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At least 199 records · Page 11

Preferential rifting of continents - A source of displaced terranes

Lithospheric rifting, while prevalent in the continents, rarely occurs in oceanic regions. To explain this preferential rifting of continents, the total strength of different lithospheres is compared by integrating the limits of lithospheric stress with depth. Comparisons of total strength indicate that continental lithosphere is weaker than oceanic lithosphere by about a factor of three. Also, a thickened crust can halve the total strength of normal continental lithosphere. Because the weakest area acts as a stress guide, any rifting close to an ocean-continent boundary would prefer a continental pathway. This results in the formation of small continental fragments or microplates that, once accreted back to a continent during subduction, are seen as displaced terranes. In addition, the large crustal thicknesses associated with suture zones would make such areas likely locations for future rifting episodes. This results in the tendency of new oceans to open along the suture where a former ocean had closed.

Vink, G. E.↗

Active Control of Fan Noise-Feasibility Study. Volume 2: Canceling Noise Source-Design of an Acoustic Plate Radiator Using Piezoceramic Actuators

The feasibility of using acoustic plate radiators powered by piezoceramic thin sheets as canceling sources for active control of aircraft engine fan noise is demonstrated. Analytical and numerical models of actuated beams and plates are developed and validated. An optimization study is performed to identify the optimum combination of design parameters that maximizes the plate volume velocity for a given resonance frequency. Fifteen plates with various plate and actuator sizes, thicknesses, and bonding layers were fabricated and tested using results from the optimization study. A maximum equivalent piston displacement of 0.39 mm was achieved with the optimized plate samples tested with only one actuator powered, corresponding to a plate deflection at the center of over 1 millimeter. This is very close to the deflection required for a full size engine application and represents a 160-fold improvement over previous work. Experimental results further show that performance is limited by the critical stress of the piezoceramic actuator and bonding layer rather than by the maximum moment available from the actuator. Design enhancements are described in detail that will lead to a flight-worthy acoustic plate radiator by minimizing actuator tensile stresses and reducing nonlinear effects. Finally, several adaptive tuning methods designed to increase the bandwidth of acoustic plate radiators are analyzed including passive, active, and semi-active approaches. The back chamber pressurization and volume variation methods are investigated experimentally and shown to be simple and effective ways to obtain substantial control over the resonance frequency of a plate radiator. This study shows that piezoceramic-based plate radiators can be a viable acoustic source for active control of aircraft engine fan noise.

Pla, F. G.↗

On residual stress analysis and microstructural evolution for stainless steel type 304 spent nuclear fuel canisters weld joint: Numerical and experimental studies

Chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) in the weldments of austenitic stainless steel canisters is one of the primary safety concerns during the dry storage of used nuclear fuel at Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations in coastal areas. In order to evaluate the CISCC behavior in the canister, a 3D sequentially coupled thermo-mechanical finite element model was built to simulate the residual stresses induced by two intersecting longitudinal and circumferential multi-pass welds in austenitic stainless steel mockup canister. Weld-induced residual stresses from simulation were in good agreement with the experimental measurement results by deep-hole drilling and contour methods. Through-wall high tensile axial and hoop stresses were observed in both the fusion zone and heat affected zone (HAZ) in the longitudinal and circumferential weld, respectively. On the other hand, the microstructure within the weldments of 304 stainless steel mockup was characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy methods. A few amount of MnS inclusions in both the base metal and HAZ, and a lot of (Mn,Si) x O y inclusions in the fusion zone were found. Meanwhile, there is some α'-martensite in the base metal, while the martensite was reversed in the HAZ. In the fusion zone, there is a lot of δ-ferrite. The martensite reversion phenomenon was also verified by the combination of Feritscope test and thermal simulation, which could predict a martensite reversion temperature as 400C°. The welding residual stresses and microstructure analysis results could offer the instructive information for the prediction of CISCC behavior of the spent nuclear fuel canisters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

