Cryogenic Insulation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Randall C. (Inventor); Taylor, Allan H. (Inventor); Jackson, L. Robert (Inventor); Mcauliffe, Patrick S. (Inventor)

1988-01-01

This invention relates to reusable, low density, high temperature cryogenic foam insulation systems and the process for their manufacture. A pacing technology for liquid hydrogen fueled, high speed aircraft is the development of a fully reusable, flight weight cryogenic insulation system for propellant tank structures. In the invention cryogenic foam insulation is adhesively bonded to the outer wall of the fuel tank structure. The cryogenic insulation consists of square sheets fabricated from an array of abutting square blocks. Each block consists of a sheet of glass cloth adhesively bonded between two layers of polymethacrylimide foam. Each block is wrapped in a vapor impermeable membrane, such as Kapton(R) aluminum Kapton(R), to provide a vapor barrier. Very beneficial results can be obtained by employing the present invention in conjunction with fibrous insulation and an outer aeroshell, a hot fuselage structure with an internal thermal protection system.

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Nondestructive Evaluation of the Space Shuttle External Tank Insulating Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shrestha, S.; Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, F

2005-01-01

The Space Shuttle Columbia s catastrophic failure has been attributed to a piece of external fuel tank insulating SOFI (Spray On Foam Insulation) foam striking the leading edge of the left wing of the orbiter causing significant damage to some of the protecting heat tiles. The accident emphasizes the growing need to develop effective, robust and life-cycle oriented methods of nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) of complex conductor-backed insulating foam and protective acreage heat tiles used in the space shuttle fleet and in future multi-launch space vehicles. The insulating SOFI foam is constructed from closed-cell foam. In the microwave regime this foam is in the family of low permittivity and low loss dielectric materials. Near-field microwave and millimeter wave NDT methods were one of the techniques chosen for this purpose. To this end several flat and thick SOFI foam panels, two structurally complex panels similar to the external fuel tank and a "blind" panel were used in this investigation. Several anomalies such as voids and disbonds were embedded in these panels at various locations. The location and properties of the embedded anomalies in the "blind" panel were not disclosed to the investigating team prior to the investigation. Three frequency bands were used in this investigation covering a frequency range of 8-75 GHz. Moreover, the influence of signal polarization was also investigated. Overall the results of this investigation were very promising for detecting the presence of anomalies in different panels covered with relatively thick insulating SOFI foam. Different types of anomalies were detected in foam up to 9 in thick. Many of the anomalies in the more complex panels were also detected. When investigating the blind panel no false positives were detected. Anomalies in between and underneath bolt heads were not easily detected. This paper presents the results of this investigation along with a discussion of the capabilities of the method used.

Heat insulating device for low temperature liquefied gas storage tank

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okamoto, T.; Nishimoto, T.; Sawada, K.

1978-05-02

Hitachi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd.'s insulation method for spherical LNG containers solves various problems associated with insulating a sphere's three-dimensional curved surface; equalizing the thickness of the insulation, insulating the junctions between insulation blocks, and preventing seawater or LNG from penetrating the insulation barrier in the event of a rupture in the tank and ship's hull. The design incorporates a number of blocks or plates of rigid foam-insulating material bonded to the outer wall; seats for receiving pressing jigs for the bonding operation are secured to the outer wall in the joints between the insulating blocks. The joints aremore » filled with soft synthetic foam (embedding the seats), a moistureproof layer covers the insulating blocks and joints, and a waterproof material covers the moistureproof layer.« less

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-11

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

Final Report: Research Study on Development of Environmental Friendly Spray-on Foam Insulation (SOFI) for the External Tank (ET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuckey, James M.

1996-01-01

The selection and quantification of four foams using a more environmentally friendly HCFC-141b blowing agent replacing foams that used the CFC-11 blowing agent for the external tank (ET) LWT has been addressed along with problems and solutions that were encountered during verification. The effort on two lower density spray foams for the ET SLWT are presented, but predicted weight savings were not encouraging. Suggestions for possible problem solving are included along with a new approach for selecting foams for qualification as back-up foams for the foams used on the ET LWT. We investigated three resins for use as thermally sprayed coatings for corrosion prevention on metal. The best coating was obtained with a thermoplastic polyimide resin. This coating has a good chance of meeting ET requirements. Possible third generation blowing agents have been shown usable in polyurethane spray and pour foams, and solubility in isocyannate foam components are acceptable. We considered aerogels as insulation materials on space vehicles, and suggested a liner for a liquid oxygen (LOX) composite tank.

Rigid open-cell polyurethane foam for cryogenic insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faddoul, J. R.; Lindquist, C. R.; Niendorf, L. R.; Nies, G. E.; Perkins, P. J., Jr.

1971-01-01

Lightweight polyurethane foam assembled in panels is effective spacer material for construction of self-evacuating multilayer insulation panels for cryogenic liquid tanks. Spacer material separates radiation shields with barrier that minimizes conductive and convective heat transfer between shields.

Infrared Thermography As Quality Control For Foamed In-Place Insulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Joel A.

1989-03-01

Since November of 1985, FOAM-TECH, INC. has been utilizing an I.S.I. Model 91 Videotherm Camera to quality control the installation of foamed in-place polyurethane and polyisocyanurate insulation. Monitoring the injection of foam into the walls and roofs of new construction and during the the retrofitting of older buildings has become an integral and routine step in daily operations. The Videotherm is also used to monitor the injection of foam into hot water tanks, trailer bodies for refrigeration trucks, and pontoons and buoys for flotation. The camera is also used for the detection of heat loss and air infiltration for conventionally insulated buildings. Appendix A are thermograms of foamed in-place insulation.

Polymer-Reinforced, Non-Brittle, Lightweight Cryogenic Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, David M.

2013-01-01

The primary application for cryogenic insulating foams will be fuel tank applications for fueling systems. It is crucial for this insulation to be incorporated into systems that survive vacuum and terrestrial environments. It is hypothesized that by forming an open-cell silica-reinforced polymer structure, the foam structures will exhibit the necessary strength to maintain shape. This will, in turn, maintain the insulating capabilities of the foam insulation. Besides mechanical stability in the form of crush resistance, it is important for these insulating materials to exhibit water penetration resistance. Hydrocarbon-terminated foam surfaces were implemented to impart hydrophobic functionality that apparently limits moisture penetration through the foam. During the freezing process, water accumulates on the surfaces of the foams. However, when hydrocarbon-terminated surfaces are present, water apparently beads and forms crystals, leading to less apparent accumulation. The object of this work is to develop inexpensive structural cryogenic insulation foam that has increased impact resistance for launch and ground-based cryogenic systems. Two parallel approaches will be pursued: a silica-polymer co-foaming technique and a post foam coating technique. Insulation characteristics, flexibility, and water uptake can be fine-tuned through the manipulation of the polyurethane foam scaffold. Silicate coatings for polyurethane foams and aerogel-impregnated polyurethane foams have been developed and tested. A highly porous aerogel-like material may be fabricated using a co-foam and coated foam techniques, and can insulate at liquid temperatures using the composite foam

Investigation of potential waste material insulating properties at different temperature for thermal storage application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, T. Z. S.; Rosli, A. B.; Gan, L. M.; Billy, A. S.; Farid, Z.

2013-12-01

Thermal energy storage system (TES) is developed to extend the operation of power generation. TES system is a key component in a solar energy power generation plant, but the main issue in designing the TES system is its thermal capacity of storage materials, e.g. insulator. This study is focusing on the potential waste material acts as an insulator for thermal energy storage applications. As the insulator is used to absorb heat, it is needed to find suitable material for energy conversion and at the same time reduce the waste generation. Thus, a small-scale experimental testing of natural cooling process of an insulated tank within a confined room is conducted. The experiment is repeated by changing the insulator from the potential waste material and also by changing the heat transfer fluid (HTF). The analysis presented the relationship between heat loss and the reserved period by the insulator. The results show the percentage of period of the insulated tank withstands compared to tank insulated by foam, e.g. newspaper reserved the period of 84.6% as much as foam insulated tank to withstand the heat transfer of cooking oil to the surrounding. The paper finally justifies the most potential waste material as an insulator for different temperature range of heat transfer fluid.

Thermal conductivity of rigid foam insulations for aerospace vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrios, M.; Van Sciver, S. W.

2013-05-01

The present work describes measurements of the effective thermal conductivity of NCFI 24-124 foam, a spray-on foam insulation used formerly on the Space Shuttle external fuel tank. A novel apparatus to measure the effective thermal conductivity of rigid foam at temperatures ranging from 20 K to 300 K was developed and used to study three samples of NCFI 24-124 foam insulation. In preparation for measurement, the foam samples were either treated with a uniquely designed moisture absorption apparatus or different residual gases to study their impact on the effective thermal conductivity of the foam. The resulting data are compared to other measurements and mathematical models reported in the literature.

Cryogenic foam insulation for LH2 fueled subsonic transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharpe, E. L.; Helenbrook, R. G.

1978-01-01

Shortages of petroleum-based aircraft fuels are foreseen before the end of the century. To cope with such shortages, NASA is developing a commercial aircraft which can operate on liquid hydrogen. Various foam insulators for LH2 storage are considered in terms of thermal performance and service life. Of the cryogenic foams considered (plain foam, foam with flame retardants and fiberglass reinforcement, and foam with vapor barriers), polyurethane foams were found to be the best. Tests consisted of heating a 5 cm layer of insulation around an aluminum tank containing LH2 to 316 K, and then cooling it to 266 K, while the inner surface was maintained at LH2 temperature (20 K).

Heated Aluminum Tanks Resist Corrosion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, L. E.

1983-01-01

Simple expedient of heating foam-insulated aluminum alloy tanks prevents corrosion by salt-laden moisture. Relatively-small temperature difference between such tank and surrounding air will ensure life of tank is extended by many years.

External Tank (ET) Foam Thermal/Structural Analysis Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, David F.; Ungar, Eugene K.; Chang, Li C.; Malroy, Eric T.; Stephan, Ryan A.

2008-01-01

An independent study was performed to assess the pre-launch thermally induced stresses in the Space Shuttle External Tank Bipod closeout and Ice/Frost ramps (IFRs). Finite element models with various levels of detail were built that included the three types of foam (BX-265, NCFI 24-124, and PDL 1034) and the underlying structure and bracketry. Temperature profiles generated by the thermal analyses were input to the structural models to calculate the stress levels. An area of high stress in the Bipod closeout was found along the aluminum tank wall near the phenolic insulator and along the phenolic insulator itself. This area of high stress might be prone to cracking and possible delamination. There is a small region of slightly increased stress in the NCFI 24-124 foam near its joint with the Bipod closeout BX-265 foam. The calculated stresses in the NCFI 24-124 acreage foam are highest at the NCFI 24-124/PDL 1034/tank wall interface under the LO2 and LH2 IFRs. The highest calculated stresses in the LH2 NCFI 24-124 foam are higher than in similar locations in the LO2 IFR. This finding is consistent with the dissection results of IFRs on ET-120.

Design and development of polyphenylene oxide foam as a reusable internal insulation for LH2 tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Material specification and fabrication process procedures for foam production are presented. The properties of mechanical strength, modulus of elasticity, density and thermal conductivity were measured and related to foam quality. Properties unique to the foam such as a gas layer insulation, density gradient parallel to the fiber direction, and gas flow conductance in both directions were correlated with foam quality. Inspection and quality control tests procedures are outlined and photographs of test equipment and test specimens are shown.

F-15B in on ramp with close-up of test panels covered with advanced spray-on foam insulation materia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Test panels covered with an advanced foam insulation material for the Space Shuttle's giant external fuel tank were test flown aboard an F-15B research aircraft at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Six panels were mounted on the left side of a heavily instrumented Flight Text Fixture mounted underneath the F-15B's fuselage. Insulation on this panel was finely machined over a horizontal rib structure to simulate in-line airflow past the tank; other panels had the ribs mounted vertically or had the insulation left in a rough as-sprayed surface. The tests were part of an effort by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to determine why small particles of the new insulation flaked off the tank on recent Shuttle missions. The tests with Dryden's F-15B were designed to replicate the pressure environment the Shuttle encounters during the first minute after launch. No noticeable erosion of the insulation material was noted after the flight experiment at Dryden.

Spray-On Foam Insulations for Launch Vehicle Cryogenic Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesmire, J. E.; Cofman, B. E.; Menghelli, B. J.; Heckle, K. W.

2011-01-01

Spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) has been developed for use on the cryogenic tanks of space launch vehicles beginning in the 1960s with the Apollo program. The use of SOFI was further developed for the Space Shuttle program. The External Tank (ET) of the Space Shuttle, consisting of a forward liquid oxygen tank in line with an aft liquid hydrogen tank, requires thermal insulation over its outer surface to prevent ice formation and avoid in-flight damage to the ceramic tile thermal protection system on the adjacent Orbiter. The insulation also provides system control and stability with throughout the lengthy process of cooldown, loading, and replenishing the tank. There are two main types of SOFI used on the ET: acreage (with the rind) and closeout (machined surface). The thermal performance of the seemingly simple SOFI system is a complex of many variables starting with the large temperature difference of from 200 to 260 K through the typical 25-mm thickness. Environmental factors include air temperature and humidity, wind speed, solar exposure, and aging or weathering history. Additional factors include manufacturing details, launch processing operations, and number of cryogenic thermal cycles. The study of the cryogenic thermal performance of SOFI under large temperature differentials is the subject of this article. The amount of moisture taken into the foam during the cold soak phase, termed Cryogenic Moisture Uptake, must also be considered. The heat leakage rates through these foams were measured under representative conditions using laboratory standard liquid nitrogen boiloff apparatus. Test articles included baseline, aged, and weathered specimens. Testing was performed over the entire pressure range from high vacuum to ambient pressure. Values for apparent thermal conductivity and heat flux were calculated and compared with prior data. As the prior data of record was obtained for small temperature differentials on non-weathered foams, analysis of the different methods is provided. Recent advancements and applications of SOFI systems on future launch vehicles and spacecraft are also addressed.

Experimental study of moisture uptake of polyurethane foam subjected to a heat sink below 30 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. B.; Chen, J. Y.; Gan, Z. H.; Qiu, L. M.; Zhang, K. H.; Yang, R. P.; Ma, X. J.; Liu, Z. H.

2014-01-01

Rigid closed-cell foam is widely used to thermally insulate liquid hydrogen and oxygen tanks of space launch vehicles due to its lightweight, mechanical strength and thermal-insulating performance. Up to now, little information is available on the intrusion of moisture into the foam that subjects one side to liquid hydrogen temperatures and the other side to room temperatures and high relative humidity. A novel cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus has been designed and fabricated to measure the moisture uptake into the polyurethane foam. For safety and convenience, two identical single-stage pulse tube cryocoolers instead of liquid hydrogen are used to cool one side of the foam specimen to the lowest temperature of 26 K. Total of eight specimens in three groups, according to whether there is a butt-joint or weathering period, are tested respectively for both 5 h and 9 h. The additional weight due to moisture uptake of the foam for the 26 K cases is compared to previous measurements at 79 K. The results are instructive for the applications of foam to the insulation of liquid hydrogen tanks in space launch vehicles.

Hail damage on Atlantis' external tank is inspected

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-13

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, Mike Ravenscroft, with United Space Alliance, points to some of the foam repair done on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Holes filled with foam are sanded flush with the adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8.

Development of advanced materials composites for use as insulations for LH2 tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemons, C. R.; Watts, C. R.; Salmassy, O. K.

1972-01-01

A study of internal insulation materials and fabrication processes for space shuttle LH2 tanks is reported. Emphasis was placed on an insulation system capable of reentry and multiple reuse in the Shuttle environment. Results are given on the optimization and manufacturing process scale-up of a 3D fiberreinforced foam insulation, BX-251-3D, derived from the Saturn S-4B internal insulation. It is shown that BX-251-3D can be satisfactorily installed in large-scale tanks under conditions that will permit a significant cost saving over the existing S-4B technology.

Using Aerogel-Based Insulation Material To Prevent Foam Loss on the Liquid-Hydrogen Intertank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Uninsulated areas on cryogenic propellant tanks and feedlines cause moisture in the air to condense or ice to form. Flange joints, bracket supports, expansion bellows, and other cavities are uninsulated by design. These areas cannot be sealed because conventional thermal insulation materials would restrict mechanical articulations. Aerogel-based thermal insulation systems are able to seal critical locations such as the liquid-oxygen (LO2) feedline bellows. A new thermal insulation system was also necessary between the intertank wall, flange, and the liquid-hydrogen (LH2) tank dome, where there is a cavity (or crevice) with an exposed 20-K surface. When nitrogen gas is used for purging within the intertank volume, it condenses on this cold surface. Some solid nitrogen may also form on the colder side of the crevice. Voids or discontinuities within the foam can pressurize and cause areas of foam to weaken and break off, reducing thermal efficiency and creating potentially dangerous debris. To prevent this foam loss, we developed a thermal insulation system using bulk-fill aerogel material and demonstrated it with a one-tenth-scale model of the LH2 intertank flange area

Development and validation of purged thermal protection systems for liquid hydrogen fuel tanks of hypersonic vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helenbrook, R. D.; Colt, J. Z.

1977-01-01

An economical, lightweight, safe, efficient, reliable, and reusable insulation system was developed for hypersonic cruise vehicle hydrogen fuel tanks. Results indicate that, a nitrogen purged, layered insulation system with nonpermeable closed-cell insulation next to the cryogenic tank and a high service temperature fibrous insulation surrounding it, is potentially an attractive solution to the insulation problem. For the postulated hypersonic flight the average unit weight of the purged insulation system (including insulation, condensate and fuel boil off) is 6.31 kg/sq m (1.29 psf). Limited cyclic tests of large specimens of closed cell polymethacrylimide foam indicate it will withstand the expected thermal cycle.

KSC-07pd2369

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A United Space Alliance external tank technician has completed the removal of a layer of BX265 foam insulation from the LO2 feed line bracket on the external tank. The BX265 foam insulation will later be reapplied without the super lightweight ablator, or SLA, cork insulation. The tank is scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007 on mission STS-120. Discovery's crew will add the module Harmony that will serve as a port for installing additional international laboratories. Harmony will be the first expansion of the living and working space on the complex since the Russian Pirs airlock was installed in 2001. The mission also will move the first set of solar arrays installed on the station to a permanent location on the complex and redeploy them. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Nondestructive Evaluation of Foam Insulation for the External Tank Return to Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, James L.; Richter, Joel D.

2006-01-01

Nondestructive evaluation methods have been developed to identify defects in the foam thermal protection system (TPS) of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET). Terahertz imaging and backscatter radiography have been brought from prototype lab systems to production hardened inspection tools in just a few years. These methods have been demonstrated to be capable of detecting void type defects under many inches of foam which, if not repaired, could lead to detrimental foam loss. The evolution of these methods from lab tools to implementation on the ET will be discussed.

KSC-07pd0886

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-13

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, Mike Ravenscroft, with United Space Alliance, points to some of the foam repair done on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Holes filled with foam are sanded flush with the adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Simulation of Foam Divot Weight on External Tank Utilizing Least Squares and Neural Network Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, Christos C.; Coroneos, Rula M.

2007-01-01

Simulation of divot weight in the insulating foam, associated with the external tank of the U.S. space shuttle, has been evaluated using least squares and neural network concepts. The simulation required models based on fundamental considerations that can be used to predict under what conditions voids form, the size of the voids, and subsequent divot ejection mechanisms. The quadratic neural networks were found to be satisfactory for the simulation of foam divot weight in various tests associated with the external tank. Both linear least squares method and the nonlinear neural network predicted identical results.

KSC-07pd0928

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers check foam repairs on Atlantis' external tank. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Experimental study on cryogenic moisture uptake in polyurethane foam insulation material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X. B.; Yao, L.; Qiu, L. M.; Gan, Z. H.; Yang, R. P.; Ma, X. J.; Liu, Z. H.

2012-12-01

Rigid foam is widely used to insulate cryogenic tanks, in particular for space launch vehicles due to its lightweight, mechanical strength and thermal-insulating performance. Up to now, little information is available on the intrusion of moisture into the material under cryogenic conditions, which will bring substantial additional weight for the space vehicles at lift-off. A cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus has been designed and fabricated to measure the amount of water uptake into the polyurethane foam. One side of the specimen is exposed to an environment with high humidity and ambient temperature, while the other with cryogenic temperature at approximately 78 K. A total of 16 specimens were tested for up to 24 h to explore the effects of the surface thermal protection layer, the foam thickness, exposed time, the butt joints, and the material density on water uptake of the foam. The results are constructive for the applications of the foam to the cryogenic insulation system in space launch vehicles.

KSC-07pd0927

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, foam repairs on Atlantis' external tank include sanding and inspection, as seen here. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-07pd0929

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, a worker carefully sands foam repairs on Atlantis' external tank. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Development of advanced materials composites for use as insulations for LH2 tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemons, C. R.; Salmassy, O. K.

1973-01-01

A study of thread-reinforced polyurethane foam and glass fabric liner, serving as internally bonded insulation for space shuttle LH2 tanks, is reported. Emphasis was placed on an insulation system capable of reentry and multiple reuse in the shuttle environment. The optimized manufacturing parameters associated with each element of the composite are established and the results, showing successful completion of subscale system evaluation tests using the shuttle flight environmental requirements, are given.

KSC-07pd2370

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Now that the foam insulation is removed from the external tank, the crack in the super lightweight ablator, or SLA, cork insulation is visible as had been observed previously by X-rays. The BX265 foam insulation will later be reapplied without the SLA. The tank is scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007 on mission STS-120. Discovery's crew will add the module Harmony that will serve as a port for installing additional international laboratories. Harmony will be the first expansion of the living and working space on the complex since the Russian Pirs airlock was installed in 2001. The mission also will move the first set of solar arrays installed on the station to a permanent location on the complex and redeploy them. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Hail damage on Atlantis' external tank is inspected

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-13

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, markers show the hail damage being repaired on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The white hole with a red circle around it is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/ translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. The area will be de-molded and sanded flush with the adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8.

Space Shuttle Atlantis' external tank repairs from Hail Damage

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-09

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, United Space Alliance technicians Brenda Morris and Brian Williams are applying foam and molds on Space Shuttle Atlantis' external tank to areas damaged by hail. The white hole with a red circle around it (upper right) is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/ translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The March launch was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled due to the repair process.

Development of Natural Flaw Samples for Evaluating Nondestructive Testing Methods for Foam Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Workman, Gary L.; Davis, Jason; Farrington, Seth; Walker, James

2007-01-01

Low density polyurethane foam has been an important insulation material for space launch vehicles for several decades. The potential for damage from foam breaking away from the NASA External Tank was not realized until the foam impacts on the Columbia Orbiter vehicle caused damage to its Leading Edge thermal protection systems (TPS). Development of improved inspection techniques on the foam TPS is necessary to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Foamed panels with drilled holes for volumetric flaws and Teflon inserts to simulate debonded conditions have been used to evaluate and calibrate nondestructive testing (NDT) methods. Unfortunately the symmetric edges and dissimilar materials used in the preparation of these simulated flaws provide an artificially large signal while very little signal is generated from the actual defects themselves. In other words, the same signal are not generated from the artificial defects in the foam test panels as produced when inspecting natural defect in the ET foam TPS. A project to create more realistic voids similar to what actually occurs during manufacturing operations was began in order to improve detection of critical voids during inspections. This presentation describes approaches taken to create more natural voids in foam TPS in order to provide a more realistic evaluation of what the NDT methods can detect. These flaw creation techniques were developed with both sprayed foam and poured foam used for insulation on the External Tank. Test panels with simulated defects have been used to evaluate NDT methods for the inspection of the External Tank. A comparison of images between natural flaws and machined flaws generated from backscatter x-ray radiography, x-ray laminography, terahertz imaging and millimeter wave imaging show significant differences in identifying defect regions.

KSC-07pd2368

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A United Space Alliance external tank technician maps out the cutting area of the liquid oxygen (LO2) feed line bracket where BX265 foam insulation and super lightweight ablator, or SLA, cork insulation is to be removed. The BX265 foam insulation will later be reapplied without the SLA. The tank is scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007 on mission STS-120. Discovery's crew will add the module Harmony that will serve as a port for installing additional international laboratories. Harmony will be the first expansion of the living and working space on the complex since the Russian Pirs airlock was installed in 2001. The mission also will move the first set of solar arrays installed on the station to a permanent location on the complex and redeploy them. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Prosthesis Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

FAB/CAM, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, Inc., approached Marshall for help in replacing the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. Concurrently, Marshall and Martin Marietta were creating a commercial derivative of the foam insulation used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat. FAB/CAM found the foam blanks to be lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the consumer. Martin Marietta markets the foam system, MARCORE, for the prosthesis market. The system also has commercial potential in high temperature insulation and structural applications.

Controlling Flows Of Two Ingredients For Spraying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chandler, Huel H.

1995-01-01

Closed-loop servo control subsystem incorporated, as modification, into system controlling flows of two ingredients mixed and sprayed to form thermally insulating foams on large tanks. Provides steady flows at specified rates. Foams produced smoother and of higher quality. Continued use of system results in substantial reduction in cost stemming from close control of application of foam and consequent reduced use of material.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician marks off an area for inspection on Atlantis' external tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

Technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building prepare materials that will be used during repair of the nose cone on Atlantis' external tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Material characterization of rigid foam insulation at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrios, Matthew

There is a continuing need for improved rigid foam insulation, particularly for cryogenic storage aboard aerospace vehicles. The present work is a material characterization of spray-on foam insulation used on the Space Shuttle External Tank. The characterization includes imaging and measurements of thermal conductivity, ultimate tensile strength, and moisture absorption. Thermal conductivity measurements are the main focus of the present work, as it is the most relevant property to insulation performance. A novel apparatus was developed to measure the thermal conductivity of rigid foam at temperatures ranging from 20 K to 300 K with a DeltaT of 10 K between the sides of the foam sample. The effective thermal conductivity of three samples of NCFI 24-124 foam insulation was measured over the full temperature range. Additionally, the effects of different residual gases and moisture absorption on the thermal conductivity of the foam were studied. The data were compared to data from the literature and to mathematical models developed to predict the thermal conductivity. The data show that gas condensation can play a significant role in the thermal conductivity of the foam at low temperature. Moisture absorption can occur in the foam in application when cryogenic fuel is filled into a tank which sits in a warm, humid environment. An apparatus was developed to subject foam samples to these conditions. The moisture content in the samples was then measured. The samples were then imaged using the 900 MHz NMR magnet at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to determine the location of the water within the foam. Samples conditioned for 9 hours exhibited a 50% weight increase, and samples conditioned for 69 hours exhibited a 284% weight increase. The NMR images showed that the moisture collects first near the warm side of the foam, and permeates through the foam over time. However, the moisture appears to not collect near the knit lines (areas between sprayed layers of foam, containing cells about 10 times smaller than those that make up the bulk of the foam). The 100 kN mechanical testing system at the NHMFL was used to measure the ultimate tensile strength of the foam. The number of samples available limited the amount of measurements, but the data show that the orientation of the foam (parallel or perpendicular to the knit lines) has a greater effect on the tensile strength than does the moisture absorption or exposure to cryogenic temperature.

KSC-08pd0078

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Quality inspectors with NASA and Lockheed Martin examine a red-line drawing of foam placement on space shuttle Atlantis's external tank (in front of them) to verify the foam insulation that was reapplied. The foam covers the feed-through engine cut-off, or ECO, sensor connector. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace the ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Husten

KSC-08pd0077

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Quality inspectors with NASA and Lockheed Martin examine a red-line drawing of foam placement on space shuttle Atlantis's external tank (in front of them) to verify the foam insulation that was reapplied. The foam covers the feed-through engine cut-off, or ECO, sensor connector. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace the ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Husten

KSC-08pd0080

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Quality inspectors with NASA and Lockheed Martin examine a red-line drawing of foam placement on space shuttle Atlantis's external tank (in front of them) to verify the foam insulation that was reapplied. The foam covers the feed-through engine cut-off, or ECO, sensor connector. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace the ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Husten

KSC-08pd0079

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Quality inspectors with NASA and Lockheed Martin examine a red-line drawing of foam placement on space shuttle Atlantis's external tank (in front of them) to verify the foam insulation that was reapplied. The foam covers the feed-through engine cut-off, or ECO, sensor connector. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace the ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Husten

Cryogenic Temperature-Gradient Foam/Substrate Tensile Tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vailhe, Christophe

2003-01-01

The figure shows a fixture for measuring the tensile strength of the bond between an aluminum substrate and a thermally insulating polymeric foam. The specimen is meant to be representative of insulating foam on an aluminum tank that holds a cryogenic liquid. Prior to the development of this fixture, tensile tests of this type were performed on foam/substrate specimens immersed in cryogenic fluids. Because the specimens were cooled to cryogenic temperatures throughout their thicknesses, they tended to become brittle and to fracture at loads below true bond tensile strengths. The present fixture is equipped to provide a thermal gradient from cryogenic temperature at the foam/substrate interface to room temperature on the opposite foam surface. The fixture includes an upper aluminum block at room temperature and a lower aluminum block cooled to -423 F (approx. -253 C) by use of liquid helium. In preparation for a test, the metal outer surface (the lower surface) of a foam/substrate specimen is bonded to the lower block and the foam outer surface (the upper surface) of the specimen is bonded to the upper block. In comparison with the through-the-thickness cooling of immersion testing, the cryogenic-to-room-temperature thermal gradient that exists during testing on this fixture is a more realistic approximation of the operational thermal condition of sprayed insulating foam on a tank of cryogenic liquid. Hence, tensile tests performed on this fixture provide more accurate indications of operational bond tensile strengths. In addition, the introduction of the present fixture reduces the cost of testing by reducing the amount of cryogenic liquid consumed and the time needed to cool a specimen.

Space Shuttle Atlantis' external tank repairs from Hail Damage

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-09

In the Vehicle Assembly Building, markers show the hail damage being repaired on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The white hole with a red circle around it is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/ translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. The area will be de-molded and sanded flush the with adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The March launch was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled due to the repair process.

Analytical Modeling and Test Correlation of Variable Density Multilayer Insulation for Cryogenic Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, L. J.; Hedayat, A.; Brown, T. M.

2004-01-01

A unique foam/multilayer insulation (MLI) combination concept for orbital cryogenic storage was experimentally evaluated using a large-scale hydrogen tank. The foam substrate insulates for ground-hold periods and enables a gaseous nitrogen purge as opposed to helium. The MLI, designed for an on-orbit storage period for 45 days, includes several unique features including a variable layer density and larger but fewer perforations for venting during ascent to orbit. Test results with liquid hydrogen indicated that the MLI weight or tank heat leak is reduced by about half in comparison with standard MLI. The focus of this effort is on analytical modeling of the variable density MLI (VD-MLI) on-orbit performance. The foam/VD-MLI model is considered to have five segments. The first segment represents the optional foam layer. The second, third, and fourth segments represent three different MLI layer densities. The last segment is an environmental boundary or shroud that surrounds the last MLI layer. Two approaches are considered: a variable density MLI modeled layer by layer and a semiempirical model or "modified Lockheed equation." Results from the two models were very comparable and were within 5-8 percent of the measured data at the 300 K boundary condition.

Development of spray guns for the application of rigid foam insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Peter B.

1993-01-01

The paper describes the activities initiated to improve the existing spray gun system used for spraying insulating foam on the External Tank of the Space Shuttle, due to the quality variations of the applied foam noted in the past. Consideration is given to the two tasks of the project: (1) investigations of possible improvements, as an interim measure, to the spray gun currently used to apply the large acreage spray-on-foam insulation and the evaluation of other commercial equipment; and (2) the design and fabrication of a new automatic spray gun. The design and operation of the currently used Binks 43 PA spray gun are described together with several new breadboard spray guns designed and fabricated and the testing procedures developed. These new guns include the Modular Automatic Foam spray gun, the Ball Valve spray gun, and the Tapered Plug Valve (TPV) gun. As a result of tests, the TPV spray gun is recommended to replace the currently used automatic spray gun.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

On an upper level of high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians prepare the area around the nose cone (left) of Atlantis' external tank that will undergo repair for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

On an upper level of high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians place protective material around the nose cone of Atlantis' external tank. The nose cone will undergo repair for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

On an upper level of high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians prepare the area around the nose cone (foreground) of Atlantis' external tank that will undergo repair for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

KSC-07pd0849

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, United Space Alliance technicians Brenda Morris and Brian Williams are applying foam and molds on Space Shuttle Atlantis' external tank to areas damaged by hail. The white hole with a red circle around it (upper right) is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The March launch was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled due to the repair process. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Polyimide Foams Offer Superior Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

At Langley Research Center, Erik Weiser and his colleagues in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch were working with a new substance for fabricating composites for use in supersonic aircraft. The team, however, was experiencing some frustration. Every time they tried to create a solid composite from the polyimide (an advanced polymer) material, it bubbled and foamed. It seemed like the team had reached a dead end in their research - until they had another idea. "We said, This isn t going to work for composites, but maybe we could make a foam out of it," Weiser says. "That was kind of our eureka moment, to see if we could go in a whole other direction. And it worked." Weiser and his colleagues invented a new kind of polyimide foam insulation they named TEEK. The innovation displayed a host of advantages over existing insulation options. Compared to other commercial foams, Weiser explains, polyimide foams perform well across a broad range of temperatures, noting that the NASA TEEK foams provide effective structural insulation up to 600 F and down to cryogenic temperatures. The foam does not burn or off-gas toxic fumes, and even at -423 F - the temperature of liquid hydrogen - the material stays flexible. The inventors could produce the TEEK foam at a range of densities, from 0.5 pounds per cubic foot up to 20 pounds per cubic foot, making the foam ideal for a range of applications, including as insulation for reusable launch vehicles and for cryogenic tanks and lines. They also developed a unique, friable balloon format for manufacturing the foam, producing it as hollow microspheres that allowed the foam to be molded and then cured into any desired shape - perfect for insulating pipes of different sizes and configurations. The team s originally unplanned invention won an "R&D 100" award, and a later form of the foam, called LaRC FPF-44 (Spinoff 2009), was named "NASA Invention of the Year" in 2007.

Noninvasive 3D Visualization of Defects and Crack Propagation in Layered Foam Structures by Phase Contrast Microimaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, Z. W.; DeCarlo, F.

2006-01-01

Applications of polymeric foams in our modern society continue to grow because of their light weight, high strength, excellent thermal and mechanical insulation, and the ease of engineering. Among others, closed-cell foam has been structurally used for thermally insulating the shuttle external tank. However, internal defects of the foams were difficult to observe non-invasively due to limited sensitivity to the low-density structures possessed by traditional imaging tools such as computed X-ray tomography By combining phase contrast X-ray imaging with pressure loading, we succeeded in precisely mapping intact cellular structure and defects inside the bulk of layered foam and visualizing its subsequent response to the pressure in three-dimensional space. The work demonstrated a powerfir1 approach for yielding insight into underlying problems in lightweight cellular materials otherwise unobtainable.

Cryogenic insulation strength and bond tester

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuerer, P. H.; Ehl, J. H.; Prasthofer, W. P. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

A method and apparatus for testing the tensile strength and bonding strength of sprayed-on foam insulation attached to metal cryogenic fuel tanks is described. A circular cutter is used to cut the insulation down to the surface of the metal tank to form plugs of the insulation for testing in situ on the tank. The apparatus comprises an electromechanical pulling device powered by a belt battery pack. The pulling device comprises a motor driving a mechanical pulling structure comprising a horizontal shaft connected to two bell cracks which are connected to a central member. When the lower end of member is attached to a fitting, which in turn is bonded to a plug, a pulling force is exerted on the plug sufficient to rupture it. The force necessary to rupture the plug or pull it loose is displayed as a digital read-out.

High Resolution Millimeter Wave Detection of Vertical Cracks in the Space Shuttle External Tank Spray-On-Foam Insulation (SOFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, F.

