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At least 19 records

NERVA materials development

Materials development topics include: development of analysis techniques to adjust heterogeneous data; determination of thermal conductivity for AISI 347 stainless steel and elastic moduli and Poisson's ratio for Inconel 718 and Ti 5Al-2.5Sn; embrittlement effects of 1400 psi gaseous hydrogen for alloy 718 and Ti 5Al-2.5Sn; cryogenic radiation damage of Ti 5Al-2.5Sn; and evaluation of prepreg, impregnation, and fabric materials for optimum fibrous graphite properties. Component support topics include: tensile design allowable development of Ti 5Al-2.5Sn for turbopump applications; evaluation of fatigue, fracture toughness, and stress corrosion properties of AA 7039-T63 for pressure vessel applications; development of AISI 347 sheet tensile and creep properties for nozzle applications; evaluation of orbital weld techniques for aluminum line fabrication; material selection of shield materials; development of high load friction and wear properties of hard chrome/gold plate combinations; and evaluation of weld processes for NASS duct coolant channel fabrication.

Mandell, B.

Solar concentrator materials development

Materials with potential applications in reflective and refractive solar dynamic concentrators are tested for resistance to atomic oxygen degradation. It is found that inorganic coatings such as MgF2, SiO(x), and ITO provide excellent protection for reflective surfaces while organic materials are much more susceptible to erosion and mass loss. Of the organic polymers tested, the silicones have the highest intrinsic resistance to atomic oxygen degradation.

Morel, D. E.

Thermal Protection Materials Development

The main portion of this contract year was spent on the development of materials for high temperature applications. In particular, thermal protection materials were constantly tested and evaluated for thermal shock resistance, high-temperature dimensional stability, and tolerance to hostile environmental effects. The analytical laboratory at the Thermal Protection Materials Branch (TPMB), NASA-Ames played an integral part in the process of materials development of high temperature aerospace applications. The materials development focused mainly on the determination of physical and chemical characteristics of specimens from the various research programs.

Selvaduray, Guna

Task 4 supporting technology. Part 1: Detailed test plan for leading edge tile development. Leading edge material development and testing

This task develops two alternative candidate tile materials for leading edge applications: coated alumina enhanced thermal barrier (AETB) tile and silicone impregnated reusable ceramic ablator (SIRCA) tile. Upon reentry of the X-33/RLV space vehicle, the leading edges experience the highest heating rates and temperatures. The wing leading edge and nose cap experience peak temperatures in the range 2000 to 2700 F. Replacing reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) with tile-based thermal protection system (TPS) materials is the primary objective. Weight, complexity, coating impact damage, and repairability are among the problems that this tile technology development addresses. The following subtasks will be performed in this development effort: tile coating development; SIRCA tile development; robustness testing of tiles; tile repair development; tile operations/processing; tile leading edge configuration; and life cycle testing.

Hogenson, P. A.

An Overview of NASA's Current Materials Development Efforts for Mars EDL

Current roadmaps point to landing heavy masses (cargo, followed by manned vehicles) on Mars in the 2030's and the existing entry, descent and landing (EDL) technology will not be sufficient to facilitate such missions. In 2009 the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) established the Entry, Descent and Landing Technology Development Project (EDL TDP), to be managed programmatically at Langley Research Center (LaRC) and technically a Ames Research Center (ARC). The purpose of the project is to further the technologies required to land heavy (approximately 40 metric ton) masses on Mars to facilitate exploration. The EDL TDP contains three technical elements. They are: 1) Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) development 2) Modeling and Tools (MAT) development 3) Supersonic Retropropulsion (SRP) development The primary goals of the EDL TDP TPS element is to design and develop TPS materials capable of withstanding the severe aerothermal loads associated with aerocapture and entry into the Martian atmosphere while significantly decreasing the TPS mass fraction contribution to the entry system. Significant advancements in TPS materials technology are needed in order to enable heavy mass payloads to be successfully landed on the Martian surface for robotic precursors and subsequent human exploration missions. The EDL TDP TPS element is further divided into two different TPS concepts for Mars EDL those being: 1) Rigid TPS for a mid L/D aeroshell with the capability to withstand dual pulsed heating environments as high as 500 W/square cm for aerocapture and 130 W/square cm for entry 2) Flexible TPS for a deployable aerodynamic decelerator with the capability to withstand dual pulsed heating environments as high as 120 W/square cm for aerocapture and 30 W/square cm for entry NASA, along with its vendors, has begun developing and testing materials for each of the deceleration approaches. These include multi-layer rigid ablators and flexible ablative materials. In order to model the response of these types of materials, new and improved modeling techniques will be required. This presentation will outline the types of materials that are under development and illustrate the need for advancement in modeling of ablative materials.

