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At least 325 records · Page 18

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NASA NTRS1986

Direct numerical simulations of a temporally evolving mixing layer subject to forcing

The vortical evolution of mixing layers subject to various types of forcing is numerically simulated using pseudospectral methods. The effect of harmonic forcing and random noise in the initial conditions is examined with some results compared to experimental data. Spanwise forcing is found to enhance streamwise vorticity in a nonlinear process leading to a slow, secondary growth of the shear layer. The effect of forcing on a chemical reaction is favorably compared with experimental data at low Reynolds numbers. Combining harmonic and subharmonic forcing is shown to both augment and later destroy streamwise vorticity.

Claus, Russell W.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Substructure analysis using NICE/SPAR and applications of force to linear and nonlinear structures

Parallel computing studies are presented for a variety of structural analysis problems. Included are the substructure planar analysis of rectangular panels with and without a hole, the static analysis of space mast, using NICE/SPAR and FORCE, and substructure analysis of plane rigid-jointed frames using FORCE. The computations are carried out on the Flex/32 MultiComputer using one to eighteen processors. The NICE/SPAR runstream samples are documented for the panel problem. For the substructure analysis of plane frames, a computer program is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a substructuring technique when FORCE is enforced. Ongoing research activities for an elasto-plastic stability analysis problem using FORCE, and stability analysis of the focus problem using NICE/SPAR are briefly summarized. Speedup curves for the panel, the mast, and the frame problems provide a basic understanding of the effectiveness of parallel computing procedures utilized or developed, within the domain of the parameters considered. Although the speedup curves obtained exhibit various levels of computational efficiency, they clearly demonstrate the excellent promise which parallel computing holds for the structural analysis problem. Source code is given for the elasto-plastic stability problem and the FORCE program.

Razzaq, Zia↗

NASA NTRS1985

The Stokes force on a droplet in an unbounded fluid medium due to capillary effects

The Stokes force on a fluid droplet is obtained when the droplet is placed in an unbounded fluid medium and motion ensues due to an arbitrary interfacial-tension gradient on the droplet surface. The force, derived here for a spherical droplet, is proportional to the integral of the interfacial-tension gradient over the droplet surface. When the interfacial-tension gradients are caused by temperature or concentration variations, the result for the force may be further specialized when convective transport effects are negligible. In this case, it is possible to express the force in terms of the gradient of the undisturbed temperature (or concentration) field evaluated at the location of the droplet center in a form analogous to Faxen's force law.

Subramanian, R. Shankar↗

NASA NTRS1987

Experimental and theoretical investigation of passive damping concepts for member forced and free vibration

Potential passive damping concepts for use in space structures are identified. The effectiveness of copper brush, wool swab, and silly putty in chamber dampers is investigated through natural vibration tests on a tubular aluminum member. The member ends have zero translation and possess partial rotational restraints. The silly putty in chamber dampers provide the maximum passive damping efficiency. Forced vibration tests are then conducted with one, two, and three damper chambers containing silly putty. Owing to the limitation of the vibrator used, the performance of these dampers could not be evaluated experimentally until the forcing function was disengaged. Nevertheless, their performance is evaluated through a forced dynamic finite element analysis conducted as a part of this investigation. The theoretical results based on experimentally obtained damping ratios indicate that the passive dampers are considerably more effective under member natural vibration than during forced vibration. Also, the maximum damping under forced vibration occurs at or near resonance.

Razzaq, Zia↗

NASA NTRS1988

The effect of acoustic forcing on trailing edge separation and near wake development of an airfoil

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of acoustic forcing on flow fields near the trailing edge of a symmetric airfoil at zero angle of attack. At low chord Reynolds numbers, the boundary layers separate from the surfaces in the rear part of the airfoil and create recirculation regions near the trailing edge. It is shown that with the introduction of acoustic forcing through a slot in the vicinity of the separation point, periodic large-scale structures are generated in the trailing edge region. Significant reduction of trailing edge separation is achieved. It is also found that the most effective forcing frequency to control trailing edge separation is the wake vortex shedding frequency. As a result of forcing, applied only on the upper surface, the upper boundary layer is accelerated and the flow over the lower surface decelerated. Consequently, an asymmetric wake is formed. The results presented indicate that the development of the near wake varies with forcing conditions.

Huang, L. S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The use of force feedback control for robotic mating of umbilical fuel lines

Control problems in developing force feedback control to use in remotely connecting, disconnecting, and reconnecting the umbilical fuel lines of the Space Shuttle Vehicle are discussed. A docking protocol is proposed, indicating the required role of force feedback. The use of active force feedback control is examined and performance requirements and experimental results are given. A single degree-of-freedom force feedback model is presented and the application of classical control compensation techniques to the force control loop to increase flexibility is considered. In addition, possible modifications to the controller and plans for future research are discussed.

