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Corrugated-core sandwich structures with integrated acoustic resonator arrays have been of recent interest for launch vehicle noise control applications. Previous tests and analyses have demonstrated the ability of this concept to increase sound absorption and reduce sound transmission at low frequencies. However, commercial aircraft manufacturers often require fibrous or foam blanket treatments for broadband noise control and thermal insulation. Consequently, it is of interest to further explore the noise control benefit and trade-offs of structurally integrated resonators when combined with various degrees of blanket noise treatment in an aircraft-representative cylindrical fuselage system. In this study, numerical models were developed to predict the effect of broadband and multi-tone structurally integrated resonator arrays on the interior noise level of cylindrical vibroacoustic systems.

One of the keys to a good reliable design is evaluating potential and past issues, ascertaining and then mitigating the risk that past and future issues will potentially occur. This is even more important with the automobile designs of today and for those in the future, specifically the hybrid and fuel cell vehicle. DFMEA and FTA are tools that aid in the understanding of complex design risks, from the system level down to the component level. This session will look at different case studies (from simple to complex) and the strategies used to understand systemic failure modes using both DFMEA and FTA.

The GD₃ or GD Cubed method of problem prevention has been applied to product changes and to test results at the component, subsystem and vehicle level. GD₃ stands for Good Design - Good Discussion - Good Dissection. Good Discussion of changes (Design Review Based on Failure Mode) identifies BUDS of PROBLEMS that may arise from interfaces and areas of change. Good Dissection (Design Review Based on Test Results) is applied to physical test samples during and after tests to identify Buds of Problems that may not be obvious from inspection of the parts or test results. The paper first describes implementation of the GD₃ principles and methods supporting Good Discussion (DRBFM) and Good Dissection, and then discusses how they are applied and embedded in the Vehicle Development Process at General Motors Co.

An infrared laser absorption technique has been developed to measure in-cylinder concentrations of CO in an optical, automotive HCCI engine. The diagnostic employs a distributed-feedback, tunable diode laser selected to emit light at the R15 line of the first overtone of CO near 2.3 μm. The collimated laser beam makes multiple passes through the cylinder to increase its path length and its sampling volume. High-frequency modulation of the laser output (wavelength modulation spectroscopy) further enhances the signal-to-noise ratio and detection limits of CO. The diagnostic has been tested in the motored and fired engine, exhibiting better than 200-ppm sensitivity for 50-cycle ensemble-average values of CO concentration with 1-ms time resolution. Fired results demonstrate the ability of the diagnostic to quantify CO production during negative valve overlap (NVO) for a range of fueling conditions.

The rapidly increasing use of composites on commercial airplanes coupled with the potential for economic savings associated with their use in aircraft structures means that the demand for composite materials technology will continue to increase. Inspecting these composite structures is a critical element in assuring their continued airworthiness. The FAA's Airworthiness Assurance NDI Validation Center, in conjunction with the Commercial Aircraft Composite Repair Committee, is developing a set of composite reference standards to be used in NDT equipment calibration for accomplishment of damage assessment and post-repair inspection of all commercial aircraft composites. In this program, a series of NDI tests on a matrix of composite aircraft structures and prototype reference standards were completed in order to minimize the number of standards needed to carry out composite inspections on aircraft.

Two tests of composite shells loaded under half-cosine impulsive loadings are discussed. One cylinder which included no other materials was modeled successfully such that calculated results matched test results out to late times. The other cylinder, which included an inner annulus of an elastomeric material, was less successfully modeled, even though the composite material was modeled similarly in both instances. A viscoelastic model and an elastic model were both used to model the elastomeric material, and the viscoelastic model produced significantly better results.

The modal frequencies of a structure often exhibit random variation. This variation may be an important factor affecting structural response. This paper summarizes the results of a combined experimental and analytical study that considers modal frequency randomness arising from boundary condition random variation. It is shown that a simple measure of boundary condition characteristics can be used in connection with a finite element based analysis to estimate random variation in modal frequencies. A comparison between the experiment and the analysis confirms the accuracy of the analytical technique.