An analysis of the flow field in the region of the ASRM field joints

The flow field in the region of a solid rocket motor field joint is very important since fluid dynamic and mechanical propellant stresses can couple to cause a motor failure at a joint. Presented here is an examination of the flow field in the region of the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) field joints. The analyses were performed as a first step in assessing the design of the ASRM forward and aft field joints in order to assure the proper operation of the motor prior to further development of test firing. The analyses presented here were performed by employing a two-dimensional axisymmetric assumption. Fluent/BFC, a three dimensional full Navier-Stokes flow field code, was used to make the numerical calculations. This code utilizes a staggered grid formulation along with the SIMPLER numerical algorithm. Wall functions are used to determine the character of the laminar sublayer, and a standard kappa-epsilon turbulence model is used to close the fluid dynamic equations. The analyses performed to this date verify that the ASRM field joint design operates properly. The fluid dynamic stresses at the field joints are small due to the inherent design of the field joints. A problem observed in some other solid rocket motors is that large fluid dynamic stresses are generated at the motor joint on the downstream propellant grain due to forward facing step geometries. The design of the ASRM field joints are such that this is not a problem as shown by the analyses. Also, the analyses of the inhibitor stub left protruding into the port flow from normal propellant burn back show that more information is necessary to complete these analyses. These analyses were performed as parametric analyses in relation to the height of the inhibitor stub left protruding into the motor port. A better estimate of the amount of the inhibitor stub remaining at later burn times must be determined since the height which the inhibitor stub protrudes into the port flow drastically affects the fluid dynamics induced stresses on the propellant grain at the field joints.

Dill, Richard A.↗

Micrometeorite Impact Test of Flex Solar Array Coupon

Spacecraft with solar arrays operate throughout the near earth environment and are increasingly planned for outer planet missions. An often overlooked test condition for solar arrays that is applicable to these missions is micrometeorite impacts and possibly electrostatic discharge (ESD) events resulting from these impacts. The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is partnering with Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SSL) to examine the results of simulated micrometeorite impacts on the electrical performance of an advanced, lightweight flexible solar array design. The test is performed at NASA MSFC's Microlight Gas Gun Facility. The SSL-provided coupons consist of three strings, each string with two solar cells in series. Five impacts will be induced at various locations on a powered test coupon under different string voltage (0 volts - 150 volts) and string current (1.1 amperes - 1.65 amperes) conditions. The maximum specified test voltage and current represent margins of 1.5 times for both voltage and current. The test parameters are chosen to demonstrate new array design robustness to any ESD event caused by plasma plumes resulting from a simulated micrometeorite impact. A second unpowered coupon will undergo two impacts: one impact on the front side and one impact on the back side. Following the impact testing, the second coupon will be exposed to a thermal cycle test to determine possible damage propagation and further electrical degradation due to thermally-induced stress. The setup, checkout, and results from the impact testing are discussed. The challenges for impact testing include precise coupon alignment to control impact location; pressure management during the impact process; and measurement of the true transient electrical response during impact on the powered coupon. Results from pre- and post-test visual and electrical functional testing are also discussed.

Wright, K. H.↗

Effect of a micro-scale dislocation pileup on the atomic-scale multi-variant phase transformation and twinning

In this paper, we perform concurrent atomistic–continuum (CAC) simulations to assess the contribution of the internal stress induced by the microscale dislocation pileup at an atomically structured interface to the atomic-scale phase transformations (PTs), reverse PTs, and twinning. The main novelty of this work is to unify the atomistic description of the interface and the coarse-grained (CG) description of the lagging dislocations away from the interface within one single framework. Our major findings are: (a) the interface dynamically responds to a pileup by forming steps/ledges, the height of which is proportional to the number of dislocations arriving at the interface; (b) the pileup-induced internal stress concentration profile follows neither the classical Eshelby model nor the super-dislocation model alone, but a combination of them; (c) when the pre-sheared sample is compressed, a direct square-to-hexagonal PT occurs ahead of the pileup tip and eventually grows into a wedge shape. The two variants of the hexagonal phases form a twin with respect to each other; (d) upon a further increase of the loading, part of the newly formed hexagonal phase transforms back to the square phase. The square product phase resulting from this reverse PT forms a twin with respect to the initial square phase. All phase boundaries (PBs) and twin boundaries (TBs) are stationary and correspond to zero thermodynamic Eshelby driving forces; and (e) the microscale dislocation pileup-induced internal shear stress and the structural change at the atomic-scale interface reduces the stress required for initiating a PT by a factor of 5.5, comparing with that in the sample containing no dislocations. This work is the first characterization of the behavior of PTs/twinning resulting from the reaction between a microscale dislocation slip and an atomically structured interface. In conclusion, the gained knowledge will advance our understanding of how the multi-phase material behaves in many complex physical processes, such as the synthesis of multi-phase high-entropy alloys or superhard ceramics under high-pressure torsion, deep mantle earthquakes in geophysics, and so on, which all involve dislocation slip, PTs, twinning, and their interactions across from the atomistic to the microscale and beyond.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Automated Generation of Microkinetics for Heterogeneously Catalyzed Reactions Considering Correlated Uncertainties**

