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At least 1,333 records · Page 74

Error analysis of finite element results on plates with nonuniform grids

Discrete Dirac delta functions in two dimensions and the governing plate differential equations are used to produce continuous approximations from discrete finite-element data on nonuniform grids. The resulting continuous approximation when compared to the discrete data provides an error analysis. Moreover, the continuous approximation can be differentiated to compute continuous stresses needed for component failure prediction. Stresses can then be calculated accurately at boundaries and at interfaces where finite-element analysis alone may not provide reliable results. The continuous solution along with the differential equations also provides a residual error which is used in the error analysis. This is a unique feature of this approach. Two application examples of the procedure are provided. One example involves the linear response of a clamped square plate under uniform transverse load. Results from finite-element analysis and the continuous solution from the present analysis are compared to a closed-form elasticity solution. The continuous solution is used in a Zienkiewicz-Zhu error estimator to assess the performance of the present analysis. The continuous solution is observed to dramatically correct the finite-element results. In a second example, results for the nonlinear response of a stiffened panel are compared to the finite-element solution.

Sistla, Rajaram↗

A geometrically nonlinear theory of elastic plates

A set of kinematic and intrinsic equilibrium equations is derived for plates undergoing large deflection and rotation but with small strain. The large rotation is treated by the general finite rotation of a frame in which the material points that are originally along a normal line in the undeformed plate undergo only small displacements. Exact intrinsic virtual strain-displacement relations are derived; using a reduced 2-D strain energy function from which the warping has been systematically eliminated, a set of intrinsic equilibrium equations follows. It is demonstrated that only five equilibrium equations can be derived in this way, because the component of virtual rotation about the normal is not independent. These equations include terms which cannot be obtained without the use of a finite rotation vector which contains three nonzero components. These extra terms correspond to the difference of in-plane shear stress resultants in other theories.

Hodges, Dewey H.↗

Advances in the modeling of laminated plates

The present evaluation of extant 2D theories and computational models of laminated composite plates gives attention to the classical, as well as to various shear-deformation, plate theories. A generalization of advanced theories is proposed, and computational aspects of the displacement finite-element models of these advanced theories are discussed. The 4MREDNC-R element appears to be ideally suited to use as a flat, four-noded shell element for applications in which the bending and membrane couplings are not significant.

Reddy, J. N.↗

Momentum transfer in the one-dimensional impact of spaced plates

The two-dimensional hydrocode CSQ III was used to calculate the fraction of momentum transferred from a flyer plate to a target of two spaced plates. The effect of the vaporization phase transition, as calculated with the ANEOS analytical complete three-phase equation of state, was estimated. Application of these results to the protection of spacecraft from meteoroids and orbital debris is discussed.

Abbott, R. D.↗

A variational approach to three-dimensional elasticity solutions of laminated composite plates

The displacements in a laminated composite are represented as products of two sets of unknown functions, one of which is only a function of the thickness coordinate and the other is a function of the in-plane coordinates (i.e., separation of variables approach), and the minimization of the total potential energy is reduced to a sequence of iterative linear problems. Analytical solutions are developed for cross-ply and angle-ply laminated composite rectangular plates. The solution for simply-supported cross-ply plates under sinusoidal transverse load reduces to that of Pagano. Numerical results for stresses and is placements for antisymmetric angle-ply laminates are presented. The three-dimensional elasticity solutions developed are important because they can be used to study the behavior of composite laminates, in addition to serving as reference for approximate solutions by numerical methods and two-dimensional theories.

Savoia, M.↗

Fractal multifiber microchannel plates

The construction and performance of microchannel plates (MCPs) made using fractal tiling mehtods are reviewed. MCPs with 40 mm active areas having near-perfect channel ordering were produced. These plates demonstrated electrical performance characteristics equivalent to conventionally constructed MCPs. These apparently are the first MCPs which have a sufficiently high degree of order to permit single channel addressability. Potential applications for these devices and the prospects for further development are discussed.

