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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

Modifying real convolutional codes for protecting digital filtering systems

A novel method is proposed for protecting digital filters from temporary and permanent failures that are not easily detected by conventional fault-tolerant computer design principles, on the basis of the error-detecting properties of real convolutional codes. Erroneous behavior is detected by externally comparing the calculated and regenerated parity samples. Great simplifications are obtainable by modifying the code structure to yield simplified parity channels with finite impulse response structures. A matrix equation involving the original parity values of the code and the polynomial of the digital filter's transfer function is formed, and row manipulations separate this equation into a set of homogeneous equations constraining the modifying scaling coefficients and another set which defines the code parity values' implementation.

Redinbo, G. R.↗

Program For Analysis Of Metal-Matrix Composites

METCAN (METal matrix Composite ANalyzer) is computer program used to simulate computationally nonlinear behavior of high-temperature metal-matrix composite structural components in specific applications, providing comprehensive analyses of thermal and mechanical performances. Written in FORTRAN 77.

Murthy, P. L. N.↗

Computational Methods for Failure Analysis and Life Prediction

This conference publication contains the presentations and discussions from the joint UVA/NASA Workshop on Computational Methods for Failure Analysis and Life Prediction held at NASA Langley Research Center 14-15 Oct. 1992. The presentations focused on damage failure and life predictions of polymer-matrix composite structures. They covered some of the research activities at NASA Langley, NASA Lewis, Southwest Research Institute, industry, and universities. Both airframes and propulsion systems were considered.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗

NASA's Reusable Launch Vehicle Technologies: A Composite Materials Overview

A materials overview of the NASA's Earth-to-Orbit Space Transportation Program is presented. The topics discussed are: Earth-to-Orbit Goals and Challenges; Space Transportation Program Structure; Generations of Reusable Launch Vehicles; Space Transportation Derived Requirements; X 34 Demonstrator; Fastrac Engine System; Airframe Systems; Propulsion Systems; Cryotank Structures; Advanced Materials, Fabrication, Manufacturing, & Assembly; Hot and Cooled Airframe Structures; Ceramic Matrix Composites; Ultra-High Temp Polymer Matrix Composites; Metal Matrix Composites; and PMC Lines Ducts and Valves.

Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗

Project - line interaction implementing projects in JPL's Matrix

Can programmatic and line organizations really work interdependently, to accomplish their work as a community? Does the matrix produce a culture in which individuals take personal responsibility for both immediate mission success and long-term growth? What is the secret to making a matrix enterprise actually work? This paper will consider those questions, and propose that developing an effective project-line partnership demands primary attention to personal interactions among people. Many potential problems can be addressed by careful definition of roles, responsibilities, and work processes for both parts of the matrix -- and by deliberate and clear communication between project and line organizations and individuals.

project line partnership↗

Hypervelocity Impact Experiments on Epoxy/Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Composite Panels Reinforced with Nanotubes

Advanced composites with multi-functional capabilities are of great interest to the designers of aerospace structures. Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) reinforced with high strength fibers provide a lightweight and high strength alternative to metals and metal alloys conventionally used in aerospace architectures. Novel reinforcements such as nanofillers offer potential to improve the mechanical properties and add multi-functionality such as radiation resistance and sensing capabilities to the PMCs. This paper reports the hypervelocity impact (HVI) test results on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber composites reinforced with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT). Woven UHMWPE fabrics, in addition to providing excellent impact properties and high strength, also offer radiation resistance due to inherent high hydrogen content. SWCNT have exceptional mechanical and electrical properties. BNNT (figure 1) have high neutron cross section and good mechanical properties that add multi-functionality to this system. In this project, epoxy based UHMWPE composites containing SWCNT and BNNT are assessed for their use as bumper shields and as intermediate plates in a Whipple Shield for HVI resistance. Three composite systems are prepared to compare against one another: (I) Epoxy/UHMWPE, (II) Epoxy/UHMWPE/SWCNT and (III) Epoxy/UHMWPE/SWCNT/BNNT. Each composite is a 10.0 by 10.0 by 0.11 cm3 panel, consisting of 4 layers of fabrics arranged in cross-ply orientation. Both SWCNT and BNNT are 0.5 weight % of the fabric preform. Hypervelocity impact tests are performed using a two-stage light gas gun at Rice University

Khatiwada, Suman↗

High Strength Ceramic Fibers and Methods of Fabrication

A method and apparatus for forming a plurality of fibers from (e.g., CVD) precursors, including a reactor adapted to grow a plurality of individual fibers; and a plurality of independently controllable lasers, each laser of the plurality of lasers growing a respective fiber. A high performance fiber (HPF) structure, including a plurality of fibers arranged in the structure; a matrix disposed between the fibers; wherein a multilayer coating is provided along the surfaces of at least some of the fibers with an inner layer region having a sheet-like strength; and an outer layer region, having a particle-like strength, such that any cracks propagating toward the outer layer from the matrix propagate along the outer layer and back into the matrix, thereby preventing the cracks from approaching the fibers. A method of forming an interphase in a ceramic matrix composite material having a plurality of SiC fibers, which maximizes toughness by minimizing fiber to fiber bridging, including arranging a plurality of SiC fibers into a preform; selectively removing (e.g., etching) silicon out of the surface of the fibers resulting in a porous carbon layer on the fibers; and replacing the porous carbon layer with an interphase layer (e.g., Boron Nitride), which coats the fibers to thereby minimize fiber to fiber bridging in the preform.

