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Results for “nonlinear experimental dynamics”

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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Dynamic control of quantum phases in two-dimensional materials via Floquet engineering

The dynamical engineering of quantum states through periodic optical driving, known as Floquet engineering, has emerged as a powerful frontier in condensed matter physics, offering a pathway to realize material properties inaccessible in static equilibrium. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent theoretical and experimental advances in the optical manipulation of two-dimensional (2D) quantum materials. We begin by systematically reviewing the evolution of the field from its pioneering applications in graphene and twisted moiré superlattices, highlighting the experimental realization of the light-induced anomalous Hall effect (AHE) to the complex spin-valley physics in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Furthermore, we briefly examine recent advances in 2D magnetic materials, demonstrating how optical driving can actively compete with intrinsic magnetism to dynamically switch magnetic orders and topological invariants. Moreover, we discuss the emerging frontiers of multi-frequency driving, quantum optimal control theory (QOCT), and ultrafast lightwave electronics. We highlight how tailored waveforms, such as bicircular light fields, and sub-cycle attosecond control can selectively break spatial symmetries to generate novel nonlinear photocurrents, mitigate dissipation, and extend the boundaries of quantum control well beyond the perturbative steady-state regime. Finally, we summarize the key experimental challenges for Floquet engineering, including effects such as heating and scattering, which limit coherent quantum control.

Wang, Wenpeng [Northeastern University, Shenyang, ↗
NASA NTRS1975

Simulation of aircraft crash and its validation

NASA Langley Research Center is engaged in an extensive research and development task aimed at providing the general aviation industry with reliable crashworthy airframe design technology. This paper describes the full-scale crash tests of general aviation airplanes being conducted to generate data on simulated crashes and to study the nonlinear dynamic behavior of aircraft structures. Analytical techniques under development for predicting nonlinear behavior of general airframe structures under crash-loading conditions are also described. Data are presented from the full-scale crash tests as well as comparison of analytical predictions with experimental results on some simplified structures.

Hayduk, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Research in slewing and tracking control

Technology areas are identified in which better analytical and/or experimental methods are needed to adequately and accurately control the dynamic responses of multibody space platforms such as the Space Station and the Radiometer Spacecraft. A generic space station model is used to experimentally evaluate current control technologies and a radiometer spacecraft model is used to numerically test a new theoretical development for nonlinear three-axis maneuvers. Active suppression of flexible body vibrations induced by large angle maneuvers is studied with multiple torque inputs and multiple measurement outputs. These active suppression tests identify the hardware requirements and adequacy of various controller designs.

Juang, Jer-Nan↗
NASA NTRS1990

The MODE family of on-orbit experiments: The Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE)

A flight experiment entitled the Middeck Active Control Experiment (MACE), proposed by the Space Engineering Research Center (SERC) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is described. This is the second in a family of flight experiments being developed at MIT. The first is the Middeck 0-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) which investigates the nonlinear behavior of contained fluids and truss structures in zero gravity. The objective of the MACE program is to investigate and validate the modeling of the dynamics of an actively controlled flexible, articulating, multibody platform free floating in zero gravity. A rationale and experimental approach for the program are presented. The rationale shows that on-orbit testing, coupled with ground testing and a strong analytical program, is necessary in order to fully understand both how flexibility of the platform affects the pointing problem, as well as how gravity perturbs this structural flexibility causing deviations between 1- and 0-gravity behavior. The experimental approach captures the essential physics of multibody platforms, by identifying the appropriate attributes, tests, and performance metrics of the test article and defines the tests required to successfully validate the analytical framework.

Crawley, Edward F.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Encoding nonlinear and unsteady aerodynamics of limit cycle oscillations using nonlinear sparse Bayesian learning

