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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 325 records · Page 18

Vibration and Operational Characteristics of a Composite-Steel (Hybrid) Gear

Hybrid gears have been tested consisting of metallic gear teeth and shafting connected by composite web. Both free vibration and dynamic operation tests were completed at the NASA Glenn Spur Gear Fatigue Test Facility, comparing these hybrid gears to their steel counterparts. The free vibration tests indicated that the natural frequency of the hybrid gear was approximately 800 Hz lower than the steel test gear. The dynamic vibration tests were conducted at five different rotational speeds and three levels of torque in a four square test configuration. The hybrid gears were tested both as fabricated (machined, composite layup, then composite cure) and after regrinding the gear teeth to the required aerospace tolerance. The dynamic vibration tests indicated that the level of vibration for either type of gearing was sensitive to the level of load and rotational speed.

Handschuh, Robert F.↗

Rovibrational Spectroscopic Constants and Fundamental Vibrational Frequencies for Isotopologues of Cyclic and Bent Singlet HC2N isomers

Through established, highly-accurate ab initio quartic force fields (QFFs), a complete set of fundamental vibrational frequencies, rotational constants, and rovibrational coupling and centrifugal distortion constants have been determined for both the cyclic 1(sup 1) 1A' and bent 2(sup 1)A' DCCN, H(C13)CCN, HC(C-13)N, and HCC(N-15) isotopologues of HCCN. Spectroscopic constants are computed for all isotopologues using second-order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2), and the fundamental vibrational frequencies are computed with VPT2 and vibrational configuration interaction (VCI) theory. Agreement between VPT2 and VCI results is quite good with the fundamental vibrational frequencies of the bent isomer isotopologues in accord to within a 0.1 to 3.2 / cm range. Similar accuracies are present for the cyclic isomer isotopologues. The data generated here serve as a reference for astronomical observations of these closed-shell, highly-dipolar molecules using new, high-resolution telescopes and as reference for laboratory studies where isotopic labeling may lead to elucidation of the formation mechanism for the known interstellar molecule: X 3A0 HCCN.

molecular data↗

Balancing Vibrations at Harmonic Frequencies by Injecting Harmonic Balancing Signals into the Armature of a Linear Motor/Alternator Coupled to a Stirling Machine

Vibrations at harmonic frequencies are reduced by injecting harmonic balancing signals into the armature of a linear motor/alternator coupled to a Stirling machine. The vibrations are sensed to provide a signal representing the mechanical vibrations. A harmonic balancing signal is generated for selected harmonics of the operating frequency by processing the sensed vibration signal with adaptive filter algorithms of adaptive filters for each harmonic. Reference inputs for each harmonic are applied to the adaptive filter algorithms at the frequency of the selected harmonic. The harmonic balancing signals for all of the harmonics are summed with a principal control signal. The harmonic balancing signals modify the principal electrical drive voltage and drive the motor/alternator with a drive voltage component in opposition to the vibration at each harmonic.

Holliday, Ezekiel S.↗

Investigation of Gearbox Vibration Transmission Paths on Gear Condition Indicator Performance

Helicopter health monitoring systems use vibration signatures generated from damaged components to identify transmission faults. For damaged gears, these signatures relate to changes in dynamics due to the meshing of the damaged tooth. These signatures, referred to as condition indicators (CI), can perform differently when measured on different systems, such as a component test rig, or a full-scale transmission test stand, or an aircraft. These differences can result from dissimilarities in systems design and environment under dynamic operating conditions. The static structure can also filter the response between the vibration source and the accelerometer, when the accelerometer is installed on the housing. To assess the utility of static vibration transfer paths for predicting gear CI performance, measurements were taken on the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Test Rig. The vibration measurements were taken to determine the effect of torque, accelerometer location and gearbox design on accelerometer response. Measurements were taken at the housing and compared while impacting the gear set near mesh. These impacts were made at gear mesh to simulate gear meshing dynamics. Data measured on a helicopter gearbox installed in a static fixture were also compared to the test rig. The behavior of the structure under static conditions was also compared to CI values calculated under dynamic conditions. Results indicate that static vibration transfer path measurements can provide some insight into spiral bevel gear CI performance by identifying structural characteristics unique to each system that can affect specific CI response.

