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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

High-Frequency Testing of Composite Fan Vanes With Erosion-Resistant Coating Conducted

The mechanical integrity of hard, erosion-resistant coatings were tested using the Structural Dynamics Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Under the guidance of Structural Mechanics and Dynamics Branch personnel, fixturing and test procedures were developed at Glenn to simulate engine vibratory conditions on coated polymer-matrix- composite bypass vanes using a slip table in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory. Results from the high-frequency mechanical bench testing, along with concurrent erosion testing of coupons and vanes, provided sufficient confidence to engine-endurance test similarly coated vane segments. The knowledge gained from this program will be applied to the development of oxidation- and erosion-resistant coatings for polymer matrix composite blades and vanes in future advanced turbine engines. Fan bypass vanes from the AE3007 (Rolls Royce America, Indianapolis, IN) gas turbine engine were coated by Engelhard (Windsor, CT) with compliant bond coatings and hard ceramic coatings. The coatings were developed collaboratively by Glenn and Allison Advanced Development Corporation (AADC)/Rolls Royce America through research sponsored by the High-Temperature Engine Materials Technology Project (HITEMP) and the Higher Operating Temperature Propulsion Components (HOTPC) project. High-cycle fatigue was performed through high-frequency vibratory testing on a shaker table. Vane resonant frequency modes were surveyed from 50 to 3000 Hz at input loads from 1g to 55g on both uncoated production vanes and vanes with the erosion-resistant coating. Vanes were instrumented with both lightweight accelerometers and strain gauges to establish resonance, mode shape, and strain amplitudes. Two high-frequency dwell conditions were chosen to excite two strain levels: one approaching the vane's maximum allowable design strain and another near the expected maximum strain during engine operation. Six specimens were tested per dwell condition. Pretest and posttest inspections were performed optically at up to 60 magnification and using a fluorescent-dye penetrant. Accumulation of 10 million cycles at a strain amplitude of two to three times that expected in the engine (approximately 670 Hz and 20g) led to the development of multiple cracks in the coating that were only detectable using fluorescent-dye penetrant inspection. Cracks were prevalent on the trailing edge and on the convex side of the midsection. No cracking or spalling was evident using standard optical inspection at up to 60 magnification. Further inspection may reveal whether these fine cracks penetrated the coating or were strictly on the surface. The dwell condition that simulated actual engine conditions produced no obvious surface flaws even after up to 80 million cycles had been accumulated at strain amplitudes produced at approximately 1500 Hz and 45g.

Bowman, Cheryl L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Advanced Packaging Technology Used in Fabricating a High-Temperature Silicon Carbide Pressure Sensor

The development of new aircraft engines requires the measurement of pressures in hot areas such as the combustor and the final stages of the compressor. The needs of the aircraft engine industry are not fully met by commercially available high-temperature pressure sensors, which are fabricated using silicon. Kulite Semiconductor Products and the NASA Glenn Research Center have been working together to develop silicon carbide (SiC) pressure sensors for use at high temperatures. At temperatures above 850 F, silicon begins to lose its nearly ideal elastic properties, so the output of a silicon pressure sensor will drift. SiC, however, maintains its nearly ideal mechanical properties to extremely high temperatures. Given a suitable sensor material, a key to the development of a practical high-temperature pressure sensor is the package. A SiC pressure sensor capable of operating at 930 F was fabricated using a newly developed package. The durability of this sensor was demonstrated in an on-engine test. The SiC pressure sensor uses a SiC diaphragm, which is fabricated using deep reactive ion etching. SiC strain gauges on the surface of the diaphragm sense the pressure difference across the diaphragm. Conventionally, the SiC chip is mounted to the package with the strain gauges outward, which exposes the sensitive metal contacts on the chip to the hostile measurement environment. In the new Kulite leadless package, the SiC chip is flipped over so that the metal contacts are protected from oxidation by a hermetic seal around the perimeter of the chip. In the leadless package, a conductive glass provides the electrical connection between the pins of the package and the chip, which eliminates the fragile gold wires used previously. The durability of the leadless SiC pressure sensor was demonstrated when two 930 F sensors were tested in the combustor of a Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series engine. Since the gas temperatures in these locations reach 1200 to 1300 F, the sensors were installed in water-cooled jackets, as shown. This was a severe test because the pressure-sensing chips were exposed to the hot combustion gases. Prior to the installation of the SiC pressure sensors, two high-temperature silicon sensors, installed in the same locations, did not survive a single engine run. The durability of the leadless SiC pressure sensor was demonstrated when both SiC sensors operated properly throughout the two runs that were conducted.

