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At least 1,801 records · Page 100
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Risk Assessment of Carbon Fiber Composite in Surface Transportation

The vulnerability of surface transportation to airborne carbon fibers and the national risk associated with the potential use of carbon fibers in the surface transportation system were evaluated. Results show airborne carbon fibers may cause failure rates in surface transportation of less than one per year by 1995. The national risk resulting from the use of carbon fibers in the surface transportation system is discussed.

Hathaway, W. T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

High voltage spark carbon fiber detection system

The pulse discharge technique was used to determine the length and density of carbon fibers released from fiber composite materials during a fire or aircraft accident. Specifications are given for the system which uses the ability of a carbon fiber to initiate spark discharge across a high voltage biased grid to achieve accurate counting and sizing of fibers. The design of the system was optimized, and prototype hardware proved satisfactory in laboratory and field tests.

Yang, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Solar Power Satellite (SPS) fiber optic link assessment

A feasibility demonstration of a 980 MHz fiber optic link for the Solar Power Satellite (SPS) phase reference distribution system was accomplished. A dual fiber-optic link suitable for a phase distribution frequency of 980 MHz was built and tested. The major link components include single mode injection laser diodes, avalanche photodiodes, and multimode high bandwidth fibers. Signal throughput was demonstrated to be stable and of high quality in all cases. For a typical SPS link length of 200 meters, the transmitted phase at 980 MHz varies approximately 2.5 degrees for every deg C of fiber temperature change. This rate is acceptable because of the link length compensation feature of the phase control design.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1980

Properties of PMR Polyimide composites made with improved high strength graphite fibers

High strength, intermediate modulus graphite fibers were obtained from various commercial suppliers, and were used to fabricate PMR-15 and PMR-2 polyimide composites. The effects of the improved high strength graphite fibers on composite properties after exposure in air at 600 F were investigated. Two of the improved fibers were found to have an adverse effect on the long term performance of PMR composites. The influence of various factors such as fiber physical properties, surface morphology and chemical composition were also examined.

Vannucci, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Fabrication and evaluation of low fiber content alumina fiber/aluminum composites

The mechanical fabrication of low volume percent fiber, polycrystalline alumina fiber reinforced aluminum composites was accomplished. Wire preform material was prepared by liquid-metal infiltration of alumina fiber bundles. The wires were subsequently encapsulated with aluminum foil and fabricated into bulk composite material by hot-drawing. Extensive mechanical, thermal and chemical testing was conducted on preform and bulk material to develop a process and material data base. In addition, a preliminary investigation of mechanical forming of bulk alumina fiber reinforced aluminum composite material was conducted.

Hack, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Multiwavelength monolithic integrated fiber-optic terminal

The paper presents the Multiwavelength Monolithic Integrated Fiber Optic Terminal (MMIFOT) developed under NASA sponsorship. The program aims to utilize the advantage of optical fiber and integrated optical device technology to achieve parallel transmission of many data channels over the same optical fiber link, and to develop an eight channel wavelength multiplexed fiber optic link that transmits eight bit words in a parallel format at a nominal rate of 20 Mw/s; in the second phase of the program a transmitter/multiplexer chip will be developed. The MMIFOT configuration, the receiver/demultiplexer development, and the waveguide detector development are discussed, concluding that the first phase of the MMIFOT program will culminate in the demonstration of an eight channel receiver/demultiplexer chip with a four channel breadboard multiplexer with the data rate of 20 Mbps per channel with a dynamic range of minimum 20 dB.

Rice, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The potential for damage from the accidental release of conductive carbon fibers from aircraft composites

The paper considers the potential for damage from the accidental release of conductive carbon fibers from aircraft composites. The electrical conductivity of carbon and graphite fibers has led to electrical equipment damage from the inadvertent release of virgin fibers into the atmosphere; an accidental release of carbon fibers from filamentary composites from the burning of crashed commercial airliners could damage electrical and electronic equipment. The experimental and analytical results by NASA of the methods of assessing the extent of potential damage in terms of costs is presented; the NASA materials research program to provide alternate or modified composites to overcome electrical hazards of carbon composites in aircraft structures is described.

