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At least 253 records · Page 14

Coupled Aerodynamic-Thermal-Structural (CATS) Analysis

Coupled Aerodynamic-Thermal-Structural (CATS) Analysis is a focused effort within the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) program to streamline multidisciplinary analysis of aeropropulsion components and assemblies. Multidisciplinary analysis of axial-flow compressor performance has been selected for the initial focus of this project. CATS will permit more accurate compressor system analysis by enabling users to include thermal and mechanical effects as an integral part of the aerodynamic analysis of the compressor primary flowpath. Thus, critical details, such as the variation of blade tip clearances and the deformation of the flowpath geometry, can be more accurately modeled and included in the aerodynamic analyses. The benefits of this coupled analysis capability are (1) performance and stall line predictions are improved by the inclusion of tip clearances and hot geometries, (2) design alternatives can be readily analyzed, and (3) higher fidelity analysis by researchers in various disciplines is possible. The goals for this project are a 10-percent improvement in stall margin predictions and a 2:1 speed-up in multidisciplinary analysis times. Working cooperatively with Pratt & Whitney, the Lewis CATS team defined the engineering processes and identified the software products necessary for streamlining these processes. The basic approach is to integrate the aerodynamic, thermal, and structural computational analyses by using data management and Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) based data mapping. Five software products have been defined for this task: (1) a primary flowpath data mapper, (2) a two-dimensional data mapper, (3) a database interface, (4) a blade structural pre- and post-processor, and (5) a computational fluid dynamics code for aerothermal analysis of the drum rotor. Thus far (1) a cooperative agreement has been established with Pratt & Whitney, (2) a Primary Flowpath Data Mapper has been prototyped and delivered to General Electric Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney for evaluation, (3) a collaborative effort has been initiated with the National Institute of Standards and Testing to develop a Standard Data Access Interface, and (4) a blade tip clearance capability has been implemented into the Structural Airfoil Blade Engineering Routine (SABER) program. We plan to continue to develop the data mappers and data management tools. As progress is made, additional efforts will be made to apply these tools to propulsion system applications.

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Performance of Gas Turbine Engines Using Wave Rotors Modeled

A wave rotor is a device that can boost the pressure and temperature of an airflow. When used as part of the core of a gas turbine engine, a wave rotor can significantly improve the thrust or shaft horsepower by boosting the flow pressure without raising the turbine inlet temperature. The NASA Lewis Research Center's Aeropropulsion Analysis Office, which is identifying technologies and research opportunities that will enhance the technical and economic competitiveness of the U.S. aeronautics industry, is evaluating the wave rotor to quantify the potential benefits of this device. Preliminary studies such as these are critical to identifying technologies that have high payoffs.

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NPARC Code Upgraded with Two-Equation Turbulence Models

The National PARC (NPARC) Alliance was established by the NASA Lewis Research Center and the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center to provide the U.S. aeropropulsion community with a reliable Navier-Stokes code for simulating the nonrotating components of propulsion systems. Recent improvements to the turbulence model capabilities of the NPARC code have significantly improved its capability to simulate turbulent flows. Specifically, the Chien k-epsilon and Wilcox k-omega turbulence models were implemented at Lewis. Lewis researchers installed the Chien k-epsilon model into NPARC to improve the code's ability to calculate turbulent flows with attached wall boundary layers and free shear layers. Calculations with NPARC have demonstrated that the Chien k-epsilon model provides more accurate calculations than those obtained with algebraic models previously available in the code. Grid sensitivity investigations have shown that computational grids must be packed against the solid walls such that the first point off of the wall is placed in the laminar sublayer. In addition, matching the boundary layer and momentum thicknesses entering mixing regions is necessary for an accurate prediction of the free shear-layer growth.