Abstract The study presents an ab‐initio based framework for the automated construction of microkinetic mechanisms considering correlated uncertainties in all energetic parameters and estimation routines. 2000 unique microkinetic models were generated within the uncertainty space of the BEEF‐vdW functional for the oxidation reactions of representative exhaust gas emissions from stoichiometric combustion engines over Pt(111) and compared to experiments through multiscale modeling. The ensemble of simulations stresses the importance of considering uncertainties. Within this set of first‐principles‐based models, it is possible to identify a microkinetic mechanism that agrees with experimental data. This mechanism can be traced back to a single exchange‐correlation functional, and it suggests that Pt(111) could be the active site for the oxidation of light hydrocarbons. The study provides a universal framework for the automated construction of reaction mechanisms with correlated uncertainty quantification, enabling a DFT‐constrained microkinetic model optimization for other heterogeneously catalyzed systems.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fatigue flaw growth and NDI evaluation for preventing through cracks in spacecraft tankage structures

A program was conducted to determine the fatigue-crack propagation behavior of parent and welded 2219-T87 aluminum alloy sheet under controlled cyclic stress conditions in room temperature air and 300 F air. Specimens possessing an initial surface defect of controlled dimensions were cycled under constant load amplitude until the propagating fatigue crack penetrated the back surface of the specimen. A series of precracked specimens were prepared to determine optimum penetrant, X-ray, ultrasonic, and eddy current nondestructive inspection procedures.

Pettit, D. E.↗

Force, mass, and energy budgets of the Crary Ice Rise complex, Antarctica

The stress, mass, and energy-dissipation budgets of Crary Ice Rise are analyzed using field data collected during the 1983-1985 austral summers and in previous field programs. In addition, the net back pressure and ice-discharge rate along the grounding lines of ice streams are calculated to assess the effect of the ice rise on the surrounding flow. Comparison of the ice-rise budgets with the analysis of grounding-line data confirms the influence of the ice rise on ice-sheet stability, and suggests that Crary Ice Rise may have formed recently in response to an acceleration of one of the ice streams. It is concluded that feedback between ice-stream acceleration and ice-rise formation may control the future evolution of the above ice stream and promote long-term grounding-line stability in the face of strong natural fluctuations.

Macayeal, D. R.↗

Evaluation of Bifacial Modules and PV Technologies with Combined-Accelerated Stress Testing

In view of the increasing interest and market share of bifacial cells and modules, suitable substrates such as glass and transparent backsheets along with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyolefin elastomer (POE) encapsulants were examined in combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) to evaluate and compare degradation modes. Testing with both monofacial and bifacial cells, we found glass-glass modules with monofacial cells led to greater grid finger breakage than those with polymeric backsheets. This is attributed to previous x-ray topography work showing higher stress in cells in glass-glass modules than glass backsheet modules. Consistent with the objectives of C-AST, which stresses modules at levels corresponding to the limits seen in the natural environment, we observed the UV-fluorescence signatures of modules tested in C-AST (considering the degradation associated with developing chromophores, moisture penetration and photobleaching effects) to be like those in fielded modules, more so than other chamber stress testing implemented for comparison. Finally, among multiple cell degradation modes that we observed such as light-induced degradation (LID), we differentiated susceptibility to potential-induced degradation (PID) on the back of the bifacial Passivated Emitter Back Cells (PERC) in C-AST. Confirming with ex-situ tests, we found polarization-type PID most prevalent in glass/glass modules with EVA as would be anticipated considering the greater leakage current through such module encapsulation. Unlike PID tests performed in the dark, which can lead to false positive PID test results, field-representative illumination is experienced by the modules on the front and back side while -1200 V system voltage is applied in C-AST, supporting the conclusion that this module type would be susceptible to PID in the field.

