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At least 379 records · Page 21

Surface Micromachined Silicon Carbide Accelerometers for Gas Turbine Applications

A finite-element analysis of possible silicon carbide (SIC) folded-beam, lateral-resonating accelerometers is presented. Results include stiffness coefficients, acceleration sensitivities, resonant frequency versus temperature, and proof-mass displacements due to centripetal acceleration of a blade-mounted sensor. The surface micromachined devices, which are similar to the Analog Devices Inc., (Norwood, MA) air-bag crash detector, are etched from 2-pm thick, 3C-SiC films grown at 1600 K using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD). The substrate is a 500 gm-thick, (100) silicon wafer. Polysilicon or silicon dioxide is used as a sacrificial layer. The finite element analysis includes temperature-dependent properties, shape change due to volume expansion, and thermal stress caused by differential thermal expansion of the materials. The finite-element results are compared to experimental results for a SiC device of similar, but not identical, geometry. Along with changes in mechanical design, blade-mounted sensors would require on-chip circuitry to cancel displacements due to centripetal acceleration and improve sensitivity and bandwidth. These findings may result in better accelerometer designs for this application.

DeAnna, Russell G.↗

Numerical Analysis of Convection/Transpiration Cooling

An innovative concept utilizing the natural porosity of refractory-composite materials and hydrogen coolant to provide CONvective and TRANspiration (CONTRAN) cooling and oxidation protection has been numerically studied for surfaces exposed to a high heat flux high temperature environment such as hypersonic vehicle engine combustor walls. A boundary layer code and a porous media finite difference code were utilized to analyze the effect of convection and transpiration cooling on surface heat flux and temperature. The boundary layer code determined that transpiration flow is able to provide blocking of the surface heat flux only if it is above a minimum level due to heat addition from combustion of the hydrogen transpirant. The porous media analysis indicated that cooling of the surface is attained with coolant flow rates that are in the same range as those required for blocking, indicating that a coupled analysis would be beneficial.

Glass, David E.↗

Numerical Analysis of Convection/Transpiration Cooling

An innovative concept utilizing the natural porosity of refractory-composite materials and hydrogen coolant to provide CONvective and TRANspiration (CONTRAN) cooling and oxidation protection has been numerically studied for surfaces exposed to a high heat flux, high temperature environment such as hypersonic vehicle engine combustor walls. A boundary layer code and a porous media finite difference code were utilized to analyze the effect of convection and transpiration cooling on surface heat flux and temperature. The boundary, layer code determined that transpiration flow is able to provide blocking of the surface heat flux only if it is above a minimum level due to heat addition from combustion of the hydrogen transpirant. The porous media analysis indicated that cooling of the surface is attained with coolant flow rates that are in the same range as those required for blocking, indicating that a coupled analysis would be beneficial.

Glass, David E.↗

Two-dimensional thermal modeling of power monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's)

Numerical simulations of the two-dimensional temperature distributions for a typical GaAs MMIC circuit are conducted, aiming at understanding the heat conduction process of the circuit chip and providing temperature information for device reliability analysis. The method used is to solve the two-dimensional heat conduction equation with a control-volume-based finite difference scheme. In particular, the effects of the power dissipation and the ambient temperature are examined, and the criterion for the worst operating environment is discussed in terms of the allowed highest device junction temperature.

Fan, Mark S.↗

Thermal analysis considerations for large space structures

A number of issues and needs relative to thermal analysis of large space structures and space stations are discussed. Some indications of trends in the Langley thermal-structural analysis research program consistent with the issues and needs are also presented. The main heat transfer mechanism in space is radiation; consequently, there is a need for a strong thrust on improved radiation analysis capability. Also the important interactions among temperatures, deformations, and controls need to be accounted for. Finite element analysis capability seems to be lagging behind lumped-parameter capability or heat pipe analysis. The Langley plan will include improving radiation analysis capability, evaluating the errors involved in certain approximate analysis and modeling techniques for large space trusses, and continuing the development of integrated thermal-structural finite elements with an emphasis on radiation heat transfer. Work will be initiated to develop finite element analysis techniques for heat pipes. Finally, optimization research activities will be oriented toward methods to design flexible orbiting structures to account for thermal and thermal deformation requirements.

Adelman, H. M.↗

Unconditionally stable implicit-explicit algorithms for coupled thermal stress waves

An unconditionally stable implicit-explicit method is proposed for the analysis of transient coupled thermal stress waves, and the computer-implementation aspects of the method are discussed. In the method proposed here, the mechanical displacement and temperature are used as independent variables. The resulting coupled finite element matrix equations are symmetric.

Liu, W. K.↗

Thermal evolution of Venus

A modification of the Boussinesq fluid assumption is the basis of the present theory of three-dimensional and finite amplitude convection in a viscous spherical shell with temperature- and pressure-dependent physical parameters. The theory is applied to the definition of thermal evolution models for Venus which emphasize the effects of certain physical parameters on thermal evolution, rather than the specific thermal history of the planet. It is suggested that a significant portion of the present temperature in the mantle and surface heat flux of Venus is due to the decay of a high temperature that was established in the planet at the completion of its core formation, and that Venus has been highly convective over the course of its history, until about 0.5 Ga ago.

