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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Sensitivity analysis for the dynamic response of thermoviscoplastic shells of revolution

A computational procedure is presented for evaluating the sensitivity coefficients of the dynamic axisymmetric, fully-coupled, thermoviscoplastic response of shells of revolution. The analytical formulation is based on Reissner's large deformation shell theory with the effects of large-strain, transverse shear deformation, rotatory inertia and moments turning around the normal to the middle surface included. The material model is chosen to be viscoplasticity with strain hardening and thermal hardening, and an associated flow rule is used with a von Mises effective stress. A mixed formulation is used for the shell equations with the fundamental unknowns consisting of six stress resultants, three generalized displacements and three velocity components. The energy-balance equation is solved using a Galerkin procedure, with the temperature as the fundamental unknown. Spatial discretization is performed in one dimension (meridional direction) for the momentum and constitutive equations of the shell, and in two dimensions (meridional and thickness directions) for the energy-balance equation. The temporal integration is performed by using an explicit central difference scheme (leap-frog method) for the momentum equation; a predictor-corrector version of the trapezoidal rule is used for the energy-balance equation; and an explicit scheme consistent with the central difference method is used to integrate the constitutive equations. The sensitivity coefficients are evaluated by using a direct differentiation approach. Numerical results are presented for a spherical cap subjected to step loading.

Kulkarni, Makarand↗
NASA NTRS1982

Current economic and sensitivity analysis for ID slicing of 4 inch and 6 inch diameter silicon ingots for photovoltaic applications

The economics and sensitivities of slicing large diameter silicon ingots for photovoltaic applications were examined. Current economics and slicing add on cost sensitivities are calculated using variable parameters for blade life, slicing yield, and slice cutting speed. It is indicated that cutting speed has the biggest impact on slicing add on cost, followed by slicing yield, and by blade life as the blade life increases.

Roberts, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Application of design sensitivity analysis for greater improvement on machine structural dynamics

Methodologies are presented for greatly improving machine structural dynamics by using design sensitivity analyses and evaluative parameters. First, design sensitivity coefficients and evaluative parameters of structural dynamics are described. Next, the relations between the design sensitivity coefficients and the evaluative parameters are clarified. Then, design improvement procedures of structural dynamics are proposed for the following three cases: (1) addition of elastic structural members, (2) addition of mass elements, and (3) substantial charges of joint design variables. Cases (1) and (2) correspond to the changes of the initial framework or configuration, and (3) corresponds to the alteration of poor initial design variables. Finally, numerical examples are given for demonstrating the availability of the methods proposed.

Yoshimura, Masataka↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sensitivity analysis towards trace-uranium detection with γ-γ coincidence NAA

An improved approach for detection of trace amounts of 238 U by means of neutron activation analysis (NAA) is presented. The analysis enhancement is obtained by utilizing γ-γ coincidence counting. An empirical method for evaluating the sensitivity gain in the presence of a large source-related background is presented. A comparison of detection limits is made between two counting schemes; namely, counting single gammas using one HPGe detector versus counting coincident gammas using two HPGe detectors placed face-to-face. Furthermore, a data-validated radiation transport model, created in GEANT4 for a single HPGe detector, is extended to handle the two detector setup. In this counting scheme, a 238 U-detection sensitivity enhancement of about a factor of 8 is predicted for a sample of Saint-Gobain G3 Sapphire when compared to the simpler singles counting approach.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1985

Sensitivity analysis of low bulk resistivity solar cells

In an effort to identify critical parameters of single-junction solar cells and to determine their relative sensitivity, parametric analyses have been conducted with a computer code SPCOLAY. A receipt for high-efficiency cells emerges from the analyses that requires the primary ingredients of low bulk resistivity (0.1-0.2 ohm-cm), a bulk diffusion length as large as attainable (greater than 100 microns), and a small front surface recombination velocity (about 100 cm/sec). Other parameters appear to play less sensitive roles.

