Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “hinges”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 883 records · Page 49
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

Dynamics of flexible bodies in tree topology - A computer oriented approach

An approach suited for automatic generation of the equations of motion for large mechanical systems (i.e., large space structures, mechanisms, robots, etc.) is presented. The system topology is restricted to a tree configuration. The tree is defined as an arbitrary set of rigid and flexible bodies connected by hinges characterizing relative translations and rotations of two adjoining bodies. The equations of motion are derived via Kane's method. The resulting equation set is of minimum dimension. Dynamical equations are imbedded in a computer program called TREETOPS. Extensive control simulation capability is built in the TREETOPS program. The simulation is driven by an interactive set-up program resulting in an easy to use analysis tool.

Singh, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Approximating a finite element model of a hybrid deployable truss by a discrete mass model

The NASTRAN finite element model of the MSFC/hybrid deployable truss is approximated by a model consisting of four bodies serially connected by a spring hinge suspension. The truss is decomposed into four serially connected modules determining the total mass and rotational inertias for a rigid body with its mass center on the axis of the truss for each module. A five-body cantilever truss model is developed along with an undamped form of this model. Spring coefficient values are generated to match eigenvalues of the latter model with those of the NASTRAN model. Damping coefficients are then determined that provide n percent of critical damping for the model.

Chichester, F. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Detecting Cracks in Rough Metal Surfaces

Test based on eddy-current probe technique identifies cracks in swaged metals. Hinged collar with spring-loaded latch holds probe in place on part tested. For repeated measurements on same or similar parts, collar loosened and moved to various measuring positions. Method suitable for many kinds of metal parts, including swaged fittings, tubing, and pipes. Used for rapid crack/no-crack determinations in suspect parts already installed.

Zuver, N. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

DFVLR rotorcraft: Construction and engineering

A helicopter rotor test stand is described. Full scale helicopter components can be tested such as hingeless fiberglass rotors and two blade rotor with flapping hinge, or a hybrid system. The facility is used to test stability, rotor components and downwind components.

Langer, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Force and moment measurements on a 74 deg delta wing with an apex flap

Results are presented of a subsonic experimental investigation of an apex flap concept on a 74 deg swept delta wing with trailing-edge flaps. The apex flap comprised approximately 6 percent of the wing area forward of a transverse hinge, allowing for upward and downward deflection angles from +40 deg to -20 deg. Upward deflection forces leading-edge vortex formation on the apex flap, resulting in an increased lift component on the apex area. The associated nose-up moment balances the nose-down moment due to trailing-edge flaps, resulting in sizeable increase in the trimmed lift coefficient particularly at low angles of attack. Nose-down apex deflection may be used to augment the pitch control for rapid recovery from high-alpha maneuvers. This report presents the balance data without analysis.

Buter, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Study to eliminate ground resonance using active controls

The effectiveness of active control blade feathering in increasing rotor body damping and the possibility to eliminate ground resonance instabilities were investigated. An analytical model representing rotor flapping and lead-lag degrees of freedom and body pitch, roll, longitudinal and lateral motion is developed. Active control blade feathering is implemented as state variable feedback through a conventional swashplate. The influence of various feedback states, feedback gain, and weighting between the cyclic controls is studied through stability and response analyses. It is shown that blade cyclic inplane motion, roll rate and roll acceleration feedback can add considerable damping to the system and eliminate ground resonance instabilities, which the feedback phase is also a powerful parameter, if chosen properly, it maximizes augmentation of the inherent regressing lag mode damping. It is shown that rotor configuration parameters, like blade root hinge offset, flapping stiffness, and precone considerably influence the control effectiveness. It is found that active control is particularly powerful for hingeless and bearingless rotor systems.

Straub, F. K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space shuttle rudder/speedbrake actuation subsystem

The Rudder/Speedbrake (R/SB) Actuation Subsystem for use on the NASA Space Shuttle Orbiter is an electro-hydro-mechanical system which provides the control and positionary capability of the orbiter aero-dynamic primary flight control surface. The system is located in the vehicle's vertical stabilizer. The geared rotary actuators provide a power hinge feature of the split panel rudder. Actuation of both panels in the same direction provides conventional rudder control; actuating the panels differentially provides a speedbrake function intended to control both speed and pitch. The commands may be superimposed on one another. The system consists of one power drive unit which responds to quadredundant avionic signals to generate a rotary output, four geared rotary actuators, which develop rotary position and torque as outputs, and ten torque transmitting drive-shifts.

