Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “process damping”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

"Smart" Magnetic Fluids Experiment Operated on the International Space Station

InSPACE is a microgravity fluid physics experiment that was operated on the International Space Station (ISS) in the Microgravity Science Glovebox from late March 2003 through early July 2003. (InSPACE is an acronym for Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates From Colloidal Emulsions.) The purpose of the experiment is to obtain fundamental data of the complex properties of an exciting class of smart materials termed magnetorheological (MR) fluids. MR fluids are suspensions, or colloids, comprised of small (micrometer-sized) superparamagnetic particles in a nonmagnetic medium. Colloids are suspensions of very small particles suspended in a liquid. (Examples of other colloids are blood, milk, and paint.) These controllable fluids can quickly transition into a nearly solid state when exposed to a magnetic field and return to their original liquid state when the magnetic field is removed. Controlling the strength of the magnetic field can control the relative stiffness of these fluids. MR fluids can be used to improve or develop new seat suspensions, robotics, clutches, airplane landing gear, and vibration damping systems. The principal investigator for InSPACE is Professor Alice P. Gast of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The InSPACE hardware was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The InSPACE samples were delivered to the ISS in November 2002, on the Space Shuttle Endeavour, on Space Station Utilization Flight UF-2/STS113. Operations began on March 31, 2003, with the processing of three different particle size samples at multiple test parameters. This investigation focused on determining the structural organization of MR colloidal aggregates when exposed to a pulsing magnetic field. On Earth, the aggregates take the shape of footballs with spiky tips. This characteristic shape may be influenced by the pull of gravity, which causes most particles initially suspended in the fluid to sediment, (i.e., settle and collect at the bottom of the cell). In the absence of sedimentation effects on the ISS, the behavior and shape of these MR aggregate structures are dominated exclusively by magnetic and surface tension forces. The microscopic detail of these structures was imaged under two orthogonal camera views. The video was downlinked to the InSPACE team at Glenn's Telescience Support Center and to MIT and also recorded onboard the ISS on videotapes that will be brought back to the ground by the space shuttles. The study examined the effect on the structure formation by varying the magnetic field strength and pulse frequency, and particle size. Fundamental data that characterized the structure formation were obtained. InSPACE completed its last planned test run on July 2, 2003. Operations occurred on 21 days over approximately a 3-month period. Forty-one test points were completed during 26 test runs. During the initial testing, the procedures followed by the crew were modified to maximize the observation of some unexpected and interesting aggregate behavior. As a result Dr. Gast has reported on the formation of aggregate shapes that are more extended and diverse than those observed on the ground. Sheets of magnetic material folded over in a labyrinth pattern and large columnar aggregates with complex interfaces with the surrounding fluid are examples of the interesting structures that have been observed on the ISS. In light of these early findings, the understanding of the fundamental properties of MR fluids on the basis of ground-based observations may need to be reconsidered.The experiments on the ISS have provided a vast amount of video data for analysis. While this analysis is ongoing, plans are being made for additional experimental runs. For this purpose, additional hardware and cells containing samples of different magnetic particles and sizes are being fabricated for a future launch to the ISS. The InSPACE hardware will remain on orbit until this testing is completed.

Agui, Juan H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Flux-Pinning Mechanism for Segment Assembly and Alignment

Currently, the most compelling astrophysics questions include how planets and the first stars formed and whether there are protostellar disks that contain large organic molecules. Although answering these questions requires space telescopes with apertures of at least 10 meters, such large primaries are challenging to construct by scaling up previous designs; the limited capacity of a launch vehicle bounds the maximum diameter of a monolithic primary, and beyond a certain size, deployable telescopes cannot fit in current launch vehicle fairings. One potential solution is connecting the primary mirror segments edgewise using flux-pinning mechanisms, which are analogous to non-contacting damped springs. In the baseline design, a flux-pinning mechanism consists of a magnet and a superconductor separated by a predetermined gap, with the damping adjusted by placing aluminum near the interface. Since flux pinning is possible only when the superconductor is cooled below a critical temperature, flux-pinning mechanisms are uniquely suited for cryogenic space telescopes. By placing these mechanisms along the edges of the mirror segments, a primary can be built up over time. Since flux pinning requires no mechanical deployments, the assembly process could be robotic or use some other non-contacting scheme. Advantages of this approach include scalability and passive stability.

