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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.

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At least 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Tradeoffs in manipulator structure and control. Part 4: Flexible manipulator analysis program

The Flexible Manipulator Analysis Program (FMAP) is a collection of FORTRAN coding to allow easy analysis of the flexible dynamics of mechanical arms. The user specifies the arm configuration and parameters and any or all of several frequency domain analyses to be performed, while the time domain impulse response is obtained by inverse Fourier transformation of the frequency response. A detailed explanation of how to use FMAP is provided.

Book, W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Initial Characterization of the NREL Large-Amplitude Motion Platform

The Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP) at NREL represents a significant advancement in the controlled testing of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) under laboratory conditions. Originally designed by E2M as a six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) Stewart platform for flight simulation, LAMP has been adapted by NREL to facilitate the mounting and evaluation of WECs. This adaptation enables dry testing of WECs using motion profiles similar to the ocean, facilitating the iterative design, testing, and validation of WEC performance prior to ocean deployments. This report presents the initial work completed to characterize LAMP, with particular emphasis on its stability and operational capabilities across various single and multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) motion profiles. The report includes planned comparisons at three distinct mass payloads, aimed at assessing the platform's positional accuracy, frequency response, and endurance over extended runtime periods. These experimental tests are critical for establishing the platform's limitations and ensuring that the data generated during WEC validation is both accurate and reproducible. The outcomes of this study not only contribute to a deeper understanding of LAMP's capabilities but also lay the groundwork for future advancements in WEC testing methodologies. By providing robust and reliable performance data within a controlled laboratory setting, the findings are expected to significantly enhance the development and commercialization of marine energy technologies. This report presents the initial findings of the LAMP Characterization work and proposed steps to further understand and characterize LAMP. Data collected during this work can be found on MHKDR at: https://mhkdr.openei.org/submissions/602 Note that this report shares the measured/found instantaneous maximum operating range of LAMP. For most applications the maximum operating range cannot be used for system health and longevity. The operating range and capabilities of LAMP will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, single-DOF position, velocity, and acceleration values presented in Table 4a-c, and Table 5 should be taken as instantaneous absolute maximum values. Future use of LAMP will likely be limited to smaller values.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Role of Dislocations in the Anelasticity of the Upper Mantle

Dislocation‐based dissipation mechanisms potentially control the viscoelastic response of Earth's upper mantle across a variety of geodynamic contexts, including glacial isostatic adjustment, postseismic creep, and seismic‐wave attenuation. However, there is no consensus on which dislocation‐based, microphysical process controls the viscoelastic behavior of the upper mantle. Although both intergranular (plastic anisotropy) and intragranular (backstress) mechanisms have been proposed, there is currently insufficient laboratory data to discriminate between those mechanisms. Here, we present the results of forced‐oscillation experiments in a deformation‐DIA apparatus at confining pressures of 3–7 GPa and temperatures of 298–1370 K. Our experiments tested the viscoelastic response of polycrystalline olivine—the main constituent of the upper mantle—at stress amplitudes from 70 to 2,800 MPa. Mechanical data are complemented by microstructural analyses of grain size, crystallographic preferred orientation, and dislocation density. We observe amplitude‐ and frequency‐dependent attenuation and modulus relaxation and find that numerical solutions of the backstress model match our results well. Therefore, we argue that interactions among dislocations, rather than intergranular processes (e.g., plastic anisotropy or grain boundary sliding), control the viscoelastic behavior of polycrystalline olivine in our experiments. In addition, we present a linearized version of the constitutive equations of the backstress model and extrapolate it to conditions typical of seismic‐wave propagation in the upper mantle. Our extrapolation demonstrates that the backstress model can explain the magnitude of seismic‐wave attenuation in the upper mantle, although some modification is required to explain the weak frequency dependence of attenuation observed in nature and in previous experimental work.

