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At least 451 records · Page 25

Molten salt environment creep testing extensometry system

Disclosed herein are systems, devices and methods for creep testing selected materials within a high-temperature molten salt environment. Exemplary creep testing systems include a load train for holding a test specimen under a load within a heated inert gas vessel. An extensometry system can be included to measure elongation of the test specimen while under load. The extensometry system can include fixed members and axially translating member that move along with the elongation of the test specimen, and the system can include a sensor to measure the relative axial motion between such components to measure elongation of the test specimen over time. The test specimen can include a cylindrical gage portion having an internal void filled with a molten salt during creep testing to simulate the corrosive effect of the molten salt on the specimen material during testing.

Ren, Wenlin↗

Airborne Acoustic Vortex End Effector‐Based Contactless, Multi‐Mode, Programmable Control of Object Surfing

Abstract Tweezers based on optical, electric, magnetic, and acoustic fields have shown great potential for contactless object manipulation. However, current tweezers designed for manipulating millimeter‐sized objects such as droplets, particles, and small animals exhibit limitations in translation resolution, range, and path complexity. Here, a novel acoustic vortex tweezers system is introduced, which leverages a unique airborne acoustic vortex end effector integrated with a three‐degree‐of‐freedom (DoF) linear motion stage, for enabling contactless, multi‐mode, programmable manipulation of millimeter‐sized objects. The acoustic vortex end effector utilizes a cascaded circular acoustic array, which is portable and battery‐powered, to generate an acoustic vortex with a ring‐shaped energy pattern. The vortex applies acoustic radiation forces to trap and spin an object at its center, simultaneously protecting this object by repelling other materials away with its high‐energy ring. Moreover, The vortex tweezers system facilitates contactless, multi‐mode, programmable object surfing, as demonstrated in experiments involving trapping, repelling, and spinning particles, translating particles along complex paths, guiding particles around barriers, translating and rotating droplets containing zebrafish larvae, and merging droplets. With these capabilities, It is anticipated that the tweezers system will become a valuable tool for the automated, contactless handling of droplets, particles, and bio‐samples in biomedical and biochemical research.

Li, Teng↗

Adsorbate Partition Functions via Phase Space Integration: Quantifying the Effect of Translational Anharmonicity on Thermodynamic Properties

A new method for computing anharmonic thermophysical properties for adsorbates on metal surfaces is presented. Classical Monte Carlo phase space integration is performed to calculate the partition function for the motion of a hydrogen atom on Cu(111). Here, a minima-preserving neural network potential energy surface is used within the integration routine. Two different sampling schema for generating the training data are presented, and two different density functionals are used. The results are benchmarked against direct state counting results by using discrete variable representation. The phase space integration results are in excellent quantitative agreement with the benchmark results. Additionally, both the discrete variable representation and the phase space integration results confirm that the motion of H on Cu(111) is highly anharmonic. The results were applied to calculate the free energy of dissociative adsorption of H 2 and the resulting Langmuir isotherms at 400, 800, and 1200 K in a partial pressure range of 0–1 bar. It shows that the anharmonic effects lead to significantly higher predicted surface site fractions of hydrogen.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Free-floating experiments in orbiter and space station

Manned spacecraft will never be free of acceleration perturbations due to necessary motions of crewmembers. However, in most cases, the perturbations can be minimized or even isolated from sensitive experiments when required. The principal disturbances and methods of isolation are described. As the crew moves about the spacecraft, no external forces are applied and the average acceleration remains near zero. External force will be exerted when jets are fired for spacecraft attitude control or translation, and these must be transferred to the microgravity experiments. Transitory acceleration and vibration are produced by crew and equipment. The most significant on Orbiter have been wall push-offs used for body translation within the spacecraft, the exercise conducted on a treadmill within the middeck area, closing doors of stowage compartments and the vibration of some machinery, such as a sample centrifuge. For short periods of perhaps a few minutes, crew and equipment motion can be largely inhibited, but not for much longer intervals. It may be necessary to mount especially sensitive experiments on an isolation table, which can greatly reduce the acceleration transferred to the experiment. Either weak mechanical springs or, even better, a computer-controlled electromagnetic suspension can be used to effectively insulate the table from vibration at frequencies above about 0.01 Hz. Another option is to free-float an experiment table within the spacecraft. All of the above-mentioned perturbations can be eliminated for some minutes if the entire experiment package is allowed to free-float within the spacecraft until a wall contact is made. Package acceleration levels should be maintainable below 10(exp -8) g sub o in this way.

