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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Computational Electromagnetic Modeling of SansEC(Trade Mark) Sensors

This paper describes the preliminary effort to apply computational design tools to aid in the development of an electromagnetic SansEC resonant sensor composite materials damage detection system. The computational methods and models employed on this research problem will evolve in complexity over time and will lead to the development of new computational methods and experimental sensor systems that demonstrate the capability to detect, diagnose, and monitor the damage of composite materials and structures on aerospace vehicles.

Smith, Laura J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mesh Convergence Requirements for Composite Damage Models

The ability of the finite element method to accurately represent the response of objects with intricate geometry and loading renders the finite element method as an extremely versatile analysis technique for structural analysis. Finite element analysis is routinely used in industry to calculate deflections, stress concentrations, natural frequencies, buckling loads, and much more. The method works by discretizing complex problems into smaller, simpler approximations that are valid over small uniform domains. For common analyses, the maximum size of the elements that can be used is often be determined by experience. However, to verify the quality of a solution, analyses with several levels of mesh refinement should be performed to ensure that the solution has converged. In recent years, the finite element method has been used to calculate the resistance of structures, and in particular that of composite structures. A number of techniques such as cohesive zone modeling, the virtual crack closure technique, and continuum damage modeling have emerged that can be used to predict cracking, delaminations, fiber failure, and other composite damage modes that lead to structural collapse. However, damage models present mesh refinement requirements that are not well understood. In this presentation, we examine different mesh refinement issues related to the representation of damage in composite materials. Damage process zone sizes and their corresponding mesh requirements will be discussed. The difficulties of modeling discontinuities and the associated need for regularization techniques will be illustrated, and some unexpected element size constraints will be presented. Finally, some of the difficulties in constructing models of composite structures capable of predicting transverse matrix cracking will be discussed. It will be shown that to predict the initiation and propagation of transverse matrix cracks, their density, and their saturation may require models that are significantly more refined than those that have been contemplated in the past.

Davila, Carlos G.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Quantification of Error Associated with Using Misaligned Meshes in Continuum Damage Mechanics Material Models for Matrix Crack Growth Predictions in Composites

The ability of a material model to capture in-plane matrix mode I and mode II crack growth is an essential component for modeling ply level damage evolution in composite structures. Previous studies using a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) approach have shown success in satisfying benchmark solutions for mode I and II crack growth. However, success was shown using a fiber-aligned meshing strategy, which encourages matrix cracks to propagate in a single band of elements, along the fiber direction. Generating a fiber-aligned mesh becomes a highly involved process for laminates including off-axis (non 0° or 90°) plies. The objective of this study is to quantify the effect of non-fiber aligned mesh discretization on predictions of in-plane matrix crack propagation. The approach taken incrementally varies the mesh orientation angle relative to the fiber orientation; more specifically, misaligned meshes are used to quantify the effect of element angle orientation relative to the initial crack orientation on the energy released during matrix crack propagation simulations using a CDM method. CDM solutions obtained with the misaligned meshes are evaluated against known benchmarks for mode I and II matrix crack growth. The CDM solutions reveal a near-polynomial trend of increased predicted failure stress with increased mesh misalignment angle; hence implying a potential relationship between element orientation angle and apparent fracture toughness.

Justusson, Brian↗
NASA NTRS1989

A simple element for aeroelastic analysis of undamaged and damaged wings

The effects of material damage on the aeroelastic response of an anisotropic composite wing are investigated analytically. The wing is modeled as a Timoshenko beam of arbitrary cross section, applying a 24-DOF one-dimensional beam element and Cartesian coordinates. The formulations for the element stiffness matrix, the strain-displacement relations, the box-beam constitutive relations, the contributions of stringers and web, and the warping correction factor are outlined; the application of strip theory in deriving the aerodynamic model is briefly explained; and numerical results are presented in extensive graphs. It is shown that asymmetry and damage can induce bending-stretching coupling phenomena and thereby affect the stability of the aircraft either positively or negatively. The need to take such effects into account in the design of advanced composite wings is stressed.

