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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
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NASA NTRS1992

A piecewise continuous Timoshenko beam model for the dynamic analysis of tapered beam-like structures

Distributed parameter modeling offers a viable alternative to the finite element approach for modeling large flexible space structures. The introduction of the transfer matrix method into the continuum modeling process provides a very useful tool to facilitate the distributed parameter model applied to some more complex configurations. A uniform Timoshenko beam model for the estimation of the dynamic properties of beam-like structures has given comparable results. But many aeronautical and aerospace structures are comprised of non-uniform sections or sectional properties, such as aircraft wings and satellite antennas. This paper proposes a piecewise continuous Timoshenko beam model which is used for the dynamic analysis of tapered beam-like structures. A tapered beam is divided into several segments of uniform beam elements. Instead of arbitrarily assumed shape functions used in finite element analysis, the closed-form solution of the Timoshenko beam equation is used. Application of the transfer matrix method relates all the elements as a whole. By corresponding boundary conditions and compatible conditions a characteristic equation for the global tapered beam has been developed, from which natural frequencies can be derived. A computer simulation is shown in this paper, and compared with the results obtained from the finite element analysis. While piecewise continuous Timoshenko beam model decreases the number of elements significantly; comparable results to the finite element method are obtained.

Shen, Ji Yao↗
NASA NTRS1993

Accurate computation and continuation of homoclinic and heteroclinic orbits for singular perturbation problems

In earlier papers, Doedel and the authors have developed a numerical method and derived error estimates for the computation of branches of heteroclinic orbits for a system of autonomous ordinary differential equations in R(exp n). The idea of the method is to reduce a boundary value problem on the real line to a boundary value problem on a finite interval by using a local (linear or higher order) approximation of the stable and unstable manifolds. A practical limitation for the computation of homoclinic and heteroclinic orbits has been the difficulty in obtaining starting orbits. Typically these were obtained from a closed form solution or via a homotopy from a known solution. Here we consider extensions of our algorithm which allow us to obtain starting orbits on the continuation branch in a more systematic way as well as make the continuation algorithm more flexible. In applications, we use the continuation software package AUTO in combination with some initial value software. The examples considered include computation of homoclinic orbits in a singular perturbation problem and in a turbulent fluid boundary layer in the wall region problem.

Vaughan, William W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Post impact compressive behavior of composites

In this paper, the post impact compressive behavior of polymeric composites is studied both analytically and experimentally. In the analytical study, a closed-form solution is obtained for postbuckling of composites with a circular delamination. Using this solution, the reduced stiffness of the impact damaged region is calculated and the residual compressive strengths of quasi-isotropic laminates are predicted as a function of damage size. In the experimental study, in-plane displacements near the damaged region are determined by employing a micro moire interferometry technique. The strain concentrations as well as the compression-after-impact strength have been measured and compared with analytical predictions. Good agreement between the predicted results and experimental data was observed.

Lin, Kuen Y.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Theory of anisotropic thin-walled closed-cross-section beams

A variationally and asymptotically consistent theory is developed in order to derive the governing equations of anisotropic thin-walled beams with closed sections. The theory is based on an asymptotic analysis of two-dimensional shell theory. Closed-form expressions for the beam-stiffness coefficients, stress and displacement fields are provided. The influence of material anisotropy on the displacement field is identified. A comparison with the displacement fields obtained by other analytical developments is performed. The stiffness coefficients and static response are also compared with finite element predictions, closed-form solutions and test data.

Berdichevsky, Victor↗
NASA NTRS1993

Stochastic forcing of perturbation variance in unbounded shear and deformation flows

An alternative mechanism for growth and maintenance of perturbation variance - amplification in a straining flow of stochastically forced perturbations in the absence of exponential instabilities - is explored, using as examples unbounded constant shear and pure deformation flow for which closed-form solutions are available and neither of which support a nonsingular mode. With diffusive dissipation, amplification of isotropic band-limited stochastic driving is found to be unbounded for the case of pure deformation and to be bounded by a threefold increase at large shear for the case of a linear velocity profile. It is concluded that amplification of stochastic forcing in a straining field can maintain a variance field substantially more energetic than that resulting from the same forcing in the absence of a background straining flow.

