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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Further Examination of the Vibratory Loads Reduction Results from the NASA/ARMY/MIT Active Twist Rotor Test

The vibration reduction capabilities of a model rotor system utilizing controlled, strain-induced blade twisting are examined. The model rotor blades, which utilize piezoelectric active fiber composite actuators, were tested in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel using open-loop control to determine the effect of active-twist on rotor vibratory loads. The results of this testing have been encouraging, and have demonstrated that active-twist rotor designs offer the potential for significant load reductions in future helicopter rotor systems. Active twist control was found to use less than 1% of the power necessary to operate the rotor system and had a pronounced effect on both rotating- and fixed-system loads, offering reductions in individual harmonic loads of up to 100%. A review of the vibration reduction results obtained is presented, which includes a limited set of comparisons with results generated using the second-generation version of the Comprehensive Analytical Model of Rotorcraft Aerodynamics and Dynamics (CAMRAD II) rotorcraft comprehensive analysis.

Wilbur, Matthew L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A new blade element method for calculating the performance of high and intermediate solidity axial flow fans

A method is presented to design and predict the performance of axial flow rotors operating in a duct. The same method is suitable for the design of ducted fans and open propellers. The unified method is based on the blade element approach and the vortex theory for determining the three dimensional effects, so that two dimensional airfoil data can be used for determining the resultant force on each blade element. Resolution of this force in the thrust and torque planes and integration allows the total performance of the rotor, fan or propeller to be predicted. Three different methods of analysis, one based on a momentum flow theory; another on the vortex theory of propellers; and a third based on the theory of ducted fans, agree and reduce cascade airfoil data to single line as a function of the loading and induced angle of attack at values of constant inflow angle. The theory applies for any solidity from .01 to over 1 and any blade section camber. The effects of the duct and blade number can be determined so that the procedure applies over the entire range from two blade open propellers, to ducted helicopter tail rotors, to axial flow compressors with or without guide vanes, and to wind tunnel drive fans.

Borst, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Measurements of control stability characteristics of a wind-tunnel model using a transfer function method

Recent state-of-the-art techniques in rotor systems include the use of active feedback to augment the dynamic control characteristics of an aircraft system. A recent test of a stoppable rotor with blade circulation blowing was conducted in the Ames Research Center's 40by 80-ft wind tunnel. A major part of the test schedule was dedicated to the acquisition of data to determine the stability of a closed-loop hub-moment feedback control system. Therefore, the open-loop control response was measured at several flight conditions to ascertain the stability of the system prior to the final closed-loop feedback control test. Measurements were made during both the stopped and rotating rotor modes, and open-loop Bode plots were obtained for the control loops associated with the moments about the longitudinal and lateral axis.

Chopra, I.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An evaluation of some strategies for vibration control of flexible rotors

There is evidence that the reliability of magnetic bearings has achieved an acceptable level in applications when high cost can be tolerated. This acceptability would be enhanced if the inherent capability of magnetic bearings as active control elements were fully used. The technological and commercial promise of magnetic bearings will be fulfilled only if attention is focussed on the control problems associated with their use. The open loop adaptive control algorithm provides an efficient method of controlling the vibration of rotors without the need of a prior knowledge of parameter values. It overcomes the disadvantages normally associated with open loop control while avoiding the problem of instability associated with closed loop control algorithms. The algorithm is conceptually satisfying because it uses the capability of magnetic bearings as fully active vibration control elements rather than limiting them to act as adjustable stiffness and damping elements, as is the case when they are used with local position and velocity feedback.

Burrows, C. R.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Rotor Geometry

The NASA Mars Helicopter Ingenuity performed its maiden flight on April 19, 2021, and opened new possibilities for planetary exploration. Ingenuity has ended its mission after experiencing an anomaly during its 72nd flight on January 18, 2024. Due to the low density and low temperature of the surface atmosphere on Mars, significant challenges must be overcome to achieve aerodynamic performance. The low density of the Martian atmosphere and the relatively small-scale rotor result in flows with very low Reynolds number, reducing the lifting force and lifting efficiency, respectively. Until recently, compressible flow at Reynolds numbers around Re = 10,000 was of moderate practical interest but with the success of Ingenuity, the aerodynamic regime is appreciating considerable attention. The purpose of this report is to document the geometry (planform, twist, and airfoils) of the Mars Helicopter rotor, for use in future research on rotor performance in the Mars atmosphere.

