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At least 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Contributions to the finite element solution of the fan noise radiation problem

The radiation of fan generated noise to the far field from a nacelle of realistic geometry is investigated using the finite element method. Several innovations have been introduced to minimize the computational requirements and create a highly efficient numerical scheme. The innovations include: (1) formulation of the problem in terms of velocity potential and density in such a way that no inlet mean flow velocity derivatives are required in the field equations, (2) the use of 'wave envelope' elements in an outer region permitting a grid much coarser than would be used for conventional finite elements, (3) the use of a mesh which deforms with an increase of forward flight speed so that mesh lines are always lines of constant phase and rays for a point source, permitting the use of wave envelope elements and simple boundary conditions for any case of forward velocity, (4) an efficient scheme for introducing the noise source via modal amplitude coefficients, and (5) the use of a frontal solution technique which for physically realistic problems drastically reduces the active storage requirements. The finite element scheme is outlined, as are the specific details of the innovations. Results are given for cases where comparable experimental data are available.

Eversman, W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Stellar evolution at high mass with convective core overshooting

The transition from stellar evolution models with no convective core overshooting (CCO) at all to models in which homogeneous mixing due to CCO reaches far beyond the formal convective core boundary is systematically explored. Overshooting is parameterized in terms of the ratio d/H(p), where d is the distance of convective overshoot beyond the formal convective core boundary and H(p) is the local pressure scale height. It is concluded that CCO in very massive main sequence stars produces a great expansion of the stellar envelope if d/H(p) is large but not excessively large. CCO does not entirely suppress convective instability above the overshoot zone in the envelopes of main sequence stars more massive than about 15 solar masses. A general comparison of theoretically constructed isochrones for young stars with observed main sequence turnups indicates that the observed turnups are longer, brighter, and cooler at the tip than those expected on thfe basis of standard evolutionary theory.

Stothers, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Observational knowledge about the physical properties of O stars

Information about the effective temperatures, radii, and masses of O-type stars is presented. It is argued that rapid variations in the amount of light from O stars and the spectral distribution are a result chiefly of changes which occur in the envelope of the star. The stability of the photospheric layers of O stars against convection is reviewed and it is noted that late O stars and early B stars have a convection zone in the deeper parts of the photosphere. This convection zone is due to the second ionization of helium. Evidence is reviewed that most of the line-profile changes seen for O stars are generated by changes in the physical state of the mantle of the star, that is of the outer atmosphere where the deposition of non-radiative energy and momentum controls the physical state of the atmosphere. The physical state of the mantle may change in response to changes in the upper envelope of a star with a different time constant than the photosphere does.

Underhill, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Strong turbulence of plasma waves

This paper reviews recent work related to modulational instability and wave envelope self-focusing in dynamical and statistical systems. After introductory remarks pertinent to nonlinear optics realizations of these effects, the author summarizes the status of the subject in plasma physics, where it has come to be called 'strong Langmuir turbulence'. The paper treats the historical development of pertinent concepts, analytical theory, numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, and spacecraft observations. The role of self-similar self-focusing Langmuir envelope wave packets is emphasized, both in the Zakharov equation model for the wave dynamics and in a statistical theory based on this dynamical model.

Goldman, M. V.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Hydrodynamic models for novae with ejecta rich in oxygen, neon and magnesium

The characteristics of a new class of novae are identified and explained. This class consists of those objects that have been observed to eject material rich in oxygen, neon, magnesium, and aluminum at high velocities. We propose that for this class of novae the outburst is occurring not on a carbon-oxygen white dwarf but on an oxygen-neon-magnesium white dwarf which has evolved from a star which had a main sequence mass of approx. 8 solar masses to approx. 12 solar masses. An outburst was simulated by evolving 1.25 solar mass white dwarfs accreting hydrogen rich material at various rates. The effective enrichment of the envelope by ONeMg material from the core is simulated by enhancing oxygen in the accreted layers. The resulting evolutionary sequences can eject the entire accreted envelope plus core material at high velocities. They can also become super-Eddington at maximum bolometric luminosity. The expected frequency of such events (approx. 1/4) is in good agreement with the observed numbers of these novae.

