Malfunction investigation and chemical analysis capability manual
Facility and equipment manual for chemical and failure analysis
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Facility and equipment manual for chemical and failure analysis
In August 2008, Schuessler Consulting was contracted by NASA GSFC in support of the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) program to perform two separate studies on moisture laden air in a stainless steel cylinder that had been designed to become a consensus standard for Test Method 1018. This Test Method was originally released for hybrids under Mil. Std. 883 but was quickly utilized on other microelectronic devices under the auspice of Mil. Std. 750. The cylinder had subsequently been fabricated for the 750 community. It was back-filled with moist air and subsequently analyzed over a period of time under a previous NASA contract. It had been shown that moisture in the 4000 - 5000 ppm range could be analyzed rather precisely with a mass spectrometer, commonly referred to as a Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA). The scope of this study was to ascertain if the composition and precision varied as a function of thermal shock at sub-zero temperatures and whether there was consensus when the standard was submitted to other RGA units. It was demonstrated and published that the consensus standard would yield precise RGA data for moisture within +/- 1% when optimized for a given RGA unit. It has been subsequently shown in this study at Oneida Research Services, that sub-zero storage did not affect that precision when a well-defined protocol for the analysis was followed. The consensus standard was taken to a second facility for analysis where it was found that moisture adsorption on the transfer lines caused precision to drop to +/- 12%. The Single Sample Cylinder (SSC) is a one liter stainless steel cylinder with associated sampling valves and has considerable weight and volume. But this considerable size allows for approximately 300 gas samples of the same composition to be delivered to any RGA unit. Lastly, a smaller cylinder, approximately 75 cc, of a second consensus standard was fabricated and tested with a different mix of fixed gases where moisture was kept in the 100 ppm range. This second standard has the potential of providing 30 gaseous samples and can be readily shipped to any analytical facility that desires to generate comparison RGA data. A series of comparison residual gas analyses was performed at the Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies facility in the National Nuclear Facility Administration s plant in Kansas City to complete this project. It was shown that improvements in the precision of a given RGA unit can be done by controlling the cycle time for each analysis and increasing analysis temperatures to minimize moisture adsorption. It was also found that a "one time event" in the subzero storage of the large SSC did not effect the units ability to continuously supply precise samples of the same chemistry, however the "event" caused a permanent +8% shift in the reported value of the moisture content. Lastly, a set of SSC RGA results was plotted on a common graph with DSCC "correlation study" RGA data. The result demonstrates the ability of the SSC to remove many of the individual variances that single, individual samples introduce. The consensus standards are now in storage at Oneida Research Services, one of the DSCC certified houses that does RGA to Military Standards, where they await future studies. The analytical data and the operational parameters of the instruments used are provided in the following discussion. Limitations and suggested means for improvement of both precision and accuracy are provided.
Analysis and performance prediction of digital computer facility servicing nonpredictable, randomly varying load in flight simulation
The generalized method employed in the thermal analysis of a Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) flight experiment is presented. The method consists of thermal math model development, defining the orbital heating rates, and applying the appropriate temperature boundary conditions. This approach has proven to be an accurate method for predicting experiment component temperatures for the worst case orbital environments and calculating daily average component temperatures for any part or all time portions of the 5.8 year mission. The application of this method to the thermal analysis of the Ultra-Heavy Cosmic-Ray Nuclei experiment (UHCRE) is presented as an example of this approach.
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) personnel operate a low power research reactor (the Annular Core Research Reactor, or ACRR), and a zero-power critical experiment assembly referred to as CX. In accordance with 10 CFR 830, Subpart B, Appendix A, the acceptable methodology for developing a Documented Safety Analysis (DSA) for DOE nuclear reactors is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) Regulatory Guide 1.70 (RG 1.70). RG 1.70 does not address certain areas required by 10 CFR 830 and expected by DOE (e.g., full facility hazard analysis).Thus, the current DSAs for SNL’s reactor nuclear facilities are based on RG 1.70, but also of necessity supplemented by DOE-STD-3009-94 methods. SNL personnel, in consultation with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Sandia Field Office (SFO), have concluded that an alternate methodology is preferred to RG 1.70. The details of the proposal, and the reasons motivating its development, are discussed in the order described below. The proposed alternate methodology will be applicable to the ACRR and the CX (i.e., it will be applicable to nuclear facilities in which a reactor and/or a critical assembly will be operated).