Beheim, Glenn M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

High-Temperature Proton-Conducting Ceramics Developed

High-temperature protonic conductors (HTPC) are needed for hydrogen separation, hydrogen sensors, fuel cells, and hydrogen production from fossil fuels. The HTPC materials for hydrogen separation at high temperatures are foreseen to be metal oxides with the perovskite structure A(sup 2+)B(sup 4+)C(sup 2-, sub 3) and with the trivalent cation (M(sup 3+)) substitution at the B(sup 4+)-site to introduce oxygen vacancies. The high affinity for hydrogen ions (H(sup +)) is advantageous for protonic transport, but it increases the reactivity toward water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2), which can lead to premature membrane failure. In addition, there are considerable technological challenges related to the processing of HTPC materials. The high melting point and multi-cation chemistry of HTPC materials creates difficulties in in achieving high-density, single-phase membranes by solid-state sintering. The presence of secondary phases and grain-boundary interfaces are detrimental to the protonic conduction and environmental stability of polycrystalline HTPC materials.

Sayir, Ali↗
NASA NTRS2005

GPS World, Innovation: Autonomous Navigation at High Earth Orbits

Calculating a spacecraft's precise location at high orbital altitudes-22,000 miles (35,800 km) and beyond-is an important and challenging problem. New and exciting opportunities become possible if satellites are able to autonomously determine their own orbits. First, the repetitive task of periodically collecting range measurements from terrestrial antennas to high altitude spacecraft becomes less important-this lessens competition for control facilities and saves money by reducing operational costs. Also, autonomous navigation at high orbital altitudes introduces the possibility of autonomous station keeping. For example, if a geostationary satellite begins to drift outside of its designated slot it can make orbit adjustments without requiring commands from the ground. Finally, precise onboard orbit determination opens the door to satellites flying in formation-an emerging concept for many scientific space applications. The realization of these benefits is not a trivial task. While the navigation signals broadcast by GPS satellites are well suited for orbit and attitude determination at lower altitudes, acquiring and using these signals at geostationary (GEO) and highly elliptical orbits is much more difficult. The light blue trace describes the GPS orbit at approximately 12,550 miles (20,200 km) altitude. GPS satellites were designed to provide navigation signals to terrestrial users-consequently the antenna array points directly toward the earth. GEO and HE0 orbits, however, are well above the operational GPS constellation, making signal reception at these altitudes more challenging. The nominal beamwidth of a Block II/IIA GPS satellite antenna array is approximately 42.6 degrees. At GEO and HE0 altitudes, most of these primary beam transmissions are blocked by the Earth, leaving only a narrow region of nominal signal visibility near opposing limbs of the earth. This region is highlighted in gray. If GPS receivers at GEO and HE0 orbits were designed to use these higher power signals only, precise orbit determination would not be practical. Fortunately, the GPS satellite antenna array also produces side lobe signals at much lower power levels. NASA has designed and tested the Navigator, a new GPS receiver that can acquire and track these weaker signals, thereby dramatically increasing the signal visibility at these altitudes. While using much weaker signals is a fundamental requirement for a high orbital altitude GPS receiver, it is certainly not the only challenge. There are other unique characteristics of this application that must also be considered. For example, Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP) figures are much higher at GEO and HE0 altitudes because visible GPS satellites are concentrated in a much smaller area with respect to the spacecraft antenna. These poor PDOP values contribute considerable error to the point solutions calculated by the spacecraft GPS receiver. Finally, spacecraft GPS receivers must be designed to withstand a variety of extreme environmental conditions. Variations in acceleration between launch and booster separation are extreme. Temperature gradients in the space environment are also severe. Furthermore, radiation effects are a major concern-spacecraft-borne GPS receivers must be designed with radiation-hardened electronics to guard against this phenomenon, otherwise they simply will not work. Perhaps most importantly, there are no opportunities to repair or modify any space-borne GPS receiver after it has been launched. Great care must be taken to ensure all performance characteristics have been analyzed prior to liftoff.

