Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “COMPRESSION TESTING”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,153 records · Page 64
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Comparisons of TVD schemes applied to the Navier-Stokes equations

In this study, the following total variation diminishing (TVD) schemes for solving the Navier-Stokes equations have been tested: the Chakravarthy and Szema (1985) upwind biased TVD scheme, the Harten's upwind TVD scheme described by Yee et al. (1983), and the Yee's (1985) symmetric TVD scheme. The schemes have been compared using three test cases. The first case was the one-dimensional shock tube problem which tested the shock-capturing abilities of the schemes. Chakravarthy's and Harten's schemes gave similar results which were found to be more accurate than the results from Yee's scheme. The second case was a compressible boundary layer which tested the schemes's abilities to solve fiscous flows. In this case, the three schemes yielded almost identical results. Finally, the shock/boundary-layer interaction case studied experimentally by Hakkinen et al. (1959) was computed. Here, Chakravarthy's and Yee's schemes compared most favorably with the published data, with Yee's scheme giving slightly better results.

Buelow, Philip E.↗
NASA NTRS1955

Preliminary investigation of the compressive strength and creep lifetime of 2024-T3 (formerly 24S-T3) aluminum-alloy plates at elevated temperatures

The results of elevated-temperature compressive strength and creep tests of 2024-T3 (formerly 23S-T3) aluminum-alloy plates supported in V-grooves are presented. For determining elevated-temperature strength, where creep effects are negligible, a relation previously developed for predicting plate compressive strength at room temperature was satisfactory. Creep-lifetime results are presented for the plates in the form of master creep-lifetime curves by using a time-temperature parameter that is convenient for summarizing tensile creep-rupture data. A comparison is made between tensile and compressive creep lifetime for the plates, and the magnitude by which the design stress is decreased because of material creep and loss of strength due to exposure at elevated temperatures is indicated.

Mathauser, Eldon E↗
NASA NTRS1992

Static and dynamic strain energy release rates in toughened thermosetting composite laminates

In this work, the static and dynamic fracture properties of several thermosetting resin based composite laminates are presented. Two classes of materials are explored. These are homogeneous, thermosetting resins and toughened, multi-phase, thermosetting resin systems. Multi-phase resin materials have shown enhancement over homogenous materials with respect to damage resistance. The development of new dynamic tests are presented for composite laminates based on Width Tapered Double Cantilevered Beam (WTDCB) for Mode 1 fracture and the End Notched Flexure (ENF) specimen. The WTDCB sample was loaded via a low inertia, pneumatic cylinder to produce rapid cross-head displacements. A high rate, piezo-electric load cell and an accelerometer were mounted on the specimen. A digital oscilloscope was used for data acquisition. Typical static and dynamic load versus displacement plots are presented. The ENF specimen was impacted in three point bending with an instrumented impact tower. Fracture initiation and propagation energies under static and dynamic conditions were determined analytically and experimentally. The test results for Mode 1 fracture are relatively insensitive to strain rate effects for the laminates tested in this study. The test results from Mode 2 fracture indicate that the toughened systems provide superior fracture initiation and higher resistance to propagation under dynamic conditions. While the static fracture properties of the homogeneous systems may be relatively high, the apparent Mode 2 dynamic critical strain energy release rate drops significantly. The results indicate that static Mode 2 fracture testing is inadequate for determining the fracture performance of composite structures subjected to conditions such as low velocity impact. A good correlation between the basic Mode 2 dynamic fracture properties and the performance is a combined material/structural Compression After Impact (CAI) test is found. These results underscore the importance of examining rate-dependent behavior for determining the longevity of structures manufactured from composite materials.

Cairns, Douglas S.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Low-carbon fuels for spark-ignited engines: A comparative study of compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas on a CFR engine with exhaust gas recirculation

