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At least 253 records · Page 14

Thermoelastic Theory for the Response of Materials Functionally Graded in Two Directions with Applications to the Free-Edge Problem

A recently developed micromechanical theory for the thermoelastic response of functionally graded composites with nonuniform fiber spacing in the through-thickness direction is further extended to enable analysis of material architectures characterized by arbitrarily nonuniform fiber spacing in two directions. In contrast to currently employed micromechanical approaches applied to functionally graded materials, which decouple the local and global effects by assuming the existence of a representative volume element at every point within the composite, the new theory explicitly couples the local and global effects. The analytical development is based on volumetric averaging of the various field quantities, together with imposition of boundary and interfacial conditions in an average sense. Results are presented that illustrate the capability of the derived theory to capture local stress gradients at the free edge of a laminated composite plate due to the application of a uniform temperature change. It is further shown that it is possible to reduce the magnitude of these stress concentrations by a proper management of the microstructure of the composite plies near the free edge. Thus by an appropriate tailoring of the microstructure it is possible to reduce or prevent the likelihood of delamination at free edges of standard composite laminates.

Aboudi, Jacob↗

Durability and Damage Tolerance of High Temperature Polymeric Composites

Modern durability and damage tolerance predictions for composite material systems rely on accurate estimates of the local stress and material states for each of the constituents, as well as the manner in which the constituents interact. In this work, an number of approaches to estimating the stress states and interactions are developed. First, an elasticity solution is presented for the problem of a penny-shaped crack in an N-phase composite material system opened by a prescribed normal pressure. The stress state around such a crack is then used to estimate the stress concentrations due to adjacent fiber fractures in composite materials. The resulting stress concentrations are then used to estimate the tensile strength of the composite. The predicted results are compared with experimental values. In addition, a cumulative damage model for fatigue is presented. Modifications to the model are made to include the effects of variable amplitude loading. These modifications are based upon the use of remaining strength as a damage metric and the definition of an equivalent generalized time. The model is initially validated using results from the literature. Also, experimental data from APC-2 laminates and IM7/K3B laminates are used in the model. The use of such data for notched laminates requires the use of an effective hole size, which is calculated based upon strain distribution measurements. Measured remaining strengths after fatigue loading are compared with the predicted values for specimens fatigued at room temperature and 350 F (177 C).

Case, Scott W.↗

Tectonic Processes on Planets and Satellites

The final report is comprised of 7 journal articles that were completed during the reporting period. Topics covered include:(1) photogeologic analysis of the Magellan stereo view of six coronae; (2) the ancient age of Maxwell Montes; (3) timescale of regional plains emplacement on Venus; (4) remote and local stresses and calderas on Mars; (5) lunar linear rilles; (6) stratigraphical constraints on the duration of tessera formation on Venus; and (7) the use of magnetic signatures in identifying shallow intrusions on the Moon.

Head, J. W.↗

Ground-Based Gas-Liquid Flow Research in Microgravity Conditions: State of Knowledge

During the last decade, ground-based microgravity facilities have been utilized in order to obtain predictions for spacecraft system designers and further the fundamental understanding of two-phase flow. Although flow regime, pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient data has been obtained for straight tubes and a limited number of fittings, measurements of the void fraction, film thickness, wall shear stress, local velocity and void information are also required in order to develop general mechanistic models that can be utilized to ascertain the effects of fluid properties, tube geometry and acceleration levels. A review of this research is presented and includes both empirical data and mechanistic models of the flow behavior.

McQuillen, J.↗

A New Local Failure Model with Application to the Longitudinal Tensile Behavior of Continuously Reinforced Titanium Composites

A new model for local fiber failures in composite materials loaded longitudinally is presented. In developing the model, the goal was to account for the effects of fiber breakage on the global response of a composite in a relatively simple and efficient manner. Towards this end, the model includes the important feature of local stress unloading, even as global loading of the composite continues. The model has been incorporated into NASA Glenn's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) and was employed to simulate the longitudinal tensile deformation and failure behavior of several silicon carbide fiber/titanium matrix (SiC/Ti) composites. The model is shown to be quite realistic and capable of accurate predictions for various temperatures, fiber volume fractions, and fiber diameters. Further- more, the new model compares favorably to Curtin's (1993) effective fiber breakage model, which has also been incorporated into MAC/GMC.

