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At least 919 records · Page 51

Computational technology for flight vehicles; Proceedings of the Symposium, Washington, DC, Nov. 5-7, 1990

Recent advances in computational fluid mechanics are discussed in reviews and reports. Sections are devoted to (1) the modeling of local phenomena and edge effects in solids, (2) stochastic modeling and simulation of fracture toughness, and (3) partitioning strategy and new finite elements. Particular attention is given to global and local finite-element/spectral-boundary-element techniques for failure analysis, simulations of microfracture in metal-matrix composites, fatigue analysis of cracked anisotropic plates under stochastic loading, mathematical modeling for the analysis of nonlinear aircraft dynamics, physical and mathematical modeling of wave propagation in the Ariane 5 VEB structure, partitioning based on symmetry transformations, an FEM approach to adaptive reliability assurance, and time-domain FEMs for the large rotational dynamics of multibody systems.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗

Random field estimation approach to robot dynamics

The difference equations of Kalman filtering and smoothing recursively factor and invert the covariance of the output of a linear state-space system driven by a white-noise process. Here it is shown that similar recursive techniques factor and invert the inertia matrix of a multibody robot system. The random field models are based on the assumption that all of the inertial (D'Alembert) forces in the system are represented by a spatially distributed white-noise model. They are easier to describe than the models based on classical mechanics, which typically require extensive derivation and manipulation of equations of motion for complex mechanical systems. With the spatially random models, more primitive locally specified computations result in a global collective system behavior equivalent to that obtained with deterministic models. The primary goal of applying random field estimation is to provide a concise analytical foundation for solving robot control and motion planning problems.

Rodriguez, Guillermo↗

Unsymmetric Lanczos model reduction and linear state function observer for flexible structures

This report summarizes part of the research work accomplished during the second year of a two-year grant. The research, entitled 'Application of Lanczos Vectors to Control Design of Flexible Structures' concerns various ways to use Lanczos vectors and Krylov vectors to obtain reduced-order mathematical models for use in the dynamic response analyses and in control design studies. This report presents a one-sided, unsymmetric block Lanczos algorithm for model reduction of structural dynamics systems with unsymmetric damping matrix, and a control design procedure based on the theory of linear state function observers to design low-order controllers for flexible structures.

Su, Tzu-Jeng↗

Control-structure-thermal interactions in analysis of lunar telescopes

The lunar telescope project was an excellent model for the CSTI study because a telescope is a very sensitive instrument, and thermal expansion or mechanical vibration of the mirror assemblies will rapidly degrade the resolution of the device. Consequently, the interactions are strongly coupled. The lunar surface experiences very large temperature variations that range from approximately -180 C to over 100 C. Although the optical assemblies of the telescopes will be well insulated, the temperature of the mirrors will inevitably fluctuate in a similar cycle, but of much smaller magnitude. In order to obtain images of high quality and clarity, allowable thermal deformations of any point on a mirror must be less than 1 micron. Initial estimates indicate that this corresponds to a temperature variation of much less than 1 deg through the thickness of the mirror. Therefore, a lunar telescope design will most probably include active thermal control, a means of controlling the shape of the mirrors, or a combination of both systems. Historically, the design of a complex vehicle was primarily a sequential process in which the basic structure was defined without concurrent detailed analyses or other subsystems. The basic configuration was then passed to the different teams responsible for each subsystem, and their task was to produce a workable solution without requiring major alterations to any principal components or subsystems. Consequently, the final design of the vehicle was not always the most efficient, owing to the fact that each subsystem design was partially constrained by the previous work. This procedure was necessary at the time because the analysis process was extremely time-consuming and had to be started over with each significant alteration of the vehicle. With recent advances in the power and capacity of small computers, and the parallel development of powerful software in structural, thermal, and control system analysis, it is now possible to produce very detailed analyses of intermediate designs in a much shorter period of time. The subsystems can thus be designed concurrently, and alterations in the overall design can be quickly adopted into each analysis; the design becomes an iterative process in which it is much easier to experiment with new ideas, configurations, and components. Concurrent engineering has the potential to produce efficient, highly capable designs because the effect of one subystem on another can be assessed in much more detail at a very early point in the program. The research program consisted of several tasks: scale a prototype telescope assembly to a 1 m aperture, develop a model of the telescope assembly by using finite element (FEM) codes that are available on site, determine structural deflections of the mirror surfaces due to the temperature variations, develop a prototype control system to maintain the proper shape of the optical elements, and most important of all, demonstrate the concurrent engineering approach with this example. In addition, the software used for the finite element models and thermal analysis was relatively new within the Program Development Office and had yet to be applied to systems this large or complex; understanding the software and modifying it for use with this project was also required. The I-DEAS software by Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC) was used to build the finite element models, and TMG developed by Maya Heat Transfer Technologies, Ltd. (which runs as an I-DEAS module) was used for the thermal model calculations. All control system development was accomplished with MATRIX(sub X) by Integrated Systems, Inc.

