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At least 127 records · Page 7

A Leonard-Sanders-Budiansky-Koiter-Type Nonlinear Shell Theory with a Hierarchy of Transverse-Shearing Deformations

A detailed exposition on a refined nonlinear shell theory suitable for nonlinear buckling analyses of laminated-composite shell structures is presented. This shell theory includes the classical nonlinear shell theory attributed to Leonard, Sanders, Koiter, and Budiansky as an explicit proper subset. This approach is used in order to leverage the exisiting experience base and to make the theory attractive to industry. In addition, the formalism of general tensors is avoided in order to expose the details needed to fully understand and use the theory. The shell theory is based on "small" strains and "moderate" rotations, and no shell-thinness approximations are used. As a result, the strain-displacement relations are exact within the presumptions of "small" strains and "moderate" rotations. The effects of transverse-shearing deformations are included in the theory by using analyst-defined functions to describe the through-the-thickness distributions of transverse-shearing strains. Constitutive equations for laminated-composite shells are derived without using any shell-thinness approximations, and simplified forms and special cases are presented.

Nemeth, Michael P.↗

Information Theory Applied to Decision Making Structures

Decision making structures, such as control boards, process information on many topics as they select options for the system and project. The decisions are based on the information known to the board members and presenters (subject matter experts) and shared at the board during discussion. This information flow through this process can be modelled using information theory. Information theory provides a mathematical basis to understand the flow of information through the decision making process and the information needed for a particular decision. Information theory also provides the mathematical relationships on which to base the optimal decision making structure for a specific system development and organizational structure. Since decision making bodies provide control for the system or project, control theory can be used to construct a decision making model. This provides a starting point for adding cognitive science models. Information processing by each individual board participant can be represented through cognitive processes which are integrated across the board participants through information theory relationship. The set theory view of information theory provides a structure in which to look at the relationships between the participants in a decision making structure.

Watson, Michael D.↗

Information Theory Applied to Decision Making Structures

Decision making structures, such as control boards, process information on many topics as they select options for the system and project. The decisions are based on the information known to the board members and presenters (subject matter experts) and shared at the board during discussion. This information flow through this process can be modelled using information theory. Information theory provides a mathematical basis to understand the flow of information through the decision making process and the information needed for a particular decision. Information theory also provides the mathematical relationships on which to base the optimal decision making structure for a specific system development and organizational structure. Since decision making bodies provide control for the system or project, control theory can be used to construct a decision making model. This provides a starting point for adding cognitive science models. Information processing by each individual board participant can be represented through cognitive processes which are integrated across the board participants through information theory relationship. The set theory view of information theory provides a structure in which to look at the relationships between the participants in a decision making structure.

Watson, Michael D.↗

Derivation and experimental verification of clock synchronization theory

The objective of this work is to validate mathematically derived clock synchronization theories and their associated algorithms through experiment. Two theories are considered, the Interactive Convergence Clock Synchronization Algorithm and the Mid-Point Algorithm. Special clock circuitry was designed and built so that several operating conditions and failure modes (including malicious failures) could be tested. Both theories are shown to predict conservative upper bounds (i.e., measured values of clock skew were always less than the theory prediction). Insight gained during experimentation led to alternative derivations of the theories. These new theories accurately predict the clock system's behavior. It is found that a 100% penalty is paid to tolerate worst case failures. It is also shown that under optimal conditions (with minimum error and no failures) the clock skew can be as much as 3 clock ticks. Clock skew grows to 6 clock ticks when failures are present. Finally, it is concluded that one cannot rely solely on test procedures or theoretical analysis to predict worst case conditions. conditions.

