Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Planning Optimal Robot Trajectories By Cell Mapping, W. H. Zhu, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A cell-mapping method is introduced for planning global trajectories of robotic manipulators in cases where the cell space is composed of combination pairs of plane cells. With the proposed method, optimal trajectory problems in the free field and in the obstacle-constrained field are studied. Two numerical examples are given to show the obtained optimal trajectories and controls.

Use Of Energy In Data-Track Association And State Estimation In Multitarget-Multisensor Problems, S. N. Balakrishnan, H. Park

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A coarse test and a fine test have been formulated for use in multiple sensor-multiple target data-track association. Various forms of energies are used in these tests to pick the proper data to be associated with any target. Numerical experiments which involve the use of a decentralized Kalman filter scheme are presented. The experiments show the effectiveness of the two tests

A Complete Model Characterization Of Brushless Dc Motors, N. Hemati, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The modeling problem associated with brushless DC motors (BLDCMs) with nonuniform air gaps which operate in a range where magnetic saturation may exist is addressed. The mathematical model, includes the effects of reluctance variations and magnetic saturation to guarantee proper modeling of the system. An experimental procedure is developed and implemented in a laboratory environment to identify the electromagnetic characteristics of a BLDCM in the presence of magnetic saturation. It is demonstrated that the modeling problem associated with this class of BLDCM can be formulated in terms of mathematically modeling a set of multidimensional surfaces corresponding to the electromagnetic torque …

Combined Solar And Internal Load Effects On Selection Of Heat Reclaim-Economizer Hvac Systems, Harry J. Sauer, Ronald Hunter Howell, Zijie Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The concern for energy conservation has led to the development and use of heat recovery systems which reclaim the building internal heat before it is discarded in the exhaust air. On the other hand, economizer cycles have been widely used for many years in a variety of types of HVAC systems. Economizer cycles are widely accepted as a means to reduce operating time for chilling equipment when cool outside air is available. It has been suggested that heat reclaim systems should not be used in conjunction with an HVAC system which incorporates an economizer cycle because the economizer operation would …

Thermoelastic Problem Of A Thick Orthotopic Beam On Twodirectiooal Elastic Foundation, Victor Birman

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The thermoelastic problem of an orthotropic beam supported by an elastic foundation which resists lateral deformations as well as displacements parallel to the beam axis is considered. The solution for a relatively thick beam is obtained based on the first-order shear deformation theory. The problem is reduced to- the solution of an ordinary seventh-order differential equation which can be obtained in the closed form. The case of a slender beam is treated as a particular case of a more general solution for a shear deformable beam. © 1990 ASME.

A Study Of The Hydration Properties Of Selected Laser Dye Aerosols Including Continuous-Flow Parallel Plate And Alternating-Gradient Thermal Diffusion Cloud Chamber Measurements In The High Supersaturation Regime, Donald E. Hagen, Max B. Trueblood, Darryl J. Alofs

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Hydration Behavior of Aerosols made Up of Various Fluorescent Dyes when Exposed to Water Saturation or Supersaturated Conditions Has Been Studied. Critical Supersaturation Spectra Are Reported. the Dyes Are Found to Behave as High Molecular Weight Ionic Compounds that Obey Kohler Theory. their Relevant Kohler Parameters Are Measured. This Study Makes Use of and Compares Results from the Isothermal Hazecontinuous-Flowand Alternating-Gradient Thermal Diffusion Cloud Chambers. the Ability of the Continuous-Flow Thermal Diffusion Chamber to Operate Correctly at High Supersaturations is Shown. © 1990 Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc.

Domain Decomposition For Multigrid, Finite Volume Flow Solvers, Victor Robert Lessard

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computing the flow fields about three-dimensional complex configurations accurately becomes a difficult task, if it is attempted to generate a single, body fitted grid with proper clustering. The domain decomposition methods, which divide the computational domain into less complex subdomains, are extensively used to decrease the grid generation workload. A domain decomposition technique also allows the use of different solution methods for different subdomains. The objective of this work is to develop a domain decomposition method via overlapping/embedding the component grids, which is to be used by upwind, multigrid, finite volume solution algorithms. A computer code, given the name MaGGiE, …

An Adaptive Remeshing Finite Element Method For High-Speed Compressible Flows Using Quadrilateral And Triangular Elements, Gururaja R. Vemaganti