Gersh-Range, Jessica A.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Organofunctional Silane Modification of Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide Surfaces as a Route to Stabilization

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) is a low-temperature processed transparent conductive oxide (TCO) made of earth abundant elements; its applications are currently limited by instability to heat, moisture, and acidic conditions. We demonstrate that the application of an organofunctional silane modifier mitigates AZO degradation, and explore the interplay between performance and material composition and morphology. Specifically, we evaluate degradation of bare AZO and APTES (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane)-modified AZO in response to damp heat (DH, 85 °C, 85 % relative humidity) exposure over 1000 h, then demonstrate how surface modification impacts changes in electrical and optical properties, and chemical composition in one of the most thorough studies to date. Hall measurements show that the resistivity of AZO increases due to a decrease in electron mobility, with no commensurate change in carrier concentration. APTES decelerates this electrical degradation, without affecting AZO optical properties. Percent transmission and yellowness index of an ensemble of bare and modified AZO are stable upon DH exposure, but haze increases slightly for a discrete sample of modified AZO. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical profilometer (OP) measurements do not show evidence of pitting or delamination after 1000 h DH exposure, but indicate a slight increase in surface roughness on both the nanometer and micron length scales. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data (XPS) reveal that the surface composition of bare and silanized AZO is stable over this time frame; oxygen vacancies, as measured by XPS, are also stable with DH exposure, which, together with transmission and Hall measurements, indicate stable carrier concentrations. However, after 1500 h of DH exposure, only bare AZO shows signs of catastrophic destruction. Comparison of the data presented herein to previous reports indicates that the initial AZO composition and microstructure dictate the degradation profile. Furthermore, this work demonstrates that surface modification slows the bulk degradation of AZO, and provides insight into how the material can be more widely used as a transparent electrode in the next generation of optoelectronic devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

DETECTION OF PLASMA FLUCTUATIONS IN WHITE-LIGHT IMAGES OF THE OUTER SOLAR CORONA: INVESTIGATION OF THE SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL EVOLUTION

This work focuses on the first results from the identification and characterization of periodic plasma density fluctuations in the outer corona, observed in STEREO-A COR1 white-light image time series. A two-dimensional reconstruction of the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of the coronal fluctuation power has been performed over the whole plane of the sky, from 1.4 to 4.0 R{sub Sun }. The adopted diagnostic tool is based on wavelet transforms. This technique, with respect to the standard Fourier analysis, has the advantage of localizing non-persistent fluctuating features and exploring variations of the relating wavelet power in both space and time. The map of the variance of the coronal brightness clearly outlines intermittent spatially coherent fluctuating features, localized along, or adjacent to, the strongest magnetic field lines. In most cases, they do not correspond to the visible coronal structures in the brightness maps. The results obtained provide a scenario in which the solar corona shows quasi-periodic, non-stationary density variations characterized by a wide range of temporal and spatial scales and strongly confined by the magnetic field topology. In addition, structures fluctuating with larger power are larger in size and evolve more slowly. The characteristic periodicities of the fluctuations are comparable to their lifetimes. This suggests that plasma fluctuations lasting only one or two wave periods and initially characterized by a single dominant periodicity either rapidly decay into a turbulent mixed flow via nonlinear interactions with other plasma modes, or they are damped by thermal conduction. The periodic non-stationary coronal fluctuations outlined by the closed field lines at low and mid latitudes might be associated with the existence of slow standing magneto-acoustic waves excited by the convective supergranular motion. The fluctuating ray-like structures observed along open field lines appear to be linked either to the intermittent nature of the processes underlying the generation of magnetic reconnection in the polar regions or to the oscillatory transverse displacements of the coronal ray itself.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1992

