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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

Biaxial load effects in fracture mechanics

It is found that the standard expressions for elastic stress and displacement in the crack-tip region (i.e., the so-called singular solution) cannot be considered to be approximations that are acceptable in a completely general sense. This conclusion is best illustrated by the instance of a biaxially loaded infinite sheet with a flat horizontal central crack, where the effect of load applied parallel to the plane of the crack appears entirely in the second terms of the series representations for local stresses and displacements. An elastoplastic finite-element analysis of the same biaxially loaded finite specimen geometry shows that the global energy release rate, the J-integral, the plastic stress and strain intensity factors (in the sense of Hilton and Hutchinson), and the size of the crack border region plastic yield, all have pronounced biaxial load dependence.

Liebowitz, H.↗

Shell theory automated for rotational structures

Package of numerical integration programs static, buckling, vibration, and plastic analysis on thin sheels of revolution. Sheels may be subjected to distributed loads, concentrated line loads, and thermal strain. Outputs include stresses, displacement, plastic strains, and vibration and buckling results. Program aids design of aircraft bodies, spacecraft, submarines, and storage tanks. Written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution, program has been implemented on UNIVAC 1108.

Key, J.↗

Finite-element nonlinear transient response computer programs PLATE 1 and CIVM-PLATE 1 for the analysis of panels subjected to impulse or impact loads

Two computer programs are described for predicting the transient large deflection elastic viscoplastic responses of thin single layer, initially flat unstiffened or integrally stiffened, Kirchhoff-Lov ductile metal panels. The PLATE 1 program pertains to structural responses produced by prescribed externally applied transient loading or prescribed initial velocity distributions. The collision imparted velocity method PLATE 1 program concerns structural responses produced by impact of an idealized nondeformable fragment. Finite elements are used to represent the structure in both programs. Strain hardening and strain rate effects of initially isotropic material are considered.

Spilker, R. L.↗

Neutral buoyancy evaluation of technologies for space station external operations

In order to perform a complete systems analysis for almost any large space program, it is vital to have a thorough understanding of human capabilities in extravehicular activity (EVA). The present investigation is concerned with the most significant results from the MIT Space Systems Lab's neutral buoyancy tests. An evaluation of neutral buoyancy is considered along with the tested structures, aspects of learning, productivity, time and motion analysis, and assembly loads. Attention is given to EVA assembly with a manned maneuvering unit, teleoperated structural assembly, an integrated control station, a beam assembly teleoperator, and space station proximity operations.

Akin, D. L.↗

Cyclic loads tests of carbon involute solid rocket motor outer boot ring segments

The cyclic loads tests performed on the 30-in. segments of the DM-9 (Development Motor-9) configuration solid rocket outer boot ring are described. The tests found that the effect of the cyclic loadings on the structural integrity of the outer boot ring was negligible. The results are compared with a hand analysis of the strength of a 30-in. outer boot ring segment. Several phenomena of engineering interest are also described.

Ahmed, Rafiq↗

Nonlinear Dynamic Behavior in the Cassini Spacecraft Modal Survey

In October 1997, the 6-ton robotic spacecraft, Cassini, will lift off from Cape Canaveral atop a Titan IV B rocket, beginning a 7-year journey to Saturn. Upon completion of that voyage, Cassini will send the Huygens probe into the atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Cassini will then spend years studying Saturn's vast realm of rings, icy moons, and magnetic fields. The size and complexity of this endeavor mandates the involvement of many organizations. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages the project for NASA and is responsible for the spacecraft design, development, and assembly. The NASA Lewis Research Center is the launch system integrator. As is typical for such a spacecraft, a test-verified finite element model is required for loads analysis. JPL had responsibility for the Cassini modal survey and the development of the spacecraft test-verified finite element model. Test verification is a complex and sometimes subjective process. Because of this, NASA Lewis independently verified and validated the Cassini spacecraft modal survey.

