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At least 1,621 records · Page 90
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Theoretical study of the freezing of polystyrene sphere suspensions

A theoretical study of melting in aqueous suspensions of polystyrene spheres is presented. The Helmholtz free energies of the liquid and solid phase of the suspensions are calculated as functions of sphere number density and electrolyte concentrations. The results tend to show that the freezing curve of such suspensions is that of a conventional classical liquid with repulsive short-range interactions. The interactions can be treated satisfactorily within a slightly modified Debye-Hueckel approximation. The modifications include size correction and a correction for nonlinear screening. The results are confirmed by analogous calculations for the solid phase, and for the line along which liquid and solid free energies are equal.

Shih, W.-H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The general Lie group and similarity solutions for the one-dimensional Vlasov-Maxwell equations

The general Lie point transformation group and the associated reduced differential equations and similarity forms for the solutions are derived here for the coupled (nonlinear) Vlasov-Maxwell equations in one spatial dimension. The case of one species in a background is shown to admit a larger group than the multispecies case. Previous exact solutions are shown to be special cases of the above solutions, and many of the new solutions are found to constrain the form of the distribution function much more than, for example, the BGK solutions do. The individual generators of the Lie group are used to find the possible subgroups. Finally, a simple physical argument is given to show that the asymptotic solution for a one-species, one-dimensional plasma is one of the general similarity solutions.

Roberts, D.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Life extending control for rocket engines

The concept of life extending control is defined. A brief discussion of current fatigue life prediction methods is given and the need for an alternative life prediction model based on a continuous functional relationship is established. Two approaches to life extending control are considered: (1) the implicit approach which uses cyclic fatigue life prediction as a basis for control design; and (2) the continuous life prediction approach which requires a continuous damage law. Progress on an initial formulation of a continuous (in time) fatigue model is presented. Finally, nonlinear programming is used to develop initial results for life extension for a simplified rocket engine (model).

Lorenzo, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Stationary turbulent closure via the Hopf functional equation

Explicit solutions of the stationary Hopf equation are discussed and their computational possibilities are explored. The motivation is to circumvent the infinite hierarchy of coupled equations for the velocity moments and obtain an exact closure of the steady-state 3D Navier-Stokes equations, without modeling assumptions or truncation. The Hopf formulation of the Navier-Stokes equation is reviewed. A stationary homogeneous solution for 2D flow is displayed and discussed. It is shown how depletion of nonlinearity may arise for 3D forced homogeneous flow. The general 3D forced case is considered and a method for closing the 3D unforced equations with arbitrary boundary conditions is derived.

Shen, Hubert H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Generation of Oblique Magnetosonic Waves

One of the outstanding issues regarding the excitation of magnetosonic waves has been the observational evidence that obliquely propagating waves are dominant at comets and planetary foreshocks despite the predictions of linear theory that maximum growth occurs at parallel propagation. To address this issue, we have conducted a detailed linear theory using a beam-ring distribution function. The results have shown that such distribution functions are associated with four separate instabilities. Two of these instabilities are similar to the right hand resonant ion/ion and the non-resonant instabilities which are also present in the case of a field aligned beam. The other two instabilities are associated with the presence of ring part of the distribution function. One of these instabilities excites magnetosonic waves with maximum growth in the oblique directions. The other excites Alfven waves with maximum growth in the oblique directions. The importance of the former instability is that it may explain the oblique nature of the magnetosonic waves observed at planetary foreshocks and comets. In order to understand the nonlinear properties of these various instabilities, we have also conducted 2-D hybrid (particle ions, fluid electrons) simulations. We have found that when the beam density is sufficiently large so that the non-resonant instability has the largest growth rate, these waves dominate the initial wave power in the system. At later times, however, the obliquely propagating magnetosonic waves become dominant. Another important finding was that when the two instabilities which excite magnetosonic waves have the largest growth rates, the system is dominated by the obliquely propagating magnetosonic waves. This is despite the fact that the largest growth rate for one of the instabilities occurs in the parallel direction. The exact cause of this is not currently understood and is under investigation.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

