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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Quantifying modeling uncertainty in simplified beam models for building response prediction

The use of simple models for response prediction of building structures is preferred in earthquake engineering for risk evaluations at regional scales, as they make computational studies more feasible. The primary impediment in their gainful use presently is the lack of viable methods for quantifying (and reducing upon) the modeling errors/uncertainties they bear. This study presents a Bayesian calibration method wherein the modeling error is embedded into the parameters of the model. Here, the method is specifically described for coupled shear-flexural beam models here, but it can be applied to any parametric surrogate model. The major benefit the method offers is the ability to consider the modeling uncertainty in the forward prediction of any degree-of-freedom or composite response regardless of the data used in calibration. The method is extensively verified using two synthetic examples. In the first example, the beam model is calibrated to represent a similar beam model but with enforced modeling errors. In the second example, the beam model is used to represent the detailed finite element model of a 52-story building. Both examples show the capability of the proposed solution to provide realistic uncertainty estimation around the mean prediction.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1986

Optimum structural sizing of conventional cantilever and joined wing configurations using equivalent beam models

The present paper describes an approach for the optimum sizing of single and joined wing structures that is based on representing the built-up finite element model of the structure by an equivalent beam model. The low order beam model is computationally more efficient in an environment that requires repetitive analysis of several trial designs. The design procedure is implemented in a computer program that requires geometry and loading data typically available from an aerodynamic synthesis program, to create the finite element model of the lifting surface and an equivalent beam model. A fully stressed design procedure is used to obtain rapid estimates of the optimum structural weight for the beam model for a given geometry, and a qualitative description of the material distribution over the wing structure. The synthesis procedure is demonstrated for representative single wing and joined wing structures.

Hajela, P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Distributed parameter estimation for NASA Mini-Mast truss using Timoshenko beam model

A more accurate Timoshenko beam model is used to characterize the bending behavior of the truss. A maximum likelihood estimator for the Timoshenko beam model has been formulated. A closed-form solution of the Timoshenko beam equation, for a uniform cantilevered beam with two concentrated masses, is derived so that the procedure for the estimation of modal characteristics is much improved. The updated model to the NASA Mini-Mast test data is demonstrated.

Shen, Ji-Yao↗
NASA NTRS1992

A piecewise continuous Timoshenko beam model for the dynamic analysis of tapered beam-like structures

Distributed parameter modeling offers a viable alternative to the finite element approach for modeling large flexible space structures. The introduction of the transfer matrix method into the continuum modeling process provides a very useful tool to facilitate the distributed parameter model applied to some more complex configurations. A uniform Timoshenko beam model for the estimation of the dynamic properties of beam-like structures has given comparable results. But many aeronautical and aerospace structures are comprised of non-uniform sections or sectional properties, such as aircraft wings and satellite antennas. This paper proposes a piecewise continuous Timoshenko beam model which is used for the dynamic analysis of tapered beam-like structures. A tapered beam is divided into several segments of uniform beam elements. Instead of arbitrarily assumed shape functions used in finite element analysis, the closed-form solution of the Timoshenko beam equation is used. Application of the transfer matrix method relates all the elements as a whole. By corresponding boundary conditions and compatible conditions a characteristic equation for the global tapered beam has been developed, from which natural frequencies can be derived. A computer simulation is shown in this paper, and compared with the results obtained from the finite element analysis. While piecewise continuous Timoshenko beam model decreases the number of elements significantly; comparable results to the finite element method are obtained.

Shen, Ji Yao↗
NASA NTRS1983

Parameter estimation in truss beams using Timoshenko beam model with damping

Truss beams with members having viscous damping are modeled with a Timoshenko beam. Procedures for deriving the equivalent bending rigidity, transverse shear rigidity, and damping are presented. Explicit expressions for these equivalent beam properties are obtained for a specific truss beam. The beam model thus established is then used to investigate the effect of damping in free vibration. Finally, the beam is employed in the estimation of structural parameters in a simply-supported truss beam using a random search algorithm.

Sun, C. T.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermoviscoelastic modelling of high strain thin-ply composites by means of multiscale plate and beam model

High strain thin-ply (HS-TPC) technology is being increasingly adopted for high-performanceaerospace applications. Albeit many of these structures such as deployable booms can bemodeled as one-dimensional beam problems, there is a lack of themoviscoelastic beam mod-els to efficiently and accurately simulate HS-TPC. This work will use mechanics of struc-ture genome (MSG) to construct linear thermoviscoelastic beam models that can homogenizethree-dimensional heterogeneous materials made of constituents with time- and temperature-dependent behavior. The formulation derives the transient strain energy based on integralformulation for thermorheologically simple materials subject to finite temperature changeswith the restriction that the strain is small. A lenticular boom is used as a numerical exampleto verify the MSG-based linear thermoviscoelastic beam model against MSG-based shell/platemodel, which has already been validated against experimental data provided by NASA, anddirect numerical simulations performed in a finite element commercial package.

