Engineering topics

Wang, T. G.

Publications and source records attributed to Wang, T. G..

At least 19 records

NASA NTRS2003

Experiments on Suppression of Thermocapillary Oscillations in Float-Zones by High-Frequency End-Wall Vibrations

Experiments to suppress thermocapillary oscillations using high-frequency vibrations were performed on float-zones. Such a float-zone is formed by melting one end of a vertically held sodium nitrate-barium nitrate crystal rod in contact with a hot surface at the top. In the experiments, when thermocapillary oscillation occurred, the bottom end of the rod was vibrated at a high frequency to generate fine ripples on the melt surface, driving a streaming flow in the opposite direction to that of the thermocapillary convection. It was observed that by generating a sufficiently strong streaming flow the thermocapillary flow can be offset enough such that the associated thermocapillarity oscillations can be quenched.

Anilkumar, A. V.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Studies of the Stability and Dynamics of Levitated Drops

This is a review of our experimental and theoretical studies relating to equilibrium and stability of liquid drops, typically of low viscosity, levitated in air by a sound field. The major emphasis here is on the physical principles and understanding behind the stability of levitated drops. A comparison with experimental data is also given, along with some fascinating pictures from high-speed photography. One of the aspects we shall deal with is how a drop can suddenly burst in an intense sound field; a phenomenon which can find applications in atomization technology. Also, we are currently investigating the phenomenon of suppression of coalescence between drops levitated in intense acoustic fields.

Anikumar, A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Control of thermocapillary convection in a liquid bridge by vibration

The streaming induced in a short vertical liquid column by the vibration of one of the supporting end walls has been utilized in this novel study. Vibration essentially drives a surface flow in the zone away from the vibrating wall, with the return flow in the bulk towards the wall. Preliminary measurements of the surface streaming velocity show that it increases with the frequency and amplitude of vibration and the zone length and decreases with the viscosity of the zone liquid. This controlled surface streaming has been employed to balance an opposing steady thermocapillary flow in a model half-zone of silicone oil. In addition to the evidence gathered through flow visualization, temperature measurements in the zone reveal that the radial temperature gradients set up by the thermocapillary flow are weakened/offset by this balancing.

Anilkumar, A. V.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A preliminary analysis of the USML-1 drop dynamics experimental results

This is a quick-look report of the results of the drop dynamics experiments that were conducted in the Drop Physics Module aboard the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) Space Shuttle mission (STS 50) from June 25 to July 9, 1992. Two types of drop dynamics experiments namely: rotations of spherical drops and oscillations of simple and compound drops were studied. Preliminary results indicate that for the rotating liquid drop experiments, the experimental data agrees well with the theoretical (numerical) predictions in the axisymmetric and the two-lobed regions. The dynamics of the bifurcation point was studied, and it was found that the shift in the bifurcation point, due to drop deformation and due to spin-up and spin-down, coroborates the previous experimental data.

Wang, T. G.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The effect of axial crucible rotation on microstructural uniformity during horizontal directional solidification

The effects on microstructure of crucible orientation with respect to the earth's gravitational vector, g, during directional solidification of low-volume fraction copper and aluminum, Pb-Cu, and Sn-Al alloys are examined. It is demonstrated that horizontal alignment (i.e. perpendicular to g) in combination with axial rotation of the crucible during growth is sufficient to negate factors which initiate macrosegregation, e.g. density gradients attributed to temperature and/or compositional differences, and promotes a uniform microstructure.

Grugel, R. N.↗

NASA NTRS1992

The influence of processing parameters on microstructural development of low-weight-percent primary, pro-eutectic, dendritic alloys during directional solidification

Alloy compositions centering about Sn- 5 to 15 wt pct Al and Pb- 4 to 20 wt pct Cu have been directionally solidified as a function of growth rate and orientation with respect to earth's gravity vector. The effect of these processing variables on macrosegregation is presented, and the consequence of a structural transition from primary columnar to equiaxed dendritic growth is examined. Effects detrimental to microstructure and attributed to density variations are shown to be minimized by a novel processing technique. In view of the ground-based results, some considerations follow regarding what might be gained by solidifying these alloys in a microgravity environment.