Naber, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Acid phosphatase and protease activities in immobilized rat skeletal muscles

The effect of hind-limb immobilization on selected Iysosomal enzyme activities was studied in rat hing-limb muscles composed primarily of type 1. 2A, or 2B fibers. Following immobilization, acid protease and acid phosphatase both exhibited signifcant increases in their activity per unit weight in all three fiber types. Acid phosphatase activity increased at day 14 of immobilization in the three muscles and returned to control levels by day 21. Acid protease activity also changed biphasically, displaying a higher and earlier rise than acid phosphatase. The pattern of change in acid protease, but not acid phosphatase, closely parallels observed muscle wasting. The present data therefore demonstrate enhanced proteolytic capacity of all three fiber types early during muscular atrophy. In addition, the data suggest a dependence of basal hydrolytic and proteolytic activities and their adaptive response to immobilization on muscle fiber composition.

Witzmann, F. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Static internal performance of a two-dimensional convergent nozzle with thrust-vectoring capability up to 60 deg

An investigation was conducted at wind-off conditions in the static-test facility of the Langley 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the internal performance characteristics of a two-dimensional convergent nozzle with a thrust-vectoring capability up to 60 deg. Vectoring was accomplished by a downward rotation of a hinged upper convergent flap and a corresponding rotation of a center-pivoted lower convergent flap. The effects of geometric thrust-vector angle and upper-rotating-flap geometry on internal nozzle performance characteristics were investigated. Nozzle pressure ratio was varied from 1.0 (jet off) to approximately 5.0.

Leavitt, L. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Hemispherical latching apparatus

An apparatus for securing payloads in a space vehicle such as the space shuttle is described. The apparatus includes many latching assemblies carried by a platform on the vehicle and a like number of latching elements carried by the payload and adapted to mate with the latching assemblies. The novelty of the invention is believed to reside in the use of complementary hemispherical elements which automatically align and engage with one another. This enables a simple but effective mode of operation and avoids the need for hinged linkages and similar moving parts.

Clark, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Reflection plane tests of a wind turbine blade tip section with ailerons

Tests were conducted in the NASA Langley 30 by 60 foot Wind Tunnel on a full scale 7.31 m (24 ft) long tip section of a wind turbine rotor blade. The blade tip section was built with ailerons on the trailing edge. The ailerons, which spanned a length of 6.1 m (20 ft), were designed so that two types could be evaluated: the plain and the balanced. The ailerons were hinged on the suction surface at the 0.62 X chord station behind the leading edge. The purpose of the tests was to measure the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade section for: an angle of attack range from 0 deg to 90 deg aileron deflections from 0 deg to -90 deg, and Reynolds numbers of 0.79 and 1.5 x 10 to the 6th power. These data were then used to determine which aileron configuration had the most desirable rotor control and aerodynamic braking characteristics. Tests were also run to determine the effects of vortex generators, leading edge roughness, and the gaps between the aileron sections on the lift, drag, and chordwise force coefficients of the blade tip section.

Savino, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An analysis of a satellite multibeam altimeter

Since the GEOS-3 and SEASAT-1 radar altimeters measured altitude over a narrow swath along the satellite subtrack, ocean current and mesoscale feature maps could only be generated after a large number of satellite revolutions. The present paper analyzes a new multibeam altimeter technique that has the potential to cover wide swaths. The multibeam altimeter uses two antenna elements, simple parabolic dishes with offset feeds, deployed cross-track on singly hinged booms into a fixed measurement geometry to generate an interferometer pattern over the desired swath extent. Range gating allows the isolation of a single interferometeric lobe, and the desired altitude measurements are extracted by using a modified altitude tracker design. Implementing this sensor on future altimetry missions would allow the timely generation of ocean current and mesoscale feature maps for the first time.