Bednarcyk, Brett A.↗

RSRM Propellant Grain Geometry Modification

This document is composed of viewgraphs about the RSRM propellant grain geometry modification project, which hopes to improve personnel and system safety by modifying propellant grain geometry to improve structural factors of safety. Using techniques such as Finite Element Analysis to determine blend radii required to reduce localized stresses, and ballistic predictions to ensure that the ballistics, ignition transient and Block Model have not been adversely affected, the project hopes to build and test FSM-10 with a new design, and determine flight effectivity pending successful test evaluation.

Schorr, Andrew A.↗

Lunar and Planetary Science XXVIII

The present conference discusses such topics as density crossovers in lunar picrites, the geology of the Cassini impact basin, Mars, nanobacteria in carbonates, the properties of shocked aerogels, a chemical model of Comet Halley, lunar mascons, the impact evolution of icy regoliths, the geology of the Venera 8 landing site, the photogeologic mapping of northern Venus, HST observations of Mars, observational constraints on the rotational dynamics of Mars, and primordial magnetic field measurements from the moon. Also discussed are models of the S2 fluorescence spectra of comets, Martian crater ejecta, the heights of Venusian steep-sided domes, cloud-climate interactions on Venus, the Humorum basin geology from Clementine data, an early Amazonian lake in the Gale crater of Mars, nebular fractionations and Mn-Cr systematics, the Rock Chipper planetary surface sample collection, Mariner 10 stereo images of Mercury, remote and local stresses and Calderas on Mars, the electrostatic charging of saltating particles, SO2 detected on Callisto, the Mars Explorer Planetary Data System, an assessment of explosive venting on Europa, the sequential faulting history of the Mars Valles Marineris, a search for Martian sediments, the composition and internal structure of Europa, long-term and 'diurnal' tidal stresses on Europa, and episodic greenhouse climates on Mars.

Source record↗

High-Fidelity Micromechanics Model Enhanced for Multiphase Particulate Materials

This 3-year effort involves the development of a comprehensive micromechanics model and a related computer code, capable of accurately estimating both the average response and the local stress and strain fields in the individual phases, assuming both elastic and inelastic behavior. During the first year (fiscal year 2001) of the investigation, a version of the model called the High-Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells (HFGMC) was successfully completed for the thermo-inelastic response of continuously reinforced multiphased materials with arbitrary periodic microstructures (refs. 1 and 2). The model s excellent predictive capability for both the macroscopic response and the microlevel stress and strain fields was demonstrated through comparison with exact analytical and finite element solutions. This year, HFGMC was further extended in two technologically significant ways. The first enhancement entailed the incorporation of fiber/matrix debonding capability into the two-dimensional version of HFGMC for modeling the response of unidirectionally reinforced composites such as titanium matrix composites, which exhibit poor fiber/matrix bond. Comparison with experimental data validated the model s predictive capability. The second enhancement entailed further generalization of HFGMC to three dimensions to enable modeling the response of particulate-reinforced (discontinuous) composites in the elastic material behavior domain. Next year, the three-dimensional version will be generalized to encompass inelastic effects due to plasticity, viscoplasticity, and damage, as well as coupled electromagnetothermomechanical (including piezoelectric) effects.