Thompson, Roger C.↗

Application of a two-point exponential approximation method in optimizing rotorcraft airframe structures

The Fadel (1990) two-point exponential approximation technique for rotorcraft airframe structural optimization is presently examined by comparing its results with the well established linear and hybrid first-order methods. Attention is given to both the elastic-line and FEM models of an AH-1G airframe. The Direct Matrix Abstraction Programming Language is used to compute sensitivity derivatives and motivate the CONMIN optimizer to produce the design change.

Sareen, Ashish K.↗

MIMO system identification using frequency response data

A solution to the problem of obtaining a multi-input, multi-output statespace model of a system from its individual input/output frequency responses is presented. The Residue Identification Algorithm (RID) identifies the system poles from a transfer function model of the determinant of the frequency response data matrix. Next, the residue matrices of the modes are computed guaranteeing that each input/output frequency response is fitted in the least squares sense. Finally, a realization of the system is computed. Results of the application of RID to experimental frequency responses of a large space structure ground test facility are presented and compared to those obtained via the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm.

Medina, Enrique A.↗

Progress in navigation filter estimate fusion and its application to spacecraft rendezvous

A new derivation of an algorithm which fuses the outputs of two Kalman filters is presented within the context of previous research in this field. Unlike other works, this derivation clearly shows the combination of estimates to be optimal, minimizing the trace of the fused covariance matrix. The algorithm assumes that the filters use identical models, and are stable and operating optimally with respect to their own local measurements. Evidence is presented which indicates that the error ellipsoid derived from the covariance of the optimally fused estimate is contained within the intersections of the error ellipsoids of the two filters being fused. Modifications which reduce the algorithm's data transmission requirements are also presented, including a scalar gain approximation, a cross-covariance update formula which employs only the two contributing filters' autocovariances, and a form of the algorithm which can be used to reinitialize the two Kalman filters. A sufficient condition for using the optimally fused estimates to periodically reinitialize the Kalman filters in this fashion is presented and proved as a theorem. When these results are applied to an optimal spacecraft rendezvous problem, simulated performance results indicate that the use of optimally fused data leads to significantly improved robustness to initial target vehicle state errors. The following applications of estimate fusion methods to spacecraft rendezvous are also described: state vector differencing, and redundancy management.

Carpenter, J. Russell↗

Papers presented to the Conference on Chondrules and the Protoplanetary Disk

The following topics are covered in the presented papers: (1) producing chondrules; (2) carbons, CAI's, and chondrules; (3) large scale processes in the solar nebula; (4) chondrule-matrix relationships in chondritic meteorites; (5) overview of nebula models; (6) constraints placed on the nature of chondrule precursors; (7) turbulent diffusion and concentration of chondrules in the protoplanetary nebula; (8) heating and cooling in the solar nebula; (9) crystallization trends of precursor pyroxene in ordinary chondrites; (10) precipitation induced vertical lightning in the protoplanetary nebula; (11) the role of chondrules in nebular fractionations of volatiles and other elements; (12) astronomical observations of phenomena in disks; (13) experimental constraints on models for origins of chondrules, and various other topics.

