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At least 1,657 records · Page 92

Evaluation of oxidation resistant nonmetallic materials at 1204 C (2200 F) in a Mach 1 burner

Specimens of 23 oxidation resistant, nonmetallic, refractory materials were systematically exposed in a high gas velocity burner to simulate a turbine engine environment. Isothermal and cyclic tests were conducted at a specimen temperature of 2200F which resulted from exposure to Mach 1 or Mach 0.5 hot gas streams. Specimen behavior was judged on the basis of failure mode, appearance, and weight change. SiC and Si3N4 exhibited the most promising behavior surviving all exposures including Mach 1 for 120 cycles (10 hr). Major failure modes identified for other materials were thermal shock, thermal fatigue, and mechanical failure due to gas loading.

Sanders, W. A.↗

Advanced risk assessment of the effects of graphite fibers on electronic and electric equipment

An assessment of the risk associated with accidents involving aircraft with carbon fiber composite structural components is examined. The individual fiber segments cause electrical and electronic equipment to fail under certain operating conditions. A Monte Carlo simulation model was used to computer the risk. Aircraft accidents with fire, release of carbon fiber material, entrainment of carbon fibers in a smoke plume transport of fibers downwind, transfer of some fibers/into the the interior of buildings, failures of electrical and electronic equipment, and economic impact of failures are discussed. Risk profiles were prepared for individual airports and the Nation. The vulnerability of electrical transmission equipment to carbon fiber incursion and aircraft accident total costs is investigated.

Pocinki, L.↗

Use of cryopumps on large space simulation systems

The need for clean, oil free space simulation systems has demanded the development of large, clean pumping systems. The assurance of optically dense liquid nitrogen baffles over diffusion pumps prevents backstreaming to a large extent, but does not preclude contamination from accidents or a control failure. Turbomolecular pumps or ion pumps achieve oil free systems but are only practical for relatively small chambers. Large cryopumps were developed and checked out which do achieve clean pumping of very large chambers. These pumps can be used as the original pumping system or can be retrofitted as a replacement for existing diffusion pumps.

Mccrary, L. E.↗

Comparison of Results Obtained from Flight Tests and Simulated Tests of a Digital Electronic Engine Control System in an F-15 Airplane

Substantial benefits of a full authority digital electronic engine control on an air breathing engine were demonstrated repeatedly in simulation studies, ground engine tests, and engine altitude test facilities. A digital engine electronic control system showed improvements in efficiency, performance, and operation. An additional benefit of full authority digital controls is the capability of detecting and correcting failures and providing engine health diagnostics.

Myers, Lawrence P.↗

Evaluation of a takeoff performance monitoring system

A takeoff performance monitoring system (TOPMS) has been developed to provide the pilot with graphic/numeric information pertinent to his decision to continue or abort a takeoff. The TOPMS instrument display consists primarily of a runway graphic overlaid with symbolic status, predictive, and advisory information including: (1) current position and airspeed, (2) predicted locations for reaching decision speed and rotation speed, (3) groundroll limit for reaching the rotation speed, (4) predicted stop point for an aborted takeoff from current conditions, (5) engine-failure flags, and (6) an overall situation advisory flag which recommends continuation or rejection of the takeoff. In this study, over 30 experienced multiengine pilots evaluated the TOPMS display on the Langley B-737 real-time research simulator. The display was judged to be easy to monitor and comprehend.

Middleton, David B.↗

Analysis of LDEF experiment AO187-2: Chemically and isotopic measurements of micrometeoroids by secondary ion mass spectrometry

Numerous 'extended impacts' found in both leading and trailing edge capture cells have been successfully analyzed for the chemical composition of projectile residues by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Most data have been obtained from the trailing edge cells where 45 of 58 impacts have been classified as 'probably natural' and the remainder as 'possibly man-made debris.' This is in striking contrast to leading edge cells where 9 of 11 impacts so far measured are definitely classified as orbital debris. Although all the leading edge cells had lost their plastic entrance foils during flight, the rate of foil failure was similar to that of the trailing edge cells, 10 percent of which were recovered intact. Ultra-violet embrittlement is suspected as the major cause of failure on both leading and trailing edges. The major impediment to the accurate determination of projectile chemistry is the fractionation of volatile and refractory elements in the hypervelocity impact and redeposition processes. This effect had been noticed in simulation experiment but is more pronounced in the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) capture cells, probably due to the higher average velocities of the space impacts. Surface contamination of the pure Ge surfaces with a substance rich in Si but also containing Mg and Al provides an additional problem for the accurate determination of impactor chemistry. The effect is variable, being much larger on surfaces that were exposed to space than in those cells that remained intact. Future work will concentrate on the analyses of more leading edge impacts and the development of new SIMS techniques for the measurement of elemental abundances in extended impacts.