Effects of Ice Particle Size Vertical Inhomogeneity on the Passive Remote Sensing of Ice Clouds

The solar reflectance bi-spectral (SRBS) and infrared split-window (IRSpW) methods are two of the most popular techniques for passive ice cloud property retrievals from multispectral imagers. Ice clouds are usually assumed to be vertically homogeneous in global operational algorithms based on these methods, although significant vertical variations of ice particle size are typically observed in ice clouds. In this Study we investigate uncertainties in retrieved optical thickness, effective particle size, and ice water path introduced by a homogeneous cloud assumption in both the SRBS and IRSpW methods, and focus on whether the assumption can lead to significant discrepancies between the two methods. The study simulates the upwelling spectral radiance associated with vertically structured clouds and passes the results through representative SRBS and IRSpW retrieval algorithms. Cloud optical thickness is limited to values for which IRSpW retrievals are possible (optical thickness less than about 7). When the ice cloud is optically thin and yet has a significant ice particle size vertical variation, it is found that both methods tend to underestimate the effective radius and ice water path. The reason for the underestimation is the nonlinear dependence of ice particle scattering properties (extinction and single scattering albedo) on the effective radius. Because the nonlinearity effect is stronger in the IRSpW than the SRBS method, the IRSpW-based IWP tends to be smaller than the SRBS counterpart. When the ice cloud is moderately optically thick, the IRSpW method is relatively insensitive to cloud vertical structure and effective radius retrieval is weighted toward smaller ice particle size, while the weighting function makes the SRBS method more sensitive to the ice particle size in the upper portion of the cloud. As a result, when ice particle size increases monotonically toward cloud base, the two methods are in qualitative agreement; in the event that ice particle size decreases toward cloud base, the effective radius and ice water path retrievals based on the SRBS method are substantially larger than those from the IRSpW. The main findings of this Study Suggest that the homogenous cloud assumption can affect the SRBS and IRSpW methods to different extents and, consequently, can lead to significantly different retrievals. Therefore caution should be taken when comparing and combining the ice cloud property retrievals from these two methods.

Zhang, Zhibo↗
NASA NTRS2023

Characterization of Errors in Satellite-Based HCHO/NO 2 Tropospheric Column Ratios With Respect to Chemistry, Column-to-PBL Translation, Spatial Representation, and Retrieval Uncertainties

