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At least 1,261 records · Page 70

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NASA NTRS1982

Scaled Runge-Kutta algorithms for treating the problem of dense output

A set of scaled Runge-Kutta algorithms for the third- through fifth-orders are developed to determine the solution at any point within the integration step at a relatively small increase in computing time. Each scaled algorithm is designed to be used with an existing Runge-Kutta formula, using the derivative evaluations of the defining algorithm along with an additional derivative evaluation (or two). Third-order, scaled algorithms are embedded within the existing formulas at no additional derivative expense. Such algorithms can easily be adopted to generate interpolating polynomials (or dependent variable stops) efficiently.

Horn, M. K.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Recent developments in thermal radiation system analyzer (Trasys)

Changes in the thermal radiation analyzer system (TRASYS) computer program are discussed. New capabilities were added while keeping intact the same data input structure. An overview of the program structure and general capabilities is given. Where appropriate, assessments are made of new features. The application of TRASYS peripheral programs and the importance they have in developing a totally integrated thermal analysis system are discussed. Form factor computations times were reduced approximately 40 percent, and the longer flux runs were reduced 50 percent when shadow tables were used.

Vogt, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Double-multiple streamtube model for Darrieus in turbines

An analytical model is proposed for calculating the rotor performance and aerodynamic blade forces for Darrieus wind turbines with curved blades. The method of analysis uses a multiple-streamtube model, divided into two parts: one modeling the upstream half-cycle of the rotor and the other, the downstream half-cycle. The upwind and downwind components of the induced velocities at each level of the rotor were obtained using the principle of two actuator disks in tandem. Variation of the induced velocities in the two parts of the rotor produces larger forces in the upstream zone and smaller forces in the downstream zone. Comparisons of the overall rotor performance with previous methods and field test data show the important improvement obtained with the present model. The calculations were made using the computer code CARDAA developed at IREQ. The double-multiple streamtube model presented has two major advantages: it requires a much shorter computer time than the three-dimensional vortex model and is more accurate than multiple-streamtube model in predicting the aerodynamic blade loads.

Paraschivoiu, I.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Viscous effect on airfoils for unsteady transonic flows

The viscous effect on aerodynamic performance of an arbitrary airfoil executing low frequency maneuvers during transonic flight was investigated. The small disturbance code, LTRAN2, was modified by using a conventional integral method, BLAYER, for the boundary layer and an empirical relation, viscous wedge, for simulating the suddenly thickened boundary layer behind the shock. Before the shock, only the boundary layer displacement thickness was evaluated. After the shock, the empirical wedge thickness was superimposed on the boundary layer thickness along the surface as well as in the wake region. The pressure coefficients were calculated for both steady and unsteady states. The viscous solution takes fewer iterations to obtain the converged steady state solution. Comparisons made with experimental data and the inviscid solution show that the viscous solution agrees better with the experimental data with about the same (or slightly less) amount of computational time.

Lee, S. C.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Investigations on transparent liquid-miscibility gap systems

Sedimentation and phase separation is a well known occurrence in monotectic or miscibility gap alloys. Previous investigations indicate that it may be possible to prepare such alloys in a low-gravity space environment but recent experiments indicate that there may be nongravity dependent phase separation processes which can hinder the formation of such alloys. Such phase separation processes are studied using transparent liquid systems and holography. By reconstructing holograms into a commercial-particle-analysis system, real time computer analysis can be performed on emulsions with diameters in the range of 5 micrometers or greater. Thus dynamic effects associated with particle migration and coalescence can be studied. Characterization studies on two selected immiscible systems including an accurate determination of phase diagrams, surface and interfacial tension measurements, surface excess and wetting behavior near critical solution temperatures completed.

Lacy, L. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

On matching the systems identification technique to the particular application

Several maximum likelihood and multiple regression parameter estimation programs are currently being used at the Langley Research Center of the NASA to analyze aircraft flight test data. Based on this wealth of experience, the pertinent features of these programs are investigated and some of the difficulties involved in their use are discussed. By comparing computational time, data requirements and accuracy needed, a strategy for determining which program can be used to the best advantage of the flight test engineer is discussed.

