Burnishing is a chipless finishing process used to improve surface integrity by severe plastic deformation (SPD) of surface asperities. As surface integrity in large measure defines the functional performance and fatigue life of aerospace alloys, burnishing is thus a means of increasing the fatigue life of critical components, such as turbine and compressor blades in gas turbine engines. Therefore, the primary objective of this dissertation is to characterize the burnishing-induced surface integrity of Ti-6Al-4V alloy in terms of the implemented processing parameters. As the impact of cooling mechanisms on surface integrity from SPD processing is largely unexplored, a particular emphasis was placed upon evaluating the influence of cryogenic cooling with liquid nitrogen in comparison to more conventional methodologies. Analysis of numerical and experimental results reveals that burnishing facilitates grain refinement via continuous dynamic recrystallization. Application of LN2 during SPD processing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy suppresses the growth of new grains, leading to the formation of near-surface nanostructures which exhibit increased microhardness and compressive residual stress fields. This is particularly true in cryogenic multipass burnishing, where successive tool passes utilizing lower working pressures generate thermally stable work hardened surface layers, uniform nano-level surface finishes, and significantly deeper layers of compressive residual stresses.

During hypersonic atmospheric entry, spacecraft are exposed to enormous aerodynamic heat. To prevent the payload from overheating, charring ablative materials are favored to be applied as the heat shield at the exposing surface of the vehicle. Accurate modeling not only prevents mission failures, but also helps reduce cost. Existing models were mostly limited to one-dimensional and discrepancies were shown against measured experiments and flight-data. To help improve the models and analyze the charring ablation problems, a multidimensional material response module is developed, based on a finite volume method framework. The developed computer program is verified through a series of test-cases, and through code-to-code comparisons with a validated code. Several novel models are proposed, including a three-dimensional pyrolysis gas transport model and an orthotropic material model. The effects of these models are numerically studied and demonstrated to be significant.

Mechanical durability of the structures should be continuously monitored during their operation. Structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques are typically used for gathering the information which can be used for evaluating the current condition of a structure regarding the existence, location, and severity of the damage. Damage can occur in a structure after long-term operating under service loads or due to incidents. By detection of these defects at the early stages of their growth and nucleation, it would be possible to not only improve the safety of the structure but also reduce the operating costs. The main goal of this dissertation is to develop a reliable and cost-effective SHM system for inspection of composite and metallic structures. The Surface Response to Excitation (SuRE) method is one of the SHM approaches that was developed at the FIU mechatronics lab as an alternative for the electromechanical impedance method to reduce the cost and size of the equipment. In this study, firstly, the performance of the SuRE method was evaluated when the conventional piezoelectric elements and scanning laser vibrometer were used as the contact and non-contact sensors, respectively, for monitoring the presence of loads on the surface. Then, the application of the SuRE method for the characterization vii of the milling operation for identical aluminum plates was investigated. Also, in order to eliminate the need for a priori knowledge of the characteristics of the structure, some advanced signal processing techniques were introduced. In the next step, the heterodyne method was proposed, as a nonlinear baseline free, SHM approach for identification of the debonded region and evaluation of the strength of composite bonds. Finally, the experimental results for both methods were validated via a finite element software. The experimental results for both SuRE and heterodyning method showed that these methods can be considered as promising linear and nonlinear SHM approaches for monitoring the health of composite and metallic structures. In addition, by validating the experimental results using FEM, the path for further improvement of these methods in future researches was paved.

NiTiHf high temperature shape memory alloys are attractive due to their high operating temperatures (>100 oC) and acceptable transformation strain compared to NiTi. However, NiTiHf has limitations due to their lack of ductility and low strength, resulting in poor shape memory properties. In this study, Pd has been added to NiTiHf alloys in an attempt to improve their shape memory behavior. A combined approach of quaternary alloying and precipitation strengthening was used. The characterization of a Ni45.3Ti29.7Hf20Pd5 (at. %) polycrystalline alloy was performed in compression after selected aging treatments. Transmission electron microscopy was used to reveal the precipitation characteristics. Differential scanning calorimetry, load-biased (constant stress) thermal cycling experiments and isothermal stress cycling (superelasticity) tests were utilized to investigate the effects of aging temperature and time. The crystal structure and lattice parameters were determined from X-ray diffraction analysis. Significant improvement in the shape memory properties of Ni45.3Ti29.7Hf20Pd5 was obtained through precipitation strengthening. The effects of chemical composition (effects of Hf content replacing with Ti) on the shape memory properties of NiTiHfPd alloys were also revealed. Orientation dependence of the shape memory properties in aged Ni45.3Ti29.7Hf20Pd5 single crystals were investigated along the [111], [011] and [-117] orientations. The shape memory properties were determined to be strong functions of orientation and aging condition. A perfect superelastic behavior (with no irrecoverable strain) with 4.2 % recoverable compressive strain was obtained in the solutionized condition at stress levels as high as 2.5 GPa while 2 % shape memory strain under a bias stress of 1500 MPa was possible in an aged [111] oriented single crystal. A mechanical hysteresis of 1270 MPa at -30 oC, which is the largest mechanical hysteresis that the authors are aware of in the SMA literature, was observed along the [111] orientation. Finally, thermodynamic analyses were conducted to reveal the relationships between microstructure (e.g. precipitate size and interparticle distances) and martensitic transformations in Ni45.3Ti29.7Hf20Pd5 SMAs. Precipitate characteristics were found to be effective on the elastic energies for nucleation, propagation with dissipation energy and these energies influenced the TTs and the constant stress shape memory properties in Ni45.3Ti29.7Hf20Pd5 alloys.

