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At least 775 records · Page 43
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

MAB Phase Ceramics for Lunar Applications

During the ten-week internship my work focused on designing characterization protocol for 3D printed MAB phase ceramics on steel and Tiplates. I was mentored by Dr. Samuel Hocker of NASA and advised by Dr. Gupta from University of North Dakota. I also collaborated with Mackenzie Short from the University of North Dakota. The characterization protocol was divided into following steps; initially, we performed visual inspection of the plates. During this process, the coatings which spalled or delaminated were discarded for further evaluation. During the next step, we performed optical microscopy to discern and document surface features and porosities of the samples. We also noted some decomposition under the optical microscope as well. Thereafter, profilometry analysis was performed to understand the effect of power density on the surface roughness. Due to the deposited powder over the samples, the profilometry was inconclusive. We then cleaned the samples on the steel plate using ethanol and cotton swabs to wipe up the loose powder covering the samples. Detailed SEM analysis was then performed on the cleaned specimens. In parallel, the 3D printed samples on the Tiplate were cleaned by using an ultrasonic bath for 1h. Optical imaging showed that this cleaning process was more effective for cleaning except that small cracks propagated through the layered ceramics. The profilometry data gathered on the titanium plate after cleaning was more conclusive. The SEM data on the steel plate showed that there is decomposition at all wattages although at 100 W the extent of decomposition was lower. We are planning to characterize the steel samples after cleaning in ultrasonic bath for 5-10 min to minimize cracking during the cleaning process. In addition, we are also planning to study the fractured surface by SEM analysis.

Additive Manufacturing, Laser Powder Bed Fusion, S↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of Extreme Environment Additively Manufactured Alloys for Next Generation Space Propulsion Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been involved in the development and maturation of metal additive manufacturing (AM) for space applications since the late 2000’s. Several efforts focused on the understanding of AM processes through material characterization and testing, standards development, component fabrication, and infusion into propulsion development and flight applications. NASA matured commonly used aerospace alloys from various alloy families (Nickel, Copper, Stainless and Steel, Aluminum, and Titanium-based) through detailed AM process and heat treatment characterization, in addition to mechanical and thermophysical testing. While these alloys are actively used in many propulsion applications, there is a need for ongoing AM optimized alloys using integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) and process development for high performance applications. The applications targeted are liquid rocket engines; advanced propulsion systems; and in-space propulsion with high heat fluxes, high pressure, and/or that use propellants that can degrade alloys (e.g., hydrogen). This paper highlights the characterization and physical properties of the more common AM alloys using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) processes. Additionally, this paper discusses some of the ongoing novel alloy development and maturation using AM for use in these harsh environments, such as GRCop42, GRCop-84, NASA HR-1, GRX-810, and C-103. The results from these processes demonstrated that AM could enable rapid development and ongoing efforts for optimized alloys using ICME, yielding higher performances. These alloys have undergone modeling, fundamental metallurgical evaluations, heat treatment studies, detailed microstructure characterization, and mechanical testing campaigns. This, combined with direct application-specific component fabrication and hot-fire testing, enabled the increase of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) through high duty-cycle testing. A background and overview of these novel AM-enabled alloys and AM processing developments including metallurgical and mechanical property studies is presented here. The latest advancement in the parallel component development and hot-fire testing and future developments for these alloys is also discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Making & Breaking the Rules for DED Design

Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) is widely used to describe design activities and guidelines employed in the creation of Additively Manufactured (AM) parts. Basic design rules for widely adopted processes like Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) are relatively understood including material performance, part size constraints, self-supporting angles, overhangs, wall thicknesses, and feature resolution. Complexity is often inherent with PBF using organically inspired solutions through generative design and topology optimization software to create designs that often cannot be realized via traditional manufacturing processes. The design rules for Directed Energy Deposition (DED) are less well known, and, in some cases, the lack of understanding is likely inhibiting broader application of the various DED processes. This presentation covers key design rules for DED fusion processes and elucidates opportunities like multi-material deposition and build approaches ranging from basic features to complex large-scale parts. Complementary to the opportunistic characteristics of DfAM for DED, Manufacture for AM (MfAM) encompasses the restrictive aspects of the manufacturing lifecycle with limitations due to bead width and wall thickness, self-supporting angles, surface texture, microstructural evolution, and residual stresses. AM enabled part design must always consider the entire value chain starting with incoming feedstock (e.g. plate, wire, or powder) and progressing through the printing process, post-processing (e.g. machining, inspection), and final system assembly. Key considerations, like the tradeoffs between feature resolution and build rate, for process and part selection and economic assessments will be discussed as DED is often traded against other AM processes. After highlighting typical DED design rules, we will also show how some of those rules can be broken via use cases and part designs that span the full spectrum of DED processes with examples of various DED part designs.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of Directed Energy Deposited NASA HR-1 to Optimize Properties for Liquid Rocket Engine Applications

