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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

NDE of Friction Stir Welds in Aerospace Applications

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process, which utilizes a cylindrical, shouldered pin tool with a radiused tip that is rotated and plunged into the weld joint. Frictional heating beneath the shoulder, and surrounding the pin tip causes the material to plasticize, intermix and consolidate into a weldment without melting the parent material. FSW in aluminum alloys has many advantages such as low distortion and shrinkage, excellent mechanical properties, and no porosity. However, the propensity of the FSW process to create detrimental defects does exist, and is dependent on FSW parameter limits and controls. Inspection processes for FSW must also be selected and implemented concurrent with the new weld process. This paper describes the efforts by Lockheed Martin and NASA to find proper NDE techniques for detecting and characterizing the anomalies that may be caused by operating outside the envelope of optimized FSW parameters. Potential defects are identified and the results of the exploration of numerous NDE techniques including visual, liquid penetrant, multiple ultrasonic methods, eddy current and conductivity are discussed.

Kinchen, David G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

STA-2A NDT testing

The nondestructive testing (NDT) on the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) filament wound case (FWC) short stact structural test articles 2 (STA-2A) during test of phases 1B-9C is described. The primary objective of this testing was to verify the structural integrity of the SRB-FWC for critical design loads. Another objective was to quantify the effect of load distributions in the aft skirt. The NDT objectives were to determine the acoustic emission characteristics of the FWC-SRB and to identify possible design deficiencies or defect growth. The results from the posttest inspection of the samples shows the depth measurements taken were accurate until exceeding .260 inches thickness. The data then show that pulse echo measurements exceeded actual part thickness by 10 to 14 percent. The mapping of forward boundaries of delaminations proved to be within the tolerance of the equipment. Using the ZIP probe, the maximum difference between the pulse echo boundary and the visual boundary was expected to be no greater than one half the diameter of the probe. The NDT performance on STA-2A shows how NDT can be used to assist design engineering in evaluating the structural integrity of composite test articles.

Lewis, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Software Package Completed for Alloy Design at the Atomic Level

As a result of a multidisciplinary effort involving solid-state physics, quantum mechanics, and materials and surface science, the first version of a software package dedicated to the atomistic analysis of multicomponent systems was recently completed. Based on the BFS (Bozzolo, Ferrante, and Smith) method for the calculation of alloy and surface energetics, this package includes modules devoted to the analysis of many essential features that characterize any given alloy or surface system, including (1) surface structure analysis, (2) surface segregation, (3) surface alloying, (4) bulk crystalline material properties and atomic defect structures, and (5) thermal processes that allow us to perform phase diagram calculations. All the modules of this Alloy Design Workbench 1.0 (ADW 1.0) are designed to run in PC and workstation environments, and their operation and performance are substantially linked to the needs of the user and the specific application.

Bozzolo, Guillermo H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Microstructural Development of Directionally Solidified Hg(1-x)Zn(x)Se Alloys

Hg(1-x)Zn(x)Se alloys have been studied as an alternative to HgCdTe for the detection of electromagnetic radiation, because the shorter ZnSe and HgSe bonds were predicted to improve lattice stability. Previous studies showed that optical properties were stable with time and that the microhardness was higher than for HgTe based alloys. However, for this material to be commercially viable, compositional variations must be reduced, and the distribution of defects induced by the growth process must be understood. The basic structural properties of bulk materials were characterized, and dislocation etch pit densities were measured to determine whether the addition of Zn to the HgSe lattice reduced the potential for dislocation formation. Hg(0.9)Zn(0.1)Se alloys were directionally solidified using a modified Bridgman-Stockbarger method and in an applied magnetic field. Radial compositional variations were greatly reduced when solidification occurred in an applied magnetic field. The combination of a convex liquid-solid interface shape and a method for reduced wetting produced boules that were a single crystal after reaching full diameter. Observed surface features indicated ampoule wetting could be eliminated using a graphite getter. Microstructural characteristics were greatly improved over HgCdTe alloys, In six boules, a total of only one twin was observed, and no inclusions were found. A method for polishing and producing dislocation etch pits was developed for these alloys, revealing dislocation etch pit densities one to two orders of magnitude less than HgTe based alloys. A kink in the thermal profile during processing of one boule generated more dislocations than did lattice mismatch due to compositional variations. The results of this investigation indicate this alloy has improved microstructural properties and resistance to dislocation formation compared with similar II-VI alloys, and should be further investigated for the detection of electromagnetic radiation.