2006-01-01

Space Shuttle Columbia s catastrophic failure, the separation of a piece of spray-on-foam insulation (SOFI) from the external tank (ET) in the Space Shuttle Discovery s flight in 2005 and crack detected in its ET foam prior to its successful launch in 2006 emphasize the need for effective nondestructive methods for inspecting the shuttle ET SOFI. Millimeter wave nondestructive testing methods have been considered as potential and effective inspection tools for evaluating the integrity of the SOFI. This paper presents recent results of an investigation for the purpose of detecting vertical cracks in SOFI panels using a focused millimeter wave (150 GHz) reflectometer. The presented images of the SOFI panels show the capability of this reflectometer for detecting tight vertical cracks (also as a function of crack opening dimension) in exposed SOFI panels and while covered by a piece of SOFI ramp simulating a more realistic and challenging situation.

Space Shuttle Stiffener Ring Foam Failure Analysis, a Non-Conventional Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Philip M.

2015-01-01

The Space Shuttle Program made use of the excellent properties of rigid polyurethane foam for cryogenic tank insulation and as structural protection on the solid rocket boosters. When foam applications de-bond, classical methods of failure analysis did not provide root cause of the failure of the foam. Realizing that foam is the ideal media to document and preserve its own mode of failure, thin sectioning was seen as a logical approach for foam failure analysis to observe the three dimensional morphology of the foam cells. The cell foam morphology provided a much greater understanding of the failure modes than previously achieved.

Polyurethane rigid foam, a proven thermal insulating material for applications between +130°C and -196°C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demharter, Anton

Polyurethanes are high molecular weight polymers based on the polyaddition of polyfunctional hydroxyl-group containing compounds and polyisocyanates. A wide variety of properties can be tailored to fulfil the requirements of different applications: soft to hard, plastic, elastic or thermoset, compact or foamed. Compared with other insulating materials, PUR rigid foam is highly competitive. There are five product-related advantages: lowest thermal conductivity, high mechanical and chemical properties at both high and low temperatures, all major international fire safety requirements can be satisfied, the ability to form sandwich structures with various facer materials, and the new generation of PUR is CFC-free and recyclable. Rigid polyurethane foams perform well in most areas of low-temperature insulations. Products in density ranging from approximately 30 to 200 kg m -3 withstand temperatures down to -196°C. Typical applications are: refrigerated vehicles, road and rail tankers, vessels for refrigerated cargo, pipelines, liquid gas tanks for LPG and LNG and cryogenic wind tunnels. The paper presents applications, corresponding properties of the rigid foams used, and also other insulating materials in competition to PUR are discussed.

Numerical Evaluation of Mode 1 Stress Intensity Factor as a Function of Material Orientation For BX-265 Foam Insulation Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knudsen, Erik; Arakere, Nagaraj K.

2006-01-01

Foam; a cellular material, is found all around us. Bone and cork are examples of biological cell materials. Many forms of man-made foam have found practical applications as insulating materials. NASA uses the BX-265 foam insulation material on the external tank (ET) for the Space Shuttle. This is a type of Spray-on Foam Insulation (SOFI), similar to the material used to insulate attics in residential construction. This foam material is a good insulator and is very lightweight, making it suitable for space applications. Breakup of segments of this foam insulation on the shuttle ET impacting the shuttle thermal protection tiles during liftoff is believed to have caused the space shuttle Columbia failure during re-entry. NASA engineers are very interested in understanding the processes that govern the breakup/fracture of this complex material from the shuttle ET. The foam is anisotropic in nature and the required stress and fracture mechanics analysis must include the effects of the direction dependence on material properties. Material testing at NASA MSFC has indicated that the foam can be modeled as a transversely isotropic material. As a first step toward understanding the fracture mechanics of this material, we present a general theoretical and numerical framework for computing stress intensity factors (SIFs), under mixed-mode loading conditions, taking into account the material anisotropy. We present mode I SIFs for middle tension - M(T) - test specimens, using 3D finite element stress analysis (ANSYS) and FRANC3D fracture analysis software, developed by the Cornel1 Fracture Group. Mode I SIF values are presented for a range of foam material orientations. Also, NASA has recorded the failure load for various M(T) specimens. For a linear analysis, the mode I SIF will scale with the far-field load. This allows us to numerically estimate the mode I fracture toughness for this material. The results represent a quantitative basis for evaluating the strength and fracture properties of anisotropic foam insulation material.

Terahertz Lasers Reveal Information for 3D Images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2013-01-01

After taking off her shoes and jacket, she places them in a bin. She then takes her laptop out of its case and places it in a separate bin. As the items move through the x-ray machine, the woman waits for a sign from security personnel to pass through the metal detector. Today, she was lucky; she did not encounter any delays. The man behind her, however, was asked to step inside a large circular tube, raise his hands above his head, and have his whole body scanned. If you have ever witnessed a full-body scan at the airport, you may have witnessed terahertz imaging. Terahertz wavelengths are located between microwave and infrared on the electromagnetic spectrum. When exposed to these wavelengths, certain materials such as clothing, thin metal, sheet rock, and insulation become transparent. At airports, terahertz radiation can illuminate guns, knives, or explosives hidden underneath a passenger s clothing. At NASA s Kennedy Space Center, terahertz wavelengths have assisted in the inspection of materials like insulating foam on the external tanks of the now-retired space shuttle. "The foam we used on the external tank was a little denser than Styrofoam, but not much," says Robert Youngquist, a physicist at Kennedy. The problem, he explains, was that "we lost a space shuttle by having a chunk of foam fall off from the external fuel tank and hit the orbiter." To uncover any potential defects in the foam covering, such as voids or air pockets, that could keep the material from staying in place, NASA employed terahertz imaging to see through the foam. For many years, the technique ensured the integrity of the material on the external tanks.

KSC-07pd0603

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians carefully inspect a portion of the external tank foam that has been covered in red dye to help expose cracks or compression dents. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Sprayable Aerogel Bead Compositions With High Shear Flow Resistance and High Thermal Insulation Value

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ou, Danny; Trifu, Roxana; Caggiano, Gregory

2013-01-01

A sprayable aerogel insulation has been developed that has good mechanical integrity and lower thermal conductivity than incumbent polyurethane spray-on foam insulation, at similar or lower areal densities, to prevent insulation cracking and debonding in an effort to eliminate the generation of inflight debris. This new, lightweight aerogel under bead form can be used as insulation in various thermal management systems that require low mass and volume, such as cryogenic storage tanks, pipelines, space platforms, and launch vehicles.

Experimental Study of the Oxidation, Ignition, and Soot Formation Characteristics of Jet Fuel

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-29

section and controls the heat flux applied to six heated zones along the 4.11 m long driven section, and 2.5 cm thick mineral wool insulation that...The mixing manifold was insulated with 1.1 cm thick silicon foam rubber insulation, and the mixing vessel was insulated with 2.5 cm- thick mineral ... wool insulation. Experimental work for a number of compounds with variation in manifold and tank heating showed no observable difference in measured

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

On an upper level of high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians secure protective material around the base of the nose cone of Atlantis' external tank. The nose cone will undergo repair for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

On an upper level of high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians move protective material toward the nose cone (foreground) of Atlantis' external tank. The nose cone will undergo repair for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Repairing the damage to Atlantis' External Tank

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

On an upper level of high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians secure protective material around Atlantis' external tank. The preparations are for future repair work of the hail damage that happened Feb. 27. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117.

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Imaging of the Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) using Synthetic Aperture Focusing Techniques (SAFT}

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, J. T.; Robbins, J.; Kharkivskiy, S.; Hepburn, F.; Zoughi, R.

2005-01-01

The Space Shuttle Columbia s catastrophic failure is thought to have been caused by a dislodged piece of external tank spray on foam insulation (SOFI) striking the left wing of the orbiter causing significant damage to some of the reinforced carbodcarbon leading edge wing panels. Microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive evaluation methods have shown great potential for inspecting SOFI for the purpose of detecting anomalies such as small air voids that may cause separation of the SOFI from the external tank during a launch. These methods are capable of producing relatively high-resolution images of the interior of SOFI particularly when advanced imaging algorithms are incorporated into the overall system. To this end, synthetic aperture focusing techniques (SAFT) are being developed. This paper presents some of the preliminary results of this investigation using SAFT-based methods and microwave holography at relatively low frequencies illustrating their potential capabilities for operation at millimeter wave frequencies.

Thermal conductivity of spray-on foam insulations for aerospace applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrios, Matt; Vanderlaan, Mark; Van Sciver, Steven

2012-06-01

A guarded-hot-plate apparatus [1] has been developed to measure the thermal conductivity of spray-on foam insulations (SOFI) at temperatures ranging from 30 K to 300 K. The foam tested in the present study is NCFI 24-124, a polyisocyanurate foam used on the External Tanks of the Space Shuttle. The foam was tested first in ambient pressure air, then evacuated and tested once more. These thermal conductivities were compared to the thermal conductivity taken from a sample immediately after being subjected to conditions similar to those experienced by the foam while on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. To mimic the conditions experienced on the launch pad, an apparatus was built to enclose one side of the foam sample in a warm, humid environment while the other side of the sample contacts a stainless steel surface held at 77 K. The thermal conductivity data obtained is also compared to data found in the literature.

Numerical modeling of the effect of heat and mass transfer in porous low-temperature heat insulation in composite material structures on the magnitude of stresses which develop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsov, G. V.; Rudzinskaya, N. V.

1997-05-01

The stressed state of multilayer low-temperature heat insulation for a cryogenic fuel tank is considered. Account is taken of heat and mass transfer in foam plastic (the main heat insulation material) occurring at cryogenic temperatures. A method is developed for solving a set of differential equations and boundary conditions. Numerical studies of the main features of these processes are performed. It is established that below 200 K the stresses which arise in foam plastic markedly exceed the ultimate strength for this material. Stresses develop as a result of both a reduction in temperature and a drop in pressure in the foam plastic pores connected with material cooling. On the basis of the results obtained it is established that the combination of thermophysical processes which occur in foam plastic during cooling to cryogenic temperatures leads to changes in the stress-strained state of structure, which should be considered in planning aerospace technology.

Secondary barrier construction for low temperature liquefied gas storage tank carrying vessels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okamoto, T.; Nishimoto, T.; Sawada, K.

1978-12-05

A new LNG-cargo-tank secondary barrier developed by Japan's Hitachi Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd., offers ease of fabrication, simple construction, improved efficiency of installation, and protection against seawater ingress as well as LNG leakage. The secondary barrier, intended for use below spherical LNG tanks, consists of unit heat-insulating block plates adhesively secured to the bottom plate of the ship's hold, heat-insulating filling members stuffed into the joints between the block plates, and a protective layer formed on the entire surface of the block plates and the filling members. These unit block plates are in the form of heat-insulating members ofmore » the required thickness, preformed into a square or trapezoidal shape, particularly in the form of rigid-foam synthetic-resin plates.« less

KSC-07pd0885

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-13

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, markers show the hail damage being repaired on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The white hole with a red circle around it is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. The area will be de-molded and sanded flush with the adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0848

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, markers show the hail damage being repaired on the external tank of Space Shuttle Atlantis. The white hole with a red circle around it is a hole prepared for molding and material application. The red material is sealant tape so the mold doesn't leak when the foam rises against the mold. The white/translucent square mold is an area where the foam has been applied and the foam has risen and cured against the mold surface. The area will be de-molded and sanded flush the with adjacent area. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The March launch was postponed and has not yet been rescheduled due to the repair process. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0587

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building prepare materials that will be used during repair of the nose cone on Atlantis' external tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0588

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-07

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician marks off an area for inspection on Atlantis' external tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

Bonding and Sealing Evaluations for Cryogenic Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, David E.

1997-01-01

Several different cryogenic tank concepts are being considered for reusable launch vehicles (RLV'S) . Though different tank concepts are being considered, many will require that the cryogenic insulation be evacuated and be bonded to a structure. In this work, an attempt was made to evaluate the effectiveness of maintaining a vacuum on a specimen where foam or honeycomb core was encased within Gr/Ep. In addition to these tests, flatwise adhesion pull off tests were performed at room temperature with PR 1664, EA 9394, FM-300, Crest 3170, and HT 435 adhesives. The materials bonded included Gr/Ep, Gr/BMI, Al, and stainless steel facesheets, and Ti honeycomb, Hexcel honeycomb, and Rohacell foam core materials.

Space Shuttle Stiffener Ring Foam Failure, a Non-Conventional Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, Philip M.

2007-01-01

The Space Shuttle makes use of the excellent properties of rigid polyurethane foam for cryogenic tank insulation and as structural protection on the solid rocket boosters. When foam applications debond, classical methods of analysis do not always provide root cause of the failure of the foam. Realizing that foam is the ideal media to document and preserve its own mode of failure, thin sectioning was seen as a logical approach for foam failure analysis. Thin sectioning in two directions, both horizontal and vertical to the application, was chosen to observe the three dimensional morphology of the foam cells. The cell foam morphology provided a much greater understanding of the failure modes than previously achieved.

KSC-08pd0062

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, foam insulation is being trimmed for placement around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-08pd0064

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, foam insulation is being trimmed for placement around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-08pd0063

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, foam insulation is being trimmed for placement around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-08pd0065

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, foam insulation is being trimmed for placement around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Thermal stratification in LH2 tank of cryogenic propulsion stage tested in ISRO facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xavier, M.; Raj, R. Edwin; Narayanan, V.

2017-02-01

Liquid oxygen and hydrogen are used as oxidizer and fuel respectively in cryogenic propulsion system. These liquids are stored in foam insulated tanks of cryogenic propulsion system and are pressurized using warm pressurant gas supplied for tank pressure maintenance during cryogenic engine operation. Heat leak to cryogenic propellant tank causes buoyancy driven liquid stratification resulting in formation of warm liquid stratum at liquid free surface. This warm stratum is further heated by the admission of warm pressurant gas for tank pressurization during engine operation. Since stratified layer temperature has direct bearing on the cavitation free operation of turbo pumps integrated in cryogenic engine, it is necessary to model the thermal stratification for predicting stratified layer temperature and mass of stratified liquid in tank at the end of engine operation. These inputs are required for estimating the minimum pressure to be maintained by tank pressurization system. This paper describes configuration of cryogenic stage for ground qualification test, stage hot test sequence, a thermal model and its results for a foam insulated LH2 tank subjected to heat leak and pressurization with hydrogen gas at 200 K during liquid outflow at 38 lps for engine operation. The above model considers buoyancy flow in free convection boundary layer caused by heat flux from tank wall and energy transfer from warm pressurant gas etc. to predict temperature of liquid stratum and mass of stratified liquid in tank at the end of engine operation in stage qualification tests carried out in ISRO facility.

High Resolution Millimeter Wave Inspecting of the Orbiter Acreage Heat Tiles of the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, J. T.; Khakovsky, S.; Zoughi, r.; Hepburn, F.

2007-01-01

Presence of defects such as disbonds, delaminations, impact damage, in thermal protection systems can significantly reduce safety of the Space Shuttle and its crew. The physical cause of Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic failure was a breach in its thermal protection system, caused by a piece of external tank insulating foam separating from the external tank and striking the leading edge of the left wing of the orbiter. There is an urgent need for a rapid, robust and life-circle oriented nondestructive testing (NDT) technique capable of inspecting the external tank insulating foam as well as the orbiter's protective (acreage) heat tiles and its fuselage prior and subsequent to a launch. Such a comprehensive inspection technique enables NASA to perform life-cycle inspection on critical components of the orbiter and its supporting hardware. Consequently, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center initiated an investigation into several potentially viable NDT techniques for this purpose. Microwave and millimeter wave NDT methods have shown great potential to achieve these goals. These methods have been successfully used to produce images of the interior of various complex, thick and thin external tank insulating foam structures for real focused reflectometer at operating frequency from 50-100 GHz and for synthetic aperture techniques at Ku-band (12-18 GHz) and K-band (18-26 GHz). Preliminary results of inspecting heat tile specimens show that increasing resolution of the measurement system is an important issue. This paper presents recent results of an investigation for the purpose of detecting anomalies such as debonds and corrosion in metal substrate in complex multi-sectioned protective heat tile specimens using a real focused 150 GHz (D-band) reflectometer and wide-band millimeter wave holography at 33-50, GHz (Q-band).

Micromechanics of Spray-On Foam Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Aboudi, Jacob; Arnold, Steven M.; Sullivan, Roy M.

2007-01-01

Understanding the thermo-mechanical response of the Space Shuttle External Tank spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) material is critical, to NASA's Return to Flight effort. This closed-cell rigid polymeric foam is used to insulate the metallic Space Shuttle External Tank, which is at cryogenic temperatures immediately prior to and during lift off. The shedding of the SOFI during ascent led to the loss of the Columbia, and eliminating/minimizing foam lass from the tank has become a priority for NASA as it seeks to resume scheduled space shuttle missions. Determining the nature of the SOFI material behavior in response to both thermal and mechanical loading plays an important role as any structural modeling of the shedding phenomenon k predicated on knowledge of the constitutive behavior of the foam. In this paper, the SOFI material has been analyzed using the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells (HFGMC) micromechanics model, which has recently been extended to admit a triply-periodic 3-D repeating unit cell (RUC). Additional theoretical extensions that mere made in order to enable modeling of the closed-cell-foam material include the ability to represent internal boundaries within the RUC (to simulated internal pores) and the ability to impose an internal pressure within the simulated pores. This latter extension is crucial as two sources contribute to significant internal pressure changes within the SOFI pores. First, gas trapped in the pores during the spray process will expand or contract due to temperature changes. Second, the pore pressure will increase due to outgassing of water and other species present in the foam skeleton polymer material. With HFGMC's new pore pressure modeling capabilities, a nonlinear pressure change within the simulated pore can be imposed that accounts for both of these sources, in addition to stmdar&-thermal and mechanical loading; The triply-periodic HFGMC micromechanics model described above was implemented within NASA GRC's MAC/GMC software package, giving the model access to a range of nonlinear constitutive models for the polymeric foam skeleton material. A repeating unit cell architecture was constructed that, while relatively simple, still accounts for the geometric anisotropy of the porous foam microstructure and its thin walls and thicker edges. With the lack of reliable polymeric foam skeleton materia1 properties, many simulations were executed aimed at backing out these material properties. Then, using these properties, predictions of the thermo-mechanical behavior of the foam, including calculated internal applied pressure profiles, were performed and compared with appropriate experimental data.

Lightweight Thermal Insulation for a Liquid-Oxygen Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willen, G. Scott; Lock, Jennifer; Nieczkoski, Steve

2005-01-01

A proposed lightweight, reusable thermal-insulation blanket has been designed for application to a tank containing liquid oxygen, in place of a non-reusable spray-on insulating foam. The blanket would be of the multilayer-insulation (MLI) type and equipped with a pressure-regulated nitrogen purge system. The blanket would contain 16 layers in two 8-layer sub-blankets. Double-aluminized polyimide 0.3 mil (.0.008 mm) thick was selected as a reflective shield material because of its compatibility with oxygen and its ability to withstand ionizing radiation and high temperature. The inner and outer sub-blanket layers, 1 mil (approximately equals 0.025 mm) and 3 mils (approximately equals 0.076 mm) thick, respectively, would be made of the double-aluminized polyimide reinforced with aramid. The inner and outer layers would provide structural support for the more fragile layers between them and would bear the insulation-to-tank attachment loads. The layers would be spaced apart by lightweight, low-thermal-conductance netting made from polyethylene terephthalate.

SOFI/Substrate integrity testing for cryogenic propellant tanks at extreme thermal gradient conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haynes, M.; Fabian, P.

2015-12-01

Liquid propellant tank insulation for space flight requires low weight as well as high insulation factors. Use of Spray-On Foam Insulation (SOFI) is an accepted, cost effective technique for insulating a single wall cryogenic propellant tank and has been used extensively throughout the aerospace industry. Determining the bond integrity of the SOFI to the metallic substrate as well as its ability to withstand the in-service strains, both mechanical and thermal, is critical to the longevity of the insulation. This determination has previously been performed using highly volatile, explosive cryogens, which increases the test costs enormously, as well as greatly increasing the risk to both equipment and personnel. CTD has developed a new test system, based on a previous NASA test that simulates the mechanical and thermal strains associated with filling a large fuel tank with a cryogen. The test enables a relatively small SOFI/substrate sample to be monitored for any deformations, delaminations, or disjunctures during the cooling and mechanical straining process of the substrate, and enables the concurrent application of thermal and physical strains to two specimens at the same time. The thermal strains are applied by cooling the substrate to the desired cryogen temperature (from 4 K to 250 K) while maintaining the outside surface of the SOFI foam at ambient conditions. Multiple temperature monitoring points are exercised to ensure even cooling across the substrate, while at the same time, surface temperatures of the SOFI can be monitored to determine the heat flow. The system also allows for direct measurement of the strains in the substrate during the test. The test system as well as test data from testing at 20 K, for liquid Hydrogen simulation, will be discussed.

KSC-07pd1082

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians place a piece of foam on the side of Atlantis' nose cone to rest the sander while they make adjustments. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Crack Initiation and Growth in Rigid Polymeric Closed-Cell Foam Cryogenic Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sayyah, Tarek; Steeve, Brian; Wells, Doug

2006-01-01

Cryogenic vessels, such as the Space Shuttle External Tank, are often insulated with closed-cell foam because of its low thermal conductivity. The coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the foam and metallic substrate places the foam under a biaxial tension gradient through the foam thickness. The total foam thickness affects the slope of the stress gradient and is considered a significant contributor to the initiation of subsurface cracks. Rigid polymeric foams are brittle in nature and any subsurface cracks tend to propagate a finite distance toward the surface. This presentation investigates the relationship between foam thickness and crack initiation and subsequent crack growth, using linear elastic fracture mechanics, in a rigid polymeric closed-cell foam through analysis and comparison with experimental results.

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Imaging of the Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) Using Synthetic Aperture Focusing Techniques (SAFT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Case, J. T.; Robbins, J.; Kharkovshy, S.; Hepburn, F. L.; Zoughi, R.

2005-01-01

The Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic failure is thought to have been caused by a dislodged piece of external tank SOFI (Spray On Foam Insulation) striking the left wing of the orbiter causing significant damage to some of the reinforced carbodcarbon leading edge wing panels. Microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive evaluation methods, have shown great potential for inspecting the SOFI for the purpose of detecting anomalies such as small voids that may cause separation of the foam from the external tank during the launch. These methods are capable of producing relatively high-resolution images of the interior of SOH particularly when advanced imaging algorithms are incorporated into the overall system. To this end, synthetic aperture focusing techniques are being deveioped for this purpose. These iechniqiies pradiice high-resolution images that are independent of the distance of the imaging probe to the SOFI with spatial resolution in the order of the half size of imaging probe aperture. At microwave and millimeter wave frequencies these apertures are inherently small resulting in high-resolution images. This paper provides the results of this investigation using 2D and 3D SAF based methods and holography. The attributes of these methods and a full discussion of the results will also be provided.

Large-Scale Liquid Hydrogen Testing of Variable Density Multilayer Insulation with a Foam Substrate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. J.; Hastings, L.

2001-01-01

The multipurpose hydrogen test bed (MHTB), with an 18-cu m liquid hydrogen tank, was used to evaluate a combination foam/multilayer combination insulation (MLI) concept. The foam element (Isofoam SS-1171) insulates during ground hold/ascent flight, and allowed a dry nitrogen purge as opposed to the more complex/heavy helium purge subsystem normally required. The 45-layer MLI was designed for an on-orbit storage period of 45 days. Unique WI features include a variable layer density, larger but fewer double-aluminized Mylar perforations for ascent to orbit venting, and a commercially established roll-wrap installation process that reduced assembly man-hours and resulted in a roust, virtually seamless MLI. Insulation performance was measured during three test series. The spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) successfully prevented purge gas liquefaction within the MLI and resulted in the expected ground hold heat leak of 63 W/sq m. The orbit hold tests resulted in heat leaks of 0.085 and 0.22 W/sq m with warm boundary temperatures of 164 and 305 K, respectively. Compared to the best previously measured performance with a traditional MLI system, a 41-percent heat leak reduction with 25 fewer MLI layers was achieved. The MHTB MLI heat leak is half that calculated for a constant layer density MLI.

Development of polyisocyanurate pour foam formulation for space shuttle external tank thermal protection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, James A.; Butler, John M.; Chartoff, Richard P.

1988-01-01

Four commercially available polyisocyanurate polyurethane spray-foam insulation formulations are used to coat the external tank of the space shuttle. There are several problems associated with these formulations. For example, some do not perform well as pourable closeout/repair systems. Some do not perform well at cryogenic temperatures (poor adhesion to aluminum at liquid nitrogen temperatures). Their thermal stability at elevated temperatures is not adequate. A major defect in all the systems is the lack of detailed chemical information. The formulations are simply supplied to NASA and Martin Marietta, the primary contractor, as components; Part A (isocyanate) and Part B (poly(s) and additives). Because of the lack of chemical information the performance behavior data for the current system, NASA sought the development of a non-proprietary room temperature curable foam insulation. Requirements for the developed system were that it should exhibit equal or better thermal stability both at elevated and cryogenic temperatures with better adhesion to aluminum as compared to the current system. Several formulations were developed that met these requirements, i.e., thermal stability, good pourability, and good bonding to aluminum.

KSC-07pd2373

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A close-up view of the LO2 feed line bracket with the BX265foam insulation and super lightweight ablator, or SLA, cork insulation removed. The BX265 foam insulation will later be reapplied without the SLA. The tank is scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007 on mission STS-120. Discovery's crew will add the module Harmony that will serve as a port for installing additional international laboratories. Harmony will be the first expansion of the living and working space on the complex since the Russian Pirs airlock was installed in 2001. The mission also will move the first set of solar arrays installed on the station to a permanent location on the complex and redeploy them. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Experimental Investigations of Space Shuttle BX-265 Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lerch, Bradley A.; Sullivan, Roy M.

2009-01-01

This report presents a variety of experimental studies on the polyurethane foam, BX-265. This foam is used as a close-out foam insulation on the space shuttle external tank. The purpose of this work is to provide a better understanding of the foam s behavior and to support advanced modeling efforts. The following experiments were performed: Thermal expansion was measured for various heating rates. The in situ expansion of foam cells was documented by heating the foam in a scanning electron microscope. Expansion mechanisms are described. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed at various heating rates and for various environments. The glass transition temperature was also measured. The effects of moisture on the foam were studied. Time-dependent effects were measured to give preliminary data on viscoelastoplastic properties.

Application of Video Image Correlation Techniques to the Space Shuttle External Tank Foam Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilburger, Mark W.; Nemeth, Michael P.

2005-01-01

Results that illustrate the use of a video-image-correlation-based displacement and strain measurement system to assess the effects of material nonuniformities on the behavior of the sprayed-on foam insulation (SOFI) used for the thermal protection system on the Space Shuttle External Tank are presented. Standard structural verification specimens for the SOFI material with and without cracks and subjected to mechanical or thermal loading conditions were tested. Measured full-field displacements and strains are presented for selected loading conditions to illustrate the behavior of the foam and the viability of the measurement technology. The results indicate that significant strain localization can occur in the foam because of material nonuniformities. In particular, elongated cells in the foam can interact with other geometric or material discontinuities in the foam and develop large-magnitude localized strain concentrations that likely initiate failures. Furthermore, some of the results suggest that continuum mechanics and linear elastic fracture mechanics might not adequately represent the physical behavior of the foam, and failure predictions based on homogeneous linear material models are likely to be inadequate.

Application of Video Image Correlation Techniques to the Space Shuttle External Tank Foam Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilburger, Mark W.; Nemeth, Michael P.

2006-01-01

Results that illustrate the use of a video-image-correlation-based displacement and strain measurement system to assess the effects of material nonuniformities on the behavior of the sprayed-on foam insulation (SOFI) used for the thermal protection system on the Space Shuttle External Tank are presented. Standard structural verification specimens for the SOFI material with and without cracks and subjected to mechanical or thermal loading conditions were tested. Measured full-field displacements and strains are presented for selected loading conditions to illustrate the behavior of the foam and the viability of the measurement technology. The results indicate that significant strain localization can occur in the foam because of material nonuniformities. In particular, elongated cells in the foam can interact with other geometric or material discontinuities in the foam and develop large-magnitude localized strain concentrations that likely initiate failures. Furthermore, some of the results suggest that continuum mechanics and linear elastic fracture mechanics might not adequately represent the physical behavior of the foam, and failure predictions based on homogeneous linear material models are likely to be inadequate.

Wind tunnel tests of Space Shuttle external tank insulation material in the aerothermal tunnel at elevated (1440 deg F) total temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartman, A. S.; Nutt, K. W.

1982-01-01

Tests of the space shuttle external tank foam insulation were conducted in the von Karman Gas Dynamics Facility Tunnel C. For these tests, Tunnel C was run at Mach 4 with a total temperature of 1440 F and a total pressure which varied from 30-100 psia. Cold wall heating rates were changed by varying the test article support wedge angle and by adding and removing a shock generator or a cylindrical protuberance. Selected results are presented to illustrate the test techniques and typical data obtained.

KSC-07pd0563

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform, rolls toward the Vehicle Assembly Building. In the VAB, the shuttle will be examined for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

Porous Media Approach for Modeling Closed Cell Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghosn, Louis J.; Sullivan, Roy M.

2006-01-01

In order to minimize boil off of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen and to prevent the formation of ice on its exterior surface, the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) is insulated using various low-density, closed-cell polymeric foams. Improved analysis methods for these foam materials are needed to predict the foam structural response and to help identify the foam fracture behavior in order to help minimize foam shedding occurrences. This presentation describes a continuum based approach to modeling the foam thermo-mechanical behavior that accounts for the cellular nature of the material and explicitly addresses the effect of the internal cell gas pressure. A porous media approach is implemented in a finite element frame work to model the mechanical behavior of the closed cell foam. The ABAQUS general purpose finite element program is used to simulate the continuum behavior of the foam. The soil mechanics element is implemented to account for the cell internal pressure and its effect on the stress and strain fields. The pressure variation inside the closed cells is calculated using the ideal gas laws. The soil mechanics element is compatible with an orthotropic materials model to capture the different behavior between the rise and in-plane directions of the foam. The porous media approach is applied to model the foam thermal strain and calculate the foam effective coefficient of thermal expansion. The calculated foam coefficients of thermal expansion were able to simulate the measured thermal strain during heat up from cryogenic temperature to room temperature in vacuum. The porous media approach was applied to an insulated substrate with one inch foam and compared to a simple elastic solution without pore pressure. The porous media approach is also applied to model the foam mechanical behavior during subscale laboratory experiments. In this test, a foam layer sprayed on a metal substrate is subjected to a temperature variation while the metal substrate is stretched to simulate the structural response of the tank during operation. The thermal expansion mismatch between the foam and the metal substrate and the thermal gradient in the foam layer causes high tensile stresses near the metal/foam interface that can lead to delamination.

Design and development of polyphenylene oxide foam as a reusable internal insulation for LH2 tanks, phase 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

PPO form was tested for mechanical strength, for the effects of 100 thermal cycles from 450 K (359 F) to 21 K (-423 F) and for gas flow resistance characteristics. PPO foam panels were investigated for density variations, methods for joining panels were studied and panel joint thermal test specimens were fabricated. The range of foam panel thickness under investigation was extended to include 7 mm (0.3 in) and 70 mm (2.8 in) panels which also were tested for thermal performance.

Fuel tank for liquefied natural gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLay, Thomas K. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A storage tank is provided for storing liquefied natural gas on, for example, a motor vehicle such as a bus or truck. The storage tank includes a metal liner vessel encapsulated by a resin-fiber composite layer. A foam insulating layer, including an outer protective layer of epoxy or of a truck liner material, covers the composite layer. A non-conducting protective coating may be painted on the vessel between the composite layer and the vessel so as to inhibit galvanic corrosion.

KSC-2010-5762

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A backscatter device is being used to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5760

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer uses a backscatter device to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5761

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A backscatter device is being used to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5764

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A backscatter device is being used to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5765

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Engineers will use a backscatter device to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5758

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer uses a backscatter device to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5754

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer uses a backscatter device to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5756

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer uses a backscatter device to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5755

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer uses a backscatter device to examine space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

Intumescent coating development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sayler, I. O.; Griffen, C. W.

1983-01-01

A program was completed at the University of Dayton Research Institute in which polyimide and phenolic intumescent coatings were evaluated as supplemental thermal insulation for the sprayed-on foam insulation on the aft bulkhead of the space shuttle external tank. The purpose of the intumescent coating was to provide additional thermal protection during lift-off in order to replace the ablative heat resistant layer with a lighter weight material for increased payload in the shuttle.

Development of polyisocyanurate pour foam formulation for space shuttle external tank thermal protection system. Final technical report, March 1986-October 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harvey, J.A.; Butler, J.M.; Chartoff, R.P.

1988-08-01

Four commercially available polyisocyanurate polyurethane spray-foam insulation formulations are used to coat the external tank of the space shuttle. There are several problems associated with these formulations. For example, some do not perform well as pourable closeout/repair systems. Some do not perform well at cryogenic temperatures (poor adhesion to aluminum at liquid nitrogen temperatures). Their thermal stability at elevated temperatures is not adequate. A major defect in all the systems is the lack of detailed chemical information. The formulations are simply supplied to NASA and Martin Marietta, the primary contractor, as components; Part A (isocyanate) and Part B (poly(s) andmore » additives). Because of the lack of chemical information the performance behavior data for the current system, NASA sought the development of a non-proprietary room temperature curable foam insulation. Requirements for the developed system were that it should exhibit equal or better thermal stability both at elevated and cryogenic temperatures with better adhesion to aluminum as compared to the current system. Several formulations were developed that met these requirements, i.e., thermal stability, good pourability, and good bonding to aluminum.« less

CFM technologies for space transportation: Multipurpose hydrogen testbed system definition and tank procurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, E. C.; Kiefel, E. R.; Mcintosh, G. L.; Sharpe, J. B.; Sheahan, D. R.; Wakefield, M. E.

1993-01-01

The development of a test bed tank and system for evaluating cryogenic fluid management technologies in a simulated upper stage liquid hydrogen tank is covered. The tank is 10 ft long and is 10 ft in diameter, and is an ASME certified tank constructed of 5083 aluminum. The tank is insulated with a combination of sprayed on foam insulation, covered by 45 layers of double aluminized mylar separated by dacron net. The mylar is applied by a continuous wrap system adapted from commercial applications, and incorporates variable spacing between the mylar to provide more space between those layers having a high delta temperature, which minimizes heat leak. It also incorporates a unique venting system which uses fewer large holes in the mylar rather than the multitude of small holes used conventionally. This significantly reduces radiation heat transfer. The test bed consists of an existing vacuum chamber at MSFC, the test bed tank and its thermal control system, and a thermal shroud (which may be heated) surrounding the tank. Provisions are made in the tank and chamber for inclusion of a variety of cryogenic fluid management experiments.

Microwave and Millimeter Wave Testing for the Inspection of the Space Shuttle Spray on Foam Insulations (SOFI) and the Acreage Heat Tiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoughi, R.; Kharkovsky, S.; Hepburn, F. L.

2005-01-01

The utility of microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods, for testing the Space Shuttle's external he1 tank spray on foam insulation (SOFI) and the acreage heat tiles has been investigated during the past two years. Millimeter wave NDE techniques are capable of producing internal images of SOFI. This paper presents the results of testing several diverse panels with embedded voids and debonds at millimeter wave frequencies. Additionally, the results of testing a set of heat tiles are also presented. Finally, the attributes of these methods as well as the advantageous features associated with these systems are also provided.

Comparison of Focused and Near-Field Imaging of Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) at Millimeter Wave Frequencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovshy, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, F. L.

2007-01-01

Millimeter wave imaging techniques can provide high spatial-resolution images of various composites. Lens antennas may be incorporated into the imaging system to provide a small incident beam footprint. Another approach may involve the use of horn antennas, which if operating in their near-fields, images with reasonably high spatial-resolutions may also be obtained. This paper gives a comparison between such near-field and focused far-field imaging of the Space Shuttle Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) used in its external fuel tank at millimeter wave frequencies. Small horn antennas and lens antennas with relatively long depth of focus were used in this investigation.

