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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 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Meridional Flow Variations in Cycles 23 and 24: Active Latitude Control of Sunspot Cycle Amplitudes

We have measured the meridional motions of magnetic elements observed in the photosphere over sunspot cycles 23 and 24 using magnetograms from SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI. Our measurements confirm the finding of Komm, Howard, and Harvey (1993) that the poleward meridional flow weakens at cycle maxima. Our high spatial and temporal resolution analyses show that this variation is in the form of a superimposed inflow toward the active latitudes. This inflow is weaker in cycle 24 when compared to the inflow in 23, the stronger cycle. This systematic modulation of the meridional flow should also modulate the amplitude of the following sunspot cycle through its influence on the Sun's polar fields. The observational evidence and the theoretical consequences (similar to those of Cameron and Schussler (2012)) will be described.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Meridional Flow Variations in Cycles 23 and 24: Active Latitude Control of Sunspot Cycle Amplitudes

We have measured the meridional motions of magnetic elements observed in the photosphere over sunspot cycles 23 and 24 using magnetograms from SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI. Our measurements confirm the finding of Komm, Howard, and Harvey (1993) that the poleward meridional flow weakens at cycle maxima. Our high spatial and temporal resolution analyses show that this variation is in the form of a superimposed inflow toward the active latitudes. This inflow is weaker in cycle 24 when compared to the inflow in 23, the stronger cycle. This systematic modulation of the meridional flow can modulate the amplitude of the following sunspot cycle through its influence on the Sun's polar fields.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Implementation of Real-Time Feedback Flow Control Algorithms on a Canonical Testbed

This report summarizes the activities on "Implementation of Real-Time Feedback Flow Control Algorithms on a Canonical Testbed." The work summarized consists primarily of two parts. The first part summarizes our previous work and the extensions to adaptive ID and control algorithms. The second part concentrates on the validation of adaptive algorithms by applying them to a vibration beam test bed. Extensions to flow control problems are discussed.

Tian, Ye↗
NASA NTRS2001

Paraelectric gas flow accelerator

A substrate is configured with first and second sets of electrodes, where the second set of electrodes is positioned asymmetrically between the first set of electrodes. When a RF voltage is applied to the electrodes sufficient to generate a discharge plasma (e.g., a one-atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma) in the gas adjacent to the substrate, the asymmetry in the electrode configuration results in force being applied to the active species in the plasma and in turn to the neutral background gas. Depending on the relative orientation of the electrodes to the gas, the present invention can be used to accelerate or decelerate the gas. The present invention has many potential applications, including increasing or decreasing aerodynamic drag or turbulence, and controlling the flow of active and/or neutral species for such uses as flow separation, altering heat flow, plasma cleaning, sterilization, deposition, etching, or alteration in wettability, printability, and/or adhesion.

Sherman, Daniel M.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Flow Components in a NaK Test Loop Designed to Simulate Conditions in a Nuclear Surface Power Reactor

A test loop using NaK as the working fluid is presently in use to study material compatibility effects on various components that comprise a possible nuclear reactor design for use on the lunar surface. A DC electromagnetic (EM) pump has been designed and implemented as a means of actively controlling the NaK flow rate through the system and an EM flow sensor is employed to monitor the developed flow rate. These components allow for the matching of the flow rate conditions in test loops with those that would be found in a full-scale surface-power reactor. The design and operating characteristics of the EM pump and flow sensor are presented. In the EM pump, current is applied to a set of electrodes to produce a Lorentz body force in the fluid. A measurement of the induced voltage (back-EMF) in the flow sensor provides the means of monitoring flow rate. Both components are compact, employing high magnetic field strength neodymium magnets thermally coupled to a water-cooled housing. A vacuum gap limits the heat transferred from the high temperature NaK tube to the magnets and a magnetically-permeable material completes the magnetic circuit. The pump is designed to produce a pressure rise of 5 psi, and the flow sensor's predicted output is roughly 20 mV at the loop's nominal flow rate of 0.5 GPM.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Numerical simulation of transitional flow

