Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Thin Section”

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 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Shear Band Formation in Thin-Film Multilayer Columns Under Compressive Loading: A Mechanistic Study

Micro-pillar compression is a popular experimental technique used for characterizing the mechanical behavior of nano- and micro-laminates. The compressive stress–strain response of the column-shaped thin-film composite can be measured, and the deformation and damage features can be revealed by post-test cross-section microscopy. The development of plastic instability in the form of localized strain concentration (shear bands), leading to eventual failure, is frequently observed. In the present study, a computational approach is used to illustrate the commonality of shear band formation from a continuum standpoint. Systematic finite element analyses are conducted, showing that the strain field tends to become localized once plastic yielding commences. Distinct shear offsets of the layered structure can be revealed from the numerical model, which is similar to those observed in experiments. The actual appearance of shear bands depends on the materials’ constitutive behavior and precise geometries. Post-yield strain hardening reduces the propensity of shear band formation, while strain softening enhances it. Imperfections such as the undulated layer geometry, as well as the frictional characteristics between the specimen and test apparatus, can also influence the shear band morphology and overall stress–strain response.

finite element modeling↗
NASA NTRS1979

Theoretical modelling and experimental data matching for active and passive microwave remote sensing of Earth terrain

Two theoretical models were developed to characterize terrain media: a random medium with a variance, a horizontal correlation length; and a homogeneous dielectric containing discrete scatterers. The earth terrain is modelled as layers of such scattering media bounded by air above and half-space below. Matching the theoretical results with experimental data collected from vegetation and snow-ice fields shows that: (1) for observation angles near nadir, rough surface effects are important; (2) for snow-ice field the horizontal correlation length is greater than the vertical correlation length whereas for vegetation field their relative sizes depend on the types of vegetation; (3) the vertically polarized backscattering cross-section is always larger than the horizontally polarized backscattering cross-section for half-space scattering media; (4) for snow field displaying diurnal change, a three-layer model including a thin top layer caused by sunlight illumination must be used; and (5) for a random medium with equal horizontal and vertical correlation lengths, the measured data can also be matched with a corresponding discrete scatterer model.

Kong, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Turbulent dispersion of the icing cloud from spray nozzles used in icing tunnels

To correctly simulate flight in natural icing conditions, the turbulence in an icing simulator must be as low as possible. But some turbulence is required to mix the droplets from the spray nozzles and achieve an icing cloud of uniform liquid water content. The goal for any spray system is to obtain the widest possible spray cloud with the lowest possible turbulence in the test section of a icing tunnel. This investigation reports the measurement of turbulence and the three-dimensional spread of the cloud from a single spray nozzle. The task was to determine how the air turbulence and cloud width are affected by spray bars of quite different drag coefficients, by changes in the turbulence upstream of the spray, the droplet size, and the atomizing air. An ice accretion grid, located 6.3 m downstream of the single spray nozzle, was used to measure cloud spread. Both the spray bar and the grid were located in the constant velocity test section. Three spray bar shapes were tested: the short blunt spray bar used in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel, a thin 14.6 cm chord airfoil, and a 53 cm chord NACA 0012 airfoil. At the low airspeed (56 km/hr) the ice accretion pattern was axisymmetric and was not affected by the shape of the spray bar. At the high airspeed (169 km/hr) the spread was 30 percent smaller than at the low airspeed. For the widest cloud the spray bars should be located as far upstream in the low velocity plenum of the icing tunnel. Good comparison is obtained between the cloud spread data and predicitons from a two-dimensional cloud mixing computer code using the two equation turbulence (k epsilon g) model.

Marek, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Microwave remote sensing of snow-covered sea ice

Snow and ice are modeled as random media characterized by different dielectric constants and correlation functions. In order to model the brine inclusions of sea ice, the random medium is assumed to be anisotropic. A three-layer model is used to simulate a snow-covered ice field with the top layer being snow, the middle layer being ice, and the bottom layer being sea water. The theoretical results are illustrated for thick first-year sea ice covered by dry snow, and for artificial, thin first-year sea ice covered by wet snow as measured in controlled model tank experiments. The radar backscattering cross sections are seen to increase with snow cover for snow-covered sea ice owing to large volume scattering effects of snow.