KSC-07pd0565

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform, rolls into the Vehicle Assembly Building after leaving Launch Pad 39A. In the VAB, the shuttle will be examined for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

KSC-07pd0569

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After leaving Launch Pad 39A, Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform, comes to rest in high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

KSC-07pd0598

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians work on repair techniques to the hail-damaged external tank. They are inside a tented area that protects the tank. Scaffolding around the tank can be seen below. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd2371

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-08-24

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The super lightweight ablator, or SLA, cork insulation has been removed from the external tank and a United Space Alliance external tank technician sands off the residue from the LO2 feed line bracket. The BX265 foam insulation will later be reapplied without the SLA. The tank is scheduled to fly on Space Shuttle Discovery in October 2007 on mission STS-120. Discovery's crew will add the module Harmony that will serve as a port for installing additional international laboratories. Harmony will be the first expansion of the living and working space on the complex since the Russian Pirs airlock was installed in 2001. The mission also will move the first set of solar arrays installed on the station to a permanent location on the complex and redeploy them. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2010-5757

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer examines images of space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank taken from a backscatter device on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5763

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer examines images of space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank taken from a backscatter device on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2010-5759

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An engineer examines images of space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank taken from a backscatter device on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The device bounces radiation off the tank, allowing technicians to see under the tank's foam insulation. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for Discovery’s STS-133 launch attempt on Nov. 5, and technicians later identified two cracked stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Those two stringers have been replaced and reinforced with doublers, which are shaped metal pieces twice as thick as the original stringers. Launch is no earlier than Dec. 17 at 8:51 p.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

Tank Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

For NASA's Apollo program, McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company, Huntington Beach, California, developed and built the S-IVB, uppermost stage of the three-stage Saturn V moonbooster. An important part of the development task was fabrication of a tank to contain liquid hydrogen fuel for the stage's rocket engine. The liquid hydrogen had to be contained at the supercold temperature of 423 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The tank had to be perfectly insulated to keep engine or solar heat from reaching the fuel; if the hydrogen were permitted to warm up, it would have boiled off, or converted to gaseous form, reducing the amount of fuel available to the engine. McDonnell Douglas' answer was a supereffective insulation called 3D, which consisted of a one-inch thickness of polyurethane foam reinforced in three dimensions with fiberglass threads. Over a 13-year development and construction period, the company built 30 tanks and never experienced a failure. Now, after years of additional development, an advanced version of 3D is finding application as part of a containment system for transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by ship.

KSC-07pd0596

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians perform repair techniques to the external tank inside a tented area that protects the top of the tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd0602

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians work on repair techniques to the external tank. They are inside a tented area that protects the tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd0076

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The white foam insulation freshly reapplied to space shuttle Atlantis's external tank completes the work to remove and replace the feed-through connector on the engine cut-off, or ECO, sensor connector. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace the ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Husten

KSC-08pd0075

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The white foam insulation freshly reapplied to space shuttle Atlantis's external tank completes the work to remove and replace the feed-through connector on the engine cut-off, or ECO, sensor connector. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace the ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The repair work was done on Atlantis while the shuttle has been on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Husten

Advanced Signal Processing Techniques Applied to Terahertz Inspections on Aerospace Foams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, Long Buu

2009-01-01

The space shuttle's external fuel tank is thermally insulated by the closed cell foams. However, natural voids composed of air and trapped gas are found as by-products when the foams are cured. Detection of foam voids and foam de-bonding is a formidable task owing to the small index of refraction contrast between foam and air (1.04:1). In the presence of a denser binding matrix agent that bonds two different foam materials, time-differentiation of filtered terahertz signals can be employed to magnify information prior to the main substrate reflections. In the absence of a matrix binder, de-convolution of the filtered time differential terahertz signals is performed to reduce the masking effects of antenna ringing. The goal is simply to increase probability of void detection through image enhancement and to determine the depth of the void.

Partial Analysis of Insta-Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chou, L. W.

1983-01-01

Insta-Foam, used as a thermal insulator for the non-critical area of the external tank during the prelaunch phase to minimize icing, is a two-component system. Component A has polyisocyanates, blowing agents, and stabilizers; Component B has the polyols, catalysts, blowing agents, stabilizers and fire retardant. The blowing agents are Freon 11 and Freon 12, the stabilizers are silicone surfactants, the catalysts are tertiary amines, and the fire retardant is tri-(beta-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate (PCF). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was quantitatively identified polyols and PFC.

KSC-07pd0600

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians look at hail damage on the external tank. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Cryogenic thermal control technology summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stark, J. A.; Leonhard, K. E.; Bennett, F. O., Jr.

1974-01-01

A summarization and categorization is presented of the pertinent literature associated with cryogenic thermal control technology having potential application to in-orbit fluid transfer systems and/or associated space storage. Initially, a literature search was conducted to obtain pertinent documents for review. Reports determined to be of primary significance were summarized in detail. Each summary, where applicable, consists of; (1) report identification, (2) objective(s) of the work, (3) description of pertinent work performed, (4)major results, and (5) comments of the reviewer (GD/C). Specific areas covered are; (1) multilayer insulation of storage tanks with and without vacuum jacketing, (2) other insulation such as foams, shadow shields, microspheres, honeycomb, vent cooling and composites, (3) vacuum jacketed and composite fluid lines, and (4) low conductive tank supports and insulation penetrations. Reports which were reviewed and not summarized, along with reasons for not summarizing, are also listed.

KSC-07pd0561

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A worker walks alongside the massive treads of the crawler-transporter that is moving Space Shuttle Atlantis back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, at right. In the VAB, the shuttle will be examined for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

KSC-07pd0562

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- As it rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform, is framed in the photo by winter-stripped branches topped by spring blossoms. In the VAB, the shuttle will be examined for hail damage. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Further evaluation of the tank is necessary to get an accurate accounting of foam damage and determine the type of repair required and the time needed for that work. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April. Photo credit: NASA/Amanda Diller

High-Resolution Millimeter Wave Detection of Vertical Cracks in the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) Spray-on-Foam Insulation (SOFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, Frank L.

2006-01-01

Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic failure has been attributed to a piece of spray-on-foam insulation (SOFI) that was dislodged from the external tank (ET) and struck the leading edge of the left wing. A piece of SOFI was also dislodged in the Space Shuttle Discovery's flight in 2005 and recently a crack was detected in its ET foam prior to its successful launch. Millimeter wave nondestructive testing methods have been considered as potential effective inspection tools for evaluating the integrity of the SOFI. Recently, in a specific investigation into the potential of these methods for detecting vertical cracks in SOFI was explored using a focused millimeter wave reflectometer at 150 GHz. The results showed the capability of these methods for detecting tight vertical cracks (also as a function of crack opening dimension) in exposed SOFI panels and while covered by a piece of SOFI ramp simulating a more realistic and challenging situation. Some crack-like anomalies were also detected in a blind SOFI panel. This paper presents the background for these techniques as well as representative images of the vertical crack in the SOFI panel, crack-like anomalies in the blind panel and a discussion of the practical attributes of these inspection methods.

Assessment of Technologies for the Space Shuttle External Tank Thermal Protection System and Recommendations for Technology Improvement. Part 1; Materials Characterization and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiser, Erik S.; SaintClair, Terry L.; Nemeth, Michael P.

2004-01-01

The use of foam insulation on the External Tank (ET) was necessitated by the potentially hazardous build up of ice on the vehicle prior to and during launch. This use of foam was initiated on the Saturn V rocket, which, like the Space Shuttle, used cryogenic fuel. Two major types of foam have been used on the ET. The first type is NCFI 24-124, an acreage material that is automatically sprayed on in a controlled environment. It replaced CPR 488 in 1998 and has been used since that time. The other major foams, BX-250 or BX-265, are handsprayed foams that are used to close out regions where the various sections of the ET are attached. The objectives of the present report are to study the chemistries of the various foam materials and to determine how physical and mechanical anomalies might occur during the spray and curing process. To accomplish these objectives, the report is organized as follows. First, the chemistries of the raw materials will be discussed. This will be followed by a discussion of how chemistry relates to void formation. Finally, a TGA-MS will be used to help understand the various foams and how they degrade with the evolution of chemical by-products.

Thermal Expansion of Three Closed Cell Polymeric Foams at Cryogenic Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stokes, Eric

2006-01-01

The Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) contains the liquid H2 fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines (SSME) in the orbiter during lift-off and ascent. The ET thermal protection system consists of sprayed-on foam insulation and pre-molded ablator materials. The closed-cell foams are the external coating on the ET and are responsible for minimizing the amount of moisture that condenses out and freezes on the tank from the humid air in Florida while it is on the pad with cryogenic propellant awaiting launch. This effort was part of the overall drive to understand the behavior of these materials under use-conditions. There are four specially-engineered closed-cell foams used on the tank. The thermal expansion (contraction) of three of the polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams were measured from -423 F (the temperature of liquid hydrogen) to 125 F under atmospheric conditions and under vacuum. One of them, NCFI 24-124, is a mechanically-applied material and covers the main acreage of the tank, accounting for 77 percent of the total foam used. Another, BX-265, is also a mechanically-applied and hand-sprayed material used on the tank's "closeout" areas. PDL 1034 is a hand-poured foam used for filling odd-shaped cavities in the tank, Measurements were made in triplicate in the three primary material directions in the case of the first two materials and the two primary material directions in the case of the last. Task 1 was developing the techniques for getting a uniform heating rate and minimizing axial and radial thermal gradients in the specimens. Temperature measurements were made at four locations in the specimens during this initial development phase of testing. Major challenges that were overcome include developing techniques for transferring the coolant, liquid helium (-452 F), from its storage container to the test facility with a minimal transfer of heat to the coolant and control of the heating rate at the lowest temperatures.

KSC-2011-1123

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank continues in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians are modifying 94 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges. After the modifications of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied to the tank. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-1124

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank continues in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians are modifying 94 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges. After modifications to the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied to the tank. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

KSC-2011-1121

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank continues in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians are modifying 94 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges. After the modifications of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied to the tank. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-1122

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank continues in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians are modifying 94 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges. After the modifications of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied to the tank. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-1120

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-18

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank continues in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians are modifying 94 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges. After the modifications of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied to the tank. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is targeted for Feb. 24, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

46 CFR 13.121 - Courses for tankerman endorsements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... during repair and maintenance work X X safety measures for hot and cold work X X electrical safety X X... X X X X Construction, materials, coating, & insulation of cargo tanks X X General arrangement of..., carbon dioxide (CO2), foam * * * X Pressure-water spray system in special-category spaces X Automatic...

Millimeter Wave Detection of Localized Anomalies in the Space Shuttle External Fuel Tank Insulating Foam and Acreage Heat Tiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Case, J. T.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, F.

2005-01-01

The Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic accident emphasizes the growing need for developing and applying effective, robust and life-cycle oriented nondestructive testing (NDT) methods for inspecting the shuttle external fuel tank spray on foam insulation (SOFI) and its protective acreage heat tiles. Millimeter wave NDT techniques were one of the methods chosen for evaluating their potential for inspecting these structures. Several panels with embedded anomalies (mainly voids) were produced and tested for this purpose. Near-field and far-field millimeter wave NDT methods were used for producing millimeter wave images of the anomalies in SOFI panel and heat tiles. This paper presents the results of an investigation for the purpose of detecting localized anomalies in two SOFI panels and a set of heat tiles. To this end, reflectometers at a relatively wide range of frequencies (Ka-band (26.5 - 40 GHz) to W-band (75 - 110 GHz)) and utilizing different types of radiators were employed. The results clearly illustrate the utility of these methods for this purpose.

Cryogenic Moisture Analysis of Spray-On Foam Insulation (SOFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

The NASA Cryogenics Test Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center conducted long-term testing of SOFI materials under actual-use cryogenic conditions. The lab tested NCFI 24-124 (acreage foam), BX-265 (close-out foam, including intertank flange and bipod areas), and a potential alternate material, NCFI 27-68 (acreage foam with the flame retardant removed). Specimens of all three materials were placed at a site that simulated aging (the Vehicle Assembly Building [VAB]) and a site that simulated weathering (Atmospheric Exposure Test Site [beach site]). After aging/ weathering intervals of 3, 6, and 12 months, the samples were retrieved and tested for their ability to absorb moisture under conditions similar to those experienced by the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) during the loading of cryogenic propellants.

KSC-07pd0599

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians carefully apply red dye to the external tank as part of repair operations. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd0595

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician carefully applies red dye to the external tank as part of repair operations. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd0601

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers secure scaffolding around the external tank to prepare it for repairs. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd0597

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician carefully applies red dye to the external tank as part of repair operations. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Foam on Tile Impact Modeling for the STS-107 Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stellingwerf, R. F.; Robinson, J. H.; Richardson, S.; Evans, S. W.; Stallworth, R.; Hovater, M.

2004-01-01

Following the breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia during reentry a NASA/Contractor investigation team was formed to examine the probable damage inflicted on Orbiter Thermal Protection System elements by impact of External Tank insulating foam projectiles. The authors formed a working subgroup within the larger team to apply the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics code SPHC to the damage estimation problem. Numerical models of the Orbiter's tiles and of the Tank's foam were constructed and used as inputs into the code. Material properties needed to properly model the tiles and foam were obtained from other working subgroups who performed tests on these items for this purpose. Two- and three-dimensional models of the tiles were constructed, including the glass outer layer, the main body of LI-900 insulation, the densified lower layer of LI-900, the Nomex felt mounting layer, and the Aluminum 2024 vehicle skin. A model for the BX-250 foam including porous compression, elastic rebound, and surface erosion was developed. Code results for the tile damage and foam behavior were extensively validated through comparison with Southwest Research Institute foam-on-tile impact experiments carried out in 1999. These tests involved small projectiles striking individual tiles and small tile arrays. Following code and model validation we simulated impacts of larger foam projectiles on the examples of tile systems used on the Orbiter. Results for impacts on the main landing gear door are presented in this paper, including effects of impacts at several angles, and of rapidly rotating projectiles. General results suggest that foam impacts on tiles at about 500 mph could cause appreciable damage if the impact angle is greater than about 20 degrees. Some variations of the foam properties, such as increased brittleness or increased density could increase damage in some cases. Rotation up to 17 rps failed to increase the damage for the two cases considered. This does not rule out other cases in which the rotational energy might lead to an increase in tile damage, but suggests that in most cases rotation will not be an important factor.

Low thrust chemical orbit to orbit propulsion system propellant management study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dergance, R. H.; Hamlyn, K. M.; Tegart, J. R.

1981-01-01

Low thrust chemical propulsion systems were sized for transfer of large space systems from LEO to GEO. The influence of propellant combination, tankage and insulation requirements, and propellant management techniques on the LTPS mass and volume were studied. Liquid oxygen combined with hydrogen, methane or kerosene were the propellant combinations. Thrust levels of 445, 2230, and 4450 N were combined with 1, 4 and 8 perigee burn strategies. This matrix of systems was evaluated using multilayer insulation and spray-on-foam insulation systems. Various combinations of toroidal, cylindrical with ellipsoidal domes, and ellipsoidal tank shapes were investigated. Results indicate that low thrust (445 N) and single perigee burn approaches are considerably less efficient than the higher thrust level and multiple burn strategies. A modified propellant settling approach minimized propellant residuals and decreased system complexity, in addition, the toroid/ellipsoidal tank combination was predicted to be shortest.

KSC-07pd0884

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-13

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the repair work of hail damage on Atlantis' external tank is inspected. At left is Brian Miller, with NASA Quality Assurance; at right is Mike Ravenscroft, with United Space Alliance. In the front is Sabrena Yedo, with NASA Safety. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0605

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician carefully begins to sand away the red dye that has been applied to the external tank to help expose cracks or compression dents. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd0604

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, an area near the top of the external tank has been covered in a red dye to help expose cracks or compression dents. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd0609

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians carefully sand away the red dye that has been applied to the external tank to help expose cracks or compression dents. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd1080

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians observe the sander used to repair hail damage on Atlantis' nose cone. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-07pd0607

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians begin to carefully sand away the red dye that has been applied to the external tank to help expose cracks or compression dents. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd1081

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians adjust the sander used to repair hail damage on Atlantis' nose cone. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-07pd2045

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-04

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, atop the mobile launcher platform, rolls back into high bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building from Launch Pad 39A. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. Photo credit: NASA/Jeff Wolfe

Insulation Progress since the Mid-1950s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timmerhaus, K. D.

Storage vessel and cryostat design for modern cryogenic systems has become rather routine as the result of the wide use of and application of cryogenic fluids. Such vessels for these fluids range in size from 1 L flasks used in the laboratory for liquid nitrogen to the more than 200,000 m3 double-walled tanks used for temporary storage of liquefied natural gas before being transported overseas to their final destination. These storage vessels for cryogenic fluids range in type from low-performance containers insulated with rigid foam or fibrous insulation to high-performance containers insulated with evacuated multilayer insulations. The overriding factors in the type of container selected normally are of economics and safety. This paper will consider various insulation concepts used in such cryogenic storage systems and will review the progress that has been made over the past 50 years in these insulation systems.

Characterization of Solid Polymers, Ceramic Gap Filler, and Closed-Cell Polymer Foam Using Low-Load Test Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herring, Helen M.

2008-01-01

Various solid polymers, polymer-based composites, and closed-cell polymer foam are being characterized to determine their mechanical properties, using low-load test methods. The residual mechanical properties of these materials after environmental exposure or extreme usage conditions determines their value in aerospace structural applications. In this experimental study, four separate polymers were evaluated to measure their individual mechanical responses after thermal aging and moisture exposure by dynamic mechanical analysis. A ceramic gap filler, used in the gaps between the tiles on the Space Shuttle, was also tested, using dynamic mechanical analysis to determine material property limits during flight. Closed-cell polymer foam, used for the Space Shuttle External Tank insulation, was tested under low load levels to evaluate how the foam's mechanical properties are affected by various loading and unloading scenarios.

STS-133 Space Shuttle External Tank Intertank Stringer Crack Investigation Stress Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steeve, Brian E.

2012-01-01

The first attempt to launch the STS-133 Space Shuttle mission in the fall of 2010 was halted due to indications of a gaseous hydrogen leak at the External Tank ground umbilical carrier plate seal. Subsequent inspection of the external tank (figure 1) hardware and recorded video footage revealed that the foam insulation covering the forward end of the intertank near the liquid oxygen tank had cracked severely enough to have been cause for halting the launch attempt on its own (figure 2). An investigation into the cause of the insulation crack revealed that two adjacent hat-section sheet metal stringers (figure 3) had cracks up to nine inches long in the forward ends of the stringer flanges, or feet, near the fasteners that attach the stringer to the skin of the intertank (figure 4). A repair of those two stringers was implemented and the investigation effort widened to understand the root cause of the stringer cracks and to determine whether there was sufficient flight rationale to launch with the repairs and the other installed stringers.

Application of an Elongated Kelvin Model to Space Shuttle Foams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, Roy M.; Ghosn, Louis J.; Lerch, Bradley A.

2008-01-01

Spray-on foam insulation is applied to the exterior of the Space Shuttle s External Tank to limit propellant boil-off and to prevent ice formation. The Space Shuttle foams are rigid closed-cell polyurethane foams. The two foams used most extensively on the Space Shuttle External Tank are BX-265 and NCFI24-124. Since the catastrophic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia, numerous studies have been conducted to mitigate the likelihood and the severity of foam shedding during the Shuttle s ascent to space. Due to the foaming and rising process, the foam microstructures are elongated in the rise direction. As a result, these two foams exhibit a non-isotropic mechanical behavior. In this paper, a detailed microstructural characterization of the two foams is presented. The key features of the foam cells are summarized and the average cell dimensions in the two foams are compared. Experimental studies to measure the room temperature mechanical response of the two foams in the two principal material directions (parallel to the rise and perpendicular to the rise) are also reported. The measured elastic modulus, proportional limit stress, ultimate tensile stress and the Poisson s ratios for the two foams are compared. The generalized elongated Kelvin foam model previously developed by the authors is reviewed and the equations which result from this model are presented. The resulting equations show that the ratio of the elastic modulus in the rise direction to that in the perpendicular-to-rise direction as well as the ratio of the strengths in the two material directions is only a function of the microstructural dimensions. Using the measured microstructural dimensions and the measured stiffness ratio, the foam tensile strength ratio and Poisson s ratios are predicted for both foams. The predicted tensile strength ratio is in close agreement with the measured strength ratios for both BX-265 and NCFI24-124. The comparison between the predicted Poisson s ratios and the measured values is not as favorable.

Design and Fabrication of a Tank-Applied Broad Area Cooling Shield Coupon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, J. J.; Middlemas, M. R.

2012-01-01

The small-scale broad area cooling (BAC) shield test panel represents a section of the cryogenic propellant storage and transfer ground test article, a flight-like cryogenic propellant storage tank. The test panel design includes an aluminum tank shell, primer, spray-on foam insulation, multilayer insulation (MLI), and BAC shield hardware. This assembly was sized to accurately represent the character of the MLI/BAC shield system, be quickly and inexpensively assembled, and be tested in the Marshall Space Flight Center Acoustic Test Facility. Investigating the BAC shield response to a worst-case launch dynamic load was the key purpose for developing the test article and performing the test. A preliminary method for structurally supporting the BAC shield using low-conductivity standoffs was designed, manufactured, and evaluated as part of the test. The BAC tube-standoff interface and unsupported BAC tube lengths were key parameters for evaluation. No noticeable damage to any system hardware element was observed after acoustic testing.

KSC-2010-5961

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-12-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Inside the intertank of space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank, a technician holds the film used to project computed radiography scans. The shuttle stack, consisting of the shuttle, external tank and solid rocket boosters, was moved from Launch Pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida so technicians could examine 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the tank's intertank and re-apply foam insulation. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Glass Artworks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Several NASA technologies have played part in growth and cost containment of studio glass art, among them a foam type insulation developed to meet a need for lightweight material that would reduce flame spread in aircraft fire. Foam comes in several forms and is widely used by glass artists, chiefly as an insulator for the various types of ovens used in glass working. Another Spinoff is alumina crucibles to contain molten glass. Before alumina crucibles were used, glass tanks were made of firebrick which tended to erode under high temperatures and cause impurities; this not only improved quality but made the process more cost effective. One more NASA technology that found its way into glass art working is a material known as graphite board, a special form of graphite originally developed for rocket motor applications. This graphite is used to exact compound angles and creates molds for poured glass artworks of dramatic design.

A Micromechanics Finite Element Model for Studying the Mechanical Behavior of Spray-On Foam Insulation (SOFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghosn, Louis J.; Sullivan, Roy M.; Lerch, Bradley A.

2006-01-01

A micromechanics model has been constructed to study the mechanical behavior of spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) for the external tank. The model was constructed using finite elements representing the fundamental repeating unit of the SOFI microstructure. The details of the micromechanics model were based on cell observations and measured average cell dimensions discerned from photomicrographs. The unit cell model is an elongated Kelvin model (fourteen-sided polyhedron with 8 hexagonal and six quadrilateral faces), which will pack to a 100% density. The cell faces and cell edges are modeled using three-dimensional 20-node brick elements. Only one-eighth of the cell is modeled due to symmetry. By exercising the model and correlating the results with the macro-mechanical foam behavior obtained through material characterization testing, the intrinsic stiffness and Poisson s Ratio of the polymeric cell walls and edges are determined as a function of temperature. The model is then exercised to study the unique and complex temperature-dependent mechanical behavior as well as the fracture initiation and propagation at the microscopic unit cell level.

Study of thermal insulation for airborne liquid hydrogen fuel tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruccia, F. E.; Lindstrom, R. S.; Lucas, R. M.

1978-01-01

A concept for a fail-safe thermal protection system was developed. From screening tests, approximately 30 foams, adhesives, and reinforcing fibers using 0.3-meter square liquid nitrogen cold plate, CPR 452 and Stafoam AA1602, both reinforced with 10 percent by weight of 1/16 inch milled OCF Style 701 Fiberglas, were selected for further tests. Cyclic tests with these materials in 2-inch thicknesses bonded on a 0.6-meter square cold plate with Crest 7410 adhesive systems, were successful. Zero permeability gas barriers were identified and found to be compatible with the insulating concept.

24 CFR 200.947 - Building product standards and certification program for polystyrene foam insulation board.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... certification program for polystyrene foam insulation board. 200.947 Section 200.947 Housing and Urban... program for polystyrene foam insulation board. (a) Applicable standards. (1) All polystyrene foam... visit the manufacturer's facility to select a sample of each certified polystyrene foam insulation board...

KSC-07pd3659

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-29

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, a team of external tank specialists from Lockheed Martin and the United Space Alliance undertakes the task of removing the hydrogen feed-through connector in support of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. Here, a technician gives the connector a cleaning, removing any residual foam insulation, and begins disconnecting the connector assembly. Some of the tank's engine cutoff sensors, or ECO sensors, failed during propellant tanking for launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. After the data from additional testing on the connector is analyzed, shuttle program managers will decide on a forward plan. Launch of STS-122 is targeted for January 2008. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

KSC-07pd0606

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician carefully begins to carefully sand away the red dye that has been applied to the external tank to help expose cracks or compression dents. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd1083

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, one technician adjusts the sander while another observes as they work on repairing the hail damage to Atlantis' nose cone. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

State-of-the-art of the Space Shuttle External Tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronquillo, L.

The designation, structure and environment of the External Tank (ET) of the Space Shuttle as well as plans for increasing the facilities and tooling to meet the required production rate capability of 40 or more ETs per year in 1992 are described. Special attention is given to the weight reduction of ET, since 1.0 lb of weight saved on the empty structure translates into about 0.9 lb of additional payload. To determine the potentiality of the weight reduction, structural tests were conducted. It was found that the tank could function properly with interior support structures reduced, and selected stringers eliminated. It is reported that an alternate sprayable polyisocyanurate foam capable of replacing a foam insulation over ablator bilayer thermoprotective composite on the aft-dome of the tank was developed: a commercially available material was modified to adhere to the -423 F aluminum substrate in the 2000 F engine-plume radiant-heat environment. It is mentioned that the weight savings program which started in Oct. 1975 saved 6000 lb by Jan. 1979. To reduce weld testing time and gain 100 times the accuracy, an electromechanical check system was developed. Problems of using robots are discussed.

Foam Insulation for Cryogenic Flowlines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sonju, T. R.; Carbone, R. L.; Oves, R. E.

1985-01-01

Welded stainless-steel vacuum jackets on cryogenic ducts replaced by plastic foam-insulation jackets that weigh 12 percent less. Foam insulation has 85 percent of insulating ability of stainless-steel jacketing enclosing vacuum of 10 microns of mercury. Foam insulation easier to install than vacuum jacket. Moreover, foam less sensitive to damage and requires minimal maintenance. Resists vibration and expected to have service life of at least 10 years.

KSC-99pp0517

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-12

At Launch Pad 39B, two holes caused by hail on Space Shuttle Discovery's external tank (ET) are visible. Left of the tank is one of the solid rocket boosters. Workers are investigating the damage and potential problems for launch posed by ice forming in the holes, which may number as many as 150 over the entire tank. The average size of the holes is one-half inch in diameter and one-tenth inch deep. The external tank contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter during liftoff and ascent. The ET thermal protection system consists of sprayed-on foam insulation. The Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch of mission STS-96 on May 20 at 9:32 a.m

Review of Current State of the Art and Key Design Issues With Potential Solutions for Liquid Hydrogen Cryogenic Storage Tank Structures for Aircraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mital, Subodh K.; Gyekenyesi, John Z.; Arnold, Steven M.; Sullivan, Roy M.; Manderscheid, Jane M.; Murthy, Pappu L. N.

2006-01-01

Due to its high specific energy content, liquid hydrogen (LH2) is emerging as an alternative fuel for future aircraft. As a result, there is a need for hydrogen tank storage systems, for these aircraft applications, that are expected to provide sufficient capacity for flight durations ranging from a few minutes to several days. It is understood that the development of a large, lightweight, reusable cryogenic liquid storage tank is crucial to meet the goals of and supply power to hydrogen-fueled aircraft, especially for long flight durations. This report provides an annotated review (including the results of an extensive literature review) of the current state of the art of cryogenic tank materials, structural designs, and insulation systems along with the identification of key challenges with the intent of developing a lightweight and long-term storage system for LH2. The broad classes of insulation systems reviewed include foams (including advanced aerogels) and multilayer insulation (MLI) systems with vacuum. The MLI systems show promise for long-term applications. Structural configurations evaluated include single- and double-wall constructions, including sandwich construction. Potential wall material candidates are monolithic metals as well as polymer matrix composites and discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites. For short-duration flight applications, simple tank designs may suffice. Alternatively, for longer duration flight applications, a double-wall construction with a vacuum-based insulation system appears to be the most optimum design. The current trends in liner material development are reviewed in the case that a liner is required to minimize or eliminate the loss of hydrogen fuel through permeation.

Characteristics of a gelled liquid hyprogen polyphenylene oxide (PPO) foam open-cell insulation system, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A large scale gel production and storage facility and a small scale facility, the latter used for detailed visual examination of the gel/PPO foam interface, were developed. A subcontract was given to investigate techniques for the production of gelled liquid hydrogen, develop a process design for scale-up to a 1.89 cu m (500 gallon) gel production and storage facility, determine gel transfer characteristics, determine the solubility rate of gaseous helium in the gel, and investigate the gross gel/PPO foam interfacial phenomena. An inside-tank process for scaled-up production of gelled liquid hydrogen was selected. No detectable gel structure degradation occurred during repeated shearing. The viscosity of gelled liquid hydrogen at shear rates of 300/sec and higher is 2 to 5-fold greater than that of neat liquid hydrogen. No clogging problems were encountered during the transfer of gelled liquid hydrogen through warmed transfer lines. The solubility rate of helium in liquid hydrogen was significantly reduced by the presence of gel structure. The boil-off rates from gelled liquid hydrogen were reduced from 25 to 50 percent compared to those observed for the neat liquid hydrogen under compatible conditions. The polyphenylene oxide (PPO) foam insulation was found to be compatible with liquid ethane.

The House that NASA Built

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Tech House, located at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, is a demonstration project in which aerospace and commercial building technology are combined to produce an energy-efficient home. Advanced technology offers savings to the family in utility costs and energy conservation. Solar panels on the roof of tech house provide the principal energy saving. They capture the sun's rays to heat water in pipes that run through the solar collectors. The heated water is then stored in a large, well insulated underground tank. A heat exchanger extracts beat from the water and blows it through ducts to warm the house. Tech House is well insulated for energy savings. The principal insulation is fireproof Tripolymer foam which is sprayed onto walls and ceilings in thicknesses up to six inches.

Prosthesis Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

In this photograph, Sandra Rossi user her NASA-developed prosthesis for the first time. Derived from foam insulation technology used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat, FAB/CAD, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, utilized the technology to replace the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material was lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the customer.

Evaluation of European District Heating Systems for Application to Army Installations in the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

pipes in hooded channels, and the steel insulated pipes are insulated with mineral wool . In the thermo- concrete laying system the insulation...depends on the type foam insulation used. • Class “A” steel carrier pipe with a mineral wool , foam glass, fiber glass, or calcium silicate insulation...with a mineral wool , foam glass, fiber glass, or calcium silicate insulation covered by a steel con- duit, which has a polyurethane foam insulation

Thermal design of the space shuttle external tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bachrtel, F. D.; Vaniman, J. L.; Stuckey, J. M.; Gray, C.; Widofsky, B.

1985-01-01

The shuttle external tank thermal design presents many challenges in meeting the stringent requirements established by the structures, main propulsion systems, and Orbiter elements. The selected thermal protection design had to meet these requirements, and ease of application, suitability for mass production considering low weight, cost, and high reliability. This development led to a spray-on-foam (SOFI) which covers the entire tank. The need and design for a SOFI material with a dual role of cryogenic insulation and ablator, and the development of the SOFI over SLA concept for high heating areas are discussed. Further issuses of minimum surface ice/frost, no debris, and the development of the TPS spray process considering the required quality and process control are examined.

Finite Element Simulation and Assessment of Single-Degree-of-Freedom Prediction Methodology for Insulated Concrete Sandwich Panels Subjected to Blast Loads

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

24 Figure 21. Stress-Strain Curve of Expanded Polystyrene Insulation Foam Samples ....................25 Figure 22. Stress-Strain Curve of...Polyisocyanruate Insulation Foam Samples ............................25 Figure 23. Stress-Strain Curve of Extruded Expanded Polystyrene Insulation Foam...for modeling (Naito et al. 2009a). Insulating foams included expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded expanded polystyrene (XPS), and polyisocyanurate

Evaluation of HFC 245ca and HFC 236ea as foam blowing agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharpe, Jon; Macarthur, Doug; Kollie, Tom; Graves, Ron; Liu, Matthew; Hendriks, Robert V.

1995-01-01

Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) 141b has been selected as the interim blowing agent for use in urethane insulations on NASA's Space Shuttle External Tank. Due to the expected limited commercial lifetime of this material, research efforts at the NASA Thermal Protection Systems Materials Research Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center are now being devoted to the identification and development of alternatives with zero ozone depletion potential. Physical blowing agents identified to date have included hydrocarbons, fluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers, and more predominantly, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The majority of the HFC evaluations in industry have focused on the more readily available, low boiling candidates such as HFC 134a. Higher boiling HFC candidates that could be handled at ambient conditions and use current processing equipment would be more desirable. This paper will describe results from a research program of two such candidate HFC's performed as a cooperative effort between Martin Marietta Manned Space Systems, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. The purpose of this effort was to perform a cursory evaluation of the developmental HFC's 245ca and 236ea as blowing agents in urethane based insulations. These two materials were selected from screening tests of 37 C2, C3, and C4 isomers based on physical properties, atmospheric lifetime, flammability, estimated toxicity, difficulty of synthesis, suitability for dual use as a refrigerant, and other factors. Solubility of the two materials in typical foam components was tested, pour foaming trials were performed, and preliminary data were gathered regarding foam insulation performance.

Characterization of Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System (TPS) Materials for Return-to-Flight following the Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wingard, Doug

2006-01-01

During the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation, it was determined that a large chunk of polyurethane insulating foam (= 1.67 lbs) on the External Tank (ET) came loose during Columbia's ascent on 2-1-03. The foam piece struck some of the protective Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of Columbia's left wing in the mid-wing area. This impact damaged Columbia to the extent that upon re-entry to Earth, superheGed air approaching 3,000 F caused the vehicle to break up, killing all seven astronauts on board. A paper after the Columbia Accident Investigation highlighted thermal analysis testing performed on External Tank TPS materials (1). These materials included BX-250 (now BX-265) rigid polyurethane foam and SLA-561 Super Lightweight Ablator (highly-filled silicone rubber). The large chunk of foam from Columbia originated fiom the left bipod ramp of the ET. The foam in this ramp area was hand-sprayed over the SLA material and various fittings, allowed to dry, and manually shaved into a ramp shape. In Return-to-Flight (RTF) efforts following Columbia, the decision was made to remove the foam in the bipod ramp areas. During RTF efforts, further thermal analysis testing was performed on BX-265 foam by DSC and DMA. Flat panels of foam about 2-in. thick were sprayed on ET tank material (aluminum alloys). The DSC testing showed that foam material very close to the metal substrate cured more slowly than bulk foam material. All of the foam used on the ET is considered fully cured about 21 days after it is sprayed. The RTF culminated in the successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on 7-26-05. Although the flight was a success, there was another serious incident of foam loss fiom the ET during Shuttle ascent. This time, a rather large chunk of BX-265 foam (= 0.9 lbs) came loose from the liquid hydrogen (LH2) PAL ramp, although the foam did not strike the Shuttle Orbiter containing the crew. DMA testing was performed on foam samples taken fiom a simulated PAL ramp panel. It was found that the smooth rind on the foam facing the cable tray did significantly affect the properties of foam at the PAL ramp surface. The smooth rind increased the storage modulus E' of the foam as much as 20- 40% over a temperature range of -145 to 95 C. Because of foam loss fiom the PAL ramp, future Shuttle flights were grounded indefinitely to allow further testing to better understand foam properties. The decision was also made to remove foam from the LH2 PAL, ramp. Other RTF efforts prior to the launch of Discovery included

In-situ strain monitoring in liquid containers of LNG transporting carriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Min-Cheol; Seo, Jun-Kyu; Kim, Kyung-Jo; Lee, Sang-Min; Kim, Myung-Hyun

2008-08-01

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport carriers are exposed to a risk by the repeated bump in the LNG container during the vessel traveling over the wave in ocean. The liquid inside the container, especially when it was not fully contained, make a strong bump onto the insulation panel of the tank wall. The insulation panel consists of several layers of thick polyurethane foam (PUF) to maintain the LNG below the cryogenic temperature, -162°C. Due to the repeated shock on the PUF, a crack could be developed on the tank wall causing a tremendous disaster for LNG carriers. To prevent the accidental crack on the tank, a continuous monitoring of the strain imposed on the PUF is recommended. In this work, a fiber-optic Bragg grating was imbedded inside the PUF for monitoring the strain parallel to the impact direction. The optical fiber sensor with a small diameter of 125 μm was suitable to be inserted in the PUF through a small hole drilled after the PUF was cured. In-situ monitoring of the strain producing the change of Bragg reflection wavelength, a high speed wavelength interrogation method was employed by using an arrayed waveguide grating. By dropping a heavy mass on the PUF, we measured the strain imposed on the insulation panel.

