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At least 253 records · Page 14

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NASA NTRS1983

Thick plate flexure

Analytical expressions are derived for the displacements and stresses due to loading of a floating, uniform, elastic plate of arbitrary thickness by a plane or axisymmetric harmonic load. The solution is exact except for assumptions of small strains and linear boundary conditions, and gravitation within the plate is neglected. For typical earth parameters its predictions are comparable to those of the usual thin plate theory frequently assumed in studies of lithospheric flexure, gravity and regional isostasy. Even for a very thick lithosphere, which may exist in some regions of Mars, the thin plate theory is a better approximation to the thick plate solution than the elastic half-space limit, except for short-wavelength loads.

Comer, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Large deflection, large amplitude vibrations and random response of symmetrically laminated rectangular plates

An analytical method is presented for determining large-deflection static bending, large-amplitude free and forced vibrations, and large-amplitude random response of a clamped, symmetrically laminated, rectangular, thin plate subjected to a uniformly distributed transverse loading. Both movable and immovable inplane boundary conditions are considered. Numerical results for bending deflections and strains, frequency ratios, mean-square center deflections and mean-square maximum strains are presented showing the parametric effects of plate length-to-width ratio, orientation of layers, and intensities of applied force for both the linear and nonlinear cases. The analytical results for large-deflection random response are verified through comparison with experimental data.

Gray, C. E., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Fracture and crack growth in orthotropic laminates

A mathematical model based on the classical shear-lag assumptions is used to study the residual strength and fracture behavior of composite laminates with symmetrically placed buffer strips. The laminate is loaded by a uniform remote longitudinal tensile strain and has initial damage in the form of a transverse crack in the parent laminate between buffer strips. The crack growth behavior as a function of material properties, number of buffer-strip plies, spacing, width of buffer strips, longitudinal matrix splitting, and debonding at the interface is studied. Buffer-strip laminates are shown to arrest fracture and increase the residual strengths significantly over those of one material laminates, with S-glass being a more effective buffer strip material than Kevlar in increasing the damage tolerance of graphite/epoxy panels. For a typical graphite/epoxy laminate with S-glass buffer-strips, the residual strength is about 2.4 times the residual strength of an all graphite/epoxy panel with the same crack length. Approximately 50% of this increase is due to the S-glass/epoxy buffer-strips, 40% due to longitudinal splitting of the buffer strip interface and 10% due to bonding.

Goree, James G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

An analysis of electromagnetic coupling and eigenfrequencies for microwave electrothermal thruster discharges

This paper discusses the basic approach to developing a comprehensive electromagnetic model for a microwave electrothermal discharge. The discharge and surrounding region are modeled as a section of waveguide loaded with a uniform, cold, lossy plasma. A characteristic equation has been derived describing all possible system modes. In particular the TM(01) mode is numerically solved. Propagation and attenuation constants for the TM(01) mode are found numerically for a given range of electron-neutral collision frequencies and plasma densities. Results are used to interpret a number of experimental observations in helium. Specifically, they are used to explain high coupling efficiencies and ease of cavity tuning at high pressures.

Frasch, L. L.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Effect of finite width on deflection and energy release rate of an orthotropic double cantilever specimen

The problem of an orthotropic cantilevered plate subjected to a uniformly distributed end load is solved by the Rayleigh-Ritz energy method. The result is applied to laminated composite, double cantilevered specimens to estimate the effect of crack tip constraint on the transverse curvature, deflection and energy release rate. The solution is also utilized to determined finite width correction factors for fracture energy characterization tests in which neither plane stress nor plane strain conditions apply.

Schapery, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Improved Stacking Of Vent Lines Of A Parachute

New arrangement provides nearly uniform distribution of load among vent lines and points of attachment of vent lines to vent band. New method eliminates large stack height between first and last lines and, just as important, maintains constant stack height between any two adjacent vent lines around entire vent. Distributes loads at vent band more nearly evenly among lines. Adverse concentrations of loads in vent band reduced.