Hein, Diede [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (↗
DOE OSTI2025

High-frequency electrical behavior in V 3 O 5 thin films

Vanadium oxides are known for their metal–insulator transition (MIT), with V 3 O 5 being notable for its transition temperature exceeding room temperature. At about 430 K, this material shows a change in crystal symmetry accompanied with one order of magnitude increase in its electrical conductivity and alterations in its optical properties. Although the property changes during the MIT in V 3 O 5 are less pronounced than those observed in VO 2 , its transition temperature is 90 K higher, making it appealing for applications requiring elevated temperatures. In this article, the high-frequency characteristics were determined in a V 3 O 5 two-terminal device in the range from 5 to 35 GHz. The S-parameters showed that the return loss at room temperature was close to −1.5 dB, and the isolation between ports was approximately −50 dB. At temperatures above the metal–insulator transition, the isolation decreased to around −40 dB at 35 GHz. For S11 and S22, similar behavior was observed at room temperature, with a notable change in the S-parameter phase of the device. This behavior suggests that V 3 O 5 may function well as a capacitor because the considerable change in phase could control the flow of electrical signals in devices. This property also may be used for matching purposes, especially considering its response to temperature changes. Additionally, conductivity calculation from S-parameters shows a decrease of approximately two orders of magnitude at 500 K and one order of magnitude at 300 K compared to DC values. These findings highlight V 3 O 5 potential for integration into radio frequency devices that demand consistent performance in high-temperature environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating the mutagenicity of N-nitrosodimethylamine in 2D and 3D HepaRG cell cultures using error-corrected next generation sequencing

Human liver-derived metabolically competent HepaRG cells have been successfully employed in both two-dimensional (2D) and 3D spheroid formats for performing the comet assay and micronucleus (MN) assay. In the present study, we have investigated expanding the genotoxicity endpoints evaluated in HepaRG cells by detecting mutagenesis using two error-corrected next generation sequencing (ecNGS) technologies, Duplex Sequencing (DS) and High-Fidelity (HiFi) Sequencing. Both HepaRG 2D cells and 3D spheroids were exposed for 72 h to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), followed by an additional incubation for the fixation of induced mutations. NDMA-induced DNA damage, chromosomal damage, and mutagenesis were determined using the comet assay, MN assay, and ecNGS, respectively. The 72-h treatment with NDMA resulted in concentration-dependent increases in cytotoxicity, DNA damage, MN formation, and mutation frequency in both 2D and 3D cultures, with greater responses observed in the 3D spheroids compared to 2D cells. The mutational spectrum analysis showed that NDMA induced predominantly A:T → G:C transitions, along with a lower frequency of G:C → A:T transitions, and exhibited a different trinucleotide signature relative to the negative control. These results demonstrate that the HepaRG 2D cells and 3D spheroid models can be used for mutagenesis assessment using both DS and HiFi Sequencing, with the caveat that severe cytotoxic concentrations should be avoided when conducting DS. With further validation, the HepaRG 2D/3D system may become a powerful human-based metabolically competent platform for genotoxicity testing.

3D spheroids↗
DOE OSTI2026

Terahertz 2D coherent spectroscopy for probing and controlling multicorrelations in quantum matter

Terahertz 2D coherent spectroscopy (THz-2DCS) is an emerging technique that brings multidimensional resolution to the ultrafast spectral–temporal dynamics of non-equilibrium quantum phases of matter, enabling new capabilities for precise coherent control in many-body dynamics and multiorder correlations. Here, by mapping and disentangling complex excitation and detection pathways across distinct time and frequency dimensions, THz-2DCS provides a form of coherence tomography of light-induced quantum matter — revealing multiquantum coherences, separating nonlinear response functions and capturing collective modes and quantum kinetics on ultrafast THz timescales. This Perspective discusses the technical capabilities of THz-2DCS, provides a comparison to other multidimensional and coherent transient spectroscopies and looks ahead towards opportunities for advancing THz-2DCS instrumentation and experimental strategies towards new frontier discoveries.

Huang, Chuankun [Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA ↗
NASA NTRS1971

Substructuring techniques

The substructure function generator program is discussed. Input to this program consists of a definition of a finite element model of a substructure, and specification of the type and number of displacement functions to be generated. Primary output is a substructure data file containing the substructure mass and stiffness matrices expressing kinetic and potential energies as quadratic forms in coefficients of the displacement functions, etc. The substructure synthesis program forms complete system mass, stiffness, and damping matrices, computes system modes and frequencies, and executes transient response calculations. Input to this program consists of the array of substructure data files generated by the function generator program for individual substructures, and data cards defining the position and interconnection of the substructures, damping data, forcing function details, and function control parameters.

