Saturday, May 25th, 2013

Tasks one, two, and three of component one.

Component one,Task one

Prepare a 200- to 300-word history about the National Critical Technology (NCT) technical application your team has selected to solve a local or national problem. 

   A Car chassis is the frame of a car that gives it structural rigidity.  They were originally made from wood and based off of coach design.  This worked for the early cars of the late 1800s but as cars got faster the wooden frame was too weak by itself.  At the start of the 20th century, steel and aluminum was incorporated into the chassis.  This improved strength and design freedom.  But a metal body on a wooden frame was the most common till about 1910.

  In 1915 H.J. Hayes introduced a chassis with functionality.  This had benefits like reduced cost and reducing noise and vibration.  The same year Edward G. Budd proposed an all steel car.  But this design required a lot of welds because stamping technology was still under development. This Idea was adopted by the Dodge Brothers and was the first volume production, all steel cars.

  In 1922 Vincenza Lancia created the Lambda, a car with an "X-frame" chassis.  This improved strength again.

  In 1935, the body shop Carrozzeria Touring designed and developed a new frame design. It was made of small diameter, tubular pieces in Chrome- Molybdenum steel welded together.  After World War II the main focus on design went toward performance, and steel was in low supply after the war, automotive companies went towards aluminum alloys.

  In 1959 Maseratti sold the Tipo 60 race car.  It incorporated a tubular frame of more than 200 tubes each only 10 to 15mm thick.

 In the 1980s the primary design incorporated the frame as a complete piece with the roof included but the 1984 Pontiac Fiero used a frame that was assembled in pieces and then put together.  These pieces were called sub frames and are used commonly today.

Bibliography: http://www.carbodydesign.com/articles/2005-04-13-chassis-history/2005-04-13-chassis-history.php   Date researched: 10/27/09


Component 1,  Task 2

Cite three detailed examples of research done in the past 3 to 5 years which focused on the NCT technical application your team selected.

 

In the project, they examined the mechanical properties of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy with varying amounts of B content. The cast and HIPed alloys with 0.05, 0.10 and 0.4 wt.% B additions were supplied by

Tamirisa and Miracle of AFRL, WPAFB. Microstructural observations indicate that the B additionreduces the as-cast grain size dramatically. Concomitantly, an increase in the yield and ultimate tensile strengths was observed. Fracture toughness measurements indicate a reduction in KIc values with increasing B content, owing primarily to the reduced grain size. Fatigue crack growth measurements show a gradual reduction in threshold for fatigue crack initiation. Fractographic analyses were conducted to

examine the micromechanical reasons for the observed trends. by

Dr. U. Ramamurty

Assistant Professor

Department of Metallurgy

Indian Institute of Science

Bangalore - 560 012, INDIA

in collaboration with

Indrani Sen, PhD Student, IISc

and

D. Miracle and S. Tamirisa

AFRL, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH, USA

April 2006

 

Richard Gedney*

ADMET Inc.

Norwood, Massachusetts echanical Testing is that part of engineering design, development, and

research that provides data about material properties. Testing is also

required during manufacturing to ensure that a material or product meets

some predefined specification. In particular, universal testing machines

measure the mechanical properties of materials in tension, compression,

bending, or torsion. Common properties of interest in tension

are offset yield strength, Young's modulus, tensile strength, and total

elongation. Results of tension tests are the basis for stress-strain diagrams (Fig.

1), from which all mechanical properties are derived. Atrue picture of the

stress-strain diagram can be seen only through accurate measurements. For

example, when the test results from one lab do not match those of another, it

means that the measurements of one or the other are not accurate: Either the operator

is not running the test properly, or the testing machine is not configured

properly. Testing machines are available in two

classes, hydraulic and electromechanical. The principal difference is the way

that the load is applied. For purposes of this article, only static and quasi-static machines are

considered. Accurate mechanical testing requires not only

familiarity with measurement systems, but also some understanding of the planning, execution,

and evaluation of experiments. Much experimental equipment is often "homemade,"

especially in smaller companies where

the high cost of specialized instruments cannot always

be justified. If the designer of the "homemade" equipment

does not carefully consider how the design

functions under test conditions, then the stress vs.

strain diagram may be in error.

