December 2005 

NASA/TM-2005-213944 

Application of Video Image Correlation 

Techniques to the Space Shuttle External Tank 

Foam Materials 

Mark W. Hilburger and Michael P. Nemeth 

Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 
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December 2005 

NASA/TM-2005-213944 

Application of Video Image Correlation 

Techniques to the Space Shuttle External Tank 

Foam Materials 

Mark W. Hilburger and Michael P. Nemeth 

Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 
Available from: 

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI) National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
APPLICATION OF VIDEO IMAGE CORRELATION TECHNIQUES TO

THE SPACE SHUTTLE EXTERNAL TANK FOAM MATERIALS

Mark W. Hilburger and Michael P. Nemeth

NASA Langley Research Center

Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199

Abstract

Results that illustrate the use of a video-image-correlation-based displacement and strain 

measurement system to assess the effects of material nonuniformities on the behavior of the

sprayed-on foam insulation (SOFI) used for the thermal protection system on the Space Shuttle

External Tank are presented. Standard structural verification specimens for the SOFI material

with and without cracks and subjected to mechanical or thermal loading conditions were tested.

Measured full-field displacements and strains are presented for selected loading conditions to 

illustrate the behavior of the foam and the viability of the measurement technology. The results

indicate that significant strain localization can occur in the foam because of material

nonuniformities. In particular, elongated cells in the foam can interact with other geometric or

material discontinuities in the foam and develop large-magnitude localized strain concentrations

that likely initiate failures. Furthermore, some of the results suggest that continuum mechanics

and linear elastic fracture mechanics might not adequately represent the physical behavior of the

foam, and failure predictions based on homogeneous linear material models are likely to be

inadequate.

Introduction

Maintaining the structural integrity of the sprayed-on foam insulation (SOFI) materials

used on the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) is a key element of maintaining flight safety and

mission success until retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010. To perform this task, a better

understanding of the mechanical properties of the SOFI materials and improved structural

verification measures are needed.

The SOFI materials used on the Space Shuttle ET are closed-cell foams that exhibit a

significant amount of nonuniformity in their microstructure. An in-depth description of these

materials are presented in Ref. 1 and an example of the nonuniformity in the microstructure is

shown in figure 1.This nonuniformity produces localization effects in the material response when 

subjected to thermal and mechanical loads. These localization effects are similar to random

point-wise couples that prevent the development of smoothly varying strain fields that are

commonly encountered in metals. In addition, these SOFI materials exhibit a significant amount

of irregular anisotropy that is caused by the propensity of these materials to rise in the direction 

of least resistance during application and the presence of irregular structural features such as a

1
bolted flange. Specifically, the cells elongate in the rise direction, which produces a directional

bias in properties such as stiffness, strength, and fracture toughness.

For most of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), the emphasis was on thermal protection 

and not structural integrity of the SOFI materials. As a result, material properties such as

modulus and fracture toughness, have been determined mostly by using relatively low-fidelity,

bulk engineering measurements and generally exhibit a substantial amount of scatter in the test

data. The nonuniformity of the SOFI microstructure is likely to be a major contributor to this

scatter, and is likely to affect the onset and progression of failures in the SOFI materials. Thus, a

three-dimensional displacement and strain measurement system that yields high-fidelity, fullfield measurements is very useful for providing insight into the fundamental material behavior

and for assessing and refining material-property characterization tests. Moreover, this type of

measurement system is useful for reconciling the test-data scatter and for providing insight into

unexpected and unexplained specimen failures.

Structural verification procedures for structures made of well-defined engineering

materials (e.g., aluminum) generally rely heavily on validated structural analysis tools to

augment structural testing. For example, combined mechanical, thermal, and aerodynamic loads

usually exist that cannot be simulated adequately in a laboratory environment and analyses are

conducted to help assess and put test results into perspective. For SOFI materials, which are not

well-defined materials like metals, validated structural analysis tools do not exist (Ref. 2). In 

addition, the effects of material localization on response characteristics such as attenuation of

self-equilibrated stresses, boundary effects, and load-introduction effects are not well known.

These effects are difficult to model analytically and are typically neglected in analyses by using a

logical, qualitative argument for conservativeness. As a result, the most recent certification of the

Space Shuttle SOFI materials for flight has a substantial number of limitations (Ref. 3) that have

resulted in an increased reliance on probabilistic risk assessments. Thus, full-field experimental

data that captures material localization effects and that can be used to develop a logical,

quantitative argument for conservativeness is extremely valuable in the validation of structural

analysis tools, the development of structural verification procedures and tests, and the reduction 

of flight-certification limitations.

An objective of the present study is to illustrate the use of a video-image-correlationbased displacement and strain measurement system to understand and assess the effects of strain 

localization on material property characterization of the ET SOFI materials. Another objective is

to determine the potential for using the measured results to guide the development and validation 

of structural analysis tools and the refinement of material-property-characterization tests and 

structural verification tests. To this end, the details and results of several tests that were

developed and performed to accomplish these objectives are presented. These tests include tests

at room temperature and tests with relevant thermal and mechanical loading conditions that are

similar to some of the space shuttle prelaunch and ascent loads and environments.

