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At least 181 records · Page 10

Assessment of nonequilibrium radiation computation methods for hypersonic flows

The present understanding of shock-layer radiation in the low density regime, as appropriate to hypersonic vehicles, is surveyed. Based on the relative importance of electron excitation and radiation transport, the hypersonic flows are divided into three groups: weakly ionized, moderately ionized, and highly ionized flows. In the light of this division, the existing laboratory and flight data are scrutinized. Finally, an assessment of the nonequilibrium radiation computation methods for the three regimes in hypersonic flows is presented. The assessment is conducted by comparing experimental data against the values predicted by the physical model.

Sharma, Surendra↗

Impact of Coupled Radiation and Ablation on the Aerothermodynamics of Meteor Entries

A high-fidelity approach for simulating the aerothermodynamic environments of meteor entries is developed. Two primary components of this model are coupled radiation and coupled ablation. Coupled radiation accounts for the impact of radiation on the flow field energy equations, while coupled ablation explicitly models the injection of ablation products within the flow field and radiation simulations. For a meteoroid with a velocity of 20 km/s, coupled radiation reduces the stagnation point radiative heating by over 60%. For altitudes below 40 km, the impact of coupled radiation on the flow field structure is shown to be fundamentally different, as a result of the large optical thicknesses, than that seen for reentry vehicles, which do not reach such altitudes at velocities greater than 10 km/s. The impact of coupled ablation (with coupled radiation) is shown to provide at least a 70% reduction in the radiative heating relative to the coupled-radiation-only cases. This large reduction is partially the result of the low ionization energies, relative to air species, of ablation products. The low ionization energies of ablation products, such as Mg and Ca, provide strong photoionization and atomic line absorption in regions of the spectrum that air species do not. MgO and CaO are also shown to provide significant absorption. Turbulence is shown to impact the distribution of ablation products through the shock- layer, which results in up to a 100% increase in the radiative heating downstream of the stagnation point. To create a database of heat transfer coefficients the developed model was applied to a range of cases. This database considered velocities ranging from 14 to 20 km/s, altitudes ranging from 20 to 50 km, and nose radii ranging from 1 to 100 m. The heat transfer coefficients from these simulations are below 0.045 for the range of cases (with turbulence), which is significantly lower than the canonical value of 0.1.

Johnston, Christopher O.↗

Inferring the temperature profile of the radiative shock in the COAX experiment with shock radiography, Dante, and spectral temperature diagnostics

Predicting and modeling the behavior of experiments with radiation waves propagating through low-density foams require a detailed quantification of the numerous uncertainties present. In regimes where a prominent radiative shock is produced, key dynamical features include the shock position, temperature, and curvature and the spatial distribution and temperature of the corresponding supersonic radiation wave. The COAX experimental platform is designed to constrain numerical models of such a radiative shock propagating through a low-density foam by employing radiography for spatial and shock information, Dante for characterizing the x-ray flux from the indirectly driven target, and a novel spectral diagnostic designed to probe the temperature profile of the wave. In this work, we model COAX with parameterized 2D simulations and a Hohlraum-laser modeling package to study uncertainties in diagnosing the experiment. The inferred temperature profile of the COAX radiation transport experiments has been shown to differ from simulations more than expected from drive uncertainties that have been constrained by simultaneous soft x-ray flux and radiography measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Evaluating Three Active Thermal Architectures for Exploration Missions

Mass and cost are typically the two biggest challenges facing space craft designers. Active thermal control systems for crewed space-craft are typically among the more massive and costly systems on the vehicle. A study was completed evaluating three different thermal control system architectures to evaluate overall performance, mass and cost for a typical exploration mission profile. The architectures that were evaluated were 1 - a two-loop system using an internal liquid loop interfacing with an external liquid loop and flow loop with flow through radiators; 2 - a-single loop architecture with flow through radiators utilizing a regenerative heat exchanger and heater; and 3 - a single-loop architecture with heat pipe radiators. Environmental conditions, calculated for a given lunar exploration mission, and mission heat load profiles, generated based on previous Orion time lines, were evalauated through the phases of the on orbit mission. Performance for each of the architectures was evaluated along with the resultant mass of each system. Recommendations include adding a thermal topping system to lunar missions due to the extreme hot environments encountered in near-lunar approaches.

