Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

A Systematic Procedure For The Analysis And Design Of Deployable Space Structures, Praveen Kumar

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An integrated graph theory and a symmetry-based approach have been developed for the type synthesis of deployable truss structures. Using this systematic approach, a bay of a deployable structure may be looked upon as being built around an axis or a plane of symmetry, including anti-symmetry. By providing a fictitious joint along this axis, the problem of structural design and analysis can be reduced to the study of one plane or face of the given structure. Each face is considered to be an assemblage of structural links connected by joints which form a closed kinematic chain. The conventional graph representation …

Eigensensitivity Analysis For Space Structures With Applications In Design Optimization, Sean Patrick Kenny

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Eigensensitivity analysis is concerned with the rates of changes of eigenvalues and eigenvectors with respect to design variables. Eigensolutions of space structures are found to display four distinct characteristics, three of which are related to various types of repeated eigenvalues. This study will address three cases of the real symmetric structural eigenvalue problem. The three cases that will be considered are: distinct eigenvalues, repeated eigenvalues with distinct first eigenvalue derivatives, and repeated eigenvalues with infinitely repeating eigenvalue derivatives. Analytic formulations for eigenvalue/ vector derivatives will be presented for each of the three cases. The directional differentiability of eigenvalues for the …

Radiative Interactions In Laminar Duct Flows, Prakash A. Trivedi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Analyses and numerical procedures are presented for infrared radiative energy transfer in gases when other modes of energy transfer occur simultaneously. Two types of geometries are considered, a Parallel Plate Duct and a Circular Duct. Fully developed laminar incompressible flows of absorbing-emitting species in black surfaced ducts are considered under the conditions of uniform wall heat flux. The participating species considered are OH, CO, CO₂, and H₂O. Nongray as well as gray formulations are developed for both geometries. Appropriate limiting solutions of the governing equations are obtained and conduction-radiation interaction parameters are evaluated. Tien and Lowder's …

Synthesis Of An Efficient Band Mechanism For Robots And Prosthetic Devices, Run Chen Zhou

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A noncircular pulley has been applied to improve the system efficiency of an electrical-powered elbow prosthesis. The dynamics of the motor and the prosthetic arm have been incorporated into the kinematic synthesis relationships for determining the pulley profile that maximizes the efficiency of the elbow prosthesis.

The nonlinear dynamic equations have been solved by the code Differential Equation (DE) while determining the motor power and efficiency which are the criteria in the nonlinear programming problem. The optimal design variables for determining the pulley profile along with some simulation results have been obtained from an optimization program (based on the Generalized …

Non-Linear Dynamics And Control For Thermal Room Models, Milind Prabhakar Oak

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) building operations with emphasis on reduced energy costs and occupant comfort require a dynamic control of short response (minutes) elements of HVAC systems. Hence, it is imperative to acquire better methods of non-linear modeling for prescription of thermal controls which will regulate space conditions over wide parameter ranges without undue cycling or steady state errors. A first step towards this goal is identification and inclusion of short response dynamics elements in the HVAC systems model while retaining essential non-linearities. A single zone environmental chamber is modeled in the heating mode. In the model, …

Comparison Of Digital Controllers Used In Magnetic Suspension And Balance Systems, William Allen Kilgore

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Dynamic systems that were once controlled by analog circuits are now controlled by digital computers. Presented is a comparison of the digital controllers presently used with magnetic suspension and balance systems. The overall response of the systems are compared using a computer simulation of the magnetic suspension and balance system and the digital controllers. The comparisons include responses to both simulated force and position inputs. A preferred digital controller is determined from the simulated responses.

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, …

The Effects Of Bending On The Strain Distributions In A Stiffener-Skin Interface Region, Osvaldo F. Lopez

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An analytical and experimental study to assess the effect of bending on the adhesive strain distributions in a stiffener-skin interface region is described. A one-dimensional beam analysis is derived using a variational approach. Parametric studies are conducted to assess the effects of stiffener, skin, and adhesive thickness and adhesive material nonlinearity on the adhesive layer extensional and shear strain distributions subjected to applied bending. Two experimental methods of measuring through-the-thickness extensional strains in an adhesive are investigated. One method involves measuring the changes in the resistance of a composite strain sensor subjected to applied tension and compression loads. The second …

Application Of Shape Sensitivity Analysis For Computation Of Transient Free-Surface Flows, Frank Nicolas Michel

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Shape sensitivity analysis is introduced into a numerical scheme simulating a transient free-surface flow and applied to the case of a fluid advancing through a bed of cylinders. For this incompressible Newtonian flow, viscous forces are dominant. A penalty function finite element formulation is used to solve the problem. Coordinates of nodes on the moving boundary are chosen as design variables and an analytical formulation of the gradient of the finite element algebraic system, with respect to these variables, is derived.