Dempsey, Paula J.↗

Three-Dimensional Vibration Isolator for Suppressing High-Frequency Responses for Sage III Contamination Monitoring Package (CMP)

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) III - International Space Station (ISS) instrument will be used to study ozone, providing global, long-term measurements of key components of the Earth's atmosphere for the continued health of Earth and its inhabitants. SAGE III is launched into orbit in an inverted configuration on SpaceX;s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. As one of its four supporting elements, a Contamination Monitoring Package (CMP) mounted to the top panel of the Interface Adapter Module (IAM) box experiences high-frequency response due to structural coupling between the two structures during the SpaceX launch. These vibrations, which were initially observed in the IAM Engineering Development Unit (EDU) test and later verified through finite element analysis (FEA) for the SpaceX launch loads, may damage the internal electronic cards and the Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalance (TQCM) sensors mounted on the CMP. Three-dimensional (3D) vibration isolators were required to be inserted between the CMP and IAM interface in order to attenuate the high frequency vibrations without resulting in any major changes to the existing system. Wire rope isolators were proposed as the isolation system between the CMP and IAM due to the low impact to design. Most 3D isolation systems are designed for compression and roll, therefore little dynamic data was available for using wire rope isolators in an inverted or tension configuration. From the isolator FEA and test results, it is shown that by using the 3D wire rope isolators, the CMP high-frequency responses have been suppressed by several orders of magnitude over a wide excitation frequency range. Consequently, the TQCM sensor responses are well below their qualification environments. It is indicated that these high-frequency responses due to the typical instrument structural coupling can be significantly suppressed by a vibration passive control using the 3D vibration isolator. Thermal and contamination issues were also examined during the isolator selection period for meeting the SAGE III-ISS instrument requirements.

Li, Y.↗

Passive Wireless Vibration Sensing for Measuring Aerospace Structural Flutter

To reduce energy consumption, emissions, and noise, NASA is exploring the use of high aspect ratio wings on subsonic aircraft. Because high aspect ratio wings are susceptible to flutter events, NASA is also investigating methods of flutter detection and suppression. In support of that work a new remote, non-contact method for measuring flutter-induced vibrations has been developed. The new sensing scheme utilizes a microwave reflectometer to monitor the reflected response from an aeroelastic structure to ultimately characterize structural vibrations. To demonstrate the ability of microwaves to detect flutter vibrations, a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite panel was vibrated at various frequencies from 1Hz to 130Hz. The reflectometer response was found to closely resemble the sinusoidal response as measured with an accelerometer up to 100 Hz. The data presented demonstrate that microwaves can be used to measure flutter-induced aircraft vibrations.

Wilson, William C.↗

Spacecraft Vibration Testing: Benefits and Potential Issues

JPL has traditionally performed system level vibration testing of flight spacecraft. The benefits and potential issues of fully assembled flight spacecraft vibration testing are discussed herein. The following specific topics, which may be complementary to the special session on “Virtual Vibration Testing,” are discussed: spacecraft workmanship, functional and structural integrity testing to uncover workmanship problems, force- and moment-limited vibration testing, potential issues with structural frequency identification using base shake test data, and several failures related to vibration shaker testing. The information provided in this paper is complementary to the special session on “Virtual Shaker Testing,’ and attention is given to issues that virtual shaker testing may face.

Kolaini, Ali R.↗

Surface Vibration Measurement and Analysis for UAM/UAS Electric Motor Noise

Urban Air Mobility vehicles are an emerging class of vertical lift vehicles using electric motors to drive multiple rotors for lift. The outrunner electric motors that are commonly used, may be capable of generating noise that could contribute to the vehicle’s overall noise profile and could generate cabin noise. Understanding and predicting the noise requires more knowledge of the rotor vibrations and eventually a model to predict the frequencies of those vibrations. This work presents a measurement of the rotor vibrations of two different small-scale motors. Two techniques to measure the surface vibration were used. The displacement spectra are compared with acoustic measurements. A finite element analysis model is used to predict the rotor resonance frequencies. The predicted frequencies are in fair agreement with the experimentally observed vibration frequencies, but requires further work to understand discrepancies.

Electric Motor Noise↗

Quiet Spacecraft Cabin Ventilation Fan: Vibration Measurements Results

Quiet, efficient fans with minimal vibrations are needed to maximize the mechanical life of atmospheric revitalization system fans used for human life support systems for long duration space exploration missions. Several metal spacecraft cabin ventilation fan prototypes have been designed, built, and tested at the NASA Glenn Research Center Acoustical Testing Laboratory. Tests performed in 2021 of the first prototype of the metal fan measured vibrations greater than desired at design point speed and backpressure conditions. To try to reduce those vibrations, a second prototype of the fan design was developed which included a new lighter rotor with a tighter balance tolerance, a new collet to attach the rotor to the motor shaft more securely and repeatably, and a new bracket to center and hold the motor in the fan centerbody more precisely. The second prototype of the fan was tested in 2023 and the vibrations were measured with the fan operating at design point speeds in isolation but not throttled to design point back pressure conditions since it was not installed with inlet and exhaust ducting. Peak vibration was reduced from 4 mm/s to 1 mm/s. This paper is part of a series of reports documenting the performance of the prototype fan.