Simultaneous Noncontact Precision Imaging of Microstructural and Thickness Variation in Dielectric Materials Using Terahertz Energy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, Don J.; Seebo, Jeffrey P.; Winfree, William P.

2008-01-01

This article describes a noncontact single-sided terahertz electromagnetic measurement and imaging method that simultaneously characterizes microstructural (egs. spatially-lateral density) and thickness variation in dielectric (insulating) materials. The method was demonstrated for two materials-Space Shuttle External Tank sprayed-on foam insulation and a silicon nitride ceramic. It is believed that this method can be used as an inspection method for current and future NASA thermal protection system and other dielectric material inspection applications, where microstructural and thickness variation require precision mapping. Scale-up to more complex shapes such as cylindrical structures and structures with beveled regions would appear to be feasible.

KSC-07pd0608

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In Highbay 1 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, a technician carefully sands away the red dye that has been applied to the external tank to help expose cracks or compression dents, while another technician uses a compression hose to remove excess particles. A severe thunderstorm with golf ball-sized hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. A new target launch date has not been determined, but teams will focus on preparing Atlantis for liftoff in late April on mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd1079

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-09

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, technicians are inspecting the sanding performed on Atlantis' nose cone to repair hail damage. The equipment on the side of the nose cone is the sander. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 now is targeted for June 8. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-07pd1177

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Space Shuttle Atlantis is ready for its return to Launch Pad 39A. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation, as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 is now targeted for June 8. A flight readiness review will be held on May 30 and 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-07pd1178

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In high bay No. 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Space Shuttle Atlantis awaits its return to Launch Pad 39A. In late February, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation, as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 is now targeted for June 8. A flight readiness review will be held on May 30 and 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Development of LOX/LH2 tank system for H-I launch vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nozaki, Y.; Takamatsu, H.; Morino, Y.; Imagawa, K.

Design features of the second stage of the prospective Japanese H-1 launch vehicle are described. The stage will use an LO2/LH2 fueled engine. The fuels will be contained in a 2219 Al alloy tank insulated with sprayed polyurethane foam. The total stage length will be 5.5 m, the volume 6.8 m, pressure 3.2 kg/sq cm (LOX) and 2.5 kg/sq cm (LH2). The diameter is 2.5 m and total fuel mass is 8.7 tons. Design verification tests, consisting of burning tests and thermal evaluation, are scheduled for the near future.

Plastic Materials for Insulating Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, S. F.; Grossman, S. J.

1987-01-01

Discusses the production and use of polymer materials as thermal insulators. Lists several materials that provide varying degrees of insulation. Describes the production of polymer foam and focuses on the major applications of polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, and polyisocyanurate foam. (TW)

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-01-01

In this photograph, Sandra Rossi user her NASA-developed prosthesis for the first time. Derived from foam insulation technology used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat, FAB/CAD, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, utilized the technology to replace the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material was lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the customer.

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-01-01

In this photograph, James Carden uses a NASA-developed prosthesis to moved planks around his home. Derived from foam insulation technology used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat, FAB/CAD, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, utilized the technology to replace the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material was lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the customer.

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-04-15

In this photograph, Amputee Amie Bradly uses a NASA-developed prosthesis to paint her fingernails. Derived from foam insulation technology used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat, FAB/CAD, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, utilized the technology to replace the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material was lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the customer.

Prosthesis Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

In this photograph, Amputee Amie Bradly uses a NASA-developed prosthesis to paint her fingernails. Derived from foam insulation technology used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat, FAB/CAD, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, utilized the technology to replace the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material was lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the customer.

Prosthesis Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

In this photograph, James Carden uses a NASA-developed prosthesis to moved planks around his home. Derived from foam insulation technology used to protect the Space Shuttle External Tank from excessive heat, FAB/CAD, a subsidiary of the Harshberger Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, utilized the technology to replace the heavy, fragile plaster they used to produce master molds for prosthetics. The new material was lighter, cheaper and easier to manufacture than plaster, resulting in lower costs to the customer.

Overview of High-Resolution Nondestructive Inspection of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) Spray-on-Foam Insulation (SOFI) and Acreage Heat tiles using Focused, Synthetic and Holographical Millimeter Wave Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Case, J. T.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, Frank L.

2006-01-01

Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic failure has been attributed to a piece of spray-on-foam insulation (SOFI) that was dislodged from the external tank (ET) and struck the leading edge of the left wing. A piece of SOFI was also dislodged in the recent Space Shuttle Discovery's flight. From immediately after the Columbia accident, microwave and millimeter wave nondestructive testing methods were considered as potential effective inspection tools for evaluating the integrity of the SOFI. To this end and as a result of these efforts, both real-focused, synthetic focusing and holographical techniques, at a wide range of frequencies covering 24 GHz to 150 GHz, have been developed for this purpose. Images of various complex SOFI panels with a wide range of embedded anomalies (representing real potential defects) have been produced using these techniques, including relatively small anomalies located near complex structural features representative of the external tank. These real-focused and 3D holographical images have effectively demonstrated the utility of these methods for SOFI inspection as being viable, robust, repeatable, simple, portable and relatively inexpensive (tens of $K as opposed to hundreds of $K). In addition, the potential viability of these methods for inspecting acreage heat tiles have has been demonstrated. This paper presents an overview of these activities, representative images of these panels using all of the imaging techniques used and a discussion of the practical attributes of these inspection methods.

Laser Shearographic Inspection for Debonds in Sprayed On Foam Insulation (SOFI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, F. W.; Hooker, J.; Simmons, S.

1997-01-01

Preliminary results of shearographic inspections of the test panels simulating the Space Shuttle's external tank (ET) spray on foam insulation (SOFI) are presented. Debonding of SOFI may introduce flight debris that may damage the orbiter's thermal protection system (TPS) exposing the orbiter (as well as the ET) to thermal loading. It is estimated that 90 percent of the TPS damage on the orbiter's 'belly' results from debonded SOFI during ascent. A series of test panels were fabricated, with programmed debonds of different geometries and sizes, to determine the sensitivity of shearography as a function of debond size, SOFI thickness,'and vacuum excitation. Results show that a Probability of Detection (POD) of 0.95 or better can be expected for debonds with a diameter equal to the SOFI thickness as less than 0.4-psi pressure reduction. More testing will be required to validate the laser shearography imaging process for certifying its use in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of Space Shuttle space flight components.

KSC-2011-1005

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1003

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1002

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1000

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1004

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1006

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-1001

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank begins in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians will modify 32 support beams, called stringers, on the tank's intertank region by fitting pieces of metal, called radius blocks, over the stringers' edges where they attach to the thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-99pp0518

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-12

At Launch pad 39B, Mike Barber, with United Space Alliance safety, points to one of the holes caused by hail on Space Shuttle Discovery's external tank (ET). Workers are investigating the damage and potential problems for launch posed by ice forming in the holes, which may number as many as 150 over the entire tank. The average size of the holes is one-half inch in diameter and one-tenth inch deep. The external tank contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter during liftoff and ascent. The ET thermal protection system consists of sprayed-on foam insulation. The Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch of mission STS-96 on May 20 at 9:32 a.m

KSC-99pp0514

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-12

At Launch Pad 39B, the top of the external tank (ET) mated to Space Shuttle Discovery is dotted with nearly a dozen visible dings from recent hail storms. Workers are investigating the damage and potential problems for launch posed by ice forming in the holes, which may number as many as 150 over the entire tank. The average size of the dings is one-half inch in diameter and one-tenth inch deep. The external tank contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter during liftoff and ascent. The ET thermal protection system consists of sprayed-on foam insulation. The Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch of mission STS-96 on May 20 at 9:32 a.m

KSC-99pp0515

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-12

A hole, created by recent hail storms, is identified as number one on the surface of the external tank (ET) mated to Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39B. Workers are investigating the damage and potential problems for launch posed by ice forming in the holes, which may number as many as 150 over the entire tank. The average size of the holes is one-half inch in diameter and one-tenth inch deep. The external tank contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter during liftoff and ascent. The ET thermal protection system consists of sprayed-on foam insulation. The Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch of mission STS-96 on May 20 at 9:32 a.m

KSC-99pp0516

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-12

A hole, created by recent hail storms, is identified as number two on the surface of the external tank (ET) mated to Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad 39B. Workers are investigating the damage and potential problems for launch posed by ice forming in the holes, which may number as many as 150 over the entire tank. The average size of the holes is one-half inch in diameter and one-tenth inch deep. The external tank contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer and supplies them under pressure to the three space shuttle main engines in the orbiter during liftoff and ascent. The ET thermal protection system consists of sprayed-on foam insulation. The Shuttle Discovery is targeted for launch of mission STS-96 on May 20 at 9:32 a.m

A sticky situation: management of spray polyurethane foam insulation in body orifices.

PubMed

Sowerby, Robert J; Sowerby, Leigh J; Vinden, Chris

2011-11-01

Spray polyurethane foam insulation is commonly used in the construction industry to fill gaps, seal, and insulate. We present three cases of intentional spray foam insertion in body orifices and discuss the management of such situations in the emergency department. This series includes a case of oral foam insertion used in a suicide attempt by suffocation and two cases of rectal insertion. All of these cases had potential long-term consequences; one was life-threatening. To our knowledge, this is the first published report on the medical management and removal of foam insulation from body orifices. In all three cases, the foam insulation material was successfully removed after allowing the material to harden.

7 CFR 2902.17 - Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Plastic insulating foam for residential and... BIOBASED PRODUCTS FOR FEDERAL PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 2902.17 Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction. (a) Definition. Spray-in-place plastic foam products designed to...

7 CFR 3201.17 - Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Plastic insulating foam for residential and... DESIGNATING BIOBASED PRODUCTS FOR FEDERAL PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 3201.17 Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction. (a) Definition. Spray-in-place plastic foam products designed to...

7 CFR 3201.17 - Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Plastic insulating foam for residential and... DESIGNATING BIOBASED PRODUCTS FOR FEDERAL PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 3201.17 Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction. (a) Definition. Spray-in-place plastic foam products designed to...

7 CFR 3201.17 - Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Plastic insulating foam for residential and... DESIGNATING BIOBASED PRODUCTS FOR FEDERAL PROCUREMENT Designated Items § 3201.17 Plastic insulating foam for residential and commercial construction. (a) Definition. Spray-in-place plastic foam products designed to...

Low-Frequency Foam Insulator (LOFFI) Accelerometer Mount Characterization Results and Analysis for Phase I (FY2013)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Low-Frequency Foam Insulator (LOFFI) Accelerometer Mount Characterization Results and Analysis for Phase I (FY2013) by Andrew Drysdale...Proving Ground, MD 21005-5068 ARL-TR-6977 June 2014 Low-Frequency Foam Insulator (LOFFI) Accelerometer Mount Characterization Results...4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Low-Frequency Foam Insulator (LOFFI) Accelerometer Mount Characterization Results and Analysis for Phase I (FY2013) 5a

Characterization of Space Shuttle External Tank Thermal Protection System (TPS) Materials in Support of the Columbia Accident Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wingard, Charles D.

2004-01-01

NASA suffered the loss of the seven-member crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003 when the vehicle broke apart upon re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. The final report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) determined that the accident was caused by a launch ascent incident-a suitcase-sized chunk of insulating foam on the Shuttle's External Tank (ET) broke off, and moving at almost 500 mph, struck an area of the leading edge of the Shuttle s left wing. As a result, one or more of the protective Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the wing leading edge were damaged. Upon re-entry, superheated air approaching 3,000 F breached the wing damage and caused the vehicle breakup and loss of crew. The large chunk of insulating foam that broke off during the Columbia launch was determined to come from the so-called bipod ramp area where the Shuttle s orbiter (containing crew) is attached to the ET. Underneath the foam in the bipod ramp area is a layer of TPS that is a cork-filled silicone rubber composite. In March 2003, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama received cured samples of the foam and composite for testing from the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The MAF is where the Shuttle's ET is manufactured. The foam and composite TPS materials for the ET have been well characterized for mechanical property data at the super-cold temperatures of the liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuels used in the ET. However, modulus data on these materials is not as well characterized. The TA Instruments 2980 Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) was used to determine the modulus of the two TPS materials over a range of -145 to 95 C in the dual cantilever bending mode. Multi-strain, fixed frequency DMA tests were followed by multi-frequency, fixed strain tests to determine the approximate bounds of linear viscoelastic behavior for the two materials. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Photogrammetric Trajectory Estimation of Foam Debris Ejected From an F-15 Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Mark S.

2006-01-01

Photogrammetric analysis of high-speed digital video data was performed to estimate trajectories of foam debris ejected from an F-15B aircraft. This work was part of a flight test effort to study the transport properties of insulating foam shed by the Space Shuttle external tank during ascent. The conical frustum-shaped pieces of debris, called "divots," were ejected from a flight test fixture mounted underneath the F-15B aircraft. Two onboard cameras gathered digital video data at two thousand frames per second. Time histories of divot positions were determined from the videos post flight using standard photogrammetry techniques. Divot velocities were estimated by differentiating these positions with respect to time. Time histories of divot rotations were estimated using four points on the divot face. Estimated divot position, rotation, and Mach number for selected cases are presented. Uncertainty in the results is discussed.

Thermal Expansion of Polyurethane Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lerch, Bradley A.; Sullivan, Roy M.

2006-01-01

Closed cell foams are often used for thermal insulation. In the case of the Space Shuttle, the External Tank uses several thermal protection systems to maintain the temperature of the cryogenic fuels. A few of these systems are polyurethane, closed cell foams. In an attempt to better understand the foam behavior on the tank, we are in the process of developing and improving thermal-mechanical models for the foams. These models will start at the microstructural level and progress to the overall structural behavior of the foams on the tank. One of the key properties for model characterization and verification is thermal expansion. Since the foam is not a material, but a structure, the modeling of the expansion is complex. It is also exacerbated by the anisoptropy of the material. During the spraying and foaming process, the cells become elongated in the rise direction and this imparts different properties in the rise direction than in the transverse directions. Our approach is to treat the foam as a two part structure consisting of the polymeric cell structure and the gas inside the cells. The polymeric skeleton has a thermal expansion of its own which is derived from the basic polymer chemistry. However, a major contributor to the thermal expansion is the volume change associated with the gas inside of the closed cells. As this gas expands it exerts pressure on the cell walls and changes the shape and size of the cells. The amount that this occurs depends on the elastic and viscoplastic properties of the polymer skeleton. The more compliant the polymeric skeleton, the more influence the gas pressure has on the expansion. An additional influence on the expansion process is that the polymeric skeleton begins to breakdown at elevated temperatures and releases additional gas species into the cell interiors, adding to the gas pressure. The fact that this is such a complex process makes thermal expansion ideal for testing the models. This report focuses on the thermal expansion tests and the response of the microstructure. A novel optical method is described which is appropriate for measuring thermal expansion at high temperatures without influencing the thermal expansion measurement. Detailed microstructural investigations will also be described which show cell expansion as a function of temperature. Finally, a phenomenological model on thermal expansion will be described.

Strain compatibility tests for sprayed foam cryogenic insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, W. L.; Kimberlin, D. O.

1970-01-01

Mechanical stress applied to foam-coated aluminum alloy specimens maintained at cryogenic temperature simulates actual use conditions of the foam insulation. The testing reveals defects in the polyurethane foam or in the foam to metal bond.

KSC-07pd3652

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, a United Space Alliance technician carefully cuts away the foam insulation surrounding the covers over the feed-through connector box on the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. The covers will be removed for access to the feed-through connectors. Following the failure of some of the tank's engine cutoff sensors, or ECO sensors, during propellant tanking for launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, a tanking test was conducted on Dec. 18 to aid in troubleshooting the cause. Technicians spliced test wiring into the ECO sensor electrical system and used time domain reflectometry equipment to help locate the electrical anomaly. Results of the tanking test pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. During the holiday period, workers from Lockheed Martin will begin inspecting and testing the connector. Shuttle program managers will meet on Dec. 27 to review the test and analysis, and decide on a forward plan. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Development of thermal stratification and destratification scaling concepts. Volume 1: Definition of thermal stratification scaling parameters and experimental investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovrich, T. N.; Schwartz, S. H.

1975-01-01

The dimensionless parameters associated with the thermal stratification and pressure history of a heated container of liquid and its vapor were examined. The Modified Grashof number, the Fourier number, and an Interface number were parameterized using a single test liquid, Freon 113. Cylindrical test tanks with spherical dome end caps were built. Blanket heaters covered the tanks and thermocouples monitored the temperatures of the liquid, the ullage, the tank walls, and the foam insulation encapsulating the tank. A centrifuge was used for the 6 inch tank to preserve the same scaling parameter values between it and the larger tanks. Tests were conducted over a range of Gr* values and the degree of scaling was checked by comparing the dimensionless pressures and temperatures for each scaled pair of tests. Results indicate that the bulk liquid temperature, the surface temperature of the liquid, and the tank pressure can be scaled with the three dimensionless parameters. Some deviation was, however, found in the detailed temperature profiles between the scaled pairs of tests.

Temperature control transport system

DOEpatents

Schabron, John F; Sorini-Wong, Susan S

2014-12-09

Embodiments of the inventive technology may involve the use of layered, insulated PCM assemblage that itself comprises: modular insulating foam material 8 that, upon establishment as part of the assemblage, defines inner foam material sides 9 and outer foam material sides 10; thin reflective material 11 established against (whether directly in contact with or not) at least either the inner foam material sides or the outer foam materials sides, and modular, enclosed PCM sections 12 established between the modular insulating foam material and the interior center.

Ice/frost detection using millimeter wave radiometry. [space shuttle external tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gagliano, J. A.; Newton, J. M.; Davis, A. R.; Foster, M. L.

1981-01-01

A series of ice detection tests was performed on the shuttle external tank (ET) and on ET target samples using a 35/95 GHz instrumentation radiometer. Ice was formed using liquid nitrogen and water spray inside a test enclosure containing ET spray on foam insulation samples. During cryogenic fueling operations prior to the shuttle orbiter engine firing tests, ice was formed with freon and water over a one meter square section of the ET LOX tank. Data analysis was performed on the ice signatures, collected by the radiometer, using Georgia Tech computing facilities. Data analysis technique developed include: ice signature images of scanned ET target; pixel temperature contour plots; time correlation of target data with ice present versus no ice formation; and ice signature radiometric temperature statistical data, i.e., mean, variance, and standard deviation.

Implementing Recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ottens, B.; La, A.; Brown, T.; Parker, B.; Jenings, D.; Townsend, J.

2004-01-01

As many are aware, a piece of insulating foam liberated itself from the external tank and impacted the leading edge of Columbia during ascent on STS-107. It is believed that this impact left a hole in the thermal protection system (TPS), which protects the shuttle from hot plasma generated during re-entry. Unfortunately, the orbiter did not have the margin to withstand this compromise, and it is believed that the result of these events caused the loss of crew and orbiter.

Material Inspection Using THz and Thermal Wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Cunlin; Mu, Kaijun; Li, Yanhong; Zhang, X.-C.

2007-03-01

Terahertz (THz) and thermal wave imaging technologies are complementary inspection modalities for use in non-contact and non-destructive evaluation. Both of them are applied in order to evaluate damages on a variety of composite samples. We will also report the test of a large number of insulation foam panels used in NASA's External Fuel Tank through pulse and CW terahertz systems. The study of defects using the two techniques in selected materials, including metal plates, carbon fibers, glass fibers, carbon silicon composites, etc is also shown.

Panelized wall system with foam core insulation

DOEpatents

Kosny, Jan [Oak Ridge, TN; Gaskin, Sally [Houston, TX

2009-10-20

A wall system includes a plurality of wall members, the wall members having a first metal panel, a second metal panel, and an insulating core between the first panel and the second panel. At least one of the first panel and the second panel include ridge portions. The insulating core can be a foam, such as a polyurethane foam. The foam can include at least one opacifier to improve the k-factor of the foam.

Material Modeling of Space Shuttle Leading Edge and External Tank Materials For Use in the Columbia Accident Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carney, Kelly; Melis, Matthew; Fasanella, Edwin L.; Lyle, Karen H.; Gabrys, Jonathan

2004-01-01

Upon the commencement of the analytical effort to characterize the impact dynamics and damage of the Space Shuttle Columbia leading edge due to External Tank insulating foam, the necessity of creating analytical descriptions of these materials became evident. To that end, material models were developed of the leading edge thermal protection system, Reinforced Carbon Carbon (RCC), and a low density polyurethane foam, BX-250. Challenges in modeling the RCC include its extreme brittleness, the differing behavior in compression and tension, and the anisotropic fabric layup. These effects were successfully included in LS-DYNA Material Model 58, *MAT_LAMINATED_ COMPOSITE_ FABRIC. The differing compression and tension behavior was modeled using the available damage parameters. Each fabric layer was given an integration point in the shell element, and was allowed to fail independently. Comparisons were made to static test data and coupon ballistic impact tests before being utilized in the full scale analysis. The foam's properties were typical of elastic automotive foams; and LS-DYNA Material Model 83, *MAT_FU_CHANG_FOAM, was successfully used to model its behavior. Material parameters defined included strain rate dependent stress-strain curves for both loading and un-loading, and for both compression and tension. This model was formulated with static test data and strain rate dependent test data, and was compared to ballistic impact tests on load-cell instrumented aluminum plates. These models were subsequently utilized in analysis of the Shuttle leading edge full scale ballistic impact tests, and are currently being used in the Return to Flight Space Shuttle re-certification effort.

Space Shuttle Status News Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Richard Gilbech, External Tank "Tiger Team" Lead, begins this space shuttle news conference with detailing the two major objectives of the team. The objectives include: 1) Finding the root cause of the foam loss on STS-114; and 2) Near and long term improvements for the external tank. Wayne Hale, Space Shuttle Program Manager, presents a chart to explain the external tank foam loss during STS-114. He gives a possible launch date for STS-121 after there has been a repair to the foam on the External Tank. He further discusses the changes that need to be made to the surrounding areas of the plant in New Orleans, due to Hurricane Katrina. Bill Gerstemaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations, elaborates on the testing of the external tank foam loss. The discussion ends with questions from the news media about a fix for the foam, replacement of the tiles, foam loss avoidance, the root cause of foam loss and a possible date for a new external tank to be shipped to NASA Kennedy Space Center.

49 CFR 178.356 - Specification 20PF phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Specification 20PF phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. 178.356 Section 178.356 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... Specification 20PF phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. ...

49 CFR 178.356 - Specification 20PF phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Specification 20PF phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. 178.356 Section 178.356 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND... Specification 20PF phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. ...

Urea formaldehyde foam: a dangerous insulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keough, C.

1980-12-01

Insulating a home with urea formaldehyde foam can lead to severe health problems due to poisoning from formaldehyde gas. Respiratory problems, allergies, memory loss, and mental problems can result from exposure to foam insulation fumes. Research is now under way at the Chemical Industry Inst., Univ. of Washington, and other institutions to learn more about the health effects of formaldehyde foam and to develop possible remedies to these problems. Several states are either banning or controlling the use of this type of home insulation.

Development tests of LOX/LH 2 tank for H-I launch vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takamatsu, H.; Imagawa, K.; Ichimaru, Y.

H-I is a future launch vehicle of Japan with a capability of placing more than 550 kg payload into a geostationary orbit. The National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) is now directing its efforts to the final development of H-I launch vehicle. H-I's high launch capability is attained by adopting a newly developed second stage with a LOX/LH 2 propulsion system. The second stage propulsion system consists of a tank and an engine. The tank is 2.5 m in diameter and 5.7 m in length and contains 8.7 tons of propellants. This tank is an integral tank with a common bulkhead which separates the tank into forward LH 2 tank and aft LOX tank. The tank is made of 2219 aluminum alloy and is insulated with sprayed polyurethane foam. The common bulkhead is made of FRP honeycomb core and aluminium alloy surface sheets. The most critical item in the development of the tank is the common bulkhead, therefore the cryogenic structural test was carried out to verify the structural integrity of the bulkhead. The structural integrity of the whole LOX/LH 2 tank was verified by the cryogenic structural test of a sub-scale tank and the room temperature structural test of a prototype tank.

Technological parameters influence on the non-autoclaved foam concrete characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartenjeva, Ekaterina; Mashkin, Nikolay

2017-01-01

Foam concretes are used as effective heat-insulating materials. The porous structure of foam concrete provides good insulating and strength properties that make them possible to be used as heat-insulating structural materials. Optimal structure of non-autoclaved foam concrete depends on both technological factors and properties of technical foam. In this connection, the possibility to manufacture heat-insulation structural foam concrete on a high-speed cavity plant with the usage of protein and synthetic foamers was estimated. This experiment was carried out using mathematical planning method, and in this case mathematical models were developed that demonstrated the dependence of operating performance of foam concrete on foaming and rotation speed of laboratory plant. The following material properties were selected for the investigation: average density, compressive strength, bending strength and thermal conductivity. The influence of laboratory equipment technological parameters on technical foam strength and foam stability coefficient in the cement paste was investigated, physical and mechanical properties of non-autoclaved foam concrete were defined based on investigated foam. As a result of investigation, foam concrete samples were developed with performance parameters ensuring their use in production. The mathematical data gathered demonstrated the dependence of foam concrete performance on the technological regime.

76 FR 31795 - Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Freezers...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-02

.... That text, within the context of assessing the long-term thermal resistance of the insulating foam... foam insulation used in a walk-in freezer unit. The published temperature, 35 [deg]F 1 [deg]F--a... insulation foam used in walk- in freezers. See 42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(9)(A)(iii) (indicating that the insulation...

Stringer Bending Test Helps Diagnose and Prevent Cracks in the Space Shuttle's External Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saxon, Joseph B.; Swanson, Gregory R.; Ondocsin, William P.; Wingate, Robert J.

2012-01-01

Space Shuttle Discovery's last mission, STS-133, was scheduled to launch on November 5, 2010. Just hours before liftoff, a hydrogen leak at an umbilical connection scrubbed the launch attempt. After the scrub, further inspection revealed a large crack in the foam insulation covering the External Tank, ET-137. Video replay of the launch attempt confirmed the crack first appeared as cryogenic propellants were being loaded into the ET. When the cracked foam was removed, technicians found the underlying stringer had two 9-inch-long cracks. Further inspection revealed a total of 5 of the 108 ET stringers had cracked. NASA and Lockheed Martin immediately launched an aggressive campaign to understand the cracks and repair the stringers in ET-137, targeting February 2011 as the new launch date for STS-133. Responsibilities for the various aspects of the investigation were widely distributed among NASA centers and organizations. This paper will focus on lab testing at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama that was intended to replicate the stringer failure and gauge the effect of proposed countermeasures.

Thermal highly porous insulation materials made of mineral raw materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mestnikov, A.

2015-01-01

The main objective of the study is to create insulating foam based on modified mineral binders with rapid hardening. The results of experimental studies of the composition and properties of insulating foam on the basis of rapidly hardening Portland cement (PC) and gypsum binder composite are presented in the article. The article proposes technological methods of production of insulating foamed concrete and its placement to the permanent shuttering wall enclosures in monolithic-frame construction and individual energy-efficient residential buildings, thus reducing foam shrinkage and improving crack-resistance.

NASA Research Center Contributions to Space Shuttle Return to Flight (SSRTF)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cockrell, Charles E., Jr.; Barnes, Robert S.; Belvin, Harry L.; Allmen, John; Otero, Angel

2005-01-01

Contributions provided by the NASA Research Centers to key Space Shuttle return-to-flight milestones, with an emphasis on debris and Thermal Protection System (TPS) damage characterization, are described herein. Several CAIB recommendations and Space Shuttle Program directives deal with the mitigation of external tank foam insulation as a debris source, including material characterization as well as potential design changes, and an understanding of Orbiter TPS material characteristics, damage scenarios, and repair options. Ames, Glenn, and Langley Research Centers have performed analytic studies, conducted experimental testing, and developed new technologies, analysis tools, and hardware to contribute to each of these recommendations. For the External Tank (ET), these include studies of spray-on foam insulation (SOFI), investigations of potential design changes, and applications of advanced non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technologies to understand ET TPS shedding during liftoff and ascent. The end-to-end debris assessment included transport analysis to determine the probabilities of impact for various debris sources. For the Orbiter, methods were developed, and validated through experimental testing, to determine thresholds for potential damage of Orbiter TPS components. Analysis tools were developed and validated for on-orbit TPS damage assessments, especially in the area of aerothermal environments. Advanced NDE technologies were also applied to the Orbiter TPS components, including sensor technologies to detect wing leading edge impacts during liftoff and ascent. Work is continuing to develop certified TPS repair options and to develop improved methodologies for reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) damage progression to assist in on-orbit repair decision philosophy.

KSC-2010-5621

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- During the removal of external fuel tank foam insulation on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians identified two cracks, each about 9 inches long, on a section of the tank’s metal exterior. The foam cracked during initial loading operations for space shuttle Discovery’s launch attempt on Nov. 5. The cracks are on one of the stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Engineers will review images of the cracks to determine the best possible repair method, which would be done at the pad. Discovery's next launch attempt is no earlier than Nov. 30 at 4:02 a.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA

Thermal conductivity and combustion properties of wheat gluten foams.

PubMed

Blomfeldt, Thomas O J; Nilsson, Fritjof; Holgate, Tim; Xu, Jianxiao; Johansson, Eva; Hedenqvist, Mikael S

2012-03-01

Freeze-dried wheat gluten foams were evaluated with respect to their thermal and fire-retardant properties, which are important for insulation applications. The thermal properties were assessed by differential scanning calorimetry, the laser flash method and a hot plate method. The unplasticised foam showed a similar specific heat capacity, a lower thermal diffusivity and a slightly higher thermal conductivity than conventional rigid polystyrene and polyurethane insulation foams. Interestingly, the thermal conductivity was similar to that of closed cell polyethylene and glass-wool insulation materials. Cone calorimetry showed that, compared to a polyurethane foam, both unplasticised and glycerol-plasticised foams had a significantly longer time to ignition, a lower effective heat of combustion and a higher char content. Overall, the unplasticised foam showed better fire-proof properties than the plasticized foam. The UL 94 test revealed that the unplasticised foam did not drip (form droplets of low viscous material) and, although the burning times varied, self-extinguished after flame removal. To conclude both the insulation and fire-retardant properties were very promising for the wheat gluten foam. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Analysis of the possibilities of using dielectric foam in the construction of composite high voltage post-insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mączka, T.; Paściak, G.; Jarski, A.; Piątek, M.

2016-02-01

This paper presents the construction and basic performance parameters of the innovative tubular construction of high voltage composite insulator filled with the lightweight foamed electroinsulating material. The possibility of using of the commercially available expanding foams for preparing the lightweight foamed dielectric materials was analysed. The expanding foams of silicone RTV and compositions based on epoxy resin and LSR silicone were taken into account. The lightweight foamed dielectric materials were prepared according to the own foaming technology. In this work the experimental results on the use of the selected foams for the preparing of the lightweight filling materials to the tubular structure of composite insulator of 110 kV are presented.

49 CFR 178.358 - Specification 21PF fire and shock resistant, phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Specification 21PF fire and shock resistant, phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. 178.358 Section 178.358 Transportation Other Regulations Relating...) Materials § 178.358 Specification 21PF fire and shock resistant, phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. ...

KSC-07pd3655

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, a United Space Alliance technician carefully cuts away the foam insulation surrounding the covers over the feed-through connector box on the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, revealing the fastener holes on the covers. The covers will be removed for access to the feed-through connectors. Following the failure of some of the tank's engine cutoff sensors, or ECO sensors, during propellant tanking for launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, a tanking test was conducted on Dec. 18 to aid in troubleshooting the cause. Technicians spliced test wiring into the ECO sensor electrical system and used time domain reflectometry equipment to help locate the electrical anomaly. Results of the tanking test pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. During the holiday period, workers from Lockheed Martin will begin inspecting and testing the connector. Shuttle program managers will meet on Dec. 27 to review the test and analysis, and decide on a forward plan. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3654

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, a United Space Alliance technician carefully cuts away the foam insulation surrounding the covers over the feed-through connector box on the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission, revealing the fastener holes on the covers. The covers will be removed for access to the feed-through connectors. Following the failure of some of the tank's engine cutoff sensors, or ECO sensors, during propellant tanking for launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, a tanking test was conducted on Dec. 18 to aid in troubleshooting the cause. Technicians spliced test wiring into the ECO sensor electrical system and used time domain reflectometry equipment to help locate the electrical anomaly. Results of the tanking test pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. During the holiday period, workers from Lockheed Martin will begin inspecting and testing the connector. Shuttle program managers will meet on Dec. 27 to review the test and analysis, and decide on a forward plan. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3656

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, a United Space Alliance technician removes foam insulation revealing the fastener holes on the covers over the feed-through connector box on the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission. The covers will be removed for access to the feed-through connectors. Following the failure of some of the tank's engine cutoff sensors, or ECO sensors, during propellant tanking for launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, a tanking test was conducted on Dec. 18 to aid in troubleshooting the cause. Technicians spliced test wiring into the ECO sensor electrical system and used time domain reflectometry equipment to help locate the electrical anomaly. Results of the tanking test pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. During the holiday period, workers from Lockheed Martin will begin inspecting and testing the connector. Shuttle program managers will meet on Dec. 27 to review the test and analysis, and decide on a forward plan. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-07pd3653

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-12-21

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At Launch Pad 39A, the foam insulation surrounding the covers over the feed-through connector box on the external tank for space shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission is carefully cut away by a United Space Alliance technician. The covers will be removed for access to the feed-through connectors. Following the failure of some of the tank's engine cutoff sensors, or ECO sensors, during propellant tanking for launch attempts on Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, a tanking test was conducted on Dec. 18 to aid in troubleshooting the cause. Technicians spliced test wiring into the ECO sensor electrical system and used time domain reflectometry equipment to help locate the electrical anomaly. Results of the tanking test pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. During the holiday period, workers from Lockheed Martin will begin inspecting and testing the connector. Shuttle program managers will meet on Dec. 27 to review the test and analysis, and decide on a forward plan. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

THIRD-GENERATION FOAM BLOWING AGENTS FOR FOAM INSULATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a study of third-generation blowing agents for foam insulation. (NOTE: the search for third-generation foam blowing agents has led to the realization that, as the number of potential substitutes increases, new concerns, such as their potential to act a...

Thermally insulating and fire-retardant lightweight anisotropic foams based on nanocellulose and graphene oxide.