The NASA/Industry Design Analysis Methods for Vibrations (DAMVIBS) Program - Boeing helicopters airframe finite element modeling

Finite-element modeling of the airframe vibration of the Army/Boeing CH-47D helicopter is conducted with comparisons to experimental data in an effort to improve the design process. A NASTRAN FEM is developed that is fully representative of the test configuration and includes the support fixture, shakers, and the aircraft/shaker suspension system. The analysis is conducted with specific attention given to the prediction of reasonable forced amplitudes throughout the airframe. Reasonable correlation is noted between the FEM and experimental results, although improved correlation can be obtained by including more accurate damping values and secondary effects such as stringer shear loading. It is shown that the general stress model does not provide an adequate dynamic analysis on which to base design improvements. A more detailed model is required that emphasizes highly detailed helicopter elements and employs a finer mesh particularly in the description of the mass distribution.

Gabel, R.↗
NASA NTRS1995

System Identification of Damped Truss-Like Space Structures

A spacecraft payload flown on a launch vehicle experiences dynamic loads. The dynamic loads are caused by various phenomena ranging from the start-up of the launch vehicle engine to wind gusts. A spacecraft payload should be designed to meet launch vehicle dynamic loads. One of the major steps taken towards determining the dynamic loads is to correlate the finite element model of the spacecraft with the test results of a modal survey test. A test-verified finite element model of the spacecraft should possess the same spatial properties (stiffness, mass, and damping) and modal properties (frequencies and mode shapes) as the test hardware representing the spacecraft. The test-verified and correlated finite element model of the spacecraft is then coupled with the finite element model of the launch vehicle for analysis of loads and stress. Modal survey testing, verification of a finite element model, and modification of the finite element model to match the modal survey test results can easily be accomplished if the spacecraft structure is simple. However, this is rarely the case. A simple structure here is defined as a structure where the influence of nonlinearity between force and displacement (uncertainty in a test, for example, with errors in input and output), and the influence of damping (structural, coulomb, and viscous) are not pronounced. The objective of this study is to develop system identification and correlation methods with the focus on the structural systems that possess nonproportional damping. Two approaches to correct the nonproportional damping matrix of a truss structure were studied, and have been implemented on truss-like structures such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's space station truss. The results of this study showed nearly 100 percent improvement of the correlated eigensystem over the analytical eigensystem. The first method showed excellent results with up to three modes used in the system identification process. The second method could handle more modes, but required more computer usage time, and the results were less accurate than those of the first method.

Armand, Sasan↗
DOE OSTI2016

Insights from a refined decomposition of cloud feedbacks

Decomposing cloud feedback into components due to changes in several gross cloud properties provides valuable insights into its physical causes. Here we present a refined decomposition that separately considers changes in free tropospheric and low cloud properties, better connecting feedbacks to individual governing processes and avoiding ambiguities present in a commonly used decomposition. It reveals that three net cloud feedback components are robustly nonzero: positive feedbacks from increasing free tropospheric cloud altitude and decreasing low cloud cover and a negative feedback from increasing low cloud optical depth. Low cloud amount feedback is the dominant contributor to spread in net cloud feedback but its anticorrelation with other components damps overall spread. Furthermore, the ensemble mean free tropospheric cloud altitude feedback is roughly 60% as large as the standard cloud altitude feedback because it avoids aliasing in low cloud reductions. Implications for the “null hypothesis” climate sensitivity from well-understood and robustly simulated feedbacks are discussed.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Nonequilibrium dynamics of superconductivity in the attractive Hubbard model

