SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Modal coupling”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 343 records · Page 19

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1982

Aeroelastic Stability of Rotor Blades Using Finite Element Analysis

The flutter stability of flap bending, lead-lag bending, and torsion of helicopter rotor blades in hover is investigated using a finite element formulation based on Hamilton's principle. The blade is divided into a number of finite elements. Quasi-steady strip theory is used to evaluate the aerodynamic loads. The nonlinear equations of motion are solved for steady-state blade deflections through an iterative procedure. The equations of motion are linearized assuming blade motion to be a small perturbation about the steady deflected shape. The normal mode method based on the coupled rotating natural modes is used to reduce the number of equations in the flutter analysis. First the formulation is applied to single-load-path blades (articulated and hingeless blades). Numerical results show very good agreement with existing results obtained using the modal approach. The second part of the application concerns multiple-load-path blades, i.e. bearingless blades. Numerical results are presented for several analytical models of the bearingless blade. Results are also obtained using an equivalent beam approach wherein a bearingless blade is modelled as a single beam with equivalent properties. Results show the equivalent beam model.

Chopra, I.↗

NASA NTRS2009

A Finite Element Theory for Predicting the Attenuation of Extended-Reacting Liners

A non-modal finite element theory for predicting the attenuation of an extended-reacting liner containing a porous facesheet and located in a no-flow duct is presented. The mathematical approach is to solve separate wave equations in the liner and duct airway and to couple these two solutions by invoking kinematic constraints at the facesheet that are consistent with a continuum theory of fluid motion. Given the liner intrinsic properties, a weak Galerkin finite element formulation with cubic polynomial basis functions is used as the basis for generating a discrete system of acoustic equations that are solved to obtain the coupled acoustic field. A state-of-the-art, asymmetric, parallel, sparse equation solver is implemented that allows tens of thousands of grid points to be analyzed. A grid refinement study is presented to show that the predicted attenuation converges. Excellent comparison of the numerically predicted attenuation to that of a mode theory (using a Haynes 25 metal foam liner) is used to validate the computational approach. Simulations are also presented for fifteen porous plate, extended-reacting liners. The construction of some of the porous plate liners suggest that they should behave as resonant liners while the construction of others suggest that they should behave as broadband attenuators. In each case the finite element theory is observed to predict the proper attenuation trend.

Watson, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Comparing Free-Free and Shaker Table Model Correlation Methods Using Jim Beam

Finite element model correlation as part of a spacecraft program has always been a challenge. For any NASA mission, the coupled system response of the spacecraft and launch vehicle can be determined analytically through a Coupled Loads Analysis (CLA), as it is not possible to test the spacecraft and launch vehicle coupled system before launch. The value of the CLA is highly dependent on the accuracy of the frequencies and mode shapes extracted from the spacecraft model. NASA standards require the spacecraft model used in the final Verification Loads Cycle to be correlated by either a modal test or by comparison of the model with Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) obtained during the environmental qualification test. Due to budgetary and time constraints, most programs opt to correlate the spacecraft dynamic model during the environmental qualification test, conducted on a large shaker table. For any model correlation effort, the key has always been finding a proper definition of the boundary conditions. This paper is a correlation case study to investigate the difference in responses of a simple structure using a free-free boundary, a fixed boundary on the shaker table, and a base-drive vibration test, all using identical instrumentation. The NAVCON Jim Beam test structure, featured in the IMAC round robin modal test of 2009, was selected as a simple, well recognized and well characterized structure to conduct this investigation. First, a free-free impact modal test of the Jim Beam was done as an experimental control. Second, the Jim Beam was mounted to a large 20,000 lbf shaker, and an impact modal test in this fixed configuration was conducted. Lastly, a vibration test of the Jim Beam was conducted on the shaker table. The free-free impact test, the fixed impact test, and the base-drive test were used to assess the effect of the shaker modes, evaluate the validity of fixed-base modeling assumptions, and compare final model correlation results between these boundary conditions.

Modal Test↗

DOE OSTI2023

Investigation of Best-Practices and Computationally Inexpensive Radiative Exchange Models for Discrete Element Method Modeling of Aluminosilicate Particles in Concentrating Solar Power Environments

