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At least 127 records · Page 7

The processes in spring-loaded injection valves of solid injection oil engines

On the premise of a rectangular velocity wave arriving at the valve, the equation of motion of a spring-loaded valve stem is developed and analyzed. It is found that the stem oscillates, the oscillation frequency being consistently above the natural frequency of the nozzle stem alone, and whose amplitudes would increase in the absence of damping. The results are evaluated and verified on an example. The pressure in the valve and the spray volume are analyzed and several pertinent questions are discussed on the basis of the results.

Lutz, O↗

Some aerodynamic characteristics of the scissor wing configuration

A scissor wing configuration, consisting of four adjustable wing surfaces, is compared with a comparable fixed wing baseline configuration. Wave drag, induced drag, viscous drag, thrust required, and gust loading are calculated for both configurations. The scissor wing is shown to have lower zero lift wave drag and higher total lift to drag ratios than the baseline. It is demonstrated that the scissor configurations' sweep can be programmed to keep the static margin fixed. Thrust required for both the fixed static margin case and a constant sweep angle case are presented with the scissor configuration requiring lower thrust levels. The gust loading ratio of the scissor wing to the baseline is also shown to be significantly less than 1.0 for sweep angles greater than 20 degrees.

Selberg, Bruce P.↗

Analytical design of a parasitic-loading digital speed controller for a 400-hertz turbine driven alternator

A design for a solid-state parasitic speed controller using digital logic was analyzed. Parasitic speed controllers are used in space power electrical generating systems to control the speed of turbine-driven alternators within specified limits. The analysis included the performance characteristics of the speed controller and the generation of timing functions. The speed controller using digital logic applies step loads to the alternator. The step loads conduct for a full half wave starting at either zero or 180 electrical degrees.

Ingle, B. D.↗

Interferometer Detects Acoustic Emissions in Composites

Embedded single-mode optical fibers sample internal-stress fields directly. Statically loaded composite matrix emits pulsed ultrasonic waves which mechanically modulate embedded fiber and phase-modulate transmitted optical field. Modulation detected by optical interferometry and Fourier optical processing converted to electronic signal proportional to acoustic field amplitude integated along length of fiber embedded in specimen. Technique used for measurements of both high- and low-frequency CW acoustic fields as well as high-frequency transients.

Cantrell, J. H.↗

Strain rate characterization of unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite

For an investigation of problems of composites at high strain rates with dominant wave propagation effects, such as dynamically loaded composite jet engine blades, the longitudinal, transverse, and in-plane shear properties of unidirectional SP 288/AS graphite/epoxy were measured at various strain rates ranging from quasi-static to over 500/s. The test specimens were rings 10.16 cm in diameter, 2.54 cm long, 6 to 8 plies thick, and with fibers at 0, 90, and 10 deg off-axis. Quasi-static testing was conducted in a fixture which applies hydraulic pressure to the ring specimens, and dynamic testing was conducted by applying an internal pressure pulse through a liquid in a special fixture. Dynamic stress-strain curves are presented. For the 0-deg specimens, the modulus increases with strain up to 20 percent of the static value. The modulus and strength increase sharply in the 90-deg rings with strain rate reaching values two to three times the corresponding static rate.

Daniel, I. M.↗

Experimental investigations into composite fuselage impact damage resistance and post-impact compression behavior

Impact damage resistance and residual strength of laminated composite transport aircraft fuselage structure was studied experimentally. Techniques to quantify impact damage discretely and non-discretely are described. Experimental techniques to three-dimensionally map matrix damage and determine the sublaminate structure are illustrated. Impact damage was also quantified non-discretely, using characteristics of flexural wave propagation. Strain distributions in compressively loaded impact damaged laminates were experimentally measured.

Dost, E. F.↗

Interaction of Sound from Supersonic Jets with Nearby Structures

A model of sound generated in an ideally expanded supersonic (Mach 2) jet is solved numerically. Two configurations are considered: (1) a free jet and (2) an installed jet with a nearby array of flexible aircraft type panels. In the later case the panels vibrate in response to loading by sound from the jet and the full coupling between the panels and the jet is considered, accounting for panel response and radiation. The long time behavior of the jet is considered. Results for near field and far field disturbance, the far field pressure and the vibration of and radiation from the panels are presented. Panel response crucially depends on the location of the panels. Panels located upstream of the Mach cone are subject to a low level, nearly continuous spectral excitation and consequently exhibit a low level, relatively continuous spectral response. In contrast, panels located within the Mach cone are subject to a significant loading due to the intense Mach wave radiation of sound and exhibit a large, relatively peaked spectral response centered around the peak frequency of sound radiation. The panels radiate in a similar fashion to the sound in the jet, in particular exhibiting a relatively peaked spectral response at approximately the Mach angle from the bounding wall.