In a numerical example, the results obtained with and without sensitivity analysis are compared. The efficiency and accuracy of …

Investigating The Method Of Structural Topological Variations For Sensitivity Analysis And Design Optimization, Niki A. Mehta

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The method of structural topological variations is a newly developed technique for analysis of frame structures. It provides a novel method that completely avoids formulating and solving simultaneous equations, required in the finite element displacement method. The principal objective of this thesis is to investigate the method of topological variations as a possible design tool and study its applicability in the sensitivity analysis and in the process of design optimization.

A computer code was developed for this method to obtain its comparative performance against the finite element displacement method. For analysis of large structures involving frequent local modifications, the method …

Numerical Study Of Three-Dimensional Separation And Flow Control At A Wing/Body Junction, Balakrishnan Lakshmanan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The problem of three-dimensional separation and flow control at a wing/body junction has been investigated numerically using a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code. The numerical code employs an algebraic grid generation technique for generating the grid for unmodified junction and an elliptic grid generation technique for filleted fin junction. The results for laminar flow past a blunt fin/flat plate junction demonstrate that after grid refinement, the computations agree with experiment and reveal a strong dependency of the number of vortices at the junction on Mach number and Reynolds number. The numerical results for pressure distribution, particle paths and limiting streamlines for turbulent …

Global/Local Stress Analysis Of Composite Structures, Jonathan B. Ransom

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A method for performing a global/local stress analysis is described and its capabilities are demonstrated. The method employs spline interpolation functions which satisfy the linear plate bending equation to determine displacements and rotations from a global model which are used as "boundary conditions" for the local model. Then, the local model is analyzed independent of the global model of the structure. This approach can be used to determine local, detailed stress states for specific structural regions using independent, refined local models which exploit information from less-refined global models. The method presented is not restricted to having a priori knowledge of …

Explicit And Implicit Calculations Of Turbulent Cavity Flows With And Without Yaw Angle, Guan-Wei Yen

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Computations have been performed to simulate turbulent supersonic flows past three-dimensional deep cavities with and without yaw. Simulation of these self-sustained oscillatory flows have been generated through time accurate solutions of the Reynolds averaged complete Navier-Stokes equations using two different schemes: (1) MacCormack, finite-difference, (2) implicit, upwind, finite-volume schemes. The second scheme, which is approximately 30% faster, is found to produce better time accurate results. 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 …

Experimental Study Of Pressure And Heating Rate On A Swept Cylindrical Leading Edge Resulting From Swept Shock Wave Interference, Christopher E. Glass

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An experimental study of the effects of leading edge sweep on surface pressure and heat transfer rate for swept shock wave interference is presented. This study was conducted as a cooperative agreement between NASA Langley Research Center and Calspan-University of Buffalo Research Center. Experimental tests were conducted in the Calspan 48-inch Hypersonic Shock Tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 8, nominal unit Reynolds number of 1.5 x 10⁶ per foot, leading edge and incident shock generator sweep angles of 0^o, 15^o, and 30^o, and incident shock generator angle-of-attack fixed at 12.5^{o …}

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 …

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 …

The Effects Of Nonlinearities On The Optimal Design Of Forced Vibrating Beams, Cheryl Celestine Jackson

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The optimal design of a beam under harmonic excitations is formulated and solved numerically for linear and nonlinear forced vibration theories. The beam has a nonuniform cross-sect ion, whose thickness can change during the optimization procedure. Based on the numerical results, for the given input frequency range, the linear vibration theory produces a more conservative design than the nonlinear vibration theory.

The analytical formulation for both theories is presented. For the linear case, a mean case is defined for the self-weight on a beam, and an alternating case is defined for input forcing frequencies which cause fatigue variations on a …

Transient Hot-Film Sensor Response In A Shock Tube, Kelly Ryan Ortgies

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Shock tube experiments have been performed to determine the response of a hot-film sensor, mounted flush on the side-wall of a shock tube, to unsteady flow behind a normal shock wave. The present experiments attempt to isolate the response of the anemometer due only to the change in convective heat transfer at the hot-film surface. The experiments, performed at low supersonic shock speeds in air, are described along with the data acquisition procedure. The change in convective heat transfer i s deduced from the data and the results are compared with those from transient boundary-layer theory and another set 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 …

An Arrayed Hot-Film Sensor For Detection Of Laminar Boundary-Layer Flow Disturbance Spatial Characteristics, Michael S. Wusk