Borgeaud, M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Local crippling of thin-walled graphite-epoxy stiffeners

Results from an experimental and analytical study of the local buckling, postbuckling, and crippling (failure) behavior of channel, zee, and I- and J-section stiffeners made of AS4/3502 graphite-epoxy unidirectional tape are presented. Thirty-six specimens were tested in axial compression. Experimental results indicate the existence of a number of damage initiation modes, all of which involve either delamination in some part of the specimen or local material strength failure in a corner of the specimen. The flange width-to-thickness ratio is found to influence the mode of damage initiation. The inner corner radius strongly affects the crippling stress for the I- and J-section specimens, but was not found to have a significant effect on the crippling stress of channels and zees. Geometrically nonlinear analyses of five specimens were performed with the STAGS general purpose computer code. Correlation between analytical and experimental results is excellent through buckling, but agreement degrades in postbuckling. The discrepancies in postbuckling are attributed to neglect of transverse shearing deformations in the analysis and development of damage in the specimens. Hashin's compressive fiber mode failure criterion correlates reasonably well with the first major damage event in a first ply failure analysis.

Bonanni, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1932

Elastic Instability of Members Having Sections Common in Aircraft Construction

Two fundamental problems of elastic stability are discussed in this report. In part one formulas are given for calculating the critical stress at which a thin, outstanding flange of a compression member will either wrinkle into several waves or form into a single half wave and twist the member about its longitudinal axis. A mathematical study of the problem, which together with experimental work has led to these formulas, is given in an appendix. Results of test substantiating the recommended formulas are also presented. In part two the lateral buckling of beams is discussed. The results of a number of mathematical studies of this phenomenon have been published prior to this writing, but very little experimentally determined information relating to the problem has been available heretofore. Experimental verification of the mathematical deductions is supplied.

Trayer, George W↗
NASA NTRS1936

Experimental Studies of the Effective Width of Buckled Sheets

The object of the present experiments is a more exact determination of the effective width for the case of pure compression and of the sheet clamped at the angle section. From the experimental data of the effective width the calculation of the buckling load of an angle joined to a thin sheet is then deduced. The test material consisted of spring-hardened brass sheet.

Lahde, R↗
NASA NTRS1992

Fluid Dynamic and Stability Analysis of a Thin Liquid Sheet

Interest in thin sheet flows has recently been renewed due to their potential application in space radiators. Theoretical and experimental studies of the fluid dynamics and stability of thin liquid sheet flows have been carried out in this thesis. A computer program was developed to determine the cross-sectional shape of the edge cylinder given the cross-sectional area of the edge cylinder. A stability analysis was performed on a non-planer liquid sheet. A study was conducted to determine the effects of air resistance on the sheet.

McMaster, Matthew S.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The calculation of radial dose from heavy ions: predictions of biological action cross sections

The track structure model of heavy ion cross sections was developed by Katz and co-workers in the 1960s. In this model the action cross section is evaluated by mapping the dose-response of a detector to gamma rays (modeled from biological target theory) onto the radial dose distribution from delta rays about the path of the ion. This is taken to yield the radial distribution of probability for a "hit" (an interaction leading to an observable end-point). Radial integration of the probability yields the cross section. When different response from ions of different Z having the same stopping power is observed this model may be indicated. Since the 1960s there have been several developments in the computation of the radial dose distribution, in the measurement of these distributions, and in new radiobiological data against which to test the model. The earliest model, by Butts and Katz made use of simplified delta ray distribution functions, of simplified electron range-energy relations, and neglected angular distributions. Nevertheless it made possible the calculation of cross sections for the inactivation of enzymes and viruses, and allowed extension to tracks in nuclear emulsions and other detectors and to biological cells. It set the pattern for models of observable effects in the matter through which the ion passed. Here we outline subsequent calculations of radial dose which make use of improved knowledge of the electron emission spectrum, the electron range-energy relation, the angular distribution, and some considerations of molecular excitation, of particular interest both close to the path of the ion and the outer limits of electron penetration. These are applied to the modeling of action cross sections for the inactivation of several strains of E-coli and B. subtilis spores where extensive measurements in the "thin-down" region have been made with heavy ion beams. Such calculations serve to test the radial dose calculations at the outer limit of electron penetration. We lack data from which to test these calculations in regions close to the path of the ion aside from our earliest work on latent tracks in plastics, though it appears that the criterion then suggested for the threshold of track formation, of a minimal dose at a minimal distance (of about 20 angstroms, in plastics), remains valid.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
NASA NTRS2007

