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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 289 records · Page 16

Structured background grids for generation of unstructured grids by advancing front method

A new method of background grid construction is introduced for generation of unstructured tetrahedral grids using the advancing-front technique. Unlike the conventional triangular/tetrahedral background grids which are difficult to construct and usually inadequate in performance, the new method exploits the simplicity of uniform Cartesian meshes and provides grids of better quality. The approach is analogous to solving a steady-state heat conduction problem with discrete heat sources. The spacing parameters of grid points are distributed over the nodes of a Cartesian background grid by interpolating from a few prescribed sources and solving a Poisson equation. To increase the control over the grid point distribution, a directional clustering approach is used. The new method is convenient to use and provides better grid quality and flexibility. Sample results are presented to demonstrate the power of the method.

Pirzadeh, Shahyar↗

Search-based model identification of smart-structure damage

This paper describes the use of a combined model and parameter identification approach, based on modal analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, for identifying damage or flaws in a rotating truss structure incorporating embedded piezoceramic sensors. This smart structure example is representative of a class of structures commonly found in aerospace systems and next generation space structures. Artificial intelligence techniques of classification, heuristic search, and an object-oriented knowledge base are used in an AI-based model identification approach. A finite model space is classified into a search tree, over which a variant of best-first search is used to identify the model whose stored response most closely matches that of the input. Newly-encountered models can be incorporated into the model space. This adaptativeness demonstrates the potential for learning control. Following this output-error model identification, numerical parameter identification is used to further refine the identified model. Given the rotating truss example in this paper, noisy data corresponding to various damage configurations are input to both this approach and a conventional parameter identification method. The combination of the AI-based model identification with parameter identification is shown to lead to smaller parameter corrections than required by the use of parameter identification alone.

Glass, B. J.↗

Imaging Plasma Density Structures in the Soft X-Rays Generated by Solar Wind Charge Exchange with Neutrals

Both heliophysics and planetary physics seek to understand the complex nature of the solar wind's interaction with solar system obstacles like Earth's magnetosphere, the ionospheres of Venus and Mars, and comets. Studies with this objective are frequently conducted with the help of single or multipoint in situ electromagnetic field and particle observations, guided by the predictions of both local and global numerical simulations, and placed in context by observations from far and extreme ultraviolet (FUV, EUV), hard X-ray, and energetic neutral atom imagers (ENA). Each proposed interaction mechanism (e.g., steady or transient magnetic reconnection, local or global magnetic reconnection, ion pick-up, or the Kelvin- Helmholtz instability) generates diagnostic plasma density structures. The significance of each mechanism to the overall interaction (as measured in terms of atmospheric/ionospheric loss at comets, Venus, and Mars or global magnetospheric/ionospheric convection at Earth) remains to be determined but can be evaluated on the basis of how often the density signatures that it generates are observed as a function of solar wind conditions. This paper reviews efforts to image the diagnostic plasma density structures in the soft (low energy, 0.1-2.0 keV) X-rays produced when high charge state solar wind ions exchange electrons with the exospheric neutrals surrounding solar system obstacles.

Sibeck, David G.↗

GridMan: A grid manipulation system

GridMan is an interactive grid manipulation system. It operates on grids to produce new grids which conform to user demands. The input grids are not constrained to come from any particular source. They may be generated by algebraic methods, elliptic methods, hyperbolic methods, parabolic methods, or some combination of methods. The methods are included in the various available structured grid generation codes. These codes perform the basic assembly function for the various elements of the initial grid. For block structured grids, the assembly can be quite complex due to a large number of clock corners, edges, and faces for which various connections and orientations must be properly identified. The grid generation codes are distinguished among themselves by their balance between interactive and automatic actions and by their modest variations in control. The basic form of GridMan provides a much more substantial level of grid control and will take its input from any of the structured grid generation codes. The communication link to the outside codes is a data file which contains the grid or section of grid.

Eiseman, Peter R.↗

Additively Manufactured NdFeB Polyphenylene Sulfide Halbach Magnets to Generate Variable Magnetic Fields for Neutron Reflectometry

Halbach arrays are the most efficient closed structures for generating directed magnetic fields and gradients, and are widely used in various electric machines. We utilized fused deposition modeling-based Big Area Additive Manufacturing technology to print customized, compensated concentric Halbach array rings, using polyphenylene sulfide-bonded NdFeB permanent magnets for polarized neutron reflectometry. The Halbach rings could generate a 0 ≤ B ≤ 0.30 T field, while preserving 90% polarization of an axial neutron beam. Polarized neutron beams are used to study a wide range of structural and magnetic phenomena spanning physics, chemistry, and biology. In this study, we demonstrate the effectiveness of additive manufacturing for producing prototype Halbach arrays, characterize their magnetic properties, and generated magnetic fields, and discuss the conservation of neutron beam polarization as a function of magnetic field.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Systems and methods for generating a molecular dynamic graded lattice structure and their application to additive manufacturing

Systems and methods for generating molecular dynamic graded lattice structures that can be used as infill for additively manufactured articles. Molecular dynamically generated lattice infill is based on force balancing a node distribution instead of a circle packing. Field data can be utilized to adjust the spacing of the node distribution according to a force balance equilibrium model that accounts for the field expected to be experienced by the article being additively manufactured. The resultant non-uniform honeycomb structures from force-balancing robustly and efficiently address the connection issues with traditional non-uniform lattice structures.