Fan↗

Overview of Integrated Random Vibration Testing of the NASA Orion Crew Survival Suit

The launch ascent and abort random vibration environments from NASA’s Orion spacecraft drove the need to test the NASA Orion Crew Survival Suit as an integrated system with exposure to the design levels. In order to properly characterize component responses, a series of integrated tests were designed to incorporate the interaction between a crew member, suit, seat, and the attenuation system. The first Development Test (2017) included human subjects, and was performed with early development seat and suit components, and low level inputs. It provided a baseline for frequency response and behavior of the integrated system. The next two tests, Development Test (2019) and Qualification Test (2020), used manikin surrogates to represent the crew member and increasing levels of component hardware fidelity in order to test to higher input levels. Testing was performed at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Vibration Labs and provided the input levels required to represent the ascent and abort vehicle profiles as well as recorded component response behavior from accelerometer instrumentation and high speed cameras. Inspection of the suit and related components showed that for all seat orientations, and input environments, no damage occurred. Additional pre and post-test checks confirmed the functionality of all suited hardware. Response data of the suited components generally showed heavy attenuation across most of the tested frequency range. Transmissibility plots showed some amplification of components at lower frequency ranges. Overall this series of integrated tests showed that 1) the use of surrogate manikins in the tests were adequate for representing crew in a vibration environment, 2) full vibration levels for ascent and abort were heavily attenuated in the suit components and were non-damaging, and 3) the suit and related components are qualified for the Orion random vibration environments.

Jeffrey D Suhey↗

Overview of Integrated Random Vibration Testing of the NASA Orion Crew Survival Suit

The launch ascent and abort random vibration environments from NASA’s Orion spacecraft drove the need to test the NASA Orion Crew Survival Suit as an integrated system with exposure to the design levels. In order to properly characterize component responses, a series of integrated tests were designed to incorporate the interaction between a crew member, suit, seat, and the attenuation system. The first Development Test (2017) included human subjects, and was performed with early development seat and suit components, and low level inputs. It provided a baseline for frequency response and behavior of the integrated system. The next two tests, Development Test (2019) and Qualification Test (2020), used manikin surrogates to represent the crew member and increasing levels of component hardware fidelity in order to test to higher input levels. Testing was performed at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Vibration Labs and provided the input levels required to represent the ascent and abort vehicle profiles as well as recorded component response behavior from accelerometer instrumentation and high speed cameras. Inspection of the suit and related components showed that for all seat orientations, and input environments, no damage occurred. Additional pre and post-test checks confirmed the functionality of all suited hardware. Response data of the suited components generally showed heavy attenuation across most of the tested frequency range. Transmissibility plots showed some amplification of components at lower frequency ranges. Overall this series of integrated tests showed that 1) the use of surrogate manikins in the tests were adequate for representing crew in a vibration environment, 2) full vibration levels for ascent and abort were heavily attenuated in the suit components and were non-damaging, and 3) the suit and related components are qualified for the Orion random vibration environments.

Jeffrey Suhey↗

Suppressing thermal transport in nonporous polymer hybrids by limiting thermally accessible vibrational modes

Achieving low thermal conductivity in nonporous polymer materials without compromising mechanical integrity remains a longstanding challenge. Conventional strategies, such as introducing porosity, are inherently limited in dense systems. Here, in this study, we demonstrate that thermal transport in polymer–organic filler hybrids is closely associated with the engineered availability of thermally accessible vibrational modes, rather than individual interfacial resistance or porosity. Using PU/organic filler hybrids as a model system, we show that incorporating rigid organic motifs shifts the vibrational density of states toward higher frequencies, where vibrational modes are weakly thermally populated at ambient conditions. This limits the number of heat-carrying channels, leading to suppressed thermal conductivity despite negligible individual interfacial resistance (∼10 −9 m 2 K W −1 ). These findings provide initial evidence that vibrational mode engineering may offer a promising molecular-level route for reducing thermal conductivity in dense polymer–organic hybrid systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Characterization of Friction Joints Subjected to High Levels of Random Vibration

This paper describes the test program in detail including test sample description, test procedures, and vibration test results of multiple test samples. The material pairs used in the experiment were Aluminum-Aluminum, Aluminum- Dicronite coated Aluminum, and Aluminum-Plasmadize coated Aluminum. Levels of vibration for each set of twelve samples of each material pairing were gradually increased until all samples experienced substantial displacement. Data was collected on 1) acceleration in all three axes, 2) relative static displacement between vibration runs utilizing photogrammetry techniques, and 3) surface galling and contaminant generation. This data was used to estimate the values of static friction during random vibratory motion when "stick-slip" occurs and compare these to static friction coefficients measured before and after vibration testing.

