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Compositions of glasses and alloys analyzed and corrected in real time. Spectral analysis and temperature measurement performed simultaneously on molten material in container, such as open-hearth furnace, crucible or tank of continuous furnace. Speed of analysis makes it possible to quickly measure concentration of volatile elements depleted by prolonged heating.
NASA-SCAR (AST) program was initiated in 1972 at the direct request of the Executive Office of the White House and Congress following termination of the U.S. SST program. The purpose of SCR was to conduct a focused research and technology program on those technology programs which contributed to the SST termination and, also, to provide an expanded data base for future civil and military supersonic transport aircraft. Funding for the Supersonic Cruise Research (SCR) Program was initiated in fiscal year 1973 and terminated in fiscal year 1981. The program was implemented through contracts and grants with industry, universities, and by in-house investigations at the NASA/OAST centers. The studies included system studies and five disciplines: propulsion, stratospheric emissions impact, materials and structures, aerodynamic performance, and stability and control. The NASA/Lewis Variable-Cycle Engine (VCE) Component Program was initiated in 1976 to augment the SCR program in the area of propulsion. After about 2 years, the title was changed to VCE Technology program. The total number of contractors and grantees on record at the AST office in 1982 was 101 for SCR and 4 for VCE. This paper presents a compilation of all the contracts and grants as well as the funding summaries for both programs.
The Silicon Material Task of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project was assigned the objective of developing the technology for low-cost processes for producing polysilicon suitable for terrestrial solar-cell applications. The Task program comprised sections for process developments for semiconductor-grade and solar-cell-grade products. To provide information for deciding upon process designs, extensive investigations of the effects of impurities on material properties and the performance of cells were conducted. The silane process of the Union Carbide Corporation was carried through several stages of technical and engineering development; a pilot plant was the culmination of this effort. The work to establish silane fluidized-bed technology for a low-cost process is continuing. The advantages of the use of dichlorosilane is a siemens-type were shown by Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation. The development of other processes is described.
A subcritical liquid hydrogen orbital storage and supply experiment is being designed for flight in the Space Shuttle cargo bay. The Cryogenic Fluid Management Experiment (CFME) includes a liquid hydrogen tank supported in a vacuum jacket by two fiberglass epoxy composite trunnion mounts. The ability of the CFME to last for the required seven missions depends primarily on the fatigue life of the composite trunnions at cryogenic temperatures. To verify the trunnion design and test the performance of the composite material, fatigue property data at 300 and 20 K were obtained for the specific E-glass fabric/S-glass unidirectional laminate that will be used for the CFME trunnions. The fatigue life of this laminate was greater at 20 K than at 300 K, and was satisfactory for the intended application.
The historical development of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is presented, including the functional requirements, polymer selection, curing, stabilization, production and module processing. The construction and use of a new method for the accelerated aging of polymers is detailed. The method more closely resembles the conditions that may be encountered in actual module field exposure and additionally may permit service life to be predicted accurately. The use of hardboard as a low cost candidate substrate material is studied. The performance of surface antisoiling treatments useful for imparting a self cleaning property to modules is updated.
A discussion on plasma interactions and surface/material effects is summarized. The key issues in this area were: (1) the lack of data on the material properties of common spacecraft surface materials; (2) lack of understanding of the contamination and decontamination processes; and (3) insufficient analytical tools to model synergistic phenomena related to plasma interactions. Without an adequate database of material properties, accurate system performance predictions cannot be made. The interdisciplinary nature of the surface-plasma interactions area makes it difficult to plan and maintain a coherent theoretical and experimental program. The shuttle glow phenomenon is an excellent example of an unanticipated, complex interaction involving synergism between surface and plasma effects. Building an adequate technology base for understanding and predicting surface-plasma interactions will require the coordinated efforts of engineers, chemists, and physicists. An interdisciplinary R and D program should be organized to deal with similar problems that the space systems of the 21st century may encounter.
The risks posed to the NASA's Galileo spacecraft by the oxidizer flow decay during its extended mission to Jupiter is discussed. The Galileo spacecraft will use nitrogen tetroxide (NTO)/monomethyl hydrazine bipropellant system with one large engine thrust-rated at a nominal 400 N, and 12 smaller engines each thrust-rated at a nominal 10 N. These smaller thrusters, because of their small valve inlet filters and small injector ports, are especially vulnerable to clogging by iron nitrate precipitates formed by NTO-wetted stainless steel components. To quantify the corrosion rates and solubility levels which will be seen during the Galileo mission, corrosion and solubility testing experiments were performed with simulated Galileo materials, propellants, and environments. The results show the potential benefits of propellant sieving in terms of iron and water impurity reduction.
During a partial inspection of a 42 year old, operating, pressurized wind tunnel at NASA-Ames Research Center, a surface connected defect 114 in. long having an indicated depth of a 0.7 in. was detected. The pressure shell, constructed of a medium carbon steel, contains approximately 10 miles of welds and is cooled by flowing water over its zinc coated external surface. Metallurgical and fractographic analysis showed that the actual detect was 1.7 in. deep, and originated from an area of lack of weld penetration. Crack growth studies were performed on the shell material in the laboratory under various loading rates, hold times, and R-ratios with a simulated shell environment. The combination of zinc, water with electrolyte, and steel formed an electrolytic cell which resulted in an increase in cyclic crack growth rate by as much as 500 times over that observed in air. It was concluded that slow crack growth occurred in the pressure shell by a combination of stress corrosion cracking due to the welding residual stress and corrosion fatigue due to the cyclic operating stress.
