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At least 181 records · Page 10

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NASA NTRS1990

Acousto-ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of materials using laser beam generation and detection

The acousto-ultrasonic method has proven to be a most interesting technique for nondestructive evaluation of the mechanical properties of a variety of materials. Use of the technique or a modification thereof, has led to correlation of the associated stress wave factor with mechanical properties of both metals and composite materials. The method is applied to the nondestructive evaluation of selected fiber reinforced structural composites. For the first time, conventional piezoelectric transducers were replaced with laser beam ultrasonic generators and detectors. This modification permitted true non-contact acousto-ultrasonic measurements to be made, which yielded new information about the basic mechanisms involved as well as proved the feasibility of making such non-contact measurements on terrestrial and space structures and heat engine components. A state-of-the-art laser based acousto-ultrasonic system, incorporating a compact pulsed laser and a fiber-optic heterodyne interferometer, was delivered to the NASA Lewis Research Center.

Huber, Robert D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Impact cratering: A geologic process

The mechanisms involved in the formation of impact craters are examined theoretically, reviewing the results of recent investigations. Topics addressed include crater morphology, stress waves in solids, the contact and compression stage, the excavation stage, and ejecta deposits. Consideration is given to the scaling of crater dimensions, the crater modification stage, multiring basins, cratered landscapes, atmospheric interactions, and the implications of impact cratering for planetary evolution. Extensive diagrams, graphs, tables, and images of typical craters are provided.

Melosh, H. J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Review of acousto-ultrasonic NDE for composites

Acousto-ultrasonics utilizes simulated stress waves to detect and quantify defect states, damage conditions, and variations of mechanical properties in fiber reinforced composites. The term acousto-ultrasonics denotes a combination of aspects of acoustic emission methodology with ultrasonic materials characterization. The acousto-ultrasonic approach was developed to deal primarily with evaluation of the integrated effect of minor flaws and diffuse flaw populations of subcritical flaws in composite and bonded structures. These factors singly and collectively also influence acousto-ultrasonic measurements that, in turn, correlate with dynamic response and mechanical property variations. Since it was first introduced, the acousto-ultrasonic approach was successfully applied to a variety of materials, including polymeric, metallic, and ceramic matrix composites; adhesively bonded materials; paper and wood products; cable and rope; and also human bone. Examples of applications and limitations of the approach are reviewed. Basic methods and guidelines are discussed. The underlying hypothesis and theory development needs are indicated.

Vary, Alex↗

NASA NTRS1991

Acousto-ultrasonic evaluation of ceramic matrix composite materials

Acousto-ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation of ceramic composite specimens with a lithium-alumino-silicate glass matrix reinforced with unidirectional silicon carbide (NICALON) fibers was conducted to evaluate their reserve of strength. Ceramic composite specimens with different amount of damage were prepared by four-point cyclic fatigue loading of the specimens at 500 C for a different number of cycles. The reserve of strength of the specimens was measured as the maximum bending stress recorded during four-pointed bending test with the load monotonically increased until failure occurs. It was observed that the reserve of strength did not correlate with the number of fatigue cycles. However, it was also observed that higher values of the stress wave factor measurements correspond to higher values of the reserve of strength test data. Therefore, these results show that the acousto-ultrasonic approach has the potential of being used to monitor damage and to estimate the reserve of strength of ceramic composites.

Dosreis, Henrique L. M.↗

NASA NTRS1991

A drag measurement technique for free piston shock tunnels

A new technique is described for measuring drag with 100-microsecond rise time on a nonlifting model in a free piston shock tunnel. The technique involves interpretation of the stress waves propagating within the model and its support. A finite element representation and spectral methods are used to obtain a mean square optimal estimate of the time history of the aerodynamic loading. Thus, drag is measured instantaneously and the previous restriction caused by the mechanical time constant of balances is overcome. The effectiveness of the balance is demonstrated by measuring the drag on cones with 5 and 15 deg semi-vertex angles in nominally Mach 5.6 flow with stagnation enthalpies from 2.6 to 33 MJ/kg.

Sanderson, S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The durability of graphite/epoxy laminate subjected to repeated low velocity impact

Low velocity impact has been considered as quasi-static loading, as the dynamic effects are decaying before the pressure reaches its maximum. However, when the impact energy is low enough as not to cause visible damage, the dynamic effect at the beginning of the impact may cause internal damage to the laminate. Laminates were loaded quasi-statically and by impact to the same bending strain and with the same indenter shape several times. The laminates that were subjected to the impact loading failed much more rapidly. Analysis of the problem shows that the stress waves created by the impact at the beginning of contact intensify the damage zone created by the preceding impact until the final failure occurs.

