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At least 307 records · Page 17

Predictions of Control Inputs, Periodic Responses and Damping Levels of an Isolated Experimental Rotor in Trimmed Flight

Since the early 1990s the Aeroflightdynamics Directorate at the Ames Research Center has been conducting tests on isolated hingeless rotors in hover and forward flight. The primary objective is to generate a database on aeroelastic stability in trimmed flight for torsionally soft rotors at realistic tip speeds. The rotor test model has four soft inplane blades of NACA 0012 airfoil section with low torsional stiffness. The collective pitch and shaft tilt are set prior to each test run, and then the rotor is trimmed in the following sense: the longitudinal and lateral cyclic pitch controls are adjusted through a swashplate to minimize the 1/rev flapping moment at the 12 percent radial station. In hover, the database comprises lag regressive-mode damping with pitch variations. In forward flight the database comprises cyclic pitch controls, root flap moment and lag regressive-mode damping with advance ratio, shaft angle and pitch variations. This report presents the predictions and their correlation with the database. A modal analysis is used, in which nonrotating modes in flap bending, lag bending and torsion are computed from the measured blade mass and stiffness distributions. The airfoil aerodynamics is represented by the ONERA dynamic stall models of lift, drag and pitching moment, and the wake dynamics is represented by a state-space wake model. The trim analysis of finding, the cyclic controls and the corresponding, periodic responses is based on periodic shooting with damped Newton iteration; the Floquet transition matrix (FTM) comes out as a byproduct. The stabillty analysis of finding the frequencies and damping levels is based on the eigenvalue-eigenvector analysis of the FTM. All the structural and aerodynamic states are included from modeling to trim analysis. A major finding is that dynamic wake dramatically improves the correlation for the lateral cyclic pitch control. Overall, the correlation is fairly good.

Gaonkar, G. H.↗

Rippling Instability of a Collapsing Bubble

The rippling instability of a liquid sheet was first observed by Debregeas, de Gennes, an Brochard-Wyart [Science 279, 1704 (1998)] on a hemispherical bubble resting on a free surface. Unlike a soap bubble, it collapses under its own weight while bursting, and folds into a wavy structure which breaks the original axisymmetry. In fact, this effect occurs for both purely elastic and purely viscous (liquid) sheets, and an analogy can be made between the two mechanisms. We present a theory for the onset of the instability in both cases, in which the growth of the corrugation out of an inextensible initial condition is governed by the competition between gravitational and bending (shearing) forces. The instability occurs for a range of densities, stiffnesses (viscosities), and sizes, a result which arises less from dynamics than from geometry, suggesting a wide validity. We further obtain a quantitative expression for the number of ripples. Finally, we present the results of experiments, which are consistent with our predictions.

daSilveira, Rava↗

Dual-arm manipulators with adaptive control

The described and improved multi-arm invention of this application presents three strategies for adaptive control of cooperative multi-arm robots which coordinate control over a common load. In the position-position control strategy, the adaptive controllers ensure that the end-effector positions of both arms track desired trajectories in Cartesian space despite unknown time-varying interaction forces exerted through a load. In the position-hybrid control strategy, the adaptive controller of one arm controls end-effector motions in the free directions and applied forces in the constraint directions; while the adaptive controller of the other arm ensures that the end-effector tracks desired position trajectories. In the hybrid-hybrid control strategy, the adaptive controllers ensure that both end-effectors track reference position trajectories while simultaneously applying desired forces on the load. In all three control strategies, the cross-coupling effects between the arms are treated as disturbances which are compensated for by the adaptive controllers while following desired commands in a common frame of reference. The adaptive controllers do not require the complex mathematical model of the arm dynamics or any knowledge of the arm dynamic parameters or the load parameters such as mass and stiffness. Circuits in the adaptive feedback and feedforward controllers are varied by novel adaptation laws.

Seraji, Homayoun↗

Method and apparatus for adaptive force and position control of manipulators

The described and improved multi-arm invention of this application presents three strategies for adaptive control of cooperative multi-arm robots which coordinate control over a common load. In the position-position control strategy, the adaptive controllers ensure that the end-effector positions of both arms track desired trajectories in Cartesian space despite unknown time-varying interaction forces exerted through a load. In the position-hybrid control strategy, the adaptive controller of one arm controls end-effector motions in the free directions and applied forces in the constraint directions; while the adaptive controller of the other arm ensures that the end-effector tracks desired position trajectories. In the hybrid-hybrid control strategy, the adaptive controllers ensure that both end-effectors track reference position trajectories while simultaneously applying desired forces on the load. In all three control strategies, the cross-coupling effects between the arms are treated as disturbances which are compensated for by the adaptive controllers while following desired commands in a common frame of reference. The adaptive controllers do not require the complex mathematical model of the arm dynamics or any knowledge of the arm dynamic parameters or the load parameters such as mass and stiffness. Circuits in the adaptive feedback and feedforward controllers are varied by novel adaptation laws.

