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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 73 records · Page 4

Body of Knowledge (BOK) for Leadless Quad Flat No-Lead/Bottom Termination Components (QFN/BTC) Package Trends and Reliability

Bottom terminated components and quad flat no-lead (BTC/QFN) packages have been extensively used by commercial industry for more than a decade. Cost and performance advantages and the closeness of the packages to the boards make them especially unique for radio frequency (RF) applications. A number of high-reliability parts are now available in this style of package configuration. This report presents a summary of literature surveyed and provides a body of knowledge (BOK) gathered on the status of BTC/QFN and their advanced versions of multi-row QFN (MRQFN) packaging technologies. The report provides a comprehensive review of packaging trends and specifications on design, assembly, and reliability. Emphasis is placed on assembly reliability and associated key design and process parameters because they show lower life than standard leaded package assembly under thermal cycling exposures. Inspection of hidden solder joints for assuring quality is challenging and is similar to ball grid arrays (BGAs). Understanding the key BTC/QFN technology trends, applications, processing parameters, workmanship defects, and reliability behavior is important when judicially selecting and narrowing the follow-on packages for evaluation and testing, as well as for the low risk insertion in high-reliability applications.

Ghaffarian, Reza↗

Body of Knowledge (BOK) for Leadless Quad Flat No-Lead/bottom Termination Components (QFN/BTC) Package Trends and Reliability

Bottom terminated components and quad flat no-lead (BTC/QFN) packages have been extensively used by commercial industry for more than a decade. Cost and performance advantages and the closeness of the packages to the boards make them especially unique for radio frequency (RF) applications. A number of high-reliability parts are now available in this style of package configuration. This report presents a summary of literature surveyed and provides a body of knowledge (BOK) gathered on the status of BTC/QFN and their advanced versions of multi-row QFN (MRQFN) packaging technologies. The report provides a comprehensive review of packaging trends and specifications on design, assembly, and reliability. Emphasis is placed on assembly reliability and associated key design and process parameters because they show lower life than standard leaded package assembly under thermal cycling exposures. Inspection of hidden solder joints for assuring quality is challenging and is similar to ball grid arrays (BGAs). Understanding the key BTC/QFN technology trends, applications, processing parameters, workmanship defects, and reliability behavior is important when judicially selecting and narrowing the follow-on packages for evaluation and testing, as well as for the low risk insertion in high-reliability applications.

MLF↗

In-Space Modular Assembly: An Approach for Reliable, Affordable, Precision Space Apertures

In-space assembly will revolutionize the creation, upgrade, and evolution of future space systems. In-space assembly represents an alternative deployment strategy that is not constrained by the requirement of using a single launch vehicle and enables a greater freedom of design for the initial emplacement of assets and their evolution over time. In-space assembly enables assets, such as observatories and science platforms, to become persistent, evolving over time like their terrestrial counterparts. Also, in-space assembly provides a direct path for utilization of in-space manufactured components designed exclusively for the operational environment. To highlight the advantages of an in-space assembly approach, the modular assembly of a 3 m to 4 m precision optical aperture based on thin meniscus technology coupled with structurally efficient TriTruss modules is presented. The 3 m to 4 m aperture stows compactly within two standard ride share slots (0.61 m by 0.71 m by 0.97 m). Placing instruments and the robotic system used for assembly in an adjacent ride share slot enables a capable observatory to be placed into service via modest ride share opportunities. Further, recent hardware assembly tests of similar modules and progress toward hardware tests to validate the overall architecture via diffraction limited testing will be summarized.

Design↗

In-Space Modular Assembly: An Approach for Reliable, Affordable, Precision Space Apertures

In-space assembly will revolutionize the creation, upgrade, and evolution of future space systems. In-space assembly represents an alternative deployment strategy that is not constrained by the requirement of using a single launch vehicle and enables a greater freedom of design for the initial emplacement of assets and their evolution over time. In-space assembly enables assets, such as observatories and science platforms, to become persistent, evolving over time like their terrestrial counterparts. Also, in-space assembly provides a direct path for utilization of in-space manufactured components designed exclusively for the operational environment. To highlight the advantages of an in-space assembly approach, the modular assembly of a 3 m to 4 m precision optical aperture based on thin meniscus technology coupled with structurally efficient TriTruss modules is presented. The 3 m to 4 m aperture stows compactly within two standard ride share slots (0.61 m by 0.71 m by 0.97 m). Placing instruments and the robotic system used for assembly in an adjacent ride share slot enables a capable observatory to be placed into service via modest ride share opportunities. Further, recent hardware assembly tests of similar modules and progress toward hardware tests to validate the overall architecture via diffraction limited testing will be summarized.