Cobb, S. D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Combustion Synthesis of Advanced Porous Materials in Microgravity Environment

Combustion synthesis, otherwise known as self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS), can be used to produce engineered advanced porous material implants which offer the possibility for bone ingrowth as well as a permanent structure framework for the long-term replacement of bone defects. The primary advantage of SHS is based on its rapid kinetics and favorable energetics. The structure and properties of materials produced by SHS are strongly dependent on the combustion reaction conditions. Combustion reaction conditions such as reaction stoichiometry, particle size, green density, the presence and use of diluents or inert reactants, and pre-heating of the reactants, will affect the exothermicity of the reaction. A number of conditions must be satisfied in order to obtain high porosity materials: an optimal amount of liquid, gas and solid phases must be present in the combustion front. Therefore, a balance among these phases at the combustion front must be created by the SHS reaction to successfully engineer a bone replacement material system. Microgravity testing has extended the ability to form porous products. The convective heat transfer mechanisms which operate in normal gravity, 1 g, constrain the combustion synthesis reactions. Gravity also acts to limit the porosity which may be formed as the force of gravity serves to restrict the gas expansion and the liquid movement during reaction. Infiltration of the porous product with other phases can modify both the extent of porosity and the mechanical properties.

Zhang, X.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Grain boundary mobility in anion doped MgO

Certain anions OH(-), F(-) and Gl(-) are shown to enhance grain growth in MgO. The magnitude of their effect decreases in the order in which the anions are listed and depends on their location (solid-solution, second phase) in the MgO lattice. As most anions exhibit relatively high vapor pressures at sintering temperatures, they retard densification and invariably promote residual porosity. The role of anions on grain growth rates was studied in relation to their effect on pore mobility and pore removal; the atomic process controlling the actual rates was determined from observed kinetics in conjunction with the microstructural features. With respect to controlling mechanisms, the effects of all anions are not the same. OH(-) and F(-) control behavior through creation of a defect structure and a grain boundary liquid phase while Cl(-) promotes matter transport within pores by evaporation-condensation. Studies on an additional anion, S to the minus 2nd power gave results which were no different from undoped MgO, possibly because of evaporative losses during hot pressing. Hence, the effect of sulphur is negligible or undetermined.

Kapadia, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Material science and solid state physics studies with positive muon spin precession

The hyperfine field on the muon, B sub hf, at interstitial sites in dilute Fe(Al) alloys was measured for four different concentrations of Al and as a function of temperature by the muon spin rotation method. The magnitude of B sub hf, which is negative, decreases at rates ranging from 0.09 + or - 0.03% per at.% Al at 200 K to an asymptotic limit of 0.35 + or - far above 440 K. This behavior shows that sites near the Al impurity are weakly repulsive to the muon, with an interaction potential of 13 + or - 3 meV. In order to fit the temperature dependence of the hyperfine field, it is necessary to hypothesize the existence of a small concentration of unidentified defects, possibly dislocations, which are attractive to the muon. Although the Al impurity acts as a non-magnetic hole in the Fe lattice, the observed decrease in B sub hf is only 35% of the decrease in the bulk magnetization. It is concluded that B sub hf is determined mainly by the enhanced screening of conduction electrons in Fe and Fe(Al). Since the influence of the Al impurity on the neighboring Fe monents is very small, most of the change in B sub hf is therefore attributed to the increase in conduction electron polarization of the Al impurity.

Stronach, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Flight service evaluation of Kevlar-49 epoxy composite panels in wide-bodied commercial transport aircraft

Kevlar-49 fairing panels, installed as flight service components on three L-1011s, were inspected after 10 years of service. There are six Kevlar-49 panels on each aircraft: a left-hand and right-hand set of a wing-body sandwich fairing; a solid laminate under-wing fillet panel; and a 422 K (300 F) service aft engine fairing. The three L-1011s include one each in service with Eastern, Air Canada, and TWA. The fairings have accumulated a total of 79,568 hours, with one ship set having nearly 28,000 hours service. The inspections were conducted at the airlines' major maintenance bases with the participation of Lockheed Engineering. The Kevlar-49 components were found to be performing satisfactorily in service with no major problems, or any condition requiring corrective action. The only defects noted were minor impact damage, a few minor disbonds and a minor degree of fastener hole fraying and elongation. These are for the most part comparable to damage noted on fiberglass fairings. The service history obtained in this program indicates that Kevlar-49 epoxy composite materials have satisfactory service characteristics for use in aircraft secondary structure.

