beneficial compressive residual stresses at elevated temperatures. Low-plasticity burnishing (LPB) is being developed as an improved method for the surface enhancement of metallic materials. LPB is being investigated as a rapid, inexpensive surface enhancement method under NASA Small Business Innovation Research contracts NAS3-98034 and NAS3-99116, with supporting characterization work at NASA. Previously, roller burnishing had been employed to refine surface finish. This concept was adopted and then optimized as a means of producing a layer of compressive stress of high magnitude and depth, with minimal plastic deformation (ref. 1). A simplified diagram of the developed process is given in the following figure. A single pass of a smooth, free-rolling spherical ball under a normal force deforms the surface of the material in tension, creating a compressive layer of residual stress. The ball is supported in a fluid with sufficient pressure to lift the ball off the surface of the retaining spherical socket. The ball is only in mechanical contact with the surface of the material being burnished and is free to roll on the surface. This apparatus is designed to be mounted in the conventional lathes and vertical mills currently used to machine parts. The process has been successfully applied to nickel-base superalloys by a team from the NASA Glenn Research Center, Lambda Research, and METCUT Research, as supported by the NASA Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and II programs, the Ultra Safe program, and the Ultra- Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program.

Gabb, Timothy P.↗