To accomplish the objectives of the present study, the three-dimensional video image

correlation system is described first. Next, the preliminary test-methods development and

specimen preparation techniques are presented. Then, results are presented for a standard SOFI

specimen with and with out a crack and subjected to three-point bending or to a thermal gradient.

2
Finally, the implications of the results on the material property characterization tests are

discussed.

Overview of Video Image Correlation Systems

*

The three-dimensional video image correlation system (VIC-3D) is a displacement and 

strain measurement technique developed by Correlated Solutions, Inc. and uses a proprietary

mathematical correlation method to analyze digital image data taken while a test specimen is

subjected to load. Consecutive digital images taken during a test are used to monitor changes in a

high-contrast speckle pattern, applied to the surface of the specimen prior to testing, as the

specimen is loaded. Digital image correlation can determine very accurately the full-field

displacements of high-contrast speckle patterns in the images. Some of the advantages of this

method include simple specimen preparation, the non-contact nature of the measurement, the low

sensitivity to vibrations, the ability to measure large strains (> 500%), and the ability to measure

initial specimen shape and surface displacements in three dimensions. In addition, several

systems can be combined to provide simultaneous coverage of multiple regions of a specimen.

In particular, this approach enables the user to collect global and local data on a specimen by 

using different pattern sizes and viewing areas.

4

The video image correlation technique was first used by researchers in the early eighties.

5

This early development focused on fracture studies and the determination of crack-opening

displacements by using virtual extensometers. As the image correlation algorithms were refined

and more powerful hardware became available, the technique matured into a two-dimensional

full-field displacement and strain measurement tool.

6 In the early nineties, the two-dimensional

technique was extended to use a second camera for three-dimensional shape, displacement, and 

strain measurements.

7 Since then, a variety of improvements in correlation algorithms,

calibration methods, and user-interface development have resulted in a fast, robust and simpleto-use measurement tool. Most digital image correlation algorithms work by tracking a highcontrast speckle pattern on the specimen. Over the years, an iterative spatial domain crosscorrelation algorithm has been developed that is effective in tracking the movement of the

speckle pattern when subjected to load because the results produced by the algorithm are

unaffected by rotations and large strains.

8

A two-dimensional video image correlation method (VIC-2D) can be applied

successfully to planar specimens that experience only small out-of-plane displacements during 

loading. The camera is placed perpendicular to the specimen surface and calibration only

requires the determination of a scale factor. Applications for the two-dimensional technique

include crack-tip opening displacement measurements and “dog-bone” tension tests. The error

in the in-plane strain and displacement measurements due to out-of-plane motion of the viewing 

surface is proportional to the ratio of the out-of-plane displacement to the focal length of the

camera (i.e., how far away the camera is from the specimen).

 * Some of the information presented in this section was taken from the Correlated Solutions, Inc. website, developer

of the Vic-2D and Vic-3D system, www.correlatedsolutions.com. References to or use of any of these commercial

products presented herein does not imply an endorsement of the product and are only used for purposes of

documentation.

3
Initial specimen geometry and three-dimensional displacements can now be measured by 

using a two-camera system. A calibration is required to determine camera parameters such as

focal length, image center, and lens distortion in addition to the relative orientation of the two 

cameras in space. A calibration target is placed in the field of view and a sequence of images is

acquired for different orientations of the target. The calibration parameters for the system are

then calculated by using a special adjustment algorithm.

8 A comprehensive discussion of digital

image correlation methods and their applications is found in Ref. 9.

Test Methods Development

Several test setups and approaches were studied to determine how to implement the video 

image correlation measurement system in order to measure displacements and strains of various

SOFI specimens. First, a study was conducted to determine if it is necessary to use the VIC-3D

system to minimize strain and displacement measurement errors that could be induced by

potentially large-magnitude out-of-plane (normal to the viewing surface) deformations of the

specimens. Second, a study was conducted to determine the effects of the speckle pattern 

applied to the specimen on the specimen response; that is, the study examined if the paint used to

make the speckle pattern overly stiffened the SOFI material. Third, a study was conducted to

determine the optimal speckle size needed to resolve adequately the displacement and strain 

gradients associated with stiffness and structural discontinuities. Fourth, a study was conducted 

to determine the effects of the various data processing parameters on the measured displacement

and strain data. The results of the preliminary testing and development studies conducted to 

address the testing approach are presented subsequently.

VIC-2D versus VIC-3D

First, a study was conducted to determine whether a VIC-2D (two-dimensional) system

or a VIC-3D (three-dimensional) system is required to measure adequately the strains and

displacements of selected specimen types. The VIC-2D system is easier to set up and requires

less data processing, however, large out-of-plane deformations of a specimen can induce errors

in the in-plane displacement and strain measurements that are on the order of the maximum outof-plane deformation divided by the stand-off distance of the camera. The VIC-3D system

accounts for the effects of out-of-plane deformations on the in-plane response, but the VIC-3D

system requires the use of two cameras and the processing of twice the amount of data, as

compared to the VIC-2D system. In addition, preliminary tests conducted on the SOFI using the

VIC-3D system indicates some image convergence difficulties associated with SOFI-surfacetexture-induced shadowing that can cause false speckles to appear in one camera image versus

another camera image. It was determined from numerous tests that, for the types of specimens

considered herein, the measurement error caused by out-of-plane deformations when using the

VIC-2D system is typically less than 0.1% (e.g., 1mm/1000mm). Thus, all subsequent tests, and 

the results presented herein, were obtained by using VIC-2D systems. Because of this

simplification, concurrent global and local setups can be easily used without all the additional

calibration complexities and additional data manipulation associated with using two cameras

images for one data point; that is, the imaging data is half of what was generated when using the

VIC-3D system. There is an additional benefit in that correlation studies between the local and 

the global data can be used for data verification.

