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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 307 records · Page 17

On the solution of elliptic partial differential equations on regions with corners

In this paper we investigate the solution of boundary value problems on polygonal domains for elliptic partial differential equations. We observe that when the problems are formulated as the boundary integral equations of classical potential theory, the solutions are representable by series of elementary functions. In addition to being analytically perspicuous, the resulting expressions lend themselves to the construction of accurate and efficient numerical algorithms. The results are illustrated by a number of numerical examples.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

An extended magnetostatic Born-Infeld model with a concave lower order term

This paper concerns an extended Born-Infeld model with a concave lower order term for the magnetostatic case. Three types of boundary value problems are considered: the boundary condition prescribing the tangential component of A, the natural boundary condition, and the boundary condition prescribing the tangential component of curl A. In each case we obtain existence and regularity of solutions for small boundary data.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A regular version of Smilansky model

We discuss a modification of Smilansky model in which a singular potential “channel” is replaced by a regular, below unbounded potential which shrinks as it becomes deeper. We demonstrate that, similarly to the original model, such a system exhibits a spectral transition with respect to the coupling constant, and determine the critical value above which a new spectral branch opens. The result is generalized to situations with multiple potential “channels.”.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Dynamic fracture of functionally graded magnetoelectroelastic composite materials

The stress, magnetic and electric field analysis of multifunctional composites, weakened by impermeable cracks, is of fundamental importance for their structural integrity and reliable service performance. The aim is to study dynamic behavior of a plane of functionally graded magnetoelectroelastic composite with more than one crack. The coupled material properties vary exponentially in an arbitrary direction. The plane is subjected to anti-plane mechanical and in-plane electric and magnetic load. The boundary value problem described by the partial differential equations with variable coefficients is reduced to a non-hypersingular traction boundary integral equation based on the appropriate functional transform and frequency-dependent fundamental solution derived in a closed form by Radon transform. Software code based on the boundary integral equation method (BIEM) is developed, validated and inserted in numerical simulations. The obtained results show the sensitivity of the dynamic stress, magnetic and electric field concentration in the cracked plane to the type and characteristics of the dynamic load, to the location and cracks disposition, to the wave-crack-crack interactions and to the magnitude and direction of the material gradient.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

One dimensional full wave analysis of slow-to-fast mode conversion in lower hybrid frequencies

The linear conversion from the slow wave to the fast wave in the lower hybrid range of frequencies is analyzed numerically by using the set of field equations describing waves in a cold plane-stratified plasma. The equations are solved as a two-point boundary value problem, where the polarizations of each mode are set consistently in the boundary conditions. The scattering coefficients and the field patterns are obtained for various density profiles. It is shown that, for large density scale length, the results agree well with the traditional cognitions. In contrast, the reflected component and the probable transmitted-converted component from the conversion region, which are neglected in the usual calculations, become significant when the scale length is smaller than the wavelength of the mode. The inclusion of these new components will improve the accuracy of the simulated propagation and deposition for the injected rf power when the conversion process is involved within a sharp-varying density profile. Meanwhile, the accessibility of the incident slow wave for the low frequency case is also affected by the scale length of the density profile.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Nonlinear shearing modes approach to the diocotron instability of a planar electron strip

The nonlinear evolution of the diocotron instability of a planar electron strip is investigated analytically by means of the nonlinear shearing mode for the solution of the initial and boundary value problems. The method is based on the sheared spatial coordinates which account for the motion of electron flow in the electrostatic field of the unstable diocotron modes in addition to the unperturbed sheared motion of the electron flow on the transformed shear coordinates. The time evolutions are studied by the solution of the initial and boundary value problems. The obtained solutions for the perturbed electrostatic potential include two nonlinear effects—the effect of the distortion of the boundaries of the planar electron strip and the effect of the coupling of the sheared nonmodal diocotron modes. It was proved by a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation that the developed theory is valid as long as the distortion of the boundaries of the basic shear flow does not change the frequency and growth rate of the linear diocotron instability in the transformed coordinates.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Fluid flow structure around the mixer in a reactor with mechanical mixing

Fluid flow structure around the mixer in a cylindrical reactor with mechanical mixing is studied and numerical results are presented in this article. The model area is complex because of the presence of convex corners of the mixer in the fluid flow. Proper boundary conditions for the vorticity calculated on the base of the stream function values near solid boundaries of the examined area are presented. The boundary value problem of motion of swirling incompressible viscous fluid in a vertical tank reactor with a mixer is solved numerically. The calculations are made by a computer code, written in MATLAB. The complex structure of the flow around the mixing disk is described and commented.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Numerical study of heterogeneous mean temperature and shock wave in a resonator