Effect of an Opaque Reflecting Layer on the Thermal Behavior of a Thermal Barrier Coating

A parametric study using a two-flux approximation of the radiative transfer equation was performed to examine the effects of an opaque reflective layer on the thermal behavior of a typical semitransparent thermal barrier coating on an opaque substrate. Some ceramic materials are semitransparent in the wavelength ranges where thermal radiation is important. Even with an opaque layer on each side of the semitransparent thermal barrier coating, scattering and absorption can have an effect on the heat transfer. In this work, a thermal barrier coating that is semitransparent up to a wavelength of 5 micrometers is considered. Above 5 micrometers wavelength, the thermal barrier coating is opaque. The absorption and scattering coefficient of the thermal barrier was varied. The thermal behavior of the thermal barrier coating with an opaque reflective layer is compared to a thermal barrier coating without the reflective layer. For a thicker thermal barrier coating with lower convective loading, which would be typical of a combustor liner, a reflective layer can significantly decrease the temperature in the thermal barrier coating and substrate if the scattering is weak or moderate and for strong scattering if the absorption is large. The layer without the reflective coating can be about as effective as the layer with the reflective coating if the absorption is small and the scattering strong. For low absorption, some temperatures in the thermal barrier coating system can be slightly higher with the reflective layer. For a thin thermal barrier coating with high convective loading, which would be typical of a blade or vane that sees the hot sections of the combustor, the reflective layer is not as effective. The reflective layer reduces the surface temperature of the reflective layer for all conditions considered. For weak and moderate scattering, the temperature of the TBC-substrate interface is reduced but for strong scattering, the temperature of the substrate is increased slightly.

Spuckler, Charles M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Metallographic Preparation of Space Shuttle Reaction Control System Thruster Electron Beam Welds for Electron Backscatter Diffraction

A Space Shuttle Reaction Control System (RCS) thruster failed during a firing test at the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), Las Cruces, New Mexico. The firing test was being conducted to investigate a previous electrical malfunction. A number of cracks were found associated with the fuel closure plate/injector assembly (Fig 1). The firing test failure generated a flight constraint to the launch of STS-133. A team comprised of several NASA centers and other research institutes was assembled to investigate and determine the root cause of the failure. The JSC Materials Evaluation Laboratory was asked to compare and characterize the outboard circumferential electron beam (EB) weld between the fuel closure plate (Titanium 6Al-4V) and the injector (Niobium C-103 alloy) of four different RCS thrusters, including the failed RCS thruster. Several metallographic challenges in grinding/polishing, and particularly in etching were encountered because of the differences in hardness, ductility, and chemical resistance between the two alloys and the bimetallic weld. Segments from each thruster were sectioned from the outboard weld. The segments were hot-compression mounted using a conductive, carbon-filled epoxy. A grinding/polishing procedure for titanium alloys was used [1]. This procedure worked well on the titanium; but a thin, disturbed layer was visible on the niobium surface by means of polarized light. Once polished, each sample was micrographed using bright field, differential interference contrast optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using a backscatter electron (BSE) detector. No typical weld anomalies were observed in any of the cross sections. However, areas of large atomic contrast were clearly visible in the weld nugget, particularly along fusion line interfaces between the titanium and the niobium. This prompted the need to better understand the chemistry and microstructure of the weld (Fig 2). Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) was used to confirm the chemical composition of the variations in contrast in these areas. Niobium alloys generally require exposure to more aggressive chemical reagents than titanium alloys for etching because of niobium s chemical resistance; therefore, the titanium portion of the sample was etched first. A five second immersion in Kroll s reagent revealed a general microstructure on the titanium portion of the sample; however, the titanium heat affected zone closest to the weld, was over-etched due to higher concentrations of refined grains and an increase in eta-phase. The Kroll s etchant also revealed some microstructure in the weld nugget itself; the niobium portion of the sample remained unetched.

