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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 253 records · Page 14

Design, fabrication, and test of a Graphite/Epoxy Metering Shell (GEMS)

A program to design, fabricate and test a dimensionally stable metering structure in support of the large space telescope (LST) program is discussed. Graphite/epoxy was the material selected as the only viable candidate material which can meet the stringent thermal expansion criteria of the LST. A metering shell was designed and fabricated, with emphasis on dimensional stability in conjunction with low cost. Thermal expansion test coupons extracted from the layups of the skin panels indicated the attainment of a coefficient of thermal expansion of 0.0666 micrometers/m K. Subsequent thermal vacuum chamber tests on the complete metering shell demonstrated an expansion of the 2.95-meter overall length of 0.27 micrometers/K. Static and dynamics tests, which demonstrated adequacy with respect to limit loads and stiffness, were also accomplished.

Source record↗

Use of LS-DYNA(Registered TradeMark) to Assess the Energy Absorption Performance of a Shell-Based Kevlar(TradeMark)/Epoxy Composite Honeycomb

The forward and vertical impact stability of a composite honeycomb Deployable Energy Absorber (DEA) was evaluated during a full-scale crash test of an MD-500 helicopter at NASA Langley?s Landing and Impact Research Facility. The lower skin of the helicopter was retrofitted with DEA components to protect the airframe subfloor upon impact and to mitigate loads transmitted to Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) occupants. To facilitate the design of the DEA for this test, an analytical study was conducted using LS-DYNA(Registered TradeMark) to evaluate the performance of a shell-based DEA incorporating different angular cell orientations as well as simultaneous vertical and forward impact conditions. By conducting this study, guidance was provided in obtaining an optimum design for the DEA that would dissipate the kinetic energy of the airframe while maintaining forward and vertical impact stability.

Polanco, Michael↗

Nonlinear response of infinitely long circular cylindrical shells to subharmonic radial loads

The nonlinear response of infinitely long circular cylindrical shells (thin circular rings) in the presence of a two-to-one internal (autoparametric) resonance to a subharmonic excitation of order one-half of the higher mode is analyzed with the multiple-scale method. Four autonomous first-order ordinary differential equations are derived for the modulation of the amplitudes and phases of the interacting models. These modulation equations are used to determine the fixed points and their stability. The fixed points correspond to periodic oscillations of the shell, whereas the limit-cycle solutions of the modulation equations correspond to amplitude and phase-modulated oscillations of the shell. The force response curves exhibit saturation, jumps, and Hopf bifurcation. As excitation frequency changes, all limit cycles deform and lose stability through either pitchfork or cyclic-fold (saddle-node) bifurcations. Some of these saddle-node bifurcations cause a transition to chaos. The pitchfork bifurcations break the symmetry of the limit cycles.

Nayfeh, Ali H.↗

Autoionization: Recent developments and applications

Among the topics discussed are: theory of resonance and autoionization of two-electron atoms and ions; projection and quasi-projection operators for electron impact resonances on many-electron atomic targets; and hole projection methods for calculating Feshbach resonances and inner-shell vacancies. Consideration is also given to: complex stabilization methods; complex coordinate and complex basis function calculations; and the variational principle. The application of autoionization calculations to solar and astrophysical plasma diagnostics is also discussed in detail.

Temkin, A.↗

Reusable Cryogenic-Liquid Tank With Replaceable Liner

Conceptual tank with replaceable liner holds liquid propellant and is suitable for reuse in spacecraft propulsion systems. Main components are: composite outer shell for containment of pressure, replaceable membrane liner, and foam-filled honeycomb sandwich bonded to inside of tank to insulate and stabilize wall of tank. Concept maximizes potential of filament-wound composite pressure shells with strength-to-density ratios five times those of comparable aluminum shells. Reduction in weight as much as 50 percent.