Seraji, Homayoun↗

Plate motion in sheared granular fault system

Plate motion near the fault gouge layer, and the elastic interplay between the gouge layer and the plate under stick-slip conditions, is key to understanding the dynamics of sheared granular fault systems. Here, a two-dimensional implementation of the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM), which merges the finite element method (FEM) and the discrete element method (DEM), is used to explicitly simulate a sheared granular gouge fault system. In this work we focus on investigating the influence of normal load, driving shear velocity and plate stiffness on the velocities and displacements in the direction parallel to the shear direction (x-direction) measured at locations on the upper and lower plates just adjacent to the gouge. The simulations show that during slip phases the magnitudes of the measured velocities on the upper and lower plates are proportional to the normal load and may be inversely proportional to the square root of the plate's shear modulus. Whereas, the driving shear velocity does not show distinct influence on the measured velocities. Additionally, large slip velocities are generally associated with large macroscopic friction coefficient drops. For the models subjected to smaller normal loads, larger shear velocities and with stiffer shear plates, the same magnitude of slip velocity could cause a larger drop of macroscopic friction coefficient. During stick phases, the velocities of the upper and lower plates are respectively slightly greater and slightly smaller than half of the driving shear velocity and are both in the same direction of shear. The shear strain rate of the gouge is calculated from this velocity difference between the upper and lower plate during stick phases and thus the gouge effective shear modulus can be calculated. The results show that the gouge effective shear modulus increases proportionally with normal load, while the influence of shear velocity and plate stiffness on gouge effective shear modulus is minor. The simulations address the dynamics of a laboratory-scale fault gouge system and may aid in revealing the complexities of earthquake frictional dynamics.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Control/structures interaction study of two 300 KW dual-keel space station concepts

The results of an investigation of the influence of structural stiffness of the space station framework on the controllability of two 300 kw class, solar dynamic powered, dual-keel space station designs are presented. The two design concepts differed only in the truss bay dimensions of the structural framework of the stations. Two control studies were made: (1) A study of the interaction of the framework structural response with the reaction control system used for attitude control during an orbital reboost maneuver; and (2) A study of the stability of the space station attitude control system with sensors influenced by the elastic deformations of the station framework. Although both configurations had acceptable control characteristics, the configuration with the larger truss bay dimension and its increased structural stiffness had more attractive characteristics for pointing control of the solar dynamic system during reboost and for attitude control during normal in-orbit operations.

Young, J. W.↗

The influence of pitch-lag coupling on the predicted aeroelastic stability of the XV-15 tilting proprotor aircraft

The predicted dynamic stability of the XV-15 tilting proprotor aircraft in cruise flight is updated, using a reduced increase in the pitch gimbal coupling with collective, and a higher nominal control system stiffness. The major influence of the pitch-lag coupling of the XV-15 gimballed, stiff-inplane rotor on the aircraft stability is shown. The influence of the blade pitch dynamics is found to be contained primarily in the quasistatic pitch-lag and pitch-gimbal coupling, although the complete dynamics is retained in the analysis for an accurate quantitative calculation of the stability boundary.

Johnson, W.↗

Study of liquid slosh in the tracking and data relay satellite hydrazine tanks

An experimental study was conducted to provide data for evaluation of the parameters for an analytical mechanical model representation of liquid/interface dynamics in the TDRSS propellant tanks. Models were developed for two liquid-under ullage (forward tank) configurations and for one liquid-over-ullage (aft tank) configuration. However, additional test runs were conducted with liquids of different densities in both cases to allow separation of bladder stiffness and gravity effects under various simulated steady acceleration conditions. Both static and dynamic parameters are evaluated to provide a good prediction of observed results.

Kana, D. D.↗

Robust manipulator controller specification and design

This paper suggests the use of a model based control law which uses joint rate feedback to stabilize the contact modes, and joint velocity feedforward to provide the required freespace performance throughout a task. An additional benefit of this controller is the capability to stiffen a soft manipulator. This provides an option for impedance control to provide any desired manipulator stiffness. Impedance control is implemented as an outer Cartesian loop which uses the dynamic relationship between manipulator commanded position and applied force to change the mechanical impedance through programmable filter coefficients. The impedance control discussed in this paper does not give the capability to specify the full impedance of the manipulator. However, it does give the capability to specify the manipulator Cartesian stiffness while maintaining stability in contact with the environment. This controller was designed for the Flight Telerobotic Servicer dextrous manipulator and has been validated experimentally on a single joint controller, as well as on 3 DOF planar arms.

