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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 NTRS1987

Concepts for radically increasing the numerical convergence rate of the Euler equations

Integral equation and finite difference methods have been developed for solving transonic flow problems using linearized forms of the transonic small disturbance and Euler equations. A key element is the use of a strained coordinate system in which the shock remains fixed. Additional criteria are developed to determine the free parameters in the coordinate straining; these free parameters are functions of the shock location. An integral equation analysis showed that the shock is located by ensuring that no expansion shocks exist in the solution. The expansion shock appears as oscillations in the solution near the sonic line, and the correct shock location is determined by removing these oscillations. A second objective was to study the ability of the Euler equation to model separated flow.

Nixon, David↗
NASA NTRS1988

Finite element methodology for integrated flow-thermal-structural analysis

Papers entitled, An Adaptive Finite Element Procedure for Compressible Flows and Strong Viscous-Inviscid Interactions, and An Adaptive Remeshing Method for Finite Element Thermal Analysis, were presented at the June 27 to 29, 1988, meeting of the AIAA Thermophysics, Plasma Dynamics and Lasers Conference, San Antonio, Texas. The papers describe research work supported under NASA/Langley Research Grant NsG-1321, and are submitted in fulfillment of the progress report requirement on the grant for the period ending February 29, 1988.

Thornton, Earl A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Integrating nonlinear aerodynamic and structural analysis for a complete fighter configuration

The coupling of a nonlinear aerodynamics program with a structural analysis program to include the effects of static aeroelasticity in early preliminary design studies is described. A nonlinear, full potential aerodynamics method with capability to model geometric details of a complete aircraft in supersonic flow is used. The deflections of the lifting surfaces are calculated using an equivalent plate structural representation which can readily accommodate the changes in stiffness and geometric properties required during the preliminary design process. An iterative solution procedure is used to obtain consistent aerodynamic loads and structural deflections at the specified flight conditions. The volume of data transmitted between programs is minimized. The procedure is applied to a complete aircraft and the numerical results illustrate the aeroelastic effects on pressure distribution as well as total forces and moments. During this design study, the thickness distribution of the wing cover skins was initially sized based on rigid loads and subsequently resized under aeroelastic loads. Comparisons are made between these nonlinear aeroelastic results and results obtained from linear aerodynamic methods applied to a rigid shape during conceptual design studies.

Tatum, Kenneth E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The role of unsteady aerodynamics in aeroacoustics

The role of acoustics and unsteady aerodynamics research in understanding the fundamental physics of time-dependent fluid phenomena is reviewed. The key issues are illustrated by considering the sound radiation of turbulent jets and the aeroacoustics of rotating bodies such as helicopter rotors. The importance of computational methods as a link between aerodynamics and acoustics is also discussed. It is noted that where acoustic analogy techniques are sufficiently accurate, unsteady aerodynamics can be used for acoustic prediction. In supersonic problems where acoustics and aerodynamics are coupled, an integrated nonlinear analysis can provide an accurate problem solution.

Pao, S. Paul↗
NASA NTRS1988

An initiative in multidisciplinary optimization of rotorcraft

Described is a joint NASA/Army initiative at the Langley Research Center to develop optimization procedures aimed at improving the rotor blade design process by integrating appropriate disciplines and accounting for important interactions among the disciplines. The activity is being guided by a Steering Committee made up of key NASA and Army researchers and managers. The committee, which has been named IRASC (Integrated Rotorcraft Analysis Steering Committee), has defined two principal foci for the activity: a white paper which sets forth the goals and plans of the effort; and a rotor design project which will validate the basic constituents, as well as the overall design methodology for multidisciplinary optimization. The paper describes the optimization formulation in terms of the objective function, design variables, and constraints. Additionally, some of the analysis aspects are discussed and an initial attempt at defining the interdisciplinary couplings is summarized. At this writing, some significant progress has been made, principally in the areas of single discipline optimization. Results are given which represent accomplishments in rotor aerodynamic performance optimization for minimum hover horsepower, rotor dynamic optimization for vibration reduction, and rotor structural optimization for minimum weight.

Adelman, Howard M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Apollo Lightcraft Project

This second year of the NASA/USRA-sponsored Advanced Aeronautical Design effort focused on systems integration and analysis of the Apollo Lightcraft. This beam-powered, single-stage-to-orbit vehicle is envisioned as the shuttlecraft of the 21st century. The five person vehicle was inspired largely by the Apollo Command Module, then reconfigured to include a new front seat with dual cockpit controls for the pilot and co-pilot, while still retaining the 3-abreast crew accommodations in the rear seat. The gross liftoff mass is 5550 kg, of which 500 kg is the payload and 300 kg is the LH2 propellant. The round trip cost to orbit is projected to be three orders of magnitude lower than the current space shuttle orbiter. The advanced laser-driven 5-speed combined-cycle engine has shiftpoints at Mach 1, 5, 11 and 25+. The Apollo Lightcraft can climb into low Earth orbit in three minutes, or fly to any spot on the globe in less than 45 minutes. Detailed investigations of the Apollo Lightcraft Project this second year further evolved the propulsion system design, while focusing on the following areas: (1) man/machine interface; (2) flight control systems; (3) power beaming system architecture; (4) re-entry aerodynamics; (5) shroud structural dynamics; and (6) optimal trajectory analysis. The principal new findings are documented. Advanced design efforts for the next academic year (1988/1989) will center on a one meter+ diameter spacecraft: the Lightcraft Technology Demonstrator (LTD). Detailed engineering design and analyses, as well as critical proof-of-concept experiments, will be carried out on this small, near-term machine. As presently conceived, the LTD could be constructed using state of the art components derived from existing liquid chemical rocket engine technology, advanced composite materials, and high power laser optics.

