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At least 1,153 records · Page 64

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NASA NTRS2017

Automatic Estimation of Verified Floating-Point Round-Off Errors via Static Analysis

This paper introduces a static analysis technique for computing formally verified round-off error bounds of floating-point functional expressions. The technique is based on a denotational semantics that computes a symbolic estimation of floating-point round-o errors along with a proof certificate that ensures its correctness. The symbolic estimation can be evaluated on concrete inputs using rigorous enclosure methods to produce formally verified numerical error bounds. The proposed technique is implemented in the prototype research tool PRECiSA (Program Round-o Error Certifier via Static Analysis) and used in the verification of floating-point programs of interest to NASA.

Moscato, Mariano↗

NASA NTRS1985

Analysis of transitional separation bubbles on infinite swept wings

A previously developed two-dimensional local inviscid-viscous interaction technique for the analysis of airfoil transitional separation bubbles, ALESEP (Airfoil Leading Edge Separation), has been extended for the calculation of transitional separation bubbles over infinite swept wings. As part of this effort, Roberts' empirical correlation, which is interpreted as a separated flow empirical extension of Mack's stability theory for attached flows, has been incorporated into the ALESEP procedure for the prediction of the transition location within the separation bubble. A series of two-dimensional calculations are presented as a verification of the prediction capability of the interaction technique with this transition model. Numerical tests have shown that this two-dimensional natural transition correlation may also be applied to transitional separation bubbles over infinite swept wings. Results of the interaction procedure are compared with Horton's detailed experimental data for separated flow over a swept plate which demonstrates the accuracy of the present technique. The principal conclusion of this paper is that the prediction of transitional separation bubbles over two-dimensional or infinite swept geometries is now possible using the present interacting boundary layer approach.

Davis, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Theory of biaxial graded-index optical fiber

A biaxial graded-index fiber with a homogeneous cladding is studied. Two methods, wave equation and matrix differential equation, of formulating the problem and their respective solutions are discussed. For the wave equation formulation of the problem it is shown that for the case of a diagonal permittivity tensor the longitudinal electric and magnetic fields satisfy a pair of coupled second-order differential equations. Also, a generalized dispersion relation is derived in terms of the solutions for the longitudinal electric and magnetic fields. For the case of a step-index fiber, either isotropic or uniaxial, these differential equations can be solved exactly in terms of Bessel functions. For the cases of an istropic graded-index and a uniaxial graded-index fiber, a solution using the Wentzel, Krammers and Brillouin (WKB) approximation technique is shown. Results for some particular permittivity profiles are presented. Also the WKB solutions is compared with the vector solution found by Kurtz and Streifer. For the matrix formulation it is shown that the tangential components of the electric and magnetic fields satisfy a system of four first-order differential equations which can be conveniently written in matrix form. For the special case of meridional modes, the system of equations splits into two systems of two equations. A general iterative technique, asymptotic partitioning of systems of equations, for solving systems of differential equations is presented. As a simple example, Bessel's differential equation is written in matrix form and is solved using this asymptotic technique. Low order solutions for particular examples of a biaxial and uniaxial graded-index fiber are presented. Finally numerical results obtained using the asymptotic technique are presented for particular examples of isotropic and uniaxial step-index fibers and isotropic, uniaxial and biaxial graded-index fibers.

Kawalko, Stephen F.↗

NASA NTRS1984

A spectral element method for fluid dynamics - Laminar flow in a channel expansion

A spectral element method that combines the generality of the finite element method with the accuracy of spectral techniques is proposed for the numerical solution of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. In the spectral element discretization, the computational domain is broken into a series of elements, and the velocity in each element is represented as a high-order Lagrangian interpolant through Chebyshev collocation points. The hyperbolic piece of the governing equations is then treated with an explicit collocation scheme, while the pressure and viscous contributions are treated implicitly with a projection operator derived from a variational principle. The implementation of the technique is demonstrated on a one-dimensional inflow-outflow advection-diffusion equation, and the method is then applied to laminar two-dimensional (separated) flow in a channel expansion. Comparisons are made with experiment and previous numerical work.