Pegna, Joseph↗

Threaded Operations on Sparse Matrices

We investigate the use of sparse matrices and OpenMP multi-threading on linear algebra operations involving them. Several sparse matrix data structures are presented. Implementation of the multi- threading primarily occurs in the level one and two BLAS functions used within the four algorithms investigated{the Power Method, Conjugate Gradient, Biconjugate Gradient, and Jacobi's Method. The bene ts of launching threads once per high level algorithm are explored.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION OF CALCULATED FUEL TEMPERATURE FOR AGR-3/4 IRRADIATION EXPERIMENT

The third in a series of Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) experiments conducted at the Idaho National Laboratory, AGR-3/4, was completed in April 2014, resulting in irradiation of the tristructural isotropic fuel for 369 effective full power days. A number of designed-to-fail fuel particles were embedded along the central line of each irradiated compact to provide a known source of fission products for subsequent transport through the compact matrix and structural graphite materials. The fuel temperature in each capsule during irradiation, a significant factor in the release and transport of fission products, was maintained within a predefined range representative of a high temperature gas reactor. Fuel temperatures were not measured directly because contact between a thermocouple and the fuel could lead to unwanted particle failures. An ABAQUS-based finite element heat transfer code, calibrated based on temperatures measured in the surrounding graphite rings, was used to predict fuel temperatures during irradiation. To quantify the uncertainty of calculated fuel temperatures, thermal model parameters with high sensitivity and/or large uncertainty were identified. Propagation of model parameter uncertainty and sensitivity is then used to quantify the overall uncertainty of calculated temperatures. Quantification of input uncertainties over the extended irradiation period of the AGR-3/4 experiment is a challenging task due to changes in capsule thermal properties and geometry caused by exposure to neutron irradiation at high temperatures. In the absence of direct measurements or complete knowledge about these changes, inputs to thermal model and associated uncertainties are estimated based on modeling assumptions and expert judgment. Unplanned events that occurred during irradiation contribute to input uncertainties as well. For example, shrinkage of fuel compact and graphite rings led to significant increase in the gap size uncertainties. This paper focuses on uncertainty quantification of calculated fuel temperature for AGR-3/4 capsule thermal models.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Monodisperse porous polymer particles containing macrocyclic ether as a new class of sorbent for SR(II) separation

Strontium{sup 90} is one of the typical fission products that may be found in high level liquid waste (HLLW). Separation of Sr{sup 90} prior to the vitrification is beneficial to the final treatment of solid radioactive waste. In this study, a new class of sorbent for Sr(II) was developed by loading the macrocyclic ether DtBuCH18C6 into the monodisperse porous polymer particles (MPPPs). The MPPPs are well-known as a promising chromatographic material due to the uniform particle size, porous morphology, good compatibility with organic extractants, and rigid matrix. The structure and micro-morphology of the sorbent particles were characterized. The adsorption behavior towards Sr(II) in HNO{sub 3} media was investigated by both batch and column experiments. High adsorption efficiency and selective separation of Sr(II) was obtained. The sorbent particles can be recycled for at least several times before obvious lose of the adsorption ability. This kind of sorbent possesses the potential to be used for strontium separation in radioactive liquid waste.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Symmetry-Based Structured Matrices for Efficient Approximately Equivariant Networks

There has been much recent interest in designing symmetry-aware neural networks (NNs) exhibiting relaxed equivariance. Such NNs aim to interpolate between being exactly equivariant and being fully flexible, affording consistent performance benefits. In a separate line of work, certain structured parameter matrices -- those with displacement structure, characterized by low displacement rank (LDR) -- have been used to design small-footprint NNs. Displacement structure enables fast function and gradient evaluation, but permits accurate approximations via compression primarily to classical convolutional neural networks (CNNs). In this work, we propose a general framework -- based on a novel construction of symmetry-based structured matrices -- to build approximately equivariant NNs with significantly reduced parameter counts. Our framework integrates the two aforementioned lines of work via the use of so-called Group Matrices (GMs), a forgotten precursor to the modern notion of regular representations of finite groups. GMs allow the design of structured matrices -- resembling LDR matrices -- which generalize the linear operations of a classical CNN from cyclic groups to general finite groups and their homogeneous spaces. We show that GMs can be employed to extend all the elementary operations of CNNs to general discrete groups. Further, the theory of structured matrices based on GMs provides a generalization of LDR theory focussed on matrices with cyclic structure, providing a tool for implementing approximate equivariance for discrete groups. We test GM-based architectures on a variety of tasks in the presence of relaxed symmetry. We report that our framework consistently performs competitively compared to approximately equivariant NNs, and other structured matrix-based compression frameworks, sometimes with a one or two orders of magnitude lower parameter count.