When a frequency of gas oscillation in an acoustic resonator is sufficiently close to one of resonant frequencies of the resonator, the amplitude of gas oscillation becomes large and hence the nonlinear effect manifests itself. Then, if the dissipation effects due to viscosity and thermal conductivity of the gas are sufficiently small, the gas oscillation may evolve into the acoustic shock wave, in the so-called consonant resonators. At the shock front, the kinetic energy of gas oscillation is converted into heat by the dissipation process inside the shock layer, and therefore the temperature of the gas in the resonator rises. Since the acoustic shock wave travels in the resonator repeatedly over and over again, the temperature rise becomes noticeable in due course of time even if the shock wave is weak. We numerically study the gas oscillation with shock wave in a resonator of square cross section by solving the initial and boundary value problem of the system of three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with a finite difference method. In this case, the heat conduction across the boundary layer on the wall of resonator causes a spatially heterogeneous distribution of mean (time-averaged) gas temperature.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Convergence of multipoint Pade approximants of piecewise analytic functions

The behaviour as n{yields}{infinity} of multipoint Pade approximants to a function which is (piecewise) holomorphic on a union of finitely many continua is investigated. The convergence of multipoint Pade approximants is proved for a function which extends holomorphically from these continua to a union of domains whose boundaries have a certain symmetry property. An analogue of Stahl's theorem is established for two-point Pade approximants to a pair of functions, either of which is a multivalued analytic function with finitely many branch points. Bibliography: 11 titles.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

The inverse problem of recovering the source in a parabolic equation under a condition of nonlocal observation

We study the inverse problem for a parabolic equation of recovering the source, that is, the right-hand side F(x,t)=h(x,t)f(x), where the function f(x) is unknown. To find f(x), along with the initial and boundary conditions, we also introduce an additional condition of nonlocal observation of the form ∫{sub 0}{sup T}u(x,t) dμ(t)=χ(x). We prove the Fredholm property for the problem stated in this way, and obtain sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of a solution. These conditions are of the form of readily verifiable inequalities and put no restrictions on the value of T>0 or the diameter of the domain Ω under consideration. The proof uses a priori estimates and the qualitative properties of solutions of initial-boundary value problems for parabolic equations. Bibliography: 40 titles.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Harmonic analysis for the characterization and correction of geometric distortion in MRI

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is gaining widespread use in radiation therapy planning, patient setup verification, and real-time guidance of radiation delivery. Successful implementation of these technologies relies on the development of simple and efficient methods to characterize and monitor the geometric distortions arising due to system imperfections and gradient nonlinearities. To this end, the authors present the theory and validation of a novel harmonic approach to the quantification of system-related distortions in MRI. Methods: The theory of spatial encoding in MRI is applied to demonstrate that the 3D distortion vector field (DVF) is given by the solution of a second-order boundary value problem (BVP). This BVP is comprised of Laplace’s equation and a limited measurement of the distortion on the boundary of a specified region of interest (ROI). An analytical series expansion solving this BVP within a spherical ROI is obtained, and a statistical uncertainty analysis is performed to determine how random errors in the boundary measurements propagate to the ROI interior. This series expansion is then evaluated to obtain volumetric DVF mappings that are compared to reference data obtained on a 3 T full-body scanner. This validation is performed within two spheres of 20 cm diameter (one centered at the scanner origin and the other offset +3 cm along each of the transverse directions). Initially, a high-order mapping requiring measurements at 5810 boundary points is used. Then, after exploring the impact of the boundary sampling density and the effect of series truncation, a reduced-order mapping requiring measurements at 302 boundary points is evaluated. Results: The volumetric DVF mappings obtained from the harmonic analysis are in good agreement with the reference data. Following distortion correction using the high-order mapping, the authors estimate a reduction in the mean distortion magnitude from 0.86 to 0.42 mm and from 0.93 to 0.39 mm within the central and offset ROIs, respectively. In addition, the fraction of points with a distortion magnitude greater than 1 mm is reduced from 35.6% to 2.8% and from 40.4% to 1.5%, respectively. Similarly, following correction using the reduced-order mapping, the mean distortion magnitude reduces to 0.45–0.42 mm within the central and offset ROIs, and the fraction of points with a distortion magnitude greater than 1 mm is reduced to 2.8% and 1.5%, respectively. Conclusions: A novel harmonic approach to the characterization of system-related distortions in MRI is presented. This method permits a complete and accurate mapping of the DVF within a specified ROI using a limited measurement of the distortion on the ROI boundary. This technique eliminates the requirement to exhaustively sample the DVF at a dense 3D array of points, thereby permitting the design of simple, inexpensive phantoms that may incorporate additional modules for auxiliary quality assurance objectives.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Investigation of Boundary Conditions for Flexible Multibody Spacecraft Dynamics