We present a framework of semiclassical superconductivity (SC) dynamics that properly includes effects of spatial fluctuations for the attractive Hubbard model. We consider both coherent and adiabatic limits. To model the coherent SC dynamics, we develop a real-space von Neumann equation based on the time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. Applying our method to interaction quenches in the negative- U Hubbard model, we show that the relaxation of SC order at weak coupling is dominated by Landau-damping. At strong coupling, we find a two-stage relaxation of the pairing field: a collapse of the synchronized oscillation of Cooper pairs due to spatial inhomogeneity, followed by a slow relaxation to a quasistationary state. SC dynamics in the adiabatic limit is described by a quantum Landau-Lifshitz equation with Ginzburg-Landau relaxation. Numerical simulations of the pump-probe process show that long-time recovery of the pairing field is dominated by defect dynamics. Here, our results demonstrate the important role of spatial fluctuations in both limits.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Revisiting stochastic variability of AGNs with structure functions

Discrepancies between reported structure function (SF) slopes and their overall flatness as compared to the expectations from the damped random walk (DRW) model, which generally well describes the variability of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), have triggered us to study this problem in detail. We review common AGN variability observables and identify their most common problems. Equipped with this knowledge, we study ∼9000 r-band AGN light curves from Stripe 82 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, using SFs described by stochastic processes with the power exponential covariance matrix of the signal. We model the “subensemble” SFs in the redshift–absolute magnitude bins with the full SF equation (including the turnover and the noise part) and a single power law (SPL; in the “red noise regime” after subtracting the noise term). The distribution of full-equation SF (SPL) slopes peaks at γ=0.55±0.08 (0.52 ± 0.06) and is consistent with the DRW model. There is a hint of a weak correlation of γ with the luminosity and a lack of correlation with the black hole mass. The typical decorrelation timescale in the optical is τ=0.97±0.46 year. The SF amplitude at one year obtained from the SPL fitting is SF{sub 0}=0.22±0.06 mag and is overestimated because the SF is already at the turnover part, so the true value is SF{sub 0}=0.20±0.06 mag. The asymptotic variability is SF{sub ∞}=0.25±0.06 mag. It is strongly anticorrelated with both the luminosity and the Eddington ratio and is correlated with the black hole mass. The reliability of these results is fortified with Monte Carlo simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Experimental Study of RF Pulsed Heating

Cyclic thermal stresses produced by rf pulsed heating can be the limiting factor on the attainable reliable gradients for room temperature linear accelerators. This is especially true for structures that have complicated features for wakefield damping. These limits could be pushed higher by using special types of copper, copper alloys, or other conducting metals in constructing partial or complete accelerator structures. Here we present an experimental study aimed at determining the potential of these materials for tolerating cyclic thermal fatigue due to rf magnetic fields. A special cavity that has no electric field on the surface was employed in these studies. The cavity shape concentrates the magnetic field on one flat surface where the test material is placed. The materials tested in this study have included oxygen free electronic grade copper, copper zirconium, copper chromium, hot isostatically pressed copper, single crystal copper, electroplated copper, Glidcop(reg. sign), copper silver, and silver plated copper. The samples were exposed to different machining and heat treatment processes prior to rf processing. Each sample was tested to a peak pulsed heating temperature of approximately 110 C and remained at this temperature for approximately 10 x 10 6 rf pulses. In general, the results showed the possibility of pushing the gradient limits due to pulsed heating fatigue by the use of copper zirconium and copper chromium alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Deep Optical Switching on Subpicosecond Timescales in an Amorphous Ge Metamaterial

