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At least 199 records · Page 11

A computer program to generate two-dimensional grids about airfoils and other shapes by the use of Poisson's equation

A method for generating two dimensional finite difference grids about airfoils and other shapes by the use of the Poisson differential equation is developed. The inhomogeneous terms are automatically chosen such that two important effects are imposed on the grid at both the inner and outer boundaries. The first effect is control of the spacing between mesh points along mesh lines intersecting the boundaries. The second effect is control of the angles with which mesh lines intersect the boundaries. A FORTRAN computer program has been written to use this method. A description of the program, a discussion of the control parameters, and a set of sample cases are included.

Sorenson, R. L.↗

Incorporation of star measurements for the determination of orbit and attitude parameters of a geosynchronous satellite: An iterative application of linear regression

Currently on NOAA/NESS's VIRGS system at the World Weather Building star images are being ingested on a daily basis. The image coordinates of the star locations are measured and stored. Subsequently, the information is used to determine the attitude, the misalignment angles between the spin axis and the principal axis of the satellite, and the precession rate and direction. This is done for both the 'East' and 'West' operational geosynchronous satellites. This orientation information is then combined with image measurements of earth based landmarks to determine the orbit of each satellite. The method for determining the orbit is simple. For each landmark measurement one determines a nominal position vector for the satellite by extending a ray from the landmark's position towards the satellite and intersecting the ray with a sphere with center coinciding with the Earth's center and with radius equal to the nominal height for a geosynchronous satellite. The apparent motion of the satellite around the Earth's center is then approximated with a Keplerian model. In turn the variations of the satellite's height, as a function of time found by using this model, are used to redetermine the successive satellite positions by again using the Earth based landmark measurements and intersecting rays from these landmarks with the newly determined spheres. This process is performed iteratively until convergence is achieved. Only three iterations are required.

Phillips, D.↗

Automatic mesh-point clustering near a boundary in grid generation with elliptic partial differential equations

Elliptic partial differential equations are used to generate a smooth grid that permits a one-to-one mapping in such a way that mesh lines of the same family do not cross. Problems that arise due to lack of clustering at crucial points or intersections of mesh lines at highly acute angles, are examined and various forcing or source terms are used (to correct the problems) that are either compatible with the maximum principle or are so locally controlled that mesh lines do not intersect. Attention is given to various schematics of unclustered grids and grid detail about (highly cambered) airfoils.

Steger, J. L.↗

Grooves on Phobos - Their distribution, morphology and possible origin

The global distribution, morphology, age, possible origin and significance of the long, linear depressions termed grooves on the surface of Phobos are discussed, based on Viking Orbiter data. The grooves, which consist of linear strings of coalesced and separate depressions in a loose regolith up to 100-200 m in depth, are observed to define the intersection of several sets of parallel planes with the surface of Phobos, with the widest and deepest grooves occurring just outside the rim of the 10-km crater, Stickney. The superposition of the grooves on older craters, crater density within the grooves and the intersections of groove sets suggest that the grooves are all of the same age, with their formation closely following that of Stickney. The evidence of groove morphology and distribution is used to attribute their formation to the enlargement of preexisting fractures or the formation of new fractures by the Stickney impact, causing the mobilization of the regolith along the fractures. The lack of observable grooves on Deimos is explained by the absence of a crater large enough to have severly fractured its surface.

Thomas, P.↗

Multiple pure tone elimination strut assembly

An acoustic noise elimination assembly is disclosed which has a capability for disrupting the continuity of fields of sound pressures forwardly projected from fans or rotors of a type commonly found in the fan or compressor first stage for air-breathing engines, when operating at tip speeds in the supersonic range. The assembly includes a tubular cowl defining a duct for delivering an air stream axially into the intake for a jet engine. A sound barrier, defined by a number of intersecting flat plates or struts has a line of intersection coincident with a longitudinal axis of the tubular cowl, which serves to disrupt the continuity of rotating fields of multiple pure tonal components of noise.

Burcham, F. W.↗

Stress intensity factors in two bonded elastic layers containing cracks perpendicular to and on the interface. I Analysis. II - Solution and results

The basic crack problem which is essential for the study of subcritical crack propagation and fracture of layered structural materials is considered. Because of the apparent analytical difficulties, the problem is idealized as one of plane strain or plane stress. An additional simplifying assumption is made by restricting the formulation of the problem to crack geometries and loading conditions which have a plane of symmetry perpendicular to the interface. The general problem is formulated in terms of a coupled systems of four integral equations. For each relevant crack configuration of practical interest, the singular behavior of the solution near and at the ends and points of intersection of the cracks is investigated and the related characteristic equations are obtained. The edge crack terminating at and crossing the interface, the T-shaped crack consisting of a broken layer and a delamination crack, the cross-shaped crack which consists of a delamination crack intersecting a crack which is perpendicular to the interface, and a delamination crack initiating from a stress-free boundary of the bonded layers are some of the practical crack geometries considered. Previously announced in STAR as N80-18428 and N80-18429