Cook, Lee M.↗

Failure mechanisms of uni-ply composite plates with a circular hole under static compressive loading

The objective of the study was to identify and study the failure mechanisms associated with compressive-loaded uniply graphite/epoxy square plates with a central circular hole. It is found that the type of compressive failure depends on the hole size. For large holes with the diameter/width ratio exceeding 0.062, fiber buckling/kinking initiated at the hole is found to be the dominant failure mechanism. In plates with smaller hole sizes, failure initiates away from the hole edge or complete global failure occurs. Critical buckle wavelengths at failure are presented as a function of the normalized hole diameter.

Khamseh, A. R.↗

Features on Venus generated by plate boundary processes

Various observations suggest that there are processes on Venus that produce features similar to those associated with plate boundaries on earth. Synthetic aperture radar images of Venus, taken with a radar whose wavelength is 12.6 cm, are compared with GLORIA images of active plate boundaries, obtained with a sound source whose wavelength is 23 cm. Features similar to transform faults and to abyssal hills on slow and fast spreading ridges can be recognized within the Artemis region of Venus but are not clearly visible elsewhere. The composition of the basalts measured by the Venera 13 and 14 and the Vega 2 spacecraft corresponds to that expected from adiabatic decompression, like that which occurs beneath spreading ridges on earth. Structures that resemble trenches are widespread on Venus and show the same curvature and asymmetry as they do on earth. These observations suggest that the same simple geophysical models that have been so successfully used to understand the tectonics of earth can also be applied to Venus.

Mckenzie, Dan↗

Calculation of stress intensity factors in an isotropic multicracked plate. Part 1: Theoretical development

An essential part of describing the damage state and predicting the damage growth in a multicracked plate is the accurate calculation of stress intensity factors (SIF's). Here, a methodology and rigorous solution formulation for SIF's of a multicracked plate, with fully interacting cracks, subjected to a far-field arbitrary stress state is presented. The fundamental perturbation problem is derived, and the steps needed to formulate the system of singular integral equations whose solution gives rise to the evaluation of the SIF's are identified. This analytical derivation and numerical solution are obtained by using intelligent application of symbolic computations and automatic FORTRAN generation capabilities (described in the second part of this paper). As a result, a symbolic/FORTRAN package, named SYMFRAC, that is capable of providing accurate SIF's at each crack tip was developed and validated.

Binienda, W. K.↗

Chemical differentiation on one-plate planets: Predictions and geologic observations for Venus

Recent studies have examined the partial melting of planetary interiors on one-plate planets and the implications for the formation and evolution of basaltic crust and the complementary residual mantle layer. In contrast to the Earth, where the crust and residual layer move laterally and are returned to the interior following subduction, one-plate planets such as Venus are characterized by vertical accretion of the crust and residual layer. The residual mantle layer is depleted and compositionally buoyant, being less dense than undepleted mantle due to its reduced Fe/Mg and dense Al-bearing minerals; its melting temperature is also increased. As the crust and depleted mantle layer grow vertically during the thermal evolution of the planet, several stages develop. As a step in the investigation and testing of these theoretical treatments of crustal development on Venus, we investigate the predictions deriving from two of these stages (a stable thick crust and depleted layer, and a thick unstable depleted layer) and compare these to geologic and geophysical observations, speculating on how these might be interpreted in the context of the vertical crustal accretion models. In each case, we conclude with an outline of further tests and observations of these models.

Head, James W., III↗

Estimates of elastic plate thicknesses beneath large volcanos on Venus

Megellan radar imaging and topography data are now available for a number of volcanos on Venus greater than 100 km in radius. These data can be examined to reveal evidence of the flexural response of the lithosphere to the volcanic load. On Earth, flexure beneath large hotspot volcanos results in an annual topographic moat that is partially to completely filled in by sedimentation and mass wasting from the volcano's flanks. On Venus, erosion and sediment deposition are considered to be negligible at the resolution of Magellan images. Thus, it may be possible to observe evidence of flexure by the ponding of recent volcanic flows in the moat. We also might expect to find topographic signals from unfilled moats surrounding large volcanos on Venus, although these signals may be partially obscured by regional topography. Also, in the absence of sedimentation, tectonic evidence of deformation around large volcanos should be evident except where buried by very young flows. We use analytic solutions in axisymmetric geometry for deflections and stresses resulting from loading of a plate overlying an inviscid fluid. Solutions for a set of disk loads are superimposed to obtain a solution for a conical volcano. The deflection of the lithosphere produces an annular depression or moat, the extent of which can be estimated by measuring the distance from the volcano's edge to the first zero crossing or to the peak of the flexural arch. Magellan altimetry data records (ARCDRs) from data cycle 1 are processed using the GMT mapping and graphics software to produce topographic contour maps of the volcanos. We then take topographic profiles that cut across the annular and ponded flows seen on the radar images. By comparing the locations of these flows to the predicted moat locations from a range of models, we estimate the elastic plate thickness that best fits the observations, together with the uncertainty in that estimate.

