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At least 379 records · Page 21

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NASA NTRS1987

Theoretical performance of hydrogen-bromine rechargeable SPE fuel cell

A mathematical model was formulated to describe the performance of a hydrogen-bromine fuel cell. Porous electrode theory was applied to the carbon felt flow-by electrode and was coupled to theory describing the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) system. Parametric studies using the numerical solution to this model were performed to determine the effect of kinetic, mass transfer, and design parameters on the performance of the fuel cell. The results indicate that the cell performance is most sensitive to the transport properties of the SPE membrane. The model was also shown to be a useful tool for scale-up studies.

Savinell, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Theoretical performance of hydrogen-bromine rechargeable SPE fuel cell

Savinell, R. F.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Space environmental effects on polymer matrix composites as a function of sample location on LDEF

This paper presents results on the effect of circumferential location on the variation in solar absorptance (alpha(sub S)) and infrared emittance (epsilon) for five different polymer matrix composites (PMC), and variations in erosion depth due to atomic oxygen (AO) for fourteen different PMC materials. In addition, a chemical content design parameter (gamma) has been found that correlates well with the erosion yield obtained from space flight data and hyperthermal AO tests for hydrocarbon polymeric materials. This parameter defines the ratio of the total number of atoms in a repeat monomer unit to the difference between the total carbon content and the total number of intermolecular oxygen atoms in the same repeat unit.

Tennyson, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1995

A study of elevated temperature testing techniques for the fatigue behavior of PMCS: Application to T650-35/AMB21

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the mechanical behavior of a T650-35/AMB21 eight-harness satin weave polymer composite system. Emphasis was placed on the development and refinement of techniques used in elevated temperature uniaxial PMC testing. Issues such as specimen design, gripping, strain measurement, and temperature control and measurement were addressed. Quasi-static tensile and fatigue properties (R(sub sigma) = 0.1) were examined at room and elevated temperatures. Stiffness degradation and strain accumulation during fatigue cycling were recorded to monitor damage progression and provide insight for future analytical modeling efforts. Accomplishments included an untabbed dog-bone specimen design which consistently failed in the gage section, accurate temperature control and assessment, and continuous in-situ strain measurement capability during fatigue loading at elevated temperatures. Finally, strain accumulation and stiffness degradation during fatigue cycling appeared to be good indicators of damage progression.

Gyekenyesi, Andrew L.↗

NASA NTRS1999

A magnetostatic-coupling based remote query sensor for environmental monitoring

A new type of in situ, remotely monitored magnetism-based sensor is presented that is comprised of an array of magnetically soft, magnetostatically-coupled ferromagnetic thin-film elements or particles combined with a chemically responsive material that swells or shrinks in response to the analyte of interest. As the chemically responsive material changes size the distance between the ferromagnetic elements changes, altering the inter-element magnetostatic coupling. This in turn changes the coercive force of the sensor, the amplitude of the voltage spikes detected in nearby pick-up coils upon magnetization reversal and the number of higher-order harmonics generated by the flux reversal. Since the sensor is monitored through changes in magnetic flux, no physical connections such as wires or cables are needed to obtain sensor information, nor is line of sight alignment required as with laser telemetry; the sensors can be detected from within sealed, opaque or thin metallic enclosures.

NASA Discipline Life Sciences Technologies↗

NASA NTRS2000

A CAE Approach in Application of Nafion-PT Composite (ICPF) Actuators - Analysis for Surface Wipers of NASA MUSES-CN Nanorovers

Nafion-Pt composite (ICPF) is one of the most practical electroactive polymer nearest to applications.

