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At least 217 records · Page 12

Hypervelocity Impact Testing and MMOD Risk Reduction

Purpose: (1) Provide data to develop, update, and/or verify ballistic limit equations used in the MMOD risk assessment. (2) Provide data used to compare two or more shielding options to reduce MMOD risk. (3) Determine failure modes and failure criteria for hardware: (a) Failure modes: how hardware fails (pressure vessels, pressurized lines, electronic hardware, power cables). (b) Failure criteria: quantify damage level that results in hardware failure (for example: depth of penetration into pressure vessel that results in leak or burst).

Lear, Dana↗

Low Density Sabot Catcher for Hypervelocity Impact Tests

The monolithic steel plate traditionally used to intercept sabot pieces during light-gas gun operations was replaced by low density material. The idea was to decrease the shock stress in these plastic sabot pieces to values below the vaporization threshold, thereby reducing the prominent soot-deposits that characterize typical target surfaces. The project was a collaboration between Orbital Debris and Planetary Science interests at JSC/ARES.

Horz, Friedrich↗

Test Report for the Qualification Testing of the ORNL-SFC-W-1 Special Form Capsule

Three prototypes the ORNL-SFC-W-1 special form capsules (SFCs) of the same design were evaluated to determine if the requirements of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 173.469, Tests for Special Form Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials, were met. The results of the special form tests are documented in this test report. This report describes the special form testing activities performed on the three ORNL-SFC-W-1 capsules. The test units were designated as TU-1, TU-2 and TU-3. TU-1 was subjected to leak testing, impact testing and percussion testing. TU-1 was leak tested using the leak rate test specified in 49 CFR 173.469(a)(4)(i). The impact test was conducted according to the requirements in 49 CFR 173.469 (b)(1). The percussion test that was carried out on TU-1 was conducted in accordance with 49 CFR 173.469 (b)(2). Both TU-2 and TU-3 were subjected to a leak rate test as specified in 173.469(a)(4)(i) and a heat test as specified in 49 CFR 173.469(b)(4). Each test unit was leak tested before and after these respective tests. The leak rate tests performed were helium back-pressure tests and bubble tests as specified in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N14.5-2014.The measured leak rates were converted to standard condition leak rates as specified in American Society for Testing and Measurement (ASTM) E 493. The determined standardized leak rates obtained from the test and the calculations for all the test units met the requirements for special form certification. The testing was performed under the direction of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Package Testing Program (PTP).

42 ENGINEERING↗

Galileo battery testing and the impact of test automation

Test complexity, changes of test specifications, and the demand for tight control of tests led to the development of automated testing used for Galileo and other projects. The use of standardized interfacing, i.e., IEEE-488, with desktop computers and test instruments, resulted in greater reliability, repeatability, and accuracy of both control and data reporting. Increased flexibility of test programming has reduced costs by permitting a wide spectrum of test requirements at one station rather than many stations.

Pertuch, W. T.↗

A Metallurgical Investigation of Large Forged Discs of Low-carbon N-155 Alloy

Research was undertaken to ascertain the properties of better wrought heat resisting alloys in the form of large discs required for gas turbine rotors. The properties of large discs of low carbon N-155 alloy in both the as-forged and water-quenched and aged conditions were determined by means of stress-rupture and creep tests for time periods up to about 2000 hours at 1200, 1350, and 1500 F. Short-time tensile test, impact test, and time-total deformation characteristics are included. The principle results are given.

Cross, Howard C↗

Excerpts from Test Films: Langley Impacting Structures Facility, Lunar Module

The film includes excerpts from three studies: (1) Landing characteristics of a dynamic model of the HL-10 manned lifting entry vehicle, conducted by Sandy M. Stubbs, in which the vehicle landed on water at horizontal velocities of 240- and 250-feet per second (ft/sec). (2) Dynamic model investigation of water pressures and accelerations encountered during landings of the Apollo spacecraft conducted by Sandy M. Stubbs, in which horizontal velocity was 50 ft/sec. and pitch attitude was -12 and -28 degrees. (3) Comparative landing impact tests of a 1/6-scale model as a free body under earth gravity and a tethered full-scale lunar module on the Lunar Gravity Simulator. Landing 8 is shown, with a vertical velocity of 10 ft/sec. and a horizontal velocity of 8 ft/sec. Motion pictures were taken at 400 and 64 pps.