Pindera, Marek-Jerzy↗

Mapping the Sedna-Lavinia Region of Venus

Geologic mapping of Venus at 1:5 M scale has shown in great detail the flow complexes of volcanoes, coronae, and shield fields, and the varying structural patterns that differentiate tesserae from corona rims and isolated patches of densely lineated terrain. In most cases, however, the lower-elevation plains between the higher-standing landforms are discriminated only on the basis of potentially secondary features such as late-stage lava flooding or tectonic overprinting. This result, in which volcanoes and tesserae appear as "islands in the sea," places weak constraints on the relative age of large upland regions and the nature of the basement terrain. In this work, we focus on the spatial distribution and topography of densely lineated and tessera units over a large region of Venus, and their relationship to apparently later corona and shield flow complexes. The goal is to identify likely connections between patches of deformed terrain that suggest earlier features of regional extent, and to compare the topography of linked patches with other such clusters as a guide to whether they form larger tracts beneath the plains. Mapping Approach. We are mapping the region from 57S to 57N, 300E-60E. Since the 1:5 M quadrangles emphasize detail of tessera structure and corona/edifice flows, we simply adopt the outlines of these features as they relate to the outcrops of either "densely lineated terrain" or tessera (Fig. 1). The densely lineated material is mapped in many quadrangles based on pervasive structural deformation, typically with a single major axis (in contrast to the overlapping orthogonal patterns on tesserae). This unit definition is often extended to include material of corona rims. We do not at present differentiate between plains units, since earlier efforts show that their most defining attributes may be secondary to the original emplacement (e.g., lobate or sheet-like flooding by thin flow units, tectonic patterns related to regional and localized stress regimes) [1].

Campbell, Bruce A.↗

Modeling of Melt-Infiltrated SiC/SiC Composite Properties

The elastic properties of a two-dimensional five-harness melt-infiltrated silicon carbide fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix (MI SiC/SiC) ceramic matrix composite (CMC) were predicted using several methods. Methods used in this analysis are multiscale laminate analysis, micromechanics-based woven composite analysis, a hybrid woven composite analysis, and two- and three-dimensional finite element analyses. The elastic properties predicted are in good agreement with each other as well as with the available measured data. However, the various methods differ from each other in three key areas: (1) the fidelity provided, (2) the efforts required for input data preparation, and (3) the computational resources required. Results also indicate that efficient methods are also able to provide a reasonable estimate of local stress fields.

Mital, Subodh K.↗

Finite-difference simulation and visualization of elastodynamics in time-evolving generalized curvilinear coordinates

Modeling and simulation of free and forced structural vibrations is essential to an overall structural health monitoring capability. In the various embodiments, a first principles finite-difference approach is adopted in modeling a structural subsystem such as a mechanical gear by solving elastodynamic equations in generalized curvilinear coordinates. Such a capability to generate a dynamic structural response is widely applicable in a variety of structural health monitoring systems. This capability (1) will lead to an understanding of the dynamic behavior of a structural system and hence its improved design, (2) will generate a sufficiently large space of normal and damage solutions that can be used by machine learning algorithms to detect anomalous system behavior and achieve a system design optimization and (3) will lead to an optimal sensor placement strategy, based on the identification of local stress maxima all over the domain.

Kaul, Upender K.↗

Characterization of the as Manufactured Variability in a CVI SiC/SiC Woven Composite

The microstructure of a 2D woven ceramic matrix composite displays significant variability and irregularity. For example, a chemical vapor infiltrated (CVI) SiC/SiC composite exhibits significant amount of porosity arranged in irregular patterns. Furthermore, the fiber tows within a ply frequently have irregular shape and spacing, and the stacked plies are often misaligned and irregularly nested within each other. The goal of an ongoing project at NASA Glenn is to investigate the effects of the complex microstructure and its variability on the properties and the durability of the material. One key requirement for this effort is the development of methods to characterize the distribution in as-fabricated ceramic matrix composite (CMC) microstructures with the objective of correlating microstructural distribution parameters with mechanical performance. An initial task in this effort was to perform quantitative image analysis of polished cross sections of CVI SiC/SiC composite specimens. This analysis provided sample distributions of various microstructural composite features, including: inter-tow pore sizes and shapes, transverse sectioned tow sizes and shapes, and within ply tow spacing. This information can then be used to quantify the effect of extreme values of these features on the local stress state with the goal of determining the likelihood of matrix cracking at a given external load.