PubMed

Wicklein, Bernd; Kocjan, Andraž; Salazar-Alvarez, German; Carosio, Federico; Camino, Giovanni; Antonietti, Markus; Bergström, Lennart

2015-03-01

High-performance thermally insulating materials from renewable resources are needed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Traditional fossil-fuel-derived insulation materials such as expanded polystyrene and polyurethane have thermal conductivities that are too high for retrofitting or for building new, surface-efficient passive houses. Tailored materials such as aerogels and vacuum insulating panels are fragile and susceptible to perforation. Here, we show that freeze-casting suspensions of cellulose nanofibres, graphene oxide and sepiolite nanorods produces super-insulating, fire-retardant and strong anisotropic foams that perform better than traditional polymer-based insulating materials. The foams are ultralight, show excellent combustion resistance and exhibit a thermal conductivity of 15 mW m(-1) K(-1), which is about half that of expanded polystyrene. At 30 °C and 85% relative humidity, the foams retained more than half of their initial strength. Our results show that nanoscale engineering is a promising strategy for producing foams with excellent properties using cellulose and other renewable nanosized fibrous materials.

Cryogenic Moisture Apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesmire, James; Smith, Trent; Breakfield, Robert; Baughner, Kevin; Heckle, Kenneth; Meneghelli, Barry

2010-01-01

The Cryogenic Moisture Apparatus (CMA) is designed for quantifying the amount of moisture from the surrounding air that is taken up by cryogenic-tank-insulating material specimens while under typical conditions of use. More specifically, the CMA holds one face of the specimen at a desired low temperature (e.g., the typical liquid-nitrogen temperature of 77 K) while the opposite face remains exposed to humid air at ambient or near-ambient temperature. The specimen is weighed before and after exposure in the CMA. The difference between the "after" and "before" weights is determined to be the weight of moisture absorbed by the specimen. Notwithstanding the term "cryogenic," the CMA is not limited to cryogenic applications: the low test temperature can be any temperature below ambient, and the specimen can be made of any material affected by moisture in air. The CMA is especially well suited for testing a variety of foam insulating materials, including those on the space-shuttle external cryogenic tanks, on other cryogenic vessels, and in refrigerators used for transporting foods, medicines, and other perishables. Testing is important because absorbed moisture not only adds weight but also, in combination with thermal cycling, can contribute to damage that degrades insulating performance. Materials are changed internally when subjected to large sub-ambient temperature gradients.

Position Paper External Tank Thermal Protection System (TPS) Manually Sprayed fly-as-is Foam Certification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stadler, John H.

2009-01-01

During manufacture of the existing External Tanks (ETs), the Thermal Protection System (TPS) foam manual spray application processes lacked the enhanced controls/procedures to ensure that defects produced were less than the critical size. Therefore the only remaining option to certify the "fly-as-is" foam is to verify ET120 tank hardware meets the new foam debris requirements. The ET project has undertaken a significant effort studying the existing "fly-as-is" TPS foam. This paper contains the findings of the study.

Insulation systems for liquid methane fuel tanks for supersonic cruise aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, H. F.; Delduca, D.

1972-01-01

Two insulation systems for tanks containing liquid methane in supersonic cruise-type aircraft were designed and tested after an extensive materials investigation. One system is an external insulation and the other is an internal wet-type insulation system. Tank volume was maximized by making the tank shape approach a rectangular parallelopiped. One tank was designed to use the external insulation and the other tank to use the internal insulation. Performance of the external insulation system was evaluated on a full-scale tank under the temperature environment of -320 F to 700 F and ambient pressures of ground-level atmospheric to 1 psia. Problems with installing the internal insulation on the test tank prevented full-scale evaluation of performance; however, small-scale testing verified thermal conductivity, temperature capability, and installed density.

IDENTIFICATION OF CFC AND HCFC SUBSTITUTES FOR BLOWING POLYURETHANE FOAM INSULATION PRODUCTS

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a cooperative effort to identiry chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbon substitutes for blowing polyurethane foam insulation products. The substantial ongoing effort is identifying third-generation blowing agets for polyurethane foams to repla...

75 FR 18446 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-12

... assemblies in the ECS with burned Boeing Material Specification (BMS) 8-39 polyurethane foam insulation. This... duct assemblies in the ECS wrapped with BMS 8-39 polyurethane foam insulation, a material of which the... electrical arc from igniting the BMS 8-39 polyurethane foam insulation on the duct assemblies of the ECS...

Inspection of the Space Shuttle External Tank SOFI Using Near-Field and Focused Millimeter Wave Nondestructive Testing Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Hepburn, F.; Walker, J.; Zoughi, R.

2005-01-01

The Space Shuttle Columbia's catastrophic failure has been attributed to a piece of external tank SOFI (Spray On Foam Insulation) striking the left wing of the orbiter causing significant damage to some of the reinforced carbon/carbon leading edge wing panels. Subsequently, several nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques have been considered for inspecting the external tank. One such method involves using millimeter waves which have been shown to easily penetrate through the foam and provide high resolution images of its interior structures. This paper presents the results of inspecting three different SOFI covered panels by reflectometers at millimeter wave frequencies, specifically at 100 GHz. Each panel was fitted with various embedded anomalies/inserts representing voids and unbonds of diferent shapes, sizes and locations within each panel. In conjunction with these reJqectome&rs, radiators including a focused lens antenna and a small horn antenna were used. The focused lens antenna provided for a footprint diameter of approximately 1.25 cm (0.5") at 25.4 cm (10") away from the lens surface. The horn antenna was primarily operated in its near-field for obtaining relatively high resolution images. These images were produced using 2 0 scanning mechanisms. Discussions of the difference between the capabilities of these two types of antennas (radiators) for the purpose of inspecting the SOFI as it relates to the produced images are also presented.

Load responsive multilayer insulation performance testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dye, S.; Kopelove, A.; Mills, G. L.

2014-01-01

Cryogenic insulation designed to operate at various pressures from one atmosphere to vacuum, with high thermal performance and light weight, is needed for cryogenically fueled space launch vehicles and aircraft. Multilayer insulation (MLI) performs well in a high vacuum, but the required vacuum shell for use in the atmosphere is heavy. Spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) is often used in these systems because of its light weight, but can have a higher heat flux than desired. We report on the continued development of Load Responsive Multilayer Insulation (LRMLI), an advanced thermal insulation system that uses dynamic beam discrete spacers that provide high thermal performance both in atmosphere and vacuum. LRMLI consists of layers of thermal radiation barriers separated and supported by micromolded polymer spacers. The spacers have low thermal conductance, and self-support a thin, lightweight vacuum shell that provides internal high vacuum in the insulation. The dynamic load responsive spacers compress to support the external load of a vacuum shell in one atmosphere, and decompress under reduced atmospheric pressure for lower heat leak. Structural load testing was performed on the spacers with various configurations. LRMLI was installed on a 400 liter tank and boil off testing with liquid nitrogen performed at various chamber pressures from one atmosphere to high vacuum. Testing was also performed with an MLI blanket on the outside of the LRMLI.

Fiber glass prevents cracking of polyurethane foam insulation on cryogenic vessels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forge, D. A.

1968-01-01

Fiber glass material, placed between polyurethane foam insulation and the outer surfaces of cryogenic vessels, retains its resilience at cryogenic temperatures and provides an expansion layer between the metal surfaces and the polyurethane foam, preventing cracking of the latter.

Foam/Aerogel Composite Materials for Thermal and Acoustic Insulation and Cryogen Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Martha K. (Inventor); Smith, Trent M. (Inventor); Fesmire, James E. (Inventor); Sass, Jared P. (Inventor); Weiser, Erik S. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

The invention involves composite materials containing a polymer foam and an aerogel. The composite materials have improved thermal insulation ability, good acoustic insulation, and excellent physical mechanical properties. The composite materials can be used, for instance, for heat and acoustic insulation on aircraft, spacecraft, and maritime ships in place of currently used foam panels and other foam products. The materials of the invention can also be used in building construction with their combination of light weight, strength, elasticity, ability to be formed into desired shapes, and superior thermal and acoustic insulation power. The materials have also been found to have utility for storage of cryogens. A cryogenic liquid or gas, such as N.sub.2 or H.sub.2, adsorbs to the surfaces in aerogel particles. Thus, another embodiment of the invention provides a storage vessel for a cryogen.

Foam/aerogel composite materials for thermal and acoustic insulation and cryogen storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Trent M. (Inventor); Fesmire, James E. (Inventor); Williams, Martha K. (Inventor); Sass, Jared P. (Inventor); Weiser, Erik S. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

The invention involves composite materials containing a polymer foam and an aerogel. The composite materials have improved thermal insulation ability, good acoustic insulation, and excellent physical mechanical properties. The composite materials can be used, for instance, for heat and acoustic insulation on aircraft, spacecraft, and maritime ships in place of currently used foam panels and other foam products. The materials of the invention can also be used in building construction with their combination of light weight, strength, elasticity, ability to be formed into desired shapes, and superior thermal and acoustic insulation power. The materials have also been found to have utility for storage of cryogens. A cryogenic liquid or gas, such as N.sub.2 or H.sub.2, adsorbs to the surfaces in aerogel particles. Thus, another embodiment of the invention provides a storage vessel for a cryogen.

Advanced Insulation for High Performance Cost-Effective Wall, Roof, and Foundation Systems Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Costeux, Stephane; Bunker, Shanon

The objective of this project was to explore and potentially develop high performing insulation with increased R/inch and low impact on climate change that would help design highly insulating building envelope systems with more durable performance and lower overall system cost than envelopes with equivalent performance made with materials available today. The proposed technical approach relied on insulation foams with nanoscale pores (about 100 nm in size) in which heat transfer will be decreased. Through the development of new foaming methods, of new polymer formulations and new analytical techniques, and by advancing the understanding of how cells nucleate, expand andmore » stabilize at the nanoscale, Dow successfully invented and developed methods to produce foams with 100 nm cells and 80% porosity by batch foaming at the laboratory scale. Measurements of the gas conductivity on small nanofoam specimen confirmed quantitatively the benefit of nanoscale cells (Knudsen effect) to increase insulation value, which was the key technical hypotheses of the program. In order to bring this technology closer to a viable semi-continuous/continuous process, the project team modified an existing continuous extrusion foaming process as well as designed and built a custom system to produce 6" x 6" foam panels. Dow demonstrated for the first time that nanofoams can be produced in a both processes. However, due to technical delays, foam characteristics achieved so far fall short of the 100 nm target set for optimal insulation foams. In parallel with the technology development, effort was directed to the determination of most promising applications for nanocellular insulation foam. Voice of Customer (VOC) exercise confirmed that demand for high-R value product will rise due to building code increased requirements in the near future, but that acceptance for novel products by building industry may be slow. Partnerships with green builders, initial launches in smaller markets (e.g. EIFS), and efforts to drive cost down will help acceptance in residential and commercial retrofit and new construction.« less

Repairing Foam Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corbin, J.; Buras, D.

1986-01-01

Large holes in polyurethane foam insulation repaired reliably by simple method. Little skill needed to apply method, used for overhead repairs as well as for those in other orientations. Plug positioned in hole to be filled and held in place with mounting fixture. Fresh liquid foam injected through plug to bond it in place. As foam cures and expands, it displaces plug outward. Protrusion later removed.

Global Response of the Space Shuttle External Tank with the Presence of Intertank Stringer Cracks and Radius Blocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovejoy, Andrew E.; Rankin, Charles C.

2013-01-01

After propellant was loaded into the external tank (ET), the November 5, 2010 launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-133 was scrubbed due to a gaseous hydrogen leak located in a vent line near the ground umbilical and ET connection. Subsequent visual inspections identified cracks in the sprayed-on foam insulation in the forward end of the ET intertank segment, adjacent to the liquid oxygen (LOX) tank, as shown in Figure 1. These cracks necessitated repair of the foam due to debris concerns that violated launch constraints. As part of the repair process, the affected foam was removed to reveal cracks in the underlying external hat stiffeners on the intertank, as shown in Figure 2. Ultimately, five stiffeners were discovered to be cracked adjacent to the LOX tank. As the managing center for the ET Project, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) coordinated failure investigation and repair activities among multiple organizations, which included the ET prime contractor (Lockheed Martin Space Systems Michoud Operations), the Space Shuttle Program Office at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). STS-133 utilized the external tank designated as ET-137. Many aspects of the investigation have been reported previously in Refs. 1-7, which focus on the root cause of the failures, the flight readiness rationale and the local analyses of the stringer failures and repair. This paper summarizes the global analyses that were conducted on ET-137 as part of the NESC effort during the investigation, which was conducted primarily to determine if the repairs that were introduced to the stringers would alter the global response of the ET. In the process of the investigation, a new STAGS tabular input capability was developed to more easily introduce the aerodynamic pressure loads using a method that could easily be extended to incorporate finite element property data such as skin and stiffener thicknesses and beam cross-sectional properties.

Numerical Simulation of Liquids Draining From a Tank Using OpenFOAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakri, Fadhilah Mohd; Sukri Mat Ali, Mohamed; Zaki Shaikh Salim, Sheikh Ahmad; Muhamad, Sallehuddin

2017-08-01

Accurate simulation of liquids draining is a challenging task. It involves two phases flow, i.e. liquid and air. In this study draining a liquid from a cylindrical tank is numerically simulated using OpenFOAM. OpenFOAM is an open source CFD package and it becomes increasingly popular among the academician and also industries. Comparisons with theoretical and results from previous published data confirmed that OpenFOAM is able to simulate the liquids draining very well. This is done using the gas-liquid interface solver available in the standard library of OpenFOAM. Additionally, this study was also able to explain the physics flow of the draining tank.

Nano-fibrillated cellulose-hydroxyapatite based composite foams with excellent fire resistance.

PubMed

Guo, Wenwen; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Ping; Liu, Jiajia; Song, Lei; Hu, Yuan

2018-09-01

Thermally insulating materials made from renewable resources are desirable for energy efficient buildings. Traditional petroleum-derived insulating materials such as rigid polyurethane foam and expanded polystyrene display poor flame retardancy and inorganic insulating materials such as silica aerogel are fragile. Herein, we reported a facile approach to prepare cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-hydroxyapatite (HAP) composite foam by a simple freeze-drying process. The resultant HAP-CNF composite foams showed a thermal conductivity in the range of 38.5-39.1 mW/(m K) and very low peak heat release rate (20.4 kW/m 2 ) and total heat release (1.21 MJ/m 2 ). Vertical burning tests also manifested excellent fire resistance and self-extinguishing behaviours. Considering the excellent fire resistance of this composite foam, it is of significance to fire safety solution for buildings insulating materials. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-2011-2723

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A walk down and detailed inspections of space shuttle Endeavour indicate that the external fuel tank foam insulation sustained only minor damage during severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Seen here, the ET-122 logo is emblazoned on Endeavour's external tank. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. Evaluations by technicians and engineers indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

A Marine Aerosol Reference Tank system as a breaking wave analogue for the production of foam and sea-spray aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stokes, M. D.; Deane, G. B.; Prather, K.; Bertram, T. H.; Ruppel, M. J.; Ryder, O. S.; Brady, J. M.; Zhao, D.

2013-04-01

In order to better understand the processes governing the production of marine aerosols a repeatable, controlled method for their generation is required. The Marine Aerosol Reference Tank (MART) has been designed to closely approximate oceanic conditions by producing an evolving bubble plume and surface foam patch. The tank utilizes an intermittently plunging sheet of water and large volume tank reservoir to simulate turbulence, plume and foam formation, and the water flow is monitored volumetrically and acoustically to ensure the repeatability of conditions.

The F-15B Lifting Insulating Foam Trajectory (LIFT) Flight Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corda, Stephen; Whiteman, Donald; Tseng, Ting; Machin, Ricardo

2006-01-01

A series of flight tests has been performed to assess the structural survivability of space shuttle external tank debris, known as divots, in a real flight environment. The NASA F-15B research test bed aircraft carried the Aerodynamic Flight Test Fixture configured with a shuttle foam divot ejection system. The divots were released in flight at subsonic and supersonic test conditions matching points on the shuttle ascent trajectory. Very high-speed digital video cameras recorded the divot trajectories. The objectives of the flight test were to determine the structural survivability of the divots in a real flight environment, assess the aerodynamic stability of the divots, and provide divot trajectory data for comparison with debris transport models. A total of 10 flights to Mach 2 were completed, resulting in 36 successful shuttle foam divot ejections. Highspeed video was obtained at 2,000 pictures per second for all of the divot ejections. The divots that were cleanly ejected remained structurally intact. The conical frustum-shaped divots tended to aerodynamically trim in both the subsonic and supersonic free-stream flow.

Plasma-Spray Metal Coating On Foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cranston, J.

1994-01-01

Molds, forms, and other substrates made of foams coated with metals by plasma spraying. Foam might be ceramic, carbon, metallic, organic, or inorganic. After coat applied by plasma spraying, foam left intact or removed by acid leaching, conventional machining, water-jet cutting, or another suitable technique. Cores or vessels made of various foam materials plasma-coated with metals according to method useful as thermally insulating containers for foods, liquids, or gases, or as mandrels for making composite-material (matrix/fiber) parts, or making thermally insulating firewalls in automobiles.

Problem Definition Study of Requirements for Vapor Retarders in the Building Envelope.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

be used, and that cellular glass should be used rather than fibrous glass, mineral wool , and organic fiber insulation materials. -48- 6 Comment: (This...Oregon area. 71 were insulated with UF-foam, cellulose, and mineral wool ; 25 were uninsulated. q b. All insulated homes had been retrofitted for 3 to...ACHR was 18.7, for mineral wool insulated homes 16.4, for cellulose insulated homes 13.6, and for UF-foam insulated homes 15.2. f. No tracer-gas air

Exposures to jet fuel and benzene during aircraft fuel tank repair in the U.S. Air Force.

PubMed

Carlton, G N; Smith, L B

2000-06-01

Jet fuel and benzene vapor exposures were measured during aircraft fuel tank entry and repair at twelve U.S. Air Force bases. Breathing zone samples were collected on the fuel workers who performed the repair. In addition, instantaneous samples were taken at various points during the procedures with SUMMA canisters and subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry. The highest eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) fuel exposure found was 1304 mg/m3; the highest 15-minute short-term exposure was 10,295 mg/m3. The results indicate workers who repair fuel tanks containing explosion suppression foam have a significantly higher exposure to jet fuel as compared to workers who repair tanks without foam (p < 0.001). It is assumed these elevations result from the tendency for fuel, absorbed by the foam, to volatilize during the foam removal process. Fuel tanks that allow flow-through ventilation during repair resulted in lower exposures compared to those tanks that have only one access port and, as a result, cannot be ventilated efficiently. The instantaneous sampling results confirm that benzene exposures occur during fuel tank repair; levels up to 49.1 mg/m3 were found inside the tanks during the repairs. As with jet fuel, these elevated benzene concentrations were more likely to occur in foamed tanks. The high temperatures associated with fuel tank repair, along with the requirement to wear vapor-permeable cotton coveralls for fire reasons, could result in an increase in the benzene body burden of tank entrants.

Washing Off Polyurethane Foam Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burley, Richard K.; Fogel, Irving

1990-01-01

Jet of hot water removes material quickly and safely. Simple, environmentally sound technique found to remove polyurethane foam insulation from metal parts. Developed for (but not limited to) use during rebuilding of fuel system of Space Shuttle main engine, during which insulation must be removed for penetrant inspection of metal parts.

49 CFR 178.358 - Specification 21PF fire and shock resistant, phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Specification 21PF fire and shock resistant, phenolic-foam insulated, metal overpack. 178.358 Section 178.358 Transportation Other Regulations Relating... Class 7 (Radioactive) Materials § 178.358 Specification 21PF fire and shock resistant, phenolic-foam...

Prototype Aerogel Insulation for Melamine-Foam Substitute: Critical Space Station Express Rack Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.; Sibille, Laurent; Smith, David; Cronise, Raymond

1998-01-01

There is a current lack of environmentally acceptable foams to insulate Long-Duration Human Spaceflight Missions, including the experimental Express Rack for the Space Station. A recent 60-day manned test in a sealed chamber at Johnson Space Center (JSC) was nearly aborted, because of persistently high formaldehyde concentrations in the chamber. Subsequent investigation showed that the source was melamine foam (used extensively for acoustic insulation). The thermal and acoustic potential for melamine-foam substitutes is evaluated for scale-up to a silica-based foam and aerogel, which is environmentally benign for long duration space flight. These features will be discussed in reference to an aerogel prototype to: 1) assemble material strength data for various formulated aerogels, both silica and organic carbon aerogels; 2) assemble the aerogel into panels of mylar/vacuum-encapsulated rigid boards which can be molded in various shapes and rigidities; and 3) describe a process for space applications for formaldehyde-free, long duration thermal and acoustic insulators.

Load responsive multilayer insulation performance testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dye, S.; Kopelove, A.; Mills, G. L.

Cryogenic insulation designed to operate at various pressures from one atmosphere to vacuum, with high thermal performance and light weight, is needed for cryogenically fueled space launch vehicles and aircraft. Multilayer insulation (MLI) performs well in a high vacuum, but the required vacuum shell for use in the atmosphere is heavy. Spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) is often used in these systems because of its light weight, but can have a higher heat flux than desired. We report on the continued development of Load Responsive Multilayer Insulation (LRMLI), an advanced thermal insulation system that uses dynamic beam discrete spacers that providemore » high thermal performance both in atmosphere and vacuum. LRMLI consists of layers of thermal radiation barriers separated and supported by micromolded polymer spacers. The spacers have low thermal conductance, and self-support a thin, lightweight vacuum shell that provides internal high vacuum in the insulation. The dynamic load responsive spacers compress to support the external load of a vacuum shell in one atmosphere, and decompress under reduced atmospheric pressure for lower heat leak. Structural load testing was performed on the spacers with various configurations. LRMLI was installed on a 400 liter tank and boil off testing with liquid nitrogen performed at various chamber pressures from one atmosphere to high vacuum. Testing was also performed with an MLI blanket on the outside of the LRMLI.« less

Thermal/acoustical aircraft insulation material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Struzik, E. A.; Kunz, R.; Lin, R.

1975-01-01

Attempts made to improve the acoustical properties of low density Fiberfrax foam, an aircraft insulation material, are reported. Characterizations were also made of the physical and thermal properties. Two methods, optimization of fiber blend composition and modification of the foam fabrication process, were examined as possible means of improving foam acoustics. Flame impingement tests were also made; results show performance was satisfactory.

Space Technology For Tuna Boats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Freshly-caught tuna is stored below decks in wells cooled to about zero degrees by brine circulated through a refrigerating system. The wells formerly were insulated by cork or fiberglass, but both materials were subject to deterioration; cork, for instance, needs replacement every three years. The Campbell Machine Division of Campbell Industries, San Diego, which manufactures and repairs large boats for the commercial fishing industry, was looking for a better way to insulate tuna storage wells. Learning of the Rockwell technique, Campbell contracted for a test installation on one boat, then bought its own equipment and adopted the spray-foam procedure for their boats. The foam hardens after application. It not only is a superior insulator, it also is considerably lighter and easier to apply. Fishing industry spokesmen say that foam insulation is far more reliable, efficient and economical than prior techniques. More than 40 foam-insulated tuna boats, ranging in cost from $1 million to $4 million, have been built and sold. Principal customers are Ralston Purina's Van Camp Seafood Division and Star-Kist Inc.

Propellant management for low thrust chemical propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamlyn, K. M.; Dergance, R. H.; Aydelott, J. C.

1981-01-01

Low-thrust chemical propulsion systems (LTPS) will be required for orbital transfer of large space systems (LSS). The work reported in this paper was conducted to determine the propellant requirements, preferred propellant management technique, and propulsion system sizes for the LTPS. Propellants were liquid oxygen (LO2) combined with liquid hydrogen (LH2), liquid methane or kerosene. Thrust levels of 100, 500, and 1000 lbf were combined with 1, 4, and 8 perigee burns for transfer from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit. This matrix of systems was evaluated with a multilayer insulation (MLI) or a spray-on-foam insulation. Vehicle sizing results indicate that a toroidal tank configuration is needed for the LO2/LH2 system. Multiple perigee burns and MLI allow far superior LSS payload capability. Propellant settling, combined with a single screen device, was found to be the lightest and least complex propellant management technique.

Backscatter X-Ray Development for Space Vehicle Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartha, Bence B.; Hope, Dale; Vona, Paul; Born, Martin; Corak, Tony

2011-06-01

The Backscatter X-Ray (BSX) imaging technique is used for various single sided inspection purposes. Previously developed BSX techniques for spray-on-foam insulation (SOFI) have been used for detecting defects in Space Shuttle External Tank foam insulation. The developed BSX hardware and techniques are currently being enhanced to advance Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) methods for future space vehicle applications. Various Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials were inspected using the enhanced BSX imaging techniques, investigating the capability of the method to detect voids and other discontinuities at various locations within each material. Calibration standards were developed for the TPS materials in order to characterize and develop enhanced BSX inspection capabilities. The ability of the BSX technique to detect both manufactured and natural defects was also studied and compared to through-transmission x-ray techniques. The energy of the x-ray, source to object distance, angle of x-ray, focal spot size and x-ray detector configurations were parameters playing a significant role in the sensitivity of the BSX technique to image various materials and defects. The image processing of the results also showed significant increase in the sensitivity of the technique. The experimental results showed BSX to be a viable inspection technique for space vehicle TPS systems.

Development of a thermal acoustical aircraft insulation material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, R. Y.; Struzik, E. A.

1974-01-01

A process was developed for fabricating a light weight foam suitable for thermal and acoustical insulation in aircraft. The procedures and apparatus are discussed, and the foam specimens are characterized by numerous tests and measurements.

KSC-2011-1008

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As part of the repair work to space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank, a technician measures a fitted piece of metal, called a radius block, which will be attached to an intertank support beam, called a stringer. Technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are modifying 32 stringers with the radius blocks near the intertank’s thrust panel area. The thrust panel is where the tank meets the two solid rocket boosters and sees the most stress during the flight into orbit. After the modifications and additional scans of the stringers are complete, foam insulation will be re-applied. Discovery's next launch opportunity to the International Space Station on the STS-133 mission is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-2716

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians and engineers will perform a walk down and detailed inspections of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During the inspections, teams found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-2720

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker performs a walk down of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During detailed inspections, technicians and engineers found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-2722

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Workers perform a walk down of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During detailed inspections, technicians and engineers found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-2721

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians and engineers will perform a walk down and detailed inspections of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During the inspections, teams found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-2719

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A worker performs a walk down of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During detailed inspections, technicians and engineers found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-2718

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians and engineers will perform a walk down and detailed inspections of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During the inspections, teams found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2011-2717

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Technicians and engineers will perform a walk down and detailed inspections of space shuttle Endeavour following severe storms over Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The frontal system moved through Central Florida producing strong winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and even funnel clouds. During the inspections, teams found only minor damage to Endeavour's external fuel tank foam insulation and evaluations indicate there was no damage to the spacecraft. Endeavour and its six-member STS-134 crew are targeted to launch April 29 at 3:47 p.m. EDT. They will deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-3, Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 (AMS), a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for the Dextre robotic helper and micrometeoroid debris shields to the International Space Station. This will be the final spaceflight for Endeavour. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts134/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-07pd1196

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Under a feather-painted sky, Space Shuttle Atlantis, mounted on a mobile launch platform atop a crawler transporter, creeps up the ramp to Launch Pad 39A. This is the second rollout for the shuttle. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 5:02 a.m. EDT. In late February, while Atlantis was on the launch pad, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation, as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The shuttle was returned to the VAB for repairs. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 is now targeted for June 8. A flight readiness review will be held on May 30 and 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-07pd1193

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Under a feather-painted sky, Space Shuttle Atlantis, mounted on a mobile launch platform atop a crawler transporter, nears Launch Pad 39A. This is the second rollout for the shuttle. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 5:02 a.m. EDT. In late February, while Atlantis was on the launch pad, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation, as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The shuttle was returned to the VAB for repairs. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 is now targeted for June 8. A flight readiness review will be held on May 30 and 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Porous Ceramic Cures at Moderate Temperatures, Is Good Heat Insulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eubanks, Alfred G.; Hunkeler, Ronald E.

1965-01-01

The problem: To develop a foamed-in-place refractory material that would provide good thermal insulation, mechanical support, and vibration shielding for enclosed objects at temperatures up to 30000 F. The preparation of conventional foamed refractory materials required long curing times (as much as 48 hours) and high temperatures (at least 700 F), rendering such materials unusable for in-place potting of heat-sensitive components. The solution: A foamed ceramic material that has the requisite thermal insulation and strength, and also displays other properties that suggest a wide range of applications.

KSC-2010-5618

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-11-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a worker examines the foam insulation on space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank. Two cracks on a section of the tank’s metal exterior were found on one of the stringers, which are the composite aluminum ribs located vertically on the tank’s intertank area. Engineers will review images of the cracks to determine the best possible repair method. Discovery's next launch attempt is no earlier than Nov. 30 at 4:02 a.m. EST. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Polyimide foams provide thermal insulation and fire protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosser, R. W.

1972-01-01

Chemical reactions to produce polyimide foams for application as thermal insulation and fire prevention materials are discussed. Thermal and physical properties of the polyimides are described. Methods for improving basic formulations to produce desired qualitites are included.

Foam-machining tool with eddy-current transducer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copper, W. P.

1975-01-01

Three-cutter machining system for foam-covered tanks incorporates eddy-current sensor. Sensor feeds signal to numerical controller which programs rotational and vertical axes of sensor travel, enabling cutterhead to profile around tank protrusions.

Application of Terahertz Imaging and Backscatter Radiography to Space Shuttle Foam Inspection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ussery, Warren

2008-01-01

Two state of the art technologies have been developed for External Fuel Tank foam inspections. Results of POD tests have shown Backscatter Radiography and Terahertz imaging detect critical defects with no false positive issue. These techniques are currently in use on the External Tank program as one component in the foam quality assurance program.

46 CFR 108.469 - Quantity of foam producing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... at least 5 minutes at each outlet; and (2) In a space must have enough foam producing material to... or space, the system need have only enough foam producing material to cover the largest space that the system covers or, if the liquid surface of a tank covered by the system is larger, the tank with...

46 CFR 108.469 - Quantity of foam producing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... at least 5 minutes at each outlet; and (2) In a space must have enough foam producing material to... or space, the system need have only enough foam producing material to cover the largest space that the system covers or, if the liquid surface of a tank covered by the system is larger, the tank with...

46 CFR 108.469 - Quantity of foam producing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... at least 5 minutes at each outlet; and (2) In a space must have enough foam producing material to... or space, the system need have only enough foam producing material to cover the largest space that the system covers or, if the liquid surface of a tank covered by the system is larger, the tank with...

46 CFR 108.469 - Quantity of foam producing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... at least 5 minutes at each outlet; and (2) In a space must have enough foam producing material to... or space, the system need have only enough foam producing material to cover the largest space that the system covers or, if the liquid surface of a tank covered by the system is larger, the tank with...

46 CFR 108.469 - Quantity of foam producing materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... at least 5 minutes at each outlet; and (2) In a space must have enough foam producing material to... or space, the system need have only enough foam producing material to cover the largest space that the system covers or, if the liquid surface of a tank covered by the system is larger, the tank with...

Demonstration of Microsphere Insulation in Cryogenic Vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgartner, R. G.; Myers, E. A.; Fesmire, J. E.; Morris, D. L.; Sokalski, E. R.

2006-04-01

While microspheres have been recognized as a legitimate insulation material for decades, actual use in full-scale cryogenic storage tanks has not been demonstrated until now. The performance and life-cycle-cost advantages previously predicted have now been proven. Most bulk cryogenic storage tanks are insulated with either multilayer insulation (MLI) or perlite. Microsphere insulation, consisting of hollow glass bubbles, combines in a single material the desirable properties that other insulations only have individually. The material has high crush strength, low density, is noncombustible, and performs well in soft vacuum. These properties were proven during recent field testing of two 22,700-L (6,000-gallon) liquid nitrogen tanks, one insulated with microsphere insulation and the other with perlite. Normal evaporation rates (NER) for both tanks were monitored with precision test equipment and insulation levels within the tanks were observed through view ports as an indication of insulation compaction. Specific industrial applications were evaluated based on the test results and beneficial properties of microsphere insulation. Over-the-road trailers previously insulated with perlite will benefit not only from the reduced heat leak, but also the reduced mass of microsphere insulation. Economic assessments for microsphere-insulated cryogenic vessels including life-cycle cost are also presented.

Open-celled polyurethane foam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, L. W.

1970-01-01

Open-celled polyurethane foam has a density of 8.3 pounds per cubic foot and a compressive strength of 295 to 325 psi. It is useful as a porous spacer in layered insulation and as an insulation material in vacuum tight systems.

Internally insulated thermal storage system development program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, O. L.

1980-01-01

A cost effective thermal storage system for a solar central receiver power system using molten salt stored in internally insulated carbon steel tanks is described. Factors discussed include: testing of internal insulation materials in molten salt; preliminary design of storage tanks, including insulation and liner installation; optimization of the storage configuration; and definition of a subsystem research experiment to demonstrate the system. A thermal analytical model and analysis of a thermocline tank was performed. Data from a present thermocline test tank was compared to gain confidence in the analytical approach. A computer analysis of the various storage system parameters (insulation thickness, number of tanks, tank geometry, etc.,) showed that (1) the most cost-effective configuration was a small number of large cylindrical tanks, and (2) the optimum is set by the mechanical constraints of the system, such as soil bearing strength and tank hoop stress, not by the economics.

Internally insulated thermal storage system development program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, O. L.

1980-03-01

A cost effective thermal storage system for a solar central receiver power system using molten salt stored in internally insulated carbon steel tanks is described. Factors discussed include: testing of internal insulation materials in molten salt; preliminary design of storage tanks, including insulation and liner installation; optimization of the storage configuration; and definition of a subsystem research experiment to demonstrate the system. A thermal analytical model and analysis of a thermocline tank was performed. Data from a present thermocline test tank was compared to gain confidence in the analytical approach. A computer analysis of the various storage system parameters (insulation thickness, number of tanks, tank geometry, etc.,) showed that (1) the most cost-effective configuration was a small number of large cylindrical tanks, and (2) the optimum is set by the mechanical constraints of the system, such as soil bearing strength and tank hoop stress, not by the economics.

Superlight, Mechanically Flexible, Thermally Superinsulating, and Antifrosting Anisotropic Nanocomposite Foam Based on Hierarchical Graphene Oxide Assembly.

PubMed

Peng, Qingyu; Qin, Yuyang; Zhao, Xu; Sun, Xianxian; Chen, Qiang; Xu, Fan; Lin, Zaishan; Yuan, Ye; Li, Ying; Li, Jianjun; Yin, Weilong; Gao, Chao; Zhang, Fan; He, Xiaodong; Li, Yibin

2017-12-20

Lightweight, high-performance, thermally insulating, and antifrosting porous materials are in increasing demand to improve energy efficiency in many fields, such as aerospace and wearable devices. However, traditional thermally insulating materials (porous ceramics, polymer-based sponges) could not simultaneously meet these demands. Here, we propose a hierarchical assembly strategy for producing nanocomposite foams with lightweight, mechanically flexible, superinsulating, and antifrosting properties. The nanocomposite foams consist of a highly anisotropic reduced graphene oxide/polyimide (abbreviated as rGO/PI) network and hollow graphene oxide microspheres. The hierarchical nanocomposite foams are ultralight (density of 9.2 mg·cm -3 ) and exhibit ultralow thermal conductivity of 9 mW·m -1 ·K -1 , which is about a third that of traditional polymer-based insulating materials. Meanwhile, the nanocomposite foams show excellent icephobic performance. Our results show that hierarchical nanocomposite foams have promising applications in aerospace, wearable devices, refrigerators, and liquid nitrogen/oxygen transportation.

