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At least 1,675 records · Page 93

Distortions of perceived visual directions out of pictures

Two experiments are reported examining judgments from 16 subjects who indicated the apparent direction of a photographed pointer that was rotated to different physical positions while being photographed. The photographs themselves were rotated about a vertical axis to several positions with respect to the subjects' central viewing axis. The results replicate the well-known distortion in apparent direction associated with photographed pointers positioned to project directly out of the plane of the photograph. This effect has been described by Goldstein (1979) as the 'differential rotation effect' because its magnitude is reduced as the depicted angle of the pointer becomes less orthogonal to the photograph. Analysis of the two-dimensional properties of the projected images shows that this differential rotation is related to projected angles on the surface of the photograph. This analysis may explain why circular objects often do not appear to be correctly drawn in the periphery of geometrically correct projections.

Ellis, Stephen R.↗

Analytical Methodology for Predicting the Onset of Widespread Fatigue Damage in Fuselage Structure

NASA has developed a comprehensive analytical methodology for predicting the onset of widespread fatigue damage in fuselage structure. The determination of the number of flights and operational hours of aircraft service life that are related to the onset of widespread fatigue damage includes analyses for crack initiation, fatigue crack growth, and residual strength. Therefore, the computational capability required to predict analytically the onset of widespread fatigue damage must be able to represent a wide range of crack sizes from the material (microscale) level to the global structural-scale level. NASA studies indicate that the fatigue crack behavior in aircraft structure can be represented conveniently by the following three analysis scales: small three-dimensional cracks at the microscale level, through-the-thickness two-dimensional cracks at the local structural level, and long cracks at the global structural level. The computational requirements for each of these three analysis scales are described in this paper.

Harris, Charles E.↗

Sizing Energy Storage System for Energy Arbitrage in Extreme Fast Charging Station

This paper proposes a non-linear programming (NLP) model to optimally size the energy storage system (ESS) and obtain an optimal energy management for energy arbitrage of an extreme fast charging station (XFCS) for electric vehicles (EVs), with minimized total cost of XFCS operation and ESS investment. Different from most reported work on sizing the ESS for EV charging stations, this paper proposes a pragmatic approach to model the ESS life degradation and accurately count the ESS cycles. Moreover, this work incorporates the peak demand charges in the operational cost of the charging station which are often overlooked in the literature. The proposed model is formulated and solved using AIMMS. Finally, a thorough sensitivity analysis is performed to offer insights into how different input parameters impact the ESS sizing and savings from the energy arbitrage perspective.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Secondary instability in three-dimensional magnetic reconnection

We consider the transition to turbulence in three-dimensional reconnection of a magnetic neutral sheet. We find that the transition can occur via a three-step process. First, the sheet undergoes the usual tearing instability. Second, the tearing mode saturates to form a two-dimensional quasi-steady state. Third, this secondary equilibrium is itself unstable when it is perturbed by three-dimensional disturbances. Most of this paper is devoted to the analysis and simulation of the three-dimensional linear stability properties of the two-dimensional saturated tearing layer. The numerical simulations are performed with a semi-implicit, pseudospectral-Fourier collocation algorithm. We identify a three-dimensional secondary linear stability which grows on the ideal timescale. An examination of the modal energetics reveals that the largest energy transfer is from the mean field to the three-dimensional field, with the two-dimensional field acting as a catalyst.

Dahlburg, R. B.↗

A method of predicting quasi-steady aerodynamics for flutter analysis of high speed vehicles using steady CFD calculations

High speed linear aerodynamic theories like piston theory and Newtonian impact theory are relatively inexpensive to use for flutter analysis. These theories have limited areas of applicability depending on the configuration and the flow conditions. In addition, these theories lack the ability to capture viscous, shock and real gas effects. CFD methods can model all of these effects accurately, but the unsteady calculations required for flutter are expensive and often impractical. This paper describes a method for using steady CFD calculations to approximate the generalized aerodynamic forces for a flutter analysis. Example two-and three-dimensional aerodynamic force calculations are provided. In addition, a flutter analysis of a NASP-type wing will be discussed.

