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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 NTRS1990

NOVA 201 ultrasonic thickness gage (NOVA Gage)

The measurement integrity of the NOVA 201 digital ultrasonic thickness gage (NOVA gage) was demonstrated by comparing the NOVA gage measurements to the thickness gage measurements, and determining the bias and uncertainty of the NOVA gage when measuring redesigned solid rocket motor (RSRM) hardware per engineering test plans (ETP). The NOVA gage was tested by three different operators on steel and aluminum RSRM hardware for wall thickness. The results show that the measurement bias is not consistent. The uncertainty of the bias is caused by the heterogeneous material properties of the RSRM components that influence the time of flight of ultrasonic waves. The measurement uncertainty inherent to the design and operation of the NOVA gage is less in comparison to the uncertainty of the bias. The total measurement uncertainty cannot be substantially reduced by taking more than one measurement. There is no correlation between bias and the surface finish range of this test unless 3-in-One oil is used as a couplant, in which case there appears to be a slight trend. There is no correlation between uncertainty and the surface finish range. The measurement uncertainty of the NOVA gage can be reduced using 3-in-One oil as a couplant.

Garecht, Diane↗
NASA NTRS1992

Advanced flow-polishing and surface metrology of the SO56 X Ray Telescope

The surface finishing of X ray grazing incidence optics is a most demanding area of optical processing, both in terms of metrology and application of optical finishing techniques. An existing optical mirror was processed using a new removal technique that uses a jet of finely dispersed and extremely small particles that impact a surface, which under the correct conditions, produces an ultrasmooth surface, especially on aspheric curvatures. The surfaces of the SO56 mirror are tapered conical shapes that have a continuously changing radius with the primary mirror having a parabolic shape and the secondary mirror a hyperbolic shape. An optical ray trace that was conducted of a telescope used the measured parameters from the existing substrates to set up the prescription for the optical layout. The optimization indicated a wavefront performance of 0.10 A at 0.633 micron.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1992

Mach 6 electroformed nickel nozzle refurbishment: FNAS investigation of ultra-smooth surfaces

The task objective has been to apply a coating of nickel-phosphorous alloy to a laminar flow wind tunnel nozzle by catalytic deposition and then polish and inspect the inside surface using optical device processes. The surface of the nozzle was coated with a nickel-phosphorous alloy of sufficient hardness and corrosion resistance to improve the durability. Due to plating defects that were clearly process related and not inherent, the final polished part was less than the desired quality. Surface finishing processes and lapping media were identified which produced a submicron surface finish on the interior plated surface. Defects apparently manifested by the first plating attempt were repaired using a small brush plating process demonstrating that individual small defects can be repaired. Measurement and analysis by profilometry demonstrated that quantitative control of the surface can be achieved.

Rood, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1992

Improvement in surface fatigue life of hardened gears by high-intensity shot peening

Two groups of carburized, hardened, and ground spur gears that were manufactured from the same heat vacuum induction melted vacuum arc melted (VIM VAR) AISI 9310 steel were endurance tested for surface fatigue. Both groups were manufactured with a standard ground 16 rms surface finish. One group was subjected to a shot peening (SP) intensity of 7 to 9A, and the second group was subjected to a SP intensity of 15 to 17A. All gears were honed after SP to a surface finish of 16 rms. The gear pitch diameter was 8.89 cm. Test conditions were a maximum Hertz stress of 1.71 GPa, a gear temperature of 350 K, and a speed of 10000 rpm. The lubricant used for the tests was a synthetic paraffinic oil with an additive package. The following results were obtained: The 10 pct. surface fatigue (pitting) life of the high intensity (15 to 17A) SPed gears was 2.15 times that of the medium intensity (7 to 9A) SPed gears, the same as that calculated from measured residual stress at a depth of 127 microns. The measured residual stress for the high intensity SPed gears was 57 pct. higher than that for the medium intensity SPed gears at a depth of 127 microns and 540 pct. higher at a depth of 51 microns.