Inflatable-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have the ability to be packed in a fraction of their deployed volume. This makes them ideal for many deployable UAV designs, but inflatable wings can be flexible and don’t have conventional control surfaces. This thesis will investigate the use of wing warping as a means of autonomous control for inflatable wings. Due to complexities associated with manufacturing inflatable structures a new method of rapid prototyping deformable wings is used in place of inflatables to decrease cost and design-cycle time. A UAV testbed was developed and integrated with the warping wings and flown in a series of flight tests. The warping wing flew both under manual control and autopilot stabilization.

Body mounted germanium substrate solar cell arrays form the faces of many small satellite designs to provide the primary power source on orbit. High efficiency solar cells are made affordable for university satellite programs as triangular devices trimmed from wafer scale solar cells. The smaller cells allow array designs to pack tightly around antenna mounts and payload instruments, giving the board design flexibility. One objective of this work is to investigate the reliability of solar cells attached to FR-4 printed circuit boards. FR-4 circuit boards have significantly higher thermal expansion coefficients and lower thermal conductivities than germanium. This thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between the FR-4 board and the components causes concern for the power system in terms of failures seen by the solar cells. These failures are most likely to occur with a longer orbital lifetime and an extended exposure to harsh environments. This work compares various methods of attaching solar cells to printed circuit boards, using solder paste alone and with a silicone adhesive, and considering the application of these adhesives by comparing the solder joints when printed by screen versus a stencil. An environmental test plan was used to compare the survivability and performance of the solar arrays.

The Analytical Strip Method (ASM) for the analysis of thin cylindrical shells is presented in this dissertation. The system of three governing differential equations for the cylindrical shell are reduced to a single eighth order partial differential equation (PDE) in terms of a potential function. The PDE is solved as a single series form of the potential function, from which the displacement and force quantities are determined. The solution is applicable to isotropic, generally orthotropic, and laminated shells. Cylinders may have simply supported edges, clamped edges, free edges, or edges supported by isotropic beams. The cylindrical shell can be stiffened with isotropic beams in the circumferential direction placed anywhere along the length of the cylinder. The solution method can handle any combination of point loads, uniform loads, hydrostatic loads, sinusoidal loads, patch loads, and line loads applied in the radial direction. The results of the ASM are compared to results from existing analytical solutions and numerical solutions for several examples; the results for each of the methods were in good agreement. The ASM overcomes limitations of existing analytical solutions and provides an alternative to approximate numerical and semi-numerical methods.

In the last few decades, there has been a shift to using more lightweight materials for the potential of fuel consumption reduction. In the Aerospace Industry, conventional metal structures are being replaced by advanced composite structures. The major advantage of an advanced composite structure is the huge reduction in the number of parts and joints required. Also composite materials provide better resistance to creep, corrosion, and fatigue. However, one cannot eliminate all the joints and attachments in an aircraft’s structure. Eliminating structural joints is impractical in present-day aircraft because of the requirements for inspection, manufacturing breaks, assembly and equipment access, and replacement of damaged structures. Currently, composite joints are overdesigned which leads to weight penalties. Understanding how to optimize the ultimate bearing strength of a composite joint by altering the cure cycle might be beneficial to the composite joint design process. This study investigates, through numerical and experimental analysis, the mechanical behavior of double shear joints. The first task is to test Aluminum double shear joint specimens inside the double shear joint fixture at a loading rate of 0.05 in./min. (quasi-static). The second task is to numerically model and validate the aluminum double shear joint specimen. The third task is to test the Unidirectional MTM 49 carbon fiber pre-preg double shear composite joint specimens with two different cure cycles and five different loading rates (0.05 in./min., 0.1 in./min., 1 in./min., 2 in./min. and 6 in./min.). The double shear composite joint specimens are made, using a heat press, with a quasi-isotropic laminate orientation of [0 0 +45 -45 +45 -45 90 90]s. The first cure cycle used is called the alternate cure cycle, which is Cytec’s MTM 49 Unidirectional Carbon Fiber pre-preg material cure cycle, and the second cure cycle used is called the datasheet cure cycle, which is Umeco's MTM 49 Unidirectional Carbon Fiber pre-preg material cure cycle. The recommended datasheet cure cycle and an alternate cure cycle are both compared to see how they affect the mechanical characteristics of the matrix along with the bearing stress. The fourth task is to adjust the Aluminum double shear joint numerical model for the double shear composite joint specimen. The numerical results for both the Aluminum and the composite specimens are in agreement with the experimental results. The theoretical in-plane material properties of the quasi-isotropic laminate were in agreement with the experimental results. One can see that at 0.05 in./min. and 0.1 in./min. (for both cure cycles) the composite double shear specimens carried more load compared to the higher loading rates of 1 in./min., 2 in./min. and 6 in./min. The tensile modulus of elasticity of an Aluminum sample is measured using a crosshead displacement, a strain gage and an extensometer. The crosshead displacement yielded very inaccurate results when compared to the strain gage and the extensometer.