Chemically inert, aluminosilicate based particles have been investigated as both a thermal transport and sensible energy storage medium for concentrating solar power facilities. These particles will experience a wide range of operating temperatures (300-1000 K) and handling conditions (dense to dilute falling particle curtains, dense granular flows, or dense structures), requiring specially-designed and optimized infrastructures. The relative influence of collisional and frictional interactions between particles varies based on temperature-dependent particulate properties and greatly impacts the bulk, granular flow behavior. These underlying physics are captured using discrete element method modeling tools. However, this modeling method is computationally expensive as each particle position and interaction is tracked during the simulation. These modeling methods are further complicated by introducing temperature-dependent particle properties, high-temperature radiative exchange, and directional irradiation sources experienced by granular flows in concentrating solar power environments. In this study, coupled experimental and numerical slump testing of aluminosilicate particles was performed and computationally efficient radiative exchange models were evaluated to establish best-practices for discrete element method models for concentrating solar power environments. The three particle types investigated included Carbobead HSP 30 /60, Carbobead CP 30/60, and Granusil 4030. Existing modeling limitations and computationally-efficient multi-modal heat transfer models were evaluated using Aspherix®, a commercial discrete element method software. High-temperature (< 1073 K) slump testing of aluminosilicate particles was performed to investigate the deviation between experimentally-observed and numerically-predicted angles of repose introduced by computation-time reduction practices including the relaxation of the particle elastic modulus and coarse-graining. Coarse-graining is used to use a single modeled particle that is representative of a collection of smaller particles, decreasing the computational cost at the expense of geometric accuracy. Additionally, relaxation of the elastic modulus is used to reduce computational time at the expense of an increased, modeled particle overlap. Prior studies have determined that aluminosilicate particles retain a high elastic modulus at high temperatures (< 1073 K), requiring small simulation timesteps to ensure resolved contact forces resemble appropriate solid mechanics. A parametric study was performed to evaluate the influence of computation time improvements on the deviation between experimental and modeled angle of repose across high temperatures < 1073 K. Additionally, numerical case studies were performed on candidate particle systems at varying porosities and temperatures. These studies were performed to investigate the influence of computationally-efficient radiative-exchange modeling methods coupled to Aspherix® on modeled accuracy and computation time. The recently-developed distance-based approximation was evaluated in estimating radiative exchange between particles and participating surfaces located in close proximity. The distance based approximation was developed to use tabulated estimates of the radiative distribution factor between individual particles and surfaces in close proximity (< 40 particle radii). These methods were expanded to the aluminosilicate particles of interest, including the influence of particle size distributions. To capture radiative exchange between particles and surfaces not in close proximity (> 40 particle radii) and to capture the absorption of directional irradiation from concentrating solar resources, a volumetrically-averaged radiative distribution factor was calculated between the modeled granular flow and surfaces using Monte Carlo ray-tracing for participating media. Volume-averaged absorption and scattering coefficients were predicted using a volumetric discretization of the modeled domain with monodisperse approximations based on geometric optics and experimentally-determined scattering phase functions for aluminosilicate particles.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

A generalized wind turbine cross section as a reduced-order model to gain insights in blade aeroelastic challenges

In this work, we present an approach to study the aeroelastic stability of a wind turbine by focusing on the dynamics of a blade cross section. We present a methodology to obtain a reduced-order model of the blade dynamics in the form of generalized cross-sectional quantities that approximates the aerodynamic and structural properties of the full blade. The motivation for the work is to gain a physical understanding of the influence of aerodynamic models such as dynamic wake and dynamic stall on the frequency and damping of the structure using a reduced-order model with low computational cost. The model may be coupled to two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics softwares or engineering unsteady airfoil aerodynamics models accounting for dynamic wake and dynamic stall. In the latter case, we can obtain monolithic state-space forms of the aeroelastic system of equations, which simplifies the determination of the modal parameters and therefore the study of stability. The work investigates wind turbines in operation or at standstill, where vortex-induced vibrations and stall-induced vibrations, respectively, might be an issue. The implementation is made available as part of the open-source Python package WELIB and as part of the open-source unsteady aerodynamic driver of OpenFAST.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS1981

Dynamic stability of a rotor blade using finite element analysis

The aeroelastic stability of flap bending, lead-lag bending, and torsion of a helicopter rotor blade in hover is examined using a finite element formulation based on the principle of virtual work. Quasi-steady two-dimensional airfoil theory is used to obtain the aerodynamic loads. The rotor blade is discretized into beam elements, each with ten modal degrees of freedom. The resulting nonlinear equations of motion are solved for steady-state blade deflections through an iterative procedure. The flutter solution is calculated assuming blade motion to be a small perturbation about the steady solution. The normal mode method based on the coupled rotating natural modes about the steady deflections is used to reduce the number of equations in the flutter eigenanalysis. Results are presented for hingeless and articulated rotor blade configurations.

