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At least 775 records · Page 43

The MHOST finite element program: 3-D inelastic analysis methods for hot section components. Volume 1: Theoretical manual

Formulations and algorithms implemented in the MHOST finite element program are discussed. The code uses a novel concept of the mixed iterative solution technique for the efficient 3-D computations of turbine engine hot section components. The general framework of variational formulation and solution algorithms are discussed which were derived from the mixed three field Hu-Washizu principle. This formulation enables the use of nodal interpolation for coordinates, displacements, strains, and stresses. Algorithmic description of the mixed iterative method includes variations for the quasi static, transient dynamic and buckling analyses. The global-local analysis procedure referred to as the subelement refinement is developed in the framework of the mixed iterative solution, of which the detail is presented. The numerically integrated isoparametric elements implemented in the framework is discussed. Methods to filter certain parts of strain and project the element discontinuous quantities to the nodes are developed for a family of linear elements. Integration algorithms are described for linear and nonlinear equations included in MHOST program.

Nakazawa, Shohei↗

Pilot modeling and closed-loop analysis of flexible aircraft in the pitch tracking task

The issue addressed in the appropriate modeling technique for pilot vehicle analysis of large flexible aircraft, when the frequency separation between the rigid-body mode and the dynamic aeroelastic modes is reduced. This situation was shown to have significant effects on pitch-tracking performance and subjective rating of the task, obtained via fixed base simulation. Further, the dynamics in these cases are not well modeled with a rigid-body-like model obtained by including only 'static elastic' effects, for example. It is shown that pilot/vehicle analysis of this data supports the hypothesis that an appropriate pilot-model structure is an optimal-control pilot model of full order. This is in contrast to the contention that a representative model is of reduced order when the subject is controlling high-order dynamics as in a flexible vehicle. The key appears to be in the correct assessment of the pilot's objective of attempting to control 'rigid-body' vehicle response, a response that must be estimated by the pilot from observations contaminated by aeroelastic dynamics. Finally, a model-based metric is shown to correlate well with the pilot's subjective ratings.

Schmidt, D. K.↗

Navier-Stokes analysis of an oxidizer turbine blade with tip clearance

The Gas Generator Oxidizer Turbine (GGOT) Blade is being analyzed by various investigators under the NASA MSFC sponsored Turbine Stage Technology Team design effort. The present work concentrates on the tip clearance region flow and associated losses; however, flow details for the passage region are also obtained in the simulations. The present calculations simulate the rotor blade row in a rotating reference frame with the appropriate coriolis and centrifugal acceleration terms included in the momentum equation. The upstream computational boundary is located about one axial chord from the blade leading edge. The boundary conditions at this location were determined by using a Euler analysis without the vanes to obtain approximately the same flow profiles at the rotor as were obtained with the Euler stage analysis including the vanes. Inflow boundary layer profiles are then constructed assuming the skin friction coefficient at both the hub and the casing. The downstream computational boundary is located about one axial chord from the blade trailing edge, and the circumferentially averaged static pressure at this location was also obtained from the Euler analysis. Results were obtained for the 3-D baseline GGOT geometry at the full scale design Reynolds number. Details of the clearance region flow behavior and blade pressure distributions were computed. The spanwise variation in blade loading distributions are shown, and circumferentially averaged spanwise distributions of total pressure, total temperature, Mach number, and flow angle are shown at several axial stations. The spanwise variation of relative total pressure loss shows a region of high loss in the region near the casing. Particle traces in the near tip region show vortical behavior of the fluid which passes through the clearance region and exits at the downstream edge of the gap.

Gibeling, Howard J.↗

Random harmonic analysis program, L221 (TEV156). Volume 1: Engineering and usage

A digital computer program capable of calculating steady state solutions for linear second order differential equations due to sinusoidal forcing functions is described. The field of application of the program, the analysis of airplane response and loads due to continuous random air turbulence, is discussed. Optional capabilities including frequency dependent input matrices, feedback damping, gradual gust penetration, multiple excitation forcing functions, and a static elastic solution are described. Program usage and a description of the analysis used are presented.

Miller, R. D.↗

Design and Experimental Verification of Deployable/Inflatable Ultra-Lightweight Structures

