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At least 379 records · Page 21

Rocketdyne Safety Algorithm: Space Shuttle Main Engine Fault Detection

The Rocketdyne Safety Algorithm (RSA) has been developed to the point of use on the TTBE at MSFC on Task 4 of LeRC contract NAS3-25884. This document contains a description of the work performed, the results of the nominal test of the major anomaly test cases and a table of the resulting cutoff times, a plot of the RSA value vs. time for each anomaly case, a logic flow description of the algorithm, the algorithm code, and a development plan for future efforts.

Norman, Arnold M., Jr.↗

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analyses in Support of Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Heat Exchanger (HX) Vane Cracking Investigation

Integration issues involved with installing the alternate turbopump (ATP) High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump (HPOTP) into the SSME have raised questions regarding the flow in the HPOTP turnaround duct (TAD). Steady-state Navier-Stokes CFD analyses have been performed by NASA and Pratt & Whitney (P&W) to address these questions. The analyses have consisted of two-dimensional axisymmetric calculations done at Marshall Space Flight Center and three-dimensional calculations performed at P&W. These analyses have identified flowfield differences between the baseline ATP and the Rocketdyne configurations. The results show that the baseline ATP configuration represents a more severe environment to the inner HX guide vane. This vane has limited life when tested in conjunction with the ATP but infinite life when tested with the current SSME HPOTP. The CFD results have helped interpret test results and have been used to assess proposed redesigns. This paper includes details of the axisymmetric model, its results, and its contribution towards resolving the problem.

Garcia, Roberto↗

Radial and circumferential flow surveys at the inlet and exit of the Space Shuttle Main Engine High Pressure Fuel Turbine Model

The main objective of this test was to obtain detailed radial and circumferential flow surveys at the inlet and exit of the SSME High Pressure Fuel Turbine model using three-hole cobra probes, hot-film probes, and a laser velocimeter. The test was designed to meet several objectives. First, the techniques for making laser velocimeter, hot-film probe, and cobra probe measurements in turbine flows were developed and demonstrated. The ability to use the cobra probes to obtain static pressure and, therefore, velocity had to be verified; insertion techniques had to be established for the fragile hot-film probes; and a seeding method had to be established for the laser velocimetry. Once the measurement techniques were established, turbine inlet and exit velocity profiles, temperature profiles, pressure profiles, turbulence intensities, and boundary layer thicknesses were measured at the turbine design point. The blockage effect due to the model inlet and exit total pressure and total temperature rakes on the turbine performance was also studied. A small range of off-design points were run to obtain the profiles and to verify the rake blockage effects off-design. Finally, a range of different Reynolds numbers were run to study the effect of Reynolds number on the various measurements.

Hudson, S. T.↗

Thermal and Structural Analysis of a Hollow Core Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Turbine Blade

The influence of primary and secondary orientations on the elastic response of a hollow core, (001)-oriented nickel base single-crystal superalloy turbine blade, was investigated under combined thermal and mechanical conditions. Finite element techniques is employed through MARC finite element code to conduct the analyses on a hollow core SSME turbine blade made out of PWA 1480 single crystal material. Primary orientation of the single crystal superalloy was varied in increments of 2 deg, from 0 to 10 deg, from the (001) direction. Two secondary orientations (0 and 45 deg) were considered with respect to the global coordinate system, as the primary orientation angle was varied. The stresses developed within the single crystal blade were determined for different orientations of the blade. The influence of angular offsets such as the single crystal's primary and secondary orientations and the loading conditions on the elastic stress response of the PWA 1480 hollow blade are summarized. The influence of he primary orientation angle, when constrained between the bounds considered, was not found to be as significant as the influence of the secondary orientation angle.

