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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Nonlinear Response and Residual Strength of Damaged Stiffened Shells Subjected to Combined Loads

The results of an analytical study of the nonlinear response of stiffened fuselage shells with long cracks are presented. The shells are modeled with a hierarchical modeling strategy and analyzed with a nonlinear shell analysis code that maintains the shell in a nonlinear equilibrium state while the crack is grown. The analysis accurately accounts for global and local structural response phenomena. Fuselage skins, frames stringers and failsafe straps are included in the models. Results are presented for various combinations of internal pressure and mechanical bending, vertical shear and torsion loads, and the effects of crack orientation and location on the shell response are described. These results indicate that the nonlinear interaction between the in-plane stress resultants and the out-of-plane displacements near a crack can significantly affect the structural response of the shell, and the stress-intensity factors associated with a crack that are used to predict residual strength. The effects of representative combined loading conditions on the stress-intensity factors associated with a crack are presented. The effects of varying structural parameters on the stress-intensity factors associated with a crack, and on self-similar and non-self-similar crack-growth are also presented.

Starnes, James H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Free Vibration of Fiber Composite Thin Shells in a Hot Environment

Results are presented of parametric studies to assess the effects of various parameters on the free vibration behavior (natural frequencies) of (plus or minus theta)2, angle-ply fiber composite thin shells in a hot environment. These results were obtained by using a three-dimensional finite element structural analysis computer code. The fiber composite shell is assumed to be cylindrical and made from T-300 graphite fibers embedded in an intermediate-modulus high-strength matrix (IMHS). The residual stresses induced into the laminated structure during curing are taken into account. The following parameters are investigated: the length and the thickness of the shell, the fiber orientations, the fiber volume fraction, the temperature profile through the thickness of the laminate and the different ply thicknesses. Results obtained indicate that: the fiber orientations and the length of the laminated shell had significant effect on the natural frequencies. The fiber volume fraction, the laminate thickness and the temperature profile through the shell thickness had a weak effect on the natural frequencies. Finally, the laminates with different ply thicknesses had insignificant influence on the behavior of the vibrated laminated shell.

Gotsis, Pascal K.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Computational Simulation of Damage Progression of Composite Thin Shells Subjected to Mechanical Loads

Defect-free and defected composite thin shells with ply orientation (90/0/+/-75) made of graphite/epoxy are simulated for damage progression and fracture due to internal pressure and axial loading. The thin shells have a cylindrical geometry with one end fixed and the other free. The applied load consists of an internal pressure in conjunction with an axial load at the free end, the cure temperature was 177 C (350 F) and the operational temperature was 21 C (70 F). The residual stresses due to the processing are taken into account. Shells with defect and without defects were examined by using CODSTRAN an integrated computer code that couples composite mechanics, finite element and account for all possible failure modes inherent in composites. CODSTRAN traces damage initiation, growth, accumulation, damage propagation and the final fracture of the structure. The results show that damage initiation started with matrix failure while damage/fracture progression occurred due to additional matrix failure and fiber fracture. The burst pressure of the (90/0/+/- 75) defected shell was 0.092% of that of the free defect. Finally the results of the damage progression of the (90/0/+/- 75), defective composite shell was compared with the (90/0/+/- theta, where theta = 45 and 60, layup configurations. It was shown that the examined laminate (90/0/+/- 75) has the least damage tolerant of the two compared defective shells with the (90/0/+/- theta), theta = 45 and 60 laminates.

Gotsis, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Faraday Wave Turbulence on a Spherical Liquid Shell

Millimeter-radius liquid shells are acoustically levitated in an ultrasonic field. Capillary waves are observed on the shells. At low energies (minimal acoustic amplitude, thick shell) a resonance is observed between the symmetric and antisymmetric thin film oscillation modes. At high energies (high acoustic pressure, thin shell) the shell becomes fully covered with high-amplitude waves. Temporal spectra of scattered light from the shell in this regime exhibit a power-law decay indicative of turbulence.

