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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

Simulation of Guided Wave Interaction with In-Plane Fiber Waviness

Reducing the timeline for certification of composite materials and enabling the expanded use of advanced composite materials for aerospace applications are two primary goals of NASA's Advanced Composites Project (ACP). A key a technical challenge area for accomplishing these goals is the development of rapid composite inspection methods with improved defect characterization capabilities. Ongoing work at NASA Langley is focused on expanding ultrasonic simulation capabilities for composite materials. Simulation tools can be used to guide the development of optimal inspection methods. Custom code based on elastodynamic finite integration technique is currently being developed and implemented to study ultrasonic wave interaction with manufacturing defects, such as in-plane fiber waviness (marcelling). This paper describes details of validation comparisons performed to enable simulation of guided wave propagation in composites containing fiber waviness. Simulation results for guided wave interaction with in-plane fiber waviness are also discussed. The results show that the wavefield is affected by the presence of waviness on both the surface containing fiber waviness, as well as the opposite surface to the location of waviness.

Leckey, Cara A. C.↗

Modeling of Guided Waves for Aerospace Applications

Advancements in computer hardware has led to new possibilities for rapid modeling and simulation capabilities across many scientific fields. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) can benefit from increased use of simulation tools to guide optimization of inspection and health monitoring methods, enhance understanding of data, aid in development of defect characterization methods, and generate data sets for use with machine learning and model-assisted probability of detection. Recent work at NASA has entailed development and benchmarking of both custom simulation codes and commercial simulation tools for ultrasonic wave propagation. This paper describes recent work at NASA in modeling of guided waves in composites and other aerospace materials. Results and computational speeds for a composite benchmark case are reported for a custom finite difference Rotated Staggered Grid code and for the commercial finite element software package, Pogo. Recent progress in linking NDE models to parametric analysis tools is also discussed.

Nondestructive evaluation↗

Multimode-Guided-Wave Ultrasonic Scanning of Materials

Two documents discuss a method of characterizing advanced composite materials by use of multimode-guided ultrasonic waves. A transmitting transducer excites modulated (e.g., pulsed) ultrasonic waves at one location on a surface of a plate specimen. The waves interact with microstructure and flaws as they propagate through the specimen to a receiving transducer at a different location. The received signal is analyzed to determine the total (multimode) ultrasonic response of the specimen and utilize this response to evaluate microstructure and flaws. The analysis is performed by software that extracts parameters of signals in the time and frequency domains. Scanning is effected by using computer-controlled motorized translation stages to position the transducers at specified pairs of locations and repeating the measurement, data-acquisition, and data-analysis processes at the successive locations. One document presents results of a scan of a specimen containing a delamination.

Roth, Don↗

Pressure Fluctuation Spectral Peaks Due to ‘Guided Waves’ in Regions Upstream of the Jet Exit

Pressure fluctuation spectral peaks due to ‘guided’ (or ‘trapped’) waves in compressible jets in regions upstream of the nozzle exit are investigated experimentally. These spectral peaks are known to disappear in the far acoustic field on the sideline and in the downstream direction, where noise measurements are done typically. The data in this paper show that they are prevalent in the far upstream regions of the ‘forward arc’, at shallow angles relative to the jet axis. This is noted with a round as well as a rectangular jet. The result is significant since such spectral behavior is not predicted by existing noise prediction codes. The experimental results not only expand our understanding of the trapped wave phenomenon but may also aid in refining noise prediction codes for basic as well as application-oriented propulsion systems.

Jets↗

Hydromagnetic waves guided by the geomagnetic field

Properties of hydromagnetic waves propagating in the magnetosphere from a source of limited dimensions are considered. It is shown that they are closely related to electric currents flowing along geomagnetic lines of force. The notions developed form a theoretical basis for interpretation of fluctuations and polar bays.