Hengel, John E.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Nonlinear vibrations of thin arbitrarily laminated composite plates subjected to harmonic excitations using DKT elements

A finite element formulation is presented for determining the large-amplitude free and steady-state forced vibration response of arbitrarily laminated anisotropic composite thin plates using the Discrete Kirchhoff Theory (DKT) triangular elements. The nonlinear stiffness and harmonic force matrices of an arbitrarily laminated composite triangular plate element are developed for nonlinear free and forced vibration analyses. The linearized updated-mode method with nonlinear time function approximation is employed for the solution of the system nonlinear eigenvalue equations. The amplitude-frequency relations for convergence with gridwork refinement, triangular plates, different boundary conditions, lamination angles, number of plies, and uniform versus concentrated loads are presented.

Chiang, C. K.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Shear buckling response of tailored, rectangular, composite plates

The concept of stiffness tailoring for improved shear buckling resistance of rectangular composite plates is investigated analytically. The tailoring involves only the redistribution of the given material with given orientations to create beneficial stiffening patterns across the planform of the plate. The resulting local nonuniformities in thickness and membrane and bending stiffness combine to change the buckling response of the plate. The weight and average membrane shear stiffness are essentially unaffected by the tailoring. Practical limitations on the degree to which the tailoring may be carried out are shown to govern most designs. Improvements in the shear buckling load on the order of 50 percent are shown possible with monolithic tailoring. Tailored sandwich concepts, in which a light-weight core material is added to keep both plate surfaces flat, can produce improvements well over 100 percent in specific buckling loads compared with uniform composite plates.

Biggers, Sherrill B.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Development update for the NASA Ames 16-Inch Shock Tunnel Facility

Results of ongoing developmental testing in the NASA Ames 16-Inch combustion-driven Shock Tunnel Facility are presented. Specifically, such factors as mixture composition, mixture uniformity, gas-loading methods, ignition energy, number of ignition wires, etc., are examined to determine their effect on combustion performance. A theoretically based hypothesis is introduced to help explain the cause of driver tube pressure oscillations that occur during combustion. In addition to combustion behavior, results from a recently instituted effort to develop self-breaking primary diaphragms, as well as several additional facility enhancements, are discussed.

Cornelison, Charles J.↗

NASA NTRS1999

A Single-Lap Joint Adhesive Bonding Optimization Method Using Gradient and Genetic Algorithms

A natural process for any engineer, scientist, educator, etc. is to seek the most efficient method for accomplishing a given task. In the case of structural design, an area that has a significant impact on the structural efficiency is joint design. Unless the structure is machined from a solid block of material, the individual components which compose the overall structure must be joined together. The method for joining a structure varies depending on the applied loads, material, assembly and disassembly requirements, service life, environment, etc. Using both metallic and fiber reinforced plastic materials limits the user to two methods or a combination of these methods for joining the components into one structure. The first is mechanical fastening and the second is adhesive bonding. Mechanical fastening is by far the most popular joining technique; however, in terms of structural efficiency, adhesive bonding provides a superior joint since the load is distributed uniformly across the joint. The purpose of this paper is to develop a method for optimizing single-lap joint adhesive bonded structures using both gradient and genetic algorithms and comparing the solution process for each method. The goal of the single-lap joint optimization is to find the most efficient structure that meets the imposed requirements while still remaining as lightweight, economical, and reliable as possible. For the single-lap joint, an optimum joint is determined by minimizing the weight of the overall joint based on constraints from adhesive strengths as well as empirically derived rules. The analytical solution of the sin-le-lap joint is determined using the classical Goland-Reissner technique for case 2 type adhesive joints. Joint weight minimization is achieved using a commercially available routine, Design Optimization Tool (DOT), for the gradient solution while an author developed method is used for the genetic algorithm solution. Results illustrate the critical design variables as a function of adhesive properties and convergences of different joints based on the two optimization methods.

Smeltzer, Stanley S., III↗

NASA NTRS2004

New Design and Improvement of Planetary Gear Trains

The development of new types of planetary and planetary face-gear drives is proposed. The new designs are based on regulating backlash between the gears and modifying the tooth surfaces to improve the design. The goal of this work is to obtain a nearly uniform distribution of load between the planet gears. In addition, a new type of planetary face-gear drive was developed in this project.