4
Effects of the Speckle Pattern on the SOFI Response

Another study was conducted to determine if paint used to generate a speckle pattern (see

Fig. 2) on the specimens was significantly increasing the stiffness of the SOFI material. Early on

in the test-development phase of the present study, the speckle pattern was applied by first

spraying several coats of flat white spray paint on a specimen to serve as a light, non-reflective

background for the dark speckle pattern. Reflections of light off the surface of any specimen 

will cause convergence problems so reflections need to be minimized. Then, once the white

paint was dry, a random spattering of flat black paint was applied to the specimen using a shortbristle paint brush to flick paint onto the specimen. It was quickly determined that this speckle

pattern technique was stiffening the foam by a considerable amount. This problem was first

noticed in three fracture-type specimens used to study crack growth in the material. Specifically,

the observed response indicated that the paint was retarding the growth of the cracks on the side

of the specimen that was painted. In addition, the paint was causing the crack to grow in a zigzag pattern, as compared to a relatively straight crack path observed on the opposite, unpainted

side of the specimen. The evidence suggests that the zig-zag behavior of the crack was occurring

when the crack encountered a void in the SOFI that had filled up with paint and produced a

locally stiff region in the material. Similar problems were observed in uniaxial-tension 

specimens that were overly stiff from the excessive paint. Thus, a new speckle pattern

preparation technique was developed and verified that required minimal paint application to the

specimen. This new technique consisted of lightly spraying the specimen with flat black spray 

paint only to create the speckle pattern, and using the natural off-white coloration of the foam as

the contrasting background. Then, an inert dulling spray was used to eliminate the reflections on

the surface of the foam when illuminated. These reflections had to be eliminated because they 

were causing significant imaging and data reduction problems. Results using this new speckle

pattern technique indicated no noticeable effect of the paint on the specimen response. In 

addition, the chemical contents of the inert dulling spray were not expected to cause any 

degradation of the SOFI material. The results presented subsequently are for specimens used 

with the latter speckle-pattern preparation technique.

Optimal Speckle Pattern Size

General rules of thumb to maximize resolution and to minimize noise in the measured 

data have been established by Correlated Solutions, Inc. These rules of thumb include the

following: each speckle should be approximately three to five pixels in diameter, the speckles

should be evenly distributed throughout the specimen, and there should exist a one-to-one ratio 

between dark and light regions of the speckle pattern. For example, if the spatial resolution of

the camera is 325 pixels/inch, then the optimal speckle diameter is between 0.009 inch and 0.015

inch.

One aspect of the initial test development activity was to determine what was the best

speckle pattern size that could be easily and consistently applied to the specimens while, at the

same time, providing the resolution required to resolve the effects of small detail features in the

foam such as naturally occurring elongated cells and voids and strain gradients due to stiffness

and geometry discontinuities. It was determined that a speckle size of approximately 0.006-inch 

5
diameter would be optimal for several reasons. First, this speckle size enabled the use of a

global system with a viewing area of approximately 3.0 inches by 4.0 inches and a local system

with a viewing area of approximately 1.0 inch by 1.3 inches. These numbers correspond to a 1:3 

magnification between global and local views and a corresponding increase in the data

resolution. It was also determined that this speckle size was adequate to resolve local

displacement and strain gradients near elongated cells (typically 0.03 inch in diameter), voids,

stiffness discontinuities between dissimilar materials, and crack tips. The accuracy of the

gradient measurements were verified, in many cases, by performing hand calculations to directly 

obtain strain and displacement data from the digital images. In addition, a digital microscope

was incorporated into the VIC-2D system to determine the localized cell deformations at a crack 

tip in a specimen. A 0.1-in by 0.1-in field of view was considered and corresponded to a

magnification 100 times greater than the original local image. The strain and displacement data

obtained from the microscope images agreed well with the original local camera measurements.

Finally, an optimal speckle size and uniform pattern are easily obtained by using standard spray 

paint to lightly spray the surface of the specimen.

Data Processing Procedure and Parameters

The VIC-2D system used in the present study is a robust displacement and strain 

measurement tool and includes many different processing parameters and options to customize

the measurement setup and data processing and output. The effects of some of the more

commonly used data processing parameters were examined in a comprehensive parametric study.

A description of the measurement-system-software operation, and selected processing 

parameters are presented in this section.

A series of images of a test specimen are obtained during the test and are processed to 

calculate the displacements and strains. The processing of these images is broken up into several

steps as follows. First, a reference image, to which all subsequent images are referenced to, is

selected. This reference image is typically the first image taken just before the load application 

begins. However, any image captured during the test can be selected as the reference image.

