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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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At least 577 records · Page 32

A testbed for a unified teleoperated-autonomous dual-arm robotic system

This paper describes a complete robot control facility built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as part of NASA a telerobotics program to develop a state-of-the-art robot control environment for laboratory based space-like experiments. This system, which is now fully operational, has the following features: separation of the computing facilities into local and remote sites, autonomous motion generation in joint or Cartesian coordinates, dual-arm force reflecting teleoperation with voice interaction between the operator and the robots, shared control between the autonomously generated motions and operator controlled teleoperation, and dual-arm coordinated trajectory generation. The system has been used to carry out realistic experiments such as the exchange of an Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU), bolt turning, and door opening, using a mixture of autonomous actions and teleoperation, with either a single arm or two cooperating arms.

Hayati, S.↗

Summary of a study to determine low-velocity impact damage and residual tension strength for a thick graphite/epoxy motor case

Impacters of various shapes and masses were dropped from various heights onto 36 mm (1.4 in.) thick graphite/epoxy cylinders, which represented filament wound cases (FWC) for the booster motors of the Space Shuttle. Insert solid propellant was cast into some of the cylinders. The cylinders were impacted numerous times around the circumference and then cut into 51 mm (2.0 in.) wide tension specimens, each containing an impact site. Four indenters were used: a sharp corner, two hemispheres, and a bolt-like rod. The diameters of the hemispheres were 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) and 25.4 mm (1.0 in.), and the diameter of the rod was 6.3 mm (0.25 in.). Impacts with the rod were simulated by pressing the rod against the face of specimens. For the hemispheres, the damage initiated beneath the surface at a critical contact pressure and was not visible on the surface until an even larger pressure was exceeded. The damage consisted of matrix cracking and broken fiber. The rod and corner made visible surface damage in all tests. For the hemispheres, the tension strength was reduced considerably before the damage was visible on the surface, 30 percent for the 25.4 mm (1.0 in.) diameter hemisphere and 10 percent for the 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) diameter hemisphere. Analytical methods were used to predict the damage and residual tension strength. A factor of safety to account for nonvisible damage was determined.

Poe, C. C., Jr.↗

Generalized compliant motion task description and execution within a complete telerobotic system

A motion primitive for use in compliant motion robot task execution is described. The primitive has a rich input parameter set to provide for execution of a variety of specific tasks such as door opening, crank turning, bolt seating and turning, pushing, sliding, pin insertion/removal, and leveling, as well as termination conditions which specify conditions for ending the motion, such as allowable position and force error bounds. A split rate force control technique is used for force control. Force and torque data from a six-axis force sensor are read, and gravity compensation using load mass properties is done to determine contact forces.

Backes, Paul G.↗

Metal-To-Composite Shaft Splice

Strong, lightweight shaft formed without awkward bolted flanges. Composite and metal portions of shaft joined by winding composite portion onto outer surface and into spiral groove of metal portion. Groove and composite material constitute structural bond. If opposing spiral grooves used, then two shafts locked together against torques in both directions.

Kish, Jules↗

External Coulomb-Friction Damping For Hydrostatic Bearings

External friction device damps vibrations of shaft and hydrostatic ring bearing in which it turns. Does not rely on wear-prone facing surfaces. Hydrostatic bearing ring clamped in radially flexing support by side plates clamped against radial surfaces by spring-loaded bolts. Plates provide friction against radial motions of shaft.

Buckmann, Paul S.↗

Towed Articulated Housing For Geophysical Measurements

Snakelike articulated string of rigid shells towed by helicopter, boat, kite or balloon, carries scientific instruments over land and sea surfaces. Nested shells connected to internal chain by bolt covered by preceding cone. String articulates readily to negotiate obstacles, but locally stiff to lie across a narrow crevasse.

Burke, James D.↗

High-Precision Coupling Mechanism Operable By Robots

Coupling mechanism has features making it easily operable by hand and suitable for operation by robots: tolerates some initial misalignment, imposes precise final alignment, and protects itself against overtightening. Typically used to mount equipment module on structure. Mechanism includes kinematic mounts, which tolerate small initial misalignment and enforce precise final alignment as two assemblies brought together. Clamping force applied to kinematic mounts via two flexible plates. Bolt and nut tightened on flexible plates to impose spring clamping load. Repeatability of interface tested and found to be better than forty-millionths of inch.