Garriott, Owen K.↗

A study of moving base simulation motion cues utilizing washout technique

The present study was conducted to derive data on non-visual motion thresholds utilizing washout technique, and to develop specific threshold values for use as washout parameters. It describes the results of acceleration detection studies carried out using the NASA MSFC General Purpose Simulator which provides six degree-of-freedom cab motion. A series of experiments was performed to test the hypothesis that constant velocity visual cues might suppress non-visual deceleration sensitivity. The psychophysical method employed was the forced-choice procedure which theoretically yields a pure sensitivity measure. The MSFC General Purpose Simulator was programmed to provide velocity ramps in three axes - pitch, fore-aft translation, and vertical translation. Data were collected with and without a constant velocity visual input. Comparison of the current results with classical data suggested significantly greater sensitivity of the human observer to fore-aft accelerations than has generally been reported, sensitivity tending to depend on motion direction and sign of velocity change.

Kirkpatrick, M., III↗

Skyrmion pinball and directed motion on obstacle arrays

Abstract We examine skyrmions interacting with a square array of obstacles under ac drives applied in one or two directions. For a single direction of ac driving, we find that the Magnus force in conjunction with the obstacle interactions can create elliptical skyrmion orbits of increasing size, leading to localized phases, chaotic phases, and translating or ratcheting orbits. Under two ac drives that are out of phase by 90° and applied in two directions, the skyrmions form localized commensurate orbits that encircle an integer number of obstacles, similar to the electron pinball effect observed for electrons in antidot lattices. As a function of ac amplitude, Magnus force strength, and obstacle size, we find that chaotic scattering regimes and directed motion can emerge even in the absence of asymmetry in the substrate. The directed motion follows different symmetry axes of the periodic substrate, and we observe a variety of reversed ratchet effects. The Magnus force in the skyrmion system produces a significantly larger number of directed motion regimes than are exhibited by overdamped systems. We discuss how these results could be used to move skyrmions in a controlled way for possible applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

$T\overline{T}$ deformations and the width of fundamental particles

We provide a simple geometric meaning for deformations of so-called $T\overline{T}$ type in relativistic and non-relativistic systems. Deformations by the cross products of energy and momentum currents in integrable quantum field theories are known to modify the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations by a “CDD factor”. In turn, CDD factors may be interpreted as additional, fixed shifts incurred in scattering processes: a finite width added to the fundamental particles (or, if negative, to the free space between them). We suggest that this physical effect is a universal way of understanding $T\overline{T}$ deformations, both in classical and quantum systems. We first show this in non-relativistic systems, with particle conservation and translation invariance, using the deformation formed out of the densities and currents of particles and momentum. This holds at the level of the equations of motion, and for any interaction potential, integrable or not. We then argue, and show by similar techniques in free relativistic particle systems, that $T\overline{T}$ deformations of relativistic systems produce the equivalent phenomenon, accounting for length contractions. We also show that, in both the relativistic and non-relativistic cases, the width of particles is equivalent to a state-dependent change of metric, where the distance function discounts the particles’ widths, or counts the additional free space. This generalises and explains the known field-dependent coordinate change describing $T\overline{T}$ deformations. The results connect such deformations with generalised hydrodynamics, where the relations between scattering shifts, widths of particles and state-dependent changes of metric have been established.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Remobilizing the Interface of Thermocapillary Driven Bubbles Retarded By the Adsorption of a Surfactant Impurity on the Bubble Surface