Source record↗

Indentation-flexure and low-velocity impact damage in graphite epoxy laminates

Static indentation-flexure and low-velocity impact tests were performed on quasi-isotropic and cross-ply graphite/epoxy composite laminates. The load-deflection relations in static tests and impact force history in impact tests were recorded. The damage was assessed by using ultrasonic C-scanning and photo-micrographic techniques. Some features of the static behavior were explained by simple analytical models. A good correlation existed between the load-deflection curves for static and impact loading. It was found that results from a few static indentation-flexure tests can be used to predict the impact force history and delamination radius in composite laminates due to low-velocity impact.

Kwon, Young S.↗

Test Report for the Regulatory Testing of the Welded Isotek-SFC-W-3 Special Form Capsule

Two prototypes the welded ISOTEK-SFC-W-3 special form capsules (SFCs) of the same design were evaluated to determine if the requirements of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 173.469, Tests for Special Form Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials, were met. The results of the special form tests are documented in this test report. This report describes the special form testing activities performed on the two welded ISOTEK-SFC-W-3 capsules. The test units were designated as TU-1 and TU-2. TU-1 was subjected to leak testing, percussion testing, and impact testing. TU-1 was leak tested using the leak rate test specified in 49 CFR 173.469(a)(4)(i). The impact test on TU-1 was conducted according to the requirements in 49 CFR 173.469 (b)(1). The percussion test that was carried out on TU-1 was conducted in accordance with 49 CFR 173.469 (b)(2). TU-2 was subjected to a leak rate test as specified in 173.469(a)(4)(i) and a heat test as specified in 49 CFR 173.469(b)(4). Each test unit was leak tested before and after these respective tests. The leak rate tests performed were helium back-pressure tests and bubble tests, as specified in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N14.5-2014. The measured leak rates were converted to standard condition leak rates as specified in American Society for Testing and Measurement (ASTM) E 493. The determined standardized leak rates obtained from the test and the calculations for all the test units met the requirements for special form certification. The testing was performed under the direction of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Package Testing Program (PTP).

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Indentation-flexure and low-velocity impact damage in graphite/epoxy laminates

Static indentation and low velocity impact tests were performed on quasi-isotropic and cross ply graphite/epoxy composite laminates. The load deflection relations in static tests and impact force history in the impact tests were recorded. The damage was assessed by using ultrasonic C-scanning and photomicrographic techniques. The static behavior of the laminates and damage progression during loading, unloading, and reloading were explained by a simple plate delamination model. A good correlation existed between the static and impact responses. It was found that results from a few static indentation-flexture tests can be used to predict the response and damage in composite laminates due to a class of low velocity impact events.

Kwon, Young S.↗

Mechanical behavior and texture evolution of WE43 magnesium-rare earth alloy in Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar and Taylor Impact Cylinder Testing

Mechanical behavior and texture evolution of Mg rare-earth alloy WE43 is investigated for strain-rates 10 -3 /s to upwards of 10 5 /s for the two material conditions - as-cast (AC) and T6 age hardened, rolled plate (RT6). The high strain-rate behavior is tested using both Taylor cylinder impact tests (TC) and split Hopkinson pressure bar tests (SHB) and bulk textures are obtained using neutron diffraction. Unlike the quasi-static strained material, AC and RT6 SHB retained high hardening rates throughout the test, even up to 30% true strain. Moreover, the high strain-rate data revealed that the RT6 material has a much higher strength than the AC material, but similar hardening rates despite significantly different initial texture. The flow stress near yield increased up to I 0% for RT6 and up to 30% for AC as the strain-rate increased six orders of magnitude from quasi-static rates 10 -3 /s to 10 3 /s. Neither material exhibited significant plastic anisotropy over the broad range of strain rates, despite the fact that the RT6 material had a moderately strong initial texture. In the TC tests, the geometric cross-sectional changes and texture along the cylinder from the cylindrical sample foot to head are measured and from the neutron diffraction texture analysis, upper-bound estimates of twin volume fraction are obtained as well as dislocation density from analyzing diffraction peak broadening. Recorded geometrical changes along several loading directions show that the material has deformed remarkably homogeneously under impact. Analysis of deformed textures indicates that {101¯2} extension deformation twinning occurred in the RT6 condition over the range of strain rates, with an upper bound estimate of 40% twin volume fraction for approximately 0.10-0.25 true strain. The peak texture components after the impact have their c-axes closely aligned with the impact direction. As a result, these observations are presented and rationalized in the paper.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Additive manufacturing of cobalt-based alloy on tool steel by directed energy deposition