Carney, Kelly S.↗

Developing Optimized Trajectories Derived from Mission and Thermo-Structural Constraints

In conjunction with NASA and the Department of Defense, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) has been investigating analytical techniques to address many of the fundamental issues associated with solar exploration spacecraft and high-speed atmospheric vehicle systems. These issues include: thermo-structural response including the effects of thermal management via the use of surface optical properties for high-temperature composite structures; aerodynamics with the effects of non-equilibrium chemistry and gas radiation; and aero-thermodynamics with the effects of material ablation for a wide range of thermal protection system (TPS) materials. The need exists to integrate these discrete tools into a common framework that enables the investigation of interdisciplinary interactions (including analysis tool, applied load, and environment uncertainties) to provide high fidelity solutions. In addition to developing robust tools for the coupling of aerodynamically induced thermal and mechanical loads, JHU/APL has been studying the optimal design of high-speed vehicles as a function of their trajectory. Under traditional design methodology the optimization of system level mission parameters such as range and time of flight is performed independently of the optimization for thermal and mechanical constraints such as stress and temperature. A truly optimal trajectory should optimize over the entire range of mission and thermo-mechanical constraints. Under this research, a framework for the robust analysis of high-speed spacecraft and atmospheric vehicle systems has been developed. It has been built around a generic, loosely coupled framework such that a variety of readily available analysis tools can be used. The methodology immediately addresses many of the current analysis inadequacies and allows for future extension in order to handle more complex problems.

Lear, Matthew H.↗

Affect of Brush Seals on Wave Rotor Performance Assessed

The NASA Lewis Research Center's experimental and theoretical research shows that wave rotor topping can significantly enhance gas turbine engine performance levels. Engine-specific fuel consumption and specific power are potentially enhanced by 15 and 20 percent, respectively, in small (e.g., 400 to 700 hp) and intermediate (e.g., 3000 to 5000 hp) turboshaft engines. Furthermore, there is potential for a 3- to 6-percent specific fuel consumption enhancement in large (e.g., 80,000 to 100,000 lbf) turbofan engines. This wave-rotor-enhanced engine performance is accomplished within current material-limited temperature constraints. The completed first phase of experimental testing involved a three-port wave rotor cycle in which medium total pressure inlet air was divided into two outlet streams, one of higher total pressure and one of lower total pressure. The experiment successfully provided the data needed to characterize viscous, partial admission, and leakage loss mechanisms. Statistical analysis indicated that wave rotor product efficiency decreases linearly with the rotor to end-wall gap, the square of the friction factor, and the square of the passage of nondimensional opening time. Brush seals were installed to further minimize rotor passage-to-cavity leakage. The graph shows the effect of brush seals on wave rotor product efficiency. For the second-phase experiment, which involves a four-port wave rotor cycle in which heat is added to the Brayton cycle in an external burner, a one-dimensional design/analysis code is used in conjunction with a wave rotor performance optimization scheme and a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes code. The purpose of the four-port experiment is to demonstrate and validate the numerically predicted four-port pressure ratio versus temperature ratio at pressures and temperatures lower than those that would be encountered in a future wave rotor/demonstrator engine test. Lewis and the Allison Engine Company are collaborating to investigate wave rotor integration in an existing turboshaft engine. Recent theoretical efforts include simulating wave rotor dynamics (e.g., startup and load-change transient analysis), modifying the one-dimensional wave rotor code to simulate combustion internal to the wave rotor, and developing an analytical wave rotor design/analysis tool based on macroscopic balances for parametric wave rotor/engine analysis.

Source record↗

The Flight Dynamics Risk Assessment of Artemis I

With launch vehicles and spacecraft, it is necessary to dynamically test the structure to validate structural models. These validated models are then used to determine a launch vehicle's control stability margin and the loads on the structure. While often a dedicated structural test article is used to correlate the integrated structure in preparation for the final analysis cycles, the Artemis I flight is using an approach where the components of the launch vehicle are dynamically tested and the component models validated. The fully integrated vehicle is not tested until a few months before launch, which limits the ability to fully correlate a model prior to launch. This paper introduces the Flight Dynamics Risk Assessment of the vehicle, which is the process being used to determine the adequacy of the vehicle structural model after the Integrated Modal Test. This work outlines the process of quickly tuning a model post-test then determining any control margin violations and increases in loads due to that tuned model.

