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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 883 records · Page 49

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NASA NTRS1980

Characterization of aging effects of LARC-160

Specimens of freshly prepared polyimide precursor resin LARC-160 and resin aged at room temperature up to 45 days were characterized by high-pressure liquid chromatography and several different thermal analyses. Graphite reinforced composites were then fabricated from fresh and aged resin and tested to determine if changes observed by these techniques were significant. It was found that resin aging resulted in greater flow during processing and poorer composite isothermal stability. However, aging did not affect the room-temperature flexural or short-beam-shear strengths of the composites.

Young, P. R.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Submillisecond measurements of system optical modulation functions in mosaic focal plane arrays

Measurements of system optical modulation functions (MTF, SWR) may be distorted by time-dependent environmental effects (thermal, vibration, flexure) and by electronics drift. Fast data collection may therefore be advantageous by minimizing drift time. The problem of fast data collection is accentuated when modulation data must be taken on a large number of detectors in a focal plane array. A method has been developed for the generation and storage of knife edge data from focal plane arrays, where data collection time per detector is in the submillisecond range. Once knife edge collects are completed, MTF response is found using conventional convolution techniques. SWR is obtained directly from knife edge response using a computerized simulation algorithm which bypasses use of MTF harmonics. Requirements for detector electronics speed, damping, and dynamic range are considered.

Thurlow, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Secondary mirror subassembly in the 2.4 m NASA optical telescope

The secondary mirror is a circular disc provided with a shoulder. Three clamps located 120 deg apart support the mirror shoulder. On one side of the mirror shoulder, a coated graphite-epoxy ring connects the three clamps. Three axial flexures with a low radial compliance extend out from a support platform constructed of coated graphite-epoxy box structs and invar corners, and provide a nominal in-plane zero coefficient of thermal expansion. In each invar corner piece, a ball joint provides a connection to a expansion. In each invar corner piece, a ball joint provides a connection to a six-degree-of-freedom adjustment system that can move the secondary mirror with a high degree of precision in defocus, decenter, and tilt. Thermal controls that maintain structural-element temperature variations within specified limits insure that the assembly exceeds stability and figure control requirements on the secondary mirror.

Ahmed, N.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Role of membrane stresses in the support of planetary topography

The role of membrane stresses and bending stresses in supporting topographic loads on planetary elastic lithospheres is examined. A dimensionless parameter is introduced in order to determine the ability of a spherical shell to support loads through membrane stresses. It is determined that when this parameter is large, membrane stresses can fully support topographic loads with flexure, and when it is small the influence of the membrane stresses can be neglected. Equations governing the behavior of a spherical shell are solved for a topographic load expressed in terms of spherical harmonics, and spherical harmonic expansions of the measured gravity and topography for Mars and the moon are compared with the theory. It is concluded that membrane stresses play an important role in the support of topographic loads on the moon and Mars. The correlation of observed gravitational potential anomalies with the topography on Mars is explained by membrane stresses in the elastic lithosphere.

Turcotte, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Influence of excess diamine on properties of PMR polyimide resins and composites

This preliminary study explores the influence of 1-10 percent molar excess MDA on the molecular weight distribution and rheological properties of an imidized PMR system. Molecular weight distribution is characterized by gel permeation chromatography of the imidized molding compound; shear viscosity is related to changes in average molecular weight. The thermo-oxidative stability at 600 F glass transition temperature, flexural and interlaminar shear properties of PMR polyimide/Celion 6000 graphite fiber composites are compared as a function of the percent excess MDA in the monomer reactant mixture.

Hurwitz, F. I.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Design of a high precision microwave reflector

Development of a high accuracy spherical microwave reflector to support contour RMS and pointing requirements for a new series of space instruments is reported. The reflector system is composed of precision machined aluminum tile reflectors supported from a eutectic coated graphite epoxy structure by flexures. Several basic technologies have been integrated into a manufacturing process that accommodates fabrication techniques of both optical and composite constraints. The optical figure and its change due to thermal gradient was measured in a thermal vacuum environment with a Ronchi system. The radiometer system is in support of the Microwave Limb Sounder, an experiment to measure emissions from earth's atmospheric limb thus obtaining wind, temperature, pressure and chemical composition measurements.

