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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 55 records · Page 3

Comparison of Micromechanics Theories for Modeling Discontinuous Long Fiber Reinforced Composites

Two micromechanics theories, the high fidelity generalized method of cells and Carrera Unified Formulation, are used to model a repeating unit cell of a discrete long fiber composite. The models are used to predict the effective properties of a single fiber with varying fiber-to-fiber end gap lengths, as well as the local stresses in the fiber and matrix. Both models produced similar results and demonstrated that they could capture the complex local load transfer due to the shear lag effect.

discrete long fiber composites↗

Energy branching in the Io plasma torus - The failure of neutral cloud theory

Model calculations are used to explore the energy source characteristics of the energy branching of the hot Io plasma torus. It is assumed that the energy is derived from the kinetic energy acquired by ions created in the rotating planetary magnetic field, and that Coulomb collisions with the electron gas control the flow of energy to the ionizing and radiative processes. The results show that neutral cloud theory is qualitatively inadequate. It is shown that neutral cloud theory can only support a dominantly singly ionized system (at the measured electron densities in the plasma torus) and that it fails to predict observed plasma properties relative to variations in number density.

Shemansky, D. E.↗

Theory and Modeling in Support of Tether

This final report summarizes the work performed by SAIC's Applied Physics Operation on the modeling and support of Tethered Satellite System missions (TSS-1 and TSS-1R). The SAIC team, known to be Theory and Modeling in Support of Tether (TMST) investigation, was one of the original twelve teams selected in July, 1985 for the first TSS mission. The accomplishments described in this report cover the period December 19, 1985 to September 31, 1999 and are the result of a continuous effort aimed at supporting the TSS missions in the following major areas. During the contract period, the SAIC's TMST investigation acted to: Participate in the planning and the execution on both of the TSS missions; Provide scientific understanding on the issues involved in the electrodynamic tether system operation prior to the TSS missions; Predict ionospheric conditions encountered during the re-flight mission (TSS-lR) based on realtime global ionosounde data; Perform post mission analyses to enhance our understanding on the TSS results. Specifically, we have 1) constructed and improved current collection models and enhanced our understanding on the current-voltage data; 2) investigated the effects of neutral gas in the current collection processes; 3) conducted laboratory experiments to study the discharge phenomena during and after tether-break; and 4) perform numerical simulations to understand data collected by plasma instruments SPES onboard the TSS satellite; Design and produce multi-media CD that highlights TSS mission achievements and convey the knowledge of the tether technology to the general public. Along with discussions of this work, a list of publications and presentations derived from the TMST investigation spanning the reporting period is compiled.

Chang, C. L.↗

Theories and models on the biological of cells in space

A wide variety of observations on cells in space, admittedly made under constraining and unnatural conditions in may cases, have led to experimental results that were surprising or unexpected. Reproducibility, freedom from artifacts, and plausibility must be considered in all cases, even when results are not surprising. The papers in symposium on 'Theories and Models on the Biology of Cells in Space' are dedicated to the subject of the plausibility of cellular responses to gravity -- inertial accelerations between 0 and 9.8 m/sq s and higher. The mechanical phenomena inside the cell, the gravitactic locomotion of single eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, and the effects of inertial unloading on cellular physiology are addressed in theoretical and experimental studies.

Todd, P.↗

Development of a Higher Order Laminate Theory for Modeling Composites with Induced Strain Actuators

A refined higher order plate theory is developed to investigate the actuation mechanism of piezoelectric materials surface bonded or embedded in composite laminates. The current analysis uses a displacement field which accurately accounts for transverse shear stresses. Some higher order terms are identified by using the conditions that shear stresses vanish at all free surfaces. Therefore, all boundary conditions for displacements and stresses are satisfied in the present theory. The analysis is implemented using the finite element method which provides a convenient means to construct a numerical solution due to the discrete nature of the actuators. The higher order theory is computationally less expensive than a full three dimensional analysis. The theory is also shown to agree well with published experimental results. Numerical examples are presented for composite plates with thicknesses ranging from thin to very thick.

