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At least 271 records · Page 15

Numerical study of 1-D, 3-vector component, thermally-conductive MHD solar wind

In the present study, transient, 1-dimensional, 3-vector component MHD equations are used to simulate steady and unsteady, thermally conductive MHD solar wind expansions between the solar surface and 1 AU (astronomical unit). A variant of SIMPLE numerical method was used to integrate the equations. Steady state solar wind properties exhibit qualitatively similar behavior with the known Weber-Davies Solutions. Generation of Alfven shock, in addition to the slow and fast MHD shocks, was attempted by the boundary perturbations at the solar surface. Property changes through the disturbance were positively correlated with the fast and slow MHD shocks. Alfven shock was, however, not present in the present simulations.

Han, S.↗

Performance Characteristics of a Normal-shock Side Inlet Located Downstream of a Canard Control Surface at Mach Numbers of 1.5 and 1.8/

The performance characteristics of a downward canted normal-shock side (scoop) inlet located downstream of a triangular control surface are presented for free-stream Mach numbers of 1.5 and 1.8 in terms of total pressure recovery and mass flow ratio for various boundary-layer removal systems,angles of attack, control surface deflections and adverse yaw. An engine operating condition for a hypothetical turbojet engine is established, and the match point characteristics of the engine-inlet configuration are summarized. 520::It is shown that the diffuser performance increases with increased boundary-layer removal and decreases because of the presence of the wake from the forward control surface. At the higher angles of attack the wake passes over the inlet and does not affect the inlet performance. Adverse yaw reduces the total pressure recovery values below those for the unawed case. Magnitudes of the total pressure recovery were below the theoretical normal-shock recovery for the respective test Mach numbers.

INLETS, SIDE - DUCTED BODIES↗

The effects of detailed chemistry and transport on microgravity droplet combustion

A brief overview of recent advances in the theoretical study of microgravity droplet combustion is presented. Much of this work has centered on the development and utilization of sphero-symmetric transient numerical models which consider detailed gas phase chemistry and transport as well as energy and/or species transport within a regressing condensed phase. Numerical results for microgravity combustion and vaporization of methanol, methanol/water, heptane, and heptane/hexadecane droplets are summarized along with refinements in chemical kinetics and the development of a new two-dimensional axi-symmetric model.

Marchese, A. J.↗

Interaction of an interplanetary shock with the heliospheric plasma sheet

Interplanetary shocks often propagate along the heliospheric plasma sheet (HPS) where the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) changes its polarity. This problem is investigated by the time-dependent 2.5-D MHD numerical model in the meridional plane. An example of computation is shown in the figure using density (log) contours and IMF vectors. Values of plasma parameters along the HPS fluctuate in time due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The HPS with its decreased intensity of the IMF as well as with its increased mass density causes a dimple in the shock structure (relatively weak for the forward shock, significant for the reverse shock, and very large for the contact discontinuity). Beyond the forward shock, the HPS is slightly compressed due to the post-shock increase of the azimuthal IMF component. Then follows expansion of the HPS surrounded by the highly-deformed contact discontinuity. A significant draping of IMF lines occurs around this structure that increases the meridional component of the IMF. This can cause a favorable condition for initiation of a geomagnetic storm.

Odstrcil, D.↗

MHD simulation of a propagation of loop-like and bubble-like magnetic clouds

Propagation and evolution of magnetic clouds in the ambient solar wind flow is studied self-consistently using ideal MHD equations in three dimensions. Magnetic clouds as ideal force-free objects (cylinders or spheres) are ejected near the Sun and followed beyond the Earth's orbit. We investigate the influence of various initial parameters like the injection velocity, magnetic field strength, magnetic helicity, orientation of the clouds' axis, etc., on their propagation and evolution. We demonstrate that the injection velocity and magnetic field strength have a major influence on propagation. Simulation results are compared with analytical solutions of magnetic cloud evolution.

Vandas, M.↗

Transient Numerical Modeling of the Combustion of Bi-Component Liquid Droplets: Methanol/Water Mixture

This study shows that liquid mixtures of methanol and water are attractive candidates for microgravity droplet combustion experiments and associated numerical modeling. The gas phase chemistry for these droplet mixtures is conceptually simple, well understood and substantially validated. In addition, the thermodynamic and transport properties of the liquid mixture have also been well characterized. Furthermore, the results obtained in this study predict that the extinction of these droplets may be observable in ground-based drop to tower experiments. Such experiments will be conducted shortly followed by space-based experiments utilizing the NASA FSDC and DCE experiments.

