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Visual Inspection Course for Damage to Carbon/Epoxy
Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV) Offered at
White Sands Test Facility April 29-30, 2010
The Visual Inspection Course for Damage to Carbon/Epoxy Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV) is being offered April 29-30, 2010 at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) in conjunction with Wendell Hull & Associates, Inc. WSTF is uniquely qualified to teach this course, which was developed primarily as a result of the successful completion of the joint USAF/NASA COPV Program. Additionally, data from multiple damage tolerance programs have been incorporated into the training.
This is an intensive two-day course that introduces composite pressure vessel technology. It is designed for people involved in composite pressure vessel technology including:
- Program Managers
- Engineers
- Safety Inspectors
- Quality Inspectors
- Integrators
- Component & System Users
The course covers the component life from procurement through manufacturing, lifetime use, and disposal. It is based on experience with pressure vessel test and analysis developed at NASA White Sands Test Facility since the inception of the technology in the early 1970s. The course has a specific focus on mechanical damage and propellant/fuel exposure effects on pressure vessels built using carbon fiber. Composed of both theory and practice, this course is structured to allow students to learn about damage characterization and detection and understand the safety aspects of filament wound pressure vessels. Also included is hands-on training on multiple flight weight composite overwrapped pressure vessels with various types of damage.
This course satisfies the baseline training requirements of AIAA S-081, AFSPCMAN 91-710 (Vol. 3 and 6), and KHB 710.2B, Appendix B to Annex E, par 2.0b for trained visual inspections for damage to carbon/epoxy COPVs and is an integral part of the typical COPV manufacturer and/or end user's inspector certification program. Students receive 1.5 Continuing Education Credits (or 15 Professional Development Hours for Professional Engineers) and a certificate of training to the ANSI/AIAA S-081A Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel standard.
For course and registration information, go to: http://www.wendellhull.com/copv.php
Deadline for registration March 31.
Day 1 (April 29) - Join experts to investigate COPV manufacturing, damage mechanisms, progressive failures, impact control/protection and inspection techniques.
Day 2 (April 30) - See demonstrations of receiving and periodic inspection & various non-destructive evaluation techniques. Perform rigorous hands-on inspection of numerous Flight Weight COPVs that contain known mechanical damage.
And on May 1st, experience a live rocket launch at Spaceport America.
http://www.wendellhull.com/spaceport_america_connection.php
Course instructors are Nathanael Greene and Tommy Yoder from White Sands Test Facility.
Nathanael J. Greene (M.S. Mechanical Engineering, ISU) lives in Las Cruces, NM and is a Mechanical Engineer and Combustion Scientist. Nate is the program manager for composite pressure vessel and structure testing and is responsible for leadership of the internationally recognized WSTF Composite Pressure Vessel and Structures group. He is also involved in government and industry standards development and implementation including ANSI/AIAA S-O80, ANSI/AIAA S-O81A, ANSI/NGV2, ISO 1119, ISO 11439, DOT CFFC, 571.304 CFR, MIL-STD-1522A, AFSPCMAN 91-710, KNPR 8713.1 and ECSS E32-02 and consults with NASA, DoD, DOE and Industry during the design, test and failure stages of composite pressure vessel and structure use. Before joining the WSTF team, he worked in Structures at the NASA Johnson Space Center and in Fire Safety with NASA Glenn Research Center.
Tommy B. Yoder (B.S. Mechanical Eng., NMSU) is the composite pressure vessel and structures group leader for ongoing programs at NASA WSTF. This includes impact, stress rupture, and sustained load testing of Kevlar®, Carbon, and Zylon® composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs). He is also currently involved in the AIAA COPV and NGV2 standards working groups, as well as a member of technical advisory groups for the NESC, STS, ISS, CEV, and NGV2 visual inspection certification. He was senior test conductor for the joint USAF/NASA COPV damage tolerance and detection program, APU Fuel tank fleet leader program, and the ATLAS V solid rocket motor case visual damage threshold program.
For course technical information, contact Tommy Yoder at tommy.b.yoder@nasa.gov.
NASA Johnson Space Center
White Sands Test Facility
P.O. Box 20
Las Cruces, NM 88004
Phone: (575) 524-5790 Fax: (575) 524-5260