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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

Computation of steady and unsteady vortex dominated flows

The unsteady Euler equations have been written in the conservation form for the relative motion in a rotating frame of reference. The resulting equations are solved by using a central-difference finite-volume scheme with four-stage Runge-Kutta time stepping. For steady flow problems, local time stepping is used and for unsteady flow problems, the minimum global time stepping is used. A three-dimensional fully vectorized computer program has been developed and applied to steady and unsteady maneuvering delta wing. The capability of the three-dimensional program has been demonstrated for a rigid sharp-edged delta wing undergoing uniform rolling in a conical flow and rolling oscillations in a locally conical flow.

Kandil, Osama A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Navier-Stokes simulations of unsteady transonic flow phenomena

Numerical simulations of two classes of unsteady flows are obtained via the Navier-Stokes equations: a blast-wave/target interaction problem class and a transonic cavity flow problem class. The method developed for the viscous blast-wave/target interaction problem assumes a laminar, perfect gas implemented in a structured finite-volume framework. The approximately factored implicit scheme uses Newton subiterations to obtain the spatially and temporally second-order accurate time history of the blast-waves with stationary targets. The inviscid flux is evaluated using either of two upwind techniques, while the full viscous terms are computed by central differencing. Comparisons of unsteady numerical, analytical, and experimental results are made in two- and three-dimensions for Couette flows, a starting shock-tunnel, and a shock-tube blockage study. The results show accurate wave speed resolution and nonoscillatory discontinuity capturing of the predominantly inviscid flows. Viscous effects were increasingly significant at large post-interaction times. While the blast-wave/target interaction problem benefits from high-resolution methods applied to the Euler terms, the transonic cavity flow problem requires the use of an efficient scheme implemented in a geometrically flexible overset mesh environment. Hence, the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations implemented in a diagonal form are applied to the cavity flow class of problems. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results are made in two-dimensions for free shear layers and both rectangular and quieted cavities, and in three-dimensions for Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) geometries. The acoustic behavior of the rectangular and three-dimensional cavity flows compare well with experiment in terms of frequency, magnitude, and quieting trends. However, there is a more rapid decrease in computed acoustic energy with frequency than observed experimentally owing to numerical dissipation. In addition, optical phase distortion due to the time-varying density field is modelled using geometrical constructs. The computed optical distortion trends compare with the experimentally inferred result, but underpredicts the fluctuating phase difference magnitude.

Atwood, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Forced Rolling Oscillation of a 65 deg-Delta Wing in Transonic Vortex-Breakdown Flow

Unsteady, transonic, vortex dominated flow over a 65 deg. sharp-edged, cropped-delta wing of zero thickness undergoing forced rolling oscillations is investigated computationally. The wing angle of attack is 20 deg. and the free stream Mach number and Reynolds number are 0.85 and 3.23 x 10(exp 6), respectively. The initial condition of the flow is characterized by a transverse terminating shock which induces vortex breakdown of the leading edge vortex cores. The computational investigation uses the time accurate solution of the laminar, unsteady, compressible, full Navier-Stokes equations with the implicit, upwind, Roe flux difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. While the maximum roll amplitude is kept constant at 4.0 deg., both Reynolds number and roll frequency are varied covering three cases of forced sinusoidal rolling. First, the Reynolds number is held at 3.23 x 10(exp 6) and the wing is forced to oscillate in roll around the axis of geometric symmetry at a reduced frequency of 2(pi). Second, the Reynolds number is reduced to 0.5 x 10(exp 6) to observe the effects of added viscosity on the vortex breakdown. Third, with the Reynolds number held at 0.5 x 10(exp 6), the roll frequency is reduced to 1(pi) to complete the study.

Menzies, Margaret A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Numerical simulations using a dynamic solution-adaptive grid algorithm, with applications to unsteady internal flows

An investigation into the numerical simulation of unsteady flows is undertaken using a two-stage Runge-Kutta scheme coupled with the dynamic solution-adaptive grid algorithm developed by the authors. The inviscid fluxes are described by a modified Advective Upwind Split Method to eliminate the need for artificial dissipation. A well-documented numerical example containing moving discontinuities is presented that demonstrates the ability of the coupled grid/solver scheme to accurately capture unsteady flowfield phenomena. Applications are to a typical inlet diffuser configuration at Mach 3.0 with excessive back pressure inducing inlet unstart.

Benson, Rusty A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Current Issues in Unsteady Turbomachinery Flows (Images)

Among the numerous causes for unsteadiness in turbo machinery flows are turbulence and flow environment, wakes from stationary and rotating vanes, boundary layer separation, boundary layer/shear layer instabilities, presence of shock waves and deliberate unsteadiness for flow control purposes. These unsteady phenomena may lead to flow-structure interactions such as flutter and forced vibration as well as system instabilities such as stall and surge. A major issue of unsteadiness relates to the fact that a fundamental understanding of unsteady flow physics is lacking and requires continued attention. Accurate simulations and sufficient high fidelity experimental data are not available. The Glenn Research Center plan for Engine Component Flow Physics Modeling is part of the NASA 21st Century Aircraft Program. The main components of the plan include Low Pressure Turbine National Combustor Code. The goals, technical output and benefits/impacts of each element are described in the presentation. The specific areas selected for discussion in this presentation are blade wake interactions, flow control, and combustor exit turbulence and modeling.

