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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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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Compression Molding of Composite of Recycled HDPE and Recycled Tire Particles

Plastic and rubber recycling is an effective means of reducing solid waste to the environment and preserving natural resources. A project aimed at developing a new composite material from recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) and recycled rubber is currently being conducted at Eastern Illinois University. The recycled plastic pellets with recycled rubber particles are extruded into some HDPE/rubber composite strands. The strand can be further cut into pellets that can be used to fabricate other material forms or products. This experiment was inspired by the above-mentioned research activity. In order to measure Durometer hardness of the extruded composite, a specimen with relatively large dimensions was needed. Thus, compression molding was used to form a cylindrical specimen of 1 in. diameter and 1 in. thickness. The initial poor quality of the molded specimen prompted a need to optimize the processing parameters such as temperature, holding time, and pressure. Design of experiment (DOE) was used to obtain optimum combination of the parameters.

Liu, Ping↗
NASA NTRS1993

Method and apparatus for cleaning rubber deposits from airport runways and roadways

A method and apparatus for cleaning rubber deposits from surfaces such as airport runways and roadways is disclosed. The apparatus includes a large vehicle that has the capacity to be loaded so as to effectively add weight to the rubber cleaning tires of the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle has a water tank and sprinkler system so that the surface may be wetted down in front of the tires as the vehicle proceeds across the surface. The cleaning tires of the apparatus are aligned so that they are at a yaw angle to the direction of travel, and the cleaning tire assembly is attached to the underside of the trailer of the vehicle and positioned between a forward and rear water tank. In addition, this tire assembly is equipped with a means of loading the tires onto the contaminated surface. The method comprises driving such a vehicle at low speeds down the surface as the road is being wet in front of the cleaning tires. The effect of the angled tires is to create a scrubbing action that not only heats the rubber deposits by friction but also causes it to be removed from the surface. The rubber that does not stick to the cleaning tires is then removed from the surface by sweeping.

Stubbs, Sandy M.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The NASA landing gear test airplane

A tire and landing gear test facility has been developed and incorporated into a Convair 990 aircraft. The system can simulate tire vertical load profiles to 250,000 lb, sideslip angles to 15 degrees, and wheel braking on actual runways. Onboard computers control the preprogrammed test profiles through a feedback loop and also record three axis loads, tire slip angle, and tire condition. The aircraft to date has provided tire force and wear data for the Shuttle Orbiter tire on three different runways and at east and west coast landing sites. This report discusses the role of this facility in complementing existing ground tire and landing gear test facilities, and how this facility can simultaneously simulate the vertical load, tire slip, velocity, and surface for an entire aircraft landing. A description is given of the aircraft as well as the test system. An example of a typical test sequence is presented. Data collection and reduction from this facility are discussed, as well as accuracies of calculated parameters. Validation of the facility through ground and flight tests is presented. Tests to date have shown that this facility can operate at remote sites and gather complete data sets of load, slip, and velocity on actual runway surfaces. The ground and flight tests have led to a successful validation of this test facility.

Carter, John F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Chevron cutting: Experiment with new runway mixtures

Chevron cutting is shown to occur in different forms depending on the type of tire and the rubber on the running surface. Hardest wear is shown by the main tires of the B-747. Four defects occurred, in the form of two rip separation and two breakouts of the running surface. Tires capped by Thompson are more affected than any of the other rubber-capping fabrics. For Thompson tires, Chevron Cutting is greatly reduced with a fiberglass-rubber mixture. For Goodyear tires, it is eliminated with spiral wrap rubbercapping; resistance to damages through cuts seems to be more positive for Goodyear tires. For Mader tires, the extent of Chevron Cutting is generally smaller than for Thompson cappings.

Tyran, K.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Experimental Evaluation of the Scale Model Method to Simulate Lunar Vehicle Dynamics