INTERACTIVE CONVERGENCE CLOCK↗

Migration Theory in Climate Mobility Research

The purpose of this article is to explore how migration theory is invoked in empirical studies of climate-related migration, and to provide suggestions for engagement with theory in the emerging field of climate mobility. Theory is critical for understanding processes we observe in social-ecological systems because it points to a specific locus of attention for research, shapes research questions, guides quantitative model development, influences what researchers find, and ultimately informs policies and programs. Research into climate mobility has grown out of early studies on environmental migration, and has often developed in isolation from broader theoretical developments in the migration research community. As such, there is a risk that the work may be inadequately informed by the rich corpus of theory that has contributed to our understanding of who migrates; why they migrate; the types of mobility they employ; what sustains migration streams; and why they choose certain destinations over others. On the other hand, there are ways in which climate and broader environment migration research is enriching the conceptual frameworks being employed to understand migration, particularly forced migration. This paper draws on a review of 75 empirical studies and modeling efforts conducted by researchers from a diversity of disciplines, covering various regions, and using a variety of data sources and methods to assess how they used theory in their research. The goal is to suggest ways forward for engagement with migration theory in this large and growing research domain.

migration theory↗

Modified Brans-Dicke gravitational theory with nonzero divergence of the energy-momentum tensor

The Brans-Dicke theory of gravitation is modified by assuming that the divergence of the energy-momentum tensor is proportional to the covariant derivative of the scalar curvature. No ad hoc additions to the usual Brans-Dicke field equations are required as in Rastall's modification of the Einstein theory or as in the steady-state theories, of which this is a natural possibility. Three parameters emerge from the theory - namely, the unnormalized gravitational constant, the usual Brans-Dicke parameter, and the proportionality constant. In the post-Newtonian approximation, these parameters can be fixed by experiment. However, there exists a certain choice of the parameters for which the theory reduces to an Einstein theory with constant scalar curvature.

Smalley, L. L.↗

Analytical satellite theories based on a new set of canonical elements

A new analytical satellite theory is presented. Instead of the 6 classical elements of Delaunay, a set of 8 canonical elements is used. Whereas the time is the independent variable in classical theory, the true anomaly is the independent variable in the new theory. The new approach has four features: (1) The amount of formulas in the solution is reduced considerably. (2) The first order results are almost as accurate as second order results in classical theory. (3) The theory is easier to understand from a didactical point of view. (4) The problems connected with the inaccuracy of the mean motion that are typical for classical satellite theory are no longer present. The new elements are applied to analytical solutions of the zonal oblateness problem and to the problem of the 24 hour satellite.

Scheifele, G.↗

Hybrid theory and calculation of e-N2 scattering

A theory of electron-molecule scattering was developed which was a synthesis of close coupling and adiabatic-nuclei theories. The theory is shown to be a close coupling theory with respect to vibrational degrees of freedom but is a adiabatic-nuclei theory with respect to rotation. It can be applied to any number of partial waves required, and the remaining ones can be calculated purely in one or the other approximation. A theoretical criterion based on fixed-nuclei calculations and not on experiment can be given as to which partial waves and energy domains require the various approximations. The theory allows all cross sections (i.e., pure rotational, vibrational, simultaneous vibration-rotation, differential and total) to be calculated. Explicit formulae for all the cross sections are presented.

Chandra, N.↗

Theory of a cylindrical probe in a collisionless magnetoplasma

A theory is presented for a cylindrical electrostatic probe in a collisionless plasma in the case where the probe axis is inclined at an angle to a uniform magnetic field. The theory is applicable to electron collection, and under more restrictive conditions, to ion collection. For a probe at space potential, the theory is exact in the limit where probe radius is much less than Debye length. At attracting probe potentials, the theory yields an upper bound and an adiabatic limit for current collection. At repelling probe potentials, it provides a lower bound. The theory is valid if the ratios of probe radius to Debye length and probe radius to mean gyroradius are not simultaneously large enough to produce extrema in the probe sheath potential. The numerical current calculations are based on the approximation that particle orbits are helices near the probe, together with the use of kinetic theory to relate velocity distributions near the probe to those far from it. Probe characteristics are presented for inclination angles from 0 to 90 deg and for probe-radius mean-gyroradius ratios from 0.1 to infinity. For an angle of 0 deg, the end-effect current is calculated separately.

