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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Tool For Driving Many Fasteners Simultaneously

Proposed tool tightens or loosens several bolts, screws, nuts, or other threaded fasteners arranged in circle on compressor head, automotive wheel, pipe-end flange, or similar object. Enables assembly or disassembly in fraction of time needed to tighten fasteners one at a time. Simultaneously applies same torque to all fasteners, preventing distortion and enhancing reliability. Concept not limited to circular fastener patterns. Adapted to rectangular configurations like on engine intake manifolds, by adding gears to drive train to provide proper spacing. Designed to deliver fixed or adjustable maximum torque. To ensure even seal loading, piston pressure simultaneously ramped from initial to final values to maintain relatively constant torque loading on all fasteners until final specifications limit achieved.

Cook, Joseph S., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Dual load-path fastener

A fastener system is provided for securing a component to supporting structure. The fastener system comprises a pair of cooperating fastener modules. The first module includes a first stationary member attached to the supporting structure and a first bolt member threadedly engaged with the first stationary member. The second module includes a second stationary member also attached to the supporting structure and a second bolt member threadedly engaged with the second stationary member. The second bolt member also extends freely through a longitudinal bore in the first bolt member. Head members on the first and second head members are mutually engaged for their unitary rotation and the first head member engages the component. When the head members are rotated in one direction, they are advanced toward the supporting structure thereby drawing the component toward the supporting structure. Rotation in the opposite direction is effective to cause the head members to retract from the supporting structure and thereby separate the component from the supporting structure. With this construction, upon fracture either of the first fastener means at a location away from the first head member or of the second fastener means at a location away from the second head member, upon rotation of the first head member in the one direction, the first head member nevertheless continues to advance toward the supporting structure.

Driscoll, Timothy D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space Suit Portable Life Support System Fastener and Insert Summary, Issues, and Testing Results

Fasteners are included in every assembly on the Exploration External Mobility Unity Portable Life Support System (xEMU PLSS). However, fasteners and inserts have been the cause of many issues seen on the PLSS during development; furthermore, inserts with thermoplastics are not very well understood. The materials used in the PLSS are sometimes softer and lighter weight metals or thermoplastics which require the installation of inserts to improve the interface strength. In addition, space flight requirements call out the need for an additional running/locking torque, so they do not detach in case of failure of the final torque. The xEMU PLSS has experienced various issues with fasteners and inserts, from the bolt binding in an insert or the running torque failing prematurely. A study has been completed to address the running torque life problem. This study compares the insert and locking feature combinations to determine the combination which maximizes life. The study found that using a locking patch with an insert fails after the first installation. Therefore, it is no longer recommended to use a locking patch fastener with an insert for future installments. For the bolt binding issue, inserts have been installed too deep and have caused the bolt to bind near the final threads of the inserts where the hole is not tapped deep enough. Thermoplastics, on the other end, can either use standard helical inserts or heat set inserts. Another study was performed using tangless inserts and heat inserts installed in thermoplastics to quantify the expected pull-out strength for various insert installation parameters (insert type, temperature, and pressure). This paper will review the issues and lessons learned with fasteners on the xEMU PLSS, provide results of a locking feature study, and provide results and recommended installation settings from a heat insert study.

Ryan Ogilvie↗
NASA NTRS1965

Coiled spring makes self-locking device for threaded fasteners

Coiled spring device provides both easy self-locking and disassembly for screw-threaded fasteners. When the fastener turns in one direction the spring grips one of the fastener threads and releases when the fastener turns in the opposite direction.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1972

Development of high temperature fasteners using directionally solidified eutectic alloys

The suitability of the eutectics for high temperature fasteners was investigated. Material properties were determined as a function of temperature, and included shear parallel and perpendicular to the growth direction and torsion parallel to it. Techniques for fabricating typical fastener shapes included grinding, creep forming, and direct casting. Both lamellar Ni3Al-Ni3Nb and fibrous (Co,Cr,Al)-(Cr,Co)7C3 alloys showed promise as candidate materials for high temperature fastener applications. A brief evaluation of the performance of the best fabricated fastener design was made.

George, F. D.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Trends in mechanical fasteners

Some of the specialty fasteners which are enjoying increasing usage are: thread rolling screws, self drilling and tapping screws, locking screws, tamperproof fasteners, and flanged bolts and nuts. The development of an optimum metric fastener system is recommended for future fastener manufacturing.

