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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 343 records · Page 19

A test method to measure the response of composite materials under reversed cyclic loads

A test method to measure the response of composite materials under reversed cyclic loads is described. The method approximates the long-term response of a component by permitting the composite specimen to respond to the imposed loads and fail in an unconstrained mode rather than in a constrained mode. The method has been successfully used for the reversed cyclic loading of unnotched and notched graphite/epoxy and graphite/PEEK laminates of various stacking sequences. Included in the paper are monotonic tensile and compressive stiffness and strength data at several points in the fatigue lifetime, and damage development information obtained via X-ray radiography for quasi-isotropic T300/5208 and AS4/PEEK laminates with unloaded circular holes.

Bakis, Charles E.↗

Acoustic fatigue life prediction for non-linear structures

Using an approach based on a time domain analysis, a method of equivalent linearization is applied for an estimation of the strain response of complex nonlinear structures having nearly arbitrary complexity. Fatigue lives estimated for a nonlinear beam with random excitation using the approximate method were compared with results obtained using a conventional numerical simulation, yielding nearly identical results.

Sun, J. Q.↗

An Integrated Low-Speed Performance and Noise Prediction Methodology for Subsonic Aircraft

An integrated methodology has been assembled to compute the engine performance, takeoff and landing trajectories, and community noise levels for a subsonic commercial aircraft. Where feasible, physics-based noise analysis methods have been used to make the results more applicable to newer, revolutionary designs and to allow for a more direct evaluation of new technologies. The methodology is intended to be used with approximation methods and risk analysis techniques to allow for the analysis of a greater number of variable combinations while retaining the advantages of physics-based analysis. Details of the methodology are described and limited results are presented for a representative subsonic commercial aircraft.

Olson, E. D.↗

Light scattering by an arbitrary particle - The scattering-order formulation of the coupled-dipole method

The field scattered by an arbitrary particle modeled as an array of coupled dipoles can be expressed as an infinite series in terms of scattering orders. The fields of a given scattering order can be calculated from those of the previous order. When the series converge, the approximate method agrees well with the exact theory for a sphere. The maximum size of the dipolar array that can be used with the method as well as the number of terms required for convergence depends on the relative refractive index and the shape of the particle.

Singham, Shermila Brito↗

Continuum Absorption Coefficient of Atoms and Ions

The rate of heat transfer to the heat shield of a Jupiter probe has been estimated to be one order of magnitude higher than any previously experienced in an outer space exploration program. More than one-third of this heat load is due to an emission of continuum radiation from atoms and ions. The existing computer code for calculating the continuum contribution to the total load utilizes a modified version of Biberman's approximate method. The continuum radiation absorption cross sections of a C - H - O - N ablation system were examined in detail. The present computer code was evaluated and updated by being compared with available exact and approximate calculations and correlations of experimental data. A detailed calculation procedure, which can be applied to other atomic species, is presented. The approximate correlations can be made to agree with the available exact and experimental data.

Armaly, B. F.↗

Convolution-controlled rotation and scale invariance in optical correlation

A method is presented for evoking a controlled, continuously-variable degree of rotation- and scale-invariance in optical correlation; the method is suitable for off-line computation of filters, though not for real-time computation. While a closed-form solution for the blur kernels has thus far evaded solution, a digital approximation method has been presented. A simulated correlation run with real, frame-grabbed imagery has indicated the method's desired performance. These Gaussian blur kernels can be replaced with box-car kernels or other blur kernels suitable for the given correlation-task.

Juday, Richard D.↗

Size-reduction techniques for the determination of efficient aeroservoelastic models

Size-reduction techniques for determining efficient time-domain state-space aeroservoelastic models are presented. Various rational function approximation methods of the unsteady aerodynamic force coefficients are brought to a common motion, emphasizing their differences. Among these, the classic Roger's method is the easier to apply but its resulting number of aerodynamic states is typically equal to or larger than the number of structural states. On the other hand, the minimum-state (MS) method, which typically reduces the number of aerodynamic states by 70 percent or more, requires the solution of an iterative nonlinear least-square solution. The MS computational efforts are reduced significantly when three approximation constraints are applied.