Voellmer, George↗

Fixture For Drilling And Tapping A Curved Workpiece

Simple fixture guides drilling and tapping of holes in prescribed locations and orientations on workpiece having curved surface. Tool conceived for use in reworking complexly curved helicopter blades made of composite materials. Fixture is block of rigid foam with epoxy filler, custom-fitted to surface contour, containing bushings and sleeves at drilling and tapping sites. Bushings changed, so taps and drills of various sizes accommodated. In use, fixture secured to surface by hold-down bolts extending through sleeves and into threads in substrate.

Espinosa, P. S.↗

Thermal Conductances Of Cold Metal Contacts Below 6 K

Conductances vary with temperature according to simple power law. Report presents data on thermal conductances of pure aluminum and stainless-steel 304 contact pairs. Data cover contacts with surface finishes of 0.1- to 1.6-micrometer root-mean-square roughness at temperatures from 1.6 to 6.0 K, under applied contact forces up to 670 N. Such data needed for optimal design of bolted joints in cryogenic instruments, particularly infrared instruments and focal-plane sensors.

Salerno, L. J.↗

The space shuttle advanced solid rocket motor: Quality control and testing

The Congressional committees that authorize the activities of NASA requested that the National Research Council (NRC) review the testing and quality assurance programs for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) program. The proposed ASRM design incorporates numerous features that are significant departures from the Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM). The NRC review concentrated mainly on these features. Primary among these are the steel case material, welding rather than pinning of case factory joints, a bolted field joint designed to close upon firing the rocket, continuous mixing and casting of the solid propellant in place of the current batch processes, use of asbestos-free insulation, and a lightweight nozzle. The committee's assessment of these and other features of the ASRM are presented in terms of their potential impact on flight safety.

Source record↗

Thermal/structural analysis of a transpiration cooled nozzle

The 8-foot High Temperature Tunnel (HTT) at LaRC is a combustion driven, high enthalpy blow down wind tunnel. In Mar. 1991, during check out of the transpiration cooled nozzle, pieces of platelets were found in the tunnel test section. It was determined that incorrect tolerancing between the platelets and the housing was the primary cause of the platelet failure. An analysis was performed to determine the tolerance layout between the platelets and the housing to meet the structural and performance criteria under a range of thermal, pressure, and bolt preload conditions. Three recommendations resulted as a product of this analysis.

Gregory, Peyton B.↗

Thermal conductance of two interface materials and their applications in space systems

The temperature control of spacecraft and instrument systems and subsystems requires heat transfer interface materials that possess good thermal and structural characteristics, among other properties, to respond to the vacuum environment of space. These materials must be easy to apply to, and remove from, the surfaces where they are applied, and must be able to withstand power dissipation extremes, and be used for different clamping configurations and pressures. Silicone based greases, used in the past, tend to migrate and to contaminate nearby surfaces. Bare metal to metal contact offers low thermal conductance and difficulties in estimating the actual heat transfer. Several polymeric materials containing different thermal conductive compounds and structural reinforcements were prepared to overcome grease and metal problems. Two polymeric materials were evaluated: Cho-Therm 1671 elastomer; and the CV-2946, a conductive RTV silicone. Tests were done to learn more about these products. Results indicate that the tightly bolted, torqued fixtures did not buckle or distort, and provided optimum thermal conductance. Fixtures simulating actual spacecraft configuration suffered bowing and separating.

Scialdone, J. J.↗

High Reliability Robot Friendly ORU Interface

Presented here is a robot friendly coupling device for an orbital replacement unit (ORU). The invention will provide a coupling that is detached and attached remotely by a robot. The design of the coupling must allow for slight misalignments, over-torque protection, and precision placement. This is accomplished by means of a triangular interface comprising three components. A base plate assembly is located on an attachment surface, such as a satellite. The base plate assembly has a cup member, a slotted member, and a post member. The ORU that the robot attaches to the base plate assembly has an ORU plate assembly with two cone members and a post member which mate to the base plate assembly. As the two plates approach one another, one cone member of the ORU plate assembly has to be placed accurately enough to fall into the cup member of the base plate assembly. The cup member forces alignment until a second cone falls into a slotted member which provides final alignment. A single bolt is used to attach the two plates. Two deflecting plates are attached to the backs of the plates. When pressure is applied to the center of the deflecting plates, the force is distributed preventing the ORU and base plates from deflecting. This accounts for precision in the placement of the article. The novelty is believed to reside in using deflecting plates in conjunction with kinematic mounts to provide distributed forces to the two members.