Handschuh, Robert↗

NASA NTRS2005

Stress Analysis of Composite Cylindrical Shells With an Elliptical Cutout

A special-purpose, semi-analytical solution method for determining the stress and deformation fields in a thin laminated-composite cylindrical shell with an elliptical cutout is presented. The analysis includes the effects of cutout size, shape, and orientation; nonuniform wall thickness; oval-cross-section eccentricity; and loading conditions. The loading conditions include uniform tension, uniform torsion, and pure bending. The analysis approach is based on the principle of stationary potential energy and uses Lagrange multipliers to relax the kinematic admissibility requirements on the displacement representations through the use of idealized elastic edge restraints. Specifying appropriate stiffness values for the elastic extensional and rotational edge restraints (springs) allows the imposition of the kinematic boundary conditions in an indirect manner, which enables the use of a broader set of functions for representing the displacement fields. Selected results of parametric studies are presented for several geometric parameters that demonstrate that analysis approach is a powerful means for developing design criteria for laminated-composite shells.

Nemeth, M. P.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Ceramic vane drive joint

A variable geometry gas turbine has an array of ceramic composition vanes positioned by an actuating ring coupled through a plurality of circumferentially spaced turbine vane levers to the outer end of a metallic vane drive shaft at each of the ceramic vanes. Each of the ceramic vanes has an end slot of bow tie configuration including flared end segments and a center slot therebetween. Each of the vane drive shafts has a cross head with ends thereof spaced with respect to the sides of the end slot to define clearance for free expansion of the cross head with respect to the vane and the cross head being configured to uniformly distribute drive loads across bearing surfaces of the vane slot.

Smale, Charles H.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Reverberation Chamber Uniformity Validation and Radiated Susceptibility Test Procedures for the NASA High Intensity Radiated Fields Laboratory

The NASA Langley Research Center's High Intensity Radiated Fields Laboratory has developed a capability based on the RTCA/DO-160F Section 20 guidelines for radiated electromagnetic susceptibility testing in reverberation chambers. Phase 1 of the test procedure utilizes mode-tuned stirrer techniques and E-field probe measurements to validate chamber uniformity, determines chamber loading effects, and defines a radiated susceptibility test process. The test procedure is segmented into numbered operations that are largely software controlled. This document is intended as a laboratory test reference and includes diagrams of test setups, equipment lists, as well as test results and analysis. Phase 2 of development is discussed.

Koppen, Sandra V.↗

NASA NTRS2013

An Approximate Solution and Master Curves for Buckling of Symmetrically Laminated Composite Cylinders

Nondimensional linear-bifurcation buckling equations for balanced, symmetrically laminated cylinders with negligible shell-wall anisotropies and subjected to uniform axial compression loads are presented. These equations are solved exactly for the practical case of simply supported ends. Nondimensional quantities are used to characterize the buckling behavior that consist of a stiffness-weighted length-to-radius parameter, a stiffness-weighted shell-thinness parameter, a shell-wall nonhomogeneity parameter, two orthotropy parameters, and a nondimensional buckling load. Ranges for the nondimensional parameters are established that encompass a wide range of laminated-wall constructions and numerous generic plots of nondimensional buckling load versus a stiffness-weighted length-to-radius ratio are presented for various combinations of the other parameters. These plots are expected to include many practical cases of interest to designers. Additionally, these plots show how the parameter values affect the distribution and size of the festoons forming each response curve and how they affect the attenuation of each response curve to the corresponding solution for an infinitely long cylinder. To aid in preliminary design studies, approximate formulas for the nondimensional buckling load are derived, and validated against the corresponding exact solution, that give the attenuated buckling response of an infinitely long cylinder in terms of the nondimensional parameters presented herein. A relatively small number of "master curves" are identified that give a nondimensional measure of the buckling load of an infinitely long cylinder as a function of the orthotropy and wall inhomogeneity parameters. These curves reduce greatly the complexity of the design-variable space as compared to representations that use dimensional quantities as design variables. As a result of their inherent simplicity, these master curves are anticipated to be useful in the ongoing development of buckling-design technology.