bifacial modules↗

The impact of magnetic fields on momentum transport and saturation of shear-flow instability by stable modes

The Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability of a shear layer with an initially uniform magnetic field in the direction of flow is studied in the framework of 2D incompressible magnetohydrodynamics with finite resistivity and viscosity using direct numerical simulations. The shear layer evolves freely, with no external forcing, and thus broadens in time as turbulent stresses transport momentum across it. As with hydrodynamic KH, the instability here features a conjugate stable mode for every unstable mode in the absence of dissipation. Stable modes are shown to transport momentum up its gradient, shrinking the layer width whenever they exceed unstable modes in amplitude. In simulations with weak magnetic fields, the linear instability is minimally affected by the field, but enhanced small-scale fluctuations relative to the hydrodynamic case are observed. These enhanced fluctuations coincide with increased energy dissipation and faster layer broadening, with these features more pronounced in simulations with stronger fields. These trends result from the magnetic field reducing the effects of stable modes relative to the transfer of energy to small scales. As field strength increases, stable modes become less excited, thus transporting less momentum against its gradient. Furthermore, the energy that would otherwise transfer back to the driving shear because of the stable modes is instead allowed to cascade to small scales, where it is lost to dissipation. Approximations of the turbulent state in terms of a reduced set of modes are explored. While the Reynolds stress is well-described using just two modes per wavenumber at large scales, the Maxwell stress is not.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Aerothermal Effects of Cavities and Protuberances for High-Speed Sample Return Capsules

Extraterrestrial sample return is a growing component of solar system exploration. Currently, four missions, Stardust, 1 Muses-C, 2 Genesis, and Mars Sample Return, are under development that employ sample return as a prime component of the mission architecture. Respectively, these missions will return samples from the tail of a comet, an asteroid, the solar wind, and, Mars. An important component of these missions and the focus of this paper is the design of the sample return capsule (SRC). The purpose of the SRC is to safely return to Earth any gathered samples for terrestrial analysis. The two major design constraints for any SRC are as follows: 1) it must be able to survive a high-speed Earth entry (11 km/s to as a high as 15 km/s), 2) the mass of the SRC must be as small as possible. Because the SRC mass is carried from Earth to the sample sight and back, the SRC mass is a strong driver in the mission mass budget. Further, for the Mars Sample Return Capsule, planetary protection is another constraint. For this capsule, the probability of planetary contamination at Earth due to an SRC failure at entry must be minimal. For an SRC, a possible failure mechanism is severe local heating as a result of cavities and or protuberances in the SRC forebody heatshield. For example, the Apollo Command Module had a number of cavities and protuberances as part of the baseline designs Wind-tunnel tests of models containing small cavities and protuberances showed severe local heating augmentations in the vicinity of these surface discontinuities.4-5 As another example, the Genesis SRC forebody heat-shield contains penetrations (cavities) to mount the vehicle to the carrier bus. It is expected that these penetrations will also experience a severe local heating environment. A concern is that the large thermal gradients may produce sufficient thermal stress to cause local mechanical failure of the heatshield. Penetrations to the forebody heat-shield can also result from damage at vehicle integration, during launch, or during transportation of the sample return capsule from earth to the sample site and back. For example, the Starting SRC was damaged near the shoulder during the heatshield integration process producing a local surface discontinuity. Also, the Starting SRC traverses through the tail of a comet and is in space for 7 years. Thus, damage to the heatshield as a result of micrometeroid impact is a concern. Finally, it is difficult to characterize the effects of these potential heatshield singularities with ground-test facilities. Either detailed simulation or a dedicated flight test is required.

Olynick, David↗

Computation of forces and stresses in solids: Towards accurate structural optimization with auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo

The accurate computation of forces and other energy derivatives has been a long-standing challenge for quantum Monte Carlo methods. A number of technical obstacles contribute to this challenge. We discuss how these obstacles can be removed with the auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) approach. AFQMC is a general, high-accuracy, many-body total-energy method for molecules and solids. The implementation of back-propagation for pure estimators allows direct calculation of gradients of the energy via the Hellmann-Feynman theorem. A planewave basis with norm-conserving pseudopotentials is used for the study of periodic bulk materials. Completeness of the planewave basis minimizes the effect of so-called Pulay terms. The ionic pseudopotentials, which can be incorporated in AFQMC in exactly the same manner as in standard independent-electron methods, regulate the force and stress estimators and eliminate any potential divergence of the Monte Carlo variances. The resulting approach allows applications of full geometry optimizations in bulk materials. As a result, it also paves the way for many-body computations of the phonon spectrum in solids.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Lithium-ion electrolytic substrates for sub-1V high-performance transition metal dichalcogenide transistors and amplifiers

