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At least 829 records · Page 46

Modal identification using single-mode projection filters and comparison with ERA and MLE results

The Single-Mode Projection Filter (SPF) is a newly developed algorithm for eigensystem parameter identification from both analytical results and test data. The SPF is formulated with a single mode only and practical for parallel processing implementation. Explicit formulations of SPF are derived for the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) system by using the orthogonal matrices of the controllability and observability matrices in the general sense. The modal parameters of SPF are initially obtained from an analytical model in modal space. The experimental data are then processed through SPF to update its modal parameters and to minimize a cost function defined by the norm of an error matrix. The updated modal parameters represent the characteristics of the test data. A two-dimensional global minimum optimization algorithm is developed and applied for the filter update by using the interval analysis method. The SPF is developed based on a single-mode subsystem and identifies only one modal frequency and one modal damping within a specified region. For an n-modes structure, n SPF can be implemented for parallel processing to reduce the computational burden. The SPF is applied to analyze the simulated data for the MAST beam structure. The estimated modal parameters are comparable to those from the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) and repeated modal frequencies are identified. The modal analysis of the Spacecraft Control Laboratory Experiment (SCOLE) data is also performed by using the ERA and the Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE). The result shows that the first five modal frequencies are very close from ERA and MLE. However, there are slight disparities in the damping rates and the computational burdens are quite different among these two algorithms.

Huang, Jen-Kuang↗

Development of metallization process

A non lead frit paste is evaluated. A two step process is discussed where the bulk of the metallization is Mo/Sn but a small ohmic pad is silver. A new matrix of paste formulations is developed. A variety of tests are performed on paste samples to determine electrical, thermal and structural properties.

Garcia, A., III↗

Experimental measurement of material damping for space structures

A procedure for the measurement of material damping is described. The free decay of free-free beams, when lofted into free fall in vacuum, was recorded. Tests were performed on aluminum, graphite/epoxy, and graphite/magnesium metal matrix materials. Specimens with a fundamental free-free frequency below the elaxation frequency showed a higher level of damping and of stress dependence than predicted. For 0 sub 8 laminates, a material damping ratio of 0.00055 was found for fequencies varying from 45 Hz to 237 Hz. The damping was neither stress nor frequency dependent. For 90 sub 8 laminates, the damping ratio ranged from 0.0055 to 0.0066 as frequency ranged from 42 Hz to 143 Hz. Damping ratios for 90 sub 8 specimens were independent of stress. Experimentally measured damping ratios for metal matrix specimens with unidirectional graphite fibers, magnesium matrix, and either titanium or magnesium foil, ranged from .00039 to .00099, depending upon the matrix material, frequency, and possibly the stress range involved.

Crawley, E. F.↗

Degradation of graphite-epoxy due to electron radiation

Experimental results are presented showing that electron irradiation has a variable effect on the properties of graphite-epoxy depending upon the test temperature and the property of interest. In general, compression properties are improved at cold temperature and degraded at elevated temperature. With the exception of some moduli, tensile and shear properties are degraded at both cold and elevated temperatures. Electron irradiation lowers the glass transition temperature of graphite/epoxy significantly. Property degradation of irradiated materials at the elevated temperature is associated with the reduction in Tg. It is shown that a (0) compression-strength test is the most sensitive test for exhibiting the effects of electron irradiation. Results from tests on neat resin also show that the bulk matrix is degraded after irradiation, and that the correlation between resin and composite response is good.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

A mixed element for laminated plates and shells

Formulation and numerical evaluation of a simple shear-flexible four-noded quadrilateral laminated composite plate/shell finite-element is presented. The element developed is based on a generalized mixed variational principle with independently assumed displacement and laminate internal strain fields. For the latter, a layer-number-independent polynomial interpolation is utilized, together with a judicious selection of the in-plane (spanwise) distributions for the strain components. This was facilitated by the use of a set of bubble functions as additional kinematic degrees of freedom, which was shown to be crucial for eliminating the locking phenomenon. For dynamic applications, a simplified lumped mass matrix is employed. Finally, an extensive number of critical test cases are given to access the element's preformance and to illustrate its effectiveness in static as well as vibration problems for anisotropic laminated plates and shells.

Wilt, T. E.↗

Computational aspects of chemically reacting flows

An implicit, time-dependent approach is taken to solve the inviscid conservative equations in a vertex-based finite-volume formulation. The convective fluxes are estimated by a modified Riemann solver, and higher-order accuracy is obtained by means of the MUSCL. Implicit techniques are adopted to deal with the equation stiffness as a result of the clustered grid and chemical source term. The real-gas Roe matrix and the ADI and LU schemes have been tested on the sample problems: hypersonic flow over blunt configurations, such as the forebody of a double ellipse, and the near wake of a conic aerobrake. Temperature distribution and standoff distance are validated against the shock-fitting, central-differencing results. Equilibrium temperature may be recovered by artificially increasing the chemical rates at the wall. The present method satisfactorily resolves the flow structure, including the strong expansion behind the flat base. The relative merits and performance of the real-gas TVD and implicit schemes are discussed briefly.