Holt, R. Glynn↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Theoretical Investigation of the Infrared Spectroscopic Properties of Closed-Shell Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations

Density functional theory has been employed to calculate the harmonic frequencies and intensities of a range of PAH cations which explore both size and electronic structure effects on the infrared spectroscopic of these species. The sample extends the size range of PAH species considered to more than 50 carbon atoms and includes several representatives from each of two heretofore unexplored categories of PAH cations: (1) fully benzenoid PAH cations whose carbon skeleton is composed of an odd number of carbon atoms and (2) protonated PAH cations. Unlike the radical electronic structures of the PAH cations that have been the subject of previous theoretical and experimental work, the species in these two classes have a closed-shell electronic configuration. The calculated spectra of circumcoronene, C54H18, in both neutral and (radical) cationic form are also reported and compared to those of the other species. Closed-shell species are inherently less reactive than radical (or open-shell) cations and are known to play a role in combustion chemistry. Since interstellar PAHs are typically exposed to abundant atomic hydrogen and are thought to originate under pseudo-combustion conditions in carbon-rich circumstellar shells, such species may represent an important component of the interstellar PAH population. Furthermore, species larger than 50 carbon atoms are more representative of the size of the typical interstellar PAH. Overall, as has been the case for previous studies of PAH radical cations, the general pattern of band positions and intensities are consistent with that of the interstellar infrared emission spectrum. In addition, the spectra of closed-shell and open-shell cations are found to converge with increasing molecular size and are found to be relatively similar for species containing about 50 carbon atoms.

Hudgins, Douglas M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Thickness Constraints on the Icy Shells of the Galilean Satellites from a Comparison of Crater Shapes

A thin outer ice shell on Jupiter's large moon Europa would imply easy exchange between the surface and any organic or biotic material in its putative subsurface ocean. The thickness of the outer ice shell is poorly constrained, however, with model-dependent estimates ranging from a few kilometers of depths of impact craters on Europa, Ganymede and Callisto that reveal two anomalous transitions in crater shape with diameter. The first transition is probably related to temperature-dependent ductility of the crust at shallow depths (7-8 km on Europa). The second transition is attributed to the influence of subsurface oceans on all three satellites, which constrains Europa's icy shell to be at least 19 km thick. The icy lithospheres of Ganymede and Callisto are equally ice-rich, but Europa's icy shell has a thermal structure about 0.25-0.5 times the thickness of Ganymede's or Callisto's shells, depending on epoch. The appearances of the craters on Europa are inconsistent with thin-ice-shell models and indicate that exchange of oceanic and surface material could be difficult.

Schenk, Paul M.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Shell Buckling Design Criteria Based on Manufacturing Imperfection Signatures

An analysis-based approach .for developing shell-buckling design criteria for laminated-composite cylindrical shells that accurately accounts for the effects of initial geometric imperfections is presented. With this approach, measured initial geometric imperfection data from six graphite-epoxy shells are used to determine a manufacturing-process-specific imperfection signature for these shells. This imperfection signature is then used as input into nonlinear finite-element analyses. The imperfection signature represents a "first-approximation" mean imperfection shape that is suitable for developing preliminary-design data. Comparisons of test data and analytical results obtained by using several different imperfection shapes are presented for selected shells. Overall, the results indicate that the analysis-based approach presented for developing reliable preliminary-design criteria has the potential to provide improved, less conservative buckling-load estimates, and to reduce the weight and cost of developing buckling-resistant shell structures.

Hilburger, Mark W.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Nonlinear Local Bending Response and Bulging Factors for Longitudinal Cracks in Pressurized Cylindrical Shells

Results of a geometrically nonlinear finite element parametric study to determine curvature correction factors or "bulging factors" that account for increased stresses due to curvature for longitudinal cracks in unstiffened pressurized cylindrical shells are presented. Geometric parameters varied in the study include the shell radius, the shell wall thickness, and the crack length. The major results are presented in graphs of the bulging factor as a function of the applied load and as a function of geometric parameters that include the shell radius, the shell thickness and the crack length. The computed bulging factors are compared with solutions based on linear shallow shell theory, and with semi-empirical solutions that approximately account for the nonlinear deformation in the vicinity of the crack. The effect of biaxial loads on the computed bulging factors is also discussed.

Rose, Cheryl A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Sound Transmission through a Cylindrical Sandwich Shell with Honeycomb Core

Sound transmission through an infinite cylindrical sandwich shell is studied in the context of the transmission of airborne sound into aircraft interiors. The cylindrical shell is immersed in fluid media and excited by an oblique incident plane sound wave. The internal and external fluids are different and there is uniform airflow in the external fluid medium. An explicit expression of transmission loss is derived in terms of modal impedance of the fluids and the shell. The results show the effects of (a) the incident angles of the plane wave; (b) the flight conditions of Mach number and altitude of the aircraft; (c) the ratios between the core thickness and the total thickness of the shell; and (d) the structural loss factors on the transmission loss. Comparisons of the transmission loss are made among different shell constructions and different shell theories.

