Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Critical Material”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

High field superconductivity in alkali metal intercalates of MoS2

In the search for better high temperature, high critical field superconductors, a class of materials was found which have layered structures and can be intercalated with various elements and compounds. Since a large number of compounds can be formed, intercalation provides a method of control of superconducting properties. They also provide the possible medium for excitonic superconductivity. Results of magnetic field studies are presented on alkali metal (Na, K, Rb, and Cs) intercalated MoS2 (2H polymorph).

Woollam, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Validation testing of shallow notched round-bar screening test specimens

The capability of shallow-notched, round-bar, tensile specimens for screening critical environments as they affect the material fracture properties of the space shuttle main engine was tested and analyzed. Specimens containing a 0.050-inch-deep circumferential sharp notch were cyclically loaded in a 5000-psi hydrogen environment at temperatures of +70 and -15 F. Replication of test results and a marked change in cyclic life because of temperature variation demonstrated the validity of the specimen type to be utilized for screening tests.

Vroman, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Ultrasonic Instrument for Evaluation of Composites

Ultimate strength of composite material is related to normalized stress-wave factor, a measure of attenuation of stress wave. New portable ultrasonic inspection instrument measures strength of composite materials. New commercial instrument has similar specifications to prototype developed at Lewis Research Center. Device may ultimately help to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiencies of vehicles by allowing use of composite materials to their full potential in critical application areas.

Vary, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

High-Temperature Alloys for Automotive Stirling Engines

Stirling engine is external-combustion engine that offers fuel economy, low emissions, low noise, and low vibrations. One of most critical areas in engine development concerns material selection for component parts. Alloys CG-27 and XF-818 identified capable of withstanding rigorous requirements of automotive Stirling engine. Alloys chosen for availability, performance, and manufacturability. Advanced iron-base alloys have potential for variety of applications, including stationary solar-power systems.

Stephens, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Overview of a flywheel stack energy storage system

The concept of storing electrical energy in rotating flywheels provides an attractive substitute to batteries. To realize these advantages the critical technologies of rotor design, composite materials, magnetic suspension, and high efficiency motor/generators are reviewed in this paper. The magnetically suspended flywheel energy storage system, currently under development at the University of Maryland, consisting of a family of interference assembled rings, is presented as an integrated solution for energy storage.

Kirk, James A.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Mean stress and the exhaustion of fatigue-damage resistance

Mean-stress effects on fatigue life are critical in isothermal and thermomechanically loaded materials and composites. Unfortunately, existing mean-stress life-prediction methods do not incorporate physical fatigue damage mechanisms. An objective is to examine the relation between mean-stress induced damage (as measured by acoustic emission) and existing life-prediction methods. Acoustic emission instrumentation has indicated that, as with static yielding, fatigue damage results from dislocation buildup and motion until dislocation saturation is reached, after which void formation and coalescence predominate. Correlation of damage processes with similar mechanisms under monotonic loading led to a reinterpretation of Goodman diagrams for 40 alloys and a modification of Morrow's formulation for life prediction under mean stresses. Further testing, using acoustic emission to monitor dislocation dynamics, can generate data for developing a more general model for fatigue under mean stress.

Berkovits, Avraham↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mechanical behavior of a ceramic matrix composite material

Monolithic ceramic materials have been used in industry for hundreds of years. These materials have proven their usefulness in many applications, yet, their potential for critical structural applications is limited. The existence of an imperfection in a monolithic ceramic on the order of several microns in size may be critical, resulting in catastrophic failure. To overcome this extreme sensitivity to small material imperfections, reinforced ceramic materials were developed. A ceramic matrix which has been reinforced with continuous fibers is not only less sensitive to microscopic flaws, but is also able to sustain significant damage without suffering catastrophic failure. A borosilicate glass reinforced with several layers of plain weave silicon carbide cloth (Nicalon) was studied. The mechanical testing which was performed included both flexural and tensile loading configurations. This testing was done not only to determine the material properties, but also to initiate a controlled amount of damage within each specimen. Several nondestructive testing techniques, including acousto-ultrasonics (AU), were performed on the specimens periodically during testing. The AU signals were monitored through the use of an IBM compatible personal computer with a high speed data acquisition board. Software was written which manipulates the AU signals in both the time and frequency domains, resulting in quantitative measures of the mechanical response of the material. The measured AU parameters are compared to both the mechanical test results and data from other nondestructive methods including ultrasonic C-scans and penetrant enhanced x ray radiography.

