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At least 1,261 records · Page 70

Contact and Bending Durability Calculation for Spiral-Bevel Gears

The objective of this project is to extend the capabilities of the gear contact analysis solver Calyx, and associated packages Transmission3D, HypoidFaceMilled, HypoidFaceHobbed. A calculation process for the surface durability was implemented using the Dowson-Higginson correlation for fluid film thickness. Comparisons to failure data from NASA's Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue rig were carried out. A bending fatigue calculation has been implemented that allows the use of the stress-life calculation at each individual fillet point. The gears in the NASA test rig did not exhibit any bending fatigue failure, so the bending fatigue calculations are presented in this report by using significantly lowered strength numbers.

life↗

Fatigue Life of Postbuckled Structures with Indentation Damages

The fatigue life of composite stiffened panels with indentation damage was investigated experimentally using single stringer compression specimens. Indentation damage was induced on one of the two flanges of each stringer. The experiments were conducted using advanced instrumentation, including digital image correlation, passive thermography, and in-situ ultrasonic scanning. Specimens with initial indentation damage lengths of 32 millimeters to 56 millimeters were tested quasi-statically and in fatigue, and the effects of cyclic load amplitude and damage size were studied. A means of comparison of the damage propagation rates and collapse loads based on a stress intensity measure and the Paris law is proposed.

Davila, Carlos G.↗

Fatigue crack growth in a unidirectional SCS-6/Ti-15-3 composite

An investigation was conducted to characterize and model the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior of a SCS-6/Ti-15-3 metal matrix composite. Part of the study was conducted using a fatigue loading stage mounted inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). This unique facility allowed high magnification viewing of the composite fatigue processes and measurement of the near crack tip displacements. The unidirectional composite was tested in the (0)8 (i.e., longitudinal) and (90)8 (i.e., transverse) orientations. For comparison purposes unreinforced matrix material produced by the identical process as the reinforced material was also tested. The results of the study reveal that the fatigue crack growth behavior of the composite is a function of specimen geometry, fiber orientation and the interaction of local stress fields with the highly anisotropic composite. In the case of (0)8 oriented single edge notch (SEN) specimens and (90)8 oriented compact tension (CT) specimens, the crack growth was normal to the loading direction. However, for the (0)8 CT specimens the crack grew mostly parallel to the loading and the fiber direction. The unusual fatigue behavior of the (0)8 CT specimens was attributed to the specimen geometry and the associated high tensile bending stresses perpendicular to the fiber direction. These stresses resulted in preferential cracking in the weak interface region perpendicular to the fiber direction. The interface region, and in particular the carbon coating surrounding the fiber proved to be the composites weakest link. In the (0)8 SEN the crack growth was confined to the matrix leaving behind unbroken fibers which bridged the cracked surfaces. As the crack grew longer, more fibers bridged the crack resulting in a progressive decrease in the crack growth rates and eventual crack arrest. The actual near crack tip displacement measurements were used in a proposed formulation for a bridging-corrected effective crack driving force, delta K(sub eff). This parameter was able to account for most of the experienced bridging and correlated the (0)8 SEN fatigue crack growth data reasonably well.

Kantzos, Peter↗

High-cycle fatigue characterization of titanium 5Al-2.5Sn alloy

High-cycle fatigue behavior of titanium 5Al 2.5Sn alloy at room temperature has been studied. S-N curve characterization is performed at different stress ratios ranging from 0 to 0.9 on a subsized fatigue specimen. Both two-stress and three-stress level tests are conducted at different stress ratios to study the cumulative fatigue damage. Life prediction techniques of linear damage rule, double linear damage rule and damage curve approaches are applied, and results are compared with the experimental data. The agreement between prediction and experiment is found to be excellent.