Tang, Yvette Y.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Rate of Iron Transfer Through the Horse Spleen Ferritin Shell Determined by the Rate of Formation of Prussian Blue and Fe-desferrioxamine Within the Ferritin Cavity

Iron (2+ and 3+) is believed to transfer through the three-fold channels in the ferritin shell during iron deposition and release in animal ferritins. However, the rate of iron transit in and out through these channels has not been reported. The recent synthesis of [Fe(CN)(sub 6)](3-), Prussian Blue (PB) and desferrioxamine (DES) all trapped within the horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) interior makes these measurements feasible. We report the rate of Fe(2+) penetrating into the ferritin interior by adding external Fe(2+) to [Fe(CN)(sub 6)](3-) encapsulated in the HoSF interior and measuring the rate of formation of the resulting encapsulated PB. The rate at which Fe(2+) reacts with [Fe(CN)(sub 6)](3-) in the HoSF interior is much slower than the formation of free PB in solution and is proceeded by a lag period. We assume this lag period and the difference in rate represent the transfer of Fe(2+) through the HoSF protein shell. The calculated diffusion coefficient, D approx. 5.8 x 10(exp -20) square meters per second corresponds to the measured lag time of 10-20 s before PB forms within the HoSF interior. The activation energy for Fe(2+) transfer from the outside solution through the protein shell was determined to be 52.9 kJ/mol by conducting the reactions at 10 to approximately 40 C. The reaction of Fe(3+) with encapsulated [Fe(CN)6](4-) also readily forms PB in the HoSF interior, but the rate is faster than the corresponding Fe(2+) reaction. The rate for Fe(3+) transfer through the ferritin shell was confirmed by measuring the rate of the formation of Fe-DES inside HoSF and an activation energy of 58.4 kJ/mol was determined. An attempt was made to determine the rate of iron (2+ and 3+) transit out from the ferritin interior by adding excess bipyridine or DES to PB trapped within the HoSF interior. However, the reactions are slow and occur at almost identical rates for free and HoSF-encapsulated PB, indicating that the transfer of iron from the interior through the protein shell is faster than the rate-limiting step of PB dissociation. The method described in this work presents a novel way of determining the rate of transfer of iron and possibly other small molecules through the ferritin shell.

Zhang, Bo↗
NASA NTRS2016

Imperfection Insensitivity Analyses of Advanced Composite Tow-Steered Shells

Two advanced composite tow-steered shells, one with tow overlaps and another without overlaps, were previously designed, fabricated and tested in end compression, both without cutouts, and with small and large cutouts. In each case, good agreement was observed between experimental buckling loads and supporting linear bifurcation buckling analyses. However, previous buckling tests and analyses have shown historically poor correlation, perhaps due to the presence of geometric imperfections that serve as failure initiators. For the tow-steered shells, their circumferential variation in axial stiffness may have suppressed this sensitivity to imperfections, leading to the agreement noted between tests and analyses. To investigate this further, a numerical investigation was performed in this study using geometric imperfections measured from both shells. Finite element models of both shells were analyzed first without, and then, with measured imperfections that were then, superposed in different orientations around the shell longitudinal axis. Small variations in both the axial prebuckling stiffness and global buckling load were observed for the range of imperfections studied here, which suggests that the tow steering, and resulting circumferentially varying axial stiffness, may result in the test-analysis correlation observed for these shells.

Wu, K. Chauncey↗
NASA NTRS2016

Buckling Design and Imperfection Sensitivity of Sandwich Composite Launch-Vehicle Shell Structures

Composite materials are increasingly being considered and used for launch-vehicle structures. For shell structures, such as interstages, skirts, and shrouds, honeycomb-core sandwich composites are often selected for their structural efficiency. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the structural response, including buckling, of sandwich composite shell structures. Additionally, small geometric imperfections can significantly influence the buckling response, including considerably reducing the buckling load, of shell structures. Thus, both the response of the theoretically perfect structure and the buckling imperfection sensitivity must be considered during the design of such structures. To address the latter, empirically derived design factors, called buckling knockdown factors (KDFs), were developed by NASA in the 1960s to account for this buckling imperfection sensitivity during design. However, most of the test-article designs used in the development of these recommendations are not relevant to modern launch-vehicle constructions and material systems, and in particular, no composite test articles were considered. Herein, a two-part study on composite sandwich shells to (1) examine the relationship between the buckling knockdown factor and the areal mass of optimized designs, and (2) to interrogate the imperfection sensitivity of those optimized designs is presented. Four structures from recent NASA launch-vehicle development activities are considered. First, designs optimized for both strength and stability were generated for each of these structures using design optimization software and a range of buckling knockdown factors; it was found that the designed areal masses varied by between 6.1% and 19.6% over knockdown factors ranging from 0.6 to 0.9. Next, the buckling imperfection sensitivity of the optimized designs is explored using nonlinear finite-element analysis and the as-measured shape of a large-scale composite cylindrical shell. When compared with the current buckling design recommendations, the results suggest that the current recommendations are overly conservative and that the development of new recommendations could reduce the acreage areal mass of many composite sandwich shell designs by between 4% and 19%, depending on the structure.