Stone, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Overview of CFD Analyses Supporting the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) Program at MSFC

During the past year, various computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses were performed at Marshall Space Flight Center to support the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor program. The successful completion of these analyses involved application of the CFD codes FDNS and CELMINT. The topics addressed by the analyses were: (1) the design and prediction of slag pool accumulation within the five inch test motor, (2) prediction of slag pool behavior and its response to lateral accelerations, (3) the clogging of potential insulation debonds within the nozzle by slag accumulation, (4) the behavior of jets within small voids inside nozzle joint gaps, (5) The effect of increased inhibitor stiffness on motor acoustics, and (6) the effect of a nozzle defect on particle impingement enhanced erosion. The emphasis of this presentation will be to further discuss the work in topics 3, 4, and 5.

Stewart, Eric↗
NASA NTRS1999

Initial Study of Friction Pull Plug Welding

Pull plug friction welding is a new process being developed to conveniently eliminate defects from welded plate tank structures. The general idea is to drill a hole of precise, optimized dimensions and weld a plug into it, filling the hole perfectly. A conically-shaped plug is rotated at high angular velocity as it is brought into contact with the plate material in the hole. As the plug is pulled into the hole, friction rapidly raises the temperature to the point at which the plate material flows plastically. After a brief heating phase, the plug rotation is terminated. The plug is then pulled upon with a forging force, solidly welding the plug into the hole in the plate. Three aspects of this process were addressed in this study. The transient temperature distribution was analyzed based on slightly idealized boundary conditions for different plug geometries. Variations in hole geometry and ram speed were considered, and a program was created to calculate volumes of displaced material and empty space, as well as many other relevant dimensions. The relation between the axially applied forging force and the actual forging pressure between the plate and plug surfaces was determined for various configurations.

Rich, Brian S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Thick section aluminum weldments for SRB structures

The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) forward and aft skirts were designed with fracture control considerations used in the design data. Fracture control is based on reliance upon nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques to detect potentially critical flaws. In the aerospace industry, welds on aluminum in the thicknesses (0.500 to 1.375 in.) such as those encountered on the SRB skirts are normally welded from both sides to minimize distortion. This presents a problem with the potential presence of undefined areas of incomplete fusion and the inability to detect these potential flaws by NDE techniques. To eliminate the possibility of an undetectable defect, weld joint design was revised to eliminate blind root penetrations. Weld parameters and mechanical property data were developed to verify the adequacy of the new joint design.

Bayless, E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comparison of In-situ Near Infrared Melt Pool Imagery to Optical Microscopy Measurements

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly growing technology. An area of major importance is the integrity and repeatability of AM parts. The goal is to reduce obstacles to certify AM built parts to allow for use in critical aerospace applications. In-situ nondestructive evaluation sensors can be used for build assessment and can potentially play a key role in certifying AM parts. For example, melt pool features are understood to have a strong correlation to microstructural defects and the use of a near infrared (NIR) camera can be used to record the melt pool, cooling areas, and temperature gradients during the build. This work explores the use of a low cost NIR camera to obtain single line track imagery of the Ti-6Al-4V melt pools for various processing parameters. The NIR camera is radiometrically calibrated and configured in-line with the laser source to obtain high resolution imagery of the melt pool shape and dynamics. The challenge to measure melt pool shapes is to identify the transition points between the metal solid to liquid phase. Factors for melt pool measurements such as thermal camera pixel resolution, surface emissivity, and blurring due to the laser beam movement are discussed. Lastly, the melt pool imagery are compared to optical microscopy measurements for validation.

additive manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS1992

Gibbs free energy difference between the undercooled liquid and the beta phase of a Ti-Cr alloy

The heat of fusion and the specific heats of the solid and liquid have been experimentally determined for a Ti60Cr40 alloy. The data are used to evaluate the Gibbs free energy difference, delta-G, between the liquid and the beta phase as a function of temperature to verify a reported spontaneous vitrification (SV) of the beta phase in Ti-Cr alloys. The results show that SV of an undistorted beta phase in the Ti60Cr40 alloy at 873 K is not feasible because delta-G is positive at the temperature. However, delta-G may become negative with additional excess free energy to the beta phase in the form of defects.

