Results for “INCONEL 625” — Page 4

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lightweight Thrust Chamber Assemblies using Multi-Alloy Additive Manufacturing and Composite Overwrap

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has brought significant design and fabrication opportunities for complex components with internal features such as liquid rocket engine thrust chambers not previously possible. This technology allows for significant cost savings and schedule reductions in addition to new performance optimization through weight reduction and increased margins. Specific to regeneratively-cooled combustion chambers and nozzles for liquid rocket engines, additive manufacturing offers the ability to form the complex internal coolant channels and the closeout of the channels to contain the high pressure liquid propellants with a single operation. Much of additive manufacturing development has focused on monolithic alloys using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), which do not allow for complete optimization of the structure. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) completed feasibility of an AM bimetallic L-PBF GRCop-84 copper-alloy combustion chamber with an AM electron beam freeform Inconel 625 structural jacket under the Low Cost Upper Stage Propulsion (LCUSP) Project. A follow-on project called Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology (RAMPT) is under development to further expand large-scale multi-alloy thrust chambers while maturing composite overwrap technology for significant weight savings opportunities. The RAMPT project has three primary objectives: 1) Advancing blown powder Directed Energy Deposition (DED) to fabricate integral-channel large scale nozzles, 2) Develop composite overwrap technology to reduce weight and provide structural capability for thrust chamber assemblies, and 3) Develop bimetallic and multi-metallic additively manufactured radial and axial joints to optimize material performance. In addition to these primary manufacturing developments, analytical modeling efforts compliment the process development to simulate the AM processes to reduce build failures and distortions. The RAMPT project is also maturing the supply chain for various manufacturing processes described above in addition to L-PBF of GRCop-42. This paper will present an overview of the RAMPT project, the process development and hardware progress to date, material and hot-fire testing results, along with future developments.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS2021

Benchmarking Surface Tension Measurement Method using two Oscillation Modes in Levitated Liquid Metals

The Faraday forcing method in levitated liquid droplets has recently been introduced as a method for measuring surface tension using resonance. By subjecting an electrostatically-levitated liquid metal droplet to a continuous, oscillatory, electric field, at a frequency nearing that of the droplet’s first principal mode of oscillation (known as mode 2), the method was previously shown to determine surface tension of materials that would be particularly difficult to process by other means, e.g. liquid metals and alloys. It also offers distinct advantages in future work involving high viscosity samples because of the continuous forcing approach. This work presents 1) a benchmarking experimental method to measure surface tension by excitation of the second principal mode of oscillation (known as mode 3) in a levitated liquid droplet and 2) a more rigorous quantification of droplet excitation using a projection method. Surface tension measurements compare favorably to literature values for Zirconium, Inconel 625, and Rhodium, using both modes 2 and 3. Thus, this new method serves as a credible, self-consistent benchmarking technique for the measurement of surface tension

Levitation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

In-situ Testing to Acquire HR-EBSD and DIC Strain Data Within a Coincident Domain

For this project, an inked rubber stamp was applied to a small Inconel 625 specimen. The stamp transferred a thin pattern with microscale features for digital image correlation (DIC). The pattern is easily visible at lower voltages and thin enough to not obstruct backscattered electrons. The unique characteristics of the pattern enabled the concurrent acquisition of DIC and high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) data while the specimen was loaded in-situ. The challenges of in-situ testing and combining EBSD with DIC measurements are discussed. By combining the elastic strains (from HR-EBSD) and total strains (from DIC) the result of this approach is an estimate of stress- strain behavior at points across the specimen surface. This combined dataset can then be used as higher-fidelity data in the calibration of crystal plasticity models.

Will Gilliland↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Material Trade for Additively Manufactured Regenerative Chambers

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) is a game changing technology with advantages over chemical propulsion systems for deep space missions but comes with many engineering challenges. This paper focuses on the challenge of material selection for a regeneratively-cooled chamber for use in a nuclear environment with minimal design margins. Chemical compatibility with reactants and products following energy extraction (be it through combustion or neutron bombardment) must be considered. Similarly, mechanical and thermophysical properties (e.g., density, thermal conductivity, yield strength, etc.) as functions of temperature are critical. While hydrogen embrittlement environment (HEE) is a risk and consideration for traditional chemical combustion chambers, application in a nuclear thermal engine adds additional material compatibility and resilience requirements to long-term nuclear radiation exposure. Chamber materials in this trade included, but were not limited to, A-286, Haynes 230, Haynes 282, CRES 347, GRCop-42, GRCop-84, Inconel 625, JBK-75, and NASA HR-1. The material trade focuses on modern additive manufacturing techniques and hypothetical geometric constraints.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Material Trade for Additively Manufactured Regenerative Chambers

Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) is a game changing technology with advantages over chemical propulsion systems for deep space missions but comes with many engineering challenges. This paper focuses on the challenge of material selection for a regeneratively-cooled chamber for use in a nuclear environment with minimal design margins. Chemical compatibility with reactants and products following energy extraction (be it through combustion or neutron bombardment) must be considered. Similarly, mechanical and thermophysical properties (e.g., density, thermal conductivity, yield strength, etc.) as functions of temperature are critical. While hydrogen embrittlement environment (HEE) is a risk and consideration for traditional chemical combustion chambers, application in a nuclear thermal engine adds additional material compatibility and resilience requirements to long-term nuclear radiation exposure. Chamber materials in this trade included, but were not limited to, A-286, Haynes 230, Haynes 282, CRES 347, GRCop-42, GRCop-84, Inconel 625, JBK-75, and NASA HR-1. The material trade focuses on modern additive manufacturing techniques and hypothetical geometric constraints.

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion↗

NASA NTRS2024

Achieving High Efficiency in Reduced Order Modeling for Large Scale Polycrystal Plasticity Simulations

Reduced order models for the nonlinear response of heterogeneous microstructures typically require a construction (or training) stage to build the reduced order basis. In this manuscript, an efficient model construction strategy for the eigenstrain homogenization method (EHM) is presented. The proposed strategy relies on a parallel, element-by-element, conjugate gradient solver. Near linear scaling has been achieved with respect to the number of degrees of freedom used to resolve the microstructure. Linear scaling with respect to the number of pre-analyses required to construct the reduced order model (ROM) follows from the EHM formulation. Furthermore, a parallel implementation for fast evaluation of the constructed ROM has been developed using shared memory parallelization. It has been shown that for large microstructures with ≈ 10,000 grains, the total computational cost of evaluating the nonlinear response of a polycrystal could be reduced by approximately an order of magnitude using 32 cores with respect to serial ROM simulation. The present methodology has been verified using an additively manufactured polycrystalline microstructure of a nickel-based superalloy, Inconel 625. The capability of the developed framework to construct a ROM for such large microstructures, as well as the ability of the ROM to predict average and local quantities of interest has been demonstrated.

microscale↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Optimization of Rocket Engine Components using Multi-Metallic Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. AM has been demonstrated in various rocket component applications using a variety of monolithic metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-metallic AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. NASA’s Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology (RAMPT) project has designed and manufactured a series of additively manufactured (AM) coupled combustion chambers, nozzles, and other engine components to advance new AM processes and materials with the goal of reducing cost and schedule for engine manufacturing. These designs incorporated multimetallic AM, which further enabled carbon-fiber composite overwrap to reduce overall thrust chamber assembly (TCA) mass. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include GRCop-based alloys and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. One unique development that will be presented is the combustion chamber and nozzle as a single component by using freeform integrated DED to build the nozzle directly onto the aft end of the chamber. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization and mechanical testing, and hot-fire testing of bimetallic components in a relevant rocket engine environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

High-Throughput Strategies that Encompass Experiments and Machine Learning to Predict the Mechanical Properties of Additive Manufactured Aerospace Alloys

Small Punch Test (SPT) uses a thin disk of material to predict mechanical properties. While SPT has existed for decades, it has been used largely as a qualitative evaluator of mechanical properties. Recent advances in computational modeling have enabled the extraction of uniaxial stress-strain response from the measured SPT load-displacement data. Due to small sample volumes and unidirectional testing, SPT is conducive to high-throughput automation and ideally suited to extract properties from high-cost materials. Aerospace alloys have been of recent interest to the Additive Manufacturing (AM) community due to AM’s unique ability to fabricate complex designs not possible, or extremely arduous, with conventional manufacturing. In this research, SPT, coupled with Materials Informatics and computational modeling, is used to develop relevant Process-Structure-Property relationships to decrease the cost and time of process optimization for AM aerospace alloys, namely Inconel 718, Inconel 625, and Niobium C103.

High-throughput Testing↗

NASA NTRS2024

Exploring the Role of Type-II Residual Stresses in A Laser Powder Bed Fusion Nickel-Based Superalloy Using Measurement and Modeling

Far-field high-energy X-ray diffraction microscopy (ff-HEDM) and the crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) are used to investigate the role of grain-scale (Type-II) residual stresses on the fatigue life of additively manufactured (AM) Inconel alloy 625 (IN-625). Grain-averaged orientations, centroids, and residual elastic strain tensors from ff-HEDM data are used to instantiate a crystal plasticity model to simulate the effect of residual stresses at the grain scale. Simulation results indicate that the presence of tensile residual strains increase stress localization and heterogeneity within grains, triggering an earlier onset of plasticity. A microscale fatigue indicator parameter (FIP) is computed to model the impact of these residual strains on the cycles to fatigue crack nucleation. The crack nucleation model, based on the computed FIPs, predicts a significant reduction in the number of cycles for fatigue crack nucleation for mid- and high-cycle fatigue due to the residual strain induced localization, while the residual strains have minimal impact on low-cycle fatigue life.