Martinez, James↗
NASA NTRS1976

Buckling behavior and structural efficiency of open-section stiffened composite compression panels

Several experiments with J- and blade-stiffened graphite/epoxy panels were conducted to obtain insight into how well experimental data could be correlated with analysis for the buckling behavior of open-section stiffened composite compression panels. Although some nonlinear behavior was observed during the experiments, adequate correlation with analysis was obtained to justify the use of linear, thin-plate buckling analysis in a minimum-weight design synthesis program for J- and blade-configurations. Results from two design studies using this program are presented. In the first study the minimum weights of Jand blade-configurations for two different material systems (graphite/epoxy and aluminum) are determined subject to buckling and strength constraints for a wide range of the compressive load index. In the second study the minimum weights required for graphite/epoxy blade-stiffened panels to satisfy additional stiffness constraints typical of medium-size commercial aircraft wing structures are determined. Both minimum-weight studies indicate that graphite/epoxy open-section stiffened panels can be designed so that weight savings of 30 to 50% are possible compared with the most efficient aluminum designs.

Williams, J. G.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Proton beam position measurement in air using a BPM

A Beam Position Monitor (BPM) is potentially useful to measure the position and phase of the beam in air in a non-destructive way. An air-gap BPM in experiments, such as beam-induced radioactive waste management and dynamic radiography applications, where a so-called air gap is needed, can be utilized to measure the beam position and phase. In this study, a stripline BPM was used in the air-gap of an 800 MeV proton beam transport line. The downstream end of the primary beamline exit window was made of a thin aluminum plate and allowed the beam to travel 1.2 m in ambient air before re-entering into a vacuum drift section. Such a configuration was arranged to examine the BPM effectiveness in atmospheric temperature and pressure where ionization of air occurs. In this study, a high energy (800 MeV), high current (0.6 A beam peak current/pulse) proton beam of 5 mm radius was transported in the air. The beam position relative to the axis was measured by detecting the signature of the beam in a nanosecond scale. This nanosecond scale detection ability was useful to identify other signals such as plasma effects. The BPM signals were processed at a frequency of 201 MHz; thus, one gets a stronger response in a stripline pattern as it was used in this study instead of a dot-type BPM. Experimental data show that the BPM works well in air, but ionization of air or plasma formation could not be measured over the BPM signal. The design, construction, and performance of a BPM in air environment are presented.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The combined effect of temperature and seawater on the compression properties of carbon fiber vinyl ester composites for sandwich structures

For naval applications, composite sandwich structures are of significant interest, and are often manufactured using thin (2 to 4 mm) composite facings made from carbon or glass fiber reinforcement, attached to a thick (25 to 50 mm) section of PVC cellular foam or balsa wood-based core materials using a suitable polymeric resin. In the present study, we focus on the hygrothermal effect on the fiber-dominated compression properties of carbon fiber reinforced vinyl ester resin based polymeric composite (CF/VE), used as “skin” for a polymeric composite sandwich material. Hygrothermal conditioning is achieved by saturating samples in simulated seawater at 40°C. Compression properties are evaluated for coupons extracted along warp and fill undergoing- no conditioning, conditioning till saturation (up to 6 months), and long-term conditioning (2 years). Sea-water saturation yields in up to 12% drop in compression strength with a further 3–4% drop resulting from long-term conditioning. No statistically significant modulus degradation is noticed due to short or long-term hygrothermal exposure. The failure mechanism of the warp extracted coupon, which fails in a splitting failure mode originating due to the delamination between the 0/90 interface, or the fill extracted coupon, which fails due to the instability caused by tow micro-buckling, remains unchanged due to combined exposure (short or long-term) of seawater and temperature. The loss in strength is attributed to the degradation of the fiber-matrix interface, which is validated via conducting single fiber push-in tests with a nominal diameter of 7 micron for conditioned and unconditioned coupons.