Farrell, Brian F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Timoshenko beam modeling for parameter estimation of NASA Mini-Mast truss

In this paper a distributed parameter model for the estimation of modal characteristics of NASA Mini-Mast truss is proposed. A closed-form solution of the Timoshenko beam equation, for a uniform cantilevered beam with two concentrated masses, is derived so that the procedure and the computational effort for the estimation of modal characteristics are improved. A maximum likelihood estimator for the Timoshenko beam model is also developed. The resulting estimates from test data by using Timoshenko beam model are found to be comparable to those derived from other approaches.

Shen, Ji Y.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Model of brittle matrix composite toughening based on discrete fiber reinforcement

An analytical approach for the analysis of the effectiveness of fiber reinforcement in brittle matrix composites is presented. The analytical method allows consideration of discrete fiber distribution and examination of the development of crack growth parameters on microscale. The problem associated with the bridging zone development is addressed here; therefore, the bridging zone is considered to be smaller than the main preexisting crack, and the small scale approach is used. The mechanics of the reinforcement is accurately accounted for in the process zone of a growing crack. Closed form solutions characterizing the initial failure process are presented for linear and nonlinear force - fiber pullout displacement relationships. The implicit exact solution for the extended bridging zone is presented as well.

Rubinstein, Asher A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A nonlinear control design for energy sink simulation in the Euler-Poinsot problem

A nonlinear control design is presented for the purpose of quantitatively simulating the effects of internal damping mechanisms modeled as energy sinks on the attitude dynamics of rigid body spacecraft. Damping is important because it is often the driving mechanism behind passive attitude acquisition maneuvers. Introduction of the controller into the Euler attitude equations of motion allows for the explicit representation of damping without the introduction of additional degrees of freedom required for a physical damping mechanism. This result is significant because perturbation techniques which rely on the closed form solution of the unperturbed problem can then be used to analyze the effects of perturbations upon a damped system. The controller is designed to dissipate kinetic energy while maintaining the magnitude of the angular momentum vector. Control torques are nonlinear functions of the angular momentum components expressed in a body-fixed frame. A numerical simulation of an actual damping mechanism during a decay from minor axis spin into a flat spin is presented showing that the nonlinear controller gives a good qualitative representation and, in many instances, a good quantitative approximation of the attitude motion of a representative spacecraft containing a damping mechanism.

Kammer, Daniel C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Kinematics and control of a fully parallel force-reflecting hand controller for manipulator teleoperation

Design of a parallel force-reflecting hand controller that implements a friction- and inertia canceling control loop about the entire mechanism based on wrench sensing in the mechanism handgrip is discussed. Kinematics of the controller under consideration is analyzed and results are presented using a closed-form solution for the inverse kinematics and Newton-Raphson's method for the forward kinematics. Results indicate that the force control scheme based on a handgrip force sensor provides smaller steady-state errors than the scheme without a handigrip sensor.

Bryfogle, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1956

Finite Span Wings in Compressible Flow

Equations are developed using the source distribution method for the velocity potential function and pressure on thin wings in steady and unsteady motion. Closed form solutions are given for harmonically oscillating wings of general plan form including the effect of the wing wake. Some useful examples are presented in an appendix for arrow, semielliptical, and hexagonal plan form wings.

WINGS, ELLIPTICAL↗
NASA NTRS1994

CORSS: Cylinder Optimization of Rings, Skin, and Stringers

Launch vehicle designs typically make extensive use of cylindrical skin stringer construction. Structural analysis methods are well developed for preliminary design of this type of construction. This report describes an automated, iterative method to obtain a minimum weight preliminary design. Structural optimization has been researched extensively, and various programs have been written for this purpose. Their complexity and ease of use depends on their generality, the failure modes considered, the methodology used, and the rigor of the analysis performed. This computer program employs closed-form solutions from a variety of well-known structural analysis references and joins them with a commercially available numerical optimizer called the 'Design Optimization Tool' (DOT). Any ring and stringer stiffened shell structure of isotropic materials that has beam type loading can be analyzed. Plasticity effects are not included. It performs a more limited analysis than programs such as PANDA, but it provides an easy and useful preliminary design tool for a large class of structures. This report briefly describes the optimization theory, outlines the development and use of the program, and describes the analysis techniques that are used. Examples of program input and output, as well as the listing of the analysis routines, are included.

