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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Calculation of skin-stiffener interface stresses in stiffened composite panels

A method for computing the skin-stiffener interface stresses in stiffened composite panels is developed. Both geometrically linear and nonlinear analyses are considered. Particular attention is given to the flange termination region where stresses are expected to exhibit unbounded characteristics. The method is based on a finite-element analysis and an elasticity solution. The finite-element analysis is standard, while the elasticity solution is based on an eigenvalue expansion of the stress functions. The eigenvalue expansion is assumed to be valid in the local flange termination region and is coupled with the finite-element analysis using collocation of stresses on the local region boundaries. Accuracy and convergence of the local elasticity solution are assessed using a geometrically linear analysis. Using this analysis procedure, the influence of geometric nonlinearities and stiffener parameters on the skin-stiffener interface stresses is evaluated.

Cohen, David↗
NASA NTRS1995

Characteristics of Three-Node Smoothing Element under Penalty Constraints

The project is based upon research of Tessler et al. (1994) on an improved variational formulation for post-processing stress predictions in Finite Element Analysis. The methodology, called Smoothing Element Analysis (SEA), employs a three-node smoothing finite element. The present effort focused on verifying the basic constant strain criterion for the three-node smoothing element subject to a set of internal penalty constraints. The convergence characteristics of the element are assessed by first deriving the constrained form of the assumed element stress and stress gradient fields, and then by verifying the validity of the constant strain criterion once the element penalty constraints are explicitly imposed. The analytical investigation is carried out with the use of the symbolic manipulation code 'Mathematica'.

Sobel, Seth S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Finite-Element Composite-Analysis Program

Finite Element Composite Analysis Program, FECAP, special-purpose finite-element program for analyzing behavior of composite material with microcomputer. Procedure leads to set of linear simultaneous equations relating unknown nodal displacement to applied loads. Written in HP BASIC 3.0.

Bowles, David E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Six-Node Curved Triangular Element and a Four-Node Quadrilateral Element for Analysis of Laminated Composite Aerospace Structures

Mathematical development and some computed results are presented for Mindlin plate and shell elements, suitable for analysis of laminated composite and sandwich structures. These elements use the conventional 3 (plate) or 5 (shell) nodal degrees of freedom, have no communicable mechanisms, have no spurious shear energy (no shear locking), have no spurious membrane energy (no membrane locking) and do not require arbitrary reduction of out-of-plane shear moduli or under-integration. Artificial out-of-plane rotational stiffnesses are added at the element level to avoid convergence problems or singularity due to flat spots in shells. This report discusses a 6-node curved triangular element and a 4-node quadrilateral element. Findings show that in regular rectangular meshes, the Martin-Breiner 6-node triangular curved shell (MB6) is approximately equivalent to the conventional 8-node quadrilateral with integration. The 4-node quadrilateral (MB4) has very good accuracy for a 4-node element, and may be preferred in vibration analysis because of narrower bandwidth. The mathematical developments used in these elements, those discussed in the seven appendices, have been applied to elements with 3, 4, 6, and 10 nodes and can be applied to other nodal configurations.

Martin, C. Wayne↗
NASA NTRS1995

CFD Methods and Tools for Multi-Element Airfoil Analysis

This lecture will discuss the computational tools currently available for high-lift multi-element airfoil analysis. It will present an overview of a number of different numerical approaches, their current capabilities, short-comings, and computational costs. The lecture will be limited to viscous methods, including inviscid/boundary layer coupling methods, and incompressible and compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes methods. Both structured and unstructured grid generation approaches will be presented. Two different structured grid procedures are outlined, one which uses multi-block patched grids, the other uses overset chimera grids. Turbulence and transition modeling will be discussed.

Rogers, Stuart E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Bolt clampup relaxation in a graphite/epoxy laminate

A simple bolted joint was analyzed to calculate bolt clampup relaxation for a graphite/epoxy (T300/5208) laminate. A viscoelastic finite element analysis of a double-lap joint with a steel bolt was conducted. Clampup forces were calculated for various steady-state temperature-moisture conditions using a 20-year exposure duration. The finite element analysis predicted that clampup forces relax even for the room-temperature-dry condition. The relaxations were 8, 13, 20, and 30 percent for exposure durations of 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, and 20 years, respectively. As expected, higher temperatures and moisture levels each increased the relaxation rate. The combined viscoelastic effects of steady-state temperature and moisture appeared to be additive. From the finite-element analysis, a simple equation was used to calculate clampup forces for the same temperature-moisture conditions as used in the finite-element analysis. The two sets of calculated results agreed well. Previously announced in STAR as N82-19320