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Multiphysics Code Demonstrated for Propulsion Applications

The utility of multidisciplinary analysis tools for aeropropulsion applications is being investigated at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The goal of this project is to apply Spectrum, a multiphysics code developed by Centric Engineering Systems, Inc., to simulate multidisciplinary effects in turbomachinery components. Many engineering problems today involve detailed computer analyses to predict the thermal, aerodynamic, and structural response of a mechanical system as it undergoes service loading. Analysis of aerospace structures generally requires attention in all three disciplinary areas to adequately predict component service behavior, and in many cases, the results from one discipline substantially affect the outcome of the other two. There are numerous computer codes currently available in the engineering community to perform such analyses in each of these disciplines. Many of these codes are developed and used in-house by a given organization, and many are commercially available. However, few, if any, of these codes are designed specifically for multidisciplinary analyses. The Spectrum code has been developed for performing fully coupled fluid, thermal, and structural analyses on a mechanical system with a single simulation that accounts for all simultaneous interactions, thus eliminating the requirement for running a large number of sequential, separate, disciplinary analyses. The Spectrum code has a true multiphysics analysis capability, which improves analysis efficiency as well as accuracy. Centric Engineering, Inc., working with a team of Lewis and AlliedSignal Engines engineers, has been evaluating Spectrum for a variety of propulsion applications including disk quenching, drum cavity flow, aeromechanical simulations, and a centrifugal compressor flow simulation.

Lawrence, Charles↗

Thermal Effects Modeling Developed for Smart Structures

Applying smart materials in aeropropulsion systems may improve the performance of aircraft engines through a variety of vibration, noise, and shape-control applications. To facilitate the experimental characterization of these smart structures, researchers have been focusing on developing analytical models to account for the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response of these materials. One focus of current research efforts has been directed toward incorporating a comprehensive thermal analysis modeling capability. Typically, temperature affects the behavior of smart materials by three distinct mechanisms: Induction of thermal strains because of coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch 1. Pyroelectric effects on the piezoelectric elements; 2. Temperature-dependent changes in material properties; and 3. Previous analytical models only investigated the first two thermal effects mechanisms. However, since the material properties of piezoelectric materials generally vary greatly with temperature (see the graph), incorporating temperature-dependent material properties will significantly affect the structural deflections, sensory voltages, and stresses. Thus, the current analytical model captures thermal effects arising from all three mechanisms through thermopiezoelectric constitutive equations. These constitutive equations were incorporated into a layerwise laminate theory with the inherent capability to model both the active and sensory response of smart structures in thermal environments. Corresponding finite element equations were formulated and implemented for both the beam and plate elements to provide a comprehensive thermal effects modeling capability.

Lee, Ho-Jun↗

Wavelet Techniques Applied to Modeling Transitional/Turbulent Flows in Turbomachinery

Computer simulation is an essential part of the design and development of jet engines for the aeropropulsion industry. Engineers concerned with calculating the flow in jet engine components, such as compressors and turbines, need simple engineering models that accurately describe the complex flow of air and gases and that allow them to quickly estimate loads, losses, temperatures, and other design parameters. In this ongoing collaborative project, advanced wavelet analysis techniques are being used to gain insight into the complex flow phenomena. These insights, which cannot be achieved by commonly used methods, are being used to develop innovative new flow models and to improve existing ones. Wavelet techniques are very suitable for analyzing the complex turbulent and transitional flows pervasive in jet engines. These flows are characterized by intermittency and a multitude of scales. Wavelet analysis results in information about these scales and their locations. The distribution of scales is equivalent to the frequency spectrum provided by commonly used Fourier analysis techniques; however, no localization information is provided by Fourier analysis. In addition, wavelet techniques allow conditional sampling analyses of the individual scales, which is not possible by Fourier methods.

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"Green" High-Temperature Polymers

PMR-15 is a processable, high-temperature polymer developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center in the 1970's principally for aeropropulsion applications. Use of fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites in these applications can lead to substantial weight savings, thereby leading to improved fuel economy, increased passenger and payload capacity, and better maneuverability. PMR-15 is used fairly extensively in military and commercial aircraft engines components seeing service temperatures as high as 500 F (260 C), such as the outer bypass duct for the F-404 engine. The current world-wide market for PMR-15 materials (resins, adhesives, and composites) is on the order of $6 to 10 million annually.