Then, regions of the test specimen are selected for data processing. This area is referred to 

herein as the area of interest (AOI) and an example is indicated by the red shaded box in figure

3. A single AOI or multiple AOIs can be selected and these AOIs do not have to be contiguous.

Next, the pixel subset and step size are chosen for each AOI. This subset is a square set of pixels

used to calculate displacement data at the center point of the subset and is indicated by the

yellow box in figure 3. The displacements are calculated by tracking the movement of the

speckle pattern within the subset from the reference position, defined by the reference image, to

the deformed position of the current image of interest. To do so, the deformed speckle pattern

within the subset is fit with either a zeroth-order (rigid body), first-order, or second-order shape

function. Once the pattern has been fit, a displacement vector is calculated for the center point of

the subset. The default size of the subset is 29; that is, a 29 pixel by 29 pixel box, over which a

displacement field is fit. It was determined from several studies that subset sizes that range from

17 to 21 were optimal for the speckle pattern considered, and this range of subset size was used 

for the data reported herein. The subset is moved throughout the entire AOI with a fixed 

increment or step size to characterize the displacement field. The step size refers to the number

pixels the subset is moved within the AOI for each displacement calculation. The default step6
size value is five and was useful for situations where the specimen exhibited a uniform or slowly 

varying displacement and strain response. However, several studies indicated that a step size of

three gave better results for situations where the specimen exhibited rapidly varying 

displacement and strain gradients. A step size of one was also considered, but typically resulted 

in a significant amount of noise in the data that needed to be filtered out in the postprocessing.

Once all the displacement data is generated for each image, the strains are calculated.

The strain calculation process is similar to the process used for the displacements in that a square

window is chosen that fits a selected number of data points to shape functions associated with the

window. The strain distribution is then calculated within the window. Larger window sizes use

more data points in the fit and thus more averaging occurs. The default window size is 15 data

points. A window size of between 9 and 11 was used for the tests presented herein. Strain data

calculated from windows smaller than 9 data points typically exhibit excessive numerical noise.

Results and Discussion

Three tests were developed and conducted to illustrate the use of a video-imagecorrelation-based displacement and strain measurement system to assess the effects of material

localization on material property characterization of the ET SOFI. Test methods and typical test

results for three “Cryoflex” specimens made of NCFI-24-124 or BX-265 material (see Ref. 1)

are presented in this section. First, typical test results for two Cryoflex specimens with and 

without an outer-surface crack and subjected to three-point bending at room temperature are

presented. Then, typical test results for a Cryoflex specimen subjected to a 280o F through-thethickness temperature gradient are presented. The test setups are described and some of the

testing limitations are discussed. The Cryoflex specimen is one of the standard structural

verification specimens used by NASA to qualify the ET SOFI materials subjected to combined 

thermal and mechanical loads. The Cryoflex specimens consist of a 0.125-in-thick aluminum

substrate with SOFI material sprayed on, e.g., see figure 2. The specimen is 1.3 inches wide. The

SOFI thickness ranges from approximately 1.5 inches to 4.0 inches thick and is applied to the

substrate in multiple passes. Each foam application pass typically results in the deposition of

approximately 0.2 to 0.3 inches of foam and these layers are demarcated by a thin region of

dense foam, commonly referred to as a knitline. The knitlines and top surface of the specimens

have a naturally occurring undulating geometry that is associated with the nonuniform rising of

the foam material during application. For the 1.5-in-thick specimens, this nonuniform region at

the top of the specimen is machined off.

Bending of a Cryoflex Specimen Without a Crack

A three-point-bending test was developed to apply a mechanical load to a 3.8-in-thick 

Cryoflex specimen at room temperature. The test setup consisted of a 15-in-radius mandrel,

placed in a 120-kip uniaxial test stand, that served as the centrally located loading point on the

specimen. Two cylindrical tups where attached to the upper loading platen of the load frame and 

applied the bending load to the specimen. This test setup is shown in figures 4 and 5. The

specimens were loaded in three-point bending with a maximum center deflection of 0.1 inch and 

7
were loaded at a rate of 0.03 inch/minute. The video image correlation system was set up in the

two-dimensional mode (VIC-2D) to record a global and local view of the specimens and the

reference images are shown in figures 6a and 6b, respectively. The global image is

approximately 3 inches tall by 4 inches wide and the local image is 1 inch tall by 1.33 inches

wide.

Typical measured longitudinal strain εxx contours at maximum load obtained using the

global AOI are presented in figure 7a. The contours are plotted in a consistent x and y coordinate

system (Fig. 7) with the origin at the mid-length of the specimen and the interface between the

foam and the substrate. The global AOI covers a 0.6-in-wide by 1.2-in-tall region of the

specimen located at the top of the specimen and centered at its mid-length, as shown in figure 7.

In addition, displacement and strain results from three traces across the specimen AOI are

presented in figures 7b-7d. The traces from which the data was taken are identified in figure 7a

and are labeled 1, 2, and 3.

