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At least 757 records · Page 42

Damage Arresting Composites for Shaped Vehicles - Phase II Final Report

This report describes the development of a novel structural concept, Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS), that addresses the demanding fuselage loading requirements for the Hybrid Wing or Blended Wing Body (BWB) airplane configuration. In addition to the analytical studies, a three specimen test program was also completed to assess the concept under axial tension loading, axial compression loading, and internal pressure loading.

Velicki, Alex↗

Development of a numerical procedure to map a general 3-d body onto a near-circle

Conformal mapping is a classical technique utilized for solving problems in aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. Conformal mapping is utilized in the construction of grids around airfoils, engine inlets and other aircraft configurations. These shapes are transformed onto a near-circle image for which the equations of fluid motion are discretized on the mapped plane and solved numerically by utilizing the appropriate techniques. In comparison to other grid-generation techniques such as algerbraic or differential type, conformal mapping offers an analytical and accurate form even if the grid deformation is large. One of the most appealing features is that the grid can be constrained to remain orthogonal to the body after the transformation. Hence, the grid is suitable for analyzing the supersonic flow past a blunt object. The associated shock as a coordinate surface adjusts its position in the course of computation until convergence is reached. The present work applied conformal mapping to 3-D bodies with no axis of symmetry such as the Aerobraking Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle, transforming the AFE shape onto a near-circle image. A numerical procedure and code are used to generate grids around the AFE body.

Hommel, M. J.↗

Quantifying the Influence of Size, Shape, and Density of Microplastics on Their Transport Modes: A Modeling Approach

Microplastics (MPs) pose significant risks to marine ecosystems and human health, necessitating accurate predictions of their distributions in aquatic environments for effective risk mitigation. However, understanding MP transport dynamics is challenging because of the inadequate representation of MP characteristics such as size, shape, and density in numerical models. Further, the accuracy of the MP vertical profiles in existing models has not been thoroughly validated. Thus, we developed an MP transport model within the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model framework (FVCOM-MP) by integrating MP characteristics. We validated FVCOM-MP against experimental and analytical data, focusing on various MP transport modes and transitions. FVCOM-MP successfully replicates MP profiles in different transport modes, including the bedload, surface-load, suspended-load, and mixed-load modes. Additionally, we introduce phase diagrams for classifying MP transport modes based on particle characteristics, enhancing our understanding of MP dynamics in aquatic systems. The transport modes for a number of real-world MP particles, including fishing line, plastic bag/bottle fragments, synthetic fibers, tire wear particles, polyvinyl chloride and expanded polystyrene pellets, were analyzed with these phase diagrams.

Microplastic transport, Settling velocity, Rising ↗

Hairlike Percutaneous Photochemical Sensors

Instrumentation systems based on hairlike fiber-optic photochemical sensors have been proposed as minimally invasive means of detecting biochemicals associated with cancer and other diseases. The fiber-optic sensors could be mass-produced as inexpensive, disposable components. The sensory tip of a fiber-optic sensor would be injected through the patient's skin into subcutaneous tissue. A biosensing material on the sensory tip would bind or otherwise react with the biochemical(s) of interest [the analyte(s)] to produce a change in optical properties that would be measured by use of an external photonic analyzer. After use, a fiber-optic sensor could be simply removed by plucking it out with tweezers. A fiber-optic sensor according to the proposal would be of the approximate size and shape of a human hair, and its sensory tip would resemble a follicle. Once inserted into a patient's subcutaneous tissue, the sensor would even more closely resemble a hair growing from a follicle (see Figure 1). The biosensing material on the sensory tip could consist of a chemical and/or cells cultured and modified for the purpose. The biosensing material would be contained within a membrane that would cover the tip. If the membrane were not permeable by an analyte, then it would be necessary to create pores in the membrane that would be large enough to allow analyte molecules to diffuse to the biosensing material, but not so large as to allow cells (if present as part of the biosensing material) to diffuse out. The end of the fiber-optic sensor opposite the sensory tip would be inserted in a fiberoptic socket in the photonic analyzer.

George, Thomas↗

Supersonic flow development in slotted wind tunnels

The development of test section slot shapes for achieving smooth supersonic Mach number distribution without overexpansion or waviness has, in the past, been largely an experimentally iterative or 'cutand try' procedure for each wind tunnel. To overcome the obvious disadvantages of time and expense involved in such an experimental approach, a simple analytical method has been developed to predict the supersonic flow development in a two-dimensional slotted tunnel given only the variation of open area ratio with downstream distance and the Mach number corresponding to the plenum static pressure. The well known method of characteristics is used with the constraint that it be compatible with the quadratic cross-flow pressure drop boundary condition at the slotted wall. The predicted results from this method agree remarkably well with the experimental calibration data available for some of the existing facilities. The flow mechanism responsible for causing overexpansion in the centerline Mach number distribution with some slot shapes has been brought to light.

