Engineering topics

Liu, Yi

Publications and source records attributed to Liu, Yi.

24 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS2012

Preliminary Design and Evaluation of an Airfoil with Continuous Trailing-Edge Flap

This paper presents the preliminary design and evaluation of an airfoil with active continuous trailing-edge flap (CTEF) as a potential rotorcraft active control device. The development of structural cross-section models of a continuous trailing-edge flap airfoil is described. The CTEF deformations with MFC actuation are predicted by NASTRAN and UM/VABS analyses. Good agreement is shown between the predictions from the two analyses. Approximately two degrees of CTEF deflection, defined as the rotation angle of the trailing edge, is achieved with the baseline MFC-PZT bender. The 2D aerodynamic characteristics of the continuous trailing-edge flap are evaluated using a CFD analysis. The aerodynamic efficiency of a continuous trailing-edge flap is compared to that of a conventional discrete trailing-edge flap (DTEF). It is found that the aerodynamic characteristics of a CTEF are equivalent to those of a conventional DTEF with the same deflection angle but with a smaller flap chord. A fluid structure interaction procedure is implemented to predict the deflection of the continuous trailingedge flap under aerodynamic pressure. The reductions in CTEF deflection are overall small when aerodynamic pressure is applied: 2.7% reduction is shown with a CTEF deflection angle of two degrees and at angle of attack of six degrees. In addition, newly developed MFC-PMN actuator is found to be a good supplement to MFC-PZT when applied as the bender outside layers. A mixed MFC-PZT and MFC-PMN bender generates 3% more CTEF deformation than an MFC-PZT only bender and 5% more than an MFC-PMN only bender under aerodynamic loads.

Shen, Jinwei↗

NASA NTRS2011

Development and Validation of a Multidisciplinary Tool for Accurate and Efficient Rotorcraft Noise Prediction (MUTE)

A physics-based, systematically coupled, multidisciplinary prediction tool (MUTE) for rotorcraft noise was developed and validated with a wide range of flight configurations and conditions. MUTE is an aggregation of multidisciplinary computational tools that accurately and efficiently model the physics of the source of rotorcraft noise, and predict the noise at far-field observer locations. It uses systematic coupling approaches among multiple disciplines including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computational Structural Dynamics (CSD), and high fidelity acoustics. Within MUTE, advanced high-order CFD tools are used around the rotor blade to predict the transonic flow (shock wave) effects, which generate the high-speed impulsive noise. Predictions of the blade-vortex interaction noise in low speed flight are also improved by using the Particle Vortex Transport Method (PVTM), which preserves the wake flow details required for blade/wake and fuselage/wake interactions. The accuracy of the source noise prediction is further improved by utilizing a coupling approach between CFD and CSD, so that the effects of key structural dynamics, elastic blade deformations, and trim solutions are correctly represented in the analysis. The blade loading information and/or the flow field parameters around the rotor blade predicted by the CFD/CSD coupling approach are used to predict the acoustic signatures at far-field observer locations with a high-fidelity noise propagation code (WOPWOP3). The predicted results from the MUTE tool for rotor blade aerodynamic loading and far-field acoustic signatures are compared and validated with a variation of experimental data sets, such as UH60-A data, DNW test data and HART II test data.

Liu, Yi↗

NASA NTRS2007

TRMM-TMI Satellite Observed Soil Moisture and Vegetation Density (1998-2005) Show Strong Connection with El Nino in Eastern Australia

Spatiotemporal patterns in soil moisture and vegetation water content across mainland Australia were investigated from 1998 through 2005, using TRMMITMI passive microwave observations. The Empirical Orthogonal Function technique was used to extract dominant spatial and temporal patterns in retrieved estimates of moisture content for the top 1-cm of soil (theta) and vegetation moisture content (via optical depth tau). The dominant temporal theta and tau patterns were strongly correlated to El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in spring (3 = 0.90), and to a progressively lesser extent autumn, summer and winter. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) index also explained part of the variation in spring 8 and z. Cluster analysis suggested that the regions most affected by ENS0 are mainly located in eastern Australia. The results suggest that the drought conditions experienced in eastern Australia since 2000 an clearly expressed in these satellite observations have a strong connection with ENSO patterns.