Source record↗

A Comparison of Single-Cycle Versus Multiple-Cycle Proof Testing Strategies

Single-cycle and multiple-cycle proof testing (SCPT and MCPT) strategies for reusable aerospace propulsion system components are critically evaluated and compared from a rigorous elastic-plastic fracture mechanics perspective. Earlier MCPT studies are briefly reviewed. New J-integral estimation methods for semi-elliptical surface cracks and cracks at notches are derived and validated. Engineering methods are developed to characterize crack growth rates during elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth (FCG) and the tear-fatigue interaction near instability. Surface crack growth experiments are conducted with Inconel 718 to characterize tearing resistance, FCG under small-scale yielding and elastic-plastic conditions, and crack growth during simulated MCPT. Fractography and acoustic emission studies provide additional insight. The relative merits of SCPT and MCPT are directly compared using a probabilistic analysis linked with an elastic-plastic crack growth computer code. The conditional probability of failure in service is computed for a population of components that have survived a previous proof test, based on an assumed distribution of initial crack depths. Parameter studies investigate the influence of proof factor, tearing resistance, crack shape, initial crack depth distribution, and notches on the MCPT vs. SCPT comparison. The parameter studies provide a rational basis to formulate conclusions about the relative advantages and disadvantages of SCPT and MCPT. Practical engineering guidelines are proposed to help select the optimum proof test protocol in a given application.

McClung, R. C.↗

A Comparison of Single-Cycle Versus Multiple-Cycle Proof Testing Strategies

Single-cycle and multiple-cycle proof testing (SCPT and MCPT) strategies for reusable aerospace propulsion system components are critically evaluated and compared from a rigorous elastic-plastic fracture mechanics perspective. Earlier MCPT studies are briefly reviewed. New J-integral estimation methods for semi-elliptical surface cracks and cracks at notches are derived and validated. Engineering methods are developed to characterize crack growth rates during elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth (FCG) and the tear-fatigue interaction near instability. Surface crack growth experiments are conducted with Inconel 718 to characterize tearing resistance, FCG under small-scale yielding and elastic-plastic conditions, and crack growth during simulated MCPT. Fractography and acoustic emission studies provide additional insight. The relative merits of SCPT and MCPT are directly compared using a probabilistic analysis linked with an elastic-plastic crack growth computer code. The conditional probability of failure in service is computed for a population of components that have survived a previous proof test, based on an assumed distribution of initial crack depths. Parameter studies investigate the influence of proof factor, tearing resistance, crack shape, initial crack depth distribution, and notches on the MCPT vs. SCPT comparison. The parameter studies provide a rational basis to formulate conclusions about the relative advantages and disadvantages of SCPT and MCPT. Practical engineering guidelines are proposed to help select the optimum proof test protocol in a given application.

McClung, R. C.↗

A Comparison of Single-Cycle Versus Multiple-Cycle Proof Testing Strategies

Single-cycle and multiple-cycle proof testing (SCPT and MCPT) strategies for reusable aerospace propulsion system components are critically evaluated and compared from a rigorous elastic-plastic fracture mechanics perspective. Earlier MCPT studies are briefly reviewed. New J-integral estimation methods for semielliptical surface cracks and cracks at notches are derived and validated. Engineering methods are developed to characterize crack growth rates during elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth (FCG) and the tear-fatigue interaction near instability. Surface crack growth experiments are conducted with Inconel 718 to characterize tearing resistance, FCG under small-scale yielding and elastic-plastic conditions, and crack growth during simulated MCPT. Fractography and acoustic emission studies provide additional insight. The relative merits of SCPT and MCPT are directly compared using a probabilistic analysis linked with an elastic-plastic crack growth computer code. The conditional probability of failure in service is computed for a population of components that have survived a previous proof test, based on an assumed distribution of initial crack depths. Parameter studies investigate the influence of proof factor, tearing resistance, crack shape, initial crack depth distribution, and notches on the MCPT versus SCPT comparison. The parameter studies provide a rational basis to formulate conclusions about the relative advantages and disadvantages of SCPT and MCPT. Practical engineering guidelines are proposed to help select the optimum proof test protocol in a given application.