Voellmer, George M.↗

Method of recertifying a loaded bearing member

A method is described of recertifying a loaded bearing member using ultrasound testing to compensate for different equipment configurations and temperature conditions. The standard frequency F1 of a reference block is determined via an ultrasonic tone burst generated by a first pulsed phased locked loop (P2L2) equipment configuration. Once a lock point number S is determined for F1, the reference frequency F1a of the reference block is determined at this lock point number via a second P2L2 equipment configuration to permit an equipment offset compensation factor Fo1=((F1-F1a)/F1)(1000000) to be determined. Next, a reference frequency F2 of the unloaded bearing member is determined using a second P2L2 equipment configuration and is then compensated for equipment offset errors via the relationship F2+F2(Fo1)/1000000. A lock point number b is also determined for F2. A resonant frequency F3 is determined for the reference block using a third P2L2 equipment configuration to determine a second offset compensation factor F02=((F1-F3)/F1) 1000000. Next the resonant frequency F4 of the loaded bearing member is measured at lock point number b via the third P2L2 equipment configuration and the bolt load determined by the relationship (-1000000)CI(((F2-F4)/F2)-Fo2), wherein CI is a factor correlating measured frequency shift to the applied load. Temperature compensation is also performed at each point in the process.

Allison, Sidney G.↗

Tensile properties of impact ices

A special test apparatus was developed to measure the tensile strength of impact ices perpendicular to the direction of growth. The apparatus consists of a split tube carefully machined to minimize the effect of the joint on impact ice strength. The tube is supported in the wind tunnel by two carefully aligned bearings. During accretion the tube is turned slowly in the icing cloud to form a uniform coating of ice on the split tube specimen. The two halves of the split tube are secured firmly by a longitudinal bolt to prevent relative motion between the two halves during ice accretion and handling. Tensile test strength results for a variety of icing conditions were obtained. Both glaze and rime ice conditions were investigated. In general, the tensile strength of impact ice was significantly less than refrigerator ice. Based on the limited data taken, the median strength of rime ice was less than glaze ice. However, the mean values were similar.

Chu, M. L.↗

Thermal conductance of two interface materials and their applications in space systems

Two polymeric materials, the Cho-Therm 1671 elastomer and the CV-2946 conductive RTV silicone, have been evaluated. Tests were conducted in vacuum and in air, for many clamping pressures, power densities, and as a function of time. Results obtained show that the CV-2946 thermal conductance after 24 hour in vacuum is 0.62 W/sq cm C(4W/sq in C) when clamped with an average pressure of about 350 psi. The maximum conductance of Cho-Therm 1671 is 4.3 W/sq in C at the clamping pressure about 200 psi. After 72 h in vacuum, the conductance reaches a steady 3.4 W/sq in C, independent of clamping pressure. It is concluded that the tightly bolted, torqued fixtures do not buckle or distort and provide an optimum thermal conductance. The fixtures simulating an actual spacecraft configuration suffered severe bowing and separating, which caused considerable degradation of conductance values.

Scialdone, J. J.↗

Self-Aligning Mechanical And Electrical Coupling

Two mating assemblies of mechanical and electrical coupling designed to align itself and so easy to use that robot can operate it. Rollers and v-grooves enforce required alignment when upper and lower assemblies brought into firm contact. Mechanism inside lower assembly provides spring preload between two assemblies plus mating of electrical connectors, all actuated by rotation of driver engaged with bolt via splines.

Vranish, John M.↗

Pivoting-Head Wrench

Wrench ends pivot so it can be used to loosen or tighten nuts or bolts in confined spaces. One end equipped with open-end socket; other end, with double-hexagon socket. Heads pivot on pins. Pins fit tightly so heads do not flop; friction on pins sufficient to hold heads in positions until rotated intentionally.

Bradley, Glen L.↗