SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Approximation methods”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 1,135 records · Page 63

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1986

Rapid computation of chemical equilibrium composition - An application to hydrocarbon combustion

A scheme for rapidly computing the chemical equilibrium composition of hydrocarbon combustion products is derived. A set of ten governing equations is reduced to a single equation that is solved by the Newton iteration method. Computation speeds are approximately 80 times faster than the often used free-energy minimization method. The general approach also has application to many other chemical systems.

Erickson, W. D.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Fuel-air mixing and combustion in a two-dimensional Wankel engine

A two-equation turbulence model, an algebraic grid generalization method, and an approximate factorization time-linearized numerical technique are used to study the effects of mixture stratification at the intake port and gaseous fuel injection on the flow field and fuel-air mixing in a two-dimensional rotary engine model. The fuel distribution in the combustion chamber is found to be a function of the air-fuel mixture fluctuations at the intake port. It is shown that the fuel is advected by the flow field induced by the rotor and is concentrated near the leading apex during the intake stroke, while during compression, the fuel concentration is highest near the trailing apex and is lowest near the rotor. It is also found that the fuel concentration near the trailing apex and rotor is small except at high injection velocities.

Shih, T. I.-P.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Tunneling near the peaks of potential barriers - Consequences of higher-order Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin corrections

The quantum-mechanical tunneling transmission coefficient is derived for energies near the peak of a general potential barrier, to fourth order in the WKB approximation, using a method based on an eighth-order Taylor expansion of the potential near the peak. The result agrees with contour-integral formulations of WKB tunneling. For the Poeschl-Teller potential the WKB series converges rapidly to the known exact transmission coefficient. Higher-order WKB corrections may be important in attempts to determine the internuclear potential by inversion using low-energy fusion cross-section data.

Will, Clifford M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Interaction and merging of vortex filaments

The asymptotic solutions of Navier-Stokes equations for vortex filaments of finite strength with small effective vortical cores are summarized with special emphasis placed on the physical meaning and the practical limit to the applicability of the asymptotic solution. Finite-difference solutions of Navier-Stokes equations for the marging of the filament(s) are described with a focus on the development of the approximate boundary conditions for the computational domain. An efficiency study employing a model problem is used to assess the advantages of the present approximate boundary condition method over previously used techniques. Applications of the present method are presented for the motion and decay of a 3:1 elliptic vortex ring, and for the merging process of a pair of coaxial vortex rings. A numerical procedure for the problem of local merging of vortex filaments, which requires the asymptotic analysis as well as the numerical Navier-Stokes solver, is also presented.

Liu, C. H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Uncertainty estimates in geomagnetic field modeling

This paper presents an extension of the conventional uncertainty analysis which characterizes the sources of uncertainty in the coefficients of the geomagnetic field models. The new formalism accounts for the systematic errors introduced by the omission of such sources as the presence of crustal fields, the external fields, and the field from the truncated terms. The usefulness of this formalism depends on two critical conditions. The first of these is the knowledge of the statistical properties of the fields whose parameters are not solved in the analysis, i.e., the crustal field and the external field. The second critical point in the practical use of the method is the approximation used for the weight matrix.

Langel, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Failures Of CMOS Devices At Low Radiation-Dose Rates

Method for obtaining approximate failure-versus-dose-rate curves derived from experiments on failures of SGS 4007 complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits irradiated by Co60 and Cs137 radioactive sources.

Goben, Charles A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

On the interpretation of chromospheric emission lines

This paper reexamines the formation of ultraviolet emission lines in stellar chromospheres, using detailed radiative transfer calculations and relatively simple methods based on approximate line cooling rates, including escape probabilities. Approximations for the cooling integrals are demonstrated to work well for 'effectively thin' chromospheric lines. Two cases are identified, whose behavior can be understood using Ayres's (1979) chromospheric scaling laws relating the chromospheric structure to stellar properties: those of inactive stars, like cool giants, and more active stars like the sun.

Judge, P. G.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Probabilistic structural mechanics research for parallel processing computers

Aerospace structures and spacecraft are a complex assemblage of structural components that are subjected to a variety of complex, cyclic, and transient loading conditions. Significant modeling uncertainties are present in these structures, in addition to the inherent randomness of material properties and loads. To properly account for these uncertainties in evaluating and assessing the reliability of these components and structures, probabilistic structural mechanics (PSM) procedures must be used. Much research has focused on basic theory development and the development of approximate analytic solution methods in random vibrations and structural reliability. Practical application of PSM methods was hampered by their computationally intense nature. Solution of PSM problems requires repeated analyses of structures that are often large, and exhibit nonlinear and/or dynamic response behavior. These methods are all inherently parallel and ideally suited to implementation on parallel processing computers. New hardware architectures and innovative control software and solution methodologies are needed to make solution of large scale PSM problems practical.