Cross, Cynthia D.↗

Investgation of radiative interactions in high-speed entrance region flows

The influence of radiative energy transfer on the entrance region flow is investigated under supersonic and subsonic flow conditions in a channel. Two-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved numerically in conjunction with the radiative flux equations. The channel walls are assumed to be black. Nongray as well as pseudo gray gas models are used to represent the absorption-emission characteristic of the medium. The participating species considered are different amounts of water vapor in water vapor-air mixtures. Results obtained for different flow conditions indicate that the radiative interaction can moderately influence the overall energy transfer, but the flowfield is not changed significantly.

Tiwari, S. N.↗

Radiation shear-stress heating in accretion flows

The effects of radiation shear stresses acting in accretion disks and boundary layers are considered. It is demonstrated that these stresses are dynamically unimportant for nonrelativistic flows. For accretion onto a black hole or nonmagnetic neutron star, where the system is relativistic, radiation shear stresses can contribute substantially to the total luminosity of the system. The spectral and temporal signatures of this form of heating are discussed, and those features which are unique to radiative dissipation are emphasized. The results are in broad agreement with the spectra of the nonmagnetic X-ray binary systems, including Cyg X-1.

Walker, Mark A.↗

Radiation-Spray Coupling for Realistic Flow Configurations

Three Large Eddy Simulations (LES) for a lean-direct injection (LDI) combustor are performed and compared. In addition to the cold flow simulation, the effect of radiation coupling with the multi-physics reactive flow is analyzed. The flame let progress variable approach is used as a subgrid combustion model combined with a stochastic subgrid model for spray atomization and an optically thin radiation model. For accurate chemistry modeling, a detailed Jet-A surrogate mechanism is utilized. To achieve realistic inflow, a simple recycling technique is performed at the inflow section upstream of the swirler. Good comparison is shown with the experimental data mean and root mean square profiles. The effect of combustion is found to change the shape and size of the central recirculation zone. Radiation is found to change the spray dynamics and atomization by changing the heat release distribution and the local temperature values impacting the evaporation process. The simulation with radiation modeling shows wider range of droplet size distribution by altering the evaporation rate. The current study proves the importance of radiation modeling for accurate prediction in realistic spray combustion configurations, even for low pressure systems.

El-Asrag, Hossam↗

Analysis of acoustic radiation in a jet flow environment

The analysis of sound fields from arbitrary source distributions in terms of Legendre and spherical Hankel functions is well known. The purpose of this paper is to extend this classical method of analysis to environments such as jet flows where flow and flow gradients are inherently present. The wave-equation governing the radiation of sound in such an environment is derived. The steady state flow and flow gradients in the axial and transverse directions appear as coefficients in the terms of the wave-equation. A semi-numerical method is used to solve the wave-equation in terms of modified spherical harmonics yielding the phase velocities and the directivities of an infinite set of modes. The directivity of each mode is obtained in terms of modified Legendre functions by numerical integration. Some results of these directivity and phase-velocity calculations are presented for a limited number of frequency and flow parameters. Both convective and shear refraction are shown to be important.

Mungur, P.↗

Experimental investigation of the radiation of sound from an unflanged duct and a bellmouth, including the flow effect

The radiation of sound from an inlet as a function of flow velocity, frequency, duct mode structure, and inlet geometry was examined by using a spinning mode synthesizer to insure a given space-time structure inside the duct. Measurements of the radiation pattern (amplitude and phase) and of the pressure reflection coefficient were obtained over an azimuthal wave number range of 0 to 6 and a frequency range up to 5000 Hz for an unflanged duct and a bellmouth. The measured radiated field and pressure reflection coefficient without flow for the unflanged duct agree reasonably well with theory. The influence of the inlet contour appears to be very drastic near the cut-on frequency of a mode and reasonable agreement is found between the bellmouth pressure reflection coefficient and a infinite hyperboloidal inlet theory. It is also shown that the flow has a weak effect on the amplitude of the directivity factor but significantly shifts the directivity factor phase. The influence of the flow on the modulus of the pressure reflection coefficient is found to be well described by a theoretical prediction.