Shivakumar, K. N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Bolt clampup relaxation in a graphite/epoxy laminate

A simple bolted joint was analyzed to calculate bolt clampup relaxation for a graphite/epoxy (T300/5208) laminate. A viscoelastic finite element analysis of a double-lap joint with a steel bolt was conducted. Clampup forces were calculated for various steady-state temperature-moisture conditions using a 20-year exposure duration. The finite element analysis predicted that clampup forces relax even for the room-temperature-dry condition. The relaxations were 8, 13, 20, and 30 percent for exposure durations of 1 day, 1 month, 1 year, and 20 years, respectively. As expected, higher temperatures and moisture levels each increased the relaxation rate. The combined viscoelastic effects of steady-state temperature and moisture appeared to be additive. From the finite-element analysis, a simple equation was developed for clampup force relaxation. This generalized equation was used to calculate clampup forces for the same temperature-moisture conditions as used in the finite-element analysis. The two sets of calculated results agreed well.

Shivakumar, K. N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Improved accuracy for finite element structural analysis via an integrated force method

A comparative study was carried out to determine the accuracy of finite element analyses based on the stiffness method, a mixed method, and the new integrated force and dual integrated force methods. The numerical results were obtained with the following software: MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA for the stiffness method; an MHOST implementation method for the mixed method; and GIFT for the integrated force methods. The results indicate that on an overall basis, the stiffness and mixed methods present some limitations. The stiffness method generally requires a large number of elements in the model to achieve acceptable accuracy. The MHOST method tends to achieve a higher degree of accuracy for course models than does the stiffness method implemented by MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA. The two integrated force methods, which bestow simultaneous emphasis on stress equilibrium and strain compatibility, yield accurate solutions with fewer elements in a model. The full potential of these new integrated force methods remains largely unexploited, and they hold the promise of spawning new finite element structural analysis tools.

Patnaik, S. N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Improved accuracy for finite element structural analysis via a new integrated force method

A comparative study was carried out to determine the accuracy of finite element analyses based on the stiffness method, a mixed method, and the new integrated force and dual integrated force methods. The numerical results were obtained with the following software: MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA for the stiffness method; an MHOST implementation method for the mixed method; and GIFT for the integrated force methods. The results indicate that on an overall basis, the stiffness and mixed methods present some limitations. The stiffness method generally requires a large number of elements in the model to achieve acceptable accuracy. The MHOST method tends to achieve a higher degree of accuracy for course models than does the stiffness method implemented by MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA. The two integrated force methods, which bestow simultaneous emphasis on stress equilibrium and strain compatibility, yield accurate solutions with fewer elements in a model. The full potential of these new integrated force methods remains largely unexploited, and they hold the promise of spawning new finite element structural analysis tools.

Patnaik, Surya N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Applications of FEM and BEM in two-dimensional fracture mechanics problems

A comparison of the finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM) for the solution of two-dimensional plane strain problems in fracture mechanics is presented in this paper. Stress intensity factors (SIF's) were calculated using both methods for elastic plates with either a single-edge crack or an inclined-edge crack. In particular, two currently available programs, ANSYS for finite element analysis and BEASY for boundary element analysis, were used.

Min, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Coating Development for GRCop-84 Liners for Reusable Launch Vehicles Aided by Modeling Studies