The results from the strain contours in figure 7a indicate wide-spread rapidly-oscillating 

strain variations, as expected, because of the cellular structure of the SOFI. The maximum

longitudinal strains εxx near the top surface of the specimen are approximately 7500 με, with

variations of +/- 3000 με. The local short-wave-length variations can be directly correlated to

the local structural detail features of the foam; that is, many of the ellipse-like strain contours

correspond to large elongated cells or voids. A very noticeable example of these local variations

appears in the upper left corner of the εxx contour plot where a strain concentration, with a

magnitude of approximately 2.8% strain, is clearly visible (see figure 7a). This concentration is

attributed to large magnitude local deformations of a very large elongated cell on the specimen 

surface. Figure 6b shows a local view of the actual test specimen, and several ellipse-shaped 

cells are outlined in red. These elongated cells or voids are typically 1/32 to 3/64 of an inch in 

length and are distributed randomly throughout the specimens. The local deformations of the

cell in the top left part of Fig. 7a are clearly identified in a plot of the longitudinal u

displacements extracted from line 1 that are shown in figure 7b. Specifically, there is a

significant discontinuity in the u displacements at this cell. Similarly, a plot of the εxx strains

along line 1 are shown in figure 7d by a series of three black solid lines and clearly indicate the

local strain concentration as well as other smaller-magnitude, rapidly oscillating strain variations

across the region. The series of black lines are all data extracted from line 1 but are processed in 

several ways to help illustrate the overall strain behavior. The smoother data (denoted by a thick

line in all the plots) illustrates better the long-wave-length overall strain variation due to the

surface undulations associated with the uneven rind of the material. This data was obtained by 

using a step size of three to calculate the displacement field and a window size of 15 to calculate

the strain contours. Increasingly refined data, indicated by the two thin lines, (short-wave-length 

strain response) illustrates the influence of the smaller-scale microstructure effects on the strain 

response. The increased data refinement was achieved by using smaller window sizes of 11 and

9 (marked in the figure) to calculate the strain data. Specifically, less data smoothing occurs as

the window size is reduced. Similar data was extracted from line 2 (blue solid lines) and 

indicates that the outer-surface-induced variations (specifically, the long-wave-length response

indicated by the thick blue line) in the strains from line 1 are somewhat reduced, indicating 

attenuation of the localized response in the foam near the top surface rind. However, long-wavelength average strain variations still exist throughout the specimen that are attributed to the

8
internal undulating knitlines in the foam. Similarly, data extracted from line 3 in Fig 7a is shown 

in Fig. 7c and indicates a rapidly oscillating short-wave-length strain variation through the

thickness of the specimen as well as a gradual increase in the overall average strain towards the

outer surface of the specimen (increasing from y of 2.6 in. to 3.8 in.) as expected for this threepoint-bending loading condition. It is important to note that engineering beam theory predicts a

linear strain variation for a homogeneous linear material.

To assess the accuracy of the results obtained by using the global AOI, results were

obtained using a local AOI near line 1 in Fig. 7a. These results are shown in figure 8. This data

has approximately four times the resolution of the corresponding data obtained using the global

AOI presented in figure 7. For the most part, the local data shows the same trends as the global

data. However, the magnitudes of the local strain variations are typically much larger due to the

increased resolution, which provide more accurate measurements of the material behavior. In

particular, these results indicate that the local strain concentration at the ellipse-like void near the

outer surface previously described is approaching 10% strain in contrast to the 3% strain

measurement obtained from the global AOI shown in figure 7. It is conceivable that such voids

could interact with outer-surface-geometry-induced strain concentrations in such a way as to 

cause a crack to develop if the strains reach some critical value before the specimen fails in some

other manner (like at the tapered edge).

Bending of a Cryoflex Specimen with a Crack

Results that illustrate the behavior of a 1.6-in-tall Cryoflex specimen with an outersurface crack and subjected to three-point bending are presented in this section. This particular

cryoflex specimen had the outer surface rind machined off and had a relatively smooth surface

quality. The crack was approximately 0.1 inch long and was oriented perpendicular to the outer

surface of the specimen. Measured local longitudinal strains εxx are presented in figure 9a. Data

extracted for the three lines shown in Fig 9a are presented in Figs. 9b-9d. One set of data is

shown in this figure to illustrate the strain response near the crack tip in which the rapidly

oscillating micro-structure-induced strain variations, similar to those shown in Fig. 8, are

smoothed out. The local AOI measured in this test is approximately 0.008 inch from the crack 

tip and covers a 0.5 in. by 0.6 in. rectangular region. The region was offset from the tip of the

crack because of limitations in the processing capabilities of the software. Specifically, the data

processing algorithm uses a section of the digital image, in this case a 20 pixels by 20 pixels

square subset, to calculate a best-fit displacement at the center of the subset. If the subset

overlaps a region of the specimen with an anomaly such as a crack, it can give erroneous local

displacement results. These errors are not quantifiable at this time so it was decided that it is

best to neglect any data that might be affected by the crack. Thus, a 0.008-inch stand-off

distance which corresponds to a distance approximately equal to one subset size was used and 

will insure that data will not be extracted from regions of the image that contain the crack.

