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At least 235 records · Page 13

Determination of Parachute Joint Factors using Seam and Joint Testing

This paper details the methodology for determining the joint factor for all parachute components. This method has been successfully implemented on the Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) for the NASA Orion crew module for use in determining the margin of safety for each component under peak loads. Also discussed are concepts behind the joint factor and what drives the loss of material strength at joints. The joint factor is defined as a "loss in joint strength...relative to the basic material strength" that occurs when "textiles are connected to each other or to metals." During the CPAS engineering development phase, a conservative joint factor of 0.80 was assumed for each parachute component. In order to refine this factor and eliminate excess conservatism, a seam and joint testing program was implemented as part of the structural validation. This method split each of the parachute structural joints into discrete tensile tests designed to duplicate the loading of each joint. Breaking strength data collected from destructive pull testing was then used to calculate the joint factor in the form of an efficiency. Joint efficiency is the percentage of the base material strength that remains after degradation due to sewing or interaction with other components; it is used interchangeably with joint factor in this paper. Parachute materials vary in type-mainly cord, tape, webbing, and cloth -which require different test fixtures and joint sample construction methods. This paper defines guidelines for designing and testing samples based on materials and test goals. Using the test methodology and analysis approach detailed in this paper, the minimum joint factor for each parachute component can be formulated. The joint factors can then be used to calculate the design factor and margin of safety for that component, a critical part of the design verification process.

Mollmann, Catherine↗

Environmental Barrier Coatings for Turbine Engines: A Design and Performance Perspective

Ceramic thermal and environmental barrier coatings (TEBC) for SiC-based ceramics will play an increasingly important role in future gas turbine engines because of their ability to effectively protect the engine components and further raise engine temperatures. However, the coating long-term durability remains a major concern with the ever-increasing temperature, strength and stability requirements in engine high heat-flux combustion environments, especially for highly-loaded rotating turbine components. Advanced TEBC systems, including nano-composite based HfO2-aluminosilicate and rare earth silicate coatings are being developed and tested for higher temperature capable SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) turbine blade applications. This paper will emphasize coating composite and multilayer design approach and the resulting performance and durability in simulated engine high heat-flux, high stress and high pressure combustion environments. The advances in the environmental barrier coating development showed promise for future rotating CMC blade applications.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Design Space Exploration of Pericyclic Transmission

The pericyclic transmission provides the opportunity to vastly impact transmission design in rotorcraft due to its ability to provide exceedingly high reduction ratios in a single stage that would normally require multiple gear stages to produce. This could lead to lighter transmissions with fewer components, increased range, reliability, efficiency, speed and decreased cost to maintain. While many previous studies have focused upon the gearing within the pericyclic transmission, this work focused on what influences pericyclic geometry, and how changes in geometry impacts bearing loads. Specifically the loading of bearings that must deliver power from the input shaft to the nutating and rotating gears of the system were of primary concern. A comprehensive look at dynamic loads generated by nutating bodies was performed. Methods to address these dynamic loads via application of counterbalances and deviation from conventional pericyclic transmission designs were utilized to negate the dynamic moment of concern. Finally a static solver was used to determine the bearing loads with updated component geometries and mass moment of inertias that included the required counterbalances.

Nutational Gearing↗

Data Collection and Analysis Software Development for Rotor Dynamics Testing in Spin Laboratory

Gas turbine engine components undergo high rotational loading another complex environmental conditions. Such operating environment leads these components to experience damages and cracks that can cause catastrophic failure during flights. There are traditional crack detections and health monitoring methodologies currently being used which rely on periodic routine maintenances, nondestructive inspections that often times involve engine and components dis-assemblies. These methods do not also offer adequate information about the faults, especially, if these faults at subsurface or not clearly evident. At NASA Glenn research center, the rotor dynamics laboratory is presently involved in developing newer techniques that are highly dependent on sensor technology to enable health monitoring and prediction of damage and cracks in rotor disks. These approaches are noninvasive and relatively economical. Spin tests are performed using a subscale test article mimicking turbine rotor disk undergoing rotational load. Non-contact instruments such as capacitive and microwave sensors are used to measure the blade tip gap displacement and blade vibrations characteristics in an attempt develop a physics based model to assess/predict the faults in the rotor disk. Data collection is a major component in this experimental-analytical procedure and as a result, an upgrade to an older version of the data acquisition software which is based on LabVIEW program has been implemented to support efficiently running tests and analyze the results. Outcomes obtained from the tests data and related experimental and analytical rotor dynamics modeling including key features of the updated software are presented and discussed.