Myrabo, Leik N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The scheduling techniques of ESP2

The Mission Analysis Division of the Systems Analysis and Integration Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center has developed a robust automatic scheduler which can produce detailed schedules for the multi-step activities required for payload operations on the Space Station. This scheduler, a part of the Expert Scheduling Program (ESP2), has five components: the bookkeeper, checker, loader, selector, and explainer. The bookkeeper maintains the usage profiles for nondepletable resources, consumables, equipment, crew, and the times of all the steps for the payload activities for several different schedules simultaneously. The checker searches the data maintained by the bookkeeper and finds times when the constraints of each step of an activity are satisfied. The loader is an expert system that uses the techniques of forward chaining, depth-first searching, and backtracking to manage the workings of the checker so that activities are placed in the schedule without violating constraints (such as crew, resources, and orbit opportunities). The checker searches the data maintained by the bookkeeper and finds times when the constraints of each step of an activity are satisfied. The loader is an expert system which uses the techniques of forward chaining, depth-first searching, and backtracking to manage the workings of the checker so that activities are placed in the schedule without violating the constraints. The selector has several methods of choosing the next activity for the loader to schedule. The explainer shows the user why an activity was or was not scheduled at a certain time; it offers a unique graphical explanation of how the expert system (the loader) works.

Jaap, John P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Space station payload operations scheduling with ESP2

The Mission Analysis Division of the Systems Analysis and Integration Laboratory at the Marshall Space Flight Center is developing a system of programs to handle all aspects of scheduling payload operations for Space Station. The Expert Scheduling Program (ESP2) is the heart of this system. The task of payload operations scheduling can be simply stated as positioning the payload activities in a mission so that they collect their desired data without interfering with other activities or violating mission constraints. ESP2 is an advanced version of the Experiment Scheduling Program (ESP) which was developed by the Mission Integration Branch beginning in 1979 to schedule Spacelab payload activities. The automatic scheduler in ESP2 is an expert system that embodies the rules that expert planners would use to schedule payload operations by hand. This scheduler uses depth-first searching, backtracking, and forward chaining techniques to place an activity so that constraints (such as crew, resources, and orbit opportunities) are not violated. It has an explanation facility to show why an activity was or was not scheduled at a certain time. The ESP2 user can also place the activities in the schedule manually. The program offers graphical assistance to the user and will advise when constraints are being violated. ESP2 also has an option to identify conflict introduced into an existing schedule by changes to payload requirements, mission constraints, and orbit opportunities.

Stacy, Kenneth L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Applications of integrated design/analysis systems in aerospace structural design

Integrated structural analysis and design systems and structural optimization procedures are being used in a production environment. Successful use of these systems requires experienced personnel. Interactive computer graphics can and will play a significant role in the analysis, optimization, design and manufacturing areas. Practical structural optimization procedures are tools that must be made available to the team. Much work still needs to be done to tie finite-element modeling to actual design details which are being tracked on systems such as CADAM or CATIA. More work needs to be done to automate the detailed design and analysis process. More emphasis should be placed on the real design problems.

Mason, Philip↗
NASA NTRS1989

An initiative in multidisciplinary optimization of rotorcraft

Described is a joint NASA/Army initiative at the Langley Research Center to develop optimization procedures aimed at improving the rotor blade design process by integrating appropriate disciplines and accounting for important interactions among the disciplines. The activity is being guided by a Steering Committee made up of key NASA and Army researchers and managers. The committee, which has been named IRASC (Integrated Rotorcraft Analysis Steering Committee), has defined two principal foci for the activity: a white paper which sets forth the goals and plans of the effort; and a rotor design project which will validate the basic constituents, as well as the overall design methodology for multidisciplinary optimization. The optimization formulation is described in terms of the objective function, design variables, and constraints. Additionally, some of the analysis aspects are discussed and an initial attempt at defining the interdisciplinary couplings is summarized. At this writing, some significant progress has been made, principally in the areas of single discipline optimization. Results are given which represent accomplishments in rotor aerodynamic performance optimization for minimum hover horsepower, rotor dynamic optimization for vibration reduction, and rotor structural optimization for minimum weight.