An overview of the measurement uncertainty analysis process utilized at GRC to determine the uncertainty of aeropropulstion facilities. Examples are given, but no real findings are presented.
A series of ice detection tests was performed on the shuttle external tank (ET) and on ET target samples using a 35/95 GHz instrumentation radiometer. Ice was formed using liquid nitrogen and water spray inside a test enclosure containing ET spray on foam insulation samples. During cryogenic fueling operations prior to the shuttle orbiter engine firing tests, ice was formed with freon and water over a one meter square section of the ET LOX tank. Data analysis was performed on the ice signatures, collected by the radiometer, using Georgia Tech computing facilities. Data analysis technique developed include: ice signature images of scanned ET target; pixel temperature contour plots; time correlation of target data with ice present versus no ice formation; and ice signature radiometric temperature statistical data, i.e., mean, variance, and standard deviation.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Project Management Office (PMO) is planning to execute a construction project at the Small Firearms Training Facility within LLNL's Experimental Test Site, Site 300 (S300). The proposed project will include extensive dirt work from a removal of a berm, the installation of a cinder block wall, and the replacement of a canopy and a fence with an access gate. This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) outlines the procedures to collect environmental samples for the management and/or disposition of excess soil generated from the project site and geotechnical samples for building pad and pavement designs. This SAP has been prepared and is organized to be consistent with LLNL's Soil Screening and Management Plan (SSMP) (LLNL, 2021), as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Data Quality Objectives (DQO) programs (EPA, 2006).
The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) leads cutting-edge research pertaining to the advancement of nuclear reactor technologies, including nuclear fuels and materials. The INL Irradiated Materials Characterization Laboratory (IMCL), Electron Microscopy Laboratory (EML), and future Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL) are available to the nuclear research community to assess the behavior of nuclear fuels and materials, efficiently and comprehensively characterizing from the engineering to atomistic scale. The IMCL is a unique, 12,000-square-foot facility located at the INL Materials and Fuels Complex designed for analysis of irradiated materials. The facility operates advanced characterization instruments that are sensitive to vibration, temperature, and electromagnetic interference in modular radiological shielding and confinement systems, granting researchers the ability to assess the microstructural, chemical, mechanical and thermophysical properties of nuclear materials, especially irradiated fuels. The EML is dedicated to advanced characterization of materials with optical and electron microscopy tools, including scanning electron microscopy/focused-ion beam (SEM/FIB) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Upon construction, the SPL will be a 3 story, 49,000 sq. ft facility, that is the most modern reactor structural materials testing and analysis facility in the world, designed to investigate reactor structural materials in support of life-extension programs and development of advanced reactor concepts, including mechanical testing and advanced characterization capabilities. This presentation will showcase some of the main capabilities available at both IMCL, EML, and SPL, specifically illustrating how these characterization techniques are incorporated into multi-modal characterization work scopes to elucidate the degradation of nuclear structural materials and irradiated fuels.
This poster provides summary cost details for a technoeconomic analysis of CO2 capture from flue gas generated by cement plants, conducted by U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory and presented at the 2022 Carbon Management Project Review Meeting held in Pittsburgh, PA (August 15-19, 2022). A range of modern cement plant configurations was considered, along with different fuel types (coal, coke, and natural gas) and two levels of CO2 capture (95% and 99%). The sensitivity of capture cost to a range of modeling assumptions (such as fuel price, financing assumptions, utilization rate, and plant size) was also conducted, to show possible cost ranges that could be expected for decarbonization of typical cement plants in the U.S.
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) operating repository 654 m below the surface in a thick salt formation in southeastern New Mexico. The DOE disposes transuranic (TRU) waste produced from atomic energy defense activities at the WIPP facility. A portion of the waste shipped to the WIPP facility contains TRU radionuclides co-mingled with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which fall under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations implementing the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This report documents the risks of PCBs co-mingled with TRU waste (hereafter designated as PCB/TRU waste) designated for disposal at the WIPP facility. This analysis is input to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessment by the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) for the proposed increase of the WIPP facility disposal area to include additional waste panels (but not to increase the legislated WIPP volume). This analysis is not a compliance calculation to support a certification renewal nor does it support a planned change request (PCR) or planned change notice (PCN) to be submitted to the EPA.