Cryogenic Moisture Uptake in Foam Insulation for Space Launch Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesmire, James E.; ScholtensCoffman, Brekke E.; Sass, Jared P.; Williams, Martha K.; Smith, Trent M.; Meneghelli, Barrry J.

2008-01-01

Rigid polyurethane foams and rigid polyisocyanurate foams (spray-on foam insulation), like those flown on Shuttle, Delta IV, and will be flown on Ares-I and Ares-V, can gain an extraordinary amount of water when under cryogenic conditions for several hours. These foams, when exposed for eight hours to launch pad environments on one side and cryogenic temperature on the other, increase their weight from 35 to 80 percent depending on the duration of weathering or aging. This effect translates into several thousand pounds of additional weight for space vehicles at lift-off. A new cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus was designed to determine the amount of water/ice taken into the specimen under actual-use propellant loading conditions. This experimental study included the measurement of the amount of moisture uptake within different foam materials. Results of testing using both aged specimens and weathered specimens are presented. To better understand cryogenic foam insulation performance, cryogenic moisture testing is shown to be essential. The implications for future launch vehicle thermal protection system design and flight performance are discussed.

Multiple-Nozzle Spray Head Applies Foam Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walls, Joe T.

1993-01-01

Spray head equipped with four-nozzle turret mixes two reactive components of polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foam insulating material and sprays reacting mixture onto surface to be insulated. If nozzle in use becomes clogged, fresh one automatically rotated into position, with minimal interruption of spraying process. Incorporates features recirculating and controlling pressures of reactive components to maintain quality of foam by ensuring proper blend at outset. Also used to spray protective coats on or in ships, aircraft, and pipelines. Sprays such reactive adhesives as epoxy/polyurethane mixtures. Components of spray contain solid-particle fillers for strength, fire retardance, toughness, resistance to abrasion, or radar absorption.

A review of vacuum insulation research and development in the Building Materials Group of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kollie, T.G.; McElroy, D.L.; Fine, H.A.

This report is a summary of the development work on flat-vacuum insulation performed by the Building Materials Group (BMG) in the Metals and Ceramics Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during the last two years. A historical review of the technology of vacuum insulation is presented, and the role that ORNL played in this development is documented. The ORNL work in vacuum insulation has been concentrated in Powder-filled Evacuated Panels (PEPs) that have a thermal resistivity over 2.5 times that of insulating foams and seven times that of many batt-type insulations, such as fiberglass. Experimental results of substitutingmore » PEPs for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) foal insulation in Igloo Corporation ice coolers are summarized. This work demonstrated that one-dimensional (1D) heat flow models overestimated the increase in thermal insulation of a foam/PEP-composite insulation, but three-dimensional (3D) models provided by a finite-difference, heat-transfer code (HEATING-7) accurately predicted the resistance of the composites. Edges and corners of the ice coolers were shown to cause the errors in the 1D models as well as shunting of the heat through the foam and around the PEPs. The area of coverage of a PEP in a foam/PEP composite is established as an important parameter in maximizing the resistance of such composites. 50 refs., 27 figs,. 22 tabs.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shedlock, Daniel; Dugan, Edward T.; Jacobs, Alan M.

X-ray backscatter radiography by selective detection (RSD) is a field tested and innovative approach to non-destructive evaluation (NDE). RSD is an enhanced single-side x-ray Compton backscatter imaging (CBI) technique which selectively detects scatter components to improve image contrast and quality. Scatter component selection is accomplished through a set of specially designed detectors with fixed and movable collimators. Experimental results have shown that this NDE technique can be used to detect boric acid deposition on a metallic plate through steel foil reflective insulation commonly covering reactor pressure vessels. The current system is capable of detecting boric acid deposits with sub-millimeter resolution,more » through such insulating materials. Industrial systems have been built for Lockheed Martin Space Co. and NASA. Currently the x-ray backscatter RSD scanning systems developed by the University of Florida are being used to inspect the spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) used on the external tank of the space shuttle. RSD inspection techniques have found subsurface cracking in the SOFI thought to be responsible for the foam debris which separated from the external tank during the last shuttle launch. These industrial scanning systems can be customized for many applications, and a smaller, lighter, more compact unit design is being developed. The smaller design is approximately four inches wide, three inches high, and about 12 inches in length. This smaller RSD system can be used for NDE of areas that cannot be reached with larger equipment. X-ray backscatter RSD is a proven technology that has been tested on a wide variety of materials and applications. Currently the system has been used to inspect materials such as aluminum, plastics, honeycomb laminates, reinforced carbon composites, steel, and titanium. The focus of RSD is for one-sided detection for applications where conventional non-destructive examination methods either will not work or give poor results. Acquired images have clearly shown, for a variety of conditions, that proper selection of x-ray field scatter components leads to a significant improvement in image quality and contrast. Improvements are significant enough in some cases that objects not visible to conventional CBI or transmission radiography become readily discernable with RSD. (authors)« less

49 CFR 173.318 - Cryogenic liquids in cargo tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

....338-15). (3) The jacket covering the insulation on a tank used to transport a cryogenic liquid must be... devices for piping hose and vacuum-insulated jackets. (i) Each portion of connected liquid piping or hose... tank, piping, or operating personnel. (ii) On a vacuum-insulated cargo tank the jacket must be...

After Math - Foamology and Flight Rationale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steva, Thomas; Stevens, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The Space Shuttle was developed by NASA to be a largely reusable launch system which could provide frequent access to low earth orbit. Like all previous launch systems, safe reentry for the crew and payload required the use of a thermal protection system (TPS). Unlike previous spacecraft though, the Shuttle's TPS was exposed from launch, making it sensitive to debris which could be generated by the vehicle on ascent. The most likely and potentially destructive source of debris was considered to be ice, which could build-up anywhere on the External Tank (ET) where there was exposed metal. Ice could form during ground operations after the cryogenic propellants had been loaded and then be knocked loose on ascent. In order to prevent both ice build-up and boil-off of the propellants, the entire ET and all protuberances (orbiter attach points, pressurization lines, propellant feed lines, etc.) were covered with a spray on foam insulation (SOFI) type TPS. Unfortunately the foam was also susceptible to liberation during ascent, and posed a debris risk of its own. During the early years of the Shuttle Program engineers spent a good deal of effort characterizing the amount of foam that was shed.

Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Exterior Insulation Pre- and Post-Retrofit, Syracuse, New York

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

In this study, IBACOS, in collaboration with GreenHomes America, Inc., was contracted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to research exterior wall insulation solutions for enclosure upgrades. This case study describes the deep energy retrofit of three test homes in the Syracuse, New York area and represent these enclosure strategies: rigid foam insulation; spray foam insulation, and a control house that follows Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) guidelines.

Thermal Protection System Application to Composite Cryotank Technology Demonstrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Protz, Alison; Nettles, Mindy

2015-01-01

The EM41 Thermal Protection System (TPS) team contributed to the success of the Composite Cryotank Technology Demonstrator (CCTD) manufacturing by developing and implementing a low-cost solution to apply cryoinsulation foam on the exterior surface of the tank in the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) TPS Development Facility, Bldg. 4765. The TPS team used techniques developed for the smallscale composite cryotank to apply Stepanfoam S-180 polyurethane foam to the 5.5-meter CCTD using a manual spray process. Manual spray foam technicians utilized lifts and scaffolding to access the barrel and dome sections of the large-scale tank in the horizontal orientation. During manufacturing, the tank was then oriented vertically, allowing access to the final barrel section for manual spray foam application. The CCTD was the largest application of manual spray foam performed to date with the S-180 polyurethane foam and required the TPS team to employ best practices for process controls on the development article.

46 CFR 34.20-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.20-5 Section 34.20-5..., Details § 34.20-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. Systems of this type are designed... liters/min per square meter of cargo tanks deck area, where cargo tanks deck area means the maximum...

46 CFR 34.20-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.20-5 Section 34.20-5..., Details § 34.20-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. Systems of this type are designed... liters/min per square meter of cargo tanks deck area, where cargo tanks deck area means the maximum...

46 CFR 34.20-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.20-5 Section 34.20-5..., Details § 34.20-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. Systems of this type are designed... liters/min per square meter of cargo tanks deck area, where cargo tanks deck area means the maximum...

Do You Have Work-Related Asthma? A Guide for You and Your Doctor

MedlinePlus

... Polyurethane foam • Paints, lacquers, ink, varnishes, sealants, finishes • Insulation materials • Polyurethane rubber • Glues and adhesives • Car manufacture and repair • Building construction (plaster, insulation) • Foam blowing and cutting • Painting • Truck bed liner ...

Development of test systems for characterizing emissions from spray polyurethane foam insulation (SPFI)

EPA Science Inventory

The relationship between onsite manufacture of spray polyurethane foam insulation (SPFI) and potential exposures to diisocyanates, amines, flame retardants (FRs), blowing agents, aldehydes and other organic compounds that may be emitted from SPFI is not well understood. EPA is de...

49 CFR 179.200-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Non-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.200-4 Insulation. (a) If insulation is applied...

49 CFR 179.200-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Non-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.200-4 Insulation. (a) If insulation is applied...

49 CFR 179.100-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-105, 109, 112, 114 and 120) § 179.100-4 Insulation. (a) If insulation is...

49 CFR 179.100-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-105, 109, 112, 114 and 120) § 179.100-4 Insulation. (a) If insulation is...

49 CFR 179.100-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-105, 109, 112, 114 and 120) § 179.100-4 Insulation. (a) If insulation is...

49 CFR 179.201-11 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Non-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.201-11 Insulation. (a) Insulation shall be of...

Sloshing of a bubbly magma reservoir as a mechanism of triggered eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namiki, Atsuko; Rivalta, Eleonora; Woith, Heiko; Walter, Thomas R.

2016-06-01

Large earthquakes sometimes activate volcanoes both in the near field as well as in the far field. One possible explanation is that shaking may increase the mobility of the volcanic gases stored in magma reservoirs and conduits. Here experimentally and theoretically we investigate how sloshing, the oscillatory motion of fluids contained in a shaking tank, may affect the presence and stability of bubbles and foams, with important implications for magma conduits and reservoirs. We adopt this concept from engineering: severe earthquakes are known to induce sloshing and damage petroleum tanks. Sloshing occurs in a partially filled tank or a fully filled tank with density-stratified fluids. These conditions are met at open summit conduits or at sealed magma reservoirs where a bubbly magma layer overlays a newly injected denser magma layer. We conducted sloshing experiments by shaking a rectangular tank partially filled with liquids, bubbly fluids (foams) and fully filled with density-stratified fluids; i.e., a foam layer overlying a liquid layer. In experiments with foams, we find that foam collapse occurs for oscillations near the resonance frequency of the fluid layer. Low viscosity and large bubble size favor foam collapse during sloshing. In the layered case, the collapsed foam mixes with the underlying liquid layer. Based on scaling considerations, we constrain the conditions for the occurrence of foam collapse in natural magma reservoirs. We find that seismic waves with lower frequencies < 1 Hz, usually excited by large earthquakes, can resonate with magma reservoirs whose width is > 0.5 m. Strong ground motion > 0.1 m s- 1 can excite sloshing with sufficient amplitude to collapse a magma foam in an open conduit or a foam overlying basaltic magma in a closed magma reservoir. The gas released from the collapsed foam may infiltrate the rock or diffuse through pores, enhancing heat transfer, or may generate a gas slug to cause a magmatic eruption. The overturn in the magma reservoir provides new nucleation sites which may help to prepare a following/delayed eruption. Mt. Fuji erupted 49 days after the large Hoei earthquake (1707) both dacitic and basaltic magmas. The eruption might have been triggered by magma mixing through sloshing.

Excavationless Exterior Foundation Insulation Field Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schirber, T.; Mosiman, G.; Ojczyk, C.

Building science research supports installing exterior (soil side) foundation insulation as the optimal method to enhance the hygrothermal performance of new homes. With exterior foundation insulation, water management strategies are maximized while insulating the basement space and ensuring a more even temperature at the foundation wall. However, such an approach can be very costly and disruptive when applied to an existing home, requiring deep excavation around the entire house. The NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team implemented an innovative, minimally invasive foundation insulation upgrade technique on an existing home. The approach consisted of using hydrovac excavation technology combined with a liquidmore » insulating foam. The team was able to excavate a continuous 4" wide by 4' to 5' deep trench around the entire house, 128 linear feet, except for one small part under the stoop that was obstructed with concrete debris. The combination pressure washer and vacuum extraction technology also enabled the elimination of large trenches and soil stockpiles normally produced by backhoe excavation. The resulting trench was filled with liquid insulating foam, which also served as a water-control layer of the assembly. The insulation was brought above grade using a liquid foam/rigid foam hybrid system and terminated at the top of the rim joist. Cost savings over the traditional excavation process ranged from 23% to 50%. The excavationless process could result in even greater savings since replacement of building structures, exterior features, utility meters, and landscaping would be minimal or non-existent in an excavationless process.« less

Glass Bubbles Insulation for Liquid Hydrogen Storage Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sass, J. P.; SaintCyr, W. W.; Barrett, T. M.; Baumgartner, R. G.; Lott, J. W.; Fesmire, J. E.

2009-01-01

A full-scale field application of glass bubbles insulation has been demonstrated in a 218,000 L liquid hydrogen storage tank. This work is the evolution of extensive materials testing, laboratory scale testing, and system studies leading to the use of glass bubbles insulation as a cost efficient and high performance alternative in cryogenic storage tanks of any size. The tank utilized is part of a rocket propulsion test complex at the NASA Stennis Space Center and is a 1960's vintage spherical double wall tank with an evacuated annulus. The original perlite that was removed from the annulus was in pristine condition and showed no signs of deterioration or compaction. Test results show a significant reduction in liquid hydrogen boiloff when compared to recent baseline data prior to removal of the perlite insulation. The data also validates the previous laboratory scale testing (1000 L) and full-scale numerical modeling (3,200,000 L) of boiloff in spherical cryogenic storage tanks. The performance of the tank will continue to be monitored during operation of the tank over the coming years. KEYWORDS: Glass bubble, perlite, insulation, liquid hydrogen, storage tank.

Improving the Performance of Heat Insulation Polyurethane Foams by Silica Nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikje, M. M. Alavi; Garmarudi, A. Bagheri; Haghshenas, M.; Mazaheri, Z.

Heat insulation polyurethane foam materials were doped by silica nano particles, to investigate the probable improving effects. In order to achieve the best dispersion condition and compatibility of silica nanoparticles in the polymer matrix a modification step was performed by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) as coupling agent. Then, thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane rigid foam were investigated. Thermal and mechanical properties were studied by tensile machine, thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis.

Experience gained from the use of polyurethane foam-insulated pipelines at OAO Moscow Heating-Network Company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashinskii, V. I.; Lipovskikh, V. M.; Rotmistrov, Ya. G.

2007-07-01

Results from 10 years of experience using polyurethane foam-insulated pipelines at OAO Moscow Heating-Network Co. are presented. It is shown that the failure rate of such pipelines is considerably lower than that of pipelines laid in conduits.

Nondestructive Evaluation of Foam Insulation on the Space Shuttle External Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, Joel; Walker, James L.

2006-01-01

Foam loss on the External Tank (ET) during launch can be caused by a number of factors. Voids are the best understood mechanism of foam loss, although it is known that delaminations, cracks and crushed foam can also lead to liberation of foam. Shortly after the Columbia accident, work began on non-destructive evaluation of foam targeted at finding voids and delaminations. After several months of searching for candidate methods capable of inspecting ET foam, the five most promising techniques were taken through a blind test and narrowed down to two methods to develop and use for inspection of the ET. These methods were backscatter radiography and terahertz imaging. The backscatter radiography system measures a test part by detecting Compton backscattered x-ray energy generated by a collimated beam of x-rays directed at the test subject. This collimated beam is scanned across the subject, recording scatter intensity data one pixel at a time until the area of interest is covered. The resulting data can be used to generate an image similar to a radiograph. Some depth information can be gathered utilizing apertures or collimation on the detectors. The detectors are located around the collimated source, making this a single sided inspection. The void detection limit with the currently utilized system is around 0.5 inches in diameter by 0.2 inches high. The terahertz imaging system inspects a test part by utilizing a transceiver to emit a pulse focused at the aluminum skin of the ET, which reflects it back to the transceiver where it is analyzed. The transceiver is scanned across the area of interest until a measurement has been taken at every location. Amplitude, time delay and frequency content are examined to note any discontinuities which may be the result of a void or other type of defect. The pulse currently utilized is in the millimeter wave regime. The void detection limit with this system is around 0.5 inches in diameter by 0.2 inches high. With increased interest in other causes of foam loss following the flight of Discovery in July 2005, laser shearography was added to the techniques used for inspecting ET foam. The shearography method records a sheared image of a laser speckle pattern projected on a test part before And after some sort of excitation. The resultant fringe pattern allows the slope of the out of plane displacement to be measured. For crushed and delaminated foam applications, a non-contact air coupled acoustic force is used to excite the surface of the foam. Regions without defects tend to respond differently to the sound energy than do regions with defects, generating a map of the foam integrity. Foam crushed to a depth of about 0.1 inches is detectable with shearography even after it has relaxed to its original shape.

Photographic Analysis Technique for Assessing External Tank Foam Loss Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rieckhoff, T. J.; Covan, M.; OFarrell, J. M.

2001-01-01

A video camera and recorder were placed inside the solid rocket booster forward skirt in order to view foam loss events over an area on the external tank (ET) intertank surface. In this Technical Memorandum, a method of processing video images to allow rapid detection of permanent changes indicative of foam loss events on the ET surface was defined and applied to accurately count, categorize, and locate such events.

Crosslinked polyethylene foams, via EB radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, E. C. L.; Lugão, A. B.; Andrade E. Silva, L. G.

1998-06-01

Polyethylene foams, produced by radio-induced crosslinking, show a smooth and homogeneous surface, when compared to chemical crosslinking method using peroxide as crosslinking agent. This process fosters excellent adhesive and printability properties. Besides that, closed cells, intrinsic to theses foams, imparts opitmum mechanical, shocks and insulation resistance, indicating these foams to some markets segments as: automotive and transport; buoyancy, flotation and marine: building and insulation: packaging: domestic sports and leisure goods. We were in search of an ideal foam, by adding 5 to 15% of blowing agent in LDPE. A series of preliminary trials defined 203° C as the right blowing agent decomposition temperature. At a 22.7 kGy/dose ratio, the lowest dose for providing an efficient foam was 30 kGy, for a formulation comprising 10% of azodicarbonamide in LDPE, within a 10 minutes foaming time.

A Marine Aerosol Reference Tank system as a breaking wave analogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stokes, M. D.; Deane, G. B.; Prather, K.; Bertram, T. H.; Ruppel, M. J.; Ryder, O. S.; Brady, J. M.; Zhao, D.

2012-12-01

In order to better understand the processes governing the production of marine aerosols a repeatable, controlled method for their generation is required. The Marine Aerosol Reference Tank (MART) has been designed to closely approximate oceanic conditions by producing an evolving bubble plume and surface foam patch. The tank utilizes an intermittently plunging sheet of water and large volume tank reservoir to simulate turbulence, plume and foam formation, and is monitored volumetrically and acoustically to ensure the repeatability of conditions.

Electrical conductivity of rigid polyurethane foam at high temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. T., Jr.

1982-08-01

The electrical conductivity of rigid polyurethane foam, used for electronic encapsulation, was measured during thermal decomposition to 3400 C. At higher temperatures the conductance continues to increase. With pressure loaded electrical leads, sample softening results in eventual contact between electrodes which produces electrical shorting. Air and nitrogen environments show no significant dependence of the conductivity on the atmosphere over the temperature range. The insulating characteristics of polyurethane foam below approx. 2700 C are similar to those for silicone based materials used for electronic case housings and are better than those for phenolics. At higher temperatures (greater than or equal to 2700 C) the phenolics appear to be better insulators to approx. 5000 C and the silicones to approx. 6000 C. It is concluded that the Sylgard 184/GMB encapsulant is a significantly better insulator at high temperature than the rigid polyurethane foam.

Impacting device for testing insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redmon, J. W. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

An electro-mechanical impacting device for testing the bonding of foam insulation to metal is descirbed. The device lightly impacts foam insulation attached to metal to determine whether the insulation is properly bonded to the metal and to determine the quality of the bond. A force measuring device, preferably a load cell mounted on the impacting device, measures the force of the impact and the duration of the time the hammer head is actually in contact with the insulation. The impactor is designed in the form of a handgun having a driving spring which can propel a plunger forward to cause a hammer head to impact the insulation. The device utilizes a trigger mechanism which provides precise adjustements, allowing fireproof operation.

77 FR 50411 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

... environmental control system (ECS) wrapped with BMS 8-39 or Aeronautical Materials Specifications (AMS) 3570... were assembled with duct assemblies in the ECS wrapped with BMS 8-39 urethane foam insulation, a... ECS with burned BMS 8-39 urethane foam insulation. We issued these ADs to prevent a potential...

Ventilation Guidance To Promote the Safe Use of Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation, Incluyendo la Versión de Español

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guidance describes basic ventilation principles and strategies to help protect workers and building occupants and promote the safe use of spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation. Guia para la ventilacion sobre la application del aerosol de espuma.

10 CFR 431.303 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Transmission Properties by Means of the Heat Flow Meter Apparatus, approved May 1, 2004, IBR approved for § 431... insulation products for buildings—Factory made products of extruded polystyrene foam (XPS)—Specification..., (“DIN EN 13165”), Thermal insulation products for buildings—Factory made rigid polyurethane foam (PUR...

46 CFR 108.473 - Foam system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Foam system components. 108.473 Section 108.473 Shipping... EQUIPMENT Fire Extinguishing Systems Foam Extinguishing Systems § 108.473 Foam system components. (a) Each foam agent, each tank for a foam agent, each discharge outlet, each control, and each valve for the...

46 CFR 108.473 - Foam system components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Foam system components. 108.473 Section 108.473 Shipping... EQUIPMENT Fire Extinguishing Systems Foam Extinguishing Systems § 108.473 Foam system components. (a) Each foam agent, each tank for a foam agent, each discharge outlet, each control, and each valve for the...

Opportunities for Waste Heat Recovery at Contingency Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

thermal insulation around the reactor to reduce heating requirements. Calculations demonstrate that about 44 W-hrs are required to heat a gallon of...tank ( ), which considers the convective heat transfer inside and outside the tank, the tank material, and insulation surrounding...well as provide excellent insulation to reduce heat loss during transport. Any non-buried portion (e.g., at tank or heat exchanger connec- tions

49 CFR 178.338-1 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... outer shell or jacket, with insulation between the inner vessel and outer shell or jacket, and having... specification, tank means inner vessel and jacket means either the outer shell or insulation cover. (c) Each.... (1) Each cargo tank must have an insulation system that will prevent the tank pressure from exceeding...

49 CFR 178.338-1 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... outer shell or jacket, with insulation between the inner vessel and outer shell or jacket, and having... specification, tank means inner vessel and jacket means either the outer shell or insulation cover. (c) Each.... (1) Each cargo tank must have an insulation system that will prevent the tank pressure from exceeding...

46 CFR 151.04-5 - Inspection for certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... external examination of the tank is not possible because of insulation, the owner shall ensure that— (1) The amount of insulation deemed necessary by the marine inspector is removed during each cargo tank internal inspection to allow spot external examination of the tanks and insulation; or (2) The thickness of...

49 CFR 178.338-1 - General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... outer shell or jacket, with insulation between the inner vessel and outer shell or jacket, and having... specification, tank means inner vessel and jacket means either the outer shell or insulation cover. (c) Each.... (1) Each cargo tank must have an insulation system that will prevent the tank pressure from exceeding...

Summary of Activities for Nondestructive Evaluation of Insulation in Cryogenic Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arens, Ellen

2012-01-01

This project was undertaken to investigate methods to non-intrusively determine the existence and density of perlite insulation in the annular region of the cryogenic storage vessels, specifically considering the Launch Complex 39 hydrogen tanks at Kennedy Space Center. Lack of insulation in the tanks (as existed in the pad B hydrogen tank at Kennedy Space Center) results in an excessive loss of commodity and can pose operational and safety risks if precautions are not taken to relieve the excessive gas build-up. Insulation with a density that is higher than normal (due to settling or compaction) may also pose an operational and safety risk if the insulation prevents the system from moving and responding to expansions and contractions as fluid is removed and added to the tank.

In-Situ Cryogenic Propellant Liquefaction and Storage for a Precursor to a Human Mars Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Paul; Durrant, Tom

The current mission plan for the first human mission to Mars is based on an in-situ propellant production (ISPP) approach to reduce the amount of propellants needed to be taken to Mars and ultimately to reduce mission cost. Recent restructuring of the Mars Robotic Exploration Program has removed ISPP from the early sample return missions. A need still exists to demonstrate ISPP technologies on one or more robotic missions prior to the first human mission. This paper outlines a concept for an ISPP-based precursor mission as a technology demonstration prior to the first human mission. It will also return Martian soil samples to Earth for scientific analysis. The mission will primarily demonstrate cryogenic oxygen and fuel production, liquefaction, and storage for use as propellants for the return trip. Hydrogen will be brought from Earth as a feedstock to produce the hydrocarbon fuel (most likely methane). The analysis used to develop the mission concept includes several different thermal control and liquefaction options for the cryogens. Active cooling and liquefaction devices include Stirling, pulse tube, and Brayton-cycle cryocoolers. Insulation options include multilayer insulation, evacuated microspheres, aerogel blankets, and foam insulation. The cooling capacity and amount of insulation are traded off against each other for a minimum-mass system. In the case of hydrogen feedstock, the amount of hydrogen boiloff allowed during the trip to Mars is also included in the tradeoff. The spacecraft concept includes a Lander (including the propellant production plant) with a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) mounted atop it. An option is explored where the engines on the MAV are also used for descent and landing on the Martian surface at the beginning of the mission. So the MAV propellant tanks would contain oxygen and methane during the trip from Earth. This propellant would be consumed in descent to the Martian surface, resulting in nearly-empty MAV tanks to be filled by the ISPP plant. The paper includes conceptual layout drawings of the proposed Lander/MAV combination, including propellant tanks and ISPP components. Mass estimates of the various components are also included.

Visits to physicians before and after exposure to urea formaldehyde foam insulation.

PubMed Central

L'Abbé, K A; Hoey, J R; Hanley, J; Wacholder, S; Nantel, A

1988-01-01

The average number of visits to a physician made by a sample of 351 residents of homes insulated with urea formaldehyde foam insulation in Montreal in the one year period before exposure was 5.25, and in the year following 5.62, an increase of 7 per cent (odds ratio 1.07, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.15). The increase in visits in the post insulation year was limited to subjects who had the product installed in the winter (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.18,1.85), and was not seen for study subjects who insulated their homes during other seasons of the year. PMID:3177730

Foam on Tile Impact Modeling for the Space Shuttle Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stellingwerf, R. F.; Robinson, J. H.; Richardson, S.; Evans, S. W.; Stallworth, R.; Hovater, M.

2003-01-01

Following the breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia during reentry a NASA-wide investigation team was formed to examine the probable damage inflicted on Orbiter Thermal Protection System (TPS) elements by impact of External Tank insulating foam projectiles. Our team was to apply rigorous, physics-based analysis techniques to help determine parameters of interest for an experimental test program, utilize validated codes to investigate the full range of impact scenarios, and use analysis derived models to predict aero-thermal-structural responses to entry conditions. We were to operate on a non-interference basis with the j Team, and were to supply significant findings to that team and to the Orbiter Vehicle Engineering Working Group, being responsive to any solicitations for support from these entities. The authors formed a working sub-group within the larger team to apply the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics code SPHC to the damage estimation problem. Numerical models of the LI-900 TPS tiles and of the BX-250 foam were constructed and used as inputs into the code. Material properties needed to properly model the tiles and foam were obtained from other working sub-groups who performed tests on these items for this purpose. Two- and three- dimensional models of the tiles were constructed, including the glass outer layer, the densified lower layer of LI-900 insulation, the Nomex felt Strain Isolation Pad (SIP) mounting layer, and the underlying aluminum 2024 vehicle skin. A model for the BX-250 foam including porous compression, elastic rebound, and surface erosion was developed. Code results for the tile damage and foam behavior were extensively validated through comparison with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) foam-on-tile impact experiments carried out in 1999. These tests involved small projectiles striking individual tiles and small tile arrays. Following code and model validation we simulated impacts of larger ET foam projectiles on the TPS tile systems used on the wings of the orbiter. Tiles used on the Wing Acreage, the Main Landing Gear Door, and the Carrier Panels near the front edge of the wing were modeled. Foam impacts shot for the CAB investigation were modeled, as well as impacts at larger angles, including rapid rotation of the projectile, and with varying foam properties. General results suggest that foam impacts on tiles at about 500 mph could cause appreciable damage if the impact angle is greater than about 20 degrees. Some variations of the foam properties, such as increased brittleness or increased density could increase damage in some cases. Rapid (17 rps) rotation failed to increase the damage for the two cases considered. This does not rule out other cases in which the rotational energy might lead to an increase in tile damage, but suggests that in most cases rotation will not be an important factor. Similar models will be applied for other impacting materials, other velocities, and other geometries as part of the Return to Flight process.

Improvement of foam breaking and oxygen-transfer performance in a stirred-tank fermenter.

PubMed

Takesono, Satoshi; Onodera, Masayuki; Toda, Kiyoshi; Yoshida, Masanori; Yamagiwa, Kazuaki; Ohkawa, Akira

2006-03-01

This study examined a stirred-tank fermenter (STF) containing low-viscosity foaming liquids with an agitation impeller and foam-breaking impeller mounted on the same shaft. Results showed that the performance of the foam-breaking impeller can be improved by changing a conventional six-blade turbine impeller into a rod impeller as the agitation impeller. The volumetric oxygen-transfer coefficient, kLa, in the mechanical foam-control method (MFM) using a six-blade vaned disk as the foam-breaking impeller in the STF with the rod impeller was approximately five times greater than that of the chemical foam-control method (CFM) adding an anti-foaming agent in the STF with the six-blade turbine impeller. Application of the present method to the cultivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae K-7 demonstrated that the cultivation time up to the maximum cell concentration was remarkably shorter than that achieved using a conventional CFM.

KSC-07pd1200

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-05-15

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Space Shuttle Atlantis, mounted on a mobile launch platform, finally rests on the hard stand of Launch Pad 39A after an early morning rollout. This is the second rollout for the shuttle. Seen on either side of the main engine exhaust hole on the launcher platform are the tail service masts. Their function is to provide umbilical connections for liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen lines to fuel the external tank from storage tanks adjacent to the launch pad. Other umbilical lines carry helium and nitrogen, as well as ground electrical power and connections for vehicle data and communications. First motion out of the Vehicle Assembly Building was at 5:02 a.m. EDT. In late February, while Atlantis was on the launch pad, Atlantis' external tank received hail damage during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 area. The hail caused visible divots in the giant tank's foam insulation, as well as minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the shuttle's left wing. The shuttle was returned to the VAB for repairs. The launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-117 is now targeted for June 8. A flight readiness review will be held on May 30 and 31. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

Building America Case Study: Excavationless Exterior-Side Foundation Insulation for Existing Homes, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Fact Sheet)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NorthernSTAR

Building science research supports installing exterior (soil side) foundation insulation as the optimal method to enhance the hygrothermal performance of new homes. With exterior foundation insulation, water management strategies are maximized while insulating the basement space and ensuring a more even temperature at the foundation wall. However, such an approach can be very costly and disruptive when applied to an existing home, requiring deep excavation around the entire house. The NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team implemented an innovative, minimally invasive foundation insulation upgrade technique on an existing home. The approach consisted of using hydrovac excavation technology combined with a liquidmore » insulating foam. The team was able to excavate a continuous 4" wide by 4' to 5' deep trench around the entire house, 128 linear feet, except for one small part under the stoop that was obstructed with concrete debris. The combination pressure washer and vacuum extraction technology also enabled the elimination of large trenches and soil stockpiles normally produced by backhoe excavation. The resulting trench was filled with liquid insulating foam, which also served as a water-control layer of the assembly. The insulation was brought above grade using a liquid foam/rigid foam hybrid system and terminated at the top of the rim joist. Cost savings over the traditional excavation process ranged from 23% to 50%. The excavationless process could result in even greater savings since replacement of building structures, exterior features, utility meters, and landscaping would be minimal or non-existent in an excavationless process.« less

Excavationless Exterior Foundation Insulation Field Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schirber, T.; Mosiman, G.; Ojczyk, C.

Building science research supports installing exterior (soil side) foundation insulation as the optimal method to enhance the hygrothermal performance of new homes. With exterior foundation insulation, water management strategies are maximized while insulating the basement space and ensuring a more even temperature at the foundation wall. However, such an approach can be very costly and disruptive when applied to an existing home, requiring deep excavation around the entire house. The NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team implemented an innovative, minimally invasive foundation insulation upgrade technique on an existing home. The approach consisted of using hydrovac excavation technology combined with liquid insulatingmore » foam. The team was able to excavate a continuous 4 inches wide by 4 feet to 5 feet deep trench around the entire house, 128 linear feet, except for one small part under the stoop that was obstructed with concrete debris. The combination pressure washer and vacuum extraction technology also enabled the elimination of large trenches and soil stockpiles normally produced by backhoe excavation. The resulting trench was filled with liquid insulating foam, which also served as a water-control layer of the assembly. The insulation was brought above grade using a liquid foam/rigid foam hybrid system and terminated at the top of the rim joist. Cost savings over the traditional excavation process ranged from 23% to 50%. The excavationless process could result in even greater savings since replacement of building structures, exterior features, utility meters, and landscaping would be minimal or non-existent in an excavationless process.« less

KSC-99pp0532

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Casting a giant shadow across the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly maneuvers Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, toward High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0535

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A crawler transporter slowly maneuvers Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, into High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0527

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the early light of dawn, a crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repair of damage to the external tank foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0536

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Discovery, dwarfed by its external tank and solid rocket boosters, is in position in High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for repair of damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The Shuttle was rolled back from Pad 39B this morning because access to all of the damaged areas was not possible at the pad. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0534

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a juncture in the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, toward High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0533

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At a juncture in the crawlerway, a crawler transporter slowly moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, to High Bay 1 of the Vehicle Assembly Building to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The necessary repair work could not be performed at Pad 39B due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to the pad by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to be rolled back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

Analysis of Influence of Foaming Mixture Components on Structure and Properties of Foam Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karandashova, N. S.; Goltsman, B. M.; Yatsenko, E. A.

2017-11-01

It is recommended to use high-quality thermal insulation materials to increase the energy efficiency of buildings. One of the best thermal insulation materials is foam glass - durable, porous material that is resistant to almost any effect of substance. Glass foaming is a complex process depending on the foaming mode and the initial mixture composition. This paper discusses the influence of all components of the mixture - glass powder, foaming agent, enveloping material and water - on the foam glass structure. It was determined that glass powder is the basis of the future material. A foaming agent forms a gas phase in the process of thermal decomposition. This aforementioned gas foams the viscous glass mass. The unreacted residue thus changes a colour of the material. The enveloping agent slows the foaming agent decomposition preventing its premature burning out and, in addition, helps to accelerate the sintering of glass particles. The introduction of water reduces the viscosity of the foaming mixture making it evenly distributed and also promotes the formation of water gas that additionally foams the glass mass. The optimal composition for producing the foam glass with the density of 150 kg/m3 is defined according to the results of the research.

High temperature polyimide foams for shuttle upper surface thermal insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ball, G. L., III; Leffingwell, J. W.; Salyer, I. O.; Werkmeister, D. W.

1974-01-01

Polyimide foams developed by Monsanto Company were examined for use as upper surface space shuttle thermal insulation. It was found that postcured polyimide foams having a density of 64 kg/cu m (4 lb/cu ft) had acceptable physical properties up to and exceeding 700 K (800 F). Physical tests included cyclic heating and cooling in vacuum, weight and dimensional stability, mechanical strength and impact resistance, acoustic loading and thermal conductivity. Molding and newly developed postcuring procedures were defined.