Meador, Michael A.↗

NASA Lewis Helps Develop Advanced Saw Blades for the Lumber Industry

NASA Lewis Research Center's Structures and Material Divisions are centers of excellence in high-temperature alloys for aerospace applications such as advanced aircraft and rocket engines. Lewis' expertise in these fields was enlisted in the development of a new generation of circular sawblades for the lumber industry to use in cutting logs into boards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Products Laboratory and their supplier had succeeded in developing a thinner sawblade by using a nickel-based alloy, but they needed to reduce excessive warping due to residual stresses. They requested assistance from Lewis' experts, who successfully eliminated the residual stress problem and increased blade strength by over 12 percent. They achieved this by developing an innovative heat treatment based on their knowledge of nickel-based superalloys used in aeropropulsion applications.

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Numerical System Solver Developed for the National Cycle Program

As part of the National Cycle Program (NCP), a powerful new numerical solver has been developed to support the simulation of aeropropulsion systems. This software uses a hierarchical object-oriented design. It can provide steady-state and time-dependent solutions to nonlinear and even discontinuous problems typically encountered when aircraft and spacecraft propulsion systems are simulated. It also can handle constrained solutions, in which one or more factors may limit the behavior of the engine system. Timedependent simulation capabilities include adaptive time-stepping and synchronization with digital control elements. The NCP solver is playing an important role in making the NCP a flexible, powerful, and reliable simulation package.

Binder, Michael P.↗

High-Temperature Solid Lubricants Developed by NASA Lewis Offer Virtually "Unlimited Life" for Oil-Free Turbomachinery

The NASA Lewis Research Center is capitalizing on breakthroughs in foil air bearing performance, tribological coatings, and computer analyses to formulate the Oil-free Turbomachinery Program. The program s long-term goal is to develop an innovative, yet practical, oil-free aeropropulsion gas turbine engine that floats on advanced air bearings. This type of engine would operate at higher speeds and temperatures with lower weight and friction than conventional oil-lubricated engines. During startup and shutdown, solid lubricant coatings are required to prevent wear in such engines before the self-generating air-lubrication film develops. NASA s Tribology Branch has created PS304, a chrome-oxide-based plasma spray coating specifically tailored for shafts run against foil bearings. PS304 contains silver and barium fluoride/calcium fluoride eutectic (BaF2/CaF2) lubricant additives that, together, provide lubrication from cold start temperatures to over 650 C, the maximum use temperature for foil bearings. Recent lab tests show that bearings lubricated with PS304 survive over 100 000 start-stop cycles without experiencing any degradation in performance due to wear. The accompanying photograph shows a test bearing after it was run at 650 C. The rubbing process created a "polished" surface that enhances bearing load capacity.

DellaCorte, Christopher↗

Thermomechanical Fatigue Durability of T650-35/PMR-15 Sheet-Molding Compound Evaluated

High-performance polymer matrix composites (PMC's) continue to be the focus of a number of research efforts aimed at developing cost-effective, lightweight material alternatives for advanced aerospace and aeropropulsion applications. These materials not only offer significant advantages in specific stiffness and strength over their current metal counterparts, but they can be designed and manufactured to eliminate joints and fasteners by combining individual components into integral subassemblies, thus making them extremely attractive for commercial applications. With much emphasis on the low-cost manufacturing aspects of advanced composite structures, there is heightened interest in high-performance sheet-molding compounds (SMC's). Researchers at the NASA Lewis Research Center, in cooperation with the Allison Advanced Development Company, completed an investigation examining the use of T650-35/PMR-15 SMC for a midstage inner-vane endwall application within a gas turbine engine compressor. This component resides in the engine flow path and is subjected not only to high airflow rates, but also to elevated temperatures and pressures. This application is unique in that it represents a very aggressive use of high-performance SMC's, raising obvious concerns related to durability and property retention in the presence of microstructural damage. Therefore, it was necessary to evaluate the fatigue behavior and damage tolerance of this material subjected to a representative thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) mission-cycle loading spectrum.