Orzuri Rique Garaizar↗
DOE OSTI2022

Validating and optimizing mismatch tolerance of Doppler backscattering measurements with the beam model (invited)

In this work, we use the beam model of Doppler backscattering (DBS), which was previously derived from beam tracing and the reciprocity theorem, to shed light on mismatch attenuation. This attenuation of the backscattered signal occurs when the wavevector of the probe beam’s electric field is not in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. Correcting for this effect is important for determining the amplitude of the actual density fluctuations. Previous preliminary comparisons between the model and Mega-Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) plasmas were promising. In this work, we quantitatively account for this effect on DIII-D, a conventional tokamak. We compare the predicted and measured mismatch attenuation in various DIII-D, MAST, and MAST-U plasmas, showing that the beam model is applicable in a wide variety of situations. Finally, we performed a preliminary parameter sweep and found that the mismatch tolerance can be improved by optimizing the probe beam’s width and curvature at launch. This is potentially a design consideration for new DBS systems.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1989

Mini-mast dynamic analysis using the truss-beam model

The Mini-Mast is a generic space truss designed by Astro Aerospace Corp. A 210 meter truss located in the Structural Dynamics research Lab of NASA Langley is used in comprehensive active vibration control experiments on a realistic large space structure. Some predictions of the natural frequencies and mode shapes were made based on the Finite Element model. The purpose here is to use the Truss-Beam model developed by Elias G. Abu-Saba to predict the natural frequencies of the Mini-Mast and then compare the results with those obtained from the FE model. Imperfections of the joints are modeled, and joint contribution to the flexibility matrix of the structure is noted. The natural frequencies are obtained. An iterative procedure is used to enhance the Truss-Beam model by comparing these results with experimental ones.

Abu-Saba, Elias G.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Ranges of Applicability for the Continuum-beam Model in the Constitutive Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes: Nanotubes or Nano-beams?

Ranges of validity for the continuum-beam model, the length-scale effects and continuum assumptions are analyzed in the framework of scaling analysis of NT structure. Two coupled criteria for the applicability of the continuum model are presented. Scaling analysis of NT buckling and geometric parameters (e.g., diameter and length) is carried out to determine the key non-dimensional parameters that control the buckling strains and modes of NT buckling. A model applicability map, which represents two classes of NTs, is constructed in the space of non-dimensional parameters. In an analogy with continuum mechanics, a mechanical law of geometric similitude is presented for two classes of beam-like NTs having different geometries. Expressions for the critical buckling loads and strains are tailored for the distinct groups of NTs and compared with the data provided by the molecular dynamics simulations. Implications for molecular dynamics simulations and the NT-based scanning probes are discussed.

Harik, Vasyl Michael↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Improved Plate and Beam Models for Thermoviscoelastic Constitutive Modeling of Composites

The effective properties of composites are influenced by the time-dependent behavior of polymer matrices very sensitive to changes in temperature. Improved plate and beam models are required to efficiently design, and simulate composite structures when the long-term performance of large anisotropic composite structures is the matter of interest. In this work, mechanics of structure genome (MSG) is used to con-struct linear thermoviscoelastic plate and beam models that can homogenize three-dimensional heterogeneous materials made of constituents with time- and temperature-dependent behavior. The formulation derives the transient strain energy based on integral formulation for thermorheologically simple materials subject to finite temperature changes with the restriction that the strain is small. The reduced time parameter is introduced to relate the time-temperature dependency of the anisotropic material by means of master curves at reference conditions. The new formulation has been implemented in SwiftCompTM, a general-purpose multiscale constitutive modeling code based on MSG. Experimental data and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of thin-ply high-strain composites (TP-HSC) using a commercial finite element analysis (FEA) package are conducted to verify the accuracy of SwiftCompTM results. The paper also analyzes the relationship between the shift factor of the polymer matrix and the temperature dependencies of the effective beam properties.

