Pressure Vessel Measurement System Poster for NASA's Innovation Day
1
Development of Profilometers to Meet COPV Inspection Needs Project Overview Following the highly successful Multipurpose Pressure Vessel Scanner, the latest composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) inspection system developed at White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is providing data to Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Boeing, and NASA during the development of the Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS). NORS resupplies the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. To provide accurate measurements of virtually all internal surfaces, the new inspection system is outfitted with a quarter-inch diameter articulating probe. Scans performed by ATK at their manufacturing center and analyzed independently by NASA throughout the development of these COPVs have measured skin-to-core debonds, weld irregularities, ripples, scratches, foreign object debris (FOD), corrosion, and other surface features. These flaws diminished or disappeared during development. Relevance Composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) offer significant weight savings over metal vessels and are used extensively in spacecraft, ground transportation, SCBA, and many other applications. Considerable efforts are made to ensure manufacturing consistency, however variability is still higher in COPVs than in metal pressure vessels. This inconsistency necessitates an increase in safety margin and weight. The most common ORU serviced by NASA will be the NORS Recharge Tank Assembly (RTA). At this time, 55 NORS RTA pressure vessels are on the flight manifest, but anywhere from 100 to 200 may fly in the future. The first NORS COPV should be delivered in October 2013. These will be transported to ISS by commercial spacecraft (SpaceX Dragon and Orbital Cygnus) and the Russian Progress spacecraft. Outcome The successes of this collaboration highlight the symbiotic nature of this development model. Continuing improvements in generations of NORS COPVs have been well documented by this manufacturing-grade inspection Internal profile measurements of an early NORS composite vessel through all manufacturing phases (left). Intensity map collected during profile measurements showing typical indications (right). Areas in red have a smaller internal radius. Delta plots show interphase measurement shifts. A thin, 0.01-in. thick skin-to-core debond simulated with a Teflon ® PTFE insert was easily detected (right Delta plot). NASA\WSTF Articulated Internal Profilometer shown measuring a NORS COPV at an ATK manufacturing center in Clearfield, Utah NORS COPV (left), articulated 6-in. internal probe during insertion/extraction into the ~3/8- in. port (center, outriggers fold down) and at a ~60 degree tilt during scans (right). Probe insertion depth and tilt articulate simultaneously to maintain an ~8.3 in. standoff distance from liner surfaces.
-
Upload
charles-nichols -
Category
Design
-
view
123 -
download
0
Transcript of Pressure Vessel Measurement System Poster for NASA's Innovation Day
Development of Profilometers to Meet COPV Inspection Needs
Project OverviewFollowing the highly successful Multipurpose Pressure Vessel Scanner, the latest composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) inspection system developed at White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) is providing data to Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), Boeing, and NASA during the development of the Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System (NORS). NORS resupplies the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. To provide accurate measurements of virtually all internal surfaces, the new inspection system is outfitted with a quarter-inch diameter articulating probe. Scans performed by ATK at their manufacturing center and analyzed independently by NASA throughout the development of these COPVs have measured skin-to-core debonds, weld irregularities, ripples, scratches, foreign object debris (FOD), corrosion, and other surface features. These flaws diminished or disappeared during development.
RelevanceComposite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) offer significant weight savings over metal vessels and are used extensively in spacecraft, ground transportation, SCBA, and many other applications. Considerable efforts are made to ensure manufacturing consistency, however variability is still higher in COPVs than in metal pressure vessels. This inconsistency necessitates an increase in safety margin and weight. The most common ORU serviced by NASA will be the NORS Recharge Tank Assembly (RTA). At this time, 55 NORS RTA pressure vessels are on the flight manifest, but anywhere from 100 to 200 may fly in the future. The first NORS COPV should be delivered in October 2013. These will be transported to ISS by commercial spacecraft (SpaceX Dragon and Orbital Cygnus) and the Russian Progress spacecraft.
OutcomeThe successes of this collaboration highlight the symbiotic nature of this development model. Continuing improvements in generations of NORS COPVs have been well documented by this manufacturing-grade inspection system and the system has evolved to keep pace to support the demands of the manufacturing environment. Key members of this team include NASA Project Managers Regor Saulsberry and Charles Nichols, contractor Mike Brinkman (Laser Techniques
Co.), Michael Nowak (Boeing), Kelly Franklin (ATK), and NORS Program Manager Damon
Shaffer. Project website: http://nnwg.org/current/WSTF/copv.html
Internal profile measurements of an early NORS composite vessel through all manufacturing phases (left). Intensity map collected during profile measurements showing typical indications (right). Areas in red have a smaller internal radius. Delta plots show interphase measurement shifts. A thin, 0.01-in. thick skin-to-core debond simulated with a Teflon ® PTFE insert was easily detected (right Delta plot).
NASA\WSTF Articulated Internal Profilometer shown measuring a NORS COPV at an ATK manufacturing center in Clearfield, Utah
NORS COPV (left), articulated 6-in. internal probe during insertion/extraction into the ~3/8-in. port (center, outriggers fold down) and at a ~60 degree tilt during scans (right). Probe insertion depth and tilt articulate simultaneously to maintain an ~8.3 in. standoff distance from liner surfaces.
