SIMULATION OF STATIC AND KINETIC FRICTION FOR AN ANALOG COMPUTER
Simulation of static and kinetic friction for an analog computer
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Simulation of static and kinetic friction for an analog computer
A methodology that supports forced transient response dynamic solutions when both static and kinetic friction effects are included in a structural system model is described. Modifications that support this type of nonlinear transient response solution are summarized for the transient response dynamics (TRD) NASTRAN module. An overview of specific modifications for the NASTRAN processing subroutines, INITL, TRD1C, and TRD1D, are described with further details regarding inspection of nonlinear input definitions to define the type of nonlinear solution required, along with additional initialization requirements and specific calculation subroutines to successfully solve the transient response problem. The extension of the basic NASTRAN nonlinear methodology is presented through several stages of development to the point where constraint equations and residual flexibility effects are introduced into the finite difference Newmark-Beta recurrsion formulas. Particular emphasis is placed on cost effective solutions for large finite element models such as the Space Shuttle with friction degrees of freedom between the orbiter and payloads mounted in the cargo bay. An alteration to the dynamic finite difference equations of motion is discussed, which allows one to include friction effects at reasonable cost for large structural systems such as the Space Shuttle. Data are presented to indicate the possible impact of transient friction loads to the payload designer for the Space Shuttle. Transient response solution data are also included, which compare solutions without friction forces and those with friction forces for payloads mounted in the Space Shuttle cargo bay. These data indicate that payload components can be sensitive to friction induced loads.
Along the auroral field lines, a fraction of the energetic electrons injected from the magnetotail is reflected by the earth's convergent geomagnetic field. The reflected loss-cone electrons are unstable with respect to the cyclotron maser instability, resulting in the auroral kilometric radiation. This paper investigates the kinetic friction force exerted on the energetic electrons by the enhanced radiation field. It is found that the enhanced radiation results in a deceleration of reflected electrons, thereby providing an effective resistivity. In addition, the rate of decrease (increase) of effective perpendicular (parallel) kinetic temperatures is also evaluated. The analysis is carried out over various physical parameters such as the degree of loss cone, average particle energy, and the ratio of plasma frequency to cyclotron frequency.
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This project has focused on the experimental determination of the frictional forces associated with noncoalescing and nonwetting systems. In particular, the focus has been on friction associated with an isothermal nonwetting droplet sliding on a solid surface. The nonwetting phenomenon is driven by the establishment of a thin (of order microns in thickness) layer of lubricating gas that is swept by viscous action into the space between the liquid and solid, preventing them from coming into contact. The mechanism has been described in the review article by Neitzel & Dell'Aversana (2002). The work performed under this NASA GSRP sponsorship extends work done by Dell'Aversana & Neitzel (2004) on the load-carrying capacities of thermocapillary nonwetting droplets for a given relative displacement of the two surfaces in question.
The kinetic friction of polycrystalline Al2O3 sliding on Cu, Ni, and Fe in ultrahigh vacuum was studied as a function of the surface chemistry of the metal. Clean metal surfaces were exposed to O2, Cl2, C2H4, and C2H3Cl, and the change in friction due to the adsorbed species was observed. Auger electron spectroscopy assessed the elemental composition of the metal surface. It was found that the systems exposed to Cl2 exhibited low friction, interpreted as the van der Waals force between the Al2O3 and metal chloride. The generation of metal oxide by oxygen exposures resulted in an increase in friction, interpreted as due to strong interfacial bonds established by reaction of metal oxide with Al2O3 to form the complex oxide (spinel). The only effect of C2H4 was to increase the friction of the Fe system, but C2H3Cl exposures decreases friction in both Ni and Fe systems, indicating the dominance of the chlorine over the ethylene complex on the surface
Friction and surface damage of several materials that are resistant to corrosion due to liquid metals was studied in air. The values of kinetic friction coefficient at low sliding velocities and photomicrographs of surface damage were obtained. Appreciable surface damage was evident for all materials tested. The friction coefficients for the combinations of steel, stainless steel, and monel sliding against steel, stainless steel, nickel, Iconel, and Nichrome ranged from 0.55 for the monel-Inconel combination to 0.97 for the stainless-steel-nickel combination; for steel, stainless steel, monel, and tungsten carbide against zirconium, the friction coefficient was approximately 0.47. Lower coefficients of friction (0.20 to 0.60) and negligible surface failure at light loads were obtained with tungsten carbide when used in combination with various plate materials.
