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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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The Terrestrial Planet Finder mission requires extreme dynamic stability at cryogenic temperatures in order to carry out its objectives of searching for and observing extraterrestrial planets.
This paper describes a proof-of-concept inchworm actuator designed to provide nanometer resolution, high stiffness, large output force, long travel range, and compactness for ultraprecision positioning applications in space.
Al interconnections discontinuities at integrated circuit contact windows observed by scanning electron microscope, noting catastrophic failure and Si presence
Ten SiC materials and five Si3N4 materials were exposed in a Mach 1-gas-velocity burner simulating a gas-turbine engine environment. All materials studied are commercially available. Cyclic tests up to 100 hours' duration were conducted at specimen temperatures of 1200 C. A specimen geometry was used that develops thermal stresses during thermal cycling in a manner similar to blades and vanes of a gas turbine engine. Materials were compared on a basis of weight change, dimensional reductions, metallography, fluorescent-penetrant inspection, X-ray diffraction analyses, failure mode, and general appearance. One hot-pressed SiC, one reaction-sintered SiC, and three hot-pressed Si3N4 materials survived the program goal of 100 one-hour cycles of exposures. Of the materials that failed to meet the program goal, thermal fatigue was identified as the exclusive failure mode.
Wafer-like crystals suitable for making solar cells are formed by pouring molten Si containing suitable dopants into a mold of the desired shape and allowing it to solidify in a temperature gradient, whereby the large surface of the melt in contact with the mold is kept at less than 200 D and the free surface is kept at a temperature of 200-1000 D higher, but below the melting point of Si. The mold can also be made in the form of a slit, whereby the 2 sides of the mold are kept at different temperatures. A mold was milled in the surface of a cylindrical graphite block 200 mm in diameter. The granite block was induction heated and the bottom of the mold was cooled by means of a water-cooled Cu plate, so that the surface of the mold in contact with one of the largest surfaces of the melt was held at approximately 800 D. The free surface of the melt was subjected to thermal radiation from a graphite plate located 2 mm from the surface and heated to 1500 D. The Si crystal formed after slow cooling to room temperature had a columnar structure and was cut with a diamond saw into wafers approximately 500 mm thick. Solar cells prepared from these wafers had efficiencies of 10 to 11%.
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The presence of copper promotes a more rapid approach to the steady stete operating condition and results in a more consistent reactor effluent composition. The average kinetic and equilibrium yield are unchanged. Incoloy has been identified as the preferred choice of material of construction for the hydrogenation reactor although certain metallurgical changes were noted in samples exposed to the H2/HCl atmosphere at 500 C which indicate the need for more testing.
Development of inside diameter slicing technology to significantly increase the number of useable slices per inch of crystal over industry practice is discussed. The required reduction of both blade and slice thickness is to be accomplished by a combination of three key elements of slicing technology: (1) ingot rotation with minimum exposed blade area; (2) dynamic cutting edge control; and (3) the use of prefabricated insert blades. Design modifications on a slicing saw with microprocessor controls and hardware fabrication to complete this conversion were initiated. Several runs were conducted on the engineering saw incorporating the method of ingot rotation. Ingots with diameters up to six inches were sliced successfully on a production saw.
The results of the free space reactor experimental work are summarized. Overall, the objectives were achieved and the unit can be confidently scaled to the EPSDU size based on the experimental work and supporting theoretical analyses. The piping and instrumentation of the fluidized bed reactor was completed.
Modifications to a 16 inch STC automated saw included: a programmable feed system; a crystal rotating system; and a STC dynatrack blade boring and control system. By controlling the plating operation and by grinding the cutting edge, 16 inch I.D. blades were produced with a cutting edge thickness of .22 mm. Crystal rotation mechanism was used to slice 100 mm diameter crystals with a 16 inch blade down to a thickness of .20 mm. Cutting rates with crystal rotation were generally slower than with standard plunge I.D. slicing techniques. Using programmed feeds and programmed rotation, maximum cutting rates were from 0.3 to 1.0 inches per minute.