Starrfield, S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The evaluation of the OSGLR algorithm for restructurable controls

The detection and isolation of commercial aircraft control surface and actuator failures using the orthogonal series generalized likelihood ratio (OSGLR) test was evaluated. The OSGLR algorithm was chosen as the most promising algorithm based on a preliminary evaluation of three failure detection and isolation (FDI) algorithms (the detection filter, the generalized likelihood ratio test, and the OSGLR test) and a survey of the literature. One difficulty of analytic FDI techniques and the OSGLR algorithm in particular is their sensitivity to modeling errors. Therefore, methods of improving the robustness of the algorithm were examined with the incorporation of age-weighting into the algorithm being the most effective approach, significantly reducing the sensitivity of the algorithm to modeling errors. The steady-state implementation of the algorithm based on a single cruise linear model was evaluated using a nonlinear simulation of a C-130 aircraft. A number of off-nominal no-failure flight conditions including maneuvers, nonzero flap deflections, different turbulence levels and steady winds were tested. Based on the no-failure decision functions produced by off-nominal flight conditions, the failure detection performance at the nominal flight condition was determined. The extension of the algorithm to a wider flight envelope by scheduling the linear models used by the algorithm on dynamic pressure and flap deflection was also considered. Since simply scheduling the linear models over the entire flight envelope is unlikely to be adequate, scheduling of the steady-state implentation of the algorithm was briefly investigated.

Bonnice, W. F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Flight test of a decoupler pylon for wing/store flutter suppression

The decoupler pylon is a NASA concept of passive wing-store flutter suppression achieved by providing a low store-pylon pitch frequency. Flight tests were performed on an F-16 aircraft carrying on each wing an AIM-9J wingtip missile, a GBU-8 bomb near midspan, and an external fuel tank. Baseline flights with the GBU-8 mounted on a standard pylon established that this configuration is characterized by an antisymmetric limited amplitude flutter oscillation within the operational envelope. The airplane was then flown with the GBU-8 mounted on the decoupler pylon. The decoupler pylon successfully suppressed wing-store flutter throughout the flight envelope. A 37-percent increase in flutter velocity over the standard pylon was demonstrated. Maneuvers with load factors to 4g were performed. Although the static store displacements during maneuvers were not sufficiently large to be of concern, a store pitch alignment system was tested and performed successfully. One GBU-8 was ejected demonstrating that weapon separation from the decoupler pylon is normal. Experience with the present decoupler pylon design indicated that friction in the pivoting mechanism could affect its proper functioning as a flutter suppressor.

Cazier, F. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Lithospheric strength of Ganymede: Clues to early thermal profiles from extensional tectonic features

While it is generally agreed that the strength of a planet's lithosphere is controlled by a combination of brittle sliding and ductile flow laws, predicting the geometry and initial characteristics of faults due to failure from stresses imposed on the lithospheric strength envelope has not been thoroughly explored. Researchers used lithospheric strength envelopes to analyze the extensional features found on Ganymede. This application provides a quantitative means of estimating early thermal profiles on Ganymede, thereby constraining its early thermal evolution.

Golombek, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Mission adaptive wing soars at NASA Facility

Research pilots have flown the Mission Adaptive Wing (MAW) aircraft, a highly modified F-111 jet fighter, from subsonic speeds up to Mach 1.4 in initial flight tests. The inital test flights are clearing the envelope with the wings flexed at various curvatures. This process allows further research data to be safely gathered so that designers of future variable camber wing aircraft have the best information possible. The altitude envelope was cleared from 27,500 down to 7,500 feet where denser air can cause more stress on the aircraft. Testing with the aircraft was conducted with wing sweep angles of 26 and 58 degrees. At the conclusion of the performance tests in the manual configuration, the system will be reconfigured for automatic mode tests. The limited automatic modes include maneuver camber control where the wings are deflected automatically to the best lift versus drag combination for a particular speed; cruise camber control which can help protect the aircraft from high G stresses; and maneuver enhancement/gust alleviation which is designed to improve the aircraft's up and down movement response to pilot commands and reduce the aircraft response to turbulence.

