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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Rate-dependent strength and deformation heterogeneity of B4C-reinforced Al composite: Time-resolved imaging with synchrotron X-rays

Dynamic (up to 5500 s -1 ) and quasi-static compression tests are conducted on a 15 wt% B4C particle-reinforced Al (B 4 C/Al) composite. In situ, high-speed synchrotron X-ray phase contrast imaging and digital image correlation are employed to map mesoscale deformation fields at μm and μs scales. The bulk stress–strain curves show significant strain and strain-rate hardening under dynamic compression. The strain-rate sensitivity exponent is an order of magnitude higher at high strain rates (> 10 3 s -1 ) than that at low strain rates (< 10 -2 s -1 ). Strain field mapping demonstrates distinct compressive strain localizations for both quasi-static and dynamic loading. Nevertheless, compressive strain localizations appear denser in spacing under dynamic loading, owing to spontaneous dislocation nucleation in both weak and strong zones. This results in a higher density of geometrically necessary dislocations, which contributes to the higher strain and strain-rate hardening of B 4 C/Al under dynamic loading. Additionally, the ratio of the maximum local strain to the bulk average is 1.5, and the local strain-rate enhancement cannot explain the increased rate sensitivity of B 4 C/Al under dynamic loading. Therefore, the rate-dependent deformation heterogeneity dominates the strain-rate hardening of B 4 C/Al. Postmortem analyses help correlate deformation features to particle- and grain-scale microstructures, yielding consistent results with mesoscale strain fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Extrusion‐Spheronization of Mock Energetic Materials

The primary method for producing plastic bonded explosive (PBX) granules, or “prills”, has remained relatively unchanged for 70 years despite the complex nature of the process. In this work, we demonstrate the feasibility of using an extrusion‐spheronization technique to produce prills for PBX applications. We begin by detailing an inert formulation with similar properties of PBXs and then demonstrate the extrusion‐spheronization processing of these materials. A study is then performed where the spheronization process time of the extruded materials is varied and the resultant prills are morphologically characterized. Further, these prills are then pressed into high‐density articles and subject to compression testing to elucidate trends in process, properties, and performance. It was found that, for our formulation (95 wt.% melamine/5 wt.% polymer binder) and process, a spheronization time of 60 s yielded relatively uniform particles that exhibited improved poured, tapped, and pressed densities. Mechanical strength did not have a strong trend with process time as all spheronized materials had similar peak compression stress at failure. After further optimization, extrusion‐spheronization may be a promising path for future PBX formulation.

extrusion spheronization↗
NASA NTRS2003

Toward an Improved Hypersonic Engine Seal

High temperature, dynamic seals are required in advanced engines to seal the perimeters of movable engine ramps for efficient, safe operation in high heat flux environments at temperatures from 2000 to 2500 F. Current seal designs do not meet the demanding requirements for future engines, so NASA s Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing advanced seals to overcome these shortfalls. Two seal designs and two types of seal preloading devices were evaluated in a series of compression tests at room temperature and 2000 F and flow tests at room temperature. Both seals lost resiliency with repeated load cycling at room temperature and 2000 F, but seals with braided cores were significantly more flexible than those with cores composed of uniaxial ceramic fibers. Flow rates for the seals with cores of uniaxial fibers were lower than those for the seals with braided cores. Canted coil springs and silicon nitride compression springs showed promise conceptually as potential seal preloading devices to help maintain seal resiliency.

Dunlap, Patrick H., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Capturing the softening in T91 steel annealed with molten LBE through interfacial gradient plasticity

In order to study the effect of annealing with molten lead–bismuth eutectic alloy (mLBE) on the mechanical properties of T91 steel, micropillar compression tests were analyzed through the consideration of mechanical interface energy terms within gradient plasticity. The stress–strain curves of the micropillars showed significant stochastic effects, characterized by a different elastic and plastic behavior response for each pillar. Among the various pillars, some exhibited a similar trilinear behavior. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of these specimens demonstrated localized slip deformation and slip planes after compression, while transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed the presence of a severe slip zone along the random grain boundaries (RGBs), indicating that the GBs played a dominant role in the deformation/slip. By employing interfacial gradient plasticity that can explicitly account for the presence of GBs, the trilinear response was captured, allowing for the determination of the mechanical interface parameter. As anticipated the pillars which underwent severe slip at the GBs had a lower value for the mechanical interface parameter. Finally, annealing with mLBE can, therefore, in some cases result in softening in the overall stress–strain, as it lowers the mechanical interface energy of GBs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1989

Orthotropic elasto-plastic behavior of AS4/APC-2 thermoplastic composite in compression

Uniaxial compression tests were performed on off-axis coupon specimens of unidirectional AS4/APC-2 thermoplastic composite at various temperatures. The elasto-plastic and strength properties of AS4/APC-2 composite were characterized with respect to temperature variation by using a one-parameter orthotropic plasticity model and a one-parameter failure criterion. Experimental results show that the orthotropic plastic behavior can be characterized quite well using the plasticity model, and the matrix-dominant compressive strengths can be predicted very accurately by the one-parameter failure criterion.

