Integrated force method versus displacement method for finite element analysis

A novel formulation termed the integrated force method (IFM) has been developed in recent years for analyzing structures. In this method all the internal forces are taken as independent variables, and the system equilibrium equations (EE's) are integrated with the global compatibility conditions (CC's) to form the governing set of equations. In IFM the CC's are obtained from the strain formulation of St. Venant, and no choices of redundant load systems have to be made, in constrast to the standard force method (SFM). This property of IFM allows the generation of the governing equation to be automated straightforwardly, as it is in the popular stiffness method (SM). In this report IFM and SM are compared relative to the structure of their respective equations, their conditioning, required solution methods, overall computational requirements, and convergence properties as these factors influence the accuracy of the results. Overall, this new version of the force method produces more accurate results than the stiffness method for comparable computational cost

Compatibility conditions of structural mechanics for finite element analysis

The equilibrium equations and the compatibility conditions are fundamental to the analyses of structures. However, anyone who undertakes even a cursory generic study of the compatibility conditions can discover, with little effort, that historically this facet of structural mechanics had not been adequately researched by the profession. Now the compatibility conditions (CC's) have been researched and are understood to a great extent. For finite element discretizations, the CC's are banded and can be divided into three distinct categories: (1) the interface CC's; (2) the cluster or field CC's; and (3) the external CC's. The generation of CC's requires the separating of a local region, then writing the deformation displacement relation (ddr) for the region, and finally, the eliminating of the displacements from the ddr. The procedure to generate all three types of CC's is presented and illustrated through examples of finite element models. The uniqueness of the CC's thus generated is shown

Improved accuracy for finite element structural analysis via a new integrated force method

A comparative study was carried out to determine the accuracy of finite element analyses based on the stiffness method, a mixed method, and the new integrated force and dual integrated force methods. The numerical results were obtained with the following software: MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA for the stiffness method; an MHOST implementation method for the mixed method; and GIFT for the integrated force methods. The results indicate that on an overall basis, the stiffness and mixed methods present some limitations. The stiffness method generally requires a large number of elements in the model to achieve acceptable accuracy. The MHOST method tends to achieve a higher degree of accuracy for course models than does the stiffness method implemented by MSC/NASTRAN and ASKA. The two integrated force methods, which bestow simultaneous emphasis on stress equilibrium and strain compatibility, yield accurate solutions with fewer elements in a model. The full potential of these new integrated force methods remains largely unexploited, and they hold the promise of spawning new finite element structural analysis tools

RNA-seq-based genome annotation and identification of long-noncoding RNAs in the grapevine cultivar ‘Riesling’

Background: The technological advances of RNA-seq and de novo transcriptome assembly have enabled genome annotation and transcriptome profiling in highly heterozygous species such as grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). This work is an attempt to utilize a de novo-assembled transcriptome of the V. vinifera cultivar ‘Riesling’ to improve annotation of the grapevine reference genome sequence. Results: Here we show that the transcriptome assembly of a single V. vinifera cultivar is insufficient for a complete genome annotation of the grapevine reference genome constructed from V. vinifera PN40024. Further, we provide evidence that the gene models we identified cannot be completely anchored to the previously published V. vinifera PN40024 gene models. In addition to these findings, we present a computational pipeline for the de novo identification of lncRNAs. Our results demonstrate that, in grapevine, lncRNAs are significantly different from protein coding transcripts in such metrics as length, GC-content, minimum free energy, and length-corrected minimum free energy. Conclusions: In grapevine, high-level heterozygosity necessitates that transcriptome characterization be based on cultivar-specific reference genome sequences. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that lncRNAs have thermodynamically different properties than protein-coding RNAs. The analyses of both coding and non-coding RNAs will be instrumental in uncovering inter-cultivar variation in wild and cultivated grapevine species

Distribution of Non-uniform Demagnetization Fields in Paramagnetic Bulk Solids

A general calculation for the distribution of non-uniform demagnetization fields in paramagnetic bulk solids is described and the fields for various sample geometries are calculated. Cones, ellipsoids, paraboloids and hyperboloids with similar sample aspect ratios are considered. Significant differences in their demagnetization fields are observed. The calculation shows that the demagnetization field magnitudes decrease along the axis of symmetry (along $z$) where an externally applied magnetic field is aligned, and increase in the vicinity of the lateral surfaces with the largest field values found in the cone and the narrowest field distributions found in the hyperboloid. Application is made to the theoretical modeling of the $^{1}$H-NMR spectra of a single crystal of field-induced superconductor $\lambda$-(BETS)$_{2}$FeCl$_{4}$ with a rectangular sample geometry, providing a good fit to the measured NMR spectra. This calculation is also applicable to diamagnetic or ferromagnetic materials in general.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Physical Review B (Corresponding author: [email protected]

WCRP surface radiation budget shortwave data product description, version 1.1

Shortwave radiative fluxes which reach the Earth's surface are key elements that influence both atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The World Climate Research Program has established the Surface Radiation Budget climatology project with the ultimate goal of determining the various components of the surface radiation budget from satellite data on a global scale. This report describes the first global product that is being produced and archived as part of that effort. The interested user can obtain the monthly global data sets free of charge using e-mail procedures

A General-Purpose Optimization Engine for Multi-Disciplinary Design Applications

A general purpose optimization tool for multidisciplinary applications, which in the literature is known as COMETBOARDS, is being developed at NASA Lewis Research Center. The modular organization of COMETBOARDS includes several analyzers and state-of-the-art optimization algorithms along with their cascading strategy. The code structure allows quick integration of new analyzers and optimizers. The COMETBOARDS code reads input information from a number of data files, formulates a design as a set of multidisciplinary nonlinear programming problems, and then solves the resulting problems. COMETBOARDS can be used to solve a large problem which can be defined through multiple disciplines, each of which can be further broken down into several subproblems. Alternatively, a small portion of a large problem can be optimized in an effort to improve an existing system. Some of the other unique features of COMETBOARDS include design variable formulation, constraint formulation, subproblem coupling strategy, global scaling technique, analysis approximation, use of either sequential or parallel computational modes, and so forth. The special features and unique strengths of COMETBOARDS assist convergence and reduce the amount of CPU time used to solve the difficult optimization problems of aerospace industries. COMETBOARDS has been successfully used to solve a number of problems, including structural design of space station components, design of nozzle components of an air-breathing engine, configuration design of subsonic and supersonic aircraft, mixed flow turbofan engines, wave rotor topped engines, and so forth. This paper introduces the COMETBOARDS design tool and its versatility, which is illustrated by citing examples from structures, aircraft design, and air-breathing propulsion engine design

Merits and limitations of optimality criteria method for structural optimization

The merits and limitations of the optimality criteria (OC) method for the minimum weight design of structures subjected to multiple load conditions under stress, displacement, and frequency constraints were investigated by examining several numerical examples. The examples were solved utilizing the Optimality Criteria Design Code that was developed for this purpose at NASA Lewis Research Center. This OC code incorporates OC methods available in the literature with generalizations for stress constraints, fully utilized design concepts, and hybrid methods that combine both techniques. Salient features of the code include multiple choices for Lagrange multiplier and design variable update methods, design strategies for several constraint types, variable linking, displacement and integrated force method analyzers, and analytical and numerical sensitivities. The performance of the OC method, on the basis of the examples solved, was found to be satisfactory for problems with few active constraints or with small numbers of design variables. For problems with large numbers of behavior constraints and design variables, the OC method appears to follow a subset of active constraints that can result in a heavier design. The computational efficiency of OC methods appears to be similar to some mathematical programming techniques