Electrostatic gating of two-dimensional (2D) materials with ionic liquids (ILs), leading to the accumulation of high surface charge carrier densities, has been often exploited in 2D devices. However, the intrinsic liquid nature of ILs, their sensitivity to humidity, and the stress induced in frozen liquids inhibit ILs from constituting an ideal platform for electrostatic gating. Here we report a lithium-ion solid electrolyte substrate, demonstrating its application in high-performance back-gated n-type MoS 2 and p-type WSe 2 transistors with sub-threshold values approaching the ideal limit of 60 mV/dec and complementary inverter amplifier gain of 34, the highest among comparable amplifiers. Remarkably, these outstanding values were obtained under 1 V power supply. Microscopic studies of the transistor channel using microwave impedance microscopy reveal a homogeneous channel formation, indicative of a smooth interface between the TMD and underlying electrolytic substrate. These results establish lithium-ion substrates as a promising alternative to ILs for advanced thin-film devices.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Wall shear stress estimates in coronary artery constrictions

Wall shear stress estimates from laminar boundary layer theory were found to agree fairly well with the magnitude of shear stress levels along coronary artery constrictions obtained from solutions of the Navier Stokes equations for both steady and pulsatile flow. The relatively simple method can be used for in vivo estimates of wall shear stress in constrictions by using a vessel shape function determined from a coronary angiogram, along with a knowledge of the flow rate.

Back, L. H.↗

The Effect of APS-HVOF Bond Coating Thickness Ratio on TBC Furnace Cycle Lifetime

In this work, combinations of NiCoCrAlY APS and high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) bond coatings were deposited on alloy 247 disk substrates with APS yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coatings to assess the benefit of air plasma sprayed (APS) ‘flash’ bond coatings. Using 1-h cycles at 1100 °C in air with 10% H 2 O and HVOF-only and APS-only bond coatings as a baseline, it was found that APS flash coatings extended the average coating lifetime by 16% to 35% with the thicker flash coating performing best. Principal component analysis and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) compositional mapping on coatings characterized after 0, 100, 300 and 500 cycles and after failure showed that the Al in the bond coatings was depleted due to both oxidation and back diffusion into the substrate. The APS-only bond coating had significant oxidation throughout the bond coating and was so depleted in Al, that Al diffused from the substrate to the coating. Residual stress maps of the thermally-grown alumina scale were obtained every 100 cycles using photo-stimulated luminescence piezospectroscopy (PLPS) revealing that the Thick Flash coating had the slowest rate of damage accumulation in the oxide scale.

alumina scale↗

Progress of Coating Stress Compensation of Silicon Mirrors for Lynx X-ray Telescope Mission Concept Using Thermal Oxide Patterning Method

A thermal oxide patterning method has proven to be effective for correcting coating-stress-induced distortion on flat silicon wafers. We report progress on developing this method for correcting curved silicon mirrors distorted by front-side iridium coatings. Owing to the difference in geometry, a finite element model has been established to calculate the appropriate duty cycle maps in thermal oxide hexagon patterns used for compensation. In addition, a photolithographic process, along with three-dimensional printed equipment, has been developed for creating patterns precisely on the back side of curved mirrors. The developed method has been used to recover the original surface shape of two silicon mirrors which are 100-mm long, 0.5-mm thick, having 312-mm radius of curvature, and 30 deg in azimuthal span (Wolter-I geometry). These mirrors’ front sides are sputter-coated by 20-nm iridium layers with ∼-70 N∕m integrated stress. Measurement results show that the developed method can mitigate coating-induced distortion by a factor of ∼5 in RMS height and ∼4 in RMS slope error, corresponding to ∼0.5 arc sec RMS slope error. Residual errors after correction are dominated by midfrequency ripples created during the annealing process, which will be resolved in the future. The presented method is precise and inexpensive and a potential candidate for resolving the coating stress issue for Lynx optics in the future.

x-ray↗