Patera, A. T.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A probabilistic approach to the dynamic analysis of ducts subjected to multibase harmonic and random excitation

The dynamic behavior of the discharge duct of the high-pressure oxidizer turbopump of a cryogenic rocket motor is investigated analytically. The probabilistic analysis program NESSUS (Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structures Under Stress; Cruse et al., 1988) is used to treat the uncertainties due to random and harmonic excitation (e.g., pump noise, pump-induced harmonics, and combustion noise), variations in engine inlet pressure, and changes in system damping. The load modeling procedure, the variation in power-spectral density in different zones of the engine structure, and the dynamic structural-analysis technique are described, and the numerical results of the NESSUS analysis are presented in extensive tables and graphs and discussed in detail.

Debchaudhury, Amit↗

NASA NTRS2001

Prediction of Business Jet Airloads Using The Overflow Navier-Stokes Code

The objective of this work is to evaluate the application of Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics technology, for the purpose of predicting off-design condition airloads on a business jet configuration in the transonic regime. The NASA Navier-Stokes flow solver OVERFLOW with Chimera overset grid capability, availability of several numerical schemes and convergence acceleration techniques was selected for this work. A set of scripts which have been compiled to reduce the time required for the grid generation process are described. Several turbulence models are evaluated in the presence of separated flow regions on the wing. Computed results are compared to available wind tunnel data for two Mach numbers and a range of angles-of-attack. Comparisons of wing surface pressure from numerical simulation and wind tunnel measurements show good agreement up to fairly high angles-of-attack.

Bounajem, Elias↗

NASA NTRS2000

Evaluation of Bogus Vortex Techniques with Four-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation

The effectiveness of techniques for creating "bogus" vortices in numerical simulations of hurricanes is examined by using the Penn State/NCAR nonhydrostatic mesoscale model (MM5) and its adjoint system. A series of four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4-D VAR) experiments is conducted to generate an initial vortex for Hurricane Georges (1998) in the Atlantic Ocean by assimilating bogus sea-level pressure and surface wind information into the mesoscale numerical model. Several different strategies are tested for improving the vortex representation. The initial vortices produced by the 4-D VAR technique are able to reproduce many of the structural features of mature hurricanes. The vortices also result in significant improvements to the hurricane forecasts in terms of both intensity and track. In particular, with assimilation of only bogus sea-level pressure information, the response in the wind field is contained largely within the divergent component, with strong convergence leading to strong upward motion near the center. Although the intensity of the initial vortex seems to be well represented, a dramatic spin down of the storm occurs within the first 6 h of the forecast. With assimilation of bogus surface wind data only, an expected dominance of the rotational component of the wind field is generated, but the minimum pressure is adjusted inadequately compared to the actual hurricane minimum pressure. Only when both the bogus surface pressure and wind information are assimilated together does the model produce a vortex that represents the actual intensity of the hurricane and results in significant improvements to forecasts of both hurricane intensity and track.

Pu, Zhao-Xia↗

NASA NTRS1990

Recent advances in hypersonic technology

This paper will focus on recent advances in hypersonic aerodynamic prediction techniques. Current capabilities of existing numerical methods for predicting high Mach number flows will be discussed and shortcomings will be identified. Physical models available for inclusion into modern codes for predicting the effects of transition and turbulence will also be outlined and their limitations identified. Chemical reaction models appropriate to high-speed flows will be addressed, and the impact of their inclusion in computational fluid dynamics codes will be discussed. Finally, the problem of validating predictive techniques for high Mach number flows will be addressed.

Dwoyer, Douglas L.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Neural Network Prediction of Failure of Damaged Composite Pressure Vessels from Strain Field Data Acquired by a Computer Vision Method

