NASA Langley Research Center

The speciality of STSB is computer simulation of the physics of solid and fluid mechanics as well as heat transfer. We use mainly commercially available software to do this analysis in addition to some in-house codes. See the Software Capabilities section for a description of the different programs.

Stress Analysis: Margin of safety calculation given any kind of steady state or time dependent loading.		Example: Blended Wing Body FTS Fittings Stress Analysis
Structural Dynamics: Resonant frequency calculation and test-analysis correlation.		Example: X-43c Stack Bending Modes Analysis
Coupled Thermal Fluids Analysis: Using CFD for realistic convection calculations to implement in a full thermal analysis.		Example: Flow across a heated louver array
Radiation Heat Transfer: Radiation and viewfactor analysis incorporated into traditional thermal analysis.		Example: Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Aerobraking Thermal Analysis (HiRise camera Results shown at left)
Thermal Stress Analysis: Concurrent thermal and structural analysis to determine material response in high termperature environments.		Example: Hyper X Nose Section Thermal Stress Analysis
Conceptual Design Support: Early design cycle support to determine initial sizing and to conduct trade studies.		Example: Mars Scout Proposal Support (ARES, SCIM, AIRES)
Parallel Computing: Distributed computing for intensive simulations involving many types of problems.		Example: Hypervelocity Impact Simulation

Commercial Software Tools:

• BOSOR - Buckling of Shells of Revolution
• STAGS - Shell Stability
• FEMAP - Pre/Post-processor, Translator for Finite Element Analyses
• FLAGRO - Fracture Mechanics
• Hypersizer - Sizing and Optimization Program
• CFDesign - Fluid Flow Analysis
• MSC.Nastran - General Structural Analysis (Finite Elements)
• MSC.Patran - Pre-/Post-processor for Finite Element Analyses
• MSC.Marc - Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis
• MSC.Patran Thermal - Finite Element Heat Transfer
• Pro/MECHANICA - General Structural Analysis (Geometric Elements)
• SINDA 85 - Finite Difference General Heat Transfer
• TAK 2000 - General Heat Transfer for PC
• Thermal Desktop/RADCAD
• TRASYS - Radiative Exchange Analysis
• Thermal Synthesizer System - Thermal and Radiation analysis, including orbital analysis

In-house Software Utilities (available for download):

• Basic Heat Calculations for an Enclosure Cooled by a Fan (Version 1) -- An Excel spreadsheet which will calculate total temperature rise, convection coefficients, fan performance, and optimal outlet area for an enclosure cooled by a single fan. The equations used were developed and input by William Alexander and Brian Killough. Update to Excel 5 format was done by Ruth Amundsen.
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• Conductor Calculation Spreadsheet (Version 1) -- This Excel 5.0 workbook contains values for simple materials, bolt sizes, and wire sizes. It automates the calculation of simple conductors for wires, bolts, inserts, convection, or combinations, where the user only has to input the number of bolts or wires, and their type (e.g. #6).
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• Mathcad Venting Process (Version 1) -- This is a MathCad calculation sheet to calculate the venting process of a volume. Given the size of the volume and the opening, and the change in external pressure, it calculates the curve of pressure versus time inside the volume. Code by Dana Gould; current copy held by Bill Alexander.
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• General Orbital Analysis Program (GOAP) (Version X) -- This is a FORTRAN code to calculate the orbital parameters for the thermal analysis of spacecraft and space flight instruments. Code developed by Brian Killough.
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• Test / Analysis Correlation Tools (TACT) (Version 1.6) -- This is a MSC/PATRAN PCL add-on that provides a set of graphical tools inside the PATRAN environment to assist the analyst in correlating a finite element model to modal survey test results. More detail is available at the TACT Home Page. Code developed by Jill Marlowe based on equations from Mike Lindell, with beta-tested by Genevieve Dixon.
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