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At least 829 records · Page 46

Computational strategies for three-dimensional flow simulations on distributed computer systems

This research effort is directed towards an examination of issues involved in porting large computational fluid dynamics codes in use within the industry to a distributed computing environment. This effort addresses strategies for implementing the distributed computing in a device independent fashion and load balancing. A flow solver called TEAM presently in use at Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company was acquired to start this effort. The following tasks were completed: (1) The TEAM code was ported to a number of distributed computing platforms including a cluster of HP workstations located in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech; a cluster of DEC Alpha Workstations in the Graphics visualization lab located at Georgia Tech; a cluster of SGI workstations located at NASA Ames Research Center; and an IBM SP-2 system located at NASA ARC. (2) A number of communication strategies were implemented. Specifically, the manager-worker strategy and the worker-worker strategy were tested. (3) A variety of load balancing strategies were investigated. Specifically, the static load balancing, task queue balancing and the Crutchfield algorithm were coded and evaluated. (4) The classical explicit Runge-Kutta scheme in the TEAM solver was replaced with an LU implicit scheme. And (5) the implicit TEAM-PVM solver was extensively validated through studies of unsteady transonic flow over an F-5 wing, undergoing combined bending and torsional motion. These investigations are documented in extensive detail in the dissertation, 'Computational Strategies for Three-Dimensional Flow Simulations on Distributed Computing Systems', enclosed as an appendix.

Sankar, Lakshmi N.↗

Medical Support for ISS Crewmember Training in Star City, Russia

Medical support of spaceflight training operations across international lines is a unique circumstance with potential applications to other aerospace medicine support scenarios. KBRwyle's Star City Medical Support Group (SCMSG) has fulfilled this role since the Mir-Shuttle era, with extensive experience and updates to share with the greater AsMA community. OVERVIEW: The current Soyuz training flow for assigned ISS crewmembers takes place in Star City, Russia. Soyuz training flow involves numerous activities that pose potential physical and occupational risks to crewmembers, including centrifuge runs and pressurized suit simulations at ambient and hypobaric pressures. In addition, Star City is a relatively remote location in a host nation with variable access to reliable, Western-standard medical care. For these reasons, NASA's Human Health & Performance contract allocates full-time physician support to assigned ISS crewmembers training in Star City. The Star City physician also treats minor injuries and illnesses as needed for both long- and short-term NASA support personnel traveling in the area, while working to develop and maintain relationships with local health care resources in the event of more serious medical issues that cannot be treated on-site. The specifics of this unique scope of practice will be discussed. SIGNIFICANCE: ISS crewmembers training in Star City are at potential physical and occupational risk of trauma or dysbarism during nominal Soyuz training flow, requiring medical support from an on-duty aerospace medicine specialist. This support maintains human health and performance by preserving crewmember safety and well-being for mission success; sharing information regarding this operational model may contribute to advances in other areas of international, military, and civilian operational aerospace medicine.

Chough, Natacha↗

Medical Support for ISS Crewmember Training in Star City, Russia

Medical support of spaceflight training operations across international lines is a unique circumstance with potential applications to other aerospace medicine support scenarios. KBRwyle's Star City Medical Support Group (SCMSG) has fulfilled this role since the Mir-Shuttle era, with extensive experience and updates to share with the greater AsMA community. OVERVIEW: The current Soyuz training flow for assigned ISS crewmembers takes place in Star City, Russia. Soyuz training flow involves numerous activities that pose potential physical and occupational risks to crewmembers, including centrifuge runs and pressurized suit simulations at ambient and hypobaric pressures. In addition, Star City is a relatively remote location in a host nation with variable access to reliable, Western-standard medical care. For these reasons, NASA's Human Health & Performance contract allocates full-time physician support to assigned ISS crewmembers training in Star City. The Star City physician also treats minor injuries and illnesses as needed for both long- and short-term NASA support personnel traveling in the area, while working to develop and maintain relationships with local health care resources in the event of more serious medical issues that cannot be treated on-site. The specifics of this unique scope of practice will be discussed. SIGNIFICANCE: ISS crewmembers training in Star City are at potential physical and occupational risk of trauma or dysbarism during nominal Soyuz training flow, requiring medical support from an on-duty aerospace medicine specialist. This support maintains human health and performance by preserving crewmember safety and well-being for mission success; sharing information regarding this operational model may contribute to advances in other areas of international, military, and civilian operational aerospace medicine.