Sues, Robert H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Computed stress fields in GaAs during vertical Bridgman growth

The thermoelastic stress field of GaAs crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman method has been approximated using a linear elastic, axisymmetric stress model. The model included the effects due to the thermal field and the gravitational field, as well as the interaction with the ampoule, but did not fully account for the elastic anisotropy of the crystal. Realistic thermal fields for different furnace temperatures and insulation zone thicknesses were computed with a similar model. The difference between the Von Mises stress and the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) was used as a measure of the number of dislocations present. Different sets of growth parameters were examined to determine which produced the lowest amount of stress in the crystal. Results show that the crystal-ampoule interaction is the most important parameter in dislocation generation. In addition, for the same sticking boundary conditions, concave interfaces have lower stress than convex interfaces.

Rosch, William↗

NASA NTRS1992

Continuation of tailored composite structures of ordered staple thermoplastic material

The search for the cost effective composite structure has motivated the investigation of several approaches to develop composite structure from innovative material forms. Among the promising approaches is the conversion of a planar sheet to components of complex curvature through sheet forming or stretch forming. In both cases, the potential for material stretch in the fiber direction appears to offer a clear advantage in formability over continuous fiber systems. A framework was established which allows the simulation of the anisotropic mechanisms of deformation of long discontinuous fiber laminates wherein the matrix phase is a viscous fluid. Predictions for the effective viscosities of a hyper-anisotropic medium consisting of collimated, discontinuous fibers suspended in viscous matrix were extended to capture the characteristics of typical polymers including non-Newtonian behavior and temperature dependence. In addition, the influence of fiber misorientation was also modeled by compliance averaging to determine ensemble properties for a given orientation distribution. A design tool is presented for predicting the effect of material heterogeneity on the performance of curved composite beams such as those used in aircraft fuselage structures. Material heterogeneity can be induced during manufacturing processes such as sheet forming and stretch forming of thermoplastic composites. This heterogeneity can be introduced in the form of fiber realignment and spreading during the manufacturing process causing radial and tangential gradients in material properties. Two analysis procedures are used to solve the beam problems. The first method uses separate two-dimensional elasticity solutions for the stresses in the flange and web sections of the beam. The separate solutions are coupled by requiring that forces and displacements match section boundaries. The second method uses an approximate Rayleigh-Ritz technique to find the solutions for more complex beams. Analyses are performed for curved beams of various cross-sections loaded in pure bending and with a uniform distributed load. Preliminary results show that the geometry of the beam dictates the effect of heterogeneity on performance. The role of heterogeneity is larger in beams with a small average radius-to-depth ration, R/t, where R is the average radius of the beam and t is the difference between the inside and outside radii. Results of the anlysis are in the form of stresses and displacements and are compared to both mechanics of materials and numerical solutions obtained using finite element analysis.

Santare, Michael H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Maxwell's second- and third-order equations of transfer for non-Maxwellian gases

Condensed algebraic forms for Maxwell's second- and third-order equations of transfer are developed for the case of molecules described by either elastic hard spheres, inverse-power potentials, or by Bird's variable hard-sphere model. These hardly reduced, yet exact, equations provide a new point of origin, when using the moment method, in seeking approximate solutions in the kinetic theory of gases for molecular models that are physically more realistic than that provided by the Maxwell model. An important by-product of the analysis when using these second- and third-order relations is that a clear mathematical connection develops between Bird's variable hard-sphere model and that for the inverse-power potential.

Baganoff, D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Algorithms For Segmentation Of Complex-Amplitude SAR Data

Several algorithms implement improved method of segmenting highly speckled, high-resolution, complex-amplitude synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) digitized images into regions, within each backscattering characteristics similar or homogeneous from place to place. Method provides for approximate, deterministic solution by two alternative algorithms almost always converging to local minimums: one, Iterative Conditional Modes (ICM) algorithm, which locally maximizes posterior probability density of region labels; other, Maximum Posterior Marginal (MPM) algorithm, which maximizes posterior marginal density of region labels at each pixel location. ICM algorithm optimizes reconstruction of underlying scene. MPM algorithm minimizes expected number of misclassified pixels, possibly better in remote sensing of natural scenes.

Rignot, Eric J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Designing Bolted Joints Between Composite Plates

Simplified methods developed for use in preliminary design and analysis of bolted joints between flat composite-material plates loaded in tension. Analysis also applicable to joints between composite and metal plates. Methods based on approximate equations for limiting stresses in single-bolt joint in five modes of failure: local-bearing-failure, net tension, wedge-type splitting, shear-out, and tension with shear-out.

Chamis, Christos C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Boundary conditions and the simulation of low Mach number flows

The problem of accurately computing low Mach number flows, with the specific intent of studying the interaction of sound waves with incompressible flow structures, such as concentrations of vorticity is considered. This is a multiple time (and/or space) scales problem, leading to various difficulties in the design of numerical methods. Concentration is on one of these difficulties - the development of boundary conditions at artificial boundaries which allow sound waves and vortices to radiate to the far field. Nonlinear model equations are derived based on assumptions about the scaling of the variables. Then these are linearized about a uniform flow and exact boundary conditions are systematically derived using transform methods. Finally, useful approximations to the exact conditions which are valid for small Mach number and small viscosity are computed.

