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At least 937 records · Page 52

HP9-4-.30 weld properties and microstructure

HP9-4-.30, ultra high strength steel, the case material for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM), must exhibit acceptable strength, ductility, toughness, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance after welding and a local post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Testing, to date, shows that the base metal (BM) properties are more than adequate for the anticipated launch loads. Tensile tests of test specimens taken transverse to the weld show that the weld metal overmatches the BM even in the PWHT condition. However, that is still some question about the toughness and SCC resistance of the weld metal in the as welded and post weld heat treated condition. To help clarify the as welded and post weld heat treated mechanical behavior of the alloy, subsize tensile specimens from the BM, the fusion zone (FZ) with and without PWHT, and the heat affected zone (HAZ) with and without PWHT were tested to failure and the fracture surfaces subsequently examined with a scanning electron microscope. Results are given and briefly discussed.

Watt, George W.↗

The effect of nitric acid exposure on Galileo spacecraft titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V propellant tanks

The Ti-6Al-4V-constructed retropropulsion-module tanks of the Galileo spacecraft were purged with nitrogen tetroxide in order to wait out a major launch rescheduling; nitric acid is among the residual products of such an operation. A test program was conducted on representative samples to ascertain the fracture toughness and stress corrosion threshold of the tanks' material, in view of Space Shuttle safety and mission-reliability requirements. It was found that the tanks' structural integrity was not degraded by nitric acid exposure.

Hsieh, Cheng↗

Advanced cryogenic propellant tank development status

The design and development of cryogenic propellant tanks with reduced weight and production costs is described with reference to applications for the National Launch System. The development program focused on the use of an aluminum-lithium alloy to demonstrate the production capability, manufacturability, and strength inherent in the novel material. Other key parameters for the alloy include fracture toughness, stress-corrosion resistance, and conformance to NASA specifications for cryogenic propellant tanks. The commercially produced aluminum-lithium alloy product forms are shown to operate acceptably in the temperature range for cryogenic propellant tanks. The alloy under consideration and the tank design are important advances in the development of ultralightweight launch-vehicle structures.

Scholz, E. F.↗

Structural verification for GAS experiments

The purpose of this paper is to assist the Get Away Special (GAS) experimenter in conducting a thorough structural verification of its experiment structural configuration, thus expediting the structural review/approval process and the safety process in general. Material selection for structural subsystems will be covered with an emphasis on fasteners (GSFC fastener integrity requirements) and primary support structures (Stress Corrosion Cracking requirements and National Space Transportation System (NSTS) requirements). Different approaches to structural verifications (tests and analyses) will be outlined especially those stemming from lessons learned on load and fundamental frequency verification. In addition, fracture control will be covered for those payloads that utilize a door assembly or modify the containment provided by the standard GAS Experiment Mounting Plate (EMP). Structural hazard assessment and the preparation of structural hazard reports will be reviewed to form a summation of structural safety issues for inclusion in the safety data package.

Peden, Mark Daniel↗

NASA's Advanced solid rocket motor

The Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) will not only bring increased safety, reliability and performance for the Space Shuttle Booster, it will enhance overall Shuttle safety by effectively eliminating 174 failure points in the Space Shuttle Main Engine throttling system and by reducing the exposure time to aborts due to main engine loss or shutdown. In some missions, the vulnerability time to Return-to-Launch Site aborts is halved. The ASRM uses case joints which will close or remain static under the effects of motor ignition and pressurization. The case itself is constructed of the weldable steel alloy HP 9-4-0.30, having very high strength and with superior fracture toughness and stress corrosion resistance. The internal insulation is strip-wound and is free of asbestos. The nozzle employs light weight ablative parts and is some 5,000 pounds lighter than the Shuttle motor used to date. The payload performance of the ASRM-powered Shuttle is 12,000 pounds higher than that provided by the present motor. This is of particular benefit for payloads delivered to higher inclinations and/or altitudes. The ASRM facility uses state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, including continuous propellant mixing and direct casting.

Mitchell, Royce E.↗

The breaking load method - Results and statistical modification from the ASTM interlaboratory test program

The breaking load test provides quantitative stress corrosion cracking data by determining the residual strength of tension specimens that have been exposed to corrosive environments. Eight laboratories have participated in a cooperative test program under the auspices of ASTM Committee G-1 to evaluate the new test method. All eight laboratories were able to distinguish between three tempers of aluminum alloy 7075. The statistical analysis procedures that were used in the test program do not work well in all situations. An alternative procedure using Box-Cox transformations shows a great deal of promise. An ASTM standard method has been drafted which incorporates the Box-Cox procedure.