49 CFR 178.358-2 - Materials of construction and other requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Materials of construction and other requirements. (a) Phenolic foam insulation must be fire resistant and... equivalent. (d) Fire-retardant (intumescent) paint must be applied to any wood blocking which is located at... provide pressure relief during the insulation foaming and in the event of a fire. These holes, which must...

Fire retardant foams developed to suppress fuel fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fish, R.; Gilwee, W. J.; Parker, J. A.; Riccitiello, S. R.

1968-01-01

Heat insulating polyurethane foam retards and suppresses fuel fires. Uniformly dispersed in the foam is a halogenated polymer capable of splitting off hydrogen halide upon heating and charring of the polyurethane.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, W. D.; Restivo, M. L.; Martino, C. J.

Radioactive waste samples retrieved from Savannah River Site (SRS) Tanks 38H and 43H (concentrate receipt and feed tanks, respectively, for the 2H Evaporator system) were evaluated with regard to their tendency to form foams during air sparging. This work was conducted due to recent processing issues and outages in the evaporator that were believed to have resulted from sample foaming. The samples evaluated for foam formation included supernate collected in April of 2014 (near the time of the evaporator outage) as well as historical samples available within the SRNL shielded cells facility. The April samples included one Tank 43H surfacemore » sample (HTF-43-14-42), one Tank 43H sub-surface sample (HTF-43-14-43), and one Tank 38H (HTF-38-14-41) surface sample. In addition, two Tank 43H samples (HTF-43-14-8 and HTF-43-14-9) and one Tank 38H sample (HTF-38-14-6) were also evaluated along with a blended sample of various historical Tank 38H and 43H samples. Characterization results for the April samples are also provided. The composition of the samples was similar to historical evaporator system samples received at SRNL.« less

49 CFR 179.300-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Multi-Unit Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-106A and 110AW) § 179.300-4 Insulation. (a) Tanks shall not be...

Technical characteristics of rigid sprayed PUR and PIR foams used in construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gravit, Marina; Kuleshin, Aleksey; Khametgalieva, Elina; Karakozova, Irina

2017-10-01

The article describes the distinctive properties of rigid polyurethane foam and polyisocyanurate (PUR and PIR). A brief review of the research was carried out on their modification with an objective to improve the thermal insulation properties and reducing the combustibility. A comparative analysis of the technical characteristics of rigid PUR and PIR foams of various manufacturers is presented. The problems of the state of the market for the production of polyurethane foam and polyisocyanurate in Russia have been marked. It is established that the further development of the fabrication technology of heat-insulating sprayed rigid PUR and PIR foams requires uniformity of technical characteristics of original components and finished products. Moreover, it requires the creation of unified information base for raw materials and auxiliary materials used in the production of PUR and PIR foam.

Reusable LH2 tank technology demonstration through ground test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bianca, C.; Greenberg, H. S.; Johnson, S. E.

1995-01-01

The paper presents the project plan to demonstrate, by March 1997, the reusability of an integrated composite LH2 tank structure, cryogenic insulation, and thermal protection system (TPS). The plan includes establishment of design requirements and a comprehensive trade study to select the most suitable Reusable Hydrogen Composite Tank system (RHCTS) within the most suitable of 4 candidate structural configurations. The 4 vehicles are winged body with the capability to deliver 25,000 lbs of payload to a circular 220 nm, 51.6 degree inclined orbit (also 40,000 lbs to a 28.5 inclined 150 nm orbit). A prototype design of the selected RHCTS is established to identify the construction, fabrication, and stress simulation and test requirements necessary in an 8 foot diameter tank structure/insulation/TPS test article. A comprehensive development test program supports the 8 foot test article development and involves the composite tank itself, cryogenic insulation, and integrated tank/insulation/TPS designs. The 8 foot diameter tank will contain the integrated cryogenic insulation and TPS designs resulting from this development and that of the concurrent lightweight durable TPS program. Tank ground testing will include 330 cycles of LH2 filling, pressurization, body loading, depressurization, draining, and entry heating.

KSC-99pp0531

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery, with its external tank and solid rocket boosters, from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at left to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The external tank-solid rocket booster stack for mission STS-93, which was moved out of High Bay 1 to make room for Discovery, can be seen in the background between Discovery and the VAB. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to Pad 39B by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0530

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On a beautiful Florida morning, a crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery (right, nearly hidden behind its external tank and solid rocket boosters) from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at left to repair damage to the external tank's foam insulation caused by hail. The external tank-solid rocket booster stack for mission STS-93 was moved out of High Bay 1, which awaits Discovery's arrival with its door open. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to Pad 39B by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

KSC-99pp0529

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-16

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A crawler transporter moves Space Shuttle Discovery, hidden by its external tank and solid rocket boosters, from Pad 39B back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repair of damage to the external tank foam insulation caused by hail. The external tank/solid rocket booster stack for mission STS-93 was moved out of High Bay 1 to make room for Discovery and can be seen on the horizon between Discovery and the VAB. The necessary repair work could not be performed at the pad due to limited access to the damaged areas. The work is expected to take two to three days, allowing Discovery to roll back to Pad 39B by midweek for launch of mission STS-96, the 94th launch in the Space Shuttle Program. This is only the 13th time since 1981 that a Shuttle has had to roll back from the pad. Liftoff will occur no earlier than May 27. STS-96 is a logistics and resupply mission for the International Space Station, carrying such payloads as a Russian crane, the Strela; a U.S.-built crane; the Spacehab Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), a logistics items carrier; and STARSHINE, a student-shared experiment

Shearographic Non-destructive Evaluation of Space Shuttle Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Christopher K.; Hooker, Jeffery A.; Simmons, Stephen A.; Tenbusch, Kenneth E.

1995-01-01

Preliminary results of shearographic inspections of the shuttle external tank (ET) spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) and solid rocket booster (SRB) Marshall sprayable ablative (MSA-2) epoxy-cork thermal protection systems (TPS) are presented. Debonding SOFI or MSA-2 damage the orbiter 'belly' tile and exposes the ET/SRB to thermal loading. Previous work with the ET/SRB showed promising results with shearography. The first area investigated was the jack pad close-out, one of many areas on the ET where foam is applied at KSC. Voids 0.375 inch were detected in 1.75 inch thick foam using a pressure reduction of less than 0.4 psi. Of primary interest are areas of the ET that directly face the orbiter tile TPS. It is estimated that 90% of tile TPS damage on the orbiter 'belly' results from debonding SOFI during ascent. Test panels modeling these areas were manufactured with programmed debonds to determine the sensitivity of shearography as a function of debond size, SOFI thickness and vacuum. Results show repeatable detection of debonds with a diameter approximately half the SOFI thickness at less than 0.4 psi pressure reduction. Preliminary results are also presented on inspections of MSA-2 and the remote manipulator system (RMS) honeycomb material.

Shearographic non-destructive evaluation of the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Christopher K.; Tenbusch, Kenneth E.; Hooker, Jeffery A.; Simmons, Stephen M.

1995-01-01

Preliminary results of shearographic inspections of the shuttle external tank (ET) spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) and solid rocket booster (SRB) Marshall sprayable ablative (MSA-2) epoxy-cork thermal protection systems (TPS) and remote manipulator system (RMS) honeycomb are presented. Debonding SOFI or MSA-2 damage the orbiter belly tile and exposes the ET/SRB to thermal loading. Previous work with the ET/SRB showed promising results with shearography. The first area investigated was the jack pad close-out, one of many areas on the ET where foam is applied at KSC. Voids 0.375 inch were detected in 1.75 inch thick foam using a pressure reduction of less dm 0.4 psi. Of primary interest are areas of the ET that directly face the orbiter tile TPS. It is estimated that 90% of tile TPS damage on the orbiter 'belly' results from debonding SOFI during ascent. Test panels modeling these areas were manufactured with programmed debonds to determine the sensitivity of shearography as a function of debond size, SOFI thickness, and vacuum. Results show a Probability of Detection (POD) of .95 or better for of debonds with a diameter equal to the SOFI thickness at less than 0.4 psi pressure reduction. Preliminary results are also presented on inspections of MSA-2 and the remote manipulator system (RMS) honeycomb material.

Shearographic non-destructive evaluation of space shuttle thermal protection systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooker, Jeffrey A.; Simmons, Stephen M.; Davis, Christopher K.; Tenbusch, Kenneth E.

1995-01-01

Preliminary results of shearographic inspections of the shuttle external tank (ET) spray-on foam insulation (SOFI) and solid rocket booster (SRB) Marshall sprayable ablative (MSA-2) epoxy-cork thermal protection systems (TPS) are presented. Debonding SOFI or MSA-2 damage the orbiter 'belly' tile and exposes the ET/SRB to thermal loading. Previous work with the ET/SRB showed promising results with shearography. The first area investigated was the jack pad close-out, one of many areas on the ET where foam is applied at KSC. Voids 0.375 inch were detected in 1.75 inch thick foam using a pressure reduction of less than 0.4 psi. Of primary interest are areas of the ET that directly face the orbiter tile TPS. It is estimated that 90% of tile TPS damage on the orbiter 'belly' results from debonding SOFI during ascent. Test panels modeling these areas were manufactured with programmed debonds to determine the sensitivity of shearography as a function of debond size, SOFI thickness and vacuum. Results show repeatable detection of debonds with a diameter approximately half the SOFI thickness at less than 0.4 psi pressure reduction. Preliminary results are also presented on inspections of MSA-2 and the remote manipulator system (RMS) honeycomb material

Measuring Thermal Conductivity and Moisture Absorption of Cryo-Insulation Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, Michael A.

1998-01-01

NASA is seeking to develop thermal insulation material systems suitable for withstanding both extremely high temperatures encountered during atmospheric re-entry heating and aero- braking maneuvers, as well as extremely low temperatures existing in liquid fuel storage tanks. Currently, materials used for the high temperature insulation or Thermal Protection System (TPS) are different from the low temperature, or cryogenic insulation. Dual purpose materials are necessary to the development of reusable launch vehicles (RLV). The present Space Shuttle (or Space Transportation System, STS) employs TPS materials on the orbiter and cryo-insulation materials on the large fuel tank slung under the orbiter. The expensive fuel tank is jettisoned just before orbit is achieved and it burns up while re-entering over the Indian Ocean. A truly completely reusable launch vehicle must store aR cryogenic fuel internally. The fuel tanks will be located close to the outer surface. In fact the outer skin of the craft will probably also serve as the fuel tank enclosure, as in jet airliners. During a normal launch the combined TPS/cryo-insulation system will serve only as a low temperature insulator, since aerodynamic heating is relatively minimal during ascent to orbit. During re-entry, the combined TPS/cryo-insulation system will serve only as a high temperature insulator, since all the cryogenic fuel will have been expended in orbit. However, in the event of an.aborted launch or a forced/emergency early re-entry, the tanks will still contain fuel, and the TPS/cryo-insulation will have to serve as both low and high temperature insulation. Also, on long duration missions, such as to Mars, very effective cryo-insulation materials are needed to reduce bod off of liquid propellants, thereby reducing necessary tankage volume, weight, and cost. The conventional approach to obtaining both low and high temperature insulation, such as is employed for the X-33 and X-34 spacecraft, is to use separate TPS and cryo-insulation materials, which are connected by means of adhesives or stand-offs (spacers). Three concepts are being considered: (1) the TPS is bonded directly to the cryo-insulation which, in turn, is bonded to the exterior of the tank, (2) stand-offs are used to make a gap between the TPS and the cryo-insulation, which is bonded externally to the tank, (3) TPS is applied directly or with stand-offs to the exterior so the tank, and cryo-insulation is applied directly to the interior of the tank. Many potential problems are inherent in these approaches. For example, mismatch between coefficients of thermal expansion of the TPS and cryo-insulation, as well as aerodynamic loads, could lead to failure of the bond. Internal cryo-insulation must be prevent from entering the sump of the fuel turbo-pump. The mechanical integrity of the stand-off structure (if used) must withstand multiple missions. During ground hold (i.e., prior to launch) moisture condensation must be minimized in the gap between the cryo-insulation and the TPS. The longer term solution requires the development of a single material to act as cryo- insulation during ground hold and as TPS during re-entry. Such a material minimizes complexity and weight while improving reliability and reducing cost.

Erosion of polyurethane insulation.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraus, S.

1973-01-01

Detailed description of the test program in which erosion of the spray foam insulation used in the S-II stage of the Saturn-V Apollo launch vehicle was investigated. The behavior of the spray foam was investigated at the elevated temperature and static pressure appropriate to the S-II stage environment, but in the absence of the aerodynamic shear stress.

Hail Disrometer Array for Launch Systems Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, John E.; Sharp, David W.; Kasparis, Takis C.; Doesken, Nolan J.

2008-01-01

Prior to launch, the space shuttle might be described as a very large thermos bottle containing substantial quantities of cryogenic fuels. Because thermal insulation is a critical design requirement, the external wall of the launch vehicle fuel tank is covered with an insulating foam layer. This foam is fragile and can be damaged by very minor impacts, such as that from small- to medium-size hail, which may go unnoticed. In May 1999, hail damage to the top of the External Tank (ET) of STS-96 required a rollback from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for repair of the insulating foam. Because of the potential for hail damage to the ET while exposed to the weather, a vigilant hail sentry system using impact transducers was developed as a hail damage warning system and to record and quantify hail events. The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Hail Monitor System, a joint effort of the NASA and University Affiliated Spaceport Technology Development Contract (USTDC) Physics Labs, was first deployed for operational testing in the fall of 2006. Volunteers from the Community Collaborative Rain. Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) in conjunction with Colorado State University were and continue to be active in testing duplicate hail monitor systems at sites in the hail prone high plains of Colorado. The KSC Hail Monitor System (HMS), consisting of three stations positioned approximately 500 ft from the launch pad and forming an approximate equilateral triangle (see Figure 1), was deployed to Pad 39B for support of STS-115. Two months later, the HMS was deployed to Pad 39A for support of STS-116. During support of STS-117 in late February 2007, an unusual hail event occurred in the immediate vicinity of the exposed space shuttle and launch pad. Hail data of this event was collected by the HMS and analyzed. Support of STS-118 revealed another important application of the hail monitor system. Ground Instrumentation personnel check the hail monitors daily when a vehicle is on the launch pad, with special attention after any storm suspected of containing hail. If no hail is recorded by the HMS, the vehicle and pad inspection team has no need to conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle immediately following a storm. On the afternoon of July 13, 2007, hail on the ground was reported by observers at the VAB, about three miles west of Pad 39A, as well as at several other locations around Kennedy Space Center. The HMS showed no impact detections, indicating that the shuttle had not been damaged by any of the numerous hail events which occurred that day.

40 CFR 82.62 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... distributes that product in interstate commerce for export from the United States. Foam Insulation Product, when used to describe a product containing or consisting of plastic foam, means a product containing or consisting of the following types of foam: (1) Closed cell rigid polyurethane foam; (2) Closed cell rigid...

40 CFR 82.62 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... distributes that product in interstate commerce for export from the United States. Foam Insulation Product, when used to describe a product containing or consisting of plastic foam, means a product containing or consisting of the following types of foam: (1) Closed cell rigid polyurethane foam; (2) Closed cell rigid...

40 CFR 82.62 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... distributes that product in interstate commerce for export from the United States. Foam Insulation Product, when used to describe a product containing or consisting of plastic foam, means a product containing or consisting of the following types of foam: (1) Closed cell rigid polyurethane foam; (2) Closed cell rigid...

40 CFR 82.62 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... distributes that product in interstate commerce for export from the United States. Foam Insulation Product, when used to describe a product containing or consisting of plastic foam, means a product containing or consisting of the following types of foam: (1) Closed cell rigid polyurethane foam; (2) Closed cell rigid...

Thermal performance of a liquid hydrogen tank multilayer insulation system at warm boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 152 R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stochl, Robert J.; Knoll, Richard H.

1991-06-01

The results are presented of a study conducted to obtain experimental heat transfer data on a liquid hydrogen tank insulated with 34 layers of MLI (multilayer insulation) for warm side boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 150 R. The MLI system consisted of two blankets, each blanket made up of alternate layers of double silk net (16 layers) and double aluminized Mylar radiation shields (15 layers) contained between two cover sheets of Dacron scrim reinforced Mylar. The insulation system was designed for and installed on a 87.6 in diameter liquid hydrogen tank. Nominal layer density of the insulation blankets is 45 layers/in. The insulation system contained penetrations for structural support, plumbing, and electrical wiring that would be representative of a cryogenic spacecraft. The total steady state heat transfer rates into the test tank for shroud temperatures of 630, 530, 152 R were 164.4, 95.8, and 15.9 BTU/hr respectively. The noninsulation heat leaks into the tank (12 fiberglass support struts, tank plumbing, and instrumentation lines) represent between 13 to 17 pct. of the total heat input. The heat input values would translate to liquid H2 losses of 2.3, 1.3, and 0.2 pct/day, with the tank held at atmospheric pressure.

Thermal performance of a liquid hydrogen tank multilayer insulation system at warm boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 152 R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stochl, Robert J.; Knoll, Richard H.

1991-06-01

The results are presented of a study conducted to obtain experimental heat transfer data on a liquid hydrogen tank insulated with 34 layers of MLI (multilayer insulation) for warm side boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 150 R. The MLI system consisted of two blankets, each blanket made up of alternate layers of double silk net (16 layers) and double aluminized Mylar radiation shields (15 layers) contained between two cover sheets of Dacron scrim reinforced Mylar. The insulation system was designed for and installed on an 87.6 in. diameter liquid hydrogen tank. Nominal layer density of the insulation blankets is 45 layers/in. The insulation system contained penetrations for structural support, plumbing, and electrical wiring that would be representative of a cryogenic spacecraft. The total steady state heat transfer rates into the test tank for shroud temperatures of 630, 530, 152 R were 164.4, 95.8, and 15.9 BTU/hr, respectively. The noninsulation heat leaks into the tank (12 fiberglass support struts, tank plumbing, and instrumentation lines) represent between 13 to 17 pct. of the total heat input. The heat input values would translate to liquid H2 losses of 2.3, 1.3, and 0.2 pct/day, with the tank held at atmospheric pressure.

Thermographic Methods of Detecting Insulation Voids in Large Cryogenic Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arens, Ellen; Nurge, Mark; Youngquist, Robert; Starr, Stanley

2010-01-01

Four very large (900Kgal) cryogenic liquid hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks at Kennedy Space Center's LC-39 launch pads were constructed in 1965 to support the Apollo/Saturn V Program and continue to support the Space Shuttle Program. These double-walled spherical tanks with powdered insulation in the annular region, have received minimal refurbishment or even inspection over the years. Intrusively inspecting these tanks would mean a significant down time to the program as the cryogenic liquid and the perlite insulation would have to be removed which would be a significant task and long-term schedule disruption. A study of the tanks was performed to determine the extent to which performance and structural information could be revealed without intrusive inspection. Thermal images of the tanks were taken over a variety of environmental conditions to determine the best conditions under which to compare and use thermography as a health monitoring technique as the tanks continue to age. The settling and subsequent compaction of insulation is a serious concern for cryogenic tanks. Comparison of images from the tanks reveals significant variations in the insulation in the annual regions and point to the use of thermography as a way to monitor for insulation migration and possible compaction. These measurements, when combined with mathematical models of historical boil-off data provide key insight to the condition of the vessels. Acceptance testing methods for new tanks, before they are filled with cryogenic commodity (and thereby thermally cycled), are needed and we explore how thermography can be used to accomplish this.

Optimal Design of Functionally Graded Metallic Foam Insulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haftka, Raphael T.; Sankar, Bhavani; Venkataraman, Satchi; Zhu, Huadong

2002-01-01

The focus of our work has been on developing an insight into the physics that govern the optimum design of thermal insulation for use in thermal protection systems of launch vehicle. Of particular interest was to obtain optimality criteria for designing foam insulations that have density (or porosity) distributions through the thickness for optimum thermal performance. We investigate the optimum design of functionally graded thermal insulation for steady state heat transfer through the foam. We showed that the heat transfer in the foam has competing modes, of radiation and conduction. The problem assumed a fixed inside temperature of 400 K and varied the aerodynamic surface heating on the outside surface from 0.2 to 1.0 MW/sq m. The thermal insulation develops a high temperature gradient through the thickness. Investigation of the model developed for heat conduction in foams showed that at high temperatures (as on outside wall) intracellular radiation dominates the heat transfer in the foam. Minimizing radiation requires reducing the pore size, which increases the density of the foam. At low temperatures (as on the inside wall), intracellular conduction (of the metal and air) dominates the heat transfer. Minimizing conduction requires increasing the pore size. This indicated that for every temperature there was an optimum value of density that minimized the heat transfer coefficient. Two optimization studies were performed. One was to minimize the heat transmitted though a fixed thickness insulation by varying density profiles. The second was to obtain the minimum mass insulation for specified thickness. Analytical optimality criteria were derived for the cases considered. The optimality condition for minimum heat transfer required that at each temperature we find the density that minimizes the heat transfer coefficient. Once a relationship between the optimum heat transfer coefficient and the temperature was found, the design problem reduced to the solution of a simple nonlinear differential equation. Preliminary results of this work were presented at the American Society of Composites meeting, and the final version was submitted for publication in the AIAA Journal. In addition to minimizing the transmitted heat, we investigated the optimum design for minimum weight given an acceptable level of heat transmission through the insulation. The optimality criterion developed was different from that obtained for minimizing beat transfer coefficient. For minimum mass design, we had to find for a given temperature the optimum density, which minimized the logarithmic derivative of the insulation thermal conductivity with respect to its density. The logarithmic derivative is defined as the ratio of relative change in the dependent response (thermal conductivity) to the relative change in the independent variable (density). The results have been documented as a conference paper that will be presented at the upcoming AIAA.

Development of High Performance Composite Foam Insulation with Vacuum Insulation Cores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biswas, Kaushik; Desjarlais, Andre Omer; SmithPhD, Douglas

Development of a high performance thermal insulation (thermal resistance or R-value per inch of R-12 hr-ft2- F/Btu-in or greater), with twice the thermal resistance of state-of-the-art commercial insulation materials ( R6/inch for foam insulation), promises a transformational impact in the area of building insulation. In 2010, in the US, the building envelope-related primary energy consumption was 15.6 quads, of which 5.75 quads were due to opaque wall and roof sections; the total US consumption (building, industrial and transportation) was 98 quads. In other words, the wall and roof contribution was almost 6% of the entire US primary energy consumption. Buildingmore » energy modeling analyses have shown that adding insulation to increase the R-value of the external walls of residential buildings by R10-20 (hr-ft2- F/Btu) can yield savings of 38-50% in wall-generated heating and cooling loads. Adding R20 will require substantial thicknesses of current commercial insulation materials, often requiring significant (and sometimes cost-prohibitive) alterations to existing buildings. This article describes the development of a next-generation composite insulation with a target thermal resistance of R25 for a 2 inch thick board (R12/inch or higher). The composite insulation will contain vacuum insulation cores, which are nominally R35-40/inch, encapsulated in polyisocyanurate foam. A recently-developed variant of vacuum insulation, called modified atmosphere insulation (MAI), was used in this research. Some background information on the thermal performance and distinguishing features of MAI has been provided. Technical details of the composite insulation development and manufacturing as well as laboratory evaluation of prototype insulation boards are presented.« less

KSC-06pd0685

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-04-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center apply new foam over the manhole cover on the lower end of external tank No. 119. The manhole was removed to access the area where the tank's four liquid hydrogen engine cutoff sensors were replaced. Once reinstalled, the manhole required new foam to be applied. The tank is being prepared to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 in July. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Properties of Foamed Mortar Prepared with Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiao; Lim, Siong-Kang; Tan, Cher-Siang; Li, Bo; Ling, Tung-Chai; Huang, Runqiu; Wang, Qingyuan

2015-01-30

Foamed mortar with a density of 1300 kg/m³ was prepared. In the initial laboratory trials, water-to-cement (w/c) ratios ranging from 0.54 to 0.64 were tested to determine the optimal value for foamed mortar corresponding to the highest compressive strength without compromising its fresh state properties. With the obtained optimal w/c ratio of 0.56, two types of foamed mortar were prepared, namely cement-foamed mortar (CFM) and slag-foamed mortar (SFM, 50% cement was replaced by slag weight). Four different curing conditions were adopted for both types of foamed mortar to assess their compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and thermal insulation performance. The test results indicated that utilizing 50% of slag as cement replacement in the production of foamed mortar improved the compressive strength, UPV and thermal insulation properties. Additionally, the initial water curing of seven days gained higher compressive strength and increased UPV values as compared to the air cured and natural weather curing samples. However, this positive effect was more pronounced in the case of compressive strength than in the UPV and thermal conductivity of foamed mortar.

Sources of and Remedies for Removing Unwanted Reflections in Millimeter Wave Images of Complex SOFI-Covered Space Shuttle Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharkovsky, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, Frank L.

2007-01-01

In the recent years, continuous-wave near-field and lens-focused millimeter wave imaging systems have been effectively used to demonstrate their utility for producing high-resolution images of metallic structures covered with spay on foam insulation (SOFI) such as the Space Shuttle external fuel tank. However, for some specific structures a certain interference -pattern may be superimposed on the produced images. There are methods by which the influence of this unwanted interference can be reduced, such as the incorporation of an incidence .angle and the proper use of signal polarization. This paper presents the basics of this problem and describes the use of the methods for reducing this unwanted influence through specific examples.

49 CFR 179.100-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Specifications for Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-105, 109, 112, 114 and 120) § 179.100-4 Insulation. (a..., per square foot, per degree F temperature differential. If exterior heaters are attached to tank, the...

Combined solar collector and energy storage system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, R. N. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A combined solar energy collector, fluid chiller and energy storage system is disclosed. A movable interior insulated panel in a storage tank is positionable flush against the storage tank wall to insulate the tank for energy storage. The movable interior insulated panel is alternately positionable to form a solar collector or fluid chiller through which the fluid flows by natural circulation.

Internal insulation system development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gille, J. P.

1973-01-01

The development of an internal insulation system for cryogenic liquids is described. The insulation system is based on a gas layer concept in which capillary or surface tension effects are used to maintain a stable gas layer within a cellular core structure between the tank wall and the contained cryogen. In this work, a 1.8 meter diameter tank was insulated and tested with liquid hydrogen. Ability to withstand cycling of the aluminum tank wall to 450 K was a design and test condition.

49 CFR 179.220-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.220-4 Insulation. The annular space between the inner container and the outer shell must contain an approved insulation material. [Amdt. 179-9, 36 FR...

49 CFR 179.220-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.220-4 Insulation. The annular space between the inner container and the outer shell must contain an approved insulation material. [Amdt. 179-9, 36 FR...

49 CFR 179.220-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.220-4 Insulation. The annular space between the inner container and the outer shell must contain an approved insulation material. [Amdt. 179-9, 36 FR...

Bio-based thermosetting epoxy foam: Tannic acid valorization toward dye-decontaminating and thermo-protecting applications.

PubMed

Esmaeili, N; Salimi, A; Zohuriaan-Mehr, M J; Vafayan, M; Meyer, W

2018-05-23

Bio-resourced thermosetting epoxy foam was synthesized from tannic acid toward two different applications e.g., dye-decontaminating and thermo-insulating. Epoxidized tannic acid (ETA) foam was produced without using of organic volatile compounds or flammable foaming gases. The foam density, thermal conductivity and closed-cell content were studied. Besides, TGA showed high char yield (49% in N 2 and 48.3% in air) at 600 °C accompanied by high LOI (37.1 in N 2 and 36.8 in air). The high thermo-stability and intumescent char yield along with low thermal conductivity recommends the foam suitability for being used as an insulating material. Additionally, sorption of methylene blue onto ETA foam was kinetically investigated. The study of contact time, ionic strength, solution pH, initial sorbate concentration and desorption revealed the dependency of the sorption process to pH and initial sorbate concentration. The experimental data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm (R 2  = 0.997), yielding maximum sorption capacity of 36.25 mg/g (ETA foam = 0.05 g, pH = 7, MB concentration = 50 ppm, Volume = 25 mL). The kinetic data verified that MB sorption could be represented by the pseudo second-order model. Overall, the ETA foam can be introduced as a candidate for removing cationic pollutants, thermal insulator, and self-extinguishing/intumescent materials. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pieces of the Huygens probe internal insulating foam await inspection after removal from the probe i

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Pieces of the Huygens probe internal insulating foam await inspection after removal from the probe in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at KSC. The spacecraft was returned to the PHSF after damage to thermal insulation was discovered inside Huygens from an abnormally high flow of conditioned air. Internal inspection, insulation repair and a cleaning of the probe were required. Mission managers are targeting a mid-October launch date after Cassini returns to the pad and is once again placed atop its Titan IVB expendable launch vehicle at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Station.

Porous materials based on foaming solutions obtained from industrial waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starostina, I. V.; Antipova, A. N.; Ovcharova, I. V.; Starostina, Yu L.

2018-03-01

This study analyzes foam concrete production efficiency. Research has shown the possibility of using a newly-designed protein-based foaming agent to produce porous materials using gypsum and cement binders. The protein foaming agent is obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of a raw mixture consisting of industrial waste in an electromagnetic field. The mixture consists of spent biomass of the Aspergillus niger fungus and dust from burning furnaces used in cement production. Varying the content of the foaming agent allows obtaining gypsum binder-based foam concretes with the density of 200-500 kg/m3 and compressive strength of 0.1-1.0 MPa, which can be used for thermal and sound insulation of building interiors. Cement binders were used to obtain structural and thermal insulation materials with the density of 300-950 kg/m3 and compressive strength of 0.9-9.0 MPa. The maximum operating temperature of cement-based foam concretes is 500°C because it provides the shrinkage of less than 2%.

Vibration Considerations for Cryogenic Tanks Using Glass Bubbles Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werlink, Rudolph J.; Fesmire, James E.; Sass, Jared P.

2011-01-01

The use of glass bubbles as an efficient and practical thermal insulation system has been previously demonstrated in cryogenic storage tanks. One such example is a spherical, vacuum-jacketed liquid hydrogen vessel of 218,000 liter capacity where the boiloff rate has been reduced by approximately 50 percent. Further applications may include non-stationary tanks such as mobile tankers and tanks with extreme duty cycles or exposed to significant vibration environments. Space rocket launch events and mobile tanker life cycles represent two harsh cases of mechanical vibration exposure. A number of bulk fill insulation materials including glass bubbles, perlite powders, and aerogel granules were tested for vibration effects and mechanical behavior using a custom design holding fixture subjected to random vibration on an Electrodynamic Shaker. The settling effects for mixtures of insulation materials were also investigated. The vibration test results and granular particle analysis are presented with considerations and implications for future cryogenic tank applications. A thermal performance update on field demonstration testing of a 218,000 L liquid hydrogen storage tank, retrofitted with glass bubbles, is presented. KEYWORDS: Glass bubble, perlite, aerogel, insulation, liquid hydrogen, storage tank, mobile tanker, vibration.

KSC-06pd0684

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-04-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center begin to apply new foam over the manhole cover on the lower end of external tank No. 119. The manhole was removed to access the area where the tank's four liquid hydrogen engine cutoff sensors were replaced. Once reinstalled, the manhole required new foam to be applied. The tank is being prepared to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 in July. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-06pd0682

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-04-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center prepare for the application of new foam over the manhole cover on the lower end of external tank No. 119. The manhole was removed to access the area where the tank's four liquid hydrogen engine cutoff sensors were replaced. Once reinstalled, the manhole required new foam to be applied. The tank is being prepared to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 in July. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-06pd0683

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-04-18

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lockheed Martin technicians in the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center prepare for the application of new foam over the manhole cover on the lower end of external tank No. 119. The manhole was removed to access the area where the tank's four liquid hydrogen engine cutoff sensors were replaced. Once reinstalled, the manhole required new foam to be applied. The tank is being prepared to launch Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-121 in July. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-09-13

The Space Shuttle External Tank 120 is shown here during transfer in NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Slated for launch on the Orbiter Discovery scheduled for next Spring, the tank will be erected vertically in preparation for its new foam application process on the liquid hydrogen tank-to-inter tank flange area, a tank structural connection point. The foam will be applied with an enhanced finishing procedure that requires two technicians, one for a new mold-injection procedure to the intertank’s ribbing and one for real-time videotaped surveillance of the process. Marshall Space Flight Center played a significant role in the development of the new application process designed to replace the possible debris shedding source previously used.

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-09-13

The Space Shuttle External Tank 120 is shown here in its vertical position in NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Slated for launch on the Orbiter Discovery scheduled for next Spring, the tank is in position for its new foam application process on the liquid hydrogen tank-to-inter tank flange area, a tank structural connection point. The foam will be applied with an enhanced finishing procedure that requires two technicians, one for a new mold-injection procedure to the intertank’s ribbing and one for real-time videotaped surveillance of the process. Marshall Space Flight Center played a significant role in the development of the new application process designed to replace the possible debris shedding source previously used.

The Evolution of Nondestructive Evaluation Methods for the Space Shuttle External Tank Thermal Protection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, James L.; Richter, Joel D.

2006-01-01

Three nondestructive evaluation methods are being developed to identify defects in the foam thermal protection system (TPS) of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET). Shearography is being developed to identify shallow delaminations, shallow voids and crush damage in the foam while terahertz imaging and backscatter radiography are being developed to identify voids and cracks in thick foam regions. The basic theory of operation along with factors affecting the results of these methods will be described. Also, the evolution of these methods from lab tools to implementation on the ET will be discussed. Results from both test panels and flight tank inspections will be provided to show the range in defect sizes and types that can be readily detected.

46 CFR 95.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 95.17-5 Section 95.17-5... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area... blanket of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall...

46 CFR 76.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 76.17-5 Section 76.17-5... EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area protected. (1... of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall be...

46 CFR 76.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 76.17-5 Section 76.17-5... EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area protected. (1... of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall be...

46 CFR 76.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 76.17-5 Section 76.17-5... EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area protected. (1... of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall be...

46 CFR 76.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 76.17-5 Section 76.17-5... EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area protected. (1... of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall be...

46 CFR 76.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 76.17-5 Section 76.17-5... EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 76.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area protected. (1... of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall be...

46 CFR 95.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 95.17-5 Section 95.17-5... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area... blanket of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall...

46 CFR 95.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 95.17-5 Section 95.17-5... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area... blanket of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall...

46 CFR 95.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 95.17-5 Section 95.17-5... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area... blanket of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall...

46 CFR 95.17-5 - Quantity of foam required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quantity of foam required. 95.17-5 Section 95.17-5... PROTECTION EQUIPMENT Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 95.17-5 Quantity of foam required. (a) Area... blanket of foam over the entire tank top or bilge of the space protected. The arrangement of piping shall...

Partitioned airs at microscale and nanoscale: thermal diffusivity in ultrahigh porosity solids of nanocellulose

PubMed Central

Sakai, Koh; Kobayashi, Yuri; Saito, Tsuguyuki; Isogai, Akira

2016-01-01

High porosity solids, such as plastic foams and aerogels, are thermally insulating. Their insulation performance strongly depends on their pore structure, which dictates the heat transfer process in the material. Understanding such a relationship is essential to realizing highly efficient thermal insulators. Herein, we compare the heat transfer properties of foams and aerogels that have very high porosities (97.3–99.7%) and an identical composition (nanocellulose). The foams feature rather closed, microscale pores formed with a thin film-like solid phase, whereas the aerogels feature nanoscale open pores formed with a nanofibrous network-like solid skeleton. Unlike the aerogel samples, the thermal diffusivity of the foam decreases considerably with a slight increase in the solid fraction. The results indicate that for suppressing the thermal diffusion of air within high porosity solids, creating microscale spaces with distinct partitions is more effective than directly blocking the free path of air molecules at the nanoscale. PMID:26830144

Thermal Analysis on Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen Tank on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Xiao-Yen; Harpster, George; Hunter, James

2007-01-01

Thermal analyses are performed on the liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank designed for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) powered by solar arrays and a regenerative proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. A 14-day cruise mission at a 65,000 ft altitude is considered. Thermal analysis provides the thermal loads on the tank system and the boiling-off rates of LH2. Different approaches are being considered to minimize the boiling-off rates of the LH2. It includes an evacuated multilayer insulation (MLI) versus aerogel insulation on the LH2 tank and aluminum versus stainless steel spacer rings between the inner and outer tank. The resulting boil-off rates of LH2 provided by the one-dimensional model and three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) on the tank system are presented and compared to validate the results of the three-dimensional FEA. It concludes that heat flux through penetrations by conduction is as significant as that through insulation around the tank. The tank system with MLI insulation and stainless steel spacer rings result in the lowest boiling-off rate of LH2.

