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At least 55 records · Page 3

An approximate viscous shock layer technique for calculating chemically reacting hypersonic flows about blunt-nosed bodies

An approximate axisymmetric method was developed which can reliably calculate fully viscous hypersonic flows over blunt nosed bodies. By substituting Maslen's second order pressure expression for the normal momentum equation, a simplified form of the viscous shock layer (VSL) equations is obtained. This approach can solve both the subsonic and supersonic regions of the shock layer without a starting solution for the shock shape. The approach is applicable to perfect gas, equilibrium, and nonequilibrium flowfields. Since the method is fully viscous, the problems associated with a boundary layer solution with an inviscid layer solution are avoided. This procedure is significantly faster than the parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) or VSL solvers and would be useful in a preliminary design environment. Problems associated with a previously developed approximate VSL technique are addressed before extending the method to nonequilibrium calculations. Perfect gas (laminar and turbulent), equilibrium, and nonequilibrium solutions were generated for airflows over several analytic body shapes. Surface heat transfer, skin friction, and pressure predictions are comparable to VSL results. In addition, computed heating rates are in good agreement with experimental data. The present technique generates its own shock shape as part of its solution, and therefore could be used to provide more accurate initial shock shapes for higher order procedures which require starting solutions.

Cheatwood, F. Mcneil↗

A computer program for calculating the perfect gas inviscid flow field about blunt axisymmetric bodies at an angle of attack of 0 deg

A method for the rapid calculation of the inviscid shock layer about blunt axisymmetric bodies at an angle of attack of 0 deg has been developed. The procedure is of an inverse nature, that is, a shock wave is assumed and calculations proceed along rays normal to the shock. The solution is iterated until the given body is computed. The flow field solution procedure is programed at the Langley Research Center for the Control Data 6600 computer. The geometries specified in the program are sphores, ellipsoids, paraboloids, and hyperboloids which may conical afterbodies. The normal momentum equation is replaced with an approximate algebraic expression. This simplification significantly reduces machine computation time. Comparisons of the present results with shock shapes and surface pressure distributions obtained by the more exact methods indicate that the program provides reasonably accurate results for smooth bodies in axisymmetric flow. However, further research is required to establish the proper approximate form of the normal momentum equation for the two-dimensional case.

Zoby, E. V.↗

Axisymmetric internal flows with shocks

Internal flow problems with supersonic entrance conditions and subsonic exit conditions are studied. The suitability of applying the transonic-small disturbance theory to internal flows is examined and found to be very limited. The full inviscid equations in nonconservative form are solved by relaxation. Jump conditions which conserve mass and normal momentum are applied explicitly at shock waves. This method is suitable for solving flows which include supersonic-subsonic shock waves nearly normal to the streamlines.

Rizk, M. H.↗

Diamond Sheet: A new diamond tool material

Diamond sheet is termed a diamond tool material because it is not a cutting tool, but rather a new material from which a variety of different tools may be fabricated. In appearance and properties, it resembles a sheet of copper alloy with diamond abrasive dispersed throughout it. It is capable of being cut, formed, and joined by conventional methods, and subsequently used for cutting as a metal bonded diamond tool. Diamond sheet is normally made with industrial diamond as the abrasive material. The metal matrix in diamond sheet is a medium hard copper alloy which has performed well in most applications. This alloy has the capability of being made harder or softer if specific cutting conditions require it. Other alloys have also been used including a precipitation hardened aluminum alloy with very free cutting characteristics. The material is suitable for use in a variety of cutting, surfacing, and ring type tools, as well as in such mundane items as files and sandpaper. It can also be used as a bearing surface (diamond to diamond) and in wear resistant surfaces.

