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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 1,621 records · Page 90
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Materials and processes laboratory composite materials characterization task, part 1. Damage tolerance

A test run was performed on IM6/3501-6 carbon-epoxy in which the material was processed, machined into specimens, and tested for damage tolerance capabilities. Nondestructive test data played a major role in this element of composite characterization. A time chart was produced showing the time the composite material spent within each Branch or Division in order to identify those areas which produce a long turnaround time. Instrumented drop weight testing was performed on the specimens with nondestructive evaluation being performed before and after the impacts. Destructive testing in the form of cross-sectional photomicrography and compression-after-impact testing were used. Results show that the processing and machining steps needed to be performed more rapidly if data on composite material is to be collected within a reasonable timeframe. The results of the damage tolerance testing showed that IM6/3501-6 is a brittle material that is very susceptible to impact damage.

Nettles, A. T.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Lifetime modeling for a supercritical CO2-molten salt CSP power block

To achieve higher efficiency in the next generation of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants, higher temperatures are needed, which will challenge the materials. One scenario would include molten chloride salts for thermal storage and supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2 ) for the power block and operating temperatures above 700°C to achieve at least 50% efficiency. For the high pressure (20-30 MPa) sCO 2 conditions, high strength Ni-based alloys will be required above 700°C and an extensive experimental project has confirmed good sCO 2 compatibility for alloys 625, 740H and 282. The data set generated enables more accurate lifetime predictions for 30-year service. Compatibility testing with K-Mg-Na chloride salts has just begun. Initial isothermal capsule results indicate there are promising combinations of salt chemistry, temperature and alloy composition. However, flowing salt testing is needed to evaluate compatibility, which is in progress.

Pint, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Effect of filtration on rolling-element-bearing life in contaminated lubricant environment

Fatigue tests were conducted on groups of 65 millimeter-bore ball bearings under four levels of filtration with and without a contaminated MIL-L-23699 lubricant. The baseline series used noncontaminated oil with 49 micron absolute filtration. In the remaining tests contaminants of the composition found in aircraft engine filters were injected into the filter's supply line at a constant rate of 125 milligrams per bearing-hour. The test filters had absolute particle removal ratings of 3, 30, 49, and 105 microns (0.45, 10, 30, and 70 microns nominal), respectively. Bearings were tested at 15,000 rpm under 4580 newtons radial load. Bearing life and running tract condition generally improved with finer filtration. The 3 and 30 micron filter bearings in a contaminated lubricant had statistically equivalent lives, approaching those from the baseline tests. The experimental lives of 49 micron bearings were approximately half the baseline bearing's lives. Bearings tested with the 105 micron filter experienced wear failures. The degree of surface distress, weight loss, and probable failure mode were found to be dependent on filtration level, with finer filtration being clearly beneficial.

Loewenthal, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Siloxane containing addition polyimides. II - Acetylene terminated polyimides

Acetylene terminated polyimide oligomers having a range of molecular weights have been synthesized by reacting bis (gamma-aminopropyl) tetramethyldisiloxane, aminophenylacetylene and 3, 3', 4, 4' benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride in different molar ratios. The prepolymers were isolated and characterized for melt flow and cure properties. They show promise as adhesives for bonding titanium to titanium and as matrix resins for graphite cloth reinforced composites. The most promising system has been blended in varying proportions with Thermid 600, a commercially available acetylene terminated polyimide oligomer, and the mixtures have been tested for application as composite matrix resins.

Maudgal, S.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Debonding in Composite Skin/Stringer Configurations Under Multi-Axial Loading

The objective of this work was to investigate the damage mechanisms in composite bonded skin/stringer constructions under uniaxial and biaxial (in-plane/out-of-plane) loading conditions as typically experienced by aircraft crown fuselage panels. The specimens for all tests were identical and consisted of a tapered composite flange, representing a stringer or frame, bonded onto a composite skin. Tests were performed under monotonic loading conditions in tension, three-point bending, and combined tension/bending to evaluate the debonding mechanisms between the skin and the bonded stringer. For combined tension/bending testing, a unique servohydraulic load frame was used that was capable of applying both loads simultaneously. Microscopic investigations of the specimen edges were used to document the damage occurrence and to identify typical damage patterns. The observations showed that, for all three load cases, failure initiated in the flange near the flange tip causing the flange to almost fully debond from the skin. A two-dimensional plain-strain finite element model was developed to analyze the different test cases using a geometrically nonlinear solution. For all three loading conditions, principal stresses exceeded the transverse strength of the material in the flange area. Additionally, delaminations of various lengths were simulated in the locations where delaminations were experimentally observed. The analyses showed that unstable delamination propagation is likely to occur at the loads corresponding to matrix ply crack initiation for all three loadings.

