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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Extreme Wind Velocity Measurement System

A wind velocity measurement system employs two different principles of physics to measure wind speed: (1) the aerodynamic force imparted to a low profile, rigidly mounted cylindrical rod, and (2) the vibrating frequency of the rod as vortices are shed from the rod's cylindrical surface. A set of strain gages is used as a common sensor for both measurements, and these provide force measurements imparted by the wind on the rod. The signals generated by the strain gages are fed to processing circuitry that calculates the wind speed and direction from the signals. The force measurement is proportional to the square of the wind speed. Since it is a vector quantity, it can also be used to derive wind direction. The vortex shedding frequency is a scalar quantity and is linearly proportional to wind speed. This frequency can be calculated by analyzing the force measurements generated by the strain gages over time. Both of the wind velocity calculations can be advantageously used by the processing circuitry to generate an accurate wind velocity reading.

Jan A Zysko↗
NASA NTRS2003

Cost-Effective TiAl based Materials

Because of their inherent low ductility, TiAl-based materials are difficult to fabricate, especially thin gage titanium gamma aluminide (TiAl) sheet and foil. In this paper, an innovative powder metallurgy approach for producing cost-effective thin gage TiAl sheets (with 356 mm long and 235 mm wide, and a thickness of 0.74, 1.09, 1.55, and 2.34 mm, respectively) is presented. The microstructures and tensile properties at room and elevated temperatures of the thin gage TiAl are studied. Results show that these TiAl sheets have a relatively homogenous chemistry, uniform microstructure, and acceptable mechanical properties. This work demonstrates a cost-effective method for producing both flat products (sheet/foil) and complex chunky parts of TiAl for various advanced applications including aerospace and automotive industries.

Moxson, V. S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Use of 3000 Bragg Grating Strain Sensors Distributed on Four Eight-meter Optical Fibers During Static Load Tests of a Composite Structure

This paper describes the use of a fiber optic system to measure strain at thousands of locations along optical fibers where weakly reflecting Bragg gratings have been photoetched. The optical fibers were applied to an advanced composite transport wing along with conventional foil strain gages. A comparison of the fiber optic and foil gage systems used for this test will be presented including: a brief description of both strain data systems; a discussion of the process used for installation of the optical fiber; comparative data from the composite wing test; the processes used for the location and display of the high density fiber optic data. Calibration data demonstrating the potential accuracy of the fiber optic system will also be presented. The opportunities for industrial and commercial applications will be discussed. The fiber optic technique is shown to be a valuable augmentation to foil strain gages providing insight to structural behavior previously requiring reliance on modeling.

Childers, Brooks A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Impact of Thermal Gradients on Wind Tunnel Force Measurements

In a wind tunnel facility, the direct measurement of forces and moments induced on the model are performed by a force measurement balance. The measurement balance is a precision-machined device that has strain gages at strategic locations to measure the strain (i.e., deformations) due to applied forces and moments. The strain gages convert the strain (and hence the applied force) to an electrical voltage that is measured by external meters. Thermal gradients can complicate the process, however. Thermal gradients on the balance cause differential expansion (or contraction) of various parts of the balance that induce a strain that is detected by the strain gages and is indistinguishable from an external applied force. The thermal gradients can result when testing is done at elevated temperatures or at cryogenic temperatures such as at the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC).

Hereford, James↗
NASA NTRS2001

An extensometer for global measurement of bone strain suitable for use in vivo in humans

An axial extensometer able to measure global bone strain magnitudes and rates encountered during physiological activity, and suitable for use in vivo in human subjects, is described. The extensometer uses paired capacitive sensors mounted to intraosseus pins and allows measurement of strain due to bending in the plane of the extensometer as well as uniaxial compression or tension. Data are presented for validation of the device against a surface-mounted strain gage in an acrylic specimen under dynamic four-point bending, with square wave and sinusoidal loading inputs up to 1500 mu epsilon and 20 Hz, representative of physiological strain magnitudes and frequencies. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) between extensometer and strain gage ranged from 0.960 to 0.999. Mean differences between extensometer and strain gage ranged up to 15.3 mu epsilon. Errors in the extensometer output were directly proportional to the degree of bending that occurs in the specimen, however, these errors were predictable and less than 1 mu epsilon for the loading regime studied. The device is capable of tracking strain rates in excess of 90,000 mu epsilon/s.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2008

