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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.

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At least 1,747 records · Page 97
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

Microscopy and microstructure of Shuttle thermal protection system materials

Examples of the contribution of microstructural analysis to the development of the Space Shuttle tile insulation system are presented, with photographic examples of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations. After the basic thermal protection system materials had been selected, it was neccessary to analyze the mechanical responses of the combined materials; which included: (1) the polymer strain isolation pad (SIP), (2) the room temperature-vulcanizing silicone rubber bond, (RTV), and (3) rigid ceramic fiber reusable surface insulation (RSI). Microstructural analysis was used to provide information on deformation and fracture mechanisms, load transfer mechanisms, and structural alterations occurring before final failure. Both quantitative and qualitative information was obtained in the open, three-dimensional fibrous structures of the ceramic tiles by means of novel techniques of encapsulation and dissolution.

Newquist, C. W.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Flow through the tile gaps in the Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System

The problem of predicting aerodynamic loads on the insulating tiles of the Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System (TPS) is discussed and seen to require a method for predicting pressure and mass flux in the gaps between tiles. A mathematical model of the tile-gap flow is developed based upon a slow viscous (Stokes) flow analysis and is verified against available experimental data. This model derives the tile-gap pressure field from a solution of the two-dimensional Laplace equation; the mass flux vector is then calculated from the pressure gradient. The means for incorporating this model into a lumped-parameter network analogy for porous-media flow is also given. The flow model shows tile-gap mass flux to be very sensitive to the gap width indicating a need for coupling the TPS flow and tile displacement calculations. Finally recommendations are made concerning additional analytical and experimental work to improve TPS flow predictions.

Dwoyer, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Mechanical properties of the Shuttle Orbiter thermal protection system strain isolator pad

An experimental investigation conducted to determine the static and fatigue properties of the Strain Isolator Pad (SIP) used on the Shuttle Orbiter Thermal protection system is described. Static tension-compression and shear test results show that the SIP is highly nonlinear and that it possesses a large hysteresis, a large low modulus region for low stress levels, and stress-strain properties that are highly sensitive to strain rate and previous load history. In addition, the shear properties are also found to be sensitive to forces applied normal to the plane of the pad and to the orientation of the material. For the undensified tile/SIP system, static and fatigue failure takes place at the SIP/tile interface at low stress levels and for a small number of cycles.

Sawyer, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Assessment of the Shuttle Orbiter Thermal Protection System undensified tiles under mission dynamic loads

A description is provided of the results of a series of base driven random dynamic load tests of the Thermal Protection System (TPS). The results were used to insure the integrity of the undensified TPS prior to the first flight in the wing and mid-fuselage region. The number of specimens and the load ranges investigated were limited. Attention is given to the test specimens, the test procedure, a data analysis, and a discussion of the results. All specimens for both the wing and mid-fuselage regions survived an equivalent of 72 ascent missions and exhibited residual static strength greater than their original proof loads. These results indicate that the undensified tiles had sufficient strength to withstand ascent loads during the first flight.

Cooper, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Preliminary design of the thermal protection system for solar probe

A preliminary design of the thermal protection system for the NASA Solar Probe spacecraft is presented. As presently conceived, the spacecraft will be launched by the Space Shuttle on a Jovian swing-by trajectory and at perihelion approach to three solar radii of the surface of the Earth's sun. The system design satisfies maximum envelope, structural integrity, equipotential, and mass loss/contamination requirements by employing lightweight carbon-carbon emissive shields. The primary shield is a thin shell, 15.5-deg half-angle cone which absorbs direct solar flux at up to 10-deg off-nadir spacecraft pointing angles. Secondary shields of sandwich construction and low thickness-direction thermal conductivity are used to reduce the primary shield infrared radiation to the spacecraft payload.

Dirling, R. B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Assessment of alternate thermal protection systems for the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Technical aspects of the alternate thermal protection system (TPS) study for the Shuttle Orbiter are reviewed, and a status report on alternate TPS technology developments is presented. Mission impact, life cycle costs and risks, and selected candidate concepts are identified. The best system would consist of mechanically attached metallic and carbon-carbon TPS concepts employing a titanium multiwall prepackaged concept at temperatures below 1000 F, a superalloy honeycomb prepackaged concept at temperatures between 1000-1800 F, and an advanced carbon-carbon multipost standoff concept above 1800 F. Alternative concepts offer significant improvements in durability and are mass competitive with current ceramic tile reusable surface insulation.

Kelly, H. N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Electrostatic dust protection for optical elements

The application of electrostatic technology to the protection of optical components in earth-mounted and satellite orbital systems has been investigated. Theory and experiment indicate it is quite practical to prevent dust deposition in an earth environment. A mathematical analysis indicates even better results should be obtained in an orbital vehicle.

