Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Finite size effects”

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.

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

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Resolution requirements for velocity gradients in turbulence

Since high resolution numerical simulations of turbulent flows, or experiments at high Reynolds numbers, represent a substantial investment in resources, the estimation of the minimum resolution required for the study of a given property has been the subject of continued interest. Different properties require, in general, different resolutions, and the present paper is dedicated to the requirements for the measurement of the probability distribution functions of the velocity gradients and, in particular, of their low order moments. The deviation of these quantities from the values corresponding to a Gaussian distribution was one of the first indications of the presence of Reynolds number-dependent intermittency and has been the object of recent interest as numerical simulations have become able to explore the distribution of gradients in the low Reynolds number range, while new experiments have extended the range to increasingly high Reynolds numbers. We will use progressive filtering of the results of numerical simulations of isotropic turbulence as a model for the effect of a sensor of finite size. The numerical issues will be addressed first to ensure that the simulations are fully resolved from the point of view of the velocity gradients. This will also give us an estimate for the numerical resolution required for the different quantities.

Jimenez, Javier↗
NASA NTRS1978

Effect of crack size on the natural frequencies of a cracked plate

Results are presented for a finite element modal analysis of a centrally cracked rectangular plate made of linearly elastic material. The objective is to assess the effect of crack size on the natural vibration frequencies of the cracked plate. Only the in-plane vibration modes are studied. The results presented are finite-element mesh-size dependent. Namely, shrinking the mesh size, especially in the crack tip region, would change the magnitudes of the natural frequencies, and the trends would be the same as shown in the present note.

Ko, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Parasitic Interference in Nulling Interferometry

Nulling interferometry aims to detect faint objects close to bright stars. Its principle is to produce a destructive interference along the line of sight so that the stellar flux is rejected, while the flux of the off-axis source can be transmitted. In practice, various instrumental perturbations can degrade the nulling performance. Any imperfection in phase, amplitude or polarization produces a spurious flux that leaks to the interferometer output and corrupts the transmitted off-axis flux. One of these instrumental perturbations is the crosstalk phenomenon, which occurs because of multiple parasitic reflections inside transmitting optics, and/or diffraction effects related to beam propagation along finite size optics. It can include a crosstalk of a beam with itself, and a mutual crosstalk between different beams. This can create a parasitic interference pattern, which degrades the intrinsic transmission map - or intensity response - of the interferometer. In this context, we describe how this instrumental effect impairs the performance of a Bracewell interferometer. A simple formalism is developed to derive the corresponding modified intensity response of the interferometer, as a function of the two parameters of interest: the crosstalk level (or contamination rate) and the phase shift between the primary and secondary - parasitic - beams. We then apply our mathematical approach to a few scientific cases, both analytically and using the GENIESIM simulation software, adapted to handle coherent crosstalk. Our results show that a coherent crosstalk level of about 1 per cent implies a 20 per cent drop of the signal-to-noise ratio at most. Careful attention should thus be paid to reduce the crosstalk level inside an interferometric instrument and ensure an instrumental stability that provides the necessary sensitivity through calibration procedures.

circumstellar matter↗
NASA NTRS1974

Models of Saturn's rings which satisfy the optical observations

A theoretical model of Saturn's rings is investigated which includes the shadowing effect and realistic anisotropic phase functions for the ring particles. The effects of multiple scattering and the finite size of the sun, including the penumbra, are rigorously included. The permissible range of the relevant parameters, including optical thickness, single scattering albedo, volume density, and phase function are investigated by comparing the theoretical results to observations of the ring brightness vs phase angle, wavelength, and elevation of the sun and earth. Anisotropic scattering by the ring particles is necessary in order to match the observations. The color dependence of the opposition effect is interpreted in terms of the albedo spectrum of the ring particles.

Kawata, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Measurement of micro-roughness and effects of detector bandwidth and finite width

Surface micro-roughness of grazing incidence optics has long been recognized as a critical parameter in the control of the scattered X-ray intensity and its effects on the point spread function half-energy width. Accurate knowledge of the amplitude of surface micro-roughness is vital to assess optic predicted performance during the final stages of fabrication. This requires not only a knowledge of the spatial bandwidth over which surface features must be measured, but also knowledge of the bandwidth of the measurement instrument. We show that the standard assumption that instruments respond up to their Nyquist limit is an oversimplification which neglects the finite detector size and its bandwidth limiting effects when sampling a real (i.e., two-dimensional) surface.

Reid, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Diffusion length measurements in bulk and epitaxially grown 3-5 semiconductors using charge collection microscopy

Diffusion lengths and surface recombination velocities were measured in GaAs diodes and InP finished solar cells. The basic techniques used was charge collection microscopy also known as electron beam induced current (EBIC). The normalized currents and distances from the pn junction were read directly from the calibrated curves obtained while using the line scan mode in an SEM. These values were then equated to integral and infinite series expressions resulting from the solution of the diffusion equation with both extended generation and point generation functions. This expands previous work by examining both thin and thick samples. The surface recombination velocity was either treated as an unknown in a system of two equations, or measured directly using low e(-) beam accelerating voltages. These techniques give accurate results by accounting for the effects of surface recombination and the finite size of the generation volume.