Mars↗
NASA NTRS1977

Effects of tip clearance on overall performance of transonic fan stage with and without casing treatment

The overall performance of a transonic fan stage is presented for various tip clearances, with and without casing treatment. The stage was tested with a solid casing, and with open skewed slots and closed skewed slots in the casing over the rotor blade tips. Four nominal nonrotating rotor blade tip clearances from 0.061 to 0.178 centimeter were used. For all three casings, the pressure ratio and efficiency decreased with increasing tip clearance. The stall margin for a given casing also decreased with increasing clearance. At design speed and a given tip clearance, the highest stall margin was obtained with the open-slot casing, and the lowest stall margin was obtained with the solid casing.

Moore, R. D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Near wake evolution of a tidal stream turbine due to asymmetric sheared turbulent inflow with different integral length scales

Tidal stream turbines deployed at highly energetic open water sites are subjected to sheared inflow in the rotor plane. The inflow shear is expected to cause asymmetric loading on the rotor blades and affect the downstream wake. In the current study, two different turbulent inflow conditions, static-high shear and dynamic shear, were generated via an active-grid turbulence generator. A 1:20 scaled three-bladed horizontal axis tidal turbine model was tested in those conditions. The results were compared to a quasi-laminar case with no imposed turbulence or shear. The results show that the high shear reduces the average performance, with a drop of up to 16% in the optimal power coefficient. Besides, the shear profiles increase torque fluctuations and induce significant differences in wake hydrodynamics between the high-speed (upper) and low-speed (lower) regions. The large integral length scales further enhance the load fluctuations perceived by the rotor but have a negligible effect on the mean wake field quantities and the wake recovery. The lower half region featured a faster breakdown of tip vortex structure and a rapid drop of swirl number, a phenomenon conjectured to be a consequence of the strong turbulence intensities and Reynolds stresses in the lower half region. Furthermore, the sheared turbulent inflow also results in a very intensive energy redistribution process towards large-scale, low-frequency motions, which is important to the downstream turbines.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
NASA NTRS1971

Acoustic testing of a 1.5 pressure ratio low tip speed fan with casing tip bleed (QEP Fan B scale model)

A scale model of the bypass flow region of a 1.5 pressure ratio, single stage, low tip speed fan was tested with a rotor tip casing bleed slot to determine its effects on noise generation. The bleed slot was located 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) upstream of the rotor leading edge and was configured to be a continuous opening around the circumference. The bleed manifold system was operated over a range of bleed rates corresponding to as much as 6% of the fan flow at approach thrust and 4.25% of the fan flow at takeoff thrust. Acoustic results indicate that a bleed rate of 4% of the fan flow reduces the fan maximum approach 200 foot (61.0 m) sideline PNL 0.5 PNdB and the corresponding takeoff thrust noise 1.1 PNdB below the level with zero bleed. However, comparison of the standard casing (no bleed slot) and the slotted bleed casing with zero bleed shows that the bleed slot itself caused a noise increase.

Kazin, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Analytical and experimental study of high phase order induction motors

Induction motors having more than three phases were investigated to determine their suitability for electric vehicle applications. The objective was to have a motor with a current rating lower than that of a three-phase motor. The name chosen for these is high phase order (HPO) motors. Motors having six phases and nine phases were given the most attention. It was found that HPO motors are quite suitable for electric vehicles, and for many other applications as well. They have characteristics which are as good as or better than three-phase motors for practically all applications where polyphase induction motors are appropriate. Some of the analysis methods are presented, and several of the equivalent circuits which facilitate the determination of harmonic currents and losses, or currents with unbalanced sources, are included. The sometimes large stator currents due to harmonics in the source voltages are pointed out. Filters which can limit these currents were developed. An analysis and description of these filters is included. Experimental results which confirm and illustrate much of the theory are also included. These include locked rotor test results and full-load performance with an open phase. Also shown are oscillograms which display the reduction in harmonic currents when a filter is used with the experimental motor supplied by a non-sinusoidal source.

