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58 records · Page 4

Computational Modeling and Experimental Characterization of Martensitic Transformations in Nicoal for Self-Sensing Materials

Fundamental changes to aero-vehicle management require the utilization of automated health monitoring of vehicle structural components. A novel method is the use of self-sensing materials, which contain embedded sensory particles (SP). SPs are micron-sized pieces of shape-memory alloy that undergo transformation when the local strain reaches a prescribed threshold. The transformation is a result of a spontaneous rearrangement of the atoms in the crystal lattice under intensified stress near damaged locations, generating acoustic waves of a specific spectrum that can be detected by a suitably placed sensor. The sensitivity of the method depends on the strength of the emitted signal and its propagation through the material. To study the transition behavior of the sensory particle inside a metal matrix under load, a simulation approach based on a coupled atomistic-continuum model is used. The simulation results indicate a strong dependence of the particle's pseudoelastic response on its crystallographic orientation with respect to the loading direction and suggest possible ways of optimizing particle sensitivity. The technology of embedded sensory particles will serve as the key element in an autonomous structural health monitoring system that will constantly monitor for damage initiation in service, which will enable quick detection of unforeseen damage initiation in real-time and during onground inspections.

Wallace, T. A.↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-13664-DND

The safety of aerospace vehicles is largely dependent on the ability of modern non-destructive evaluation (NDE) tools to accurately detect structural damage before a critical flaw size is reached. However, existing NDE technologies are inherently limited by the physical response of the materials being inspected making the detection of small cracks or pre-crack damage difficult. One innovative solution to this problem is to create a multifunctional metallic material that can be used in structural applications and contains second phase sensory particles that significantly enhance the ability of conventional NDE techniques to detect incipient damage during use and at regularly scheduled inspections. Ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys (FSMAs) are an ideal material for use as this second phase material as they undergo a uniform and repeatable change in both magnetic properties and crystallographic structure when strained. These changes are more readily detected than small cracks, thereby, allowing for enhanced detection of damage by conventional NDE techniques. In this study, a multifunctional metallic material was produced by embedding the sensory material particles within an aluminum alloy to form a sensory alloy. The NDE response of the FSMA and the sensory alloy during tension/compression and fatigue loading have been investigated. These results suggest that sensory alloys can be utilized for improved on-board structural health monitoring and to improve the accuracy and reduce time for ground-based inspection.

T. A. Wallace↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-17800-DND

Currently, there are two national challenge problems that guide much of the research in durability and damage tolerance at NASA Langley. The first, Airframe Digital Twin, is a concept that combines as-built vehicle components, as-experienced loads and environments, and other vehicle-specific characteristics to enable ultrahigh fidelity modeling of aircraft and spacecraft throughout their service lives. The second, Materials Genome Initiative, is an analog to the Human Genome Project, and is intended to improve the rate at which materials scientists can discover, understand fundamental physics, and improve material systems. This presentation will highlight several research projects ongoing at NASA Langley that are in support of the above challenge problems. Two of those topics will be the subject of detailed discussion. First, investigations of microstructurally-small fatigue cracking (MSFC) in Al-2Cu and Al-4Cu, fabricated in-house, will be presented. Single- and oligo-crystals of Al-Cu specimens were loaded in uniaxial fatigue, while high-resolution in-situ measurements of deformation were made using image correlation (IC) in a scanning-electron microscope (SEM). The Al-Cu specimens were then replicated as crystal plasticity finite element models (CPFEM), where evolution of slip localization near grain boundaries was computed. Comparison among experiment and CPFEM is made. In addition, XRay diffraction measurements of the as-fabricated specimens were carried out, where direct measurements of the embedded copper precipitates were made, and their influence on growing MSFCs were directly observed. The second main topic will illustrate ongoing work in the area of so-called damage-sensing particles. In this work, shape-memory alloys are embedded in an aluminum alloy matrix. Upon the propagation of a fatigue crack, these particles undergo a strain-induced phase transformation which is detected using an acoustic sensor, providing real-time information on propagating cracks. Experiments and simulations regarding the development of this system will also be detailed.

Jacob Hochhalter↗

Overview of Aeroacoustic Testing of the High-Lift Common Research Model

This paper presents an overview of the experimental data obtained in a 2020/2021 aeroacoustic test of the high-lift variant of the common research model. The breadth of the aerodynamic and acoustic measurements is highlighted along with some key results. Aerodynamic data were observed to be consistent with previous observations, and the acoustic measurements were repeatable once some background noise and shear layer issues were resolved. The primary purpose of the test was to evaluate the noise reduction potential of slat noise reduction devices, and a slat-gap filler was found to produce substantial noise reduction over a broad frequency range. The gap filler was designed to meet practical implementation considerations at full scale and constructed out of shape-memory alloys that would allow the slat to be articulated. However, additional structural testing will be required to demonstrate the performance of the gap filler during slat deployment and retraction. Over 3,500 test points were collected during the test, and only a small fraction of the experimental data has been processed in a preliminary manner. Nonetheless, the results presented demonstrate the quality of the dataset and reveal some insights about slat noise.

Aeroacoustics↗