Chattopadhyay, Aditi↗

Propagation of solar disturbances - Theories and models

Recent theoretical developments and construction of several models for the propagation of solar disturbances from the sun and their continuation throughout heliospheric space are discussed. Emphasis centers on physical mechanisms as well as mathematical techniques (i.e., analytical and numerical methods). This outline will lead to a discussion of the state-of-the-art of theoretically based modeling efforts in this area. It is shown that the fundamental theory for the study of propagation of disturbances in heliospheric space is centered around the self-consistent analysis of wave and mass motion within the context of magnetohydrodynamics in which the small scale structures will be modified by kinetic effects. Finally, brief mention is made of some interesting problems for which attention is needed for advancement of the understanding of the physics of large scale propagation of solar disturbances in heliospheric space.

Wu, S. T.↗

A rapid-distortion-theory turbulence model for developed unsteady wall-bounded flow

A new approach to turbulence modeling in unsteady developed flows has recently been introduced, based on results of rapid distortion theory. The approach involves closing the k-epsilon equations for the organized unsteady component of the flow by modeling local unsteadiness as a rapid distortion of the local structure of the parent turbulent flow, in terms of an effective strain parameter alpha(sub eff). In this paper, the phase-conditioned equations of motion are developed to accommodate a new unsteady dissipation model and local effects of the slow-relaxation time scale of the parent flow. The model equations are tested against measurements of the response of a fully-developed turbulent pipe flow to the superposition of sinusoidal streamwise oscillation. Good agreement is found between measurements and predictions over a wide range of frequencies of unsteadiness, indicating that this approach may be particularly well suited to modeling of unsteady turbulent flows which are perturbations about a well characterized mean.

Brereton, G. J.↗

Consistency tests of cosmogonic theories from models of Uranus and Neptune

The planetary ratios of ice to rock (I/R) abundances expected in Uranus and Neptune are derived on the basis of several cosmogonic theories. For both Uranus and Neptune, the value of I/R lies between about 1.0 and 3.6. This value is difficult to reconcile with a scenario in which N and C are accreted primarily in the form of N2 and CO. It is consistent with some versions of both giant protoplanet theories and equilibrium accretion theories.

Podolak, M.↗

Theory and modeling of atmospheric turbulence, part 2

Two dimensional geostrophic turbulence driven by a random force is investigated. Based on the Liouville equation, which simulates the primitive hydrodynamical equations, a group-kinetic theory of turbulence is developed and the kinetic equation of the scaled singlet distribution is derived. The kinetic equation is transformed into an equation of spectral balance in the equilibrium and non-equilibrium states. Comparison is made between the propagators and the Green's functions in the case of the non-asymptotic quasi-linear equation to prove the equivalence of both kinds of approximations used to describe perturbed trajectories of plasma turbulence. The microdynamical state of fluid turbulence is described by a hydrodynamical system and transformed into a master equation analogous to the Vlasov equation for plasma turbulence. The spectral balance for the velocity fluctuations of individual components shows that the scaled pressure strain correlation and the cascade transfer are two transport functions that play the most important roles.

Chen, C. M.↗

Theory and modeling of atmospheric turbulence, part 1

The cascade transfer which is the only function to describe the mode coupling as the result of the nonlinear hydrodynamic state of turbulence is discussed. A kinetic theory combined with a scaling procedure was developed. The transfer function governs the non-linear mode coupling in strong turbulence. The master equation is consistent with the hydrodynamical system that describes the microdynamic state of turbulence and has the advantages to be homogeneous and have fewer nonlinear terms. The modes are scaled into groups to decipher the governing transport processes and statistical characteristics. An equation of vorticity transport describes the microdynamic state of two dimensional, isotropic and homogeneous, geostrophic turbulence. The equation of evolution of the macrovorticity is derived from group scaling in the form of the Fokker-Planck equation with memory. The microdynamic state of turbulence is transformed into the Liouville equation to derive the kinetic equation of the singlet distribution in turbulence. The collision integral contains a memory, which is analyzed with pair collision and the multiple collision. Two other kinetic equations are developed in parallel for the propagator and the transition probability for the interaction among the groups.

