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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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Double-ended cap holds mating plugs and receptacle, preventing electrical contact between them when not in use. Cap maintains continuous electrical ground between plug and receptacle protecting against electromagnetic-interference pickup. Device is also useful for isolation of sensitive circuits from each other during storage, transit, or testing.
Positive-isolation-disconnect (PID) device with two mating halves prevents leakage or spillover when two fluid lines are disconnected. Each half has shutoff poppet to stop fluid flow. When flow is shut, poppets are flush against each other, leaving no space for fluid to remain it.
Auxiliary furnace tool forces part to match length of mating part during brazing. As brazed assembly cools, jack contracts faster and disengages from fitting studs.
An electron bombardment argon ion source was used to ion etch various metals and fluoropolymers. The metal and fluoropolymers were exposed to (0.5 to 1.0) keV Ar ions at ion current densities of (0.2 to 1.5) mA/sq cm for various exposure times. The resulting surface texture is in the form of needles or spires whose vertical dimensions may range from tenths to hundreds of micrometers, depending on the selection of beam energy, ion current density, and etch time. The bonding of textured surfaces is accomplished by ion beam texturing mating pieces of either metals or fluoropolymers and applying a bonding agent which wets in and around the microscopic cone-like structures. After bonding, both tensile and shear strength measurements were made on the samples. Also tested, for comparison's sake, were untextured and chemically etched fluoropolymers. The results of these measurements are presented.
Sliding friction experiments were conducted with single crystal manganese-zinc ferrite in contact with itself and with transition metals. Results indicate mating highest atomic density directions (110) on matched crystallographic planes exhibit the lowest coefficient of friction, indicating that direction is important in the friction behavior of ferrite. Matched parallel high atomic density planes and crystallographic directions at the interface exhibit low coefficients of friction. The coefficients of friction for ferrite in contact with various metals are related to the relative chemical activity of these metals. The more active the metal, the higher the coefficient of friction. Cracking and the formation of hexagon- and rectangular-shaped platelet wear debris due to cleavages of (110) planes are observed on the ferrite surfaces as a result of sliding.
A remote manipulator performance evaluation test was developed to test certain tool mating configurations not possible with the standard peg-in-hole type of test. The test attempted to evaluate robot manipulator performance over a full range of six degrees of freedom of motion between a tool and its intended receptacle. The test consists primarily of four different tool geometries and three different receptacle geometries which provide for a progressive reduction in the degrees of freedom of motion, and a progressive increase in the degrees of constraint (DOC) over motion, between the tool and the receptacle. The manipulation times of actual tools and couplings would be predicted by the times for the test tool most like it geometrically. In addition, the influence of four different transmission delays was tested. The results indicate that tool manipulation time can vary by a factor of about four depending on the degrees of constraint over final tool positioning.
The features of a connector concept with respect to timelines and ease of connection by EVA (extravehicular activity), in various mating orientations were evaluated. The connector tests were conducted by thee EVA astronaut test subjects. Each of four test conditions (baseline, off angle, overhead, and with visual obstruction) were run three times by each of the test subjects. Time data were taken on each test run. Visual and voice communications with the subjects were recorded. The tests demonstrated that EVA personnel can perform connection tasks in relatively short times (generally one minute) and the connector configuration was a reasonable design base for such tasks. The in-situ communications and post-test comments indicated that the connector was generally acceptable but requires improvement to its manual interface features.
This research has focused on improving the mathematical models of the air-breathing propulsion systems, which can be mated with the rocket engine model and incorporated in trajectory optimization codes. Improved engine simulations provided accurate representation of the complex cycles proposed for advanced launch vehicles, thereby increasing the confidence in propellant use and payload calculations. The versatile QNEP (Quick Navy Engine Program) was modified to allow treatment of advanced turboaccelerator cycles using hydrogen or hydrocarbon fuels and operating in the vehicle flow field.
Optical interferometry is used to measure the elastohydrodynamic (EHD) film thickness associated with artificially produced nonsmooth surfaces. The nonsmooth surfaces are produced by modifying the surfaces of highly-polished balls with irregularities in the form of multiple grooves and dents. By closely spacing these irregularities it is possible not only to produce depressions on the surface of the balls but also to generate pseudo asperities. The average roughness wavelength of this artificially-produced, nonsmooth, surface approximates the average fundamental roughness wavelength found on surfaces of some mechanical elements operating under concentrated contact. By comparing the measured film thickness profiles to the stylus traces of the irregularities, it was possible to observe the local deformations associated with micro-EHD pressure generation. In both pure rolling and pure sliding conditions the artificially-produced asperities are deformed and complete separation exists between them and the mating surface. Such findings demonstrate the importance of local surface topography and resulting micro-EHD effects on the film thickness between rough surfaces in concentrated contact. Sliding data are presented which demonstrate a severe constriction, caused by the irregularities, at the exit of the Hertzian region.