Inconel↗

NASA NTRS1992

Alloys For Flexible Hoses In A Corrosive Environment

High-nickel alloy resists pitting corrosion. Report evaluates metal alloys for flexible hoses in corrosive environment. Tested to find alternatives to 304L stainless steel. Nineteen alloys selected for testing on basis of reputation for resistance to corrosion. Top five, in order of decreasing resistance to corrosion: Hastelloy(R) C-22, Inconel(R) 625, Hastelloy(R) C-276, Hastelloy(R) C-4, and Inco(R) alloy G-3. Of these, Hastelloy(R) C-22 found best for flexible-hose application.

Macdowell, Louis G., III↗

NASA NTRS2016

Electrochemical, Polarization, and Crevice Corrosion Testing of Nitinol 60, A Supplement to the ECLSS Sustaining Materials Compatibility Study

In earlier trials, electrochemical test results were presented for six noble metals evaluated in test solutions representative of waste liquids processed in the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Subsequently, a seventh metal, Nitinol 60, was added for evaluation and subjected to the same test routines, data analysis, and theoretical methodologies. The previous six test metals included three titanium grades, (commercially pure, 6Al-4V alloy and 6Al-4V low interstitial alloy), two nickel-chromium alloys (Inconel(RegisteredTrademark) 625 and Hastelloy(RegisteredTrademark) C276), and one high-tier stainless steel (Cronidur(RegisteredTrademark) 30). The three titanium alloys gave the best results of all the metals, indicating superior corrosive nobility and galvanic protection properties. For this current effort, the results have clearly shown that Nitinol 60 is almost as noble as titanium, being very corrosion-resistant and galvanically compatible with the other six metals electrochemically and during long-term exposure. is also quite noble as it is very corrosion resistant and galvanically compatible with the other six metals from both an electrochemical perspective and long-term crevice corrosion scenario. This was clearly demonstrated utilizing the same techniques for linear, Tafel and cyclic polarization, and galvanic coupling of the metal candidate as was done for the previous study. The high nobility and low corrosion susceptibility for Nitinol 60 appear to be intermediate to the nickel/chromium alloys and the titanium metals with indications that are more reflective of the titanium metals in terms of general corrosion and pitting behavior.

Lee, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Superior Ballistic Impact Resistance Achieved by the Co-Base Alloy Haynes 25

The fan case in a jet engine is required to contain a fan blade in the rare event of a blade loss during operation. Because of its function, the fan case is the largest structural component in high-bypass-ratio turbofan engines used in commercial aircraft. Therefore, the use of lighter and stronger materials would be advantageous in most engines and is practically a necessity in the latest generation of high-bypass engines. Small panels, 7 in. wide by 7 in. long, of a number of metallic alloys were impact tested at room temperature with a 0.50-caliber blunt-nose titanium alloy projectile at the NASA Glenn Research Center (ref. 1). These metallic systems included several high-strength aluminum (Al) alloys, Al-based laminates, aluminum metal matrix composites (Al-MMCs), nickel-base superalloys (Inconel 718 and 625), several titanium (Ti) alloys in different heat treated conditions, 304L stainless steel, a stainless-steel-based laminate, and a high strength steel (Nitronic 60). It was determined that a simple Co-base alloy (Haynes 25) had the best impact resistance on an areal weight basis. Haynes 25 was at least 10 percent better than IMI 550, the best titanium alloy tested to date, and it was far superior to other metals, especially at higher impact velocities (greater than 1100 ft/sec). Because this material could be ideal for fan containment applications in supersonic aircraft as a replacement for titanium, impact tests were also conducted at 371 oC and compared with results from alloys tested at elevated temperature under previous programs (i.e., Inconel 718, Ti-6242, M-152, Timetal 21S, and Aeromet 100). Although cobalt-base alloys are used in some high-temperature engine applications, to our knowledge they are not used in any containment systems. Advantages of cobalt over titanium include lower cost, easier processing, better high-temperature strength, and no fire hazard if tip rub occurs. Future plans include testing of lightweight sandwich panels with Haynes 25 as a core material in the form of a foam or lattice block structure and scaling up the current tests by using blade-simulating projectiles impacting large plates and half rings.

Hebsur, Mohan G.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Of Metal Alloys

Report describes use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to investigate resistances of 19 alloys to corrosion under conditions similar to those of corrosive, chloride-laden seaside environment of Space Transportation System launch site. Alloys investigated: Hastelloy C-4, C-22, C-276, and B-2; Inconel(R) 600, 625, and 825; Inco(R) G-3; Monel 400; Zirconium 702; Stainless Steel 304L, 304LN, 316L, 317L, and 904L; 20Cb-3; 7Mo+N; ES2205; and Ferralium 255. Results suggest electrochemical impedance spectroscopy used to predict corrosion performances of metal alloys.

Macdowell, L. G.↗