Lin, E. I. H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Computational methods for efficient structural reliability and reliability sensitivity analysis

This paper presents recent developments in efficient structural reliability analysis methods. The paper proposes an efficient, adaptive importance sampling (AIS) method that can be used to compute reliability and reliability sensitivities. The AIS approach uses a sampling density that is proportional to the joint PDF of the random variables. Starting from an initial approximate failure domain, sampling proceeds adaptively and incrementally with the goal of reaching a sampling domain that is slightly greater than the failure domain to minimize over-sampling in the safe region. Several reliability sensitivity coefficients are proposed that can be computed directly and easily from the above AIS-based failure points. These probability sensitivities can be used for identifying key random variables and for adjusting design to achieve reliability-based objectives. The proposed AIS methodology is demonstrated using a turbine blade reliability analysis problem.

Wu, Y.-T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Treatment of body forces in boundary element design sensitivity analysis

The inclusion of body forces has received a good deal of attention in boundary element research. The consideration of such forces is essential in the desgin of high performance components such as fan and turbine disks in a gas turbine engine. Due to their critical performance requirements, optimal shapes are often desired for these components. The boundary element method (BEM) offers the possibility of being an efficient method for such iterative analysis as shape optimization. The implicit-differentiation of the boundary integral equations is performed to obtain the sensitivity equations. The body forces are accounted for by either the particular integrals for uniform body forces or by a surface integration for non-uniform body forces. The corresponding sensitivity equations for both these cases are presented. The validity of present formulations is established through a close agreement with exact analytical results.

Saigal, Sunil↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis of Sandwich Composite Cylinders with Geometric Imperfections

It is well known that real shell structures can have significantly lower buckling loads and even different mode shapes than the theoretical predictions for perfect structures. Much of this difference can be attributed to geometric and loading imperfections, and geometrically nonlinear effects. The realistic buckling response can be investigated using geometrically nonlinear finite element analyses and including radial imperfections. Such analyses are used in the NASA Engineering and Safety Center Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project, which has the goal of developing new analysis-based buckling design recommendations for select classes of cylindrical shell structures under uniaxial compressive load. The approach for modeling several sandwich composite cylinders with two-dimensional general-purpose shell elements and the influence of the element type selection and element size on the buckling load is discussed. The influence of geometric imperfections of various magnitudes on buckling behavior of a sandwich composite cylinder was also investigated.

Structural Modeling↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis of Sandwich Composite Cylinders with Geometric Imperfections

It is well known that manufactured shell structures can have significantly lower buckling loads and different mode shapes than the theoretical predictions for perfect structures. Much of this difference can be attributed to geometric and loading imperfections, and geometrically nonlinear effects. The buckling response of cylindrical structures can be investigated using geometrically nonlinear finite element analyses and including radial imperfections. Such analyses are used in the NASA Engineering and Safety Center Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project, which has the goal of developing new analysis-based buckling design recommendations for select classes of cylindrical shell structures under uniaxial compressive load. The approach for modeling several sandwich composite cylinders with two-dimensional general-purpose shell elements and the influence of the element type selection and element size on the buckling load is discussed. The influence of geometric imperfections of various magnitudes on buckling behavior of a sandwich composite cylinder was also investigated.

Structural Modeling↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

: Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis of Sandwich Composite Cylinders with Geometric Imperfections

It is well known that manufactured shell structures can have significantly lower buckling loads and different mode shapes than the theoretical predictions for perfect structures. Much of this difference can be attributed to geometric and loading imperfections, and geometrically nonlinear effects. The buckling response of cylindrical structures can be investigated using geometrically nonlinear finite element analyses and including radial imperfections. Such analyses are used in the NASA Engineering and Safety Center Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project, which has the goal of developing new analysis-based buckling design recommendations for select classes of cylindrical shell structures under uniaxial compressive load. The approach for modeling several sandwich composite cylinders with two-dimensional general-purpose shell elements and the influence of the element type selection and element size on the buckling load is discussed. The influence of geometric imperfections of various magnitudes on buckling behavior of a sandwich composite cylinder was also investigated.