Sivaneri, N. T.↗

DOE OSTI2021

Light Propagation Considerations For Internally Clad Sapphire Optical Fiber Using the 6Li(n,)3H Reaction

Optical frequency domain reflectometry measurements in internally clad single crystal sapphire fiber have received attention in recent years due to their high temperature distributed sensing potential. As work with these fibers has proceeded, there have been some inconsistencies in the results. Deeper investigation and testing has identified two critical considerations for the proper functioning of these fibers. First, users must address the propagation of multimode light along the outer surface of the fiber. Here, by observing the far-field image of an internally clad sapphire fiber when adding index matching fluid to the outer fiber surface, we demonstrate the effects of removing the higher order modes from these fibers. The addition of index matching fluid resulted in nearly single mode performance where multimode performance was previously observed. Second, users must address the effect that coupling the fiber to the interrogator via silica based fiber has on the internally clad sapphire fibers performance. Direct fusion splicing of silica to sapphire, as has been used in the recent work with these fibers, has a mode filtering effect which can be beneficial towards the modal behavior of the fibers. However, in this paper we demonstrate that the splicing can cause a sensing failure due to little or no low order mode light, that is useful for sensing, returning to the detector. The positive results from recent years have demonstrated that optical frequency domain reflectometry sensing performance will be successful in clad sapphire fiber; but only when the considerations described herein are addressed properly.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

NASA NTRS2006

Cascaded Photoenhancement: Implications for Photonic Chemical and Biological Sensors

Our analysis shows that coupling of gold nanoparticles to microspheres will evoke a cascading effect from the respective photoenhancement mechanisms. We refer to this amplification process as cascaded photoenhancement, and the resulting cavity amplification of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and fluorescence as CASERS and CAF, respectively. Calculations, based on modal analysis of scattering and absorption by compound spheres, presented herein indicate that the absorption cross sections of metal nanoparticles immobilized onto dielectric microspheres can be greatly enhanced by cavity resonances in the microspheres without significant degradation of the resonators. Gain factors associated with CSP of 10(exp 3) - 10(exp 4) are predicted for realistic experimental conditions using homogenous microspheres. Cascaded surface photoenhancement thus has the potential of dramatically increasing the sensitivities of fluorescence and vibrational spectroscopies.

Fuller, Kirk A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Eigenvalue computations with the QUAD4 consistent-mass matrix

The NASTRAN user has the option of using either a lumped-mass matrix or a consistent- (coupled-) mass matrix with the QUAD4 shell finite element. At the Sixteenth NASTRAN Users' Colloquium (1988), Melvyn Marcus and associates of the David Taylor Research Center summarized a study comparing the results of the QUAD4 element with results of other NASTRAN shell elements for a cylindrical-shell modal analysis. Results of this study, in which both the lumped-and consistent-mass matrix formulations were used, implied that the consistent-mass matrix yielded poor results. In an effort to further evaluate the consistent-mass matrix, a study was performed using both a cylindrical-shell geometry and a flat-plate geometry. Modal parameters were extracted for several modes for both geometries leading to some significant conclusions. First, there do not appear to be any fundamental errors associated with the consistent-mass matrix. However, its accuracy is quite different for the two different geometries studied. The consistent-mass matrix yields better results for the flat-plate geometry and the lumped-mass matrix seems to be the better choice for cylindrical-shell geometries.

Butler, Thomas A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Blade loss transient dynamics analysis with flexible bladed disk

The transient dynamic response of a flexible bladed disk on a flexible rotor in a two rotor system is formulated by modal synthesis and a Lagrangian approach. Only the nonequilibrated one diameter flexible mode is considered for the flexible bladed disk, while the two flexible rotors are represented by their normal modes. The flexible bladed disk motion is modeled as a combination of two one diameter standing waves, and is coupled inertially and gyroscopically to the flexible rotors. Application to a two rotor model shows that a flexible bladed disk on one rotor can be driven into resonance by an unbalance in the other rotor, and at a frequency equal to the difference in the rotor speeds.

Gallardo, V. C.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Development of an Aeroelastic Modeling Capability for Transient Nozzle Side Load Analysis

Lateral nozzle forces are known to cause severe structural damage to any new rocket engine in development during test. While three-dimensional, transient, turbulent, chemically reacting computational fluid dynamics methodology has been demonstrated to capture major side load physics with rigid nozzles, hot-fire tests often show nozzle structure deformation during major side load events, leading to structural damages if structural strengthening measures were not taken. The modeling picture is incomplete without the capability to address the two-way responses between the structure and fluid. The objective of this study is to develop a coupled aeroelastic modeling capability by implementing the necessary structural dynamics component into an anchored computational fluid dynamics methodology. The computational fluid dynamics component is based on an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics formulation, while the computational structural dynamics component is developed in the framework of modal analysis. Transient aeroelastic nozzle startup analyses of the Block I Space Shuttle Main Engine at sea level were performed. The computed results from the aeroelastic nozzle modeling are presented.