Noller, E. W.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Thermal decomposition of a Si3N4-22 wt% Al2O3 alloy

It is pointed out that materials near the Si3N4 corner of the Si3N4-AlN-Al2O3-SiO2 quaternary, termed sialons are candidate materials for high performance applications. Hot pressed alloys in this system are useful because they possess high flexure strengths and good oxidation and creep resistance. The results of the thermal decomposition studies conducted indicate that dissociation and resulting weight loss lead to inhomogeneous specimens. Material loss comes primarily from near the surface (at least initially) thus causing differences between the composition of the surface material and the bulk. In these specimens, the O-prime phase was found to be the least stable to dissociation and the beta-prime phase the most stable. This result is in accord with the conclusions of Mitomo et al. (1979) that Si2N2O has a larger equilibrium SiO partial pressure than either the X phase or the beta-prime phase.

Ditchek, B. M.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Effect of storing B-staged graphite/polyimide on fabrication of structural elements

Graphite/polyimide structural elements have been successfully fabricated by forming and curing B-staged Celion 6000/PMR-15 and Celion 6000/LaRC-160 laminates in heated matched metal tooling. The B-staged laminates were subjected to storage for various periods of time up to six months at ambient shop conditions and high humidity prior to fabrication into structural elements to determine the processability of the graphite/polyimide after exposure to these conditions. Changes in processability were monitored by measuring flexure and interlaminar shear strengths, glass transition temperature, moisture content, and formability of the B-staged laminates. No significant change in the processability of either Celion 6000/PMR or Celion 6000/LaRC-160 was recorded indicating that after B-staging the graphite/polyimide laminates can be stored for extended periods of time in normal shop and high humidity environments and then be fabricated into defect-free structural elements in heated platen presses.

Baucom, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Fabrication of a Precise Microwave Reflector

New antenna reflector integrates several fabrication techniques of optical and composite constraining materials. Reflector is composed of machined aluminum reflector tiles attached to graphite/epoxy structure with aluminum flexures.

Bauer, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Phase-A COBE study

A scaled version of a conical apodizing horm similar to the one used in the Cosmic Background Explorer as the antenna for the far infrared absolute spectrometer (FIRAS) was tested to determine its diffraction patterns. The test transmitter used and results are described. Calculation of the tradeoff between noise and spectral resolution for the FIRAS are examined. Flexural transports, the optical properties of the Martin-Pupplet polarizing interferometer, and radiation absorption of thin bismuth films are also discussed.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1981

Flag-lag-torsional dynamics or extensional and inextensional rotor blades in hover and in forward flight

The differential equations describing the flap-lag-torsional motion of a flexible rotor blade including third-order nonlinearities were derived for hover and forward flight. Making use of the two boundary conditions, those equations were reduced to a set of three integro partial differential equations written in terms of the flexural deflections and the torsional variable.

Crespodasilva, M. R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Strength advantages of chemically polished boron fibers before and after reaction with aluminum

In order to determine their strength potential, the fracture properties of different types of commercial boron fibers were measured before and after application of secondary strengthening treatments. The principal treatments employed were a slight chemical polish, which removed low strength surface flaws, and a heat treatment in oxygen, which contracted the fibers and thereby compressed intrinsic bulk flaws. Those fiber types most significantly strengthened were 200 to 400 micrometers (8 to 16 mil) diameter boron on tungsten fibers produced in a single chemical vapor deposition reactor. The slight polish increased average tensile strenghts from 3.4 to 4.4 CN/m2 (500 to 640 ksi) and reduced coefficients of variation from about 15 to 3 percent. The oxygen heat treatment plus slight polish further improved average strengths to 5.5 GN/m2 (800 ksi) with coefficients near 3 percent. To ascertain whether these excellent properties could be retained after fabrication of B/Al composites, as produced and polished 203 micrometers (8 mil) fibers were thinly coated with aluminum, heat treated at B/Al fabrication temperatures, and then tested in tension and flexure at room temperature. The pre-polished fibers were observed to retain their superior strengths to higher temperatures than the as-produced fibers even though both were subjected to the same detrimental reaction with aluminum.

Dicarlo, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Suspension system for a wheel rolling on a flat track

An improved suspension system for an uncrowned wheel rolling on a flat track is presented. It is characterized by a wheel frame assembly including a wheel frame and at least one uncrowned wheel connected in supporting relation with the frame. It is adapted to be seated in rolling engagement with a flat track, a load supporting bed, and a plurality of flexural struts interconnecting the bed in supported relation with the frame. Each of said struts is disposed in a plane passing through the center of the uncrowned wheel surface along a line substantially bisecting the line of contact established between the wheel surface and the flat surface of the truck and characterized by a modulus of elasticity sufficient for maintaining the axis of rotation for the wheel in substantial parallelism with the line of contact established between the surfaces of the wheel and track.