Finite element analysis↗
DOE OSTI2020

A thin-walled composite beam model for light-weighted structures interacting with fluids

A thin-walled beam model is proposed for structures of variable cross-section, which can be either open or closed and includes multicellular cross-sections with either isotropic or orthotropic materials. The proposed model does not require any priori definition of cross-sectional warping which instead results from the solution of the problem. To achieve that a special deformation pattern is superimposed on the bending deformation described by Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. All sectional properties are automatically incorporated in the analysis as a result of the usual variational formulation of the system of equations. The proposed model is specifically designed to simulate the dynamics of wind/hydrokinetic turbine blade with low computational cost, especially in fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulation. A number of test cases have been carried out to validate the proposed structural model which show good agreement between the results obtained her e and the solutions available in literature. Finally, FSI simulation of a hydrokinetic blade under field condition is carried out to illustrate the capability of the current thin-walled beam model in practice.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Validation of the EDGES Low-band Antenna Beam Model

The response of the antenna is a source of uncertainty in measurements with the Experiment to Detect the Global Epoch of Reionization Signature (EDGES). We aim to validate the electromagnetic beam model of the low-band (50–100 MHz) dipole antenna with comparisons between models and against data. We find that simulations of a simplified model of the antenna over an infinite perfectly conducting ground plane are, with one exception, robust to changes in the numerical electromagnetic solver code or algorithm. For simulations of the antenna with the actual finite ground plane and realistic soil properties, we find that two out of three numerical solvers agree well. Applying our analysis pipeline to a simulated drift-scan observation from an early EDGES low-band instrument that had a 10 m × 10 m ground plane, we find residual levels after fitting and removing a five-term foreground model from the simulated data binned in local sidereal time (LST) average about 250 mK with ±40 mK variation between numerical solvers. A similar analysis of the primary 30 m × 30 m sawtooth ground plane reduced the LST-averaged residuals to about 90 mK with ±10 mK between the two viable solvers. More broadly we show that larger ground planes generally perform better than smaller ground planes. Simulated data have a power that is within 4% of real observations, a limitation of net accuracy of the sky and beam models. We observe that residual spectral structures after foreground model fits match qualitatively between simulated data and observations, suggesting that the frequency dependence of the beam is reasonably represented by the models. We find that a soil conductivity of 0.02 S m{sup -1} and relative permittivity of 3.5 yield good agreement between simulated spectra and observations. This is consistent with the soil properties reported by Sutinjo et al. for the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, where EDGES is located.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2001

Ranges of applicability for the continuum beam model in the mechanics of carbon nanotubes and nanorods

Limitations in the validity of the continuum beam model for carbon nanotubes (NTs) and nanorods are examined. Applicability of all assumptions used in the model is restricted by the two criteria for geometric parameters that characterize the structure of NTs. The key non-dimensional parameters that control the NT buckling behavior are derived via dimensional analysis of the nanomechanical problem. A mechanical law of geometric similitude for NT buckling is extended from continuum mechanics for different molecular structures. A model applicability map, where two classes of beam-like NTs are identified, is constructed for distinct ranges of non-dimensional parameters. Expressions for the critical buckling loads and strains are tailored for two classes of NTs and compared with the data provided by the molecular dynamics simulations. copyright 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuum beam model↗
NASA NTRS1993

Timoshenko beam modeling for parameter estimation of NASA Mini-Mast truss

In this paper a distributed parameter model for the estimation of modal characteristics of NASA Mini-Mast truss is proposed. A closed-form solution of the Timoshenko beam equation, for a uniform cantilevered beam with two concentrated masses, is derived so that the procedure and the computational effort for the estimation of modal characteristics are improved. A maximum likelihood estimator for the Timoshenko beam model is also developed. The resulting estimates from test data by using Timoshenko beam model are found to be comparable to those derived from other approaches.

Shen, Ji Y.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Transitioning of power flow in beam models with bends

The propagation of power flow through a dynamically loaded beam model with 90 degree bends is investigated using NASTRAN and McPOW. The transitioning of power flow types (axial, torsional, and flexural) is observed throughout the structure. To get accurate calculations of the torsional response of beams using NASTRAN, torsional inertia effects had to be added to the mass matrix calculation section of the program. Also, mass effects were included in the calculation of BAR forces to improve the continuity of power flow between elements. The importance of including all types of power flow in an analysis, rather than only flexural power, is indicated by the example. Trying to interpret power flow results that only consider flexural components in even a moderately complex problem will result in incorrect conclusions concerning the total power flow field.

Hambric, Stephen A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Six-beam models in radiative transfer theory

A critical analysis is given of the applicability of six-beam models to radiative transfer in particulate materials. The method of introducing transverse scattering in these models is shown to cause fundamental difficulties in the case of physically plausible phase functions; in particular, the effective absorptivity is abnormally large and thus results in incorrect reflectances and transmittances. Six-beam calculations for several media are compared with accurate solutions, with Chu-Churchill two-beam results, and with a simple modification to the Eddington approximation, the last being generally superior over a wide range of conditions.

Meador, W. E.↗