As compared to driving on Earth, the presence of lower gravity and uneven terrain on planetary bodies makes high speed driving difficult. In order to maintain ground contact and control vehicles need to be designed with special attention to dynamic response. The challenge of maintaining control on the Moon was evident during high speed operations of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) on Apollo 16, as at one point all four tires were off the ground; this event has been referred to as the Lunar Grand Prix. Ultimately, computer simulation should be used to examine these phenomena during the vehicle design process; however, experimental techniques are required for the validation and elucidation of key issues. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the methodology for developing a scale model of a lunar vehicle using similitude relationships and to test how vehicle configuration, six or eight wheel pods, and local tire compliance, soft or stiff, affect the vehicles dynamic performance. A wheel pod consists of a drive and steering transmission and wheel. The Lunar Electric Rover (LER), a human driven vehicle with a pressurized cabin, was selected as an example for which a scale model was built. The scaled vehicle was driven over an obstacle and the dynamic response was observed and then scaled to represent the full-size vehicle in lunar gravity. Loss of ground contact, in terms of vehicle travel distance with tires off the ground, was examined. As expected, local tire compliance allowed ground contact to be maintained over a greater distance. However, switching from a six-tire configuration to an eight-tire configuration with reduced suspension stiffness had a negative effect on ground contact. It is hypothesized that this was due to the increased number or frequency of impacts. The development and testing of this scale model provided practical lessons for future low-gravity vehicle development.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS2002

A "Tread" Ahead of the Competition

Through a consortium formed by NASA's Glenn Research Center and the Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center, Goodyear acquired a software use agreement for NASA's Micromechanics Analysis Code (MAC), in an effort to design stronger and safer tires. Based on the Generalized Method of Cells micromechanics methodology, the MAC technology has allowed Goodyear scientists and engineers to perform structural analysis of composite laminates for tires all in one step, rather than the several steps previously required. Currently, the MAC code can be used to assess and optimize composite laminates; set cord-spacing guidelines (the diameter and distance between cords may impact the overall durability of a tire); explain structural impact of geometrical configurations; and compare the behavior of the different wire constructions that make up a tire. Furthermore, the MAC software contains a built-in material database and several representative volume elements for a wider choice of composites to better represent the plies and belts in a tire. The end result of the process ultimately reduces the time spent on building, testing, and adjusting tires.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2017

Drawbar Pull (DP) Procedures for Off-Road Vehicle Testing

As NASA strives to explore the surface of the Moon and Mars, there is a continued need for improved tire and vehicle development. When tires or vehicles are being designed for off-road conditions where significant thrust generation is required, such as climbing out of craters on the Moon, it is important to use a standard test method for evaluating their tractive performance. The drawbar pull (DP) test is a way of measuring the net thrust generated by tires or a vehicle with respect to performance metrics such as travel reduction, sinkage, or power efficiency. DP testing may be done using a single tire on a traction rig, or with a set of tires on a vehicle; this report focuses on vehicle DP tests. Though vehicle DP tests have been used for decades, there are no standard procedures that apply to exploration vehicles. This report summarizes previous methods employed, shows the sensitivity of certain test parameters, and provides a body of knowledge for developing standard testing procedures. The focus of this work is on lunar applications, but these test methods can be applied to terrestrial and planetary conditions as well. Section 1.0 of this report discusses the utility of DP testing for off-road vehicle evaluation and the metrics used. Section 2.0 focuses on test-terrain preparation, using the example case of lunar terrain. There is a review of lunar terrain analogs implemented in the past and a discussion on the lunar terrain conditions created at the NASA Glenn Research Center, including methods of evaluating the terrain strength variation and consistency from test to test. Section 3.0 provides details of the vehicle test procedures. These consist of a review of past methods, a comprehensive study on the sensitivity of test parameters, and a summary of the procedures used for DP testing at Glenn.

wheel↗
NASA NTRS1977

Behavior of aircraft antiskid breaking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces: A slip-ratio-controlled system with ground speed reference from unbraked nose wheel

An experimental investigation was conducted at the Langley aircraft landing loads and traction facility to study the braking and cornering response of a slip ratio controlled aircraft antiskid braking system with ground speed reference derived from an unbraked nose wheel. The investigation, conducted on dry and wet runway surfaces, utilized one main gear wheel, brake, and tire assembly of a DC-9 series 10 airplane. During maximum braking, the average ratio of the drag force friction coefficient developed by the antiskid system to the maximum drag force friction coefficient available was higher on the dry surface than on damp and flooded surfaces, and was reduced with lighter vertical loads, higher yaw angles, and when new tire treads were replaced by worn treads. Similarly, the average ratio of side force friction coefficient developed by the tire under antiskid control to the maximum side force friction coefficient available to a freely rolling yawed tire decreased with increasing yaw angle, generally increased with ground speed, and decreased when tires with new treads were replaced by those with worn treads.