Marchese, A. J.↗

Theoretical Basis for Estimated Test Times and Conditions for Drop Tower and Space-Based Droplet Burning Experiments With Methanol and N-Heptane

In order to develop an extensive envelope of test conditions for NASA's space-based Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE) as well those droplet experiments which can be performed using a drop tower, the transient vaporization and combustion of methanol and n-heptane droplets were simulated using a recently developed fully time-dependent, spherically symmetric droplet combustion model. The transient vaporization of methanol and n-heptane was modeled to characterize the instantaneous gas phase composition surrounding the droplet prior to the introduction of an ignition source. The results for methanol/air showed that the entire gas phase surrounding a 2 mm methanol droplet deployed in zero-g .quickly falls outside the lean flammability limit. The gas phase surrounding an identically-sized n-heptane droplet, on the other hand, remains flammable. The combustion of methanol was then modeled considering a detailed gas phase chemical kinetic mechanism (168 steps, 26 species) and the effect of the dissolution of flame-generated water into the liquid droplet. These results were used to determine the critical ignition diameter required to achieve quasi-steady droplet combustion in a given oxidizing environment. For droplet diameters greater than the critical ignition diameter, the model predicted a finite diameter at which the flame would extinguish. These extinction diameters were found to vary significantly with initial droplet diameter. This phenomenon appears to be unique to the transient heat transfer, mass transfer and chemical kinetics of the system and thus has not been reported elsewhere to date. The extinction diameter was also shown to vary significantly with the liquid phase Lewis number since the amount of water present in the droplet at extinction is largely governed by the rate at which water is transported into the droplet via mass diffusion. Finally, the numerical results for n-heptane combustion were obtained using both 2 step and 96 step semi-emperical chemical kinetic mechanisms. Neither mechanism exhibited the variation of extinction diameter with initial diameter.

Marchese, Anthony J.↗

Dynamical Evolution of a Coronal Streamer-Flux Rope System: 2. A Self-Consistent Non-Planar Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation

The dynamical response of a helmet streamer to a flux rope escape from the sub-photosphere is examined in a physically self-consistent manner within the approximation of axisymmetric three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics (i.e., so-called '2 1/2 D'). In contrast to the previous planar analyses of Paper 1 (Wu, Guo, and Wang), the present study shows, with the inclusion of out-of-plane components of magnetic and velocity fields, that the magnetic configuration represents a helical flux rope instead of a planar bubble as shown in Paper 1. Because of this more physically-realistic configuration, we are able to examine the dynamical evolution of the helical flux rope's interaction with the helmet streamer. This process leads to the formation of two parts of the solar mass ejection: (i) the expulsion of the helmet dome due to eruption of this flux rope, and (ii) the flux rope's eruption itself. When this two-part feature propagates out to the interplanetary space, it exhibits all the physical characteristics of observed interplanetary magnetic clouds. These numerical simulations also show that the dynamical behavior of the streamer-flux rope system has three distinct states: (i) quasi-equilibrium, (ii) non-equilibrium, and (iii) eruptive state depending on the energy level of the flux rope.

Wu, S. T.↗

Science Support for Space-Based Droplet Combustion: Drop Tower Experiments and Detailed Numerical Modeling

This program supports the engineering design, data analysis, and data interpretation requirements for the study of initially single component, spherically symmetric, isolated droplet combustion studies. Experimental emphasis is on the study of simple alcohols (methanol, ethanol) and alkanes (n-heptane, n-decane) as fuels with time dependent measurements of drop size, flame-stand-off, liquid-phase composition, and finally, extinction. Experiments have included bench-scale studies at Princeton, studies in the 2.2 and 5.18 drop towers at NASA-LeRC, and both the Fiber Supported Droplet Combustion (FSDC-1, FSDC-2) and the free Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE) studies aboard the shuttle. Test matrix and data interpretation are performed through spherically-symmetric, time-dependent numerical computations which embody detailed sub-models for physical and chemical processes. The computed burning rate, flame stand-off, and extinction diameter are compared with the respective measurements for each individual experiment. In particular, the data from FSDC-1 and subsequent space-based experiments provide the opportunity to compare all three types of data simultaneously with the computed parameters. Recent numerical efforts are extending the computational tools to consider time dependent, axisymmetric 2-dimensional reactive flow situations.

