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At least 685 records · Page 38

A Taylor-Galerkin finite element algorithm for transient nonlinear thermal-structural analysis

A Taylor-Galerkin finite element solution algorithm for transient nonlinear thermal-structural analysis of large, complex structural problems subjected to rapidly applied thermal-structural loads is described. The two-step Taylor-Galerkin algorithm is an application of an algorithm recently developed for problems in compressible fluid dynamics. The element integrals that appear in the algorithm can be evaluated in closed form for two and three dimensional elements.

Thornton, Earl A.↗

Inferring Instantaneous, Multivariate and Nonlinear Sensitivities for the Analysis of Feedback Processes in a Dynamical System: Lorenz Model Case Study

A new approach is presented for the analysis of feedback processes in a nonlinear dynamical system by observing its variations. The new methodology consists of statistical estimates of the sensitivities between all pairs of variables in the system based on a neural network modeling of the dynamical system. The model can then be used to estimate the instantaneous, multivariate and nonlinear sensitivities, which are shown to be essential for the analysis of the feedbacks processes involved in the dynamical system. The method is described and tested on synthetic data from the low-order Lorenz circulation model where the correct sensitivities can be evaluated analytically.

Aires, Filipe↗

Elastomeric Structural Attachment Concepts for Aircraft Flap Noise Reduction - Challenges and Approaches to Hyperelastic Structural Modeling and Analysis

Airframe noise is a significant part of the overall noise of transport aircraft during the approach and landing phases of flight. Airframe noise reduction is currently emphasized under the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) and Fixed Wing (FW) Project goals of NASA. A promising concept for trailing-edge-flap noise reduction is a flexible structural element or link that connects the side edges of the deployable flap to the adjacent main-wing structure. The proposed solution is distinguished by minimization of the span-wise extent of the structural link, thereby minimizing the aerodynamic load on the link structure at the expense of increased deformation requirement. Development of such a flexible structural link necessitated application of hyperelastic materials, atypical structural configurations and novel interface hardware. The resulting highly-deformable structural concept was termed the FLEXible Side Edge Link (FLEXSEL) concept. Prediction of atypical elastomeric deformation responses from detailed structural analysis was essential for evaluating feasible concepts that met the design constraints. The focus of this paper is to describe the many challenges encountered with hyperelastic finite element modeling and the nonlinear structural analysis of evolving FLEXSEL concepts. Detailed herein is the nonlinear analysis of FLEXSEL concepts that emerged during the project which include solid-section, foamcore, hollow, extended-span and pre-stressed concepts. Coupon-level analysis performed on elastomeric interface joints, which form a part of the FLEXSEL topology development, are also presented.

Sreekantamurthy, Thammaiah↗

Comparison of approximate and numerical analyses of nonlinear combustion instability

At the present time, there are three general analytical techniques available to study problems of unsteady motions in rocket motors: linear stability analysis; approximate nonlinear analysis, founded on examining the behavior of coupled normal modes; and numerical calculations based on the conservation equations for one-dimensional flows. The last two yield the linear results as a limit. It is the main purpose of this paper to check the accuracy of the approximate analysis against the numerical analysis for some special cases. The results provide some justification for using the approximate analysis to study three-dimensional problems.

Culick, F. E. C.↗

Probabilistic analysis of a materially nonlinear structure

A probabilistic finite element program is used to perform probabilistic analysis of a materially nonlinear structure. The program used in this study is NESSUS (Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structure Under Stress), under development at Southwest Research Institute. The cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the radial stress of a thick-walled cylinder under internal pressure is computed and compared with the analytical solution. In addition, sensitivity factors showing the relative importance of the input random variables are calculated. Significant plasticity is present in this problem and has a pronounced effect on the probabilistic results. The random input variables are the material yield stress and internal pressure with Weibull and normal distributions, respectively. The results verify the ability of NESSUS to compute the CDF and sensitivity factors of a materially nonlinear structure. In addition, the ability of the Advanced Mean Value (AMV) procedure to assess the probabilistic behavior of structures which exhibit a highly nonlinear response is shown. Thus, the AMV procedure can be applied with confidence to other structures which exhibit nonlinear behavior.

Millwater, H. R.↗

Nonlinear temperature dependent failure analysis of finite width composite laminates

A quasi-three dimensional, nonlinear elastic finite element stress analysis of finite width composite laminates including curing stresses is presented. Cross-ply, angle-ply, and two quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates are studied. Curing stresses are calculated using temperature dependent elastic properties that are input as percent retention curves, and stresses due to mechanical loading in the form of an axial strain are calculated using tangent modulii obtained by Ramberg-Osgood parameters. It is shown that curing stresses and stresses due to tensile loading are significant as edge effects in all types of laminate studies. The tensor polynomial failure criterion is used to predict the initiation of failure. The mode of failure is predicted by examining individual stress contributions to the tensor polynomial.