Fullmer, R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Treatment of body forces in boundary element design sensitivity analysis

The inclusion of body forces has received a good deal of attention in boundary element research. The consideration of such forces is essential in the desgin of high performance components such as fan and turbine disks in a gas turbine engine. Due to their critical performance requirements, optimal shapes are often desired for these components. The boundary element method (BEM) offers the possibility of being an efficient method for such iterative analysis as shape optimization. The implicit-differentiation of the boundary integral equations is performed to obtain the sensitivity equations. The body forces are accounted for by either the particular integrals for uniform body forces or by a surface integration for non-uniform body forces. The corresponding sensitivity equations for both these cases are presented. The validity of present formulations is established through a close agreement with exact analytical results.

Saigal, Sunil↗

NASA NTRS1989

Cloud-radiative forcing and climate - Results from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

The spaceborne Earth Radiation Budget Experiment was begun in 1984 to obtain quantitative estimates of the global distributions of cloud-radiative forcing. The magnitude of the observed net cloud forcing is about four times greater than the expected value of radiative forcing from a doubling of CO2; the shortwave and longwave components of cloud forcing are about 10 times as large as those for a CO2 doubling. Small changes in the cloud-radiative forcing fields can therefore play a significant role as a climate-feedback mechanism.

Ramanathan, V.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Direct numerical simulations of a temporally evolving mixing layer subject to forcing

Claus, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Performance evaluation of a six-axis generalized force-reflecting teleoperator

Work in real-time distributed computation and control has culminated in a prototype force-reflecting telemanipulation system having a dissimilar master (cable-driven, force-reflecting hand controller) and a slave (PUMA 560 robot with custom controller), an extremely high sampling rate (1000 Hz), and a low loop computation delay (5 msec). In a series of experiments with this system and five trained test operators covering over 100 hours of teleoperation, performance was measured in a series of generic and application-driven tasks with and without force feedback, and with control shared between teleoperation and local sensor referenced control. Measurements defining task performance included 100-Hz recording of six-axis force/torque information from the slave manipulator wrist, task completion time, and visual observation of predefined task errors. The task consisted of high precision peg-in-hole insertion, electrical connectors, velcro attach-de-attach, and a twist-lock multi-pin connector. Each task was repeated three times under several operating conditions: normal bilateral telemanipulation, forward position control without force feedback, and shared control. In shared control, orientation was locally servo controlled to comply with applied torques, while translation was under operator control. All performance measures improved as capability was added along a spectrum of capabilities ranging from pure position control through force-reflecting teleoperation and shared control. Performance was optimal for the bare-handed operator.

Hannaford, B.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The effects of forcing on a single stream shear layer and its parent boundary layer

Forcing and its effect on fluid flows has become an accepted tool in the study and control of flow systems. It has been used both as a diagnostic tool, to explore the development and interaction of coherent structures, and as a method of controlling the behavior of the flow. A number of forcing methods have been used in order to provide a perturbation to the flow; among these are the use of an oscillating trailing edge, acoustically driven slots, external acoustic forcing, and mechanical piston methods. The effect of a planar mechanical piston forcing on a single stream shear layer is presented; it can be noted that this is one of the lesser studied free shear layers. The single stream shear layer can be characterized by its primary flow velocity scale and the thickness of the separating boundary layer. The velocity scale is constant over the length of the flow field; theta (x) can be used as a width scale to characterize the unforced shear layer. In the case of the forced shear layer the velocity field is a function of phase time and definition of a width measure becomes somewhat problematic.

Haw, Richard C.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Measured forces and moments on a delta wing during pitch-up

A series of low-speed wind tunnel tests on a 70-deg, sharp, leading-edge delta wing undergoing ramp pitching motion of high amplitude were performed to investigate the aerodynamic forces and moments. Forces and moments were obtained from a six-component interanl balance. Large amplitude oscillatory motion was produced by sinusoidally oscillating the model over a range of reduced frequencies. Ramp motion was produced by pitching the model through a half cycle of sinusoidal motion at a root chord Reynolds number of 1.54 million. The effect of ramp and oscillatory motions on the forces and moments are almost identical at matched pitch rates. Pitch rate had strong effect on the magnitude of the aerodynamic forces and moments. Upon completion of the model motion, some time is required for the forces and moments to decay to their static values. This convergence of the dynamic values to the static ones was a function of the pitch rate.

Bragg, M. B.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Lateral restoring force on a magnet levitated above a superconductor

The lateral restoring force on a magnet levitated above a superconductor is calculated as a function of displacement from its original position at rest using Bean's critical-state model to describe flux pinning. The force is linear for small displacements and saturates at large displacements. In the absence of edge effects the force always attracts the magnet to its original position. Thus it is a restoring force that contributes to the stability of the levitated magnet. In the case of a thick superconductor slab, the origin of the force is a magnetic dipole layer consisting of positive and negative supercurrents induced on the trailing side of the magnet. The qualitative behavior is consistent with experiments reported to date. Effects due to the finite thickness of the superconductor slab and the granular nature of high-Tc materials are also considered.

