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At least 487 records · Page 27

On the origin of steep edges and filaments in vorticity and potential vorticity fields

High-resolution numerical calculations are shown which capture the fundamental process responsible for the intensification of vorticity gradients in an isolated vortex subject to externally imposed distrubances. Imposition of almost any weak strain or shear field in stripping away the relatively weak vorticity at the edge of the vortex and leaves it with gradients four to six orders of magnitude greater than in the initial state. Calculations displaying such enormous gradients have never been reported previously, because of the artificial eddy diffusivities that always limit such gradients in standard numerical models. The present calculations, which have no such limitations, have been made possible by the development of a novel and robust new numerical technique for vortex dynamics called contour surgery.

Dritschel, D. G.↗

Method of determining the thermal deformations of astronomical mirrors

Procedures are given for calculating thermal fields and associated thermal deformations in astronomical mirrors. A technique is described for thermal strain simulation when complex thermal fields develop in astronomical mirrors. Thermal strains in pyroceramic, quartz and pyrex mirrors can be effectively determined at temperatures ranging from -70 to 150 C by this technique.

Khablo-Grossvald, Y. G.↗

Applications of FEM and BEM in two-dimensional fracture mechanics problems

A comparison of the finite element method (FEM) and boundary element method (BEM) for the solution of two-dimensional plane strain problems in fracture mechanics is presented in this paper. Stress intensity factors (SIF's) were calculated using both methods for elastic plates with either a single-edge crack or an inclined-edge crack. In particular, two currently available programs, ANSYS for finite element analysis and BEASY for boundary element analysis, were used.

Min, J. B.↗

Redesign of the mixed-mode bending test for delamination toughness

The mixed-mode bending (MMB) test uses a lever to simultaneously apply mode I and mode II loading to a split-beam specimen. A nonlinear, iterative analysis that accurately predicts the measured load-displacement response and the strain energy release rate, G, of an MMB test, has shown that the errors in G calculated using linear theory can be quite large. The nonlinear analysis was used as a guide in redesigning the MMB apparatus. With the redesigned apparatus, loads are applied through a roller attached to the lever and loaded just above the midplane of the test specimen. The redesigned MMB apparatus has geometric nonlinearity errors of less than 3 percent, even for materials substantially tougher than APC2 (AS4/PEEK). This apparatus was demonstrated by measuring the mixed-mode delamination fracture toughness of APC2. The data from the redesigned MMB apparatus were analyzed with a linear analysis which yielded results similar to those found with the original apparatus and the nonlinear analysis.

Reeder, J. R.↗

Thrust measurement in a 2-D scramjet nozzle

The two-dimensional thrust nozzle presents a challenging problem. The loading is not axisymmetric as in the case of a cone and the internal flow presents some design difficulties. A two-sting system has been chosen to accomodate the internal flow and achieve some symmetry. The situation is complicated by the fact that with the small ramp angle and the internal pressure on the nozzle walls, loading is predominantly transverse. Yet it is the axial thrust which is to be measured (i.e., the tensile waves propagating in the stings). Although bending stress waves travel at most at only 60% of the speed of the axial stress waves, the system needs to be stiffened against bending. The second sting was originally only used to preserve symmetry. However, the pressures on each thrust surface may be quite different at some conditions, so at this stage the signals from both stings are being averaged as a first order approximation of the net thrust. The expected axial thrust from this nozzle is not large so thin stings are required. In addition, the contact area between nozzle and sting needs to be maximized. The result was that it was decided to twist the stings through 90 deg, without distorting their cross-sectional shape, just aft of the nozzle. Finite element analysis showed that this would not significantly alter the propagation of the axial stress wave in the sting, while the rigidity of the system is greatly increased. A Mach 4 contoured nozzle is used in the experiments. The thrust calculated by integrating the static pressure measurements on the thrust surfaces is compared with the deconvolved strain measurement of the net thrust for the cases of air only and hydrogen fuel injected into air at approximately 9 MJ/kg nozzle supply enthalpy. The gain in thrust due to combustion is visible in this result.

Tuttle, Sean↗

Electro-mechanical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes

We present a simple picture to understand the bandgap variation of carbon nanotubes with small tensile and torsional strains, independent of chirality. Using this picture, we are able to predict a simple dependence of d(Bandoap)$/$d(strain) on the value of $(N_x-N_y)*mod 3$, for semiconducting tubes. We also predict a novel change in sign of d(Bandgap)$/$d(strain) as a function of tensile strain arising from a change in the value of $q$ corresponding to the minimum bandgap. These calculations are complemented by calculations of the change in bandgap using energy minimized structures, and some important differences are discussed. The calculations are based on the $i$ electron approximation.