The Morpheus vertical test vehicle is an autonomous robotic lander being developed at Johnson Space Center (JSC) to test hazard detection technology. Because the initial ground contact simulation model was not very realistic, it was decided to improve the model without making it too computationally expensive. The first development cycle added capability to define vehicle attachment points (AP) and to keep track of their states in the lander reference frame (LFRAME). These states are used with a spring damper model to compute an AP contact force. The lateral force is then overwritten, if necessary, by the Coulomb static or kinetic friction force. The second development cycle added capability to use the PolySurface class as the contact surface. The class can load CAD data in STL (Stereo Lithography) format, and use the data to compute line of sight (LOS) intercepts. A polygon frame (PFRAME) is computed from the facet intercept normal and used to convert the AP state to PFRAME. Three flat plane tests validate the transitions from kinetic to static, static to kinetic, and vertical impact. The hazardous terrain test will be used to test for visual reasonableness. The improved model is numerically inexpensive, robust, and produces results that are reasonable.
The Morpheus vertical test vehicle is an autonomous robotic lander being developed at Johnson Space Center (JSC) to test hazard detection technology. Because the initial ground contact simulation model was not very realistic, it was decided to improve the model without making it too computationally expensive. The first development cycle added capability to define vehicle attachment points (AP) and to keep track of their states in the lander reference frame (LFRAME). These states are used with a spring damper model to compute an AP contact force. The lateral force is then overwritten, if necessary, by the Coulomb static or kinetic friction force. The second development cycle added capability to use the PolySurface class as the contact surface. The class can load CAD data in STL (Stereo Lithography) format, and use the data to compute line of sight (LOS) intercepts. A polygon frame (PFRAME) is computed from the facet intercept normal and used to convert the AP state to PFRAME. Three flat plane tests validate the transitions from kinetic to static, static to kinetic, and vertical impact. The hazardous terrain test will be used to test for visual reasonableness. The improved model is numerically inexpensive, robust, and produces results that are reasonable.
A kinetic energy absorbing device uses a series of coaxial, mating cylindrical surfaces. These surfaces have high frictional resistance to relative motion when axial impact forces are applied. The device is designed for safe deceleration of vehicles impacting on landing surfaces.
Kinetic and static friction force measurement between magnetic tape and magnetic head surfaces
Chandrasekhar dynamical friction theory for star in cluster adapted to Fokker-Plank electron in two-component plasma theory and including multiple encounters
After an earthquake, faults in the Earth's crust lock up and slowly regain strength. This process, called fault healing, plays a key role in determining how often earthquakes happen and how large they can be. While scientists know that healing involves both mechanical friction and chemical changes in rocks, it has been unclear how these processes work together, especially over shorter timescales in laboratory settings. In our study, we ran controlled experiments on the mineral anhydrite under different fluid conditions. We found that the presence and pressure of water speeds up fault healing by triggering a chemical reaction that strengthens the fault over time. This strengthening makes the fault more resistant to sliding, which could delay future earthquakes—but also sets the stage for larger ones when they do occur. We propose a model that combines frictional and chemical processes to explain this water‐activated, time‐dependent healing. Importantly, our results show that even faults typically considered stable could still produce earthquakes if they undergo sufficient chemical healing. This has broad implications for understanding where and when earthquakes might strike, especially in fluid‐rich environments such as subduction zones and geoenergy settings.
Kinetic energy absorber that can safely decelerate a vehicle as it impacts a surface affords minimum rebound, is lightweight and compact, and needs no lubrication or hydraulic fluids.
Device uses friction to dissipate kinetic energy. When moving mass pushes in one direction, it offers substantial friction. Pushed in opposite direction, it offers negligible friction. Built-in spring resets for another shock-absorption cycle. Used in industrial machinery, automobile bumpers and suspensions, and parachute lanyards.