Decades of work on low-carbon fuels have established their potential for substantial emissions reductions; however, their adoption is still limited by infrastructure concerns and engine efficiency deficits. As infrastructures have begun to evolve, research on strategies that maximize engine efficiency through interactions with fuel properties must also now take center place. This paper compares the performance, emissions, and combustion characteristics of two forefront low-carbon fuels: compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in a cooperative fuel research (CFR) engine over a range of compression ratios and engine loads. The effects of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), end-gas auto-ignition, and a novel combustion control tool, the combustion intensity metric (CIM), were also evaluated at different stoichiometric engine operating conditions. In comparison to LPG, CNG operation demonstrated an extended knock-free regime, allowing engine operation at higher engine loads and compression ratios, but LPG operation exhibited enhanced combustion characteristics with higher peak pressures and faster apparent heat release rates (AHRR). LPG operation achieved higher brake thermal efficiencies and lower equivalent CO 2 emissions compared to CNG operation at the tested engine loads and compression ratios. LPG demonstrated significantly higher EGR tolerance limits compared to CNG, with a maximum of 28% EGR rate, compared to 23% for CNG. This improved EGR dilution tolerance was responsible for a 90% reduction in NOx emissions for LPG compared to a maximum of 70% with CNG. EGR dilution also exhibited more effective knock mitigation potential with LPG, suppressing knock intensity values by up to 98% and transitioning the engine operation towards normal combustion from heavy knocking conditions. As a result, the CIM was found to decrease burn durations and improve the quality of combustion by controlling the desired fraction of end-gas auto-ignition.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
NASA NTRS1975

An investigation of the compressive strength of Kevlar 49/epoxy composites

Tests were performed to evaluate the effect of a wide range of variables including matrix properties, interface properties, fiber prestressing, secondary reinforcement, and others on the ultimate compressive strength of Kevlar 49/epoxy composites. Scanning electron microscopy is used to assess the resulting failure surfaces. In addition, a theoretical study is conducted to determine the influence of fiber anisotropy and lack of perfect bond between fiber and matrix on the shear mode microbuckling. The experimental evaluation of the effect of various constituent and process characteristics on the behavior of these unidirectional composites in compression did not reveal any substantial increase in strength. However, theoretical evaluations indicate that the high degree of fiber anisotropy results in a significant drop in the predicted stress level for internal instability. Scanning electron microscope data analysis suggests that internal fiber failure and smooth surface debonding could be responsible for the measured low compressive strengths.

Kulkarni, S. V.↗
NASA NTRS1942

Effects of Range of Stress and of Special Notches on Fatigue Properties of Aluminum Alloys Suitable for Airplane Propellers

Laboratory tests were made to obtain information on the load-resisting properties of X76S-T aluminum alloy when subjected to static, impact, and repeated loads. Results are presented from static-load test of unnotched specimens in tension and in torsion and of notched specimens in tension. Charpy impact values obtained from bend tests on notched specimens and tension impact values for both notched and unnotched specimens tested at several different temperatures are included. The endurance limits obtained from repeated bending fatigue tests made on three different types of testing machine are given for unnotched polished specimens, and the endurance limits of notched specimens subjected to six different ranges of bending stress are also reported. The results indicated that: (a) polished rectangular specimens had an endurance limit about 30 percent less than that obtained for round specimens; (b) a comparison of endurance limits obtained from tests on three different types of machine indicated that there was no apparent effect of speed of testing on the endurance limit for the range of speeds used (1,750 to 13,000 rpm). (c) the fatigue strength (endurance limit) of the X76S-T alloy was greatly decreased by the presence of a notch in the specimens; (d) no complete fractures of the entire specimens occurred in notched fatigue specimens when subjected to stress cycles for which the mean stress at the notch during the cycle was a compressive stress; for this test condition a microscopic cracking occurred near the root of the notch and was used as a criterion of failure of the specimen. (e) as the mean stress at the notch was decreased from a tensile (+) stress to a compressive (-) stress, it was found that the alternating stress that could be superimposed on the mean stress in the cycle without causing failure of the specimens was increased.

ALUMINUM ALLOYS-ALCOA X76ST-FATIGUE↗
NASA NTRS1997

Effects of Compression, Staging, and Braid Angle on Braided Rope Seal Performance

