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The proceedings of the symposium, which was held at the NASA Langley Research Center, on May 4 to 6, 1988, are reported. Technological areas covered include space lubrication, bearings, aerodynamic devices, spacecraft latches, deployment, positioning, and pointing. Devices for space station docking and manipulator and teleoperator mechanisms are also described.
Technological areas covered include space lubrication, bearings, aerodynamic devices, spacecraft latches, deployment, positioning, and pointing. Devices for Space Station docking and manipulator and teleoperator mechanisms are also described.
Future NASA long duration missions will require high performance, reliable, long lived mechanical moving systems. In order to develop these systems, high technology components, such as bearings, gears, seals, lubricants, etc., will need to be utilized. There has been concern in the NASA community that the current technology level in these mechanical component/tribology areas may not be adequate to meet the goals of long duration NASA mission such as Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). To resolve this concern, NASA-Lewis sent a questionnaire to government and industry workers (who have been involved in space mechanism research, design, and implementation) to ask their opinion if the current space mechanisms technology (mechanical components/tribology) is adequate to meet future NASA Mission needs and goals. In addition, a working group consisting of members from each NASA Center, DoD, and DOE was established to study the technology status. The results of the survey and conclusions of the working group are summarized.
Future NASA long duration missions will require high performance, reliable, long lived mechanical moving systems. In order to develop these systems, high technology components such as bearings, gears, seals, lubricants, etc., will need to be utilized. There has been concern in the NASA community that the current technology level in these mechanical component/tribology areas may not be adequate to meet the goals of long duration NASA mission such as Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). To resolve this concern, NASA-Lewis sent a questionnaire to government and industry workers (who have been involved in space mechanism research, design, and implementation) to ask their opinion if the current space mechanisms technology (mechanical components/tribology) is adequate to meet future NASA Mission needs and goals. In addition, a working group consisting of members from each NASA Center, DoD, and DOE was established to study the technology status. The results of the survey and conclusions of the working group are summarized.
Conference on aerospace technology - materials, fabrication processes, electric power generation, instrumentation, lubrication, superconductivity, and plasma physics
A new test rig has been developed for simulating high-speed turbomachinery rotor systems using Oil-Free foil air bearing technology. Foil air bearings have been used in turbomachinery, primarily air cycle machines, for the past four decades to eliminate the need for oil lubrication. The goal of applying this bearing technology to other classes of turbomachinery has prompted the fabrication of this test rig. The facility gives bearing designers the capability to test potential bearing designs with shafts that simulate the rotating components of a target machine without the high cost of building "make-and-break" hardware. The data collected from this rig can be used to make design changes to the shaft and bearings in subsequent design iterations. This paper describes the new test rig and demonstrates its capabilities through the initial run with a simulated shaft system.
Recent breakthroughs in Oil-Free technologies have enabled new high-speed rotor systems and turbomachinery. Such technologies can include compliant-surface gas bearings, magnetic bearings, and advanced solid lubricants and tribo-materials. This presentation briefly reviews critical technology developments and the current state-of-the-art, emerging Oil-Free rotor systems and discusses obstacles preventing more widespread use. Key examples of "best practices" for deploying Oil-Free technologies will be presented and remaining major technical questions surrounding Oil-Free technologies will be brought forward.
Selected aerospace technology conference for petroleum industry representatives - combustion, heat transfer, surface physics and chemistry, lubricants and bearings, hydrodynamics
The lubrication of rolling element bearings is surveyed. Emphasis is on the critical design aspects related to speed, temperature, and ambient pressure environment. Types of lubrication including grease, jets, mist, wick, and through the race are discussed. The historical development, present state of technology, and the future problems of rolling element bearing lubrication are discussed.
NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program focuses on technological innovation by investing in development of innovative concepts and technologies to help NASA mission directorates address critical research needs for Agency programs. This report highlights nine of the innovative SBIR 2014 Phase I and Phase II projects that emphasize one of NASA Glenn Research Center's six core competencies-Materials and Structures for Extreme Environments. The technologies cover a wide spectrum of applications such as high temperature environmental barrier coating systems, deployable space structures, solid oxide fuel cells, and self-lubricating hard coatings for extreme temperatures. Each featured technology describes an innovation, technical objective, and highlights NASA commercial and industrial applications. This report provides an opportunity for NASA engineers, researchers, and program managers to learn how NASA SBIR technologies could help their programs and projects, and lead to collaborations and partnerships between the small SBIR companies and NASA that would benefit both.