Rahn, D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Flight test of passive wing/store flutter suppression

Flight tests were performed on an F-16 airplane carrying on each wing an AIM-9J wingtip missile, a GBU-8 bomb near midspan, and an external fuel tank. Baseline flights with the GBU-8 mounted on a standard pylon established that this configuration is characterized by an antisymmetric limited amplitude flutter oscillation within the operational envelope. The airplane was then flown with GBU-8 mounted on the decoupler pylon. The decoupler pylon is a NASA concept of passive wing-store flutter suppression achieved by providing a low store-pylon pitch frequency. The decoupler pylon successfully suppressed wing-store flutter throughout the flight envelope. A 37 percent increase in flutter velocity over the standard pylon was demonstrated. Maneuvers with load factors to 4g were performed. Although the static store displacements during maneuvers were not sufficiently large to be of concern, a store pitch alignment system was tested and performed successfully. One GBU-8 was ejected demonstrating that weapon separation from the decoupler pylon is normal.

Cazier, F. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

On the behavior of hydromagnetic surface waves

The behavior of velocity, magnetic field, and pressure perturbations about a continuously varying interface in pressure equilibrium is investigated in detail within ideal incompressible magnetohydrodynamics. A specific initial value problem is solved in quadrature for a thin interface and compared with the solution for a discontinuous interface. The unattenuated surface wave about a discontinuous interface is replaced at a thin interface by a collective surface disturbance which decays, with the associated energy density flowing into local oscillations within the interface. At long times the envelope of the local oscillations is concentrated within a small fraction of the thin interface (gradients within the envelope increase linearly with time, eventually resulting in a breakdown of the linearized ideal theory). Thus, the derived decay rate of the surface disturbance gives a mode-conversion rate rather than a heating rate. In applications to the propagation and dissipation of surface waves in the solar corona, this rate cannot in general be interpreted as a coronal heating rate.

Lee, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Modeling of dust halo formation following comet outbursts Preliminary results

Evolution of gas and dust distributions following a spatially and temporally localized comet outburst was calculated using a hybrid kinetic - hydrodynamic method. It was found that a comet outburst resulted in significantly increased dust terminal velocities. As these higher terminal velocity values result in larger apex distances, therefore the outburst generates distinct dust envelopes in front of the regular dust coma. Such envelopes were observed at several comets (cf. comet Donati).

Gombosi, T. I.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Flight test of a decoupler pylon for wing/store flutter suppression

The decoupler pylon is a NASA concept of passive wing-store flutter suppression achieved by providing a low store-pylon pitch frequency. Flight tests where performed on an F-16 airplane carrying on each wing an AIM-9J wingtip missile, a GBU-8 bomb near midspan, and an external fuel tank. Baseline flights with the GBU-8 mounted on a standard pylon established that this configuration is characterized by an antisymmetric limited amplitude flutter oscillation within the operational envelope. The airplane was then flown with the GBU-8 mounted on the decoupler pylon. The decoupler pylon successfully suppressed wing-store flutter thoughout the flight envelope. A 37-percent increase in flutter velocity over the standard pylon was demonstrated. Maneuvers with load factors to 4g were performed. Although the static store displacements during maneuvers were not sufficiently large to be of concern, a store pitch alignment system was tested and performed successfully. One GBU-8 was ejected demonstrating that weapon separation from the decoupler pylon is normal. Experience with the present decoupler pylon design indicated that friction in the pivoting mechanism could affect its proper functioning as a flutter suppressor.

Cazier, F. W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Theories of mass loss from T Tauri stars

The available database on T Tauri stars is examined in order to develop criteria for modeling the physical processes occurring within and around pre-main sequence stars. Observational data on the temperature structures, mass loss rates, and mass motions in T Tauri envelopes are reviewed to form a basis for discussing the possible mechanisms for mass loss in the T Tauri objects. Analytical models are explored for thermally-driven, wave-driven and rotationally-driven winds. The possible interactions of the T Tauri stellar winds with processes occurring in the nearby FU Dri stars are noted, as is the necessity of momdeling physical processes such as turbulent velocity fields through accurate radiative transfer calculations in order to model the envelopes of the T Tauri stars.