Karpel, Mordechay↗

A theoretical investigation of the effect of partial wing lift of hydrodynamic landing characteristics of V-bottom seaplanes in step impacts

A theoretical investigation is made of the loads and motions in water-landing impacts of wide prismatic V-bottom seaplanes for constant partial wing-lift conditions where the resultant velocity of the seaplane is normal to the keel. An approximate method is given for applying the results of this investigation to the more general case of oblique impact. The increase in vertical hydrodynamic load factor due to wing-lift reduction is shown to be approximately 133 percent of the decrease in air load.

HYDRODYNAMIC THEORY↗

Calculations of Laminar Heat Transfer Around Cylinders of Arbitrary Cross Section and Transpiration-Cooled Walls with Application to Turbine Blade Cooling

An approximate method for development of flow and thermal boundary layers in laminar regime on cylinders with arbitrary cross section and transpiration-cooled walls is obtained by use of Karman's integrated momentum equation and an analogous heat-flow equation. Incompressible flow with constant property values throughout boundary layer is assumed. Shape parameters for approximated velocity and temperature profiles and functions necessary for solution of boundary-layer equations are presented as charts, reducing calculations to a minimum. The method is applied to determine local heat-transfer coefficients and surface temperature-cooled turbine blades for a given flow rate. Coolant flow distributions necessary for maintaining uniform blade temperatures are also determined.

TURBINE COOLING↗

Score-based deterministic density sampling

We propose a deterministic sampling framework using Score-Based Transport Modeling for sampling an unnormalized target density π given only its score ∇ log π. Our method approximates the Wasserstein gradient flow on KL($f_t$∥π) by learning the time-varying score ∇ log $f_t$ on the fly using score matching. While having the same marginal distribution as Langevin dynamics, our method produces smooth deterministic trajectories, resulting in monotone noise-free convergence. We prove that our method dissipates relative entropy at the same rate as the exact gradient flow, provided sufficient training. Numerical experiments validate our theoretical findings: our method converges at the optimal rate, has smooth trajectories, and is often more sample efficient than its stochastic counterpart. Experiments on high-dimensional image data show that our method produces high-quality generations in as few as 15 steps and exhibits natural exploratory behavior. The memory and runtime scale linearly in the sample size.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Methods for analysis of cracks in three-dimensional solids

Analytical and numerical methods evaluating the stress-intensity factors for three-dimensional cracks in solids are presented, with reference to fatigue failure in aerospace structures. The exact solutions for embedded elliptical and circular cracks in infinite solids, and the approximate methods, including the finite-element, the boundary-integral equation, the line-spring models, and the mixed methods are discussed. Among the mixed methods, the superposition of analytical and finite element methods, the stress-difference, the discretization-error, the alternating, and the finite element-alternating methods are reviewed. Comparison of the stress-intensity factor solutions for some three-dimensional crack configurations showed good agreement. Thus, the choice of a particular method in evaluating the stress-intensity factor is limited only to the availability of resources and computer programs.

Raju, I. S.↗

A rapid method for the approximate determination of nonlinear solutions Application to aerodynamic flows

A method for determining highly accurate approximations to families of strongly nonlinear solutions which are either continuous or discontinuous, and which represent variations in some arbitrary parameters, is developed and evaluated. The procedure consists of defining a unit perturbation by employing two or more nonlinear solutions which differ from one another by a nominal change in some geometric or flow parameter, and then using that unit perturbation to predict a family of related nonlinear solutions over a range of parameter variation. Coordinate straining is used in determining the unit perturbation to account for the movement of discontinuities and maxima of high-gradient regions due to the perturbation. Although the procedure is generally applicable, results are presented here for nonlinear aerodynamic applications. Attention is focused in particular on transonic flows which are strongly supercritical and exhibit large surface shock movement over the parametric range studied; and on subsonic flows which display large pressure variations in the stagnation and peak suction pressure regions. Flows past both isolated airfoils and compressor cascades involving a variety of flow and geometry parameter changes are considered. Comparisons with the corresponding 'exact' nonlinear solutions indicate a remarkable accuracy and range of validity of such a procedure. Computational time is trivial.

