NASA Kennedy Space Center August-December 2018
Overview
At the National Aeronautics and Space Administration John F. Kennedy Space Center, I assisted in testing and data analysis of the Restore-L propellant transfer fluid system simulator for evacuation and leak check testing. The goal of the Restore-L project is to send a spacecraft to rendezvous with a satellite in low earth orbit and refuel this satellite with hypergolic fuel. More information regarding this project can be viewed here. I also designed and built a fixture for the tension testing of flexible metal hoses from miscellaneous parts for no cost. Furthermore, I developed testing procedures, carried out the tests and summarized findings in a report for tension and fatigue testing of flexible metal hoses.
Bend Radius Testing of Flexible Metal Hoses
Situation
At NASA there are standard ground processing procedures that the flight flexible metal hoses will undergo and these procedures may impact the ability of the hoses from meeting the minimum mission requirements. During storage, these hoses are held taught and wound around a spool for short term storage. The goal of the bend radius test is to see if the winding of these hoses may cause leakage of the hose. Therefore, a test setup, procedure, and report is needed to leak test each flexible metal hose.
Task
Therefore, a test setup, procedure, and report is needed to leak test each flexible metal hose.
Action
I started with preparing the test setup with the necessary fixtures on the spool and pressure panel. I also drafted the procedure to cycle the hose on the spool several hundreds of times with the hose being leak checked at intervals throughout the cycling. The hose was pressurized with helium at the rated pressure before being checked with a mass spectrometer probe for substantial leakage. I performed the test on two flexible metal hoses and found collected data.
Result
As a result, I was able to summarize the data and come to the conclusion that the hoses did not experience leakage due to the repeated bending. Therefore, NASA has test evidence to proceed with the flex-hose manufacturer with the full-scale flight flex-hoses. I gained experience in preparing procedures, conducting tests, and drafting reports on mechanical testing.