Future turbine engines and industrial systems will be operating at increased temperatures to achieve more demanding efficiency and performance goals. In the highest temperature sections of the engine new material systems such as ceramics and intermetallics are being considered to withstand the harsh thermal environment. Components constructed of these low expansion-rate materials experience thermal strains and a resulting reduction of life when rigidly attached to high expansion-rate, superalloy support structures. Seals are being designed to both seal and to serve as compliant mounts allowing for relative thermal growths between high temperature but brittle primary structures and the surrounding support structures. Previous seal research yielded several braided rope seal designs which demonstrated the ability to both seal and serve as a compliant mount. The hybrid seal was constructed of an all-ceramic (alumina-silica) core overbraided with a superalloy wire sheath (cobalt based superalloy). The all ceramic seal was constructed of an all-ceramic (alumina-silica) core overbraided with multiple ceramic (alumina-silica) sheath layers. Program goals for braided rope seals are to improve flow resistance and/or seal resilience. To that end, the current report studies the test results of: baseline and modified hybrid seals; two stage hybrid and two stage all-ceramic seal configurations; and single stage hybrid and single stage all-ceramic seal configurations for a range of seal crush conditions. Hybrid seal modifications include increasing the sheath braid angle and core coverage. For the same percent seal cross-sectional crush, results show that increasing the hybrid seal braid angle increased seal stiffness and seal unit load, resulting in flows approximately one third of the baseline hybrid seal flows. For both hybrid and all-ceramic seals, two stage seal configurations significantly outperformed single stage configurations. Two stage seal flows were at least 30% less than the single stage seal flows for the same seal crush. Furthermore, test results of single stage seals indicate that for both all-ceramic and hybrid seals, a specific seal crush condition exists at which minimum flows are achieved (i.e. increasing seal crush beyond a certain point does not result in better flow performance). Flow results are presented for a range of pressures and temperatures from ambient to 1300 F, before and after scrubbing. Compression tests results show that for both all-ceramic and hybrid seals, seal preload and stiffness increase with seal crush, but residual seal interference remains constant.

Steinetz, Bruce M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Geomechanical characterization of Rock Valley carbonates

In Rock Valley, Nevada, the USA, past earthquake sequences and shallow faulting in Paleozoic carbonates remain poorly understood. Carbonates are typically more ductile rocks that do not experience large stress drops or fracture coalescence, which contradicts previous observations in the region. As part of the Source Physics Experiment, an effort has been made to experimentally characterize the petrophysical and geomechanical properties of carbonates from Rock Valley. Well core and outcrop samples were used to determine the difference between shallow-buried Tertiary limestones and deeply buried Paleozoic limestones and dolostones. The carbonates possessed porosities between 3 and 9%, with V P and V S in the Tertiary carbonates around 2700 and 1800 m/s, respectively, and 6000 and 3100 m/s, respectively, in the Paleozoic carbonates. Microstructural characterization revealed that the Paleozoic carbonates contained significantly more pre-existing damage and alteration than the Tertiary carbonates, though the deformation varies from localized to diffuse. Unconfined Brazilian tests and triaxial tests with confining pressures between 0 and 50 MPa showed that, although samples all experienced failure, the dolostones typically failed at greater stresses and possessed greater E/ν ratios than the limestones. Furthermore, the Hoek–Brown failure criterion was used to construct failure envelopes with the compressive and tensile failure tests. Velocity, density, and porosity measurements were used to construct a hypothetical velocity-depth profile and compare the results with the theoretical petrophysical measurements. Using brittleness analysis, the likely failure conditions were determined to be low-porosity dolomitic rock for fault nucleation in the Paleozoic basement.

Brittleness↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Novel Rotating Flexure-Test Technique for Brittle Materials with Circular Geometries

The four-point bend test is one of the simplest and often the preferred flexural strength evaluation method for brittle materials. In this loading mode, fracture often initiates from a critical surface (or subsurface) flaw when subjected to a tensile stress state. However, if the critical flaw exists on the compression side of the test specimen, it may not activate to grow a crack and hence the resulting flexural strength will be higher than the true value. The goal of this study is to measure the true flexural strength of a solid or hollow cylindrical brittle specimen by ensuring that failure occurs at its weakest point by rotating along its longitudinal axis, thereby exposing and activating its critical surface flaw during a four-point bend test. A novel test fixture has been designed and fabricated, and the true flexural strengths of cylindrical brittle and quasi-brittle tubular specimens have been measured and compared to existing experimental data obtained through traditional four-point bend tests. In this work, experimental results showcase the orientation dependance on flexural strength for various materials. Additionally, similarities between experimental findings and those available in literature, including observations of fracture surfaces and relationships between surface roughness and material strength, are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Strength statistics of single crystals and metallic glasses under small stressed volumes