Klingshirn, Eugene A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

The development of experimental techniques for the study of helicopter rotor noise

The features of existing wind tunnels involved in noise studies are discussed. The acoustic characteristics of the MIT low noise open jet wind tunnel are obtained by employing calibration techniques: one technique is to measure the decay of sound pressure with distance in the far field; the other technique is to utilize a speaker, which was calibrated, as a sound source. The sound pressure level versus frequency was obtained in the wind tunnel chamber and compared with the corresponding calibrated values. Fiberglas board-block units were installed on the chamber interior. The free field was increased significantly after this treatment and the chamber cut-off frequency was reduced to 160 Hz from the original designed 250 Hz. The flow field characteristics of the rotor-tunnel configuration were studied by using flow visualization techniques. The influence of open-jet shear layer on the sound transmission was studied by using an Aeolian tone as the sound source. A dynamometer system was designed to measure the steady and low harmonics of the rotor thrust. A theoretical Mach number scaling formula was developed to scale the rotational noise and blade slap noise data of model rotors to full scale helicopter rotors.

Widnall, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1996

An Experimental Determination of Losses in a 3-Port Wave Rotor

Wave rotors, used in a gas turbine topping cycle, offer a potential route to higher specific power and lower specific fuel consumption. In order to exploit this potential properly, it is necessary to have some realistic means of calculating wave rotor performance, taking losses into account, so that wave rotors can be designed for good performance. This in turn requires a knowledge of the loss mechanisms. The experiment reported here was designed as a statistical experiment to identify the losses due to finite passage opening time, friction, and leakage. For simplicity, the experiment used a 3-port, flow divider, wave cycle, but the results should be applicable to other cycles. A 12 inch diameter rotor was used, with two different lengths, 9 inches and 18 inches, and two different passage widths, 0.25 inch and 0.54 inch, in order to vary friction and opening time. To vary leakage, moveable end-walls were provided so that the rotor to end-wall gap could be adjusted. The experiment is described, and the results are presented, together with a parametric fit to the data. The fit shows that there will be an optimum passage width for a given wave rotor, since, as the passage width increases, friction losses decrease, but opening-time losses increase, and vice-versa. Leakage losses can be made small at reasonable gap sizes.

Wilson, Jack↗
NASA NTRS1974

Optimal control theory investigation of proprotor/wing response to vertical gust

Optimal control theory is used to design linear state variable feedback to improve the dynamic characteristics of a rotor and cantilever wing representing the tilting proprotor aircraft in cruise flight. The response to a vertical gust and system damping are used as criteria for the open and closed loop performance. The improvement in the dynamic characteristics achievable is examined for a gimballed rotor and for a hingeless rotor design. Several features of the design process are examined, including: (1) using only the wing or only the rotor dynamics in the control system design; (2) the use of a wing flap as well as the rotor controls for inputs; (3) and the performance of the system designed for one velocity at other forward speeds.

Frick, J. K. D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

A numerical model for dynamic wave rotor analysis

A numerical model has been developed which can predict the dynamic (and steady state) performance of a wave rotor, given the geometry and time dependent boundary conditions. The one-dimensional, perfect gas, CFD based code tracks the gasdynamics in each of the wave rotor passages as they rotate past the various ducts. The model can operate both on and off-design, allowing dynamic behavior to be studied throughout the operating range of the wave rotor. The model accounts for several major loss mechanisms including finite passage opening time, fluid friction, heat transfer to and from the passage walls, and leakage to and from the passage ends. In addition, it can calculate the amount of work transferred to and from the fluid when the flow in the ducts is not aligned with the passages such as occurs in off-design operation. Since it is one-dimensional, the model runs reasonably fast on a typical workstation. This paper will describe the model and present the results of some transient calculations for a conceptual four port wave rotor designed as a topping cycle for a small gas turbine engine.

Paxson, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS2020

An Over-the-Rotor Liner Investigation with Configurations Enabled by Additive Manufacturing

This paper presents the results of an investigation of over-the-rotor acoustic liner configurations enabled by additive manufacturing. NASA Langley and Glenn Research Centers have collaborated on the usage of acoustic liners in the turbofan aircraft engine nacelle wall at or very near the tip of the rotor. These liners absorb rotor-alone and rotor-stator interaction noise and, due to their proximity to the rotor tips, serve as a pressure release to inhibit the amount of generated noise. Initial tests with a metallic foam liner demonstrated good acoustic results, but there was concern regarding the durability of the material. NASA then decided to explore configurations enabled by additive manufacturing via tests in the NASA Langley Normal Incidence Tube. Measured data for uniform-depth and variable-depth cores with narrow and wide chambers were compared with predictions via the NASA Langley impedance prediction model. As these configurations were intended for eventual use in an over-the-rotor application, it was necessary to add facesheets to the wide-chamber cores to avoid deleterious flow effects caused by open cavities. A number of facesheets were tested in combination with each wide-chamber core. Finally, it has been shown that grooves near the rotor tips cause an improvement in aerodynamic performance. A small set of grooves were fabricated such that they could be combined with the wide-chamber configurations. The results of these tests were subsequently used to guide designs for further testing in higher technology readiness level test rigs at NASA Glenn Research Center.