Whetstone, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Applications of flight control system methods to an advanced combat rotorcraft

Advanced flight control system design, analysis, and testing methodologies developed at the Ames Research Center are applied in an analytical and flight test evaluation of the Advanced Digital Optical Control System (ADOCS) demonstrator. The primary objectives are to describe the knowledge gained about the implications of digital flight control system design for rotorcraft, and to illustrate the analysis of the resulting handling-qualities in the context of the proposed new handling-qualities specification for rotorcraft. Topics covered in-depth are digital flight control design and analysis methods, flight testing techniques, ADOCS handling-qualities evaluation results, and correlation of flight test results with analytical models and the proposed handling-qualities specification. The evaluation of the ADOCS demonstrator indicates desirable response characteristics based on equivalent damping and frequency, but undersirably large effective time-delays (exceeding 240 m sec in all axes). Piloted handling-qualities are found to be desirable or adequate for all low, medium, and high pilot gain tasks; but handling-qualities are inadequate for ultra-high gain tasks such as slope and running landings.

Tischler, Mark B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Active control of the forced response of a finite beam

The theoretical limit on reducing transverse vibrations in a simply-supported finite beam is investigated. The beam is assumed to be harmonically excited to a steady-state condition and controlled by single point sources. Results demonstrate the maximum possible attenuation of the beam vibrations as a function of excitation frequency, controller location, and spatial area of control.

Post, John T.↗
NASA NTRS1997

PLATSIM: A Simulation and Analysis Package for Large-Order Flexible Systems

The software package PLATSIM provides efficient time and frequency domain analysis of large-order generic space platforms. PLATSIM can perform open-loop analysis or closed-loop analysis with linear or nonlinear control system models. PLATSIM exploits the particular form of sparsity of the plant matrices for very efficient linear and nonlinear time domain analysis, as well as frequency domain analysis. A new, original algorithm for the efficient computation of open-loop and closed-loop frequency response functions for large-order systems has been developed and is implemented within the package. Furthermore, a novel and efficient jitter analysis routine which determines jitter and stability values from time simulations in a very efficient manner has been developed and is incorporated in the PLATSIM package. In the time domain analysis, PLATSIM simulates the response of the space platform to disturbances and calculates the jitter and stability values from the response time histories. In the frequency domain analysis, PLATSIM calculates frequency response function matrices and provides the corresponding Bode plots. The PLATSIM software package is written in MATLAB script language. A graphical user interface is developed in the package to provide convenient access to its various features.

Maghami, Peiman G.↗
NASA NTRS2006

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↗
DOE OSTI2023

Self-tuning wave energy converter (WEC) controller for changing sea states

Systems and methods for a WEC controller that uses a self-tuning proportional-integral control law prescribing motor torques to maximize electrical power generation and automatically tune the controller to maximize power absorption. In an embodiment, the controller may be part of any resonant WEC system. The control law relies upon an identified model of device intrinsic impedance to generate a frequency-domain estimate of the wave-induced excitation force and measurements of device velocities. The control law was tested in irregular sea-states that evolved over hours (a rapid, but realistic time-scale) and that changed instantly (an unrealistic scenario to evaluate controller response).

Bacelli, Giorgio↗
NASA NTRS1985

Application of frequency domain handling qualities criteria to the longitudinal landing task

Under NASA sponsorship, an in-flight simulation of the longitudinal handling qualities of several configurations for the approach and landing tasks was performed on the USAF/AFWAL Total In-Flight Simulator by the Calspan Corporation. The basic configuration was a generic transport airplane with static instability. The control laws included proportional plus integral gain loops to produce pitch-rate and angle-of-attack feedback loops. The evaluation task was a conventional visual approach to a flared touchdown at a designated spot on the runway with a lateral offset. The general conclusions were that the existing criteria are based on pitch-attitude response and that these characteristics do not adequately discriminate between the good and bad configurations of this study. This paper describes the work that has been done to further develop frequency-based criteria in an effort to provide better correlation with the observed data.

Sarrafian, S. K.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Review of Power System Support Functions for Inverter-Based Distributed Energy Resources - Standards, Control Algorithms, and Trends

Penetration of renewable energy in power systems has been increasing in the past decades in response to increased global electricity demand and concerns for the environment. Distributed energy resources (DERs) based on renewables have experienced rapid growth thanks to the incentive programs and broad-based participation. With the growing prevalence of DERs, the risk of grid instability and vulnerability increases due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy. At the same time, the voltage and frequency deviation problems emerge more often when the reverse power flow occurs under supply-demand imbalance in distributed power systems. Standards and grid codes have been issued for DER inverters to interconnect with the distribution grid. The updated standard and grid codes expect DERs to provide a variety of power system support functions in order to incorporate higher DER penetration and to maximize DER value to the grid. This paper provides an overview of the power system support functions from renewable DER inverters, which are categorized as: voltage regulation by active/reactive power control, frequency regulation by active power control, voltage ride-through, and frequency ride-through. The benefits and drawbacks of each algorithm are presented and compared with its predecessor, manifesting the logic in the evolution of the algorithms.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
NASA NTRS1991