Mcginness, H. D.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Structure of the St. Francois Mountains and surrounding lead belt, S. E. Missouri: Inferences from thermal IR and other data sets

Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM) in the form of an apparent thermal inertia image were merged with shaded relief maps and Bouguer gravity maps. The HCMM data show that the dominant structural grain in Missouri strikes in a northwesterly direction. The strike is the same as a major basement fault or flexure identified on the basis of gravity images.

Arvidson, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Exit chipping in ID sawing of silicon crystals

The processes involved in exit chipping which may occur in the internal diameter diamond sawing of silicon crystals were examined. An interpretation of chipping observations is given in terms of crack propagation as acted upon by the sawing stresses. Since the exit chips are roughly parallel to saw marks, the general locus of the crack must be determined by contact stresses although the exact locus depends on already existing subfractures located in the kerf region which are caused by more than one abrasive particle. The crack starts at either edge since these are weak areas in flexure. In the more extensive "saw fracture", the fracture plane often changes part-way across the slice to be other than parallel to the saw mark because the speed of the crack accelerates beyond the speed of the blade travel; i.e., outstrips the advance of the contact stress field. The influences of various external factors on the opening of the crack are divided into two types: factors that wedge the crack apart and those that bend the slice away from the crystal. From a consideration of these factors, conditions for minimizing exit chipping are defined.

Dyer, L. D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Nonequilibrium material effects on the behavior of polymeric composite matrices and their related composites

The effects of physical aging on the material properties of some linear and network macromolecular glasses are discussed. The free volume concept is used to describe this behavior. The effect of physical aging on properties of some uniaxial graphite/fiber epoxy resin composites is investigated using stress relaxation in both tensile and flexural modes. The matrix polymers used were resins both of which are based on a 4,4-methylenedianiline derivative of epichlorohydrin with diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS) as the curing agent. The matrix resin, as used in the practical application in composites, not fully cured and the glass transition of the network was dependent on the curing schedule. The physical aging of the bulk crosslinked epoxy was found to depend on the annealing temperature, and the T sub g of the resin. The physical aging of the composite, monitored by the stress relaxation method, was found to be dependent on the testing direction.

Wilkes, G. L.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Ultrasonic and mechanical characterizations of fatigue states of graphite epoxy composite laminates

Results of an exploration of the relationship between ultrasonic attenuation and fatigue survivability of graphite fiber epoxy composites fabricated under different cure conditions are reported. A total of 9 27 x 40 cm eight-ply graphite epoxy laminated specimens were formed, and fatigue tests were run on five partial samples at 73.5 N varying at 30 Hz, with tests ending at a 1.27 cm deflection. A pulsed oscillator generated sinusoidal waves and transducers recorded the passage of the ultrasonic waves for display on oscilloscopes. Cure pressures ranged from 0.52-0.85 MPa and cure temperatures were in the 150-200 C interval. Ultrasonic through-transmission at 4 MHz was performed prior to and during fatigue testing. The minimum void volume fraction occurred at 175 C and 0.86 MPa. The flexural stiffness decreased with the number of fatigue cycles past 10,000, when the attenuation also increased. Correlations were found between the 4.0 MHz signal attenuation and the void volume fraction, and between the number of fatigue cycles to failure and the 4.0 MHz signal attenuation.

Williams, J. H., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Effects of thermal cycling on residual mechanical properties of C6000/PMR-15 graphite polyimide

An experimental study to determine the effects of thermal cycling on residual mechanical properties of a graphite/polyimide composite has been conducted. Interlaminar shear, flexure and compression strengths were measured at room temperature and 316 C on unidirectional and quasi-isotropic laminates subjected to 150 and 500 thermal cycles between -156 C and 316 C. Thermal cycling produced transverse microcracks and delaminations in the laminates. The linear density of the microcracks (35/cm) was about the same after 150 and 500 cycles. Although the crack density did not change from 150 to 500 cycles, crack growth did occur with intralamina cracks growing into adjacent lamina. The matrix controlled properties of the quasi-isotropic laminate at both room temperature and 316 C were significantly reduced by thermal cycling. However, the properties of the unidirectional laminate were significantly reduced only at 316 C.

Tompkins, S. S.↗