Cvitkovich, Michael K.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Final Report: Self-Consolidating Concrete Construction for Modular Units

This report focuses on work completed on DE-NE0000667, Self-Consolidating Concrete for Modular Units, in connection with the Department of Energy Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (DOE-NEET) program. This project was completed in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, with Westinghouse Corporation as the industrial partner. The primary objective of this project was to develop self-consolidating concrete (also termed “self-compacting concrete” or SCC) mixtures so that concrete placement can be made into steel plate composite (SC) modular structures without the need for continuous concrete placement. As part of the research, SCC mixtures were developed and validated to ensure sufficient shear capacity across cold-joints, while minimizing shrinkage and temperature increase during curing to enhance concrete bonding with the steel plate construction found in modular units. The SCC mixtures developed were able to carry shearing forces across the cold-joint boundaries. This “self-roughening” was achieved by adding a tailored fraction of lightweight aggregate (LWA) to the concrete mix, some of which raised to the surface during curing, forming a rough surface on which subsequent concrete placements were made. The self-roughening behavior was validated through three sets of structural tests. Shear friction on small-scale specimens with cold joints was assessed using varying fractions of LWA and with varying amounts of external steel plate reinforcement. The results show that the shear friction coefficient, to be used with the provisions of ACI 318-14, Section 22.9, can be taken as 1.35. Mid-scale beam tests were completed to assess the cold-joint capacity in both in-plane and out-of-plane bending. The results showed that the self-roughened joints performed as well as monolithic joints. The final assessment was a full-scale test using a steel composite module supplied by Westinghouse and similar in construction to the steel composite modules being assembled at the Vogtle and V.C. Summer plant expansions. The final test showed that the roughened cold-joint showed excellent shear and flexural capacity, and substantial ductility, when used in conjunction with steel composite construction.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Low Activity Waste Feed Solids Characterization and Filterability Tests

The primary treatment of the tank waste at the DOE Hanford site will be done in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) that is currently under construction. The baseline plan for the WTP Pretreatment facility is to treat the waste, splitting it into High Level Waste (HLW) feed and Low Activity Waste (LAW) feed. Both waste streams are then separately vitrified as glass and sealed in canisters. The LAW glass will be disposed onsite in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). There are currently no plans to treat the waste to remove technetium in the WTP Pretreatment facility, so its disposition path is the LAW glass. Options are being explored to immobilize the LAW portion of the tank waste, i.e., the LAW feed from the WTP Pretreatment facility. Removal of 99 Tc from the LAW Feed, followed by off-site disposal of the 99 Tc, would eliminate a key risk contributor for the IDF Performance Assessment (PA) for supplemental waste forms, and has potential to reduce treatment and disposal costs. Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) is developing some conceptual flow sheets for LAW treatment and disposal that could benefit from technetium removal. One of these flow-sheets will specifically examine removing 99 Tc from the LAW feed stream to supplemental immobilization. The conceptual flow sheet of the 99 Tc removal process includes a filter to remove insoluble solids prior to processing the stream in an ion exchange column, but the characteristics and behavior of the liquid and solid phases has not previously been investigated. This report contains results of testing of a simulant that represents the projected composition of the feed to the Supplemental LAW process. This feed composition is not identical to the aqueous tank waste fed to the Waste Treatment Plant because it has been processed through WTP Pretreatment facility and therefore contains internal changes and recycle streams that will be generated within the WTP process. Although a Supplemental LAW feed simulant has previously been prepared, this feed composition differs from that simulant because those tests examined only the fully soluble aqueous solution at room temperature, not the composition formed after evaporation, including the insoluble solids that precipitate after it cools. The conceptual flow sheet for Supplemental LAW immobilization has an option for removal of 99 Tc from the feed stream, if needed. Elutable ion exchange has been selected for that process. If implemented, the stream would need filtration to remove the insoluble solids prior to processing in an ion exchange column. The characteristics, chemical speciation, physical properties, and filterability of the solids are important to judge the feasibility of the concept, and to estimate the size and cost of a facility.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS1992