Freeman, William T., Jr.↗

Protostellar rotation - Turbulence and heating of molecular clouds

The formation of rapidly rotating protostellar objects in turbulent and clumpy molecular clouds is analyzed. It is shown that the early dissipation of the protostellar rotational energy via a rotationally driven wind can keep their parent molecular clouds at the observed temperatures and in the observed turbulent state. The model requires a low space density of protostellar shells in order to provide the energy requirements to stabilize molecular clouds against gravitational collapse in regions of star formation. The dependence of this mechanism on the star formation rate suggests that the star formation is self-regulated.

Franco, J.↗

Residual Strength Pressure Tests and Nonlinear Analyses of Stringer-and Frame-Stiffened Aluminum Fuselage Panels with Longitudinal Cracks

The results of residual strength pressure tests and nonlinear analyses of stringer- and frame-stiffened aluminum fuselage panels with longitudinal cracks are presented. Two types of damage are considered: a longitudinal crack located midway between stringers, and a longitudinal crack adjacent to a stringer and along a row of fasteners in a lap joint that has multiple-site damage (MSD). In both cases, the longitudinal crack is centered on a severed frame. The panels are subjected to internal pressure plus axial tension loads. The axial tension loads are equivalent to a bulkhead pressure load. Nonlinear elastic-plastic residual strength analyses of the fuselage panels are conducted using a finite element program and the crack-tip-opening-angle (CTOA) fracture criterion. Predicted crack growth and residual strength results from nonlinear analyses of the stiffened fuselage panels are compared with experimental measurements and observations. Both the test and analysis results indicate that the presence of MSD affects crack growth stability and reduces the residual strength of stiffened fuselage shells with long cracks.

Young, Richard D.↗

Residual Strength Pressure Tests and Nonlinear Analyses of Stringer- and Frame-Stiffened Aluminum Fuselage Panels with Longitudinal Cracks

The results of residual strength pressure tests and nonlinear analyses of stringer- and frame-stiffened aluminum fuselage panels with longitudinal cracks are presented. Two types of damage are considered: a longitudinal crack located midway between stringers, and a longitudinal crack adjacent to a stringer and along a row of fasteners in a lap joint that has multiple-site damage (MSD). In both cases, the longitudinal crack is centered on a severed frame. The panels are subjected to internal pressure plus axial tension loads. The axial tension loads are equivalent to a bulkhead pressure load. Nonlinear elastic-plastic residual strength analyses of the fuselage panels are conducted using a finite element program and the crack-tip-opening-angle (CTOA) fracture criterion. Predicted crack growth and residual strength results from nonlinear analyses of the stiffened fuselage panels are compared with experimental measurements and observations. Both the test and analysis results indicate that the presence of MSD affects crack growth stability and reduces the residual strength of stiffened fuselage shells with long cracks.

Young, Richard D.↗

Nonlinear problems of the theory of heterogeneous slightly curved shells

An account if given of the variational method of the solution of physically and geometrically nonlinear problems of the theory of heterogeneous slightly curved shells. Examined are the bending and supercritical behavior of plates and conical and spherical cupolas of variable thickness in a temperature field, taking into account the dependence of the elastic parameters on temperature. The bending, stability in general and load-bearing capacity of flexible isotropic elastic-plastic shells with different criteria of plasticity, taking into account compressibility and hardening. The effect of the plastic heterogeneity caused by heat treatment, surface work hardening and irradiation by fast neutron flux is investigated. Some problems of the dynamic behavior of flexible shells are solved. Calculations are performed in high approximations. Considerable attention is given to the construction of a machine algorithm and to the checking of the convergence of iterative processes.