Engineering↗
NASA NTRS1984

Convective heat transfer studies at high temperatures with pressure gradient for inlet flow Mach number of 0.45

Heat transfer measurements were determined for a flat plate with and without pressure gradient for various free stream temperatures, wall temperature ratios, and Reynolds numbers for an inlet flow Mach number of 0.45, which is a representative inlet Mach number for gas turbine rotor blades. A shock tube generated the high temperature and pressure air flow, and a variable geometry test section was used to produce inlet flow Mach number of 0.45 and accelerate the flow over the plate to sonic velocity. Thin-film platinum heat gages recorded the local heat flux for laminar, transition, and turbulent boundary layers. The free stream temperatures varied from 611 R (339 K) to 3840 R (2133 K) for a T(w)/T(r,g) temperature ratio of 0.87 to 0.14. The Reynolds number over the heat gages varied from 3000 to 690,000. The experimental heat transfer data were correlated with laminar and turbulent boundary layer theories for the range of temperatures and Reynolds numbers and the transition phenomenon was examined.

Pedrosa, A. C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The effects of rotational flow, viscosity, thickness, and shape on transonic flutter dip phenomena

The transonic flutter dip phenomena on thin airfoils, which are employed for propfan blades, is investigated using an integrated Euler/Navier-Stokes code and a two degrees of freedom typical section structural model. As a part of the code validation, the flutter characteristics of the NACA 64A010 airfoil are also investigated. In addition, the effects of artificial dissipation models, rotational flow, initial conditions, mean angle of attack, viscosity, airfoil thickness and shape on flutter are investigated. The results obtained with a Euler code for the NACA 64A010 airfoil are in reasonable agreement with published results obtained by using transonic small disturbance and Euler codes. The two artificial dissipation models, one based on the local pressure gradient scaled by a common factor and the other based on the local pressure gradient scaled by a spectral radius, predicted the same flutter speeds except in the recovery region for the case studied. The effects of rotational flow, initial conditions, mean angle of attack, and viscosity for the Reynold's number studied seem to be negligible or small on the minima of the flutter dip.

Reddy, T. S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The effects of rotational flow, viscosity, thickness, and shape on transonic flutter dip phenomena

The transonic flutter dip phenomena on thin airfoils, which are employed for propfan blades, is investigated using an integrated Euler/Navier-Stokes code and a two degrees of freedom typical section structural model. As a part of the code validation, the flutter characteristics of the NACA 64A010 airfoil are also investigated. In addition, the effects of artificial dissipation models, rotational flow, initial conditions, mean angle of attack, viscosity, airfoil thickness, and shape on flutter are investigated. The results obtained with an Euler code for the NACA 64A010 airfoil are in reasonable agreement with published results obtained by using transonic small disturbance and Euler codes. The two artifical dissipation models, one based on the local pressure gradient scaled by a common factor and the other based on the local presure gradient scaled by a spectral radius, predicted the same flutter speeds except in the recovery region for the case studied. The effects of rotation flow, initial conditions, mean angle of attack, and viscosity for the Reynolds number studied seem to be negligible or small on the minima of the flutter dip.

Reddy, T. S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Building A New Kind of Graded-Z Shield for Swift's Burst Alert Telescope

The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on Swift has a graded-Z Shield that closes out the volume between the coded aperture mask and the Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride (CZT) detector array. The purpose of the 37 kilogram shield is to attenuate gamma rays that have not penetrated the coded aperture mask of the BAT instrument and are therefore a major source of noise on the detector array. Unlike previous shields made from plates and panels, this shield consists of multiple layers of thin metal foils (lead, tantalum, tin, and copper) that are stitched together much like standard multi-layer insulation blankets. The shield sections are fastened around BAT, forming a curtain around the instrument aperture. Strength tests were performed to validate and improve the design, and the shield will be vibration tested along with BAT in late 2002. Practical aspects such as the layup design, methods of manufacture, and testing of this new kind of graded-Z Shield are presented.

Robinson, David W.↗