Chough, Natacha↗

Parameterization of Large Variability Using the Hyper-Dual Meta-Model

One major problem in the design of aerospace components is the nonlinear changes in the response due to a change in the geometry and material properties. Many of these components have small nominal values and any change can lead to a large variability. In order to characterize this large variability, traditional methods require either many simulation runs or the calculations of many higher order derivatives. Each of these paths requires a large amount of computational power to evaluate the response curve. In order to perform uncertainty quantification analysis, even more simulation runs are required. The hyper-dual meta-model is introduced and used to characterize the response curve with the use of basis functions. The information of the response is generated with the utilization of the hyper-dual step to determine the sensitivities at a few number of simulation runs to greatly enrich the response space. This study shows the accuracy of this method for two different systems with parameterizations at different stages in the design analysis.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Technical aspects of a demonstration tape for three-dimensional sound displays

This document was developed to accompany an audio cassette that demonstrates work in three-dimensional auditory displays, developed at the Ames Research Center Aerospace Human Factors Division. It provides a text version of the audio material, and covers the theoretical and technical issues of spatial auditory displays in greater depth than on the cassette. The technical procedures used in the production of the audio demonstration are documented, including the methods for simulating rotorcraft radio communication, synthesizing auditory icons, and using the Convolvotron, a real-time spatialization device.

Begault, Durand R.↗

The design of pictorial instruments

An historical overview of the development and design of pictorial displays is presented with particular emphasis on the research related to civilian aerospace applications carried out at the Ames Research Center. The use of geometric and symbolic enhancements to counteract the inherent ambiguities in perspective projections is discussed with reference to an aircraft traffic display application. Current design and perceptual issues related to head-mounted systems for virtual environment simulation and telepresence displays are also discussed. Finally, the importance of incorporating error display and control in the design of pictorial displays is addressed in the context of an orbital maneuver planning application.

Ellis, Stephen R.↗

Circadian rhythms, sleep, and performance in space

Maintaining optimal alertness and neurobehavioral functioning during space operations is critical to enable the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) vision "to extend humanity's reach to the Moon, Mars and beyond" to become a reality. Field data have demonstrated that sleep times and performance of crewmembers can be compromised by extended duty days, irregular work schedules, high workload, and varying environmental factors. This paper documents evidence of significant sleep loss and disruption of circadian rhythms in astronauts and associated performance decrements during several space missions, which demonstrates the need to develop effective countermeasures. Both sleep and circadian disruptions have been identified in the Behavioral Health and Performance (BH&P) area and the Advanced Human Support Technology (AHST) area of NASA's Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap. Such disruptions could have serious consequences on the effectiveness, health, and safety of astronaut crews, thus reducing the safety margin and increasing the chances of an accident or incident. These decrements oftentimes can be difficult to detect and counter effectively in restrictive operational environments. NASA is focusing research on the development of optimal sleep/wake schedules and countermeasure timing and application to help mitigate the cumulative effects of sleep and circadian disruption and enhance operational performance. Investing research in humans is one of NASA's building blocks that will allow for both short- and long-duration space missions and help NASA in developing approaches to manage and overcome the human limitations of space travel. In addition to reviewing the current state of knowledge concerning sleep and circadian disruptions during space operations, this paper provides an overview of NASA's broad research goals. Also, NASA-funded research, designed to evaluate the relationships between sleep quality, circadian rhythm stability, and performance proficiency in both ground-based simulations and space mission studies, as described in the 2003 NASA Task Book, will be reviewed.