Cladding hard-surfacing alloys on tool steel is an effective approach to enhance the surface properties of tool steel. In this study, a Co-based alloy was deposited on tool steel by Directed Energy Deposition (DED) following a three-factor three-level design of experiment matrix with varied laser power, scan speed, and powder flow rate. The microstructure of the deposits was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The residual stress on the surface of the samples was measured by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) sin2? technique. The parameters that produced promising deposits were used to fabricate samples for tensile test, four-point bending test, Charpy impact test, and hardness measurement. Our result reveals that the processing parameters have a significant role in the residual stress of the coatings. Residual stress reduces with the increase of laser energy density. Cracks were found at samples with energy density below a threshold. Tensile testing of the coating/substrate combined structure reveals fracture at the coatings with an ultimate tensile strength of 633.9 ± 54.7 MPa. The bi-material interface survived the tensile test, indicating a strong interfacial bond. The four-point bending test of coating/substrate laminates shows an ultimate flexure strength of 860.6 ± 36.9 MPa. Cracks initiated from the coatings ignored the interface and penetrated the substrate, suggesting a solid bi-material bond. Charpy impact test shows the absorbed energy of coating/substrate laminates is more than doubled that of the substrate.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

SEDS Tether M/OD Damage Analyses

The Small Expendable Deployer System (SEDS) was designed to deploy an endmass at the end of a 20-km-long tether which acts as an upper stage rocket, and the threats from the meteoroid and orbital debris (M/OD) particle environments on SEDS components are important issues for the safety and success of any SEDS mission. However, the possibility of severing the tether due to M/OD particle impacts is an even more serious concern, since the SEDS tether has a relatively large exposed area to the M/OD environments although its diameter is quite small. The threats from the M/OD environments became a very important issue for the third SEDS mission, since the project office proposed using the shuttle orbiter as a launch platform instead of the second stage of a Delta II expendable rocket, which was used for the first two SEDS missions. A series of hyper-velocity impact tests were performed at the Johnson Space Center and Arnold Engineering Development Center to help determine the critical particle sizes required to sever the tether. The computer hydrodynamic code or hydrocode called CTH, developed by the Sandia National Laboratories, was also used to simulate the damage on the SEDS tether caused by both the orbital debris and test particle impacts. The CTH hydrocode simulation results provided the much needed information to help determine the critical particle sizes required to sever the tether. The M/OD particle sizes required to sever the tether were estimated to be less than 0.1 cm in diameter from these studies, and these size particles are more abundant in low-Earth orbit than larger size particles. Finally, the authors performed the M/OD damage analyses for the three SEDS missions; i.e., SEDS-1, -2, and -3 missions, by using the information obtained from the hypervelocity impact test and hydrocode simulations results.

Hayashida, K. B.↗

Experimental Results From Stitched Composite Multi-Bay Fuselage Panels Tested Under Uni-Axial Compression

The experimental results from two stitched VARTM composite panels tested under uni-axial compression loading are presented. The curved panels are divided by frames and stringers into five or six bays with a column of three bays along the compressive loading direction. The frames are supported at the ends to resist out-of-plane translation. Back-to-back strain gages are used to record the strain and displacement transducers were used to record the out-of-plane displacements. In addition a full-field measurement technique that utilizes a camera-based-stero-vision system was used to record displacements. The panels were loaded in increments to determine the first bay to buckle. Loading was discontinued at limit load and the panels were removed from the test machine for impact testing. After impacting at 20 ft-lbs to 25 ft-lbs of energy with a spherical indenter, the panels were loaded in compression until failure. Impact testing reduced the axial stiffness 4 percent and less than 1 percent. Postbuckled axial panel stiffness was 52 percent and 70 percent of the pre-buckled stiffness.