Grosskopf, Paul P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Refractory materials from lunar resources

Refractories - materials which are able to withstand extremely high temperatures - are sure to be an important part of any processing facility or human outpost which is built on Mars. Containers for processing lunar oxygen will need high temperature components. Fabrication of structural material from lunar resources need both containment vessels to hold high temperature melts and molds in which to form the final shapes. Certainly, it would be desirable to fabricate such vessels and molds on the Moon, rather than carrying them up from the Earth. At first glance, this might appear to be a trivial task, since the Moon's surface consists of a variety of refractory compositions. To turn the regolith into a useful fire brick or mold, however, will require water or other binders and additives which are likely to be in extremely short supply on the Moon. The steps needed to make fire bricks and molds for lunar-derived structural materials are examined, pointing out the critical steps and resources which will be needed. While these processes and applications may seem somewhat mundane, it is emphasized that it is precisely these rudimentary processes which must be mastered before discussing making aerobrakes, and other fancier refractories from lunar resources.

Fabes, B. D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Improved Superconducting Magnetic Rotary Bearings

Improved magnetic rotary bearings designed by exploiting properties of type-II superconducting materials. Depending on design and application, bearing provides fixed or adjustable compensation for lateral vector component of weight or other lateral load on rotor. Allows applied magnetic field to penetrate partially in clusters of field lines, with concomitant establishment of undamped circulating electrical currents within material. Type-II superconductors have critical magnetic fields and critical temperatures greater than type-I superconductors.

Flom, Yury↗
NASA NTRS1991

Review of Rover fuel element protective coating development at Los Alamos

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) entered the nuclear propulsion field in 1955 and began work on all aspects of a nuclear propulsion program with a target exhaust temperature of about 2750 K. A very extensive chemical vapor deposition coating technology for preventing catastrophic corrosion of reactor core components by the high temperature, high pressure hydrogen propellant gas was developed. Over the 17-year term of the program, more than 50,000 fuel elements were coated and evaluated. Advances in performance were achieved only through closely coupled interaction between the developing fuel element fabrication and protective coating technologies. The endurance of fuel elements in high temperature, high pressure hydrogen environment increased from several minutes at 2000 K exit gas temperature to 2 hours at 2440 K exit gas temperature in a reactor test and 10 hours at 2350 K exit gas temperature in a hot gas test. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the rationale for selection of coating materials used (NbC and ZrC), identify critical fuel element-coat interactions that had to be modified to increase system performance, and review the evolution of protective coating technology.

Wallace, Terry C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Prospects for utilization of air liquefaction and enrichment system (ALES) propulsion in fully reusable launch vehicles

A concept is shown for a fully reusable, earth to orbit launch vehicle with horizontal takeoff and landing, employing an air-turborocket for low speed and a rocket for high speed acceleration, both using LH2 fuel. The turborocket employs a modified liquid air cycle to supply the oxidizer. The rocket uses 90 percent pure LOX that is collected from the atmosphere, separated, and stored during operation of the turborocket from about Mach 2 to Mach 5 or 6. The takeoff weight and the thrust required at takeoff are markedly reduced by collecting the rocket oxidizer in-flight. The paper shows an approach and the corresponding technology needs for using ALES propulsion in a SSTO vehicle. Reducing the trajectory altitude at the end of collection reduces the wing area and increases payload. The use of state-of-the-art materials, such as graphite polyimide, is critical to meet the structure weight objective for SSTO. Configurations that utilize 'waverider' aerodynamics show great promise to reduce the vehicle weight.

Bond, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Resin transfer molding for advanced composite primary wing and fuselage structures

The stitching and resin transfer molding (RTM) processes developed at Douglas Aircraft Co. are successfully demonstrating significant cost reductions with good damage tolerance properties. These attributes were identified as critical to application of advanced composite materials to commercial aircraft primary structures. The RTM/stitching developments, cost analyses, and test results are discussed of the NASA Advanced Composites Technology program.

Markus, Alan↗
NASA NTRS1994

Damage-Mitigating Control of Space Propulsion Systems for High Performance and Extended Life

A major goal in the control of complex mechanical system such as spacecraft rocket engine's advanced aircraft, and power plants is to achieve high performance with increased reliability, component durability, and maintainability. The current practice of decision and control systems synthesis focuses on improving performance and diagnostic capabilities under constraints that often do not adequately represent the materials degradation. In view of the high performance requirements of the system and availability of improved materials, the lack of appropriate knowledge about the properties of these materials will lead to either less than achievable performance due to overly conservative design, or over-straining of the structure leading to unexpected failures and drastic reduction of the service life. The key idea in this report is that a significant improvement in service life could be achieved by a small reduction in the system dynamic performance. The major task is to characterize the damage generation process, and then utilize this information in a mathematical form to synthesize a control law that would meet the system requirements and simultaneously satisfy the constraints that are imposed by the material and structural properties of the critical components. The concept of damage mitigation is introduced for control of mechanical systems to achieve high performance with a prolonged life span. A model of fatigue damage dynamics is formulated in the continuous-time setting, instead of a cycle-based representation, for direct application to control systems synthesis. An optimal control policy is then formulated via nonlinear programming under specified constraints of the damage rate and accumulated damage. The results of simulation experiments for the transient upthrust of a bipropellant rocket engine are presented to demonstrate efficacy of the damage-mitigating control concept.