Conventional and microfocus X-radiographic techniques were compared to determine relative detectability limits for voids in green and sintered SiC and Si3N4. The relative sensitivity of the techniques was evaluated by comparing their ability to detect voids that were artificially introduced by a seeding process. For projection microfocus radiography the sensitivity of void detection at a 90/95 probability of detection/confidence level is 1.5% of specimen thickness in sintered SiC and Si3N4. For conventional contact radiography the sensitivity is 2.5% of specimen thickness. It appears that microfocus projection radiography is preferable to conventional contact radiography in cases where increased sensitivity is required and where the additional complexity of the technique can be tolerated.
This study examines the effect of modifications of the chemical structure of the monomers on the properties of the polymeric precursor and and ceramic fibers. A group of silaneamines, R'-Si (NH-R) sub 3, taken from the series where R' is methyl or phenyl and R is n-propyl, n-butyl, phenyl or allyl, are converted to polycarbosilazanes by heating in excess of 500 C. Resins obtained from this polymerization are characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy and GPC. Each resin is tested for fiber-forming properties. Resin samples and fibers are hydrolytically cured. Thermogravimetric analyses are conducted on the cured resins to compare the relative thermal stability and examine the pyrolysis process. Cured fibers are tested for tensil strength.
Conventional and microfocus X-radiographic techniques were compared to determine relative detectability limits for voids in green and sintered SiC and Si3N4. The relative sensitivity of the techniques was evaluated by comparing their ability to detect voids that were artificially introduced by a seeding process. For projection microfocus radiography the sensitivity of void detection at a 90/95 probability of detection/confidence level is 1.5 percent of specimen thickness in sintered SiC and Si3N4. For conventional contact radiography the sensitivity is 2.5 percent of specimen thickness. It appears that microfocus projection radiography is preferable to conventional contact radiography in cases where increased sensitivity is required and where the additional complexity of the technique can be tolerated.
The influence on density and strength of pressureless sintering in vacuum and argon environments has been evaluated with injection molded SiC materials. Main effects and two factor interactions of sintering (cycle variables temperature, time, heating rate, and atmosphere) were assessed. An improved understanding of the influence of the processing flaws and sintering conditions has been obtained. Strength and density have improved from a baseline level of 299 MPa (43.3 Ksi) and 94 pct of theoretical density to values greater than 483 MPa (70 Ksi) and 97 pct.
The thermoelastic micromechanical stresses associated with a single large hexagonal alpha-SiC grain within a fine-grain-size cubic (3C) beta-SiC matrix were calculated. The naturally occurring residual stresses which are created during cooling from the processing temperatures and the effects of superimposed applied external stresses are both considered. A significant effect of the shape or geometry of the alpha-SiC grain is revealed, with the largest residual stresses associated with the naturally occurring tabular or platelet structure. The stresses are compared with the published strength results for these materials, which suggests that the residual stresses assume a significant role in the strength reduction that is observed.
The present 1000 C and 1300 C oxidation tests on 111-oriented single-crystal Si and dense CVD Si3N4 notes the oxidation rates of the latter in wet O2, dry O2, wet inert gas, and steam atmosphere conditions to be several orders of magnitude lower than the rates for the former in identical atmospheric conditions. Although the parabolic rate constant for Si increased linearly as the water vapor pressure increased, the parabolic rate constant for Si3N4 exhibited a nonlinear dependency on water vapor pressure in the presence of O2. NO and NH3 formation at the reaction interface of Si3N4, and the counterpermeation of these reaction products, are noted to dominate reaction kinetics.
A number of commercially available SiC and Si3N4 materials were exposed to 1000 C for 40 h in a high-velocity, pressurized burner rig as a simulation of an aircraft turbine environment. Na impurities (2 ppm) added to the burner flame resulted in molten Na2SO4 deposition, attack of the SiC and Si3N4, and formation of substantial Na2O+x(SiO2) corrosion product. Room-temperature strength of the materials decreased as a result of the formation of corrosion pits in SiC and grain-boundary dissolution and pitting in Si3N4.
The active-to-passive transition in the oxidation of SiC and Si3N4 was determined in a flowing air environment as a function of temperature and total pressure. The experimentally observed transition temperatures ranged from a low of 1347 C to a high of 1543 C for partial pressures of oxygen of 2.5 and 123.2 Pa, respectively. The SiC and Si3N4 samples had approximately the same transition point for a given pressure. In general, the higher the flow rate, the higher the transition temperature for a given pressure. The transitions for SiC measured in this study agree with previous data for the transition of SiC measured in pure oxygen at reduced pressures and in oxygen inert gas mixtures.