The contour results in figure 9a indicate a significant strain concentration near the tip of

the crack, as expected, and a relatively small process zone indicated by the rapid attenuation of

the strains shown in figures 9c and 9d. The magnitude of the strain concentration (0.008 inch 

from the tip) is monotonically increasing as a function of time and is illustrated in figure 9b, and 

appears to have three distinct phases of the response. A possible explanation to the observed 

9
response characteristics is as follows: In the first phase, the cells near the crack tip are elastically 

deforming (elastic phase) in which time the crack is steadily opening with a “sharp” crack tip. In 

phase two, a significant increase in the strains near the crack tip occurs at around 25% strain that

continues to increase up until approximately 75% strain (material yielding phase). It is in this

time that the crack tip becomes very blunt and large-magnitude local deformations are visible to

the naked eye. When strains near the crack tip reach approximately 75%, 1390 seconds into the

test, the crack begins to propagate (failure).

The results in figure 9 also indicate that the through-the-thickness strain εyy and the shear

strain εxy near the crack tip drastically change their character at the same time as the crack 

propagates past the measurement point. These results were observed in all of the crack 

propagation tests. For the most part, the specimens exhibited unstable, catastrophic crack growth 

(i.e., crack growth to the substrate). However, one specimen exhibited some small amount of

initial stable crack growth followed by unstable catastrophic crack growth. It might be possible

that the crack-growth stability was affected by the crack tip being close to a knitline, however,

more tests need to be conducted to verify this result. It is likely that a significant amount of the

large-magnitude strains observed near the crack tips and near some of the voids are associated 

with large-magnitude local cell deformations, as opposed to actual constituent straining. In 

addition, it should be noted that these very large-magnitude localized strain concentrations are

very sensitive to data processing parameters and the actual values need additional verification.

Cryoflex Specimen with Thermal Gradient

A series of seven tests were conducted on a 1.6-in-thick Cryoflex specimen made of BX265 material to develop and verify a method for testing a specimen subjected to substrate cooling 

and outer surface heating. Thermocouples were used to measure the temperature at the substrate

and at selected locations in the SOFI material. A cryostat was constructed and placed inside an 

environmental chamber and used to cool the substrate of the specimen as shown in Fig. 10. The

environmental chamber was used to help control humidity levels and to enable outer-surface

heating of the specimen. The specimen was attached to the cryostat in such a way that it was

free to expand and contract in the plane of the substrate, see schematic in Fig. 11. The tests were

able to sustain - 190o F at the substrate and +90o F at the outer surfaces of the specimen. Image

data was taken throughout the entire temperature cycle with condensation and frost problems

only occurring on the substrate at very low temperatures (less than -100o F). The condensation 

and frost did not interfere with data collected on the SOFI. Photographs of the test setup are

shown in figure 10.

The AOI considered in the test consisted of the 2.5-in-long area near the mid-length of

the specimen as illustrated at the top of Fig 11. A contour plot of the measured transverse strains

εyy obtained from the AOI are shown in Fig. 11a and data extracted from selected lines within the

AOI are presented in Figs. 11c and 11d. In addition, strain versus time history at two points in 

the AOI are presented in Fig. 11b. Point A is near the aluminum substrate and point B is near

the top outer surface of the specimen, as indicated by the X symbols in Fig. 11a.

10
The initial thermal loading of the specimen consisted of a dry nitrogen purge of the

environmental chamber to help remove some of the humidity in the air and a heating of the oven

to approximately +120o F for 460 seconds. During this time the specimen exhibited slight

expansion, as expected, and is indicated by the longitudinal and transverse tension strains at

points A and B shown in Fig 11b. After 460 second had elapsed, the cryostat was filled with

liquid nitrogen and cooled the aluminum substrate to - 190o F. As a result, the chamber also 

cooled slightly to a steady state temperature of +90o F because the chamber heating element was

not able to sustain the +100o F as desired. The cooling caused as rapid contraction of the

specimen, as indicated in Fig 11b, until a steady-state thermal equilibrium was achieved at 900

seconds into the test. In particular, the contraction of the substrate imparted a longitudinal

compression strain of almost 1% to the foam near point A while the strains near the point B were

approximately 0.33%. The transverse strains εyy (strains normal to the substrate) ranged from -

3% at the substrate to - 0.2% at the outer surface at maximum substrate cooling, as shown in the

contours in Fig 11a. The corresponding longitudinal strains were, for the most part, uniformly

distributed across the specimen width (uniform contraction with no bending) and equal to - 0.3%

to - 0.4% strain. In addition, strain localization occurred in the specimen with variations in the

strains on the order of +/- 10%. Results in Fig 11c indicate a similar strain distribution as shown 

in Fig. 7 for the Cryoflex specimen subjected to room temperature three-point-bending loads. In 

particular, there are overall long-wave-length variations associated with the undulating knitlines

in the foam and short-wave-length variations associated with the foam microstructure. In 

addition, the results indicate a slight reduction in strain from x equals -1.0 to 1.5 and is likely due

to cryogen pooling in the bottom of the cryostat, thus causing more contraction in the lower

portions of the specimen. The effects of knitlines were also apparent in the distribution of the

measured transverse strains. In particular, the regions at the knitlines tended to exhibit slightly 

lower strains relative to other strains away from the knit lines; that is, the knit lines appear to

locally stiffen the material, as illustrated in figure 11d.