Colvin, E. L.↗

Slow Crack Growth and Fatigue Life Prediction of Ceramic Components Subjected to Variable Load History

Present capabilities of the NASA CARES/Life (Ceramic Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures/Life) code include probabilistic life prediction of ceramic components subjected to fast fracture, slow crack growth (stress corrosion), and cyclic fatigue failure modes. Currently, this code has the capability to compute the time-dependent reliability of ceramic structures subjected to simple time-dependent loading. For example, in slow crack growth (SCG) type failure conditions CARES/Life can handle the cases of sustained and linearly increasing time-dependent loads, while for cyclic fatigue applications various types of repetitive constant amplitude loads can be accounted for. In real applications applied loads are rarely that simple, but rather vary with time in more complex ways such as, for example, engine start up, shut down, and dynamic and vibrational loads. In addition, when a given component is subjected to transient environmental and or thermal conditions, the material properties also vary with time. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate a methodology capable of predicting the time-dependent reliability of components subjected to transient thermomechanical loads that takes into account the change in material response with time. In this paper, the dominant delayed failure mechanism is assumed to be SCG. This capability has been added to the NASA CARES/Life (Ceramic Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures/Life) code, which has also been modified to have the ability of interfacing with commercially available FEA codes executed for transient load histories. An example involving a ceramic exhaust valve subjected to combustion cycle loads is presented to demonstrate the viability of this methodology and the CARES/Life program.

Jadaan, Osama↗

Dynamic Fatigue of a Titanium Silicate Glass

A dynamic fatigue study was performed on a Titanium Silicate Glass in order to assess its susceptibility to delayed failure. Fracture mechanics techniques were used to analyze the results for the purpose of making lifetime predictions for optical elements made from this material. The material has reasonably good resistance (N=23 to stress corrosion in ambient conditions).

Tucker, Dennis S.↗

Transient Reliability Analysis Capability Developed for CARES/Life

The CARES/Life software developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center provides a general-purpose design tool that predicts the probability of the failure of a ceramic component as a function of its time in service. This award-winning software has been widely used by U.S. industry to establish the reliability and life of a brittle material (e.g., ceramic, intermetallic, and graphite) structures in a wide variety of 21st century applications.Present capabilities of the NASA CARES/Life code include probabilistic life prediction of ceramic components subjected to fast fracture, slow crack growth (stress corrosion), and cyclic fatigue failure modes. Currently, this code can compute the time-dependent reliability of ceramic structures subjected to simple time-dependent loading. For example, in slow crack growth failure conditions CARES/Life can handle sustained and linearly increasing time-dependent loads, whereas in cyclic fatigue applications various types of repetitive constant-amplitude loads can be accounted for. However, in real applications applied loads are rarely that simple but vary with time in more complex ways such as engine startup, shutdown, and dynamic and vibrational loads. In addition, when a given component is subjected to transient environmental and or thermal conditions, the material properties also vary with time. A methodology has now been developed to allow the CARES/Life computer code to perform reliability analysis of ceramic components undergoing transient thermal and mechanical loading. This means that CARES/Life will be able to analyze finite element models of ceramic components that simulate dynamic engine operating conditions. The methodology developed is generalized to account for material property variation (on strength distribution and fatigue) as a function of temperature. This allows CARES/Life to analyze components undergoing rapid temperature change in other words, components undergoing thermal shock. In addition, the capability has been developed to perform reliability analysis for components that undergo proof testing involving transient loads. This methodology was developed for environmentally assisted crack growth (crack growth as a function of time and loading), but it will be extended to account for cyclic fatigue (crack growth as a function of load cycles) as well.

Nemeth, Noel N.↗

Reaction Control System Thruster Cracking Consultation: NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Materials Super Problem Resolution Team (SPRT) Findings

The shuttle orbiter s reaction control system (RCS) primary thruster serial number 120 was found to contain cracks in the counter bores and relief radius after a chamber repair and rejuvenation was performed in April 2004. Relief radius cracking had been observed in the 1970s and 1980s in seven thrusters prior to flight; however, counter bore cracking had never been seen previously in RCS thrusters. Members of the Materials Super Problem Resolution Team (SPRT) of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) conducted a detailed review of the relevant literature and of the documentation from the previous RCS thruster failure analyses. It was concluded that the previous failure analyses lacked sufficient documentation to support the conclusions that stress corrosion cracking or hot-salt cracking was the root cause of the thruster cracking and lacked reliable inspection controls to prevent cracked thrusters from entering the fleet. The NESC team identified and performed new materials characterization and mechanical tests. It was determined that the thruster intergranular cracking was due to hydrogen embrittlement and that the cracking was produced during manufacturing as a result of processing the thrusters with fluoride-containing acids. Testing and characterization demonstrated that appreciable environmental crack propagation does not occur after manufacturing.