This article investigates the applicability of a recently proposed, nonlinear sparse Bayesian learning (NSBL) algorithm to identify and estimate the complex aerodynamics of limit cycle oscillations. NSBL provides a semi-analytical framework for determining the data-optimal sparse model nested within a (potentially) over-parameterized model. This is particularly relevant to nonlinear dynamical systems where modelling approaches involve the use of physics-based and data-driven components. In such cases, the data-driven components, where analytical descriptions of the physical processes are not readily available, are often prone to overfitting, meaning that the empirical aspects of these models will often involve the calibration of an unnecessarily large number of parameters. While an overparameterized model may fit the observed data well, such models may be inadequate for making predictions in regimes that are different from those wherein the data were recorded. In view of this, it is desirable to not only calibrate the model parameters, but also identify the optimal compromise between data fit and model complexity. In this article, we exhibit the optimal model discovery for an aeroelastic system wherein the structural dynamics are well-known and described by a differential equation model, coupled with a semi-empirical aerodynamic model for laminar separation flutter, resulting in low-amplitude limit cycle oscillations (LCO). To illustrate the performance of the algorithm, in this article, we use synthetic data and demonstrate the ability of the algorithm to correctly rediscover the optimal model and model parameters, given a known data-generating model. The synthetic data are generated from a forward simulation of a known differential equation model with parameters selected so as to mimic the dynamics observed in wind-tunnel experiments. Subsequently, we demonstrate the performance of the algorithm for model selection using noisy LCO data from wind tunnel experiments. As there is no ground truth available for the experimental data case, we provide a comparison between NSBL and Bayesian model selection to validate the results, and demonstrate the use of NSBL as an efficient alternative to traditional methods.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1997

Linear and nonlinear ARMA model parameter estimation using an artificial neural network

This paper addresses parametric system identification of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems by analysis of the input and output signals. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between estimation of the system using a feedforward neural network model and estimation of the system by use of linear and nonlinear autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) models. By utilizing a neural network model incorporating a polynomial activation function, we show the equivalence of the artificial neural network to the linear and nonlinear ARMA models. We compare the parameterization of the estimated system using the neural network and ARMA approaches by utilizing data generated by means of computer simulations. Specifically, we show that the parameters of a simulated ARMA system can be obtained from the neural network analysis of the simulated data or by conventional least squares ARMA analysis. The feasibility of applying neural networks with polynomial activation functions to the analysis of experimental data is explored by application to measurements of heart rate (HR) and instantaneous lung volume (ILV) fluctuations.

NASA Discipline Regulatory Physiology↗
NASA NTRS1991

Nonlinear static and dynamic finite element analysis of an eccentrically loaded graphite-epoxy beam

The Dynamic Crash Analysis of Structures (DYCAT) and NIKE3D nonlinear finite element codes were used to model the static and implulsive response of an eccentrically loaded graphite-epoxy beam. A 48-ply unidirectional composite beam was tested under an eccentric axial compressive load until failure. This loading configuration was chosen to highlight the capabilities of two finite element codes for modeling a highly nonlinear, large deflection structural problem which has an exact solution. These codes are currently used to perform dynamic analyses of aircraft structures under impact loads to study crashworthiness and energy absorbing capabilities. Both beam and plate element models were developed to compare with the experimental data using the DYCAST and NIKE3D codes.

Fasanella, Edwin L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Surface-cooling effects on compressible boundary-layer instability, and on upstream influence

The influence of surface cooling on compressible boundary-layer instability is discussed theoretically for both viscous and inviscid modes, at high Reynolds numbers, with related questions on upstream influence being considered in an Appendix. The cooling enhances the surface heat transfer and velocity gradient, crating a high-heat-transfer sublayer. This has the effect of distorting and accentuating the viscous Tollmien-Schlichting modes to such an extent that their spatial growth rates becomes comparable with, and can even exceed, the growth rates of inviscid modes, including those found previously. This is for moderate cooling, and it applies at any Mach number. In addition, the moderate cooling destabilizes otherwise stable viscous or inviscid modes, in particular triggering outward-traveling waves at the edge of the boundary layer in the supersonic regime. Severe cooling is also discussed as it brings compressible dynamics directly into play within the viscous sublayer. All the new cooled modes found involve the heat-transfer sublayer quite actively, and they are often multistructured in form and may be distinct from those observed in previous computational and experimental investigations. The corresponding nonlinear processes are also pointed out with regard to transition in the cooled compressible boundary layer. Finally, comparisons with Lysenko and Maslov's (1984) experiments on surface cooling are presented.

Seddougui, S. O.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Nonlinear Aeroelastic Analysis Using a Time-Accurate Navier-Stokes Equations Solver

A method to simulate limit cycle oscillation (LCO) due to control surface freeplay using a modified CFL3D, a time-accurate Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis code with structural modeling capability, is presented. This approach can be used to analyze aeroelastic response of aircraft with structural behavior characterized by nonlinearity in the force verses displacement curve. A limited validation of the method, using very low Mach number experimental data for a three-degrees-of-freedom (pitch/plunge/flap deflection) airfoil model with flap freeplay, is also presented.

