Development of Atlas Liner Cassette Power Flow Channel

The original Atlas upper liner cassette joint was based on the Shiva Star design and were of the cryogenic interference type. The upper joint relied exclusively on the interference of the glide plane/liner interface for electrical conductivity and structural integrity. The second-generation cassette was designed to accommodate unpredictable changes in inner power flow channel z-axis geometry by fabricating the liner and liner current joint electrodes as a single piece of aluminum. Deforming a preformed section of the liner as the cassette is assembled makes a current joint between the liner and the return current conductor. Experiments have been conducted with variations of the deformable current joint designs to better understand how the materials fit together, joint configuration, tensile force associated with the joint and the reliability of vacuum integrity at the joint and the resulting shape of the liner. Laser interferometer measurements and finite element analysis are used to analyze the joint.