Eric C Stewart↗

The Flight Dynamics Risk Assessment of Artemis I

With launch vehicles and spacecraft, it is necessary to dynamically test the structure to validate structural models. These validated models are then used to determine a launch vehicle's control stability margin and the loads on the structure. While often a dedicated structural test article is used to correlate the integrated structure in preparation for the final analysis cycles, the Artemis I flight is using an approach where the components of the launch vehicle are dynamically tested and the component models validated. The fully integrated vehicle is not tested until a few months before launch, which limits the ability to fully correlate a model prior to launch. This paper introduces the Flight Dynamics Risk Assessment of the vehicle, which is the process being used to determine the adequacy of the vehicle structural model after the Integrated Modal Test. This work outlines the process of quickly tuning a model post-test then determining any control margin violations and increases in loads due to the tuning of the model.

Eric C Stewart↗

Probabilistic sizing of laminates with uncertainties

A reliability based design methodology for laminate sizing and configuration for a special case of composite structures is described. The methodology combines probabilistic composite mechanics with probabilistic structural analysis. The uncertainties of constituent materials (fiber and matrix) to predict macroscopic behavior are simulated using probabilistic theory. Uncertainties in the degradation of composite material properties are included in this design methodology. A multi-factor interaction equation is used to evaluate load and environment dependent degradation of the composite material properties at the micromechanics level. The methodology is integrated into a computer code IPACS (Integrated Probabilistic Assessment of Composite Structures). Versatility of this design approach is demonstrated by performing a multi-level probabilistic analysis to size the laminates for design structural reliability of random type structures. The results show that laminate configurations can be selected to improve the structural reliability from three failures in 1000, to no failures in one million. Results also show that the laminates with the highest reliability are the least sensitive to the loading conditions.

Shah, A. R.↗

A sublaminate analysis method for predicting disbond and delamination loads in composite structures

A method is proposed for assessing the forces that can delaminate composite laminates and bonded structures. The approach employs a higher-order plate theory to represent portions of the laminate. The ply properties are integrated through the thickness in a manner that is consistent with the displacement assumptions in the plate theory, thus providing for accurate representation of the stacking sequence effects. In addition to stress analysis, the method also provides the strain energy release rate for the growth of existing delaminations. The analysis has been incorporated into a computer code, TTSS (through thickness stretching and shear). Application examples, including a double cantilever beam and a curved laminate, are examined.

Flanagan, G.↗

Optimal Economic Dispatch and Load-Following Strategies for Nuclear Integrated Energy Systems

The need for distributed and adaptable energy resources that can handle the growing unpredictability in both supply and demand is rising as the power system continues to modernize. In order to satisfy those needs and maintain grid resilience, nuclear power plants can dynamically control their output, despite typically being used as baseload generators. By incorporating energy storage and renewable energy sources, nuclear integrated energy systems are designed to satisfy the electrical and thermal demands of different end-user applications while ensuring flexible power operation. These systems generate revenue by participating in both wholesale and ancillary services electricity markets, as well as commodity markets for various byproducts generated from coupled industrial processes. This study addresses the economic dispatch efficiency of a tightly coupled nuclear integrated energy system comprising a gigawatt-scale light water reactor, commercialized in the U.S., a high-temperature steam electrolysis unit, a district heating network, and specified electrical loads. To demonstrate the nuclear power plant’s flexibility within the day-ahead unit commitment and economic dispatch framework, while maintaining equilibrium even during periods of refueling outages, this paper develops a mixed-integer linear programming framework that models the subsystems and components of its nuclear steam supply system. A systematic comparative analysis of flexible versus baseload nuclear power plant operation under varying levels of renewable energy integration indicates that flexible operation enhances system profitability by more than 18% while also increasing energy storage utilization, improving reactor responsiveness to load fluctuations, and allowing for greater participation across numerous electricity markets.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

