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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Advanced composite structural concepts and materials technologies for primary aircraft structures: Advanced material concepts

To achieve acceptable performance and long-term durability at elevated temperatures (350 to 600 F) for high-speed transport systems, further improvements of the high-performance matrix materials will be necessary to achieve very long-term (60,000-120,000 service hours) retention of mechanical properties and damage tolerance. This report emphasizes isoimide modification as a complementary technique to semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPN's) to achieve greater processibility, better curing dynamics, and possibly enhanced thermo-mechanical properties in composites. A key result is the demonstration of enhanced processibility of isoimide-modified linear and thermo-setting polyimide systems.

Lau, Kreisler S. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Revolutionary opportunities for materials and structures study

The revolutionary opportunities for materials and structures study was performed to provide Government and Industry focus for advanced materials technology. Both subsonic and supersonic engine studies and aircraft fuel burn and DOC evaluation are examined. Year 2010 goal materials were used in the advanced engine studies. These goal materials and improved component aero yielded subsonic fuel burn and DOC improvements of 13.4 percent and 5 percent, respectively and supersonic fuel burn and DOC improvements of 21.5 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Conclusions are that the supersonic study engine yielded fuel burn and DOC improvements well beyond the program goals; therefore, it is appropriate that advanced material programs be considered.

Schweiger, F. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Space Transportation Materials and Structures Technology Workshop: Proceedings - Volume 2

The Space Transportation Materials and Structures Technology Workshop was held on September 23-26, 1991, in Newport News, Virginia. The workshop, sponsored by the NASA Office of Space Flight and the NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, was held to provide a forum for communication within the space materials and structures technology developer and user communities. Workshop participants were organized into a Vehicle Technology Requirements session and three working panels: Materials and Structures Technologies for Vehicle Systems, Propulsion Systems, and Entry Systems.

Cazier, Frank W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The NASA structures and materials research program for supersonic cruise aircraft

The structures and materials part of the NASA Supersonic Cruise Aircraft Research (SCAR) program is reviewed. It is pointed out that in more than three years of work significant new technology has been generated. The aircraft configurations which are efficient aerodynamically have aeroelastic problems that must be alleviated by configuration changes, active controls, or additional structural mass. An approach involving the application of advanced composite materials has the highest potential for structural weight reduction. Attention is given to the structural concepts for an arrow-wing supersonic aircraft and the techniques used in the investigations. It is expected that continuing research in SCAR structures and materials should bring high payoffs in the late 1980s.

Cooper, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Composite Structures and Materials Research at NASA Langley Research Center

A summary of recent composite structures and materials research at NASA Langley Research Center is presented. Fabrication research to develop low-cost automated robotic fabrication procedures for thermosetting and thermoplastic composite materials, and low-cost liquid molding processes for preformed textile materials is described. Robotic fabrication procedures discussed include ply-by-ply, cure-on-the-fly heated placement head and out-of-autoclave electron-beam cure methods for tow and tape thermosetting and thermoplastic materials. Liquid molding fabrication processes described include Resin Film Infusion (RFI) Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) and Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM). Results for a full-scale composite wing box are summarized to identify the performance of materials and structures fabricated with these low-cost fabrication methods.

Starnes, James H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Robotically Assembled Aerospace Structures: Digital Material Assembly using a Gantry-Type Assembler

This paper evaluates the development of automated assembly techniques for discrete lattice structures using a multi-axis gantry type CNC machine. These lattices are made of discrete components called digital materials. We present the development of a specialized end effector that works in conjunction with the CNC machine to assemble these lattices. With this configuration we are able to place voxels at a rate of 1.5 per minute. The scalability of digital material structures due to the incremental modular assembly is one of its key traits and an important metric of interest. We investigate the build times of a 5x5 beam structure on the scale of 1 meter (325 parts), 10 meters (3,250 parts), and 30 meters (9,750 parts). Utilizing the current configuration with a single end effector, performing serial assembly with a globally fixed feed station at the edge of the build volume, the build time increases according to a scaling law of n4, where n is the build scale. Build times can be reduced significantly by integrating feed systems into the gantry itself, resulting in a scaling law of n3. A completely serial assembly process will encounter time limitations as build scale increases. Automated assembly for digital materials can assemble high performance structures from discrete parts, and techniques such as built in feed systems, parallelization, and optimization of the fastening process will yield much higher throughput.

Mechanical Structure↗
NASA NTRS1974

Guidebook of nondestructive evaluation techniques for materials and structures

Seventy nondestructive techniques for evaluating material and structures are described in guidebook. Standardized format facilitates comparison of their merits and limitations for solving various problems. Guide includes index of flaw types and tabulated guide to use of nondestructive evaluation techniques. Alternative technique names are cross-referenced.

Vary, A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Geometric and Material Nonlinear Structural Analysis

GAMNAS (Geometric and Material Nonlinear Analysis of Structures) is twodimensional finite-element stress-analysis program supporting fracturemechanics studies of debonding and delamination. GAMNAS options include linear, geometricnonlinear, material-nonlinear, and combined geometric- and material-nonlinear analysis.

