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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 973 records · Page 54

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NASA NTRS1989

Overview of the NASA program in computational structural mechanics

In order to meet the anticipated needs in modeling and analysis of advanced aerospace structures, NASA has developed a program focused on computational structural mechanics. The objective of this program is to advance the state-of-the-art in computational analysis to make accurate analysis of very large and complex structural problems routine. This will be accomplished by emphasizing two key areas: (1) the development of advanced analytical methods, extending beyond traditional approaches and, (2) the exploitation of the newest and most powerful parallel/multiprocessor computers available. Computational testbeds will be developed to serve as technology integrators and to promote/accelerate methodology research and development. An additional, and highly desirable, effect of the Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) program would be to influence the design of future hardware and software systems to reflect the needs of structural analysis.

Hirschbein, Murray↗

NASA NTRS1987

Automating the parallel processing of fluid and structural dynamics calculations

The NASA Lewis Research Center is actively involved in the development of expert system technology to assist users in applying parallel processing to computational fluid and structural dynamic analysis. The goal of this effort is to eliminate the necessity for the physical scientist to become a computer scientist in order to effectively use the computer as a research tool. Programming and operating software utilities have previously been developed to solve systems of ordinary nonlinear differential equations on parallel scalar processors. Current efforts are aimed at extending these capabilities to systems of partial differential equations, that describe the complex behavior of fluids and structures within aerospace propulsion systems. This paper presents some important considerations in the redesign, in particular, the need for algorithms and software utilities that can automatically identify data flow patterns in the application program and partition and allocate calculations to the parallel processors. A library-oriented multiprocessing concept for integrating the hardware and software functions is described.

Arpasi, Dale J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Automating the parallel processing of fluid and structural dynamics calculations

The NASA Lewis Research Center is actively involved in the development of expert system technology to assist users in applying parallel processing to computational fluid and structural dynamic analysis. The goal of this effort is to eliminate the necessity for the physical scientist to become a computer scientist in order to effectively use the computer as a research tool. Programming and operating software utilities have previously been developed to solve systems of ordinary nonlinear differential equations on parallel scalar processors. Current efforts are aimed at extending these capabilties to systems of partial differential equations, that describe the complex behavior of fluids and structures within aerospace propulsion systems. This paper presents some important considerations in the redesign, in particular, the need for algorithms and software utilities that can automatically identify data flow patterns in the application program and partition and allocate calculations to the parallel processors. A library-oriented multiprocessing concept for integrating the hardware and software functions is described.

Arpasi, Dale J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evidence for Partially Chloritized Smectite in Gale Crater, Mars, and Implications for Diagenesis

Phyllosilicates are an important mineral group found in ancient (~3.5-4.1 Gyr old) martian terrains because they are a marker of water-rock interactions and can help constrain aqueous conditions (e.g., pH, salinity, temperature) and, thus, identify habitable environments. Orbital visible/short-wave infrared (VSWIR) data demonstrate that smectite is the most abundant type of phyllosilicate on Mars, followed by chlorite [e.g., 1]. The geologic settings in which phyllosilicates are found provide important clues into their formation. Smectite has been identified in abundances of up to ~30 wt.% in early Hesperian-aged fluvial-lacustrine sedimentary rocks in Gale crater using the CheMin X-ray diffractometer on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover [e.g., 2-6]. CheMin XRD patterns and evolved water measured by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite show the structure of smectite changes from trioctahedral Fe(II)-bearing smectite at the base of the section to dioctahedral nontronite and montmorillonite ~400 m up section in the Glen Torridon valley where orbital VSWIR show evidence of Fe/Mg smectite. Most of the smectite identified by CheMin is collapsed (i.e., lacking substantial interlayer H2O) based on basal spacings at 10 Å. Fe(II) saponite found in two drill targets at the base of the section in Yellowknife Bay, however, suggest the smectite is expanded. The XRD pattern of the “Cumberland” drill target has a peak at 13.5 Å, whereas the “John Klein” drill target has a peak at 10 Å and a shoulder extending to higher d-spacings (Fig. 1) [2]. A possible explanation for this expanded structure is partial chloritization of the interlayer site caused by the precipitation of small domains of brucite-like sheets [e.g., 7,8]. Here, we synthesize smectite with different degrees of chloritization and analyze the products via XRD, evolved gas analysis (EGA), and VSWIR to determine whether chloritized smectite on Mars can be recognized with these techniques.