*Member of ASM International

ELECTROMECHANICAL MACHINES

In an electromechanical machine (Fig. 3), a variable speed electric motor, gear reduction

system, and one, two, or four screws move the crosshead up or down. This motion loads the

specimen in tension or compression. A range of crosshead speeds can be achieved by

changing the speed of the motor. A microprocessor- based closed-loop servo system can

be implemented to accurately control the speed of the crosshead.

In general, the electromechanical machine is capable of a wider range of test speeds and longer

crosshead displacements, whereas the hydraulic machine is a more cost-effective solution for generating

higher forces. Sensors are at the heart of all mechanical testing

measurements. The test frame, power transmission, grips, and fixtures also affect the accuracy

and repeatability of sensors. If sensors are mounted in the wrong position, are heated up, or

are deformed by mounting bolts, they can introduce measurement errors.

Agood test engineer must have an excellent understanding of the sources of error that may be

introduced during a test. Before commencing any tests, the engineer should review the choice of sensors

and measurement instruments, keeping in mind the suitability and accuracy of each.

Knowing how to measure errors is critical to preventing them from creeping into results.

Modulus of plastic in flexure

ASTM D790 governs the determination of the flexural modulus of unreinforced and reinforced

plastics. ASTM D790 requires that a bar of rectangular cross section resting on two supports be

loaded by means of a loading nose midway between the supports.

Figure 3 depicts such a test setup. The supports and loading nose are shown in light blue. The

loading nose contacts the rectangular specimen at Point 4, and is directly connected to the load

IN MECHANICAL

TESTING

" Weights and measures may be ranked among

the necessaries of life, to every

individual of human society. They enter

into the economical arrangements and daily

concerns of every family. They are

necessary to every occupation and human

industry; to every transaction of trade

and commerce. The knowledge of them . . .

is among the first elements of education,

and is often learnt by those who learn nothing

else, not even to read and write."

John Quincy Adams Fig. 1 - Astress vs. strain diagram.

HYDRAULIC MACHINES

In a hydraulic testing machine (Fig. 2), either a single- or dual-acting piston applies the load. Most

static hydraulic testing machines have a single-acting piston or ram. In a manually operated machine, the

operator adjusts the orifice of a pressure-compensated needle valve to control the rate of loading. In

a closed-loop hydraulic servo system, the needle valve is replaced by an electrically operated servo valve for precise control.

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

  • The polymer alloy/blend market is estimated at 565 million pounds in 1999 and is forecast to increase at a 5.3% average annual growth rate, reaching about 730 million pounds by 2004.
  • PC-based alloys/blends account for 54% of the total, followed by PPO-based alloys/ blends with 41%, which leaves the other group with 5%. It is important to note that the PC-based resins are growing at a rate 2.3 times that of the PPO-based resins.
  • Electronic enclosures and automotive industries are the dominant outlets for alloys/blends, making up over 90% of total volume. Appliances, medical, lawn/garden and sports/recreation account for the remaining applications for alloys/blends.
  • Alloys/blends compete with alloy/blend components, e.g., polycarbonate vs. PC/ABS, and with non-alloy/blend components such as PC/ABS vs. polyurethanes, thermoset polyesters, etc.

Report ID:PLS020A, Published: May 2000, Analyst: Melvin Schlechter

Report ID:PLS020A, Published: May 2000, Analyst: Melvin Schlechter


Component one, task three 

Based on the research your team has done, explain how the NCT application chosen has advanced scientific knowledge.  

Alloys have benefited science and the needs of people for centuries. Alloys make it possible to produce a metal to fit certain needs by combining metals with desired characteristics.  The first alloy: bronze changed history by affecting the outcome of wars.

  In today's times however, alloys are still having an impact on our lives. New alloys are making it possible to conduct new experiments and reach new benchmarks in science. Metals like lithium-aluminum and Titanium are making it possible for new vehicles and components for the future.

  Alloys go beyond the restraints of the pure metals. It allows metals to be used in more situations than ever before.