It has been well documented that plastic deformation of crystalline and amorphous metals/alloys shows a general trend of “smaller is stronger”. The majority of the experimental and modeling studies along this line have been focused on finding and reasoning the scaling slope or exponent in the logarithmic plot of strength versus size. In contrast to this view, here we show that the universal picture should be the thermally activated nucleation mechanisms in small stressed volume, the stochastic behavior as to find the weakest links in intermediate sizes of the stressed volume, and the convolution of these two mechanisms with respect to variables such as indenter radius in nanoindentation pop-in, crystallographic orientation, pre-strain level, sample length as in uniaxial tests, and others. Furthermore, experiments that cover the entire spectrum of length scales and a unified model that treats both thermal activation and spatial stochasticity have discovered new perspectives in understanding and correlating the strength statistics in a vast of observations in nanoindentation, micro-pillar compression, and fiber/whisker tension tests of single crystals and metallic glasses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Infiltrated W–Cu composites with combined architecture of hierarchical particulate tungsten and tungsten fibers

In this article, novel W–Cu composites reinforced with topologically-inserted tungsten fibers (W{sub f}) have been fabricated by hot-press sintering and infiltration method. By pre-sputtering of ~ 100 nm thick chromium layer onto the surface of W{sub f}, the contiguity or connectivity between W{sub f} and neighboring tungsten particles (W{sub p}) or Cu after sintering and infiltration was enhanced. Combined SEM, TEM and STEM techniques confirmed that the intact interfaces of W{sub f}/W{sub p} and W{sub f}/Cu free from precipitates, impurities and porosities would provide desirable strength and ductility. Further mechanical tests also validated its superior compressive strength and plasticity at various temperatures, together with significantly improved tensile strength (by 23.6%) and hardness (by 9.3%) for the W–Cu composite after reinforcement with Cr-coated W{sub f}, which promotes the engineering application of the composite greatly. - Highlights: • W-fibers reinforced W–Cu composites were fabricated by sintering and infiltration. • The sputtered Cr onto W{sub f} has dissolved into adjacent W{sub f} and W{sub p} during fabrication. • The intact interfaces of W{sub f}/W{sub p} and W{sub f}/Cu confer enhanced strength and ductility. • Tensile strength and hardness improve by 23.6% and 9.3% after interface tuning.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1976

Notched and Unnotched Fatigue Behavior of Angle-Ply Graphite/Epoxy Composites

The axial fatigue behavior of both notched and unnotched graphite/epoxy composites was studied. In unnotched studies, conducted on a 0/+ or - 30 3S AS/3501 laminate, S-N curves were determined for various stress ratios R using simply supported test specimens. Apparent fatigue limits in tension-tension (T-T) and compression-compression (C-C) cycling occurred at about 60% of the respective static strengths. The overall results were expressed in the form of a constant life diagram showing the relationship between mean stress and stress amplitude. The diagram illustrates a skew-symmetry in fatigue life caused by the relatively low compressive strength of the unrestrained test specimens used. In effect, a maximum in fatigue properties occurs at a positive value of mean stress. Results are of significance in situations where structural members are buckling or crippling critical in design.

Ramani, S. V.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The design and development of a vapor compression refrigerator/freezer for spacelab

A computer simulation was performed to determine the design criteria for a spacelab refrigerator/freezer using the test results of a vapor compression refrigerator/freezer which flew on STS-4 without problem. It has been established to have a vapor Reynolds number over 3000 at a vapor quality of 0.2 to maintain annular boiling in the evaporator and for the condenser to have a vapor Reynolds number over 15000 at its inlet to maintain annular condensation. These two constraints will virtually eliminate the effect of gravity on the performance of the refrigerator/freezer. These results are being used to build a refrigerator/freezer which will fly in Spacelab-4 scheduled for launch in December 1985.

Hye, A.↗
DOE OSTI2015

The shear fracture toughness, K IIc , of graphite

In this study, the critical shear stress intensity factor, K IIc , here-in referred to as the shear fracture toughness, K IIc (MPa m), of two grades of graphite are reported. The range of specimen volumes was selected to elucidate any specimen size effect, but smaller volume specimen tests were largely unsuccessful, shear failure did not occur between the notches as expected. This was probably due to the specimen geometry causing the shear fracture stress to exceed the compressive failure stress. In subsequent testing the specimen geometry was altered to reduce the compressive footprint and the notches (slits) made deeper to reduce the specimen's ligament length. Additionally, we added the collection of Acoustic Emission (AE) during testing to assist with the identification of the shear fracture load. The means of K IIc from large specimens for PCEA and NBG-18 are 2.26 MPa m with an SD of 0.37 MPa m and 2.20 MPa m with an SD of 0.53 MPa m, respectively. The value of K IIc for both graphite grades was similar, although the scatter was large. In this work we found the ratio of K IIc / K Ic ≈ 1.6. .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Redesign of Carbon Dioxide Removal System for Multifunctional Sorbent Bed Testing

Carbon dioxide removal is a key function of Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) on the International Space System (ISS). Currently, this system uses pellet beds however they have known issues such as flow channeling and uneven heating. The Multifunction Sorbent (MultiSorb) project is developing 3D-printed zeolite beds with embedded heaters to address these issues. This poster lays out the steps in modifying the Carbon Dioxide Removal and Compression System (CRCS) to test the MultiSorb beds.