In support of both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs, a set of generic multibody dynamics algorithms integrated within the Trick simulation environment have addressed the variety of on-orbit manipulator simulation requirements for engineering analysis, procedures development and crew familiarization/training at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). Enhancements to these dynamics algorithms are now being driven by a new set of Constellation program requirements for flexible multibody spacecraft simulation. One particular issue that has been discussed within the NASA community is the assumption of cantilever-type flexible body boundary conditions. This assumption has been commonly utilized within manipulator multibody dynamics formulations as it simplifies the computation of relative motion for articulated flexible topologies. Moreover, its use for modeling of space-based manipulators such as the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) and Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) has been extensively validated against flight data. For more general flexible spacecraft applications, however, the assumption of cantilever-type boundary conditions may not be sufficient. This paper describes the boundary condition assumptions that were used in the original formulation, demonstrates that this formulation can be augmented to accommodate systems in which the assumption of cantilever boundary conditions no longer applies, and verifies the approach through comparison with an independent model previously validated against experimental hardware test data from a spacecraft flexible dynamics emulator.

Boundary-value problems↗

Computing Deformations Of Rubbery Materials

Better use made of experimental data in finite-element computations. New formulation of constitutive equations of rubbery, nonlinearly elastic material enables finite-element analysis of boundary-value stress-and-strain problems involving arbitrary shapes and loads. In development of formulation, principal stretches used as arguments of strain-energy-density function.

Peng, Steven T. J.↗

Solving time-dependent two-dimensional eddy current problems

Transient eddy current calculations are presented for an EM wave-scattering and field-penetrating case in which a two-dimensional transverse magnetic field is incident on a good (i.e., not perfect) and infinitely long conductor. The problem thus posed is of initial boundary-value interface type, where the boundary of the conductor constitutes the interface. A potential function is used for time-domain modeling of the situation, and finite difference-time domain techniques are used to march the potential function explicitly in time. Attention is given to the case of LF radiation conditions.

Lee, Min Eig↗

Singular trajectories for time-optimal half-loop maneuvers of a high alpha fighter aircraft

Consideration is given to the problem of deriving a time-optimal open-loop control for the half-loop maneuver of a high-alpha aircraft, with initial conditions Mach 0.6 and 15,000 feet. Pontriagin's maximum principle is used to derive candidate optimal solutions. Using the two-point boundary-value algorithm, the flight path angle is maximized for various increasing specified final times until a final time of 13.6 sec yields a 180-deg flight-path angle. As the final time increased from 0.0 to 13.6 sec, the optimization process revealed 13 distinct switching structures of the control law, of which 11 contained singular arcs, and two had double singular arcs.

Hoffman, Eric↗

Spurious frequencies as a result of numerical boundary treatments

The stability theory for finite difference Initial Boundary-Value approximations to systems of hyperbolic partial differential equations states that the exclusion of eigenvalues and generalized eigenvalues is a sufficient condition for stability. The theory, however, does not discuss the nature of numerical approximations in the presence of such eigenvalues. In fact, as was shown previously, for the problem of vortex shedding by a 2-D cylinder in subsonic flow, stating boundary conditions in terms of the primitive (non-characteristic) variables may lead to such eigenvalues, causing perturbations that decay slowly in space and remain periodic time. Characteristic formulation of the boundary conditions avoided this problem. A more systematic study of the behavior of the (linearized) one-dimensional gas dynamic equations under various sets of oscillation-inducing legal boundary conditions is reported.

Abarbanel, Saul↗

Combination of the Laguerre Transform with the Boundary-element Method for the Solution of Integral Equations with Retarded Kernel

We apply the Laguerre transform with respect to time to a time-dependent boundary-value integral equation encountered in the solution of three-dimensional Dirichlet initial-boundary-value problems for the homogeneous wave equation with homogeneous initial conditions by using the retarded potential of single layer. The obtained system of boundary integral equations is reduced to a sequence of Fredholm integral equations of the first kind that differ solely by the recursively dependent right-hand sides. To find their numerical solution, we use the boundary-element method. We establish an asymptotic estimate of the error of numerical solution and present the results of numerical simulations aimed at finding the solutions of retarded-potential integral equations for model examples.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Altitude/path-angle transitions in fuel-optimal problems for transport aircraft

Altitude/path angle transitions to fuel-optimal, energy climb and descent paths are examined for subsonic transport aircraft. These transitions are termed boundary layers in singular perturbation theory, the framework used herein to simplify solutions to the state-Euler system. The energy climb and descent paths provide equilibrium or stationary points for the boundary layer system, and thus for moderate transitions, presumed valid for the class of aircraft considered, the boundary layer system may be linearized. This simplification allows derivation of an explicit solution to the two-point boundary-value, boundary layer problem and, as a consequence, yields a nearly optimal control law, in feedback form, for the transitions. Numerical simulation results using the feedback control law are presented for a Boeing 737 airframe (NASA-ATOPS Vehicle) employing twin JT8D-7-7A engines.

Gracey, C.↗