Arkani-Hamed, J.↗

Oscillatory conductive heat transfer for a fiber in an ideal gas

A description of the thermal effects created by placing a cylindrical fiber in an inviscid, ideal gas, through which an acoustic wave propagates, is presented. The fibers and the gas have finite heat capacities and thermal conductivities. Expressions for the temperature distribution in the gas and in the material are determined. The temperature distribution is caused by pressure oscillations in the gas which, in turn, are caused by the passage of an acoustic wave. The relative value of a dimensionless parameter is found to be indicative of whether the exact or approximate equations should be used in the solution. This parameter is a function of the thermal conductivities and heat capacities of the fiber and gas, the acoustic frequency, and the fiber diameter.

Kuntz, H. L.↗

The thermal control challenge of the Mars observer spacecraft

The thermal control subsystem for the Mars Observer spacecraft has been synthesized from hardware currently in use on earth-orbiting satellites. Heat input to the spacecraft from environmental and internal sources varies widely throughout the mission, and system requirements, such as accommodation of payload instrument fields-of-view and minimization of weight and power, limit the sizes and locations of thermal control elements. Subsystem components are primarily passive, although heaters and louvers provide augmented control where required. Spacecraft-level finite difference thermal models have shown that all component temperature requirements are met with margin.

Braun, C. E.↗

Prediction of the ullage gas thermal stratification in a NASP vehicle propellant tank experimental simulation using FLOW-3D

As part of the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) project, the multi-dimensional effects of gravitational force, initial tank pressure, initial ullage temperature, and heat transfer rate on the 2-D temperature profiles were studied. FLOW-3D, a commercial finite difference fluid flow model, was used for the evaluation. These effects were examined on the basis of previous liquid hydrogen experimental data with gaseous hydrogen pressurant. FLOW-3D results were compared against an existing 1-D model. In addition, the effects of mesh size and convergence criteria on the analytical results were investigated. Suggestions for future modifications and uses of FLOW-3D for modeling of a NASP tank are also presented.

Hardy, Terry L.↗

Micromechanics of crenulated fibers in carbon/carbon composites

The influence of crenulated noncircular fibers on the micromechanical stress states due to a transverse strain and to a temperature change in carbon/carbon composites is examined using the finite element method. Stresses at the interface of both fully bonded and fully disbonded fibers having two crenulation amplitudes and with two fiber volume fractions are presented. In each case, these interface stresses are compared to stresses at the interface of circular fibers which have the same degree of disbond and fiber volume fraction and are under the same loading conditions. For the disbonded cases, deformed meshes showing locations of fiber/matrix contact are also included. In addition to the interface stress states, selected composite properties are also computed and compared in each case examined. Interest in studying noncircular fibers stems from a desire to increase the transverse properties of carbon/carbon by introducing a mechanical interlocking between the fiber and the matrix. Results presented here indicate that this interlocking does in fact occur. Evidence from the interface stress data suggests, however, that any possible advantage of this interlocking may be outweighed by the disadvantage of stress concentrations which arise at the interface due to the crenulated geometry of the fibers.

Carapella, E. E.↗

Small hydrogen/oxygen rocket flowfield behavior from heat flux measurements

The mixing and heat transfer phenomena in small rocket flow fields with fuel film cooling is not well understood. An instrumented, water-cooled chamber with a gaseous hydrogen/gaseous oxygen injector was used to gather steady-state inner and outer wall temperature profiles. The chamber was tested at 414 kPa (60 psia) chamber pressure, from mixture ratios of 3.41 to 8.36. Sixty percent of the fuel was used for film cooling. These temperature profiles were used as boundary conditions in a finite element analysis program, MSC/NASTRAN, to calculate the local radial and axial heat fluxes in the chamber wall. The normal heat fluxes were then calculated and used as a diagnostic of the rocket's flow field behavior. The normal heat fluxes determined were on the order of 1.0 to 3.0 MW/meters squared (0.6 to 1.8 Btu/sec-inches squared). In the cases where mixture ratio was 5 or above, there was a sharp local heat flux maximum in the barrel section of the chamber. This local maximum seems to indicate a reduction or breakdown of the fuel film cooling layer, possibly due to increased mixing in the shear layer between the film and core flows. However, the flow was thought to be completely laminar, as the throat Reynolds numbers were below 50,000 for all the cases. The increased mixing in the shear layer in the higher mixture ratio cases appeared not to be due to the transition of the flow from laminar to turbulent, but rather due to increased reactions between the hydrogen film and oxidizer-rich core flows.