Levy, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Titanium fasteners

Titanium fasteners are used in large quantities throughout the aircraft industry. Most of this usage is in aluminum structure; where titanium structure exists, titanium fasteners are logically used as well. Titanium fasteners offer potential weight savings to the designer at a cost of approximately $30 per pound of weight saved. Proper and least cost usage must take into consideration type of fastener per application, galvanic couples and installation characteristics of protective coatings, cosmetic appearance, paint adhesion, installation forces and methods available and fatigue performance required.

Phillips, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Wrench for smooth or damaged fasteners

Smooth-surfaced or damaged fasteners that cannot be gripped by conventional wrench can be unscrewed by special wrench. It can be used in tight spaces and will not damage adjacent structures. Wrench consists of central handle and 2 independent jaws with serrated teeth. Teeth are placed on fastener to be removed, and handle is rotated until fastener is gripped with positive locking action. Rotation of wrench handle removes fastener.

Carrillo, R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

In Situ Composite Fastener

Fasteners installed prior to curing. In situ composite fastener polymeric, graphite, glass, or metallic thread, pin, or staple. Selected fastener pressed through thickness of composite component while composite is in prepreg or B-stage state. Parts not removed from mold to install fastener. Technique used around cutouts to prevent free edges from delaminating.

Freeman, W. T., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Fastening Parts Having Mismatched Thermal Coefficients

Fastener eliminates thermal stresses and maintains snug fit. Conicalhead bolt and metal washer main components of fastener that keeps constant tension on carbon/carbon parts regardless of thermal stress. Fastener used in cases where fastened parts have unmatched thermalexpansion coefficients. Does not become looser or tighter as conventional bolts and nuts or rivets do at elevated temperatures.

Jackson, L. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Attaching Metal Fasteners to Silica Tiles

Stress distributed so high load borne. Fastener bonded in densified hole or captured in plug of similar refractory material, which in turn bonded in hole in parent tile. Plug or bonding distributes mechanical load from fastener to broad region surrounding fastener, reducing local stress concentration and likelihood of breakage. Bonded-plug method has been successful in attaching mechanical fasteners to porous silica refractory tiles used on outer surface of Space Shuttle orbiter.

Holt, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Designing Applications For Fasteners

"Fastener Design Manual", written to provide design engineers with single source assisting in choosing appropriate fasteners for their designs. Gives practical information on selection of fastener materials, platings, lubricants, galvanic corrosion, embrittlement by hydrogen, locking methods, inserts, washers, types and classes of threads, fatigue loading, and fastener torque.

Barrett, Richard T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Design of Mechanically Compatible Fasteners for Human Mandible Reconstruction

Mechanically compatible fasteners for use with thin or weakened bone sections in the human mandible are being developed to help reduce large strain discontinuities across the bone/implant interface. Materials being considered for these fasteners are a polyetherertherketone (PEEK) resin with continuous quartz or carbon fiber for the screw. The screws were designed to have a shear strength equivalent to that of compact/trabecular bone and to be used with a conventional nut, nut plate, or an expandable shank/blind nut made of a ceramic filled polymer. Physical and finite element models of the mandible were developed in order to help select the best material fastener design. The models replicate the softer inner core of trabecular bone and the hard outer shell of compact bone. The inner core of the physical model consisted of an expanding foam and the hard outer shell consisted of ceramic particles in an epoxy matrix. This model has some of the cutting and drilling attributes of bone and may be appropriate as an educational tool for surgeons and medical students. The finite element model was exercised to establish boundary conditions consistent with the stress profiles associated with mandible bite forces and muscle loads. Work is continuing to compare stress/strain profiles of a reconstructed mandible with the results from the finite element model. When optimized, these design and fastening techniques may be applicable, not only to other skeletal structures, but to any composite structure.

Roberts, Jack C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Fatigue-Resistant Metal Hook-And-Loop Fastener

Proposed metal hook-and-loop fastener engaged and disengaged many hundreds of times without breaking. Fastener opens by mechanical action. Translation moves hooks out of loops or pushes loops away from hooks. Hooks not required to flex and, therefore, do not fail by fatigue. Lifetime much greater than that of other metal hook-and-loop fasteners, depending on flexure for disengagement such as article, "Hook-and-Loop Metal Fastener" (MSC-21586).