Hybrid analysis of deformation using interferometric measurements

Two hybrid methods of deformation analysis combining moire interferometry and finite element techniques are introduced. The hybrid methods are applied to determine the strain fields in the test section of a composite cruciform specimen in order to evaluate the uniformity of the shear strain field. Both methods show that there are significant shear strain gradients in the specimen test section. One of the hybrid methods - the full-field analysis using the random-node mesh generator - detects the presence of material property nonuniformity which is assumed uniform in the boundary-node method.

Lin, S.-Y.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Matrix plasticity in SiC/Ti-15-3 composite

An experimental method is described which allows for the observation of slip bands due to matrix plasticity in the SiC/Ti-15-3 composite system. A post-test heat treatment and subsequent chemical etch is employed to reveal slip bands in the titanium matrix. Composite specimens of various laminates were examined after tensile testing at room temperature. This method definitively shows that matrix plasticity has occurred in all the laminates investigated and at load/strain levels which were insufficient to cause fiber breakage.

Lerch, Bradley A.↗
NASA NTRS2005

RP-1 and JP-8 Thermal Stability Experiments

This work experimentally investigates the effect of fuel composition changes on jet and rocket fuel thermal stability. A High Reynolds Number Thermal Stability test device evaluated JP-8 and RP-1 fuels. The experiment consisted of an electrically heated, stainless steel capillary tube with a controlled fuel outlet temperature. An optical pyrometer monitored the increasing external temperature profiles of the capillary tube as deposits build inside during each test. Multiple runs of each fuel composition provided results on measurement repeatability. Testing a t two different facilities provided data on measurement reproducibility. The technique is able to distinguish between thermally stable and unstable compositions of JP-8 and intermediate blends made by combining each composition. The technique is also able to distinguish among standard RP-1 rocket fuels and those having reduced sulfur levels. Carbon burn off analysis of residue in the capillary tubes on the RP-1 fuels correlates with the external temperature results.

Brown, Sarah P.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Properties of natural rubber/attapulgite composites prepared by latex compounding method: Effect of filler loading

This paper reports on the effect of filler loading on properties of natural rubber (NR)/attapulgite (ATP) composites. The NR/ATP composites were prepared by latex compounding method. It is called as masterbatch. The masterbatch was subsequently added to the NR through melt mixing process. The vulcanized NR/ATP composites were subjected to mechanical, swelling and morphological tests. All the results were compared with NR/ATP composites prepared by conventional system. The composites from masterbatch method showed better results compared to composites prepared by conventional method. They have higher tensile properties, elongation at break and tear strength. The images captured through scanning electron microscopy test revealed the improvement of tensile strength in masterbatch NR/ATP composites. It can be seen clearly that masterbatch NR/ATP have better filler dispersion compared to conventional method NR/ATP composites.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1974

High temperature compounds for turbine vanes

Fabrication and microstructure control studies were conducted on SiC, Si3N and composites based on Si3N. Charpy mode impact testing to 2400 F established that Si3N4/Mo composites have excellent potential. Attempts to fabricate composites of Si3N4 with superalloys, both by hot pressing and infiltration were largely unsuccessful in comparison to using Mo, Re, and Ta which are less reactive. Modest improvements in impact strength were realized for monolithic Si3N4; however, SiC strengths increased by a factor of six and now equal values achieved for Si3N4. Correlations of impact strength with material properties are discussed. Reduced MgO densification aid additions to Si3N4 were found to decrease densification kinetics, increase final porosity, decrease room temperature bend strength, increase high temperature bend strength, and decrease bend stress rupture properties. The decrease in bend strength at high temperature for fine grain size SiC suggested that a slightly larger grain size material with a nearly constant strength-temperature relation may prove desirable in the creep and stress rupture mode.