Nagarkar, A. P.↗

Nonlinear effect on modal data analysis method

How the presence of nonlinearities in structural test data can be detected when using modern linear modal data analysis methods is discussed. The extent to which linear algorithms can provide useful information on nonlinear systems was discussed. The modal data analysis method successfully identified the frequency components (but not damping) of the true solution of a nonlinear systems. It was found that the approximate modal parameters of the linear system can be identified by the modal method when low levels of nonlinearities are present. The modal method successfully identified the modal parameters of a linear mode in the presence of a nonlinear response.

Horta, L. G.↗

Advances in computational structural and solid mechanics; Proceedings of the First World Congress on Computational Mechanics, University of Texas, Austin, Sept. 22-26, 1986

Papers are presented on the nonlinear dynamic analysis of quasi-symmetric anisotropic structures, the analysis of large deformations of membrane shells by the generalized finite difference method, the vibration of shear-deformable laminated plate structures by the finite strip method, and Coon's surface method for the formulation of finite elements for plates and shells. Other topics include an evaluation of higher-order modal methods for calculating the transient structural response, a nonlinear dynamic analysis of frame structures, and a nonlinear analysis of a truss by energy minimization. Also considered are an incremental Galerkin method for plates and stiffened plates, a comparison of the postbuckling behavior of plates and shells, and a general solution of bending in a cylindrical shell.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗

Comparison of Multi-Scale Nonlinear and Conventional Linear Methods for Stress Analysis of Nb 3 Sn Superconducting Magnets

Here this is an extension of the work on a multi-scale nonlinear procedure that demonstrated how to conduct nonlinear stress analysis of Nb 3 Sn superconducting accelerator magnets. The nonlinear procedure uses measured stress-strain curves of annealed copper, Nb 3 Sn strands and coil samples as inputs, which reduces the number of assumptions made for material properties—key uncertainties of any engineering analysis. The results from nonlinear analysis, semi-nonlinear analysis, and linear analysis of the same QFFB2 Nb 3 Sn quadrupole magnet under the same temperature and loads, were compared and discussed. The comparison illustrates that nonlinear stress analysis is significantly more accurate than other methods. As the superconducting coil block is a complex, composite material, it would be inadequate to assume the whole coil block to be linear, either isotropic or orthotropic. It is imperative to conduct nonlinear analysis by simulating the superconducting coil to the level of detail of the individual cables and individual strands. The nonlinear stress analysis procedure can be used to simulate not only Nb 3 Sn magnets, but also NbTi and HTS magnets.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Discriminating cascading processes in nonlinear optics: A QED analysis based on their molecular and geometric origin

The nonlinear optical response of a system of molecules often contains contributions whereby the products of lower-order processes in two separate molecules give signals that appear on top of a genuine direct higher-order process with a single molecule. These many-body contributions are known as cascading and complicate the interpretation of multidimensional stimulated Raman and other nonlinear signals. In a quantum electrodynamic treatment, these cascading processes arise from second-order expansion in the molecular coupling to vacuum modes of the radiation field, i.e., single-photon exchange between molecules, which also gives rise to other collective effects. Furthermore, we predict the relative phase of the direct and cascading nonlinear signals and its dependence on the microscopic dynamics as well as the sample geometry. This phase may be used to identify experimental conditions for distinguishing the direct and cascading signals by their phase. Higher-order cascading processes involving the exchange of several photons between more than two molecules are discussed.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

A comparative numerical analysis of linear and nonlinear aerodynamic sound generation by vortex disturbances in homentropic constant shear flows

Aerodynamic sound generation in shear flows is investigated in the light of the breakthrough in hydrodynamics stability theory in the 1990s, where generic phenomena of non-normal shear flow systems were understood. By applying the thereby emerged short-time/non-modal approach, the sole linear mechanism of wave generation by vortices in shear flows was captured [G. D. Chagelishvili, A. Tevzadze, G. Bodo, and S. S. Moiseev, “Linear mechanism of wave emergence from vortices in smooth shear flows,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 3178-3181 (1997); B. F. Farrell and P. J. Ioannou, “Transient and asymptotic growth of two-dimensional perturbations in viscous compressible shear flow,” Phys. Fluids 12, 3021-3028 (2000); N. A. Bakas, “Mechanism underlying transient growth of planar perturbations in unbounded compressible shear flow,” J. Fluid Mech. 639, 479-507 (2009); and G. Favraud and V. Pagneux, “Superadiabatic evolution of acoustic and vorticity perturbations in Couette flow,” Phys. Rev. E 89, 033012 (2014)]. Its source is the non-normality induced linear mode-coupling, which becomes efficient at moderate Mach numbers that is defined for each perturbation harmonic as the ratio of the shear rate to its characteristic frequency. Based on the results by the non-modal approach, we investigate a two-dimensional homentropic constant shear flow and focus on the dynamical characteristics in the wavenumber plane. This allows to separate from each other the participants of the dynamical processes — vortex and wave modes — and to estimate the efficacy of the process of linear wave-generation. This process is analyzed and visualized on the example of a packet of vortex modes, localized in both, spectral and physical, planes. Further, by employing direct numerical simulations, the wave generation by chaotically distributed vortex modes is analyzed and the involved linear and nonlinear processes are identified. The generated acoustic field is anisotropic in the wavenumber plane, which results in highly directional linear sound radiation, whereas the nonlinearly generated waves are almost omni-directional. As part of this analysis, we compare the effectiveness of the linear and nonlinear mechanisms of wave generation within the range of validity of the rapid distortion theory and show the dominance of the linear aerodynamic sound generation. Finally, topological differences between the linear source term of the acoustic analogy equation and of the anisotropic non-normality induced linear mechanism of wave generation are found.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A NASTRAN primer for the analysis of rotating flexible blades