E B Rampe↗

NASA NTRS1994

Dual load-path fastener

A fastener system is provided for securing a component to supporting structure. The fastener system comprises a pair of cooperating fastener modules. The first module includes a first stationary member attached to the supporting structure and a first bolt member threadedly engaged with the first stationary member. The second module includes a second stationary member also attached to the supporting structure and a second bolt member threadedly engaged with the second stationary member. The second bolt member also extends freely through a longitudinal bore in the first bolt member. Head members on the first and second head members are mutually engaged for their unitary rotation and the first head member engages the component. When the head members are rotated in one direction, they are advanced toward the supporting structure thereby drawing the component toward the supporting structure. Rotation in the opposite direction is effective to cause the head members to retract from the supporting structure and thereby separate the component from the supporting structure. With this construction, upon fracture either of the first fastener means at a location away from the first head member or of the second fastener means at a location away from the second head member, upon rotation of the first head member in the one direction, the first head member nevertheless continues to advance toward the supporting structure.

Driscoll, Timothy D.↗

NASA NTRS1997

A survey of the chemical properties of the M17 and Cepheus A cloud cores

We present the results of a systematic survey of the chemical properties of two giant molecular cloud (GMC) cores in M17 and Cepheus A. In all, we have mapped the emission from 32 molecular transitions of 13 molecules and seven isotopic variants over a 4' x 5' region in each core. Each map includes known sites of massive star formation, as well as the more extended quiescent material. In M17 most molecules have emission peaks away from the H II region/molecular cloud interface, while two species, HC3N and CH3C2H, deviate from this structure with sharp maxima closer to this interface. In Cepheus A the core is influenced by a compact high-velocity molecular outflow and a more extended low-velocity flow. The molecular emission distributions in this source are generally quite similar, with most molecules peaking near the center of the core to the east of the compact H II region HW 2. A few molecules, SO, CH3OH, H13CN, and C18O, have more extended emission. Only two molecules, CO and HCO+, appear to trace the high- and low-velocity outflows; all other species are tracing the quiescent core. We have used the results of previous studies of the density and temperature of the dense gas in the same cloud cores to derive accurate abundances relative to CO for several positions in each core. The principal result is that the chemical composition of all the cores we have surveyed (which include OMC-1 as well as M17 and Cepheus A) show remarkable similarity, both within a given core and among the cores. This suggests that the chemical processes are similar in quiescent GMC core material. In M17 the lack of variation of molecular abundances is remarkable because the radiation field and the gas temperature are known to vary appreciably throughout the surveyed region, suggesting that the bulk of the emission arises from gas that is well shielded from radiation.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2001

Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling of the Solar Corona

The solar corona, the hot, tenuous outer atmosphere of the Sun, exhibits many fascinating phenomena on a wide range of scales. One of the ways that the Sun can affect us here at Earth is through the large-scale structure of the corona and the dynamical phenomena associated with it, as it is the corona that extends outward as the solar wind and encounters the Earth's magnetosphere. The goal of our research sponsored by NASA's Supporting Research and Technology Program in Solar Physics is to develop increasingly realistic models of the large-scale solar corona, so that we can understand the underlying properties of the coronal magnetic field that lead to the observed structure and evolution of the corona. We describe the work performed under this contract.

