Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “COMPOSITE MODELS”

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 1,189 records · Page 66

Evaluation of several micromechanics models for discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites

A systematic experimental evaluation of whisker and particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composites was conducted to assess the variation in tensile properties with reinforcement type, volume fraction, and specimen thickness. Each material was evaluated in three thicknesses, 1.8, 3.18, and 6.35 mm, to determine the size, distribution, and orientation of the reinforcements. This information was used to evaluate several micromechanical models that predict composite moduli. The longitudinal and transverse moduli were predicted for reinforced aluminum. The Paul model, the Cox model and the Halpin-Tsai model were evaluated. The Paul model gave a good upper bound prediction for the particulate reinforced composites but under predicted whisker reinforced composite moduli. The Cox model gave good moduli predictions for the whisker reinforcement, but was too low for the particulate. The Halpin-Tsai model gave good results for both whisker and particulate reinforced composites. An approach using a trigonometric projection of whisker length to predict the fiber contribution to the modulus in the longitudinal and transverse directions was compared to the more conventional lamination theory approach.

Johnson, W. Steven↗

Comparison of some micromechanics models for discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites

A systematic experimental evaluation of whisker and particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composites was conducted to assess the variation in tensile properties with reinforcement type, volume fraction, and specimen thickness. Each material was evaluated in three thicknesses, 1.8, 3.18, and 6.35 mm, to determine the size, distribution, and orientation of the reinforcements. This information was used to evaluate several micromechanical models that predict composite moduli. The longitudinal and transverse moduli were predicted for reinforced aluminum. The Paul model, the Cox model and the Halpin-Tsai model were evaluated. The Paul model gave a good upper bound prediction for the particulate reinforced composites but under predicted whisker reinforced composite moduli. The Cox model gave good moduli predictions for the whisker reinforcement, but was too low for the particulate. The Halpin-Tsai model gave good results for both whisker and particulate reinforced composites. An approach using a trigonometric projection of whisker length to predict the fiber contribution to the modulus in the longitudinal and transverse directions was compared to the more conventional lamination theory approach.

Johnson, W. S.↗

Neutron diffraction measurements and modeling of residual strains in metal matrix composites

Neutron diffraction measurements at room temperature are used to characterize the residual strains in tungsten fiber-reinforced copper matrix, tungsten fiber-reinforced Kanthal matrix, and diamond particulate-reinforced copper matrix composites. Results of finite element modeling are compared with the neutron diffraction data. In tungsten/Kanthal composites, the fibers are in compression, the matrix is in tension, and the thermal residual strains are a strong function of the volume fraction of fibers. In copper matrix composites, the matrix is in tension and the stresses are independent of the volume fraction of tungsten fibers or diamond particles and the assumed stress free temperature because of the low yield strength of the matrix phase.

Saigal, A.↗

Atomistic models of Cu diffusion in CuInSe 2 under variations in composition

Here we construct an analytic model for the composition dependence of the vacancy-mediated Cu diffusion coefficient in undoped CuInSe 2 using parameters from density functional theory. The applicability of this model is supported numerically with kinetic lattice Monte Carlo and Onsager transport tensors. We discuss how this model relates to experimental measurements of Cu diffusion, arguing that our results can account for significant contributions to the bulk diffusion of Cu tracers in non-stoichiometric CuInSe 2 .

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Model calibration and validation for OFMSW and sewage sludge co-digestion reactors

Highlights: > Disintegration is the limiting step of the anaerobic co-digestion process. > Disintegration kinetic constant does not depend on the waste particle size. > Disintegration kinetic constant depends only on the waste nature and composition. > The model calibration can be performed on organic waste of any particle size. - Abstract: A mathematical model has recently been proposed by the authors to simulate the biochemical processes that prevail in a co-digestion reactor fed with sewage sludge and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. This model is based on the Anaerobic Digestion Model no. 1 of the International Water Association, which has been extended to include the co-digestion processes, using surface-based kinetics to model the organic waste disintegration and conversion to carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. When organic waste solids are present in the reactor influent, the disintegration process is the rate-limiting step of the overall co-digestion process. The main advantage of the proposed modeling approach is that the kinetic constant of such a process does not depend on the waste particle size distribution (PSD) and rather depends only on the nature and composition of the waste particles. The model calibration aimed to assess the kinetic constant of the disintegration process can therefore be conducted using organic waste samples of any PSD, and the resulting value will be suitable for all the organic wastes of the same nature as the investigated samples, independently of their PSD. This assumption was proven in this study by biomethane potential experiments that were conducted on organic waste samples with different particle sizes. The results of these experiments were used to calibrate and validate the mathematical model, resulting in a good agreement between the simulated and observed data for any investigated particle size of the solid waste. This study confirms the strength of the proposed model and calibration procedure, which can thus be used to assess the treatment efficiency and predict the methane production of full-scale digesters.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Helium in Stream Water as a Volcanic Monitoring Tool