Sun, C. T.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Space Shuttle Crawler Transporter Truck Shoe Qualification Tests and Analyses for Return-to-Flight

A vital element to Launch Complex 39 (LC39) and NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) mobile launch transfer operation is a 3 million kilogram behemoth known as the Crawler Transporter (CT). Built in the 1960's, two CT's have accumulated over 1700+ miles each and have been used for the Apollo and the Space Shuttle programs. Recent observation of fatigue cracks on the CT shoes led to a comprehensive engineering, structural and metallurgical evaluation to assess the root cause that necessitated procurement of over 1000 new shoes. This paper documents the completed dynamic and compression tests on the old and new shoes respectively, so as to certify them for Space Shuttle's return-to-flight (RTF). Measured strain data from the rollout tests was used to develop stress/loading spectra and static equivalent load for qualification testing of the new shoes. Additionally, finite element analysis (FEA) was used to conduct sensitivity analyses of various contact parameters and structural characteristics for acceptance of new shoes.

Margasahayam, Ravi N.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Spherical Indentation and Implementation of S 3 /P for yield stress determination of brittle materials

Here, a mathematically transparent and robust experimental method has been developed to estimate the yield stress of brittle materials through the analysis of depth-sensing spherical indentation. Employing Hertzian contact mechanics, an elastically invariant ratio based on the simple equation S 3 / P = 6RE r 2 , (where S and P are contact stiffness and indentation load, respectively) has been derived that enables more accurate and confident determination of the transition from elastic to inelastic deformation; a transition that the yield stress dictates and represents. Using two diamond spheres with radii of 3.2 and 8.6 μm, the indentation test method and analyses are applied to two vitreous silicates: Corning's HPFS 7980® fused silica and Vitro's Starphire® soda lime silicate. The estimated yield strengths are 8.15 GPa ± 2.5% for the fused silica and 6.1 GPa ± 3.3% for the soda-lime silicate, and both were independent of indenter radius. Verification of this new experimental method is demonstrated with an as-drawn titanium by showing equivalence of measured yield stress by its spherical indentation and that from uniaxial compression testing. This method will enable easier and more confident estimation of yield stress in brittle materials - a property that historically has been elusive to measure for these materials using common laboratory mechanical test methods.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evolution of global and local deformation in additively manufactured octet truss lattice structures

Additively manufactured lattice truss structures, often referred to as architected cellular materials, present significant advantages over conventional structures due to their unique characteristics such as high strength-to-weight ratios and surface area-to-volume ratios. These geometrically complex structures, however, come with concomitant challenges for qualification and inspection. In this study, compression testing interrupted with micro-computed tomography inspection was conducted to monitor the evolution of global and local deformation throughout the loading process of 304L stainless steel octet truss lattice structures. Both two- and three-dimensional image analysis techniques were leveraged to characterize geometric heterogeneities resulting from the laser powder bed fusion manufacturing process as well as track the structure throughout deformation. Variations from model-predicted behavior resulting from these heterogeneities are considered relative to the predicted and actual responses of the structures during compression to better understand, model, and predict the octet truss lattice structure compression response.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

CHIPFoam Modification to Allow for Modelling SWIFT Foams

SWIFT (Silicon-water in Familiar Template) foams are silicone foams that have a continuous porosity without having any obvious spherical or ellipsoidal pore shapes. Like other foamed rubber, SWIFT foams can experience large reversible deformations. Because of their microstructure, SWIFT foams have a stiffering behavior in compression that is very abrupt compared to most other foamed rubbers. Work by Benedikt reported by Miller showed that fitting compressive test data with the CHIPFoam model in its current form is impractical and inaccurate. This report describes an extension made to CHIPFoam to allow the modeling of SWIFT foams. While the extension allows the modeling of SWIFT foams, it also extends the range of porosity of foams that can be modelled with CHIPFoam to include very high porosity (>99%) foamed rubber. The previous model was unstable for porosities greater than 70%. The changes made to CHIPFoam include the introduction of a critical porosity at which the compressible Danielsson strain energy function that couples volumetric and deviatoric mechanical behavior begins to increase with compression. This new feature also required the introduction of a third term in the multiplicative decomposition of the relative volume, J . The organization of this report is described here. The first section, SWIFT Foam Structure and Mechanical Behavior, describes the structure of SWIFT foams as contrasted to other foamed rubbers. It also contrasts the mechanical behavior of SWIFT foams to other more traditional foamed rubbers. The second section, CHIPFoam Modifications, describes the specific modifications done to be able to modify the delayed rapid compressive stiffening seen in SWIFT foams. The third section, Results, demonstrates the use of the modified model to fit compressive loading response data from a SWIFT foam sample. The fourth section, Conclusions and Further Work, puts the work in perspective and presents likely further work.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1992