Ramaswamy, M. A.↗

iSPECTRON: a simulation interface for linear and nonlinear spectra with ab-initio quantum chemistry software

We introduce iSPECTRON, an open source (under the Educational Community License version 2.0) program that parses data from common quantum chemistry software (NWChem, OpenMolcas, Gaussian, Cobramm, etc.), produces the input files for the simulation of linear and nonlinear spectroscopy of molecules with the Spectron code, and analyzes the spectra with a broad range of tools. Vibronic spectra are expressed in term of the electronic eigenstates, obtained through quantum chemistry computations, and vibrational/bath effects are incorporated in the framework of the displaced harmonic oscillator model, where all required quantities are computed at the Franck-Condon point. The code capabilities are illustrated by simulating linear absorption, transient absorption and two dimensional electronic spectra of the pyrene molecule. Two levels of electronic structure theory, TDDFT (with NWChem) and RASSCF/RASPT2 (with OpenMolcas), are compared where possible. Acknowledgements: F.S., A.N., D.R.N., N.G., S.M, M.G. acknowledge support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division under Award Nos. DE-SC0019484, KC-030103172684. The Spectron code was developed with support from the National Science Foundation (Grant CHE- 1953045). This research benefited from computational resources provided by EMSL, a DOE Office of Science User Facility sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at PNNL. PNNL is operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the United States Department of Energy under DOE Contract No. DE-AC05-76RL1830.

Segatta, Francesco↗

The j and k dependencies of the line coupling and line mixing effects: Theoretical studies of the relaxation matrices of N 2 -broadened CH 3 D

Line coupling and line mixing effects in parallel and perpendicular bands of CH 3 D perturbed by N 2 have been studied. The work focuses on exhibiting the j and k dependencies of these two processes. The calculations were based on a previously reported anisotropic intermolecular potential including both the long-range multipole, induction, and dispersion forces and a short-range atom-atom model. Throughout this work, it is shown that components with L 1 = 3 of the atom-atom model are dominant contributions to the diffusion operator. As a consequence, in comparison with other molecular systems such as the CH 3 Cl-N 2 and CH 3 I-N 2 , theoretically predicted line coupling and line mixing effects exhibit completely new j and k dependencies. In general, the theoretically calculated halfwidths and intra-doublets’ off-diagonal elements of the relaxation matrix are in reasonable agreement with measurements.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Origin of circular dichroism in resonant elastic x-ray scattering from magnetic and polar chiral structures

Circular dichroism in resonant elastic x-ray scattering (CD-REXS) has recently been observed in chiral structures composed of multiferroic materials as well as magnetic moments or electric polarization vectors. In order to comprehensively understand the experimental results of these previous studies, we present here in detail the analytical formulation of CD-REXS for one-dimensional helices composed of magnetic moments and electric polarization vectors, respectively. In particular, by comparing CD-REXS for a proper-screw-shaped Bloch-type helix and cycloid-shaped Néel-type helix, we found that CD-REXS for both magnetic and polar helices can discriminate between both types of helices. We also found that the x-ray polarization factor depending on the scattering geometry is a significant factor in determining the characteristics of CD-REXS for chiral structures. The results obtained from the detailed formulas can be intuitively understood using the concept of mirror reflection. In particular, in this way it can be understood that Bloch- and Néel-type helices correspond to truly chiral and achiral structures, respectively, and why CD-REXS is able to distinguish between these two types of helices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Vortex Cores in Narrow Thin-Film Strips

In this work, we study vortex current distributions in narrow thin-film superconducting strips with the help of analytic expression of the vortex current derived within the London theory. Using definition of the vortex core “boundary” as a curve where the current reaches the depairing value, vortex core size and shape are estimated as a function of vortex position in the strip. We show that the core size near the strip edges is smaller than in the rest of the strip, indicating that the Bardeen–Stephen flux-flow resistivity should be reduced near the edges. Moreover, at elevated temperatures, when the depairing current is small, the vortex core may extend to the whole strip width, thus turning into an edge-to-edge phase-slip line.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Symbolic manipulation techniques for vibration analysis of laminated elliptic plates

A computational scheme is presented for the free vibration analysis of laminated composite elliptic plates. The scheme is based on Hamilton's principle, the Rayleigh-Ritz technique and symmetry considerations and is implemented with the aid of the MACSYMA symbolic manipulation system. The MACYSMA system, through differentiation, integration, and simplification of analytic expressions, produces highly-efficient FORTRAN code for the evaluation of the stiffness and mass coefficients. Multiple use is made of this code to obtain not only the frequencies and mode shapes of the plate, but also the derivatives of the frequencies with respect to various material and geometric parameters.