Ray, Asok↗
NASA NTRS1995

Durability of Silica-Protected Ceramics in Combustion Atmospheres

This overview of oxidation and corrosion effects on silica-protected ceramics and composites is divided into two parts: (1) External effects and (2) Internal effects. In regard to the first part, the literature indicates silica the best of the common protective oxides in pure oxygen. However in actual applications, there are four major degradation routes which must be considered: (1) Formation of SiO(g); (2) water vapor enhancement of oxidation rate of Si(OH)4 volatiles; (3) low level metal cation enhancement of oxidation rate; and (4) molten salt and slag corrosion. Several protective coating concepts have been discussed, which may minimize these effects. Internal effects deal with a microcrack providing a path for oxygen ingress to the oxygen sensitive fiber and fiber coating. This is a critical area of study for theses materials. Possible solutions involve a fluid glass to fill the cracks and/or oxygen getting along the walls of the crack.

Jacobson, Nathan S.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Requirements for Planetary Outpost Life-Support Systems and the Possible Use of In Situ Resources

If humans are ever to live and work on the Moon or Mars for extended periods of time, the operation of regenerative life-support systems at the planetary outposts will be a critical requirement. The substantial amount of materials consumed by humans and the inevitable waste products make open-loop life-support systems and resupply missions (as used in Space Shuttle and Mir operations) impractical and expensive. Natural resources found on the Moon and Mars could be used in conjunction with regenerative life support systems to further reduce the amount of material that would need to be delivered from Earth. There have been numerous studies and experiments conducted on the production of O from regolith materials on the Moon and from the atmosphere of Mars. One or several of these processes could undoubtedly be used to produce the O required by the crews at planetary outposts. Water is required in the greatest quantities, primarily for tasks such as personal hygiene and clothes washing, and it will be the most precious consumable. Again, several process have been described to produce water on the Moon using solar-wind implanted H and O, and if water ice can be found and mined at the lunar poles, another source of water may be available.

Gruener, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Transient Ablation of Teflon Hemispheres

For high-speed entry of space vehicles into atmospheric environments, ablation is a practical method for alleviating severe aerodynamic heating. Several studies have been undertaken on steady or quasi-steady ablation. However, ablation is a very complicated phenomenon in which a nonequilibrium chemical process is associated with an aerodynamic process that involves changes in body shape with time. Therefore, it seems realistic to consider that ablation is an unsteady phenomenon. In the design of an ablative heat-shield system, since the ultimate purpose of the heat shield is to keep the internal temperature of the space vehicle at a safe level during entry, the transient heat conduction characteristics of the ablator may be critical in the selection of the material and its thickness. This note presents an experimental study of transient ablation of Teflon, with particular emphasis on the change in body shape, the instantaneous internal temperature distribution, and the effect of thermal expansion on ablation rate.

Arai, Norio↗
NASA NTRS2001

Study of Magnetic Damping Effect on Convection and Solidification Under G-Jitter Conditions

As shown in space flight experiments, g-jitter is a critical issue affecting solidification processing of materials in microgravity. This study aims to provide, through extensive numerical simulations and ground based experiments, an assessment of the use of magnetic fields in combination with microgravity to reduce the g-jitter induced convective flows in space processing systems. Analytical solutions and 2-D and 3-D numerical models for g-jitter driven flows in simple solidification systems with and without the presence of an applied magnetic field have been developed and extensive analyses were carried out. A physical model was also constructed and PIV measurements compared reasonably well with predictions from numerical models. Some key points may be summarized as follows: (1) the amplitude of the oscillating velocity decreases at a rate inversely proportional to the g-jitter frequency and with an increase in the applied magnetic field; (2) the induced flow oscillates at approximately the same frequency as the affecting g-jitter, but out of a phase angle; (3) the phase angle is a complicated function of geometry, applied magnetic field, temperature gradient and frequency; (4) g-jitter driven flows exhibit a complex fluid flow pattern evolving in time; (5) the damping effect is more effective for low frequency flows; and (6) the applied magnetic field helps to reduce the variation of solutal distribution along the solid-liquid interface. Work in progress includes developing numerical models for solidification phenomena with the presence of both g-jitter and magnetic fields and developing a ground-based physical model to verify numerical predictions.

Li, Ben Q.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Influence of Contact Angle, Growth Angle and Melt Surface Tension on Detached Solidification of InSb

We extended the previous analysis of detached solidification of InSb based on the moving meniscus model. We found that for steady detached solidification to occur in a sealed ampoule in zero gravity, it is necessary for the growth angle to exceed a critical value, the contact angle for the melt on the ampoule wall to exceed a critical value, and the melt-gas surface tension to be below a critical value. These critical values would depend on the material properties and the growth parameters. For the conditions examined here, the sum of the growth angle and the contact angle must exceed approximately 130, which is significantly less than required if both ends of the ampoule are open.

Wang, Yazhen↗