Source record↗

Engineering Overview of a Multidisciplinary HSCT Design Framework Using Medium-Fidelity Analysis Codes

An objective of the HPCC Program at NASA Langley has been to promote the use of advanced computing techniques to more rapidly solve the problem of multidisciplinary optimization of a supersonic transport configuration. As a result, a software system has been designed and is being implemented to integrate a set of existing discipline analysis codes, some of them CPU-intensive, into a distributed computational framework for the design of a High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) configuration. The proposed paper will describe the engineering aspects of integrating these analysis codes and additional interface codes into an automated design system. The objective of the design problem is to optimize the aircraft weight for given mission conditions, range, and payload requirements, subject to aerodynamic, structural, and performance constraints. The design variables include both thicknesses of structural elements and geometric parameters that define the external aircraft shape. An optimization model has been adopted that uses the multidisciplinary analysis results and the derivatives of the solution with respect to the design variables to formulate a linearized model that provides input to the CONMIN optimization code, which outputs new values for the design variables. The analysis process begins by deriving the updated geometries and grids from the baseline geometries and grids using the new values for the design variables. This free-form deformation approach provides internal FEM (finite element method) grids that are consistent with aerodynamic surface grids. The next step involves using the derived FEM and section properties in a weights process to calculate detailed weights and the center of gravity location for specified flight conditions. The weights process computes the as-built weight, weight distribution, and weight sensitivities for given aircraft configurations at various mass cases. Currently, two mass cases are considered: cruise and gross take-off weight (GTOW). Weights information is obtained from correlations of data from three sources: 1) as-built initial structural and non-structural weights from an existing database, 2) theoretical FEM structural weights and sensitivities from Genesis, and 3) empirical as-built weight increments, non-structural weights, and weight sensitivities from FLOPS. For the aeroelastic analysis, a variable-fidelity aerodynamic analysis has been adopted. This approach uses infrequent CPU-intensive non-linear CFD to calculate a non-linear correction relative to a linear aero calculation for the same aerodynamic surface at an angle of attack that results in the same configuration lift. For efficiency, this nonlinear correction is applied after each subsequent linear aero solution during the iterations between the aerodynamic and structural analyses. Convergence is achieved when the vehicle shape being used for the aerodynamic calculations is consistent with the structural deformations caused by the aerodynamic loads. To make the structural analyses more efficient, a linearized structural deformation model has been adopted, in which a single stiffness matrix can be used to solve for the deformations under all the load conditions. Using the converged aerodynamic loads, a final set of structural analyses are performed to determine the stress distributions and the buckling conditions for constraint calculation. Performance constraints are obtained by running FLOPS using drag polars that are computed using results from non-linear corrections to the linear aero code plus several codes to provide drag increments due to skin friction, wave drag, and other miscellaneous drag contributions. The status of the integration effort will be presented in the proposed paper, and results will be provided that illustrate the degree of accuracy in the linearizations that have been employed.

Weston, R. P.↗

Parallel 3D Multi-Stage Simulation of a Turbofan Engine

A 3D multistage simulation of each component of a modern GE Turbofan engine has been made. An axisymmetric view of this engine is presented in the document. This includes a fan, booster rig, high pressure compressor rig, high pressure turbine rig and a low pressure turbine rig. In the near future, all components will be run in a single calculation for a solution of 49 blade rows. The simulation exploits the use of parallel computations by using two levels of parallelism. Each blade row is run in parallel and each blade row grid is decomposed into several domains and run in parallel. 20 processors are used for the 4 blade row analysis. The average passage approach developed by John Adamczyk at NASA Lewis Research Center has been further developed and parallelized. This is APNASA Version A. It is a Navier-Stokes solver using a 4-stage explicit Runge-Kutta time marching scheme with variable time steps and residual smoothing for convergence acceleration. It has an implicit K-E turbulence model which uses an ADI solver to factor the matrix. Between 50 and 100 explicit time steps are solved before a blade row body force is calculated and exchanged with the other blade rows. This outer iteration has been coined a "flip." Efforts have been made to make the solver linearly scaleable with the number of blade rows. Enough flips are run (between 50 and 200) so the solution in the entire machine is not changing. The K-E equations are generally solved every other explicit time step. One of the key requirements in the development of the parallel code was to make the parallel solution exactly (bit for bit) match the serial solution. This has helped isolate many small parallel bugs and guarantee the parallelization was done correctly. The domain decomposition is done only in the axial direction since the number of points axially is much larger than the other two directions. This code uses MPI for message passing. The parallel speed up of the solver portion (no 1/0 or body force calculation) for a grid which has 227 points axially.