Grugel, R. N.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Static shape and instability of an acoustically levitated liquid drop

Dynamical aspects of a drop drastically flattened by acoustic radiation stress are considered. Its static equilibrium has been studied, starting with a dislike shape and modeling the sound field and the associated radiation stress according to this geometry. It is suggested that, at low viscosity, the ripples are capillary waves generated by the parametric instability excited by the membrane vibration, which is driven by the sound pressure. Atomization occurs whenever the membrane becomes so thin that the vibration is sufficiently intense. Buckling occurs when an existent equilibrium is unstable to a radial oscillation of the membrane because of the Bernoulli effect. The radiation stress at the rim of the flattened drop is also destabilizing and leads to horizontal expansion and subsequent breakup.

Lee, C. P.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Surface-tension-induced mixing following coalescence of initially stationary drops

The momentumless coalescence of drops of the same liquid, separated by an immiscible host, is studied experimentally. Observations show that for low-viscosity drops of unequal sizes, there is considerable mixing following coalescence, with the smaller drop penetrating the larger drop as a vortex. The extreme case of coalescence of a small drop with the bulk of the same liquid at a flat interface with an immiscible liquid is studied in detail. The penetration depths of small drops (1-5 mm) following coalescence are measured and correlated with theoretical predictions. It is found that in the range of the investigation, the penetration depth is proportional to the 5/4 power of drop diameter and inversely proportional to the square root of the drop viscosity.

Anilkumar, A. V.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A comparison of mechanical properties of some foams and honeycombs

A comparative study is conducted of the mechanical properties of foam-core and honeycomb-core sandwich panels, using a normalizing procedure based on common properties of cellular solids and related properties of dense solids. Seven different honeycombs and closed-foam cells are discussed; of these, three are commercial Al alloy honeycombs, one is an Al-alloy foam, and two are polymeric foams. It is concluded that ideal, closed-cell foams may furnish compressive strengths which while isotropic can be fully comparable to the compressive strengths of honeycombs in the thickness direction. The shear strength of ideal closed-cell foams may be superior to the shear strength of honeycombs.

Bhat, Balakrishna T.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Drop coalescence studies

The objective of this experimental study is to understand the detailed mechanics of the coalescence of liquid drops. The experiments are being conducted in an immiscible acoustic levitator with degassed water as the host medium. Typically, a quasineutrally buoyant drop of silicon oil mixed with bromobenzene is levitated close to the velocity node of the levitator. A second drop of the same liquid is introduced, and as it slowly seeks levitation position, the drops coalesce. Coalescence is delayed until the host film between drops is completely drained. Following coalescence, the excess surface energy in the coalesced drop is dissipated through shape oscillations. The final events of film rupture followed by drop coalescence are rapid and are photographically studied with high-speed video (1000 fps). The laser-induced fluorescence technique is used to visualize the dynamics of host film drainage. The details of the coalescence mechanics are presented.

Anikumar, A. V.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The theoretical model for the annular jet instability - Revisited

The theoretical model of Lee and Wang (1986) for the instability of an annular jet, in which the jet's liquid layer is treated as a thin liquid sheet, is examined. It is suggested that the model should be altered so that when the envelope is closing its bottleneck during collapse, the new envelope experiences a sharp pressure pulse from its gaseous core, reversing the normal velocity of the sheet enough to maintain continuous constant gas flow. Using this improved version of the model, it is shown that if the liquid velocity is high enough and the gas velocity is greater than the liquid velocity, the bubble-formation frequency varies linearly with the difference between the two velocities, but not with their individual values.