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An arrayed hot-film sensor has been developed for use in laminar boundary-layer research for the detection of crossflow or Gortler vortices. This sensor has been developed to detect spatial variations in heat transfer and velocity perturbations which are characteristic of crossflow or Gortler vortices. The sensor is ultimately intended for flight research applications. This thesis describes the sensor, its principles of operation, signal analysis techniques, and experimental results illustrating the spatial detection capabilities of this specialized hot-film device. Discretely placed spheres placed in the boundary layer created alternating regions of undisturbed and disturbed laminar flow over a prototype sensor. Flow …

Viscous Shock Layer Analysis Of Hypersonic Flows Over Long Slender Vehicles, Kam-Pui Lee

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A method for solving the viscous shock-layer equations for hypersonic flows over long slender bodies is presented. The governing equations are solved by employing a spatial-marching implicit finite-difference technique. The two first-order equations, continuity and normal momentum, are solved simultaneously as a coupled set. This method yields a simple and computationally efficient technique.

Flows past hyperboloids and sphere cones with body half angles of five to 35 degrees are considered. The flow conditions included are from high Reynolds numbers at low altitudes to low Reynolds numbers at high altitudes. Detailed comparisons have been made with other predictions and experimental data …

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 …

Application Of Advanced Grid Generation Techniques For Flow Field Computations About Complex Configurations, Monchai Kathong

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In the computation of flow fields about complex configurations, it is very difficult to construct a boundary-fitted coordinate system. An alternative approach is to use several grids at once, each of which is generated independently. This procedure is called the "multiple grids" or "zonal grids" approach, and its applications are investigated in this study. The method is a conservative approach and provides conservation of fluxes at grid interfaces. The Euler equations are solved numerically on such grids for various configurations. The numerical scheme used is the finite-volume technique with a three-stage Runge-Kutta time integration. The code is vectorized and programmed …

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 …

Investigation Of Supersonic Chemically Reacting And Radiating Channel Flow, Mortaza Mani

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The two-dimensional time dependent Navier-Stokes equations are used to investigate supersonic flows undergoing finite rate chemical reaction and radiation interaction for a hydrogen-air system. The explicit multi-stage finite volume technique of Jameson is used to advance the governing equations in time until convergence is achieved. The chemistry source term in the species equation is treated implicitly to alleviate the stiffness associated with fast reactions. The multi-dimensional radiative transfer equations for a nongray model are provided for a general configuration, and then reduced for a planer geometry. Both pseudo-gray and nongray models are used to represent the absorption-emission characteristics of the …

Integral Equation Solution Of The Full Potential Equation For Three-Dimensional, Steady, Transonic Wing Flows, Li-Chuan Chu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

An integral equation method for solving the full potential equation has been developed for three dimensional transonic vortex-wing flows. This method is capable of capturing shocks using the Murman-Cole type of finite difference scheme and is capable of predicting accurate and force-free wake shape as well.

Reading the full potential equation as Poisson's equation, the solution for the velocity field has been expressed in terms of an integral equation using Green's theorem. The solution consists of a surface integral of vorticity distribution on the wing and its free-vortex sheets and a volume integral of source distribution within a computational region …

The Effect Of Elastic Boundary Conditions On The Dynamic Response Of Rectangular Plates, Terry K. Brewer

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Natural frequencies and forced steady-state harmonic response for the vibration of uniform rectangular plates with edges elastically restrained against rotation and transverse translation are addressed. A single mode Rayleigh-Ritz solution is derived using functions that describe the normal modes of vibration of a beam whose ends are elastically restrained. The finite element solution is obtained for comparison. MACSYMA symbolic manipulation system is implemented as an aid to the mathematical rigor of the Ritz approach and NASTRAN finite element code is used to model the mechanical system. Comparisons are made to published results and the solutions of this study are found …

Computer-Aided Analysis And Design Of Rectangular Buried Tank Walls And Its Safety Factor Evaluation Based On Yield Line Analysis, Rakiya J. Fatoohi

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents the results of a study that determines the true safety factor of underground square reinforced concrete tank walls.

The walls are analyzed and designed by elastic method. The amount and distribution of the reinforcement was determined by use of the alternate design method (working stress) in compliance with all ACI code requirements. The wall's ultimate moment was computed by use of yield line theory assuming non-isotropic reinforcement. The ultimate value of the earth pressure was computed and compared with the elastic analysis and design values to give the true safety factor.

The results of this study indicate …

A Study Of Flow Separation In Transonic Flow Using Inviscid And Viscous Cfd Schemes, James Andrew Rhodes

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A comparison of flow separation in transonic flows is made using various computational schemes which solve the Euler and the Navier-Stokes equations of fluid mechanics. The flows examined are computed using several simple two-dimensional configurations including a backward facing step and a bump in a channel. Comparison of the results obtained using shock fitting and flux vector splitting methods are presented and the results obtained using the Euler codes are compared to results on the same configurations using a code which solves the Navier-Stokes equations.