Ohsaka, K.↗
NASA NTRS2011

2014/2219 Tri-Point Crack Analysis

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process with potential advantages for aerospace and automotive industries dealing with light alloys. Self-reacting friction stir welding (SR-FSW) is one variation of the FSW process being developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use in the fabrication of propellant tanks. Friction plug welding is used to seal the exit hole that remains in a circumferential SR-FSW. The objective of this study was to evaluate the deformation response at the tips of cracks located in the heat affected zone of friction plug welds and to study the fracture behavior of welds with defects in the form of fatigue cracks. The study used existing 2014-T6 to 2219-T87 self-reacting friction stir weld panels with 2219-T87 friction plug welds. Electro-discharge machined (EDM) notches were machined into the heat affected zone of the plug at the plug-to-base metal interface. Samples were then cycled to generate a fatigue crack emanating from the notch. After the fatigue crack reached a pre-defined length, a speckle pattern was applied and the ARAMIS system (a three dimensional imaging correlation system) was used to measure the deformations at the crack tip under a sequence of loads. Testing was conducted at ambient laboratory conditions. Fracture data from the testing was analyzed to evaluate residual strength capability of the panel as a function of flaw size. ARAMIS strain data was evaluated to examine strain and deformation patterns that develop around the crack tip and at the plug/weld interfaces. Four samples were used in this study, with three samples in a post-weld heat treated condition. Three samples contained large diameter plugs (M5) and one sample contained a small diameter plug (M3). Two samples were 4 inches in width and two samples were 8.5 inches in width. All samples failed through the precrack with residual strengths ranging from 37 ksi to 42 ksi.

Horton, Karla Renee↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Inefficient Growth of Refractory Grains: Implications for Grains in the Solar Nebula

Introduction: We report the results of a sounding rocket experiment in which SiO nucleation and growth in an argon atmosphere was observed in microgravity starting from a vapor generated by evaporation of waterglass deposited on a heated Ta wire. The temperature and pressure at the point of nucleation was determined using a double wavelength Mach–Zehnder-type interferometer. The particle composition and grain size distribution were measured after payload recovery using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM; JEM-2100F. JEOL Ltd., Tokyo). The results were analyzed using Modified Classical Nucleation Theory (MCNT)[1]. We report a measurement of the SiO-silicate grain sticking coefficient of 0.016, indicating very inefficient grain growth from the vapor. In other words, for every 100 SiO molecules that collide with a growing grain only one to two are captured. In the only two previous studies of the growth of solid particles from the gas phase the calculated sticking coefficients were much lower. For zinc atoms colliding with zinc crystals only three out of 100,000 collisions resulted in grain growth [2]. Iron atoms colliding with growing iron particles similarly showed an efficiency of ~0.00002 [3]. For zinc, we can explain inefficient growth due to the difficulty of the colliding atom coming upon a vacancy in the growing crystal lattice before it evaporates from the grain surface. The much higher sticking coefficient of SiO molecules on silica grains is reasonable because the silica grains are highly amorphous or glassy and therefore provide a much higher defect density where SiO molecules can be captured into the grains. In the case of similar Fe experiment, the critical cluster was the dimer. In this case the forming dimer returns to the vapor phase by dissociation due to the excess energy from the formation of the Fe-Fe bond.

