NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) project is responsible for designing and validating a payload that contains materials research samples in a sealed environment. The SCA will be heated in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) that is housed inside the Material Science Research Rack (MSRR) located on the International Space Station (ISS). The first Principle Investigator (PI) to utilize the SCA will focus on Gravitational Effects on Distortion in Sintering (GEDS) research. This paper will give a summary of the design and development test effort for the GEDS SCA and will discuss the role of thermal analysis in developing test profiles to meet the science and engineering requirements. Lessons learned will be reviewed and salient design features that may differ for each PI will be discussed

Brown, Maria

Hernandez, Deborah

Hornsby, Linda

Horton-Mullins, Kathryn

O'Connor, Brian

NASA Technical Reports Server

Development of NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly: Summary of GEDS Design, Development Testing, and Thermal Analyses

Outline: Background of ISS (International Space Station) Material Science Research Rack; NASA SCA (Sample Cartridge Assembly) Design; GEDS (Gravitational Effects in Distortion in Sintering) Experiment Ampoule Design; Development Testing Summary; Thermal Modeling and Analysis.  Summary: GEDS design development challenging (GEDS Ampoule design developed through MUGS (Microgravity) testing; Short duration transient sample processing; Unable to measure sample temperatures); MUGS Development testing used to gather data (Actual LGF (Low Gradient Furnace)-like furnace response; Provided sample for sintering evaluation); Transient thermal model integral to successful GEDS experiment (Development testing provided furnace response; PI (Performance Indicator) evaluation of sintering anchored model evaluation of processing durations; Thermal transient model used to determine flight SCA sample processing profiles)