Tanner, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Texture Modification of the Shuttle Landing Facility Runway at Kennedy Space Center

This paper describes the test procedures and the criteria used in selecting an effective runway-surface-texture modification at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to reduce Orbiter tire wear. The new runway surface may ultimately result in an increase of allowable crosswinds for launch and landing operations. The modification allows launch and landing operations in 20-knot crosswinds, if desired. This 5-knot increase over the previous 15-knot limit drastically increases landing safety and the ability to make on-time launches to support missions in which Space Station rendezvous are planned. The paper presents the results of an initial (1988) texture modification to reduce tire spin-up wear and then describes a series of tests that use an instrumented ground-test vehicle to compare tire friction and wear characteristics, at small scale, of proposed texture modifications placed into the SLF runway surface itself. Based on these tests, three candidate surfaces were chosen to be tested at full-scale by using a highly modified and instrumented transport aircraft capable of duplicating full Orbiter landing profiles. The full-scale Orbiter tire testing revealed that tire wear could be reduced approximately by half with either of two candidates. The texture-modification technique using a Humble Equipment Company Skidabrader(trademark) shotpeening machine proved to be highly effective, and the entire SLF runway surface was modified in September 1994. The extensive testing and evaluation effort that preceded the selection of this particular surface-texture-modification technique is described herein.

Daugherty, Robert H.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Innovative Technology Transfer Partnerships

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) seeks to license its Advanced Tire and Strut Pressure Monitor (TSPM) technology. The TSPM is a handheld system to accurately measure tire and strut pressure and temperature over a wide temperature range (20 to 120 OF), as well as improve personnel safety. Sensor accuracy, electronics design, and a simple user interface allow operators quick, easy access to required measurements. The handheld electronics, powered by 12-VAC or by 9-VDC batteries, provide the user with an easy-to-read visual display of pressure/temperature or the streaming of pressure/temperature data via an RS-232 interface. When connected to a laptop computer, this new measurement system can provide users with automated data recording and trending, eliminating the chance for data hand-recording errors. In addition, calibration software allows for calibration data to be automatically utilized for the generation of new data conversion equations, simplifying the calibration processes that are so critical to reliable measurements. The design places a high-accuracy pressure sensor (also used as a temperature sensor) as close to the tire or strut measurement location as possible, allowing the user to make accurate measurements rapidly, minimizing the amount of high-pressure volumes, and allowing reasonable distance between the tire or strut and the operator. The pressure sensor attaches directly to the pressure supply/relief valve on the tire and/or strut, with necessary electronics contained in the handheld enclosure. A software algorithm ensures high accuracy of the device over the wide temperature range. Using the pressure sensor as a temperature sensor permits measurement of the actual temperature of the pressurized gas. This device can be adapted to create a portable calibration standard that does not require thermal conditioning. This allows accurate pressure measurements without disturbing the gas temperature. In-place calibration can save considerable time and money and is suitable in many process applications throughout industry.

Kohler, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS2011

Wheel-Based Ice Sensors for Road Vehicles

Wheel-based sensors for detection of ice on roads and approximate measurement of the thickness of the ice are under development. These sensors could be used to alert drivers to hazardous local icing conditions in real time. In addition, local ice-thickness measurements by these sensors could serve as guidance for the minimum amount of sand and salt required to be dispensed locally onto road surfaces to ensure safety, thereby helping road crews to utilize their total supplies of sand and salt more efficiently. Like some aircraft wing-surface ice sensors described in a number of previous NASA Tech Briefs articles, the wheelbased ice sensors are based, variously, on measurements of changes in capacitance and/or in radio-frequency impedance as affected by ice on surfaces. In the case of ice on road surfaces, the measurable changes in capacitance and/or impedance are attributable to differences among the electric permittivities of air, ice, water, concrete, and soil. In addition, a related phenomenon that can be useful for distinguishing between ice and water is a specific transition in the permittivity of ice at a temperature- dependent frequency. This feature also provides a continuous calibration of the sensor to allow for changing road conditions. Several configurations of wheel-based ice sensors are under consideration. For example, in a simple two-electrode capacitor configuration, one of the electrodes would be a circumferential electrode within a tire, and the ground would be used as the second electrode. Optionally, the steel belts that are already standard parts of many tires could be used as the circumferential electrodes. In another example (see figure), multiple electrodes would be embedded in rubber between the steel belt and the outer tire surface. These electrodes would be excited in alternating polarities at one or more suitable audio or radio frequencies to provide nearly continuous monitoring of the road surface under the tire. In still another example, one or more microwave stripline(s) or coplanar waveguide(s) would be embedded in a tire near its outer surface; in comparison with lower-frequency capacitive devices, a device of this type could be more sensitive.

Arndt, G. Dickey↗