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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 127 records · Page 7

Mechanical Model Development for Composite Structural Supercapacitors

Novel composite structural supercapacitor concepts have recently been developed as a means both to store electrical charge and to provide modest mechanical load carrying capability. Double-layer composite supercapacitors are often fabricated by impregnating a woven carbon fiber fabric, which serves as the electrodes, with a structural polymer electrolyte. Polypropylene or a glass fabric is often used as the separator material. Recent research has been primarily limited to evaluating these composites experimentally. In this study, mechanical models based on the Multiscale Generalized Method of Cells (MSGMC) were developed and used to calculate the shear and tensile properties and response of two composite structural supercapacitors from the literature. The modeling approach was first validated against traditional composite laminate data. MSGMC models for composite supercapacitors were developed, and accurate elastic shear/tensile properties were obtained. It is envisioned that further development of the models presented in this work will facilitate the design of composite components for aerospace and automotive applications and can be used to screen candidate constituent materials for inclusion in future composite structural supercapacitor concepts.

Micromechanics↗

Stochastic-Strength-Based Damage Simulation Tool for Ceramic Matrix Composite

Reported here is a coupling of two NASA developed codes: CARES (Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures) with the MAC/GMC (Micromechanics Analysis Code/ Generalized Method of Cells) composite material analysis code. The resulting code is called FEAMAC/CARES and is constructed as an Abaqus finite element analysis UMAT (user defined material). Here we describe the FEAMAC/CARES code and an example problem (taken from the open literature) of a laminated CMC in off-axis loading is shown. FEAMAC/CARES performs stochastic-strength-based damage simulation response of a CMC under multiaxial loading using elastic stiffness reduction of the failed elements.

ceramic matrix composites↗

Coupled Thermo-Mechanical Micromechanics Modeling of the Influence of Thermally Grown Oxide Layer in an Environmental Barrier Coating System

Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) have emerged as a promising means of protecting silicon based ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components for high temperature applications (e.g., aircraft engines). EBCs are often used to protect an underlying material (substrate) such as silicon carbide from extreme thermal/chemical environments. In a typical CMC/EBC system, an EBC may or may not be adhered to an underlying substrate with a bond coat (e.g., silicon). Irrespective, systems that utilize EBCs are susceptible to a number of failure modes including oxidation/delamination, recession, chemical attack and dissolution, thermomechanical degradation, erosion, and foreign object damage. Current work at NASA Glenn Research Center is aimed at addressing these failure modes in EBC systems and developing robust analysis tools to aid in the design process. The Higher-Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials (HOTFGM), a precursor to the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells micromechanics approach, was developed to investigate the coupled thermo-mechanical behavior of functionally graded composites and will be used herein to assess the development and growth of a low-stiffness thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer in EBC/CMC systems without a silicon bond coat. To accomplish this a sensitivity study is conducted to examine the influence of uniformly and nonuniformly grown oxide layer on the associated driving forces leading to mechanical failure (spallation) of EBC layer when subjected to isothermal loading.

thermally grown oxide↗

Uniaxial Tensile Properties of AS4 3D Woven Composites with Four Different Resin Systems: Experimental Results and Analysis: Property Computations

As a part of the NASA Composite Technology for Exploration project, eight different AS4 3D orthogonal woven composite panels were manufactured and were subjected to mechanical testing including uniaxial tension along the weaves' warp direction. Each set, with four different resin systems (KCR-IR6070, EP2400, RTM6, and RS-50), included weave architectures designed using 12K and 6K AS4 carbon fiber yarns. For the tension testing conducted at Room Temperature Ambient (RTA) conditions, the elastic modulus and strength of these eight panels (as-processed and thermally-cycled) were measured and compared while the potential evolution of micro-cracking before and after thermal cycling were monitored via optical microscopy and X-Ray Computed Tomography. The data set also included test results of the as-processed materials at Elevated Temperature Wet (ETW) conditions. In the second part of this study, efforts were made to compute elastic constants for AS4 6K/RTM6 and AS4 12K/RTM6 materials by implementing a finite element approach and the Multiscale Generalized Method of Cells (MSGMC) technique developed at NASA Glenn Research Center. Digimat-FE was used to model the weave architectures, assign properties, calculate yarn properties, create the finite element mesh, and compute the elastic properties by applying periodic boundary conditions to finite element models of each repeating unit cell. The required input data for MSGMC was generated using Matlab® from Digimat exported weave information. Experimental and computational results were compared, and the differences and limitations in correlating to the test data were briefly discussed.