Kuruvila, Geojoe↗
NASA NTRS1990

Non-linear dynamics of a spur gear pair

The backlash nonlinearity excited primarily by transmission error between spur gear pairs is studied for both external and internal excitations. The digital simulation technique and the method of harmonic balance are used to develop steady state solutions for the internal sinuosidal excitations. The analytic predictions agreed well with available experimental data. Digital simulation is used to observe that at the chaotic and subharmonic resonances may exist in a gear pair depending on the mean or design load, mean to alternating force ratio, damping, and backlash.

Kahraman, A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Surface-cooling effects on compressible boundary-layer instability

The influence of surface cooling on compressible boundary layer instability is discussed theoretically for both viscous and inviscid modes, at high Reynolds numbers. The cooling enhances the surface heat transfer and shear stress, creating a high heat transfer sublayer. This has the effect of distorting and accentuating the viscous Tollmien-Schlichting modes to such an extent that their spatial growth rates become comparable with, and can even exceed, the growth rates of inviscid modes, including those found previously. This is for moderate cooling, and it applies at any Mach number. In addition, the moderate cooling destabilizes otherwise stable viscous or inviscid modes, in particular triggering outward-traveling waves at the edge of the boundary layer in the supersonic regime. Severe cooling is also discussed as it brings compressible dynamics directly into play within the viscous sublayer. All the new cooled modes found involve the heat transfer sublayer quite actively, and they are often multi-structured in form and may be distinct from those observed in previous computational and experimental investigations. The corresponding nonlinear processes are also pointed out with regard to transition in the cooled compressible boundary layer. Finally, comparisons with Lysenko and Maslov's (1984) experiments on surface cooling are presented.

Seddougui, Sharon O.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Hybrid scaled structural dynamic models and their use in damping prediction

Analytical and experimental techniques for the prediction and ground verification of the damped structural dynamics of space structures are developed. The options available for similarity-scaled model testing, including replica and multiple scale approaches, are reviewed. For the case when the distortion of potentially dissipative or nonlinear joints, which would be required in multiple-scale modeling, is impractical, a new type of modeling is introduced, which uses a hybrid of joints at replica scale and connecting elements at a modified multiple scale. The model design requirements for replica, multiple-scale, and hybrid models are developed, and the expected scaling of nonlinear dissipation in joints is derived. A damping prediction scheme is developed that relies on a finite element model of the undamped structure and measurements of the individual joint properties to predict the modal damping of the truss attributable to the joints. A hybrid-scaled model of a segment of the Space Station was built and dynamically tested. The predicted and measured truss damping compared favorably.

Crawley, Edward F.↗
NASA NTRS2012

An Overview of the Semi-Span Super-Sonic Transport (S4T) Wind-Tunnel Model Program

A summary of computational and experimental aeroelastic (AE) and aeroservoelastic (ASE) results for the Semi-Span Super-Sonic Transport (S4T) wind-tunnel model is presented. A broad range of analyses and multiple AE and ASE wind-tunnel tests of the S4T wind-tunnel model have been performed in support of the ASE element in the Supersonics Program, part of the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program. This paper is intended to be an overview of multiple papers that comprise a special S4T technical session. Along those lines, a brief description of the design and hardware of the S4T wind-tunnel model will be presented. Computational results presented include linear and nonlinear aeroelastic analyses, and rapid aeroelastic analyses using CFD-based reduced-order models (ROMs). A brief survey of some of the experimental results from two open-loop and two closed-loop wind-tunnel tests performed at the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) will be presented as well.

Silva, Walter A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Constrained Block Nonlinear Neural Dynamical Models

Neural network modules conditioned by known priors can be effectively trained and combined to represent systems with nonlinear dynamics. This work explores a novel formulation for data-efficient learning of deep control-oriented nonlinear dynamical models by embedding local model structure and constraints. The proposed method consists of neural network blocks that represent input, state, and output dynamics with constraints placed on the network weights and system variables. For handling partially observable dynamical systems, we utilize a state observer neural network to estimate the states of the system's latent dynamics. We evaluate the performance of the proposed architecture and training methods on system identification tasks for three nonlinear systems: a continuous stirred tank reactor, a two tank interacting system, and an aerodynamics body. Models optimized with a few thousand system state observations accurately represent system dynamics in open loop simulation over thousands of time steps from a single set of initial conditions. Experimental results demonstrate an order of magnitude reduction in open-loop simulation mean squared error for our constrained, block-structured neural models when compared to traditional unstructured and unconstrained neural network models.