Bamford, William↗
NASA NTRS1995

(abstract) Cassini MLI Balnkets High-Temperature Exposure Tests

The trajectory required for the Cassini spacecraft to reach Saturn will subject the spacecraft to a 0.61 AU temperature environment at perihelion. Temperatures on some sunlit blanket surfaces at 0.61 AU can reach levels that are beyond the service capability of the conventional Mylar/Dacron net MLI. The majority of the blanket surfaces, however, will experience temperatures with an upper bound of 250(deg) C. The maximum allowable temperature for Mylar/Dacron net is determined to be 220(deg)C. Kapton can withstand temperatures in excess of 400(deg) C; however, the high cost of embossed Kapton relative to Mylar/Dacron net requires a baseline design which includes a standard layup and a high-temperature layup. The high-temperature layup is utilized at a limited number of locations, while at least 90% of the blankets are of the standard layup. The verification of both layups' capability to meet all temperature requirements has been accomplished by a comprehensive test program which addressed their high-temperature survivability, effective emittance, and optical and electrical properties. This paper focuses on the high-temperature exposure tests which helped define the hybrid standard layup, and which demonstrated the adequacy of both layups in withstanding their respective thermal environments.

temperature control insulation Cassini↗
NASA NTRS2006

Oxygen-isotopic Compositions of Low-FeO relicts in High-FeO Host Chondrules in Acfer 094, a Type 3.0 Carbonaceous Chondrite Closely Related to CM

With one exception, the low-FeO relict olivine grains within high-FeO porphyritic chondrules in the type 3.0 Acfer 094 carbonaceous chondrite have DELTA O-17 ( = delta O-17 - 0.52 X delta O-18) values that are substantially more negative than those of the high-FeO olivine host materials. These results are similar to observations made earlier on chondrules in C03.0 chondrites and are consistent with two independent models: (1) Nebular solids evolved from low-FeO, low-DELTA O-17 compositions towards high-FeO, more positive DELTA O-17 compositions; and (2) the range of compositions resulted from the mixing of two independently formed components. The two models predict different trajectories on a DELTA O-17 vs. log Fe/Mg (olivine) diagram, but our sample set has too few values at intermediate Fe/Mg ratios to yield a definitive answer. Published data showing that Acfer 094 has higher volatile contents than CO chondrites suggest a closer link to CM chondrites. This is consistent with the high modal matrix abundance in Acfer 094 (49 vol.%). Acfer 094 may be an unaltered CM chondrite or an exceptionally matrix-rich CO chondrite. Chondrules in Acfer 094 and in CO and CM carbonaceous chondrites appear to sample the same population. Textural differences between Acfer 094 and CM chondrites are largely attributable to the high degree of hydrothermal alteration that the CM chondrites experienced in an asteroidal setting.