Fenno, C. C., Jr.↗

Dependence of Microelastic-plastic Nonlinearity of Martensitic Stainless Steel on Fatigue Damage Accumulation

Self-organized substructural arrangements of dislocations formed in wavy slip metals during cyclic stress-induced fatigue produce substantial changes in the material microelastic-plastic nonlinearity, a quantitative measure of which is the nonlinearity parameter Beta extracted from acoustic harmonic generation measurements. The contributions to Beta from the substructural evolution of dislocations and crack growth for fatigued martensitic 410Cb stainless steel are calculated from the Cantrell model as a function of percent full fatigue life to fracture. A wave interaction factor f(sub WI) is introduced into the model to account experimentally for the relative volume of material fatigue damage included in the volume of material swept out by an interrogating acoustic wave. For cyclic stress-controlled loading at 551 MPa and f(sub WI) = 0.013 the model predicts a monotonic increase in Beta from dislocation substructures of almost 100 percent from the virgin state to roughly 95 percent full life. Negligible contributions from cracks are predicted in this range of fatigue life. However, over the last five percent of fatigue life the model predicts a rapid monotonic increase of Beta by several thousand percent that is dominated by crack growth. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with experimental measurements of 410Cb stainless steel samples fatigued in uniaxial, stress-controlled cyclic loading at 551 MPa from zero to full tensile load with a measured f(sub WI) of 0.013.

Cantrell, John H.↗

Simulating Responses of Gravitational-Wave Instrumentation

Synthetic LISA is a computer program for simulating the responses of the instrumentation of the NASA/ESA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, the purpose of which is to detect and study gravitational waves. Synthetic LISA generates synthetic time series of the LISA fundamental noises, as filtered through all the time-delay-interferometry (TDI) observables. (TDI is a method of canceling phase noise in temporally varying unequal-arm interferometers.) Synthetic LISA provides a streamlined module to compute the TDI responses to gravitational waves, according to a full model of TDI (including the motion of the LISA array and the temporal and directional dependence of the arm lengths). Synthetic LISA is written in the C++ programming language as a modular package that accommodates the addition of code for specific gravitational wave sources or for new noise models. In addition, time series for waves and noises can be easily loaded from disk storage or electronic memory. The package includes a Python-language interface for easy, interactive steering and scripting. Through Python, Synthetic LISA can read and write data files in Flexible Image Transport System (FITS), which is a commonly used astronomical data format.

Armstrong, John↗

Millimeter Wave Holographical Inspection of Honeycomb Composites

Multi-layered composite structures manufactured with honeycomb, foam or balsa wood cores are finding increasing utility in a variety of aerospace, transportation, and infrastructure applications. Due to the low conductivity and inhomogeneity associated with these composites standard nondestructive testing (NDT) methods are not always capable of inspecting their interior for various defects caused during the manufacturing process or as a result of in-service loading. On the contrary, microwave and millimeter wave NDT methods are well-suited for inspecting these structures since signals at these frequencies readily penetrate through these structures and reflect from different interior boundaries revealing the presence of a wide range of defects such as disbond, delamination, moisture and oil intrusion, impact damage, etc. Millimeter wave frequency spectrum spans 30 GHz - 300 GHz with corresponding wavelengths of 10 - 1 mm. Due to the inherent short wavelengths at these frequencies, one can produce high spatial resolution images of these composites either using real-antenna focused or synthetic-aperture focused methods. In addition, incorporation of swept-frequency in the latter method (i.e., holography) results in high-resolution three-dimensional images. This paper presents the basic steps behind producing such images at millimeter wave frequencies and the results of two honeycomb composite panels are demonstrated at Q-band (33-50 GHz). In addition, these results are compared to previous results using X-ray computed tomography.

Case, J. T.↗

A computer program to calculate the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of wing-flap configurations with externally blown flaps

A vortex lattice lifting-surface method is used to model the wing and multiple flaps. Each lifting surface may be of arbitrary planform having camber and twist, and the multiple-slotted trailing-edge flap system may consist of up to ten flaps with different spans and deflection angles. The engine wakes model consists of a series of closely spaced vortex rings with circular or elliptic cross sections. The rings are normal to a wake centerline which is free to move vertically and laterally to accommodate the local flow field beneath the wing and flaps. The two potential flow models are used in an iterative fashion to calculate the wing-flap loading distribution including the influence of the waves from up to two turbofan engines on the semispan. The method is limited to the condition where the flow and geometry of the configurations are symmetric about the vertical plane containing the wing root chord. The calculation procedure starts with arbitrarily positioned wake centerlines and the iterative calculation continues until the total configuration loading converges within a prescribed tolerance. Program results include total configuration forces and moments, individual lifting-surface load distributions, including pressure distributions, individual flap hinge moments, and flow field calculation at arbitrary field points.

