PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers improved the catastrophic failure assessment of sealed cabin for ultra large manned spacecraft in M/OD environment

Researchers improved the catastrophic failure assessment of sealed cabin for ultra large manned spacecraft in M/OD environment
2023-05-31
(Press-News.org)

Hypervelocity impacts of Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (M/OD) seriously threaten the safety of manned spacecraft and astronauts in orbit. At present, M/OD above 10 cm, which can be monitored and predicted in advance, can usually be avoided by orbital maneuver. As for the small-size M/OD, because of the difficulty of monitoring, it is the main impact threat, as well as the main object of impact risk assessment and protection design of manned spacecraft. The probability of no penetration (PNP) of the sealed cabin under M/OD impact is usually used as the method to assess the probability of no failure of the system in manned space missions. A few of methods have been developed to assess the M/OD impact threat, such as the probability of no penetration (PNP), the probability of no catastrophic failure (PNCF), and the Manned Spacecraft Crew Survivability (MSCSurv), in ascending order of the accuracy of assessing the safety and survivability of manned spacecraft and astronauts. At present, the PNP of sealed cabins was still used as the method for assessing the probability of one catastrophic failure in the design of manned spacecraft in China, which leads to inaccurate risk assessment of catastrophic failures of manned spacecraft in M/OD environment. Therefore, more studies should be carried out to improve the assessment of the catastrophic failure in sealed cabins of manned spacecraft in China. In a research paper recently published in Space: Science & Technology, several scholars studied critical perforation diameters and critical crack lengths of sealed cabins in response to typical catastrophic failure modes, developed a failure assessment module to improve the M/OD Assessment and Optimization System Tools which developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, and ballistic limit equations and perforation and crack equations suitable for stuffed Whipple shields were established, providing reference for the design and assessment of long-term on-orbit missions of the ultra large manned spacecraft in the M/OD environment.

First, authors analyze three typical catastrophic failures of manned spacecraft in an M/OD environment. For the astronaut casualty mode caused by low-pressure or hypoxic environment, hereinafter collectively referred to as astronaut hypoxic failure mode. In case of emergencies such as perforated gas leak that occurs in the cabin, the gas pressure control system in the sealed cabin should keep the total pressure not lower than PTE, the oxygen partial pressure not lower than PO2E, and duration not less than the critical escape time TCE to support the astronauts in emergency on-orbit plugging or evacuation. When the perforation diameter Dh greater than the critical perforation diameter DhE, the total pressure is lower than PTE, or oxygen partial pressure is lower than PO2E at TCE, the astronaut hypoxia failure happens. In the analysis of the critical perforation diameter, variations in the internal pressure of the sealed cabin at a perforation diameter of Dh and the critical perforation diameter DhE of the cabin at a given TCE are obtained. Sealed cabin fracture failure mode refers to the situation where cracks induced by M/OD impact propagate or expand under the internal pressure of the sealed cabin, resulting in depressurization and then catastrophic failure of the cabin. When the stress intensity factor (SIF) at the tip of a crack on the cabin wall is equal to the fracture toughness of the wall material, the corresponding crack length is defined as the CCL of the sealed cabin. Under M/OD impact, if the crack length is greater than the CCL, SIF at the crack tip exceeds the fracture toughness of the material and, thus, the sealed cabin fractures. The relationship between SIF at the tip of an axial crack on a cylindrical cabin wall and crack length, which proposed by Folias, was used in this paper. Furthermore, spacecraft breakup is the most serious failure mode of manned spacecraft. The M/OD critical size criterion was used for cabin breakup failure mode assessment. When the M/OD particle impacted on the sealed cabin is larger than 3 cm in size, the spacecraft would fail to break up.