Thermocapillary migration is a method for moving bubbles in space in the absence of buoyancy. A temperature gradient is the continuous phase in which a bubble is situated, and the applied gradient impressed on the bubble surface causes one pole of the drop to be cooler than the opposite pole. As the surface tension is a decreasing function of temperature, the cooler pole pulls at the warmer pole, creating a flow that propels the bubble in the direction of the warmer fluid. A major impediment to the practical use of thermocapillary to direct the movement of bubbles in space is the fact that surfactant impurities, which are unavoidably present in the continuous phase, can significantly reduce the migration velocity. A surfactant impurity adsorbed onto the bubble interface is swept to the trailing end of the bubble. When bulk concentrations are low (which is the case with an impurity), diffusion of surfactant to the front end is slow relative to convection, and surfactant collects at the back end of the bubble. Collection at the back lowers the surface tension relative to the front end setting up a reverse tension gradient. (This can also be the case if kinetic desorption of surfactant at the back end of the bubble is much slower than convection.) For buoyancy driven bubble motions in the absence of a thermocapillarity, the tension gradient opposes the surface flow, and reduces the surface and terminal velocities (the interface becomes more solid-like and bubbles translate as solid particles). When thermocapillary forces are present, the reverse tension gradient set up by the surfactant accumulation reduces the temperature-induced tension gradient, and can decrease to near zero the bubble's thermocapillary velocity. The objective of our research is to develop a method for enhancing the thermocapillary migration of bubbles which have be retarded by the adsorption onto the bubble surface of a surfactant impurity. Our remobilization theory proposes to use surfactant molecules which kinetically rapidly exchange between the bulk and the surface and are at high bulk concentrations. Because the remobilizing surfactant is present at much higher concentrations than the impurity, it adsorbs to the bubble surface much faster than the impurity when the bubble is formed, and thereby prevents the impurity from adsorbing onto the surface. In addition, the rapid kinetic exchange and high bulk concentration maintain a saturated surface with uniform surface concentrations. This prevents retarding surface tension gradients and keeps the thermocapillary velocity high. In our reports over the first 2 years, we presented numerical simulations of the bubble motion and surfactant transport which verified theoretically the concept of remobilization, and the development of an apparatus to track and measure the velocity of rising bubbles in a glycerol/water surfactant solution. This year, we detail experimental observations of remobilization. Two polyethylene oxide surfactants were studied, C12E6 (CH3(CH2)11(OCH2)6OH) and C10E8 (CH3(CH2)4(OCH2CH2)8OH). Measurements of the kinetic exchange for these surfactants show that the one with the longer hydrophobe chain C12E6 has a lower rate of kinetic exchange. In addition, this surfactant is much less soluble in the glycerol/water mixture because of the shorter ethoxylate chain. As a result, we found that C12E6 had only a very limited ability to remobilize rising bubbles because of the limited kinetic exchange and reduced solubility. However, C10E8, with its higher solubility and more rapid exchange was found to dramatically remobilize rising bubbles. We also compared our theoretical calculations to the experimental measurements of velocity for both the non-remobilizing and remobilizing surfactants and found excellent agreement. We further observed that for C10E8 at high concentrations, which exceeded the critical micelle concentrations, additional remobilization was measured. In this case the rapid exchange of monomer between micelle and surfactant provides an additional mechanism for maintaining a uniform surface concentrations.

Palaparthi, Ravi↗

Rotational and translational effects in collisions of electronically excited diatomic hydrides

Collisional quenching and vibrational energy proceed competitively with rotational energy transfer for several excited states of the diatomic radicals OH, NH, and CH. This occurs for a wide variety of molecular collision partners. This phenomenon permits the examination of the influence of rotational motion on the collision dynamics of these theoretically tractable species. Measurements can also be made as a function of temperature, i.e., collision velocity. In OH (sup 2 sigma +), both vibrational transfer and quenching are found to decrease with an increase in rotational level, while quenching decreases with increasing temperature. This behavior indicates that for OH, anisotropic attractive forces govern the entrance channel dynamics for these collisions. The quenching of NH (sup 3 pi sub i) by many (although not all) collision partners also decreases with increasing rotational and translational energy, and NH (sup 1 pi) behaves much like OH (sup 2 sigma +). However, the quenching of CH (sup 2 delta) appears to decrease with increasing rotation but increases with increasing temperature, suggesting in this case anisotropic forces involving a barrier or repulsive wall. Such similarities and differences should furnish useful comparisons with both simple and detailed theoretical pictures of the appropriate collision dynamics.