MultiSORB↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development of A High Performance Cold Climate Heat Pump

The primary goals of the proposed project were to develop, test, and evaluate a high performance and cost-effective vapor compression air-source heat pump for use in cold climate regions. Vapor compression heat pumps are a proven technology, and have been used for many years to meet heating requirements for buildings in residential, commercial, and industrial applications. However, in climate regions that experience very low outdoor ambient temperatures both the heating capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) of traditional air-source vapor compression heat pumps drops dramatically with a decrease in the outdoor air temperature. The efficiency of heat pumping equipment has improved substantially over the past 20 years; however, the efficiencies of the highest rated equipment on the market are approaching practical limits that cannot be surpassed without modifications to the basic cycle and possibly the use of additional hardware. In this report, three technologies to improve the efficiency of vapor compression systems are described. These are a) vapor injected compression, b) oil flooded compression and c) hybrid flow control of the evaporator. Compressor prototypes for both, oil flooded and vapor injected compression were developed by Emerson Climate Technologies. For the oil flooded compressor, the oil injection port location was optimized and an internal oil separator was added using several design iterations. After initial testing at Emerson Climate Technologies, further testing was done at Purdue University, and compressor models were developed. These models were then integrated into a system model to determine the achievable improvement of seasonal energy efficiency (SEER) for Minneapolis (Minnesota) climate. For the oil flooded compression, a 34% improvement in seasonal energy efficiency was found while a 21% improvement in seasonal energy efficiency ratio was found for the vapor injected compression. It was found that one benefit of both tested compression technologies is a lower discharge temperature, which allows for continued operation at lower ambient temperatures. A bin analysis of the vapor injected prototype cold climate heat pump predicts a 6% improvement in HSPF for Minneapolis. This improvement is mainly a result of the increased capacity of the system for active vapor injection. For the oil flooded system, a slightly larger performance improvement is predicted, in this case mostly caused by an increase in heating COP. Based on an economic analysis of these results, the maximum additional cost of the system changes, for the Minneapolis location, are $\$430$ for the vapor injected system and $\$391$ for the oil flooded system. These estimates assume that a 3-year simple payback period is accepted by the customer. For the hybrid flow control of evaporators, a new type of balancing valve was developed together with Emerson Climate technologies to reduce the cost of the control scheme. In contrast to conventional stepper motor valves, this valve requires less cables and can be driven by a cheaper output circuit on the control board. The correct valve size was determined in a dedicated test stand in several design iterations. The performance benefits of the hybrid control of the evaporator coil were determined for clean coil conditions as well as with partial blockage of the air inlet grille and under frosting conditions. For clean coil conditions, the benefits in terms of COP and capacity are negligible. However, significant benefits were noted for severely air-maldistributed operating conditions. For the H2-test, the maximum COP improvement of 17% along with a capacity improvement of nearly 40% was observed. Overall, the hybrid control scheme leads to a significant amount of performance improvement, if the air inlet conditions to the evaporator are maldistributed.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Physically-based strength model of tantalum incorporating effects of temperature, strain rate and pressure

In this work, we develop a tantalum strength model that incorporates e ects of temperature, strain rate and pressure. Dislocation kink-pair theory is used to incorporate temperature and strain rate e ects while the pressure dependent yield is obtained through the pressure dependent shear modulus. Material constants used in the model are parameterized from tantalum single crystal tests and polycrystalline ramp compression experiments. It is shown that the proposed strength model agrees well with the temperature and strain rate dependent yield obtained from polycrystalline tantalum experiments. Furthermore, the model accurately reproduces the pressure dependent yield stresses up to 250 GPa. The proposed strength model is then used to conduct simulations of a Taylor cylinder impact test and validated with experiments. This approach provides a physically-based multi-scale strength model that is able to predict the plastic deformation of polycrystalline tantalum through a wide range of temperature, strain and pressure regimes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