Review↗

Frequency Domain Modeling of SAW Devices

New SAW sensors for integrated vehicle health monitoring of aerospace vehicles are being investigated. SAW technology is low cost, rugged, lightweight, and extremely low power. However, the lack of design tools for MEMS devices in general, and for Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices specifically, has led to the development of tools that will enable integrated design, modeling, simulation, analysis and automatic layout generation of SAW devices. A frequency domain model has been created. The model is mainly first order, but it includes second order effects from triple transit echoes. This paper presents the model and results from the model for a SAW delay line device.

Wilson, W. C.↗

Turbulence Modeling Verification and Validation

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software that solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations has been in routine use for more than a quarter of a century. It is currently employed not only for basic research in fluid dynamics, but also for the analysis and design processes in many industries worldwide, including aerospace, automotive, power generation, chemical manufacturing, polymer processing, and petroleum exploration. A key feature of RANS CFD is the turbulence model. Because the RANS equations are unclosed, a model is necessary to describe the effects of the turbulence on the mean flow, through the Reynolds stress terms. The turbulence model is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in RANS CFD, and most models are known to be flawed in one way or another. Alternative methods such as direct numerical simulations (DNS) and large eddy simulations (LES) rely less on modeling and hence include more physics than RANS. In DNS all turbulent scales are resolved, and in LES the large scales are resolved and the effects of the smallest turbulence scales are modeled. However, both DNS and LES are too expensive for most routine industrial usage on today's computers. Hybrid RANS-LES, which blends RANS near walls with LES away from walls, helps to moderate the cost while still retaining some of the scale-resolving capability of LES, but for some applications it can still be too expensive. Even considering its associated uncertainties, RANS turbulence modeling has proved to be very useful for a wide variety of applications. For example, in the aerospace field, many RANS models are considered to be reliable for computing attached flows. However, existing turbulence models are known to be inaccurate for many flows involving separation. Research has been ongoing for decades in an attempt to improve turbulence models for separated and other nonequilibrium flows. When developing or improving turbulence models, both verification and validation are important steps in the process. Verification insures that the CFD code is solving the equations as intended (no errors in the implementation). This is typically done either through the method of manufactured solutions (MMS) or through careful step-by-step comparisons with other verified codes. After the verification step is concluded, validation is performed to document the ability of the turbulence model to represent different types of flow physics. Validation can involve a large number of test case comparisons with experiments, theory, or DNS. Organized workshops have proved to be valuable resources for the turbulence modeling community in its pursuit of turbulence modeling verification and validation. Workshop contributors using different CFD codes run the same cases, often according to strict guidelines, and compare results. Through these comparisons, it is often possible to (1) identify codes that have likely implementation errors, and (2) gain insight into the capabilities and shortcomings of different turbulence models to predict the flow physics associated with particular types of flows. These are valuable lessons because they help bring consistency to CFD codes by encouraging the correction of faulty programming and facilitating the adoption of better models. They also sometimes point to specific areas needed for improvement in the models. In this paper, several recent workshops are summarized primarily from the point of view of turbulence modeling verification and validation. Furthermore, the NASA Langley Turbulence Modeling Resource website is described. The purpose of this site is to provide a central location where RANS turbulence models are documented, and test cases, grids, and data are provided. The goal of this paper is to provide an abbreviated survey of turbulence modeling verification and validation efforts, summarize some of the outcomes, and give some ideas for future endeavors in this area.