Rotor Dynamics↗

Thermal and Structural Performance of Woven Carbon Cloth For Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology

Arcjet testing and analysis of a three-dimensional (3D) woven carbon fabric has shown that it can be used as a thermal protection system and as a load bearing structural component for a low ballistic coefficient hypersonic decelerator called ADEPT (Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology). Results of arcjet tests proved that the 3D woven carbon fabric can withstand flight-like heating while under flight-like biaxial mechanical loads representative of those encountered during shallow entry flight path angles into the atmosphere of Venus. Importantly, the arcjet test results have been used to extend a preliminary material thermal response model based on previous testing of the same 3D woven carbon fabric under uni-axial mechanical loading.

Carbon fabric↗

Design and evaluation of a bolted joint for a discrete carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat section

The use of prefabricated pultruded carbon-epoxy rods has reduced the manufacturing complexity and costs of stiffened composite panels while increasing the damage tolerance of the panels. However, repairability of these highly efficient discrete stiffeners has been a concern. Design, analysis, and test results are presented in this paper for a bolted-joint repair for the pultruded rod concept that is capable of efficiently transferring axial loads in a hat-section stiffener on the upper skin segment of a heavily loaded aircraft wing component. A tension and a compression joint design were evaluated. The tension joint design achieved approximately 1.0% strain in the carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat-section and failed in a metal fitting at 166% of the design ultimate load. The compression joint design failed in the carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat-section test specimen area at approximately 0.7% strain and at 110% of the design ultimate load. This strain level of 0.7% in compression is similar to the failure strain observed in previously reported carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat-section column tests.

Rousseau, Carl Q.↗

Design and Evaluation of a Bolted Joint for a Discrete Carbon-Epoxy Rod-Reinforced Hat Section

The use of pre-fabricated pultruded carbon-epoxy rods has reduced the manufacturing complexity and costs of stiffened composite panels while increasing the damage tolerance of the panels. However, repairability of these highly efficient discrete stiffeners has been a concern. Design, analysis, and test results are presented in this paper for a bolted-joint repair for the pultruded rod concept that is capable of efficiently transferring axial loads in a hat-section stiffener on the upper skin segment of a heavily loaded aircraft wing component. A tension and a compression joint design were evaluated. The tension joint design achieved approximately 1.0 percent strain in the carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat-section and failed in a metal fitting at 166 percent of the design ultimate load. The compression joint design failed in the carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat-section test specimen area at approximately 0.7 percent strain and at 110 percent of the design ultimate load. This strain level of 0.7 percent in compression is similar to the failure strain observed in previously reported carbon-epoxy rod-reinforced hat-section column tests.

Baker, Donald J.↗

Space Launch System Day of Launch Loads for Artemis I

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) was successfully launched on November 16, 2022. During the years leading up to the first flight, Artemis I, a DOLILU (Day of Launch I-Load Update) process was developed to design, verify, and upload the first stage flight trajectory on day-of-launch to ensure a safe flight. The evaluation of integrated vehicle loads is a key component of the DOLILU process. The SLS Artemis I DOL loads project has involved methodology development, software development, software testing and certification, operator training, and simulation and launch support. The resulting DOL process successfully calculated loads for all launch opportunities within the window, with the robust nature of the process contributing to all opportunities being go for loads.

SLS↗

Assessment of Proper Bonding Methods and Mechanical Characterization FPGA CQFPs

This presentation discusses fractured leads on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) during flight vibration. Actions taken to determine root cause and resolution of the failure include finite element analysis (FEA) and vibration testing and scanning electron microscopy (with X-ray microanalysis) and energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) failure assessment. Bonding methods for surface mount parts is assessed, including critical analysis and assessment of random fatigue damage. Regarding ceramic quad flat pack (CQFP) lead fracture, after disassembling the attitude control electronics (ACE) configuration, photographs showed six leads cracked on FPGA RTSX72SU-1 CQ208B package located on the RWIC card. An identical package (FPGA RTSX32SU-1 CQ208B) mounted on the RWIC did not results in cracked pins due to vibration. FPGA lead failure theories include workmanship issues in the lead-forming, material defect in the leads of the FPGA packages, and the insecure mounting of the board in the card guides, among other theories. Studies were conducted using simple calculations to determine the response and fatigue life of the package. Shorter packages exhibited more response when loaded by out-of-plane displacement of PCB while taller packages exhibit more response when loaded by in-plane acceleration of PCB. Additionally, under-fill did not contribute to reducing stress in leads due to out-of-plane PCB loading or from component twisting, as much as corner bonding. The combination of corner bond and under-fill is best to address mechanical and thermal S/C environment. Test results of bonded parts showed reduced (dampened) amplitude and slightly shifted peaks at the un-bonded natural frequency and an additional response at the bonded frequency. Stress due to PCBB out-of-plane loading was decreased on in the corners when only a corner bond was used. Future work may address CQFP fatigue assessment, including the investigation of discrepancy in predicted fatigue damage, as well as comparing fatigue life and fatigue damage cycle ration computed using FEA and Miner's rule to results from a fatigue assessment software program.