Povinelli, Louis↗
NASA NTRS1981

Predicted and experimental steady and unsteady transonic flows about a biconvex airfoil

Results of computer code time dependent solutions of the two dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations and the results of independent experiments are compared to verify the Mach number range for instabilities in the transonic flow field about a 14 percent thick biconvex airfoil at an angle of attack of 0 deg and a Reynolds number of 7 million. The experiments were conducted in a transonic, slotted wall wind tunnel. The computer code included an algebraic eddy viscosity turbulence model developed for steady flows, and all computations were made using free flight boundary conditions. All of the features documented experimentally for both steady and unsteady flows were predicted qualitatively; even with the above simplifications, the predictions were, on the whole, in good quantitative agreement with experiment. In particular, predicted time histories of shock wave position, surface pressures, lift, and pitching moment were found to be in very good agreement with experiment for an unsteady flow. Depending upon the free stream Mach number for steady flows, the surface pressure downstream of the shock wave or the shock wave location was not well predicted.

Levy, L. L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Analysis and control of unsteady separated flows

The active control of unsteady separated flows is considered, and the development of the separated flow following the formation and shedding of the starting vortex is characterized. In the method, the Navier-Stokes equations are formulated in time-dependent general orthogonal coordinates which remain boundary aligned for arbitrary boundary deformations. Results obtained for a backstep-channel flow with an oscillating flap demonstrate the effectiveness of the flap as a control mechanism.

Ghia, U.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Transition of a Three-Dimensional Unsteady Viscous Flow Analysis from a Research Environment to the Design Environment

The advent of advanced computer architectures and parallel computing have led to a revolutionary change in the design process for turbomachinery components. Two- and three-dimensional steady-state computational flow procedures are now routinely used in the early stages of design. Unsteady flow analyses, however, are just beginning to be incorporated into design systems. This paper outlines the transition of a three-dimensional unsteady viscous flow analysis from the research environment into the design environment. The test case used to demonstrate the analysis is the full turbine system (high-pressure turbine, inter-turbine duct and low-pressure turbine) from an advanced turboprop engine.

Dorney, Suzanne↗
NASA NTRS1974

Numerical calculations of two dimensional, unsteady transonic flows with circulation

The feasibility of obtaining two-dimensional, unsteady transonic aerodynamic data by numerically integrating the Euler equations is investigated. An explicit, third-order-accurate, noncentered, finite-difference scheme is used to compute unsteady flows about airfoils. Solutions for lifting and nonlifting airfoils are presented and compared with subsonic linear theory. The applicability and efficiency of the numerical indicial function method are outlined. Numerically computed subsonic and transonic oscillatory aerodynamic coefficients are presented and compared with those obtained from subsonic linear theory and transonic wind-tunnel data.

Beam, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A multilevel adaptive projection method for unsteady incompressible flow

There are two main requirements for practical simulation of unsteady flow at high Reynolds number: the algorithm must accurately propagate discontinuous flow fields without excessive artificial viscosity, and it must have some adaptive capability to concentrate computational effort where it is most needed. We satisfy the first of these requirements with a second-order Godunov method similar to those used for high-speed flows with shocks, and the second with a grid-based refinement scheme which avoids some of the drawbacks associated with unstructured meshes. These two features of our algorithm place certain constraints on the projection method used to enforce incompressibility. Velocities are cell-based, leading to a Laplacian stencil for the projection which decouples adjacent grid points. We discuss features of the multigrid and multilevel iteration schemes required for solution of the resulting decoupled problem. Variable-density flows require use of a modified projection operator--we have found a multigrid method for this modified projection that successfully handles density jumps of thousands to one. Numerical results are shown for the 2D adaptive and 3D variable-density algorithms.

Howell, Louis H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

An advanced panel method for analysis of arbitrary configurations in unsteady subsonic flow

An advanced method is presented for solving the linear integral equations for subsonic unsteady flow in three dimensions. The method is applicable to flows about arbitrary, nonplanar boundary surfaces undergoing small amplitude harmonic oscillations about their steady mean locations. The problem is formulated with a wake model wherein unsteady vorticity can be convected by the steady mean component of flow. The geometric location of the unsteady source and doublet distributions can be located on the actual surfaces of thick bodies in their steady mean locations. The method is an outgrowth of a recently developed steady flow panel method and employs the linear source and quadratic doublet splines of that method.