Current insulation solutions across multiple industries, especially the commercial sector, can be bulky and ineffective when considering their volume. Aerogels are excellent insulators, exhibiting low thermal conductivities and low densities with a porosity of around 95%. Such characteristics make aerogels effective in decreasing conductive heat transfer within a solid. These requirements are crucial for aerospace and spaceflight applications, where sensitive components exist among extreme temperature environments. When implemented into insulation applications, aerogel can perform better than existing technology while using less material, which limits the amount of volume allocated for insulation. The application of these materials into composites can result in enhancing a material's thermal and mechanical properties when exposed to mechanical testing. The main objective of this study was to perform theoretical and experimental analysis on a corrugated composite sandwich structure integrated with aerogel insulation by studying its effective thermal conductivity. The aerogel material used was Pyrogel XT-E, a silica aerogel-based fiberglass insulation manufactured by Aspen Aerogels. Theoretical models of the corrugated composite sandwich structure were constructed in ANSYS Workbench based on geometry from a previous study. The main goal of the theoretical models was to analytically and computationally study the effective thermal conductivity of this sample; the conditions of these simulations were modeled after the experimental setup. Additionally, two insulation studies were performed using the thermal models. The first study was performed on a flat plate structure to determine the optimal thickness of Pyrogel XT-E in a flat plate orientation. The second study compared multiple types of common insulation materials to Pyrogel XT-E when integrated into the corrugated composite sandwich structure model. As expected, aerogel particles and Pyrogel XT-E outperformed all insulation materials and had the lowest effective thermal conductivity. Experimental data was obtained using a test enclosure and a heating element source with an integrated temperature control circuit that was designed and built for this study. This experimental data was compared to the theoretical data obtained from the thermal model simulations. The corrugated composite sandwich structure did not perform as well as expected due to thermal bridging along the composite corrugation. Its effective thermal conductivity was much higher than that of the flat plate structure, even though the effective Pyrogel XT-E layer in the corrugated composite sandwich structure was more than twice as thick as the layer in the flat plate structure. Despite thermal bridging, the corrugated composite sandwich structure exhibits superb thermal resistance, which adds to its impressive strength. Thermal conductivity results from this study can be used to design efficient materials for high structural and thermal stress applications.

The aviation industry aims to reduce its environmental impact through innovation and research. The usage of composite materials for multiple primary structures represents one such measure. Several alternative fuels were approved and used along with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These alternative fuels are produced from wastes and biomasses. Some alternative fuels were initially only approved as drop-in fuels, meaning they must be blended with conventional fuels to operate. Fuel tanks are usually embedded into the wing structure, which is mainly made of composite materials. These composites tend to absorb fluids it encounters through their matrix phase. The absorption behavior of conventional fuels by composite materials is well documented, while alternative fuels, blended or pure, are not as widely reported. The effects of four alternative fuel blends on aerospace-grade composites were investigated and compared with the conventional fuel Jet A. No significant differences were found in weight gain. The thermomechanical properties changes were also studied, with no difference between the alternative fuel blends and the conventional fuel. Additionally, model fluids with similar chemical structures as alternative fuels were used. The uptake of these model fluids was studied cyclically and compared with Jet A and one aromatic fluid. Small differences were seen in the weight gain results, primarily due to the type of model fluids used. Also, the thermomechanical properties showed no differences between these model fluids, Jet A and the pure aromatic fluid. This means that the slight differences in weight gain did not affect the changes in properties. From the results obtained, the alternative fuels blended, and the model fluids showed no differences in effects on the thermomechanical properties versus Jet A. This implies that similar effects are expected from either type of fluids used. Finite element analysis was used to model fluid’s diffusion in composite materials using different material parameters. The parameters were fiber packing, arrangement and permeability. Each parameters impacted the equilibrium uptake and the diffusion rate differently.