Li, C. P.↗

Composite plates impact damage - An atlas

The present volume on impact damage in composite plates presents an extensive compendium of visual and graphic data regarding a variety of material and impactor parameters. The photographs are taken with X-ray and C-scan imaging in conjunction with a dye penetrant to show matrix cracks and delaminations. Impact and static-loading tests are performed on plates of graphite-epoxy, graphite-toughened epoxy, and graphite-PEEK materials. The images are presented to yield specific visual data regarding such parameters as impactor velocity, thickness of the back ply group, impactor nose radius, and the effects of multiple delaminations. The images are grouped in eight subsets that correspond to parameters including plate length, material, and the difference in fiber orientation between adjacent ply groups. This substantial volume represents a systematic effort to study the effects of several material parameters on impact damage.

Finn, Scott R.↗

Constraints on Mueller matrices of polarization optics

The issue of physical realizability constraints on depolarizing scattering or imaging systems is addressed. In particular, the overpolarization problem, i.e., the problem of ensuring that the output degree of polarization is always smaller than (or equal to) unity, is discussed in detail. A set of necessary conditions for the elements of a Mueller matrix is derived. These conditions can be used to test the accuracy of polarimetric measurements and computations. Several recent experimental examples from polarization optics and radar are discussed.

Kostinski, Alexander B.↗

NDE of titanium alloy MMC rings for gas turbine engines

Progress in the processing and fabrication of metal matrix composites (MMC's) requires appropriate mechanical and nondestructive testing methods. These methods are needed to characterize properties, assess integrity, and predict the life of engine components such as compressor rotors, blades, and vanes. Capabilities and limitations of several state-of-the-art nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies are investigated for characterizing titanium MMC rings for gas turbine engines. The use of NDE technologies such as x-ray computed tomography, radiography, and ultrasonics in identifying fabrication-related problems that caused defects in components is examined. Acousto-ultrasonics was explored to assess degradation of material mechanical properties by using stress wave factor and ultrasonic velocity measurements before and after the burst testing of the rings.

Baaklini, George Y.↗

Standard methods for open hole tension testing of textile composites

Sizing effects have been investigated by comparing the open hole failure strengths of each of the four different braided architectures as a function of specimen thickness, hole diameter, and the ratio of specimen width to hole diameter. The data used to make these comparisons was primarily generated by Boeing. Direct comparisons of Boeing's results were made with experiments conducted at West Virginia University whenever possible. Indirect comparisons were made with test results for other 2-D braids and 3-D weaves tested by Boeing and Lockheed. In general, failure strength was found to decrease with increasing plate thickness, increase with decreasing hole size, and decreasing with decreasing width to diameter ratio. The interpretation of the sensitive to each of these geometrical parameters was complicated by scatter in the test data. For open hole tension testing of textile composites, the use of standard testing practices employed by industry, such as ASTM D5766 - Standard Test Method for Open Hole Tensile Strength of Polymer Matrix Composite Laminates should provide adequate results for material comparisons studies.

Portanova, M. A.↗

Standard methods for filled hole tension testing of textile composites

The effects of two test specimen geometry parameters, the specimen width and W/D ratio, on filled-hole tensile strength were determined for textile composite materials. Test data generated by Boeing and Lockheed on 2-D and 3-D braids, and 3-D weaves were used to make these evaluations. The investigation indicated that filled-hole tensile-strength showed little sensitivity to either parameter. Test specimen configurations used in open-hole tension tests, such as those suggested by ASTM D5766 - Standard Test Method for Open Hole Tensile Strength of Polymer Matrix Composite Laminates or those proposed by MIL-HDBK-17-lD should provide adequate results for material comparisons studies. Comparisons of the materials' open-hole and filled-hole tensile strengths indicated that the latter were generally lower than the former. The 3-D braids were the exception; their filled-hole strengths were unexpected larger than their open-hole strengths. However, these increases were small compared to the scatter in the data. Thus, filled hole tension may be a critical design consideration for textile composite materials.