The availability of formaldehyde (HCHO) (a proxy for volatile organic compound reactivity) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) (a proxy for nitrogen oxides) tropospheric columns from ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) satellites has motivated many to use their ratios to gain some insights into the near-surface ozone sensitivity. Strong emphasis has been placed on the challenges that come with transforming what is being observed in the tropospheric column to what is actually in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and near the surface; however, little attention has been paid to other sources of error such as chemistry, spatial representation, and retrieval uncertainties. Here we leverage a wide spectrum of tools and data to quantify those errors carefully. Concerning the chemistry error, a well-characterized box model constrained by more than 500 h of aircraft data from NASA's air quality campaigns is used to simulate the ratio of the chemical loss of HO 2 + RO 2 (LRO x ) to the chemical loss of NO x (LNO x ). Subsequently, we challenge the predictive power of HCHO/NO 2 ratios (FNRs), which are commonly applied in current research, in detecting the underlying ozone regimes by comparing them to LRO x /LNO x . FNRs show a strongly linear (R 2 =0.94) relationship with LRO x /LNO x , but only on the logarithmic scale. Following the baseline (i.e., ln(LRO x /LNO x ) = −1.0 ± 0.2) with the model and mechanism (CB06, r2) used for segregating NO x -sensitive from VOC-sensitive regimes, we observe a broad range of FNR thresholds ranging from 1 to 4. The transitioning ratios strictly follow a Gaussian distribution with a mean and standard deviation of 1.8 and 0.4, respectively. This implies that the FNR has an inherent 20 % standard error (1σ) resulting from not accurately describing the RO x –HO x cycle. We calculate high ozone production rates (PO 3 ) dominated by large HCHO × NO 2 concentration levels, a new proxy for the abundance of ozone precursors. The relationship between PO 3 and HCHO × NO 2 becomes more pronounced when moving towards NO x -sensitive regions due to nonlinear chemistry; our results indicate that there is fruitful information in the HCHO × NO 2 metric that has not been utilized in ozone studies. The vast amount of vertical information on HCHO and NO 2 concentrations from the air quality campaigns enables us to parameterize the vertical shapes of FNRs using a second-order rational function permitting an analytical solution for an altitude adjustment factor to partition the tropospheric columns into the PBL region. We propose a mathematical solution to the spatial representation error based on modeling isotropic semivariograms. Based on summertime-averaged data, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) loses 12 % of its spatial information at its native resolution with respect to a high-resolution sensor like the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) (> 5.5 × 3.5 km 2 ). A pixel with a grid size of 216 km 2 fails at capturing ∼ 65 % of the spatial information in FNRs at a 50 km length scale comparable to the size of a large urban center (e.g., Los Angeles). We ultimately leverage a large suite of in situ and ground-based remote sensing measurements to draw the error distributions of daily TROPOMI and OMI tropospheric NO 2 and HCHO columns. At a 68 % confidence interval (1σ), errors pertaining to daily TROPOMI observations, either HCHO or tropospheric NO 2 columns, should be above 1.2–1.5 × 10 16 molec. cm −2 to attain a 20 %–30 % standard error in the ratio. This level of error is almost non-achievable with the OMI given its large error in HCHO. The satellite column retrieval error is the largest contributor to the total error (40 %–90 %) in the FNRs. Due to a stronger signal in cities, the total relative error (< 50 %) tends to be mild, whereas areas with low vegetation and anthropogenic sources (e.g., the Rocky Mountains) are markedly uncertain (> 100 %). Our study suggests that continuing development in the retrieval algorithm and sensor design and calibration is essential to be able to advance the application of FNRs beyond a qualitative metric.

Amir H. Souri↗
NASA NTRS2018

Multi-Parameter Nonlinear Gain Correction of X-Ray Transition Edge Sensors for the X-Ray Integral Field Unit

With its array of 3840 Transition Edge Sensors (TESs), the Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) will provide spatially resolved high-resolution spectroscopy (2.5 eV up to 7 keV) from 0.2 to 12 keV, with an absolute energy scale accuracy of 0.4 eV. Slight changes in the TES operating environment can cause significant variations in its energy response function, which may result in systematic errors in the absolute energy scale. We plan to monitor such changes at pixel level via onboard X-ray calibration sources and correct the energy scale accordingly using a linear or quadratic interpolation of gain curves obtained during ground calibration. However, this may not be sufficient to meet the 0.4 eV accuracy required for the XIFU. In this contribution, we introduce a newtwo-parameter gain correction technique, based on both the pulse-height estimate of a fiducial line and the baseline value of the pixels. Using gain functions that simulate ground calibration data, we show that this technique can accurately correct deviations in detector gain due to changes in TES operating conditions such as heat sink temperature, bias voltage, thermal radiation loading and linear amplifier gain. We also address potential optimisations of the onboard calibration source and compare the performance of this new technique with those previously used.

Cucchetti, E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

On numerical nonlinear analysis of highly flexible spinning cantilevers

The general nonlinear discretized equations of motion of spinning elastic solids and structures are derived as a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations for the case when the strain-displacement and velocity-displacement relations are nonlinear up to the second order. It is shown that the cost of generation of such equations is proportional to the fourth power of the number of degrees of freedom. A computer program is written to automatically generate the equations for the case of spinning cantilevers with initial imperfections. The types and the number of the coordinate functions used in the trial solution are parameters of the program.