Structural Modeling↗
NASA NTRS1995

Sensitivity analysis of the non-linear dynamic viscoplastic response of 2-d structures with respect to material parameters

A computational procedure is presented for evaluating the sensitivity coefficients of the viscoplastic response of structures subjected to dynamic loading. A state of plane stress is assumed to exist in the structure, a velocity strain-Cauchy stress formulation is used, and the geometric non-linearities arising from large strains are incorporated. The Jaumann rate is used as a frame indifferent stress rate. The material model is chosen to be isothermal viscoplasticity, and an associated flow rule is used with a von Mises effective stress. The equations of motion emanating from a finite element semi-discretization are integrated using an explicit central difference scheme with an implicit stress update. The sensitivity coefficients are evaluated using a direct differentiation approach. Since the domain of integration is the current configuration, the sensitivity coefficients of the spatial derivatives of the shape functions must be included. Numerical results are presented for a thin plate with a central cutout subjected to an in-plane compressive loading. The sensitivity coefficients are generated by evaluating the derivatives of the response quantities with respect to Young's modulus, and two of the material parameters characterizing the viscoplastic response. Time histories of the response and sensitivity coefficients, and spatial distributions at selected times are presented.

Kulkarni, Makarand↗
NASA NTRS1982

Sensitivity analysis of helicopter IMC decelerating steep approach and landing performance to navigation system parameters

Results of a study to investigate, by means of a computer simulation, the performance sensitivity of helicopter IMC DSAL operations as a function of navigation system parameters are presented. A mathematical model representing generically a navigation system is formulated. The scenario simulated consists of a straight in helicopter approach to landing along a 6 deg glideslope. The deceleration magnitude chosen is 03g. The navigation model parameters are varied and the statistics of the total system errors (TSE) computed. These statistics are used to determine the critical navigation system parameters that affect the performance of the closed-loop navigation, guidance and control system of a UH-1H helicopter.

Karmali, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Sensitivity analysis of a deployable three longeron truss beam designed for minimum member loads during deployment

The significant design variables of a deployable three longeron truss beam, designed for minimum member loads during deployment, are identified and the sensitivity of the load level in the members of the truss beam due to variations of the design variables is established. The analysis of the deployment models, developed in this paper, is carried out using a commercially available computer code, called DADS. Based on the results of the analysis, guidelines are formulated for the design of a deployable three longeron truss beam to achieve minimum loads in the members during deployment. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the applicability of the approach, taken in this paper, to other truss configurations.

Warnaar, Dirk B.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Developing and evaluating Malliavin estimators for intrusive sensitivity analysis of Monte Carlo radiation transport

We will develop Malliavin estimators for Monte Carlo radiation transport by formulating the governing jump stochastic differential equation and deriving the applicable estimators that produce sensitivities for our equations. Efficient and effective sensitivity can be used for design optimization and uncertainty quantification with broad utilization for radiation environments. The technology demonstration will lower development risk for other particle-based simulation methods.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1995

Sensitivity Analysis of Wing Aeroelastic Responses

Design for prevention of aeroelastic instability (that is, the critical speeds leading to aeroelastic instability lie outside the operating range) is an integral part of the wing design process. Availability of the sensitivity derivatives of the various critical speeds with respect to shape parameters of the wing could be very useful to a designer in the initial design phase, when several design changes are made and the shape of the final configuration is not yet frozen. These derivatives are also indispensable for a gradient-based optimization with aeroelastic constraints. In this study, flutter characteristic of a typical section in subsonic compressible flow is examined using a state-space unsteady aerodynamic representation. The sensitivity of the flutter speed of the typical section with respect to its mass and stiffness parameters, namely, mass ratio, static unbalance, radius of gyration, bending frequency, and torsional frequency is calculated analytically. A strip theory formulation is newly developed to represent the unsteady aerodynamic forces on a wing. This is coupled with an equivalent plate structural model and solved as an eigenvalue problem to determine the critical speed of the wing. Flutter analysis of the wing is also carried out using a lifting-surface subsonic kernel function aerodynamic theory (FAST) and an equivalent plate structural model. Finite element modeling of the wing is done using NASTRAN so that wing structures made of spars and ribs and top and bottom wing skins could be analyzed. The free vibration modes of the wing obtained from NASTRAN are input into FAST to compute the flutter speed. An equivalent plate model which incorporates first-order shear deformation theory is then examined so it can be used to model thick wings, where shear deformations are important. The sensitivity of natural frequencies to changes in shape parameters is obtained using ADIFOR. A simple optimization effort is made towards obtaining a minimum weight design of the wing, subject to flutter constraints, lift requirement constraints for level flight and side constraints on the planform parameters of the wing using the IMSL subroutine NCONG, which uses successive quadratic programming.

Issac, Jason Cherian↗