NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

Gas sensor devices are provided having an atomically flat silicon carbide top surface that, in turn, provides for a uniform,
and reproducible surface thereof.
Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Fabrication; Gas Detectors; Semiconductors (Materials); Silicon Carbides
20040120992 NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
Auto-Adjustable Tool for Self-Reacting and Conventional Friction Stir Welding
Carter, Robert W., Inventor; April 30, 2002; 6 pp.; In English; Original contains black and white illustrations
Patent Info.: Filed 2 May 2003; US-Patent-6,758,382; US-Patent-Appl-SN-431655; NASA-Case-LEW-16056-3
Report No.(s): SHINe; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A02, Hardcopy
A friction stir welding dcvice that is configured to perform convention friction stir welding as well as self-reacting friction
stir welding is described. A pin passes hrough an upper shoulder and can selectively attach 10 and detach from a lower
shoulder in a preferred embodiment. A controller maintains thc discrete position of, and/or force applied by, the upper and
lower shoulders during self-reacting friction stir welding, or maintains the pin at a desired depth and/or applied force during
conventional friction stir welding.
Author
Friction Stir Welding; Diagrams
20040120999 NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, USA
Force-Measuring Clamp
Nunnelee, Mark, Inventor; July 06, 2004; 10 pp.; In English; Original contains black and white illustrations
Patent Info.: Filed 20 Feb. 2002; US-Patent-6,758,098; US-Patent-Appl-SN-084747; NASA-Case-DRC-099037; No
Copyright; Avail: CASI; A02, Hardcopy
A precision clamp that accurately measures force over a wide range of conditions is described. Using a full bridge or other
strain gage configuration. the elastic deformation of the clamp is measured or detected by the strain gages. Thc strain gages
transmit a signal that corresponds to the degree of stress upon the clamp. Thc strain gage signal is converted to a numeric
display. Calibration is achieved by ero and span potentiometers which enable accurate measurements by the force-measuring
clamp.
Author
Strain Gages; Clamps
38
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND RELIABILITY
Includes approaches to, and methods for reliability analysis and control, quality control, inspection, maintainability, and standardization.
20040111273 Building and Construction Research TNO, Delft, Netherlands
Evaluation of Availability and Reliability Data of the Main Propulsion Diesel Engines of the M-Frigates and the
Amphibious Transport Ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy
Korse, T. H.; March 08, 2004; 42 pp.; In English
Contract(s)/Grant(s): A02/KM/181; TNO Proj. 006.28217
Report No.(s): TD-2004-0107; Rept-2004-CMC-R011; Copyright; Avail: Other Sources
The databases of the M-frigates and the amphibious transport ship Rotterdam of the Royal Netherlands Navy give
valuable information about the availability and reliability of the diesel engines and the sensitivity for failure of the individual
functional groups. The average availability of the diesel engines of the Rotterdam is higher than the average availability of
the diesel engines of the M-frigates. The average search time and repair time per failure is considerably less than the average
waiting time per failure. This is caused by the incidentally and exceptionally long waiting time of an ordered component. Most
failures occur in the functional groups for fuel systems and electronic components including sensors. In case of the M-frigates,
the number of failures per frigate and per year shows a local maximum at about 5 to 7 years after delivery of the respective
frigate.
Author
Diesel Engines; Ships; Reliability; Service Life; Failure Analysis
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