Mahfuz, H.↗

Fracture Growth Testing of Titanium 6AL-4V in AF-M315E

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) will demonstrate the performance of AF-M315E monopropellant in orbit. Flight certification requires a safe-life analysis of the titanium alloy fuel tank to ensure inherent flaws will not cause failure during the design life. Material property inputs for this analysis require testing to determine the stress intensity factor for environmentally-assisted cracking (K (sub EAC)) of Ti 6Al-4V in combination with the AF-M315E monopropellant. Testing of single-edge notched specimens SE(B) representing the bulk tank membrane and weld material were performed in accordance with ASTM E1681. Specimens with fatigue pre-cracks were loaded into test fixtures so that the crack tips were exposed to the monopropellant at 50 degrees Centigrade for a duration of 1,000 hours. Specimens that did not fail during exposure were opened to inspect the crack surfaces for evidence of crack growth. The threshold stress intensity value, KEAC, is the highest applied stress intensity that produced neither a failure of the specimen during the exposure nor showed evidence of crack growth. The threshold stress intensity factor of the Ti 6Al-4V forged tank material when exposed to AF-M315E monopropellant was found to be at least 22.0 kilopounds per square inch. The stress intensity factor of the weld material was at least 31.3 kilopounds per square inch.

AF-M315E↗

Strain-Life Assessment of Grainex Mar-M 247 for NASA's Turbine Seal Test Facility

NASA s Turbine Seal Test Facility is used to test air-to-air seals for use primarily in advanced jet engine applications. Combinations of high temperature, high speed, and high pressure limit the disk life, due to the concern of crack initiation in the bolt holes of the Grainex Mar-M 247 disk. The primary purpose of this current work is to determine an inspection interval to ensure safe operation. The current work presents high temperature fatigue strain-life data for test specimens cut from an actual Grainex Mar-M 247 disk. Several different strain-life models were compared to the experimental data including the Manson-Hirschberg Method of Universal Slopes, the Halford-Nachtigall Mean Stress Method, and the Modified Morrow Method. The Halford-Nachtigall Method resulted in only an 18 percent difference between predicted and experimental results. Using the experimental data at a 99.95 percent prediction level and the presence of 6 bolt holes it was found that the disk should be inspected after 665 cycles based on a total strain of 0.5 percent at 649 C.

Delgado, Irebert R.↗

Initial Testing Results and Forward Design Considerations for the Tri-Rotor Hand Controller

The Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) is one of the key elements of NASA’s Artemis return to the Moon. As an unpressurized rover, the LTV hand controller must take into account the limitations of the spacesuit worn by the crew as well as lessons learned operating the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle and preliminary NASA simulations. Because the NASA Ground Test Unit (GTU) design features omnidirectional steering, NASA engineers developed the TriRotor is an innovation to minimize crew fatigue and discomfort. NASA conducted a series of tests, initially with 3D printed mockup controllers, and expanding to a functional prototype used in an LTV video wall simulation. The Tri-Rotor compared favorably with legacy Apollo T-Handles, though numerous test subject comments were collected to improve the controller’s usability. Several options to improve the Tri-Rotor’s usability are also discussed, along with opportunities to test the Tri-Rotor in Virtual Reality, a motion table, and in field analogs.

Hand Controller↗

Stress-life relation of the rolling-contact fatigue spin rig

The rolling-contact fatigue spin rig was used to test groups of SAE 52100 9.16-inch-diameter balls lubricated with a mineral oil at 600,000-, 675,000-, and 750,000-psi maximum Hertz stress. Cylinders of AISI M-1 vacuum and commercial melts and MV-1 (AISI M-50) were used as race specimens. Stress-life exponents produced agree closely with values accepted in industry. The type of failure obtained in the spin rig was similar to the subsurface fatigue spells found in bearings.

SURFACES, CONTACT - ROLLING↗

Fracture Mechanics Testing of Titanium 6AL-4V in AF-M315E

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) will demonstrate the performance of AF-M315E monopropellant on orbit. Flight certification requires a safe-life analysis of the titanium alloy fuel tank to ensure inherent processing flaws will not cause failure during the design life of the tank. Material property inputs for this analysis require testing to determine the stress intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking (KEAC) of Ti 6Al-4V in combination with the AF-M315E monopropellant. Testing of single-edge notched, or SE(B), specimens representing the bulk tank membrane and weld material were performed in accordance with ASTM E1681. Specimens with fatigue pre-cracks were loaded into test fixtures so that the crack tips were exposed to AF-M315E at 50 C for a duration of 1,000 hours. Specimens that did not fail during exposure were opened to inspect the crack surfaces for evidence of crack growth. The threshold stress intensity value, KEAC, is the highest applied stress intensity that produced neither a failure of the specimen during the exposure nor showed evidence of crack growth. The threshold stress intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking of the Ti 6Al-4V forged tank material was found to be at least 22 ksi√in and at least 31 ksi√in for the weld material when exposed to AF-M315E monopropellant.