Abstract We show that synoptic sampling of streams can be used to characterize volcanic volatiles in groundwater over large spatial scales. Synoptic sampling of dissolved noble gases, 222 Rn, major ions, and stream discharge was carried out along a 30 km reach of the Gibbon River, near Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, USA. Groundwater discharge location, volume, and composition were estimated by constrained calibration of a stream flow and solute transport model. Estimated groundwater composition from stream modeling was compared to shallow groundwater concentrations measured in nearby springs. 3 He, 222 Rn, and Cl signatures in the Gibbon River are indicative of groundwater discharge with a volcanic signature along the study reach. Stream water noble gas isotopic composition has similar isotopic mixing patterns to springs. The model‐estimated composition of groundwater discharging to the Gibbon agrees well with observed groundwater composition from nearby springs for all modeled analytes. We present the first observations of elevated mantle helium in stream water and show that stream water can be used as a convenient collection point to estimate spatially distributed groundwater composition and to monitor changes in volatile flux over large spatial areas. These results offer the possibility that stream surveys in volcanic terrain could be a new method for distributed volcanic monitoring at the catchment scale and beyond.

Gardner, W. Payton↗

Development of a Numerical Modeling Approach for Buckling Analysis of Sandwich Composite Cylindrical Shells with Selected Results

The buckling response of geometrically perfect and imperfect cylindrical sandwich shells can be investigated using nonlinear finite element analyses with two-dimensional general-purpose shell elements. Such analyses are used in the NASA Engineering and Safety Center Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project, which has the goal of developing new analysis-based buckling design recommendations for select classes of sandwich composite cylindrical structures under uniaxial compressive load. As such, finite element models of sandwich composite cylinders were developed and analyses were performed to predict the buckling responses of geometrically perfect and imperfect sandwich composite cylinders. The development of the selected finite-element modeling approach for a sandwich composite cylinder is discussed. Buckling-response sensitivity of geometrically imperfect sandwich cylinders for various shell element types were investigated as part of this study. Preliminary results of geometric imperfections influence on buckling response of sandwich cylinders are also presented.

Structural Modeling↗

Assessing modifications to the Abdul-Razzak and Ghan aerosol activation parameterization (version ARG2000) to improve simulated aerosol–cloud radiative effects in the UK Met Office Unified Model (UM version 13.0)

The representation of aerosol activation is a key source of uncertainty in global composition-climate model simulations of aerosol–cloud interactions. The Abdul-Razzak and Ghan (ARG) activation parameterization is used in several global and regional models that employ modal aerosol microphysics schemes. In this study, we investigate the ability of the ARG parameterization to reproduce simulations with a cloud parcel model and find its performance is sensitive to the geometric standard deviations (widths) of the lognormal aerosol modes. We recommend adjustments to three constant parameters in the ARG equations, which improve the performance of the parameterization for small mode widths and its ability to simulate activation in polluted conditions. For the accumulation mode width of 1.4 used in the Met Office Unified Model (UM), the modifications decrease the mean bias in the activated fraction of aerosols compared to a cloud parcel model from −6.6 % to +1.2 %. We implemented the improvements in the UM and compared simulated global cloud droplet concentrations with satellite observations. The simulated cloud radiative effect changes by −1.43 W m −2 (6 %) and aerosol indirect radiative forcing over the industrial period changes by −0.10 W m −2 (10 %).

Ghosh, Pratapaditya [Carnegie Mellon University, P↗

Premature Deaths in Africa Due to Particulate Matter Under High and Low Warming Scenarios

