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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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Die and punch set forms convolutions in thin dished metal diaphragm without stretching the metal too thin at sharp curvatures. The die corresponds to the metal shape to be formed, and the punch consists of elements that progressively slide against one another under the restraint of a compressed-air cushion to mate with the die.
Extremely fine finished surfaces as mating parts for sealing in fluid connectors and statistical analysis of interface leakage
Preflight acceptance testing of various stages prior to mating of manned Saturn V lunar launch vehicle
Conversion of Hitachi Perkin-Elmer spectrophotometer to digital readout, showing mating of digital voltmeter and associated compensating circuit to spectrophotometer
Leakproof fittings for hydraulic systems are designed to be welded to the ends of the tubing to be joined and mated to form a seal with one o-ring at the joint. Since the fittings are coupled at only one joint, they tend to be more reliable than standard fittings coupled at two joints.
Expandable self-locking adapter secures components to panels having one accessible side. Mounting holes in the panels may not be threaded to accommodate screws, therefore, the adapter contains a female thread that will mate a mounting screw.
Compact-vibration damping systems, consisting of rubber-coated metal bellows with a sliding O-ring connector, are used in vacuum lines. The device presents a metallic surface to the vacuum system and combines flexibility with the necessary stiffness. It protects against physical damage, reduces fatigue failure, and provides easy mating of nonparallel lines.
Positive pressure seal rings seal bolted flange joints in pressure vessels containing fluids whose temperatures can vary over a wide range. The seal rings mate with grooves in the flanges and compensate for the excessive thermal expansion or contraction of a gasketed joint.
Plug assembly seals openings in piping systems, vessels, and chambers for low pressure leak testing. The assembly, which consists of a rubber sealing plug and the mechanism for expanding it into a pressure-tight configuration, adequately seals irregular diameters without damage to mating surfaces.
Switch guard, which locks in place on a panel, protects individual switches from accidental activation. The guard consists of a cup to cover the switch lever, a standard screw lock tumbler, and a stud that mates with a threaded adapter in the panel.
Teflon sleeve insert prevents contamination of internal tube surfaces by solder compound during soldering operations that connect and seal the tube ends. The sleeve insert is pressed into the mating tube ends with a slight interference fit.
Keying prevents mismatching of plugs and receptacles in connector patching of instrumentation involving several thousand leads. Each receptacle and plug contains three polarizing keys that must mate in a complementary mode before the connector pins and sockets will engage.
Photographic production of a small-dot pattern of known geometry on the surface of a substrate for controlled area degradation enables a study of adhesive bond strengths. These dot patterns may also be applied to force-limiting devices which must depend on the adhesive bonding strength between mating surfaces.
Cable run circuit with switching junction connectors at strategic locations enables television cameras to be plugged in with minimum effort wherever needed. Crimp-type contacts for mating connections reduce installation time and require a lesser level of technician skill than do soldered and potted connections.
Large metal ring seal prevents gas leakage in hydrogen, helium, or nitrogen storage bottles at pressures up to 5,000 psi. The grooved ring seal which contains elastomer O-rings is installed between the mating faces of the access cover and the storage bottle.
Gasket of a commercially available plastic material is interposed between the mating surfaces in axial joints where a hard and a soft metal are in intimate contact under stress conditions. This eliminates the fretting problem and is quicker and less expensive than the plating process.
Manufacture of the S-IC stage of the Saturn V space vehicle has resulted in new. concepts and innovations in the field of tooling. The structure size (35-ft diameter), the high reliability and accuracy requirements, and the low density or production quantity lead to a greater degree of simplicity, economy, and versatility in fabrication and assembly tooling. There are three specific concepts which should be applicable in industry, local jigging for welding, rotation of structures in vertical assemblies, and the assembly of two structures. The usual weld jigging serves a two-fold purpose: (a) to support the molten weld puddle and (b) to force and maintain alinement of the parts being welded. The extension of this method to large-diameter tanks is expensive and difficult. An alternate procedure used at MSFC is to perform free-state welding and use local jigging (stra1rclamps) and intermittent tack welding. Cylindrical structures can be accurately rotated for routing or welding on a simplified ring turntable. The tool consists of a ring of the structure diameter resting on rollers. Torque is nearly zero since the ring is rotated by friction rollers with the force being applied at the ring perimeter. Two such turntables are used at MSFC. The horizontal mating of two large components, where controlled motions of small magnitude are necessary, can be easily done by positioning units equipped with air-bearings. Such bearings are usable on concrete of minimum surface preparation and require no special air pressure source. This concept is used in assembly of the two S-IC containers.
Mathematical model of macroscopic elastic contact between mating members for predicting thermal contact resistance in vacuum environment