Lu, M.-C.↗

The crack-inclusion interaction problem

The general plane elastostatic problem of interaction between a crack and an inclusion is considered. The Green's functions for a pair of dislocations and a pair of concentrated body forces are used to generate the crack and the inclusion. Integral equations are obtained for a line crack and an elastic line inclusion having an arbitrary relative orientation and size. The nature of stress singularity around the end points of rigid and elastic inclusions is described and three special cases of this intersection problem are studied. The problem is solved for an arbitrary uniform stress state away from the crack-inclusion region. The nonintersecting crack-inclusion problem is considered for various relative size, orientation, and stiffness parameters, and the stress intensity factors at the ends of the inclusion and the crack are calculated. For the crack-inclusion intersection case, special stress intensity factors are defined and are calculated for various values of the parameters defining the relative size and orientation of the crack and the inclusion and the stiffness of the inclusion.

Xue-Hui, L.↗

Analysis and testing of a new method for drop size and velocity measurements using laser light scatter interferometry

Drop size and velocity can be measured simultaneously using an optical system which is the same as a laser Doppler velocimeter except that three detectors are located at selected spacings behind the receiver aperture. Drops passing through the intersection of the two beams scatter light which produces an interferrence fringe pattern. The temporal frequency of the fringe pattern is the Doppler difference frequency which is linearly proportional to the drop velocity while the spatial frequency is linearly related to the drop diameter. The spacing of the fringes is also dependent upon the light wavelength, beam intersection angle, drop refractive index (unless reflected light is measured), and the location of the receiver. The theoretical analysis was verified, signal phase processing methods were evaluated, and the effects of signal quality upon the measurements were investigated.

Bachalo, W. D.↗

Interactive modeling using the PATRAN-G program

PATRAN-G is an interactive finite element generating and graphics display program. The program is currently executable on the VAX or PRIME computers and is compatible with 19 commercially available graphics terminals. The PATRAN program can be used in two modes: generation of a finite element model, or postprocessing of output data from a finite element analysis program. The finite element generating mode is divided into two phases. Phase I is the geometry construction. During this phase, the geometric boundaries of the model are defined and the material properties are input. Mirror imaging, translation and scaling of lines, surfaces, and volumes, and rotation of regions permit the geometry to be described efficiently. Points may be defined in alternate rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical coordinate systems. Also, PATRAN-G can calculate the intersection of lines or surfaces. This capability allows a user to easily model, for example, the intersection of a cylinder which cuts through a sphere at an angle. Once the geometry of the model has been described in terms of points, lines, surfaces, and volumes. Phase II is used to generate the computer finite element model.

Stalnaker, W. A.↗

Crosscutting relations and relative ages of ridges and faults in the Tharsis region of Mars

The results of a detailed photogeologic analysis and classification of ridge-fault cross-cutting relationships on ridged plains units of the Tharsis region is reported. The problems involved in using the morphology of ridge-fault intersections to determine relative timing of structural events are discussed. The implications of using intersection angles as well as morphology to determine possible age relationships for the tectonic history of the region are presented. It is concluded that the major ridge-forming events in the Tharsis region were roughly coincident with, and possibly prior to, the extensional events that produced the faulting of the Tempe and Mareotis regions, the Coprates and Memnonia regions, and the rifting of the Valles Marineris. The compressional events that formed most of the ridges are restricted in time both by their relationship to regional extensional events and by the age of the units on which they formed.

Watters, T. R.↗

Numerical studies of motion of vortex filaments - Implementing the asymptotic analysis

A computational code is developed for the integro-differential equations governing the motion of the centerlines of vortex filaments submerged in a background potential flow. These equations, which are derived from the method of matched asymptotic analysis, include the effect of the decaying large-magnitude circumferential and axial velocity components in the vortical cores. Numerical examples are presented to assess the effect of a large axial velocity and that of nonsimilar initial profiles in the vortical cores. The initial configurations of the filaments are chosen so as to fulfill the basic assumption of the asymptotic analysis, which is that the effective vortical core size is much smaller than all the other length scales in the flowfield, e.g., the radius of curvature and the interfilament distance. The computations are continued until the basic assumption is no longer valid, that is when the merging or intersection of filaments has begun. A classification of the various types of local or global merging or intersection of filaments is made and demonstrated by numerical examples. It is then shown that the asymptotic solution not only provides the initial data but also can be used to formulate the appropriate boundary conditions for the numerical solution of a merged region.

Liu, C. H.↗

Making Structural Members From Wire

Structural members of any size, consisting of wire gridwork, fabricated onsite. Rigid beam or column formed from intersecting helices and straight members of relatively flexible wire. Wires joined at their intersections: short wire sections between joints therefore approximate sides of rigid triangular structural subunits. Although originally intended for manufacturing large structures in space, technique has potential for use on Earth.