Andersen, C. M.↗

Was the Big Bang hot?

Techniques for verifying the spectrum defined by Woody and Richards (WR, 1981), which serves as a base for dust-distorted models of the 3 K background, are discussed. WR detected a sharp deviation from the Planck curve in the 3 K background. The absolute intensity of the background may be determined by the frequency dependence of the dipole anisotropy of the background or the frequency dependence effect in galactic clusters. Both methods involve the Doppler shift; analytical formulae are defined for characterization of the dipole anisotropy. The measurement of the 30-300 GHz spectra of cold galactic dust may reveal the presence of significant amounts of needle-shaped grains, which would in turn support a theory of a cold Big Bang.

Wright, E. L.↗

Trajectory fitting in function space with application to analytic modeling of surfaces

A theory for representing a parameter-dependent function as a function trajectory is described. Additionally, a theory for determining a piecewise analytic fit to the trajectory is described. An example is given that illustrates the application of the theory to generating a smooth surface through a discrete set of input cross-section shapes. A simple procedure for smoothing in the parameter direction is discussed, and a computed example is given. Application of the theory to aerodynamic surface modeling is demonstrated by applying it to a blended wing-fuselage surface.

Barger, Raymond L.↗

Modal identification experiment

The Modal Identification Experiment (MIE) is a proposed on-orbit experiment being developed by NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology wherein a series of vibration measurements would be made on various configurations of Space Station Freedom (SSF) during its on-orbit assembly phase. The experiment is to be conducted in conjunction with station reboost operations and consists of measuring the dynamic responses of the spacecraft produced by station-based attitude control system and reboost thrusters, recording and transmitting the data, and processing the data on the ground to identify the natural frequencies, damping factors, and shapes of significant vibratory modes. The experiment would likely be a part of the Space Station on-orbit verification. Basic research objectives of MIE are to evaluate and improve methods for analytically modeling large space structures, to develop techniques for performing in-space modal testing, and to validate candidate techniques for in-space modal identification. From an engineering point of view, MIE will provide the first opportunity to obtain vibration data for the fully-assembled structure because SSF is too large and too flexible to be tested as a single unit on the ground. Such full-system data is essential for validating the analytical model of SSF which would be used in any engineering efforts associated with structural or control system changes that might be made to the station as missions evolve over time. Extensive analytical simulations of on-orbit tests, as well exploratory laboratory simulations using small-scale models, have been conducted in-house and under contract to develop a measurement plan and evaluate its potential performance. In particular, performance trade and parametric studies conducted as part of these simulations were used to resolve issues related to the number and location of the measurements, the type of excitation, data acquisition and data processing, effects of noise and nonlinearities, selection of target vibration modes, and the appropriate type of data analysis scheme. The purpose of this talk is to provide an executive-summary-type overview of the modal identification experiment which has emerged from the conceptual design studies conducted to-date. Emphasis throughout is on those aspects of the experiment which should be of interest to those attending the subject utilization conference. The presentation begins with some preparatory remarks to provide background and motivation for the experiment, describe the experiment in general terms, and cite the specific technical objectives. This is followed by a summary of the major results of the conceptual design studies conducted to define the baseline experiment. The baseline experiment which has resulted from the studies is then described.

Kvaternik, Raymond G.↗

Strength evaluation of socket joints

This report documents the development of a set of equations that can be used to provide a relatively simple solution for identifying the strength of socket joints and for most cases avoid the need of more lengthy analyses. The analytical approach was verified by comparison of the contact load distributions to results obtained from a finite element analysis. The contacting surfaces for the specific joint in this analysis are in the shape of frustrums of a cone and are representative of the tapered surfaces in the socket-type joints used to join segments of model support systems for wind tunnels. The results are in the form of equations that can be used to determine the contact loads and stresses in the joint from the given geometry and externally applied loads. Equations were determined to define the bending moments and stresses along the length of the joints based on strength and materials principles. The results have also been programmed for a personal computer and a copy of the program is included.