Electric aircraft require high performance and high reliability electric motor drivetrains. A geared electric motor drivetrain will outperform a direct drive motor drivetrain in most applications. Traditional mechanical gearing, however, has mechanical contact-based wear and failure modes that result in added maintenance costs and require an oil lubrication system. Magnetically geared motor drives are a potential technology for electric aircraft applications capable of enabling the benefits of a geared drive without the maintenance, reliability, and lubrication system cost of mechanical gears. In this paper, a topology of magnetically geared motor, an inner stator magnetically geared motor, is explored to estimate its achievable performance for electric aircraft applications. Optimization results on the topology show that it can achieve greater than 15 Nm/kg and 96% efficiency at 100 kW of power.
Abstract- Electric aircraft require high performance and high reliability electric motor drivetrains. A geared electric motor drivetrain will outperform a direct drive motor drivetrain in most applications. Traditional mechanical gearing, however, has mechanical contact-based wear and failure modes that result in added maintenance costs and require an oil lubrication system. Magnetically geared motor drives are a potential technology for electric aircraft applications capable of enabling the benefits of a geared drive without the maintenance, reliability, and lubrication system cost of mechanical gears. In this paper, a topology of magnetically geared motor, an inner-stator magnetically geared motor, is explored to estimate its achievable performance for electric aircraft applications. Optimization results on the topology show that it can achieve greater than 15 Nm/kg specific torque and 96% efficiency at 100 kW of power.
This paper is a broad survey of the lubrication of rolling-element bearings. Emphasis is on the critical design aspects related to speed, temperature, and ambient pressure environment. Types of lubrication including grease, jets, mist, wick, and through-the-race are discussed. The paper covers the historical development, present state of technology, and the future problems of rolling-element bearing lubrication.
Processing-technology development of a multiphase, self-lubricating, plasma-spray powder resulted in greater uniformity and reproducibility of plasma-sprayed coats. The effect of particle-size variation, binder concentration, and reproducible processing parameters are reported. Greater adhesive strengths of coats to substrates were achieved by particle-size variation, use of an intermediate bond coat such as Ni-Cr, or heat treatment. Quantitative analyses of polished, coated specimens are also given.
A revolution in diamond technology is in progress as the low-pressure process becomes an industrial reality. It will soon be possible to take advantage of the demanding properties of diamond to develop a myriad of new applications, particularly for self-lubricating, wear, and superhard coatings. The production of large diamond films or sheets at low cost, a distinct possibility in the not-too-distant future, may drastically change tribology technology, particularly solid lubricants and lubricating materials and systems. This chapter reviews the structures and properties of natural and synthetic diamond to gain a better understanding of the tribological properties of diamond and related materials to be described in the following chapters. Atomic and crystal structure, impurities, mechanical properties, and indentation hardness of diamond are described.
In addition to the highly visible astronauts, NASA personnel include thousands of engineers, scientists, technicians and support staff. These vital employees develop technologies and solution to the many problems the Agency faces while undertaking space exploration. Space telescopes present unusual technical challenges related to bearings and lubricants. In this presentation to to the Brunswick Astronomy Club, NASA technologies under development (e.g. NiTi bearings) that could someday alleviate space telescope mechanism problems will be reviewed and discussed.
Among the technologies incorporated into the later Mariner missions was a dry film lubricant which offered exceptional lubrication quality for reduced friction and extended wear-life of mating parts in harsh interplanetary environments. Micro Surface Corporation acquired this technology, and currently market it as WS2 modified tungsten disulfide coating. A pressurized refrigerated air application process impinges a dry metallic WS2 coating without heat, curing, binders or adhesives. The coating binds instantly to metal or resin substrates with a 20 millionths of an inch thickness. Performance has been excellent in a variety of industries, particularly in plastics where in some operations, the coating increases production by reducing drag between tool steel and resin. Other advantages include product quality improvement, extension of equipment service life and maintenance elimination or reduction.
The idea of the magnetic bearing and its use in exotic applications has been conceptualized for many years, over a century, in fact. Patented, passive systems using permanent magnets date back over 150 years. More recently, scientists of the 1930s began investigating active systems using electromagnets for high-speed ultracentrifuges. However, passive magnetic bearings are physically unstable and active systems only provide proper stiffness and damping through sophisticated controllers and algorithms. This is precisely why, until the last decade, magnetic bearings did not become a practical alternative to rolling element bearings. Today, magnetic bearing technology has become viable because of advances in micro-processing controllers that allow for confident and robust active control. Further advances in the following areas: rotor and stator materials and designs which maximize flux, minimize energy losses, and minimize stress limitations; wire materials and coatings for high temperature operation; high-speed micro processing for advanced controller designs and extremely robust capabilities; back-up bearing technology for providing a viable touchdown surface; and precision sensor technology; have put magnetic bearings on the forefront of advanced, lubrication free support systems. This paper will discuss a specific joint program for the advancement of gas turbine engines and how it implies the vitality of magnetic bearings, a brief comparison between magnetic bearings and other bearing technologies in both their advantages and limitations, and an examination of foreseeable solutions to historically perceived limitations to magnetic bearing.