Rubin, Alan E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Impact of Solar Array Designs on High Voltage Operations

As power levels of advanced spacecraft climb above 25 kW, higher solar array operating voltages become attractive. Even in today s satellites, operating spacecraft buses at 100 V and above has led to arcing in GEO communications satellites, so the issue of spacecraft charging and solar array arcing remains a design problem. In addition, micrometeoroid impacts on all of these arrays can also lead to arcing if the spacecraft is at an elevated potential. For example, tests on space station hardware disclosed arcing at 75V on anodized A1 structures that were struck with hypervelocity particles in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) plasmas. Thus an understanding of these effects is necessary to design reliable high voltage solar arrays of the future, especially in light of the Vision for Space Exploration of NASA. In the future, large GEO communication satellites, lunar bases, solar electric propulsion missions, high power communication systems around Mars can lead to power levels well above 100 kW. As noted above, it will be essential to increase operating voltages of the solar arrays well above 80 V to keep the mass of cabling needed to carry the high currents to an acceptable level. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to discuss various solar array approaches, to discuss the results of testing them at high voltages, in the presence of simulated space plasma and under hypervelocity impact. Three different types of arrays will be considered. One will be a planar array using thin film cells, the second will use planar single or multijunction cells and the last will use the Stretched Lens Array (SLA - 8-fold concentration). Each of these has different approaches for protection from the space environment. The thin film cell based arrays have minimal covering due to their inherent radiation tolerance, conventional GaAs and multijunction cells have the traditional cerium-doped microsheet glasses (of appropriate thickness) that are usually attached with Dow Corning DC 93-500 silicone adhesive. In practice, these cover glasses and adhesive do not cover the cell edges. Finally, in the SLA, the entire cell and cell edges are fully encapsulated by a cover glass that overhangs the cell perimeter and the silicone adhesive covers the cell edges providing a sealed environment. These three types of blanket technology have been tested at GRC and Auburn. The results of these tests will be described. For example, 15 modules composed of four state-of-the-art 2x4 cm GaAs solar cells with 150 pm cover glasses connected in two-cell series strings were tested at high voltage, in plasma under hypervelocity impact. A picture of one of the modules is shown in figure 1. These were prepared by standard industry practice from a major supplier and had efficiencies above 18%. The test results and other fabrication factors that influenced the tests will be presented. In addition, results for SLA segments tested under the same conditions will be presented. Testing of thin film blankets at GRC will also be presented. Figure 1 : Typical GaAs Solar Cell Module These results will show significant differences in resistance to arcing that are directly related to array design and manufacturing procedures. Finally, the approaches for mitigating the problems uncovered by these tests will be described. These will lay the foundation for future higher voltage array operation, even including voltages above 300-600 V for direct drive SEP applications.

Brandhorst, Henry W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Effects of High-frequency Wind Sampling on Simulated Mixed Layer Depth and Upper Ocean Temperature

Effects of high-frequency wind sampling on a near-global ocean model are studied by forcing the model with a 12 hourly averaged wind product and its 24 hourly subsamples in separate experiments. The differences in mixed layer depth and sea surface temperature resulting from these experiments are examined, and the underlying physical processes are investigated. The 24 hourly subsampling not only reduces the high-frequency variability of the wind but also affects the annual mean wind because of aliasing. While the former effect largely impacts mid- to high-latitude oceans, the latter primarily affects tropical and coastal oceans. At mid- to high-latitude regions the subsampled wind results in a shallower mixed layer and higher sea surface temperature because of reduced vertical mixing associated with weaker high-frequency wind. In tropical and coastal regions, however, the change in upper ocean structure due to the wind subsampling is primarily caused by the difference in advection resulting from aliased annual mean wind, which varies with the subsampling time. The results of the study indicate a need for more frequent sampling of satellite wind measurement and have implications for data assimilation in terms of identifying the nature of model errors.

mixed layered depth↗
NASA NTRS1999

Pulsed high energy synthesis of fine metal powders

Repetitively pulsed plasma jets generated by a capillary arc discharge at high stagnation pressure (>15,000 psi) and high temperature (>10,000 K) are utilized to produce 0.1-10 .mu.m sized metal powders and decrease cost of production. The plasma jets impact and atomize melt materials to form the fine powders. The melt can originate from a conventional melt stream or from a pulsed arc between two electrodes. Gas streams used in conventional gas atomization are replaced with much higher momentum flux plasma jets. Delivering strong incident shocks aids in primary disintegration of the molten material. A series of short duration, high pressure plasma pulses fragment the molten material. The pulses introduce sharp velocity gradients in the molten material which disintegrates into fine particles. The plasma pulses have peak pressures of approximately one kilobar. The high pressures improve the efficiency of disintegration. High gas flow velocities and pressures are achieved without reduction in gas density. Repetitively pulsed plasma jets will produce powders with lower mean size and narrower size distribution than conventional atomization techniques.

