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Space data information systems, radiation sensors and solar simulation, structural responses to dynamic loads and thermal stresses, and magnetic fields and plasmas - workshop program
Discrete element method for plastic analysis of complex built-up structures subjected to cyclic loading causing membrane stress and stress reversal
The prediction of inelastic behavior of metallic materials at elevated temperatures has increased in importance in recent years. The operating conditions within the hot section of a rocket motor or a modern gas turbine engine present an extremely harsh thermomechanical environment. Large thermal transients are induced each time the engine is started or shut down. Additional thermal transients from an elevated ambient occur whenever the engine power level is adjusted to meet flight requirements. The structural elements employed in such hot sections, as well as any engine components located therein, must be capable of withstanding such extreme conditions. Failure of a component would, due to the critical nature of the hot section, lead to an immediate and catastrophic loss in power. Consequently, assuring satisfactory long term performance for such components is a major concern. Nonisothermal loading of structures often causes excursion of stress well into the inelastic range. Moreover, the influence of geometry changes on the response is also significant in most cases. Therefore, both material and geometric nonlinear effects are considered.
A composite wing with spars, bulkheads, and built-in control devices is evaluated using a method for the probabilistic assessment of smart composite structures. Structural responses (such as change in angle of attack, vertical displacements, and stresses in regular plies with traditional materials and in control plies with mixed traditional and actuation materials) are probabilistically assessed to quantify their respective scatter. Probabilistic sensitivity factors are computed to identify those parameters that have a significant influence on a specific structural response. Results show that the uncertainties in the responses of smart composite structures can be quantified. Responses such as structural deformation, ply stresses, frequencies, and buckling loads in the presence of defects can be reliably controlled to satisfy specified design requirements.
The merits and limitations of the optimality criteria (OC) method for the minimum weight design of structures subjected to multiple load conditions under stress, displacement, and frequency constraints were investigated by examining several numerical examples. The examples were solved utilizing the Optimality Criteria Design Code that was developed for this purpose at NASA Lewis Research Center. This OC code incorporates OC methods available in the literature with generalizations for stress constraints, fully utilized design concepts, and hybrid methods that combine both techniques. Salient features of the code include multiple choices for Lagrange multiplier and design variable update methods, design strategies for several constraint types, variable linking, displacement and integrated force method analyzers, and analytical and numerical sensitivities. The performance of the OC method, on the basis of the examples solved, was found to be satisfactory for problems with few active constraints or with small numbers of design variables. For problems with large numbers of behavior constraints and design variables, the OC method appears to follow a subset of active constraints that can result in a heavier design. The computational efficiency of OC methods appears to be similar to some mathematical programming techniques.
The microgravity environment that crew members experience on orbit presents a well-known health challenge, particularly when it comes to loss of muscle and bone mass. To counteract these negative effects, exercise countermeasures play a critical role in the daily routine of the crew on the International Space Station (ISS). To help inform requirements for upcoming exploration missions such as the Gateway Program, a new device, called the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D), is being built by the European Space Agency through their contractor, the Danish Aerospace Company. The E4D is being demonstrated on the ISS and is unique from other current exercise devices in that it provides four separate modalities in a single device: resistive, cycle ergometry, seated aerobic rowing, and rope pulling. To support the integration of E4D on ISS, a passive Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (VIS) system was required by NASA, and this responsibility was given to the Johnson Space Center. This paper describes the end-to-end process of modeling, simulation, and analysis used to inform the mechanical design of the VIS system. The process begins with the collection of representative exerciser motion capture (MoCap) through ground-based testing with the developmental E4D in both the Prototype Immersive Technology (PIT) Laboratory and the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) facility at the Johnson Space Center. These collected MoCap data are processed through human biomechanics modeling to create forcing functions as input to a multibody dynamics simulation of the combined E4D/VIS system, with numerous resulting outputs. These outputs include microgravity accelerations, overall system displacements, internal and transmitted loads, as well as collisions. Microgravity accelerations are compared for compliance against ISS requirements while displacements are used for sway space determinations on the design and volumetric constraints within the targeted module. Internal loads are supplied to the supporting stress analysis teams and external loads for structural loads and dynamics teams, both at NASA and ESA. Finally, contact and clearance analysis is performed using the simulation to eliminate potential design issues. To ensure that the elements of the multibody simulation were verified and validated, correlation against multiple VIS related ground hardware testbeds was performed and characterized. In addition to the isolation part of the VIS problem, stabilization is also key to the integrated performance and evaluation. Due to the difficulty in defining ISS requirements in this area, the stability of the exerciser was inspected via analysis. Loss of balance was defined analytically as occurring when the resultant force vector acting on the exerciser lies outside the base of support of the feet. Both the VIS and E4D teams have recently gone through their Critical Design Reviews (CDRs) and the iterative model-based approach has been integral to inform mechanical design, particularly in the case of the VIS. This same end-to-end approach is now being applied for the Gateway Program, where an Exploration Exercise Device (EED) derived from the E4D and notional VIS for the device are under concept development.
Shell analysis manual provides methods for determining static deflections and internal load and stress distributions in shells under various loading conditions, and methods of analyzing static instability of shell structures. Also included are methods for determining the lightest shell wall for various constructions.
SPAR (Structural Performance Analysis and Redesign Program), powerful tool for efficiently solving finite-element structural analysis problems, has been implemented on minicomputers. System analyzes stress, buckling, vibration, and thermal loads of large linear finite-element structural models.
DESAPI program synthesizes linear elastic structures under static loads. Its design objective is finding element sizes that minimize total weight without changing layout structure. Primary constraints are upper limits on stresses and displacements prescribed as yield and loacl instability criteria. Program is written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution and is implemented on IBM 360 computer.