Suit, W. T.↗

NASA NTRS1981

A pad perturbation method for the dynamic coefficients of tilting-pad journal bearings

A pad assembly method for analyzing tilting-pad bearings is presented. The method results in the complete coefficient matrix for a tilting-pad bearing; the matrix is independent of the pad inertia, the pitch frequency and the number of degrees of freedom of the pad. A pad assembly method is used because it allows the collection of more bearing data with less computer time than a brute force iterative procedure. The results given show the complete dynamical matrices for a five-pad tilting-pad bearing both including and ignoring the damping effects of the unloaded (top) pads. For a symmetrical tilting-pad bearing the reduced cross-coupling coefficients are zero when the moment of inertia of the pad is ignored.

Allaire, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Analytical simulation of nonlinear satellite links

It is noted that performance predictions for nonlinear digital satellite channels are usually obtained by either purely analytical methods or Monte Carlo simulations. When used with other than very simple channel models, however, they become extremely costly. It is shown that, through analytical modeling of the effect of the nonlinearity on the uplink waveform, it is possible to obtain approximate performance predictions with a minimum of computer time. It is also demonstrated that the results agree quite well with Monte Carlo simulations and that significant trade-offs can be performed with this tool. An analytical simulation based on Blachman's (1968) definition of signal x signal, signal x noise, and noise x noise terms is shown to provide the required flexibility for modeling the effect of signal distortions on the link performance and to produce good results over a wide range of nonlinearities and channel conditions.

Braun, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Accurate numerical solution of compressible, linear stability equations

The present investigation is concerned with a fourth order accurate finite difference method and its application to the study of the temporal and spatial stability of the three-dimensional compressible boundary layer flow on a swept wing. This method belongs to the class of compact two-point difference schemes discussed by White (1974) and Keller (1974). The method was apparently first used for solving the two-dimensional boundary layer equations. Attention is given to the governing equations, the solution technique, and the search for eigenvalues. A general purpose subroutine is employed for solving a block tridiagonal system of equations. The computer time can be reduced significantly by exploiting the special structure of two matrices.

Malik, M. R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Nonlinear Green's function method for unsteady transonic flows

Advantages to employing Green's function in describing unsteady three-dimensional transonic flows are explored. The development of the function for application to linear subsonic and supersonic unsteady aerodynamics is reviewed. It is shown that unique solutions are possible for external flows, with all functional expressions being defined in Prandtl-Glauert space. The development of methods of using the Green's function for transonic flows is traced, noting the necessity of including the effects of significant nonlinear terms. The steady-state problem is considered to demonstrate the shock-capturing ability of the method and the usefulness of the function in the incompressible, subsonic, transonic, and supersonic areas of potential unsteady three-dimensional flows around complex configurations. Computational time is asserted to be an order of magnitude less than with finite difference methods.

Tseng, K.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Determination of rotor wake induced empennage airloads

A computer program has been developed that predicts the unsteady aerodynamic forces that impinge on the empennage surface due to its interactions with the main rotor wake. The program was utilized to determine the vibration airloads acting on the Black Hawk horizontal stabilizer and on the CH-53A stabilizer under high speed forward flight conditions. The results demonstrate that it is possible to compute the high frequency empennage vibration airloads efficiently by utilizing suitable analysis techniques; a CH-53A case required only 1.3 minutes of computer time. Numerical problems associated with the unsteady Kutta condition have been minimized. Even though the analysis is of transient nature, the results for harmonic cases show a very fast convergence to periodicity. In general, good correlation was shown between the predicted vibratory airloads and the measured stabilizer airloads for a CH-53A helicopter operating at high speed flight conditions.

Gangwani, S. T.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Graph theory approach to the eigenvalue problem of large space structures

Graph theory is used to obtain numerical solutions to eigenvalue problems of large space structures (LSS) characterized by a state vector of large dimensions. The LSS are considered as large, flexible systems requiring both orientation and surface shape control. Graphic interpretation of the determinant of a matrix is employed to reduce a higher dimensional matrix into combinations of smaller dimensional sub-matrices. The reduction is implemented by means of a Boolean equivalent of the original matrices formulated to obtain smaller dimensional equivalents of the original numerical matrix. Computation time becomes less and more accurate solutions are possible. An example is provided in the form of a free-free square plate. Linearized system equations and numerical values of a stiffness matrix are presented, featuring a state vector with 16 components.