This effort used a new and novel method of acquiring strains called Sub-pixel Digital Video Image Correlation (SDVIC) on impact damaged Kevlar/epoxy filament wound pressure vessels during a proof test. To predict the burst pressure, the hoop strain field distribution around the impact location from three vessels was used to train a neural network. The network was then tested on additional pressure vessels. Several variations on the network were tried. The best results were obtained using a single hidden layer. SDVIC is a fill-field non-contact computer vision technique which provides in-plane deformation and strain data over a load differential. This method was used to determine hoop and axial displacements, hoop and axial linear strains, the in-plane shear strains and rotations in the regions surrounding impact sites in filament wound pressure vessels (FWPV) during proof loading by internal pressurization. The relationship between these deformation measurement values and the remaining life of the pressure vessels, however, requires a complex theoretical model or numerical simulation. Both of these techniques are time consuming and complicated. Previous results using neural network methods had been successful in predicting the burst pressure for graphite/epoxy pressure vessels based upon acoustic emission (AE) measurements in similar tests. The neural network associates the character of the AE amplitude distribution, which depends upon the extent of impact damage, with the burst pressure. Similarly, higher amounts of impact damage are theorized to cause a higher amount of strain concentration in the damage effected zone at a given pressure and result in lower burst pressures. This relationship suggests that a neural network might be able to find an empirical relationship between the SDVIC strain field data and the burst pressure, analogous to the AE method, with greater speed and simplicity than theoretical or finite element modeling. The process of testing SDVIC neural network analysis and some encouraging preliminary results are presented in this paper. Details are given concerning the processing of SDVIC output data such that it may be used as back propagation neural network (BPNN) input data. The software written to perform this processing and the BPNN algorithm are also discussed. It will be shown that, with limited training, test results indicate an average error in burst pressure prediction of approximately six percent,

Russell, Samuel S.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Recent Progress in Parallel Schur Complement Preconditioning for Computational Fluid

We consider preconditioning methods for nonself-adjoint advective-diffusive systems based on a nonoverlapping Schur complement procedure for arbitrary triangulated domains. The triangulation is first partitioned using the METIS multi-level $k$-way partitioning code. This partitioning of the triangulation induces a natural 2x2 partitioning of the demoralization matrix. By considering various inverse approximations of the 2x2 system we have developed a family of robust preconditioning techniques. The performance of these approximations will be discussed and numerous examples shown to illustrate the efficiency of the technique.

Barth, Tim↗

NASA NTRS1980

Short-interval SMS wind vector determinations for a severe local storms area

Short-interval SMS-2 visible digital image data are used to derive wind vectors from cloud tracking on time-lapsed sequences of geosynchronous satellite images. The cloud tracking areas are located in the Central Plains, where on May 6, 1975 hail-producing thunderstorms occurred ahead of a well defined dry line. Cloud tracking is performed on the Goddard Space Flight Center Atmospheric and Oceanographic Information Processing System. Lower tropospheric cumulus tracers are selected with the assistance of a cloud-top height algorithm. Divergence is derived from the cloud motions using a modified Cressman (1959) objective analysis technique which is designed to organize irregularly spaced wind vectors into uniformly gridded wind fields. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using satellite-derived wind vectors and their associated divergence fields in describing the conditions preceding severe local storm development. For this case, an area of convergence appeared ahead of the dry line and coincided with the developing area of severe weather. The magnitude of the maximum convergence varied between -10 to the -5th and -10 to the -14th per sec. The number of satellite-derived wind vectors which were required to describe conditions of the low-level atmosphere was adequate before numerous cumulonimbus cells formed. This technique is limited in areas of advanced convection.

Peslen, C. A.↗

NASA NTRS1976

An analog technique for the measurement of damping from transient decay signals

A tracking filter that includes an output that is logarithmically proportional to the amplitude of the filtered signal is used to measure the damping exponent of a transient decay. This method is analogous to the digital technique referred to as the moving-block or peak-plot method. The method is simple to use and quite accurate, avoids the numerical computations associated with similar digital techniques, but is constrained by the poor time-domain response characteristics of commercial tracking filters presently available.

Bousman, W. G.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Numerical investigation of internal high-speed viscous flows using a parabolic technique

A feasibility study has been conducted to assess the applicability of an existing parabolic analysis (ADD-Axisymmetric Diffuser Duct), developed previously for subsonic viscous internal flows, to mixed supersonic/subsonic flows with heat addition simulating a SCRAMJET combustor. A study was conducted with the ADD code modified to include additional convection effects in the normal momentum equation when supersonic expansion and compression waves are present. A set of test problems with weak shock and expansion waves have been analyzed with this modified ADD method and stable and accurate solutions were demonstrated provided the streamwise step size was maintained at levels larger than the boundary layer displacement thickness. Calculations made with further reductions in step size encountered departure solutions consistent with strong interaction theory. Calculations were also performed for a flow field with a flame front in which a specific heat release was imposed to simulate a SCRAMJET combustor. In this case the flame front generated relatively thick shear layers which aggravated the departure solution problem. Qualitatively correct results were obtained for these cases using a marching technique with the convective terms in the normal momentum equation suppressed. It is concluded from the present study that for the class of problems where strong viscous/inviscid interactions are present a global iteration procedure is required.