Mackey, C. R.↗

Synthesis of Elongated Microcapsules

One of the factors that influence the effectiveness of self-healing in functional materials is the amount of liquid healing agents that can be delivered to the damaged area. The use of hollow tubes or fibers and the more sophisticated micro-vascular networks has been proposed as a way to increase the amount of healing agents that can be released when damage is inflicted. Although these systems might be effective in some specific applications, they are not practical for coatings applications. One possible practical way to increase the healing efficiency is to use microcapsules with high-aspect-ratios, or elongated microcapsules. It is understood that elongated microcapsules will be more efficient because they can release more healing agent than a spherical microcapsule when a crack is initiated in the coating. Although the potential advantage of using elongated microcapsules for self healing applications is clear, it is very difficult to make elongated microcapsules from an emulsion system because spherical microcapsules are normally formed due to the interfacial tension between the dispersed phase and the continuous phase. This paper describes the two methods that have been developed by the authors to synthesize elongated microcapsules. The first method involves the use of an emulsion with intermediate stability and the second involves the application of mechanical shear conditions to the emulsion.

Li, Wenyan↗

Correlation for temperature profiles in the plane of symmetry downstream of a jet injected normal to a crossflow

A correlation method is presented for approximating the temperature distribution in the plane of symmetry downstream of a jet injected normal to a uniform crossflow. Correlations are developed for the scaling parameters required to define the temperature profile at any desired location from the dimensionless universal form which has been experimentally observed. Profiles calculated using the correlation methods are compared with experimental profiles for several momentum and density ratios at various downstream distances.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

Wassersplines for Neural Vector Field-Controlled Animation

Much of computer-generated animation is created by manipulating meshes with rigs. While this approach works well for animating articulated objects like animals, it has limited flexibility for animating less structured free-form objects. Here we introduce Wassersplines, a novel trajectory inference method for animating unstructured densities based on recent advances in continuous normalizing flows and optimal transport. The key idea is to train a neurally-parameterized velocity field that represents the motion between keyframes. Trajectories are then computed by advecting keyframes through the velocity field. We solve an additional Wasserstein barycenter interpolation problem to guarantee strict adherence to keyframes. Our tool can stylize trajectories through a variety of PDE-based regularizers to create different visual effects. We demonstrate our tool on various keyframe interpolation problems to produce temporally-coherent animations without meshing or rigging.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Composite overwrapped metallic tanks

Work is reported for fabricating and testing the fiberglass overwrapped titanium pressure vessel for cryogenic service. Difficulties encountered in the tank liner fabrication phase involved explosive forming, vacuum annealing, chemical milling and electron beam welding. While each of these processes and the nondestructive test methods employed are normally considered to be individually reliable, the combination of poor material together with fabrication and development reversals prevented the full achievement of the desired end results. Eight tanks plus a prototype and tool proofing article were produced. Six of the vessels failed during the hydrostatic sizing operation. One of the remaining tanks was hydrostatically pressurized to burst and the other was pressurized repeatedly at 75 F from 100 psi to the operating pressure until failure occurred. As a result, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions as to the true value of the design concept due to the problems encountered in the program.

Caudill, C. L.↗

Solving Large Systems of Normal Equations

SOLVE II program combines any number of sets of normal equations and obtains solution vector and related statistics. Normal equations of square, nonnegative definite matrix form. Program utilizes only upper symmetric portion of matrix. Program uses partitioned Cholesky decomposition method for matrix inversion to accommodate large parameter systems.

Putney, B.↗

A performance comparison of integration algorithms in simulating flexible structures

Asymptotic formulas for the characteristic root errors as well as transfer function gain and phase errors are presented for a number of traditional and new integration methods. Normalized stability regions in the lambda h plane are compared for the various methods. In particular, it is shown that a modified form of Euler integration with root matching is an especially efficient method for simulating lightly-damped structural modes. The method has been used successfully for structural bending modes in the real-time simulation of missiles. Performance of this algorithm is compared with other special algorithms, including the state-transition method. A predictor-corrector version of the modified Euler algorithm permits it to be extended to the simulation of nonlinear models of the type likely to be obtained when using the discretized structure approach. Performance of the different integration methods is also compared for integration step sizes larger than those for which the asymptotic formulas are valid. It is concluded that many traditional integration methods, such as RD-4, are not competitive in the simulation of lightly damped structures.