Beck, Robin A.

High performance dielectric materials development

The mission of polymer composites materials technology is to develop materials and processing technology to meet DoD and commercial needs. The following are outlined in this presentation: high performance capacitors, high temperature aerospace insulation, rationale for choosing Foster-Miller (the reporting industry), the approach to the development and evaluation of high temperature insulation materials, and the requirements/evaluation parameters. Supporting tables and diagrams are included.

Piche, Joe

Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technologies Program Material Development Plan

In this viewgraph presentation, IMWG (IHPRPT Materials Working Group) government and industry members, together with the IHPRPT (Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technologies Program Material Development Plan) National Component Leads, have developed a materials plan to address the critical needs of the IHPRPT community: (1) liquids boost and orbit transfer; (2) solids boost and orbit transfer; (3) tactical propulsion; and (4) spacecraft propulsion. Criticality of materials' role in achieving IHPRPT goals is evidenced by the significant investment over the next five years.

Clinton, R. G., Jr.

New textile composite materials development, production, application

New textile composite materials development, production, and application are discussed. Topics covered include: super-high-strength, super-high-modulus fibers, filaments, and materials manufactured on their basis; heat-resistant and nonflammable fibers, filaments, and textile fabrics; fibers and textile fabrics based on fluorocarbon poylmers; antifriction textile fabrics based on polyfen filaments; development of new types of textile combines and composite materials; and carbon filament-based fabrics.

Mikhailov, Petr Y.

Advanced thermoelectric material development at JPL

A large number of planetary missions under consideration for the next two decades will be using radioisotope thermoelectric generators to provide the necessary spacecraft electrical power. Performance, reliability, lifetime and cost of these RTGs are expected to be more demanding and will require the development of advanced thermoelectric materials. An advanced thermoelectric materials development program is being conducted by JPL and is the subject of this paper. Under this program, alloys of rare earth chalcogenides have been synthesized and their thermoelectric properties evaluated. The selection of specific compounds on which the program is currently concentrating is influenced by criteria such as low thermal conductivity, reasonably high operating temperatures (not less than 1000 C) and stability of the compounds. The paper discusses the rationale, approach and current status of the program. In addition, the thermoelectric and thermophysical property measurement used to evaluate the materials are described. The preliminary results and analysis of these experimental data are also given.

Stapfer, G.

Solid rocket booster thermal protection system materials development

A complete run log of all tests conducted in the NASA-MSFC hot gas test facility during the development of materials for the space shuttle solid rocket booster thermal protection system are presented. Lists of technical reports and drawings generated under the contract are included.

Dean, W. G.

Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement: Multifaceted Planetary Construction Materials Development

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project is developing construction materials with which infrastructure elements, including habitats, will be additively constructed for planetary surface missions. These materials must meet requirements such as the ability to be produced from available in-situ resources to eliminate the cost of launching materials from Earth, the ability to be emplaced via three dimensional building techniques, the ability to resist aging in extreme environments including radiation and micrometeorite bombardment, and the ability to provide the necessary structural integrity for a given building. This paper reviews the constraints placed on such planetary construction materials and details the work of the ACME team in characterizing materials that could one day construct planetary surface structures on Mars or the Moon. Material compositions, compressive strength, and requirements for additive construction on planetary surfaces are discussed. Due to the multifunctional requirements of the material, an optimization is necessary to balance between the site-specific regolith composition, emplacement via additive construction techniques, and characteristics of the final structure.

