Additive Manufacturing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center: In-Space and For-Space Initiatives
No abstract available
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
Engineering topics
Clinton, R. G., Jr.
Publications and source records attributed to Clinton, R. G., Jr..
Development and Certification of Additive Manufacturing Materials for Human-Rated Launch Vehicle and in Space Manufacturing
No abstract available
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
In Space and for Space Additive Manufacturing Initiatives at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
No abstract available
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing in NASA: An Overview of Current Projects and Future Initiatives for Space Exploration
NASA, including each Mission Directorate, is investing in, experimenting with, and/or utilizing AM across a broad spectrum of applications and projects; Centers have created and are continuing to create partnerships with industry, other Government Agencies, other Centers, and Universities; In-house additive manufacturing capability enables rapid iteration of the entire design, development and testing process, increasing innovation and reducing risk and cost to projects; For deep space exploration, AM offers significant reduction to logistics costs and risk by providing ability to create on demand; There are challenges: Overwhelming message from recent JANNAF AM for Propulsion Applications TIM was "certification."; NASA will continue to work with our partners to address this and other challenges to advance the state of the art in AM and incorporate these capabilities into an array of applications from aerospace to science missions to deep space exploration.
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
Overview of NASA Initiatives in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
No abstract available
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
Research Opportunities Supporting the Vision for Space Exploration from the Transformation of the Former Microgravity Materials Science Program
The Microgravity Materials Science Program established a strong research capability through partnerships between NASA and the scientific research community. With the announcement of the vision for space exploration, additional emphasis in strategic materials science areas was necessary. The President's Commission recognized that achieving its exploration objectives would require significant technical innovation, research, and development in focal areas defined as "enabling technologies." Among the 17 enabling technologies identified for initial focus were: advanced structures, advanced power and propulsion; closed-loop life support and habitability; extravehicular activity systems; autonomous systems and robotics; scientific data collection and analysis, biomedical risk mitigation; and planetary in situ resource utilization. Mission success may depend upon use of local resources to fabricate a replacement part to repair a critical system. Future propulsion systems will require materials with a wide range of mechanical, thermophysical, and thermochemical properties, many of them well beyond capabilities of today's materials systems. Materials challenges have also been identified by experts working to develop advanced life support systems. In responding to the vision for space exploration, the Microgravity Materials Science Program aggressively transformed its research portfolio and focused materials science areas of emphasis to include space radiation shielding; in situ fabrication and repair for life support systems; in situ resource utilization for life support consumables; and advanced materials for exploration, including materials science for space propulsion systems and for life support systems. The purpose of this paper is to inform the scientific community of these new research directions and opportunities to utilize their materials science expertise and capabilities to support the vision for space exploration.
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
Materials Requirements for Advanced Propulsion Systems
NASA's mission to "reach the Moon and Mars" will be obtained only if research begins now to develop materials with expanded capabilities to reduce mass, cost and risk to the program. Current materials cannot function satisfactorily in the deep space environments and do not meet the requirements of long term space propulsion concepts for manned missions. Directed research is needed to better understand materials behavior for optimizing their processing. This research, generating a deeper understanding of material behavior, can lead to enhanced implementation of materials for future exploration vehicles. materials providing new approaches for manufacture and new options for In response to this need for more robust materials, NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) has established a strategic research initiative dedicated to materials development supporting NASA's space propulsion needs. The Advanced Materials for Exploration (AME) element directs basic and applied research to understand material behavior and develop improved materials allowing propulsion systems to operate beyond their current limitations. This paper will discuss the approach used to direct the path of strategic research for advanced materials to ensure that the research is indeed supportive of NASA's future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
Whitaker, Ann F.↗
Low Gravity Materials Science Research for Space Exploration
On January 14, 2004, the President of the United States announced a new vision for the United States civil space program. The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has the responsibility to implement this new vision. The President also created a Presidential Commission 'to obtain recommendations concerning implementation of the new vision for space exploration.' The President's Commission recognized that achieving the exploration objectives would require significant technical innovation, research, and development in focal areas defined as 'enabling technologies.' Among the 17 enabling technologies identified for initial focus were advanced structures; advanced power and propulsion; closed-loop life support and habitability; extravehicular activity system; autonomous systems and robotics; scientific data collection and analysis; biomedical risk mitigation; and planetary in situ resource utilization. The Commission also recommended realignment of NASA Headquarters organizations to support the vision for space exploration. NASA has aggressively responded in its planning to support the vision for space exploration and with the current considerations of the findings and recommendations from the Presidential Commission. This presentation will examine the transformation and realignment activities to support the vision for space exploration that are underway in the microgravity materials science program. The heritage of the microgravity materials science program, in the context of residence within the organizational structure of the Office of Biological and Physical Research, and thematic and sub-discipline based research content areas, will be briefly examined as the starting point for the ongoing transformation. Overviews of future research directions will be presented and the status of organizational restructuring at NASA Headquarters, with respect to influences on the microgravity materials science program, will be discussed. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
Large Composite Structures Processing Technologies for Reusable Launch Vehicles
Significant efforts have been devoted to establishing the technology foundation to enable the progression to large scale composite structures fabrication. We are not capable today of fabricating many of the composite structures envisioned for the second generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV). Conventional 'aerospace' manufacturing and processing methodologies (fiber placement, autoclave, tooling) will require substantial investment and lead time to scale-up. Out-of-autoclave process techniques will require aggressive efforts to mature the selected technologies and to scale up. Focused composite processing technology development and demonstration programs utilizing the building block approach are required to enable envisioned second generation RLV large composite structures applications. Government/industry partnerships have demonstrated success in this area and represent best combination of skills and capabilities to achieve this goal.
Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗
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.↗
Automated Fiber Placement of PEEK/IM7 Composites with Film Interleaf Layers
The incorporation of thin discrete layers of resin between plies (interleafing) has been shown to improve fatigue and impact properties of structural composite materials. Furthermore, interleafing could be used to increase the barrier properties of composites used as structural materials for cryogenic propellant storage. In this work, robotic heated-head tape placement of PEEK/IM7 composites containing a PEEK polymer film interleaf was investigated. These experiments were carried out at the NASA Langley Research Center automated fiber placement facility. Using the robotic equipment, an optimal fabrication process was developed for the composite without the interleaf. Preliminary interleaf processing trials indicated that a two-stage process was necessary; the film had to be tacked to the partially-placed laminate then fully melted in a separate operation. Screening experiments determined the relative influence of the various robotic process variables on the peel strength of the film-composite interface. Optimization studies were performed in which peel specimens were fabricated at various compaction loads and roller temperatures at each of three film melt processing rates. The resulting data were fitted with quadratic response surfaces. Additional specimens were fabricated at placement parameters predicted by the response surface models to yield high peel strength in an attempt to gage the accuracy of the predicted response and assess the repeatability of the process. The overall results indicate that quality PEEK/lM7 laminates having film interleaves can be successfully and repeatability fabricated by heated head automated fiber placement.
Hulcher, A. Bruce↗
NASA Out-of-Autoclave Process Technology Development
Polymer matrix composites (PMCS) will play a significant role in the construction of large reusable launch vehicles (RLVs), mankind's future major access to low earth orbit and the international space station. PMCs are lightweight and offer attractive economies of scale and automated fabrication methodology. Fabrication of large RLV structures will require non-autoclave methods which have yet to be matured including (1) thermoplastic forming: heated head robotic tape placement, sheet extrusion, pultrusion, molding and forming; (2) electron beam curing: bulk and ply-by-ply automated placement; (3) RTM and VARTM. Research sponsored by NASA in industrial and NASA laboratories on automated placement techniques involving the first 2 categories will be presented.
Johnston, Norman, J.↗
Composite, Cryogenic, Conformal, Common Bulkhead, Aerogel-Insulated Tank (CBAT) Materials and Processing Methodologies
A viewgraph presentation outlines the current status and future activities of the composite, cryogenic, conformal, common bulkhead, aerogel-insulated tank (CBAT). Each term (composite, cryogenic, conformal, etc.) is explained. The fabrication method for the CBAT is described, including challenges and their solutions. Near term and long term goals are discussed.
Kovach, Michael P.↗
Fabrication and Testing of Ceramic Matrix Composite Propulsion Components
A viewgraph presentation outlines NASA's goals for the Second and Third Generation Reusable Launch Vehicles, placing emphasis on improving safety and decreasing the cost of transporting payloads to orbit. The use of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology is discussed. The development of CMC components, such as the Simplex CMC Blisk, cooled CMC nozzle ramps, cooled CMC thrust chambers, and CMC gas generators, are described, including challenges, test results, and likely future developments.
Effinger, Michael R.↗
Fabrication of Composite Combustion Chamber/Nozzle for Fastrac Engine
The Fastrac Engine developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center for the X-34 vehicle began as a low cost engine development program for a small booster system. One of the key components to reducing the engine cost was the development of an inexpensive combustion chamber/nozzle. Fabrication of a regeneratively cooled thrust chamber and nozzle was considered too expensive and time consuming. In looking for an alternate design concept, the Space Shuttle's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Project provided an extensive background with ablative composite materials in a combustion environment. An integral combustion chamber/nozzle was designed and fabricated with a silica/phenolic ablative liner and a carbon/epoxy structural overwrap. This paper describes the fabrication process and developmental hurdles overcome for the Fastrac engine one-piece composite combustion chamber/nozzle.
Lawerence, T.↗
X-33 LH2 Tank Failure Investigation Findings
This presentation focuses on the tank history, test objectives, failure description, investigation and conclusions. The test objectives include verify structural integrity at 105% expected flight load limit varying the following parameters: cryogenic temperature; internal pressure; and mechanical loading. The Failure description includes structural component of the aft body, quad-lobe design, and sandwich - honeycomb graphite epoxy construction.
Niedermeyer, Mindy↗