Then, authors establish the perforation and crack equations for stuffed Whipple shield of sealed cabin. The ballistic limit equations of the stuffed Whipple shield are derived in advance, which are important bases for studying perforation equations. To obtain the equations, hypervelocity impact tests on 3 types of stuffed Whipple shields were completed first, obtaining the ballistic limits of such shields. Then, on the basis of the genetic algorithms and multiple linear regression method, the coefficients of NASA’s Christiansen equation commonly used in the world were corrected, and finally the ballistic limit equations suitable for the stuffed Whipple shield of a specific ultra large manned spacecraft was obtained. With the above corrected ballistic limit equations of the stuffed Whipple shield and the perforation data of impact tests, the perforation equation for region 1 of the W-S hole equation was corrected, while the perforation equations for regions 2 and 3 and the crack length equation remain are consistent with those in the study of Williamsen and Schonberg in terms of form and coefficients. On this basis, the equations of perforation diameter and crack length on the sealed cabin were obtained, which are suitable for the stuffed Whipple shield of a specific ultra large manned spacecraft under different debris diameters and impact velocities. Moreover, depending on the structural parameters of 3 types of shield structures for a specific ultra large manned spacecraft and the modified perforation and crack equations, perforation diameter and crack length on the sealed cabin under an impact velocity of 3 km/s and an impact angle of 0° were predicted.

At last, authors conduct catastrophic failure assessment of sealed cabin of ultra large manned spacecraft in M/OD environment. The assessment is based on the MODAOST framework (main modules are seen in Fig. 10), which is developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and has been successfully used for on-orbit PNP assessment of manned spacecraft of multiple models, such as the Tiangong-1 space module and the Tianhe core module. Among the modules in MODAOST, the impact characteristic database is used to describe failure modes of spacecraft and corresponding failure models. The impact characteristic database was expanded by adding the database modules of ballistic limit equations, perforation diameter calculation, and crack length calculation, as well as corresponding failure criterion modules of the sealed cabin structure that were supplemented. The catastrophic failure assessment of ultra large manned spacecraft is verified via the 3-module assembly of a specific ultra large manned spacecraft had an orbit of 400 km and an orbit inclination of 42°, flying in a triaxial stable attitude. Results show that among the typical failure modes, the gas-leakage-induced astronaut hypoxia is the primary factor, with the R factor reaching 0.159. Compared with the PNP assess method, the PNCF of the system achieved by the proposed method increases from 0.9970 to 0.9995, followed by the sealed cabin fracture, while spacecraft breakup is of the lowest probability. Under orbital debris impact, quadrants II and IV of the small column segment of the core module are the riskiest zones of perforation failure, while quadrant III of the small column segment is the riskiest zone under micrometeoroid impact. Authors pint out that the quantitatively catastrophic failure assessment of a specific ultra large manned spacecraft in an M/OD environment using MODAOST can provide reference for the design and assessment of long-term on-orbit missions of the spacecraft.

 

Reference

Article Title: Catastrophic Failure Assessment of Sealed Cabin for Ultra large Manned Spacecraft in M/OD Environment

Journal: Space: Science & Technology

Authors: Jiangkai Wu, Zengyao Han, Runqiang Chi*, Shigui Zheng, and Yong Zhang

Affiliation: Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001 Heilongjiang Province, China

 

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Researchers improved the catastrophic failure assessment of sealed cabin for ultra large manned spacecraft in M/OD environment Researchers improved the catastrophic failure assessment of sealed cabin for ultra large manned spacecraft in M/OD environment 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

SwRI’s Thomas Briggs receives SAE International’s Forest R. McFarland Award

SwRI’s Thomas Briggs receives SAE International’s Forest R. McFarland Award
2023-05-31
SAN ANTONIO — May 31, 2023 —Dr. Thomas E. Briggs, an Institute engineer in Southwest Research Institute’s Powertrain Engineering Division, has received the Forest R. McFarland Award by SAE International, an organization that works to advance mobility, knowledge and solutions for humanity’s benefit. Established in 1979, the award serves to honor the late Forest R. McFarland, a long-time SAE International member, for his many contributions to the organization. The award recognizes outstanding contributions by volunteers who further the goals of SAE ...

A new player unveiled for lipid oxidation

A new player unveiled for lipid oxidation
2023-05-31
Overweight and obesity pose significant health risks, including an increased likelihood of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Researchers are seeking practical ways to promote the oxidation of lipids, which could help balance energy storage and consumption. A recent study has identified opioid growth factor receptor (Ogfr) gene as a promising new target for this process. Rodents possess thermogenic fat that includes brown and beige adipocytes, which have a high capacity to uptake and utilize glucose ...