Townsend, Dennis P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Thermal conductance of augmented pressed metallic contacts at liquid helium temperatures

The thermal conductance of uncoated oxygen-free high conductivity (OFHC) copper, 6061-T6 aluminum, free-machining brass, and 304 stainless steel sample pairs which were augmented with a gold coated 6061-T6 aluminum washer inserted between the contact surfaces was measured over the temperature range of 1.6 to 6.0 K, with applied forces from 22 to 670 N. The contact surfaces of the sample pairs were prepared with a 0.8 micron lapped finish, while the finish of the aluminum washer was 0.2 micron lapped. The contribution to the overall thermal impedance by the bulk conductance of the aluminum washer was negligible. It was found that addition of the washer offered no significant conductance improvement over an uncoated single contact pair; any benefits from using the gold plated washer were counteracted by the addition of two more contact surfaces. Additionally, the thermal conductance of a 'combination' aluminum sample pair having one gold coated and one uncoated surface was measured and compared to the washer pair. The ratio of the conductance of the washer pair to half the conductance of the 'combination' pair was found to be constant and near unity over the temperature range of the data obtained, within experimental error.

Salerno, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Evaluation of the interfacial bond properties between carbon phenolic and glass phenolic composites

The effects of moisture and surface finish on the mechanical and physical properties of the interfacial bond between carbon/phenolic (C/P) and glass/phenolic (G/P) composite materials have been studied. Test results indicate that moisture substantially degrades the integrity of the interfacial bond between C/P and G/P materials. The apparent effect of the autoclave curing of the C/P material reduces the ultimate interlaminar shear length of the C/P material by 20 percent compared to the hydroclave curing of the C/P material. The variation in applied surface finishes is found to have no appreciable effect on the ultimate interlaminar shear strength of the interface in the wet laminate.

Jordan, K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Investigation of rotor blade roughness effects on turbine performance

The cold air test program was completed on the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) HPFTP (High Pressure Fuel Turbopump) turbine with production nozzle vane rings and polished coated rotor blades with a smooth surface finish of 30 microinch (0.76 micrometer) RMS (Root Mean Square). The smooth blades were polished by an abrasive flow machining process. The test results were compared with the air test results from production rough coated rotor blades with a surface finish of up to 400 microinch (10.16 micrometer) RMS. Turbine efficiency was higher for the smooth blades over the entire range tested. Efficiency increased 2.1 percentage points at the SSME 104 percent RPL (Rated Power Level) condition. This efficiency improvement could reduce the SSME HPFTP turbine inlet temperature by 57 degrees Rankine (32 degrees Kelvin) increasing turbine durability. The turbine flow parameter increased and the mid-span outlet swirl angle became more axial with the smooth rotor blades.

Boynton, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1923

The Nichols Wing Cutting Equipment

Described here is wing cutting equipment for the economical production of metal wings for wind tunnel models. The machine will make any size of constant-section wing or strut up to one-sixth inch chord by 36-inch span and up to a thickness of one and one-quarter inches. It cuts a smooth, true model that is accurate to within two-thousandths of an inch on any ordinate. The holding jaws are so designed as to leave the model free of chip marks, and the only hand finishing necessary after the cutting is a rub with amunite to remove burrs. The actual change on ordinate in this finishing rub is less than .0002 inches.

Ford, James B↗
NASA NTRS1994

New rubber qualification for the igniter adapter

Kirkhill Rubber Company (KRC) has informed Thiokol Corporation that two raw materials used in the asbestos and silica filled acrylonitrile butadience rubber (NBR) formulation per STW 2621 are no longer available from their vendors. Agerite White (Di-beta-naphthyl-paraphenylene diamine), manufactured by B. F. Goodrich, is an antioxidant used in NBR. This raw material makes up roughly 1-2 percent of the finished product. KRC proposed that this raw material be replaced by Agerite Stalite S (mixture of octylated diphenylamines) distributed by R. T. Vanderbilt Co. Protox-166 zinc oxide, manufactured by Zinc Corporation of America, is an activator currently used in NBR. This material also makes up about 1-2 percent of the finished material. Protox-166 is an American process grade zinc oxide. It is proposed by KRC to replace Protox-166 with Kadox-930C, a French process grade zinc oxide. American process grades have an ASTM minimum purity of 99.0 percent; the French process grades have a minimum purity of 99.5 percent. Previous testing per WTP-0270 has demonstrated that the mechanical and thermal properties of the rubber with the new ingredients are comparable to the 'old' rubber. The test results are reported in TWR-61790. One igniter adapter, Part no. 7U77562-02 serial no. 2 was insulated per ETP-1206 using the new rubber formulation and a modified lay up and cure method to demonstrate that there is no impact on this process. The results of this demonstration are reported.