Portanova, M. A.↗

Metal Foam Analysis: Improving Sandwich Structure Technology for Engine Fan and Propeller Blades

The Life Prediction Branch of the NASA Glenn Research Center is searching for ways to construct aircraft and rotorcraft engine fan and propeller blades that are lighter and less costly. One possible design is to create a sandwich structure composed of two metal faces sheets and a metal foam core. The face sheets would carry the bending loads and the foam core would have to resist the transverse shear loads. Metal foam is ideal because of its low density and energy absorption capabilities, making the structure lighter, yet still stiff. The material chosen for the face sheets and core was 17-4PH stainless steel, which is easy to make and has appealing mechanical properties. This material can be made inexpensively compared to titanium and polymer matrix composites, the two current fan blade alternatives. Initial tests were performed on design models, including vibration and stress analysis. These tests revealed that the design is competitive with existing designs; however, some problems were apparent that must be addressed before it can be implemented in new technology. The foam did not hold up as well as expected under stress. This could be due to a number of issues, but was most likely a result of a large number of pores within the steel that weakened the structure. The brazing between the face sheets and the foam was also identified as a concern. The braze did not hold up well under shear stress causing the foam to break away from the face sheets. My role in this project was to analyze different options for improving the design. I primarily spent my time examining various foam samples, created with different sintering conditions, to see which exhibited the most favorable characteristics for our purpose. Methods of analysis that I employed included examining strut integrity under a microscope, counting the number of cells per inch, measuring the density, testing the microhardness, and testing the strength under compression. Shear testing will also be done to examine the strengths of different types of brazes.

Fedor, Jessica L.↗

Nondestructive Evaluation of Ceramic Matrix Composite Combustor Components

Combustor liners fabricated from a SiC/SiC composite (silicon carbide fibers in a silicon carbide matrix) were nondestructively interrogated before and after combustion rig testing by x-ray, ultrasonic, and thermographic techniques. In addition, mechanical test results were obtained from witness coupons, representing the as-manufactured liners, and from coupons machined from the components after combustion exposure. Thermography indications correlated with reduced material properties obtained after rig testing. The thermography indications in the SiC/SiC liners were delaminations and damaged fiber tows, as determined through microstructural examinations.

Sun, Jiangang G.↗

Application of Temperature Sensitivities During Iterative Strain-Gage Balance Calibration Analysis

A new method is discussed that may be used to correct wind tunnel strain-gage balance load predictions for the influence of residual temperature effects at the location of the strain-gages. The method was designed for the iterative analysis technique that is used in the aerospace testing community to predict balance loads from strain-gage outputs during a wind tunnel test. The new method implicitly applies temperature corrections to the gage outputs during the load iteration process. Therefore, it can use uncorrected gage outputs directly as input for the load calculations. The new method is applied in several steps. First, balance calibration data is analyzed in the usual manner assuming that the balance temperature was kept constant during the calibration. Then, the temperature difference relative to the calibration temperature is introduced as a new independent variable for each strain--gage output. Therefore, sensors must exist near the strain--gages so that the required temperature differences can be measured during the wind tunnel test. In addition, the format of the regression coefficient matrix needs to be extended so that it can support the new independent variables. In the next step, the extended regression coefficient matrix of the original calibration data is modified by using the manufacturer specified temperature sensitivity of each strain--gage as the regression coefficient of the corresponding temperature difference variable. Finally, the modified regression coefficient matrix is converted to a data reduction matrix that the iterative analysis technique needs for the calculation of balance loads. Original calibration data and modified check load data of NASA's MC60D balance are used to illustrate the new method.

Ulbrich, N.↗

Joint Strength Optimization and Damping Assessment of NiTi-Polymer Matrix Hybrid Composites

Approaches to optimize the adhesive joint strength between shape memory alloy ribbons and carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites were investigated for potential use as either an actuating structure or a dampening composite for structural applications. The interfacial bond strength between nickel-titanium (NiTi) and a polymer matrix composite (PMC) was measured by double lap shear testing as a function of NiTi surface treatment and adhesive material. The effect of NiTi surface treatment on damping was investigated using dynamic mechanical analysis. Lap shear data show that treating the surfaces of NiTi ribbons by light sandblasting and primer application increased the interfacial bond strength by 20 percent over the baseline composite structure. Lap shear data also reveal that out of three different film adhesives investigated, samples bonded with AF 191U and Hysol® 9696U display the highest adhesive joint strengths. Optical microscopy reveals that most samples failed by either cohesive failure within the adhesive or by adhesive failure at either the adhesive/PMC or NiTi/adhesive interface. Adhering NiTi to the PMC did not appear to negatively impact damping performance; however, a more thorough examination into NiTi's role on vibration damping should be investigated.

lap shear↗

Environmental Barrier Coating Surface Temperature Mapping Using a Compatible Er-Doped Sc 2 SiO 5 Temperature-Sensing Layer

