Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Panel method”

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 955 records · Page 53

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Skin-Stiffener Separation Using a Seven-Point Bend Configuration

Skin-stiffener separation in stiffened composite panels consists of a complex interaction between multiple scales of progressive damage and failure mechanisms. This work used a superposed cohesive element method of modeling resistance curve effects that represents the structural interface of a unidirectional tape skin and a fabric stiffener. Finite element models using cohesive elements with input properties obtained from tape-to-fabric interface characterization tests were compared to experimental results of a stable skin-stiffener separation characterization test using a seven-point bend fixture. This fixture deformed the stiffened panel specimens into a buckled configuration which induced mixed-mode interlaminar stress states at the skin-stiffener interface. The advantage of this fixture was the potential for more stable damage initiation and delamination growth compared to a stringer-stiffened panel under axial compression. Use of the superposed cohesive elements showed promise, but the characterization of interface material properties as input to the cohesive elements remains a crucial component to be investigated to ensure accurate prediction of skin-stiffener separation.

Kosztowny, Cyrus J. R.↗

Effect of Thin-Film Adhesives on Mode II Interlaminar Fracture Toughness in Carbon Fiber Composites with Shape Memory Alloy Inserts

A single sheet of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) was introduced within an IM7/8552 polymer matrix composite (PMC) panel in conjunction with multiple thin film adhesives to promote the interfacial bond strength between the SMA and PMC. End notched flexure (ENF) testing was performed in accordance to ASTM D7905 method for evaluation of mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (GIIC) of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. Acoustic emissions (AE) were monitored during testing with two acoustic sensors attached to the specimens. The composite panels were subjected to C-scan before testing, and examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques after part failure. GIIC values for the control composite samples were found to be higher than those of samples with embedded SMA sheets. The presence of adhesives bonded to SMA sheets further diminished the GIIC values. AE values revealed poor bonding of the panels, with little to no signals during testing.

End Notched Flexure↗

The Effect of Thin Film Adhesives on Mode II Interlaminar Fracture Toughness in Carbon Fiber Composites with Shape Memory Alloy Inserts

A single sheet of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) was introduced within an IM7/8552 polymer matrix composite (PMC) panel in conjunction with multiple thin film adhesives to promote the interfacial bond strength between the SMA and PMC. End notched flexure (ENF) testing was performed in accordance to ASTM D7905 method for evaluation of mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (GIIC) of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. Acoustic emissions (AE) were monitored during testing with two acoustic sensors attached to the specimens. The composite panels examined using scanning electron microscopy techniques after part failure. GIIC values for the control composite samples were found to be higher than those of samples with embedded SMA sheets. The presence of adhesives bonded to SMA sheets further diminished the GIIC values. AE values revealed poor bonding of the panels, with little to no signals during testing.

End Notched Flexure↗

Characterization of Triaxial Braided Composite Material Properties for Impact Simulation

The reliability of impact simulations for aircraft components made with triaxial braided carbon fiber composites is currently limited by inadequate material property data and lack of validated material models for analysis. Improvements to standard quasi-static test methods are needed to account for the large unit cell size and localized damage within the unit cell. The deformation and damage of a triaxial braided composite material was examined using standard quasi-static in-plane tension, compression, and shear tests. Some modifications to standard test specimen geometries are suggested, and methods for measuring the local strain at the onset of failure within the braid unit cell are presented. Deformation and damage at higher strain rates is examined using ballistic impact tests on 61- by 61- by 3.2-mm (24- by 24- by 0.125-in.) composite panels. Digital image correlation techniques were used to examine full-field deformation and damage during both quasi-static and impact tests. An impact analysis method is presented that utilizes both local and global deformation and failure information from the quasi-static tests as input for impact simulations. Improvements that are needed in test and analysis methods for better predictive capability are examined.

Roberts, Gary D.↗

Rapid adhesive bonding concepts for specimen and panel fabrication and field repair

The NASA Langley Research Center has developed bonding concepts for aerospace composite materials which employ induction heating to directly apply heat to the bond line and/or adherends without simultaneously heating the entire structure, supports, and fixtures of a bonding assembly. These methods have demonstrated bonding process time reductions of two to three orders of magnitude, by comparison with conventional press molding. Attention is presently given to rapid adhesive bonding for lap shear specimens for aerospace panel bonding or field repair, as well as for the field repair requirements of metallic and advanced polymeric matrix composite structures.