The zeroes of controlled structures - Sensor/actuator attributes and structural modelling

The effects of sensor/actuator design and modeling decisions on the zero frequencies of single input single output structural systems are explored. A zero definition based on the high gain closed loop character of the poles of a system is used to study parametrically zeroes as a function of sensor and actuator location. An infinite order model is adopted so that the effects of finite order modeling are removed. Examples focus on point or localized actuators and sensors and simple uniform structures. The sensitivity of the zero frequencies to changes in the sensor and actuator location for both collocated and non-collocated cases are presented. Non-minimum phase behavior is visible in only certain non-collocated situations. In addition to the sensor/actuator attributes, the zeroes are shown to be a function of the truncation and discretization used to model the structural response for collocated and dual systems. Methods for improving the zero predictions in the control bandwidth are suggested.

Fleming, Farla M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

A comprehensive review of nonlinear oscillators in hydrokinetic energy harnessing using flow-induced vibrations

A comprehensive review of hydrokinetic energy converters based on alternating lift technology (ALT) is provided. Emphasis is on nonlinear oscillators based on Flow Induced Vibration (FIV) or Oscillation (FIO). Due to strong coupling in Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI), and in order to maximize the hydrokinetic harnessed energy, design of nonlinear oscillators and analysis by model tests or computational fluid dynamics dominates this area. Research confirmed that the nonlinear oscillator can harvest energy from a stochastic excitation modeled by a generic wide spectrum, and overcome the most severe oscillator limitations: specifically, the need for continuous frequency tuning due to the narrow bandwidth response, and low efficiency outside the narrow bandwidth oscillator response. This review covers the following aspects of nonlinear oscillators in ALT converters: (1) Geometric changes in oscillator cross-section; e.g., circular, square, rectangular, or trilateral shapes. (2) Passive turbulence control of FIV/FIO. (3) Position based nonlinear stiffness. (4) Multi-cylinder synergistic FIV/FIO. (5) Mechanically linked oscillators. (6) Velocity-based, nonlinear, adaptive harnessing damping.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1977

Study of synthesis techniques for insensitive aircraft control systems

Insensitive flight control system design criteria was defined in terms of maximizing performance (handling qualities, RMS gust response, transient response, stability margins) over a defined parameter range. Wing load alleviation for the C-5A was chosen as a design problem. The C-5A model was a 79-state, two-control structure with uncertainties assumed to exist in dynamic pressure, structural damping and frequency, and the stability derivative, M sub w. Five new techniques (mismatch estimation, uncertainty weighting, finite dimensional inverse, maximum difficulty, dual Lyapunov) were developed. Six existing techniques (additive noise, minimax, multiplant, sensitivity vector augmentation, state dependent noise, residualization) and the mismatch estimation and uncertainty weighting techniques were synthesized and evaluated on the design example. Evaluation and comparison of these six techniques indicated that the minimax and the uncertainty weighting techniques were superior to the other six, and of these two, uncertainty weighting has lower computational requirements. Techniques based on the three remaining new concepts appear promising and are recommended for further research.

Harvey, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Generation of desired signals from acoustic drivers

A procedure to control transient signal generation is developed for the study of internal noise propagation from aircraft engines. A simple algorithm incorporating transform techniques is used to produce signals of any desired waveform from acoustic drivers. The accurate driver response is then calculated, and from this the limiting frequency characteristics are determined and the undesirable frequencies where the driver response is poor are eliminated from the analysis. A synthesized signal is then produced by convolving the inverse of the response function with the desired signal. Although the shape of the synthesized signal is in general quite awkward, the driver generates the desired signal when the distorted signal is fed into the driver. The results of operating the driver in two environments, in a free field and in a duct, are presented in order to show the impedance matching effect of the driver. In addition, results using a high frequency cut-off value as a parameter is presented in order to demonstrate the extent of the applicability of the synthesis procedure. It is concluded that the desired signals can be generated through the signal synthesis procedure.

Ramakrishnan, R.↗