Witherspoon, F. Douglas↗
NASA NTRS2007

NASA/GE Highly-Loaded Turbine Research Program

An overview of the NASA/GE Highly-Loaded Turbine Research Program at the NASA Glenn Research Center is presented. The program is sponsored by the Subsonic Fixed Wing Project of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program. The goals of the turbine research program are presented along with their relationship to the higher-level program goals. Two turbine research programs are described; the highly-loaded, single-stage high pressure turbine (HPT) and the highly loaded low pressure turbine (LPT). The HPT program is centered on an extremely high pressure ratio single-stage turbine with an engine stage pressure ratio of 5.5. It was designed with a 33% increase in stage loading. It has shown performance levels 2 points better than current engines operating at the higher work level. Some advantages of the turbine include reduced weight and parts count. Optimization of the blade shape to reduce shock losses is described. The LPT program utilizes a four-stage low pressure turbine with an integral first stage vane/transition duct strut; counter-rotation; low-solidity blading; fully optimized flowpath including vanes, blades, and endwalls; and a fluidically controlled turbine vane frame/exit guide vane. The implementation of the LPT into GE s and NASA s test facilities is described. A description of NASA's Single Spool Turbine Facility that is currently under renovation is given. Facility limits on pressures, temperatures, flow rates, rotational speeds, and power absorption are described. The current renovation status is given.

Giel, Paul W.↗
NASA NTRS2008

High Temperature Electronics for Intelligent Harsh Environment Sensors

The development of intelligent instrumentation systems is of high interest in both public and private sectors. In order to obtain this ideal in extreme environments (i.e., high temperature, extreme vibration, harsh chemical media, and high radiation), both sensors and electronics must be developed concurrently in order that the entire system will survive for extended periods of time. The semiconductor silicon carbide (SiC) has been studied for electronic and sensing applications in extreme environment that is beyond the capability of conventional semiconductors such as silicon. The advantages of SiC over conventional materials include its near inert chemistry, superior thermomechanical properties in harsh environments, and electronic properties that include high breakdown voltage and wide bandgap. An overview of SiC sensors and electronics work ongoing at NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA GRC) will be presented. The main focus will be two technologies currently being investigated: 1) harsh environment SiC pressure transducers and 2) high temperature SiC electronics. Work highlighted will include the design, fabrication, and application of SiC sensors and electronics, with recent advancements in state-of-the-art discussed as well. These combined technologies are studied for the goal of developing advanced capabilities for measurement and control of aeropropulsion systems, as well as enhancing tools for exploration systems.

Evans, Laura J.↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA/GE Highly-Loaded Turbine Research Program

An overview of the NASA/GE Highly-Loaded Turbine Research Program at the NASA Glenn Research Center is presented. The program is sponsored by the Subsonic Fixed Wing Project of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program. The goals of the turbine research program are presented along with their relationship to the higher-level program goals. Two turbine research programs are described; the highly-loaded, single-stage high pressure turbine (HPT) and the highly loaded low pressure turbine (LPT). The HPT program is centered on an extremely high pressure ratio single-stage turbine with an engine stage pressure ratio of 5.5. It was designed with a 33% increase in stage loading. It has shown performance levels 2 points better than current engines operating at the higher work level. Some advantages of the turbine include reduced weight and parts count. Optimization of the blade shape to reduce shock losses is described. The LPT program utilizes a four-stage low pressure turbine with an integral first stage vane/transition duct strut; counterrotation; low-solidity blading; fully optimized flowpath including vanes, blades, and endwalls; and a fluidically controlled turbine vane frame/exit guide vane. The implementation of the LPT into GE s and NASA s test facilities is described. A description of NASA s Single Spool Turbine Facility that is currently under renovation is given. The new, upgraded facility is compared to its predecessor. Renovation design requirements are outlined. Facility limits on pressures, temperatures, flow rates, rotational speeds, and power absorption are described. The current renovation status is given.

