|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Shuttle SRB hold down post frangible nuts
|
rtphokie
New Member Posts: 6
From: Raleigh, NC, USA
Registered: May 2015
|
posted 06-08-2016 12:32 PM
  
How much did the frangible nut in the solid rocket booster hold down post system weigh? I've seen a few on display but none mentioned the weight of the nut, the biggest one I know of. |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
|
posted 06-08-2016 06:17 PM
I have held a complete one and it sure wasn't light.I always wondered about the "hold down bolts" in general and how much they'd have held down. Once the SRBs are lit, they're going and I don't see any bolt holding a space shuttle to the pad at that moment. Either the bolts are coming along for the ride, or the bottom of the SRBs are going to stay from where they ripped away at liftoff. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 06-08-2016 09:07 PM
This doesn't answer your exact question, but according to a 2005 Johnson Space Center study, the shuttle experienced numerous failures where a bolt "hung up." That is, it did not clear the hold-down post before lift-off, and was "caught" by the SRBs. The shuttle was certified prior to this study to withstand the loads induced by up to three of eight SRB hold-down post studs experiencing a "hang-up." Through 113 space shuttle flights, 25 stud hang-ups have occurred and two flights have experienced cases where two hold-down posts experienced stud hang-ups. Analyses have been performed to determine if the additional structural loads imposed by the stud hang-ups are within the certification criteria. Currently, the space shuttle is being certified for the case where three stud hang-ups occur. The four stud hang-up case has been informally analyzed for some elements (e.g. SRBs, External Tank), and structural loads exceed the design certification, although structural margin may exist such that the actual risk to the crew and vehicle is small. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 06-08-2016 09:38 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rtphokie:
How much did the frangible nut in the solid rocket booster hold down post system weigh?
Per an engineer who worked on the nuts' redesign in 2007-2008, "each nut is about 16 pounds of Inconel." |
oly
Member Posts: 905
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
|
posted 05-08-2017 09:37 PM
The design of the space shuttle solid rocket booster hold down bolts and frangible nuts proved to be a reliable system. Does anyone have any information on or reference to any study done on what would have happened if the system failed or partially failed during launch?For example, would only half of the bolts hold down the stack for the duration of the SRB burn? Editor's note: Threads merged. | |
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
|
|
|
 advertisement
|