Rhodes, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Effects of environment on the fatigue of graphite-epoxy composites

Torsional and flexural fatigue tests were performed on both uniaxial (0 deg) and crossplied (plus or minus 45 deg) graphite-epoxy materials at temperatures of 24 and 74 C in environments of air and water. The results of the torsion testing showed that the number of cycles required to cause an initial decrease in stiffness as well as the rate of stiffness loss was a function of temperature and environment; the most significant losses were noted for tests at the higher temperature in water. The torsional fatigue specimens were subsequently tested in four-point bending to determine the effect of torsional damage on longitudinal properties. This damage caused changes in the flexural stiffness, failure stress, and failure energy, depending on the stress and environmental histories. The flexural fatigue tests also showed a significant effect of water (at 24 C) on the material behavior. These results are compared with the results of previous investigations and are discussed in terms of proposed damage mechanisms.

Sumsion, H. T.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Determining Fiber Orientation in Graphite-Reinforced Composites

Orientation of fibers in graphite-fiber-reinforced plastics easily determined with new method. Materials scientists thus ensure that fibers, usually not visible after graphite/plastic composite has been cured, properly oriented in test specimens and test results accurately represent the characteristics of composite. Method based on fact that continuous graphite fibers embeded in cured polymer matrix actually parallel conductors. Thus, resistance measured across laminate is at minimum when probes of ohmmeter connected to opposite ends of fibers.

Daniels, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Tests Of Flexible Multilayer Insulations

Composite blankets containing reflective layers compared with fibrous silica insulation. Report describes experimental and theoretical study of 11 flexible insulating blankets ranging in thickness from 1.0 to 2.5 in. Multilayer insulations intended for use in partial vacuums of outer planetary atmospheres, where mean free paths of gas molecules much less than characteristic lengths of cells in insulation and consequently conductive and convective effects of gas minimal.

Kourtides, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Experimentally reproduced relict enstatite in porphyritic chondrules of enstatite chondrite composition

Experiments are presented that test a model for the origin of porphyritic pyroxene (PP) chondrules in enstatite chondrites that contain phenocrysts of enstatite with blue cathodoluminescence (CL) set in a matrix of radial, dendritic enstatite with red CL. Established one-atmosphere, gas-mixing techniques were used. Relict enstatite phenocrysts with blue CL in a matrix of coarsely radial to dendritic enstatite with red CL were successfully produced. The relict crystals are preserved in runs with a melt time of 36 minutes or less at 1537 C. The relicts remain angular with smooth crystal/melt interfaces, and thus melting has occurred uniformly. Partial melting does occur along fractures produced when the blue CL enstatite was initially grown and cooled through the proto/ortho enstatite transition with the attendent volume change. There is either reaction with the melt and diffusion of Mn and Cr into the blue CL En, or there is an overgrowth of red CL En along the fractures. The bulk of the relicts remain blue. The melt enclosing the relicts crystalized to a coarsely radial to dendritic to micro porphyritic texture comprised of enstatite that has a bright red CL with decreasing melt time. The blue CL En has Mn and Cr contents at or below detection limits of the electron probe as described in earlier studies and in natural blue CL En. In the red CL En in this study, the Mn, Al2O3, and Cr are at previously observed levels and the levels change rapidly.

Lofgren, Gary E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Proposed test program and data base for LDEF polymer matrix composites

A survey of the polymer matrix composite materials that were flown on Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is presented with particular attention to the effect of circumferential location (alpha) on the measured degradation and property changes. Specifically, it is known that atomic oxygen fluence (AO), VUV radiation dose, and number of impacts by micrometeoroids/debris vary with alpha. Thus, it is possible to assess material degradation and property damage changes with alpha for those materials that are common to three or more locations. Once the alpha-dependence functions were defined, other material samples will provide data that can readily be used to predict damage and property changes as a function of alpha as well. What data can be realistically obtained from these materials, how this data can be obtained, and the scientific/design value of the data to the user community is summarized. Finally, a proposed test plan is presented with recommended characterization methodologies that should be employed by all investigators to ensure consistency in the data base that will result from this exercise.

Tennyson, R. C.↗