Anantram, M. P.↗

In-Situ Three-Dimensional Shape Rendering from Strain Values Obtained Through Optical Fiber Sensors

A method and system for rendering the shape of a multi-core optical fiber or multi-fiber bundle in three-dimensional space in real time based on measured fiber strain data. Three optical fiber cores arc arranged in parallel at 120.degree. intervals about a central axis. A series of longitudinally co-located strain sensor triplets, typically fiber Bragg gratings, are positioned along the length of each fiber at known intervals. A tunable laser interrogates the sensors to detect strain on the fiber cores. Software determines the strain magnitude (.DELTA.L/L) for each fiber at a given triplet, but then applies beam theory to calculate curvature, beading angle and torsion of the fiber bundle, and from there it determines the shape of the fiber in s Cartesian coordinate system by solving a series of ordinary differential equations expanded from the Frenet-Serrat equations. This approach eliminates the need for computationally time-intensive curve-tilting and allows the three-dimensional shape of the optical fiber assembly to be displayed in real-time.

Chan, Hon Man↗

Characterizing Face Sheet/Core Disbonding Using the Single Cantilever Beam Test: Results from an International Round Robin

Test results from an international round robin are presented. The single cantilever beam (SCB) test was used to characterize face sheet/core disbonding in sandwich components in an effort to help standardization. Each of the seven participating laboratories performed a set of five baseline tests using the same protocol, however, using their own specific equipment. In addition, each laboratory performed two sets of tests with altered tests conditions which included using a test fixture with a translating carriage and performing the tests with different loading and unloading speeds. The orientation of the disbond front with respect to the honeycomb core cells was varied and the effect on the fracture toughness was also studied. Additional factors that could influence test results were investigated, such as the use of a saw cut starter disbond as an alternative to Teflon® release film, and the effects of using a face sheet doubler to increase the bending stiffness. For each set of tests, summary results such as load/displacements plots, observed disbond growth location and calculated energy release rates are reported and a comparison of results between labs is presented. Critical strain energy release rate measurements from SCB tests are also compared with measurements made from an alternative test, namely the double cantilever beam with uneven bending moments (DCB-UBM) test, which has been studied extensively at the Technical University of Denmark and proposed as a mixed-mode test standard. A set of recommendations are made with respect to improving the SCB test and a path to standardization is presented.

Ronald Krueger↗

Detection and Use of Load and Gage Output Repeats of Wind Tunnel Strain-Gage Balance Data

Criteria are discussed that may be used for the detection of load and gage output repeats of wind tunnel strain-gage balance data. First, empirical thresholds are introduced that help determine if the loads or electrical outputs of a pair of balance calibration or check load data points match. A threshold of 0.01 percent of the load capacity is suggested for the identification of matching loads. Similarly, a threshold of 0.1 microV/V is recommended for the identification of matching electrical outputs. Two examples for the use of load and output repeats are discussed to illustrate benefits of the implementation of a repeat point detection algorithm in a balance data analysis software package. The first example uses the suggested load threshold to identify repeat data points that may be used to compute pure errors of the balance loads. This type of analysis may reveal hidden data quality issues that could potentially be avoided by making calibration process improvements. The second example uses the electrical output threshold for the identification of balance fouling. Data from the calibration of a six-component force balance is used to illustrate the calculation of the pure error of the balance loads.

strain-gage balance↗

Nodal Constraint, Shear Deformation and Continuity Effects Related to the Modeling of Debonding of Laminates, Using Plate Elements

The effects of several critical assumptions and parameters on the computation of strain energy release rates for delamination and debond configurations modeled with plate elements have been quantified. The method of calculation is based on the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), and models of the upper and lower surface of the delamination or debond that use two-dimensional (2D) plate elements rather than three-dimensional (3D) solid elements. The major advantages of the plate element modeling technique are a smaller model size and simpler configurational modeling. Specific issues that are discussed include: constraint of translational degrees of freedom, rotational degrees of freedom or both in the neighborhood of the debond front, shear deformation assumptions; and continuity of material properties and section stiffness in the vicinity of the debond front. Where appropriate, the plate element analyses are compared with corresponding two-dimensional plane strain analyses.