aluminum↗

Protonated Nitrous Oxide, NNOH(+): Fundamental Vibrational Frequencies and Spectroscopic Constants from Quartic Force Fields

The interstellar presence of protonated nitrous oxide has been suspected for some time. Using established high-accuracy quantum chemical techniques, spectroscopic constants and fundamental vibrational frequencies are provided for the lower energy O-protonated isomer of this cation and its deuterated isotopologue. The vibrationally-averaged B0 and C0 rotational constants are within 6 MHz of their experimental values and the D(subJ) quartic distortion constants agree with experiment to within 3%. The known gas phase O−H stretch of NNOH(+) is 3330.91 cm(exp−1), and the vibrational configuration interaction computed result is 3330.9 cm(exp−1). Other spectroscopic constants are also provided, as are the rest of the fundamental vibrational frequencies for NNOH(+) and its deuterated isotopologue. This high-accuracy data should serve to better inform future observational or experimental studies of the rovibrational bands of protonated nitrous oxide in the ISM and the laboratory.

fundamental vibrational frequencies↗

Fixed Base Modal Testing Using the NASA GRC Mechanical Vibration Facility

The Space Power Facility at NASA's Plum Brook Station houses the world's largest and most powerful space environment simulation facilities, including the Mechanical Vibration Facility (MVF), which offers the world's highest-capacity multi-axis spacecraft shaker system. The MVF was designed to perform sine vibration testing of a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV)-class spacecraft with a total mass of 75,000 pounds, center of gravity (cg) height above the table of 284 inches, diameter of 18 feet, and capability of 1.25 gravity units peak acceleration in the vertical and 1.0 gravity units peak acceleration in the lateral directions. The MVF is a six-degree-of-freedom, servo-hydraulic, sinusoidal base-shake vibration system that has the advantage of being able to perform single-axis sine vibration testing of large structures in the vertical and two lateral axes without the need to reconfigure the test article for each axis. This paper discusses efforts to extend the MVF's capabilities so that it can also be used to determine fixed base modes of its test article without the need for an expensive test-correlated facility simulation.

Modal Test and Analysis↗

A Review of Noise and Vibration Control Technologies for Rotorcraft Transmissions

An expanded commercial use of rotorcraft can alleviate runway congestion and improve the accessibility of routine air travel. To date, commercial use has been hindered by excessive cabin noise. The primary noise source is structure-borne vibration originating from the main rotor gearbox. Despite significant advancements in gear design, the gear mesh tones generated often exceed 100 dB. This paper summarizes the findings of a literature survey of vibration control technologies that serve to attenuate this vibration near the source, before it spreads into the airframe and produces noise. The scope is thus limited to vibration control treatments and modifications of the gears, driveline, housing structures, and the strut connections to the airframe. The findings of the literature are summarized and persistent and unresolved issues are identified. An emphasis is placed on components and systems that have been demonstrated in flight vehicles. Then, a discussion is presented of emerging technologies that have the potential to make significant advancements over the state of the art.

cabin noise↗

Vibration Isolation System for Cryocoolers of Soft X-Ray Spectrometer (SXS) Onboard ASTRO-H (Hitomi)

Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) onboard ASTRO-H (named Hitomi after launch) is a micro-calorimeter-type spectrometer, installed in a dewar to be cooled at 50 mK. The energy resolution of the SXS engineering model suffered from micro-vibration from cryocoolers mounted on the dewar. This is mitigated for the flight model by introducing vibration isolation systems between the cryocoolers and the dewar. The detector performance of the flight model was verified before launch of the spacecraft in both ambient condition and thermal-vac condition, showing no detectable degradation in energy resolution. The in-orbit performance was also consistent with that on ground, indicating that the cryocoolers were not damaged by launch environment. The design and performance of the vibration isolation system along with the mechanism of how the micro-vibration could degrade the cryogenic detector is shown.

Microcalorimeter↗

A Review of Noise and Vibration Control Technologies for Rotorcraft Transmissions

An expanded commercial use of rotorcraft can alleviate runway congestion and improve the accessibility of routine air travel. To date, commercial use has been hindered by excessive cabin noise. The primary noise source is structure-borne vibration originating from the main rotor gearbox. Despite significant advancements in gear design, the gear mesh tones generated often exceed 100 dB. This paper summarizes the findings of a literature survey of vibration control technologies that serve to attenuate this vibration near the source, before it spreads into the airframe and produces noise. The scope is thus limited to vibration control treatments and modifications of the gears, driveline, housing structures, and the strut connections to the airframe. The findings of the literature are summarized and persistent and unresolved issues are identified. An emphasis is placed on components and systems that have been demonstrated in flight vehicles. Then, a discussion is presented of emerging technologies that have the potential to make significant advancements over the state of the art.

cabin noise↗