Kapania, Rakesh K.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integrated Neutronics Modeling for Inertial Fusion Energy Systems: Development and Application to LD-FIRST

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is proposing a new Laser Driven Fusion Integration Research and Science Test Facility (LD-FIRST) with the goal of providing an experimental testbed for future Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) systems. However, IFE systems require detailed and accurate multiphysics modeling to quantify material damage, thermal loading, and tritium breeding within complex chamber environments. This article presents the first step in an integrated multiphysics framework that couples meshed CAD-based geometry within Monte Carlo neutronic simulations to enable high-fidelity analysis of IFE chamber concepts, with future coupling to external codes. The neutronics workflow utilizes OpenMC and its third-party capability to use CAD-based geometries through DAGMC and tally on unstructured meshes with Libmesh to evaluate neutron transport behavior, geometric fidelity, and material performance under reactor-relevant conditions. The use of tailored tallies on unstructured meshes in this framework allows direct transfer without interpolating to CFD simulation tools. Two IFE chambers were evaluated, both conceived by LLNL: HYLIFE-II and Laser IFE (LIFE). This work produced high-fidelity conformal surface and volumetric meshes of the HYLIFE-II and LIFE chambers with mapped spatial insight into material damage, thermal loading, and tritium breeding. The HYLIFE-II model was built utilizing available resources and used as a test case to verify that the neutronics framework can handle complex geometries. The LIFE chamber CAD was provided by LLNL and was the main focus of this work. This work analyzes multiple ternary alloy breeding materials for the LIFE chamber, across different 6 Li enrichments to produce data relevant to the LD-FIRST project. This work also investigates the level of model fidelity for the LIFE chamber, and results show that inclusion of detailed first wall and coolant structures increased the predicted tritium breeding ratio (TBR) by ~30%, highlighting the sensitivity of tritium breeding and the need for a high-fidelity simulation framework for IFE chambers. These developments provide a scalable toolset for the design and optimization of next-generation IFE chambers, forming a solid foundation for future coupled multiphysics analysis.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Surface and sub-surface porosity effects on the initial free surface expansion in shocked single crystal aluminum

Defects and roughness at a material’s surface can allow for the formation of a material jet when a shockwave reaches a surface. The formation of a jet can lead to significant material damage of the shocked material, as well as the downstream material that the jet impacts. Here, we utilize planar shocks in single crystal aluminum to assess initial jetting formation for surface notches and sub-surface porosity. In the case of surface notches, we find that changing the width of the notch can cause the shock breakout response to transition from a standard jetting mechanism to an atomic atomization at high velocities. This transition occurs due to the mechanisms associated with lateral relaxations within the notch and how this interacts with the shock focusing event that induces jetting. For sub-surface pores, the pore collapse induces a re-shock, localized near the pore, that is stronger than the initial shock, but unsupported. Changing the pore dimensions and location relative to the surface influences the strength of the shock that emanates from its collapse when it reaches the surface, leading to a variety of different breakout conditions including jetting and localized material failure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1986

The role of damage-softened material behavior in the fracture of composites and adhesives

Failure mechanisms of materials under very high strains experienced at and ahead of the crack tip such as formation, growth, and interaction of microvoids in ductile materials, microcracks in brittle solids or crazes in polymers and adhesives are represented by one-dimensional, nonlinear stress-strain relations possessing different ways by which the material loses capacity to carry load up to fracture or total separation. A double cantilever beam (DCB) type specimen is considered. The nonlinear material is confined to a thin strip between the two elastic beams loaded by a wedge. The problem is first modeled as a beam on a nonlinear foundation. The pertinent equation is solved numerically as a two-point boundary value problem for both the stationary and the quasi-stationay propagating crack. A finite element model is then used to model the problem in more detail in order to assess the adequacy of the beam model for the reduction of experimental data to determine in-situ properties of the thin interlayer.

Ungsuwarungsri, T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

The role of damage-softened material behavior in the fracture of composites and adhesives

The failure mechanism of polymer composites and adhesives with high strain in the zone near and ahead of the crack tip is investigated analytically, summarizing the findings of Ungsuwarungsri (1986). A double-cantilever-beam specimen with the nonlinear material confined to a thin strip between two wedge-loaded elastic beams is modeled as a beam on a nonlinear foundation; the two-point boundary-value problem for stationary and propagating cracks is solved numerically; and an FEM approach is applied to study the behavior of the nonlinear strip in detail. Typical results are presented in extensive graphs, and the accuracy and efficiency of the present method are shown to be superior to those of the Berry (1963) procedure.