Electroactive↗

NASA NTRS1993

Energy loss partitioning during ballistic impact of polymer composites

The objective of this study is to determine the energy dissipation processes in polymer-matrix composites during impact of ballistic projectiles. These processes include heat, fiber deformation and breakage, matrix deformation and fracture, and interfacial delamination. In this study, experimental measurements were made, using specialized specimen designs and test methods, to isolate the energy consumed by each of these processes during impact in the ballistic range. Using these experiments, relationships between material parameters and energy dissipation were examined. Composites with the same matrix but reinforced with Kevlar, PE, and graphite fabric were included in this study. These fibers were selected based on the differences in their intrinsic properties. Matrix cracking was found to be one of the most important energy absorption mechanisms during impact, especially in ductile samples such as Spectra-900 PE and Kevlar-49 reinforced polymer. On the contrary, delamination dominated the energy dissipation in brittle composites such as graphite reinforced materials. The contribution from frictional forces was also investigated and the energy partitioning among the different processes evaluated.

Zee, Ralph H.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Improved Joining of Metal Components to Composite Structures

Systems requirements for complex spacecraft drive design requirements that lead to structures, components, and/or enclosures of a multi-material and multifunctional design. The varying physical properties of aluminum, tungsten, Invar, or other high-grade aerospace metals when utilized in conjunction with lightweight composites multiply system level solutions. These multi-material designs are largely dependent upon effective joining techAn improved method of joining metal components to matrix/fiber composite material structures has been invented. The method is particularly applicable to equipping such thin-wall polymer-matrix composite (PMC) structures as tanks with flanges, ceramic matrix composite (CMC) liners for high heat engine nozzles, and other metallic-to-composite attachments. The method is oriented toward new architectures and distributing mechanical loads as widely as possible in the vicinities of attachment locations to prevent excessive concentrations of stresses that could give rise to delaminations, debonds, leaks, and other failures. The method in its most basic form can be summarized as follows: A metal component is to be joined to a designated attachment area on a composite-material structure. In preparation for joining, the metal component is fabricated to include multiple studs projecting from the aforementioned face. Also in preparation for joining, holes just wide enough to accept the studs are molded into, drilled, or otherwise formed in the corresponding locations in the designated attachment area of the uncured ("wet') composite structure. The metal component is brought together with the uncured composite structure so that the studs become firmly seated in the holes, thereby causing the composite material to become intertwined with the metal component in the joining area. Alternately, it is proposed to utilize other mechanical attachment schemes whereby the uncured composite and metallic parts are joined with "z-direction" fasteners. The resulting "wet" assembly is then subjected to the composite-curing heat treatment, becoming a unitary structure. It should be noted that this new art will require different techniques for CMC s versus PMC's, but the final architecture and companion curing philosophy is the same. For instance, a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) fabrication technique may require special integration of the pre-form and

Semmes, Edmund↗

NASA NTRS1998

A remotely interrogatable sensor for chemical monitoring

A new type of continuously operating, in-situ, remotely monitored sensor is presented. The sensor is comprised of a thin film array of magnetostatically coupled, magnetically soft ferromagnetic thin film structures, adhered to or encased within a thin polymer layer. The polymer is made so that it swells or shrinks in response to the chemical analyte of interest, which in this case is pH. As the polymer swells or shrinks, the magnetostatic coupling between the magnetic elements changes, resulting in changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the sensor. Placed within a sinusoidal magnetic field the magnetization vector of the coupled sensor elements periodically reverses directions, generating magnetic flux that can be remotely detected as a series of voltage spikes in appropriately placed pickup coils. one preliminary sensor design consists of four triangles, initially spaced approximately 50 micrometers apart, arranged to form a 12 mm x 12 mm square with the triangle tips centered at a common origin. Our preliminary work has focused on monitoring of pH using a lightly crosslinked pH sensitive polymer layer of hydroxyethylmethacrylate and 2-(dimethylamino) ethylmethacrylate. As the polymer swells or shrinks the magnetostatic coupling between the triangles changes, resulting in measurable changes in the amplitude of the detected voltage spirits.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2025

Erosion Results of the MISSE 9-15 Polymers and Composites Experiment 1-4 (PCE 1-4)