Concluding Remarks

Results that illustrate the use of a video-image-correlation-based displacement and strain 

measurement system to assess the effects of material nonuniformities on the behavior of the

sprayed-on foam insulation (SOFI) used for the thermal protection system on the Space Shuttle

External Tank have been presented. Standard structural verification specimens for the SOFI

material with and without cracks and subjected to mechanical or thermal loading conditions were

tested. The results indicate that significant strain localization and premature failures can occur in 

the foam due to material nonuniformities. In particular, elongated cells in the foam can interact

with other geometric or material discontinuities in the foam and develop large-magnitude

localized strain concentrations. Furthermore, some of the results suggest that continuum

mechanics and linear elastic fracture mechanics might not adequately represent the physical

behavior of the foam and, as a result, may not be suitable for predicting SOFI failures.

The preliminary results presented in this paper are potentially far-reaching, both in the

11
short-term and the long-term. In the short-term, high-fidelity displacement and strain 

measurements obtained by using a video image correlation system can provide new insight into

the response of the SOFI when subjected to mechanical and thermal loads. In particular, much 

insight can be gained into the effects of localization and microstructure-induced anisotropy on

the response of the foam. Such insight can be extremely valuable in developing a logical,

quantitative argument for conservativeness of analysis and testing and in refining verification test

methods. In the long-term, data from these types of test could be used for analysis tool

development and validation activities. Specifically, nonlinear, fully anisotropic material models

and models that include the effects of material nonuniformities could be developed and 

validated. In addition, the measurement technique can be used to determine the amount of

material induced strain variability within the various specimens and quantify how the variability 

affects the material properties, and to assess the current practice of using linear elastic facture

mechanics for crack propagation predictions.

References

1. Weiser, E. S., Nemeth, M. P., and St. Clair, T. L., “Assessment of Technologies for the

Space Shuttle External Tank Thermal Protection System and Recommendations for

Technology Improvement, Part 1: Materials Characterization and Analysis,” NASA/TM2004-213238, July 2004.

2. Knight, N. F., Nemeth, M. P., and Hilburger, M. W., “Assessment of Technologies for the

Space Shuttle External Tank Thermal Protection System and Recommendations for

Technology Improvement, Part 2: Structural Analysis technologies and Modeling 

Practices,” NASA/TM-2004-213256, August 2004.

3. Space Shuttle-Verification Limitations for the External Tank Thermal Protection System,

Johnson Space Center: NSTS 60555, June 6, 2005.

4. McGowan, D. M., Ambur, D. R., Hanna, T. G., and, McNeil, S. R., “Evaluating the

Compressive Response of Notched Composite Panels using Full-field Displacement,”

Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 122-129, 2001.

5. Peters, W. H., Ranson, W. F., “Digital imaging techniques in experimental stress

analysis,” Opt. Eng. 21(3), pp 427-431, 1982.

6. Sutton, M. A., Cheng, M., Peters, W. H, Chao, Y. J., McNeill, S. R., “Application of an 

optimized digital image correlation method to planar deformation analysis,” Image and

Vision Computing, 4(3), pp. 143-151, 1986.

7. Helm, J., McNeill, S. R., Sutton, M. A., “Improved 3-D Image Correlation for Surface

Displacement Measurement,” Opt. Eng. 35(7), pp. 1911-1920, 1996.

12
8. Triggs, B., McLauchlan, P. F., Hartley, R. I., and Fitzgibbon, A.. “Bundle adjustment – a

modern synthesis,” Vision Algorithms: Theory & Practice, Springer-Verlag, pp 56- 62,

2000.

9. Rastogi, Ed, “Advances in 2D and 3D Computer Vision for Shape and Deformation 

Measurements,” Topics in Applied Physics: Photomechanics, Springer Verlag, pp. 323-

372, 2000.

13
Fig. 1 Image of typical SOFI microstructure.

14
Fig. 2 Cryoflex specimen with a global-local speckle pattern applied to the viewing surface.

15
Fig. 3 Typical specimen reference image and processing tools.

Outer surface of a

typical foam specimen

Area of Interest (AOI) Subset

16
Fig. 4 Three-point-bending test setup.

17
Fig. 5 Three-point-bending test setup, including cameras and data system (cameras shown in a 3D

configuration).

Camera system

Specimen and 

loading fixture

Data acquisition 

system

18
Fig. 6a Global reference image (1300x1000 pixels)

Fig. 6b Local reference image (1300x1000 pixels) with typical large voids outlined in red (1/32 to 3/64 inch long)

Top surface

Top surface

Elongated 

cells

19
3.6”

0.12”

17.25”

x, u

y, v

AOI

-0.2 0 0.2

2.8

3

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

0.028

0.026

0.024

0.022

0.02

0.018

0.016

0.014

0.012

0.01

0.008

0.006

0.004

0.002

0

-0.002

-0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

-0.003

-0.002

-0.001

0

0.001

0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008

2.8

3

3.2

3.4

3.6

-0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

Fig. 7 Measured εxx strains and displacements in an NCFI-24-124 specimen subjected to a 0.1-in tip deflection

(global area of interest AOI).