The design of the next generation of reusable launch vehicles calls for using GRCop-84 copper alloy liners based on a composition invented at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Despite its considerable advantage over other copper alloys, it is expected that GRCop-84 will suffer from environmental degradation depending on the type of rocket fuels used and on thermomechanical fatigue. Applying protective coatings on GRCop-84 substrates can minimize or eliminate many of these problems and extend the operational life of the combustion liner. This could increase component reliability, shorten depot maintenance turnaround times, and lower operating costs. Therefore, Glenn is actively pursuing the development of advanced coatings technology for GRCop-84 liners. Technology is being developed in four major areas: (1) new metallic coating compositions, (2) application techniques, (3) test methods, and (4) life prediction design methodology using finite element analysis. The role of finite element analysis in guiding the coating effort is discussed in this report. Thermal analyses were performed at Glenn for different combinations of top- and bondcoat compositions to determine the temperature variation across the coated cross section with the thickness of the top coat. These calculations were conducted for simulated LH2/LO2 booster engine conditions assuming that the bond coat had a constant thickness of 50 m. The preceding graphs show the predicted temperatures at the outer surface of the top coat (hot wall), at the top-coat/bond-coat interface, at the bond-coat/GRCop-84 interface, and at the GRCop-84 cold wall as a function of top-coat thickness for Cu- 26(wt%)Cr top coat (top graph), Ni-17(wt%)Cr-6%Al-0.5%Y top coat and Cu-26%Cr bond coat, and NiAl top coat and Ni bond coat. In all cases, the temperature of the top coat at the hot wall increased with increasing top-coat thickness and with corresponding decreases in the temperatures at the two interfaces and the cold wall. These temperatures are not acutely sensitive to the thermal conductivity of the top coat when it exceeds 25 and 50 W/m/K for low and high heat flux engines. This observation is significant for two reasons. First, several different top-coat compositions can be evaluated as potential protective coatings without loss in the heat-transfer efficiency of the coated system. Second, materials with thermal conductivities less than the critical values of 25 or 50 W/m/K are more likely to act as thermal barrier coatings. The deposition of overlay coatings on GRCop-84 substrates results in the development of residual stresses. The presence of these residual stresses influences the probability of coating spallation, the thermal cycling life, and the fatigue properties of the coated substrate during use. Since it is important to understand how these stresses develop during the vacuum-plasma-spraying coating deposition process, the nature and magnitudes of the cool-down residual stresses were calculated and compared with experimentally determined values across the coated cross section of a disk specimen. The calculations were conducted assuming that the specimen cools down to room temperature from vacuum plasma-spraying temperatures of either 250 or 650 C. The effects of coating the substrate with and without grit blasting were also theoretically examined. The final graph compares the predicted and the experimental results for a GRCop-84 disk coated with about a 50- m-thick Ni bond coat and a 75- to 100- m NiAl top coat, where the curves for NASA-2 assume the presence of a prior residual stress generated by grit blasting under conditions similar to the experimental situation. The predicted cool-down in-plane stresses were compressive in both the NiAl top coat and the Ni bond coat. They were also compressive in the substrate to a depth of about 0.25 mm from the Ni/GRCop-84 interface when the vacuum-plasma-spraying temperature was low. However, using a higher plasma spraying temperaturs likely to leave the substrate under a small tensile stress to counter the compressive stresses in the bond and top coats because of the relaxation of residual stresses generated in the substrate during the grit blasting of its surface prior to spraying. These results suggest that the NiAl and Ni coatings are unlikely to spall after spraying as confirmed by the microstructural observations shown in the following photomicrograph of an as-sprayed specimen. Finally, it is noted that the calculated and experimental results are not in complete agreement, which indicates that both the experimental and modeling techniques need further refinement.

Raj, Sai V.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A three-node C deg element for analysis of laminated composite sandwich shells

A three-node flat shell element with C deg rotation fields has been developed for analysis of arbitrary composite shells. The element may consist of any number of orthotropic layers, each layer having different material properties and angular orientation. The formulation includes coupling between bending and extension, which is essential for analysis of unsymmetric laminates. Shearing deflections are included, since laminated and sandwich construction frequently results in shear stiffness much smaller than bending stiffness. Formulation of the element is straightforward, and calculation of its stiffness matrix is simple and fast. Convergence of solutions with mesh refinement is uniform for both thin and thick shells and is insensitive to element shape, although not as rapid as some other elements that lack one or more capabilities of the newly developed element. An experimental verification of the shall element is reported in the appendix.

Martin, C. Wayne↗
NASA NTRS1993

A combined experimental and finite element study to predict the failure mechanisms in SiC coated carbon/carbon composites at room and elevated temperatures under flexural loading

Response of quasi-isotropic laminates of SiC coated Carbon/Carbon (C/C) composites have been investigated under flexural loading at various temperatures. Variation of load-deflection behavior with temperatures are studied. Increase in flexural strength and stiffness are observed with the rise in temperature. Extensive analyses through Optical Microscope (OM) and Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) have been performed to understand the failure mechanisms. Damage zone is found only within the neighborhood of the loading plane. Isoparametric layered shell elements developed on the basis of the first order shear deformation theory have been used to model the thin laminates of C/C under flexural loading. Large deformation behavior has been considered in the finite element analysis to account for the non-linearities encountered during the actual test. Data generated using finite element analysis are presented to corroborate the experimental findings, and a comparison in respect of displacement and stress-strain behavior are given to check the accuracy of the finite element analysis. Reasonable correlation between the experimental and finite element results have been established.