Polymers and other oxidizable materials on the exterior of spacecraft in the low Earth orbit (LEO) space environment can be eroded from reaction with atomic oxygen (AO). Therefore, in order to design durable spacecraft it is important to know the extent of erosion that will occur during a mission. This can be determined by knowing the LEO AO erosion yield, E y (volume loss per incident oxygen atom), of materials susceptible to AO reaction. In addition, recent flight experiments have shown that the AO E y can vary with the AO fluence and/or solar exposure. Therefore, obtaining AO E y data for materials flown on various spaceflight missions is important. NASA Glenn Research Center has flown numerous experiments as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) missions on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) to characterize the LEO E y of polymers, composites, protective coatings, and other spacecraft materials. Recently, four Glenn experiments with 365 flight (F) samples were flown on ISS’s MISSE-Flight Facility (MISSE-FF). These experiments are the Polymers and Composites Experiment-1 (PCE-1) flown as part of the MISSE-9 mission, the PCE-2 flown as part of the MISSE-10 mission, the PCE-3 flown as part of the MISSE-12 and MISSE-15 missions, and the PCE-4 flown as part of the MISSE-13 mission. Although each experiment had numerous sample objectives, the primary objective was to determine the LEO AO E y of various spacecraft materials as a function of solar irradiation and AO fluence. This paper provides a summary of the erosion data for the PCE 1-4 AO E y samples. The AO E y for 150 samples flown in either the LEO ram, wake, zenith or nadir directions are provided. The AO ram fluence varied from 2.97×10 20 atoms/cm 2 after 0.89 years of direct space exposure (with relatively high levels of Si contamination) on MISSE 12 to 3.93×10 20 atoms/cm 2 after 1.17 years of direct space exposure on MISSE-10. The ram AO E y values for uncoated polymers range from 3.81×10 –25 cm 3 /atom for polytetrafluoroethylene (M9R-C20 F) exposed to an AO fluence of 3.44×10 20 atoms/cm 2 on MISSE-9 to 4.43×10 –23 cm 3 /atom for AO etched low density polyimide aerogel (M12R-C21 F) exposed to an AO fluence of 2.97×10 21 atoms/cm 2 on MISSE-12. Because of the low AO fluence and relatively high Si contamination, a number of PCE-3 wake samples experienced mass gain. Thus, AO E y values are not provided for these samples. Although there are calculated AO E y values for the zenith, wake and nadir samples, the ram AO E y for a particular material is a more reliable value in terms of AO exposure because the zenith, wake and nadir directions were exposed to either no or very little AO fluence and thus other space environmental factors (i.e. vacuum, thermal extremes and thermal cycling, and/or various types of radiation) are responsible for the mass loss.

Erosion yield↗

NASA NTRS2019

Atomic Oxygen Erosion Data from the MISSE 2-8 Missions

Erosion↗

NASA NTRS1991

LaRC-RP41: A Tough, High-Performance Composite Matrix

New polymer exhibits increased toughness and resistance to microcracking. Cross-linking PMR-15 and linear LaRC-TPI combined to provide sequential semi-2-IPN designated as LaRC-RP41. Synthesized from PMR-15 imide prepolymer undergoing cross-linking in immediate presence of LaRC-TPI polyamic acid, also undergoing simultaneous imidization and linear chain extension. Potentially high-temperature matrix resin, adhesive, and molding resin. Applications include automobiles, electronics, aircraft, and aerospace structures.

Pater, Ruth H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Interaction of atomic oxygen with thin film and bulk copper: An XPS, AES, XRD, and profilometer study

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) experiment A-0114 was designed primarily to study degradation of material surfaces due to low earth orbital (LEO) atmospheric oxygen. The experiment contained 128 one inch circular samples: metals, polymers, carbons, and semiconductors. Among metal samples, copper has shown some interesting new results. Two types of copper samples, a film sputter coated on fused silica and a bulk piece of OFHC copper, were characterized employing a variety of techniques such as X-ray and Auger electron spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution profilometry. Cu 2p core level spectra were used to characterize the presence of Cu2O and CuO in addition to Cu Auger LMM lines. These results are supported by our recent X-ray diffraction studies which clearly establish the presence of Cu oxides which we were unable to prove in our earlier work. Profilometry showed an increase in thickness of the film sample where exposed to 106.7 +/- 0.5 nm from an initial thickness of 74.2 +/- 1.1 nm. Further studies with SEM and ellipsometry are underway.