Finckenor, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Approximate optimal guidance for the advanced launch system

A real-time guidance scheme for the problem of maximizing the payload into orbit subject to the equations of motion for a rocket over a spherical, non-rotating earth is presented. An approximate optimal launch guidance law is developed based upon an asymptotic expansion of the Hamilton - Jacobi - Bellman or dynamic programming equation. The expansion is performed in terms of a small parameter, which is used to separate the dynamics of the problem into primary and perturbation dynamics. For the zeroth-order problem the small parameter is set to zero and a closed-form solution to the zeroth-order expansion term of Hamilton - Jacobi - Bellman equation is obtained. Higher-order terms of the expansion include the effects of the neglected perturbation dynamics. These higher-order terms are determined from the solution of first-order linear partial differential equations requiring only the evaluation of quadratures. This technique is preferred as a real-time, on-line guidance scheme to alternative numerical iterative optimization schemes because of the unreliable convergence properties of these iterative guidance schemes and because the quadratures needed for the approximate optimal guidance law can be performed rapidly and by parallel processing. Even if the approximate solution is not nearly optimal, when using this technique the zeroth-order solution always provides a path which satisfies the terminal constraints. Results for two-degree-of-freedom simulations are presented for the simplified problem of flight in the equatorial plane and compared to the guidance scheme generated by the shooting method which is an iterative second-order technique.

Feeley, T. S.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A case study of analysis methods for large deflections of a cantilever beam

A load case study of geometric nonlinear large deflections of a cantilever beam is presented. The bending strain must remain elastic. Closed form solution and finite element methods of analysis are illustrated and compared for three common load cases. A nondimensional nomogram for each case is presented in the summary.

Craig, L. D.↗
NASA NTRS1994

User's guide for ENSAERO: A multidisciplinary program for fluid/structural/control interaction studies of aircraft (release 1)

Strong interactions can occur between the flow about an aerospace vehicle and its structural components resulting in several important aeroelastic phenomena. These aeroelastic phenomena can significantly influence the performance of the vehicle. At present, closed-form solutions are available for aeroelastic computations when flows are in either the linear subsonic or supersonic range. However, for aeroelasticity involving complex nonlinear flows with shock waves, vortices, flow separations, and aerodynamic heating, computational methods are still under development. These complex aeroelastic interactions can be dangerous and limit the performance of aircraft. Examples of these detrimental effects are aircraft with highly swept wings experiencing vortex-induced aeroelastic oscillations, transonic regime at which the flutter speed is low, aerothermoelastic loads that play a critical role in the design of high-speed vehicles, and flow separations that often lead to buffeting with undesirable structural oscillations. The simulation of these complex aeroelastic phenomena requires an integrated analysis of fluids and structures. This report presents a summary of the development, applications, and procedures to use the multidisciplinary computer code ENSAERO. This code is based on the Euler/Navier-Stokes flow equations and modal/finite-element structural equations.

Guruswamy, Guru P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

The buckling response of symmetrically laminated composite plates having a trapezoidal planform area

The focus of this work is the buckling response of symmetrically laminated composite plates having a planform area in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid. The loading is assumed to be inplane and applied perpendicular to the parallel ends of the plate. The tapered edges of the plate are assumed to have simply supported boundary conditions, while the parallel ends are assumed to have either simply supported or clamped boundary conditions. A semi-analytic closed-form solution based on energy principles and the Trefftz stability criterion is derived and solutions are obtained using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. Intrinsic in this solution is a simplified prebuckling analysis which approximates the inplane force resultant distributions by the forms Nx=P/W(x) and Ny=Nxy=0, where P is the applied load and W(x) is the plate width which, for the trapezoidal planform, varies linearly with the lengthwise coordinate x. The out-of-plane displacement is approximated by a double trigonometric series. This analysis is posed in terms of four nondimensional parameters representing orthotropic and anisotropic material properties, and two nondimensional parameters representing geometric properties. For comparison purposes, a number of specific plate geometry, ply orientation, and stacking sequence combinations are investigated using the general purpose finite element code ABAQUS. Comparison of buckling coefficients calculated using the semi-analytical model and the finite element model show agreement within 5 percent, in general, and within 15 percent for the worst cases. In order to verify both the finite element and semi-analytical analyses, buckling loads are measured for graphite/epoxy plates having a wide range of plate geometries and stacking sequences. Test fixtures, instrumentation system, and experimental technique are described. Experimental results for the buckling load, the buckled mode shape, and the prebuckling plate stiffness are presented and show good agreement with the analytical results regarding the buckling load and the prebuckling plate stiffness. However, the experimental results show that for some cases the analysis underpredicts the number of halfwaves in the buckled mode shape. In the context of the definitions of taper ratio and aspect ratio used in this study, it is concluded that the buckling load always increases as taper ratio increases for a given aspect ratio for plates having simply supported boundary conditions on the parallel ends. There are combinations of plate geometry and ply stackling sequences, however, that reverse this trend for plates having clamped boundary conditions on the parallel ends such that an increase in the taper ratio causes a decrease in the buckling load. The clamped boundary conditions on the parallel ends of the plate are shown to increase the buckling load compared to simply supported boundary conditions. Also, anisotropy (the D16 and D26 terms) is shown to decrease the buckling load and skew the buckled mode shape for both the simply supported and clamped boundary conditions.