Damage Tolerance Testing of a NASA TransHab Derivative Woven Inflatable Module

Current options for Lunar habitat architecture include inflatable habitats and airlocks. Inflatable structures can have mass and volume advantages over conventional structures. Inflatable structures are perceived to carry additional risk because they are at a lower Technical Readiness Level (TRL) than conventional metallic structures. One of the risks associated with inflatable structures is understanding the tolerance to component damage and the resulting behavior of the system after the damage is introduced. The Damage Tolerance Test (DTT) is designed to study the structural integrity of an expandable structure during and subsequent to induced damage. The TransHab Project developed an experimental inflatable module developed at Johnson Space Center in the 1990's. The TransHab design was originally envisioned for use in Mars Transits but was also studied as a potential habitat for the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the TransHab module was based on a woven design using an Aramid fabric. Testing of this design demonstrated a high level of predictability and repeatability and good correlation with analytical predictions of stresses and deflections. Based on JSC's experience with the design and analysis of woven inflatable structures, the Damage Tolerance Test article was designed and fabricated using a woven design. The Damage Tolerance Test Article consists of a load bearing restraint layer, a bladder or gas barrier, and a structural metallic core. The test article restraint layer is fabricated from one inch wide Kevlar webbing that is woven in a basket weave pattern. Underneath the structural restraint layer is the bladder or gas barrier. For this test the bladder was required to maintain pressure for testing only and was not representative of a flight design. The bladder and structural restraint layer attach to the structural core of the module at steel bulkheads at each end. The two bulkheads are separated by a 10 foot center tube which provides the structural support for the module when in a non-inflated state as well as resists a portion of the axial load when pressurized. The longitudinal members of the structural restraint layer are attached to the bulkheads using a series of clevises that are bolted to the bulkheads. Strain gages are placed on the clevises that can measure change in load when the structural restraint is inflated. The test module is 88 inches in diameter and 120 inches in height. The objectives of the DTT are to (1) verify the structural integrity of the assembled and pressurized structure when a section of the structural restraint layer is cut by a foreign object, and (2) verify the load distribution of the structural restraint layer during pressurization, before and after the structural restraint layer is severed. For this test, a longitudinal structural restraint strap will be severed using a linear shape charge. The linear shape charge was designed specifically for this application to cut only a single longitudinal strap, while not damaging the bladder. An array of strain gages were located at the bulkhead mounted clevises where the longitudinal restraint layer straps are attached. The DTT article was inflated to 45 psig, 25% of the ultimate design pressure, and one of the one-inch wide longitudinal structural members was severed. Strain gage measurements of loading in an array of longitudinal straps were taken throughout pressurization of the module to 45 psig, before firing of the linear shape charge, and after firing of the shape charge and separation of the strap. During testing not only were the original objectives met but better than expected results occurred. This paper will discuss space inflatable structures, damage tolerance analysis, test results, and applicability to the Lunar architecture.

Edgecombe, John↗
NASA NTRS1948

Vibration Survey of Blades in 19XB Axial-Flow Compressor: Preliminary Engine Investigation - 3

Strain gages were used to measure blade vibrations possibly causing failure in the 10-stage compressor of the 19XB jet-propulsion engine. The seventh and tenth stages were of great concern as a result of failures experienced by the manufacturer. Strain-gage records were obtained from all stages during acceleration, deceleration, and constant speed runs. Curves are presented herein showing the maximum allowable vibratory stress for a given speed, the change of the damping coefficient with the mounting of a strain gage at the base of the blade, the effect of rotor speed, on blade natural frequency, and the effect of the order of first bending-mode vibration on stress. It was found that for all stages the lower the order of vibration the higher the stress but no destructive vibrations were detected.

Meyer, Andre J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Calibration of Two-dimensional Floodplain Modeling in the Atchafalaya River Basin Using SAR Interferometry

Two-dimensional (2D) satellite imagery has been increasingly employed to improve prediction of floodplain inundation models. However, most focus has been on validation of inundation extent, with little attention on the 2D spatial variations of water elevation and slope. The availability of high resolution Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) imagery offers unprecedented opportunity for quantitative validation of surface water heights and slopes derived from 2D hydrodynamic models. In this study, the LISFLOOD-ACC hydrodynamic model is applied to the central Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana, during high flows typical of spring floods in the Mississippi Delta region, for the purpose of demonstrating the utility of InSAR in coupled 1D/2D model calibration. Two calibration schemes focusing on Manning s roughness are compared. First, the model is calibrated in terms of water elevations at a single in situ gage during a 62 day simulation period from 1 April 2008 to 1 June 2008. Second, the model is calibrated in terms of water elevation changes calculated from ALOS PALSAR interferometry during 46 days of the image acquisition interval from 16 April 2008 to 1 June 2009. The best-fit models show that the mean absolute errors are 3.8 cm for a single in situ gage calibration and 5.7 cm/46 days for InSAR water level calibration. The optimum values of Manning's roughness coefficients are 0.024/0.10 for the channel/floodplain, respectively, using a single in situ gage, and 0.028/0.10 for channel/floodplain the using SAR. Based on the calibrated water elevation changes, daily storage changes within the size of approx 230 sq km of the model area are also calculated to be of the order of 107 cubic m/day during high water of the modeled period. This study demonstrates the feasibility of SAR interferometry to support 2D hydrodynamic model calibration and as a tool for improved understanding of complex floodplain hydrodynamics