Utku, S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Natural frequencies of twisted rotating plates

A detailed comparison is presented of the predicted eigenfrequencies of twisted rotating plates as obtained by using two different shape functions. Primarily, rotating twisted plates of two different aspect ratios and two different thickness ratios are considered. The effects of rotation are included by using a 'stress smoothing' technique when calculating the augmented stiffness matrix. In addition, the effects of Coriolis acceleration, contributions from membrane behavior, setting angle and sweep angle are considered. The effects of geometric nonlinearity are briefly discussed. Finally, results of a brief study of cambered plates are presented.

Ramamurti, V.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Compliance matrices for cracked bodies

An algorithm is developed to construct the compliance matrix for a cracked solid in the integral-equation formulation of two-dimensional linear-elastic fracture mechanics. The integral equation is reduced to a system of algebraic equations for unknown values of the dislocation-density function at discrete points on the interval from -1 to 1, using the numerical procedure described by Gerasoulis (1982). Sample numerical results are presented, and it is suggested that the algorithm is especially useful in cases where iterative solutions are required; e.g., models of fiber-reinforced concrete, rocks, or ceramics where microcracking, fiber bridging, and other nonlinear effects are treated as nonlinear springs along the crack surfaces (Ballarini et al., 1984).

Ballarini, R.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Climatological Aspects of the Optical Properties of Fine/Coarse Mode Aerosol Mixtures

Aerosol mixtures composed of coarse mode desert dust combined with fine mode combustion generated aerosols (from fossil fuel and biomass burning sources) were investigated at three locations that are in and/or downwind of major global aerosol emission source regions. Multiyear monitoring data at Aerosol Robotic Network sites in Beijing (central eastern China), Kanpur (Indo-Gangetic Plain, northern India), and Ilorin (Nigeria, Sudanian zone of West Africa) were utilized to study the climatological characteristics of aerosol optical properties. Multiyear climatological averages of spectral single scattering albedo (SSA) versus fine mode fraction (FMF) of aerosol optical depth at 675 nm at all three sites exhibited relatively linear trends up to 50% FMF. This suggests the possibility that external linear mixing of both fine and coarse mode components (weighted by FMF) dominates the SSA variation, where the SSA of each component remains relatively constant for this range of FMF only. However, it is likely that a combination of other factors is also involved in determining the dynamics of SSA as a function of FMF, such as fine mode particles adhering to coarse mode dust. The spectral variation of the climatological averaged aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) was nearly linear in logarithmic coordinates over the wavelength range of 440-870 nm for both the Kanpur and Ilorin sites. However, at two sites in China (Beijing and Xianghe), a distinct nonlinearity in spectral AAOD in logarithmic space was observed, suggesting the possibility of anomalously strong absorption in coarse mode aerosols increasing the 870 nm AAOD.

Eck, T. F.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Theoretical Development of an Orthotropic Elasto-Plastic Generalized Composite Material Model

The need for accurate material models to simulate the deformation, damage and failure of polymer matrix composites is becoming critical as these materials are gaining increased usage in the aerospace and automotive industries. While there are several composite material models currently available within LSDYNA (Livermore Software Technology Corporation), there are several features that have been identified that could improve the predictive capability of a composite model. To address these needs, a combined plasticity and damage model suitable for use with both solid and shell elements is being developed and is being implemented into LS-DYNA as MAT_213. A key feature of the improved material model is the use of tabulated stress-strain data in a variety of coordinate directions to fully define the stress-strain response of the material. To date, the model development efforts have focused on creating the plasticity portion of the model. The Tsai-Wu composite failure model has been generalized and extended to a strain-hardening based orthotropic yield function with a nonassociative flow rule. The coefficients of the yield function, and the stresses to be used in both the yield function and the flow rule, are computed based on the input stress-strain curves using the effective plastic strain as the tracking variable. The coefficients in the flow rule are computed based on the obtained stress-strain data. The developed material model is suitable for implementation within LS-DYNA for use in analyzing the nonlinear response of polymer composites.

