Potential Composite Structures for NASA Future Launch Vehicles and Crew Spacecraft

2011 ◽  
Vol 410 ◽  
pp. 17-17
Author(s):  
John P. Gyekenyesi
Keyword(s):  
Composite Structures ◽  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ceramic Fiber ◽  
Metallic Materials ◽  
Launch Vehicles ◽  
Specific Strength ◽  
Energy Applications ◽  
Carbon Ceramic ◽  
Engineering Practices

Because of their well known specific strength, stiffness and excellent durability properties, advanced composites are being considered for primary structures in launch vehicles, crew modules and various components for increased performance and cost reduction. Therefore, it is prudent and beneficial to review the engineering practices and lessons learned in connection with their use in related aeronautic and energy applications, where they are already replacing formerly used metallic materials. Examples of composite components will be shown for the reusable space shuttle orbiter where a number of different composite systems performed very satisfactorily. In addition, very large potential polymer composite designs for future launch vehicles will be discussed. Among them are payload shrouds, interstage structures and the typical intertank shell, wherein thrust booster rockets are often attached between the core stage propellant and oxidizer tanks. In addition, cryogenic propellant composite vessels of different sizes and shapes were fabricated with mostly excellent results, although some spectacular failures were also observed. High pressure composite overwrapped vessels, with and without metallic liners, will be described. Compared to widely used metallic materials, some special features of composites are listed. Relevant design allowables, depending on mission requirements, will be summarized and currently used design practice for aircraft and spacecraft in the US will be reviewed. The well-known “building - block” approach, which is often used to design military as well as civilian aircraft, will be summarized. Some of the most popular micromechanics and macromechanics computer programs used to analyze composite structures, especially with finite elements, will be listed. Although very high temperature composites like carbon/carbon, carbon/ceramic and ceramic/ceramic fiber/matrix systems are also selectively used, the focus in our discussion will be on advanced polymer matrix, carbon/glass fiber systems.

Engineering Practices for Tokamak Window Assemblies

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Waldon ◽  
R. Morrell ◽  
D. Buckthorpe ◽  
M. Davies ◽  
P. Sherlock
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Reactor Power ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Metallic Materials ◽  
Plasma Diagnostic ◽  
Analysis Experiment ◽  
Technical Ceramics ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Engineering Practices

For fusion tokamak reactors the diagnostics and RF heating systems require the use of components with parts made of non-metallic materials. These can form part of the vacuum boundary of the tokamak which is the primary safety boundary and have a function of containing tritium fuel or activated gases and particulate debris. The engineering practices for such components and non-metallic materials are in an early state of preparation and require development to enable systems to be used in a safety and licensing context. Such developments will have to reflect the brittle nature of the materials, and are likely to be based on established arguments developed within the nuclear industry, such as containment and defence in depth. Given these requirements this task is a major challenge. The window systems fall broadly into two categories: • Transmission windows for the input of high-power microwaves to drive and heat the plasma; • Diagnostic windows to monitor the plasma. Currently there are no established fusion design codes that can be used to assure nuclear safety and a consistent engineering approach for either application. This paper reviews the progress made in developing such practices for transmission and diagnostic windows made from ceramic materials. The investigations undertaken and the engineering practices addressed for the tokamak windows generally fall into the following areas: • reviews of potential candidate materials along with a summary of the available property data; • definition of the function of torus window assemblies and an outline of the complexity and variety of design considerations (including historical failures, and statutory requirements); • development of the design methodology for technical ceramics; • definition of the design routes considered and selected (rule, analysis, experiment); • consideration of the material data available (or lack of) for technical ceramics and their failure criteria; • qualification and design of metallic / ceramic joints; • definition of the requirements with regard to quality control, from manufacture to in-service inspection; • development and formation of a draft code procedure. The practices and procedures developed are considered to be an important contribution and significant step forward in the development of a fusion tokamak windows code. Important contributions have been made to the design, procurement and installation philosophies for windows, especially the development of design criteria and the application of pressure proof-testing. This paper provides a review of key requirements and issues, with recommendations to allow development of the code for acceptance by nuclear regulators for tokamaks such as the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) and future fusion reactor power plants.

Study on the Stress Concentration in GFRP Composite Plates with Multiple Cut-Outs Subjected to Shear Loading

2018 ◽  
Vol 877 ◽  
pp. 446-452
Author(s):  
R.S. Aleena ◽  
R.S. Priyadarsini
Keyword(s):  
Stress Concentration ◽  
Composite Structures ◽  
Composite Plates ◽  
Shear Loading ◽  
Space Vehicles ◽  
Plane Shear ◽  
Civil Infrastructures ◽  
Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Glass Fibre Reinforced ◽  
Engineering Practices

The composite materials are widely used nowadays as major parts of structures in many industries like aerospace, marine, automobile, space vehicles and also for the repair and replacement of civil infrastructures. Stresses are vital parameters considered in the design of structures. Any irregularities in shape, materials, or the presence of cut-outs create localized stress concentration and reduce the capacity of the material to take loads. The anisotropic behaviour of composite structures also makes the analysis more complex. Shear loading often exists in the engineering practices such as in aerospace due to heavy aerodynamic loads. So in the present study the effects of different parameters like layup sequences, number of plies, proximity of cut-outs, shapes and arrangements of cut-outs under in-plane shear loading on the glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) plate with multiple cut-outs are studied using ABAQUS. The results from the study show that all the parameters considered for the study affects the stress concentration considerably. The observations are analysed then and the final conclusions are presented.