McClung, R. C.↗

Terahertz NDE of Stressed Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels - Initial Testing

Terahertz radiation nondestructive evaluation was applied to a set of Kevlar composite overwrapped pressure vessel bottles that had undergone a series of thermal and pressure tests to simulate stress rupture effects. The bottles in these nondestructive evaluation tests were bottles that had not ruptured but had survived various times at the elevated load and temperature levels. Some of the bottles showed evidence of minor composite failures. The terahertz radiation did detect visible surface flaws, but did not detect any internal chemical or material degradation of the thin overwraps.

Madaras, Eric I.↗

Robust Fault Detection and Isolation for Stochastic Systems

This paper outlines the formulation of a robust fault detection and isolation scheme that can precisely detect and isolate simultaneous actuator and sensor faults for uncertain linear stochastic systems. The given robust fault detection scheme based on the discontinuous robust observer approach would be able to distinguish between model uncertainties and actuator failures and therefore eliminate the problem of false alarms. Since the proposed approach involves precise reconstruction of sensor faults, it can also be used for sensor fault identification and the reconstruction of true outputs from faulty sensor outputs. Simulation results presented here validate the effectiveness of the robust fault detection and isolation system.

George, Jemin↗

The Effects of Hygrothermal Aging on the Impact Penetration Resistance of Triaxially Braided Composites

An experimental study was conducted to measure the effects of long term hygrothermal aging on the impact penetration resistance of triaxially braided polymer composites. Flat panels of three different materials were subjected to repeated cycles of high and low temperature and high and low humidity for two years. Samples of the panels were periodically tested under impact loading during the two year time period. The purpose of the study was to identify and quantify any degradation in impact penetration resistance of these composites under cyclic temperature and humidity conditions experienced by materials in the fan section of commercial gas turbine engines for a representative aircraft flight cycle. The materials tested consisted of Toray ® T700S carbon fibers in a 2D triaxial braid with three different resins, Cycom® PR520, a toughened resin, Hercules® 3502, an untoughened resin and EPON 862, intermediate between the two. The fiber preforms consisted of a quasi-isotropic 0/+60/-60 braid with 24K tows in the axial direction and 12K tows in the bias directions. The composite panels were manufactured using a resin transfer molding process producing panels with a thickness of 0.125 inches. The materials were tested in their as-processed condition and again after one year and two years of aging (1.6 years in the case of E862). The aging process involved subjecting the test panels to two cycles per day of high and low temperature and high and low humidity. A temperature range of -60degF to 250degF and a humidity range of 0 to 85% rh was used to simulate extreme conditions for composite components in the fan section of a commercial gas turbine engine. Additional testing was conducted on the as-processed PR520 composite under cryogenic conditions. After aging there was some change in the failure pattern, but there was no reduction in impact penetration threshold for any of the three systems, and in the case of the 3502 system, a significant increase in penetration threshold. There was also an increase in the penetration resistance of the PR520 system impacted under cryogenic conditions.

composite↗

Robust Platinum Resistor Thermometer (PRT) Sensors and Reliable Bonding for Space Missions

Platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs) provide accurate temperature measurements over a wide temperature range and are used extensively on space missions due to their simplicity and linearity. A standard on spacecraft, PRTs are used to provide precision temperature control and vehicle health assessment. This paper reviews the extensive reliability testing of platinum resistor thermometer sensors (PRTs) and bonding methods used on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission and for the upcoming Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. During the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission, several key, JPL-packaged PRTs failed on those rovers prior to and within 1-Sol of landing due to thermally induced stresses. Similar failures can be traced back to other JPL missions dating back thirty years. As a result, MSL sought out a PRT more forgiving to the packaging configurations used at JPL, and extensively tested the Honeywell HRTS-5760-B-U-0-12 sensor to successfully demonstrate suitable robustness to thermal cycling. Specifically, this PRT was cycled 2,000 times, simulating three Martian winters and summers. The PRTs were bonded to six substrate materials (Aluminum 7050, treated Magnesium AZ231-B, Stainless Steel 304, Albemet, Titanium 6AL4V, and G-10), using four different aerospace adhesives--two epoxies and two silicones--that conformed to MSL's low out-gassing requirements. An additional epoxy was tested in a shorter environmental cycling test, when the need for a different temperature range adhesive was necessary for mobility and actuator hardware late in the fabrication process. All of this testing, along with electrostatic discharge (ESD) and destructive part analyses, demonstrate that this PRT is highly robust, and not subject to the failure of PRTs on previous missions. While there were two PRTs that failed during fabrication, to date there have been no in-flight PRT failures on MSL, including those on the Curiosity rover. Since MSL, the sensor has gone through a change in construction such that the manufacturer significantly restricts the minimum temperature. However, significant subsequent testing was performed with this new version of the part to show that it indeed is still robust to at least Mars minimum temperatures of -135(sup o)C. The additional completed testing will be described. This work has resulted in a successful sensor package qualification and a reliable bonding method suitable for use over large temperature extremes.

dectector↗

Robust Platinum Resistor Thermometer (PRT) Sensors and Reliable Bonding for Space Missions

Platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs) provide accurate temperature measurements over a wide temperature range and are used extensively on space missions due to their simplicity and linearity. A standard on spacecraft, PRTs are used to provide precision temperature control and vehicle health assessment. This paper reviews the extensive reliability testing of platinum resistor thermometer sensors (PRTs) and bonding methods used on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission and for the upcoming Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission. During the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission, several key, JPL-packaged PRTs failed on those rovers prior to and within 1-Sol of landing due to thermally induced stresses. Similar failures can be traced back to other JPL missions dating back thirty years. As a result, MSL sought out a PRT more forgiving to the packaging configurations used at JPL, and extensively tested the Honeywell HRTS-5760-B-U-0-12 sensor to successfully demonstrate suitable robustness to thermal cycling. Specifically, this PRT was cycled 2,000 times, simulating three Martian winters and summers. The PRTs were bonded to six substrate materials (Aluminum 7050, treated Magnesium AZ231-B, Stainless Steel 304, Albemet, Titanium 6AL4V, and G-10), using four different aerospace adhesives--two epoxies and two silicones--that conformed to MSL's low out-gassing requirements. An additional epoxy was tested in a shorter environmental cycling test, when the need for a different temperature range adhesive was necessary for mobility and actuator hardware late in the fabrication process. All of this testing, along with electrostatic discharge (ESD) and destructive part analyses, demonstrate that this PRT is highly robust, and not subject to the failure of PRTs on previous missions. While there were two PRTs that failed during fabrication, to date there have been no in-flight PRT failures on MSL, including those on the Curiosity rover. Since MSL, the sensor has gone through a change in construction such that the manufacturer significantly restricts the minimum temperature. However, significant subsequent testing was performed with this new version of the part to show that it indeed is still robust to at least Mars minimum temperatures of -135 degrees Centigrade. The additional completed testing will be described. This work has resulted in a successful sensor package qualification and a reliable bonding method suitable for use over large temperature extremes

Platinum Resistor Thermometer (PRT)↗

Modeling gas, hydrates, and slope stability on the U.S. Atlantic margin during Pleistocene glacial cycles

Changes in temperature and sea level can cause dissociation of methane hydrates in shallow marine sediments, leading to seafloor destabilization. Along the U.S. Atlantic margin, there exists a well-documented history of slope failure and numerous recorded occurrences of gas seeps. Several studies have linked slope failure in the region to gas seepage and hydrate dissociation driven by glacial-interglacial transitions, but this linkage has not been quantitatively demonstrated. Along the shelf edge, in an area where shallow methane gas seeps have been identified, we modeled methane gas and hydrate formation using a one-dimensional fluid flow model. Methane gas formation was modeled over the last 120,000 years to simulate a glacial-interglacial cycle. Here, we ran this model at 16,044 individual locations in the region between 29° N – 45° N and 82° W – 66° W at a resolution of 1 x 1 arcminutes, focusing specifically on water depths between 200 and 1000 m that bracket the seafloor outcrop of the base of the hydrate stability zone. Using historic temperature and pressure records from the last 120,000 years, sediment properties in the area, and factor of safety calculations, we found that hydrate dissociation alone is unlikely to cause sediment failure in the region, implying that an additional driving force would be necessary for failure to occur.

