Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Hixson, Robert

Publications and source records attributed to Hixson, Robert.

17 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Level 2 Milestone Report – Additively Manufactured 304L Stainless Steel

The purpose of this milestone was to support an active research project at Los Alamos National Laboratory to determine the dynamic properties, specifically the equation of state, of additively manufactured (AM) 304L stainless steel and compare to those of forged metal. Our contribution was to measure the shock Hugoniot of AM 304L stainless steel in both the build (growth) and in-plane (transverse) directions and compare those results to similar measurements in forged 304L. These experiments were conducted on the C3 Launcher located in North Las Vegas.

304L stainless steel↗
DOE OSTI2019

Spall and re-compaction in OFHC copper under high velocity impact

Copper spall and re-compaction experiments were performed with a single stage large bore (76.2 mm) light gas gun capable of planar impacts at low impact velocity. The experiments used PDV to capture the velocity history of the back surface of the target and the projectile velocity (collimating probes). The tilts for these experiments typically range from 1–2 mrad. A re-compaction wave was clearly observed using Photon Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) on the back surface of the copper target as well as identified using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) in the recovered samples. The spall and re-compaction data are similar until re-compaction occurs; the time-resolved data show clear evidence for spall damage in the first case and spall followed by re-compaction in the second case. For the initial spall signature, ringing consistent with half the thickness of the target is observed in all cases; after re-compaction, ringing is observed that is consistent with the full sample thickness. Samples recovered using the soft catch system were analyzed, and the cross-sectional view from the spalled target clearly showed a spall plane with voids, whereas the re-compaction target showed an area of plastic deformation. It is hypothesized that the voids formed by spall close during re-compaction and leave behind a deformed area.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Wave speeds in single and polycrystalline copper

A novel technique was used to determine shock speeds in polycrystalline and single crystal copper that makes use of the ready availability of multiple velocimetry channels. Making use of a “top hat” design and five points of photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV), which allows for accurate timing to determine wave arrival times, shock impacts were executed on [100], [110], and [111] single crystal copper, as well as polycrystalline copper at impact velocities ranging from 300 to 600 m/s. The data show that at these low velocities the [111] and [110] single crystal orientations have different shock speeds than the polycrystalline and [100] single crystal, but those differences may be within the apparent accuracy of the experimental technique.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

High velocity impact of an Fe/Cr/Mn/Ni high entropy alloy

A series of shock loading experiments were conducted on High Entropy Alloy (HEA) samples consisting of Fe/Cr/Mn/Ni in weight percentages of 25.2/23.5/24.8/26.5. Characterizing this transition metal alloy is a first step in understanding the shock compression response of this relatively new class of alloy. A single stage light gas gun was used to conduct a series of flyer plate symmetric impact experiments to obtain fundamental dynamic properties. Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) diagnostics were employed to measure the free surface velocity on the back of each target during dynamic compression. These experiments yielded four data points that are in reasonable agreement with an estimated Hugoniot for the material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Systematic Studies in Dynamic Material Response—Early-Career Postdoctoral Research LAO-065-16, Year 2 of 2

Our method (developed under Brandon La Lone’s strategic SDRD) for making low-pressure shock Hugoniot measurements has been improved. It holds great promise for making better low pressure Hugoniot measurements and contributing to the shock physics community. We have refined our method for obtaining information on strength properties of materials, including copper, aluminum, and iron, to a potentially workable technique. Looking at materials other than aluminum with greater strength would likely produce relevant data. Our work with pure iron has yielded interesting results that complement other work on various steel alloys.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Modeling of Hypervelocity Impact Experiments Using Gamma-SPH Technique

Hypervelocity impact research has been conducted using light gas guns to characterize materials under shock conditions. Hypervelocity impact produces high pressure and temperature states during the projectile-target interaction. Projectile and target materials both experience severe localized deformation under these conditions, which creates stretching, bending, and complete perforation in thin target plates. Relatively thick target plates show several failure modes, such as spalling, petalling, discing, and plugging. These failure modes are mostly controlled by several factors such as impact velocity, material properties, loading geometry, etc. Gas gun experiments were performed to measure the plastic deformation of steel plates during hypervelocity impact. The MPDV system was used to measure free surface velocity during these experiments. Simulation models developed in the IMPETUS AFEA Gamma SPH solver show that the physical measurements of impact cratering and bulge are in reasonable agreement with simulation results. Velocity profiles are in general agreement with the experiments capturing all the major features observed experimentally.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Failure Mechanisms in Fored, Layered, and Additive Manufactured Titanium due to Hypervelocity Impact: Experiments and Simulations

This article presents a study of dynamic failure events in forged, layered, and additive manufactured (AM) titanium alloy subject to hypervelocity impact. Experiments were conducted using a two stage light-gas gun, 0.22-caliber Lexan projectiles, and different types of titanium target plates. A four-channel Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) system was used to study the free surface velocities to provide an understanding of the different failure mechanisms in these materials. The experimental measurements were used to validate computational simulations, which describe the behavior of these materials under shock. It was determined that AM, forged titanium, and multi-layered stacks produce similar velocity profiles during the early stage of impact, with the AM targets exhibiting spall at lower velocities and the multi-layered stacks exhibiting vibrations between plates. Simulations of solid and layered forged materials provide a good match to experimental data.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