Rotem, A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Acousto-ultrasonics - Retrospective exhortation with bibliography

Major research on the acousto-ultrasonic (AU) technique (also known as the stress-wave-factor technique) encompassing aspects of acoustic emission and ultrasonic materials characterization methodology is reviewed. AU deals primarily with such factors as the assessment of the integrated effects of diffuse defect states, thermomechanical degradation, and population of subcritical flaws that influence AU measurements correlating with mechanical property variations. AU is used to evaluate fiber-reinforced composites, adhesive bonds, lumber, paper and wood products, cable and rope, and human bone. The AU technique has been demonstrated to be sensitive to interlaminar and adhesive bond strength variations and has been shown to be useful in assessing microporosity and microcracking produced by fatigue cycling. An extensive bibliography ranging from 1985 to 1991 is presented.

Vary, Alex↗

NASA NTRS1993

Evaluation of a vibration diagnostic system for the detection of spur gear pitting failures

A vibration diagnostic system was used to detect spur gear surface pitting fatigue in a closed-loop spur gear fatigue test rig. The diagnostic system, comprising a personal computer with an analog-to-digital conversion board, a diagnostic system unit, and software, uses time-synchronous averaging of the vibration signal to produce a vibration image of each tooth on any gear in a transmission. Several parameters were analyzed including gear pair stress wave and raw baseband vibration, kurtosis, peak ratios, and others. The system provides limits for the various parameters and gives a warning when the limits are exceeded. Several spur gear tests were conducted with this system and vibration data analyzed at 5-min. intervals. The results presented herein show that the system is fairly effective at detecting spur gear tooth surface fatigue pitting failures.

Townsend, Dennis P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Acousto-Ultrasonic analysis of failure in ceramic matrix composite tensile specimens

Three types of acousto-ultrasonic (AU) measurements, stress-wave factor (SWF), lowest antisymmetric plate mode group velocity (VS), and lowest symmetric plate mode group velocity (VL), were performed on specimens before and after tensile failure. Three different Nicalon fiber architectures with ceramic matrices were tested. These composites were categorized as 1D (unidirectional fiber orientation) SiC/CAS glass ceramic, and 2D and 3D woven SiC/SiC ceramic matrix materials. SWF was found to be degraded after tensile failure in all three material categories. VS was found to be degraded only in the 1D SiC/CAS. VL was difficult to determine on the irregular specimen surfaces but appeared unchanged on all failed specimens. 3D woven specimens with heat-treatment at high temperature exhibited degradation only in SWF.

Kautz, Harold E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Dynamic fragmentation in impacts - Hydrocode simulation of laboratory impacts

The dynamic fragmentation in impacts into solids is examined using a physical model for the formation and growth of cracks in rocks. The physical model is then inserted into a numerical model (hydrocode) of stress wave propagation and interaction, from which the outcome of a given impact event can be computed. The hydrocode model predicts fragment sizes due to impact in terms of shock waves propagating in a homogeneous elastic medium containing a distribution of crack nucleation centers known as Weibull flaws.

Melosh, H. J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Quantitative measurement of in-plane acoustic field components using surface-mounted fiber sensors

Extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors have been used to obtain calibrated, quantitative measurements of the in-plane displacement components associated with the propagation of ultrasonic elastic stress waves on the surfaces of solids. The frequency response of the sensor is determined by the internal spacing between the two reflecting fiber endface surfaces which form the Fabry-Perot cavity, a distance which is easily controlled during fabrication. With knowledge of the material properties of the solid, the out-of-plane displacement component of the wave may also be determined, giving full field data.

Claus, Richard O.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Evaluation of a vibration diagnostic system for the detection of spur gear pitting failures

Townsend, Dennis P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

NDE of titanium alloy MMC rings for gas turbine engines

Progress in the processing and fabrication of metal matrix composites (MMC's) requires appropriate mechanical and nondestructive testing methods. These methods are needed to characterize properties, assess integrity, and predict the life of engine components such as compressor rotors, blades, and vanes. Capabilities and limitations of several state-of-the-art nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies are investigated for characterizing titanium MMC rings for gas turbine engines. The use of NDE technologies such as x-ray computed tomography, radiography, and ultrasonics in identifying fabrication-related problems that caused defects in components is examined. Acousto-ultrasonics was explored to assess degradation of material mechanical properties by using stress wave factor and ultrasonic velocity measurements before and after the burst testing of the rings.