Mahfuz, Hassan↗
NASA NTRS2013

Structural Dynamics and Data Analysis

This project consists of two parts, the first will be the post-flight analysis of data from a Delta IV launch vehicle, and the second will be a Finite Element Analysis of a CubeSat. Shock and vibration data was collected on WGS-5 (Wideband Global SATCOM- 5) which was launched on a Delta IV launch vehicle. Using CAM (CAlculation with Matrices) software, the data is to be plotted into Time History, Shock Response Spectrum, and SPL (Sound Pressure Level) curves. In this format the data is to be reviewed and compared to flight instrumentation data from previous flights of the same launch vehicle. This is done to ensure the current mission environments, such as shock, random vibration, and acoustics, are not out of family with existing flight experience. In family means the peaks on the SRS curve for WGS-5 are similar to the peaks from the previous flights and there are no major outliers. The curves from the data will then be compiled into a useful format so that is can be peer reviewed then presented before an engineering review board if required. Also, the reviewed data will be uploaded to the Engineering Review Board Information System (ERBIS) to archive. The second part of this project is conducting Finite Element Analysis of a CubeSat. In 2010, Merritt Island High School partnered with NASA to design, build and launch a CubeSat. The team is now called StangSat in honor of their mascot, the mustang. Over the past few years, the StangSat team has built a satellite and has now been manifested for flight on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch in 2014. To prepare for the final launch, a test flight was conducted in Mojave, California. StangSat was launched on a Prospector 18D, a high altitude rocket made by Garvey Spacecraft Corporation, along with their sister satellite CP9 built by California Polytechnic University. However, StangSat was damaged during an off nominal landing and this project will give beneficial insights into what loads the CubeSat experienced during the crash. During the year, the MIHS students generated a SolidWorks (CAD software) geometry model of StangSat. This model will be imported into FEMAP (Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Software) and a finite element model wiiJ be created to predict the loads encountered during the crash of this rocket. This analysis will require learning how to import CAD models into the FEM, mesh and add constraints and concentrated masses to represent components inside the CubeSat frame, such as circuit boards, batteries and accelerometers. During the analysis the loads will be varied, in effort to duplicate the damage to the CubeSat. Results will then be peer reviewed and documented.

Luthman, Briana L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Finite-Element Fracture Analysis of Pins and Bolts

Stress intensities calculated in bending and tension. Finite-element stress-analysis method gives stress-intensity estimates for surface flaws on smooth and threaded round bars. Calculations done for purely tensile and purely bending loads. Results, presented in dimensionless form, useful for determining fatigue lives of bolts and pins.

Nord, K. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Numerical Analysis Of Interlaminar-Fracture Toughness

Finite-element analysis applied in conjunction with strain-energy and micromechanical concepts. Computational procedure involves local, local-crack-closure, and/or the "unique" local-crack-closure method developed at NASA Lewis Research Center, for mathematical modeling of ENF and MMF. Methods based on three-dimensional finite-element analysis in conjunction with concept of strain-energy-release rate and with micromechanics of composite materials. Assists in interpretation of ENF and MMF fracture tests performed to obtain fracture-toughness parameters, by enabling evaluation of states of stress likely to induce interlaminar fractures.

Chamis, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A study of the response of nonlinear springs

The various phases to developing a methodology for studying the response of a spring-reinforced arch subjected to a point load are discussed. The arch is simply supported at its ends with both the spring and the point load assumed to be at midspan. The spring is present to off-set the typical snap through behavior normally associated with arches, and to provide a structure that responds with constant resistance over a finite displacement. The various phases discussed consist of the following: (1) development of the closed-form solution for the shallow arch case; (2) development of a finite difference analysis to study (shallow) arches; and (3) development of a finite element analysis for studying more general shallow and nonshallow arches. The two numerical analyses rely on a continuation scheme to move the solution past limit points, and to move onto bifurcated paths, both characteristics being common to the arch problem. An eigenvalue method is used for a continuation scheme. The finite difference analysis is based on a mixed formulation (force and displacement variables) of the governing equations. The governing equations for the mixed formulation are in first order form, making the finite difference implementation convenient. However, the mixed formulation is not well-suited for the eigenvalue continuation scheme. This provided the motivation for the displacement based finite element analysis. Both the finite difference and the finite element analyses are compared with the closed form shallow arch solution. Agreement is excellent, except for the potential problems with the finite difference analysis and the continuation scheme. Agreement between the finite element analysis and another investigator's numerical analysis for deep arches is also good.

Hyer, M. W.↗