Castelli, Michael G.↗

Constituent-Based Life Models Being Developed for SiC/SiC Composites

For the successful utilization of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) as hot-section components in advanced aeropropulsion engines, the CMC constituents will need to be tailored and optimized to meet all the critical property demands of each component. Under the High-Speed Research (HSR) and Advanced High-Temperature Engine Materials Technology (HITEMP) Programs, the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field initiated research to develop mechanistic models for key CMC thermostructural properties. These models would describe the effects of different constituent factors (composition, geometry, and volume fraction) and of potential application conditions (stress, time, temperature, and environment) on these properties. Particular focus was placed on both analytical and numerical modeling of state-of-the-art SiC/SiC composites where the primary load-bearing constituents are stoichiometric SiC fibers in a complex multiphase SiC matrix produced by chemical vapor infiltration and melt infiltration. Recent studies have resulted in computer-based numerical models for the elastic modulus, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity properties of the SiC/SiC system. Additional studies have generated analytical and empirical models for the time dependence of composite rupture strength at temperatures above 2200 F (1200 C), where CMC's have an important thermostructural advantage over current nickel-based superalloys. These life models utilize thermal activation theory and fiber stress-rupture results measured at Glenn to generate Larson-Miller (L M) plots of fiber rupture strength versus q, a single time- and temperature-dependent parameter. Assuming a worse case in which the SiC matrix is cracked, rupture is then controlled by the time-dependent fracture characteristics of the fiber bundles bridging the matrix cracks. With this as the controlling mechanism, one can then use simple composite theory and the fiber L M plots to predict CMC rupture strength versus the q parameter. The dashed line shows the predicted rupture strength of a SiC/SiC composite that is reinforced by a state-of-the-art stoichiometric SiC fiber. For the q parameter, time is in hours and temperature in degrees kelvin. To generate these predictions, a two-dimensional 0 /90 composite with approximately 16 percent fiber in the applied stress direction and an air test environment were assumed. As such, it is possible to compare the model predictions against limited stress-rupture data for this CMC as shown by the data points. The good agreement confirms the rupture model at least for the selected CMC and test conditions. Thus for this particular SiC/SiC composite, one can estimate a 1000-hr rupture strength of approximately 12 ksi at 2400 F (T = 1588 K and q = 39 700 K). At lower CMC application stresses, the SiC matrix is typically uncracked, so both the fiber and matrix constituents share the composite load. In this case, CMC rupture is controlled by the constituent with the longest rupture time based on the creep rate of the composite. Measured Monkman-Grant plots of rupture time versus creep rate for the two SiC constituents have been used to develop CMC life models for this important application condition. NASA and DOD are currently using this information to establish application and material goals for more advanced CMC's that can be used at even higher temperatures.

DiCarlo, James A.↗

System Being Developed to Measure the Rotordynamic Characteristics of Air Foil Bearings

Because of the many possible advantages of oil-free engine operation, interest in using air lubricated foil-bearing technology in advanced oil-free engine concepts has recently increased. The Oil-Free Turbomachinery Program at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field has partially driven this recent push for oil-free technology. The program's goal of developing an innovative, practical, oil-free gas turbine engine for aeropropulsion began with the development of NASA's high-temperature solid-lubricant coating, PS304. This coating virtually eliminates the life-limiting wear that occurs during the startup and shutdown of the bearings. With practically unlimited life, foil air bearings are now very attractive to rotating machinery designers for use in turbomachinery. Unfortunately, the current knowledge base of these types of bearings is limited. In particular, the understanding of how these types of bearings contribute to the rotordynamic stability of turbomachinery is insufficient for designers to design with confidence. Recent work in oil-free turbomachinery has concentrated on advancing the understanding of foil bearings. A high-temperature fiber-optic displacement probe system and measurement method were developed to study the effects of speed, load, temperature, and other environmental issues on the stiffness characteristics of air foil bearings. Since high temperature data are to be collected in future testing, the testing method was intentionally simplified to minimize the need for expensive test hardware. The method measures the displacement induced upon a bearing in response to an applied perturbation load. The early results of these studies, which are shown in the accompanying figure, indicate trends in steady state stiffness that suggest stiffness increases with load and decreases with speed. It can be seen, even from these data, that stiffness is not expected to change by orders of magnitude over the normal operating range of most turbomachinery; a promising sign for their eventual integration into oil-free turbomachines. Planned future testing will generate similar plots for stiffness changes with temperature and geometry, as well as damping data. The data collected by this method represent a critical step toward understanding how to successfully apply foil air bearings to future oil-free turbomachinery systems.