Accurate surface temperature-mapping capabilities in the 1300 to 1500 °C range are needed for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites protected by environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) under testing in turbine engine environment facilities. The strong background thermal radiation at these higher temperatures is a challenging issue. Er-doped Y 2 SiO 5 was previously shown to be capable of achieving luminescence lifetime-based temperature mapping up to 1560 °C as a standalone material. However, compatibility issues between an Er-doped Y 2 SiO 5 surface temperature sensing layer and an underlying Sc 2 Si 2 O 7 -based EBC topcoat limited temperature mapping of the EBC surface to a maximum of 1380 °C. Therefore, an Er-doped Sc 2 SiO 5 temperature sensing layer has been subsequently developed with better compatibility with the Sc2Si2O7-based EBC topcoat. Localized spot temperature measurements as well as luminescence lifetime imaging-based temperature mapping were demonstrated up to 1535 °C from a 15 µm thick Er-doped Sc 2 SiO 5 layer at the surface of a Sc2Si2O7-based EBC topcoat, a significant improvement over the Er-doped Y2SiO5 layer 1380 °C temperature sensing limit. No degradation of the Er-doped Sc 2 SiO 5 temperature sensing surface layer was observed.

temperature measurement↗

High-Performance Scanning Acousto-Ultrasonic System

A high-performance scanning acousto-ultrasonic system, now undergoing development, is designed to afford enhanced capabilities for imaging microstructural features, including flaws, inside plate specimens of materials. The system is expected to be especially helpful in analyzing defects that contribute to failures in polymer- and ceramic-matrix composite materials, which are difficult to characterize by conventional scanning ultrasonic techniques and other conventional nondestructive testing techniques. Selected aspects of the acousto-ultrasonic method have been described in several NASA Tech Briefs articles in recent years. Summarizing briefly: The acousto-ultrasonic method involves the use of an apparatus like the one depicted in the figure (or an apparatus of similar functionality). Pulses are excited at one location on a surface of a plate specimen by use of a broadband transmitting ultrasonic transducer. The stress waves associated with these pulses propagate along the specimen to a receiving transducer at a different location on the same surface. Along the way, the stress waves interact with the microstructure and flaws present between the transducers. The received signal is analyzed to evaluate the microstructure and flaws. The specific variant of the acousto-ultrasonic method implemented in the present developmental system goes beyond the basic principle described above to include the following major additional features: Computer-controlled motorized translation stages are used to automatically position the transducers at specified locations. Scanning is performed in the sense that the measurement, data-acquisition, and data-analysis processes are repeated at different specified transducer locations in an array that spans the specimen surface (or a specified portion of the surface). A pneumatic actuator with a load cell is used to apply a controlled contact force. In analyzing the measurement data for each pair of transducer locations in the scan, the total (multimode) acousto-ultrasonic response of the specimen is utilized. The analysis is performed by custom software that extracts parameters of signals in the time and frequency domains. The computer hardware and software provide both real-time and postscan processing and display options. For example, oscilloscope displays of waveforms and power spectral densities are available in real time. Images can be computed while scanning continues. Signals can be digitally preprocessed and/or post-processed by filtering, windowing, time-segmenting, and running-waveform-averaging algorithms. In addition, the software affords options for off-line simulation of the waveform-data-acquisition and scanning processes. In tests, the system has been shown to be capable of characterizing microstructural changes and defects in SiC/SiC and C/SiC ceramic-matrix composites. Delaminations, variations in density, microstructural changes attributable to infiltration by silicon, and crack-space indications (defined in the next sentence) have been revealed in images formed from several time- and frequency-domain parameters of scanning acousto-ultrasonic signals. The crack-space indications were image features that were not revealed by other nondestructive testing methods and are so named because they turned out to mark locations where cracking eventually occurred.

Roth, Don↗

Implementation of thermal residual stresses in the analysis of fiber bridged matrix crack growth in titanium matrix composites

In this research, thermal residual stresses were incorporated in an analysis of fiber-bridged matrix cracks in unidirectional and cross-ply titanium matrix composites (TMC) containing center holes or center notches. Two TMC were investigated, namely, SCS-6/Timelal-21S laminates. Experimentally, matrix crack initiation and growth were monitored during tension-tension fatigue tests conducted at room temperature and at an elevated temperature of 200 C. Analytically, thermal residual stresses were included in a fiber bridging (FB) model. The local R-ratio and stress-intensity factor in the matrix due to thermal and mechanical loadings were calculated and used to evaluate the matrix crack growth behavior in the two materials studied. The frictional shear stress term, tau, assumed in this model was used as a curve-fitting parameter to matrix crack growth data. The scatter band in the values of tau used to fit the matrix crack growth data was significantly reduced when thermal residual stresses were included in the fiber bridging analysis. For a given material system, lay-up and temperature, a single value of tau was sufficient to analyze the crack growth data. It was revealed in this study that thermal residual stresses are an important factor overlooked in the original FB models.

Bakuckas, John G., Jr.↗