Reddy, A. S. S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Materials constitutive models for nonlinear analysis of thermally cycled structures

Effects of inelastic materials models on computed stress-strain solutions for thermally loaded structures were studied by performing nonlinear (elastoplastic creep) and elastic structural analyses on a prismatic, double edge wedge specimen of IN 100 alloy that was subjected to thermal cycling in fluidized beds. Four incremental plasticity creep models (isotropic, kinematic, combined isotropic kinematic, and combined plus transient creep) were exercised for the problem by using the MARC nonlinear, finite element computer program. Maximum total strain ranges computed from the elastic and nonlinear analyses agreed within 5 percent. Mean cyclic stresses, inelastic strain ranges, and inelastic work were significantly affected by the choice of inelastic constitutive model. The computing time per cycle for the nonlinear analyses was more than five times that required for the elastic analysis.

Kaufman, A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Evaluation and reduction of errors induced by the Guyan transformation

The Guyan reduction refers to a method used to reduce the number of degrees of freedom in a structural model for dynamic analysis. Experience shows that, if the method is properly employed, then this reduction method does in fact provide a "reasonably" accurate approximation of the dynamic characteristics of the unreduced model. A method that provides an accurate estimate of the error in each mode of the reduced eigenvalue problem and, in addition, gives first order correction terms that greatly improve the accuracy of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues is presented. The method is demonstrated by standard COSMIC NASTRAN DAMP alters to rigid format 3, real normal mode analysis. Comparative computer time of modal extraction versus error analysis is discussed for the VAX-11/780 version of COSMIC NASTRAN.

Fox, G. L.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Land cover classification in southern Rhode Island using multidate LANDSAT MSS data

The use of LANDSAT multispectral scanner data from several different dates to classify ground cover in Rhode Island is discussed. The advantage of using several dates is that seasonal data can be incorporated in the classification. In order to circumvent the problem of increased computer computation time, the dimensionality of the input data is reduced by the 'principal components method'. This technique and its implementation are described along with regisration, classification, and verification tasks.

Cornillon, P.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A viscous shock-layer flowfield analysis by an explicit-implicit method

An implicit analogue of a widely used explicit method to external axisymmetric laminar flows with strong entropy gradients is extended. The details of the "numerics" of the implicit part are provided in a body oriented coordinate system with a moving outer (shock) boundary during the transient part of the solutions. The limiting values of the Courant number are obtained when the shock boundary is treated explicitly. The solution algorithm outlined includes the treatment of the source term associated with the equations in weak conservation form. From the results obtained for two sample problems, it becomes clear that accuracy of predictions is, indeed, very good at higher values of the Courant number. There is a significant saving in overall computing time, depending on the Courant number used and the flow Reynolds number. These properties combined with the simplicity of programming the implicit analog may appeal to researchers for using it in the analysis of 3-D flow problems.

Gupta, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Parallel processing implementations of a contextual classifier for multispectral remote sensing data

Contextual classifiers are being developed as a method to exploit the spatial/spectral context of a pixel to achieve accurate classification. Classification algorithms such as the contextual classifier typically require large amounts of computation time. One way to reduce the execution time of these tasks is through the use of parallelism. The applicability of the CDC flexible processor system and of a proposed multimicroprocessor system (PASM) for implementing contextual classifiers is examined.

Siegel, H. J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Orbiter global positioning system design and Ku-band problem investigations, exhibit B, revision 1

The shuttle Ku-band Costas loop lock detector output signal appears to vary about the lock detection threshold (the lock detect flag is on and off) shortly after the carrier acquisition starts. Real time computer simulation was performed to obtain the signal output from the low pass filter of the lock detector. Based on this simulation, it appears that the oscillation of in-lock and out-lock is related to tracking process and is not caused by the sweep acquisition algorithm.

Lindsey, W. C.↗