Radloff, H. D., II↗
NASA NTRS1994

Stress intensity factors for surface and corner cracks emanating from a wedge-loaded hole

To assist analysis of riveted lap joints, stress intensity factors are determined for surface and corner cracks emanating from a wedge-loaded hole by using a 3-D weight function method in conjunction with a 3-D finite element method. A stress intensity factor equation for surface cracks is also developed to provide a closed-form solution. The equation covers commonly-encountered geometrical ranges and retains high accuracy over the entire range.

Zhao, W.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Damage-mitigating control of a reusable rocket engine for high performance and extended life

The goal of damage mitigating control in reusable rocket engines is to achieve high performance with increased durability of mechanical structures such that functional lives of the critical components are increased. The major benefit is an increase in structural durability with no significant loss of performance. This report investigates the feasibility of damage mitigating control of reusable rocket engines. Phenomenological models of creep and thermo-mechanical fatigue damage have been formulated in the state-variable setting such that these models can be combined with the plant model of a reusable rocket engine, such as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), for synthesizing an optimal control policy. Specifically, a creep damage model of the main thrust chamber wall is analytically derived based on the theories of sandwich beam and viscoplasticity. This model characterizes progressive bulging-out and incremental thinning of the coolant channel ligament leading to its eventual failure by tensile rupture. The objective is to generate a closed form solution of the wall thin-out phenomenon in real time where the ligament geometry is continuously updated to account for the resulting deformation. The results are in agreement with those obtained from the finite element analyses and experimental observation for both Oxygen Free High Conductivity (OFHC) copper and a copper-zerconium-silver alloy called NARloy-Z. Due to its computational efficiency, this damage model is suitable for on-line applications of life prediction and damage mitigating control, and also permits parametric studies for off-line synthesis of damage mitigating control systems. The results are presented to demonstrate the potential of life extension of reusable rocket engines via damage mitigating control. The control system has also been simulated on a testbed to observe how the damage at different critical points can be traded off without any significant loss of engine performance. The research work reported here is built upon concepts derived from the disciplines of Controls, Thermo-fluids, Structures, and Materials. The concept of damage mitigation, as presented in this report, is not restricted to control of rocket engines. It can be applied to any system where structural durability is an important issue.

Ray, Asok↗
NASA NTRS1994

Fracture mechanics life analytical methods verification testing

The objective was to evaluate NASCRAC (trademark) version 2.0, a second generation fracture analysis code, for verification and validity. NASCRAC was evaluated using a combination of comparisons to the literature, closed-form solutions, numerical analyses, and tests. Several limitations and minor errors were detected. Additionally, a number of major flaws were discovered. These major flaws were generally due to application of a specific method or theory, not due to programming logic. Results are presented for the following program capabilities: K versus a, J versus a, crack opening area, life calculation due to fatigue crack growth, tolerable crack size, proof test logic, tearing instability, creep crack growth, crack transitioning, crack retardation due to overloads, and elastic-plastic stress redistribution. It is concluded that the code is an acceptable fracture tool for K solutions of simplified geometries, for a limited number of J and crack opening area solutions, and for fatigue crack propagation with the Paris equation and constant amplitude loads when the Paris equation is applicable.

Favenesi, J. A.↗