Sustainable development and climate change mitigation can provide enormous public health benefits via improved air quality, especially in polluted areas. We use the latest state-of-the-art composition-climate model simulations to contrast human exposure to fine particulate matter in Africa under a “baseline” scenario with high material consumption, population growth, and warming to that projected under a sustainability scenario with lower consumption, population growth, and warming. Evaluating the mortality impacts of these exposures, we find that under the low warming scenario annual premature deaths due to PM2.5 are reduced by roughly 515,000 by 2050 relative to the high warming scenario (100,000, 175,000, 55,000, 140,000, and 45,000 in Northern, West, Central, East, and Southern Africa, respectively). This reduction rises to ∼800,000 by the 2090s, though by that time much of the difference is attributable to the projected differences in population. By contrast, during the first half of the century benefits are driven predominantly by emissions changes. Depending on the region, we find large intermodel spreads of ∼25%–50% in projected future exposures owing to different physics across the ensemble of 6 global models. The spread of projected deaths attributable to exposure to fine particulate matter, including uncertainty in the exposure-response function, are reduced in every region to ∼20%–35% by the non-linear exposure-response function. Differences between the scenarios have an even narrower spread of ∼5%–25% and are highly statistically significant in all regions for all models. These results provide valuable information for policy-makers to consider when working toward climate change mitigation and sustainable development goals.

PM2.5↗

Architectural Improvements and New Processing Tools for the Open XAL Online Model

The online model is the component of Open XAL providing accelerator modeling, simulation, and dynamic synchronization to live hardware. Significant architectural changes and feature additions have been recently made in two separate areas: 1) the managing and processing of simulation data, and 2) the modeling of RF cavities. Simulation data and data processing have been completely decoupled. A single class manages all simulation data while standard tools were developed for processing the simulation results. RF accelerating cavities are now modeled as composite structures where parameter and dynamics computations are distributed. The beam and hardware models both maintain their relative phase information, which allows for dynamic phase slip and elapsed time computation.

Accelerator Control↗

Annual Report for Los Alamos National Laboratory Technical Area 54, Area G Disposal Facility – Fiscal Year 2011

As a condition to the Disposal Authorization Statement issued to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Laboratory) on March 17, 2010, a comprehensive performance assessment and composite analysis maintenance program must be implemented for the Technical Area 54, Area G disposal facility. Annual determinations of the adequacy of the performance assessment and composite analysis are to be conducted under the maintenance program to ensure that the conclusions reached by those analyses continue to be valid. This report summarizes the results of the fiscal year 2011 annual review for Area G. Revision 4 of the Area G performance assessment and composite analysis was issued in 2008 and formally approved in 2009. These analyses are expected to provide reasonable estimates of the long-term performance of Area G and, hence, the disposal facility's ability to comply with Department of Energy (DOE) performance objectives. Annual disposal receipt reviews indicate that smaller volumes of waste will require disposal in the pits and shafts at Area G relative to what was projected for the performance assessment and composite analysis. The future inventories are projected to decrease modestly for the pits but increase substantially for the shafts due to an increase in the amount of tritium that is projected to require disposal. Overall, however, changes in the projected future inventories of waste are not expected to compromise the ability of Area G to satisfy DOE performance objectives. The Area G composite analysis addresses potential impacts from all waste disposed of at the facility, as well as other sources of radioactive material that may interact with releases from Area G. The level of knowledge about the other sources included in the composite analysis has not changed sufficiently to call into question the validity of that analysis. Ongoing environmental surveillance activities are conducted at, and in the vicinity of, Area G. However, the information generated by many of these activities cannot be used to evaluate the validity of the performance assessment and composite analysis models because the monitoring data collected are specific to operational releases or address receptors that are outside the domain of the performance assessment and composite analysis. In general, applicable monitoring data are supportive of some aspects of the performance assessment and composite analysis. Several research and development (R and D) efforts have been initiated under the performance assessment and composite analysis maintenance program. These investigations are designed to improve the current understanding of the disposal facility and site, thereby reducing the uncertainty associated with the projections of the long-term performance of Area G. The status and results of R and D activities that were undertaken in fiscal year 2011 are discussed in this report. Special analyses have been conducted to determine the feasibility of disposing of specific waste streams, to address proposed changes in disposal operations, and to consider the impacts of changes to the models used to conduct the performance assessment and composite analysis. These analyses are described and the results of the evaluations are summarized in this report. The Area G disposal facility consists of Material Disposal Area (MDA) G and the Zone 4 expansion area. To date, all disposal operations at Area G have been confined to MDA G. Material Disposal Area G is scheduled to undergo final closure in 2015; disposal of waste in the pits and shafts is scheduled to end in 2013. In anticipation of the closure of MDA G, plans are being made to ship the majority of the waste generated at LANL to off-site locations for disposal. It is not clear at this time if waste that will be disposed of at LANL will be placed in Zone 4 or if disposal operations will move to a new location at the Laboratory. Separately, efforts to optimize the final cover used in the closure of MDA G are underway; a final cover design different than that adopted for the performance assessment and composite analysis will likely emerge from that investigation. All of these changes will require re-examination of the assumptions upon which the performance assessment and composite analysis are based and, in all likelihood, revision of those analyses.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Exploring New Physics Beyond the Standard Model: Final Technical Report