Turner, Mark G.↗

Fatigue Life Methodology for Bonded Composite Skin/Stringer Configurations

A methodology is presented for determining the fatigue life of composite structures based on fatigue characterization data and geometric nonlinear finite element (FE) analyses. To demonstrate the approach, predicted results were compared to fatigue tests performed on specimens which represented a tapered composite flange bonded onto a composite skin. In a first step, tension tests were performed to evaluate the debonding mechanisms between the flange and the skin. In a second step, a 2D FE model was developed to analyze the tests. To predict matrix cracking onset, the relationship between the tension load and the maximum principal stresses transverse to the fiber direction was determined through FE analysis. Transverse tension fatigue life data were used to -enerate an onset fatigue life P-N curve for matrix cracking. The resulting prediction was in good agreement with data from the fatigue tests. In a third step, a fracture mechanics approach based on FE analysis was used to determine the relationship between the tension load and the critical energy release rate. Mixed mode energy release rate fatigue life data were used to create a fatigue life onset G-N curve for delamination. The resulting prediction was in good agreement with data from the fatigue tests. Further, the prediction curve for cumulative life to failure was generated from the previous onset fatigue life curves. The results showed that the methodology offers a significant potential to Predict cumulative fatigue life of composite structures.

Krueger, Ronald↗

Skeletal phenotype of growing transgenic mice that express a function-perturbing form of beta1 integrin in osteoblasts

Skeletal modeling entails the deposition of large amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) to form structures tailored to withstand increasing mechanical loads during rapid growth. Specific ECM molecules bind to integrin receptors on the cell surface, thereby triggering a cascade of signaling events that affect critical cell functions. To evaluate the role of integrins during skeletal growth, transgenic mice were engineered to express a function-perturbing fragment of beta1 integrin consisting of the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail under the control of the osteocalcin promoter (TG mice). Thus, transgene expression was targeted to mature cells of the osteoblast lineage, and herein we show that cultured cells resembling osteocytes from 90-day-old TG mice display impaired adhesion to collagen I, a ligand for beta1 integrin. To determine the influence of beta1 integrin on bones that are responsible for providing structural support during periods of rapid growth, we examined the phenotype of the appendicular skeleton in TG mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. According to radiographs, bones from mice of both genotypes between 14 and 90 days of age appeared similar in gross structure and density, although proximal tibiae from 35-90 days old TG mice were less curved than those of WT mice (72-92% TG/WT). Although there were only mild and transient differences in absolute bone mass and strength, once normalized to body mass, the tibial dry mass (79.1% TG/WT females), ash mass (78.5% TG/WT females), and femoral strength in torsion (71.6% TG/WT females) were reduced in TG mice compared to WT mice at 90 days of age. Similar effects of genotype on bone mass and curvature were observed in 1-year-old retired breeders, indicating that these phenotypic differences between TG and WT mice were stable well into adulthood. Effects of genotype on histomorphometric indices of cancellous bone turnover were minimal and evident only transiently during growth, but when present they demonstrated differences in osteoblast rather than osteoclast parameters. Together, these results suggest that integrin signals generated during growth enhance the acquisition of a skeletal mass, structure, and strength to withstand the mechanical loads generated by weight-bearing.

Antigens, CD29/genetics/metabolism↗

AMD Radeon e9173 Low Power PCIE GPU Single Event Effects Test Report

The AMD Radeon Embedded e9170 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), notably the e9173 Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIE) variant, is of interest to Artemis generation programs with requirements for graphics rendering, compute, artificial intelligence (Ai) with a constraints-requiring piece-part procurement and power consumption of less than 50W. In addition to collecting heavy ion data on this device, a secondary purpose of this test campaign was to validate video capture hardware and software workflows used with GPU, microprocessor and system-on-chip device testing. Five (5) test patterns from the NEPP Processor Enclave (NPE) test suite were used with the e9173. The test patterns covered the operating system’s (OS) idle contribution towards the cross section, matrix math using tensorflow-rocm, two artificial intelligence models developed at NASA GSFC, and an industry standard GPU benchmarking application called Mesa GLXGears.