Marchese, Anthony J.↗

Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool

The Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool (IDVVRT) Phase II effort was for the design and development of an innovative Data Visualization Environment Tool (DVET) for NASA engineers and scientists, enabling them to visualize complex multidimensional and multivariate data in a virtual environment. The objectives of the project were to: (1) demonstrate the transfer and manipulation of standard engineering data in a virtual world; (2) demonstrate the effects of design and changes using finite element analysis tools; and (3) determine the training and engineering design and analysis effectiveness of the visualization system.

Dryer, David A.↗

Preliminary Analysis of the Effect of Flow Separation Due to Rocket Jet Pluming on Aircraft Dynamic Stability During Atmospheric Exit

A theoretical investigation was conducted to determine the effects of body boundary-layer separation resulting from a highly underexpanded jet on the dynamic stability of a typical rocket aircraft during an atmospheric exit trajectory. The particular flight condition studied on a digital computer for five degrees of freedom was at Mach 6.0 and 150,000 feet. In view of the unknown character of the separated flow field, two estimates of the pressures in the separated region were made to calculate the unbalanced forces and moments. These estimates, based on limited fundamental zero-angle-of-attack studies and observations, are believed to cover what may be the actual case. In addition to a fixed control case, two simulated pilot control inputs were studied: rate-limited and instantaneous responses. The resulting-motions with and without boundary-layer separation were compared for various initial conditions. The lower of the assumed misalinement forces and moments led to a situation whereby a slowly damped motion could be satisfactorily controlled with rate-limited control input. The higher assumption led to larger amplitude, divergent motions when the same control rates were used. These motions were damped only when the instantaneous control responses were assumed.

Dryer, Murray↗

Fiber-Supported Droplet Combustion

Individual droplets with diameters ranging from about 2 mm to 5 mm were burned under microgravity conditions in air at 1 bar with an ambient temperature of 300 K. Each droplet was tethered by a silicon carbide fiber of 80 mm or 150 mm diameter to keep it in view of video recording, and, in some tests, a forced air flow was applied in a direction parallel to the fiber axis. Methanol, two methanol-water mixtures, two methanol-dodecanol mixtures, and two heptane-hexadecane mixtures were the fuels. Droplet diameters were measured as functions of time and compared with existing theoretical predictions. The prediction that methanol droplets extinguish at diameters that increase with increasing initial droplet diameter is verified by these experiments. In addition, the quasi-steady burning rate constant of the heptane-hexadecane mixtures appears to decrease with increasing droplet diameter; obscuration consistent with very heavy sooting, but without the formation of soot shells, is observed for the largest of these droplets. Forced convective flow around methanol droplets was found to increase the burning rate and to produce a ratio of downstream-to-upstream flame radius that remained constant as the droplet size decreased, a trend in agreement with earlier results obtained at higher convective velocities for smaller droplets having larger flame standoff ratios. There are a number of implications of the experimental results regarding droplet-combustion theory.

Dietrich, Daniel L.↗

Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE)

The first space-based experiments were performed on the combustion of free, individual liquid fuel droplets in oxidizing atmospheres. The fuel was heptane, with initial droplet diameters ranging about from 1 mm to 4 mm. The atmospheres were mixtures of helium and oxygen, at pressures of 1.00, 0.50 and 0.25 bar, with oxygen mole fractions between 20% and 40%, as well as normal Spacelab cabin air. The temperatures of the atmospheres and of the initial liquid fuel were nominally 300 K. A total of 44 droplets were burned successfully on the two flights, 8 on the shortened STS-83 mission and 36 on STS-94. The results spanned the full range of heptane droplet combustion behavior, from radiative flame extinction at larger droplet diameters in the more dilute atmospheres to diffusive extinction in the less dilute atmospheres, with the droplet disappearing prior to flame extinction at the highest oxygen concentrations. Quasisteady histories of droplet diameters were observed along with unsteady histories of flame diameters. New and detailed information was obtained on burning rates, flame characteristics and soot behavior. The results have motivated new computational and theoretical investigations of droplet combustion, improving knowledge of the chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics and heat and mass transfer processes involved in burning liquid fuels.

Haggard, John B., Jr.↗