Correlation of deformation mechanisms with the tensile and compressive behavior of NiAl and NiAl(Zr) intermetallic alloys

To identify the mechanisms controlling strength and ductility in powder-extruded NiAl and NiAl + 0.05 at. pct Zr, tensile and compressive testing was performed from 300 to 1300 K for several grain sizes. Grain size refinement significantly increased yield stress in both alloys and, in some cases, slightly lowered the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT), although no room-temperature tensile ductility was observed even in the finest grain size specimens. The small Zr addition increased the DBTT and changed the low-temperature fracture mode from intergranular in NiAl to a combination of intergranular and transgranular in the Zr-doped alloy. Scanning electron microscopy of compression specimens deformed at room temperature revealed the presence of grain-boundary cracks in both alloys. These cracks were due to the incompatibility of strain in the polycrystalline material, owing to the lack of five independent slip systems. The tendency to form grain-boundary cracks, in addition to the low fracture stress of these alloys, contributed to the lack of tensile ductility at low temperatures.

Bowman, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Development of an Input Suite for an Orthotropic Composite Material Model

An orthotropic three-dimensional material model suitable for use in modeling impact tests has been developed that has three major components elastic and inelastic deformations, damage and failure. The material model has been implemented as MAT213 into a special version of LS-DYNA and uses tabulated data obtained from experiments. The prominent features of the constitutive model are illustrated using a widely-used aerospace composite the T800S3900-2B[P2352W-19] BMS8-276 Rev-H-Unitape fiber resin unidirectional composite. The input for the deformation model consists of experimental data from 12 distinct experiments at a known temperature and strain rate: tension and compression along all three principal directions, shear in all three principal planes, and off axis tension or compression tests in all three principal planes, along with other material constants. There are additional input associated with the damage and failure models. The steps in using this model are illustrated composite characterization tests, verification tests and a validation test. The results show that the developed and implemented model is stable and yields acceptably accurate results.

finite element method↗
NASA NTRS2018

Current Activities in the Advanced Exploration Systems ISRU Project

Media Filter MOXIE support: completed flow performance tests and initial dust loading tests of the MOXIE HEPA filter in the Mars Flow Loop Designed and fabricated prototype full-scale scroll filter for testing of renewable filter performance Mars Flow Loop upgrades: installed more sensitive instrumentation, improved imaging, and increased run duration capability Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) Plasma-physics based model predicts particle charge and trajectory Characterizing dust environment from fluidized-bed injection dust environment using laser sheet visualization and Fine Particle Analyzer Sabatier Design Study Defined the Sabatier design space, including reactor type, thermal management, gas recycling/separation Modeled Sabatier systems with one or two reactors with different types of thermal management Adding thermal management schemes and recycling and gas separation to model Catalyst Screening Performing compression testing on new and used catalyst pellets Performing vibration testing on different catalyst pellet types under different load conditions Preparing to test catalysts for performance and degradation

In-Situ Resource Utilization↗
DOE OSTI2022

High-Fidelity Mock Development for the Insensitive High Explosive TATB

Due to the violent reaction potential of high explosives, in tests where a reaction is not desired, it can be safe and convenient to use an inert mock that can mimic relevant properties of the associated explosive. Use of mock materials is well-established in explosives work, but most existing mocks are generally meant to mimic only one or two properties of a given explosive, potentially failing to match the explosive in other critical ways. Recently, there has been interest in developing robust thermomechanical mocks for many common explosives. Here, eleven materials are systematically chosen and investigated as potential thermomechanical mocks for TATB, the explosive component of PBX 9502. DSC, nanoindentation, and compression testing are used to narrow down to most appropriate mocks and identify their advantages and limitations. Hardness and elastic modulus are reported for the first time for the molecular crystals iodoanthranilic acid, hexamine, melamine, and trithiolane dioxide, and the crystal structure is reported for the first time for the molecular crystals iodoanthranilic acid and iodosalicylic acid.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

An Investigation of Nanoindentation as Quality Control [Slides]

Nanoindentation Continuous Stiffness Measurement (CSM) mapping, and Strain Rate Jump Testing (SRJT) proved effective to highlight and visualize the extent of property differences between the samples. From the analysis, Lot A has a significant dead zone at its center, especially when compared with the cross section of Lot B. Quick identification of property issues from one of the two feed stocks, both of which fit the specification. Mechanical performance was connected to the microstructure. Thus, using the structure-property results, it is noted that the processing of Lot A may have been insufficient. Nanoindentation allows for the sampling of quality control variables such as hardness and modulus in a short time span at high resolution, which is cheaper and faster than traditional strength experiments (tension and compression tests).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1982