Glaessgen, E. H.↗

Effect of Shear Deformation and Continuity on Delamination Modelling with Plate Elements

The effects of several critical assumptions and parameters on the computation of strain energy release rates for delamination and debond configurations modeled with plate elements have been quantified. The method of calculation is based on the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), and models that model the upper and lower surface of the delamination or debond with two-dimensional (2D) plate elements rather than three-dimensional (3D) solid elements. The major advantages of the plate element modeling technique are a smaller model size and simpler geometric modeling. Specific issues that are discussed include: constraint of translational degrees of freedom, rotational degrees of freedom or both in the neighborhood of the crack tip; element order and assumed shear deformation; and continuity of material properties and section stiffness in the vicinity of the debond front, Where appropriate, the plate element analyses are compared with corresponding two-dimensional plane strain analyses.

Glaessgen, E. H.↗

Implementation of J-A Methodology Elastic-Plastic Crack Instability Analysis Capability into the WARP-3D Code

Characterization of the near crack-tip stress/strain fields is the foundation of fracture mechanics. The description of the near tip stress field and the prediction of when fracture occurs is well established for brittle materials that exhibit linear elastic behavior. However, in ductile materials or conditions that violate linear elastic assumptions (Aluminum alloys, Al 2024-T3, Al 2024- T351 etc.), the elastic-plastic crack-tip stress fields are characterized by the Hutchison-Rice-Rosengren (HRR) field. The J-integral is commonly used to characterize amplitude of the HRR field under elastic-plastic conditions. The J-integral has been demonstrated for crack-tip fields that are under high constraint conditions (i.e., small-scale plasticity where the J-dominance is maintained). However, as the external load increases, yielding changes from small- to largescale plasticity and usually a loss of constraint (i.e., reduction in the triaxial stress field along the crack front). The loss of constraint leads to the deviation of the crack-tip stress fields from that given by the HRR field. Hence, the J-dominance will be gradually lost and additional parameter(s) are required to quantify the crack-tip stress fields and predict fracture behavior. The assessment objectives were to: 1) implement a two-parameter (i.e., J-A) fracture criterion into an elastic-plastic three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis (FEA), 2) validate the implementation by comparison with the A parameter from literature data, 3) conduct material characterization tests to quantify the material behavior and provide fracture data for validation of the J-A fracture criteria, and (4) perform evaluations to establish if the J-A criteria can be used to predict fracture in a ductile metallic material (e.g., aluminum alloys). The A parameter in these criteria is the second parameter in a three-term elastic-plastic asymptotic expansion of the neartip stress behavior. A series of extensive FEAs were performed using WARP3D software package to obtain solutions for the A parameter for different specimen configurations. The methodology needed for the estimation of the A parameter in the asymptotic expansion was developed and implemented using Matlab®. A user material (UMAT) routine was used to model the material stress-strain response using a Ramberg-Osgood power law with a hardening exponent (n) and a material coefficient (alpha). This UMAT routine was successfully implemented in WARP3D software and validated through comparison with the experimental data. Three configurations were extracted from published results: 1) center cracked plate (CCP), 2) single edge-cracked plate (SECP), and 3) double edge-cracked plate (DECP). These configurations and four other configurations (three-hole tension (THT)), three-point bend (3PTB), three-hole compact tension (3PCT), and compact tension (CT)) were analyzed to verify the methodology that was developed and implemented into WARP3D. Solutions of the A parameter were obtained for remote tension loading conditions that started with small-scale yielding and continued into the large-scale plasticity regime. The results indicate that the methodology developed can be used to calculate the elastic-plastic J-A parameters for test specimens with a range of crack geometries, material strain hardening behaviors, and loading conditions. The J-A parameters were implemented as fracture criteria and used to predict the test results. For comparison, other fracture criteria were used to predict the same test results. Major findings include: The A constraint parameter A varies with specimen type and applied load thus accurate determination is crucial in predicting the failure load, and the A parameter is asymptotic as the failure load is approached, making an accurate determination difficult (i.e., small differences in the A parameter can cause large variations in failure load) for materials exhibiting elastic-plastic behavior. The failure predictions from J-A methodology were more accurate than the traditionally used KC and J methods, and have comparable scatter to that observed when using the crack-tip opening angle (CTOA) method. However, the J-A methodology requires considerable effort (expertise level and labor) to implement and to evaluate the A parameter for different specimen types and materials, or to apply this methodology to part-through crack (e.g., 3D problems) structural applications.