Crosley, David R.↗

Motion estimation of objects in KC-135 microgravity

The simulated microgravity environment aboard a KC-135 aircraft flying along a parabolic trajectory was used to study the ability of an autonomous space robot to grasp a freely translating and rotating object. Since the KC-135 cabin environment and the instrumentation for the Extravehicular Activity Helper/Retriever (EVAHR) do not provide a practical intertial reference frame, estimators based on the extended Kalman filter algorithm were used to model the relative translational dynamics of the KC-135 and the EVAHR. The estimator algorithms require intensive mathematical computation and therefore, i860 real-time. Estimator design, implementation concerns, and issues specific to the KC-135 environment are discussed and the architecture of the KC-135 translational state estimator is depicted.

Hewgill, Lisa↗

A program for calculating load coefficient matrices utilizing the force summation method, L218 (LOADS). Volume 1: Engineering and usage

The LOADS program L218, a digital computer program that calculates dynamic load coefficient matrices utilizing the force summation method, is described. The load equations are derived for a flight vehicle in straight and level flight and excited by gusts and/or control motions. In addition, sensor equations are calculated for use with an active control system. The load coefficient matrices are calculated for the following types of loads: translational and rotational accelerations, velocities, and displacements; panel aerodynamic forces; net panel forces; shears and moments. Program usage and a brief description of the analysis used are presented. A description of the design and structure of the program to aid those who will maintain and/or modify the program in the future is included.

Miller, R. D.↗

Maximum likelihood tuning of a vehicle motion filter

This paper describes the use of maximum likelihood parameter estimation unknown parameters appearing in a nonlinear vehicle motion filter. The filter uses the kinematic equations of motion of a rigid body in motion over a spherical earth. The nine states of the filter represent vehicle velocity, attitude, and position. The inputs to the filter are three components of translational acceleration and three components of angular rate. Measurements used to update states include air data, altitude, position, and attitude. Expressions are derived for the elements of filter matrices needed to use air data in a body-fixed frame with filter states expressed in a geographic frame. An expression for the likelihood functions of the data is given, along with accurate approximations for the function's gradient and Hessian with respect to unknown parameters. These are used by a numerical quasi-Newton algorithm for maximizing the likelihood function of the data in order to estimate the unknown parameters. The parameter estimation algorithm is useful for processing data from aircraft flight tests or for tuning inertial navigation systems.

Trankle, Thomas L.↗

Flexible Models for Solar Sail Control

Solar sails employ a unique form of propulsion, gaining momentum from incident and reflected photons. However, the momentum transferred by an individual photon is extremely small. Consequently, a solar sail must have an extremely large surface area and also be extremely light. The flexibility of the sail then must be considered when designing or evaluating control laws. In this paper, solar sail flexibility and its influence on control effectiveness is considered using idealized two-dimensional models to represent physical phenomena rather than a specific design. Differential equations of motion are derived for a distributed parameter model of a flexible solar sail idealized as a rotating central hub with two opposing flexible booms. This idealization is appropriate for solar sail designs in which the vibrational modes of the sail and supporting booms move together allowing the sail mass to be distributed along the booms in the idealized model. A reduced analytical model of the flexible response is considered. Linear feedback torque control is applied at the central hub. Two translational disturbances and a torque disturbance also act at the central hub representing the equivalent effect of deflecting sail shape about a reference line. Transient simulations explore different control designs and their effectiveness for controlling orientation, for reducing flexible motion and for disturbance rejection. A second model also is developed as a two-dimensional "pathfinder" model to calculate the effect of solar sail shape on the resultant thrust, in-plane force and torque at the hub. The analysis is then extended to larger models using the finite element method. The finite element modeling approach is verified by comparing results from a two-dimensional finite element model with those from the analytical model. The utility of the finite element modeling approach for this application is then illustrated through examples based on a full finite element model.