Mcgovern, Patrick J.↗

Flexural models of trench/outer rise topography of coronae on Venus with axisymmetric spherical shell elastic plates

Magellan altimetry has revealed that many coronae on Venus have trenches or moats around their peripheries and rises outboard of the trenches. This trench/outer rise topographic signature is generally associated with the tectonic annulus of the corona. Sandwell and Schubert have interpreted the trench/outer rise topography and the associated tectonic annulus around coronae to be the result of elastic bending of the Venus lithosphere (though the tectonic structures are consequences of inelastic deformation of the lithosphere). They used two-dimensional elastic plate flexure theory to fit topographic profiles across a number of large coronae and inferred elastic lithosphere thicknesses between about 15 and 40 km, similar to inferred values of elastic thickness for the Earth's lithosphere at subduction zones around the Pacific Ocean. Here, we report the results of using axisymmetric elastic flexure theory for the deformation of thin spherical shell plates to interpret the trench/outer rise topography of the large coronae modeled by Sandwell and Schubert and of coronae as small as 250 km in diameter. In the case of a corona only a few hundred kilometers in diameter, the model accounts for the small planform radius of the moat and the nonradial orientation of altimetric traces across the corona. By fitting the flexural topography of coronae we determine the elastic thickness and loading necessary to account for the observed flexure. We calculate the associated bending moment and determine whether the corona interior topographic load can provide the required moment. We also calculate surface stresses and compare the stress distribution with the location of annular tectonic features.

Moore, W.↗

Plate tectonics from VLBI and SLR global data

This study is based on data derived from fifteen years of observations of the SLR (side-looking radar) network and six years of the VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) network. In order to use all available information VLBI and SLR global data sets were combined in a least squares fashion to calculate station horizontal velocities. All significant data pertaining to a single site contribute to the station horizontal motion. The only constraint on the solution is that no vertical motion is allowed. This restriction does not greatly affect the precision of the overall solution given the fact that the expected vertical motion for most stations, even those experiencing post glacial uplift, is well under 1 cm/yr. Since the average baseline is under 4,000 km, only a small fraction of the station vertical velocity is translated into baseline rates so that the error introduced in the solution by restricting up-down station movement is minimal. As a reference, station velocities were then compared to the ones predicted by the NUVEL-1 geological model of DeMets et al. (1990). The focus of the study is on analyzing these discrepancies for global plate tectonics as well as regional tectonic settings. The method used also allows us not only to derive horizontal motion for individual stations but also to calculate Euler vectors for those plates that have enough stations located on the stable interior like North America, Pacific, Eurasia, and Australia.

Harrison, Christopher G. A.↗

Beam, plate, and shell finite elements for CSI design code

Efficient triangular plate bending finite elements (with 6 degree-of-freedom per node) are surveyed. The most promising element will be selected, coded, and implemented into the current Control Structures Interactions (CSI) Design Code. Numerical example, v.i.a. CSI Design Code will be conducted to confirm the efficiency and accuracy of the selected plate bending element. Procedures to further enhance the computations of the CSI design code will be recommended.