TFAWS
MSFC ∙ 2017
Presented By
Deborah Hernandez
Development of NASA’s Sample 
Cartridge Assembly: Summary 
of GEDS Design, Development 
Testing, and Thermal Analyses
Brian O'Connor, Deborah Hernandez, Linda 
Hornsby, Maria Brown, and Kathryn Horton-Mullins
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Thermal & Fluids Analysis Workshop
TFAWS 2017
August 21-25, 2017
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, AL
TFAWS Active Thermal Paper Session
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20170009017 2019-08-29T23:17:32+00:00Z
Outline
• Background of ISS Material Science Research Rack
• NASA SCA Design
• GEDS Experiment Ampoule Design
• Development Testing Summary
• Thermal Modeling and Analysis
• Summary
• References
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 2
ISS Material Science Research Rack (MSSR)
• ISS MSRR1- Materials science 
research in low gravity
– Destiny Laboratory, launched 
in 2009
• ESA’s Material Science Lab 
(MSL) - Built by ESA
– Process material samples at 
high temperatures
• Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) 
insert - Bridgman style furnace 
with multiple heater zones
– Vacuum furnace
– Two hot cavities separated by 
an adiabatic zone
– Max operating temperature of 
1400°C
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 3
NASA SCA Design
• NASA SCA cartridge
– Single pressurized volume
– Helium or argon gas fill
– Reuse of sealed container
– Interface to MSL Intermediate 
Support Plate (ISP) 
• Instrument Head
– 416 CRES 
– Ultrahigh vacuum seal with bolted joints 
• Conflat flanges comprised of a copper gasket and knife-edge flange
• Cartridge Tube
– Vacuum Plasma Sprayed
– Molybdenum-Rhenium with an Alumina liner and Zirconium 
Boride emissivity coating 
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 4
GEDS Experiment Ampoule Design
• GEDS research (Dr. Randall German Principle Investigator)
– Determine the underlying scientific principles on how to forecast density, size, 
shape, and properties for liquid phase sintered 
• Seven samples in each GEDS SCA
– Compacted mixture of W, Ni, Cu, and Mn powders 
– Samples located in LGF isothermal hot zone
– Dwell duration above 1200°C from 3 to 60 minutes
– Sample stack Isothermality of +/- 5°C
• Repeatable processing profile for each of 7 SCAs
– Controlled by LGF Sample Processing Program (SPP)
• Vacuum Ampoule
– Cartridge filled with argon to prevent ampoule permeation
– High purity alumina ceramic crucibles
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 5
Development Testing Failure
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 6
• Development Test MUGS 
Results
– The Tantalum Sheath of the 
Type N Thermocouples were 
disintegrated
– Ampoule failure in three 
places by three modes
A. Ampoule chipped at alumina 
spacer interface
B. Ampoule body broken with 
marks a TC locations
C. Contact at the sphere 
ampoule end to alumina end 
plug
MUGS Ampoule Post Test
Development Testing Summary
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 7
MUGS MUGS V MUGS VI MUGS VII MUGS VIII G2
Test Date July 2016 November 2016
December 
2016
January 2017 March 2017 May 2017
Processing
Duration at 
heater set 
points
22 
minutes at 
940°C/ 
1210°C
78 minutes at 940°C/ 
1210°C
78 minutes at 
940°C/ 
1210°C
78 minutes at 
940°C/ 1210°C
18.5 minutes 
at 940°C/ 
1210°C
95 minutes at 
1130°C/ 
1210°C
Predicted 
sample 
dwell time
9.3 
minutes > 
1200°C
66 minutes > 1200°C
66 minutes > 
1200°C
66 minutes > 
1200°C
3 minutes > 
1200°C
60+ minutes > 
1200°C
Design 
Revisions 
(design 
changes 
additive)
None
• Re-aligned ampoule 
to bottom of 
cartridge
• Reduced TCs 
number
• Added quartz wool 
to 0.375 inch 
thickness
• Reduced spring 
force to 10#
• Increase fill 
pressure
• Upgrade 
ampoule
quartz to 
314C
• No samples 
or crucibles 
• Reduced 
spring force 
to 8#
• Added full
ampoule back 
into SCA
• Revised 
bakeout for 
sample and 
crucibles
• Reduced 
spring force to 
5.2#
• 2 Type S 
platinum 
sheath TCs
• Reduced 
spring 
force to 
4.8#
• Longer 
processing
time
• 4 Type S 
platinum 
sheath TCs
• Increase cold 
zone setting 
from 940°C to 
1130°C
Test Result
Ampoule 
failure in 3 
modes
Ampoule failure in 1
mode
Ampoule
intact
Ampoule intact, 
less sintering 
than expected
Ampoule
intact
Ampoule intact
Design Change Summary
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 8
• SCA internal design
– Reduced TCs number from 8 science TCs to 4 science TCs
– Reduced spring force to 4.8#
– Added quartz wool to 0.375 inch thickness
• GEDs Ampoule
– Re-aligned ampoule to bottom of cartridge
– Upgrade ampoule quartz to 314C
– Revised bakeout for sample and crucibles
• Processing Changes
– Increased processing time fro 78 minutes to 95 minutes
– Increase cold zone setting from 940°C to 1130°C
G2 Ampoule Post-Test
Thermal Transient Modeling
• Atypical transient analysis performed to simulate LGF response
– Understanding the LGF transient response is critical to GEDS 
experiment success
– LGF thermal model was not applicable for transient analysis
• Thermal model development
– Represents only internal components of GEDS SCA cartridge
– No simulation of sample sintering
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 9
Thermal Transient Boundary Conditions
• Heated zone profile based on MUGS development test data 
to simulate LGF heating transient
– Coupled with steady state GEDS model results for heating plateaus
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 10
Predicted Response For MUGS
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 11
• Thermal model over predicted sample dwell time in the sintering range
– PI MUGS sample evaluation showed long duration samples were not fully 
sintered
• MUGS thermal model based on initial GEDS design
– Design changes shifted samples about 0.5 inches toward the adiabatic zone with 
MUGS test design changes integrated
– Unable to increase hot zone setting above 1210°C due to design limitations
Updated Response For GEDS
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 12
• Used updated transient model to revised processing profile prior to ground 
preflight test, G2
– Model updated to Increase cold zone temperature to 1130°C to prevent end 
effects
– Sample 1 dwell time = 60 minute calculated base on time > 1205°C for
GEDS Processing Predictions for G2
• Sample processing dwell time varies from 57 to 74 
minutes depending on sample location
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 13
Predicted Sample Flight Processing
• Used G2 furnace inputs to generate flight sample predictions
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 14
Summary
• GEDS design development challenging
– GEDS Ampoule design developed through MUGS testing
– Short duration transient sample processing
– Unable to measure sample temperatures
• MUGS Development testing used to gather data
– Actual LGF like furnace response 
– Provided sample for sintering evaluation
• Transient thermal model integral to successful GEDS 
experiment
– Development testing provided furnace response 
– PI evaluation of sintering anchored model evaluation of 
processing durations
– Thermal transient model used to determine flight SCA sample 
processing profiles
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 15
References
1) http://msrr.msfc.nasa.gov/. [Online]
2) Simulation of ESA's MSL Furnace Inserts and Sample-Cartridge 
Assemblies: Model Development and Correlation with Experimental Data. 
Johannes Dagner, Marc Hainke, and Jochen Friedrich. Rome, Italy: 35th
International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2005.
3) Development of NASA’s Sample Cartridge Assembly: Design, Thermal 
Analysis, and Testing. B. O'Connor, et al. Bellevue Washington: 
International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2015.
4) Characterization of Vacuum Plasma Spray Formed Molybdenum-Rhenium 
Alloys. J. Scott O'Dell, et al. Orlando, Florida: International Conference on 
Tungsten, Refractory & Hard Metals VI, 2006.
5) Multiscale Modeling and Experimentation on Liquid Phase Sintering in 
Gravity and Microgravity Environments, MSRR-1 SCA Science 
Requirements Document (SRD), MSRR1-DOC-0115, Dr. Randall M. 
German, MSFC, Alabama, January 24, 2014.
6) T. Panczak, S. Ring, M. Welch, D. Johnson, B. Cullimore, D. Bell. C & R 
Technologies (R) Thermal Desktop (R) User's Manual, A CAD Based 
System for Thermal Analysis and Design, Version 5.8.
TFAWS 2017 – August 21-25, 2017 16


Development of NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly: Summary of GEDS Design, Development Testing, and Thermal Analyses

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