Nemeth, Michael P.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Stress Intensity Factors for Part-Through Surface Cracks in Hollow Cylinders

Flaws resulting from improper welding and forging are usually modeled as cracks in flat plates, hollow cylinders or spheres. The stress intensity factor solutions for these crack cases are of great practical interest. This report describes some recent efforts at improving the stress intensity factor solutions for cracks in such geometries with emphasis on hollow cylinders. Specifically, two crack configurations for cylinders are documented. One is that of a surface crack in an axial plane and the other is a part-through thumb-nail crack in a circumferential plane. The case of a part-through surface crack in flat plates is used as a limiting case for very thin cylinders. A combination of the two cases for cylinders is used to derive a relation for the case of a surface crack in a sphere. Solutions were sought which cover the entire range of the geometrical parameters such as cylinder thickness, crack aspect ratio and crack depth. Both the internal and external position of the cracks are considered for cylinders and spheres. The finite element method was employed to obtain the basic solutions. Power-law form of loading was applied in the case of flat plates and axial cracks in cylinders and uniform tension and bending loads were applied in the case of circumferential (thumb-nail) cracks in cylinders. In the case of axial cracks, the results for tensile and bending loads were used as reference solutions in a weight function scheme so that the stress intensity factors could be computed for arbitrary stress gradients in the thickness direction. For circumferential cracks, since the crack front is not straight, the above technique could not be used. Hence for this case, only the tension and bending solutions are available at this time. The stress intensity factors from the finite element method were tabulated so that results for various geometric parameters such as crack depth-to-thickness ratio (a/t), crack aspect ratio (a/c) and internal radius-to-thickness ratio (R/t) or the crack length-to-width ratio (2c/W) could be obtained by interpolation and extrapolation. Such complete tables were then incorporated into the NASA/FLAGRO computer program which is widely used by the aerospace community for fracture mechanics analysis.

Mettu, Sambi R.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Investigation of the Leak Response of a Carbon-Fiber Laminate Loaded in Biaxial Tension

Designers of pressurized structures have been reluctant to use composite materials because of concerns over leakage. Biaxial stress states are expected to be the worst-case loading condition for allowing leakage to occur through microcracks. To investigate the leakage behavior under in-plane biaxial loading, a cruciform composite specimen was designed that would have a relatively large test section with a uniform 1:1 biaxial loading ratio. A 7.6-cm-square test section was desired for future investigations of the leakage response as a result of impact damage. Many iterations of the cruciform specimen were evaluated using finite element analysis to reduce stress concentrations and maximize the size of the uniform biaxial strain field. The final design allowed the specimen to go to relatively high biaxial strain levels without incurring damage away from the test section. The specimen was designed and manufactured using carbon/epoxy fabric with a four-ply-thick, quasi-isotropic, central test section. Initial validation and testing were performed on a specimen without impact damage. The specimen was tested to maximum biaxial strains of approximately 4500micro epsilon without apparent damage. A leak measurement system containing a pressurized cavity was clamped to the test section and used to measure the flow rate through the specimen. The leakage behavior of the specimen was investigated for pressure differences up to 172 kPa

Jackson, Wade C.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Gaussian step-pressure loading of rigid viscoplastic plates

The response of a thin, rigid viscoplastic plate subjected to a spatially axisymmetric Gaussian step pressure impulse loading was studied analytically. A Gaussian pressure distribution in excess of the collapse load was applied to the plate, held constant for a length of time, and then suddenly removed. The plate deforms with monotonically increasing deflections until the dynamic energy is completely dissipated in plastic work. The simply supported plate of uniform thickness obeys the von Mises yield criterion and a generalized constitutive equation for rigid viscoplastic materials. For the small deflection bending response of the plate, the governing system of equations is essentially nonlinear. Transverse shear stress is neglected in the yield condition and rotary inertia in the equations of dynamic equilibrium. A proportional loading technique, known to give excellent approximations of the exact solution for the uniform load case, was used to linearize the problem and to obtain the analytical solutions in the form of eigenvalue expansions. The effects of load concentration, of an order of magnitude change in the viscosity of the plate material, and of load duration were examined while holding the total impulse constant.

Hayduk, R. J.↗