Raikar, Genesh N.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The interaction of atomic oxygen with copper: An XPS, AES, XRD, optical transmission, and stylus profilometry study

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) experiment A-0114 was designed to study the reaction of material surfaces with low earth orbits (LEO) atmospheric oxygen. The experiment contained 128 one-inch circular samples; metals, polymers, carbons, and semiconductors. Half of these samples were exposed on the front of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and remaining on the rear. Among metal samples, copper has shown some interesting new results. There were two forms of copper samples: a thin film sputter-coated on fused silica and a solid piece of OFHC copper. They were characterized by x-ray and Auger electron spectroscopies, x-ray diffraction, and high resolution profilometry. Cu 2p core level spectra were used to demonstrate the presence of Cu2O and CuO and to determine the oxidation states.

Raikar, Ganesh N.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Characterization of Composite Fan Case Resins

The majority of commercial turbine engines that power today s aircraft use a large fan driven by the engine core to generate thrust which dramatically increases the engine s efficiency. However, if one of these fan blades fails during flight, it becomes high energy shrapnel, potentially impacting the engine or puncturing the aircraft itself and thus risking the lives of passengers. To solve this problem, the fan case must be capable of containing a fan blade should it break off during flight. Currently, all commercial fan cases are made of either just a thick metal barrier or a thinner metal wall surrounded by Kevlar-an ultra strong fiber that elastically catches the blade. My summer 2004 project was to characterize the resins for a composite fan case that will be lighter and more efficient than the current metal. The composite fan case is created by braiding carbon fibers and injecting a polymer resin into the braid. The resin holds the fibers together, so at first using the strongest polymer appears to logically lead to the strongest fan case. Unfortunately, the stronger polymers are too viscous when melted. This makes the manufacturing process more difficult because the polymer does not flow as freely through the braid, and the final product is less dense. With all of this in mind, it is important to remember that the strength of the polymer is still imperative; the case must still contain blades with high impact energy. The research identified which polymer had the right balance of properties, including ease of fabrication, toughness, and ability to transfer the load to the carbon fibers. Resin deformation was studied to better understand the composite response during high speed impact. My role in this research was the testing of polymers using dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile, compression, and torsion testing. Dynamic mechanical analysis examines the response of materials under cyclic loading. Two techniques were used for dynamic mechanical analysis. The ARES Instrument analyzed the material through torsion. The second machine, TA Instruments apparatus, applied a bending force to the specimen. These experiments were used to explore the effects of temperature and strain rate on the stiffness and strength of the resins. The two different types of loading allowed us to verify our results. An axial-torsional load frame, manufactured by MTS Systems, Inc., was used to conduct the tensile, compression, and torsional testing. These tests were used to determine the stress-strain curves for the resins. The elastic and plastic deformation data was provided to another team member for characterization of high fidelity material property predictions. This information was useful in having a better understanding of the polymers so that the fan cases could be as sturdy as possible. Deformation studies are the foundation for the computational modeling that provides the structural design of a composite engine case as well as detailed analysis of the blade impact event.

Dvoracek, Charlene M.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Benchmarking of Computational Models for NDE and SHM of Composites

Ultrasonic wave phenomena constitute the leading physical mechanism for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) of solid composite materials such as carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Computational models of ultrasonic guided-wave excitation, propagation, scattering, and detection in quasi-isotropic laminates can be extremely valuable in designing practically realizable NDE and SHM hardware and software with desired accuracy, reliability, efficiency, and coverage. This paper presents comparisons of guided-wave simulations for CFRP composites implemented using three different simulation codes: two commercial finite-element analysis packages, COMSOL and ABAQUS, and a custom code implementing the Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT). Comparisons are also made to experimental laser Doppler vibrometry data and theoretical dispersion curves.