Davis, Milton C.↗

Stress Analysis of B-52B and B-52H Air-Launching Systems Failure-Critical Structural Components

The operational life analysis of any airborne failure-critical structural component requires the stress-load equation, which relates the applied load to the maximum tangential tensile stress at the critical stress point. The failure-critical structural components identified are the B-52B Pegasus pylon adapter shackles, B-52B Pegasus pylon hooks, B-52H airplane pylon hooks, B-52H airplane front fittings, B-52H airplane rear pylon fitting, and the B-52H airplane pylon lower sway brace. Finite-element stress analysis was performed on the said structural components, and the critical stress point was located and the stress-load equation was established for each failure-critical structural component. The ultimate load, yield load, and proof load needed for operational life analysis were established for each failure-critical structural component.

Ko, William L.↗

Investigating and Analyzing Applied Loads Higher Than Limit Loads

The results of the analysis for Balance 1621 indicate that the stresses are high near sharp corners. It is important to increase the size of the fillets to relieve some of the high stresses for the balances that will be designed. For the existing balances, the stresses are high and do not satisfy the established criteria. Two options are considered here. One is a possible modification of the existing balances, and two is to consider other load options. Redesigning a balance can be done in order to enhance the structural integrity of the balance. Because an existing balance needs to be modified, it is not possible to increase the fillet sizes without some further modifications to the balance. It is required that some materials be extracted from the balance in order to have larger fillet sizes. Researchers are interested in being able to apply some components of the load on the balance above the limit loads assigned. Is it possible to enhance the load on the same balance and maintain the factor of safety required? Some loads were increased above their limit loads and analyzed here.

Karkehabadi, R.↗

Experimental Measurements and Analysis of Heat Transfer and Gas Dynamics in a Rotating Turbine Stage

The life-cycle fatigue of a particular component of a high-pressure turbine stage is influenced by the local heat flux and the resulting metal temperature excursions experienced by this component during normal operation. Flow through a turbine stage is seldom uniform and is often influenced by non-uniform incoming gas streams that can result in locally high heat fluxes. In the case of the rotor blades passing through the nozzle guide vane wakes and passages, these local heat rates translate into local temperature fluctuations that will likely affect the fatigue life of the blade. In order to better understand the influence of the heat load on the component life, one would like to have both the local steady-state heat flux and the high-frequency component of the heat flux.

Dunn, M. G.↗

An integrated model of the Space Station Freedom active thermal control system

A flexible, generic model of the Space Station Freedom active thermal control system has been developed which is designed to analyze dynamic interactions of the major subsystems of the ATCS. Models are described for the components of the central thermal bus, the radiator external thermal environment, and the internal thermal control system. Two programs are described which facilitate the development of the integrated ATCS model. The first, SIMRAD, simplifies an external thermal environment model given a desired level of accuracy in integrated model performance. The model reduction technique is shown to reduce model execution time significantly while maintaining the desired accuracy. The second, GENFLU, generates SINDA/FLUINT input code for the evaporator and load interface models and automates the integration of load submodels. The component submodels and integration techniques were used to create an integrated model of the thermal control system for an early assembly flight configuration. The results demonstrate the utility of the integrated model in studying dynamic interactions of the ATCS subsystems.

Tandler, John J.↗

Estimation of the Unsteady Aerodynamic Load on Space Shuttle External Tank Protuberances from a Component Wind Tunnel Test

At the wake of the Columbia (STS-107) accident it was decided to remove the Protuberance Aerodynamic Load (PAL) Ramp that was originally intended to protect various protuberances outside of the Space Shuttle External Tank from high buffet load induced by cross-flows at transonic speed. In order to establish the buffet load without the PAL ramp, a wind tunnel test was conducted where segments of the protuberances were instrumented with dynamic pressure transducers; and power-spectra of sectional lift and drag forces at various span-wise locations between two adjacent support brackets were measured under different cross flow angles, Mach number and other conditions. Additionally, frequency-dependent spatial correlations between the sectional forces were also established. The sectional forces were then adjusted by the correlation length to establish span-averaged spectra of normal and lateral forces that can be suitably "added" to various other unsteady forces encountered by the protuberance. This paper describes the methodology used for calculating the correlation-adjusted power spectrum of the buffet load. A second part of the paper describes wind-tunnel results on the difference in the buffet load on the protuberances with and without the PAL ramp. In general when the ramp height is the same as that of the protuberance height, such as that found on the liquid Oxygen part of the tank, the ramp is found to cause significant reduction of the unsteady aerodynamic load. However, on the liquid Hydrogen part of the tank, where the Oxygen feed-line is far larger in diameter than the height of the PAL ramp, little protection is found to be available to all but the Cable Tray.

