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At least 1,081 records · Page 60

Dynamic, High-Temperature, Flexible Seals

Dynamic, flexible ceramic seals developed for use at high temperatures in high-performance, variable-geometry, hypersonic airplane engines. Stacked ceramic wafers pressed against stationary sidewall by pressure in one or more metal bellows. Seals also used in hypersonic engines, two-dimensional convergent/divergent and vectored-thrust exhaust nozzles, airframes of reentry vehicles, casings of rocket motors furnaces, and other applications.

Steinetz, Bruce M.↗

Inflatable Rings For Temporary Sealing

Inflatable rings seal joint. After inflation, space pressurized to test for leakage through joint. Rings protect surface of aperture from contact with metal structure of plug, and accommodate out-of-roundness and irregular surface contours without leaking. Pressure seal requires no preparation or cleanup.

Lesh, Paul L.↗

Thermal Barrier For Vented O-Ring Seal

Barrier allows gases to seat seal without damaging it. Ring of tungsten-wire mesh forms protective barrier between hot, pressurized combustion gases and O-rings. Mesh cools and depressurizes gases so they safely push on and thereby help to seat primary O-ring or secondary O-ring if primary O-ring fails to form seals. Barrier devised for use in rocket motor. Potential terrestrial applications includes aircraft engines, furnaces, and ducts carrying hot gases.

Schick, H.↗

Relative sliding durability of two candidate high temperature oxide fiber seal materials

A test program to determine the relative sliding durability of two candidate ceramic fibers for high temperature sliding seal applications is described. Pin on disk tests were used to evaluate potential seal materials. Friction during the tests and fiber wear, indicated by the extent of fibers broken in a test bundle or yarn, was measured at the end of a test. In general, friction and wear increase with test temperature. This may be due to a reduction in fiber strength, a change in the surface chemistry at the fiber/counterface interface due to oxidation, adsorption and/or desorption of surface species and, to a lesser extent, an increase in counterface surface roughness due to oxidation at elevated temperatures. The relative fiber durability correlates with tensile strength indicating that tensile data, which is more readily available than sliding durability data, may be useful in predicting fiber wear behavior under various conditions. A simple model developed using dimensional analysis shows that the fiber durability is related to a dimensionless parameter which represents the ratio of the fiber strength to the fiber stresses imposed by sliding.

Dellacorte, Christopher↗

Static and Dynamic Pressure Distributions in a Short Labyrinth Seal

As part of a study into turbine blade tip destabilizing forces, a seals test rig was built in which spin rate, circular whirl rate, direction and amplitude of inlet swirl angle, and eccentricity can all be controlled over wide ranges, and measurements can be made at gap Reynolds numbers up to about 2 x 10(exp 4). This facility is described and preliminary data is presented for a one cavity labyrinth seal with a flat, stator mounted land. The impact of different flow coefficients for the first and second knives on the rotordynamic coefficients was found. While this effect is dominant for the direct forces, it should also be incorporated into calculations of cross forces where it has an impact under many conditions.

Millsaps, K. T.↗

CFD Activity at Aerojet Related to Seals and Fluid Film Bearing

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) activities related to seals and fluid film bearings are presented. Among the topics addressed are the following: Aerovisc Numeric and its capabilities; Recent Seal Applications; and Future Code Developments.

Bache, George E.↗

Fluid seals technology at BHR Group Ltd.

A mathematical model was developed for ESA, which couples the rigid body dynamics in four degrees of freedom of a flexibly mounted stator (with Coulomb damping) of a turbopump face seal with the fluid film behavior. The interfacial film is assumed gaseous, and the model incorporates laminar/turbulent flow, inertia and sonic choking. Seal faces may be wavy and coned, while the rotating ring can be eccentrically mounted, misaligned with the shaft and oscillate axially at arbitrary frequency. The model is currently being coded into software. An experimental program using a high speed cryogenic/hot gas test rig is being conducted to verify the output of the computer program.