Hoenig, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Shell-Tile Thermal-Protection System

Durable shell-tile thermal-protection system consists of interlocking upper and lower hard caps, incorporating appropriate stiffeners and enclosing lightweight fibrous insulation. New shell tile more durable than reusable surface insulation (RSI) currently used on Space Shuttle orbiter.

Macconochie, I. O.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Fuse Protects Parabolic-Dish Solar Collector

Sliding barrel and shutter protect against overheating. Downward movement of shutter initiated by melting of fuse wire that suspends it. Shutter lowered or raised under operator's control by depressuring or pressurizing hydraulic cylinder.

Selcuk, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Oxidation Protection for Thermocouples

Thin platinum film on thermocouple sheath protects non-noble-metal thermocouples from deterioration in oxygen-rich atmosphere. Coating works on nickel-alloy sheathed thermocouples otherwise destroyed by corrosion in pure oxygen at 1,000 degrees C.

Richter, R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Vacuum Sputtered and Ion-Plated Coatings for Wear and Corrosion Protection

The plasma or ion-assisted coating techniques such as sputtering and ion plating are discussed in view of wear and corrosion protection. The basic processes and the unique features of the technique are discussed in regard to the synthesis and development of high reliability wear and corrosion resistant films. The ions of the plasma which transfer energy, momentum, and charge to the substrate and the growing films can be beneficially used. As a result, coating adherence and cohesion is improved. Favorable morphological growth such as high density and porosity-free films can be developed, and residual stresses can be reduced.

Spalvins, T.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A method of predicting flow rates required to achieve anti-icing performance with a porous leading edge ice protection system

A proposed method of analytically predicting the minimum fluid flow rate required to provide anti-ice protection with a porous leading edge system on a wing under a given set of flight conditions is presented. Results of the proposed method are compared with the actual results of an icing test of a real wing section in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel.

Kohlman, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Dynamic and static modeling of the shuttle orbiter's thermal protection system

The dynamic and static analysis methods used to model the nonlinear structural behavior of the Shuttle Orbiter's tile/pad thermal protection system are discussed. The structural evaluation of the tile/pad system is complicated by the nonlinear stiffening, hysteresis and viscosity exhibited by the pad material. Application of the analysis to square tiles subject to sinusoidal and random excitation is presented along with appropriate test data. Correlation is considered good. In order to treat the stress analysis of thousands of individual tiles, a nonlinear static analysis was developed which utilizes equivalent static loads derived from the dynamic environment. Tensile stress at the bondline is examined in thousands of unique tiles.

Housner, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Buffet loads on shuttle thermal-protection-system tiles

This paper presents results of wind-tunnel and acoustic tests to investigate buffet loads on Shuttle Thermal-Protection-System (TPS) tiles, It also describes the application of these results to the prediction of tile buffet loads for the first shuttle flight into orbit (STS-I). The wind-tunnel tests of tiles were conducted at transonic and supersonic Math numbers simulating flow regions on the Orbiter where shock waves and boundary-layer separations occur. The acoustic tests were conducted in a progressive wave tube at an overall sound pressure level (OASPL) approximately equal to the maximum OASPL measured during the wind-tunnel tests in a region of flow separation. The STS-I buffet load predictions yielded peak tile stresses due to buffeting, that were as much as 20 percent of the total stress for the design-load case when a shock wave was on a tile.

Charles F. Coe↗
NASA NTRS1983

Analysis of gap heating due to stepped tiles in the shuttle thermal protection system

Analytical methods used to investigate entry gap heating in the Shuttle orbiter thermal protection system are described. Analytical results are given for a fuselage lower-surface location and a wing lower-surface location. These are locations where excessive gap heating occurred on the first flight of the Shuttle. The results of a study to determine the effectiveness of a half-height ceramic fiber gap filler in preventing hot-gas flow in the tile gaps are also given.

Petley, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Effect of strain isolator pad modulus on inplane strain in Shuttle Orbiter thermal protection system tiles

The thermal protection system used on the Space Shuttle orbiter to determine strains in the reusable surface insulation tiles under simulated flight loads was investigated. The effects of changes in the strain isolator pad (SIP) moduli on the strains in the tile were evaluated. To analyze the SIP/tile system, it was necessary to conduct tests to determine inplane tension and compression modulus and inplane failure strain for the densified layer of the tiles. It is shown that densification of the LI-900 tile material increases the modulus by a factor of 6 to 10 and reduces the failure strain by about 50%. It is indicated that the inplane strain levels in the Shuttle tiles in the highly loaded regions are approximately 2 orders of magnitude lower than the failure strain of the material. It is concluded that most of the LI-900 tiles on the Shuttle could be mounted on a SIP with tensile and shear stiffnesses 10 times those of the present SIP without inplane strain failure in the tile.

Sawyer, J. W.↗