Bush, G. B.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The use of active controls to augment rotor/fuselage stability

The use of active blade pitch control to increase helicopter rotor/body damping is studied. Control is introduced through a conventional nonrotating swashplate. State variable feedback of rotor and body states is used. Feedback parameters include cyclic rotor flap and lead-lag states, and body pitch and roll rotations. The use of position, rate, and acceleration feedback is studied for the various state variables. In particular, the influence of the closed loop feedback gain and phase on system stability is investigated. For the rotor/body configuration analyzed, rotor cyclic inplane motion and body roll-rate and roll-acceleration feedback can considerably augment system damping levels and eliminate ground resonance instabilities. Scheduling of the feedback state, phase, and gain with rotor rotation speed can be used to maximize the damping augmentation. This increase in lead-lag damping can be accomplished without altering any of the system modal frequencies. Investigating various rotor design parameters (effective hinge offset, blade precone, blade flap stiffness) indicates that active control for augmenting rotor/body damping will be particularly powerful for hingeless and bearingless rotor hubs.

Straub, F. K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Secure Disposal Container for Classified Papers

Meshing steel combs retain papers when container overturned. Comblike shutters installed on hinges near deflectors. If container is upright, combs hang vertically and out of way. When container is tipped or overturned, gravity forces one or both of combs to fall over opening. When this happens, teeth intermesh and container opening covered, preventing its contents from falling out.

Collins, Earl R., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Synchronously Deployable Truss Structures

Structure lightweight, readily deployed, and has reliable joints. New truss concept, designated as "pac truss," developed. Features easy deployment without need for complex mechanisms. Structures of this type deployed in free flight by controlled release of stored energy in torsional springs at selected hinges located throughout structure. Double-folding technique used in beam model applicable to flat planar trusses, allowing structures of large expanse to fold into compact packages and be deployed for space-platform applications.

Rhodes, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Structural Mapping of Folded Sedimentary Environments from Satellite Images: an Example from Central Asia

In the Tadjik Depression, in Soviet Central Asia, in the absence of existing geologic or topographic maps, an enhanced LANDSAT multispectral scanner image was used in combination with field data to produce a 1:250000 geologic map of the Vakhsh fold-and-thrust belt and adjacent autochthon. Several structural conclusions are reached as a result of this mapping. Deformation of the Cretaceous and Tertiary strata of the fold-and-thrust belt is, in the central Tadjik Depression, conspicuously absent north of a buried basement fault that marks the hinge-zone of the Late Mesozoic passive margin. But, in the eastern half of the depression, thrusting has moved coherent sheets northward, over the block fault, these sheets now lie flat atop the autochthon to the north. The crustal structure inherited from the Mesozoic extensional phase has strongly influenced the Late Cenozoic pattern of deformation, producing the fold-and-thrust belt that is markedly asymmetric. The development of the thrust system has included the progressive overlapping of thrust: the later thrusts apparently formed internal to the older thrusts, and subsequently overrode them.

Leith, W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Effect of aileron deflections on the aerodynamic characteristics of a semispan model of a subsonic energy-efficient transport

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 8 Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel to determine the effect of aileron deflections on the aerodynamic characteristics of a subsonic energy efficient transport (EET) model. The semispan model had an aspect ratio 10 supercritical wing and was configured with a conventionally located set of ailerons (i.e., a high speed aileron located inboard and a low speed aileron located outboard). Data for the model were taken over a Mach number range from 0.30 to 0.90 and an angle of attack range from approximately -2 deg to 10 deg. The Reynolds number was 2.5 million per foot for Mach number = 0.30 and 4 million per foot for the other Mach numbers. Model force and moment data, aileron effectiveness parameters, aileron hinge moment data, otherwise pressure distributions, and spanwise load data are presented.

Jacobs, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The Characterization of Surface Variegation Effects on Remote Sensing

Improvements in remote sensing capabilities hinge very directly upon attaining an understanding of the physical processes contributing to the measurements. In order to devise new measurement strategies and to learn better techniques for processing remotely gathered data, it is necessary to understand and to characterize the complex radiative interactions of the atmosphere-surface system. In particular, it is important to understand the role of atmospheric structure, ground reflectance inhomogeneity and ground bidirectional reflectance type. The goals, then, are to model, analyze, and parameterize the observable effects of three dimensional atmospheric structure and composition and two dimensional variations in ground albedo and bidirectional reflectance. To achieve these goals, a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code is employed to model and analyze the effects of many of the complications which are present in nature.

Pearce, W. A.↗