MacKay, Rebecca A.↗

A Tool Measuring Remaining Thickness of Notched Acoustic Cavities in Primary Reaction Control Thruster NDI Standards

Stress corrosion cracking in the relief radius area of a space shuttle primary reaction control thruster is an issue of concern. The current approach for monitoring of potential crack growth is nondestructive inspection (NDI) of remaining thickness (RT) to the acoustic cavities using an eddy current or remote field eddy current probe. EDM manufacturers have difficulty in providing accurate RT calibration standards. Significant error in the RT values of NDI calibration standards could lead to a mistaken judgment of cracking condition of a thruster under inspection. A tool based on eddy current principle has been developed to measure the RT at each acoustic cavity of a calibration standard in order to validate that the standard meets the sample design criteria.

Sun, Yushi↗

Net Shape Spin Formed Cryogenic Aluminum Lithium Cryogenic Tank Domes for Lower Cost Higher Performance Launch Vehicles

With the goal of lower cost (simplified manufacturing and lower part count) and higher performance (higher strength to weight alloys) the NASA Technical Maturation Program in 2006 funded a proposal to investigate spin forming of space launch vehicle cryogenic tank domes. The project funding continued under the NASA Exploration Technology Development Program through completion in FY12. The first phase of the project involved spin forming of eight, 1 meter diameter "path finder" domes. Half of these were processed using a concave spin form process (MT Aerospace, Augsburg Germany) and the other half using a convex process (Spincraft, Boston MA). The convex process has been used to produce the Ares Common Bulkhead and the concave process has been used to produce dome caps for the Space Shuttle light weight external tank and domes for the NASDA H2. Aluminum Lithium material was chosen because of its higher strength to weight ratio than the Aluminum 2219 baseline. Aluminum lithium, in order to obtain the desired temper (T8), requires a cold stretch after the solution heat treatment and quench. This requirement favors the concave spin form process which was selected for scale up. This paper describes the results of processing four, 5.5 meter diameter (upper stage scale) net shaped spin formed Aluminum Lithium domes. In order to allow scalability beyond the limits of foundry and rolling mills (about 12 foot width) the circular blank contained one friction stir weld (heavy lifter scales require a flat blank containing two welds). Mechanical properties data (tensile, fracture toughness, stress corrosion, and simulated service testing) for the parent metal and weld will also be discussed.

Curreri, Peter A.↗

Effects of Aqueous Solutions on the Slow Crack Growth of Soda-Lime-Silicate Glass

The slow crack growth (SCG) parameters of soda-lime-silicate were measured in distilled and saltwater of various concentrations in order to determine if the presence of salt and the contaminate formation of a weak sodium film affects stress corrosion susceptibility. Past research indicates that solvents affect the rate of crack growth; however, the effects of salt have not been studied. The results indicate a small but statistically significant effect on the SCG parameters A and n at high concentrations; however, for typical engineering purposes, the effect can be ignored.

salt↗

The Effects of Salt Water on the Slow Crack Growth of Soda Lime Silicate Glass

The slow crack growth parameters of soda-lime silicate were measured in distilled and salt water of various concentrations in order to determine if stress corrosion susceptibility is affected by the presence of salt and the contaminate formation of a weak sodium film. Past research indicates that solvents effect the rate of crack growth, however, the effects of salt have not been studied. The results indicate a small but statistically significant effect on the slow crack growth parameters A and n. However, for typical engineering purposes, the effect can be ignored.

Toughness↗

Effect of Control Mode and Test Rate on the Measured Fracture Toughness of Advanced Ceramics

The effects of control mode and test rate on the measured fracture toughness of ceramics were evaluated by using chevron-notched flexure specimens in accordance with ASTM C1421. The use of stroke control gave consistent results with about 2% (statistically insignificant) variation in measured fracture toughness for a very wide range of rates (0.005 to 0.5 mm/min). Use of strain or crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) control gave approx. 5% (statistically significant) variation over a very wide range of rates (1 to 80 μm/m/s), with the measurements being a function of rate. However, the rate effect was eliminated by use of dry nitrogen, implying a stress corrosion effect rather than a stability effect. With the use of a nitrogen environment during strain controlled tests, fracture toughness values were within about 1% over a wide range of rates (1 to 80 micons/m/s). CMOD or strain control did allow stable crack extension well past maximum force, and thus is preferred for energy calculations. The effort is being used to confirm recommendations in ASTM Test Method C1421 on fracture toughness measurement.

silicon nitride↗