Glass Bubbles Insulation for Liquid Hydrogen Storage Tanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sass, J. P.; Cyr, W. W. St.; Barrett, T. M.; Baumgartner, R. G.; Lott, J. W.; Fesmire, J. E.

2010-04-01

A full-scale field application of glass bubbles insulation has been demonstrated in a 218,000 L liquid hydrogen storage tank. This work is the evolution of extensive materials testing, laboratory scale testing, and system studies leading to the use of glass bubbles insulation as a cost efficient and high performance alternative in cryogenic storage tanks of any size. The tank utilized is part of a rocket propulsion test complex at the NASA Stennis Space Center and is a 1960's vintage spherical double wall tank with an evacuated annulus. The original perlite that was removed from the annulus was in pristine condition and showed no signs of deterioration or compaction. Test results show a significant reduction in liquid hydrogen boiloff when compared to recent baseline data prior to removal of the perlite insulation. The data also validates the previous laboratory scale testing (1000 L) and full-scale numerical modeling (3,200,000 L) of boiloff in spherical cryogenic storage tanks. The performance of the tank will continue to be monitored during operation of the tank over the coming years.

Comprehensive Shuttle Foam Debris Reduction Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Semmes, Edmund B.

2007-01-01

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) was clear in its assessment of the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 3, 2003. Foam liberated from the External Tank (ET) impacting the brittle wing leading edge (WLE) of the orbiter causing the vehicle to disintegrate upon re-entry. Naturally, the CAB pointed out numerous issues affecting this exact outcome in hopes of correcting systems of systems failures any one of which might have altered the outcome. However, Discovery s recent return to flight (RTF) illustrates the primacy of erosion of foam and the risk of future undesirable outcomes. It is obvious that the original RTF focused approach to this problem was not equal to a comprehensive foam debris reduction activity consistent with the high national value of the Space Shuttle assets. The root cause is really very simple when looking at the spray-on foam insulation for the entire ET as part of the structure (e.g., actual stresses > materials allowable) rather than as some sort of sizehime limited ablator. This step is paramount to accepting the CAB recommendation of eliminating debris or in meeting any level of requirements due to the fundamental processes ensuring structural materials maintain their integrity. Significant effort has been expended to identify root cause of the foam debris In-Flight Anomaly (FA) of STS-114. Absent verifiable location specific data pre-launch (T-0) and in-flight, only a most probable cause can be identified. Indeed, the literature researched corroborates NASNTM-2004-2 13238 disturbing description of ill defined materials characterization, variable supplier constituents and foam processing irregularities. Also, foam is sensitive to age and the exposed environment making baseline comparisons difficult without event driven data. Conventional engineering processes account for such naturally occurring variability by always maintaining positive margins. Success in a negative margin range is not consistently achieved. Looking at the ET S spray-on foam insulation as part of the structural system (e.g., glass half full mentality) will create an environment where ET debris levels as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) can be realized. ALARA is a NASA requirements philosophy deployed for the complex, mission altering radiation exposure requirements for life safety of astronauts. In the Shuttle s case, reasonableness is established by exhaustive engineering rigor, allowable debris size/quantity, technology maturity and programmatic constraints. A more robust urethane foam thermal protection system (TPS) will enhance the hctionality of the new Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) Upper Stage. This paper will outline the strategy for a comprehensive effort to reduce ET foam debris and outline steps leading to an improved foam TPS. The NASA must remain committed to such an approach no matter what becomes of the next flight s actual debris field lest we fall back into a false sense of security. This commitment along with full implementation of all the other CAB recommendations such as orbiter hardening will significantly improve the Shuttle system, the engineering workforce, future capabilities & alternate policy offramps, national human resource protection, high value national asset protection and increase the level of service to the overall NASA mission.

The Structural Heat Intercept-Insulation-Vibration Evaluation Rig (SHIVER)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, W. L.; Zoeckler, J. G.; Best-Ameen, L. M.

2015-01-01

NASA is currently investigating methods to reduce the boil-off rate on large cryogenic upper stages. Two such methods to reduce the total heat load on existing upper stages are vapor cooling of the cryogenic tank support structure and integration of thick multilayer insulation systems to the upper stage of a launch vehicle. Previous efforts have flown a 2-layer MLI blanket and shown an improved thermal performance, and other efforts have ground-tested blankets up to 70 layers thick on tanks with diameters between 2 3 meters. However, thick multilayer insulation installation and testing in both thermal and structural modes has not been completed on a large scale tank. Similarly, multiple vapor cooled shields are common place on science payload helium dewars; however, minimal effort has gone into intercepting heat on large structural surfaces associated with rocket stages. A majority of the vapor cooling effort focuses on metallic cylinders called skirts, which are the most common structural components for launch vehicles. In order to provide test data for comparison with analytical models, a representative test tank is currently being designed to include skirt structural systems with integral vapor cooling. The tank is 4 m in diameter and 6.8 m tall to contain 5000 kg of liquid hydrogen. A multilayer insulation system will be designed to insulate the tank and structure while being installed in a representative manner that can be extended to tanks up to 10 meters in diameter. In order to prove that the insulation system and vapor cooling attachment methods are structurally sound, acoustic testing will also be performed on the system. The test tank with insulation and vapor cooled shield installed will be tested thermally in the B2 test facility at NASAs Plumbrook Station both before and after being vibration tested at Plumbrooks Space Power Facility.

Lightweight Tanks for Storing Liquefied Natural Gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeLay, Tom

2008-01-01

Single-walled, jacketed aluminum tanks have been conceived for storing liquefied natural gas (LNG) in LNG-fueled motor vehicles. Heretofore, doublewall steel tanks with vacuum between the inner and outer walls have been used for storing LNG. In comparison with the vacuum- insulated steel tanks, the jacketed aluminum tanks weigh less and can be manufactured at lower cost. Costs of using the jacketed aluminum tanks are further reduced in that there is no need for the vacuum pumps heretofore needed to maintain vacuum in the vacuum-insulated tanks.

Outgassing of solid material into vacuum thermal insulation spaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Pao-Lien

1994-01-01

Many cryogenic storage tanks use vacuum between inner and outer tank for thermal insulation. These cryogenic tanks also use a radiation shield barrier in the vacuum space to prevent radiation heat transfer. This shield is usually constructed by using multiple wraps of aluminized mylar and glass paper as inserts. For obtaining maximum thermal performance, a good vacuum level must be maintained with the insulation system. It has been found that over a period of time solid insulation materials will vaporize into the vacuum space and the vacuum will degrade. In order to determine the degradation of vacuum, the rate of outgassing of the insulation materials must be determined. Outgassing rate of several insulation materials obtained from literature search were listed in tabular form.

75 FR 38007 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747-200B, 747...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-01

... the environmental control system (ECS). This AD results from reports of duct assemblies in the ECS... assemblies in the ECS wrapped with BMS 8-39 polyurethane foam insulation, a material of which the fire... igniting the BMS 8-39 polyurethane foam insulation on the duct assemblies of the ECS, which could propagate...

Simulation of Prestressed Concrete Sandwich Panels Subjected to Blast Loads (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

configuration. Conventionally reinforced panels had configurations of 3-2-3 a nd 6-2-3. Insulating foams included expanded polystyrene , extruded expanded ...Properties of Extruded Expanded Polystyrene Foam Building Materials. M.S.C.E. report, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Livermore Software... polystyrene , and polyisocyanurate. Compressive testing of insulating f oams used as construction materials was used to define the stress/strain

Thermography to Inspect Insulation of Large Cryogenic Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arens, Ellen; Youngquist, Robert

2011-01-01

Thermography has been used in the past to monitor active, large, cryogenic storage tanks. This approach proposes to use thermography to monitor new or refurbished tanks, prior to filling with cryogenic liquid, to look for insulation voids. Thermography may provide significant cost and schedule savings if voids can be detected early before a tank is returned to service.

49 CFR 179.220-4 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) SPECIFICATIONS FOR TANK CARS Specifications for Non-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.220-4 Insulation. The annular space between the...

Properties of Foamed Mortar Prepared with Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiao; Lim, Siong-Kang; Tan, Cher-Siang; Li, Bo; Ling, Tung-Chai; Huang, Runqiu; Wang, Qingyuan

2015-01-01

Foamed mortar with a density of 1300 kg/m3 was prepared. In the initial laboratory trials, water-to-cement (w/c) ratios ranging from 0.54 to 0.64 were tested to determine the optimal value for foamed mortar corresponding to the highest compressive strength without compromising its fresh state properties. With the obtained optimal w/c ratio of 0.56, two types of foamed mortar were prepared, namely cement-foamed mortar (CFM) and slag-foamed mortar (SFM, 50% cement was replaced by slag weight). Four different curing conditions were adopted for both types of foamed mortar to assess their compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and thermal insulation performance. The test results indicated that utilizing 50% of slag as cement replacement in the production of foamed mortar improved the compressive strength, UPV and thermal insulation properties. Additionally, the initial water curing of seven days gained higher compressive strength and increased UPV values as compared to the air cured and natural weather curing samples. However, this positive effect was more pronounced in the case of compressive strength than in the UPV and thermal conductivity of foamed mortar. PMID:28787950

STS-121/Discovery: Imagery Quick-Look Briefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

Kyle Herring (NASA Public Affairs) introduced Wayne Hale (Space Shuttle Program Manager) who stated that the imagery for the Space shuttle external tank showed the tank performed very well. Image analysis showed small pieces of foam falling off the rocket booster and external tank. There was no risk involved in these minor incidents. Statistical models were built to assist in risk analysis. The orbiter performed excellently. Wayne also provided some close-up pictures of small pieces of foam separating from the external tank during launching. He said the crew will also perform a 100% inspection of the heat shield. This flight showed great improvement over previous flights.

Cryogenic line insulation made from prefabricated polyurethane shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lerma, G.

1975-01-01

Prefabricated polyurethane foam insulation is inexpensive and easily installed on cryogenic lines. Insulation sections are semicircular half shells. Pair of half shells is placed to surround cryogenic line. Cylindrically-shaped knit sock is pulled over insulation then covered with polyurethane resin to seal system.

A Study on Variation of Thermal Characteristics of Insulation Materials for Buildings According to Actual Long-Term Annual Aging Variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hyun-Jung; Kang, Jae-Sik; Huh, Jung-Ho

2018-01-01

Insulation materials used for buildings are broadly classified as organic insulation materials or inorganic insulation materials. Foam gas is used for producing organic insulation materials. The thermal conductivity of foam gas is generally lower than that of air. As a result, foam gas is discharged over time and replaced by outside air that has relatively less thermal resistance. The gas composition ratio in air bubbles inside the insulation materials changes rapidly, causing the performance degradation of insulation materials. Such performance degradation can be classified into different stages. Stage 1 appears to have a duration of 5 years, and Stage 2 takes a period of over 10 years. In this study, two insulation materials that are most frequently used in South Korea were analyzed, focusing on the changes thermal resistance for the period of over 5000 days. The measurement result indicated that the thermal resistance of expanded polystyrene fell below the KS performance standards after about 80-150 days from its production date. After about 5000 days, its thermal resistance decreased by 25.7 % to 42.7 % in comparison with the initial thermal resistance. In the case of rigid polyurethane, a pattern of rapid performance degradation appeared about 100 days post-production, and the thermal resistance fell below the KS performance standards after about 1000 days. The thermal resistance decreased by 22.5 % to 27.4 % in comparison with the initial thermal resistance after about 5000 days.

Bonding of reusable surface insulation with low density silicone foams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hiltz, A. A.; Hockridge, R. R.; Curtis, F. P.

1972-01-01

The development and evaluation of a reduced density, high reliable foamed bond strain isolation system for attaching reusable surface insulation to the space shuttle structure are reported. Included are data on virgin materials as well as on materials that received 100 cycles of exposure to 650 F for approximately 20 minutes per cycle. Room temperature vulcanizing silicon elastomers meet all the requirments for an adhesive bonding system.

Pourable Foam Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, James A.; Butler, John M.; Chartoff, Richard P.

1989-01-01

Report describes search for polyisocyanurate/polyurethane foam insulation with superior characteristics. Discusses chemistry of current formulations. Tests of formulations, of individual ingredients and or alternative new formulations described. Search revealed commercially available formulations exhibiting increased thermal stability at temperatures up to 600 degree C, pours readily before curing, presents good appearance after curing, and remains securely bonded to aluminum at cryogenic temperatures. Total of 42 different formulations investigated, 10 found to meet requirements.

Effect of foam on temperature prediction and heat recovery potential from biological wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Corbala-Robles, L; Volcke, E I P; Samijn, A; Ronsse, F; Pieters, J G

2016-05-15

Heat is an important resource in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) which can be recovered. A prerequisite to determine the theoretical heat recovery potential is an accurate heat balance model for temperature prediction. The insulating effect of foam present on the basin surface and its influence on temperature prediction were assessed in this study. Experiments were carried out to characterize the foam layer and its insulating properties. A refined dynamic temperature prediction model, taking into account the effect of foam, was set up. Simulation studies for a WWTP treating highly concentrated (manure) wastewater revealed that the foam layer had a significant effect on temperature prediction (3.8 ± 0.7 K over the year) and thus on the theoretical heat recovery potential (30% reduction when foam is not considered). Seasonal effects on the individual heat losses and heat gains were assessed. Additionally, the effects of the critical basin temperature above which heat is recovered, foam thickness, surface evaporation rate reduction and the non-absorbed solar radiation on the theoretical heat recovery potential were evaluated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Engineering Look at Space Shuttle and ISS Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hernandez, Jose M.

2004-01-01

This slide presentation, in Spanish, is an overview of NASA's Space Shuttle operations and preparations for serving the International Space Station. There is information and or views of the shuttle's design, the propulsion system, the external tanks, the foam insulation, the reusable solid rocket motors, the vehicle assembly building (VAB), the mobile launcher platform being moved from the VAB to the launch pad. There is a presentation of some of the current issues with the space shuttle: cracks in the LH2 flow lines, corrosion and pitting, the thermal protection system, and inspection of the thermal protection system while in orbit. The shuttle system has served for more than 20 years, it is still a challenge to re-certify the vehicles for flight. Materials and material science remain as chief concerns for the shuttle,

KSC-08pd0066

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, foam is being replaced around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-08pd0067

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, foam is being replaced around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Thermal Structures Technology Development for Reusable Launch Vehicle Cryogenic Propellant Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Theodore F.; Natividad, Roderick; Rivers, H. Kevin; Smith, Russell

1998-01-01

Analytical and experimental studies conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center for investigating integrated cryogenic propellant tank systems for a Reusable Launch Vehicle are described. The cryogenic tanks are investigated as an integrated tank system. An integrated tank system includes the tank wall, cryogenic insulation, Thermal Protection System (TPS) attachment sub-structure, and TPS. Analysis codes are used to size the thicknesses of cryogenic insulation and TPS insulation for thermal loads, and to predict tank buckling strengths at various ring frame spacings. The unique test facilities developed for the testing of cryogenic tank components are described. Testing at cryogenic and high-temperatures verifies the integrity of materials, design concepts, manufacturing processes, and thermal/structural analyses. Test specimens ranging from the element level to the subcomponent level are subjected to projected vehicle operational mechanical loads and temperatures. The analytical and experimental studies described in this paper provide a portion of the basic information required for the development of light-weight reusable cryogenic propellant tanks.

Thermal Structures Technology Development for Reusable Launch Vehicle Cryogenic Propellant Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Theodore F.; Natividad, Roderick; Rivers, H. Kevin; Smith, Russell W.

2005-01-01

Analytical and experimental studies conducted at the NASA, Langley Research Center (LaRC) for investigating integrated cryogenic propellant tank systems for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) are described. The cryogenic tanks are investigated as an integrated tank system. An integrated tank system includes the tank wall, cryogenic insulation, thermal protection system (TPS) attachment sub-structure, and TPS. Analysis codes are used to size the thicknesses of cryogenic insulation and TPS insulation for thermal loads, and to predict tank buckling strengths at various ring frame spacings. The unique test facilities developed for the testing of cryogenic tank components are described. Testing at cryogenic and high-temperatures verifies the integrity of materials, design concepts, manufacturing processes, and thermal/structural analyses. Test specimens ranging from the element level to the subcomponent level are subjected to projected vehicle operational mechanical loads and temperatures. The analytical and experimental studies described in this paper provide a portion of the basic information required for the development of light-weight reusable cryogenic propellant tanks.

VOC-FREE, HIGHLY FLAME-RESISTANT HYBRIDSIL® INSULATION COATINGS FOR NEXT-GENERATION THERMAL INSULATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY - PHASE II

EPA Science Inventory

NanoSonic's HybridSil^® insulative coatings provide a paradigm-breaking alternative to spray-deposited polyurethane foams by affording comparable insulation, yet without any of the health and safety concerns associated ...

Thermosetting Fluoropolymer Foams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Sheng Yen

1987-01-01

New process makes fluoropolymer foams with controllable amounts of inert-gas fillings in foam cells. Thermosetting fluoropolymers do not require foaming additives leaving undesirable residues and do not have to be molded and sintered at temperatures of about 240 to 400 degree C. Consequently, better for use with electronic or other parts sensitive to high temperatures or residues. Uses include coatings, electrical insulation, and structural parts.

Polyurethane Foam Roofing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

degradation of foam .... ............... ... 53 38 Wet film gauge ....... ..................... 55 39 Peak dry film thickness gauge ... ........... ... 56 40...openings, splits and small holes or other imperfections as the liquid mixture expands and sets to form the finished foam . In addition, they can be applied...are based on the foam insulation thickness desired and the generic type and dry film mil thickness (DFT) of elastomeric protective coating selected

46 CFR 34.17-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.17-5 Section 34.17-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. (1) For machinery...

46 CFR 34.17-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.17-5 Section 34.17-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. (1) For machinery...

46 CFR 34.17-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.17-5 Section 34.17-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. (1) For machinery...

46 CFR 34.17-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.17-5 Section 34.17-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. (1) For machinery...

46 CFR 34.17-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.17-5 Section 34.17-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. (1) For machinery...

46 CFR 54.15-25 - Minimum relief capacities for cargo tanks containing compressed or liquefied gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... overpressure permitted shall be in accordance with § 54.15-5. (c) The rate of discharge for heat input of fire... exposure factor for the following tank types: F=1.0 for tanks without insulation located on the open deck. F=0.5 for tanks on the open deck having insulation that has approved fire proofing, thermal...

46 CFR 54.15-25 - Minimum relief capacities for cargo tanks containing compressed or liquefied gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... overpressure permitted shall be in accordance with § 54.15-5. (c) The rate of discharge for heat input of fire... exposure factor for the following tank types: F=1.0 for tanks without insulation located on the open deck. F=0.5 for tanks on the open deck having insulation that has approved fire proofing, thermal...

46 CFR 54.15-25 - Minimum relief capacities for cargo tanks containing compressed or liquefied gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... overpressure permitted shall be in accordance with § 54.15-5. (c) The rate of discharge for heat input of fire... exposure factor for the following tank types: F=1.0 for tanks without insulation located on the open deck. F=0.5 for tanks on the open deck having insulation that has approved fire proofing, thermal...

46 CFR 54.15-25 - Minimum relief capacities for cargo tanks containing compressed or liquefied gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... overpressure permitted shall be in accordance with § 54.15-5. (c) The rate of discharge for heat input of fire... exposure factor for the following tank types: F=1.0 for tanks without insulation located on the open deck. F=0.5 for tanks on the open deck having insulation that has approved fire proofing, thermal...

46 CFR 54.15-25 - Minimum relief capacities for cargo tanks containing compressed or liquefied gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... overpressure permitted shall be in accordance with § 54.15-5. (c) The rate of discharge for heat input of fire... exposure factor for the following tank types: F=1.0 for tanks without insulation located on the open deck. F=0.5 for tanks on the open deck having insulation that has approved fire proofing, thermal...

The Early Years: Blowing Bubbles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy

2016-01-01

Blowing bubbles is not only a favorite summer activity for young children. Studying bubbles that are grouped together, or "foam," is fun for children and fascinating to many real-world scientists. Foam is widely used--from the bedroom (mattresses) to outer space (insulating panels on spacecraft). Bubble foam can provide children a…

Selenide isotope generator for the Galileo Mission: SIG thermal insulation evaluaion tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-06-01

Since the SIG program required the use of very high performance thermal insulation materials in rather severe thermal and environmental conditions, a thorough screening and testing program was performed. Several types of materials were included in the preliminary survey. Most promising were oxide and carbonaceous fibrous insulations, oxide and carbonaceous foamed materials, and multilayer materials with both powder and cloth spacers. The latter were only viable for the vacuum option. In all, over one hundred materials from more than sixty manufacturers were evaluated from literature and manufacturers' data. The list was pared to eighteen candidates in seven basic types, i.e.,more » fibrous microporous SiO/sub 2/, fibrous SiO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, fibrous ZrO/sub 2/, fibrous carbon, foamed SiO/sub 2/, foamed carbon, and multilayer. Test results are presented.« less

7 CFR 58.218 - Surge tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Surge tanks. 58.218 Section 58.218 Agriculture....218 Surge tanks. If surge tanks are used for hot milk, and temperatures of product including foam being held in the surge tank during processing, is not maintained at a minimum of 150 °F, then two or...

7 CFR 58.218 - Surge tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Surge tanks. 58.218 Section 58.218 Agriculture....218 Surge tanks. If surge tanks are used for hot milk, and temperatures of product including foam being held in the surge tank during processing, is not maintained at a minimum of 150 °F, then two or...

7 CFR 58.218 - Surge tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Surge tanks. 58.218 Section 58.218 Agriculture....218 Surge tanks. If surge tanks are used for hot milk, and temperatures of product including foam being held in the surge tank during processing, is not maintained at a minimum of 150 °F, then two or...

7 CFR 58.218 - Surge tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Surge tanks. 58.218 Section 58.218 Agriculture....218 Surge tanks. If surge tanks are used for hot milk, and temperatures of product including foam being held in the surge tank during processing, is not maintained at a minimum of 150 °F, then two or...

7 CFR 58.218 - Surge tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Surge tanks. 58.218 Section 58.218 Agriculture....218 Surge tanks. If surge tanks are used for hot milk, and temperatures of product including foam being held in the surge tank during processing, is not maintained at a minimum of 150 °F, then two or...

Investigation of fluorocarbon blowing agents in insulating polymer foams by 19F NMR imaging.

PubMed

Fyfe, C A; Mei, Z; Grondey, H

1996-01-01

Currently, there is no reliable and readily accessible technique with which the distribution and diffusion of blowing agents in rigid insulating foams can be detected and monitored. In this paper, we demonstrate that 19F NMR microscopic imaging together with 19F solid-state MAS NMR spectroscopy is ideally suited for such measurements and yield quantitatively reliable information that will be critical to the development and fabrication of optimized insulating materials with alternative blowing agents. Polystyrene (PS) and polyurethane (PU) foam samples were investigated with the objective of determining quantitatively the amount of blowing agents in the gaseous phase and dissolved in the polymer phase, and to determine and monitor the distribution of the blowing agents in aged foams as a function of time and temperature. The concentrations of the gaseous blowing agents in the cells and dissolved in the solid were simultaneously and quantitatively measured by 19F MAS NMR spectroscopy. An unfaced 1-yr-old PS foam filled with CH3CF2Cl has about 13% of total HCFCs dissolved in the solid; while there is about 24% of HCFCs in the solid of a faced 3-mos-old PU foam filled with CH3CCl2F. The data from 19F NMR imaging demonstrate that the distributions of the blowing agents in an aged foam are quite uniform around the center part (2 cm away from any edge) of a foam board; however, a gradient in blowing agent concentration was found as a function of distance from the initial factory cut edge. The effective diffusion coefficients of the blowing agents can be directly calculated from the imaging data. Quantitative diffusion constants and activation barriers were determined. Additionally, a foam treated with a second blowing agent was monitored with chemical shift selective imaging and the diffusion of the second gas into the foam and the out-diffusion of the original gas were determined.

KSC-08pd0068

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-01-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a technician trims foam placed around the engine cutoff, or ECO, sensor system connector and wiring on space shuttle Atlantis' external tank. The foam was removed to enable engineers to remove and replace a feed-through ECO sensor connector on the tank. The feed-through connector passes the wires from the inside of the tank to the outside. Results of a tanking test on Dec. 18 pointed to an open circuit in the feed-through connector wiring, which is located at the base of the tank. The pins in the replacement connector were precisely soldered to create a connection that allows sensors inside the tank to send signals to the computers onboard Atlantis. The launch date for the shuttle's STS-122 mission has now been targeted for Feb. 7. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

49 CFR 179.200-22 - Test of tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... evidence of distress. All rivets and closures, except safety relief valves or safety vents, shall be in place when test is made. (b) Insulated tanks shall be tested before insulation is applied. (c) Rubber-lined tanks shall be tested before rubber lining is applied. (d) Caulking of welded joints to stop leaks...

49 CFR 179.200-22 - Test of tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... evidence of distress. All rivets and closures, except safety relief valves or safety vents, shall be in place when test is made. (b) Insulated tanks shall be tested before insulation is applied. (c) Rubber-lined tanks shall be tested before rubber lining is applied. (d) Caulking of welded joints to stop leaks...

49 CFR 179.200-22 - Test of tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... evidence of distress. All rivets and closures, except safety relief valves or safety vents, shall be in place when test is made. (b) Insulated tanks shall be tested before insulation is applied. (c) Rubber-lined tanks shall be tested before rubber lining is applied. (d) Caulking of welded joints to stop leaks...

49 CFR 179.200-22 - Test of tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... evidence of distress. All rivets and closures, except safety relief valves or safety vents, shall be in place when test is made. (b) Insulated tanks shall be tested before insulation is applied. (c) Rubber-lined tanks shall be tested before rubber lining is applied. (d) Caulking of welded joints to stop leaks...

49 CFR 179.201-11 - Insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Specifications for Non-Pressure Tank Car Tanks (Classes DOT-111AW and 115AW) § 179.201-11 Insulation. (a... Btu per hour, per square foot, per degree F. temperature differential. (b) [Reserved] ...

46 CFR 34.17-10 - Controls-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-10 Controls—T/ALL. (a) The foam agent, its container, measuring devices, and other items peculiar to the system shall be of an approved type. (b) The foam-producing material...

46 CFR 34.17-10 - Controls-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Fixed Foam Extinguishing Systems, Details § 34.17-10 Controls—T/ALL. (a) The foam agent, its container, measuring devices, and other items peculiar to the system shall be of an approved type. (b) The foam-producing material...

Attic Retrofits Using Nail-Base Insulated Panels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mallay, David; Kochkin, Vladimir

This project developed and demonstrated a roof/attic energy retrofit solution using nail-base insulated panels for existing homes where traditional attic insulation approaches are not effective or feasible. Nail-base insulated panels (retrofit panels) consist of rigid foam insulation laminated to one face of a wood structural panel. The prefabricated panels are installed above the existing roof deck during a reroofing effort.

46 CFR 34.20-5 - Quantity of foam required-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Quantity of foam required-T/ALL. 34.20-5 Section 34.20-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Deck Foam System, Details § 34.20-5 Quantity of foam required—T/ALL. (a) Area protected. Systems of this type are designed...

46 CFR 35.40-10 - Steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent fire smothering apparatus-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent fire... TANK VESSELS OPERATIONS Posting and Marking Requirements-TB/ALL § 35.40-10 Steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent fire smothering apparatus—TB/ALL. Each steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent...

46 CFR 35.40-10 - Steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent fire smothering apparatus-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent fire... TANK VESSELS OPERATIONS Posting and Marking Requirements-TB/ALL § 35.40-10 Steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent fire smothering apparatus—TB/ALL. Each steam, foam, carbon dioxide, or clean agent...

Phenolic cutter for machining foam insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, T. A.; Miller, A. C.; Price, B. W.; Stiles, W. S.

1970-01-01

Pre-pregged fiber glass is an efficient abrasive for machining polystyrene and polyurethane foams. It bonds easily to any cutter base made of aluminum, steel, or phenolic, is inexpensive, and is readily available.

33 CFR 183.552 - Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Plastic encased fuel tanks... § 183.552 Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation. (a) Each fuel tank encased in cellular plastic foam or in fiber reinforced plastic must have the connections, fittings, and labels accessible for...

33 CFR 183.552 - Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Plastic encased fuel tanks... § 183.552 Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation. (a) Each fuel tank encased in cellular plastic foam or in fiber reinforced plastic must have the connections, fittings, and labels accessible for...

33 CFR 183.552 - Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Plastic encased fuel tanks... § 183.552 Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation. (a) Each fuel tank encased in cellular plastic foam or in fiber reinforced plastic must have the connections, fittings, and labels accessible for...

33 CFR 183.552 - Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Plastic encased fuel tanks... § 183.552 Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation. (a) Each fuel tank encased in cellular plastic foam or in fiber reinforced plastic must have the connections, fittings, and labels accessible for...

33 CFR 183.552 - Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Plastic encased fuel tanks... § 183.552 Plastic encased fuel tanks: Installation. (a) Each fuel tank encased in cellular plastic foam or in fiber reinforced plastic must have the connections, fittings, and labels accessible for...

High temperature electrical conductivity of rigid polyurethane foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. T., Jr.

1984-03-01

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of three rigid polyurethane foams prepared using different formulations was measured to approx. 320 C. The materials exhibit similar conductivity characteristics, showing a pronounced increase in conductivity with increasing temperature. The insulating characteristics to approx. 200 C are better than that for phenolic materials (glass fabric reinforced), and are similar to those for silicone materials (glass microsphere reinforced). At higher temperatures (500 to 600 C), the phenolics and silicones are better insulators.

Respiratory function of children in homes insulated with urea formaldehyde foam insulation.

PubMed Central

Norman, G R; Pengelly, L D; Kerigan, A T; Goldsmith, C H

1986-01-01

A study was carried out to assess the respiratory function of children living in homes insulated with urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI). A large data base on the effect of environmental variables on the respiratory function of 3500 children in the Hamilton, Ont., area had been collected from 1978 to 1980. From this data base 29 children who lived in UFFI-insulated homes were identified, and each was matched with 2 controls according to nine variables that had been shown to be strongly predictive of respiratory function. Reported respiratory symptoms and results of pulmonary function testing in the year immediately following installation of UFFI were examined. No significant differences in any variable were found between the subjects and controls. A power calculation indicated that the study had adequate power to detect clinically important changes. The authors conclude that there was no evidence of respiratory problems resulting from UFFI in the sample studied. PMID:3697859

Spray Foam Exterior Insulation with Stand-Off Furring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herk, Anastasia; Baker, Richard; Prahl, Duncan

IBACOS, in collaboration with GreenHomes America, was contracted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to research exterior wall insulation solutions. This research investigated cost-effective deep energy retrofit (DER) solutions for improving the building shell exterior while achieving a cost-reduction goal, including reduced labor costs to reach a 50/50 split between material and labor. The strategies included exterior wall insulation plus energy upgrades as needed in the attic, mechanical and ventilation systems, and basement band joist, walls, and floors. The work can be integrated with other home improvements such as siding or window replacement. This strategy minimizesmore » physical connections to existing wall studs, encapsulates existing siding materials (including lead paint) with spray foam, and creates a vented rain screen assembly to promote drying. GreenHomes America applied construction details created by IBACOS to a test home. 2x4 framing members were attached to the wall at band joists and top plates using 'L' clips, with spray foam insulating the wall after framing was installed. Windows were installed simultaneously with the framing, including extension jambs. The use of clips in specific areas provided the best strength potential, and 'picture framing' the spray foam held the 2x4s in place. Short-term testing was performed at this house, with monitoring equipment installed for long-term testing. Testing measurements will be provided in a later report, as well as utility impact (before and after), costs (labor and materials), construction time, standard specifications, and analysis for the exterior wall insulation strategy.« less

Spray Foam Exterior Insulation with Stand-Off Furring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Herk, Anatasia; Baker, Richard; Prahl, Duncan

IBACOS, in collaboration with GreenHomes America, was contracted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to research exterior wall insulation solutions. This research investigated cost-effective deep energy retrofit (DER) solutions for improving the building shell exterior while achieving a cost-reduction goal, including reduced labor costs to reach a 50/50 split between material and labor. The strategies included exterior wall insulation plus energy upgrades as needed in the attic, mechanical and ventilation systems, and basement band joist, walls, and floors. The work can be integrated with other home improvements such as siding or window replacement. This strategy minimizesmore » physical connections to existing wall studs, encapsulates existing siding materials (including lead paint) with spray foam, and creates a vented rain screen assembly to promote drying. GreenHomes America applied construction details created by IBACOS to a test home. 2x4 framing members were attached to the wall at band joists and top plates using "L" clips, with spray foam insulating the wall after framing was installed. Windows were installed simultaneously with the framing, including extension jambs. The use of clips in specific areas provided the best strength potential, and "picture framing" the spray foam held the 2x4s in place. Short-term testing was performed at this house, with monitoring equipment installed for long-term testing. Testing measurements will be provided in a later report, as well as utility impact (before and after), costs (labor and materials), construction time, standard specifications, and analysis for the exterior wall insulation strategy.« less

46 CFR 34.20-1 - Application-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Deck Foam System, Details § 34.20-1 Application—T/ALL. (a) Where a deck foam system is installed, the provisions of this... foam systems by this subpart must have systems that are designed and installed in accordance with...

46 CFR 34.20-10 - Controls-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Deck Foam System, Details § 34.20-10 Controls—T/ALL. (a) The foam agent, its container, measuring devices, and other items peculiar to this system shall be of an approved type. (b) The foam agent container and the main controls...

46 CFR 34.20-1 - Application-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Deck Foam System, Details § 34.20-1 Application—T/ALL. (a) Where a deck foam system is installed, the provisions of this... foam systems by this subpart must have systems that are designed and installed in accordance with...

46 CFR 34.20-10 - Controls-T/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TANK VESSELS FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT Deck Foam System, Details § 34.20-10 Controls—T/ALL. (a) The foam agent, its container, measuring devices, and other items peculiar to this system shall be of an approved type. (b) The foam agent container and the main controls...

Polyurethane Foams for Thermal Insulation Uses Produced from Castor Oil and Crude Glycerol Biopolyols.

PubMed

Carriço, Camila S; Fraga, Thaís; Carvalho, Vagner E; Pasa, Vânya M D

2017-07-02

Rigid polyurethane foams were synthesized using a renewable polyol from the simple physical mixture of castor oil and crude glycerol. The effect of the catalyst (DBTDL) content and blowing agents in the foams' properties were evaluated. The use of physical blowing agents (cyclopentane and n-pentane) allowed foams with smaller cells to be obtained in comparison with the foams produced with a chemical blowing agent (water). The increase of the water content caused a decrease in density, thermal conductivity, compressive strength, and Young's modulus, which indicates that the increment of CO₂ production contributes to the formation of larger cells. Higher amounts of catalyst in the foam formulations caused a slight density decrease and a small increase of thermal conductivity, compressive strength, and Young's modulus values. These green foams presented properties that indicate a great potential to be used as thermal insulation: density (23-41 kg·m -3 ), thermal conductivity (0.0128-0.0207 W·m -1 ·K -1 ), compressive strength (45-188 kPa), and Young's modulus (3-28 kPa). These biofoams are also environmentally friendly polymers and can aggregate revenue to the biodiesel industry, contributing to a reduction in fuel prices.