Howard, Samuel A.↗

New Effective Material Couple--Oxide Ceramic and Carbon Nanotube-- Developed for Aerospace Microsystem and Micromachine Technologies

The prime driving force for using microsystem and micromachine technologies in transport vehicles, such as spacecraft, aircraft, and automobiles, is to reduce the weight, power consumption, and volume of components and systems to lower costs and increase affordability and reliability. However, a number of specific issues need to be addressed with respect to using microsystems and micromachines in aerospace applications--such as the lack of understanding of material characteristics; methods for producing and testing the materials in small batches; the limited proven durability and lifetime of current microcomponents, packaging, and interconnections; a cultural change with respect to system designs; and the use of embedded software, which will require new product assurance guidelines. In regards to material characteristics, there are significant adhesion, friction, and wear issues in using microdevices. Because these issues are directly related to surface phenomena, they cannot be scaled down linearly and they become increasingly important as the devices become smaller. When microsystems have contacting surfaces in relative motion, the adhesion and friction affect performance, energy consumption, wear damage, maintenance, lifetime and catastrophic failure, and reliability. Ceramics, for the most part, do not have inherently good friction and wear properties. For example, coefficients of friction in excess of 0.7 have been reported for ceramics and ceramic composite materials. Under Alternate Fuels Foundation Technologies funding, two-phase oxide ceramics developed for superior high-temperature wear resistance in NASA's High Operating Temperature Propulsion Components (HOTPC) project and new two-layered carbon nanotube (CNT) coatings (CNT topcoat/iron bondcoat/quartz substrate) developed in NASA's Revolutionary Aeropropulsion Concepts (RAC) project have been chosen as a materials couple for aerospace applications, including micromachines, in the nanotechnology lubrication task because of their potential for superior friction and wearf properties in air and in an ultrahigh vacuum, spacelike environment. At the NASA Glenn Research Center, two-phase oxide ceramic eutectics, Al2O3/ZrO2(Y2O3), were directionally solidified using the laser-float-zone process, and carbon nanotubes were synthesized within a high-temperature tube furnace at 800 C. Physical vapor deposition was used to coat all quartz substrates with 5-nm-thick iron as catalyst and bondcoat, which formed iron islands resembling droplets and serving as catalyst particles on the quartz. A series of scanning electron micrographs showing multiwalled carbon nanotubes directionally grown as aligned "nanograss" on quartz is presented. Unidirectional sliding friction eperiments were conducted at Glenn with the two-layered CNT coatings in contact with the two-phase Al2O3/ZrO2(Y2O3) eutectics in air and in ultrachigh vacuum. The main criteria for judging the performance of the materials couple for solid lubrication and antistick applications in a space environment were the coefficient of friction and the wear resistance (reciprocal of wear rate), which had to be less than 0.2 and greater than 10(exp 5) N(raised dot)/cubic millimetes, respectively, in ultrahigh vacuum. In air, the coefficient of friction for the CNT coatings in contact with Al2O3/ZrO2 (Y2O3) eutectics was 0.04, one-fourth of that for quartz. In an ultrahigh vacuum, the coefficient of friction for CNT coatings in contact with Al2O3/ZrO2 (Y2O3) was one-third of that for quartz. The two-phase Al2O3/ZrO2 (Y2O3) eutectic coupled with the two-layered CNT coating met the coefficient of friction and wear resistance criteria both in air and in an ultrahigh vacuum, spacelike environment. This material's couple can dramatically improve the stiction (or adhesion), friction, and wear resistance of the contacting surfaces, which are major issues for microdevices and micromachines.