Leon, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Diffusion length measurement in bulk and epitaxially grown III-V semiconductors using charge collection microscopy

Diffusion lengths and surface recombination velocities were measured in GaAs diodes and InP finished solar cells. The basic technique used was charge collection microscopy, also known as electron beam induced current (EBIC). The normalized currents and distances from the pn junction were read directly from the calibrated curves obtained while using the line-scan mode in an SEM. These values were then equated to integral and infinite series expressions resulting from the solution of the diffusion equation with both extended-generation and point-generation functions. This expands previous work by examining both thin and thick samples. The surface recombination velocity was either treated as an unknown in a system of two equations or measured directly using low e(-) beam accelerating voltages. These techniques give accurate results by accounting for the effects of surface recombination and the finite size of the generation volume.

Leon, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Effects of Subscale Size and Shape on Global Energy Dissipation in a Multiscale Model of a Fiber-Reinforced Composite Exhibiting Post-Peak Strain Softening Using Abaqus and FEAMAC

A mesh objective crack band model is implemented in the generalized method of cells (GMC) micromechanics model to predict failure of a composite repeating unit cell (RUC). The micromechanics calculations are achieved using the MAC/GMC core engine within the ImMAC suite of micromechanics codes, developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The microscale RUC is linked to a macroscale Abaqus/Standard finite element model using the FEAMAC multiscale framework (included in the ImMAC suite). The effects of the relationship between the characteristic length of the finite element and the size of the microscale RUC on the total energy dissipation of the multiscale model are investigated. A simple 2-D composite square subjected to uniaxial tension is used to demonstrate the effects of scaling the dimensions of the RUC such that the length of the sides of the RUC are equal to the characteristic length of the finite element. These results are compared to simulations where the size of the RUC is fixed, independent of the element size. Simulations are carried out for a variety of mesh densities and element shapes, including square and triangular. Results indicate that a consistent size and shape must be used to yield preserve energy dissipation across the scales.

Pineda, Evan, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Electrostatic ion-cyclotron waves in magnetospheric plasmas Nonlocal aspects

The importance of the effect of the magnetic shear and the finite size of current channel on the electrostatic ion-cyclotron instability for the space plasmas is illustrated. A non-local treatment is used. When the channel width Lc, is larger than the shear length Ls, there is a large reduction in the growth rate along with a noteworthy reduction of the band of the unstable perpendicular wavelengths. For Lc less than or = Ls/10 the growth rate is not much altered from its local value, however for Lc/pi i less than or = 10 to the second power the growth rate starts falling below the local value and vanishes for Lc pi i. The non-local effects lead to enhanced coherence in the ion cyclotron waves. Previously announced in STAR as N84-14917

Ganguli, G.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Buckling Behavior of Compression-Loaded Quasi-Isotropic Curved Panels with a Circular Cutout

Results from a numerical and experimental study of the response of compression-loaded quasi-isotropic curved panels with a centrally located circular cutout are presented. The numerical results were obtained by using a geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis code. The effects of cutout size, panel curvature and initial geo- metric imperfections on the overall response of compression-loaded panels are described. In addition, results are presented from a numerical parametric study that indicate the effects of elastic circumferential edge restraints on the prebuckling and buckling response of a selected panel and these numerical results are compared to experimentally measured results. These restraints are used to identify the effects of circumferential edge restraints that are introduced by the test fixture that was used in the present study. It is shown that circumferential edge restraints can introduce substantial nonlinear prebuckling deformations into shallow compression-loaded curved panels that can results in a significant increase in buckling load.

Hilburger, Mark W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A simplified approach to strain energy release rate computations for interlaminar fracture of composites

A simple approach for the strain energy release rate computations based on the finite element method and a singular fitting model is presented. The model uses the stress and displacement distributions at the delamination front. The method is applied to a mixed-mode double cracked-lap-shear composite configuration. The strain energy release rate components predicted by the model are compared with the finite element crack-closure method. The effect of the mesh size on the stress and displacement distribution is isolated. The strain energy release rates predicted by relatively coarse mesh sizes are in good agreement with the finite element crack closure method.