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this study a new adaptive remeshing method for high speed compressible flow analysis is presented. The method uses quadrilateral elements where possible, and triangles are introduced as needed. The primary goal of this study is to develop a remeshing method which uses both the concepts of unstructured and structured meshes for the finite element analysis to predict accurate aerodynamic heating in problems related to high speed viscous flows. The remeshing method uses a solution based on an old mesh to create a new mesh based on an advancing front technique. In the present implementation, a structured mesh of quadrilaterals …

Low Speed Flowfield Characterization By Infrared Measurements Of Surface Temperatures, Ehud Gartenberg

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An experimental program was aimed at identifying areas in low speed aerodynamic research where infrared imaging systems can make significant contributions. Implementing a new technique, a long electrically heated wire was placed across a laminar jet. By measuring the temperature distribution along the wire with the IR imaging camera, the flow behavior was identified. Furthermore, using Nusselt number correlations, the velocity distribution could be deduced. The same approach was used to survey wakes behind cylinders in a wind-tunnel. This method is suited to investigate flows with position dependent velocities, e.g., boundary layers, confined flows, jets, wakes and shear layers. It …

Viscous Cross-Waves: An Analytical Treatment, Andrew J. Bernoff, L. P. Kwok, Seth Lichter

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Viscous effects on the excitation of cross‐waves in a semi‐infinite box of finite depth and width are considered. A formalism using matched asymptotic expansions and an improved method of computing the solvability condition is used to derive the relative contributions of the free‐surface, sidewall, bottom, and wavemaker viscous boundary layers. This analysis yields an expression for the damping coefficient previously incorporated on heuristic grounds. In addition, three new contributions are found: a viscous detuning of the resonant frequency, a slow spatial variation in the coupling to the progressive wave, and a viscous correction to the wavemaker boundary condition. The wavemaker …

Nonlinear Tracking Control Of Brushless Dc Motors For High-Performance Applications, N. Hemati, Ming-Chuan Leu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The tracking control problem associated with brushless DC motors (BLDCMs) for high-performance applications is considered. To guarantee their high-dynamic-performance operation in motion control systems, the magnetic saturation and reluctance variation effects are accounted for in the BLDCM mathematical model. The trajectory tracking control problem is addressed in the context of the transformation theory of nonlinear systems. A nonlinear control law is implemented and shown to compensate for the nonlinearities of a BLDCM. A case study is presented in which a direct-drive inverted pendulum actuated by a BLDCM is used to investigate the effectiveness of the control law. The effectiveness of …

Generic Singularities Of Robot Manipulators, Ming-Chuan Leu, D. K. Pai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The singularities of the differential kinematic map, i.e. of the manipulator Jacobian, are considered. The authors first examine the notion of a generic kinematic map, whose singularities form smooth manifolds of prescribed dimension in the joint space of the manipulator. For three-joint robots, an equivalent condition for genericity using determinants is derived. The condition lends itself to symbolic computation and is sufficient for the study of decoupled manipulators, i.e. manipulators that an be separated into a three-joint translating part and a three-joint orienting part. The results are illustrated by analyzing the singularities of two classes of three-joint positioning robots.

Optimal Design Rules Applied To The Design Of High-Speed Mechanisms Under Deflection And Stress Constraints, Frank W. Liou, Jenny Liu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Presented in this paper are two approaches for the design of flexible mechanisms under stress and deflection constraints. Based on the optimality conditions derived in this paper, two procedures are developed to design the minimum weight of mechanisms subject to stress and deflection limitations. The first procedure is the improvement of Thornton's design process r 17), and the second procedure is based on the interpolation technique. Several design examples are also presented to demonstrate these methods.

Axisymmetric Vibrations Of Reinforced Orthotropic Shallow Spherical Caps, Victor Birman, George J. Simitses

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Axisymmetric vibrations of reinforced shallow, spherical caps manufactured from orthotropic materials are considered. The closed form solution is obtained for the natural frequency of the cap with a clamped and immovable circular edge by assuming that the motion component parallel to the cap boundary plane (in plane) is negligible. Parametric studies are performed to assess the effect of various geometric and structural parameters on the natural frequency of the cap and, most importantly, to identify the most influencing parameters of the problem. From the generated data, it is concluded that the national frequency increases with increasing extensional stiffness and eccentricity …

Adiabatic Shear Banding In Plane Strain Problems, R. C. Batra, De Shin Liu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Plane strain thermomechanical deformations of a viscoplastic body are studied with the objective of analyzing the localization of deformation into narrow bands of intense straining. Two different loadings, namely, the top and bottom surfaces subjected to a prescribed tangential velocity, and these two surfaces subjected to a preassigned normal velocity, are considered. In each case a material defect, flaw, or inhomogeneity is modeled by introducing a temperature bump at the center of the specimen. The solution of the initial boundary value problem by the Galerkin-Adams method reveals that the deformation eventually localizes into a narrow band aligned along the direction …