Because launch cost of a space structural system is often proportional to the launch volume and mass and there is no significant gravity in space, NASA's space exploration programs and various science missions have stimulated extensive use of ultra-lightweight deployable/inflatable structures. These structures are named here as Highly Flexible Structures (HFSs) because they are designed to undergo large displacements, rotations, and/or buckling without plastic deformation under normal operation conditions. Except recent applications to space structural systems, HFSs have been used in many mechanical systems, civil structures, aerospace vehicles, home appliances, and medical devices to satisfy space limitations, provide special mechanisms, and/or reduce structural weight. The extensive use of HFSs in today's structural engineering reveals the need of a design and analysis software and a database system with design guidelines for practicing engineers to perform computer-aided design and rapid prototyping of HFSs. Also to prepare engineering students for future structural engineering requires a new and easy-to- understand method of presenting the complex mathematics of the modeling and analysis of HFSs. However, because of the high flexibility of HFSs, many unique challenging problems in the modeling, design and analysis of HFSs need to be studied. The current state of research on HFSs needs advances in the following areas: (1) modeling of large rotations using appropriate strain measures, (2) modeling of cross-section warpings of structures, (3) how to account for both large rotations and cross- section warpings in 2D (two-dimensional) and 1D structural theories, (4) modeling of thickness thinning of membranes due to inflation pressure, pretension, and temperature change, (5) prediction of inflated shapes and wrinkles of inflatable structures, (6) development of efficient numerical methods for nonlinear static and dynamic analyses, and (7) filling the gap between geometrically exact elastic analysis and elastoplastic analysis. The objectives of this research project were: (1) to study the modeling, design, and analysis of deployable/inflatable ultra-lightweight structures, (2) to perform numerical and experimental studies on the static and dynamic characteristics and deployability of HFSs, (3) to derive guidelines for designing HFSs, (4) to develop a MATLAB toolbox for the design, analysis, and dynamic animation of HFSs, and (5) to perform experiments and establish an adequate database of post-buckling characteristics of HFSs.

Pai, P. Frank↗

Optimum performance of hovering rotors

A theory for the optimum performance of a rotor hovering out of ground effect is developed. The performance problem is formulated using general momentum theory for an infinitely bladed rotor, and the effect of a finite number of blades is estimated. The analysis takes advantage of the fact that a simple relation exists between the radial distributions of static pressure and angular velocity in the ultimate wake, far downstream of the rotor, since the radial velocity vanishes there. This relation permits the establishment of an optimum performance criterion in terms of the ultimate wake velocities by introducing a small local perturbation of the rotational velocity and requiring the resulting ratio of thrust and power changes to be independent of the radial location of the perturbation. This analysis fully accounts for the changes in static pressure distribution and axial velocity distribution throughout the wake as the result of the local perturbation of the rotational velocity component.

Wu, J. C.↗

Atmospheric analysis for airdata calibration on research aircraft

In-flight airdata calibrations are used to determine the aerodynamic influence of an airplane on pitot-static pressure measurements of altitude and speed. Conventional flight-test calibration techniques are briefly reviewed and meteorological analysis methods for estimating calibration reference values of atmospheric conditions are described. There are cases where some conventional in-flight techniques are not entirely satisfactory for research aircraft because of added equipment requirements or flight envelope and location limitations. In these cases, atmospheric wind and pressure information can be used to complement conventional techniques. Accuracy of the atmospheric measurements and the variability of upper-air winds and pressure values are discussed. Results from several flight research aircraft show that wind reference calibration is generally less accurate than calibration accuracy standards for civil and research aircraft. Examples of pressure reference altimetry derived from meteorological analyses are also presented for a variety of flight research programs. These flight data show that the reference pressure accuracy provided by meteorological analyses is usually within civil aircraft and flight research airdata calibration accuracy standards. Meteorological analyses altimetry is particularly useful when it is not feasible to restrict the test airplane altitude, location, or maneuver envelope.

Ehernberger, L. J.↗

Stall flutter analysis.

An analysis of unsteady airfoil stall and stall flutter is presented that is based on a series of approximations. Unsteady aerodynamic characteristics are related theoretically to static aerodynamic characteristics. Preliminary results show good agreement with experimental dynamic stall data. The analysis is applied to determine the boundaries for stall flutter, particularly for the straight wing of one candidate space-shuttle configuration. As formulated, the analysis should provide a conservative estimate - i.e., the predicted stall flutter region is slightly larger than the expected one, as demonstrated by comparison with experiments.

Ericsson, L. E.↗

Computational flowfields for static testing of powered hypersonic aftbody models

Two-dimensional CFD analyses are presented related to the ground testing of hypersonic, air-breathing models which feature scramjet exhaust flow simulation. CFD analysis indicates that it is possible to test aftbody powered hypersonic airbreather configurations in a static, pumped-down environment to obtain aftbody aerodynamic performance data.

Huebner, Lawrence D.↗

Computer Programs for Calculating and Plotting the Stability Characteristics of a Balloon Tethered in a Wind

Computer programs for calculating the stability characteristics of a balloon tethered in a steady wind are presented. Equilibrium conditions, characteristic roots, and modal ratios are calculated for a range of discrete values of velocity for a fixed tether-line length. Separate programs are used: (1) to calculate longitudinal stability characteristics, (2) to calculate lateral stability characteristics, (3) to plot the characteristic roots versus velocity, (4) to plot the characteristic roots in root-locus form, (5) to plot the longitudinal modes of motion, and (6) to plot the lateral modes for motion. The basic equations, program listings, and the input and output data for sample cases are presented, with a brief discussion of the overall operation and limitations. The programs are based on a linearized, stability-derivative type of analysis, including balloon aerodynamics, apparent mass, buoyancy effects, and static forces which result from the tether line.