Active nanostructured optical components show promise as potential building blocks for novel light-based computing and data processing architectures. However, nanoscale all-optical switches that have low activation powers and high-contrast ultrafast switching have been elusive so far. Here, pump–probe measurements performed on amorphous-Ge-based micro-resonator metasurfaces that exhibit strong resonant modes in the mid-infrared are reported. Relative change is observed in transmittance of ΔT/T ≈ 1 with picosecond (down to τ ≈ 0.5 ps) free carrier relaxation rates, obtained with very low pump fluences of 50 μJ cm –2 . In this work, these observations are attributed to efficient free carrier promotion, affecting light transmittance via high quality-factor optical resonances, followed by an increased electron–phonon scattering of free carriers due to the amorphous crystal structure of Ge. Full-wave simulations based on a permittivity model that describes free-carrier damping through crystal structure disorder find excellent agreement with the experimental data. These findings offer an efficient and robust platform for all-optical switching at the nanoscale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effects of wave damping and finite perpendicular scale on three-dimensional Alfvén wave parametric decay in low-beta plasmas

Shear Alfvén wave parametric decay instability (PDI) provides a potential path toward significant wave dissipation and plasma heating. However, fundamental questions regarding how PDI is excited in a realistic three-dimensional (3D) open system and how the finite perpendicular wave scale—as found in both laboratory and space plasmas—affects the excitation remain poorly understood. Here, we present the first 3D, open-boundary, hybrid kinetic-fluid simulations of kinetic Alfvén wave PDI in low-beta plasmas. Key findings are that the PDI excitation is strongly limited by the wave damping present, including electron–ion collisional damping (represented by a constant resistivity) and geometrical attenuation associated with the finite-scale Alfvén wave, and ion Landau damping of the child acoustic wave. The perpendicular wave scale alone, however, plays no discernible role: waves of different perpendicular scales exhibit similar instability excitation as long as the magnitude of the parallel ponderomotive force remains unchanged. These findings are corroborated by theoretical analysis and estimates. This new understanding of 3D kinetic Alfvén wave PDI physics is essential for laboratory study of the basic plasma process and may also aid future evaluation of the relevance/role of PDI in low-beta space plasma.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Model-based approach to investigate equipment-induced error in pressure-waveform derived hemodynamic measurements

Advanced hemodynamic monitoring systems have provided less invasive methods for estimating pressure-derived measurements such as pressure-derived cardiac output (CO) measurements. These devices apply algorithms to arterial pressure waveforms recorded via pressure recording components that transmit the pressure signal to a pressure monitor. While standards have been developed for pressure monitoring equipment, it is unclear how the equipment-induced error can affect secondary measurements from pressure waveforms. We propose an approach for modelling different components of a pressure monitoring system and use this model-based approach to investigate the effect of different pressure recording configurations on pressure-derived hemodynamic measurements. The proposed model-based approach is a three-step process. (1) Modelling the response of pressure recording components using bench tests; (2) verifying the identified models through nonparametric equivalence tests; and (3) assessing the effects of pressure recording components on pressure-derived measurements. To delineate the application of this approach, we performed a series of model-based analyses to quantify the combined effect of a wide range of tubing configurations with various damping ratios and natural frequencies and monitors with different bandwidths on pressure waveforms and CO measurements by six pulse contour algorithms. Model-based results show the error in pressure-derived CO measurements because of tubing configurations with different natural frequencies and damping ratios. Tubing configurations with low natural frequencies (<23 Hz) altered characteristics of pressure waveforms in a way that affected the CO measurement, some by as much as 20%. Our method can serve as a tool to quantify the performance of pressure recording systems with different dynamic properties. In conclusion, this approach can be applied to investigate the effects of physiologic signal recording configurations on various pressure-derived hemodynamic measurements.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Langevin dynamics of generalized spins as SU( N ) coherent states

Classical models of spin systems traditionally retain only the dipole moments, but a quantum spin state will frequently have additional structure. Spins of magnitude S have N = 2⁢S + 1 levels. Alternatively, the spin state is fully characterized by a set of N 2 - 1 local physical observables, which we interpret as generalized spin components. For example, a spin with S = 1 has three dipole components and five quadrupole components. Further, these components evolve under a generalization of the classical Landau-Lifshitz dynamics, which can be extended with noise and damping terms. In this paper, we reformulate the dynamical equations of motion as a Langevin dynamics of SU(N) coherent states in the Schrödinger picture. This viewpoint is especially useful as the basis for an efficient numerical method to sample spin configurations in thermal equilibrium and to simulate the relaxation and driven motion of topological solitons. To illustrate the approach, we simulate a nonequilibrium relaxation process that creates CP 2 skyrmions, which are topological defects with both dipole and quadrupole character.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRS1987