Armanios, Erian A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Residual strength of thin panels with cracks

The previous design philosophies involving safe life, fail-safe and damage tolerance concepts become inadequate for assuring the safety of aging aircraft structures. For example, the failure mechanism for the Aloha Airline accident involved the coalescence of undetected small cracks at the rivet holes causing a section of the fuselage to peel open during flight. Therefore, the fuselage structure should be designed to have sufficient residual strength under worst case crack configurations and in-flight load conditions. Residual strength is interpreted as the maximum load carrying capacity prior to unstable crack growth. Internal pressure and bending moment constitute the two major components of the external loads on the fuselage section during flight. Although the stiffeners in the form of stringers, frames and tear straps sustain part of the external loads, the significant portion of the load is taken up by the skin. In the presence of a large crack in the skin, the crack lips bulge out with considerable yielding; thus, the geometric and material nonlinearities must be included in the analysis for predicting residual strength. Also, these nonlinearities do not permit the decoupling of in-plane and out-of-plane bending deformations. The failure criterion combining the concepts of absorbed specific energy and strain energy density addresses the aforementioned concerns. The critical absorbed specific energy (local toughness) for the material is determined from the global specimen response and deformation geometry based on the uniaxial tensile test data and detailed finite element modeling of the specimen response. The use of the local toughness and stress-strain response at the continuum level eliminates the size effect. With this critical parameter and stress-strain response, the finite element analysis of the component by using STAGS along with the application of this failure criterion provides the stable crack growth calculations for residual strength predictions.

Madenci, Erdogan↗
NASA NTRS1981

Finite sun effect on the interpretation of solar aureole

Although it is usually assumed that solar radiation falls on the earth's atmosphere in the form of plane waves, the finite angular size of the solar disk contradicts this assumption. For most purposes, this finite sun effect on computed or measured radiation quantities is negligible. However, in the region of the solar aureole, which is dominated by aerosol diffraction scattering, measurable effects may be obtained. In this paper, we show that the finite sun effect is related to derivatives of the scattering phase function and that a 1% effect may be obtained close to the sun if enough large particles are present in the atmosphere.

Box, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

An analytic treatment of gravitational microlensing for sources of finite size at large optical depths

Statistical methods are developed for gravitational lensing in order to obtain analytic expressions for the average surface brightness that include the effects of microlensing by stellar (or other compact) masses within the lensing galaxy. The primary advance here is in utilizing a Markoff technique to obtain expressions that are valid for sources of finite size when the surface density of mass in the lensing galaxy is large. The finite size of the source is probably the key consideration for the occurrence of microlensing by individual stars. For the intensity from a particular location, the parameter which governs the importance of microlensing is determined. Statistical methods are also formulated to assess the time variation of the surface brightness due to the random motion of the masses that cause the microlensing.

Deguchi, Shuji↗
NASA NTRS1984

Atmospheric effect on classification of finite fields

The atmospheric effect on the upward radiance of sunlight scattered from the earth-atmosphere system is strongly influenced by the contrasts between fields and their sizes. In this paper, the radiances above finite fields are computed to simulate radiances measured by a satellite. A simulation case including 11 agricultural fields and four natural fields (water, soil, savanah, and forest) is used to test the effect of field size, background reflectance, and optical thickness of the atmosphere on the classification accuracy. For a given atmospheric turbidity, the atmospheric effect on classification of surface features may be much stronger for nonuniform surfaces than for uniform surfaces. Therefore, the classification accuracy of agricultural fields and urban areas is dependent not only on the optical characteristics of the atmosphere, but also on the size of the surface elements to be classified and their contrasts. It is concluded that new atmospheric correction methods, which take into account the finite size of the fields, are needed.

Kaufman, Y. J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Boundary-Layer Receptivity and Integrated Transition Prediction

The adjoint parabold stability equations (PSE) formulation is used to calculate the boundary layer receptivity to localized surface roughness and suction for compressible boundary layers. Receptivity efficiency functions predicted by the adjoint PSE approach agree well with results based on other nonparallel methods including linearized Navier-Stokes equations for both Tollmien-Schlichting waves and crossflow instability in swept wing boundary layers. The receptivity efficiency function can be regarded as the Green's function to the disturbance amplitude evolution in a nonparallel (growing) boundary layer. Given the Fourier transformed geometry factor distribution along the chordwise direction, the linear disturbance amplitude evolution for a finite size, distributed nonuniformity can be computed by evaluating the integral effects of both disturbance generation and linear amplification. The synergistic approach via the linear adjoint PSE for receptivity and nonlinear PSE for disturbance evolution downstream of the leading edge forms the basis for an integrated transition prediction tool. Eventually, such physics-based, high fidelity prediction methods could simulate the transition process from the disturbance generation through the nonlinear breakdown in a holistic manner.

Chang, Chau-Lyan↗
NASA NTRS1978

Finite element analysis of helicopter structures

Application of the finite element analysis is now being expanded to three dimensional analysis of mechanical components. Examples are presented for airframe, mechanical components, and composite structure calculations. Data are detailed on the increase of model size, computer usage, and the effect on reducing stress analysis costs. Future applications for use of finite element analysis for helicopter structures are projected.

Rich, M. J.↗