Goldenberg, Stewart↗

A simplified computer solution for the flexibility matrix of contacting teeth for spiral bevel gears

A computer code, FLEXM, was developed to calculate the flexibility matrices of contacting teeth for spiral bevel gears using a simplified analysis based on the elementary beam theory for the deformation of gear and shaft. The simplified theory requires a computer time at least one order of magnitude less than that needed for the complete finite element method analysis reported earlier by H. Chao, and it is much easier to apply for different gear and shaft geometries. Results were obtained for a set of spiral bevel gears. The teeth deflections due to torsion, bending moment, shearing strain and axial force were found to be in the order 10(-5), 10(-6), 10(-7), and 10(-8) respectively. Thus, the torsional deformation was the most predominant factor. In the analysis of dynamic load, response frequencies were found to be larger when the mass or moment of inertia was smaller or the stiffness was larger. The change in damping coefficient had little influence on the resonance frequency, but has a marked influence on the dynamic load at the resonant frequencies.

Hsu, C. Y.↗

Dynamic behavior of an inherently compensated air squeeze film damper

Experimental values of damping and stiffness were determined for an externally pressurized, inherently compensated, compressible squeeze-film damper up to excitation frequencies of 36,000 cycles/min. Experimental values of damping were higher than predicted by a small pressure perturbation theory at low squeeze numbers and less than predicted at high squeeze numbers. Experimental values of air film stiffness were less than the theory predicted at low squeeze numbers and much greater at higher squeeze numbers.

Cunningham, R. E.↗

Additively Manufactured Compliant Hybrid Gas Thrust Bearing for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Turbomachinery: Design and Proof of Concept Testing

The following paper presents a new type of gas lubricated thrust bearing that utilizes additive manufacturing or also known as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) to fabricate the bearing. The motivation for the new bearing concept is derived from the need for highly efficient supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) turbomachinery in the mega-watt power range. The paper provides a review of existing gas thrust-bearing technology, outlines the need for the new DMLM concept, and discusses proof-of-concept testing results. The new concept combines hydrostatic pressurization with individual tilting pads that are flexibly mounted using hermetic squeeze film dampers (HSFD) in the bearing-pad support. This paper describes the thrust-bearing concept and discusses the final design approach. Proof-of-concept testing in air for a 6.8 in. (173 mm) outer diameter thrust gas bearing was performed; with thrust loading, up to 1500 lbs (6.67 kN) and a thrust runner speed of 10krpm (91 m/s tip speed). The experiments were performed with a bent shaft resulting in thrust runner axial vibration magnitudes of 2.9 mils (74 μm) p-p and dynamic thrust loads of 270 lbs (1.2 kN) p-p. In addition, force deflection characteristics and stiffness coefficients of the bearing system are presented for an inlet hydrostatic pressure of 380 psi (2.62 MPa). Results at 10 krpm show that the pad support architecture was able to sustain high levels of dynamic misalignment equaling 6 times the nominal film clearance while demonstrating a unit load-carrying capacity of 55 psi (0.34 Mpa). Gas-film force deflection tests portrayed nonlinear behavior like a hardening spring, while the bearing pad support stiffness was measured to be linear and independent of gas film thickness.

Engineering↗

Dynamic tooth loads and stressing for high contact ratio spur gears

An analysis and computer program were developed for calculating the dynamic gear tooth loading and root stressing for high contact ratio gearing (HCRG) as well as LCRG. The analysis includes the effects of the variable tooth stiffness during the mesh, tooth profile modification, and gear errors. The calculation of the tooth root stressing caused by the dynamic gear tooth loads is based on a modified Heywood gear tooth stress analysis, which appears more universally applicable to both LCRG and HCRG. The computer program is presently being expanded to calculate the tooth contact stressing and PV values. Sample application of the gear program to equivalent LCRG (1.566 contact ratio) and HCRG (2.40 contact ratio) revealed the following: (1) the operating conditions and dynamic characteristics of the gear system an affect the gear tooth loading and root stressing, and therefore, life significantly; (2) the length of the profile modification affect the tooth loading and root stressing significantly, the amount depending on the applied load, speed, and contact ratio; and (3) the effect of variable tooth stiffness is small, shifting and increasing the response peaks slightly from those for constant tooth stiffness.

Cornell, R. W.↗

Evaluation of MOSTAS computer code for predicting dynamic loads in two-bladed wind turbines

Calculated dynamic blade loads are compared with measured loads over a range of yaw stiffnesses of the DOE/NASA Mod-0 wind turbine to evaluate the performance of two versions of the MOSTAS computer code. The first version uses a time-averaged coefficient approximation in conjunction with a multiblade coordinate transformation for two-bladed rotors to solve the equations of motion by standard eigenanalysis. The results obtained with this approximate analysis do not agree with dynamic blade load amplifications at or close to resonance conditions. The results of the second version, which accounts for periodic coefficients while solving the equations by a time history integration, compare well with the measured data.