Scott, Robert C.↗

A method of predicting quasi-steady aerodynamics for flutter analysis of high speed vehicles using steady CFD calculations

High speed linear aerodynamic theories like piston theory and Newtonian impact theory are relatively inexpensive to use for flutter analysis. These theories have limited areas of applicability depending on the configuration and the flow conditions. In addition, these theories lack the ability to capture viscous, shock, and real gas effects. CFD methods can model all of these effects accurately, but the unsteady calculations required for flutter are expensive and often impractical. This paper describes a method for using steady CFD calculations to approximate the generalized aerodynamic forces for a flutter analysis. Example two-and three-dimensional aerodynamic force calculations are provided. In addition, a flutter analysis of a NASP-type wing will be discussed.

Scott, Robert C.↗

Effect of a flexibly mounted store on the flutter speed of a wing

A passive system proposed for increasing the flutter speed of a wing with heavy concentrated weights involves the concept of mounting the store on a pitch pivot having a very low pitch stiffness relative to the wing stiffness. This concept was investigated utilizing a two dimensional approach involving 4 degrees of freedom, namely, wing bending, wing torsion, store pitch and store vertical translation. This preliminary analysis was very encouraging and the results demonstrate that, if the uncoupled store pitch frequency was below the wing bending frequency, the flutter speed was greatly increased. A second more complete analysis was developed utilizing a three dimensional structure, but retaining the two dimensional, incompressible unsteady airforces of Theodorsen. The details of the analysis are included.

Runyan, H. L.↗

Base Pressure at Supersonic Speeds on Two-dimensional Airfoils and on Bodies of Revolution with and Without Fins Having Turbulent Boundary Layers

An analysis has been made of available experimental data to show the effects of most of the variables that are more predominant in determining base pressure at supersonic speeds. The analysis covers base pressures for two-dimensional airfoils and for bodies of revolution with and without stabilizing fins and is restricted to turbulent boundary layers. The present status of available experimental information is summarized as are the existing methods for predicting base pressure. A simple semiempirical method is presented for estimating base pressure. For two-dimensional bases, this method stems from an analogy established between the base-pressure phenomena and the peak pressure rise associated with the separation of the boundary layer. An analysis made for axially symmetric flow indicates that the base pressure for bodies of revolution is subject to the same analogy. Based upon the methods presented, estimations are made of such effects as Mach number, angle of attack, boattailing, fineness ratio, and fins. These estimations give fair predictions of experimental results. (author)

LOVE EUGENE S↗

Nonlinear structural and life analyses of a turbine blade

The most critical structural requirements that aircraft gas turbine engines must meet result from the diversity of extreme environmental conditions in the turbine section components. Accurate life assessment of the components under these conditions requires sound analytical tools and techniques. The utility of advanced structural analysis techniques and advanced life prediction techniques in the life assessment of hot-section components was evaluated. The extend to which a three-dimensional cyclic isoparametric finite element analysis of a hot-section component would improve the accuracy of component life predictions was assessed. At the same time, high temperature life prediction theories such as strainrange partitioning and the frequency modified approaches were applied and their efficiency judged. A stress analysis was performed on a commercial air-cooled turbine blade. The evaluation of the life prediction methods indicated that none of those studied were satisfactory.

Kaufman, A.↗

Distinguishing the XUV-induced Coulomb explosion dynamics of iodobenzene using covariance analysis

The primary and secondary fragmentation dynamics of iodobenzene following its ionization at 120 eV were determined using three-dimensional velocity map imaging and covariance analysis. Site-selective iodine 4d ionization was used to populate a range of excited polycationic parent states, which primarily broke apart at the carbon-iodine bond to produce I+ with phenyl or phenyl-like cations (C n H x + or C n H, with n = 1 – 6 and x = 1 – 5). The molecular products were produced with varying degrees of internal excitation and dehydrogenation, leading to stable and unstable outcomes. This further allowed the secondary dynamics of C 6 H x 2+ intermediates to be distinguished using native-frame covariance analysis, which isolated these processes in their own centre-of-mass reference frames. Furthermore, the mass resolution of the imaging mass spectrometer used for these measurements enabled the primary and secondary reaction channels to be specified at the level of individual hydrogen atoms, demonstrating the ability of covariance analysis to comprehensively measure the competing fragmentation channels of aryl cations, including those involving intermediate steps.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Thermostructural analysis of simulated cowl lips

