Project Mohole Scientific and Technical Progress for the Period Ending October 15, 1965, to November 15, 1965, and November 15, 1965 to December 15, 1965, Summary

摘要

In the testing of drill pipe and casing materials at Battelle Memorial Institute, studies of fatigue crack propagation in air, initiated during the last reporting period, have continued. These tests utilize partial thickness starter cracks in a 4330 modified material heat-treated to 165,000-psi tensile strength. The results of the tests tend to support the previous data and indicate a relatively small effect of mean stress on the rate of crack propagation. Corrosion fatigue tests in fresh water mud were reported in which the life in mud was with the scatter band for seawater environments. Work has resumed on the titanium drill pipe extrusion program after a period of labor difficulty. This means that titanium alloy tool joints, compatible with the pipe, should be used. A test firing of the single-unit full-scale prototype underwater gas generator was conducted by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. The basic objective of this flooded manifold firing was to determine whether the water could be safely accelerated out of the manifold without rupturing the manifold and/or affecting gas generator performance. The results were positive and confirm the feasibility of firing the gas generators with the manifold flooded. (Author)