Rumsey, Christopher L.↗

Ultrasonic Characterization of Aerospace Composites

Composite materials have seen an increased use in aerospace in recent years and it is expected that this trend will continue due to the benefits of reduced weight, increased strength, and other factors. Ongoing work at NASA involves the investigation of the large-scale use of composites for spacecraft structures (SLS components, Orion Composite Crew Module, etc). NASA is also involved in work to enable the use of composites in advanced aircraft structures through the Advanced Composites Project (ACP). In both areas (space and aeronautics) there is a need for new nondestructive evaluation and materials characterization techniques that are appropriate for characterizing composite materials. This paper will present an overview of NASA's needs for characterizing aerospace composites, including a description of planned and ongoing work under ACP for the detection of composite defects such as fiber waviness, reduced bond strength, delamination damage, and microcracking. The research approaches include investigation of angle array, guided wave, and phase sensitive ultrasonic methods. The use of ultrasonic simulation tools for optimizing and developing methods will also be discussed.

Leckey, Cara↗

ASTAR Flight Test: Overview and Spacing Results

The purpose of the NASA Langley Airborne Spacing for Terminal Arrival Routes (ASTAR) research aboard the Boeing ecoDemonstrator aircraft was to demonstrate the use of NASA's ASTAR algorithm using contemporary tools of the Federal Aviation Administration's Next Generation Air Transportation System (NEXTGEN). EcoDemonstrator is a Boeing test program which utilizes advanced experimental equipment to accelerate the science of aerospace and environmentally friendly technologies. The ASTAR Flight Test provided a proof-of-concept flight demonstration that exercised an algorithmic-based application in an actual aircraft. The test aircraft conducted Interval Management operations to provide time-based spacing off a target aircraft in non-simulator wind conditions. Work was conducted as a joint effort between NASA and Boeing to integrate ASTAR in a Boeing supplied B787 test aircraft while using a T-38 aircraft as the target. This demonstration was also used to identify operational risks to future flight trials for the NASA Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration expected in 2017.

Roper, Roy D.↗

Power processing methodology

Discussion of the interim results of a program to investigate the feasibility of formulating a methodology for the modeling and analysis of aerospace electrical power processing systems. The object of the total program is to develop a flexible engineering tool which will allow the power processor designer to effectively and rapidly assess and analyze the tradeoffs available by providing, in one comprehensive program, a mathematical model, an analysis of expected performance, simulation, and a comparative evaluation with alternative designs. This requires an understanding of electrical power source characteristics and the effects of load control, protection, and total system interaction.

Fegley, K. A.↗

Structure Detection of Nonlinear Aeroelastic Systems with Application to Aeroelastic Flight Test Data

This viewgraph presentation reviews the applicability of NARMAX structure detection to aeroelastic systems. In conclusion, the simulation results demonstrate bootstrap approach for structure computation of aircraft structural stiffness provided a high rate of true model selection: 1. T-test and stepwise regression methods had difficulty providing accurate results 2. Work contributes to understanding of the use of structure detection for modelling and identification of aerospace systems. 3. Limitation of model complexity that can be studied with these structure computation techniques 4. Result of the large number of candidate terms, for a given model order, and the data length required to guarantee convergence 5. Another approach to structure computation problem uses a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)

Kukreja, Sunil L.↗

Skylon Aerodynamics and SABRE Plumes

An independent partial assessment is provided of the technical viability of the Skylon aerospace plane concept, developed by Reaction Engines Limited (REL). The objectives are to verify REL's engineering estimates of airframe aerodynamics during powered flight and to assess the impact of Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE) plumes on the aft fuselage. Pressure lift and drag coefficients derived from simulations conducted with Euler equations for unpowered flight compare very well with those REL computed with engineering methods. The REL coefficients for powered flight are increasingly less acceptable as the freestream Mach number is increased beyond 8.5, because the engineering estimates did not account for the increasing favorable (in terms of drag and lift coefficients) effect of underexpanded rocket engine plumes on the aft fuselage. At Mach numbers greater than 8.5, the thermal environment around the aft fuselage is a known unknown−a potential design and/or performance risk issue. The adverse effects of shock waves on the aft fuselage and plumeinduced flow separation are other potential risks. The development of an operational reusable launcher from the Skylon concept necessitates the judicious use of a combination of engineering methods, advanced methods based on required physics or analytical fidelity, test data, and independent assessments.