More than 80% of people who inject drugs test positive for fentanyl—but only 18% intend to take it

2023-05-31
More than 80% of New Yorkers who inject drugs test positive for the opioid fentanyl, despite only 18% reporting using it intentionally, according to a new study by researchers at the NYU School of Global Public Health.   The findings, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, suggest that many people who inject drugs are unknowingly using fentanyl, which may increase their risk for overdose and potentially their tolerance to fentanyl if it is used over time.   In 2021, more than 100,000 people died of a drug overdose in the United States, with 66% of these deaths involving illicit fentanyl—a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.   In ...

Cats can play a role in transmitting COVID-19

2023-05-31
Washington, DC – Cats can play a role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and their contaminated environment (pens in this study) can be infectious, according to new research. The study was published in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.  “In practice, after introduction of SARS-CoV-2 in our household, we should see our cat as part of the family regarding virus transmission,” said study coauthor Wim van der Poel DVM, Ph.D., Professor of Emerging and Zoonotic Viruses, Wageningen University and Research, in the Netherlands.  Van der Poel and colleagues conducted the study to gain better insight ...

The secret to in-store displays: where to place discounted products relative to regularly priced products to maximize sales

2023-05-31
Researchers from University of Connecticut, Texas A&M University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and University of Florida published a new Journal of Marketing article that examines whether price promotions on some products differentially impact demand for other products depending on their relative locations within a display. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “The Negative and Positive Consequences of Placing Products Next to Promoted Products” and ...

Color-changing material shows when medications get too warm

Color-changing material shows when medications get too warm
2023-05-31
Some foods and medicines, such as many COVID-19 vaccines, must be kept cold. As a step toward a robust, stable technique that could indicate when these products exceed safe limits, researchers in ACS Nano report a class of brilliantly colored microcrystals in materials that become colorless over a wide range of temperatures and response times. As a proof of concept, the team packaged the color-changing materials into a vial lid and QR code. Walk-in freezers and refrigerated trucks generally maintain their set temperatures, but ...

Metal shortage could put the brakes on electrification

Metal shortage could put the brakes on electrification
2023-05-31
As more and more electric cars are travelling on the roads of Europe, this is leading to an increase in the use of the critical metals required for components such as electric motors and electronics. With the current raw material production levels there will not be enough of these metals in future – not even if recycling increases. This is revealed by the findings of a major survey led by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, on behalf of the European Commission. Electrification and digitalisation are leading to a steady increase in the need for critical metals* in the EU’s vehicle fleet. Moreover, only a small proportion of the metals are ...

Spinosaur Britain: Multiple different species likely roamed Cretaceous Britain

Spinosaur Britain: Multiple different species likely roamed Cretaceous Britain
2023-05-31
Analysis of a British spinosaur tooth by palaeontologists at the EvoPalaeoLab of the University of Southampton shows that several distinct spinosaur groups inhabited Cretaceous Britain.      Stored within the collections of the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in East Sussex, the fossil that forms the basis of the new study was gifted to the museum in 1889. It was collected from the local Lower Cretaceous rocks of the Wealden Supergroup, a thick, complicated rock sequence deposited across south-eastern England between 140 and 125 million years ago.    The ...

IMDEA Software and IMDEA Networks work to deploy in the Community of Madrid "MadQCI": Europe's largest quantum network

2023-05-31
IMDEA Software and IMDEA Networks Institutes participate together with six other partners (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Centro Español de Metrología, Fundación Vithas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and Universidad Complutense de Madrid) in the MADQuantum-CM project, funded by the Community of Madrid, the Spanish State through the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience, and the European Union through the NextGeneration EU funds. The objective ...

1 in 3 adults with Type 2 diabetes may have undetected cardiovascular disease

2023-05-31
Research Highlights: One-third of adults in the U.S. with Type 2 diabetes may have symptomless or undetected cardiovascular disease. Adults with Type 2 diabetes who do not have any signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease are more likely to have elevated levels of two proteins linked to heart disease than peers without Type 2 diabetes. These cardiac biomarkers are associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and any cause. The findings suggest that routine screening for these two cardiac biomarkers and more tailored interventions may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Researchers improved the catastrophic failure assessment of sealed cabin for ultra large manned spacecraft in M/OD environment