Active vibration control in microgravity environment

An active control process to reduce vibration transmitted from the Space Station structure to the vibration sensitive payload is evaluated. A low-friction air-bearing table is used to approximate zero gravity in the horizontal plane. An analog control system is described which activates calibrated air jets when displacement of the test mass is sensed. The air jet control system is found to introduce an effective damping factor in controlling the oscillatory response. The air-jet control system is designed such that the thrust force produces less than 10 to the -5th g acceleration of the payload. An analytical model has verified the amount of damping in addition to flow parameters such as the pressure drop across the valve and the air flow rate.

Gerhold, C. H.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Single impacts of keV fullerene ions on free standing graphene: Emission of ions and electrons from confined volume

We present the first data from individual C{sub 60} impacting one to four layer graphene at 25 and 50 keV. Negative secondary ions and electrons emitted in transmission were recorded separately from each impact. The yields for C{sub n}{sup −} clusters are above 10% for n ≤ 4, they oscillate with electron affinities and decrease exponentially with n. The result can be explained with the aid of MD simulation as a post-collision process where sufficient vibrational energy is accumulated around the rim of the impact hole for sputtering of carbon clusters. The ionization probability can be estimated by comparing experimental yields of C{sub n}{sup −} with those of C{sub n}{sup 0} from MD simulation, where it increases exponentially with n. The ionization probability can be approximated with ejecta from a thermally excited (3700 K) rim damped by cluster fragmentation and electron detachment. The experimental electron probability distributions are Poisson-like. On average, three electrons of thermal energies are emitted per impact. The thermal excitation model invoked for C{sub n}{sup −} emission can also explain the emission of electrons. The interaction of C{sub 60} with graphene is fundamentally different from impacts on 3D targets. A key characteristic is the high degree of ionization of the ejecta.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

High-contrast imaging with an arbitrary aperture: Active compensation of aperture discontinuities

We present a new method to achieve high-contrast images using segmented and/or on-axis telescopes. Our approach relies on using two sequential deformable mirrors (DMs) to compensate for the large amplitude excursions in the telescope aperture due to secondary support structures and/or segment gaps. In this configuration the parameter landscape of DM surfaces that yield high-contrast point-spread functions is not linear, and nonlinear methods are needed to find the true minimum in the optimization topology. We solve the highly nonlinear Monge-Ampere equation that is the fundamental equation describing the physics of phase-induced amplitude modulation. We determine the optimum configuration for our two sequential DM system and show that high-throughput and high-contrast solutions can be achieved using realistic surface deformations that are accessible using existing technologies. We name this process Active Compensation of Aperture Discontinuities (ACAD). We show that for geometries similar to the James Webb Space Telescope, ACAD can attain at least 10{sup –7} in contrast and an order of magnitude higher for both the future extremely large telescopes and on-axis architectures reminiscent of the Hubble Space Telescope. We show that the converging nonlinear mappings resulting from our DM shapes actually damp near-field diffraction artifacts in the vicinity of the discontinuities. Thus, ACAD actually lowers the chromatic ringing due to diffraction by segment gaps and struts while not amplifying the diffraction at the aperture edges beyond the Fresnel regime. This outer Fresnel ringing can be mitigated by properly designing the optical system. Consequently, ACAD is a true broadband solution to the problem of high-contrast imaging with segmented and/or on-axis apertures. We finally show that once the nonlinear solution is found, fine tuning with linear methods used in wavefront control can be applied to further contrast by another order of magnitude. Generally speaking, the ACAD technique can be used to significantly improve a broad class of telescope designs for a variety of problems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