Stein, B. A.↗

Evaluation of the Impact of Concentration and Extraction Methods on the Targeted Sequencing of Human Viruses from Wastewater

Sequencing human viruses in wastewater is challenging due to their low abundance compared to the total microbial background. This study compared the impact of four virus concentration/extraction methods (Innovaprep, Nanotrap, Promega, and Solids extraction) on probe-capture enrichment for human viruses followed by sequencing. Different concentration/extraction methods yielded distinct virus profiles. Innovaprep ultrafiltration (following solids removal) had the highest sequencing sensitivity and richness, resulting in the successful assembly of several near-complete human virus genomes. However, it was less sensitive in detecting SARS-CoV-2 by digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) compared to Promega and Nanotrap. Across all preparation methods, astroviruses and polyomaviruses were the most highly abundant human viruses, and SARS-CoV-2 was rare. These findings suggest that sequencing success can be increased using methods that reduce nontarget nucleic acids in the extract, though the absolute concentration of total extracted nucleic acid, as indicated by Qubit, and targeted viruses, as indicated by dPCR, may not be directly related to targeted sequencing performance. Further, using broadly targeted sequencing panels may capture viral diversity but risks losing signals for specific low-abundance viruses. Overall, this study highlights the importance of aligning wet lab and bioinformatic methods with specific goals when employing probe-capture enrichment for human virus sequencing from wastewater.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Integral Airframe Structures (IAS): Validated Feasibility Study of Integrally Stiffened Metallic Fuselage Panels for Reducing Manufacturing Costs

The Integral Airframe Structures (IAS) program investigated the feasibility of using "integrally stiffened" construction for commercial transport fuselage structure. The objective of the program was to demonstrate structural performance and weight equal to current "built-up" structure with lower manufacturing cost. Testing evaluated mechanical properties, structural details, joint performance, repair, static compression, and two-bay crack residual strength panels. Alloys evaluated included 7050-T7451 plate, 7050-T74511 extrusion, 6013-T6511x extrusion, and 7475-T7351 plate. Structural performance was evaluated with a large 7475-T7351 pressure test that included the arrest of a two-bay longitudinal crack, and a measure of residual strength for a two-bay crack centered on a broken frame. Analysis predictions for the two-bay longitudinal crack panel correlated well with the test results. Analysis activity conducted by the IAS team strongly indicates that current analysis tools predict integral structural behavior as accurately as built-up structure. The cost study results indicated that, compared to built-up fabrication methods, high-speed machining structure from aluminum plate would yield a recurring cost savings of 61%. Part count dropped from 78 individual parts on a baseline panel to just 7 parts for machined IAS structure.

Munroe, J.↗

Vibroacoustic Response Data of Stiffened Panels and Cylinders

NASA has collected vibroacoustic response data on a variety of complex, aerospace structures to support research into numerical modeling of such structures. This data is being made available to the modeling community to promote the development and validation of analysis methods for these types of structures. Existing data from two structures is described, as well as plans for a data set from a third structure. The first structure is a 1.22 m by 1.22 m stiffened aluminum panel, typical of a commercial aircraft sidewall section. The second is an enclosed, stiffened aluminum cylinder, approximately 3.66 m long and 1.22 m in diameter, constructed to resemble a small aircraft fuselage with no windows and a periodic structure. The third structure is a filament-wound composite cylinder with composite stiffeners. Numerous combinations of excitation and response variables were measured on the structures, including: shaker excitation; diffuse acoustic field; velocity response from a laser vibrometer; intensity scans; and point acceleration.

Cabell, Randolph↗

Structural evaluation of composite fuselage structure fabricated using a THERM-X process

An experimental and analytical program has been implemented to evaluate the structural performance of complex composite parts made using THERM-X processing techniques. Preliminary analysis shows 22-percent cost savings for parts made with a THERM-X process over parts made with conventional manufacturing methods. Results of building-block tests from the coupon to the element level, which represent structural details of the curved integrally stiffened panel selected as the full-scale article, are also reported. Comparisons with baseline results and analytical predictions show that THERM-X processing yields parts with stiffness and strength comparable to or slightly better than conventional manufacturing procedures. Compression strength after low-speed impact damage (caused by a drop weight impactor) is also comparable to parts fabricated with conventional methods.