Hahn Chul Jung↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Baseline Load Schedule for the Manual Calibration of a Force Balance

A baseline load schedule for the manual calibration of a force balance was developed that takes current capabilities at the NASA Ames Balance Calibration Laboratory into account. The load schedule consists of 18 load series with a total of 194 data points. It was designed to satisfy six requirements: (i) positive and negative loadings should be applied for each load component; (ii) at least three loadings should be applied between 0 % and 100 % load capacity; (iii) normal and side force loadings should be applied at the forward gage location, the aft gage location, and the balance moment center; (iv) the balance should be used in UP and DOWN orientation to get axial force loadings; (v) the constant normal and side force approaches should be used to get the rolling moment loadings; (vi) rolling moment loadings should be obtained for 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees balance orientation. Three different approaches are also reviewed that may be used to independently estimate the natural zeros of the balance. These three approaches provide gage output differences that may be used to estimate the weight of both the metric and non-metric part of the balance. Manual calibration data of NASA s MK29A balance and machine calibration data of NASA s MC60D balance are used to illustrate and evaluate different aspects of the proposed baseline load schedule design.

Ulbrich, N.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Aerospace Sensor Systems: From Sensor Development To Vehicle Application

This paper presents an overview of years of sensor system development and application for aerospace systems. The emphasis of this work is on developing advanced capabilities for measurement and control of aeropropulsion and crew vehicle systems as well as monitoring the safety of those systems. Specific areas of work include chemical species sensors, thin film thermocouples and strain gages, heat flux gages, fuel gages, SiC based electronic devices and sensors, space qualified electronics, and MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) as well as integrated and multifunctional sensor systems. Each sensor type has its own technical challenges related to integration and reliability in a given application. The general approach has been to develop base sensor technology using microfabrication techniques, integrate sensors with "smart" hardware and software, and demonstrate those systems in a range of aerospace applications. Descriptions of the sensor elements, their integration into sensors systems, and examples of sensor system applications will be discussed. Finally, suggestions related to the future of sensor technology will be given. It is concluded that smart micro/nano sensor technology can revolutionize aerospace applications, but significant challenges exist in maturing the technology and demonstrating its value in real-life applications.

Hunter, Gary W.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluation of the Hinge Moment and Normal Force Aerodynamic Loads from a Seamless Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flap in Flight

A seamless adaptive compliant trailing edge (ACTE) flap was demonstrated in flight on a Gulfstream III aircraft at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. The trailing edge flap was deflected between minus 2 deg up and plus 30 deg down in flight. The safety-of-flight parameters for the ACTE flap experiment require that flap-to-wing interface loads be sensed and monitored in real time to ensure that the structural load limits of the wing are not exceeded. The attachment fittings connecting the flap to the aircraft wing rear spar were instrumented with strain gages and calibrated using known loads for measuring hinge moment and normal force loads in flight. The safety-of-flight parameters for the ACTE flap experiment require that flap-to-wing interface loads be sensed and monitored in real time to ensure that the structural load limits of the wing are not exceeded. The attachment fittings connecting the flap to the aircraft wing rear spar were instrumented with strain gages and calibrated using known loads for measuring hinge moment and normal force loads in flight. The interface hardware instrumentation layout and load calibration are discussed. Twenty-one applied calibration test load cases were developed for each individual fitting. The 2-sigma residual errors for the hinge moment was calculated to be 2.4 percent, and for normal force was calculated to be 7.3 percent. The hinge moment and normal force generated by the ACTE flap with a hinge point located at 26-percent wing chord were measured during steady state and symmetric pitch maneuvers. The loads predicted from analysis were compared to the loads observed in flight. The hinge moment loads showed good agreement with the flight loads while the normal force loads calculated from analysis were over-predicted by approximately 20 percent. Normal force and hinge moment loads calculated from the pressure sensors located on the ACTE showed good agreement with the loads calculated from the installed strain gages.