An approximate methods approach to probabilistic structural analysis

A major research and technology program in Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) is currently being sponsored by the NASA Lewis Research Center with Southwest Research Institute as the prime contractor. This program is motivated by the need to accurately predict structural response in an environment where the loadings, the material properties, and even the structure may be considered random. The heart of PSAM is a software package which combines advanced structural analysis codes with a fast probability integration (FPI) algorithm for the efficient calculation of stochastic structural response. The basic idea of PAAM is simple: make an approximate calculation of system response, including calculation of the associated probabilities, with minimal computation time and cost, based on a simplified representation of the geometry, loads, and material. The deterministic solution resulting should give a reasonable and realistic description of performance-limiting system responses, although some error will be inevitable. If the simple model has correctly captured the basic mechanics of the system, however, including the proper functional dependence of stress, frequency, etc. on design parameters, then the response sensitivities calculated may be of significantly higher accuracy.

Mcclung, R. C.↗

Decoupled dynamic analysis of combined systems by iterative determination of interface accelerations

A dynamic analysis technique is presented that can be used to determine the response of a discrete model of a large linear structural system composed of multiple substructures. The technique circumvents the costly computation of the modal characteristics of the combined system. This is accomplished by relying on a predictor-corrector scheme to converge iteratively to the interface accelerations of the combined system, while the equations of motions of the individual structures are integrated separately. In this regard, the temporal slopes of the interface accelerations (jerks) are computed at each time point of integration to predict the interface accelerations at the next time point. The proposed technique is exemplified by conducting a Space Shuttle landing loads analysis; the obtained numerical data demonstrate its reliability and efficiency.

Spanos, P. D.↗

Shear and compression buckling analysis for anisotropic panels with centrally located elliptical cutouts

An approximate analysis for buckling of biaxial- and shear-loaded anisotropic panels with centrally located elliptical cutouts is presented in the present paper. The analysis is composed of two parts, a prebuckling analysis and a buckling analysis. The prebuckling solution is determined using Lekhnitskii's complex variable equations of plane elastostatics combined with a Laurent series approximation and a boundary collocation method. The buckling solution is obtained using the principle of minimum potential energy. A by-product of the minimum potential energy equation is an integral equation which is solved using Gaussian quadrature. Comparisons with documented experimental results and finite element analyses indicate that the approximate analysis accurately predicts the buckling loads of square biaxial- and shear-loaded panels having elliptical cutouts with major axes up to sixty percent of the panel width. Results of a parametric study are presented for shear- and compression-loaded rectangular anisotropic panels with elliptical cutouts. The effects of panel aspect ratio, cutout shape, cutout size, cutout orientation, laminate anisotropy, and combined loading on the buckling load are examined.

Britt, V. O.↗

Long duration biaxial cylinder testing of balloon grade polyethylene films with emphasis on automated data acquisition and control

Characterization of a 2-dimensional material constitutive model in the practical biaxial state for engineering utility of balloon envelope structural analysis is achievable with laboratory cylinder tests. Hoop (circumferential, and longitudinal strains are time-wise measured on axially loaded pressurized cylinders. Pre-programmed ramped loading changes as well as precise long term pressure control are achieved through cascaded proportional, integral derivative (PID) flow control loops that are part of an integrated data acquisition and process control system. Real time data reduction and analysis allow monitoring of unattended tests that have durations of up to a month. Measured and controlled parameters and variables are discussed; date analysis techniques are reviewed.

Martone, Michael↗

Probabilistic structural analysis methods and applications

An advanced algorithm for simulating the probabilistic distribution of structural responses due to statistical uncertainties in loads, geometry, material properties, and boundary conditions is reported. The method effectively combines an advanced algorithm for calculating probability levels for multivariate problems (fast probability integration) together with a general-purpose finite-element code for stress, vibration, and buckling analysis. Application is made to a space propulsion system turbine blade for which the geometry and material properties are treated as random variables.

Cruse, T. A.↗