Laframboise, J. G.↗

Gravitational radiation from binary systems in alternative metric theories of gravity - Dipole radiation and the binary pulsar

The generation of gravitational radiation in several currently viable metric theories of gravitation (Brans-Dicke, Rosen, Ni, and Lightman-Lee) is analyzed, and it is shown that these theories predict the emission of dipole gravitational radiation from systems containing gravitationally bound objects. In the binary system PSR 1913 + 16, this radiation results in a secular change in the orbital period of the system with a nominal magnitude of 3 parts in 100,000 per year. The size of the effect is proportional to the reduced mass of the system, to the square of the difference in (self-gravitational energy)/(mass) between the two components of the system, and to a parameter, xi, whose value varies from theory to theory. In general relativity xi equals 0, in Rosen's (1973) theory xi equals -20/3, and in Ni's (1973) theory xi equals -400/3. The current upper limit on such a secular period change is one part in 1 million per year. It is shown that further observations of the binary system that tighten this limit and that establish the masses of the components and the identity of the companion may provide a crucial test of otherwise viable alternatives to general relativity.

Will, C. M.↗

Evaluation of the Tensor Polynomial and Hoffman strength theories for composite materials

The Hoffman theory and the Tensor Polynomial (Tsai-Wu) theory with the stress interaction term set equal to zero have been found to be preferred alternatives to the general Tensor Polynomial theory for predicting strength of filamentary composite laminae. These theories were used to predict failure of off-axis boron/epoxy and E-glass/epoxy test specimens and gave excellent agreement with available experimental results. A numerical experiment was also performed to estimate the errors for ten different composite systems under six different loadings. The maximum error in predicted failure loads among all cases was below 10 percent. These results suggest that the Hoffman failure theory and the Tensor Polynomial theory with the stress interaction term equal to zero can predict failure of practical filamentary composite materials under general biaxial loading with sufficient accuracy for engineering applications.

Narayanaswami, R.↗

A comparison of three classical analytical theories for the motion of artificial satellites

Motivated by the heavy reliance upon the analytic orbit theory in orbit determination operations at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), a comparison study is performed for three classical analytical theories of artificial satellite motion about an oblate earth. The three analytical theories are: (1) Brouwer, (2) a modified Brouwer, i.e., Brouwer-Lyddane and Cohen, and (3) Vinti. Comparison results for each theory are produced for a number of representative satellites of current or past interest which proved amenable to analytic theory application. The uniformity of these results has significant implications for current and future mission operations and planning activities. Subsidiary topics arising from the results of this study which relate to the optimum usage of the individual theories are also discussed

Gordon, R. A.↗

Application of supersonic linear theory and hypersonic impact methods to three nonslender hypersonic airplane concepts at Mach numbers from 1.10 to 2.86

Aerodynamic predictions from supersonic linear theory and hypersonic impact theory were compared with experimental data for three hypersonic research airplane concepts over a Mach number range from 1.10 to 2.86. The linear theory gave good lift prediction and fair to good pitching-moment prediction over the Mach number (M) range. The tangent-cone theory predictions were good for lift and fair to good for pitching moment for M more than or equal to 2.0. The combined tangent-cone theory predictions were good for lift and fair to good for pitching moment for M more than or equal to 2.0. The combined tangent-cone/tangent-wedge method gave the least accurate prediction of lift and pitching moment. The zero-lift drag was overestimated, especially for M less than 2.0. The linear theory drag prediction was generally poor, with areas of good agreement only for M less than or equal to 1.2. For M more than or equal to 2.), the tangent-cone method predicted the zero-lift drag most accurately.

Pittman, J. L.↗

A comparison between an existing propeller noise theory and wind tunnel data

The noise of three supersonic helical tip speed propellers was compared with the noise predicted by an existing noise theory. Comparisons of the peak blade passage tones showed fairly good agreement beween theory and experiment at the lowest helical tip Mach numbers tested, 0.86 and 1.00, while at higher numbers, the theory predicted higher noise levels than measured. When the differences among the propellers were considered the theory and measurement showed fairly good agreement. Directivity measurements in general showed that the measured blade passage tone data peaked further downstream than the theory predicted. At the cruise design condition the harmonics appeared to fall off faster in the data than the theory indicated.