Giel, Paul W.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evaluation of High-Resolution Ocean Surface Vector Winds Measured by QuikSCAT Scatterometer in Coastal Regions

The SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT covers approximately 90% of the global ocean under clear and cloudy condition in 24 h, and the standard data product has 25-km spatial resolution. Such spatial resolution is not sufficient to resolve small-scale processes, especially in coastal oceans. Based on range-compressed normalized backscatter and a modified wind retrieval algorithm, a coastal wind dataset at 12.5-km resolution was produced. Even with larger error, the high-resolution winds, in medium to high strength, would still be useful over coastal ocean. Using measurements from moored buoys from the National Buoy Data Center, the high-resolution QuikSCAT wind data are found to have similar accuracy as standard data in the open ocean. The accuracy of both high- and standard-resolution winds, particularly in wind directions, is found to degrade near shore. The increase in error is likely caused by the inadequacy of the geophysical model function/ambiguity removal scheme in addressing coastal conditions and light winds situations. The modified algorithm helps to bring the directional accuracy of the high-resolution winds to the accuracy of the standard-resolution winds in near-shore regions, particularly in the nadir and far zones across the satellite track.

scatterometer↗
NASA NTRS2008

Accuracy of Gradient Reconstruction on Grids with High Aspect Ratio

Gradient approximation methods commonly used in unstructured-grid finite-volume schemes intended for solutions of high Reynolds number flow equations are studied comprehensively. The accuracy of gradients within cells and within faces is evaluated systematically for both node-centered and cell-centered formulations. Computational and analytical evaluations are made on a series of high-aspect-ratio grids with different primal elements, including quadrilateral, triangular, and mixed element grids, with and without random perturbations to the mesh. Both rectangular and cylindrical geometries are considered; the latter serves to study the effects of geometric curvature. The study shows that the accuracy of gradient reconstruction on high-aspect-ratio grids is determined by a combination of the grid and the solution. The contributors to the error are identified and approaches to reduce errors are given, including the addition of higher-order terms in the direction of larger mesh spacing. A parameter GAMMA characterizing accuracy on curved high-aspect-ratio grids is discussed and an approximate-mapped-least-square method using a commonly-available distance function is presented; the method provides accurate gradient reconstruction on general grids. The study is intended to be a reference guide accompanying the construction of accurate and efficient methods for high Reynolds number applications

Thomas, James↗
NASA NTRS2009

High-Pressure Oxygen Generation for Outpost EVA Study

The amount of oxygen consumption for crew extravehicular activity (EVA) in future lunar exploration missions will be significant. Eight technologies to provide high pressure EVA O2 were investigated. They are: high pressure O2 storage, liquid oxygen (LOX) storage followed by vaporization, scavenging LOX from Lander followed by vaporization, LOX delivery followed by sorption compression, water electrolysis followed by compression, stand-alone high pressure water electrolyzer, Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) and Power Elements sharing a high pressure water electrolyzer, and ECLSS and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Elements sharing a high pressure electrolyzer. A trade analysis was conducted comparing launch mass and equivalent system mass (ESM) of the eight technologies in open and closed ECLSS architectures. Technologies considered appropriate for the two architectures were selected and suggested for development.