Schultz, Marc R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing Procedures to Implement Geometric Imperfections Beyond Right Circular Cylindrical Shells in Finite Element Method Models

Analysis of aerospace structures is frequently conducted using nominal dimensions and frequently assumes ideal conditions in loading, contact, constraints, et cetera. Off-nominal dimensions and nonideal conditions, however, are present in all structures. These are the result of widely ranging causes from coefficient of thermal expansion mismatches, manufacturing tooling anomalies, to assembly procedures that inadvertently alter the structure. Specifically, geometric imperfections can have potentially significant influence on the response of a structural test article observed in an experiment versus the response given by a numerical simulation. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS) was previously presented as a set of Python scripts to calculate and implement as-manufactured geometric midsurface and thickness imperfections into finite element method (FEM) shell models of nominally right circular cylinders. By taking advantage of the simple shape of a right circular cylinder, interpolations of the measured data points were able to be performed along directions that aligned to the cylindrical coordinate system axes of the entire structure. By taking advantage of the shell representation of the real structure as opposed to modeling using a continuum representation, the thickness variation was able to be implemented by shell section definitions instead of having to modify the position of multiple nodes in the thickness direction. Py_TIGIRS is a useful tool that established a procedural example on how to implement geometric imperfections in right circular cylindrical shell structures. Three new procedures, each expanded from concepts established in Py_TIGIRS, are proposed for various test-article designs and are intended to broaden the range of structures that can be modeled with measured geometric imperfections in the structural analysis community. Each test-article design introduces new challenges to successfully implement geometric imperfections into a FEM model. The first test-article design consists of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer square plate with a hat-shaped stiffener co-cured on one side. This test-article design was for a novel seven-point bend test that was also previously presented. Manufacturing and cure-cycle imperfections are observed using digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. As thermal expansion coefficient mismatches between the plate and stiffener materials were anticipated, a thermal analysis study with continuum shell and solid elements was conducted to capture the global shape observed prior to testing. The second test-article design is of a similar hat-stiffened plate configuration, but with a side length ratio near 3:1 with elongation in the stiffener direction. The test article was used to characterize the response to uniaxial compressive loading in the direction of the stiffener. Due to differing manufacturing steps, a thermal analysis like the one developed for the seven-point bend configuration was unable to mimic the observed geometric imperfections. Instead, a strategy based on applying deformations directly to the structure during analysis was developed for continuum shell and solid element representation of a stiffened panel.

Geometric imperfections↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Scaling Methodology for Buckling of Composite Conical Shells in Axial Compression

Conical shells are commonly used as structural components for launch vehicles. The axial compression experienced during launch is one of the sizing load cases, because it can lead to loss of stability. As Because experimentally testing these large full-scale structures is cumbersome and expensive, it is studied how reduced-scale shells can be designed such that their buckling behavior is representative of the full-scale scale shell behavior. An analytical, sequential scaling procedure methodology is developed based on the nondimensional governing equations for composite conical shells with a symmetric, balanced layup and negligible flexural anisotropy. The buckling behavior of the shells of different size is compared using linear and nonlinear finite element analyses, and good comparisons . Accurate results are obtained for the considered shells in terms of buckling load, displacement, and mode. The inclusion of a geometric imperfections affects reduces the prediction accuracy, but it does not to the extent that the methodology is no longer valid cause the methodology to fail.

Buckling↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Optimizing the Electroforming Process to Enhance the Thickness Uniformity of Full Shell X-Ray Optics

Electroforming replication technology at Marshall Space Flight Center has a long heritage of producing highquality full-shell X-ray mirrors for various applications. Nickel alloys are electroformed onto a super-polished mandrel in the electroforming process, then separated to form the replicated full-shell optic. Various parameters in the electroplating configuration could result in the nonuniformity of the shell’s thickness. Thickness nonuniformities primarily occur due to non-uniform electric field distributions in the electroforming tank during the deposition. Using COMSOL Multiphysics simulations, we have studied the electric field distributions during the deposition process. Using these studies, we have optimized the electric fields inside the tank using customized shields and insulating gaskets on the mandrel. These efforts reduced thickness non-uniformity from over 20% to under 5% percent. Improving the thickness uniformity of the shell aids in better mounting and alignment of shells in the optics module. Optimization of the electroforming process, in some cases, improved the optical performance of the shells. COMSOL optimizing of the electroforming process and the experimental results validating these simulations are presented in this article.