Dittmar, J. H.↗

Comparison of theory and in situ observations for electron and ion distributions in the near wake of the Explorer 31 and AE-C satellites

Measurements of electron density, plasma potential, and mean ion mass from the Explorer 31 satellite, and measurements of ion current, plasma potential, and ion composition from the Atmosphere Explorer C satellite were used in a comparative study with Parker's theory regarding the charged particle distribution in the near wake of an ionospheric satellite (1976). It is shown that theory and experiment agree fairly well in the angle-of-attack range between 90 and 135 deg. In the maximum rarefaction zone (between 145 and 180 deg), however, the theoretical model overestimates the measured ion depletion by several orders of magnitude. A comparison between theory and the Explorer 31 electron measurements shows that the theory again overestimates the electron depletion. These discrepancies are mainly due to the use of a steady-state theory and a single ion equation (using a mean ion mass). Improved agreement between theory and experiment can be obtained by the use of the time-dependent Vlasov-Poisson equations with separate equations for the various ion species.

Samir, U.↗

Unsteady lifting-line theory with applications

Unsteady lifting-line theory is developed for a flexible unswept wing of large aspect ratio oscillating at low frequency in inviscid incompressible flow. The theory is formulated in terms of the acceleration potential and treated by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The wing displacements are prescribed and the pressure field, airloads, and unsteady induced downwash are obtained in closed form. Sample numerical calculations are presented. The present work identifies and resolves errors in the unsteady lifting-line theory of James and points out a limitation in that of Van Holten. Comparison of the results of Reissner's approximate unsteady lifting-surface theory with those of the present work shows favorable agreement. The present work thus provides some formal justification for Reissner's ad hoc theory. For engineering purposes, the region of applicability of the theory in the reduced frequency-aspect ratio domain is identified approximately and found to cover most cases of practical interest.

Ahmadi, A. R.↗

Comparison of beam and shell theories for the vibrations of thin turbomachinery blades

Vibration analysis of turbomachinery blades has traditionally been carried out by means of beam theory. In recent years two-dimensional methods of blade vibration analysis have been developed, most of which utilize finite elements and tend to require considerable computation time. More recently a two-dimensional method of blade analysis has evolved which does not require finite elements and is based upon shell equations. The present investigation has the primary objective to demonstrate the accuracy and limitations of blade vibration analyses which utilize one-dimensional, beam theories. It is found that beam theory is generally inadequate to determine the free vibration frequencies and mode shapes of moderate to low aspect ratio turbomachinery blades. The shallow shell theory, by contrast, is capable of representing all the vibration modes accurately. However, the one-dimensional beam theory has an important advantage over the two-dimensional shell theory for blades and vibration modes. It uses fewer degrees of freedom, thus requiring less computer time.

Leissa, A. W.↗

Theory of hydromagnetic turbulence

The present state of MHD turbulence theory as a possible solar wind research tool is surveyed. The theory is statistical, and does not make statements about individual events. The ensembles considered typically have individual realizations which differ qualitatively, unlike equilibrium statistical mechanics. Most of the theory deals with highly symmetric situations; most of these symmetries have yet to be tested in the solar wind. The applicability of MHD itself to solar wind parameters is highly questionable; yet it has no competitors, as a potentially comprehensive dynamical description. The purpose of solar wind research require sharper articulation. If they are to understand radial turbulent plasma flows from spheres, laboratory experiments and numerical solution of equations of motion may be cheap alternative to spacecraft. If "real life" information is demanded, multiple spacecraft with variable separation may be necessary to go further. The principal emphasis in the theory so far has been on spectral behavior for spatial covariances in wave number space. There is no respectable theory of these for highly anisotropic situations. A rather slow development of theory acts as a brake on justifiable measurement, at this point.

Montgomery, D.↗