Dunn, T. J.↗

The origin and evolution of terrestrial and Martian rock labyrinths

The morphological characteristics and evolutionary development of rock labyrinths on Earth (in sandstone, volcanics, and carbonates) are compared with those on Mars. On Earth rock labyrinths originate as parallel, an echelon, or intersecting narrow grabens, or develop where fault and joint networks are selectively eroded. Labyrinths frequently contain both downfaulted and erosional elements. Closed labyrinths contain depressions; open labyrinths do not, they are simple part of a fluvial network generally of low order. As closed labyrinths made up of intersecting grabens or made up of connected erosional depressions are extremely common on Mars, the research focussed on an understanding of these labyrinth types. Field investigations were carried out in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, and in the Chirachahua Mountains of Arizona. Martian labyrinths were investigated using Viking orbiter images. In addition, research was undertaken on apparent thermokarst features in Lunae Planum and Chryse Planitia where closed depressions are numerous and resemble atlas topography.

Brook, G. A.↗

Newly Discovered Martian Impact Basins

Three previously unrecognized Martian impact basins were discovered through detailed mapping of landforms, structures and terrains near Cassini and Al Qahira basins. Al Qahira A lies on the Martian dichotomy boundary and intersects the older basin, Al Qahira. It has four rings that are expressed by a variety of landforms. Southwestward Al Qahira A is out by a younger Basin, Al Qahira B. Al Qahira B is a highly degraded basin with one identifiable ring. Its ring is expressed by a few massifs, knobs and inward-facing scarps, but is recognized by the distributions of wrinkle ridges and plains units. Cassini A lies southward of the younger Cassini Basin and is intersected by it. It probably has four rings. The importance of detailed mapping of various types of landforms and terrains to the discovery of basins on Mars are demonstrated.

Stam, M.↗

Laboratory glassware rack for seismic safety

A rack for laboratory bottles and jars for chemicals and medicines has been designed to provide the maximum strength and security to the glassware in the event of a significant earthquake. The rack preferably is rectangular and may be made of a variety of chemically resistant materials including polypropylene, polycarbonate, and stainless steel. It comprises a first plurality of parallel vertical walls, and a second plurality of parallel vertical walls, perpendicular to the first. These intersecting vertical walls comprise a self-supporting structure without a bottom which sits on four legs. The top surface of the rack is formed by the top edges of all the vertical walls, which are not parallel but are skewed in three dimensions. These top edges form a grid matrix having a number of intersections of the vertical walls which define a number of rectangular compartments having varying widths and lengths and varying heights.

Cohen, M. M.↗

Zircon Lu-Hf systematics: Evidence for the episodic development of Archaean greenstone belts

A combined U-Th-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic study of zircons was undertaken in order to determine the provenance and age of an Archean granite-greenstone terrain and to test the detailed application of the Lu-Hf system in various Archean zircons. The eastern Wawa subprovince of the Superior province consists of the low grade Michipicoten and Gamitagama greenstone belts and the granitic terrain. The Hf isotopic data indicate that the typical lithological features of a greenstone belt cycle could be accommodated in a crustal growth model that involved decreasing depth of melting in three isotopically distinct reservoirs: mantle, lower crust and upper crust. The model age of the sources given by the intersection of the lower crustal curve with the bulk earth evolution curve is about 2900 My, in good agreement with the zircon U-Pb basement age. This linear array also has a similar intersection age to that of Proterozoic carbonatite complexes. The general convergence of the other reservoir vectors around this age suggests that mantle depletion, crustal extraction and intracrustal differentiation were all part of the same episodic event. It is also apparent that recycling of older basement was important in the formation of many of the later greenstone belt rocks.

Smith, P. E.↗

Thumb-actuated two-axis controller

A two axis joystick controller is described. It produces at least one output signal in relation to pivotal displacement of a member with respect to an intersection of the two axes. The member is pivotally movable on a support with respect to the two axes. The support has a centrally disposed aperture. A light source is mounted on the pivotally movable member above the aperture to direct light through the aperture. A light sensor is mounted below the aperture in the support at the intersection of the two axes to receive the light from the light source directed through the aperture. The light sensor produces at least one output signal related to a location on the sensor at which the light from the light source strikes the sensor.

Hollow, R. H.↗

Spinning disk calibration method and apparatus for laser Doppler velocimeter

A method and apparatus for calibrating laser Doppler velocimeters having one or more intersecting beam pairs are described. These velocimeters measure fluid velocity by observing the light scattered by particles in the fluid stream. Moving fluid particulates are simulated by fine taut wires that are radially mounted on a disk that is rotated at a known velocity. The laser beam intersection locus is first aimed at the very center of the disk and then the disk is translated so that the locus is swept by the rotating wires. The radial distance traversed is precisely measured so that the velocity of the wires (pseudo particles) may be calculated.

Snyder, P. K.↗