Humpherys, Mark A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Fuel injector design for high temperature aircraft engine

The objective of the Innovative High Temperature Aircraft Engine Fuel Nozzle Program was to design and evaluate a nozzle capable of operating at a combustor inlet air temperature of 1600 F (1144 K) and a fuel temperature of 350 F (450 K). The nozzle was designed to meet the same performance requirements and fit within the size envelope of a current production dual orifice fuel nozzle. The design approach was to use improved thermal protection and fuel passage geometry in combination with fuel passage surface treatment to minimize coking at these extreme fuel and air temperatures. Heat transfer models of several fuel injector concepts were used to optimize the thermal protection, while sample tube coking tests were run to evaluate the effect of surface finish, coatings and tube material on the coking rate. Based on heat transfer analysis, additional air gaps, reduced fuel passage flow area and use of ceramic tip components reduced local fuel wetted wall temperatures by more than 200 F (100 K) when compared to a current production fuel nozzle. Sample tube coking test results showed the importance of surface finish on the fuel coking rate. Therefore, a one micro-inch (0.025 micron) roughness was specified for all fuel passage surfaces. A novel flow divider valve in the tip was also employed to reduce weight, allow room for additional thermal protection, and provide back pressure to reduce the risk of fuel vaporization. The fuel nozzle was fabricated and evaluated in a series of high temperature coking tests. Initial results of these tests indicate that thermal protection and surface treatments were partially successful in preventing nozzle fouling, but additional refinement of the internal flowpath is needed to prevent buildup of coke particles that partially blocked the spin slots which meter the nozzle fuel flow.

R. W. Stickles↗
NASA NTRS1994

Neutral Ion Figuring of Chemical Vapor Deposited SiC

Ion figuring of optical components is a relatively new technology that can alleviate some of the problems associated with traditional contact polishing. Because the technique is noncontacting, edge distortions and rib structure print through do not occur. This investigation was aimed at determining the effect of ion figuring on surface roughness of previously polished or ductile ground ceramic optical samples. This is the first step in research directed toward the combination of a prefinishing process (ductile grinding or polishing) with ion figuring to produce finished ceramic mirrors. Multiple, chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide (CVD SiC) samples were polished or ductile ground to specular or near-specular roughness. These samples were then characterized to determine topographic surface information. The surface evaluation consisted of stylus profilometry, interferometry, and optical and scanning electron microscopy. The surfaces were then ion machined to depths from 0 to 5 micron. The finished surfaces were characterized to evaluate the effects of the ion-machining process with respect to the previous processing methods and the preexisting subsurface damage. This study provides some of the information required to effectively utilize a combined ductile grinding or polishing with ion machining as a procedure for figuring optical components.

Fawcett, Steven C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Surface Fatigue Resistance with Induction Hardening

Induction hardening has been used for some years to harden the surface and improve the strength and service life of gears and other components. Many applications that employ induction hardening require a relatively long time to finish the hardening process and controlling the hardness of the surface layer and its depth often was a problem. Other surface hardening methods, ie., carbonizing, take a very long time and tend to cause deformations of the toothing, whose elimination requires supplementary finishing work. In double-frequency induction hardening, one uses a low frequency for the preheating of the toothed wheel and a much higher frequency for the purpose of rapidly heating the surface by way of surface hardening.

Townsend, Dennis↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Flexible Alignment Fixture for the Fabrication of Replication Mandrels

NASA uses precision diamond turning technology to fabricate replication mandrels for its X-ray Calibration Facility (XRCF) optics. The XRCF optics are tubular, and the internal surface contains a parabolic profile over the first section and a hyperbolic profile over the last. The optic is fabricated by depositing layers of gold and nickel on to the replication mandrel and then separating it from the mandrel. Since the mandrel serves as a replication form, it must contain the inverse image of the surface. The difficulty in aligning the mandrel comes from the fabrication steps which it undergoes. The mandrel is rough machined and heat treated prior to diamond turning. After diamond turning, silicon rubber separators which are undercut in radius by 3 mm (0.12 in.) are inserted between the two end caps of the mandrel to allow the plating to wrap around the ends (to prevent flaking). The mandrel is then plated with a nickel-phosphor alloy using an electroless nickel process. At this point, the separators are removed and the mandrel is reassembled for the final cut on the DTM. The mandrel is measured for profile and finish, and polished to achieve an acceptable surface finish. Wrapping the plating around the edges helps to prevent flaking, but it also destroys the alignment surfaces between the parts of the mandrel that insure that the axes of the parts are coincident. Several mandrels have been realigned by trial-and-error methods, consuming significant amounts of setup time. When the mandrel studied in this paper was reassembled, multiple efforts resulted in a minimum radial error motion of 100 microns. Since 50 microns of nickel plating was to be removed, and a minimum plating thickness of 25 microns was to remain on the part, the radial error motion had to be reduced to less than 25 microns. The mandrel was therefore not usable in its current state.

