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.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

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


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    2018


    Size :

    28 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English







    Foam plastic is lightweight stiffener

    Engineering Index Backfile | 1952


    STIFFENER FOR SPACE VEHICLES

    PONCET DOMINIQUE / NAGI MANRAJ | European Patent Office | 2025

    Free access