Kaza, K. R. V.↗

Evolutionary growth for Space Station Freedom electrical power system

Over an operational lifetime of at least 30 yr, Space Station Freedom will encounter increased space station user requirements and advancing technologies. The space station electrical power system is designed with the flexibility to accommodate these emerging technologies and expert systems and is being designed with the necessary software hooks and hardware scars to accommodate increased growth demand. The electrical power system is planned to grow from the initial 75 kW up to 300 kW. The Phase 1 station will utilize photovoltaic arrays to produce the electrical power; however, for growth to 300 kW, solar dynamic power modules will be utilized. Pairs of 25 kW solar dynamic power modules will be added to the station to reach the power growth level. The addition of solar dynamic power in the growth phase places constraints in the initial space station systems such as guidance navigation and control, external thermal, truss structural stiffness, computational capabilities and storage which must be planned-in in order to facilitate the addition of the solar dynamic modules.

Marshall, Matthew F.↗

Evolutionary growth for Space Station Freedom electrical power system

Over an operational lifetime of at least 30 yr, Space Station Freedom will encounter increased Space Station user requirements and advancing technologies. The Space Station electrical power system is designed with the flexibility to accommodate these emerging technologies and expert systems and is being designed with the necessary software hooks and hardware scars to accommodate increased growth demand. The electrical power system is planned to grow from the initial 75 kW up to 300 kW. The Phase 1 station will utilize photovoltaic arrays to produce the electrical power; however, for growth to 300 kW, solar dynamic power modules will be utilized. Pairs of 25 kW solar dynamic power modules will be added to the station to reach the power growth level. The addition of solar dynamic power in the growth phase places constraints in the initial Space Station systems such as guidance, navigation, and control, external thermal, truss structural stiffness, computational capabilities and storage, which must be planned-in, in order to facilitate the addition of the solar dynamic modules.

Marshall, Matthew Fisk↗

A Coupled Approach for Structural Damage Detection with Incomplete Measurements

This historical work couples model order reduction, damage detection, dynamic residual/mode shape expansion, and damage extent estimation to overcome the incomplete measurements problem by using an appropriate undamaged structural model. A contribution of this work is the development of a process to estimate the full dynamic residuals using the columns of a spring connectivity matrix obtained by disassembling the structural stiffness matrix. Another contribution is the extension of an eigenvector filtering procedure to produce full-order mode shapes that more closely match the measured active partition of the mode shapes using a set of modified Ritz vectors. The full dynamic residuals and full mode shapes are used as inputs to the minimum rank perturbation theory to provide an estimate of damage location and extent. The issues associated with this process are also discussed as drivers of near-term development activities to understand and improve this approach.

James, George↗

Comprehensive Modeling and Analysis of Rotorcraft Variable Speed Propulsion System With Coupled Engine/Transmission/Rotor Dynamics

This project develops comprehensive modeling and simulation tools for analysis of variable rotor speed helicopter propulsion system dynamics. The Comprehensive Variable-Speed Rotorcraft Propulsion Modeling (CVSRPM) tool developed in this research is used to investigate coupled rotor/engine/fuel control/gearbox/shaft/clutch/flight control system dynamic interactions for several variable rotor speed mission scenarios. In this investigation, a prototypical two-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) is proposed and designed to achieve 50 percent rotor speed variation. The comprehensive modeling tool developed in this study is utilized to analyze the two-speed shift response of both a conventional single rotor helicopter and a tiltrotor drive system. In the tiltrotor system, both a Parallel Shift Control (PSC) strategy and a Sequential Shift Control (SSC) strategy for constant and variable forward speed mission profiles are analyzed. Under the PSC strategy, selecting clutch shift-rate results in a design tradeoff between transient engine surge margins and clutch frictional power dissipation. In the case of SSC, clutch power dissipation is drastically reduced in exchange for the necessity to disengage one engine at a time which requires a multi-DCT drive system topology. In addition to comprehensive simulations, several sections are dedicated to detailed analysis of driveline subsystem components under variable speed operation. In particular an aeroelastic simulation of a stiff in-plane rotor using nonlinear quasi-steady blade element theory was conducted to investigate variable speed rotor dynamics. It was found that 2/rev and 4/rev flap and lag vibrations were significant during resonance crossings with 4/rev lagwise loads being directly transferred into drive-system torque disturbances. To capture the clutch engagement dynamics, a nonlinear stick-slip clutch torque model is developed. Also, a transient gas-turbine engine model based on first principles mean-line compressor and turbine approximations is developed. Finally an analysis of high frequency gear dynamics including the effect of tooth mesh stiffness variation under variable speed operation is conducted including experimental validation. Through exploring the interactions between the various subsystems, this investigation provides important insights into the continuing development of variable-speed rotorcraft propulsion systems.

DeSmidt, Hans A.↗