Ungsuwarungsri, T.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Early detection of fatigue damage in composite materials

Early detection of fatigue damage in composite materials by nondestructive inspection (NDI) techniques has been demonstrated for glass/epoxy, graphite/glass/epoxy, and graphite/epoxy composites. Modulus and temperature were monitored and a correlation between them observed. Axial modulus and torsional modulus changes were a function of the laminate orientation. Torsional modulus measurements and coin tap tests were performed at 0, 1 million, 5 million, and 10 million cycles, on axial fatigue specimens. Three distinct regions were noted. In the primary region a small but rapid change in stiffness was noted in the first few thousand cycles. This was followed by a secondary region of little or no stiffness change. The tertiary region was characterized by an increasing rate of stiffness change leading to fracture. NDI procedures including holographic interferometry, ultrasonics, penetrant, and X-ray radiography were evaluated for fatigue damage detection.

Salkind, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Micromechanical simulation of damage progression in carbon phenolic composites

Carbon/phenolic composites are used extensively as ablative insulating materials in the nozzle region of solid rocket motors. The current solid rocket motor (RSRM) on the space shuttle is fabricated from woven rayon cloth which is carbonized and then impregnated with the phenolic resin. These plies are layed up in the desired configuration and cured to form the finished part. During firing, the surface of the carbon/phenolic insulation is exposed to 5000 F gases from the rocket exhaust. The resin pyrolizes and the material chars to a depth which progresses with time. The rate of charring and erosion are generally predictable, and the insulation depth is designed to allow adequate safety margins over the firing time of the motor. However, anomalies in the properties and response of the carbon/phenolic materials can lead to severe material damage which may decrease safety margins to unacceptable levels. Three macro damage modes which were observed in fired nozzles are: ply lift, 'wedge out', and pocketing erosion. Ply lift occurs in materials with plies oriented nearly parallel to the surface. The damage occurs in a region below the charred material where material temperatures are relatively low - about 500 F. Wedge out occurs at the intersection of nozzle components whose plies are oriented at about 45 deg. The corner of the block of material breaks off along a ply interface. Pocketing erosion occurs in material with plies oriented normal to the surface. Thermal expansion is restrained in two directions resulting in large tensile strains and material failure normal to the surface. When a large section of material is removed as a result of damage, the insulation thickness is reduced which may lead to failure of the nozzle due to excessive heating of critical components. If these damage events cannot be prevented with certainty, the designer must increase the thickness of the insulator thus adding to both weight and cost. One of the difficulties in developing a full understanding of these macro damage mechanisms is that the loading environment and the material response to that environment are extremely complex. These types of damage are usually only observed in actual motor firings. Therefore, it is difficult and expensive to evaluate the reliability of new materials. Standard material tests which measure mechanical and thermal properties of test specimens can only provide a partial picture of how the material will respond in the service environment. The development of the ANALOG test procedure which can combine high heating rates and mechanical loads on a specimen will improve the understanding of the interactive effects of the various loads on the system. But a mechanistic model of material response which can account for the heterogeneity of the material, the progression of various micromechanical damage mechanisms, and the interaction of mechanical and thermal stresses on the material is required to accurately correlate material tests with response to service environments. A model based on fundamental damage mechanisms which is calibrated and verified under a variety of loading conditions will provide a general tool for predicting the response of rocket nozzles. The development of a micromechanical simulation technique was initiated and demonstrated to be effective for studying across-ply tensile failure of carbon/phenolic composites.

Slattery, Kerry T.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of post-disruption runaway electron kinetic energy and pitch angle during final loss instability in DIII-D

Post-disruption runaway electron (RE) kinetic energy K and pitch angle sin$\vartheta$ are critical parameters for determining resulting first wall material damage during wall strikes, but are very challenging to measure experimentally. During the final loss instability, confined RE K and sin$\vartheta$ are reconstructed during center-post wall strikes for both high impurity (high-Z) and low impurity (low-Z) plasmas by combining soft x-ray, hard x-ray, synchrotron emission, and total radiated power measurements. Deconfined (wall impacting) RE sin$\vartheta$ is then reconstructed for these shots by using time-decay analysis of infra-red imaging. Additionally, deconfined RE K and sin$\vartheta$ are reconstructed for a low-Z downward loss shot by analyzing resulting damage to a sacrificial graphite dome limiter. The damage analysis uses multi-step modeling simulating plasma instability, RE loss orbits, energy deposition, and finally material expansion (MARS-F, KORC, GEANT-4, and finally COMSOL). Overall, mean kinetic energies are found to be in the range $\langle$$K$$\rangle$ $≈ 3-4$ MeV for confined REs. KORC simulations indicate that the final loss instability process does not change individual RE kinetic energy K. In conclusion, confined RE pitch angles are found to be fairly low initially pre-instability, $\langle$sin$\vartheta$$\rangle$ $≈ 0.1 – 0.2$, but appear to increase roughly 2x, to $\langle$sin$\vartheta$$\rangle$ $≈ 0.3 – 0.4$ for both confined and deconfined REs during instability onset in the low-Z case; this increase is not observed in the high-Z case.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2014