Measured Spectra Of The Hygroscopic Fraction Of Atmospheric Aerosol Particles, Darryl J. Alofs, Donald E. Hagen, Max B. Trueblood

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Relation between Dry Diameter (Xo) and Critical Supersaturation (Sc) for Atmospheric Submicron Aerosol Particles is Investigated. the Particles Are Passed through an Electrostatic Aerosol Size Classifier, and Then through an Isothermal Haze Chamber. Results Are Reported in Terms of an Apparent Volume Fraction of Soluble Material, Εv, Defined Such that for Particles Composed Only of Ammonium Sulfate and Water Insoluble Compounds, Εv is the Actual Volume Fraction of Soluble Material. the Probability Distribution of Εv is Found to Be Approximately Gaussian in the Εv Range 0.2 to 1.3. the Mean Εv is 0.5, for Electrostatic Aerosol Classifier Settings of …

Effects Of Nose Bluntness And Shock-Shock Interactions On Blunt Bodies In Viscous Hypersonic Flows, Dal J. Singh

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A numerical study has been conducted to investigate the effects of blunt leading edges on the viscous flow field around a hypersonic vehicle such as the proposed National Aero-Space Plane. Attention is focused on two specific regions of the flow field. Analysis of these flow regions is required to accurately predict the overall flow field as well as to get necessary information on localized zones of high pressure and intense heating.

The forebody is modeled by slender cones and ogives with spherically blunted nose. A combination of Navier-Stokes and parabolized Navier-Stokes equations is used to compute the flow field. The …

Numerical Simulation Of Turbulent Flows Past Three-Dimensional Cavities, Shivakumar Srinivasan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computations have been performed to simulate turbulent supersonic, transonic, and subsonic flows past three-dimensional deep, transitional, and shallow cavities. Simulation of these self sustained oscillatory flows has been generated through time accurate solutions of Reynolds averaged full Navier-Stokes equations using the explicit MacCormack scheme. The Reynolds stresses have been modeled, using the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic turbulence model with certain modifications. The computational results include instantaneous and time averaged flow properties everywhere in the computational domain. Time series analyses have been performed for the instantaneous pressure values on the cavity floor. Comparison with experimental data is made in terms of the mean …

A Finite Element Formulation For The Large Deflection Random Response Of Thermally Buckled Structures, James Eugene Locke

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The effects of temperature and acoustic loading are included in a theoretical finite element large deflection formulation for thin, isotropic plate and beam type structures. Thermal loads are applied as steady-state temperature distributions, and acoustic loads are taken to be stationary and Gaussian with zero mean and uniform magnitude and phase over the surface of the structure. Material properties are considered to be independent of temperature. Also, inplane and rotary inertia terms are assumed to be neglegible, and all inplane edge conditions are taken to be immovable. For the random vibration analysis, cross correlation terms are included.

The nature of …

Calculations Of Three-Dimensional Transonic Flows Using The Implicit Formulation Of The Isenthalpic Euler Equations With Flux Vector Splitting, Frank E. Cannizzaro

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A numerical method for solving three-dimensional transonic flows using the isenthalpic formulation of the Euler equations is developed. The method uses van Leer's flux vector splitting to solve the implicit formulation of the governing equations, which are applied to a cell centered finite-volume scheme. A three factor spatial approximate factorization is implemented in solving the implicit part of the governing equations. Time marching to a steady state solution requires short computational times due to the relative efficiency of the basic method. Computational times are further reduced by the implementation of the multigrid acceleration technique, which provided converged solutions in approximately …

A Comment On ‘Failure Modes Of Hybrid Composites …’, Serge Abrate

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper comments on an earlier paper on the failure modes of hybrid composites by Pitkethly and Bader, which appeared in the Carbon Fiber Conference issue. © 1988 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Stability Of Steady Cross-Waves: Theory And Experiment, Seth Lichter, Andrew J. Bernoff

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

A bifurcation analysis is performed in the neighborhood of neutral stability for cross waves as a function of forcing, detuning, and viscous damping. A transition is seen from a subcritical to a supercritical bifurcation at a critical value of the detuning. The predicted hysteretic behavior is observed experimentally. A similarity scaling in the inviscid limit is also predicted. The experimentally observed bifurcation curves agree with this scaling.