Source record↗

Multiple Scattering Theory for Modeling Sonic Booms in Atmospheric Turbulence

Sonic booms are often modeled using Burgers equations accounting for dominant propagation effects. Scattering effects of turbulence, however, have not been incorporated into such equations, although these effects are ubiquitous in measured sonic booms. This paper formulates the mean scattering effects, including backscattering, using multiple scattering theory and ensemble averaging. It obtains an acousto-turbulence interaction energy representing the interaction of an acoustic wave field with a turbulence field. The interaction energy gives rise to a scattering wavenumber, a complex-valued correction to the free-space wavenumber. The scattering wavenumber leads to a dispersion and attenuation of the mean waveform due to backscattering, and can be obtained from a derived exact solution. An existing Burgers equation is extended to include the scattering effects of turbulence as an additional linear term. Numerical simulations of an N-wave and a low boom show that the mean scattering effects lead to shock thickening in the mean waveforms as well as reduce the peak amplitudes and total energy contents. The energy reduction is less severe in the low boom than in the N-wave and is dependent on the variance, correlation length, and thickness of the turbulence field.

sonic booms↗

Estimation of Interbasin Transport Using Ocean Bottom Pressure: Theory and Model for Asian Marginal Seas

The Asian Marginal Seas are interconnected by a number of narrow straits, such as the Makassar Strait connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean, the Luzon Strait connecting the South China Sea with the Pacific Ocean, and the Korea/Tsushima Strait connecting the East China Sea with the Japan/East Sea. Here we propose a method, the combination of the "geostrophic control" formula of Garrett and Toulany (1982) and the "hydraulic control" theory of Whitehead et al. (1974), allowing the use of satellite-observed sea-surface-height (SSH) and ocean-bottom-pressure (OBP) data for estimating interbasin transport. The new method also allows separating the interbasin transport into surface and bottom fluxes that play an important role in maintaining the mass balance of the regional oceans. Comparison with model results demonstrates that the combined method can estimate the seasonal variability of the strait transports and is significantly better than the method of using SSH or OBP alone.

hydraulic control↗

Neutral winds and electric fields in the dust auroral oval. II - Theory and model

A two-dimensional numerical model of the thermosphere is applied to the auroral zone neutral wind, electric field, and plasma density data set, presented in an earlier paper. The model shows that the action of the Lorentz force can be responsible to a great extent for the large zonal velocities near the 150-km altitude. Model equations are described, an explanation of the use of the geophysical conditions is given, and model integrations are compared to the wind measurements. However, for the two-dimensional model to be effective, the atmosphere must not cross too many meridians of local time during the integration period, so that the background state should remain fairly uniform. It is concluded that the two-dimensional model cannot accurately explain the details of the wind profiles because of the three-dimensional character of the physical situation. Thus it is noted that the observed winds were part of a large-scale three-dimensional flow which is only weakly coupled to short-term variations in magnetospheric conditions.

Mikkelsen, I. S.↗

Basic theory and model calculations of the Venus ionosphere

An assessment is undertaken of current understanding of the physical and chemical processes that control Venus's ionospheric behavior, in view of the data that has been made available by the Venera and Pioneer Venus missions. Attention is given to the theoretical framework used in general planetary ionosphere studies, especially to the equations describing the controlling physical and chemical processes, and to the current status of the ion composition, density and thermal structure models developed to reproduce observed ionospheric behavior. No truly comprehensive and successful model of the nightside ionosphere has been published. Furthermore, although dayside energy balance calculations yield electron and ion temperature values that are in close agreement with measured values, the energetics of the night side eludes understanding.

Nagy, A. F.↗