The need for glovebox facilities on spacecraft in which microgravity materials processing experiments are performed is discussed. At present such facilities are being designed, and some of their capabilities are briefly described. A list of experiment concepts which would require or benefit from such facilities is presented.
The complexity of modern nondestructive evaluation (NDE) arises from four main factors: quantitative measurement science, physical models for computational analysis, realistic interfacing with engineering decisions, and direct access to management priorities. Recent advances in the four factors of NDE are addressed. Physical models of acoustic propagation are presented that have led to the development of measurement technologies advancing the ability to assure that materials and structures will perform as designed. In addition, a brief discussion is given of current research for future mission needs such as smart structures that sense their own health. Such advances permit projects to integrate design for inspection into their plans, bringing NDE into engineering and management priorities. The measurement focus is on ultrasonics with generous case examples. Problem solutions highlighted include critical stress in fasteners, residual stress in steel, NDE laminography, and solid rocket motor NDE.
A summary is presented of the concentrator conceptual design work performed under a NASA-funded project. The design study centers around two basic efforts: conceptual design of a self-deploying, high-performance parabolic concentrator; and materials selection for a lightweight, shape-stable concentrator. The primary structural material selected for the concentrator is PEEK/carbon fiber composite. The deployment concept utilizes rigid gore-shaped reflective panels. The assembled concentrator takes a circular shape with a void in the center. The deployable solar concentrator concept is applicable to a range of solar dynamic power systems of 25 kWe to more than 75 kWe.
The temperatures due to frictional heating within a solid lubricated or coated journal bearing were analyzed by using a finite element method. A solid model of the shaft-bush tribocontact was generated with an eight-node, three-dimensional, first-order isoparametric heat-transfer element and the Patran solid modeler software. The Patmar (Patran-Marc) translator was used to help develop the Marc-based finite element program for the system; this software was used on the Cray X-MP supercomputer to perform a finite element analysis of the contact. The analysis was performed for various liner materials, for thin, hard, wear-resistant coated bearings, and for different geometries and thermal cooling boundary conditions. The analyses indicated that thermal conductivity of the liner or coating material is the most vital thermal parameter that controls the interface temperature. In addition to design variations, the proximity of the cooling source to the heat-flux-generating interface is critically important to the temperature control in the system.
The availability of experimental data that characterizes the performance of soft magnetic materials for the combined conditions of high temperature and high frequency is almost nonexistent. An experimental investigation was conducted over the temperature range of 23 to 300 C and frequency range of 1 to 50 kHz to determine the effects of temperature and frequency on the core loss and dynamic B-H loops of three different soft magnetic materials; and oriented grain 50Ni-50Fe alloy, a nonoriented grain 50Ni-Fe alloy, and an iron based amorphous material (Metglas 2605SC). A comparison of these materials shows that the nonoriented grain 50Ni-50Fe alloy tends to have either the lowest or next lowest core loss for all temperatures and frequencies investigated.
Drop tubes and drop towers providing the capability for performing low-gravity materials experiments in an earth-based laboratory are described. Although processing times are short, the experiments can be reproduced easily and economically. These facilities can be used as precursors to space flight programs or can be self-sufficient, without the need for more advanced processing.
Modulus of rupture specimens were used to determine crack growth parameters of a porous mullite material. Strength testing was performed in ambient and moist environments. The power law crack growth rate parameters n and 1n B in 50 percent relative humidity were found to be 44.98 and 0.94, respectively. The inert strength, fracture toughness, and elastic modulus were also determined and found to be 19 MPa, 055 MPa(m) exp 1/2, and 11.6 GPa, respectively.
A systematic projection is made of prospective materials and structural systems' performance requirements in light of emerging applications. The applications encompass high-speed/long-range rotorcraft, advanced subsonic commercial aircraft, high speed (supersonic) commercial transports, hypersonic aircraft and missiles, extremely high-altitude cruise aircraft and missiles, and aerospace craft and launch vehicles. A tabulation is presented of the materials/structures/dynamics requirements associated with future aerospace systems, as well as the further development needs foreseen in each such case.
Reflectance of six optical-black coatings was remeasured over the near-infrared to the far-infrared region after nearly six years in space aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility satellite. Measurements were made at room temperature and at cryogenic temperatures. The most notable effect was a general decrease in reflectance for typical samples at all wavelengths. Analysis indicates that this decrease is caused by an increase in absorption resulting from an increase in the imaginary part of the index of refraction, and not by a change in thickness, or increased surface roughness giving rise to increased scattering. These results suggest that such optical-baffle materials will provide enhanced performance as a result of aging in the space environment.
The availability of experimental data that characterize the performance of soft magnetic materials for the combined conditions of high temperature and high frequency is almost nonexistent. An experimental investigation was conducted over the temperature range of 23 to 300 C and frequency range of 1 to 50 kHz to determine the effects of temperature and frequency on the core loss and dynamic B-H loops of three different soft magnetic materials: an oriented-grain 50Ni-50Fe alloy, a nonoriented-grain 50Ni-50Fe alloy, and an iron-based amorphous material (Metglas 2605SC). A comparison of these materials shows that the nonoriented-grain 50Ni-50Fe alloy tends to have either the lowest or the next lowest core loss for all temperatures and frequencies investigated.