Leefe, Simon↗

Failure analysis of the lithium battery: A study of the header deposit on the cell top and diffusion within the electrode glass seal using nuclear microanalysis and FFTIR spectroscopy

The Solid Rocket Booster Range Safety System (SRBRSS) uses a lithium/poly-carbon monofluoride primary battery as a source of electrical power. After cell fabrication and activation, some battery cells have shown self discharge. One possible source of this cell discharge has been suggested to be the formation and growth of a conducting crystallized chemical compound across the glass bead insulator, electrically shorting the glass bead to the casing. This laboratory has begun an analysis of this compound, the glass seal holding the cathode into place, and the cell electrolyte, using Fast Fourier Transform Infrared (FFTIR) Analysis, Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), and Nuclear Reaction Microanalysis. Preliminary measurements have confirmed the existence of lithium, nitrogen, fluorine, and oxygen on a reddish-brown deposit covering parts of the glass seal holding the positive electrode in place. Cells using Li metal electrodes, have many advantages over conventional primary batteries. One principal disadvantage of using Li batteries on a commercial basis would be the environmental impact of the fluorocarbon material. Another would be the relatively high expense of (CF)n.

Hassan, Razi A.↗

Orbital transfer rocket engine technology program: Soft wear ring seal technology

Liquid oxygen (LOX) compatibility tests, including autogenous ignition, promoted ignition, LOX impact tests, and friction and wear tests on different PV products were conducted for several polymer materials as verification for the implementation of soft wear ring seals in advanced rocket engine turbopumps. Thermoplastics, polyimide based materials, and polyimide-imide base materials were compared for oxygen compatibility, specific wear coefficient, wear debris production, and heat dissipation mechanisms. A thermal model was generated that simulated the frictional heating input and calculated the surface temperature and temperature distribution within the seal. The predictions were compared against measured values. Heat loads in the model were varied to better match the test data and determine the difference between the measured and the calculated coefficients of friction.

Lariviere, Brian W.↗

Flight set 360L009 (STS-36) case and seals component, volume 2

The performance of the 360L009, Ninth Flight, Redesigned Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) is assessed in respect to case hardware and joint sealing issues as seen from post-fire assessment of the case and seals. In addition, all of the potential anomalies have been classified and summarized. The post-fire assessment of both motors showed the case segments to be in good condition. Field joint fretting of this flight set ranged from light on most of the joints to locally heavy on three of the joints. The LH aft field joint is the most heavily fretted joint to date; this joint had previously fretted areas from STS-27. No new fretting was found in old fretting locations. However, new frets were found at the edges of repaired areas on both the LH center and aft field joints. All fretting was mapped from the inner clevis leg. The capture feature fretting was not mapped due to the difficulty of measuring the fretting in the capture feature region. It is assumed that the capture feature had damage similar to that on the inner clevis leg.

Carlisle, Alan R.↗

Sliding durability of two carbide-oxide candidate high temperature fiber seal materials in air to 900 C

A test program to determine the friction and wear properties of two complex carbide oxide ceramic fibers for high temperature sliding seal applications is described. The fibers are based on Si, C, O, and Ti or Si, C, N, and O ceramic systems. Pin on disk tests using ceramic fiber covered pins and Inconel 718 disks, were conducted in air from 25 to 900 C to evaluate potential seal materials. This testing procedure was used in a previous study of oxide ceramic fibers which were found to exhibit wear behavior based predominantly on their mechanical properties. Like the oxide fibers tested previously, these carbide oxide ceramic fibers, show an increase in friction and wear with increased test temperature. At room temperature, the wear behavior seems to be based upon mechanical properties, namely tensile strength. At 500 and especially 900 C, the fibers wear by both mechanical fracture and by oxidative type wear. Based upon post test microscopic and x ray analyses, interaction between the fiber constituents and elements transferred from the counterface, namely Ni and Cr, may have occurred enhancing the tribochemical wear process. These results are interpreted.