Weaver Smith, Suzanne↗

Investigation of the Effectiveness of Dynamic Seat in a Black Hawk Flight Simulation

Low cost alternatives have been sought to provide motion cues in ground-based flight simulators to meet mission objectives. The ability to provide high frequency vibrations makes the dynamic seat attractive to helicopter training applications. Previous studies have found that dynamic seat does enhance the realism of the cockpit and affect pilots' workload. This investigation, conducted under the auspices of the Joint Shipboard Helicopter Integration Process (JSHIP), is using a three degree-of-freedom dynamic seat, i.e., heave, surge, and sway, with limited travels in a research simulator configured as a UH-60 Black Hawk at NASA Ames Research Center. The seat's effectiveness is studied using hover, landing, pirouette, bob-up/bob-down, sidestep, and acceleration/deceleration maneuvers. Seat commands consist of constant vibrations in heave and sway which provide the fundamental vibratory cues. Pilot station accelerations and collective controls provide onset and sustained commands. In addition, transient effects due to translational-lift, collective; and normal acceleration are produced by regulating the magnitude and frequency that depend on the rotor rpm. Results are compared to flight test data and two other ground-based motion systems configurations, i.e., a motion condition with very large motion travels and a motion condition that is comparable with commercial simulator travels. Both subjective and objective data will be analyzed to determine the significance of the motion cueing effect in each system for selected maneuvers.

Chung, William W. Y.↗

Study of space shuttle EVA/IVA support requirements. Volume 4: Requirements study for space shuttle mobility aids

The requirements for mobility aids and restraint devices for use by personnel of the space shuttle were investigated. The devices considered were as follows: (1) translational devices to assist crewmen in moving from place to place and in moving equipment, (2) restraint devices for crewman at the worksite to prevent undesired induced motion between the crewman and the worksite, and (3) other necessary worksite provisions. Existing devices in each category are reviewed and new concepts are generated as required. Diagrams and line drawings of items of equipment are provided.

Wood, P. W., Jr.↗

A program for calculating load coefficient matrices utilizing the force summation method, L218 (LOADS). Volume 2: Supplemental system design and maintenance document

The LOADS computer program L218 which calculates dynamic load coefficient matrices utilizing the force summation method is described. The load equations are derived for a flight vehicle in straight and level flight and excited by gusts and/or control motions. In addition, sensor equations are calculated for use with an active control system. The load coefficient matrices are calculated for the following types of loads: (1) translational and rotational accelerations, velocities, and displacements; (2) panel aerodynamic forces; (3) net panel forces; and (4) shears, bending moments, and torsions.

Anderson, L. R.↗

Particle kinetic simulation of high altitude hypervelocity flight

A new model for simulating the transfer of energy between the translational and rotational modes was derived for a homogeneous gas of diatomic molecules. The model was developed specifically for use in discrete particle simulation methods where molecular motion and inter-molecular collisions are treated at the molecular level. In such methods it is normal to assume a constant rotational collision number for the entire flowfield. The new model differs in that a temperature dependence is introduced which has been predicted by theory and observed in experiment. The new model is applied to the relaxation of rotational temperature, and is found to produce significant differences in comparison with the model normally employed at both high and low temperatures. Calculations have also been performed for a Mach 7 normal shock wave. Large differences in the solutions are again observed, with the new model offering an improved correspondence to the available experimental data.

Boyd, Iain D.↗

A Role for MST Neurons in Heading Estimation

A template model of human visual self-motion perception, which uses neurophysiologically realistic "heading detectors", is consistent with numerous human psychophysical results including the failure of humans to estimate their heading (direction of forward translation) accurately under certain visual conditions. We tested the model detectors with stimuli used by others in single-unit studies. The detectors showed emergent properties similar to those of MST neurons: (1) Sensitivity to non-preferred flow; Each detector is tuned to a specific combination of flow components and its response is systematically reduced by the addition of nonpreferred flow, and (2) Position invariance; The detectors maintain their apparent preference for particular flow components over large regions of their receptive fields. It has been argued that this latter property is incompatible with MST playing a role in heading perception. The model however demonstrates how neurons with the above response properties could still support accurate heading estimation within extrastriate cortical maps.

Stone, L. S.↗