Bell, V. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Fiber release characteristics of graphite hybrid composites

The paper considers different material concepts that can be fabricated of hybridized composites which demonstrate improved graphite fiber retention capability in a severe fire without significant reduction to the composite properties. More than 30 panels were fabricated for mechanical and fire tests, the details and results of which are presented. Methods of composite hybridization investigated included the addition of oxidation resistant fillers to the resin, mechanically interlocking the graphite fibers by the use of woven fabrics, and the addition of glass fibers and glass additives designed to melt and fuse the graphite fibers together. It is concluded that a woven fabric with a serving of glass around each graphite tow is by far the superior of those evaluated: not only is there a coalescing effect in each graphite layer, but there is also a definite adhesion of each layer to its neighbor.

Henshaw, J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fiber-Reinforced Slip Castings

Addition of silica fibers greatly reduces shrinkage and cracking during casting of ceramics. Fiber-reinforced slip-cast silica ceramics are also tougher and have lower dielectric loss. Silica fibers are hyperpure material containing only 1 part per million total metal-ion impurities. Hyperpure fibers ensure high reflectance and allow casting to be fired at temperature greater than 2,200 degrees F without loss of strength from devitrification.

Blome, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Circuit Counts Carbon Fibers

Carbon fibers are counted when they fall on high-voltage grid. An arc discharge vaporizes fiber and triggers timer. The equal-duration pulses from timer are integrated by operational amplifier, giving an output voltage that is proportional to the number of fibers incident after reset switch was opened. If two or more fibers arrive at grid simultaneously, they are vaporized one at a time; thus all of them are counted.

Yang, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Fiber release from impacted graphite reinforced epoxy composites

Carbon fibers released from composites by aircraft fires and crashes can cause electrical shorts and consequent equipment damage. This report investigates less vigorous release mechanisms than that previously simulated by explosive burn/blast tests. When AS/3501-6 composites are impacted by various head and weight configurations of a pendulum impactor, less than 0.2 percent by weight of the original sample is released as single fibers. Other fiber release mechanisms studied were air blasts, constant airflow, torsion, flexural, and vibration of composite samples. The full significance of the low single fiber release rates found here is to be evaluated by NASA in their aircraft vulnerability studies.

Babinsky, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Optical fiber dispersion characterization study

The theory, design, and results of optical fiber pulse dispersion measurements are considered. Both the hardware and software required to perform this type of measurement are described. Hardware includes a thermoelectrically cooled injection laser diode source, an 800 GHz gain bandwidth produce avalanche photodiode and an input mode scrambler. Software for a HP 9825 computer includes fast Fourier transform, inverse Fourier transform, and optimal compensation deconvolution. Test set construction details are also included. Test results include data collected on a 1 Km fiber, a 4 Km fiber, a fused spliced, eight 600 meter length fibers concatenated to form 4.8 Km, and up to nine optical connectors.

Geeslin, A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Study and modification of the reactivity of carbon fibers

The reactivity to air of polyactylonitrile-based carbon fiber cloth was enhanced by the addition of metals to the cloth. The cloth was oxidized in 54 wt% nitric acid in order to increase the surface area of the cloth and to add carbonyl groups to the surface. Metal addition was then achieved by soaking the cloth in metal acetate solution to effect exchange between the metal carbon and hydrogen on the carbonyl groups. The addition of potassium, sodium, calcium and barium enhanced fiber cloth reactivity to air at 573 K. Extended studies using potassium addition showed that success in enhancing fiber cloth reactivity to air depends on: extent of cloth oxidation in nitric acid, time of exchange in potassium acetate solution and the thoroughness of removing metal acetate from the fiber pore structure following exchange. Cloth reactivity increases essentially linearly with increase in potassium addition via exchange.