Baker, Donald J.↗

X-Ray Imagery as the Record of All Data of Interest in Hypervelocity Impact Fragment Studies

Laboratory study of hypervelocity spacecraft fragmentation has traditionally involved the collection and analysis of fragments that were caught in deceleration material surrounding the impact. This process has typically involved the disintegration of the catchment material either through chemical dissolution, or through physical excavation to recover the fragments. Due to the scale of the three impact tests—the Satellite Orbital Debris Characterization Impact Test (SOCIT), the DebriSat satellite impact test, and the DebrisLV launch vehicle impact test—the latter two using more than 12 cubic meters of polyurethane foam to capture the fragments, hese projects have used x-ray imagery to precisely locate and thus, to more efficiently extract fragments in the soft-catch material. Three years into the DebriSat fragment extraction process, a side study was initiated to explore what additional information could be discerned from the x-rays, with significant results. This study was instrumental to a rapid replacement and retooling as the project was forced to replace the x-ray system around which the extraction process had been based. The revised process continues to map the debris for extraction. The project has, in parallel, systematically addressed the limits/tolerances of what x-rays can reveal about size, shape, density, mass, velocity, energy, and deformation/damage of the fragment during the deceleration in the catchment material while replicating the original extraction mapping function. All of these features have been optimized or have sufficient understanding to characterize the basic factors that will define a complete data set extracted solely from x-ray imagery. It is an ideal time to develop such a process, with extracted fragments providing “ground truth” against image-only data, and abundant available imagery of the same fragments under both the prior and replacement x-ray technologies, which have several fundamentally different characteristics. This paper addresses the types and quality of hypervelocity fragmentation data that can be and has been extracted from x-rays. It further addresses the question of whether and under what circumstances future hypervelocity experiments can use x-ray methods to largely—or to completely—avoid the extraction process in recording all appropriate results. Lastly, this paper addresses lessons learned and how future efforts can be further optimized.

John B. Bacon↗

Preliminary Characterization Results from the DebriSat Project

The DebriSat project is a continuing effort sponsored by NASA and DoD to update existing break-up models using data obtained from two separate hypervelocity impact tests used to simulate on-orbit collisions. To protect the fragments resulting from the impact tests, "soft-catch" arenas made of polyurethane foam panels were utilized. After each impact test, the test chamber was cleaned and debris resulting from the catastrophic demise of the test article were collected and shipped to the University of Florida for post-impact processing. The post-impact processing activities include collecting, characterizing, and cataloging of the fragments. Since the impact tests, a team of students has been working to characterize the fragments in terms of their mass, size, shape, color and material content. The focus of the 20 months since the impact tests has been on the collection of 2 millimeters- and larger fragments resulting from impact test on the 56 kilogram-representative LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite referred to as DebriSat. To date we have recovered in excess of 115,000 fragments, 30,000 more than the prediction of 85,000 fragments from the existing model. We continue to collect fragments but have transitioned to the characterization phase of the post-impact activities. Since the start of the characterization phase, the focus has been to utilize automation to (i) expedite fragment characterization process and (ii) minimize human-in-the- loop. We have developed and implemented such automated processes; e.g., we have automated the data entry process to reduce operator errors during transcription of the measurement data. However, at all steps of the process, there is human oversight to ensure the integrity of the data. Additionally, we have developed and implemented repeatability and reproducibility tests to ensure that the instrumentation used in the characterization process is accurate and properly calibrated. In this paper, the implemented processes are described and preliminary results presented. Additionally, lessons learned from the implemented automations and their impacts on the integrity of the results are discussed.

Rivero, M.↗