The generalized method used in the thermal analysis of the LDEF flight experiments is presented. The approach consists of developing a mathematical lumped parameter node representation of the experiment; defining the source and sink temperature boundary conditions; calculating the albedo, infrared, and solar orbital heating fluxes; and solving with a finite difference technique. The temperature predictions can be made either on a per orbit basis or for any length of mission time using a daily averaged calculated composite flux. The thermal analysis of the Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE-A0178) is presented as an example of this approach.
An analysis of the flight dynamics and piloted control characteristics of the Helistat, a quadrotor heavy-lift airship, was completed using the HYBRDS airship simulation facility. The analysis covered the full operating flight envelope, including likely ranges of altitude, airspeed, sideslip, and loading variations. Particular areas of study were performance, trim, power requirements, linearized dynamics, handling qualities, and mooring operations. The key assumptions were: a rigid vehicle, no control system dynamics, fixed rotor and propeller RPM, and no ballonet dynamics. The nominal cruise speed for the H34 engines operating at 1275 HP was found to be 40-50 kts, depending on the loading condition. The maximum payload capability was calculated as 45,000 lbs for sea level-based operations. The crosswind capability in hover is 5-10 kts depending on the loading conditions, but this requires excessive roll angle due to the roll-to-translate control gearing. Sideslip angles of 110-135 degrees (wind from aft quarters) are critical for directional trim and stability, and should be avoided.
This report details the production of tensile specimens from in-service irradiated baffle former bolts (BFBs) and presents the results of a pilot in-situ SEM/EBSD test conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis (LAMDA) facility. The SEM/EDS results confirmed that the material is AISI 316L steel, not AISI 347, and that no Nb addition was detected in several analyzed locations. EBSD analysis of the microstructure revealed in-grain misorientation gradients indicative of cold work, likely caused by material processing, and no retained ferrite was identified. During straining, dislocation channel formation was the primary deformation mechanism, with twinning also observed in favorably oriented grains at local strains as small as ~1.5%. No strain-induced phase instability was observed, likely due to the fact that the Ni and Cr content reached the upper limits for the 316L steel specification. Multiple microfracture events were observed during the tensile test. Fine strain-induced pores formed at the channel-grain boundary intersection points, while coarser microcracks were associated with non-metallic inclusions. Data analysis is ongoing, and additional tests are planned in the near future to provide more statistics and details.
Analysis of ground research facilities for hypersonic aircraft
A CFD methodology has been developed for inlet analyses of Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) Engines. A full Navier-Stokes analysis code, NPARC, was used in conjunction with pre- and post-processing tools to obtain a complete description of the flow field and integrated inlet performance. This methodology was developed and validated using results from a subscale test of the inlet to a RBCC 'Strut-Jet' engine performed in the NASA Lewis 1 x 1 ft. supersonic wind tunnel. Results obtained from this study include analyses at flight Mach numbers of 5 and 6 for super-critical operating conditions. These results showed excellent agreement with experimental data. The analysis tools were also used to obtain pre-test performance and operability predictions for the RBCC demonstrator engine planned for testing in the NASA Lewis Hypersonic Test Facility. This analysis calculated the baseline fuel-off internal force of the engine which is needed to determine the net thrust with fuel on.
The program is aimed at enhancing the existing analysis to include the turbulence effect. Several manufacturing methods are being investigated in order to apply our know-how in building the seal hardware. The contents include: 1) Test Facilities; 2) Analysis Enhancements; 3) Accomplishments/Status; and 4) Materials Study.
These slides present a walkthrough of the template that has been developed for using RAVEN to perform representativity analysis using models of the High Temperature Test Facility and the General Atomics Modular High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor. The presentation provides participants in the HTTF benchmark with a walkthrough on how to use RAVEN for their sensitivity analysis and how to read results from the MHTGR-350 to perform representativity