A weight-reduction algorithm is developed for the optimal design of structures subject to several multibehavioral inequality constraints. The structural weight is considered to depend linearly on the design variables. The algorithm incorporates a simple recursion formula derived from the Kuhn-Tucker necessary conditions for optimality, associated with a procedure to delete nonactive constraints based on the Gauss-Seidel iterative method for linear systems. A number of example problems is studied, including typical truss structures and simplified wings subject to static loads and with constraints imposed on stresses and displacements. For one of the latter structures, constraints on the fundamental natural frequency and flutter speed are also imposed. The results obtained show that the method is fast, efficient, and general when compared to other competing techniques. Extensions to the generality of the method to include equality constraints and nonlinear merit functions is discussed.
Structural alloys embody internal mechanisms that allow recovery of state with varying stress and elevated temperature, i.e., they can return to a softer state following periods of hardening. Such material behavior is known to strongly influence structural response under some important thermomechanical loadings, for example, that involving thermal ratchetting. The influence of dynamic and thermal recovery on the creep buckling of a column under variable loading is investigated. The column is taken as the idealized (Shanley) sandwich column. The constitutive model, unlike the commonly employed Norton creep model, incorporates a representation of both dynamic and thermal (state) recovery. The material parameters of the constitutive model are chosen to characterize Narloy Z, a representative copper alloy used in thrust nozzle liners of reusable rocket engines. Variable loading histories include rapid cyclic unloading/reloading sequences and intermittent reductions of load for extended periods of time; these are superimposed on a constant load. The calculated results show that state recovery significantly affects creep buckling under variable loading. Structural alloys embody internal mechanisms that allow recovery of state with varying stress and time.
This paper proposes a new topology optimization formulation for multi-functional performance of a compliant sensor structure–a wind tunnel balance. Compliant mechanism design is one of the main applications of topology optimization and plenty of successful design studies have been reported. However, design practicability is still questionable when stress concentration is critical due to complex/combined loads, especially at compliant hinge joints. In this paper, we formulate a new topology optimization formulation considering multiple loading scenarios in a compliant sensor structure design. Two separate constraints,one related to sensor performance and the other focused on structural safety in terms of maximum von Mises stress, are included in the design formulation. This formulation is to achieve excellent sensitivity of an applied axial load while maintaining structure safety with a combined general load applied which is one order higher than the axial load. This challenging problem is solved using a well-known SIMP approach with the relaxation and projection methods.
The surface protection systems of aerospace and aircraft structures are often constructed from discretely stiffened panels. This paper presents an analytical study on dynamic stress response of these structures to random surface flow and acoustic loads. To account for aerodynamic heating of high speed flow, thermal effects are included in the structural model. A generalized transfer matrix procedure is developed to obtain the required dynamic response solutions. Numerical results include spectral densities of stress, response root mean square values and fatigue damage for a variety of loading and thermal conditions.
Fatigue cracking at stress concentration under cyclic loading
Considerations regarding the Space Transportation System (STS) payload environmental verification are reviewed. It is noted that emphasis is placed on testing at the subassembly level and that the basic objective of structural dynamic payload verification is to ensure reliability in a cost-effective manner. Structural analyses consist of: (1) stress analysis for critical loading conditions, (2) model analysis for launch and orbital configurations, (3) flight loads analysis, (4) test simulation analysis to verify models, (5) kinematic analysis of deployment/retraction sequences, and (6) structural-thermal-optical program analysis. In addition to these approaches, payload verification programs are being developed in the thermal-vacuum area. These include the exposure to extreme temperatures, temperature cycling, thermal-balance testing and thermal-vacuum testing.
The present methodology for analysis of structures with random stress strain behavior characterizes the uniaxial stress-strain curve in terms of (1) elastic modulus, (2) engineering stress at initial yield, (3) initial plastic-hardening slope, (4) engineering stress at point of ultimate load, and (5) engineering strain at point of ultimate load. The methodology is incorporated into the Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structures Under Stress code for probabilistic structural analysis. The illustrative problem of a thick cylinder under internal pressure, where both the internal pressure and the stress-strain curve are random, is addressed by means of the code. The response value is the cumulative distribution function of the equivalent plastic strain at the inner radius.
A study is undertaken to develop a methodology for determining the suitability of various high-cycle fatigue models for metallic structures subjected to combined thermal-acoustic loadings. Two features of this problem differentiate it from the fatigue of structures subject to acoustic loading alone. Potentially large mean stresses associated with the thermally pre- and post-buckled states require models capable of handling those conditions. Snap-through motion between multiple post-buckled equilibrium positions introduces very high alternating stress. The thermal-acoustic time history response of a clamped aluminum beam structure with geometric and material nonlinearities is determined via numerical simulation. A cumulative damage model is employed using a rainflow cycle counting scheme and fatigue estimates are made for 2024-T3 aluminum using various non-zero mean fatigue models, including Walker, Morrow, Morrow with true fracture strength, and MMPDS. A baseline zero-mean model is additionally considered. It is shown that for this material, the Walker model produces the most conservative fatigue estimates when the stress response has a tensile mean introduced by geometric nonlinearity, but remains in the linear elastic range. However, when the loading level is sufficiently high to produce plasticity, the response becomes more fully reversed and the baseline, Morrow, and Morrow with true fracture strength models produce the most conservative fatigue estimates.
Low density fiber ceramic materials coated with refractory ceramics meet the requirements of reusable low weight thermal protection systems. The structural characteristics of this class of material impose unique design and analysis requirements on the application to spacecraft structural elements. Finite element type stress analysis techniques are required to adequately predict the structural response of the system. Parametric analyses have been performed to determine the response of the system to variations in geometry, and to thermal and structural load conditions. Sensitivity of coating, insulation and attachment stresses are presented and critical failure modes are identified.