Launch Vehicles of the Future: Earth to Near-Earth Space

1990 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 347-354
Author(s):  
G. A. Keyworth
Keyword(s):  
Space Shuttle ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Launch Vehicles ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
Earth Space ◽  
Near Earth Space ◽  
Space Launch ◽  
The Future ◽  
The U.S

None of us thought, when this colloquium was scheduled, that the timing would enable it to become a celebration as well. The launch, after years of postponements, of the Hubble Space Telescope, has cast a galactic glow over the proceedings here this week. But at the same time, the frustrating delays caused by the collapse in 1986 and very slow regeneration of the U.S. space launch capabilities since then make this discussion of near-earth access very pointed.As we know, the sheer momentum of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program has dominated our perceptions of space launch for a decade and a half. It reached its peak in the early 1980s when our national policy placed nearly total reliance on the Shuttle as our means of access to space. It was a policy doomed to fail, for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons.

scholarly journals The experiment of four-point bending behaviours of helicoidally laminated CFRPs

2019 ◽  
Vol 258 ◽  
pp. 04012
Author(s):  
Ikuma Ishizawa ◽  
Takashi Matsumoto ◽  
Kenta Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Orientation Angle ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Metallic Materials ◽  
Characteristic Structure ◽  
Corrosion Resistant ◽  
Mantis Shrimp ◽  
Specific Strength ◽  
Four Point Bending ◽  
Angle Difference ◽  
Laminated Structures

The purpose of this study is to mitigate the brittle behaviour of CFRP. CFRP is a composite material of carbon fibre and a thermosetting resin. As a feature, it has a low density than metallic materials such as steel and aluminium, and it is excellent in specific strength, specific stiffness, and is corrosion resistant. In the civil engineering field, CFRP is expected to be utilized for durability improvement and long life achievement. However, it is necessary to be careful when using it as a primary member, because the behaviour at the time of fracture is very brittle, thereby it is necessary to set a large safety factor at the time of design. One way to achieve the purpose of the current study is to follow a biological structure, so-called biomimetics. In this study, mantis shrimp is selected. The characteristic structure of its forefoot is that chitin fibres are stacked while changing helicoidally their angles. It is said that the forefoot can withstand a thousand times the force of its own weight because of its structure. Helicoidally laminated CFRP is fabricated by processing prepreg sheets of unidirectional carbon fibres. Four laminated structures were examined in which four-point bending experiments were carried out under displacement control of 2 mm/min, and load and displacement were recorded. During the experiments, the specimens were observed until fracture with a video camera. As a result, the brittle behaviour was improved significantly as the orientation angle difference of the fibre sheets decreased.

On the Flow and Creep Strength of Power Law Materials Containing Rigid Reinforcements

1990 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Y. He
Keyword(s):  
Power Law ◽  
Creep Strength ◽  
Ceramic Materials ◽  
Al Alloys ◽  
Metallic Materials ◽  
Flow Properties ◽  
Flow Strength ◽  
Specific Strength ◽  
High Specific Strength ◽  
Properties Of Materials

AbstractInvestigation of the flow properties of materials containing rigid reinforcements has been prompted by various technological challenges concerned with high specific strength composites. The materials of interest range from metallic materials such as Al alloys, to ceramic materials such as Si3N4 and also include the intermetallics: TiAl and MoSi2. The reinforcements are typically A12O3 and SiC. The strengths of interest may be the flow strength at ambient temperature or the creep strength. The present analysis constitutes an attempt to provide estimates of either the flow or creep strength for matrices that exhibit power law deformation.

Modelling the Effect of Microstructural Randomness on the Fracture of Composite Laminates with Stochastic Cohesive Zone Elements

2009 ◽  
Vol 417-418 ◽  
pp. 13-16
Author(s):  
Zahid R. Khokhar ◽  
Ian A. Ashcroft ◽  
Vadim V. Silberschmidt
Keyword(s):  
Cohesive Zone ◽  
Composite Laminates ◽  
Composite Structures ◽  
Laminated Composite ◽  
Specific Strength ◽  
Laminated Composite Structures ◽  
Structural Applications ◽  
Fibre Reinforced Polymer ◽  
Strength And Stiffness ◽  
Cohesive Zone Elements

Fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) are being increasingly used in structural applications where high specific strength and stiffness are required. The performance of FRPCs is affected by multi-mechanism damage evolution under loading which in turn is affected by microstructural stochasticity in the material. This means that the fracture of a FRPC is a stochastic process. However, to date most analyses of these materials have treated them in a deterministic way. In this paper the effect of stochasticity in FRPCs is investigated through the application of cohesive zone elements in which random properties are introduced. These may be termed ‘stochastic cohesive zone elements’ and are used in this paper to investigate the effect of microstructural randomness on the fracture behaviour of cross-ply laminate specimens loaded in tension. It is seen from this investigation that microstructure can significantly affect the macroscopic response of FRPC’s, emphasizing the need to account for microstructural randomness in order to make accurate prediction of the performance of laminated composite structures.

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