X-ray optics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electromagnetic moments of 215,217 Bi: Probing shell evolution beyond N = 126

The nuclear properties of bismuth isotopes (Z = 83) , with just one valence proton above the closed spherical shell at (Z = 82) , are expected to be governed by a single unpaired proton. However, already in semimagic 209 Bi (Z = 83, N = 126) , , the magnetic moment (μ) strongly deviates from the single-particle Schmidt value. A near linear decrease in μ with the increase of N after the N = 126 magic number was observed up to N = 130 . In order to test whether this trend is kept at N > 130 and to reveal the underlying mechanisms, an investigation of 215,217 Bi (N = 132, 134) has been undertaken. The magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments of the I π = 9/2 - nuclear ground states in these isotopes have been measured for the first time using the in-source resonance-ionization spectroscopy technique at ISOLDE (CERN). It has been shown that the linearly decreasing trend of μ( 209,211,213 Bi g ) is broken in 215,217 Bi with a nearly constant value of μ observed. Experimental data have been compared to calculations in the framework of the configuration-interaction shell model with the monopole-based universal V MU +LS interaction. The peculiarities in the behavior of μ(Bi, 9/2 - ) with increasing neutron number are explained as being due to the shell evolution, change of the neutron orbitals occupancies and strong configuration mixing beyond N = 130 . Also, the difference in the μ trends for bismuth (Z = 83) and astatine (Z = 85) isotopes with N > 126 are reproduced by the shell-model calculations. It is shown that monopole interaction plays noticeable role in the description of the peculiarities of the μ behaviour. Additionally, the extension of the application of the V MU interaction to the μ isotopic trends for heavy nuclei is important for further study of the capabilities of this promising version of the shell-model calculations.

Dipole magnetic moments↗
DOE OSTI2025

Implications of a weakening N = 126 shell closure away from stability for r -process astrophysical conditions

The formation of the third r-process abundance peak near A ∼ 195 is highly sensitive to both nuclear structure far from stability and the astrophysical conditions that produce the heaviest elements. In particular, the N = 126 shell closure plays a crucial role in shaping this peak. Experimental data hints that the shell weakens as proton number departs from Z = 82, a trend largely missed by global mass models. To investigate its impact on r-process nucleosynthesis, we employ both standard global models with strong closures and modified Duflo-Zuker (DZ) models that reproduce the weakening, combined with three sets of β − -decay rates. Strong shell closures generate sharply peaked abundances, whereas weakened closures consistent with the experimental trend produce broader, flatter patterns. Accurately reproducing the solar third peak under weakened shell strength requires sufficiently neutron-rich conditions that significant fission occurs, and slower decay rates. These results demonstrate that a weakening N = 126 shell closure away from stability imposes significant constraints on the astrophysical environments of the r-process and underscores the need for precise mass measurements and improved characterization of β − -decay properties in this region.

N = 126 closed shells↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design of Zn Chalcogenide Shells for Emissive Ga-Rich In 1– X Ga X As Quantum Dots Synthesized in Molten Salts

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have seen expanded applications in optoelectronics from visible to near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. However, the options for QDs with bright and size-tunable emission in the NIR region are mostly limited to heavy-metal-based (Pb, Cd, Hg) semiconductors. Here, Ga-rich In 1–X Ga X As QDs with zinc chalcogenide shells are demonstrated as candidates for NIR emitters. Based on new developments in inorganic molten salt chemistry, we synthesized colloidal In 1–X Ga X As QDs containing up to 85% gallium with high crystallinity based on Raman and XRD analyses. Zinc selenide and sulfide shells with different morphologies were grown on In 1–X Ga X As QDs by controlling the Zn precursor chemistry. Despite the nominally reduced lattice mismatch in the In 1–X Ga X As/ZnSe heterostructure, a ZnS shell was found to be a much more effective passivation material: In 1–X Ga X As/ZnS core–shell QDs show a photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) of about 30% versus 11% for ZnSe shells. In conclusion, based on the analysis of PL decay and transient absorption (TA) dynamics, we surmise that electron trapping is the major reason for efficiency loss, providing a clear heterostructure design principle for realizing efficient NIR-emitting In 1–X Ga X As QDs.

Electron trapping↗