Nguyen, Duc T.↗

High-frequency techniques for RCS prediction of plate geometries and a physical optics/equivalent currents model for the RCS of trihedral corner reflectors

Part 1 of this report continues the investigation, initiated in previous reports, of scattering from rectangular plates coated with lossy dielectrics. The hard polarization coefficients given in the last report are incorporated into a model, which includes second- and third-order diffractions, for the coated plate. Computed results from this model are examined and compared to measured data. A breakdown of the contribution of each of the higher-order terms to the total radar cross section (RCS) is given. The effectiveness of the uniform theory of diffraction (UTD) model in accounting for the coating effect is investigated by examining a Physical Optics (PO) model which incorporates the equivalent surface impedance approximation used in the UTD model. The PO, UTD, and experimental results are compared. Part 2 of this report presents a RCS model, based on PO and the Method of Equivalent Currents (MEC), for a trihedral corner reflector. PO is used to account for the reflected fields, while MEC is used for the diffracted fields. Single, double, and triple reflections and first-order diffractions are included in the model. A detailed derivation of the E(sub theta)-polarization, monostatic RCS is included. Computed results are compared with finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) results for validation. The PO/MEC model of this report compares very well with the FDTD model, and it is a much faster model in terms of computational speed.

Balanis, Constantine A.↗

Determination of plate wave velocities and diffuse field decay rates with braod-band acousto-ultrasonic signals

Lowest symmetric and lowest antisymmetric plate wave modes were excited and identified in broad-band acousto-ultrasonic (AU) signals collected from various high temperature composite materials. Group velocities have been determined for these nearly nondispersive modes. An algorithm has been developed and applied to determine phase velocities and hence dispersion curves for the frequency ranges of the broad-band pulses. It is demonstrated that these data are sensitive to changes in the various stiffness moduli of the materials, in agreement by analogy, with the theoretical and experimental results of Tang and Henneke on fiber reinforced polymers. Diffuse field decay rates have been determined in the same specimen geometries and AU configuration as for the plate wave measurements. These decay rates are of value in assessing degradation such as matrix cracking in ceramic matrix composites. In addition, we verify that diffuse field decay rates respond to fiber/matrix interfacial shear strength and density in ceramic matrix composites. This work shows that velocity/stiffness and decay rate measurements can be obtained in the same set of AU experiments for characterizing materials and in specimens with geometries useful for mechanical measurements.

Kautz, Harold E.↗

Stress corrosion evaluation of HP 9Ni-4Co-0.30C steel plate welds

A stress corrosion cracking (SCC) investigation was conducted on HP 9Ni-4Co-0.30C steel plate welds (welded by using straight polarity plasma arc and HP 9Ni-4Co-0.20C weld wire) since this material is being considered for use in the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) program. Prior to the welding, the material was double tempered at 538 C (1,000 F). After welding, only part of the material was stress relieved at 510 C (950 F) for 3 h. Round tensile specimens obtained from nonstress-relieved material were tested in 100-percent relative humidity at 38 C (100 F), in 3.5-percent NaCl alternate immersion, and in 5-percent salt spray at 35 C (95 F). Specimens obtained from stress-relieved material were tested in alternate immersion. The stress levels were 50, 75, and 90 percent of the corresponding 0.2-percent yield strength (YS). All the nonstress-relieved specimens exposed to salt spray and alternate immersion failed. Stress-relieved specimens (exposed to alternate immersion) failed at 75 and 90 percent of YS. No failures occurred at 50 percent of YS in the stress-relieved specimens which indicates a beneficial effect of the stress relief on the SCC resistance of these welds. The stress relief also had a positive effect on the mechanical properties of the welds (the most important being an increase of 21 percent on the YS). Under the conditions of these tests, the straight polarity plasma are welded HP 9Ni4Co-0.30C steel plate was found highly susceptible to SCC in the nonstress-relieved condition. This susceptibility to SCC was reduced by stress relieving.

Torres, Pablo D.↗

Thermographic inspection of fatigue cracks in riveted plates

A theoretical and experimental analysis of the inspection of reiveted plates using the thermoelastic effect is presented. Theoretically, a model is employed to estimate the thermoelastic response expected from a cracked and uncracked rivet hole. The stress invariant, which causes the thermoelastic response, is calculated for the cracked case using an FEM model and for the uncracked case using a theoretical approximation. The differences in the two thermal responses are reduced when the effects of optical spatial averaging, thermal conduction, and a concentric blind area representing the rivet heat are considered. It is suggested that discrimination between the cracked and uncracked cases for short cracks will improve with increasing frequency of stress oscillation. Measurements are shown for aerospace aluminum samples with and without fatigue cracks propagating from holes in a plate. The effect of mean stress on the thermoelastic response is illustrated, and the results are qualitatively compared with the finite element analysis.

Welch, Christopher S.↗