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes have been demonstrated to be effective at reducing costs and lead times associated with fabrication of complex propulsion component designs. Laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) and laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) are metal AM technologies that have effectively been used to produce a variety of parts for space applications. These technologies have enabled new designs and materials for these applications. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified the need to develop and advance new materials in unique space applications such as high-pressure hydrogen environments. One such metal alloy being developed for these applications is NASA HR-1. A high-strength Fe-Ni based superalloy, NASA HR-1 was designed to resist high pressure hydrogen environment embrittlement, oxidation, and corrosion. AM technologies have enabled the manufacturing of NASA HR-1 to be a feasible material for components in hydrogen environments. Development efforts for NASA HR-1 have completed build and heat treatment optimization, material characterization, thermophysical property testing, and mechanical testing in air and hydrogen environments to mature the understanding of the material. This poster will summarize the development of NASA HR-1 for AM including composition and heat treatment optimization, microstructure characterization, and results of mechanical testing in air and high pressure hydrogen.

NASA HR-1↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Influence of Heat Treatments on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Additively Manufactured Inconel 939

This study investigated the effect of heat treatment variations on the microstructure and tensile properties of laser powder bed fused Inconel 939 manufactured via laser powder bed fusion. Three different heat treatment schedules, all of which comprise stress relief, hot isostatic pressing, solution annealing, and aging, were followed, and resulting changes in microstructure were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Tensile tests were conducted on specimens subjected to different heat treatments to evaluate the mechanical properties at room temperature. Microstructural results showed that solution treatment at 1190 °C for 4 h led to better removal of dendritic microstructure, while second-step aging at 850 °C resulted in monomodal distribution of precipitates. However, the second-step aging temperatures from 750 to 800 °C resulted in bi-modal distribution. The optimal heat treatment schedule, which yielded a superior combination of strength and ductility, involved solution treatment at 1190 °C for 4 h and two-step aging at 1000 °C for 6 h and 800 °C for 4 h.

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF)↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Optimization of Rocket Engine Components using Multi-Metallic Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. AM has been demonstrated in various rocket component applications using a variety of monolithic metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-metallic AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. NASA’s Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology (RAMPT) project has designed and manufactured a series of additively manufactured (AM) coupled combustion chambers, nozzles, and other engine components to advance new AM processes and materials with the goal of reducing cost and schedule for engine manufacturing. These designs incorporated multimetallic AM, which further enabled carbon-fiber composite overwrap to reduce overall thrust chamber assembly (TCA) mass. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include GRCop-based alloys and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. One unique development that will be presented is the combustion chamber and nozzle as a single component by using freeform integrated DED to build the nozzle directly onto the aft end of the chamber. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization and mechanical testing, and hot-fire testing of bimetallic components in a relevant rocket engine environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS1964

Characteristics of a Lunar Landing Configuration Having Various Multiple-Leg Landing-Gear Arrangements