Hartmann, L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Multiple star formation and the dynamical evolution of B335

The detection of a second high-velocity bipolar flow in the dark cloud B335 located in the diffuse envelope to the east of the core is reported. This flow has the same orientation as the first one. The visual extinction in the region between the redshifted and blueshifted lobes is less than or about 1 mag and is not coincident with a condensation. The flow is not associated with any known infrared source in the IRAS catalog. The new flow is about three times older than the first, and its energetics are somewhat smaller. The flows are aligned not only with each other but also with the long axis of the structure of B335 as outlined by CO maps, suggesting that magnetic fields have a role in guiding the flow. From the presence of multiple flows and the structure of the envelope, it is concluded that B335 is at the end of its starbearing life, rather than a young cloud beginning star formation, as previously supposed.

Langer, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Aircraft control surface failure detection and isolation using the OSGLR test

The performance of the orthogonal series generalized likelihood ratio (OSGLR) test in detecting and isolating commercial aircraft control surface and actuator failures is evaluated. A modification to incorporate age-weighting which significantly reduces the sensitivity of the algorithm to modeling errors is presented. The steady-state implementation of the algorithm based on a single linear model valid for a cruise flight condition is tested using a nonlinear aircraft simulation. A number of off-nominal no-failure flight conditions including maneuvers, nonzero flap deflections, different turbulence levels and steady winds were tested. Based on the no-failure decision functions produced by off-nominal flight conditions, the failure detection and isolation performance at the nominal flight condition was determined. The extension of the algorithm to a wider flight envelope by scheduling on dynamic pressure and flap deflection is examined. Based on this testing, the OSGLR algorithm should be capable of detecting control surface failures that would affect the safe operation of a commercial aircraft. Isolation may be difficult if there are several surfaces which produce similar effects on the aircraft. Extending the algorithm over the entire operating envelope of a commercial aircraft appears feasible.

Bonnice, W. F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Aircraft Seat Cushion Fire-Blocking Layers

229-page report describes work done to determine burning characteristics of present and proposed seat-cushion materials and types of construction. Tested cushions classified in four groups: standard cushion construction, standard cushion construction with protective covering enveloping urethane-foam core, standard cushion construction with protective covering enveloping non-fire-retarded urethane-foam core, and standard cushion construction with urethane-foam core replaced by advanced fire-resistant foam. Report includes still photographs and presents quantitative data from each test in graphs and tables.

Schutter, Kenneth J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Aircraft automatic-flight-control system with inversion of the model in the feed-forward path using a Newton-Raphson technique for the inversion

A new automatic flight control system concept suitable for aircraft with highly nonlinear aerodynamic and propulsion characteristics and which must operate over a wide flight envelope was investigated. This exact model follower inverts a complete nonlinear model of the aircraft as part of the feed-forward path. The inversion is accomplished by a Newton-Raphson trim of the model at each digital computer cycle time of 0.05 seconds. The combination of the inverse model and the actual aircraft in the feed-forward path alloys the translational and rotational regulators in the feedback path to be easily designed by linear methods. An explanation of the model inversion procedure is presented. An extensive set of simulation data for essentially the full flight envelope for a vertical attitude takeoff and landing aircraft (VATOL) is presented. These data demonstrate the successful, smooth, and precise control that can be achieved with this concept. The trajectory includes conventional flight from 200 to 900 ft/sec with path accelerations and decelerations, altitude changes of over 6000 ft and 2g and 3g turns. Vertical attitude maneuvering as a tail sitter along all axes is demonstrated. A transition trajectory from 200 ft/sec in conventional flight to stationary hover in the vertical attitude includes satisfactory operation through lift-cure slope reversal as attitude goes from horizontal to vertical at constant altitude. A vertical attitude takeoff from stationary hover to conventional flight is also demonstrated.

Smith, G. A.↗