Kassapoglou, Christos↗

Snap-Through Buckling Pressure Prediction of Spherical Caps: A Comparison of Analytical, Implicit, and Explicit Methods

Snap-through buckling is a nonlinear and dynamic instability that occurs in curved shell structures such as domes, pressure vessels, and aerospace panels. Unlike classical linear buckling, it involves a sudden transition between equilibrium states caused by geometric nonlinearity and rapid strain-to-kinetic energy conversion (Timoshenko & Gere, 1961; Budiansky & Roth, 1962). This study investigates the snap-through behavior of thin spherical caps using both implicit and explicit solvers in ANSYS Workbench. While implicit analysis accurately captures quasi-static response, it struggles with convergence near instability. In contrast, explicit LS-DYNA simulation naturally handles the nonlinear dynamic event with minimal tuning and computational cost.

42 ENGINEERING↗

High Order Approximations for Compressible Fluid Dynamics on Unstructured and Cartesian Meshes

The development of high-order accurate numerical discretization techniques for irregular domains and meshes is often cited as one of the remaining challenges facing the field of computational fluid dynamics. In structural mechanics, the advantages of high-order finite element approximation are widely recognized. This is especially true when high-order element approximation is combined with element refinement (h-p refinement). In computational fluid dynamics, high-order discretization methods are infrequently used in the computation of compressible fluid flow. The hyperbolic nature of the governing equations and the presence of solution discontinuities makes high-order accuracy difficult to achieve. Consequently, second-order accurate methods are still predominately used in industrial applications even though evidence suggests that high-order methods may offer a way to significantly improve the resolution and accuracy for these calculations. To address this important topic, a special course was jointly organized by the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel of NATO's Research and Technology Organization (RTO), the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, and the Numerical Aerospace Simulation Division at the NASA Ames Research Center. The NATO RTO sponsored course entitled "Higher Order Discretization Methods in Computational Fluid Dynamics" was held September 14-18, 1998 at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium and September 21-25, 1998 at the NASA Ames Research Center in the United States. During this special course, lecturers from Europe and the United States gave a series of comprehensive lectures on advanced topics related to the high-order numerical discretization of partial differential equations with primary emphasis given to computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Additional consideration was given to topics in computational physics such as the high-order discretization of the Hamilton-Jacobi, Helmholtz, and elasticity equations. This volume consists of five articles prepared by the special course lecturers. These articles should be of particular relevance to those readers with an interest in numerical discretization techniques which generalize to very high-order accuracy. The articles of Professors Abgrall and Shu consider the mathematical formulation of high-order accurate finite volume schemes utilizing essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) and weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) reconstruction together with upwind flux evaluation. These formulations are particularly effective in computing numerical solutions of conservation laws containing solution discontinuities. Careful attention is given by the authors to implementational issues and techniques for improving the overall efficiency of these methods. The article of Professor Cockburn discusses the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method. This method naturally extends to high-order accuracy and has an interpretation as a finite volume method. Cockburn addresses two important issues associated with the discontinuous Galerkin method: controlling spurious extrema near solution discontinuities via "limiting" and the extension to second order advective-diffusive equations (joint work with Shu). The articles of Dr. Henderson and Professor Schwab consider the mathematical formulation and implementation of the h-p finite element methods using hierarchical basis functions and adaptive mesh refinement. These methods are particularly useful in computing high-order accurate solutions containing perturbative layers and corner singularities. Additional flexibility is obtained using a mortar FEM technique whereby nonconforming elements are interfaced together. Numerous examples are given by Henderson applying the h-p FEM method to the simulation of turbulence and turbulence transition.

Barth, Timothy↗

Summary of noise reduction characteristics of typical general aviation materials

The paper presents the results of a large number of systematic tests to determine noise reduction characteristics of general aviation materials. Effects of material type (metallic and composite), thickness, panel stiffening, vibration damping materials, sound absorption materials and pressurization on noise reduction are included. Several promising methods for reducing cabin interior noise in light airplanes are discussed based on the results.