An experimental investigation has been made of some lunar-landing characteristics of a 1/6-scale dynamic model of a landing module having multiple-leg landing-gear systems. Symmetric four-point and five-point systems were investigated. The landing-gear legs were inverted tripod arrangements having a telescoping main strut which incorporated a yielding-metal strap for energy dissipation, hinged V-struts, and circular pads. The landing tests were made by launching a free model onto an impenetrable hard surface (concrete) and onto a powdered-pumice overlay of various depths. Landing motion and acceleration data were obtained for a range of touchdown speeds, touchdown attitudes, and landing-surface conditions. Maximum normal acceleration experienced at the module center of gravity during landings on hard surface or pumice was 2g (full-scale lunar value in terms of earth's gravity) over a wide range of touchdown conditions. acceleration experienced was 12 1/2 radians/sec(exp 2) and maximum longitudinal acceleration was 1 3/4g. The module was very stable with all gear configurations during landings on hard surface (coefficient of friction, micron = 0.4) at all conditions tested. Some overturn instability occurred during landings on powdered pumice (micron = 0.7 to 1.0) depending upon flight path, pitch and yaw attitude, depth of pumice, surface topography, and landing-gear configuration. The effect on stability of roll attitude for the limited amount of roll-attitude landing data obtained was insignificant. Compared with the four-point landing gear, the five-point system with equal maximum gear radius increased landing stability slightly and improved the static stability for subsequent lunar launch. A considerable increase in landing stability in the direction of motion was obtained with an asymmetric four-point gear having two pads offset to increase gear radius by 33 percent in the direction of horizontal flight.

Blanchard, Ulysse J.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Thin-film ferrites vapor deposited by one-step process in vacuum

Thin-film ferrites are formed by vapor deposition of a mixture of powdered ferrites and powdered boron oxide at controlled temperatures in a vacuum chamber. These films are used in memory devices for computers and as thin-film inductors in communications and telemetry systems.

Hacskaylo, M.↗
NASA NTRS1968

Eddy current probe measures size of cracks in nonmetallic materials

Nondestructive method uses powdered iron and eddy current probe to measure the depth/width ratio of cracks in electrically nonconductive materials. The eddy current probe measures the mass of metal in the crack after it has been filled with the powdered iron.

Musser, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1969

High strength, superplastic superalloy

High strength superplastic superalloys are produced by extruding a pre-alloyed powder. The cast nickel base superalloy was remelted and converted to pre-alloyed powder by inert gas atomization. The superalloy shows high tensile strength and superplasticity and finds use in hot working and casting.

Ashbrook, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Improved method of using paraformaldehyde as a disinfectant

Paraformaldehyde decreases required enclosed compartment disinfectant time and temperature by vaporizing powdered material from water slurry. Fire and explosion hazard at lower temperature is reduced. Total mixture evaporation occurs at plate temperature of approximately 167 deg K below that required to vaporize powdered material.

Milner, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Onset of superconductivity in sodium and potassium intercalated molybdenum disulphide

Molybdenum disulfide in the form of natural crystals or powder has been intercalated at -65 to -70 C with sodium and potassium using the liquid ammonia technique. All intercalated samples were found to show a superconducting transition. A plot of the percent of diamagnetic throw versus temperature indicates the possible existence of two phases in the potassium intercalated molybdenum disulfide. The onset of superconductivity in potassium and sodium intercalated molybdenite powder was found to be approximately 6.2 and approximately 4.5 K, respectively. The observed superconductivity is believed to be due to an increase in electron density as a result of intercalation.

Somoano, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1971

The development and evaluation of a cobalt base oxidation resistant dispersion strengthened alloy

The Co-18Cr-20Ni-4 Vol % ThO2 powders were prepared by a flash drying selective reduction process starting with an aqueous solution of metal salts and colloidal thoria. Powders were consolidated and extruded into rods with a minimum density of 99% of theoretical. Swaging and annealing studies were conducted to determine the conditions that would lead to a product with high stress-rupture strength. The best process yielded a stress-rupture life of 7.2 hours at 10 KSI (69 MN sq m and 2000 F (1094 C). The alloy recrystallized to a duplex (coarse-fine) structure and thus did not exhibit the desired strength of 3000 hours at 15 KSI (103.5MN/sq m and 2000 F (1094 C).

Irani, K. K.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of porous material

Thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of porous materials, including 304L stainless steel Rigimesh, 304L stainless steel sintered spherical powders, and OFHC sintered spherical powders at different porosities and temperatures are reported and correlated. It was found that the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity can be related to the solid material properties and the porosity of the porous matrix regardless of the matrix structure. It was also found that the Wiedermann-Franz-Lorenz relationship is valid for the porous materials under consideration. For high conductivity materials, the Lorenz constant and the lattice component of conductivity depend on the material and are independent of the porosity. For low conductivity, the lattice component depends on the porosity as well.

Koh, J. C. Y.↗