Skomski, Elliott↗
NASA NTRS1991

Analytical and experimental study of vibrations in a gear transmission

An analytical simulation of the dynamics of a gear transmission system is presented and compared to experimental results from a gear noise test rig at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The analytical procedure developed couples the dynamic behaviors of the rotor-bearing-gear system with the response of the gearbox structure. The modal synthesis method is used in solving the overall dynamics of the system. Locally each rotor-gear stage is modeled as an individual rotor-bearing system using the matrix transfer technique. The dynamics of each individual rotor are coupled with other rotor stages through the nonlinear gear mesh forces and with the gearbox structure through bearing support systems. The modal characteristics of the gearbox structure are evaluated using the finite element procedure. A variable time steping integration routine is used to calculate the overall time transient behavior of the system in modal coordinates. The global dynamic behavior of the system is expressed in a generalized coordinate system. Transient and steady state vibrations of the gearbox system are presented in the time and frequency domains. The vibration characteristics of a simple single mesh gear noise test rig is modeled. The numerical simulations are compared to experimental data measured under typical operating conditions. The comparison of system natural frequencies, peak vibration amplitudes, and gear mesh frequencies are generally in good agreement.

Choy, F. K.↗
DOE OSTI2021

OC6 Phase Ib: Validation of the CFD predictions of difference-frequency wave excitation on a FOWT semisubmersible

During the previous OC5 11 project, state-of-the-art mid-fidelity engineering tools for floating wind systems were found to consistently underpredict the nonlinear, low-frequency responses of semisubmersible offshore wind platforms, leading to substantial errors in the structural loads because of low-frequency surge and pitch resonance. To examine this underprediction, a coordinated investigation with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and model-basin experiments was carried out. Both investigations involved a fixed and simplified OC5-DeepCwind semisubmersible in bichromatic waves. The wave excitations - especially the nonlinear, difference-frequency excitation - on the structure from the CFD simulations were compared to the experimental measurements for validation, with uncertainty analyses for both the experimental and the CFD results. Furthermore, the wave excitations on each column of the semisubmersible were measured separately in the experiment, allowing the validation of the CFD results to be done on a per-column basis. Overall, the CFD predictions of the difference-frequency excitations agree with the experimental measurements, suggesting the CFD solutions can be used as a reference for tuning and improving the engineering-level tools and can provide a means to better understand the underprediction at low frequencies.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Topological solitonic macromolecules

Being ubiquitous, solitons have particle-like properties, exhibiting behaviour often associated with atoms. Bound solitons emulate dynamics of molecules, though solitonic analogues of polymeric materials have not been considered yet. Here we experimentally create and model soliton polymers, which we call “polyskyrmionomers”, built of atom-like individual solitons characterized by the topological invariant representing the skyrmion number. With the help of nonlinear optical imaging and numerical modelling based on minimizing the free energy, we reveal how topological point defects bind the solitonic quasi-atoms into polyskyrmionomers, featuring linear, branched, and other macromolecule-resembling architectures, as well as allowing for encoding data by spatial distributions of the skyrmion number. Application of oscillating electric fields activates diverse modes of locomotion and internal vibrations of these self-assembled soliton structures, which depend on symmetry of the solitonic macromolecules. Our findings suggest new designs of soliton meta matter, with a potential for the use in fundamental research and technology.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2001

ZBLAN Viscosity Instrumentation

The past year's contribution from Dr. Kaukler's experimental effort consists of these 5 parts: a) Construction and proof-of-concept testing of a novel shearing plate viscometer designed to produce small shear rates and operate at elevated temperatures; b) Preparing nonlinear polymeric materials to serve as standards of nonlinear Theological behavior; c) Measurements and evaluation of above materials for nonlinear rheometric behavior at room temperature using commercial spinning cone and plate viscometers available in the lab; d) Preparing specimens from various forms of pitch for quantitative comparative testing in a Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer, Thermal Mechanical Analyzer; and Archeological Analyzer; e) Arranging to have sets of pitch specimens tested using the various instruments listed above, from different manufacturers, to form a baseline of the viscosity variation with temperature using the different test modes offered by these instruments by compiling the data collected from the various test results. Our focus in this project is the shear thinning behavior of ZBLAN glass over a wide range of temperature. Experimentally, there are no standard techniques to perform such measurements on glasses, particularly at elevated temperatures. Literature reviews to date have shown that shear thinning in certain glasses appears to occur, but no data is available for ZBLAN glass. The best techniques to find shear thinning behavior require the application of very low rates of shear. In addition, because the onset of the thinning behavior occurs at an unknown elevated temperature, the instruments used in this study must provide controlled low rates of shear and do so for temperatures approaching 600 C. In this regard, a novel shearing parallel plate viscometer was designed and a prototype built and tested.

Kaukler, William↗