Sawaf, Bernard↗
NASA NTRS1994

Push type fastener

A push type fastener for fastening a movable structural part (41) to a fixed structural part (43), wherein the coupling and decoupling actions are both a push type operation, the fastener consisting of a plunger (12) having a shank (20) with a plunger head (18) at one end and a threaded end portion (26a) at the other end, an expandable grommet (14) adapted to receive the plunger shank (20) therethrough, and an attachable head (16) which is securable to the threaded end of the plunger shank (20). The fastener (10) requires each structural part (41, 43) to be provided with an aperture (45, 46) and the attachable head (16) to be smaller than the aperture (46) in the second structural part. The plunger (12) is extensible through the grommet (14) and is structurally configured with an external camming surface (25) which is cooperatively engageable with internal surfaces (38) of the grommet so that when the plunger is inserted in the grommet, the relative positioning of said cooperable camming surfaces determines the expansion of the grommet. Coupling of the parts is effected when the grommet is inserted in the aperture (46) in the fixed structural part (43) and expanded by pushing the plunger head (18) and plunger at least a minimal distance through the grommet. Decoupling is effected by pushing the attachable head (16).

Jackson, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Push Type Fastener

A push type fastener for fastening a movable structural part to a fixed structural part, wherein the coupling and decoupling actions are both a push type operation, the fastener consisting of a plunger having a shank with a plunger head at one end and a threaded end portion at the other end, an expandable grommet adapted to receive the plunger shank there through, and an attachable head which is securable to the threaded end of the plunger shank. The fastener requires each structural part to be provided with an aperture and the attachable head to be smaller than the aperture in the second structural part. The plunger is extensible through the grommet and is structurally configured with an external camming surface which is cooperatively engageable with internal surfaces of the grommet so that when the plunger is inserted in the grommet, the relative positioning of said cooperable camming surfaces determines the expansion of the grommet. Coupling of the parts is effected when the grommet is inserted in the aperture in the fixed structural part and expanded by pushing the plunger head and plunger at least a minimal distance through the grommet. Decoupling is effected by pushing the attachable head.

Jackson, Steven A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Skin, Stringer, and Fastener Loads in Buckled Fuselage Panels

The results of a numerical study to assess the effect of skin buckling on the internal load distribution in a stiffened fuselage panel, with and without longitudinal cracks, are presented. In addition, the impact of changes in the internal loads on the fatigue life and residual strength of a fuselage panel is assessed. A generic narrow-body fuselage panel is considered. The entire panel is modeled using shell elements and considerable detail is included to represent the geometric-nonlinear response of the buckled skin, cross section deformation of the stiffening components, and details of the skin-string attachment with discrete fasteners. Results are presented for a fixed internal pressure and various combinations of axial tension or compression loads. Results illustrating the effect of skin buckling on the stress distribution in the skin and stringer, and fastener loads are presented. Results are presented for the pristine structure, and for cases where damage is introduced in the form of a longitudinal crack adjacent to the stringer, or failed fastener elements. The results indicate that axial compression loads and skin buckling can have a significant effect on the circumferential stress in the skin, and fastener loads, which will influence damage initiation, and a comparable effect on stress intensity factors for cases with cracks. The effects on stress intensity factors will influence damage propagation rates and the residual strength of the panel.

Young, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Stirling Convertor Fasteners Reliability Quantification

Onboard Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) being developed for NASA s deep-space science and exploration missions require reliable operation for up to 14 years and beyond. Stirling power conversion is a candidate for use in an RPS because it offers a multifold increase in the conversion efficiency of heat to electric power and reduced inventory of radioactive material. Structural fasteners are responsible to maintain structural integrity of the Stirling power convertor, which is critical to ensure reliable performance during the entire mission. Design of fasteners involve variables related to the fabrication, manufacturing, behavior of fasteners and joining parts material, structural geometry of the joining components, size and spacing of fasteners, mission loads, boundary conditions, etc. These variables have inherent uncertainties, which need to be accounted for in the reliability assessment. This paper describes these uncertainties along with a methodology to quantify the reliability, and provides results of the analysis in terms of quantified reliability and sensitivity of Stirling power conversion reliability to the design variables. Quantification of the reliability includes both structural and functional aspects of the joining components. Based on the results, the paper also describes guidelines to improve the reliability and verification testing.

Shah, Ashwin R.↗