Cuttino, James F.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Aeronautics Learning Laboratory for Science, Technology, and Research (ALLSTAR)

We finished the material development of Level 1, Level 2 and most of Level 3. We created three new galleries, one of streaming videos enabling the user to select his/her appropriate speed of Internet connectivity for better performance. The second gallery on NASA's X-series aircraft and the third is on F-series aircraft. We also completed the placement and activation of all thirteen kiosks. We added one more kiosk over the number suggested in the proposal at Baker Aviation High School - a Dade County Public School for special aviation programs. We felt that the goals of this school matched ALLSTAR's goals and that the placement of the kiosk would better help the local students become interested in the Aviation and Aeronautics field. We continue to work on the development of our "Teacher Resource Guide to ALLSTAR material" in which we tied our material into the national and Florida State standards. We finished the Florida Sunshine State standards, getting positive feedback from local and other educators who use the material on a regular basis. We had another successful workshop on October 29 th, 1997. We introduced the ALLSTAR website and kiosk to about twenty science and history teachers from Dade County Public Schools (DCPS). Most teachers were from middle schools, although we had some from elementary schools also. We provided several demonstrations of the ALLSTAR material to local schools in the Dade County Public Schools (DCPS) system. We used the ALLSTAR material with FIU's summer immersion program for FLAME students. This program includes a high number of minority students interested in science and engineering. We also presented the material at National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and National Congress on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE) conferences and will be presenting the material at the Southeast Florida Aviation Consortium (SEFAC). We provided two on-site workshops in the NSTA conference with total attended of about 70 teachers. The BBS was converted to an on-line discussion forum with a unique section on Blacks in Aviation, Prime Technologies coordinated with NASA LaRC and the Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs) for scale-up of ALLSTAR and performed live demonstrations of the software in schools and at conventions.

Levy, Cesar↗
NASA NTRS1999

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon Composite Valve for an Internal Combustion Engine

A carbon fiber reinforced carbon composite valve for internal combustion engines and the like formed of continuous carbon fibers throughout the valve's stem and head is disclosed. The valve includes braided carbon fiber material over axially aligned unidirectional carbon fibers forming a valve stem; the braided and unidirectional carbon fibers being broomed out at one end of the valve stem forming the shape of the valve head; the valve-shaped structure being densified and rigidized with a matrix of carbon containing discontinuous carbon fibers: and the finished valve being treated to resist oxidation. Also disclosed is a carbon matrix plug containing continuous and discontinuous carbon fibers and forming a net-shape valve head acting as a mandrel over which the unidirectional and braided carbon fibers are formed according to textile processes. Also disclosed are various preform valves and processes for making finished and preform carbon fiber reinforced carbon composite valves.

Rivers, H. Kevin↗
NASA NTRS1998

NASA ALLSTAR Project

We finished the material development of Level 1, Level 2 and most of Level 3. We created three new galleries, one of streaming videos enabling the user to select his/her appropriate speed of Internet connectivity for better performance. The second gallery on NASA's X-series aircraft and the third is on F-series aircraft, We also completed the placement and activation of all thirteen kiosks. We added one more kiosk over the number suggested in the proposal at Baker Aviation High School - a Dade County Public School for special aviation programs. We felt that the goals of this school matched ALLSTAR's goals and that the placement of the kiosk would better help the local students become interested in the Aviation and Aeronautics field. We continue to work on the development of our "Teacher Resource Guide to ALLSTAR material" in which we tied our material into the national and Florida State standards. We finished the Florida Sunshine State standards, getting positive feedback from local and other educators who use the material on a regular basis. We had another successful workshop on October 29th, 1997. We introduced the ALLSTAR website and kiosk to about twenty science and history teachers from Dade County Public Schools (DCPS). Most teachers were from middle schools, although we had some from elementary schools also. We provided several demonstrations of the ALLSTAR material to local schools in the Dade County Public Schools (DCPS) system. We used the ALLSTAR material with FIU's summer immersion program for FLAME students. This program includes a high number of minority students interested in science and engineering. We also presented the material at National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and National Congress on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE) conferences and will be presenting the material at the Southeast Florida Aviation Consortium (SEFAC). We provided two on-site workshops in the NSTA conference with total attended of about 70 teachers. The BBS was converted to an on-line discussion forum with a unique section on Blacks in Aviation, Prime Technologies coordinated with NASA LaRC and the Teacher Resource Centers (TRCS) for scale-up of ALLSTAR and performed live demonstrations of the software in schools and at conventions.