Stahara, S. S.↗

Hypersonic ionizing air viscous shock-layer flows over nonanalytic blunt bodies

The equations which govern the viscous shock-layer flow are presented and the method by which the equations are solved is discussed. The predictions of the present finite-difference method are compared with other numerical predictions as well as with experimental data. The principal emphasis is placed on predictions of the viscous flowfield for the windward plane of symmetry of the space shuttle orbiter and other axisymmetric bodies which approximate the shuttle orbiter geometry. Experimental data on two slender sphere-cones at hypersonic conditions are also considered. The present predictions agreed well with experimental data and with the past predictions. Substantial differences were found between present predictions and more approximate methods.

Miner, E. W.↗

Spline-based Rayleigh-Ritz methods for the approximation of the natural modes of vibration for flexible beams with tip bodies

Rayleigh-Ritz methods for the approximation of the natural modes for a class of vibration problems involving flexible beams with tip bodies using subspaces of piecewise polynomial spline functions are developed. An abstract operator theoretic formulation of the eigenvalue problem is derived and spectral properties investigated. The existing theory for spline-based Rayleigh-Ritz methods applied to elliptic differential operators and the approximation properties of interpolatory splines are useed to argue convergence and establish rates of convergence. An example and numerical results are discussed.

Rosen, I. G.↗

Spline-based Rayleigh-Ritz methods for the approximation of the natural modes of vibration for flexible beams with tip bodies

Rayleigh-Ritz methods for the approximation of the natural modes for a class of vibration problems involving flexible beams with tip bodies using subspaces of piecewise polynomial spline functions are developed. An abstract operator-theoretic formulation of the eigenvalue problem is derived and spectral properties investigated. The existing theory for spline-based Rayleigh-Ritz methods applied to elliptic differential operators and the approximation properties of interpolatory splines are used to argue convergence and establish rates of convergence. An example and numerical results are discussed.

Rosen, I. G.↗

Low-frequency sound propagation modeling over a locally-reacting boundary using the parabolic approximation

There is substantial interest in the analytical and numerical modeling of low-frequency, long-range atmospheric acoustic propagation. Ray-based models, because of frequency limitations, do not always give an adequate prediction of quantities such as sound pressure or intensity levels. However, the parabolic approximation method, widely used in ocean acoustics, and often more accurate than ray models for lower frequencies of interest, can be applied to acoustic propagation in the atmosphere. Modifications of an existing implicit finite-difference implementation for computing solutions to the parabolic approximation are discussed. A locally-reacting boundary is used together with a one-parameter impedance model. Intensity calculations are performed for a number of flow resistivity values in both quiescent and windy atmospheres. Variations in the value of this parameter are shown to have substantial effects on the spatial variation of the acoustic signal.

Robertson, J. S.↗

Methods for analysis of cracks in three-dimensional solids

Various methods used for determining stress-intensity factors for cracked three-dimensional bodies are reviewed. The review is limited to the determination of mode-I stress-intensity factors. Some exact solutions for cracks in infinite solids are presented, and various approximate methods that have been used for the solution of the boundary-value problem of finite solids with cracks are addressed. The techniques used to extract the stress-intensity factors from these solutions are considered, and various methods used to calculate the stress-intensity factors for through-the-thickness cracks, semielliptical surface cracks, and quarter-elliptical corner cracks at holes are compared for the case of remote tensile loading.

Raju, I. S.↗

Design of centrifugal impeller blades

This paper restricts itself to radial impellers with cylindrical blades since, as Prasil has shown, the flow about an arbitrarily curved surface of revolution may be reduced to this normal form we have chosen by a relatively simple conformal transformation. This method starts from the simple hypotheses of the older centrifugal impeller theory by first assuming an impeller with an infinite number of blades. How the flow is then modified is then investigated. For the computation of flow for a finite number of blades, the approximation method as developed by Munk, Prandtl and Birnbaum, or Glauert is found suitable. The essential idea of this method is to replace the wing by a vortex sheet and compute the flow as the field of these vortices. The shape of the blades is then obtained from the condition that the flow must be along the surface of the blade.

Betz, A↗