Property Computations↗

Integration of MAC/GMC into CalculiX, an Open Source Finite Element Code

An analysis framework is presented that makes available multiscale analysis of composite structures using the open-source FEA solver package CalculiX CrunchiX (CCX). At the center of this framework is the coupling of the Finite Element Analysis - Micromechanics Analysis Code (FEAMAC) library from NASA's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) to allow micromechanics analysis. The results show that the proposed coupling can be used with appropriate care for multiscale FEA simulations of composite materials. The largest error reported in this validation was in a four-point bend test specimen with an error of less than 1% difference in the maximum deflection of the beam.

Yapor Genao, Francisco A.↗

Uniaxial Tensile Properties of AS4 3D Woven Composites with Four Different Resin Systems: Experimental Results & Analysis - Property Computations

As a part of the NASA Composite Technology for Exploration project, eight different AS4 3D orthogonal woven composite panels were manufactured and were subjected to mechanical testing including uniaxial tension along the weaves' warp direction. Each set, with four different resin systems (KCR-IR6070, EP2400, RTM6, and RS-50), included weave architectures designed using 12K and 6K AS4 carbon fiber yarns. For the tension testing conducted at Room Temperature Ambient (RTA) conditions, the elastic modulus and strength of these eight panels (as-processed and thermally cycled) were measured and compared while the potential evolution of micro-cracking before and after thermal cycling were monitored via optical microscopy and X-Ray Computed Tomography. The data set also included test results of the as-processed materials at Elevated Temperature Wet (ETW) conditions. In the second part of this study, efforts were made to compute elastic constants for AS4 6K/RTM6 and AS4 12K/RTM6 materials by implementing a finite element approach and the Multiscale Generalized Method of Cells (MSGMC) technique developed at NASA Glenn Research Center. Digimat-FE was used to model the weave architectures, assign properties, calculate yarn properties, create the finite element mesh, and compute the elastic properties by applying periodic boundary conditions to finite element models of each repeating unit cell. The required input data for MSGMC was generated using Matlab® from Digimat exported weave information. Experimental and computational results were compared, and the differences and limitations in correlating to the test data were briefly discussed.

Property Computations↗

An Improved Plastically Dilatant Unified Viscoplastic Constitutive Formulation for Multiscale Analysis of Polymer Matrix Composites Under High Strain Rate Loading

Polymer matrix composites are commonly used to fabricate energy-absorbing structures expected to experience impact loading. As such, a detailed understanding of the dynamic response of the constituent materials is necessary. Since the rate, temperature, and pressure dependence of carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites are primarily manifestations of the rate, temperature, and pressure dependence of the polymer matrix, it is crucial that the constitutive behavior of the matrix be accurately characterized. In this work, an existing unified viscoplastic constitutive formulation is extended to ensure thermodynamic consistency and to more accurately account for the tension-compression asymmetry observed in the response of polymeric materials. A new plastic potential function is proposed, and elementary loading conditions are utilized to determine relations between model constants to ensure nonnegative plastic dissipation, a necessary thermodynamic requirement. Expressions for plastic Poisson’s ratios are derived and are bounded by enforcing nonnegative plastic dissipation. The model is calibrated against available experimental data from tests conducted over a range of strain rates, temperatures, and loading cases on a representative thermoset epoxy; good correlation between simulations and experimental data is obtained. Temperature rises due to the conversion of plastic work to heat are computed via the adiabatic heat energy equation. The viscoplastic polymer model is then used as a constitutive model in the generalized method of cells micromechanics theory to investigate the effects of matrix adiabatic heating on the high strain rate response of a unidirectional composite. The thermodynamic consistency of the model ensures plastic dissipation can only cause an increase in temperature. Simulation results indicate that significant thermal softening due to the conversion of plastic work to heat is observed in the composite for matrix dominated deformation modes.