High-speed thermokinetic mixers (K-mixers) represent an advanced compounding technology that employs intense shear and friction to convert kinetic energy directly into thermal energy. This mechanism enables rapid mixing cycles, often under one minute, facilitating exceptional filler dispersion while minimizing the material’s thermal history. This is particularly effective for compounding challenging materials, including heat-sensitive biopolymers, wet filler feedstocks, and nanofillers prone to agglomeration. As the first comprehensive review of this technology, this article synthesizes the fundamental principles of thermokinetic mixing (K-mixing) and surveys recent advances in polymer composite fabrication. We contrast the working principles of K-mixers with conventional twin-screw extrusion, highlighting distinct advantages in dispersing nanoscale fillers, exfoliating layered materials, and processing wet cellulosic feedstocks and ultra-high filler loadings (e.g., 85 wt%). Furthermore, strategies to optimize filler–matrix interfacial bonding under rapid-processing constraints, such as the kinetic selection of compatibilizers and fiber surface treatments, are evaluated. Finally, we analyze key structure-processing-property relationships and outline future directions in scaling up, reactive processing, and hybrid material development.
Proposed footpad assembly supports structure, also absorbs impact energy in both horizontal and vertical directions. Resists impact deformation with approximately constant force, unlike older impact devices. Designed to absorb more energy in given stroke and to protect structure from high peak shock loads. Assembly lightweight, compact, and easy to manufacture. Relies on friction to absorb kinetic energy in vertical direction and on crushable material to absorb kinetic energy in horizontal direction. Designed for specific maximum load, nearly independent of speed and angle of impact. Used in variety of single-impact applications; for example, on pallets dropped by parachute from airplanes.
Plume-Surface Interaction (PSI) between lander engine plumes and regolith soil creates hazards in obscuration and contamination by particle clouds, high-energy ejecta streams, and landing area cratering damage. The MSFC Fluid Dynamics Branch is developing simulation tools to offer a predictive PSI capability to NASA customers such as the Human Lander System (HLS) and Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). The Gas-Granular Flow Solver (GGFS) is the main application tool for coupled gas-particle two-phase flow simulations to predict the range of PSI effects from onset of surface erosion to deep crater formation. GGFS features an Eulerian-Eulerian modeling approach, treating both gas and granular material as interacting continuum phases. Modeling the lunar regolith granular material fluidic characteristics poses special challenges due to complex particle shapes and mixture composition. The lunar regolith is poorly sorted with broad particle size distributions and large fines content. It has significant cohesion, due to interlocking jagged particle shapes. Eulerian granular material flow modeling requires closure formulations for the granular material constitutive models (stress, friction, collisional and kinetic energy dissipation, drag, etc.). While closure models for spherical particles are available from particle kinetic theory, closure models for realistic non-spherical particles must be extracted from unit physics Discrete Element Model (DEM) particle interaction simulations and provided in the form of tabular datasets. The effects of particle irregular shape (non-spherical shape factors, angular particle surface roughness, and interlocking features) are simulated by approximating the particle features in the form of grouped elemental spheres to form composite particles in the DEM simulations. The effects of the wide range of regolith mixture particle sizes and the strong effects of the presence of the small particle sizes results in high cohesion and low porosity of the regolith mixture. The range of particle sizes is simulated by binning the particle sizes into an appropriate finite number of particle-size species and solving the problem as a species mixture. Combining these two modeling approaches enables simulations to capture both, the contributions of the irregular particle shape and the particle size distribution. The integration and maturation of the DEM-based constitutive model database generation process and poly-disperse mixture binning approach into the GGFS simulation framework are proceeding under funding by the NASA Game Changing Development program. The status of current capabilities will be presented in comparisons of crater characteristics resulting for spherical and irregular shape particles, and for mono-, bi-, and tri-disperse mixture simulations of Apollo LM plume-surface interaction. The computational results confirm the significance of including the particle shape and mixture effects. Going forward plans for the full implementation of the general poly-disperse regolith modeling capability and maturation towards NASA project application readiness under the GCD program will be presented.