Three dimensional finite element analyses using MSC/NASTRAN and MARC are performed to predict the thermal and structural response of various cooling schemes under high heat loads. Steady state heat transfer analyses and elastic stress analyses are performed using MSC/NASTRAN. Elastic/plastic analyses are done using MARC. To help verify these analyses experimentally, a hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine was modified to use the exhaust stream as a high enthalpy, high heat flux source to evaluate various actively cooled, simulated cowl lip (leading edges) segments as well as flat structural segments. Cross flow and parallel flow cooling configurations were tested and analyzed using cooling fluids of water and gaseous hydrogen. In addition, various material types, including high conductivity copper, nickel, and a copper and graphite metal matrix composite were tested and compared.

Melis, Matthew E.↗

Variable Step Integration Coupled with the Method of Characteristics Solution for Water-Hammer Analysis, A Case Study

One-dimensional water-hammer modeling involves the solution of two coupled non-linear hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs). These equations result from applying the principles of conservation of mass and momentum to flow through a pipe, and usually the assumption that the speed at which pressure waves propagate through the pipe is constant. In order to solve these equations for the interested quantities (i.e. pressures and flow rates), they must first be converted to a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by either approximating the spatial derivative terms with numerical techniques or using the Method of Characteristics (MOC). The MOC approach is ideal in that no numerical approximation errors are introduced in converting the original system of PDEs into an equivalent system of ODEs. Unfortunately this resulting system of ODEs is bound by a time step constraint so that when integrating the equations the solution can only be obtained at fixed time intervals. If the fluid system to be modeled also contains dynamic components (i.e. components that are best modeled by a system of ODEs), it may be necessary to take extremely small time steps during certain points of the model simulation in order to achieve stability and/or accuracy in the solution. Coupled together, the fixed time step constraint invoked by the MOC, and the occasional need for extremely small time steps in order to obtain stability and/or accuracy, can greatly increase simulation run times. As one solution to this problem, a method for combining variable step integration (VSI) algorithms with the MOC was developed for modeling water-hammer in systems with highly dynamic components. A case study is presented in which reverse flow through a dual-flapper check valve introduces a water-hammer event. The predicted pressure responses upstream of the check-valve are compared with test data.

Turpin, Jason B.↗

A Method for Thermal Analysis of Spiral Bevel Gears

A modeling method for analyzing the three-dimensional thermal behavior of spiral bevel gears has been developed. The model surfaces are generated through application of differential geometry to the manufacturing process for face-milled spiral bevel gears. Contact on the gear surface is found by combining tooth contact analysis with three-dimensional Hertzian theory. The tooth contact analysis provides the principle curvatures and orientations of the two surfaces. This information is then used directly in the Hertzian analysis to find the contact size and maximum pressure. Heat generation during meshing is determined as a function of the applied load, sliding velocity, and coefficient of friction. Each of these factors change as the point of contact changes during meshing. A nonlinear finite element program was used to conduct the heat transfer analysis. This program permitted the time- and position-varying boundary conditions, found in operation, to be applied to a one-tooth model. An example model and analytical results are presented.

Handschuh, Robert F.↗

Singular-Arc Time-Optimal Trajectory of Aircraft in Two-Dimensional Wind Field

This paper presents a study of a minimum time-to-climb trajectory analysis for aircraft flying in a two-dimensional altitude dependent wind field. The time optimal control problem possesses a singular control structure when the lift coefficient is taken as a control variable. A singular arc analysis is performed to obtain an optimal control solution on the singular arc. Using a time-scale separation with the flight path angle treated as a fast state, the dimensionality of the optimal control solution is reduced by eliminating the lift coefficient control. A further singular arc analysis is used to decompose the original optimal control solution into the flight path angle solution and a trajectory solution as a function of the airspeed and altitude. The optimal control solutions for the initial and final climb segments are computed using a shooting method with known starting values on the singular arc The numerical results of the shooting method show that the optimal flight path angle on the initial and final climb segments are constant. The analytical approach provides a rapid means for analyzing a time optimal trajectory for aircraft performance.