Rash, Larry C.↗

Stagnation Flow in Streamer Boundaries

It is possible for flow tubes adjacent to closed magnetic field lines on the boundaries of streamers to have spreading factors that change rapidly according to height. Mathematical models in this thin layer are prone to uncertainties. In this paper we use an analytical model of magnetically closed and adjacent open regions to calculate the spreading factor close to the closed field lines and near the flow on the open field lines. We recovered the shape of the closed field region, or helmet, and show the evolution of the helmet under increasing temperature. We also show why and when stagnation flow can occur in the area of the cusp at the top of the helmet.

Suess, S. T.↗

Stress Analysis of Composite Cylindrical Shells With an Elliptical Cutout

A special-purpose, semi-analytical solution method for determining the stress and deformation fields in a thin laminated-composite cylindrical shell with an elliptical cutout is presented. The analysis includes the effects of cutout size, shape, and orientation; nonuniform wall thickness; oval-cross-section eccentricity; and loading conditions. The loading conditions include uniform tension, uniform torsion, and pure bending. The analysis approach is based on the principle of stationary potential energy and uses Lagrange multipliers to relax the kinematic admissibility requirements on the displacement representations through the use of idealized elastic edge restraints. Specifying appropriate stiffness values for the elastic extensional and rotational edge restraints (springs) allows the imposition of the kinematic boundary conditions in an indirect manner, which enables the use of a broader set of functions for representing the displacement fields. Selected results of parametric studies are presented for several geometric parameters that demonstrate that analysis approach is a powerful means for developing design criteria for laminated-composite shells.

Nemeth, M. P.↗

The Influence of Roughness on Gear Surface Fatigue

Gear working surfaces are subjected to repeated rolling and sliding contacts, and often designs require loads sufficient to cause eventual fatigue of the surface. This research provides experimental data and analytical tools to further the understanding of the causal relationship of gear surface roughness to surface fatigue. The research included evaluations and developments of statistical tools for gear fatigue data, experimental evaluation of the surface fatigue lives of superfinished gears with a near-mirror quality, and evaluations of the experiments by analytical methods and surface inspections. Alternative statistical methods were evaluated using Monte Carlo studies leading to a final recommendation to describe gear fatigue data using a Weibull distribution, maximum likelihood estimates of shape and scale parameters, and a presumed zero-valued location parameter. A new method was developed for comparing two datasets by extending the current methods of likelihood-ratio based statistics. The surface fatigue lives of superfinished gears were evaluated by carefully controlled experiments, and it is shown conclusively that superfinishing of gears can provide for significantly greater lives relative to ground gears. The measured life improvement was approximately a factor of five. To assist with application of this finding to products, the experimental condition was evaluated. The fatigue life results were expressed in terms of specific film thickness and shown to be consistent with bearing data. Elastohydrodynamic and stress analyses were completed to relate the stress condition to fatigue. Smooth-surface models do not adequately explain the improved fatigue lives. Based on analyses using a rough surface model, it is concluded that the improved fatigue lives of superfinished gears is due to a reduced rate of near-surface micropitting fatigue processes, not due to any reduced rate of spalling (sub-surface) fatigue processes. To complete the evaluations, surface inspection were completed. The surface topographies of the ground gears changed substantially due to running, but the topographies of the superfinished gears were essentially unchanged with running.

Krantz, Timothy↗

Stress Analysis of Composite Cylindrical Shells with an Elliptical Cutout

A special-purpose, semi-analytical solution method for determining the stress and deformation fields in a thin laminated-composite cylindrical shell with an elliptical cutout is presented. The analysis includes the effects of cutout size, shape, and orientation; non-uniform wall thickness; oval-cross-section eccentricity; and loading conditions. The loading conditions include uniform tension, uniform torsion, and pure bending. The analysis approach is based on the principle of stationary potential energy and uses Lagrange multipliers to relax the kinematic admissibility requirements on the displacement representations through the use of idealized elastic edge restraints. Specifying appropriate stiffness values for the elastic extensional and rotational edge restraints (springs) allows the imposition of the kinematic boundary conditions in an indirect manner, which enables the use of a broader set of functions for representing the displacement fields. Selected results of parametric studies are presented for several geometric parameters that demonstrate that analysis approach is a powerful means for developing design criteria for laminated-composite shells.

Oterkus, E.↗