Lee, C. P.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Acoustic containerless experiment system: A non-contact surface tension measurement

The Acoustic Containerless Experiment System (ACES) was flown on STS 41-B in February 1984 and was scheduled to be reflown in 1986. The primary experiment that was to be conducted with the ACES module was the containerless melting and processing of a fluoride glass sample. A second experiment that was to be conducted was the verification of a non-contact surface tension measurement technique using the molten glass sample. The ACES module consisted of a three-axis acoustic positioning module that was inside an electric furnace capable of heating the system above the melting temperature of the sample. The acoustic module is able to hold the sample with acoustic forces in the center of the chamber and, in addition, has the capability of applying a modulating force on the sample along one axis of the chamber so that the molten sample or liquid drop could be driven into one of its normal oscillation modes. The acoustic module could also be adjusted so that it could place a torque on the molten drop and cause the drop to rotate. In the ACES, a modulating frequency was applied to the drop and swept through a range of frequencies that would include the n = 2 mode. A maximum amplitude of the drop oscillation would indicate when resonance was reached and from that data the surface tension could be calculated. For large viscosity samples, a second technique for measuring surface tension was developed. The results of the ACES experiment and some of the problems encountered during the actual flight of the experiment will be discussed.

Elleman, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The dynamics of free liquid drops

The behavior of rotating and oscillating free liquid drops was studied by many investigators theoretically for many years. More recent numerical treatments have yielded predictions which are yet to be verified experimentally. The purpose is to report the results of laboratory work as well as that of the experiments carried out in space during the flight of Spacelab 3, and to compare it with the existing theoretical studies. Ground-based experiments were attempted as a first approximation to the ideal boundary conditions used by the theoretical treatments by neutralizing the overwhelming effects of the Earth's gravitational field with an outside supporting liquid and with the use of levitation technology. The viscous and inertial loading of such a suspending fluid was found to profoundly effect the results, but the information thus gathered has emphasized the uniqueness of the experimental data obtained in the low-gravity environment of space.

Wang, T. G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Containerless science for materials processing

Containerless materials processing in space to restrict specimen deformation from hydrostatic pressure of contact with the container is discussed. Several containerless science studies are reviewed, including the study of drop dynamics, nucleation studies, metastable solid phases experiments, glass research, biological materials research, and protein crystal growth. The development of technologies for materials research in space are examined, including acoustic containerless systems, and electrostatic and electromagnetic containerless processing.

Wang, T. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Analysis of gravity and conduction-driven melting in a sphere

An approach similar to those employed in the theories of lubrication and film condensation is applied to the problem of melting within a sphere. An approximate closed-form solution is obtained which yields relationships between the solid speed, position, and time. The results are compared with those obtained by Bareiss and Beer (1984) for the case of melting in a horizontal cylinder.

Bahrami, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Dynamics of rotating and oscillating drops

The dynamics of rotation and oscillation is investigated of a freely suspended liquid drop under the influence of surface tension and positioned inside an experimental apparatus by acoustic forces in the low acceleration environment of Spacelab 3. After a drop was observed to be spherical and stably located at the center of the chamber, it was set into rotation or oscillation by acoustic torque or modulated radiation pressure force.

Wang, T. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Gravity and conduction driven melting in a sphere

In the Stefan and Neumann problems fundamentally characterizing melting, unmolten portions of a solid undergoing phase changes within spherical containers are assumed to remain stationary. An approach to these issues that is related to the theories of lubrication and film condensation is presently employed in conjunction with an approximate, closed-form solution of melting within spheres. It is shown that a group of dimensionless parameters containing Prandtl, Archimides and Stefan numbers can describe the melting process. Also given are the results of fundamental heat transfer experiments performed on the melting of a phase-change medium in a spherical shell.

Bahrami, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Storing Chemicals in Packed Spheres

Reactants released by crushing or puncturing. Agglomerated gas-filled spheres hexagonally close packed and sintered or glued together into rods strung together at ends. Rods fed into crushing machine to release material in spheres as needed.

Wang, T. G.↗