Ville, J. M.↗

ARCFLO analysis for high-enthalpy arc heaters

Feasibility, physical constraints, and preliminary design and operating envelope are calculated for a next-generation segmented arc heater with enthalpies of 70-90 MJ/kg, for simulation of fast lunar or Martian return trajectories. The ARCFLO computer program is modified for improved accuracy in high-enthalpy radiation-dominated flows. The ARCFLO band-radiation model is compared with the state-of-the-art spectral-radiation code NEQAIR. The band-radiation model is corrected, and band-absorption coefficients are reduced by up to 40 percent at high temperatures. Parametric studies show that, with conventional wall-heating limitations, high mass flow and high enthalpy are contradictory design goals owing to the increase of radiation losses with pressure, current density, and constrictor diameter. With existing hardware limitations, an enthalpy of 70 MJ/kg with a flow rate of 0.1 kg/s can be achieved in a constrictor with 5-6 cm diameter operating near 3-atm stagnation pressure. The total power is under 100 MW, but the current is very high: 14,000-18,000 amperes.

Milos, Frank S.↗

On Flow Stagnation in a Tube Radiator

An analysis of the physical process for occurrence of flow stagnation in a space tube-radiator is performed and the mechanism and mathematic description for the flow stagnation are presented. Two causes for pressure drop unbalance between tubes of the radiator are identified: non-uniform cooling environment and different local flow resistances between the tubes. This analysis provides a theoretical basis for experimental simulations of the flow stagnation in a ground-based lab as well as two suggested methods to experimentally simulate flow stagnation. Criteria for the flow stagnation, depending on the viscosity data regressive polynomial, are derived from the extreme condition of the pressure drop in colder tubes. A preliminary numerical calculation is conducted for a space tube-radiator model which confirms the physical and mathematical analyses. The prediction by the criteria for flow stagnation in the tube-radiator model coincides with the numerical calculation result.

Motil, Brian↗

Liquid sheet radiator apparatus

An external flow, liquid sheet radiator apparatus adapted for space applications has as its radiating surface a thin stable liquid sheet formed by fluid flow through a very narrow slit affixed to the sheet generator. As a result of surface tension forces, the sheet has a triangular shape and is collected into a simply designed collector positioned at the apex of the triangle. The specific power for the liquid sheet is virtually the same as the droplet sheet specific power.

Chubb, Donald L.↗

Radiative interactions in laminar duct flows

Analyses and numerical procedures are presented for infrared radiative energy transfer in gases when other modes of energy transfer occur simultaneously. Two types of geometries are considered, a parallel plate duct and a circular duct. Fully developed laminar incompressible flows of absorbing-emitting species in black surfaced ducts are considered under the conditions of uniform wall heat flux. The participating species considered are OH, CO, CO2, and H2O. Nongray as well as gray formulations are developed for both geometries. Appropriate limiting solutions of the governing equations are obtained and conduction-radiation interaction parameters are evaluated. Tien and Lowder's wide band model correlation was used in nongray formulation. Numerical procedures are presented to solve the integro-differential equations for both geometries. The range of physical variables considered are 300 to 2000 K for temperature, 0.1 to 100.0 atm for pressure, and 0.1 to 100 cm spacings between plates/radius of the tube. An extensive parametric study based on nongray formulation is presented. Results obtained for different flow conditions indicate that the radiative interactions can be quite significant in fully developed incompressible flows.

Trivedi, P. A.↗

Deep photospheric flows in Tau Scorpii

From analysis of weak, unblended, ultraviolet lines observed in Tau Scorpii by Copernicus, the same line widths and the same slightly blue-depressed wings as found in the upper photospheric lines of the visual region are found. In addition, a radial-velocity discrepancy of about 6 km/s between weak and strong lines in the 1000-1300-A region is found. These results are in quantitative agreement with one another and with the results of the visual region. They imply that a flow of material is present even in the deep photosphere of this star. However, one cannot yet specify the geometry of the flow (outward-radial versus temperature-weighted convection columns). At the least, this flow alters the expected radiation-driven flow solution close to the photosphere. At the most, it could provide the heating of a chromosphere or a corona just outside the photosphere, as required by the imperfect flow model.

Smith, M. A.↗