AF-M315E↗

High-precision Method for Cyclic Loading of Small-Animal Vertebrae to Assess Bone Quality

One potentially important bone quality characteristic is the response of bone to cyclic (repetitive) mechanical loading. In small animals, such as in rats and mice, cyclic loading experiments are particularly challenging to perform in a precise manner due to the small size of the bones and difficult-to-eliminate machine compliance. Addressing this issue, we developed a precise method for ex vivo cyclic compressive loading of isolated mouse vertebral bodies. The method has three key characteristics: 3D-printed support jigs for machining plano-parallel surfaces of the tiny vertebrae; pivotable loading platens to ensure uniform contact and loading of specimen surfaces; and specimen-specific micro-CT-based finite element analysis to measure stiffness to prescribe force levels that produce the same specified level of strain for all test specimens. To demonstrate utility, we measured fatigue life for three groups (n = 5-6 per group) of L5 vertebrae of C57BL/6J male mice, comparing our new method against two methods commonly used in the literature. We found reduced scatter of the mechanical behavior for this new method compared to the literature methods. In particular, for a controlled level of strain, the standard deviation of the measured fatigue life was up to 5-fold lower for the new method (F-ratio = 4.9; p < 0.01). The improved precision for this new method for biomechanical testing of small-animal vertebrae may help elucidate aspects of bone quality.

Bone quality↗

Boron/aluminum skins for the DC-10 aft pylon

Three boron/aluminum aft pylon 'boat tail' skins were designed, fabricated, and installed on three DC-10 aircraft for a five-year flight service demonstration test. Inspection and tests of the skins will establish the ability of the composite to withstand long-time flight service exposures to high temperatures, sonic fatigue, and flutter. The results of a preliminary testing program yielded room and elevated temperature data on the tension, compression, in-plane shear, interlaminar shear, bolt bearing, and tension fatigue properties of the oriented eleven-ply boron/aluminum laminates, and this information, together with a stress analysis, was used to obtain Federal Aviation Administration approval. Present state-of-the-art technology was used in the fabrication of the skins, and these were installed on the existing titanium substructure with the same number and size mechanical fasteners as are used for the present titanium skins.

Elliott, S. Y.↗

Application of cyclic damage accumulation life prediction model to high temperature components

A high temperature, low cycle fatigue life prediction method was developed. This method, Cyclic Damage Accumulation (CDA), was developed for use in predicting the crack initiation lifetime of gas turbine engine materials, but it can be applied to other materials as well. The method is designed to account for the effects on creep-fatigue life of complex loading such as thermomechanical fatigue, hold periods, waveshapes, mean stresses, multiaxiality, cumulative damage, coatings, and environmental attack. Several features of this model were developed to make it practical for application to actual component analysis, such as the ability to handle nonisothermal loading (including TMF), arbitrary cycle paths, and multiple damage modes. The CDA life prediction model was derived from extensive specimen tests conducted on cast nickel-base superalloy B1900 + Hf. These included both monotonic tests (tensile and creep) and strain-controlled fatigue experiments (uniaxial, biaxial, TMF, mixed creep-fatigue, and controlled mean stress). Additional specimen tests were conducted on wrought INCO 718 to verify the applicability of the final CDA model to other high-temperature alloys. The model will be available to potential users in the near future in the form of a FORTRAN-77 computer program.

Nelson, Richard S.↗

Three dimensional crack closure measurements

This paper describes fatigue crack growth and retardation experiments conducted in polycarbonate test specimens. This transparent model material allowed optical interferometry measurements of through-the-thickness fatigue crack opening profiles. Crack surface displacements were then obtained through the specimen thickness and are discussed in terms of three-dimensional aspects of fatigue crack closure.