Roskam, J.↗

Method for the prediction of the installation aerodynamics of a propfan at subsonic speeds: User manual

This document is the user's guide for the method developed earlier for predicting the slipstream wing interaction at subsonic speeds. The analysis involves a subsonic panel code (HESS code) modified to handle the propeller onset flow. The propfan slipstream effects are superimposed on the normal flow boundary condition and are applied over the surface washed by the slipstream. The effects of the propeller slipstream are to increase the axial induced velocity, tangential velocity, and a total pressure rise in the wake of the propeller. Principles based on blade performance theory, momentum theory, and vortex theory were used to evaluate the slipstream effects. The code can be applied to any arbitrary three dimensional geometry, expressed in the form of HESS input format. The code can handle a propeller alone configuration or a propeller/nacelle/airframe configuration, operating up to high subcritical Mach numbers over a range of angles of attack. Inclusion of a viscous modelling is briefly outlined. Wind tunnel results/theory comparisons are included as examples for the application of the code to a generic supercritical wing/overwing Nacelle with a powered propfan. A sample input/output listing is provided.

Chandrasekaran, B.↗

Applications of color graphics to complex aerodynamic analysis

A variety of uses for color graphics in the display of large sets of complex aerodynamic data in two and three dimensions are summarized. These methods improve the ability of a scientific researcher to interactively review three-dimensional displays of aircraft panel geometries for the purposes of eliminating errors, and allow him to rapidly display an assortment of smooth-shaded, color-coded illustrations for his experimental and computational results.

Weston, Robert P.↗

Effects of large deflection and transverse shear on response of rectangular symmetric composite laminates subjected to acoustic excitation

Nonlinear equations of motion of symmetrically laminated anisotropic plates are derived accounting for von Karman strains. The effect of transverse shear is included in the formulation. Using a single-mode Galerkin procedure, the nonlinear modal equation is obtained. The direct equivalent linearization method is employed for solution of this equation. The response to acoustic excitation of moderately thick composite panels is studied. Further, the effects of transverse shear on large deflection vibration of laminates under random excitation are studied. Mean-square deflections and mean-square inplane stresses are obtained for symmetric graphite-epoxy laminates. Using equilibrium equations and the continuity requirements, the mean-square transverse shear stresses are calculated. The results obtained will be useful in the sonic fatigue design of composite aircraft panels. The analysis is presented in detail for simply supported plates. The analogous equations for a clamped case are also obtained.

Mei, Chuh↗

Global/local stress analysis of composite structures

A method for performing a global/local stress analysis is described and its capabilities are demonstrated. The method employs spline interpolation functions which satisfy the linear plate bending equation to determine displacements and rotations from a global model which are used as boundary conditions for the local model. Then, the local model is analyzed independent of the global model of the structure. This approach can be used to determine local, detailed stress states for specific structural regions using independent, refined local models which exploit information from less-refined global models. The method presented is not restricted to having a priori knowledge of the location of the regions requiring local detailed stress analysis. This approach also reduces the computational effort necessary to obtain the detailed stress state. Criteria for applying the method are developed. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using a classical stress concentration problem and a graphite-epoxy blade-stiffened panel with a discontinuous stiffener.

Ransom, Jonathan B.↗

Fatigue Investigation of Full-Scale Wing Panels of 7075 Aluminum Alloy

Results are presented of a fatigue investigation conducted using 18 outer wing panels of T-29A airplanes. Constant-amplitude tests were performed using the resonant-frequency method at three different alternating load levels superposed on a 1 g, or level-flight mean load. Information is presented concerning crack location, cycles to crack initiation, crack propagation, and residual static strength.

Castle, Claude B.↗

Wind-US Code Physical Modeling Improvements to Complement Hypersonic Testing and Evaluation

This report gives an overview of physical modeling enhancements to the Wind-US flow solver which were made to improve the capabilities for simulation of hypersonic flows and the reliability of computations to complement hypersonic testing. The improvements include advanced turbulence models, a bypass transition model, a conjugate (or closely coupled to vehicle structure) conduction-convection heat transfer capability, and an upgraded high-speed combustion solver. A Mach 5 shock-wave boundary layer interaction problem is used to investigate the benefits of k- s and k-w based explicit algebraic stress turbulence models relative to linear two-equation models. The bypass transition model is validated using data from experiments for incompressible boundary layers and a Mach 7.9 cone flow. The conjugate heat transfer method is validated for a test case involving reacting H2-O2 rocket exhaust over cooled calorimeter panels. A dual-mode scramjet configuration is investigated using both a simplified 1-step kinetics mechanism and an 8-step mechanism. Additionally, variations in the turbulent Prandtl and Schmidt numbers are considered for this scramjet configuration.

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.↗