Linker, Jon A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Convective and stratiform components of a Winter Monsoon Cloud Cluster determined from geosynchronous infrared satellite data

The horizontal precipitation structure of cloud clusters observed over the South China Sea during the Winter Monsoon Experiment (WMONEX) is analyzed using a convective-stratiform technique (CST) developed by Adler and Negri (1988). The technique was modified by altering the method for identifying convective cells in the satellite data, accounting for the extremely cold cloud tops characteristic of the WMONEX region, and modifying the threshold infrared temperature for the boundary of the stratiform rain area. The precipitation analysis was extended to the entire history of the cloud cluster by applying the modified CST to IR imagery from geosynchronous-satellite observations. The ship and aircraft data from the later period of the cluster's lifetime make it possible to check the locations of convective and stratiform precipitation identified by the CST using in situ observations. The extended CST is considered to be effective for determining the climatology of the convective-stratiform structure of tropical cloud clusters.

Goldenberg, Stanley B.↗

NASA NTRS1972

The influence of line shape and band structure on temperatures in planetary atmospheres

Numerical experiments are performed to examine the effects of line shape and band structure on the radiative equilibrium temperature profile in planetary atmospheres. In order to accurately determine these effects, a method for calculating radiative terms is developed which avoids the usual approximations. It differs from the more commonly used methods in that it allows arbitrary dependence of the absorption coefficient on wave number, without requiring tedious line by line integration and without the constraints of band models. The present formulation is restricted to homogeneous atmospheres but the concept can be extended to the more general case. The numerical experiments reveal that the line shape and band structure of the absorbing gases have a large effect on temperatures in the higher layers of the atmosphere (corresponding to the stratosphere and mesosphere). The more nongrey the spectrum (that is, the higher the peaks and the deeper the troughs in the spectrum), the lower the temperature.

Arking, A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Faint Object Camera observations of M87 - The jet and nucleus

UV and optical images of the central region and jet of the nearby elliptical galaxy M87 have been obtained with about 0.1 arcsec resolution in several spectral bands with the Faint Object Camera (FOC) on the HST, including polarization images. Deconvolution enhances the contrast of the complex structure and filamentary patterns in the jet already evident in the aberrated images. Morphologically there is close similarity between the FOC images of the extended jet and the best 2-cm radio maps obtained at similar resolution, and the magnetic field vectors from the UV and radio polarimetric data also correspond well. We observe structure in the inner jet within a few tenths arcsec of the nucleus which also has been well studied at radio wavelengths. Our UV and optical photometry of regions along the jet shows little variation in spectral index from the value 1.0 between markedly different regions and no trend to a steepening spectrum with distance along the jet.

Boksenberg, A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Telerobotic research at NASA Langley Research Center

An overview of Automation Technology Branch facilities and research is presented. Manipulator research includes dual-arm coordination studies, space manipulator dynamics, end-effector controller development, automatic space structure assembly, and the development of a dual-arm master-slave telerobotic manipulator system. Sensor research includes gravity-compensated force control, real-time monovision techniques, and laser ranging. Artificial intelligence techniques are being explored for supervisory task control, collision avoidance, and connectionist system architectures. A high-fidelity dynamic simulation of robotic systems, ROBSIM, is being supported and extended. Cooperative efforts with Oak Ridge National Laboratory have verified the ability of teleoperators to perform complex structural assembly tasks, and have resulted in the definition of a new dual-arm master-slave telerobotic manipulator. A bibliography of research results and a list of technical contacts are included.

Sliwa, Nancy E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Clevis joint for deployable space structures

This invention relates generally to pin clevis joints, and more particularly, to zero play pin clevis joints for connecting structural members of a deployable space structure. A joint includes a pin, a tang, and a shackle. The pin is tapered at the same angle as the bores extending through the projections of the shackle and the tang. A spring washer biases the tang onto the tapered sidewall of the pin. The invention solves the free play problem associated with deployable space structures by using a tapered pin which is held in tapered holes by the spring washers.