Bonacuse, Peter J.↗

Material Characterization and Geometric Segmentation of a Composite Structure Using Microfocus X-Ray Computed Tomography Image-Based Finite Element Modeling

This study utilizes microfocus x-ray computed tomography (CT) slice sets to model and characterize the damage locations and sizes in thermal protection system materials that underwent impact testing. ScanIP/FE software is used to visualize and process the slice sets, followed by mesh generation on the segmented volumetric rendering. Then, the local stress fields around several of the damaged regions are calculated for realistic mission profiles that subject the sample to extreme temperature and other severe environmental conditions. The resulting stress fields are used to quantify damage severity and make an assessment as to whether damage that did not penetrate to the base material can still result in catastrophic failure of the structure. It is expected that this study will demonstrate that finite element modeling based on an accurate three-dimensional rendered model from a series of CT slices is an essential tool to quantify the internal macroscopic defects and damage of a complex system made out of thermal protection material. Results obtained showing details of segmented images; three-dimensional volume-rendered models, finite element meshes generated, and the resulting thermomechanical stress state due to impact loading for the material are presented and discussed. Further, this study is conducted to exhibit certain high-caliber capabilities that the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) group at NASA Glenn Research Center can offer to assist in assessing the structural durability of such highly specialized materials so improvements in their performance and capacities to handle harsh operating conditions can be made.

Abdul-Aziz, Ali↗

Accelerated Creep Testing of High Strength Aramid Webbing

A series of preliminary accelerated creep tests were performed on four variants of 12K and 24K lbf rated Vectran webbing to help develop an accelerated creep test methodology and analysis capability for high strength aramid webbings. The variants included pristine, aged, folded and stitched samples. This class of webbings is used in the restraint layer of habitable, inflatable space structures, for which the lifetime properties are currently not well characterized. The Stepped Isothermal Method was used to accelerate the creep life of the webbings and a novel stereo photogrammetry system was used to measure the full-field strains. A custom MATLAB code is described, and used to reduce the strain data to produce master creep curves for the test samples. Initial results show good correlation between replicates; however, it is clear that a larger number of samples are needed to build confidence in the consistency of the results. It is noted that local fiber breaks affect the creep response in a similar manner to increasing the load, thus raising the creep rate and reducing the time to creep failure. The stitched webbings produced the highest variance between replicates, due to the combination of higher local stresses and thread-on-fiber damage. Large variability in the strength of the webbings is also shown to have an impact on the range of predicted creep life.

Jones, Thomas C.↗

A New and General Formulation of the Parametric HFGMC Micromechanical Method for Three-Dimensional Multi-Phase Composites

The recent two-dimensional (2-D) parametric formulation of the high fidelity generalized method of cells (HFGMC) reported by the authors is generalized for the micromechanical analysis of three-dimensional (3-D) multiphase composites with periodic microstructure. Arbitrary hexahedral subcell geometry is developed to discretize a triply periodic repeating unit-cell (RUC). Linear parametric-geometric mapping is employed to transform the arbitrary hexahedral subcell shapes from the physical space to an auxiliary orthogonal shape, where a complete quadratic displacement expansion is performed. Previously in the 2-D case, additional three equations are needed in the form of average moments of equilibrium as a result of the inclusion of the bilinear terms. However, the present 3-D parametric HFGMC formulation eliminates the need for such additional equations. This is achieved by expressing the coefficients of the full quadratic polynomial expansion of the subcell in terms of the side or face average-displacement vectors. The 2-D parametric and orthogonal HFGMC are special cases of the present 3-D formulation. The continuity of displacements and tractions, as well as the equilibrium equations, are imposed in the average (integral) sense as in the original HFGMC formulation. Each of the six sides (faces) of a subcell has an independent average displacement micro-variable vector which forms an energy-conjugate pair with the transformed average-traction vector. This allows generating symmetric stiffness matrices along with internal resisting vectors for the subcells which enhances the computational efficiency. The established new parametric 3-D HFGMC equations are formulated and solution implementations are addressed. Several applications for triply periodic 3-D composites are presented to demonstrate the general capability and varsity of the present parametric HFGMC method for refined micromechanical analysis by generating the spatial distributions of local stress fields. These applications include triply periodic composites with inclusions in the form of a cavity, spherical inclusion, ellipsoidal inclusion, discontinuous aligned short fiber. A 3-D repeating unit-cell for foam material composite is simulated.