Kim, Seokpum↗

Coupled BE/FE/BE approach for scattering from fluid-filled structures

NASHUA is a coupled finite element/boundary element capability built around NASTRAN for calculating the low frequency far-field acoustic pressure field radiated or scattered by an arbitrary, submerged, three-dimensional, elastic structure subjected to either internal time-harmonic mechanical loads or external time-harmonic incident loadings. Described here are the formulation and use of NASHUA for solving such structural acoustics problems when the structure is fluid-filled. NASTRAN is used to generate the structural finite element model and to perform most of the required matrix operations. Both fluid domains are modeled using the boundary element capability in NASHUA, whose matrix formulation (and the associated NASTRAN DMAP) for evacuated structures can be used with suitable interpretation of the matrix definitions. After computing surface pressures and normal velocities, far-field pressures are evaluated using an asymptotic form of the Helmholtz exterior integral equation. The proposed numerical approach is validated by comparing the acoustic field scattered from a submerged fluid-filled spherical thin shell to that obtained with a series solution, which is also derived here.

Everstine, Gordon C.↗

Rapid Analysis of Mass Distribution of Radiation Shielding

Radiation Shielding Evaluation Toolset (RADSET) is a computer program that rapidly calculates the spatial distribution of mass of an arbitrary structure for use in ray-tracing analysis of the radiation-shielding properties of the structure. RADSET was written to be used in conjunction with unmodified commercial computer-aided design (CAD) software that provides access to data on the structure and generates selected three-dimensional-appearing views of the structure. RADSET obtains raw geometric, material, and mass data on the structure from the CAD software. From these data, RADSET calculates the distribution(s) of the masses of specific materials about any user-specified point(s). The results of these mass-distribution calculations are imported back into the CAD computing environment, wherein the radiation-shielding calculations are performed.

Zapp, Edward↗

Analytical procedures for estimating structural response to acoustic fields generated by advanced launch systems, phase 2

This report supplements a previous report of the same title submitted in June, 1992. It summarizes additional analytical techniques which have been developed for predicting the response of linear and nonlinear structures to noise excitations generated by large propulsion power plants. The report is divided into nine chapters. The first two deal with incomplete knowledge of boundary conditions of engineering structures. The incomplete knowledge is characterized by a convex set, and its diagnosis is formulated as a multi-hypothesis discrete decision-making algorithm with attendant criteria of adaptive termination.

Elishakoff, Isaac↗

Overlap Preservation Using Loosely-Coupled Boundary Conditions for Body-Fitted Structured Overset Grids

Several improvements are made to overlap preservation in the automated approach to generating overset structured meshes. A loosely-coupled boundary condition (LCBC) is introduced to maintain optimal overlap for surface meshes generated from overlapping initial curves. Extension of the LCBC scheme to three-dimensional volume meshing is also presented. Test cases include various rotary wing vehicles from NASA’s Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) project, and the wing-body geometry from the NASA Juncture Flow Experiment. Results demonstrate improvements in donor stencil quality from the enhanced overlap between neighboring surface and volume meshes.

TTT↗

Porogen‐Integrated Rapid Oxidation Enables Structured Mesoporous Metal Oxide Films

Structured metal oxide films have promise in optoelectronics, sensing, energy storage, and catalysis but their uptake is predominately limited due to their long and high‐temperature syntheses. Here, in this study, a self‐assembling polymer is used which can act as a chelating fuel source in a solution combustion reaction to generate highly structured mesoporous aluminum oxide films at <250 °C in a matter of minutes through a process termed porogen‐integrated rapid oxidation (PiRO). The resulting films with thicknesses up to 500 nm show an open‐cell, face‐centered cubic structure of spheroidal pores. Further, an additional ligand can be included to control the self‐assembly step to yield both through‐film ordering or tunable disordering for increased pore volume as confirmed by both grazing incidence small angle X‐ray scattering and ellipsometry. Finally, roll‐to‐roll manufacturing with PiRO is demonstrated on flexible polymeric substrates. The method offers a tunable, scalable, low‐temperature, and lower‐cost method to generate large‐area structured mesoporous metal oxide films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Recent progress in unstructured grid generation

A number of recent developments and improvements in unstructured grid generation are discussed. Emphasis is given to the enhancement of capabilities of unstructured grid generation code based on the advancing front technique for generating triangular and tetrahedral grids. Two new methods have been devised to facilitate the process of grid generation: (1) structured background grids and their application to 3D unstructured grid generation and (2) grid restart capability. New postprocessing tools to manipulate generated grids include grid optimization, local remeshing, and interpolation for unstructured grids. Examples and references are given to show the applications of these developments.

Pirzadeh, Shahyar↗

Grid Generation Issues and CFD Simulation Accuracy for the X33 Aerothermal Simulations

Grid generation issues relating to the simulation of the X33 aerothermal environment using the GASP code are explored. Required grid densities and normal grid stretching are discussed with regards to predicting the fluid dynamic and heating environments with the desired accuracy. The generation of volume grids is explored and includes discussions of structured grid generation packages such as GRIDGEN, GRIDPRO and HYPGEN. Volume grid manipulation techniques for obtaining desired outer boundary and grid clustering using the OUTBOUND code are examined. The generation of the surface grid with the required surface grid with the required surface grid topology is also discussed. Utilizing grids without singular axes is explored as a method of avoiding numerical difficulties at the singular line.

Polsky, Susan↗

GRASP/Ada (Graphical Representations of Algorithms, Structures, and Processes for Ada): The development of a program analysis environment for Ada. Reverse engineering tools for Ada, task 1, phase 2

The study, formulation, and generation of structures for Ada (GRASP/Ada) are discussed in this second phase report of a three phase effort. Various graphical representations that can be extracted or generated from source code are described and categorized with focus on reverse engineering. The overall goal is to provide the foundation for a CASE (computer-aided software design) environment in which reverse engineering and forward engineering (development) are tightly coupled. Emphasis is on a subset of architectural diagrams that can be generated automatically from source code with the control structure diagram (CSD) included for completeness.

Cross, James H., II↗