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Holographic Recording Materials Development

Organic photorefractive materials were evaluated for application in a reversible holographic memory system. Representative indigo and thioindigo derivatives and several stilbene derivatives were studied as well as 15, 16-dialkyldihydropyrene derivatives the following goals were achieved: (1) the successful writing of phase holograms in a thioindigo/polymer gel system, (2) the successful writing and erasing of phase holograms in a variety of indigo/polymer gel and indigo/solid polymer systems, and (3) the identification of indigoid dyes and 15, 16-dialkyldihydropyrene derivatives as materials potentially suitable for utilization in an operational system. Photochemical studies of the stilbene, indigo, thioindigo, and dialkyldihydropyrene derivatives in solution and in a variety of polymer matrix materials were conducted with the goal of optimizing the photorefractive behavior of the chemical system as a whole. The spectroscopic properties required of optimal photorefractive materials were identified, and it was shown that both the indigoid dyes and the dialkyldihydropyrenes closely match the required properties.

Verber, C. M.

Consortium for materials development in space

The status of the Consortium for Materials Development in Space (CMDS) is reviewed. Individual CMDS materials projects and flight opportunities on suborbital and orbital carriers are outlined. Projects include: surface coatings and catalyst production; non-linear optical organic materials; physical properties of immiscible polymers; nuclear track detectors; powdered metal sintering; iron-carbon solidification; high-temperature superconductors; physical vapor transport crystal growth; materials preparation and longevity in hyperthermal oxygen; foam formation; measurement of the microgravity environment; and commercial management of space fluids.

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Consortium for Materials Development in Space

During FY99 the Consortium for Materials Development in Space (CMDS) was reorganized around the following guidelines: industry driven, product focus, an industry led advisory council, focus on University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) core competencies, linkage to regional investment firms to assist commercialization and to take advantage of space flights. The organizational structure of the CMDS changed considerably during the year. The decision was made to reduce the organization to a Director and an Administrative Assistant. The various research projects, including the employees, were transferred to the appropriate UAH research center or college. In addition, an advisory council was established to provide direction and guidance to the CMDS to ensure a strong commercial focus. The council will (i) review CMDS commercial development plans and provide feedback, (ii) perform an annual evaluation of the Center's progress and present the results of this review to the UAH Vice President for Research, (iii) serve as an avenue of communication between the CMDS and its commercial partners, and (iv) serve as an ambassador and advocate for the CMDS.

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Materials Development: Pitfalls, Successes, and Lessons

The incorporation of new or improved materials in aerospace systems, or indeed any systems, can yield tremendous payoffs in the system performance or cost, and in many cases can be enabling for a mission or concept. However, the availability of new materials requires advance development, and too often this is neglected or postponed, leaving a project or mission with little choice. In too many cases, the immediate reaction is to use what was used before; this usually turns out not to be possible and results in large sums of money, and amounts of time, being expended on reinvention rather than development of a material with extended capabilities. Material innovation and development is time consuming, with some common wisdom claiming that the timeline is at least 20 years. This time expands considerably when development is stopped and restarted, or knowledge is lost. Down selection of materials is necessary, especially as the Technical Readiness Level (TRL) increases. However, the costs must be considered and approaches should be taken to retain knowledge and allow for restarting the development process. Regardless of the exact time required, it is clear that it is necessary to have materials, at all stages of development, in a research and development pipeline and available for maturation as required. This talk will discuss some of theses issues, including some of the elements for a development path for materials. Some history of materials developments will be included. The usefulness of computational materials science, as a route to decreasing material development time, will be an important element of this discussion. Collaboration with outside institutions and nations is also critical for innovation, but raises the issues of intellectual property and protections, and national security (ITAR rules, for example).

Johnson, Sylvia M.

Consortium for materials development in space

During fiscal 1993, the Consortium for Materials Development in Space (CMDS) maintained the organizational structure and project orientation established in prior years. The commercial objectives are improved materials, biomedical applications, and infrastructure and support hardware. Projects include nonlinear optical materials; space materials (specifically polymer foam/films, atomic oxygen and high temperature superconductors); alloyed and blended materials: sintered and alloyed materials; polymer and carbonate blends; electrodeposition; organic separation; materials dispersion and biodynamics; space carriers: Consort, COMET support, Spacehab utilization; and flight services: accelerometers, CMIX, USEC, ORSEP, and Space Experiment Facility (SEF).

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Consortium for Materials Development in Space. Technical section

Several topics related to materials development in space are discussed. Physical vapor transport crystal growth, the mass spectroscopic facility, surface coatings and catalyst production by electrodeposition, mass transfer by diffusion, electrooptical organic materials, and high temperature superconductors are among the topics covered.

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