Dusto, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

An experimental and computational investigation of the steady and unsteady transonic flow fields about an airfoil in a solid-wall test channel

An experimental and computational investigation of the steady and unsteady transonic flow field about a thick airfoil is described. An operational computer code for solving the two-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes equations for flow over airfoils was modified to include solid-wall, slipflow boundary conditions to properly assess the code and help guide the development of improved turbulence models. Steady and unsteady flow fields about an 18% thick circular arc airfoil at Mach numbers of 0.720, 0.754, and 0.783 and a chord Reynolds number of 11 x 10 to the 6th are predicted and compared with experiment. For the first time, computed results for unsteady turbulent flows with separation caused by a shock wave were obtained which qualitatively reproduce the time-dependent aspects of experiments. Features such as the intensity and reduced frequency of airfoil surface-pressure fluctuations, oscillatory regions of trailing-edge and shock-induced separation, and the Mach number range for unsteady flows were all qualitatively reproduced.

Levy, L. L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A hybrid structured-unstructured grid method for unsteady turbomachinery flow computations

A hybrid grid technique for the solution of 2D, unsteady flows is developed. This technique is capable of handling complex, multiple component geometries in relative motion, such as those encountered in turbomachinery. The numerical approach utilizes a mixed structured-unstructured zonal grid topology along with modeling equations and solution methods that are most appropriate in the individual domains, therefore combining the advantages of both structured and unstructured grid techniques.

Mathur, Sanjay R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Progress In Incompressible Pump Flow Calculations

Steady and unsteady flows for propulsion systems are efficiently simulated by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The solution method is based on the pseudo compressibility approach and uses an implicit-upwind differencing scheme together with the Gauss-Seidel line relaxation method. Current computations use one equation Baldwin-Barth turbulence model which is derived from a simplified form of the standard kappa - epsilon model equations. The resulting computer code is applied to the flow analysis inside an advanced rocket pump impeller in steadily rotating reference frames. Numerical results are compared with experimental measurements. The effects of exit and shroud cavities with the leak-age flow are investigated. Time-accurate incompressible Navier-Stokes formulation with the overlapped grid scheme capability was evaluated by using MIT flapping foil experiment. The grid dependency, turbulence model effects, and the effect of order of differencing were investigated. Numerical results were compared against experimental data. The resulting procedure were applied to unsteady flapping foil calculations. Two upstream NACA 0025 foils perform high frequency synchronized motion and generate unsteady flow conditions to the downstream larger stationary foil. Comparison between unsteady experimental data and numerical results from two different moving boundary procedures will be presented.

Kiris, Cetin↗
NASA NTRS1973

A note on the unsteady cavity flow in a tunnel

The unsteady internal cavitating flow such as the one observed in a pump or a turbine is studied for a simple two-dimensional model of a base-cavitating wedge in an infinite tunnel and it is shown how the cavitation compliance can be calculated using the linearized free streamline theory. Numerical values are obtained for the limiting case of a free jet. Two important features are: First, the cavitation compliance is found to be of complex form, having additional resistive and reactive terms beyond the purely inertial oscillation of the whole channel in 'slug flow.' Second, the compliance has a strong dependence on frequency.

Kim, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Calculation of Unsteady Transonic Flow over an Airfoil

An implicit finite-difference solver for either the Euler equations or the "thin-layer" Navier-Stokes equations was used to calculate a transonic flow over the NACA 64A010 airfoil pitching about its one-quarter chord. An unsteady automatic grid-generation procedure that will improve significantly the computational efficiency of various unsteady flow problems is described. The calculated results for both inviscid and viscous flows at Much number 0.8 over the airfoil oscillating with reduced frequency referenced to one-half chord, 0.2, are compared with experimental data measured in the Ames 11 x 11-ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. Nonlinear, unsteady effects of the flow on the surface pressure variations, shock-wave excursions, and overall airloads are examined. Good agreements between the results of computations and experiments were obtained. In the shock-wave region, however, the results of the viscous-flow computations showed closer agreement with the experimental data.

Chyu, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Calculation of Unsteady Transonic Flow Over an Airfoil

An implicit finite-difference solver for either the Euler equations or the "thin-layer" Navier-Stokes equations was used to calculate a transonic flow over the NACA 64A010 airfoil pitching about its one-quarter chord. An unsteady automatic grid-generation procedure that will improve significantly the computational efficiency of various unsteady flow problems is described. The calculated results for both inviscid and viscous flows at Mach number 0.8 over the airfoil oscillating with reduced frequency referenced to one-half chord, 0.2, are compared with experimental data measured in the Ames 11 x 11 ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. Nonlinear, unsteady effects of the flow on the surface pressure variations, shock-wave excursions, and overall airloads are examined. Good agreements between the results of computations and experiments were obtained. In the shock-wave region, however, the results of the viscous-flow computations showed closer agreement with the experimental data.

Chyu, W. J.↗