Samudre, Ashwin↗

Novel matrix resins for composites for aircraft primary structures, phase 1

The objective of the contract is the development of matrix resins with improved processability and properties for composites for primarily aircraft structures. To this end, several resins/systems were identified for subsonic and supersonic applications. For subsonic aircraft, a series of epoxy resins suitable for RTM and powder prepreg was shown to give composites with about 40 ksi compressive strength after impact (CAI) and 200 F/wet mechanical performance. For supersonic applications, a thermoplastic toughened cyanate prepreg system has demonstrated excellent resistance to heat aging at 360 F for 4000 hours, 40 ksi CAI and useful mechanical properties at greater than or equal to 310 F. An AB-BCB-maleimide resin was identified as a leading candidate for the HSCT. Composite panels fabricated by RTM show CAI of approximately 50 ksi, 350 F/wet performance and excellent retention of mechanical properties after aging at 400 F for 4000 hours.

Woo, Edmund P.↗

An Analysis of Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques for Polymer Matrix Composite Sandwich Materials

Structural sandwich materials composed of triaxially braided polymer matrix composite material face sheets sandwiching a foam core are being utilized for applications including aerospace components and recreational equipment. Since full scale components are being made from these sandwich materials, it is necessary to develop proper inspection practices for their manufacture and in-field use. Specifically, nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques need to be investigated for analysis of components made from these materials. Hockey blades made from sandwich materials and a flat sandwich sample were examined with multiple NDE techniques including thermographic, radiographic, and shearographic methods to investigate damage induced in the blades and flat panel components. Hockey blades used during actual play and a flat polymer matrix composite sandwich sample with damage inserted into the foam core were investigated with each technique. NDE images from the samples were presented and discussed. Structural elements within each blade were observed with radiographic imaging. Damaged regions and some structural elements of the hockey blades were identified with thermographic imaging. Structural elements, damaged regions, and other material variations were detected in the hockey blades with shearography. Each technique s advantages and disadvantages were considered in making recommendations for inspection of components made from these types of materials.

Cosgriff, Laura M.↗

Material and structural studies of metal and polymer matrix composites

Fiber-reinforced composites and design analysis methods for these materials are being developed because of the vast potential of composites for decreasing weight and/or increasing use temperature capability in aerospace systems. These composites have potential for use in airbreathing engine components as well as aeronautical and space vehicle structures. Refractory wire-superalloy composites for use up to 2200 F or more and metal-matrix composites for lower temperature applications such as aerospace structures and turbojet fan and compressor blades are under investigation and are discussed. The development of a number of resin systems, including the polyimides and polyphenylquinoxalines, is described and their potential for use at temperatures approaching 315 C (600 F) is indicated. Various molecular modifications that improve processability and/or increase thermal and oxidative resistance of the resins are also described. Structural analysis methods are discussed for determining the stresses and deformations in complex composite systems. Consideration is also given to residual stresses resulting from the curing process and to the foreign object damage problem in fan blade applications.

Signorelli, R. A.↗

A NASTRAN DMAP alter for determining a local stiffness modification to obtain a specified eigenvalue

A technique is described which has been programmed as a DMAP Alter to Rigid Format 3, for determining a stiffness matrix modification to obtain a specified eigenvalue for a structure. The stiffness matrix modifications allowable are those that can be described as the product of a single scalar variable and a matrix of constant coefficients input by the user. The program solves for the scalar variable multiplier which will yield a specified eigenvalue for the complete structure (provided it exists), makes the modification to the stiffness matrix, and proceeds in Rigid Format 3 to obtain the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the modified structure.

Case, W. R., Jr.↗

Probing nanopore structure and confined fluid behavior in shale matrix: A review on small-angle neutron scattering studies

Although continued growth in unconventional oil and gas production is generally projected, its long-term growth potential and sustainability have significant uncertainties. A critical problem is the low hydrocarbon recovery rates from shale and other tight formations using the horizontal well drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques: < 10% for tight oil and ~ 20% for shale gas. Moreover, the production rate for a given well typically declines rapidly within one year. The low recoveries and declining production of shale oil and gas reservoirs are apparently related to the small porosity (a few to a few hundred nm) and low permeability (10 –16 –10 –20 m 2 ) of shale matrix, which make the enclosed hydrocarbon fluids difficult to access. Furthermore, to enhance the hydrocarbon recovery from shale matrix, it is essential to study its nanopore structure and confined fluid behavior.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