Kantor, B. Y.↗

Buckling Imperfection Sensitivity of Axially Compressed Orthotropic Cylinders

Structural stability is a major consideration in the design of lightweight shell structures. However, the theoretical predictions of geometrically perfect structures often considerably over predict the buckling loads of inherently imperfect real structures. It is reasonably well understood how the shell geometry affects the imperfection sensitivity of axially compressed cylindrical shells; however, the effects of shell anisotropy on the imperfection sensitivity is less well understood. In the present paper, the development of an analytical model for assessing the imperfection sensitivity of axially compressed orthotropic cylinders is discussed. Results from the analytical model for four shell designs are compared with those from a general-purpose finite-element code, and good qualitative agreement is found. Reasons for discrepancies are discussed, and potential design implications of this line of research are discussed.

Schultz, Marc R.↗

Test and Analysis of a Buckling-Critical Large-Scale Sandwich Composite Cylinder

Structural stability is an important design consideration for launch-vehicle shell structures and it is well known that the buckling response of such shell structures can be very sensitive to small geometric imperfections. As part of an effort to develop new buckling design guidelines for sandwich composite cylindrical shells, an 8-ft-diameter honeycomb-core sandwich composite cylinder was tested under pure axial compression to failure. The results from this test are compared with finite-element-analysis predictions and overall agreement was very good. In particular, the predicted buckling load was within 1% of the test and the character of the response matched well. However, it was found that the agreement could be improved by including composite material nonlinearity in the analysis, and that the predicted buckling initiation site was sensitive to the addition of small bending loads to the primary axial load in analyses.

Schultz, Marc R.↗

Experiments on annular liquid jet instability and on the formation of liquid shells

An annular jet flow of liquid surrounding a flow of gas at its core is extremely unstable. Experiments are described in which such a flow is generated by an annular nozzle operated at fairly specific conditions. It is shown that periodic, axisymmetric oscillations arise spontaneously within the cylindrical sheet emerging from the nozzle and grow with such rapidity along the axial dimension that a sealing-off and encapsulation of the core gas occurs within a few jet diameters. This is closely followed by a pinchoff of the liquid between adjacent bubbles. The liquid shells set free thereby assume spherically symmetric form under capillary forces, and each contains a precisely uniform measure of gas and of liquid on account of the extremely high frequency-stability of the process. Description is given of the fluid dynamic processes by which the shells are formed, and mention is made of exploiting the instability for the production of rigid shells for technological applications.

Kendall, J. M.↗

On the Modeling of Shells in Multibody Dynamics

Energy preserving/decaying schemes are presented for the simulation of the nonlinear multibody systems involving shell components. The proposed schemes are designed to meet four specific requirements: unconditional nonlinear stability of the scheme, a rigorous treatment of both geometric and material nonlinearities, exact satisfaction of the constraints, and the presence of high frequency numerical dissipation. The kinematic nonlinearities associated with arbitrarily large displacements and rotations of shells are treated in a rigorous manner, and the material nonlinearities can be handled when the, constitutive laws stem from the existence of a strain energy density function. The efficiency and robustness of the proposed approach is illustrated with specific numerical examples that also demonstrate the need for integration schemes possessing high frequency numerical dissipation.

Bauchau, Olivier A.↗

Pulsational stabilities of a star in thermal imbalance - Comparison between the methods

The stability coefficients for quasi-adiabatic pulsations for a model in thermal imbalance are evaluated using the dynamical energy (DE) approach, the total (kinetic plus potential) energy (TE) approach, and the small amplitude (SA) approaches. From a comparison among the methods, it is found that there can exist two distinct stability coefficients under conditions of thermal imbalance as pointed out by Demaret. It is shown that both the TE approaches lead to one stability coefficient, while both the SA approaches lead to another coefficient. The coefficient obtained through the energy approaches is identified as the one which determines the stability of the velocity amplitudes. For a prenova model with a thin hydrogen-burning shell in thermal imbalance, several radial modes are found to be unstable both for radial displacements and for velocity amplitudes. However, a new kind of pulsational instability also appears, viz., while the radial displacements are unstable, the velocity amplitudes may be stabilized through the thermal imbalance terms.

Vemury, S. K.↗