Adelman, Howard M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Evaluation of the heat transfer module (FAHT) of Failure Analysis Nonlinear Thermal And Structural Integrated Code (FANTASTIC)

The heat transfer module of FANTASTIC Code (FAHT) is studied and evaluated to the extend possible during the ten weeks duration of this project. A brief background of the previous studies is given and the governing equations as modeled in FAHT are discussed. FAHT's capabilities and limitations based on these equations and its coding methodology are explained in detail. It is established that with improper choice of element size and time step FAHT's temperature field prediction at some nodes will be below the initial condition. The source of this unrealistic temperature prediction is identified and a procedure is proposed for avoiding this phenomenon. It is further shown that the proposed procedure will converge to an accurate prediction upon mesh refinement. Unfortunately due to lack of time FAHT's ability to accurately account for pyrolysis and surface ablation has not been verified. Therefore, at the present time it can be stated with confidence that FAHT can accurately predict the temperature field for a transient multi-dimensional, orthotropic material with directional dependence, variable property, with nonlinear boundary condition. Such a prediction will provide an upper limit for the temperature field in an ablating decomposing nozzle liner. The pore pressure field, however, will not be known.

Keyhani, Majid↗
NASA NTRS1989

NASA/DOD Controls-Structures Interaction Technology 1989

The purpose of this conference was to report to industry, academia, and government agencies on the current status of controls-structures interaction technology. The agenda covered ground testing, integrated design, analysis, flight experiments, and concepts.

Newsom, Jerry R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A unique problem of muscle adaptation from weightlessness: The deceleration deficiency

Decelerator problems of the knee are emphasized since the lower leg musculature is known to atrophy in response to weightlessness. However, other important decelerator functions are served by the shoulder muscles, in particular the rotator cuff muscles. Problems in these muscles often result in tears and dislocations as seen in baseball pitchers. It is noteworthy that at least one device currently exists that can measure concentric and eccentric muscle loading including a submaximal simulated free weight exercise (i.e., force-controlled) and simultaneously record integrated EMG analysis appropriate for assessment of all muscle functional activities. Studies should be undertaken to provide information as to the performance of maximal and submaximal exercise in space travelers to define potential problems and provide rationale for prevention.

Stauber, William T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Analytic Patch Configuration (APC) gateway version 1.0 user's guide

The Analytic Patch Configuration (APC) is an interactive software tool which translates aircraft configuration geometry files from one format into another. This initial release of the APC Gateway accommodates six formats: the four accepted APC formats (89f, 89fd, 89u, and 89ud), the PATRAN 2.x phase 1 neutral file format, and the Integrated Aerodynamic Analysis System (IAAS) General Geometry (GG) format. Written in ANSI FORTRAN 77 and completely self-contained, the APC Gateway is very portable and was already installed on CDC/NOS, VAX/VMS, SUN, SGI/IRIS, CONVEX, and GRAY hosts.

Bingel, Bradford D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Research reports: 1990 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

Reports on the research projects performed under the NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program are presented. The program was conducted by The University of Alabama and MSFC during the period from June 4, 1990 through August 10, 1990. Some of the topics covered include: (1) Space Shuttles; (2) Space Station Freedom; (3) information systems; (4) materials and processes; (4) Space Shuttle main engine; (5) aerospace sciences; (6) mathematical models; (7) mission operations; (8) systems analysis and integration; (9) systems control; (10) structures and dynamics; (11) aerospace safety; and (12) remote sensing

Freeman, L. Michael↗
NASA NTRS1991

IMAT graphics manual

The Integrated Multidisciplinary Analysis Tool (IMAT) consists of a menu driven executive system coupled with a relational database which links commercial structures, structural dynamics and control codes. The IMAT graphics system, a key element of the software, provides a common interface for storing, retrieving, and displaying graphical information. The IMAT Graphics Manual shows users of commercial analysis codes (MATRIXx, MSC/NASTRAN and I-DEAS) how to use the IMAT graphics system to obtain high quality graphical output using familiar plotting procedures. The manual explains the key features of the IMAT graphics system, illustrates their use with simple step-by-step examples, and provides a reference for users who wish to take advantage of the flexibility of the software to customize their own applications.

Stockwell, Alan E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Atmospheric aerosol and Doppler lidar studies

Experimental and theoretical studies were performed of atmospheric aerosol backscatter and atmospheric dynamics with Doppler lidar as a primary tool. Activities include field and laboratory measurement and analysis efforts. The primary focus of activities related to understanding aerosol backscatter is the GLObal Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) program. GLOBE is a multi-element effort designed toward developing a global aerosol model to describe tropospheric clean background backscatter conditions that Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) is likely to encounter. Two survey missions were designed and flown in the NASA DC-8 in November 1989 and May to June 1990 over the remote Pacific Ocean, a region where backscatter values are low and where LAWS wind measurements could make a major contribution. The instrument complement consisted of pulsed and continuous-wave (CW) CO2 gas and solid state lidars measuring aerosol backscatter, optical particle counters measuring aerosol concentration, size distribution, and chemical composition, a filter/impactor system collecting aerosol samples for subsequent analysis, and integrating nephelometers measuring visible scattering coefficients. The GLOBE instrument package and survey missions were carefully planned to achieve complementary measurements under clean background backscatter conditions.

Rothermel, Jeff↗