Impact loading↗

Stochastic Simulation of Mudcrack Damage Formation in an Environmental Barrier Coating

The FEAMAC/CARES program, which integrates finite element analysis (FEA) with the MAC/GMC (Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells) and the CARES/Life (Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures / Life Prediction) programs, was used to simulate the formation of mudcracks during the cooling of a multilayered environmental barrier coating (EBC) deposited on a silicon carbide substrate. FEAMAC/CARES combines the MAC/GMC multiscale micromechanics analysis capability (primarily developed for composite materials) with the CARES/Life probabilistic multiaxial failure criteria (developed for brittle ceramic materials) and Abaqus (Dassault Systèmes) FEA. In this report, elastic modulus reduction of randomly damaged finite elements was used to represent discrete cracking events. The use of many small-sized low-aspect-ratio elements enabled the formation of crack boundaries, leading to development of mudcrack-patterned damage. Finite element models of a disk-shaped three-dimensional specimen and a twodimensional model of a through-the-thickness cross section subjected to progressive cooling from 1,300 °C to an ambient temperature of 23 °C were made. Mudcrack damage in the coating resulted from the buildup of residual tensile stresses between the individual material constituents because of thermal expansion mismatches between coating layers and the substrate. A two-parameter Weibull distribution characterized the coating layer stochastic strength response and allowed the effect of the Weibull modulus on the formation of damage and crack segmentation lengths to be studied. The spontaneous initiation of cracking and crack coalescence resulted in progressively smaller mudcrack cells as cooling progressed, consistent with a fractal-behaved fracture pattern. Other failure modes such as delamination, and possibly spallation, could also be reproduced. The physical basis assumed and the heuristic approach employed, which involves a simple stochastic cellular automaton methodology to approximate the crack growth process, are described. The results ultimately show that a selforganizing mudcrack formation can derive from a Weibull distribution that is used to describe the stochastic strength response of the bulk brittle ceramic material layers of an EBC.

Nemeth, Noel N.↗

A Convolutional Neural Network for Multiscale Modeling of Composite Materials

An artificial convolutional neural network was created to efficiently mimic a micromechanics model, the High Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells, for use in multi-scale structural finite element analysis. The network was found to quickly and accurately replicate the stiffness predicted by the micromechanics model using a 2D image of an idealized representative volume element of a fiber/matrix microstructure. The long-term goal of this work is to efficiently apply multi-scale methods for predicting the damage progression of a composite structure.

Composites↗

Multiscale Analysis of Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of Boron Nitride-Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites

The effect of size, shape, morphology, and arrangement of micro constituents of Boron Nitrite (BN) nanoplatelet/epoxy composites on their properties were investigated using a multi scale approach that includes Molecular Dynamics (MD) and micromechanics. The thermo-mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated using molecular theory and the analysis showed that the elastic constants of BN/epoxy composites were not severely affected by temperature. Also, the micromechanical analysis of Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) was utilized at higher length scale to evaluate elastic properties of the composites, for different geometries and arrangements of micro constituents. The predicted results of the analysis showed that the size, aspect ratios, morphology, and the arrangements of inclusions in BN/epoxy nanocomposites all have remarkable effect on the mechanical performances of the material systems.

nanocomposites↗

Thermal Conductivity of 3D Woven Composite Thermal Protection System Materials via Multiscale Recursive Micromechanics

Multiscale micromechanics predictions have been made for the effective thermal conductivities and local thermal fields for a novel 3D woven composite thermal protection system material. The Multiscale Recursive Micromechanics approach, which enables micromechanics models to call other micromechanics models (or themselves recursively) to consider finer and finer length scales, has been employed. The multiscale model uses a recently developed version of the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells micromechanics theory at each of three length scales. Results focus on the impact of the microstructural geometry representation at each length scale on the material’s effective thermal conductivity, along with the local thermal flux and temperature fields induced in the microstructures.

composite↗

Estimation of Effective Elastic Properties of General Multifunctional Honeycomb Structures Using a Unit Cell Method

Sandwich composite structures are ideal configurations in which to incorporate additional functionality beyond load carrying capabilities. The inner core can be layered to facilitate other functions such as power storage for a battery. In this work we investigate an assemblage of analytical tools to compute effective properties that allow complex layered core architectures to be homogenized into a single continuum layer. This provides a great increase in computational efficiency to numerically simulate the structural response of multifunctional sandwich structures under applied loads.