Graphite/polyimide technology overview and Space Shuttle Orbiter applications

The materials, production processes, testing procedures, and repair techniques for composite structures on the Orbiter are reviewed. The Orbiter currently features graphite/epoxy payload bay doors, as well as graphite/polyimide elevons, vertical tail, and aft body flap, which can withstand up to 600 F temperatures. Graphite/polyimide is also being considered for areas of the baseline aluminum structure and the thermal protection system in order to achieve a 20-30% weight reduction, i.e., over 7.5 tons. An analysis of the allowable stresses on FRC imide thermal protection system tiles bonded directly to the structure has shown satisfactory performances in high temperature and cryogenic conditions, although failure modes are yet to be determined. Ultrasonic emissions have been used for defect detection in nondestructive evaluations, together with tension, notch, shear, and compression tests. Field repairs have not been perfected, and require the evolution of high temperature adhesives that are curable under vacuum pressure and heat blankets.

Morita, W. H.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Microstructural Coarsening Kinetics and Mechanical Property Changes in Long-Term Aged Sn–Pb–Sb Solder Joints

Tin-lead-antimony (50Sn–47Pb–3Sb wt.%) soldered assemblies were mechanically tested approximately 30 years after initial production and found to have solder joints of reduced strength. The microstructure of this solder alloy exhibits a ternary eutectic structure with Sn-rich, Pb-rich, and SnSb phases. Accelerated aging was performed to evaluate solder microstructural coarsening and associated strength of laboratory solder joints to correlate these properties to the “naturally aged” solder joints. Isothermal aging was conducted at room temperature, 55, 70, 100, and 135 °C and aging times that ranged from 0.1 to 365 days. The coarsening kinetics of the Pb-rich phase were determined through optical microscopy and image analysis methods established in previous studies on binary Sn–Pb solder. A kinetic equation was developed with time exponent n of 0.43 and activation energy of 24000 J/mol, suggesting grain boundary diffusion or other fast diffusion pathways controlling the microstructural evolution. Compression testing and Vickers microhardness showed significant strength loss within the first 20–30 days after soldering; then, the microstructure and mechanical properties changed more slowly over long periods of time. Further, by combining accelerated aging data and the microstructure-based kinetics, strength predictions were made that match well with the properties of the actual soldered assemblies naturally aged for 30 years. However, aging at the highest temperature of 135 °C produced anomalous behavior suggesting that extraneous aging mechanisms are active. Therefore, data obtained at this temperature or higher should not be used. Overall, the combined microstructural and mechanical property methods used in this study confirmed that the observed reduction in strength of ~ 30-year-old solder joints can be accounted for by the microstructural coarsening that takes place during long-term solid-state aging.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1944

Compressive Strength of Flat Panels with Z- and Hat-Section Stiffeners

Compression tests were conducted on 247 panels with Z-section stiffeners and 304 panels with hat-section stiffeners. Specimens were constructed from artificially aged Alclad 24S aluminum alloy with minimum guaranteed yield strengths of 64 and 57 ksi for stiffeners and sheet materials, respectively. Height, thickness, and spacing of stiffeners, sheet thickness, and length of specimens were varied systematically to show effects of changes in these dimensions on panel strength. Results show average stresses at buckling load and maximum load.

STRESSED SKIN - SHEETS - STRENGTH, COMPRESSIVE↗
NASA NTRS1988

Composite transport wing technology development

The design, fabrication, testing, and analysis of stiffened wing cover panels to assess damage tolerance criteria are discussed. The damage tolerance improvements were demonstrated in a test program using full-sized cover panel subcomponents. The panels utilized a hard skin concept with identical laminates of 44-percent 0-degree, 44-percent plus or minus 45-degree, and 12-percent 90-degree plies in the skins and stiffeners. The panel skins were impacted at midbay between the stiffeners, directly over the stiffener, and over the stiffener flange edge. The stiffener blades were impacted laterally. Impact energy levels of 100 ft-lb and 200 ft-lb were used. NASTRAN finite-element analyses were performed to simulate the nonvisible damage that was detected in the panels by nondestructive inspection. A closed-form solution for generalized loading was developed to evaluate the peel stresses in the bonded structure. Two-dimensional delamination growth analysis was developed using the principle of minimum potential energy in terms of closed-form solution for critical strain. An analysis was conducted to determine the residual compressive stress in the panels after impact damage, and the analytical predictions were verified by compression testing of the damaged panels.

Madan, Ram C.↗