1

2

3

a) Contour plot of measured strain in AOI b) Plot of measured u displacement along line 1 in Fig 7a

c) Plot of measured εxx along line 3 in Fig 7a d) Plot of measured εxx along lines 1 and 2 in Fig 7a

1

2

3

y, in.

x, in. x, in.

u, in.

y, in.

x, in.

εxx

εxx

εxx

3.8”

0.12”

17.25”

20
3.6”

0.12”

17.25”

x, u

y, v

AOI

-0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

0

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

0.09

0 0.005 0.01 0.015

3.6

3.65

3.7

3.75

-0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

-0.003

-0.002

-0.001

0

-0.2 -0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3

3.6

3.65

3.7

3.75

3.8

3.85

3.9

0.1

0.09

0.08

0.07

0.06

0.05

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01

0

Fig. 8 Measured εxx strains and displacements in an NCFI-24-124 specimen subjected to a 0.1-in tip deflection

(local AOI).

1

2

a) Contour plot of measured strain b) Plot of measured u displacement along line 1 in Fig 8a

c) Plot of measured εxx along line 2 in Fig 8a d) Plot of measured εxx along line 1 in Fig 8a

y, in.

x, in.

x, in.

u, in.

y, in.

x, in.

εxx

εxx

εxx

3.8”

0.12”

17.25”

21
3.6”

0.12”

17.25”

x, u

y, v

AOI

650 700 750

900

950

1000

0.28

0.26

0.24

0.22

0.2

0.18

0.16

0.14

0.12

0.1

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

0

0.5

1

920 940 960 980 1000 0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

650 700 750

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

Fig. 9 Measured εxx strains in an BX-265 specimen subjected to a 0.1-in tip deflection (global view).

1.8”

a) Contour plot of measured strain at time =

1145 seconds

b) Plot of measured strain at 0.008 inches from crack tip

(marked with an x in Fig 9a)

c) Plot of measured εxx along line 3 in Fig 9a at

time = 1145 seconds

d) Plot of measured εxx along lines 1 and 2 in Fig 9a

at time = 1145 seconds.

1

2

3

crack

1

2

3

x

εxx

εxy

εyy

y,

pixel

x, pixel

Time, seconds

y, pixel x, in.

εxx εxx

εxx

strain, in./in.

1.6”

0.12”

17.25”

22
Fig. 10 Preliminary test setup for testing of a cryoflex specimen subjected to substrate cooling and outer surface

heating in an environmental.

Cryoflex 

specimen

Cryostat

Thermocouple

wires

23
0 0.5 1 1.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

-0.002

-0.004

-0.006

-0.008

-0.01

-0.012

-0.014

-0.016

-0.018

-0.02

-0.022

-0.024

-0.026

-0.028

0 200 400 600 800

-0.008

-0.006

-0.004

-0.002

0

0.002

-0.014 -0.012 -0.01 -0.008 -0.006 -0.004 -0.002 0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

0 0.5 1 1.5

-0.015

-0.01

-0.005

0

Fig. 11 Measured εyy strains in an BX-265 specimen subjected to thermal loading (global AOI)

a) Contour plot of measured εyy strain at

time = 900 seconds

b) Measured strain history at points A and B in Fig. 11a.

c) Plot of measured εyy along lines 2 and 3 in Fig 11a d) Plot of measured εyy along line 1 in Fig 11a

(approximate location of knit lines are marked with

dashed vertical lines)

1

2 3

A B

X

X

εxx at point A

εyy at point A

εxx at point B

εyy at point B

-190oF +90o

F

1

2

3

x, in.

y, in. time, seconds

y, in.

εyy

εyy

εyy

X

A B

0

-.5

1

.5

1.5

0

-.5

1

.5

1.5

x, in.

-1

x, u

y, v

initial

heating

phase

cooling

phase

strain, in/in

AOI

24
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 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Application of Video Image Correlation Techniques to the Space Shuttle

External Tank Foam Materials

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Hilburger, Mark W.; and Nemeth, Michael P.

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NASA Langley Research Center

Hampton, VA 23681-2199

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14. ABSTRACT

Results that illustrate the use of a video-image-correlation-based displacement and strain measurement system to assess the effects of

material nonuniformities on the behavior of the sprayed-on foam insulation (SOFI) used for the thermal protection system on the Space

Shuttle External Tank are presented. Standard structural verification specimens for the SOFI material with and without cracks and subjected

to mechanical or thermal loading conditions were tested. Measured full-field displacements and strains are presented for selected loading

conditions to illustrate the behavior of the foam and the viability of the measurement technology. The results indicate that significant strain

localization can occur in the foam because of material nonuniformities. In particular, elongated cells in the foam can interact with other

geometric or material discontinuities in the foam and develop large-magnitude localized strain concentrations that likely initiate failures.

Furthermore, some of the results suggest that continuum mechanics and linear elastic fracture mechanics might not adequately represent the

physical behavior of the foam, and failure predictions based on homogeneous linear material models are likely to be inadequate.

15. SUBJECT TERMS

Application; Correlation; External Tank; Foam; Image; Materials; Shuttle; Space; Techniques; Video

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