This primer provides documentation for using MSC NASTRAN in analyzing rotating flexible blades. The analysis of these blades includes geometrically nonlinear (large displacement) analysis under centrifugal loading, and frequency and mode shape (normal modes) determination. The geometrically nonlinear analysis using NASTRAN Solution sequence 64 is discussed along with the determination of frequencies and mode shapes using Solution Sequence 63. A sample problem with the complete NASTRAN input data is included. Items unique to rotating blade analyses, such as setting angle and centrifugal softening effects are emphasized.

Lawrence, Charles↗

Study and Analyses on the Structural Performance of a Balance

Strain-gauge balances for use in wind tunnels have been designed at Langley Research Center (LaRC) since its inception. Currently Langley has more than 300 balances available for its researchers. A force balance is inherently a critically stressed component due to the requirements of measurement sensitivity. The strain-gauge balances have been used in Langley s wind tunnels for a wide variety of aerodynamic tests, and the designs encompass a large array of sizes, loads, and environmental effects. There are six degrees of freedom that a balance has to measure. The balance s task to measure these six degrees of freedom has introduced challenging work in transducer development technology areas. As the emphasis increases on improving aerodynamic performance of all types of aircraft and spacecraft, the demand for improved balances is at the forefront. Force balance stress analysis and acceptance criteria are under review due to LaRC wind tunnel operational safety requirements. This paper presents some of the analyses and research done at LaRC that influence structural integrity of the balances. The analyses are helpful in understanding the overall behavior of existing balances and can be used in the design of new balances to enhance performance. Initially, a maximum load combination was used for a linear structural analysis. When nonlinear effects were encountered, the analysis was extended to include nonlinearities using MSC.Nastran . Because most of the balances are designed using Pro/Mechanica , it is desirable and efficient to use Pro/Mechanica for stress analysis. However, Pro/Mechanica is limited to linear analysis. Both Pro/Mechanica and MSC.Nastran are used for analyses in the present work. The structural integrity of balances and the possibility of modifying existing balances to enhance structural integrity are investigated.

Karkehabadi, R.↗

Assessment of numerical methods for the solution of fluid dynamics equations for nonlinear resonance systems

The capability of accurate nonlinear flow analysis of resonance systems is essential in many problems, including combustion instability. Classical numerical schemes are either too diffusive or too dispersive especially for transient problems. In the last few years, significant progress has been made in the numerical methods for flows with shocks. The objective was to assess advanced shock capturing schemes on transient flows. Several numerical schemes were tested including TVD, MUSCL, ENO, FCT, and Riemann Solver Godunov type schemes. A systematic assessment was performed on scalar transport, Burgers' and gas dynamic problems. Several shock capturing schemes are compared on fast transient resonant pipe flow problems. A system of 1-D nonlinear hyperbolic gas dynamics equations is solved to predict propagation of finite amplitude waves, the wave steepening, formation, propagation, and reflection of shocks for several hundred wave cycles. It is shown that high accuracy schemes can be used for direct, exact nonlinear analysis of combustion instability problems, preserving high harmonic energy content for long periods of time.

Przekwas, A. J.↗

Parametric Study on the Response of Compression-Loaded Composite Shells With Geometric and Material Imperfections

The results of a parametric study of the effects of initial imperfections on the buckling and postbuckling response of three unstiffened thinwalled compression-loaded graphite-epoxy cylindrical shells with different orthotropic and quasi-isotropic shell-wall laminates are presented. The imperfections considered include initial geometric shell-wall midsurface imperfections, shell-wall thickness variations, local shell-wall ply-gaps associated with the fabrication process, shell-end geometric imperfections, nonuniform applied end loads, and variations in the boundary conditions including the effects of elastic boundary conditions. A high-fidelity nonlinear shell analysis procedure that accurately accounts for the effects of these imperfections on the nonlinear responses and buckling loads of the shells is described. The analysis procedure includes a nonlinear static analysis that predicts stable response characteristics of the shells and a nonlinear transient analysis that predicts unstable response characteristics.

Hilburger, Mark W.↗