Baaklini, George Y.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Asteroid collisions: Target size effects and resultant velocity distributions

To study the dynamic fragmentation of rock to simulate asteroid collisions, we use a 2-D, continuum damage numerical hydrocode which models two-body impacts. This hydrocode monitors stress wave propagation and interaction within the target body, and includes a physical model for the formation and growth of cracks in rock. With this algorithm we have successfully reproduced fragment size distributions and mean ejecta speeds from laboratory impact experiments using basalt, and weak and strong mortar as target materials. Using the hydrocode, we have determined that the energy needed to fracture a body has a much stronger dependence on target size than predicted from most scaling theories. In addition, velocity distributions obtained indicate that mean ejecta speeds resulting from large-body collisions do not exceed escape velocities.

Ryan, Eileen V.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Modeling of outgassing and matrix decomposition in carbon-phenolic composites

Work done in the period Jan. - June 1994 is summarized. Two threads of research have been followed. First, the thermodynamics approach was used to model the chemical and mechanical responses of composites exposed to high temperatures. The thermodynamics approach lends itself easily to the usage of variational principles. This thermodynamic-variational approach has been applied to the transpiration cooling problem. The second thread is the development of a better algorithm to solve the governing equations resulting from the modeling. Explicit finite difference method is explored for solving the governing nonlinear, partial differential equations. The method allows detailed material models to be included and solution on massively parallel supercomputers. To demonstrate the feasibility of the explicit scheme in solving nonlinear partial differential equations, a transpiration cooling problem was solved. Some interesting transient behaviors were captured such as stress waves and small spatial oscillations of transient pressure distribution.

Mcmanus, Hugh L.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Shock tunnel studies of scramjet phenomena 1994

A new expansion tube facility has been built, and is in the process of being commissioned. It has a bore of 90 mm, and has been designed for peak rupture pressures of 100 Mpa. It is configured with multiple sections and diaphragm location stations to give optimized performance over a range of sub and superorbital conditions. It has a compound piston arrangement for a two stage compression, designed to maximize the length of shock expansion tube which can be driven within a fixed total facility length. Experiments have been successfully performed with a dummy first stage piston, and a rubber energy absorbing brake. The results agree well with a one-dimensional stress wave model of the piston impacting on the rubber, and codes for piston motion. Strain of the rubber is restricted to approximately 20 percent at which level no damage is to be expected in the buffer material, and none has been observed, indicating that the mechanism will be fully reuseable.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1995

Measurements of scramjet thrust in shock tunnels

By using results obtained in tests on supersonic combustion of hydrogen in air, the conditions governing model size and operating pressure levels for shock tunnel experiments on models of flight vehicles with scramjet propulsion are established. It is seen that large models are required. The development of the stress wave force balance is then described, and its use as a method of measuring thrust/drag on such models is discussed. Test results on a simple, fully integrated scramjet model, with intakes, combustion chambers, thrust surfaces and exterior surfaces, using a 13 percent silane 87 percent hydrogen fuel mixture, showed that a steady state with thrust generation could be achieved within the shock tunnel test time, and the thrust could be measured. Results are presented for a range of stagnation enthalpies, and show that the scramjet model produces net positive thrust at velocities up to 2.4 km/sec.

Stalker, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Supersonic combustion ramjet propulsion experiments in a shock tunnel

Measurements have been made of the propulsive effect of supersonic combustion ramjets incorporated into a simple axisymmetric model in a free piston shock tunnel. The nominal Mach number was 6, and the stagnation enthalpy varied from 2.8 MJ kg(exp -1) to 8.5 MJ kg(exp -1). A mixture of 13 percent silane and 87 percent hydrogen was used as fuel, and experiments were conducted at equivalence ratios up to approximately 0.8. The measurements involved the axial force on the model, and were made using a stress wave force balance, which is a recently developed technique for measuring forces in shock tunnels. A net thrust was experienced up to a stagnation enthalpy of 3.7 MJ kg(exp -1), but as the stagnation enthalpy increased, an increasing net drag was recorded. pitot and static pressure measurements showed that the combustion was supersonic. The results were found to compare satisfactorily with predictions based on established theoretical models, used with some simplifying approximations. The rapid reduction of net thrust with increasing stagnation enthalpy was seen to arise from increasing precombustion temperature, showing the need to control this variable if thrust performance was to be maintained over a range of stagnation enthalpies. Both the inviscid and viscous drag were seen to be relatively insensitive to stagnation enthalpy, with the combustion chambers making a particularly significant contribution to drag. The maximum fuel specific impulse achieved in the experiments was only 175 sec., but the theory indicates that there is considerable scope for improvement on this through aerodynamic design.

Paull, A.↗