Anderson, O. L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Computation of thermochemical nonequilibrium flows around a simple and a double ellipse

The nonequilibrium viscous reactive flows over a simple and a double ellipse at a 30 degree angle of attack were computed. The geometry and the free stream conditions are given by INRIA/GAMNI/SMAI workshop test cases 6.2-2 and 6.2-4. The governing Navier-Stokes equations coupled with thermochemical nonequilibrium processes are solved numerically using a fully coupled, implicit, finite volume technique with a dynamically adaptive grid. The nonequilibrium gas model and the numerical method used in the calculations are briefly described.

Gokcen, Tahir↗

NASA NTRS1991

Computation of thermochemical nonequilibrium flows around a simple and a double ellipse

Gokcen, Tahir↗

NASA NTRS2018

Printed Circuit Board Inspection and Quality Control - PCB Failure Causes and Cures

This two day workshop will discuss a range of topics, including root cause analysis, physics-of-failure principles and failure mechanisms in printed circuit boards. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the baseline for electronics manufacturing upon which electronic components are mounted and formed into electronic systems. PCBs are used in a variety of electronic circuits from simple one-transistor amplifiers to large super computers. A PCB serves three main functions: 1) it provides the necessary mechanical support for the components in the circuit 2) it provides the necessary electrical interconnections, and 3) it bears some form of legend which identifies the components it carries. The failure modes on the PCBs can be categorized in a hierarchical structure, in which the mechanisms and causes are site or location dependant. Specimen preparation techniques, non-destructive and destructive analysis, and materials characterization will also be discussed. The first day of the workshop will present methodologies for identifying potential failure mechanisms in electronics based on the failure history and, systematic approaches to root cause analysis. The second day will cover failure analysis techniques geared towards various failure mechanisms, along with numerous component and PCB assembly failure analysis case studies that illustrate the techniques and analysis. Failure analysis case studies will be used to illustrate the techniques and analysis principles to arrive at the root cause(s) of field failures on printed circuit boards, active components, and assemblies.

Printed circuit boards↗

NASA NTRS1990

Bridgman crystal growth in low gravity - A scaling analysis

The results of an order-of-magnitude or scaling analysis are compared with those of numerical simulations of the effects of steady low gravity on compositional nonuniformity in crystals grown by the Bridgman-Stockbarger technique. In particular, the results are examined of numerical simulations of the effect of steady residual acceleration on the transport of solute in a gallium-doped germanium melt during directional solidification under low-gravity conditions. The results are interpreted in terms of the relevant dimensionless groups associated with the process, and scaling techniques are evaluated by comparing their predictions with the numerical results. It is demonstrated that, when convective transport is comparable with diffusive transport, some specific knowledge of the behavior of the system is required before scaling arguments can be used to make reasonable predictions.

Alexander, J. I. D.↗

NASA NTRS1975

NASTRAN solutions of problems described by simultaneous parabolic differential equations

NASTRAN solution techniques are shown for a numerical analysis of a class of coupled vector flow processes described by simultaneous parabolic differential equations. To define one physical problem type where equations of this form arise, the differential equations describing the coupled transfers of heat and mass in mechanical equilibrium with negligible mass average velocity are presented and discussed. Also shown are the equations describing seepage when both electrokinetic and hydrodynamic forces occur. Based on a variational statement of the general problem type, the concepts of scalar transfer elements and parallel element systems are introduced. It is shown that adoptation of these concepts allows the direct use of NASTRAN's existing Laplace type elements for uncoupled flow (the heat transfer elements) for treating multicomponent coupled transfer. Sample problems are included which demonstrate the application of these techniques for both steady-state and transient problems.

Mason, J. B.↗