Howe, R. M.↗

Closed form evaluation of symmetric two-sided complex integrals

Evaluation of two-sided complex integrals is often required when analyzing linear systems to determine signal variances resulting from stochastic inputs and system noise bandwidths. Algebraic solutions of integrals in a closed matrix equation form, using coefficients of the numerator and denominator polynomials, are presented. The closed forms provide the possibility of obtaining some insight into parameter sensitivity in addition to greatly reducing the computational complexity required by the normal method of evaluation by residues.

Winkelstein, R.↗

A 2D/3D Heterostructure Perovskite Solar Cell with a Phase‐Pure and Pristine 2D Layer

Abstract Interface engineering plays a critical role in advancing the performance of perovskite solar cells. As such, 2D/3D perovskite heterostructures are of particular interest due to their optoelectrical properties and their further potential improvements. However, for conventional solution‐processed 2D perovskites grown on an underlying 3D perovskite, the reaction stoichiometry is normally unbalanced with excess precursors. Moreover, the formed 2D perovskite is impure, leading to unfavorable energy band alignment at the interface. Here a simple method is presented that solves both issues simultaneously. The 2D formation reaction is taken first to completion, fully consuming excess PbI 2 . Then, isopropanol is utilized to remove excess organic ligands, control the 2D perovskite thickness, and obtain a phase‐pure, n = 2, 2D perovskite. The outcome is a pristine (without residual 2D precursors) and phase‐pure 2D perovskite heterostructure with improved surface passivation and charge carrier extraction compared to the conventional solution process. PSCs incorporating this treatment demonstrate a notable improvement in both stability and power conversion efficiency, with negligible hysteresis, compared to the conventional process.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Internship Abstract and Final Reflection

The primary objective for this internship is the evaluation of an embedded natural language processor (NLP) as a way to introduce voice control into future space suits. An embedded natural language processor would provide an astronaut hands-free control for making adjustments to the environment of the space suit and checking status of consumables procedures and navigation. Additionally, the use of an embedded NLP could potentially reduce crew fatigue, increase the crewmember's situational awareness during extravehicular activity (EVA) and improve the ability to focus on mission critical details. The use of an embedded NLP may be valuable for other human spaceflight applications desiring hands-free control as well. An embedded NLP is unique because it is a small device that performs language tasks, including speech recognition, which normally require powerful processors. The dedicated device could perform speech recognition locally with a smaller form-factor and lower power consumption than traditional methods.

Sandor, Edward↗

Burning Velocity Measurements in Aluminum-Air Suspensions using Bunsen Type Dust Flames

Laminar burning velocity (sometimes also referred in literature as fundamental or normal flame propagation speed) is probably the most important combustion characteristic of the premixed combustible mixture. The majority of experimental data on burning velocities in gaseous mixtures was obtained with the help of the Bunsen conical flame. The Bunsen cone method was found to be sufficiently accurate for gaseous mixtures with burning velocities higher than 10-15 cm/s at normal pressure. Hans Cassel was the first to demonstrate that suspensions of micron-size solid fuel particles in a gaseous oxidizer can also form self-sustained Bunsen flames. He was able to stabilize Bunsen flames in a number of suspensions of different nonvolatile solid fuels (aluminum, carbon, and boron). Using the Bunsen cone method he estimated burning velocities in the premixed aluminum-air mixtures (particle size less than 10 microns) to be in the range of 30-40 cm/s. Cassel also found, that the burning velocity in dust clouds is a function of the burner diameter. In our recent work, we have used the Bunsen cone method to investigate dependence of burning velocity on dust concentration in fuel-rich aluminum dust clouds. Burning velocities in stoichiometric and fuel-rich aluminum dust suspensions with average particle sizes of about 5 microns were found to be in the range of 20-25 cm/s and largely independent on dust concentration. These results raise the question to what degree burning velocities derived from Bunsen flame specifically and other dust flame configurations in general, are indeed fundamental characteristics of the mixture and to what degree are they apparatus dependent. Dust flames in comparison to gas combustion, are thicker, may be influenced by radiation heat transfer in the flame front, respond differently to heat losses, and are fundamentally influenced by the particular flow configuration due to the particles inertia. Since characteristic spatial scales of dust flames are larger, one can expect that they will also be more sensitive than homogeneous combustion to a particular experimental geometric configuration of the flame and the flow. With such sensitivity the introduction of the very concept of the fundamental flame speed may be problematic for dust combustion. With this in mind, the objective of the present work is to further investigate Bunsen dust flames and evaluate to what degree burning velocities derived from Bunsen cone depend on experimental conditions (i.e. flow rate and nozzle diameter).

