Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Hussaini, M. Y.

Publications and source records attributed to Hussaini, M. Y..

At least 109 records · Page 6

Numerical simulation of transition

The paper presents numerical algorithms for studying the physics of transition and turbulence in simple geometries. The highly nonlinear stages of transition prior to turbulent spot formation are studied in detail. The use of simulations to study the sensitivity of laminar flow control techniques in the nonlinear regime is demonstrated. A new instability mechanism associated with the center modes in channel flows is revealed.

Hussaini, M. Y.↗

Numerical simulation of homogeneous, isotropic, compressible turbulence

A new numerical algorithm is developed and applied to the direct simulation of compressible, homogeneous turbulent flows at low Mach numbers. A split method in time first solves a subset of the equations explicitly, followed by an implicit treatment of the pressure terms. The definition of an average sound speed over the entire field allows the implicit equations to be solved analytically, while relaxing the severe time limit imposed by the large sound speeds. Results from direct simulations on 96(3) grids provide a data base against which a new subgrid-scale model for compressible homogeneous turbulence is tested. This model reduces to the linear combination model in the absence of compressibility.

Erlebacher, G.↗

Numerical simulation of nonlinear interactions in channel and boundary-layer transition

The basic numerical techniques used for the direct simulation of transition to turbulence are described. Applications are presented for the computation of finite amplitude, two-dimensional steady states, the simulation of the secondary instability of channels and boundary-layers, and the simulation of the breakdown of detached shear layers.

Zang, T. A.↗

Finite length effects in Taylor-Couette flow

Axisymmetric numerical solutions of the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations for flow between concentric rotating cyclinders of finite length are obtained by a spectral collocation method. These representative results pertain to two-cell/one-cell exchange process, and are compared with recent experiments.

Streett, C. L.↗

Some recent developments in spectral methods

This paper is solely devoted to spectral iterative methods including spectral multigrid methods. These techniques are explained with reference to simple model problems. Some Navier-Stokes algorithms based on these techniques are mentioned. Results on transition simulation using these algorithms are presented.

Hussaini, M. Y.↗

Multigrid methods in structural mechanics

Although the application of multigrid methods to the equations of elasticity has been suggested, few such applications have been reported in the literature. In the present work, multigrid techniques are applied to the finite element analysis of a simply supported Bernoulli-Euler beam, and various aspects of the multigrid algorithm are studied and explained in detail. In this study, six grid levels were used to model half the beam. With linear prolongation and sequential ordering, the multigrid algorithm yielded results which were of machine accuracy with work equivalent to 200 standard Gauss-Seidel iterations on the fine grid. Also with linear prolongation and sequential ordering, the V(1,n) cycle with n greater than 2 yielded better convergence rates than the V(n,1) cycle. The restriction and prolongation operators were derived based on energy principles. Conserving energy during the inter-grid transfers required that the prolongation operator be the transpose of the restriction operator, and led to improved convergence rates. With energy-conserving prolongation and sequential ordering, the multigrid algorithm yielded results of machine accuracy with a work equivalent to 45 Gauss-Seidel iterations on the fine grid. The red-black ordering of relaxations yielded solutions of machine accuracy in a single V(1,1) cycle, which required work equivalent to about 4 iterations on the finest grid level.

Raju, I. S.↗

Preconditioners for the spectral multigrid method

The systems of algebraic equations which arise from spectral discretizations of elliptic equations are full and direct solutions of them are rarely feasible. Iterative methods are an attractive alternative because Fourier transform techniques enable the discrete matrix-vector products to be computed with nearly the same efficiency as is possible for corresponding but sparse finite difference discretizations. For realistic Dirichlet problem preconditioning is essential for acceptable convergence rates. A brief description of Chebyshev spectral approximations and spectral multigrid methods for elliptic problems is given. A survey of preconditioners for Dirichlet problems based on second-order finite difference methods is made. New preconditioning techniques based on higher order finite differences and on the spectral matrix itself are presented. The preconditioners are analyzed in terms of their spectra and numerical examples are presented.

Phillips, T. N.↗

Incipient transition phenomena in compressible flows over a flat plate

The full three-dimensional time-dependent compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved by a Fourier-Chebyshev method to study the stability of compressible flows over a flat plate. After the code is validated in the linear regime, it is applied to study the existence of the secondary instability mechanism in the supersonic regime.

Erlebacher, G.↗

A detailed numerical model of a supersonic reacting mixing layer

A current research effort is underway at the NASA Langley Research Center to achieve a detailed understanding of important phenomena present when a supersonic flow undergoes chemical reaction. A computer program has been developed to study the details of such flows. The program has been constructed to consider the multicomponent diffusion and convection of important species, the finite-rate reaction of these species, and the resulting interaction between the fluid mechanics and chemistry. Code results from the analysis of a spatially developing and reacting mixing layer are presented, and conclusions are drawn regarding the structure of the evolving layer and its associated flame.