Abdul-Aziz, Ali↗

Space Shuttle Main Engine Propellant Path Leak Detection Using Sequential Image Processing

Initial research in this study using theoretical radiation transport models established that the occurrence of a leak is accompanies by a sudden but sustained change in intensity in a given region of an image. In this phase, temporal processing of video images on a frame-by-frame basis was used to detect leaks within a given field of view. The leak detection algorithm developed in this study consists of a digital highpass filter cascaded with a moving average filter. The absolute value of the resulting discrete sequence is then taken and compared to a threshold value to produce the binary leak/no leak decision at each point in the image. Alternatively, averaging over the full frame of the output image produces a single time-varying mean value estimate that is indicative of the intensity and extent of a leak. Laboratory experiments were conducted in which artificially created leaks on a simulated SSME background were produced and recorded from a visible wavelength video camera. This data was processed frame-by-frame over the time interval of interest using an image processor implementation of the leak detection algorithm. In addition, a 20 second video sequence of an actual SSME failure was analyzed using this technique. The resulting output image sequences and plots of the full frame mean value versus time verify the effectiveness of the system.

Smith, L. Montgomery↗

Space Shuttle Main Engine: Part Number RS007001

Topics considered include: low-pressure oxidizer turbopump; low-pressure fuel turbopump; high-pressure oxidizer turbopump; high-pressure oxidizer turbopump turbine; high-pressure fuel turbopump; and SSME propellant flow schematic.

Guinzburg, A.↗

Effects of Alternate Leading Edge Cutback on the Space Shuttle Main Engine Low Pressure Fuel Pump

A higher order cavitation oscillation observed in the SSME low pressure fuel pump has been eliminated in water flow testing of a modified subscale replica of the inducer. The low pressure pump was modified by removing the outboard sections of two opposing blades of the four-bladed inducer, blending the "cutback" regions into the blades at the leading edge and tip, and removing material on the suction sides to decrease the exposed leading edge thickness. The leading edge tips of the cutback blades were moved approximately 25 degrees from their previous locations, thereby increasing one blade to blade spacing, decreasing the second, while simultaneously moving the cutback tips downstream. The test was conducted in MSFC's inducer test loop at scaled operating conditions in degassed and filtered water. In addition to eliminating HOC across the entire scaled operating regime, rotating cavitation was suppressed while the range of both alternate blade and asymmetric cavitation were increased. These latter phenomena, and more significantly, the shifts between these cavitation modes also resulted in significant changes to the head coefficient at low cavitation numbers. Reverse flow was detected at a slightly larger flow coefficient with the cutback inducer and suction capability was reduced by approximately 1 velocity head at and above approximately 90% of the reference flow coefficient. These performance changes along with more intense reverse flow are consistent with poor flow area management and increased incidence in the cutback region. Although the test demonstrated that the inducer modification was successful at eliminating the higher order cavitation across the entire scaled operating regime, different, previously unobserved, cavitation oscillations were introduced and significant performance penalties were imposed.

Mulder, Andrew↗

Airbreathing engines for space shuttle

The requirements imposed on the airbreathing engines by the shuttle mission and some results from engine design studies are discussed. In particular, some of the engine system weight study results are presented, potential problem areas and required engine modifications are identified, and testing requirements for a development and qualification program are discussed. The engines of interest for the shuttle are engines that are currently being developed for other applicatons. The potential problems, engine modifications, and testing requirements result primarily from the new environments associated with launch, space residence, and reentry.

Glassman, A. J.↗

Airbreathing engines for Space Shuttle.

The requirements imposed on the airbreathing engines by the shuttle mission and some results from engine design studies are discussed. In particular some of the engine system weight study results are presented, potential problem areas and required engine modifications are identified, and testing requirements for a development and qualification program are discussed. The engines of interest for the shuttle are engines that are currently being developed for other applications. The potential problems, engine modifications, and testing requirements result primarily from the new environments associated with launch, space residence, and reentry.

Glassman, A. J.↗

Airbreathing engines for space shuttle.