Mehta, Unmeel↗

Modeling of Tunable Elastic Ultralight Aircraft

Aircraft weight is one of the most critical factors in the design and operation of modern vehicles. The ability to integrate ultra-light materials into the primary load bearing structures has the potential to reduce aircraft weight significantly. Ultralight materials tend to be lattice-based meta-materials that are difficult and computationally expensive to model. One of the advantages of meta-materials is to be able to tune or "program" their bulk material properties through the placement of heterogeneous components in the material. A large amount of time devoted to the simulation in the development time for the tuning of the material can be a barrier to the adoption of large scale lattice materials. In this paper, we present a workflow and analysis tool-set to provide first-order estimates for rapid development of engineered lattice materials for aerospace applications. We present results for estimating the displacement and maximum structural stresses.

cellular solids↗

Analysis of Coupled Seals, Secondary and Powerstream Flow Fields in Aircraft and Aerospace Turbomachines

Higher power, high efficiency gas turbine engines require optimization of the seals and secondary flow systems as well as their impact on the powerstream. This work focuses on two aspects: 1. To apply the present day CFD tools (SCISEAL) to different real-life secondary flow applications from different original equipment manufacturers (OEM s) to provide feedback data and 2. Develop a computational methodology for coupled time-accurate simulation of the powerstream and secondary flow with emphasis on the interaction between the disk-cavity and rim seals flows with the powerstream (SCISEAL-MS-TURBO). One OEM simulation was of the Allison Engine Company T-56 turbine drum cavities including conjugate heat transfer with good agreement with data and provided design feedback information. Another was the GE aspirating seal where the 3-D CFD simulations played a major role in analysis and modification of that seal configuration. The second major objective, development of a coupled flow simulation capability was achieved by using two codes MS-TURBO for the powerstream and SCISEAL for the secondary flows with an interface coupling algorithm. The coupled code was tested against data from three differed configurations: 1. bladeless-rotor-stator-cavity turbine test rig, 2. UTRC high pressure turbine test rig, and, 3. the NASA Low-Speed-Air Compressor rig (LSAC) with results and limitations discussed herein.

Athavale, M. M.↗

Neural network interatomic potential-driven analysis of phase stability in Ti–V alloys at the atomistic scale

The evolution of the ω phase in titanium–vanadium (Ti–V) alloys is critical for their mechanical properties, particularly in aerospace and biomedical applications. Here, this study employs a Rapid Artificial Neural Network (RANN) potential to model the ω phase evolution at the atomistic level, demonstrating a high degree of consistency with experimental observations, unlike the Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM), which fails to capture this phase transformation accurately. RANN simulations replicate key phenomena such as the nucleation of α precipitates at ω/β interfaces and accurate lattice orientations, enhancing our understanding of phase stability and transformation kinetics. The findings affirm that RANN potentials can significantly improve the prediction accuracy of complex material behaviors, offering a powerful tool for designing advanced materials with tailored properties such as solute effect in various stacking fault energies. This approach not only bridges the gap between theoretical predictions and empirical data but also sets a new direction for future research in materials science, emphasizing the integration of machine learning techniques in the development and optimization of new alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Leak rates in sealed cells.

Water vapor loss rates were determined from simulated and imperfectly sealed alkaline cells in the vacuum environment. The observed rates were found to be in agreement with a semi-empirical equation employed in vacuum technology. Results thereby give support for using this equation for the prediction of loss rates of battery gases and vapors to the aerospace environment. On this basis it was shown how the equation can be applied to the solution of many heretofore unresolved questions regarding leaks in batteries. Among these are the maximum permissible leak size consistent with a given cell life or conversely the maximum life consistent with a given leak size. It was also shown that loss rates of these cells in the terrestrial environment are several orders of magnitude less than the corresponding loss rates in the aerospace environment.

Frank, H. A.↗