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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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Coverings for solar cells are evaluated conveniently with alumina ceramic circuit board holding three pairs of cells and three field-effect translator (FET) chips overlaid with candidate encapsulant. With fixture, solar cells and encapsulants are exposed to Sunlight and weather, either natural or artificial, to provide pertinent measurement and performance data.
Approach of supporting entire part contour and applying uniform pressure to joints is useful in fabricating other lightweight metal structures. Fixture has three essential components: spring-finger collet that applies pressure to joint, compressing device for tightening collet, and mandrel that supports parts. Besides preserving contour of parts, mandrel also functions as heat sink.
Array of vacuum cups on spindles holds parts for safe machining and other processings. Variable-contour part resting on fixture is held firmly enough for machining, coating, or other mechanical treatment.
Fixture consisting of screw-on expansion clamps and backup bar aligns edges of plates for precision butt welding. Tool holds plates securely, without offset, and allows welding and clamp disassembly to be completed when there is access from only one side of structure.
Vacuum fixture attaches array of silicon solar cells to mounting plate made of clear glass which holds and protects cells. Glass plate transmits, rather than absorbs, solar energy thus cooling cells for efficient operation. Device therefore reduces handling of cells and interconnecting conductors to one operation.
Fixture that rotates about two axes ensures uniform coating and minimizes handling of coated workpiece. Each side of tile is coated in sequence by moving turntables until surface is perpendicular to spray. Process is repeated until desired thickness has built up.
Bench-mounted fixture assists operator in winding toroid-shaped transformer cores. Toroid is rigidly held in place as wires are looped around. Arrangement frees both hands for rapid winding and untangling of wires that occurs when core is hand held.
A fixture which provides a means for a crewman to perform, in zero gravity, laboratory utensil/tool cleansing and personal hygiene functions such as handwashing, shaving, body wash, and teeth brushing is described. A prototype unit developed incorporating design improvements resulting from breadboard tests in a one gravity and zero gravity environment demonstrated the capability of performing the different cleansing functions.
Engineering drawings and component spec sheets used in the fabrication of the prototype spacecraft utensil/hand cleaning fixture are presented.
The purpose of the present paper is to describe an application of the IITRI compression test fixture at elevated temperature (589K) was described as well as the present compressive moduli and ultimate strains of HTS/PMR-15 graphite/polyimide material. Considerable care was taken in specimen fabrication to minimize back-to-back strain variations due to specimen bending. The effects of specimen width and temperature were studied for various laminate orientations. The IITRI specimen was analyzed using three dimensional finite elements to determine the magnitude and location of stress concentrations to assess their potential effects on measured moduli and ultimate strains. Stress concentrations are of concern since end constraints, free-edge effects, and thermal effects add to the three dimensional nature of stresses in a specimen.
Seventy-nine graphite/polyimide compression specimens were tested to investigate experimentally the IITRI test method for determining compressive properties of composite materials at room and elevated temperatures (589 K (600 F)). Minor modifications were made to the standard IITRI fixture and a high degree of precision was maintained in specimen fabrication and load alignment. Specimens included four symmetric laminate orientations. Various widths were tested to evaluate the effect of width on measured modulus and strength. In most cases three specimens of each width were tested at room and elevated temperature and a polynomial regression analysis was used to reduce the data. Scatter of replicate tests and back-to-back strain variations were low, and no specimens failed by instability. Variation of specimen width had a negligible effect on the measured ultimate strengths and initial moduli of the specimens. Measured compressive strength and stiffness values were sufficiently high for the material to be considered a usable structural material at temperatures as high as 589 K (600 F).
A heat treating fixture is disclosed in which the shape of the metal specimen is maintained by cold rolled steel support plates. Glide sheets of stainless steel, coated with boron nitride, in contact with each face of the metal specimens, allow for lateral expansion of the metal specimens without binding. Grooved support bars separate the glide sheets from the upper and lower support plates and allow flow of quenching fluid to the metal specimen.
Gravity-loades axial-compression test fixture is operated by raising lower platen and specimen against weighted upper platen. Wheel turns nut on threaded rod to move lower platen up or down. Limiting rods prevent further upward movement if sample buckles.
Original point of interest on shear panel tracked throughout loading. Technique and fixture measure out-of-plane displacements on shear panel using linearly variable displacement transducers (LVDT's) while tracking original panel location. Technique adaptable to any size shear panel.
The requirements of a significant quantity of proposed life sciences experiments in Shuttle payloads for available wash water to support cleansing operations has provided the incentive to develop a technique for wash water renovation. A prototype wash water waste renovation system which has the capability to process the waste water and return it to a state adequate for reuse in a typical cleansing fixture designed to support life science experiments was investigated. The resulting technology is to support other developments efforts pertaining to water reclamation by serving as a pretreatment step for subsequent reclamation procedures.
Testing fixture facilitates radio-frequency characterization of microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits. Includes base onto which two cosine-tapered ridge waveguide-to-microstrip transitions fastened. Length and profile of taper determined analytically to provide maximum bandwidth and minimum insertion loss. Each cosine taper provides transformation from high impedance of waveguide to characteristic impedance of microstrip. Used in conjunction with automatic network analyzer to provide user with deembedded scattering parameters of device under test. Operates from 26.5 to 40.0 GHz, but operation extends to much higher frequencies.
Realistic welding conditions produce reliable specimens. Simple fixture holds resistance-welding test specimens. Specimen holder includes metallic holder and clamps to provide electrical and thermal paths and plastic parts providing thermal and electrical isolation.
Fixture used to evalute properties of O-rings of various materials. Hydraulic actuator positions plug in housing, creating controlled, variable gap in O-ring glands formed by grooves in plug and by inner wall of housing. Creates controlled axial and radial gaps between sealing surfaces around ring so effectiveness of material in maintaining seal determined under dynamic conditions.