Bennett, R. M.↗

Measurement techniques for supersonic combustion testing

Measurement techniques used during nine years of intensive research in supersonic combustion are presented. The tests employed a number of combustor and injector configurations, which were directly connected to a Mach 3.2 supersonic nozzle, and both gaseous hydrogen and storable liquid fuels. Nominal plenum conditions for the arc-heated air were 3000 to 4500 R and 30 atm. Measurements included wall surface pressures, wall temperatures, heat flux, skin friction, instream cone-static and pitot pressures, and gas samples. Measurement and analysis techniques have been developed for determining total enthalpy of an airstream containing NO concentrations in excess of equilibrium using the two-throat technique, bulk combustion efficiency using steam calorimetry, radial gradients of fluid properties in the combustor exit plane using a stream tube method, and wall shear from measurements of heat transfer in a reacting supersonic flow using Reynolds analogy.

Orth, R. C.↗

The automated multi-stage substructuring system for NASTRAN

The substructuring capability developed for eventual installation in Level 16 is now operational in a test version of NASTRAN. Its features are summarized. These include the user-oriented, Case Control type control language, the automated multi-stage matrix processing, the independent direct access data storage facilities, and the static and normal modes solution capabilities. A complete problem analysis sequence is presented with card-by-card description of the user input.

Field, E. I.↗

Optimum design of composite laminates with thermal effects

An analytical approach to determine an optimum laminate for a variety of thermal and mechanical loading combinations is presented. The analysis is performed for a linear elastic material under static mechanical and uniform thermal loadings. The problem is restricted to a unit width and length laminate with angle orientations resulting in an orthotropic, symmetric, and balanced configuration. An objective function defining total strain energy, is formulated and an optimum laminate design determined subject to constraints on stiffness, average coefficient of thermal expansion, and strength. The objective function is formulated in terms of the orientation angles, number of plies, and material properties. The method presented has, in varying degrees, shown that the design of a laminate can be accomplished using strain energy minimization as the primary criteria. The results of various combinations of applied constraints in the optimized design process are presented and discussed.

Markham, L. R.↗

Entry dynamics of space shuttle orbiter with longitudinal stability and control uncertainties at supersonic and hypersonic speeds

A six-degree-of-freedom simulation analysis was conducted to examine the effects of longitudinal static aerodynamic stability and control uncertainties on the performance of the space shuttle orbiter automatic (no manual inputs) entry guidance and control systems. To establish the acceptable boundaries, the static aerodynamic characteristics were varied either by applying a multiplier to the aerodynamic parameter or by adding an increment. With either of two previously identified control system modifications included, the acceptable longitudinal aerodynamic boundaries were determined.

Stone, H. W.↗

The economics of project analysis: Optimal investment criteria and methods of study

Insight is provided toward the development of an optimal program for investment analysis of project proposals offering commercial potential and its components. This involves a critique of economic investment criteria viewed in relation to requirements of engineering economy analysis. An outline for a systems approach to project analysis is given Application of the Leontief input-output methodology to analysis of projects involving multiple processes and products is investigated. Effective application of elements of neoclassical economic theory to investment analysis of project components is demonstrated. Patterns of both static and dynamic activity levels are incorporated.

Scriven, M. C.↗

Potential utilization of the NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in earthquake engineering research

Earthquake engineering research capabilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facilities at George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Alabama, were evaluated. The results indicate that the NASA/MSFC facilities and supporting capabilities offer unique opportunities for conducting earthquake engineering research. Specific features that are particularly attractive for large scale static and dynamic testing of natural and man-made structures include the following: large physical dimensions of buildings and test bays; high loading capacity; wide range and large number of test equipment and instrumentation devices; multichannel data acquisition and processing systems; technical expertise for conducting large-scale static and dynamic testing; sophisticated techniques for systems dynamics analysis, simulation, and control; and capability for managing large-size and technologically complex programs. Potential uses of the facilities for near and long term test programs to supplement current earthquake research activities are suggested.

Scholl, R. E.↗

Design and fabrication of realistic adhesively bonded joints

Eighteen bonded joint test specimens representing three different designs of a composite wing chordwise bonded splice were designed and fabricated using current aircraft industry practices. Three types of joints (full wing laminate penetration, two side stepped; midthickness penetration, one side stepped; and partial penetration, scarfed) were analyzed using state of the art elastic joint analysis modified for plastic behavior of the adhesive. The static tensile fail load at room temperature was predicted to be: (1) 1026 kN/m (5860 1b/in) for the two side stepped joint; (2) 925 kN/m (5287 1b/in) for the one side stepped joint; and (3) 1330 kN/m (7600 1b/in) for the scarfed joint. All joints were designed to fail in the adhesive.

Shyprykevich, P.↗