acoustic↗
NASA NTRS1993

Initial results from the NASA-Lewis wave rotor experiment

Wave rotors may play a role as topping cycles for jet engines, since by their use, the combustion temperature can be raised without increasing the turbine inlet temperature. In order to design a wave rotor for this, or any other application, knowledge of the loss mechanisms is required, and also how the design parameters affect those losses. At NASA LeRC, a 3-port wave rotor experiment operating on the flow-divider cycle, has been started with the objective of determining the losses. The experimental scheme is a three factor Box-Behnken design, with passage opening time, friction factor, and leakage gap as the factors. Variation of these factors is provided by using two rotors, of different length, two different passage widths for each rotor, and adjustable leakage gap. In the experiment, pressure transducers are mounted on the rotor, and give pressure traces as a function of rotational angle at the entrance and exit of a rotor passage. In addition, pitot rakes monitor the stagnation pressures for each port, and orifice meters measure the mass flows. The results show that leakage losses are very significant in the present experiment, but can be reduced considerably by decreasing the rotor to wall clearance spacing.

Wilson, Jack↗
NASA NTRS1993

Initial results from the NASA Lewis wave rotor experiment

Wave rotors may play a role as topping cycles for jet engines, since by their use, the combustion temperature can be raised without increasing the turbine inlet temperature. In order to design a wave rotor for this, or any other application, knowledge of the loss mechanisms is required, and also how the design parameters affect those losses. At NASA LeRC, a 3-port wave rotor experiment operating on the flow-divider cycle, has been started with the objective of determining the losses. The experimental scheme is a three factor Box-Behnken design, with passage opening time, friction factor, and leakage gap as the factors. Variation of these factors is provided by using two rotors, of different length, two different passage widths for each rotor, and adjustable leakage gap. In the experiment, pressure transducers are mounted on the rotor, and give pressure traces as a function of rotational angle at the entrance and exit of a rotor passage. In addition, pitot rakes monitor the stagnation pressures for each port, and orifice meters measure the mass flows. The results show that leakage losses are very significant in the present experiment, but can be reduced considerably by decreasing the rotor to wall clearance spacing.

Wilson, Jack↗
NASA NTRS1980

Dynamic characteristics of a high-speed rotor with radial and axial foil-bearing supports

An asymmetric rotor (19N; 4.3 lb), supported radially and axially by compliant bearings is subjected to severe excitation by rotating unbalance in the 'pitching' mode at speeds to 50,000 rpm. The resilient, air-lubricated bearings provide very effective damping, so that regions of resonance and instability can be traversed with amplitudes and limit-trajectories within acceptable bounds. A novel journal bearing is introduced, in which a resilient support is furnished by the outer turn of the coiled foil-element bent to form an open polygon. The experimental apparatus and procedure are described, and the response of the rotor and flexible support system are documented by oscilloscope records of motion.

Licht, L.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Preliminary Altitude Performance Characteristics of the J57-P-1 Turbojet Engine with Fixed-area Exhaust Nozzle

An investigation to determine the altitude performance of the J57-P-1 turbojet engine and components was conducted at the NACA Lewis altitude wind tunnel. Data were obtained over a corrected inboard rotor speed range from 56 to 106 percent of rated speed, with intercompressor bleeds both open and closed, at altitudes from 15,000 to 50,000 feet and at a flight Mach number of 0.81. The corresponding range of Reynolds number indices was from 0.858 to 0.213. All data presented were obtained with a fixed-area exhaust nozzle sized according to the manufacturer's specification. Over-all engine performance parameters are presented as functions of inboard rotor speed corrected on the basis of engine inlet temperature. Component parameters are presented as functions of their respective corrected rotor speeds. A tabulation of all performance data is included in addition to the graphical presentation. Corrected net thrust is unusually sensitive to changes in corrected inboard rotor speed in the high speed region. A change of 1 percent in speed, at sated speed, produced a change of 6 percent in corrected net thrust . At rated engine speed, increasing the altitude from 15,000 to 50,000 feet at a constant flight Mach number of 0.81 increased the specific fuel consumption 13 percent but did not affect corrected net thrust.

Bloomer, Harry E.↗