Wang, Ten-See↗

NASA NTRS2013

Development of an Aeroelastic Modeling Capability for Transient Nozzle Side Load Analysis

Wang, Ten-See↗

NASA NTRS2014

Aeroelastic Modeling of a Nozzle Startup Transient

Lateral nozzle forces are known to cause severe structural damage to any new rocket engine in development during test. While three-dimensional, transient, turbulent, chemically reacting computational fluid dynamics methodology has been demonstrated to capture major side load physics with rigid nozzles, hot-fire tests often show nozzle structure deformation during major side load events, leading to structural damages if structural strengthening measures were not taken. The modeling picture is incomplete without the capability to address the two-way responses between the structure and fluid. The objective of this study is to develop a tightly coupled aeroelastic modeling algorithm by implementing the necessary structural dynamics component into an anchored computational fluid dynamics methodology. The computational fluid dynamics component is based on an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics formulation, while the computational structural dynamics component is developed under the framework of modal analysis. Transient aeroelastic nozzle startup analyses at sea level were performed, and the computed transient nozzle fluid-structure interaction physics presented,

Wang, Ten-See↗

NASA NTRS1987

Nonlinear simulation of a flexible aircraft in maneuvering flight

A mathematical model integrating nonlinear rigid-body flight mechanics and linear aeroelastic dynamics is examined; the equations of motion for an elastic aircraft in accelerated flight are developed using Lagrangian mechanics. This approach is used to construct a simulation model of an F/A-18 (configured with tip missiles) which includes angular/elastic inertial coupling (IC). In general, the elastic modes significantly affected by IC were aerodynamically decoupled from the rest of the model. The affected modes were those which induced changes in total aircraft mass distribution. The elastic effect is noticeable if deformation-induced mass distribution changes are significant with respect to modal mass and modal frequencies. A modal parameter is presented which characterizes the level of IC between elastic momentum and rigid-body angular momentum.

Buttrill, Carey S.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Development of an Aeroelastic Modeling Capability for Transient Nozzle Side Load Analysis

Lateral nozzle forces are known to cause severe structural damage to any new rocket engine in development. Currently there is no fully coupled computational tool to analyze this fluid/structure interaction process. The objective of this study was to develop a fully coupled aeroelastic modeling capability to describe the fluid/structure interaction process during the transient nozzle operations. The aeroelastic model composes of three components: the computational fluid dynamics component based on an unstructured-grid, pressure-based computational fluid dynamics formulation, the computational structural dynamics component developed in the framework of modal analysis, and the fluid-structural interface component. The developed aeroelastic model was applied to the transient nozzle startup process of the Space Shuttle Main Engine at sea level. The computed nozzle side loads and the axial nozzle wall pressure profiles from the aeroelastic nozzle are compared with those of the published rigid nozzle results, and the impact of the fluid/structure interaction on nozzle side loads is interrogated and presented.

Wang, Ten-See↗

NASA NTRS1976

Analysis of structural dynamic data from Skylab. Volume 2: Skylab analytical and test model data

The orbital configuration test modal data, analytical test correlation modal data, and analytical flight configuration modal data are presented. Tables showing the generalized mass contributions (GMCs) for each of the thirty tests modes are given along with the two dimensional mode shape plots and tables of GMCs for the test correlated analytical modes. The two dimensional mode shape plots for the analytical modes and uncoupled and coupled modes of the orbital flight configuration at three development phases of the model are included.

Demchak, L.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Gain saturation effects in supermodes of phase-locked semiconductor laser arrays

A basic modal analysis that includes gain saturation effects in phase-locked semiconductor laser arrays is presented. For a particular supermode operation, different lasers in the array emit different amounts of light, and hence their (waveguide) propagation constants are modified differently. Solving the lasers' rate equations self-consistently with the coupled-mode wave equations seems to provide an answer that is in much better agreement with experimental results than the result using only the coupled-mode analysis.

Katz, J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Minimum weight design of rectangular and tapered helicopter rotor blades with frequency constraints

The minimum weight design of a helicopter rotor blade subject to constraints on coupled flap-lag natural frequencies has been studied. A constraint has also been imposed on the minimum value of the autorotational inertia of the blade in order to ensure that it has sufficient inertia to autorotate in the case of engine failure. The program CAMRAD is used for the blade modal analysis and CONMIN is used for the optimization. In addition, a linear approximation analysis involving Taylor series expansion has been used to reduce the analysis effort. The procedure contains a sensitivity analysis which consists of analytical derivatives of the objective function and the autorotational inertia constraint and central finite difference derivatives of the frequency constraints. Optimum designs have been obtained for both rectangular and tapered blades. Design variables include taper ratio, segment weights, and box beam dimensions. It is shown that even when starting with an acceptable baseline design, a significant amount of weight reduction is possible while satisfying all the constraints for both rectangular and tapered blades.

Chattopadhyay, Aditi↗