Failure analysis of a tool steel torque shaft

A low design load drive shaft used to deliver power from an experimental exhaust heat recovery system to the crankshaft of an experimental diesel truck engine failed during highway testing. An independent testing laboratory analyzed the failure by routine metallography and attributed the failure to fatigue induced by a banded microstructure. Visual examination by NASA of the failed shaft plus the knowledge of the torsional load that it carried pointed to a 100 percent ductile failure with no evidence of fatigue. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed this. Torsional test specimens were produced from pieces of the failed shaft and torsional overload testing produced identical failures to that which had occurred in the truck engine. This pointed to a failure caused by a high overload and although the microstructure was defective it was not the cause of the failure

The effects of the geosynchronous energetic particle radiation environment on spacecraft charging phenomena

The energetic electron environment at the geosynchronous orbit is responsible for a variety of adverse charging effects on spacecraft components. The most serious of these is the degradation and failure of a complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronic components as a result of internal charge-buildup induced by the energetic electrons. Efforts to accurately determine the expected lifetime of these components in this orbit are hampered by the lack of detailed knowledge of the electron spectrum and intensity, particularly of the more penetrating energies greater than 1.5 MeV. This problem is illustrated through the calculation of the dose received by a CMOS device from the energetic electrons and associated bremsstrahlung as a function of aluminum shielding thickness using the NASA AE-6 and the Aerospace measured electron environments. Two computational codes which were found to be in good agreement were used to perform the calculations. For a given shielding thickness the dose received with the two radiation environments differ by as much as a factor of seven with a corresponding variation in lifetime of the CMOS

Keeping the Peace: Playback Theatre with Adolescents

The purpose of this research was to understand the experience of a Playback Theatre (Playback) program for adolescents addressing themes of bullying perpetration and victimization. The guiding question for the study was: What was the phenomenological experience for homeless youth participating in Keep the Peace Leadership Program, a Playback program at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY? The sample consisted of 11 youth residing at the Coachman Family Center in White Plains, NY, 11 Manhattanville students, and four adults from Big Apple Playback Theatre in NY. Participants completed the forms of bullying scale (FBS) so the researcher could measure bullying climates of participants’ lives and determine potential directions for stories about bullying. The researcher functioned as a participant observer, using multiple methods to record and collect data. After the final session, interviews were conducted with six youth and four Manhattanville students. Using a simplified version of Maustakas’s (1994) method by Creswell (2013), inductive qualitative data analysis revealed 10 themes about bullying perpetration and victimization, which were in direct correlation to the FBS: teasing, secrets, friendships, fear, injury/harm, name-calling, intimidation, damage, being left out, and lies and rumors. The investigator’s interpretations of the data were transformed and dramatized into the ethnodrama “Phoenix Rising.” Although it was not clear if KPLP made students better equipped to deal with bullying situations or if the FBS functioned as a predictor of stories, the sharing and witnessing of others’ memories using Playback deepened the connections participants had with each other, and empowered youth to honor and contribute to the wellness of the group. Data indicated that participants have the ability and desire to pursue a restoration of peace and harmony using Playback. These findings support previous research and contribute to the field of expressive therapies by expanding opportunities that make social issues relevant to teenagers. This research also suggests Playback is a viable theatre alternative to inspiring social change. More research is needed to gain an understanding of Playback and the impact it has on adolescents

A Field Experiment to Test the Effects of Automated Feedback and Monetary Incentive on Speeding Behavior

This field experiment tested the effects of two systems on speeding, mental workload, and driver acceptance of the systems. Using GPS technology integrated with GIS referenced speed limit information, eight vehicles were instrumented in a manner that allowed real time knowledge of vehicle speed relative to the speed limit. Fifty participants drove these vehicles, with each individual driving his or her assigned vehicle for a four week trial. During one week, 40 participants experienced an automated feedback system, which provided visual and auditory alerts when they sped five or more mph over the limit. Twenty of these 40 individuals experienced a monetary incentive system during their second and third weeks of driving. Ten participants were in a control group that experienced neither system. Results indicated that the incentive system resulted in dramatic reductions in speeding over the posted limit, and the feedback system led to modest reductions in speeding. In the condition in which drivers experienced the feedback and incentive, reductions in speeding were similar to those found during the incentive only condition. Drivers perceived that both systems increased mental workload. Ratings of trust and acceptance were generally positive, although drivers reported the feedback system was annoying and displeasing. The results indicate that these systems could significantly benefit traffic safety by reducing crashes caused by speeding