Liu, Yi↗

NASA NTRS2005

Computational Evaluation of the Steady and Pulsed Jet Effects on the Performance of a Circulation Control Wing Section

Circulation Control technology is a very effective way of achieving high lift forces required by aircraft during take-off and landing. This technology can also directly control the flow field over the wing. Compared to a conventional high-lift system, a Circulation Control Wing (CCW) can generate comparable or higher lift forces during take-off/landing with fewer or no moving parts and much less complexity. In this work, an unsteady three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis procedure has been developed and applied to Circulation Control Wing configurations. The effects of 2-D steady jets and 2-D pulsed jets on the aerodynamic performance of CCW airfoils have been investigated. It is found that a steady jet can generate very high lift at zero angle of attack without stall, and that a small amount of blowing can eliminate vortex shedding at the trailing edge, a potential noise source. It is also found that a pulsed jet can achieve the same high lift as a steady jet at lower mass flow rates, especially at a high frequency, and that the Strouhal number has a more dominant effect on the pulsed jet performance than just the frequency or the free-stream velocity.

Liu, Yi↗

NASA NTRS2003

Numerical Simulations of the Steady and Unsteady Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Circulation Control Wing Airfoil

The aerodynamic characteristics of a Circulation Control Wing (CCW) airfoil have been numerically investigated, and comparisons with experimental data have been made. The configuration chosen was a supercritical airfoil with a 30 degree dual-radius CCW flap. Steady and pulsed jet calculations were performed. It was found that the use of steady jets, even at very small mass flow rates, yielded a lift coefficient that is comparable or superior to conventional high-lift systems. The attached flow over the flap also gave rise to lower drag coefficients, and high L/D ratios. Pulsed jets with a 50% duty cycle were also studied. It was found that they were effective in generating lift at lower reduced mass flow rates compared to a steady jet, provided the pulse frequency was sufficiently high. This benefit was attributable to the fact that the momentum coefficient of the pulsed jet, during the portions of the cycle when the jet was on, was typically twice as much as that of a steady jet.

Liu, Yi↗

NASA NTRS2003

Computational Evaluation of the Steady and Pulsed Jet Effects on the Performance of a Circulation Control Wing Section

Circulation Control Wing (CCW) technology is a very effective way of achieving very high lift coefficients needed by aircraft during take-off and landing. This technology can also be used to directly control the flow field over the wing. Compared to a conventional high-lift system, a Circulation Control Wing (CCW) can generate the required values of lift coefficient C(sub L,max) during take-off/landing with fewer or no moving parts and much less complexity. Earlier designs of CCW configurations used airfoils with a large radius rounded trailing edge to maximize the lift benefit. However, these designs also produced very high drag. These high drag levels associated with the blunt, large radius trailing edge can be prohibitive under cruise conditions when Circulation Control is no longer necessary. To overcome this difficulty, an advanced CCW section, i.e., a circulation hinged flap was developed to replace the original rounded trailing edge CC airfoil. This concept developed by Englar is shown. The upper surface of the CCW flap is a large-radius arc surface, but the lower surface of the flap is flat. The flap could be deflected from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. When an aircraft takes-off or lands, the flap is deflected as in a conventional high lift system. Then this large radius on the upper surface produces a large jet turning angle, leading to high lift. When the aircraft is in cruise, the flap is retracted and a conventional sharp trailing edge shape results, greatly reducing the drag. This kind of flap does have some moving elements that increase the weight and complexity over an earlier CCW design. But overall, the hinged flap design still maintains most of the Circulation Control high lift advantages, while greatly reducing the drag in cruising condition associated with the rounded trailing edge CCW design. In the present work, an unsteady three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis procedure has been developed and applied to this advanced CCW configuration. The solver can be used in both a 2-D and a 3-D mode, and can thus model airfoils as well as finite wings. The jet slot location, slot height, and the flap angle can all be varied easily and individually in the grid generator and the flow solver. Steady jets, pulsed jets, the leading edge and trailing edge blowing can all be studied with this solver.

Liu, Yi↗