Joseph A Nuth↗
NASA NTRS2005

Long-duration Operation of 2-micron Coherent Doppler Lidar in Space

The reliability and lifetime of laser remote sensing systems that can operate autonomously over a sufficiently long period are mainly constrained by the laser diode arrays (LDAs) used for pumping their laser transmitters. The lifetime of a 2-micron coherent lidar operating in space is particularly of concern in lieu of required pump pulse duration of Thulium and Holmium solid state lasers (approx. 1msec) that are considerably longer than those of more widely used 1-micron lasers (< 0.2 msec). A factor of 5 to 10 times longer pulse duration can easily translate to over an order of magnitude shorter lifetime for a typical commercially available high-power 2-D array. Therefore, it is imperative to address the lifetime and reliability of LDAs for pumping 2-micron lasers by exploring all the potential options that significantly prolong their life meeting the required operational lifetime of space-based coherent Doppler lidars. The leading causes of sudden failure and premature degradation of LDAs are intrinsic semiconductor defects, optical facet breakdown resulting from excessive localized heating, and thermo-mechanical stresses due to the extreme thermal cycling of the laser active regions1-2. Long pulse operation grossly amplifies the impact of these failure/degradation causes, particularly the thermo-mechanical stresses due to pulse-to-pulse thermal cycling. Therefore, several experimental setups have been developed to investigate each of the failure mechanisms and causes of premature degradation in order to evaluate various package designs, define the best operating parameters, and to guide the technology advancement, leading to highly reliable and very long lifetime LDAs5. Several areas of improvement in the packaging and fabrication process of laser diodes have already been identified and efforts towards implementing these improvements are well underway. These efforts include the use of advanced high thermal conductivity materials for packaging of laser diode arrays and new fabrication techniques for mechanically attaching laser diode bars and submounts. But even using the existing LDAs, it may be possible to increase the lifetime by careful selection of the package type, number of bars per package and their pitch, operational temperature, and operating parameters such repetition rate, pulsewidth, and applied current. Obviously, the LDA specification and operational parameters will involve a system level trade analysis to ensure that the lidar instrument meets its performance objectives. One goal of this work is to enable such trade analysis by evaluating LDAs from different suppliers in different package types and quantifying their performance as a function of their operational parameters.

Amzajerdian, Farzin↗
NASA NTRS2013

Buckling Design and Analysis of a Payload Fairing One-Sixth Cylindrical Arc-Segment Panel

Design and analysis results are reported for a panel that is a 16th arc-segment of a full 33-ft diameter cylindrical barrel section of a payload fairing structure. Six such panels could be used to construct the fairing barrel, and, as such, compression buckling testing of a 16th arc-segment panel would serve as a validation test of the buckling analyses used to design the fairing panels. In this report, linear and nonlinear buckling analyses have been performed using finite element software for 16th arc-segment panels composed of aluminum honeycomb core with graphiteepoxy composite facesheets and an alternative fiber reinforced foam (FRF) composite sandwich design. The cross sections of both concepts were sized to represent realistic Space Launch Systems (SLS) Payload Fairing panels. Based on shell-based linear buckling analyses, smaller, more manageable buckling test panel dimensions were determined such that the panel would still be expected to buckle with a circumferential (as opposed to column-like) mode with significant separation between the first and second buckling modes. More detailed nonlinear buckling analyses were then conducted for honeycomb panels of various sizes using both Abaqus and ANSYS finite element codes, and for the smaller size panel, a solid-based finite element analysis was conducted. Finally, for the smaller size FRF panel, nonlinear buckling analysis was performed wherein geometric imperfections measured from an actual manufactured FRF were included. It was found that the measured imperfection did not significantly affect the panel's predicted buckling response

composite structures↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Detached Melt and Vapor Growth of InI in SUBSA hardware

Indium iodide (InI) single crystals, grown by the Bridgman process, have shown a significant promise as room temperature detector material for X-rays and γ-rays due to the large, close to ideal, bandgap of Eg = 2 eV, and high electrical resistivity. Yet the transport properties of the charge and the detector performance remain inadequate. The Bridgman growth of semiconductor crystals in microgravity have typically resulted in partial dewetting and Marangoni convection, which disturbed the diffusion-controlled growth and produced nonuniform dopant distribution. However, unconfined or partially confined solidification drastically reduced the number of stress-induced defects compared to the confined growth in crucibles on Earth.The goal of the present investigation was to explore melt growth of a heavy metal halide in microgravity, focusing on dewetting, in order to improve the crystalline perfection, i.e., to reduce the number of stress-related defects. InI was chosen because it is non-toxic and has a low melting point of only 365 C (~150 C below the melting point of InSb, used in the SUBSA experiments in 2002). Furthermore, InI melts and evaporates congruently, making it suitable for both growth by directional solidification and growth from the vapor phase. In preparation for the flight experiments, ground-based experiments were conducted in the SUBSA ground unit, consisting of 4 melt growth and 2 vapor growth experiments. The crystals were grown by a gradient freeze method by lowering the setpoint of the furnace. The transparent section of the SUBSA furnace did not allow observations of the solid-liquid interface. Contrary to our expectations, the possible occurrence of dewetting during growth could not be observed. We will present i) the ampoule design and preparation, ii) the experiments conducted in the SUBSA ground unit, iii) the images obtained during the microgravity experiments and iv) the results of the characterization of the grown crystals and detector fabrication.

Crystal Growth↗