Lee, John↗

Determination of the critical loads of shells by nondestructive methods

Two methods for determining the location of and load level to produce instability of compressed cylindrical shells are presented. The first relates the variation in the wall normal stiffness as a function of applied compressive force to the critical load. It uses the distribution of stiffness over the surface of the shell as a guide to buckle location. The second method associates the local dynamic mass with instability behavior. The test data presented show that either method will give excellent prediction capability from low-load-level data for shells of orthodox form. Neither method appears to apply to spirally stiffened shells. This is thought to be due to the fact that there is a substantial difference between the buckle pattern under axial compression and the imperfection shape induced by the normal displacement which is used to ascertain the wall stiffness and the dynamic mass.

Horton, W. H.↗

Rolling Behavior of Surface Tagged Aluminum 6061 using Photoluminescent Oxides

Physical tagging of nuclear fuel is potentially one way of tracking throughout the fuel lifecycle. The process of tagging can take many forms, but one promising method is to embed a small amount of photoluminescent particles in the surface of a material which are not detectable under normal illumination but are readily visible under excitation by ultraviolet light. The goal of this project was to explore the potential to tag simulated nuclear fuel cladding with small ceramic particles, via laser beam welding or gas tungsten arc welding, and measure the photoluminescent response. Surface tagging using this method has demonstrated viability and detectability throughout this project; work in FY24 focused on the survivability of these tags through subsequent deformation processing similar to what taggants in a fuel manufacturing environment would be subjected to. This work demonstrated that particles are readily visible in the as-welded state (i.e., before subsequent rolling treatment to represent mechanical processing of a fuel material), but visibility is reduced as the deformation is induced. Despite the reduction in photoluminescence, the taggants are still visible after rolling processes are performed, making this surface tagging technique a promising candidate for nuclear fuel cladding tagging. This work demonstrated, though, that targeted optimization work would be necessary to develop a robust taggant depending on the fidelity and luminescent properties required.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

New advancements in titanium technology and their cost and weight benefits

A process that combines both the superplastic and diffusion bonding properties of metal into one concurrent operation is being developed. Estimates using this technology have indicated that this combined process will result in cost savings up to 70 percent when compared to conventional construction methods, while also saving weight. Many structural forms are possible including sandwich structures made by expanding face sheets and core against die forms. The classic difficulties normally associated with fabricating sandwich structures, such as parts fit-up, close tolerances, adhesive or braze alloy strength, do not exist with this technique. The total potential of Rockwell's patented new processes is limited only by the ingenuity of the designer and is expected to affect significantly future airplane concepts and criteria.

Ascani, L. A.↗

The simulation of 2D compressible viscous high speed flow by the finite element method

Am implicit/explicit procedure for the solution of problems of two-dimensional steady compressible viscous high-speed flows is presented. In the vicinity of solid walls, a grid which need only exhibit structure in the normal direction is employed while, away from this region, the grid is totally unstructured. The implicit form of the algorithm is used near solid walls, with the grid structure being utilized in an equation solution approach, based upon line relaxation. The explicit form of the algorithm is used elsewhere. Grid adaptation is achieved by means of adaptive remeshing. To illustrate the performance of the proposed method, problems of shock-boundary layer interaction and flow over a simulated forebody at high Mach number are included.

Hassan, O.↗