Ray, S. K.↗

Damage Tolerance Issues as Related to Metallic Rotorcraft Dynamic Components

In this paper issues related to the use of damage tolerance in life managing rotorcraft dynamic components are reviewed. In the past, rotorcraft fatigue design has combined constant amplitude tests of full-scale parts with flight loads and usage data in a conservative manner to provide "safe life" component replacement times. In contrast to the safe life approach over the past twenty years the United States Air Force and several other NATO nations have used damage tolerance design philosophies for fixed wing aircraft to improve safety and reliability. The reliability of the safe life approach being used in rotorcraft started to be questioned shortly after presentations at an American Helicopter Society's specialist meeting in 1980 showed predicted fatigue lives for a hypothetical pitch-link problem to vary from a low of 9 hours to a high in excess of 2594 hours. This presented serious cost, weight, and reliability implications. Somewhat after the U.S. Army introduced its six nines reliability on fatigue life, attention shifted towards using a possible damage tolerance approach to the life management of rotorcraft dynamic components. The use of damage tolerance in life management of dynamic rotorcraft parts will be the subject of this paper. This review will start with past studies on using damage tolerance life management with existing helicopter parts that were safe life designed. Also covered will be a successful attempt at certifying a tail rotor pitch rod using damage tolerance, which was designed using the safe life approach. The FAA review of rotorcraft fatigue design and their recommendations along with some on-going U.S. industry research in damage tolerance on rotorcraft will be reviewed.

Everett, R. A., Jr.↗

Damage Tolerance Issues as Related to Metallic Rotorcraft Dynamic Components

In this paper issues related to the use of damage tolerance in life managing rotorcraft dynamic components are reviewed. In the past, rotorcraft fatigue design has combined constant amplitude tests of full-scale parts with flight loads and usage data in a conservative manner to provide "safe life" component replacement times. In contrast to the safe life approach over the past twenty years the United States Air Force and several other NATO nations have used damage tolerance design philosophies for fixed wing aircraft to improve safety and reliability. The reliability of the safe life approach being used in rotorcraft started to be questioned shortly after presentations at an American Helicopter Society's specialist meeting in 1980 showed predicted fatigue lives for a hypothetical pitch-link problem to vary from a low of 9 hours to a high in excess of 2594 hours. This presented serious cost, weight, and reliability implications. Somewhat after the U.S. Army introduced its six nines reliability on fatigue life, attention shifted towards using a possible damage tolerance approach to the life management of rotorcraft dynamic components. The use of damage tolerance in life management of dynamic rotorcraft parts will be the subject of this paper. This review will start with past studies on using damage tolerance life management with existing helicopter parts that were safe life designed. Also covered will be a successful attempt at certifying a tail rotor pitch rod using damage tolerance, which was designed using the safe life approach. The FAA review of rotorcraft fatigue design and their recommendations along with some on-going U.S. industry research in damage tolerance on rotorcraft will be reviewed. Finally, possible problems and future needs for research will be highlighted.

Everett, R. A., Jr.↗

Full-scale transmission testing to evaluate advanced lubricants

Experimental tests were performed on the OH-58A helicopter main rotor transmission in the NASA Lewis 500 hp helicopter transmission test stand. The testing was part of a lubrication program. The objectives are to develop and show a separate lubricant for gearboxes with improved performance in life and load carrying capacity. The goal was to develop a testing procedure to fail certain transmission components using a MIL-L-23699 based reference oil and then to run identical tests with improved lubricants and show improved performance. The tests were directed at parts that failed due to marginal lubrication from Navy field experience. These failures included mast shaft bearing micropitting, sun gear and planet bearing fatigue, and spiral bevel gear scoring. A variety of tests were performed and over 900 hrs of total run time accumulated for these tests. Some success was achieved in developing a testing procedure to produce sun gear and planet bearing fatigue failures. Only marginal success was achieved in producing mast shaft bearing micropitting and spiral bevel gear scoring.

Lewicki, David G.↗

Cast iron-base alloy for cylinder/regenerator housing

NASACC-1 is a castable iron-base alloy designed to replace the costly and strategic cobalt-base X-40 alloy used in the automotive Stirling engine cylinder/generator housing. Over 40 alloy compositions were evaluated using investment cast test bars for stress-rupture testing. Also, hydrogen compatibility and oxygen corrosion resistance tests were used to determine the optimal alloy. NASACC-1 alloy was characterized using elevated and room temperature tensile, creep-rupture, low cycle fatigue, heat capacity, specific heat, and thermal expansion testing. Furthermore, phase analysis was performed on samples with several heat treated conditions. The properties are very encouraging. NASACC-1 alloy shows stress-rupture and low cycle fatigue properties equivalent to X-40. The oxidation resistance surpassed the program goal while maintaining acceptable resistance to hydrogen exposure. The welding, brazing, and casting characteristics are excellent. Finally, the cost of NASACC-1 is significantly lower than that of X-40.

Witter, Stewart L.↗