Mitigation of Crack Damage in Metallic Materials

A system designed to mitigate or heal crack damage in metallic materials has been developed where the protected material or component is coated with a low-melting temperature film. After a crack is formed, the material is heated, melting the film which then infiltrates the crack opening through capillary action. Upon solidification, the healing material inhibits further crack damage in two ways. While the crack healing material is intact, it acts like an adhesive that bonds or bridges the crack faces together. After fatigue loading damages, the healing material in the crack mouth inhibits further crack growth by creating artificially-high crack closure levels. Mechanical test data show that this method sucessfully arrests or retards crack growth in laboratory specimens.

Leser, Patrick E.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling neutral defects in III-V ternary alloys with a special quasirandom structure: Analysis of As- and III-site point defects in InGaAs

While first-principles density functional theory modeling has become a vital tool to investigate defect properties in semiconductors, the lack of crystalline periodicity in pseudobinary random composition alloys, such as In 1−𝑥 ⁢Ga 𝑥 ⁢As, complicates such analyses. We present a simulation strategy to systematically take into account the variability in the local defect environment in order to predict statistical properties of neutral intrinsic defects in In 1−𝑥⁢ Ga 𝑥 ⁢As. We use a comprehensive sampling from a modest-sized 64-atom special quasirandom structure (SQS) to define a statistically representative set of defects, and use a 512-atom hypercell, a 2 × 2 × 2 supercell of SQS supercells, to achieve cell-size convergence. We articulate an equivalent site principle and describe how it constrains atomic chemical reference energies in computation of defect formation energies in pseudobinary alloys. A simple protocol for estimating reference energies for the Ga and In atoms sharing the III site succeeds in obtaining the equivalence of defects at Ga-sites and In sites in the SQS supercell, (<30 meV differences in average formation energies). For III-site defects, such as the As antisite As III , the statistical variability in formation energies is modest, ≈ 0.1–0.2 eV. The variability in formation energy at As-site defects, such as the As vacancy 𝑣 As , can be much larger, >1 eV. The As antisite is shown to be a low-energy defect and the most likely to be present in as-grown materials, just as in GaAs. All other defects are higher-energy defects unlikely to be important in native material, but potentially important in radiation-damaged material. With a strong variability in defect energies, especially on the As-site, explicit consideration of statistical variability due to compositional randomness will be imperative for meaningful and quantitative comparisons to experiment.

Density functional theory↗
NASA NTRS2010

Helium vs. Proton Induced Displacement Damage in Electronic Materials

In this project, the specific effects of displacement damage due to the passage of protons and helium nuclei on some typical electronic materials will be evaluated and contrasted. As the electronic material absorbs the energetic proton and helium momentum, degradation of performance occurs, eventually leading to overall failure. Helium nuclei traveling at the same speed as protons are expected to impart more to the material displacement damage; due to the larger mass, and thus momentum, of helium nuclei compared to protons. Damage due to displacement of atoms in their crystalline structure can change the physical properties and hence performance of the electronic materials.

Ringo, Sawnese↗
NASA NTRS1974

Effect of lunar surface material on radiation damage in mice (investigation of biological action of lunar surface material returned to earth by Luna 16 automatic station)

The effect was studied of lunar surface material from the Sea of Fertility on the radiation reaction (damage) in mice caused by exposure to ionizing radiation. The material was administered to the organism in three ways -- aerogenically, through the esophagus, or peritoneally. It was shown that administering the lunar surface material did not appreciably affect the death of the animals and the reaction of the peripheral blood caused by the action of radiation. In mice which prior to irradiation had been administered inhalationally or peritoneally the lunar surface material, a lag in the increment of bodyweight was observed.

Antipov, V. V.↗