Mary Whitten

Chemochromic hydrogen detection

Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important fuel source as fossil fuel supplies decline. The low explosive limit of hydrogen makes leak detection a priority when dealing with this fuel. In an effort to support the use of hydrogen, a chemochromic sensor has been developed which is robust, simple to use, and does not require active operation. It can be made into a thin film or tape which can be conveniently used for leak detection at unions, valves, or outlets. There are two forms of the sensor, a reversible and an irreversible, allowing a variety of applications based on individual situations. The irreversible sensor is useful during hazardous operations when personnel cannot be present, while the reversible is ideal for monitoring the status of a leak in person or via a camera. Testing the irreversible sensor against environmental effects has been completed and results indicate this material is suitable for outdoor use in the harsh beachside environment of Kennedy Space Center. The environmental testing has led to increased sensitivity of the irreversible chemochromic sensor. In an effort to advance this technology further, this chemochromic sensor will be integrated into a sensor system using an electrical or optical signal.

Launch Pad Coatings for Smart Corrosion Control

Corrosion is the degradation of a material as a result of its interaction with the environment. The environment at the KSC launch pads has been documented by ASM International (formerly American Society for Metals) as the most corrosive in the US. The 70 tons of highly corrosive hydrochloric acid that are generated by the solid rocket boosters during a launch exacerbate the corrosiveness of the environment at the pads. Numerous failures at the pads are caused by the pitting of stainless steels, rebar corrosion, and the degradation of concrete. Corrosion control of launch pad structures relies on the use of coatings selected from the qualified products list (QPL) of the NASA Standard 5008A for Protective Coating of Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminum on Launch Structures, Facilities, and Ground Support Equipment. This standard was developed to establish uniform engineering practices and methods and to ensure the inclusion of essential criteria in the coating of ground support equipment (GSE) and facilities used by or for NASA. This standard is applicable to GSE and facilities that support space vehicle or payload programs or projects and to critical facilities at all NASA locations worldwide. Environmental regulation changes have dramatically reduced the production, handling, use, and availability of conventional protective coatings for application to KSC launch structures and ground support equipment. Current attrition rate of qualified KSC coatings will drastically limit the number of commercial off the shelf (COTS) products available for the Constellation Program (CxP) ground operations (GO). CxP GO identified corrosion detection and control technologies as a critical, initial capability technology need for ground processing of Ares I and Ares V to meet Constellation Architecture Requirements Document (CARD) CxP 70000 operability requirements for reduced ground processing complexity, streamlined integrated testing, and operations phase affordability. Researchers at NASAs Corrosion Technology Laboratory at KSC are developing a smart, environmentally friendly coating system for early corrosion detection, inhibition, and self healing of mechanical damage without external intervention. This smart coating will detect and respond actively to corrosion and mechanical damage such as abrasion and scratches, in a functional and predictable manner, and will be capable of adapting its properties dynamically. This coating is being developed using corrosion sensitive microcapsules that deliver the contents of their core (corrosion inhibiting compounds, corrosion indicators, and self healing agents) on demand when corrosion or mechanical damage to the coating occurs.

Development of an Integrated RVC‐LWRD System for RESOLVE

Resource investigation in the lunar poles is important to the potential impact of in‐situ resource utilization (ISRU). The Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) project aims to develop a payload that will investigate the permanently shadowed areas of the lunar poles and demonstrate ISRU technology. As a part of the RESOLVE project, the regolith volatile characterization (RVC) subsystem will examine the release of volatiles from sample cores. The volatile sample will be introduced into the lunar water resource demonstration (LWRD) subsystem where the released hydrogen and water will be selectively captured. The water will be condensed to form a droplet and electrolyzed to produce hydrogen and oxygen. This process will demonstrate small scale ISRU techniques. This paper will present the challenges, characteristics, and development of the RVC and LWRD. The experiments performed to evaluate adsorption methods will be discussed. Based on these experiments, it has b...