Design↗

Advancing the Oxygen Generation Assembly Design to Increase Reliability and Reduce Costs for a Future Long Duration Mission

The state-of-the-art Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA) has been reliably producing breathing oxygen for the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over eight years. Lessons learned from operating the ISS OGA have led to proposing incremental improvements to advance the baseline design for use in a future long duration mission. These improvements are intended to reduce system weight, crew maintenance time and resupply mass from Earth while increasing reliability. The proposed improvements include replacing the cell stack membrane material, deleting the nitrogen purge equipment, replacing the hydrogen sensors, deleting the wastewater interface, replacing the hydrogen dome and redesigning the cell stack power supply. The development work to date will be discussed and forward work will be outlined. Additionally, a redesigned system architecture will be proposed.

Takada, Kevin C.↗

The Role of Bearing and Scan Mechanism Life Testing in Flight Qualification of the MODIS Instrument

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is an instrument aboard the Terra (EOS AM-11) satellite and has been operating successfully since December 1999. MODIS has been viewing the entire Earth's surface and gathering data to better understand the global dynamics and processes occurring on land, in the oceans, and in the lower atmosphere. All observations are made through an extremely high resolution, optically and mechanically precise, scan mirror motor/encoder assembly. The reliable performance of this assembly depends on two duplex bearing pairs lubricated with Pennzane, a synthetic hydrocarbon, formulated with lead napthanate. This paper describes the results of accelerated and operational life tests. It also describes the post-test analyses of the disassembled bearings. Analyses were performed using micro-Raman, micro-FTIR, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). In general, the three sets of bearings in each of the test stations were in very good condition after accumulating 68, 144, and 209 million revolutions, respectively. Some of the bearings exhibited lubricant degradation, indicated by viscous lubricant deposits on the cage and raceways.

VanDyk, Steven G.↗

The Role of Bearing and Scan Mechanism Life Testing in Flight Qualification of the MODIS Instrument

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is an instrument aboard the Terra (EOS AM-1) satellite and has been operating successfully since December 1999. MODIS has been viewing the entire Earth's surface and gathering data to better understand the global dynamics and processes occurring on land, in the oceans, and in the lower atmosphere. All observations are made through an extremely high resolution, optically and mechanically precise, scan mirror motor/encoder assembly. The reliable performance of this assembly depends on two duplex bearing pairs lubricated with Pennzane, a synthetic hydrocarbon, formulated with lead napthanate. This paper describes the results of accelerated and operational life tests. It also describes the post-test analyses of the disassembled bearings. Analyses were performed using micro-Raman, micro-FTIR, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). In general, the three sets of bearings in each of the test stations were in very good condition after accumulating 68, 144, and 209 million revolutions, respectively. Some of the bearings exhibited lubricant degradation, indicated by viscous lubricant deposits on the cage and raceways.

VanDyk, Steven G.↗

Thermo-Mechanical Modeling and Analysis for Turbopump Assemblies

Life, reliability, and cost are strongly impacted by steady and transient thermo-mechanical effect. Design cycle can suffer big setbacks when working a transient stress/deflection issue. Balance between objectives and constrains is always difficult. Requires assembly-level analysis early in the design cycle.

Platt, Mike↗

Metrics for in-space telescope assembly techniques

Reliable metrics are not yet available for choosing among human and robotic assets for space-based construction and servicing of large space telescopes. Using FAIR-DART as a reference design, we generated example event sequences for telescope assembly scenarios in enough detail to identify infrastructure assumptions and technology requirements. A systems trade among human and robotic techniques (human EVA, on-site telerobotic, ground-in-the- loop robotic, commanded or sequenced robotic, and autonomous/decision-making robotic) helped us to define key metrics in the human-robotic trade space, including quality, time, cost, and risk. Our methodology included examining representative end-member scenarios. Case A treated each step in the assembly sequence as if all other steps have no on-site human involvement, and Case B treated each step as if human EVA is already involved in all other steps. With this trade, we identified key enabling technologies and infrastructure for space-based assembly and servicing of large space telescopes.

space telescopes human and robotic in-space assemb↗

Reliability Investigation of Ball Grid Array Assemblies for Space Flight Applications

JPL, in a partnership with an industrial consortium, is currently engaged in the investigation of reliability and quality issues if ball grid array (BGA) packages as they may be applied to space flight electronics. Performing tests to determine the solder joint reliability of assemblies using BGAs under temperature cycling has proved to be a real challenge for test engineers.

Ball grid array printed wiring assemblies reliabil↗

Scalable Membrane Electrode Assembly Stack Production for Reliable Thermal Electrochemical Converters (SMART)

This Final Close Out Report documents all activities, progress, and results accomplished under the SMART project, funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), during Budget Period 1 (BP1), covering 10/01/2023 to 07/31/2025. Although official preaward approval was granted on 05/10/2024, contracting delays shifted the award and formal project start to 10/01/2024. In the absence of an official kick-off meeting, early interactions focused on planning for key technical challenges, particularly the design and logistics for the JTEC device test platform.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