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa↗

Generation of Electrical Power from Stimulated Muscle Contractions Evaluated

This project is a collaborative effort between NASA Glenn Research Center's Revolutionary Aeropropulsion Concepts (RAC) Project, part of the NASA Aerospace Propulsion and Power Program of the Aerospace Technology Enterprise, and Case Western Reserve University's Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center. The RAC Project foresees implantable power requirements for future applications such as organically based sensor platforms and robotics that can interface with the human senses. One of the goals of the FES Center is to develop a totally implantable neural prosthesis. This goal is based on feedback from patients who would prefer a system with an internal power source over the currently used system with an external power source. The conversion system under investigation would transform the energy produced from a stimulated muscle contraction into electrical energy. We hypothesize that the output power of the system will be greater than the input power necessary to initiate, sustain, and control the electrical conversion system because of the stored potential energy of the muscle. If the system can be made biocompatible, durable, and with the potential for sustained use, then the biological power source will be a viable solution.

Lewandowski, Beth↗

Time-Dependent Reversible-Irreversible Deformation Threshold Determined Explicitly by Experimental Technique

Structural materials for the design of advanced aeropropulsion components are usually subject to loading under elevated temperatures, where a material's viscosity (resistance to flow) is greatly reduced in comparison to its viscosity under low-temperature conditions. As a result, the propensity for the material to exhibit time-dependent deformation is significantly enhanced, even when loading is limited to a quasi-linear stress-strain regime as an effort to avoid permanent (irreversible) nonlinear deformation. An understanding and assessment of such time-dependent effects in the context of combined reversible and irreversible deformation is critical to the development of constitutive models that can accurately predict the general hereditary behavior of material deformation. To this end, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field developed a unique experimental technique that identifies the existence of and explicitly determines a threshold stress k, below which the time-dependent material deformation is wholly reversible, and above which irreversible deformation is incurred. This technique is unique in the sense that it allows, for the first time, an objective, explicit, experimental measurement of k. The underlying concept for the experiment is based on the assumption that the material s time-dependent reversible response is invariable, even in the presence of irreversible deformation.

Castelli, Michael G.↗

CEMCAN Software Enhanced for Predicting the Properties of Woven Ceramic Matrix Composites

Major advancements are needed in current high-temperature materials to meet the requirements of future space and aeropropulsion structural components. Ceramic matrix composites (CMC's) are one class of materials that are being evaluated as candidate materials for many high-temperature applications. Past efforts to improve the performance of CMC's focused primarily on improving the properties of the fiber, interfacial coatings, and matrix constituents as individual phases. Design and analysis tools must take into consideration the complex geometries, microstructures, and fabrication processes involved in these composites and must allow the composite properties to be tailored for optimum performance. Major accomplishments during the past year include the development and inclusion of woven CMC micromechanics methodology into the CEMCAN (Ceramic Matrix Composites Analyzer) computer code. The code enables one to calibrate a consistent set of constituent properties as a function of temperature with the aid of experimentally measured data.

Murthy, Pappu L. N.↗

Curved Thermopiezoelectric Shell Structures Modeled by Finite Element Analysis

"Smart" structures composed of piezoelectric materials may significantly improve the performance of aeropropulsion systems through a variety of vibration, noise, and shape-control applications. The development of analytical models for piezoelectric smart structures is an ongoing, in-house activity at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field focused toward the experimental characterization of these materials. Research efforts have been directed toward developing analytical models that account for the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response of piezoelectric composite materials. Current work revolves around implementing thermal effects into a curvilinear-shell finite element code. This enhances capabilities to analyze curved structures and to account for coupling effects arising from thermal effects and the curved geometry. The current analytical model implements a unique mixed multi-field laminate theory to improve computational efficiency without sacrificing accuracy. The mechanics can model both the sensory and active behavior of piezoelectric composite shell structures. Finite element equations are being implemented for an eight-node curvilinear shell element, and numerical studies are being conducted to demonstrate capabilities to model the response of curved piezoelectric composite structures (see the figure).

Lee, Ho-Jun↗