NASA Technical Memorandum (TM) test report for pos↗

Microscale Constitutive Model Sensitivity on Multiscale Modeling of Fiber Reinforced Composites

Fiber reinforced composites are desirable in applications where low weight and high strength are needed, but are susceptible to microscale variability during manufacturing, making failure predictions difficult. The impact microscale variability has on macroscale mechanical response is difficult to predict due to the computational efficiency needed to simulate many, large, high fidelity, microscale models. In this study, a multiscale approach was taken to model 3-point bend, 4-point bend, and tensile experiments of a unidirectional composite from only having microstructure scans of these samples and constituent properties from literature. These scans were sampled with different sized windows, and statistically equivalent microstructures were generated, then simulated for stiffness, strength, and fracture toughness using an efficient micromechanical. Mesoscale models were created where element sizes equaled microstructure size, and properties were assigned through sampling of microscale simulation results. First, this study showed the effect of using Weibull scaling on constituent matrix strength on macroscale response. Then, a comparison was made between different element sizes and experiments. Finally, model dimensions were fixed, and the effect of randomly distributed local properties alone was examined. Results showed that the scatter of strength and stiffness in the experiments could be predicted well using images of the microscale fiber morphologies and that using stochastic properties produced a 3% coefficient of variation of strength for all experiments.

statistical microstructure↗

Mechanics-Based Modeling Approach for Rapid Prediction of Low Velocity Impact Damage in Composite Laminates

A mechanics-based modeling approach is developed to rapidly predict damage in polymer matrix composites resulting from a low velocity impact event. The approach is incorporated into a computer code that provides an efficient means to assess the damage resistance for a range of material systems, layup configurations, and impact scenarios. It is envisioned that the developed approach will aid in early design and analysis of composite structures where sizing and layup decisions must be made, and evaluating the feasibility of a large number of laminate configurations using numerical approaches such as finite element analysis (FEA) is prohibitively expensive. Therefore, the goal of the modeling approach is to predict the impact damage size given the laminate configuration and impact scenario. This information can then be used to determine the residual strength of the material. To be useful in such a context, the tool is designed to run quickly (<2 minutes) to allow a large number of design cases to be investigated. The results presented demonstrate that the model is capable of efficiently predicting low velocity impact damage size, shape, and location within an acceptable accuracy suitable for preliminary design and analysis of composite structures.

Borkowski, Luke↗

Aerodynamic results of a separation test (CA20) conducted at the Boeing transonic wind tunnel using 0.030-scale models of the configuration 140A/B (modified) SSV orbiter (model no. 45-0) and the Boeing 747 carrier (model no. AX 1319 I-1), volume 1

A Rockwell built 0.030-scale 45-0 modified Space Shuttle Orbiter Configuration 14?A/B model and a Boeing built 0.030-scale 747 carrier model were tested to provide six component force and moment data for each vehicle in proximity to the other at a matrix of relative positions, attitudes and test conditions (angles of attack and sideslip were varied). Orbiter model support system tare effects were determined for corrections to obtain support-free aerodynamics. In addition to the balance force data, pressures were measured. Pressure orifices were located at the base of the Orbiter, on either side of the vertical blade strut, and at the mid-root chord on either side of the vertical tail. Strain gages were installed on the Boeing 747 vertical tail to indicate buffet onset. Photographs of aerodynamic configurations tested are shown.

Dziubala, T.↗

Factors Controlling Elevated Temperature Strength Degradation of Silicon Carbide Composites

For 5 years, the cooperative agreement NCC3-763 has focused on the development and understanding of Sic-based composites. Most of the work was performed in the area of SiC fiber-reinforced composites for UEET and NGLT and in collaboration with Goodrich Corporation under a partially reimbursable Space Act Agreement. A smaller amount of work was performed on C fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites for NGLT. Major accomplishments during this agreement included: Improvements to the interphase used in melt-infiltrated (MI) SiC/SiC composites which increases the life under stressed-oxidation at intermediate temperatures referred to as "outside-debonding". This concept is currently in the patent process and received a Space Act Award. Mechanistic-based models of intermediate temperature degradation for MI SiC/SiC Quantification and relatively robust relationships for matrix crack evolution under stress in SiC/SiC composites which serve as the basis for stress-strain and elevated temperature life models The furthering of acoustic emission as a useful tool in composite damage evolution and the extension of the technique to other composite systems Development of hybrid C-SiC fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites Numerous presentations at conferences, industry partners, and government centers and publications in recognized proceedings and journals. Other recognition of the author's accomplishments by NASA with a TGIR award (2004), NASA's Medal for Public Service (2004), and The American Ceramic Society s Richard M. Fulrath Award (2005). The following will briefly describe the work of the past five years in the three areas of interest: SiC/SiC composite development, mechanistic understanding and modeling of SiC/SiC composites, and environmental durability of C/SiC composites. More detail can be found in the publications cited at the end of this report.

Source record↗