Polymer Matrix Composites↗
NASA NTRS2014

Theoretical Development of an Orthotropic Elasto-Plastic Generalized Composite Material Model

The need for accurate material models to simulate the deformation, damage and failure of polymer matrix composites is becoming critical as these materials are gaining increased usage in the aerospace and automotive industries. While there are several composite material models currently available within LS-DYNA (Registered), there are several features that have been identified that could improve the predictive capability of a composite model. To address these needs, a combined plasticity and damage model suitable for use with both solid and shell elements is being developed and is being implemented into LS-DYNA as MAT_213. A key feature of the improved material model is the use of tabulated stress-strain data in a variety of coordinate directions to fully define the stress-strain response of the material. To date, the model development efforts have focused on creating the plasticity portion of the model. The Tsai-Wu composite failure model has been generalized and extended to a strain-hardening based orthotropic material model with a non-associative flow rule. The coefficients of the yield function, and the stresses to be used in both the yield function and the flow rule, are computed based on the input stress-strain curves using the effective plastic strain as the tracking variable. The coefficients in the flow rule are computed based on the obtained stress-strain data. The developed material model is suitable for implementation within LS-DYNA for use in analyzing the nonlinear response of polymer composites.

Plasticity↗
NASA NTRS1972

Absolute stability analysis of attitude control systems for large boosters.

A method for performing absolute stability analyses of attitude control systems for large launch vehicles is presented. Absolute stability of these systems is shown in a finite region of the state space. The regions are computed by using the Lur'e-Postnikov Liapunov function. This function is chosen to provide additional information about the exponential property of absolute stability. Significant advantages of the method proposed in this paper are: it is independent of the order of the system; algebraic operations involved in the computations are relatively simple and convenient for machine implementation; and the obtained results are valid not only for a particular nonlinearity but also for an entire class of nonlinear characteristics that satisfy certain general conditions. A system model representing the Saturn V launch vehicle is used to illustrate the method.

Seltzer, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Deflections of beam columns on multiple supports

Lateral deflections of beam columns on multiple equally spaced supports are calculated using the STAGS nonlinear structural analysis computer program. Three lateral loadings are considered, uniform, linear, and uniform over only the center bay. Two types of boundary conditions are considered at the end supports, clamped, and simple support. The effect of an initial sinusoidal imperfection are considered. Deflections in the center and end bays of the beam columns are presented as a function of applied axial compressive load. As the number of bays becomes large, the effect of boundary conditions on the deflections in the center bays diminishes. For cases involving a uniform or linearly varying load, imperfections can have a much larger effect on deflections in the center bays than can lateral pressure.

Stroud, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Computational solution of the defect stream-function equation for nonequilibrium turbulent boundary layers

The derivation of the accurate, second-order, almost linear, approximate equation governing the defect stream function for nonequilibrium compressible turbulent boundary layers is reviewed. The similarity of this equation to the heat conduction equation is exploited in the development of an unconditionally stable, tridiagonal computational method which is second-order accurate in the marching direction and fourth-order accurate in the surface-normal direction. Results compare well with experimental data. Nonlinear effects are shown to be small. This two-dimensional method is simple and has been implemented on a programmable calculator.

Barnwell, Richard W.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Solution Adaptive Technique Using Tetrahedral Unstructured Grids

An adaptive unstructured grid refinement technique has been developed and successfully applied to several three dimensional inviscid flow test cases. The method is based on a combination of surface mesh subdivision and local remeshing of the volume grid Simple functions of flow quantities are employed to detect dominant features of the flowfield The method is designed for modular coupling with various error/feature analyzers and flow solvers. Several steady-state, inviscid flow test cases are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method for solving practical three-dimensional problems. In all cases, accurate solutions featuring complex, nonlinear flow phenomena such as shock waves and vortices have been generated automatically and efficiently.

Pirzadeh, Shahyar Z.↗