Levy, Cesar↗
NASA NTRS1998

NASA Allstar Project Aeronautics Learning Laboratory for Science,Technology, and Research (Allstar)

We finished the material development of Level 1, Level 2 and most of Level 3. We created three new galleries, one of streaming videos enabling the user to select his/her appropriate speed of Internet connectivity for better performance. The second gallery on NASA's X-series aircraft and the third is on F-series aircraft. We also completed the placement and activation of all thirteen kiosks. We added one more kiosk over the number suggested in the proposal at Baker Aviation High School - a Dade County Public School for special aviation programs. We felt that the goals of this school matched ALLSTAR's goals and that the placement of the kiosk would better help the local students become interested in the Aviation and Aeronautics field. We continue to work on the development of our "Teacher Resource Guide to ALLSTAR material" in which we tied our material into the national and Florida State standards. We finished the Florida Sunshine State standards, getting positive feedback from local and other educators who use the material on a regular basis. We had another successful workshop on October 29', 1997. We introduced the ALLSTAR website and kiosk to about twenty science and history teachers from Dade County Public Schools (DCPS). Most teachers were from middle schools, although we had some from elementary schools also. We provided several demonstrations of the ALLSTAR material to local schools in the Dade County Public Schools (DCPS) system. We used the ALLSTAR material with FIU's summer immersion program for FLAME students. This program includes a high number of minority students interested in science and engineering. We also presented the material at National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and National Congress on Aviation and Space Education (NCASE) conferences and will be presenting the material at the Southeast Florida Aviation Consortium (SEFAC). We provided two on-site workshops in the NSTA conference with total attended of about 70 teachers. The BBS was converted to an on-line discussion forum with a unique section on Blacks in Aviation. Prime Technologies coordinated with NASA LARC and the Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs) for scale-up of ALLSTAR and performed live demonstrations of the software in schools and at conventions.

Levy, Cesar↗
NASA NTRS2000

Fatigue, Creep-Fatigue, and Thermomechanical Fatigue Life Testing of Alloys

The fatigue crack initiation resistance of an alloy is determined by conducting a series of tests over a range of values of stress amplitude or strain range. The observed number of cycles to failure is plotted against the stress amplitude or strain range to obtain a fatigue curve. The fatigue properties quoted for an alloy are typically the constants used in the equation(s) that describe the fatigue curve. Fatigue lives of interest may be as low as 10(exp 2) or higher than 10(exp 9) cycles. Because of the enormous scatter associated with fatigue, dozens of tests may be needed to confidently establish a fatigue curve, and the cost may run into several thousands of dollars. To further establish the effects on fatigue life of the test temperature, environment, alloy condition, mean stress effects, creep-fatigue effects, thermomechanical cycling, etc. requires an extraordinarily large and usually very costly test matrix. The total effort required to establish the fatigue resistance of an alloy should not be taken lightly. Fatigue crack initiation tests are conducted on relatively small and presumed to be initially crack-free, samples of an alloy that are intended to be representative of the alloy's metallurgical and physical condition. Generally, samples are smooth and have uniformly polished surfaces within the test section. Some may have intentionally machined notches of well-controlled geometry, but the surface at the root of the notch is usually not polished. The purpose of polishing is to attain a reproducible surface finish. This is to eliminate surface finish as an uncontrolled variable. Representative test specimen geometries will be discussed later. Test specimens are cyclically loaded until macroscopically observable cracks initiate and eventually grow to failure. Normally, the fatigue failure life of a specimen is defined as the number of cycles to separation of the specimen into two pieces. Alternative definitions are becoming more common, particularly for low-cycle fatigue testing, wherein some prescribed indication of impending failure due to cracking is adopted. Specific criteria will be described later. As a rule, cracks that develop during testing are not measured nor are the test parameters intentionally altered owing to the presence of cracking.

Halford, Gary R.↗