Hinge Moment Loads↗
NASA NTRS2020

Development of a Non-Iterative Balance Load Prediction Algorithm for the NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel

A non-iterative load prediction algorithm for strain-gage balances was developed for the NASA Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnels that computes balance loads from the electrical outputs of the balance bridges and a set of state variables. A state variable could be, for example, a balance temperature difference or the bellows pressure of a flow-through balance. The algorithm directly uses regression models of the balance loads for the load prediction that were obtained by applying global regression analysis to balance calibration data. This choice greatly simplifies both implementation and use of the load prediction process for complex balance configurations as no load iteration needs to be performed. The regression model of a balance load is constructed by using terms from a total of nine term groups. Four term groups are derived from a Taylor Series expansion of the relationship between the load, gage outputs, and state variables. The remaining five term groups are defined by using absolute values of the gage outputs and state variables. Terms from these groups should only be included in the regression model if calibration data from a balance with known bi-directional outputs is analyzed. It is illustrated in detail how global regression analysis may be applied to obtain the coefficients of the chosen regression model of a load component assuming that no linear or massive near-linear dependencies between the regression model terms exist. Data from the machine calibration of a six-component force balance is used to illustrate both application and accuracy of the non-iterative load prediction process.

Ulbrich, Norbert M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis and Evaluation of NASA's MK40B Six-Component TASK Balance

The paper discusses the physical characteristics NASA's MK40B TASK balance. It is NASA's newest TASK balance that was optimized for the testing of wind tunnel models in the NASA Ames 11-ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. The calibration data of the MK40B balance was obtained in Calspan's Automatic Balance Calibration System. A machine load schedule design was used for the calibration that was developed at the NASA Ames Balance Calibration Laboratory. The calibration data was analyzed using both the Non-Iterative Method and the Iterative Method. Then, the chosen regression models of the calibration data were assessed and compared using the percent contribution, the variance inflation factor, and the calibration load residuals. Interactions of single-component loads were also quantified. In addition, the bi-directional characteristics of the six gage outputs of the balance were assessed by applying a semi-empirical test that was developed at the Ames Balance Calibration Laboratory. It was concluded that four of the six gages of the balance have bi-directional characteristics. Finally, the accuracy of the load prediction equations of the balance was tested by applying the equations to independent check load data that was obtained at the NASA Ames Balance Calibration Laboratory. The standard deviation of the check load residuals met expectations. The check load data also confirmed that the interactions of the forward and aft normal forces on the axial force gage output are very small. - This paper is to be presented in the invited special session titled: "65 Years of TASK Wind Tunnel Balances - Past, Present, and Future".

wind tunnel balance↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

CFD Simulations of the IHF 13-Inch Nozzle Flow: 55° Sphere-Cone Model, Manufactured Fences and Gaps

This paper reports computational analyses of tests in a high enthalpy arc-jet facility at NASA Ames Research Center. These tests were conducted using 23.6-cm diameter, 55° sphere-cone models placed in a free jet downstream of the 33.0-cm diameter conical nozzle in the 60-MW Interaction Heating Facility. Some of the sphere-cone models include surface features such as manufactured fences and gaps intended to simulate effects of differential recession, all of which disturb the flow, producing augmented heating locally and downstream. Test calibration data were obtained using slug and Gardon gage stagnation calorimeters, and a sphere-cone calorimeter model with six Gardon heat flux gages and five pressure gages. The present analysis comprises computational fluid dynamics simulations of the nonequilibrium flowfield in the facility nozzle and test box, including the models tested, and comparisons with the experimental measurements. Various issues related to testing are considered: diffuser flow capture, flow characterization based on the calorimeter data, effects of the model surface recession, and prediction of surface quantities for the models with surface features. These simulations take into account nonuniform total enthalpy profiles at the nozzle inlet as well as the expansion waves emanating from the nozzle exit and their effects on the model flowfields.