Dellacorte, Christopher↗

High temperature, flexible, fiber-preform seal

A seal is mounted in a rectangular groove in a movable structural panel. The seal comprises a fiber preform constructed of multiple layers of fiber having a uniaxial core. Helical fibers are wound over the core. The fibers are of materials capable of withstanding high temperatures and are both left-hand and right-hand wound. An outer layer wrapped over said helical fibers prevents abrasion damage.

Steinetz, Bruce M.↗

Relative sliding durability of two candidate high temperature oxide fiber seal materials

A test program to determine the relative sliding durability of two candidate ceramic fibers for high temperature sliding seal applications is described. Pin on disk tests were used to evaluate potential seal materials. Friction during the tests and fiber wear, indicated by the extent of fibers broken in a test bundle or yarn, was measured at the end of a test. In general, friction and wear increase with test temperature. This may be due to a reduction in fiber strength, a change in the surface chemistry at the fiber/counterface interface due to oxidation, adsorption and/or desorption of surface species and, to a lesser extent, an increase in counterface surface roughness due to oxidation at elevated temperatures. The relative fiber durability correlates with tensile strength indicating that tensile data, which is more readily available than sliding durability data, may be useful in predicting fiber wear behavior under various conditions. A simple model developed using dimensional analysis shows that the fiber durability is related to a dimensionless parameter which represents the ratio of the fiber strength to the fiber stresses imposed by sliding.

Dellacorte, Christopher↗

Face-Sealing Butterfly Valve

Valve plate made to translate as well as rotate. Valve opened and closed by turning shaft and lever. Interactions among lever, spring, valve plate, and face seal cause plate to undergo combination of translation and rotation so valve plate clears seal during parts of opening and closing motions.

Tervo, John N.↗

Tool For Installation Of Seal In Tube Fitting

Plierslike tool helps secure repair seal in fitting. Tool crimps repair seal into tube fitting, ensuring tight fit every time. Modified pair of snapring pliers to which knife-edge jaws have been added. Spring added between handles. Also includes separate, accompanying support ring.

Trevathan, Joseph R.↗

Turbulence measurements of high shear flow fields in a turbomachine seal configuration

The mean velocity and Reynolds stress tensor throughout a whirling annular seal are presented. The data was collected with a three dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter using phase averaging. Two axial flow conditions (Re = 12,000 and 24,000) were studied at one shaft speed (Ta = 6,600). The eccentricity and whirl ratios were 50 and 100 percent, respectively. There is a region of high axial momentum in this region is higher in the low Reynolds number case due to an axial recirculation zone that occurs on the suction side of the rotor at the inlet. The recirculation zone does not occur in the high Reynolds number case. At both Reynolds numbers, there is a recirculation zone on the rotor surface in the pressure side of the inlet. This recirculation zone extends from 20 to 200 degrees rotor zenith in the tangential direction, and is one third of a clearance wide radially. The high Reynolds number recirculation zone is 1.5 mean clearances long, while the low Reynolds number zone extends 2 mean clearances downstream. When compared to previous studies, it is apparent that the tangential momentum is no greater for a seal with whirl than for one without if other parameters are constant. Areas of high tangential momentum occur in the clearance where the axial momentum is low. Average exit plane tangential velocities in the high Reynolds number case are 1.5 times greater than those in the other flow case. These results are in general agreement with predictions made by other investigators.

Morrison, Gerald L.↗

Simulation of cryogenic turbopump annular seals

The goal of the current work is to develop software that can accurately predict the dynamic coefficients, forces, leakage and horsepower loss for annular seals which have a potential for affecting the rotordynamic behavior of the pumps. The fruit of last year's research was the computer code SEALPAL which included capabilities for linear tapered geometry, Moody friction factor and inlet pre-swirl. This code produced results which in most cases compared very well with check cases presented in the literature. TAMUSEAL Icode, which was written to improve SEALPAL by correcting a bug and by adding more accurate integration algorithms and additional capabilities, was then used to predict dynamic coefficients and leakage for the NASA/Pratt and Whitney Alternate Turbopump Development (ATD) LOX Pump's seal.

Palazzolo, Alan B.↗