Krishnamurthy, T.↗

Micromechanics Modeling of Textiles for Re-Entry Parachute Applications

Recent flight test projects and NASA missions have highlighted the challenges associated with accurately and efficiently modeling the behavior of parachute deployment systems needed for parachute design. Moreover, parachute deployment has been identified as one of the higher risk components for such missions. The analysis of textile fabrics used for atmospheric entry is inherently complex due to the multiple scales present in the fabric structure, including individual fiber filaments at the microscale, yarn bundles of fibers at the mesoscale, and the overall woven fabric at the macroscale. Computational tools for simulating fabric behavior must be able to account for the different mechanisms present at each scale without sacrificing computational efficiency. This work examines the generalized multiscale method of cells micromechanics theory, which has previously been used for the analysis of reinforced composite structures, to unreinforced textile fabrics. Modifications to the existing composite multiscale framework, implemented in NASA’s Multiscale Analysis Tool (NASMAT), include the specific mechanics unique to unreinforced textile fabrics, and overcoming the assumptions of a fixed fiber angle. It looks to assess the feasibility of using the NASMAT tool for efficient prediction of the response of unreinforced fabrics to loading such that it can ultimately be applied to fluid structure interaction tools for the prediction of parachute deployment systems. In this work, fabric behavior is simulated in NASMAT through homogenization of a triply periodic repeating unit cell, where the geometry of the subcells can change as a function of loading to represent the relative rotation and uncrimping that can occur in fabric tows. Predictions from the amended NASMAT code are compared to experimental data for uniaxial and off-axis tension to verify the ability of the code to incorporate lower-scale mechanics in prediction of unreinforced fabrics under loading.

Micromechanics↗

Particle Acceleration in Collisionless Magnetically Arrested Disks

We present the first collisionless realization of two-dimensional axisymmetric black hole accretion consistent with a persistent magnetically arrested disk state. The accretion flow, consisting of an ion-electron disk plasma combined with magnetospheric pair creation effects, is simulated using first-principles general-relativistic particle-in-cell methods. The simulation is evolved over significant dynamical timescales during which a quasisteady accretion state is reached with several magnetic flux eruption cycles. We include a realistic treatment of inverse Compton scattering and pair production, which allows for studying the interaction between the collisionless accretion flow and pair-loaded jet. Our findings indicate that magnetic flux eruptions associated with equatorial magnetic reconnection within the black hole magnetosphere and the formation of spark gaps are locations of maximal particle acceleration. Flux eruptions, starting near the central black hole, can trigger Kelvin-Helmholtz-like vortices at the jet-disk interface that facilitate efficient mixing between disk and jet plasma in this region. Transient periods of increased pair production following magnetic flux eruptions and reconnection events are responsible for most of the highly accelerated particles.

Accretion disk & black-hole plasma↗

Application of the LAURA code for slender-vehicle aerothermodynamics

Application of a three-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes code (LAURA) to compute the laminar, perfect gas aerothermodynamics of slender vehicles is demonstrated. Comparison of solutions with experimental data enabled an assessment of the code's aerodynamic heating prediction capabilities. The results show radial grid refinement to a wall cell Reynolds number of 2 to be accurate for predicting aerodynamic heating to a slender cone. Additional comparisons for an 80 deg slab-delta wing and a generic Aero-Space Plane vehicle show the method to be generally accurate using this radial cell spacing. Discrepancies between the predicted and measured heating in a region of crossflow separation on the Aero-Space Plane geometry are noted which indicates the need for further study. While additional applications and comparisons are required to fully test the LAURA program, the results of this study demonstrate the current level of confidence and the engineering utility of this particular code.

Thompson, Richard A.↗

Effective one-band models for the one-dimensional cuprate Ba 2-x Sr x CuO 3+δ

In this work, we consider a multiband Hubbard model H m for Cu and O orbitals in Ba 2-x Sr x CuO 3+δ similar to the three-band model for two-dimensional cuprates. The hopping parameters are obtained from maximally localized Wannier functions derived from ab initio calculations. Using the cell perturbation method, we derive both a generalized t–J model H tJ and a one-band Hubbard model H H to describe the low-energy physics of the system. H tJ has the advantage of having a smaller relevant Hilbert space, facilitating numerical calculations, while additional terms should be included in H H to accurately describe the multiband physics of H m . Using H tJ and the density matrix renormalization group method, we calculate the wave-vector-resolved photoemission and discuss the relevant features in comparison with recent experiments. In agreement with previous calculations, we find that the addition of an attractive nearest-neighbor interaction of the order of the nearest-neighbor hopping shifts the weight from the 3k F to the holon-folding branch. Kinetic effects also contribute to this process.

1-dimensional systems↗