Jeng, Frank F.↗
NASA NTRS2009

High Temperature VARTM of Phenylethynyl Terminated Imides

Fabrication of composite structures using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is generally more affordable than conventional autoclave techniques. Recent efforts have focused on adapting VARTM for the fabrication of high temperature composites. Due to their low melt viscosity and long melt stability, certain phenylethynyl terminated imides (PETI) can be processed into composites using high temperature VARTM (HT-VARTM). However, one of the disadvantages of the current HT-VARTM resin systems has been the high porosity of the resultant composites. For aerospace applications, the desired void fraction of less than 2% has not yet been achieved. In the current study, two PETI resins, LaRC PETI-330 and LaRC PETI-8 have been used to make test specimens using HT-VARTM. The resins were infused into ten layers of IM7-6K carbon fiber 5-harness satin fabric at 260 C or 280 C and cured at 371 C. Initial runs yielded composites with high void content, typically greater than 7% by weight. A thermogravimetric-mass spectroscopic study was conducted to determine the source of volatiles leading to high porosity. It was determined that under the thermal cycle used for laminate fabrication, the phenylethynyl endcap was undergoing degradation leading to volatile evolution. By modifying the thermal cycle used in laminate fabrication, the void content was reduced significantly (typically approximately 3%). Densities of the composites were determined using a density gradient column and the glass transition temperatures of the cured composites were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis. Photomicrographs of the panels were taken and void contents were determined by acid digestion. The results of this work are presented herein.

Cano, Roberto J.↗
NASA NTRS1949

High Speed Stability and Control Characteristics of a 0.17-Scale Model of the McDonnell XF2H-1 Airplane (TED No. NACA DE 318)

High-speed wind-tunnel tests were conducted of two versions of a 0.17-scale model of the McDonnell XF2H-1 airplane to ascertain the high-speed stability and control characteristics and to study means for raising the high-speed buffet limit of the airplane, The results for the revised model, employing a thinner wing and tail than the original model, revealed a mild diving tendency from 0.75 to 0.80 Mach number, followed by a marked climbing tendency from 0.80 to 0.875 Mach number. The high-speed climbing tendency was caused principally by the pitching-moment characteristics of the wing. At 0.875 Mach number the results for the revised model indicated stick-fixed directional instability over a limited range of yaw angles, apparently caused by separated flow over the vertical tail. The test results indicate that the high-speed buffet limit of the airplane can probably be raised by reducing the thickness and changing the relative location of the horizontal and vertical tails, and by revising the inner portion of the wing to have a lower thickness-to-chord ratio and reduced trailing-edge angle. The addition of the wing-tip tanks to the revised model resulted in a forward shift in the neutral point below 0.82 Mach number.

Axelson, John A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Cast Aluminum Alloys for High Temperature Applications Using Nanoparticles Al2O3 and Al3-X Compounds (X = Ti, V, Zr)

In this paper, the effect of nanoparticles Al2O3 and Al3-X compounds (X = Ti, V, Zr) on the improvement of mechanical properties of aluminum alloys for elevated temperature applications is presented. These nanoparticles were selected based on their low cost, chemical stability and low diffusions rates in aluminum at high temperatures. The strengthening mechanism at high temperature for aluminum alloy is based on the mechanical blocking of dislocation movements by these nanoparticles. For Al2O3 nanoparticles, the test samples were prepared from special Al2O3 preforms, which were produced using ceramic injection molding process and then pressure infiltrated by molten aluminum. In another method, Al2O3 nanoparticles can also be homogeneously mixed with fine aluminum powder and consolidated into test samples through hot pressing and sintering. With the Al3-X nanoparticles, the test samples are produced as precipitates from in-situ reactions with molten aluminum using conventional permanent mold or die casting techniques. It is found that cast aluminum alloy using nanoparticles Al3-X is the most cost effective method to produce high strength aluminum alloys for high temperature applications in comparison to nanoparticles Al2O3. Furthermore, significant mechanical properties retention in high temperature environment could be achieved with Al3-X nanoparticles, resulting in tensile strength of nearly 3 times higher than most 300- series conventional cast aluminum alloys tested at 600 F.

Lee, Jonathan A.↗