Haj-Ali, Rami↗

Innovative Escapement-Based Mechanism for Micro-Antenna Boom Deployment

This paper presents the prototype of a tubular boom antenna developed for the Polish BRITE-PL satellite by the Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN). What is unique about our work is that we developed an original type of the tubular boom antenna deployment mechanism that can be used widely as a basic solution for compact electrical antennas, booms deploying sensitive instruments, ultra-light planetary manipulators etc. The invented electromagnetic driving unit provides a dual complementary action - it adds extra energy to the driving spring, making the system more reliable, and at the same time it moderates the deployment speed acting as a kind of damper. That distinguishing feature predetermines the mechanism to be applied wherever the dynamic nature of a spring drive introducing dangerous vibrations and inducing severe local stress in the structure needs to be mitigated. Moreover, the paper reveals a product unique in Europe - a miniature beryllium bronze tubular boom free of geometry and strain defects, which is essential for stiffness and fatigue resistance. Both the deployment mechanism and the technology of tubular boom manufacturing are protected by patent rights.

Tokarz, Marta↗

A Compilation of MATLAB Scripts and Functions for MACGMC Analyses

The primary aim of the current effort is to provide scripts that automate many of the repetitive pre- and post-processing tasks associated with composite materials analyses using the Micromechanics Analysis Code with the Generalized Method of Cells. This document consists of a compilation of hundreds of scripts that were developed in MATLAB (The Mathworks, Inc., Natick, MA) programming language and consolidated into 16 MATLAB functions. (MACGMC). MACGMC is a composite material and laminate analysis software code developed at NASA Glenn Research Center. The software package has been built around the generalized method of cells (GMC) family of micromechanics theories. The computer code is developed with a user-friendly framework, along with a library of local inelastic, damage, and failure models. Further, application of simulated thermo-mechanical loading, generation of output results, and selection of architectures to represent the composite material have been automated to increase the user friendliness, as well as to make it more robust in terms of input preparation and code execution. Finally, classical lamination theory has been implemented within the software, wherein GMC is used to model the composite material response of each ply. Thus, the full range of GMC composite material capabilities is available for analysis of arbitrary laminate configurations as well. The pre-processing tasks include generation of a multitude of different repeating unit cells (RUCs) for CMCs and PMCs, visualization of RUCs from MACGMC input and output files and generation of the RUC section of a MACGMC input file. The post-processing tasks include visualization of the predicted composite response, such as local stress and strain contours, damage initiation and progression, stress-strain behavior, and fatigue response. In addition to the above, several miscellaneous scripts have been developed that can be used to perform repeated Monte-Carlo simulations to enable probabilistic simulations with minimal manual intervention. This document is formatted to provide MATLAB source files and descriptions of how to utilize them. It is assumed that the user has a basic understanding of how MATLAB scripts work and some MATLAB programming experience.

Materials Engineering↗

An Algorithm for Characterization of Fiber Aggregation in Composite Microstructures

Composite structures are susceptible to localized flaws, or variability, that drive global failure. To capture this variance, a multiscale model needs to be introduced that not only accurately represents the statistical nature of the composite microstructure but is also efficient. At the microscale, fiber aggregation creates local stress concentrations, where failure is likely to occur sooner than expected. A method of rapid microstructure generation, in conjunction with cluster characterization, is examined to develop accurate reproductions of 2D composite cross-sections. Parameterization of shape and size of fiber clusters is used to characterize representative volume elements. The discrete element method is used to generate pseudo-microstructures. The clustering parameters from the pseudo- and actual microstructure arrangements (obtained from micrographs) can be compared to determine the validity of the representative volume element generated with the discrete element method. Results show a promising approach to evaluating randomness of fiber distributions and how to accurately recreate microstructures for strength analysis.

Carbon fiber↗