Hamm, Kenneth R., Jr.↗

Elasticity Solution of an Adhesively Bonded Cover Plate of Various Geometries

The plane strain of adhesively bonded structures consisting of two different isotropic adherends is considered. By expressing the x-y components of the displacements in terms of Fourier integrals and using the corresponding boundary and continuity conditions, the integral equations for the general problem are obtained and solved numerically by applying Gauss-Chebyshev integration scheme. The shear and the normal stresses in the adhesive are calculated for various geometries and material properties for a stiffened plate under uniaxial tension. Numerical results involving the stress intensity factors and the strain energy release rate are presented. The closed-form expressions for the Fredholm kernels are provided to obtain the solution for an arbitrary geometry and material properties. For the general geometry, the contribution of the normal stress is quite significant, while for symmetric geometries, the shear stress is dominant, the normal stress vanishes if the adherends are of the same material and the same thickness.

Aksel, G. N.↗

Strain energy density and surface layer energy for a crack-like ellipse

Some of the fundamental concepts of sharp crack fracture criteria are applied to cracks and narrow ellipses. The strain energy density theory is extended to notch boundaries, where the energy in a surface layer is calculated and the location of failure initiation is determined. The concept of a core region near the notch tip, and its consequences, are examined in detail. The example treated is that of an elliptical cavity loaded uniformly at a large distance from the hole, and at an angle to the hole; the results are shown to approach that of the crack solution for narrow ellipses, and to display quite satisfactory agreement with recently published experimental data under both tensile and compressive loading conditions. Results also indicate that in globally unstable configurations in brittle materials, the original loading and notch geometry are sufficient to predict the subsequent crack trajectory with considerable accuracy.

Kipp, M. E.↗

A modified T-value method for selection of strain gages for measuring loads on a low aspect ratio wing

A technique which may be useful for selecting strain gages for use in load equations is described. The technique is an adaptation of the previously used T-value method and is applied to a multispar structure. The technique, called the modified T-value method, is used to reduce the number of strain gages used in a load equation from twelve to two. A parallel reduction is made by calculating relative equation accuracies from three applied load distributions. The equations developed from the modified T-value method proved to be accurate more consistently than the T-value method.

Tang, M. H.↗

The gabbro-eclogite phase transition and the elevation of mountain belts on Venus

The hypothesis is explored that the crust-mantle boundary of Venus is not in phase equilibrium but rather is rate-limited by the temperature-dependent volume diffusion of the slowest ionic species. The 1D thermal evolution problem is solved assuming that the mountains formed by uniform horizontal shortening of the crust and the lithospheric mantle at a constant rate. The time-dependent density structure and surface elevation are calculated by assuming a temperature-dependent reaction rate and local Airy isostatic compensation. For a horizontal strain rate of 10 exp -15/s or greater, the temperature increase at the base of the crust during mountain formation is modest to negligible, the deepening lower crust is metastable, and the surface elevation increases as the crust thickens. For strain rates less than 10 exp -16/s, crustal temperature increases with time because of internal heat production and the lower crust is more readily transformed to the dense eclogite assemblage. For such models, a maximum elevation is reached during crustal shortening.

Namiki, Noriyuki↗

Effect of Control Mode and Test Rate on the Measured Fracture Toughness of Advanced Ceramics

The effects of control mode and test rate on the measured fracture toughness of ceramics were evaluated by using chevron-notched flexure specimens in accordance with ASTM C1421. The use of stroke control gave consistent results with about 2% (statistically insignificant) variation in measured fracture toughness for a very wide range of rates (0.005 to 0.5 mm/min). Use of strain or crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) control gave approx. 5% (statistically significant) variation over a very wide range of rates (1 to 80 μm/m/s), with the measurements being a function of rate. However, the rate effect was eliminated by use of dry nitrogen, implying a stress corrosion effect rather than a stability effect. With the use of a nitrogen environment during strain controlled tests, fracture toughness values were within about 1% over a wide range of rates (1 to 80 micons/m/s). CMOD or strain control did allow stable crack extension well past maximum force, and thus is preferred for energy calculations. The effort is being used to confirm recommendations in ASTM Test Method C1421 on fracture toughness measurement.

silicon nitride↗