Drummond, J. P.↗

On similarity solutions of a boundary layer problem with an upstream moving wall

The problem of a boundary layer on a flat plate which has a constant velocity opposite in direction to that of the uniform mainstream is examined. It was previously shown that the solution of this boundary value problem is crucially dependent on the parameter which is the ratio of the velocity of the plate to the velocity of the free stream. In particular, it was proved that a solution exists only if this parameter does not exceed a certain critical value, and numerical evidence was adduced to show that this solution is nonunique. Using Crocco formulation the present work proves this nonuniqueness. Also considered are the analyticity of solutions and the derivation of upper bounds on the critical value of wall velocity parameter.

Hussaini, M. Y.↗

Spectral methods in fluid dynamics

Fundamental aspects of spectral methods are introduced. Recent developments in spectral methods are reviewed with an emphasis on collocation techniques. Their applications to both compressible and incompressible flows, to viscous as well as inviscid flows, and also to chemically reacting flows are surveyed. The key role that these methods play in the simulation of stability, transition, and turbulence is brought out. A perspective is provided on some of the obstacles that prohibit a wider use of these methods, and how these obstacles are being overcome.

Hussaini, M. Y.↗

Advances in numerical and applied mathematics

This collection of papers covers some recent developments in numerical analysis and computational fluid dynamics. Some of these studies are of a fundamental nature. They address basic issues such as intermediate boundary conditions for approximate factorization schemes, existence and uniqueness of steady states for time dependent problems, and pitfalls of implicit time stepping. The other studies deal with modern numerical methods such as total variation diminishing schemes, higher order variants of vortex and particle methods, spectral multidomain techniques, and front tracking techniques. There is also a paper on adaptive grids. The fluid dynamics papers treat the classical problems of imcompressible flows in helically coiled pipes, vortex breakdown, and transonic flows.

South, J. C., Jr.↗

Simulation of the turbulent Rayleigh-Benard problem using a spectral/finite difference technique

The three-dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes and energy equations with the Bousinesq assumption have been directly simulated at a Rayleigh number of 3.8 x 10 to the 5th power and a Prandtl number of 0.76. In the vertical direction, wall boundaries were used and in the horizontal, periodic boundary conditions were used. A spectral/finite difference numerical method was used to simulate the flow. The flow at these conditions is turbulent and a sufficiently fine mesh was used to capture all relevant flow scales. The results of the simulation are compared to experimental data to justify the conclusion that the small scale motion is adequately resolved.

Eidson, T. M.↗

Existence and non-uniqueness of similarity solutions of a boundary-layer problem

A Blasius boundary value problem with inhomogeneous lower boundary conditions f(0) = 0 and f'(0) = - lambda with lambda strictly positive was considered. The Crocco variable formulation of this problem has a key term which changes sign in the interval of interest. It is shown that solutions of the boundary value problem do not exist for values of lambda larger than a positive critical value lambda. The existence of solutions is proven for 0 lambda lambda by considering an equivalent initial value problem. It is found however that for 0 lambda lambda, solutions of the boundary value problem are nonunique. Physically, this nonuniqueness is related to multiple values of the skin friction.

Hussaini, M. Y.↗

Preconditioned conjugate residual methods for the solution of spectral equations

Conjugate residual methods for the solution of spectral equations are described. An inexact finite-difference operator is introduced as a preconditioner in the iterative procedures. Application of these techniques is limited to problems for which the symmetric part of the coefficient matrix is positive definite. Although the spectral equation is a very ill-conditioned and full matrix problem, the computational effort of the present iterative methods for solving such a system is comparable to that for the sparse matrix equations obtained from the application of either finite-difference or finite-element methods to the same problems. Numerical experiments are shown for a self-adjoint elliptic partial differential equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions, and comparison with other solution procedures for spectral equations is presented.

Wong, Y. S.↗

On spectral multigrid methods for the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations

A splitting scheme is proposed for the numerical solution of the time-dependent, incompressible Navier-Stokes equations by spectral methods. A staggered grid is used for the pressure, improved intermediate boundary conditions are employed in the split step for the velocity, and spectral multigrid techniques are used for the solution of the implicit equations.

Zang, T. A.↗

Turbulence alteration due to shock motion

Physical and computational models are provided for three cases of shock motion-turbulence interaction: (1) the production of velocity fluctuations due to shock oscillations; (2) eddy alteration due to transient eddy shocklets; and (3) eddy production due to transient shock-entropy spottiness interactions. Shock motions are shown to be efficient in converting mean flow energy into fluctuation energy, and high-frequency induced shock motions produce intense vorticity fields from the incident mean flow. The effects of transient eddy shocklets created by subsonic eddy motion in a supersonic stream are discussed in detail.

Hussaini, M. Y.↗