Rhodes, Marvin D.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Design and performance analysis of a conical-aerobrake, orbital-transfer vehicle concept

A Shuttle-compatible systems design based on the core concept of attachable modules for the major vehicle components is proposed. The principal features include a disposable cargo/extra-propellant tank module; a porous, radiative, backscattering drag-brake surface material of thin silica cloth; and a lightweight carbon-composite support structure. The mission payload capability for delivery, retrieval, and combined operations is determined for a broad range of missions including NASA/DOD requirements and extending through cis-lunar space. The effects of finite-rate surface catalysis, negative lift, and multiple atmospheric passes in reducing the aerothermal heating rates are also investigated. In addition, the structural and thermal-protection problems of the drag-brake support apparatus are analyzed and recommendations are proposed for future design refinements.

Menees, G. P.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Affordable Manufacturing Technologies Being Developed for Actively Cooled Ceramic Components

Efforts to improve the performance of modern gas turbine engines have imposed increasing service temperature demands on structural materials. Through active cooling, the useful temperature range of nickel-base superalloys in current gas turbine engines has been extended, but the margin for further improvement appears modest. Because of their low density, high-temperature strength, and high thermal conductivity, in situ toughened silicon nitride ceramics have received a great deal of attention for cooled structures. However, high processing costs have proven to be a major obstacle to their widespread application. Advanced rapid prototyping technology, which is developing rapidly, offers the possibility of an affordable manufacturing approach.

Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.↗

NASA NTRS1995

The Solar Mass Ejection Imager

We are designing a Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) capable of observing the Thomson-scattered signal from transient density features in the heliosphere from a spacecraft situated near AU. The imager is designed to trace these features, which include coronal mass ejections. corotating structures and shock waves, to elongations greater than 90 deg from the Sun. The instrument may be regarded as a progeny of the heliospheric imaging capability shown possible by the zodiacal-light photometers of the HELIOS spacecraft. The instrument we are designing would make more effective use of in-situ solar wind data from spacecraft in the vicinity of the imager by extending these observations to the surrounding environment. The observations from the instrument should allow deconvolution of these structures from the perspective views obtained as they pass the spacecraft. An imager at Earth could allow up to three days warning of the arrival of a mass ejection from the Sun .

Jackson, B. V.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Application of the Semi-Empirical Force-Limiting Approach for the CoNNeCT SCAN Testbed

The semi-empirical force-limiting vibration method was developed and implemented for payload testing to limit the structural impedance mismatch (high force) that occurs during shaker vibration testing. The method has since been extended for use in analytical models. The Space Communications and Navigation Testbed (SCAN Testbed), known at NASA as, the Communications, Navigation, and Networking re-Configurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), project utilized force-limiting testing and analysis following the semi-empirical approach. This paper presents the steps in performing a force-limiting analysis and then compares the results to test data recovered during the CoNNeCT force-limiting random vibration qualification test that took place at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in the Structural Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) December 19, 2010 to January 7, 2011. A compilation of lessons learned and considerations for future force-limiting tests is also included.

Staab, Lucas D.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Structural ensembles of the north belt of Venus deformations and possible mechanisms of their formation

The author discusses structural formations in the northern deformation belt of Venus, studied according to the data of the radar pictures obtained with the Venera 15 and 16 probes. He shows that it consists of regions of compression with submeridional orientation, regions of displacement, extending in the sublatitudinal direction and individual slightly deformed blocks. He puts forward the hypothesis that the formation of these structures is related with horizontal movements in the mantle in the sublatitudinal direction.

Markov, M. S.↗

NASA NTRS1973

V/STOL tilt rotor aircraft study. Volume 6: Preliminary design of a composite wing for tilt rotor research aircraft

The results of a study of the use of composite materials in the wing of a tilt rotor aircraft are presented. An all-metal tilt rotor aircraft was first defined to provide a basis for comparing composite with metal structure. A configuration study was then done in which the wing of the metal aircraft was replaced with composite wings of varying chord and thickness ratio. The results of this study defined the design and performance benefits obtainable with composite materials. Based on these results the aircraft was resized with a composite wing to extend the weight savings to other parts of the aircraft. A wing design was then selected for detailed structural analysis. A development plan including costs and schedules to develop this wing and incorporate it into a proposed flight research tilt rotor vehicle has been devised.

Soule, V. A.↗