An electron-bombardment argon ion source was used to ion-etch various metals and fluoropolymers. The metal and fluoropolymers were exposed to (0.5 to 1.0)-keV Ar ions at ion current densities of 0.2 to 1.5 mA/sq cm for various exposure times. The resulting surface texture is in the form of needles or spires whose vertical dimensions may range from tenths to hundreds of micrometers, depending on the selection of beam energy, ion current density, and etch time. The bonding of textured surfaces is accomplished by ion-beam texturing mating pieces of either metals or fluoropolymers and applying a bonding agent which wets in and around the microscopic conelike structures. After bonding, both tensile and shear strength measurements were made on the samples. Also tested, for comparison's sake, were untextured and chemically etched fluoropolymers. The results of these measurements are presented in this paper.
This paper describes a variation of cold welding which utilizes an ion beam to clean mating surfaces prior to joining in a vacuum environment. High quality solid state welds were produced with minimal deformation. Due to experimental fixture limitation in applying pressure work has been limited to a few low yield strength materials.
The various configuration options for earth-to-orbit transports are discussed with specific attention given to: ballistic vs. winged vehicles; horizontal takeoff vs. vertical takeoff; two stage vs. single stage; rocket propulsion system options; structure and thermal protection systems options; and weight growth vs. size. It is suggested that the single-stage system has many attractive features such as the elimination of booster-to-orbiter mating problems and the elimination of the need for the development of a cruise system. From the standpoint of weight reduction, it appears desirable to combine as many functions as possible in the outer shell of the transport system.
Sliding friction experiments were conducted with single-crystal manganese-zinc ferrite in contact with itself and with transition metals. Results indicate mating highest atomic density directions (110 line type) on matched crystallographic planes exhibit the lowest coefficient of friction indicating that direction is important in the friction behavior of ferrite. Matched parallel high atomic density planes and crystallographic directions at the interface exhibit low coefficients of friction. The coefficients of friction for ferrite in contact with various metals are related to the relative chemical activity of these metals. The more active the metal, the higher the coefficient of friction. Cracking and the formation of hexagon- and rectangular-shaped platelet wear debris due to cleavages are observed on the ferrite surfaces as a result of sliding.
Machine takes long horizontal stratum samples from confines of 21 cm bore hole. Stacked interlocking half cylindrical shells mate to form rigid thrust tube. Drive shaft and core storage device is flexible and retractable. Entire machine fits in 10 meter length of steel tube. Machine could drill drainage or ventilation holes in coal mines, or provide important information for geological, oil, and geothermal surveys.
1000 eV beam bombarding metal surfaces to be joined removes oxides and contaminants at rate of several atomic layers per second for current density of 1 mA/squ. cm. Clean surfaces can then be joined by squeezing them together. With ion-beam cleaning, mating force for strong bond is low enough to cause only 1% deformation. Conventional cold-welding requires about 70% deformation for bonding. Technique was tested successfully on aluminum to aluminum welds, copper to copper, copper to aluminum, copper to nickel, and silver to iron. Base metals failed before welds in tear test.
High strength, good surface finish, and corrosion resistance are imparted to miniature wind tunnel models by machining pressure channels as integral part of model. Pattern for pressure channels is scribed, machined, or photoetched before channels are drilled. Mating surfaces for channels are flashed and then diffusion brazed together.
Sleeve for alining two optical fibers is made with precisely correct inside diameter by using section of fiber as mandrel. Because optical fiber is manufactured to very close tolerances, diameter of section serving as mandrel will be same as diameters of two fibers that are mated in butt joint inside sleeve. Result, determined by experiments, is loss of no more that 0.3 dB at joint.
A mechanical attachment adapter was designed, constructed, and tested. The adapter was was included in a simulation program that investigated techniques for assembling erectable structures under simulated zero-g conditions by pressure-suited subjects in a simulated EVA mode. The adapter was utilized as an interface attachment between a simulated equipment module and one node point of a tetrahedral structural cell. The mating performance of the adapter, a self-energized mechanism, was easily and quickly demonstrated and required little effort on the part of the test subjects.