Arc-jets↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis and Evaluation of NASA's MK40B Six-Component Task Balance

The MK40B balance is NASA's newest balance of Task design. Its load range was optimized for use in the NASA Ames 11-ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. The balance was calibrated in 2019 in Calspan's Automatic Balance Calibration System. The data analysis was performed at the Ames Balance Calibration Laboratory. First, bi-directional characteristics of the six gage outputs of the balance were assessed by applying a semi-empirical test to the calibration data. These tests indicated that four of the six gages have bi-directional characteristics. Therefore, the use of absolute value terms in the regression models of the calibration data is justified. Then, the machine calibration data was analyzed using both the Non-Iterative and the Iterative Method. Analysis results for the two methods were compared using the percent contributions, the calibration load residuals, the primary sensitivities, and the principle linear terms. These results confirmed that the two methods describe bi-directional characteristics of the balance gages correctly. In addition, it was concluded that the load prediction accuracies of the two methods are the same for all practical purposes.

wind tunnel balance↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamic Tensile Characterization of Thin-Sheet Brittle Metallic Materials

Refractory metals are favorable materials in applications where high strength and ductility are needed at elevated temperatures. In some cases, operating temperatures may be near the melting point of the material. However, as temperature drops, refractory metals typically undergo a significant mechanical response change - ductile-to-brittle transition. These materials may be subjected to high strain rate loading at an ambient temperature state, such as an impact or crash. Knowledge of the high rate material properties are essential for design as well as simulation of impact events. The high rate stress-strain behavior of brittle metallic materials at ambient temperature is rarely studied because of experimental challenges, particularly when failure is involved. Failure typically occurs within the non-gage section of the material, which invalidates any collected stress-strain information. Here, a method to determine a specimen geometry which will produce failures in the gage section is presented. Pure tungsten in thin-sheet form was used as a trial material to select a specimen geometry for high rate Kolsky tension bar experiments. A finite element simulation was conducted to derive a strain correction for more accurate results. The room temperature stress-strain behavior of pure tungsten at a strain rate of 24 s –1 is presented. The outcome of this experimental technique can be applied to other brittle materials for dynamic tensile characterization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Toward Improved Regional Hydrological Model Performance Using State-Of-The-Science Data-Informed Soil Parameters

Accurate soil moisture and streamflow data are an aspirational need of many hydrologically relevant fields. Model simulated soil moisture and streamflow hold promise but models require validation prior to application. Calibration methods are commonly used to improve model fidelity but misrepresentation of the true dynamics remains a challenge. In this study, we leverage soil parameter estimates from the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database and the probability mapping of SSURGO (POLARIS) to improve the representation of hydrologic processes in the Weather Research and Forecasting Hydrological modeling system (WRF-Hydro) over a central California domain. Our results show WRF-Hydro soil moisture exhibits increased correlation coefficients ( r ), reduced biases, and increased Kling-Gupta Efficiencies (KGEs) across seven in situ soil moisture observing stations after updating the model's soil parameters according to POLARIS. Compared to four well-established soil moisture data sets including Soil Moisture Active Passive data and three Phase 2 North American Land Data Assimilation System land surface models, our POLARIS-adjusted WRF-Hydro simulations produce the highest mean KGE (0.69) across the seven stations. More importantly, WRF-Hydro streamflow fidelity also increases, especially in the case where the model domain is set up with SSURGO-informed total soil thickness. The magnitude and timing of peak flow events are better captured, r increases across nine United States Geological Survey stream gages, and the mean KGE across seven of the nine gages increases from 0.12 to 0.66. Our pre-calibration parameter estimate approach, which is transferable to other spatially distributed hydrological models, can substantially improve a model's performance, helping reduce calibration efforts and computational costs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving River Routing Using a Differentiable Muskingum‐Cunge Model and Physics‐Informed Machine Learning

Recently, rainfall-runoff simulations in small headwater basins have been improved by methodological advances such as deep neural networks (NNs) and hybrid physics-NN models—particularly, a genre called differentiable modeling that intermingles NNs with physics to learn relationships between variables. However, hydrologic routing simulations, necessary for simulating floods in stem rivers downstream of large heterogeneous basins, had not yet benefited from these advances and it was unclear if the routing process could be improved via coupled NNs. We present a novel differentiable routing method (δMC-Juniata-hydroDL2) that mimics the classical Muskingum-Cunge routing model over a river network but embeds an NN to infer parameterizations for Manning's roughness (n) and channel geometries from raw reach-scale attributes like catchment areas and sinuosity. The NN was trained solely on downstream hydrographs. Synthetic experiments show that while the channel geometry parameter was unidentifiable, n can be identified with moderate precision. With real-world data, the trained differentiable routing model produced more accurate long-term routing results for both the training gage and untrained inner gages for larger subbasins (>2,000 km2) than either a machine learning model assuming homogeneity, or simply using the sum of runoff from subbasins. The n parameterization trained on short periods gave high performance in other periods, despite significant errors in runoff inputs. The learned n pattern was consistent with literature expectations, demonstrating the framework's potential for knowledge discovery, but the absolute values can vary depending on training periods. The trained n parameterization can be coupled with traditional models to improve national-scale hydrologic flood simulations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