Walker, P. L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Process for the manufacture of carbon or graphite fibers

Carbon or graphite fibers are manufactured by heating polyacrylonitrile fiber materials in various solutions and gases. They are characterized in that the materials are heated to temperatures from 150 to 300 C in a solution containing one or more acids from the group of carbonic acids, sulfonic acids, and/or phenols. The original molecular orientation of the fibers is preserved by the cyclization that occurs before interlacing, which gives very strong and stiff carbon or graphite fibers without additional high temperature stretching treatments.

Overhoff, D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Modification of silicon carbide fibers for use in SiC/Ti composites

The degradation of silicon carbide fibers during exposure to conditions typical of composite fabrication was investigated. The tensile strength of pristine fibers and fibers sputtered with thin metal coatings were determined before and after treatment at 870 C for one hour in vacuum. Each fiber strength distribution was related by an analytical procedure to a projected composite ultimate tensile strength (PC UTS). The results indicate that a thin aluminum diffusion barrier can yield a 150 percent increase in PC UTS over the baseline SiC/Ti system.

Landis, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Fillers for improved graphite fiber retention by polymer matrix composites

The results of a program designed to determine the extent to which elemental boron and boron containing fillers added to the matrix resin of graphite/epoxy composites prevent the release of graphite fibers when the composites are exposed to fire and impact conditions are described. The fillers evaluated were boron, boron carbide and aluminum boride. The conditions evaluated were laboratory simulations of those that could exist in the event of an aircraft crash and burn situation. The baseline (i.e., unfilled) laminates evaluated were prepared from commercially available graphite/epoxy. The baseline and filled laminates' mechanical properties, before and after isothermal and humidity aging, also were compared. It was found that a small amount of graphite fiber was released from the baseline graphite/epoxy laminates during the burn and impact conditions used in this program. However, the extent to which the fibers were released is not considered a severe enough problem to preclude the use of graphite reinforced composites in civil aircraft structure. It also was found that the addition of boron and boron containing fillers to the resin matrix eliminated this fiber release. Mechanical properties of laminates containing the boron and boron containing fillers were lower than those of the baseline laminates. These property degradations for two systems: boron (5 micron) at 2.5 percent filler loading, and boron (5 micron) at 5.0 percent filler loading do not appear severe enough to preclude their use in structural composite applications.

House, E. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Application of fiber optics in spacecraft

The unique requirements placed on an optical fiber data system in space are briefly reviewed in this paper. These include temperature extremes, particle radiation, and, in some cases, a stringent electrical power budget. An overriding need is for the best possible reliability. Results related to the power consumption of a fiber terminal pair are reported, with the conclusion that a 32-port transmission star bus configuration could be operated error-free at 10 Mbits/s on 1/8 watt per transmitting terminal. The design of a transmitter terminal optimized for low idling power consumption is discussed. Although the electronic elements on a spacecraft are protected, the fiber cable may be subjected to large temperature extremes. Measured effects of temperature on fibers and cables are discussed and related to bus design. Radiation effects are briefly reviewed, with special reference to the long-duration low dose rate environment of a spacecraft.

Johnston, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

DC calibration of the strain sensitivity of a single mode optical fiber interferometer

The strain sensitivity of an optical fiber interferometer developed for the detection of pulsed ultrasonic waves in solids has been calibrated. The optical paths in both signal and reference arms of the interferometer are through similar 2 m lengths of ITT-110 single mode fibers mode stripped by index matching at both ends and attached to opposite sides of a 30 cm plexiglas bar 0.3 cm thick. Light from the output ends of both fibers was superimposed to form an interference fringe pattern that was interrogated in the far field to give a signal proportional to the differential optical fiber path length. Strain sensitivity was determined by comparing data obtained by clamping and bending the bar at different lengths to simple cantilever beam theory. Calibration indicates a minimum theoretical detectable strain of less than 10 to the -10.

Claus, R. O.↗

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