Reed, Brian D.↗

MHD simulations of boundary layer formation along the dayside Venus ionopause due to mass loading

A two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of mass-loaded solar wind flow around the dayside of Venus is presented. For conditions appropriate to a low-altitude ionopause the simulations show that mass loading from the pickup of oxygen ions produces a boundary layer of finite thickness along the ionopause. Within this layer the temperatures exhibit strong gradients normal to and away from the ionopause. Furthermore, there is a shear in the bulk flow velocity across the boundary layer, such that the (predominantly tangential) flow decreases in speed as the ionopause is approached and remains small along the ionopause, consistent with Pioneer Venus observations. The total mass density increases significantly as the flow approaches the ionopause, where the contribution of O(+) to the total number density is a few percent. Numerical simulations are carried out for various mass addition rates and demonstrate that the boundary layer develops when oxygen ion production exceeds approximately 2 x 10(exp 5)/cu m/s. For the upstream solar wind parameters and mass loading rates chosen for these simulations, the results are consistent with observations made on the dayside of Venus for average ionopause conditions near 300 km.

Mcgary, J. E.↗

Effect of Crystal Orientation on Fatigue Failure of Single Crystal Nickel Base Turbine Blade Superalloys

High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) induced failures in aircraft gas-turbine engines is a pervasive problem affecting a wide range of components and materials. HCF is currently the primary cause of component failures in gas turbine aircraft engines. Turbine blades in high performance aircraft and rocket engines are increasingly being made of single crystal nickel superalloys. Single-crystal Nickel-base superalloys were developed to provide superior creep, stress rupture, melt resistance and thermomechanical fatigue capabilities over polycrystalline alloys previously used in the production of turbine blades and vanes. Currently the most widely used single crystal turbine blade superalloys are PWA 1480/1493 and PWA 1484. These alloys play an important role in commercial, military and space propulsion systems. PWA1493, identical to PWA1480, but with tighter chemical constituent control, is used in the NASA SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) alternate turbopump, a liquid hydrogen fueled rocket engine. Objectives for this paper are motivated by the need for developing failure criteria and fatigue life evaluation procedures for high temperature single crystal components, using available fatigue data and finite element modeling of turbine blades. Using the FE (finite element) stress analysis results and the fatigue life relations developed, the effect of variation of primary and secondary crystal orientations on life is determined, at critical blade locations. The most advantageous crystal orientation for a given blade design is determined. Results presented demonstrates that control of secondary and primary crystallographic orientation has the potential to optimize blade design by increasing its resistance to fatigue crack growth without adding additional weight or cost.

Arakere, Nagaraj K.↗

Dynamic Characterization of an Inflatable Concentrator for Solar Thermal Propulsion

An inflatable structural system that is a technology demonstrator for solar thermal propulsion and other applications is characterized for structural dynamic behavior both experimentally and computationally. The inflatable structure is a pressurized assembly developed for use in orbit to support a Fresnel lens or inflatable lenticular element for focusing sunlight into a solar thermal rocket engine. When the engine temperature reaches a pre-set level, the propellant is injected into the engine, absorbs heat from an exchanger, and is expanded through the nozzle to produce thrust. The inflatable structure is a passively adaptive system in that a regulator and relief valve are utilized to maintain pressure within design limits during the full range of orbital conditions. Modeling and test activities are complicated by the fact that the polyimide film material used for construction of the inflatable is nonlinear, with modulus varying as a function of frequency, temperature, and level of excitation. Modal vibration testing and finite element modeling are described in detail in this paper. The test database is used for validation and modification of the model. This work is highly significant because of the current interest in inflatable structures for space application, and because of the difficulty in accurately modeling such systems.

Leigh, Larry↗

Thermal Analysis and Design of Multi-layer Insulation for Re-entry Aerodynamic Heating

The combined radiation/conduction heat transfer in high-temperature multi-layer insulations was modeled using a finite volume numerical model. The numerical model was validated by comparison with steady-state effective thermal conductivity measurements, and by transient thermal tests simulating re-entry aerodynamic heating conditions. A design of experiments technique was used to investigate optimum design of multi-layer insulations for re-entry aerodynamic heating. It was found that use of 2 mm foil spacing and locating the foils near the hot boundary with the top foil 2 mm away from the hot boundary resulted in the most effective insulation design. A 76.2 mm thick multi-layer insulation using 1, 4, or 16 foils resulted in 2.9, 7.2, or 22.2 percent mass per unit area savings compared to a fibrous insulation sample at the same thickness, respectively.

Daryabeigi, Kamran↗

CARES/Life Ceramics Durability Evaluation Software Used for Mars Microprobe Aeroshell

The CARES/Life computer program, which was developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center, predicts the probability of a monolithic ceramic component's failure as a function of time in service. The program has many features and options for materials evaluation and component design. It couples commercial finite element programs-which resolve a component's temperature and stress distribution-to-reliability evaluation and fracture mechanics routines for modeling strength-limiting defects. These routines are based on calculations of the probabilistic nature of the brittle material's strength. The capability, flexibility, and uniqueness of CARES/Life has attracted many users representing a broad range of interests and has resulted in numerous awards for technological achievements and technology transfer.

Nemeth, Noel N.↗