This grant in 2015 to 2016 was for support in the area of theoretical High Energy Physics. The research supported focused mainly on the energy frontier, but it also has connections to both the cosmic and intensity frontiers. Lian-Tao Wang (PI) focused mainly on signal of new physics at colliders. The year 2015 - 2016, covered by this grant, has been an exciting period of digesting the influx of LHC data, understanding its meaning, and using it to refine strategies for deeper exploration. The PI proposed new methods of searching for new physics at the LHC, such as for the compressed stops. He also investigated in detail the signal of composite Higgs models, focusing on spin-1 composite resonances in the di-boson channel. He has also considered di-photon as a probe for such models. He has also made contributions in formulating search strategies of dark matter at the LHC, resulting in two documents with recommendations. The PI has also been active in studying the physics potential of future colliders, including Higgs factories and 100 TeV pp colliders. He has given comprehensive overview of the physics potential of the high energy proton collider, and outline its luminosity targets. He has also studied the use of lepton colliders to probe fermionic Higgs portal and bottom quark couplings to the Z boson.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Damage mechanics modeling of the non-linear behavior of SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite fuel cladding

A damage model is developed and validated with experimental data for the non-linear mechanical behavior of SiC/SiC composite materials in nuclear applications. The model extends a continuum damage mechanics formalism, where explicit property degradation and volumetric swelling as a result of neutron irradiation are additionally included. The model is shown to be validated with out-of-pile experiments, and then applied to off-normal and high-burnup operating conditions associated with loss of cooling and extended radiation exposure, respectively. Optimized operating conditions aimed at reducing the fuel temperature included variation of the thermal conductivity and initial fuel-cladding gap thermal resistance. The nonlinear response along with continuum micro-cracking damage predictions are obtained and compared to the behavior during normal operating conditions. Numerical implementation of the model is based on 3-D Finite Element solutions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influence of Constituents on Creep Properties of SiC/SiC Composites

SiC-SiC composites are being considered as potential candidate materials for next generation turbine components such as combustor liners, nozzle vanes and blades because of their low density, high temperature capability, and tailorable mechanical properties. These composites are essentially fabricated by infiltrating matrix into a stacked array of fibers or fiber preform by one or a combination of manufacturing methods such as, Melt Infiltration (MI) of molten silicon metal, Chemical Vapor Infiltration (CVI), Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP). To understand the influence of constituents, the SiC-SiC composites fabricated by MI, CVI, and PIP methods were creep tested in air between 12000 and 14500 degrees Centigrade for up to 500 hours. The failed specimens were analyzed under a scanning electron microscope to assess damage mechanisms. Also, knowing the creep deformation parameters of the fiber and the matrix under the testing conditions, the creep behavior of the composites was modeled and compared with the measured data. The implications of the results on the long term durability of these composites will be discussed.

modeling↗

Modeling the Elastic Modulus of 2D Woven CVI SiC Composites

The use of fiber, interphase, CVI SiC minicomposites as structural elements for 2D-woven SiC fiber reinforced chemically vapor infiltrated (CVI) SiC matrix composites is demonstrated to be a viable approach to model the elastic modulus of these composite systems when tensile loaded in an orthogonal direction. The 0deg (loading direction) and 90deg (perpendicular to loading direction) oriented minicomposites as well as the open porosity and excess SiC associated with CVI SiC composites were all modeled as parallel elements using simple Rule of Mixtures techniques. Excellent agreement for a variety of 2D woven Hi-Nicalon(TradeMark) fiber-reinforced and Sylramic-iBN reinforced CVI SiC matrix composites that differed in numbers of plies, constituent content, thickness, density, and number of woven tows in either direction (i.e, balanced weaves versus unbalanced weaves) was achieved. It was found that elastic modulus was not only dependent on constituent content, but also the degree to which 90deg minicomposites carried load. This depended on the degree of interaction between 90deg and 0deg minicomposites which was quantified to some extent by composite density. The relationships developed here for elastic modulus only necessitated the knowledge of the fractional contents of fiber, interphase and CVI SiC as well as the tow size and shape. It was concluded that such relationships are fairly robust for orthogonally loaded 2D woven CVI SiC composite system and can be implemented by ceramic matrix composite component modelers and designers for modeling the local stiffness in simple or complex parts fabricated with variable constituent contents.

Morscher, Gregory N.↗