Davis, L. C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Effect of static deformation and external forces on the oscillations of levitated droplets

The oscillations of an aspherical droplet subjected to different external forces are considered. For an arbitrary shape deformation, it is shown that the frequency spectrum splits into (2l - 1) peaks for a mode l oscillation, and the splitting of the frequency spectrum is calculated for mode 2, 3, and 4 oscillations. The deformation is then treated as a consequence of a general external force, and the frequency split is obtained in terms of the external force parameters. Droplets levitated by acoustic, electromagnetic, and combined acoustic-electromagnetic forces are considered in particular, and it is shown that the effects of asphericity adequately explain the splitting of the frequency spectrum observed commonly in experiments. The interpretation of spectra with regard to accurate surface tension measurement using the oscillations of levitated droplets is discussed, and the results applied to some previous experimental results. It is shown that the accuracy of surface tension measurements can improve if the asphericity caused by the levitating force, and the resulting frequency split, are taken into account.

Suryanarayana, P. V. R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Improved accuracy for finite element structural analysis via a new integrated force method

A comparative study was carried out to determine the accuracy of finite element analyses based on the stiffness method, a mixed method, and the new integrated force and dual integrated force methods. The numerical results were obtained with the following software: MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA for the stiffness method; an MHOST implementation method for the mixed method; and GIFT for the integrated force methods. The results indicate that on an overall basis, the stiffness and mixed methods present some limitations. The stiffness method generally requires a large number of elements in the model to achieve acceptable accuracy. The MHOST method tends to achieve a higher degree of accuracy for course models than does the stiffness method implemented by MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA. The two integrated force methods, which bestow simultaneous emphasis on stress equilibrium and strain compatibility, yield accurate solutions with fewer elements in a model. The full potential of these new integrated force methods remains largely unexploited, and they hold the promise of spawning new finite element structural analysis tools.

Patnaik, Surya N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Surgical force detection probe

The development progress of a precision electro-mechanical instrument which allows the detection and documentation of the forces and moment applied to human tissue during surgery (under actual operation room conditions), is reported. The pen-shaped prototype probe which measures 1/2 inch in diameter and 7 inches in length was fabricated using an aerodynamic balance. The aerodynamic balance, a standard wind tunnel force and moment sensing transducer, measures the forces and the moments transmitted through the surgeon's hand to the human tissue during surgery. The prototype probe which was fabricated as a development tool was tested successfully. The final version of the surgical force detection probe will be designed based on additional laboratory tests in order to establish the full scale loads. It is expected that the final product will require a simplified aerodynamic balance with two or three force components and one moment component with lighter full scale loads. A signal conditioner was fabricated to process and display the outputs from the prototype probe. This unit will be interfaced with a PC-based data system to provide automatic data acquisition, data processing, and graphics display. The expected overall accuracy of the probe is better than one percent full scale.

Tcheng, Ping↗

NASA NTRS1992

A 6 degree-of-freedom Lorentz force vibration isolator with nonlinear controller

This program demonstrated the technical feasibility of constructing large-stroke magnetic suspensions that can meet the active vibration isolation requirements of Space Station. These requirements include: (1) strokes over 1 cm in all directions, (2) actuator bandwidths over 100 Hz, (3) isolator roll-off frequencies below 10(exp -2) Hertz, and (4) force capability over 1 Newton in all axes. The 100 Hz actuator bandwidth allows the suspension to reject any direct force disturbances that act on the microgravity experiment, for example forces created by cable connections. The low isolator roll-off frequency and large stroke allow the magnetic suspension to isolate the microgravity experiment from Space Station vibrations above the roll-off frequency. The capability to meet these requirements was demonstrated by designing, constructing and testing a six-degree-of-freedom, prototype magnetic suspension system that featured high-performance, Lorentz-force actuators and full multi-input, multi-output control. This prototype suspension is designed to isolate large orbiter locker experiments under typical spacecraft constraints of size, weight, and power. Suspension in the full six-degrees-of-freedom was successfully demonstrated in this program while using a gravity-force unload mechanism to simulate a space environment. The prototype isolator is capable of space-based isolation service with relatively minor modification. The use of advanced, nonlinear control algorithms were investigated on a specially designed single-degree-of-freedom testbed. This low acceleration test facility simulates the Space Station vibration isolation problem in a single horizontal axis with low-friction, air-slide support. This allowed testing at the desired microgravity levels, without the gravity bias effects that are seen in a full six-degrees-of-freedom suspension. Precision components were used to reduce residual accelerations to microgravity levels so that the effects of sensor, actuator, and electronic noise could be evaluated. During the Phase 2 program, this testbed was used to demonstrate the advantages of nonlinear control algorithms to provide increased vibration isolation performance.

Fenn, Ralph↗

NASA NTRS1991

On the remote forcing of the circulation in the Bay of Bengal

The paper presents a hypothesis that the remote forcing is one of the mechanisms that determine the semiannual reversal of the upper ocean circulation in the Bay of Bengal. A simple reduced-gravity oceanic model is used to explain the hypothesis. Three numerical experiments have been performed to compare the oceanic responses to a remote forcing, a local forcing, and a combined forcing. It is found that the long Rossby waves excited by the remotely forced Kelvin waves contribute substantially to the variability of the local circulation. This research indicates that equatorial Kelvin waves are one of the major factors determining the circulation in the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean.

Yu, Lisan↗