The requirements imposed on the airbreathing engines by the shuttle mission and some results from engine design studies are discussed. In particular, some of the engine system weight study results are presented, potential problem areas and required engine modifications are identified, and testing requirements for a development and qualification program are discussed. The engines of interest for the shuttle are engines that are currently being developed for other applications. The potential problems, engine modifications, and testing requirements result primarily from the new environments associated with launch, space residence, and reentry.

Glassman, A. J.↗

KU-Band rendezvous radar performance computer simulation model

The preparation of a real time computer simulation model of the KU band rendezvous radar to be integrated into the shuttle mission simulator (SMS), the shuttle engineering simulator (SES), and the shuttle avionics integration laboratory (SAIL) simulator is described. To meet crew training requirements a radar tracking performance model, and a target modeling method were developed. The parent simulation/radar simulation interface requirements, and the method selected to model target scattering properties, including an application of this method to the SPAS spacecraft are described. The radar search and acquisition mode performance model and the radar track mode signal processor model are examined and analyzed. The angle, angle rate, range, and range rate tracking loops are also discussed.

Griffin, J. W.↗

Fiber-reinforced superalloy composites provide an added performance edge

Fiber reinforcements are being explored as a means to increasing the performance of superalloys past 980 C. Fiber-reinforced superalloys (FRS), particularly tungsten FRS (TFRS) are candidate materials for rocket-engine turbopump blades for advanced Shuttle engines and in airbreathing and other rocket engines. Refractory metal wires are the reinforcement of choice due to tolerance to fiber/matrix interactions. W alloy fibers have a maximum tensile strength of 2165 MPa at 1095 C and a 100 hr creep rupture strength at stresses up to 1400 MPa. A TFRS has the potential of a service temperature 110 C over the strongest superalloy. Manufacturing processes being evaluated to realize the FRS components are summarized, together with design features which will be introduced in turbine blades to take advantage of the FRS materials and to extend their surface life.

Petrasek, D. W.↗

Return to Flight: Crew Activities Resource Reel 1 of 2

The crew of the STS-114 Discovery Mission is seen in various aspects of training for space flight. The crew activities include: 1) STS-114 Return to Flight Crew Photo Session; 2) Tile Repair Training on Precision Air Bearing Floor; 3) SAFER Tile Inspection Training in Virtual Reality Laboratory; 4) Guidance and Navigation Simulator Tile Survey Training; 5) Crew Inspects Orbital Boom and Sensor System (OBSS); 6) Bailout Training-Crew Compartment; 7) Emergency Egress Training-Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT); 8) Water Survival Training-Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL); 9) Ascent Training-Shuttle Motion Simulator; 10) External Tank Photo Training-Full Fuselage Trainer; 11) Rendezvous and Docking Training-Shuttle Engineering Simulator (SES) Dome; 12) Shuttle Robot Arm Training-SES Dome; 13) EVA Training Virtual Reality Lab; 14) EVA Training Neutral Buoyancy Lab; 15) EVA-2 Training-NBL; 16) EVA Tool Training-Partial Gravity Simulator; 17) Cure in Place Ablator Applicator (CIPAA) Training Glove Vacuum Chamber; 16) Crew Visit to Merritt Island Launch Area (MILA); 17) Crew Inspection-Space Shuttle Discovery; and 18) Crew Inspection-External Tank and Orbital Boom and Sensor System (OBSS). The crew are then seen answering questions from the media at the Space Shuttle Landing Facility.

Source record↗

Sample Delivery and Computer Control Systems for Detecting Leaks in the Main Engines of the Space Shuttle

The main engines of the Space Shuttle use hydrogen and oxygen as the fuel and oxidant. The explosive and fire hazards associated with these two components pose a serious danger to personnel and equipment. Therefore prior to use the main engines undergo extensive leak tests. Instead of using hazardous gases there tests utilize helium as the tracer element. This results in a need to monitor helium in the ppm level continuously for hours. The major challenge in developing such a low level gas monitor is the sample delivery system. This paper discuss a system developed to meet the requirements while also being mobile. Also shown is the calibration technique, stability, and accuracy results for the system.

Griffin, Timothy P.↗