Nguyen, Nhan↗

An analysis of ocular counterrolling in response to body positions in three-dimensional space

Four normal subjects underwent ocular counterrolling testing in a tiltable chair. Measurements were taken in 62 different body positions in steps of 30 degrees varied rolls and pitches. In each body position the eyes were recorded on video and their roll angle was determined automatically by computer analysis. The ocular counterrolling profile showed a periodic characteristic with maximal amplitude at roll tilts of 60 degrees. In this study we can clearly show that the eyes' rolling response is not systematically affected when lateral body tilts are combined with any tilts in the pitch direction. This undoubtedly implies that the ocular counterrolling was mainly stimulated by the subject's roll angle. As an empirical contribution, this study provides new data specially to be used in modelling and simulating the function of otolith organs.

Posture/physiology↗

DRAGON Grid: A Three-Dimensional Hybrid Grid Generation Code Developed

Because grid generation can consume 70 percent of the total analysis time for a typical three-dimensional viscous flow simulation for a practical engineering device, payoffs from research and development could reduce costs and increase throughputs considerably. In this study, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field developed a new hybrid grid approach with the advantages of flexibility, high-quality grids suitable for an accurate resolution of viscous regions, and a low memory requirement. These advantages will, in turn, reduce analysis time and increase accuracy. They result from an innovative combination of structured and unstructured grids to represent the geometry and the computation domain. The present approach makes use of the respective strengths of both the structured and unstructured grid methods, while minimizing their weaknesses. First, the Chimera grid generates high-quality, mostly orthogonal meshes around individual components. This process is flexible and can be done easily. Normally, these individual grids are required overlap each other so that the solution on one grid can communicate with another. However, when this communication is carried out via a nonconservative interpolation procedure, a spurious solution can result. Current research is aimed at entirely eliminating this undesired interpolation by directly replacing arbitrary grid overlapping with a nonstructured grid called a DRAGON grid, which uses the same set of conservation laws over the entire region, thus ensuring conservation everywhere. The DRAGON grid is shown for a typical film-cooled turbine vane with 33 holes and 3 plenum compartments. There are structured grids around each geometrical entity and unstructured grids connecting them. In fiscal year 1999, Glenn researchers developed and tested the three-dimensional DRAGON grid-generation tools. A flow solver suitable for the DRAGON grid has been developed, and a series of validation tests are underway.

Liou, Meng-Sing↗

VHF radar remote sensing of atmospheric parameters over Taiwan during the time period of Typhoon Wayne

The VHF radar located at the subtropical and low latitude observing site of Taiwan has been used to observe atmospheric parameters from the troposphere to the middle atmosphere during the time passage of Typhoon Wayne in August 1986. Time-dependent wind velocities with three-dimensional profiles have been plotted by processing the recorded data of the backscattered echo power and the Doppler spectral width of the signal returns from the VHF radar. Propagation characteristics of the gravity waves excited by the enhanced convective motions of Typhoon Wayne have been detected from the Fourier power spectrum analysis of the three-dimensional wind velocities from multiple beams of the VHF radar and their cross-correlation analysis. The density perturbations caused by the propagation of the gravity waves can be calculated from the VHF radar observations. The VHF radar can also be used to detect time-dependent vertical profiles of the liquid water content. The present study shows that the equivalent rainfall rate calculated from the VHF radar is in good agreement with the ground-based measurement of rainfall rate at the same area.

Hung, R. J.↗

AgMIP Regional Integrated Assessment of Agricultural Systems in Nioro, Senegal: Representative Agricultural Pathways, Climate, Crop and Economic Datasets

This paper describes the datasets that were used to implement an AgMIP Regional Integrated Assessment for the Nioro region of Senegal to assess the potential impacts of climate change on the principal agricultural system in the Senegal peanut basin and to assess adaptations of that system to climate change under current as well as future climate and socio-economic conditions. This dataset includes the Representative Agricultural Pathways developed for Nioro from 2000-2050; the climate data that were used to implement crop yield simulations; the data that were used to parameterize the DSSAT and APSIM crop models, including historical climate data and future climate scenarios; and the data that were used to parameterize the Tradeoff Analysis Model for Multi-dimensional Impact Assessment (TOAMD) economic simulation model, as well as simulated model outputs.

AgMIP↗