Vanyan, L. L.↗

A comparison of time domain boundary conditions for acoustic waves in wave guides

Researchers consider several types of boundary conditions in the context of time domain models for acoustic waves. Experiments with four different duct terminations (hard wall, free radiation, foam, and wedge) were carried out in a wave duct from which reflection coefficients over a wide frequency range were measured. These reflection coefficients were used to estimate parameters in the time domain boundary conditions. A comparison of the relative merits of the models in describing the data is presented. Boundary conditions which yield a good fit of the model to the experimental data were found for all duct terminations except the wedge.

Banks, H. T.↗

Surface-polaritonlike waves guided by thin, lossy metal films

Surface-plasmon polaritons guided by thin, lossy metallic films bounded by dissimilar dielectric media are investigated. New solutions to the dispersion relation are found, representing waves that are leaky (radiative) in one of the dielectrics. The new waves are interpreted in terms of the coupling of a damped surface plasmon at one interface with continuum modes at the other. Their excitation by end-fire coupling techniques is suggested.

Stegeman, G. I.↗

Discretized energy minimization in a wave guide with point sources

An anti-noise problem on a finite time interval is solved by minimization of a quadratic functional on the Hilbert space of square integrable controls. To this end, the one-dimensional wave equation with point sources and pointwise reflecting boundary conditions is decomposed into a system for the two propagating components of waves. Wellposedness of this system is proved for a class of data that includes piecewise linear initial conditions and piecewise constant forcing functions. It is shown that for such data the optimal piecewise constant control is the solution of a sparse linear system. Methods for its computational treatment are presented as well as examples of their applicability. The convergence of discrete approximations to the general optimization problem is demonstrated by finite element methods.

Propst, G.↗

Wave envelope technique for multimode wave guide problems

A numerical solution technique for two-dimensional EM waveguide problems is developed analytically and demonstrated. The frequency-domain waveguide problem is transformed to a time-dependent problem and treated following the limiting-amplitude principle; the wave-envelope technique is applied; and the resulting problem is solved numerically using a finite-difference scheme based on a variation of the finite-area method (Baumeister, 1977 and 1984). Results for several sample problems, obtained in 10 min or less of execution time on PCs, are presented in tables.

Hariharan, S. I.↗

Evaluation of thick wall wave guide element

The SPS transmitting array requires an architecture which will provide a low weight, high efficiency and high structural rigidity. As noted above, waveguide slot arrays constitute the most desirable option. Consequently, such an array has been chosen for the SPS. Waveguide slot arrays offer high efficiency, uniform illumination, are are fairly lighweight. Bandwidths of such arrays are narrow, typically 1/2-2%. Although this does not directly impact the SPS, which transmits power at a single frequency of 2.45 GHz, the narrow bandwidth does constrain the thermal and mechanical tolerances of the antenna. The purpose of this program is to better define the electronic aspects of an SPS specific waveguide slot array. The specific aims of the program are as follows: (1) To build a full-scale half-module, 10 stick, array, the design parameters for which are to be determined by analytical considerations tempered by experimental data on a single slotted radiating stick, (2) To experimentally evaluate the completed array with respect to antenna pattern, impedance and return loss, and (3) To measure swept transmission amplitude and phase to provide a data base for design of a receiving antenna.

Nalos, E. J.↗

Guided-wave approaches to spectrally selective energy absorption

Results of experiments designed to demonstrate spectrally selective absorption in dielectric waveguides on semiconductor substrates are reported. These experiments were conducted with three waveguides formed by sputtering films of PSK2 glass onto silicon-oxide layers grown on silicon substrates. The three waveguide samples were studied at 633 and 532 nm. The samples differed only in the thickness of the silicon-oxide layer, specifically 256 nm, 506 nm, and 740 nm. Agreement between theoretical predictions and measurements of propagation constants (mode angles) of the six or seven modes supported by these samples was excellent. However, the loss measurements were inconclusive because of high scattering losses in the structures fabricated (in excess of 10 dB/cm). Theoretical calculations indicated that the power distribution among all the modes supported by these structures will reach its steady state value after a propagation length of only 1 mm. Accordingly, the measured loss rates were found to be almost independent of which mode was initially excited. The excellent agreement between theory and experiment leads to the conclusion that low loss waveguides confirm the predicted loss rates.

Stegeman, G. I.↗