Mendenhall, M. R.↗

Use of Guided Acoustic Waves to Assess the Effects of Thermal-Mechanical Cycling on Composite Stiffness

The introduction of new, advanced composite materials into aviation systems requires it thorough understanding of the long-term effects of combined thermal and mechanical loading. As part of a study to evaluate the effects of thermal-mechanical cycling, it guided acoustic (Lamb) wave measurement system was used to measure the bending and out-of-plane stiffness coefficients of composite laminates undergoing thermal-mechanical loading. The system uses a pulse/receive technique that excites an antisymmetric Lamb mode and measures the time-of-flight over a wide frequency range. Given the material density and plate thickness, the bending and out-of-plane shear stiffnesses are calculated from a reconstruction of the velocity dispersion curve. A series of 16 and 32-ply composite laminates were subjected to it thermal-mechanical loading profile in load frames equipped with special environmental chambers. The composite systems studied were it graphite fiber reinforced amorphous thermoplastic polyimide and it graphite fiber reinforced bismaleimide thermoset. The samples were exposed to both high and low temperature extremes its well as high and low strain profiles. The bending and out-of-plane stiffnesses for composite sample that have undergone over 6,000 cycles of thermal-mechanical loading are reported. The Lamb wave generated elastic stiffness results have shown decreases of up to 20% at 4,936 loading cycles for the graphite/thermoplastic samples and up to 64% at 4,706 loading cycles for the graphite/thermoset samples.

Seale, Michael D.↗

Impact of Functionally Graded Cylinders: Theory

This final report summarizes the work funded under the Grant NAG3-2411 during the 04/05/2000-04/04/2001 period. The objective of this one-year project was to generalize the theoretical framework of the two-dimensional higher-order theory for the analysis of cylindrical functionally graded materials/structural components employed in advanced aircraft engines developed under past NASA Glenn funding. The completed generalization significantly broadens the theory's range of applicability through the incorporation of dynamic impact loading capability into its framework. Thus, it makes possible the assessment of the effect of damage due to fuel impurities, or the presence of submicron-level debris, on the life of functionally graded structural components. Applications involving advanced turbine blades and structural components for the reusable-launch vehicle (RLV) currently under development will benefit from the completed work. The theory's predictive capability is demonstrated through a numerical simulation of a one-dimensional wave propagation set up by an impulse load in a layered half-plane. Full benefit of the completed generalization of the higher-order theory described in this report will be realized upon the development of a related computer code.

Aboudi, Jacob↗

Air-coupled seismic waves at long range from Apollo launchings.

Microphones and seismographs were co-located in arrays on Skidaway Island, Georgia, for the launchings of Apollo 13 and 14, 374 km to the south. Simultaneous acoustic and seismic waves were recorded for both events at times appropriate to the arrival of the acoustic waves from the source. The acoustic signal is relatively broadband compared to the nearly monochromatic seismic signal; the seismic signal is much more continuous than the more pulse-like acoustic signal; ground loading from the pressure variations of the acoustic waves is shown to be too small to account for the seismic waves; and the measured phase velocities of both acoustic and seismic waves across the local instrument arrays differ by less than 6 per cent and possibly 3 per cent if experimental error is included. It is concluded that the seismic waves are generated by resonant coupling to the acoustic waves along some 10 km of path on Skidaway Island.

Donn, W. L.↗

Optically-switched submillimeter-wave oscillator and radiator having a switch-to-switch propagation delay

A submillimeter wave-generating integrated circuit includes an array of N photoconductive switches biased across a common voltage source and an optical path difference from a common optical pulse of repetition rate f sub 0 providing a different optical delay to each of the switches. In one embodiment, each incoming pulse is applied to successive ones of the N switches with successive delays. The N switches are spaced apart with a suitable switch-to-switch spacing so as to generate at the output load or antenna radiation of a submillimeter wave frequency f on the order of N f sub 0. Preferably, the optical pulse has a repetition rate of at least 10 GHz and N is of the order of 100, so that the circuit generates radiation of frequency of the order of or greater than 1 Terahertz.

Spencer, Michael G.↗

Modeling Uprighting of the Orion Crew Module using a Finite Element Method with Wave Coupling and Structural Deformability

The Crew Module Uprighting System (CMUS) for the Orion Crew Module (CM) includes five bags that inflate after splashdown to rotate and upright the CM as necessary. Wave conditions can be severe enough to damage the bags and tethers, which could make the recovery operation hazardous. The CMUS therefore has design limits that ultimately constrain where the CM can land based upon sea conditions. This manuscript describes a full fluid-structure interaction computational model being used for the CMUS. It is a finite element model that uses explicit time integration to directly simulate uprighting, a computational approach usually reserved for short duration, highly transient phenomena and novelly applied here. The goal of this current effort is to determine the feasibility of this approach for CMUS uprighting, and to estimate the loads the CMUS bags experience in different wave conditions. The results from this work will be used to supplement other experimental and computational data in support of NASA’s Artemis program.

John Puryear↗

Response of a beam on an inertial foundation to a traveling load

The response of a Bernoulli-Euler beam supported by a Winkler-type elastic foundation with inertia and subjected to a moving load is investigated. Steady-state solutions are determined for an undamped and linearly damped beam-foundation system. The effects on the response of load velocity, foundation mass, and damping are studied. For the undamped system, it is well known that the response grows without bound as a certain critical velocity is approached. It is shown that the effect of foundation mass is to reduce the critical velocity and to increase the peak deflection. The increase in peak deflection becomes more pronounced as the critical velocity is approached. As in the case of massless foundation, the deflection wave is observed to be symmetric with respect to the load. When damping is introduced, the deflection wave loses its symmetry, and the peak deflection is reduced. Results for both cases are given in graphical form.

Holder, B. W.↗