composite materials↗

NASA NTRS2003

Novel Engineering and Fabrication Techniques Tested in Low-Noise- Research Fan Blades

A major source of fan noise in commercial turbofan engines is the interaction of the wake from the fan blades with the stationary vanes (stators) directly behind them. The Trailing Edge Blowing (TEB) project team at the NASA Glenn Research Center designed and fabricated new fan blades to study the effects of fan trailing edge blowing as a potential noise-reduction concept. The intent is to fill the rotor wake by supplying air to the rotor blade trailing edge at the proper conditions to minimize the wake deficit, and thus generate less noise. The TEB hardware is designed for the Active Noise Control Fan (ANCF) test rig in Glenn's Aeroacoustic Propulsion Laboratory. For this test, the air is fed from an external supply through the shaft of the rig. It is distributed to the base of each blade through an impeller, where it is forced into a plenum at the core of each blade. In actual engine configuration, air would most likely be bled from the compressor, but only at times when noise is an issue, such as takeoffs and landings. Glenn researchers designed and manufactured the blades in-house, using new techniques and concepts. The skins, which were designed for maximum strength in the directions of highest stress, were molded from multiple layers of carbon fiber. Considerable use was made of rapid prototyping techniques, such as laser sintering. The core was sintered from a lightweight polymer, and the retainer was CNC-machined (computer numerical control machined) from aluminum. All the components were joined with a cold-cure aerospace adhesive. These techniques and processes reduced the overall cost and allowed the new concept to be studied much sooner than would be possible using traditional fabrication methods. Since this test rig did not support the use of blade-monitoring techniques such as strain gauges, extensive bench testing was required to qualify the design. The blades were examined using a variety of methods including holography, pull tests (cyclic and failure), shake tests, rap tests, and nondestructive inspection. Acoustic testing of the ANCF fan using TEB has been ongoing since January of 2001. The fan has completed about 100 hr of testing with no structural, vibrational, or fatigue problems. Far-field acoustic measurements, in-duct mode measurements, precise hot wire surveys, and detailed performance measurements are providing data for evaluating the concept. The far-field noise data show that tone noise was reduced significantly with the initial ANCF TEB fan design. In addition, a significant reduction in unsteady stator loading has been measured, indicating the potential for stator broadband noise reduction. The acoustic benefits will be assessed and important design parameters identified to improve the ability to fully exploit any benefit provided by this technique. On the basis of the success of trailing edge blowing, Glenn plans to continue this research with a higher speed, higher pressure ratio fan operating in an acoustic wind tunnel to simulate flight conditions.

Cunningham, Cameron C.↗

NASA NTRS2003

"Smoke": Characterization Of Smoke Particulate For Spacecraft Fire Detection

The "Smoke" experiment is a flight definition investigation that seeks to increase our understanding of spacecraft fire detection through measurements of particulate size distributions of preignition smokes from typical spacecraft materials. Owing to the catastrophic risk posed by even a very small fire in a spacecraft, the design goal for spacecraft fire detection is to detect the fire as quickly as possible, preferably in the preignition phase before a real flaming fire has developed. Consequently the target smoke for detection is typically not soot (typical of established hydrocarbon fires) but instead, pyrolysis products, and recondensed polymer particles. At the same time, false alarms are extremely costly as the crew and the ground team must respond quickly to every alarm. The U.S. Space Shuttle (STS: Space Transportation System) and the International Space Station (ISS) both use smoke detection as the primary means of fire detection. These two systems were designed in the absence of any data concerning low-gravity smoke particle (and background dust) size distributions. The STS system uses an ionization detector coupled with a sampling pump and the ISS system is a forward light scattering detector operating in the near IR. These two systems have significantly different sensitivities with the ionization detector being most sensitive (on a mass concentration basis) to smaller particulate and the light scattering detector being most sensitive to particulate that is larger than 1 micron. Since any smoke detection system has inherent size sensitivity characteristics, proper design of future smoke detection systems will require an understanding of the background and alarm particle size distributions that can be expected in a space environment.

Urban, David L.↗