Whitcomb, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Robotically Assembled Aerospace Structures: Digital Material Assembly using a Gantry-Type Assembler

This paper evaluates the development of automated assembly techniques for discrete lattice structures using a multi-axis gantry type CNC machine. These lattices are made of discrete components called "digital materials." We present the development of a specialized end effector that works in conjunction with the CNC machine to assemble these lattices. With this configuration we are able to place voxels at a rate of 1.5 per minute. The scalability of digital material structures due to the incremental modular assembly is one of its key traits and an important metric of interest. We investigate the build times of a 5x5 beam structure on the scale of 1 meter (325 parts), 10 meters (3,250 parts), and 30 meters (9,750 parts). Utilizing the current configuration with a single end effector, performing serial assembly with a globally fixed feed station at the edge of the build volume, the build time increases according to a scaling law of n4, where n is the build scale. Build times can be reduced significantly by integrating feed systems into the gantry itself, resulting in a scaling law of n3. A completely serial assembly process will encounter time limitations as build scale increases. Automated assembly for digital materials can assemble high performance structures from discrete parts, and techniques such as built in feed systems, parallelization, and optimization of the fastening process will yield much higher throughput.

Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS1996

Smart Materials and Structures Applications at the NASA Langley Research Center

This overview of the presentation covers Langley's smart materials infrastructure, materials research, applications, and summary. Langley's infrastructure consists of fabrication and characterization of smart structures. Materials researched include ceramics, polymers, and polymer-ceramic composites. Applications include interior aircraft noise suppression, aircraft engine noise reduction, active flutter damping of aircraft wings for better performance, active shape control of polymeric reflectors, and aircraft wing distortion to eliminate control surfaces.

Horner, Garnett↗
NASA NTRS1963

STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS IMPASSE

Discussion of the problems associated with materials and different structural design approaches to launch vehicles

SPACECRAFT CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL↗
NASA NTRS1985

Composite materials for space structures

Composite materials have been extensively used for spacecraft structures because of their unique combination of high specific strength and stiffness, low weight, good dimensional stability, and high specific damping capacity. High-modulus graphite reinforced epoxies have been the principal composite material system used. For early applications composites were selected primarily to reduce weight. However, the development of high precision structures such as The Space Telescope required high modulus composites with a coefficient of thermal expansion close to zero to meet design requirements. The use of advanced composites for space structures is reviewed in this paper. Barriers likely to limit further applications of composites are discussed and highlights of current research to improve composites are presented. New developments Jn composites technology which could impact future spacecraft systems are also reviewed.

Composites↗
DOE OSTI2020

Guest-Controlled Incommensurate Modulation in a Meta-Rigid Metal–Organic Framework Material

Structural transitions of host systems in response to guest binding dominate many chemical processes. We report an unprecedented type of structural flexibility within a meta-rigid material, MFM-520, which exhibits a reversible periodic-to-aperiodic structural transition resulting from a drastic distortion of a [ZnO 4 N] node controlled by the specific host–guest interactions. The aperiodic crystal structure of MFM-520 has no three-dimensional (3D) lattice periodicity but shows translational symmetry in higher-dimensional (3 + 2)D space. In this work, we have directly visualized the aperiodic state which is induced by incommensurate modulation of the periodic framework of MFM-520·H 2 O upon dehydration to give MFM-520. Filling MFM-520 with CO 2 and SO 2 reveals that, while CO 2 has a minimal structural influence, SO 2 can further modulate the structure incommensurately. MFM-520 shows exceptional selectivity for SO 2 under flue-gas desulfurization conditions, and the facile release of captured SO 2 from MFM-520 enabled the conversion to valuable sulfonamide products. MFM-520 can thus be used as a highly efficient capture and delivery system for SO 2 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1991

Plate and butt-weld stresses beyond elastic limit, material and structural modeling

Ultimate safety factors of high performance structures depend on stress behavior beyond the elastic limit, a region not too well understood. An analytical modeling approach was developed to gain fundamental insights into inelastic responses of simple structural elements. Nonlinear material properties were expressed in engineering stresses and strains variables and combined with strength of material stress and strain equations similar to numerical piece-wise linear method. Integrations are continuous which allows for more detailed solutions. Included with interesting results are the classical combined axial tension and bending load model and the strain gauge conversion to stress beyond the elastic limit. Material discontinuity stress factors in butt-welds were derived. This is a working-type document with analytical methods and results applicable to all industries of high reliability structures.

Verderaime, V.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Modeling of a Compressor for CO2 Removal in the International Space Station

Contaminant removal technology, such as the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) on the International Space Station (ISS), is critical to Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), which enable humans to live and work in outer space. The CDRA includes an adsorbent bed, which absorbs CO2 from the cabin air and releases it to a Sabatier reactor for water production when thermally cycled. An effective system would heat and cool the adsorbent quickly and uniformly to maximize the amount of CO2 removed from the cabin and delivered to the Sabatier reactor. Air-Cooled Temperature Swing Adsorption Compressors (AC-TSAC) are promising for use downstream of the CDRA because they are a simple alternative to more mechanically-complex compressors, which are currently in use on the ISS. A thermal model of the AC-TSAC was created in COMSOL and validated by comparing the model outputs to experimental data for the heating phase of the cycle. Subsequently, several design trades and performance sensitivities were conducted, including bed geometry (rectangular vs. cylindrical), bed structural material (i.e., the material that makes up the walls and shelves), thermal conductivity of the adsorbent material and bed structural materials, and the input power for heating. The results from these studies will inform the design of the next generation of the AC-TSAC, and the thermal modeling results will be further validated through testing.

Hannah Alpert↗