Panda, J.↗

Estimation of the Unsteady Aerodynamic Load on Space Shuttle External Tank Protuberances from a Component Wind Tunnel Test

At the wake of the Columbia (STS-107) accident it was decided to remove the Protuberance Aerodynamic Load (PAL) Ramp that was originally intended to protect various protuberances outside of the Space Shuttle External Tank from high buffet load induced by cross-flows at transonic speed. In order to establish the buffet load without the PAL ramp, a wind tunnel test was conducted where segments of the protuberances were instrumented with dynamic pressure transducers; and power-spectra of sectional lift and drag forces at various span-wise locations between two adjacent support brackets were measured under different cross flow angles, Mach number and other conditions. Additionally, frequency-dependent spatial correlations between the sectional forces were also established. The sectional forces were then adjusted by the correlation length to establish span-averaged spectra of normal and lateral forces that can be suitably "added" to various other unsteady forces encountered by the protuberance. This paper describes the methodology used for calculating the correlation-adjusted power spectrum of the buffet load. A second part of the paper describes wind-tunnel results on the difference in the buffet load on the protuberances with and without the PAL ramp. In general when the ramp height is the same as that of the protuberance height, such as that found on the liquid Oxygen part of the tank, the ramp is found to cause significant reduction of the unsteady aerodynamic load. However, on the liquid Hydrogen part of the tank, where the Oxygen feed-line is far larger in diameter than the height of the PAL ramp, little protection is found to be available to all but the Cable Tray.

Panda, Jayatana↗

Pilot workload prediction

A predicting model of pilot workload is developed using a time-based algorithm, work-load values from previous research, and experimental data obtained by a group of experienced pilots on a Singer-Link Gat-1 instrument trainer with three degrees of motion (roll, pitch, and yaw). Each pilot performed three experimental flights presented in a counterbalanced order; each flight consisted of short, medium, or long cruise and initial approach segments. Results strongly suggest that pilots were more sensitive to the rate at which work was done than to the total amount of work accomplished. The result of predictions obtained with the model showed that the time-weighted average of the component work-load ratings were able to predict the obtained work-load ratings accurately.

Pepitone, David D.↗

Instrument Package Manipulation Through the Generation and Use of an Attenuated-Fluent Gas Fold

This document discusses a technique that provides a means for suspending large, awkward loads, instrument packages, components, and machinery in a stable, controlled, and precise manner. In the baseplate of the test machine, a pattern of grooves and ports is installed that when pressurized generates an attenuated- fluent gas fold providing a low-cost, near-zero-coefficient-of-friction lubrication boundary layer that supports the object evenly, and in a predictable manner. Package movement control requires minimal force. Aids to repeatable travel and positional accuracy can be added via the addition of simple guide bars and stops to the floor or object being moved. This allows easily regulated three-axis motions. Loads of extreme weight and size can be moved and guided by a single person, or by automated means, using minimal force. Upon removal of the attenuated fluent gas fold, the object returns to a stable resting position without impact forces affecting the object.

Breen, Daniel P.↗

Fiscal year 1976 progress report on a feasibility study evaluating the use of surface penetrators for planetary exploration

The feasibility of employing penetrators for exploring Mars was examined. Eight areas of interest for key scientific experiments were identified. These include: seismic activity, imaging, geochemistry, water measurement, heatflow, meteorology, magnetometry, and biochemistry. In seven of the eight potential experiment categories this year's progress included: conceptual design, instrument fabrication, instrument performance evaluation, and shock loading of important components. Most of the components survived deceleration testing with negligible performance changes. Components intended to be placed inside the penetrator forebody were tested up to 3,500 g and components intended to be placed on the afterbody were tested up to 21,000 g. A field test program was conducted using tentative Mars penetrator mission constraints. Drop tests were performed at two selected terrestrial analog sites to determine the range of penetration depths for anticipated common Martian materials. Minimum penetration occurred in basalt at Amboy, California. Three full-scale penetrators penetrated 0.4 to 0.9 m into the basalt after passing through 0.3 to 0.5 m of alluvial overburden. Maximum penetration occurred in unconsolidated sediments at McCook, Nebraska. Two full-scale penetrators penetrated 2.5 to 8.5 m of sediment. Impact occurred in two kinds of sediment: loess and layered clay. Deceleration g loads of nominally 2,000 for the forebody and 20,000 for the afterbody did not present serious design problems for potential experiments. Penetrators have successfully impacted into terrestrial analogs of the probable extremes of potential Martian sites.

Blanchard, M. B.↗