Hydrate dissociation↗

Progressive Damage Failure Analysis of Post-Buckled Composite Single-Stringer Panel with Teflon Inserts

The high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratio materials, such as laminated composites, are advantageous for modern aircraft. Laminated composites with initial flaws are susceptible to delamination under buckling loads. PDA tools help enhance the industry’s understanding of the mechanisms for damage initiation and growth in composite structures while assisting in the design, analysis, and sustainment methods of these composite structures. The global-local modeling approach for the single-stringer post-buckled panel was evaluated through this effort, using Teflon inserts to simulate the defect of damage during manufacturing. This understanding is essential for designing the post-buckled structure, reducing weight while predicting damage initiation location, and addressing a potential design review for future aircraft repairs. In this work, the initial damage was captured with Teflon inserts as the starting configuration; and any reference to the damage initiation refers to any damage beyond the “initial unbonded region.” The effort aims to develop, evaluate, and enhance methods to predict damage initiation and progression and the failure of post-buckled hat-stiffened panels using multiple Abaqus FEA Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) definitions. Validation of the PDA using the VCCT material model was performed on a large single-stringer panel subjected to compressive loading. The compressive loading of the panel caused the skin to buckle before any damage began to occur locally. In addition, comparisons are made for critical aspects of the damage morphology, such as a growth pattern that included delamination from the skin-stiffener interface to the skin and ply interfaces. When compared against the experimental data produced through the NASA Advanced Composites Project (ACP), the present model captured damage migration from one surface to another, and model validations were within 4% of the experimental data.

PDA↗

Laser ablation spectrometry for studies of uranium plasmas, reactor monitoring, and spent fuel safety

Nuclear security is one of the defining challenges of our time. Nuclear threats range from deliberate dispersal of radioactive material to contaminate the vital infrastructure to diversion and smuggling of special nuclear material for clandestine nuclear programs and nuclear terrorism, respectively. There is an associated need to develop and sustain the nuclear forensics capabilities, which requires the understanding of complex processes that occur in plasmas of nuclear materials. The area of nuclear safety has seen a resurgence of public interest, and there is a concomitant need to safely store used nuclear fuel and detect structural material failure in nuclear power systems, especially in innovative reactor designs envisioned for future adoption. Laser-produced plasmas are complicated extreme environments that can generate intense and rich, highly specific signatures of nuclear and radiological materials, which can then be explored in a wide range of applications. They include interdiction and rapid detection of nuclear materials, including their isotopic composition, detection over long distances, laboratory simulation of weapons effects, monitoring the condition of structural materials in dry cask storage containers, and novel instrumentation for nuclear power systems. We present a compilation of recent representative examples of the application of laser spectroscopy, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in particular, to nuclear safety and security problems. A case is made that spectroscopic techniques based on laser-produced plasmas offer complementary, and sometimes unique, capabilities that motivate the continued exploration of their efficient production and understanding of the signatures they produce

(020.3260) Isotope shifts, (140.3440) Laser-induce↗

Automatically adaptive stabilized finite elements and continuation analysis for compaction banding in geomaterials

Under compressive creep, viscoplastic solids experiencing internal mass transfer processes can accommodate singular cnoidal wave solutions as material instabilities at the stationary wave limit. These instabilities appear when the loading rate is significantly faster than the material's capacity to diffusive internal perturbations, leading to localized failure features (e.g., cracks and compaction bands). These cnoidal waves, generally found in fluids, have strong nonlinearities that produce periodic patterns. Due to the singular nature of the solutions, the applicability of the theory is currently limited. Additionally, practical simulation tools require proper regularization to overcome the challenges that singularity induces. We focus on the numerical treatment of the governing equation using a nonlinear approach building on a recent adaptive stabilized finite element method. This automatic refinement method provides an error estimate that drives mesh adaptivity, a crucial feature for the problem at hand. We compare the performance of this adaptive strategy against analytical and standard finite element solutions. We then investigate the sensitivity of the diffusivity ratio, the parameter controlling the process, and identify multiple possible solutions with several stress peaks. We also show the evolution of the spacing between peaks for all solutions as a function of that parameter.

42 ENGINEERING↗