Engineering Framework for Assessing Materials and Processes for In-Space Manufacturing

Bhundiya, Harsh G.; Royer, Fabien; Cordero, Zachary C.

doi:10.1007/s11665-022-06755-y

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The DREPP technology has been selected and investigated in detail because of its versatility and low energy demand because it is expected that this is of particular importance for its use as an ISM technology. According to Bhundiya et al, 2022 the energy demand for melt-based processes of polymers is between 5 and 8 MJ/kg, where the FFF technology is included, and 3.6 MJ/kg for pultrusion of CF/PEEK. For plastic deformation of polymers, the lowest energy demand identified is 0.05-1 MJ/kg (Bhundiya et al, 2022).…”

Section: Investigation Of the Curing Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Bhundiya et al, 2022 the energy demand for melt-based processes of polymers is between 5 and 8 MJ/kg, where the FFF technology is included, and 3.6 MJ/kg for pultrusion of CF/PEEK. For plastic deformation of polymers, the lowest energy demand identified is 0.05-1 MJ/kg (Bhundiya et al, 2022).…”

Section: Investigation Of the Curing Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to be able to compare the DREPP technology with the values of Bhundiya et al, 2022 in terms of its energy requirement, the following formula was developed to describe how much energy is required for curing 1 kg of resin.…”

Section: Investigation Of the Curing Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

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Direct Robotic Extrusion of Photopolymers (DREPP): Influence of microgravity on an in-space manufacturing method

Kringer

Böhrer

Frey

et al. 2022

Front. Space Technol.

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A method using Direct Robotic Extrusion of Photopolymers (DREPP) to manufacture structures in space in a cost- and power-efficient way is presented in this article. The DREPP technology has the potential to outperform conventional deployable structures, which generally suffer from severe limitations: long and high-cost development phases, dimensioning driven by launch loads instead of operational loads, mechanical complexity as well as constraints to the maximum structure size due to volume limitations on the spacecraft. In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) and especially AM offer a solution to circumvent these limitations. Fundamental investigations on AM in space have already been carried out on the International Space Station (ISS). Numerous test prints have shown that Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) provide satisfactory results under microgravity and controlled environmental conditions. With the investigated manufacturing process, a photoreactive resin is robotically extruded through a nozzle and directly cured by UV-light. Unlike most conventional Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods, which manufacture layer-by-layer, the DREPP technology is able to create three-dimensional structural elements in one continuous movement. To investigate the feasibility under microgravity conditions, multiple experiments were performed on parabolic flights, where it was shown that different geometries can be successfully manufactured under microgravity conditions. When examining the printing process at zero-gravity and under 1 g conditions, differences in the printing behaviour can be observed, which are investigated in detail. In addition, the evaluation shows that a large curing zone – the transition area between the liquid and cured state of the extruded resin – is easier to handle in zero-gravity than under 1 g conditions. This contributes to an increased overall process stability and enables new ways for controlling the process. This article provides details on the ground, zero and altered gravity testing, process quality evaluation and gives an outlook on future investigations of the DREPP approach and preparations for experiments in microgravity and vacuum on a sounding rocket.

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Section: Investigation Of the Curing Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Investigation Of the Curing Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Direct Robotic Extrusion of Photopolymers (DREPP): Influence of microgravity on an in-space manufacturing method

Kringer

Böhrer

Frey

et al. 2022

Front. Space Technol.

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show abstract

“…In-space processing may reduce some cure-induced design problems [27]. However, nonuniform heating in space due to thermal radiation and solar irradiance presents a potential likelihood for shrinkage-induced distortion in polymers [28]. Graphene aerogels fabricated via hygrothermal reactions also encounter frequent large volume shrinkage [29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Shrinkage Characterization during Curing through Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation

Bukenya

Shah

Sabato

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Chemical shrinkage in thermosetting polymers drives residual stress development and induces residual deformation in composite materials. Accurate characterization of chemical shrinkage during curing is therefore vital to minimize residual stresses through process modeling and optimize composite performance. This work introduces a novel methodology to measure the pre- and post-gelation chemical shrinkage of an epoxy resin using three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is employed to calculate reaction kinetics and correlate chemical shrinkage with the degree of cure. Rheology experiments are conducted to quantify gelation and validate post-gelation. 3D-DIC post-gelation results show excellent agreement with rheology. Pre-gelation results show the effect of the in-situ curing in the proximity of constraints on the global strain behavior. This work introduced an innovative approach to characterize the chemical shrinkage of thermosets during curing, which will enable accurate residual stress prediction for enhancing thermoset composite performance and provide insight into the in-situ polymer behavior during processing.

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“…The Trusselator [ 12 , 13 , 14 ] prototype developed by Tethers Unlimited Inc. makes rods by extrusion and then connects them to become a truss, mainly considering the problem of truss stiffness. The Beambuilder truss [ 15 ] fabrication machine researched by General Dynamics consists of stringers, vertical rods and diagonal rods connected to form trigonometric truss trusses, which are not easily fabricated continuously due to the presence of vertical rods. TUI uses 3D printing technology [ 16 ] to print parts of trusses for splicing, but the manufacturing efficiency is low.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Mechanical Characterisation of a Large Truss Structure for Continuous Manufacturing in Space

Ning

Yan

et al. 2022

Materials

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In this paper, large space structures are essential components of significant equipment in orbits, such as megawatt-class solar power plants and long baseline interferometry. However, to realize the in-space fabrication of such megastructures, the primary consideration is the continuous fabrication of the structure. In this paper, we propose and design a structural form that differs from the minimum constituent unit shape of conventional truss structures by using an efficient winding and weaving method to construct truss structures. The continuously buildable one-dimensional truss’s structural design and mechanical properties are investigated. The parameters affecting the fundamental frequency of the truss structure are analyzed through modeling, simulation and experimental verification of the continuously buildable 1D truss. It is concluded that this configuration truss can be built continuously in space. The most influential factors on the fundamental truss frequency are the truss section spacing, the total truss length and the truss-specific stiffness. The simulated and theoretical values of the truss’s static stiffness and vibration frequency have minor errors, which provide a basis for the configuration design for the continuous manufacturing of large truss structures in space.

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Engineering Framework for Assessing Materials and Processes for In-Space Manufacturing

Cited by 10 publications

References 37 publications

Direct Robotic Extrusion of Photopolymers (DREPP): Influence of microgravity on an in-space manufacturing method

Direct Robotic Extrusion of Photopolymers (DREPP): Influence of microgravity on an in-space manufacturing method

Chemical Shrinkage Characterization during Curing through Three-Dimensional Digital Image Correlation

Design and Mechanical Characterisation of a Large Truss Structure for Continuous Manufacturing in Space

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