Characteristics And Optimal Design Of Variable Airgap Linear Force Motors, Ming-Chuan Leu, E. V. Scorza, D. L. Bartel

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An analytical model for predicting the characteristics of variable airgap linear force motors is developed. the model takes into account magnetic losses including the leakage and fringing effects and the reluctance existing at the contacts between permanent magnets and pole pieces. the model is validated by comparing its predicted characteristics with the results obtained from experiments and a finite element program. with the use of the modelled characteristics, computer programs based on the method of constrained steepest descent with state equations are developed for automating and optimising the design of linear force motors. Numerical studies are made for both minimisation …

Effect Of Nominal Strain-Rates On The Initiation And Growth Of Adiabatic Shear Bands In Steels, R. C. Batra

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Condensation Method For Humidity Measurement In The Umr Cloud Simulation Chamber., Donald E. Hagen, Daniel R. White, Darryl J. Alofs

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Cloud Simulation Facility Has Been Developed for the Study of Various Atmospheric Cloud Processes. the Initial Relative Humidity of the Air Sample Put into the Cloud Chamber is a Key Parameter in Virtually Any Experiment and Needs to Be Known Accurately. This Report Describes How the Cloud Simulation Chamber itself Has Been Used as a Condensation Type Hygrometer to Calibrate the System's Humidifier. Two Distinct and Physically Different Methods for Inferring Mixing Ratio Are Used, One Exploiting the Sensitivity of Aerosol Activation to Humidity, and the Other Exploiting the Sensitivity of the Rate of Growth of Cloud Droplets to …

University Of Missouri-Rolla Cloud Simulation Facility: Proto Ii Chamber, Daniel R. White, James L. Kassner, John C. Carstens, Donald E. Hagen, John L. Schmitt, Darryl J. Alofs, Alfred R. Hopkins, Max B. Trueblood, Max W. Alcorn, William L. Walker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Graduate Center for Cloud Physics Research at UMR Has Developed a Cloud Simulation Facility to Study Phenomena Occurring in Terrestrial Clouds and Fogs. the Facility Consists of a Pair of Precision Cooled-Wall Expansion Chambers Along with Extensive Supporting Equipment. the Smaller of These Chambers, Described in This Article, is Fully Operational, and is Capable of Simulating a Broad Range of In-Cloud Thermodynamic Conditions. It is Currently Being Used to Study Water Drop Growth and Evaporation for Drops Nucleated (Activated) on Well-Characterized Aerosol Particles. Measurements Have Been Made Not Only for Continuous Expansions (Simulated Updraft) But Also for Cyclic Conditions, …

An Update To The Mitre/Wpi Space Shuttle Prgoram: Gascan G-408, Fred J. Looft, William W. Durgin

Office of the Provost Scholarship

The objective of the MITRE/WPI Space Shuttle Program was to develop a set of scientific meaningful experiments that could be flown in a Get Away Special Canister. currently, the first GASCAN is finished (G-408) and ready to be launched. The program has been so successful that the design and development of a second set of experiments has been started (G-533). This paper will describe and summarize both of these programs.

Effect Of Material Parameters On The Initiation And Growth Of Adiabatic Shear Bands, R. C. Batra

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The thermomechanical problem involving simple shearing of a finite slab made of an isotropic and viscoplastic material is studied with the objective of finding the effect of the strain hardening parameter, strain-rate hardening parameters, thermal softening coefficient and thermal conductivity on the initiation and growth of adiabatic shear bands. The body is placed in a hard loading device, i.e., the velocity is prescribed at its top and bottom surfaces. A shear band is presumed to have formed if the addition of a perturbation in the temperature at the onset of plastic flow results in a localization of the shear strain. …

The Force On A Lattice Defect In An Elastic Body, R. C. Batra

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

It is shown that the force on a lattice defect in an elastic body is, like the force on a disclination in a nematic liquid crystal, a real force which, for equilibrium, must be balanced by an external force applied to the closed surface enclosing the defect. © 1987 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.

Closed-Loop Dynamic Response Of A Static Scherbius Drive., Aaron J. Miles, B. Lequesne

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Generalized root-loci techniques, for squirrel-cage motors have been extended to wound-rotor, slip-energy-recovery systems (static Scherbius drive). The influence of a feedback control loop on these root loci is considered. General conclusions on Scherbius drive dynamics, as well as supporting experimental results, are presented.