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Events for March 06, 2006
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Academic Honors Convocation
Mon, Mar 06, 2006
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Affairs
Receptions & Special Events
Audiences: Graduate/Undergrad
Contact: Monica De Los Santos
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Probabilistic Risk Assessment in Return-to-Flight Efforts
Mon, Mar 06, 2006 @ 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker:
Luc Huyse
Southwest Research InstituteAbstract:Since the loss of the Columbia in February 2003 and the conclusion of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, Southwest Research Institute has been involved in several return to flight efforts. This presentation summarizes some of the findings of two probabilistic risk assessments. The first risk assessment is related to fatigue cracking of the feedline flowiners that supply liquid hydrogen to the main engines of the Space Shuttle. The second risk analysis is related to the damage to the leading edge RCC panels and the Thermal Protection Shield due to foam debris impact. The first assessment was performed as part of an Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) for the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The overall goal was to establish a flight rationale in light of a history of fatigue cracking due to flow induced vibrations in the feedline flowliners that supply liquid hydrogen to the space shuttle main engines. Prior deterministic analyses using worst-case assumptions predicted failure in a single flight. The current work formulated statistical models for dynamic loading and cryogenic fatigue crack growth properties, instead of using worst-case assumptions. New weight function solutions were developed to describe the crack "driving-force". Monte Carlo simulations showed that low flowliner probabilities of failure (POF = 0.001 to 0.0001) are achievable, provided pre-flight inspections for cracks are performed with adequate probability of detection (POD) -- specifically, 20/75 mils with 50%/99% POD. The second assessment was performed for NASA Johnson. NASA and SwRI engineers are developing and refining methodology to quantify the probability of damage to the thermal protection system. The primary debris sources during ascent are the insulating foam covering the external tank (ET), and the ice that can form on the ET before and during launch. Upon detachment, aerodynamic drag forces act to slow the speed of the debris, thereby increasing the relative velocity between the debris and the orbiter. Also during transport, lift forces act to disperse the debris about their idealized trajectories. Therefore, the farther downstream the debris travels before impact, the greater the potential impact kinetic energy and crossrange (dispersion). Damage depends on the concurrence of three events: debris release, debris impact, and impact kinetic energy exceeding panel capacity. The total probability of damage is obtained as the product of these three event probabilities summed over all release and impact locations. Current work with NASA Johnson focuses on removing some of the conservatism of the analysis and transforming the semi-probabilistic analysis into a full probabilistic analysis.Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 203
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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Synthetic gene-metabolic oscillators: Computer aided design and experimental implementations
Mon, Mar 06, 2006 @ 12:30 PM - 01:30 AM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Jason Suen, PhD, NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UCLA
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 132
Audiences: Graduate
Contact: Wyatt Adam
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Northrop Grumman Information Session
Mon, Mar 06, 2006 @ 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Join representatives of this company as they share general company information and available opportunities.
Location: Grace Ford Salvatori Hall Of Letters, Arts & Sciences (GFS) - 106
Audiences: Undergraduate/Graduate Engineering Students
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Services