Hagstrom, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1994

Application of an improved Nelson-Nguyen analysis to eccentric, arbitrary profile liquid annular seals

An improved dynamic analysis for liquid annular seals with arbitrary profile based on a method, first proposed by Nelson and Nguyen, is presented. An improved first order solution that incorporates a continuous interpolation of perturbed quantities in the circumferential direction, is presented. The original method uses an approximation scheme for circumferential gradients, based on Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT). A simpler scheme based on cubic splines is found to be computationally more efficient with better convergence at higher eccentricities. A new approach of computing dynamic coefficients based on external specified load is introduced. This improved analysis is extended to account for arbitrarily varying seal profile in both axial and circumferential directions. An example case of an elliptical seal with varying degrees of axial curvature is analyzed. A case study based on actual operating clearances of an interstage seal of the Space Shuttle Main Engine High Pressure Oxygen Turbopump is presented.

Padavala, Satyasrinivas↗

NASA NTRS1994

Radiation from advanced solid rocket motor plumes

The overall objective of this study was to develop an understanding of solid rocket motor (SRM) plumes in sufficient detail to accurately explain the majority of plume radiation test data. Improved flowfield and radiation analysis codes were developed to accurately and efficiently account for all the factors which effect radiation heating from rocket plumes. These codes were verified by comparing predicted plume behavior with measured NASA/MSFC ASRM test data. Upon conducting a thorough review of the current state-of-the-art of SRM plume flowfield and radiation prediction methodology and the pertinent data base, the following analyses were developed for future design use. The NOZZRAD code was developed for preliminary base heating design and Al2O3 particle optical property data evaluation using a generalized two-flux solution to the radiative transfer equation. The IDARAD code was developed for rapid evaluation of plume radiation effects using the spherical harmonics method of differential approximation to the radiative transfer equation. The FDNS CFD code with fully coupled Euler-Lagrange particle tracking was validated by comparison to predictions made with the industry standard RAMP code for SRM nozzle flowfield analysis. The FDNS code provides the ability to analyze not only rocket nozzle flow, but also axisymmetric and three-dimensional plume flowfields with state-of-the-art CFD methodology. Procedures for conducting meaningful thermo-vision camera studies were developed.

Farmer, Richard C.↗

NASA NTRS1995

A Bayesian approach to microwave precipitation profile retrieval

A multichannel passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithm is developed. Bayes theorem is used to combine statistical information from numerical cloud models with forward radiative transfer modeling. A multivariate lognormal prior probability distribution contains the covariance information about hydrometeor distribution that resolves the nonuniqueness inherent in the inversion process. Hydrometeor profiles are retrieved by maximizing the posterior probability density for each vector of observations. The hydrometeor profile retrieval method is tested with data from the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (10, 19, 37, and 85 GHz) of convection over ocean and land in Florida. The CP-2 multiparameter radar data are used to verify the retrieved profiles. The results show that the method can retrieve approximate hydrometeor profiles, with larger errors over land than water. There is considerably greater accuracy in the retrieval of integrated hydrometeor contents than of profiles. Many of the retrieval errors are traced to problems with the cloud model microphysical information, and future improvements to the algorithm are suggested.

Evans, K. Franklin↗

NASA NTRS1995

Effect of Nb2O5 and V2O5 addition on the superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3O(y) thin films

The effect of Nb2O5 and V2O5 addition on the superconducting properties and microstructure of YBa2Cu3O(y) has been studied in thin films. Polycrystalline targets for laser ablation were prepared by mixing high purity V2O5 or Nb2O5 powders with a well characterized YBa2Cu3O(y) powder in the range 0 to 4 wt percent by solid state reaction method. Thin films (approximately 1500 A thickness) of the above targets were grown on (100) SrTiO3 (STO) and (100) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates at 700 C temperature by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. In the case of Nb2O5 addition we have noticed an increase in J(sub c) up to 0.5 wt percent and higher additive concentration (greater than 0.5 wt percent) have degraded the superconducting properties. However, in the case of V2O3 addition, there is an improvement in current density and microstructural properties up to 1 wt percent and the superconducting properties degrade for concentrations greater than 1 wt percent. The best J(sub c) for 0.5 wt percent of Nb2O5 added YBCO thin film is 1.6 x 10(exp 6) A/sq cm and for that of V2O5 added sample is 3.4 x 10(exp 6) A/sq cm at 77 K as compared to the pure YBa2Cu3O(y) (YBCO) film J(sub c) (1.2 x 10(exp 6) A/sq cm) observed on STO substrates. The reason for improvement in J(sub c) and microstructural properties in the case of V2O5 addition could be due to the low melting of V2O5 (690 C) which can act as a very good surfactant during deposition. Over all, we have realized that Nb2O5 addition or V2O5 addition to YBCO have shown significant improvement over the undoped YBa2Cu3O(7-x) films grown under identical conditions.

Srinivas, S.↗