The applicability of active control of transition by periodic suction-blowing is investigated via direct simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations. The time-evolution of finite-amplitude disturbances in plane channel flow is compared in detail with and without control. The analysis indicates that, for relatively small three-dimensional amplitudes, a two-dimensional control effectively reduces disturbance growth rates even for linearly unstable Reynolds numbers. After the flow goes through secondary instability, three-dimensional control seems necessary to stabilize the flow. An investigation of the temperature field suggests that passive temperature contamination is operative to reflect the flow dynamics during transition.

Biringen, Sedat↗
NASA NTRS1981

Aircraft energy efficiency. Overview

Six advanced technology development projects that could cut fuel consumption of future civil air transports by as much as 50 percent are highlighted. These include improved engine components; better engine design; thin short blades for turboprop aircaft; using composite primary structures for weight reduction; the use of supercritical wings, higher aspect ratio, and winglets for improved aerodynamics; active controls; and laminar flow control. The time span of each of the six efforts and NASA's expected expenditures are also discussed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Modern developments in shear flow control with swirl

Passive and active control of swirling turbulent jets is experimentally investigated. Initial swirl distribution is shown to dominate the free jet evolution in the passive mode. Vortex breakdown, a manifestation of high intensity swirl, was achieved at below critical swirl number (S = 0.48) by reducing the vortex core diameter. The response of a swirling turbulent jet to single frequency, plane wave acoustic excitation was shown to depend strongly on the swirl number, excitation Strouhal number, amplitude of the excitation wave, and core turbulence in a low speed cold jet. A 10 percent reduction of the mean centerline velocity at x/D = 9.0 (and a corresponding increase in the shear layer momentum thickness) was achieved by large amplitude internal plane wave acoustic excitation. Helical instability waves of negative azimuthal wave numbers exhibit larger amplification rates than the plane waves in swirling free jets, according to hydrodynamic stability theory. Consequently, an active swirling shear layer control is proposed to include the generation of helical instability waves of arbitrary helicity and the promotion of modal interaction, through multifrequency forcing.

Farokhi, Saeed↗
NASA NTRS1990

Modern developments in shear flow control with swirl

Passive and active control of swirling turbulent jets is experimentally investigated. Initial swirl distribution is shown to dominate the free jet evolution in the passive mode. Vortex breakdown, a manifestation of high intensity swirl, was achieved at below critical swirl number (S = 0.48) by reducing the vortex core diameter. The response of a swirling turbulent jet to single frequency, plane wave acoustic excitation was shown to depend strongly on the swirl number, excitation Strouhal number, amplitude of the excitation wave, and core turbulence in a low speed cold jet. A 10 percent reduction of the mean centerline velocity at x/D = 9.0 (and a corresponding increase in the shear layer momentum thickness) was achieved by large amplitude internal plane wave acoustic excitation. Helical instability waves of negative azimuthal wave numbers exhibit larger amplification rates than the plane waves in swirling free jets, according to hydrodynamic stability theory. Consequently, an active swirling shear layer control is proposed to include the generation of helical instability waves of arbitrary helicity and the promotion of modal interaction, through multifrequency forcing.

Farokhi, S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Annual research briefs, 1993

The 1993 annual progress reports of the Research Fellow and students of the Center for Turbulence Research are included. The first group of reports are directed towards the theory and application of active control in turbulent flows including the development of a systematic mathematical procedure based on the Navier Stokes equations for flow control. The second group of reports are concerned with the prediction of turbulent flows. The remaining articles are devoted to turbulent reacting flows, turbulence physics, experiments, and simulations.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2000

Separation Control at Flight Reynolds Numbers: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Active separation control, using periodic excitation, was studied experimentally at high Reynolds numbers. The effects of compressibility, mild sweep, location o excitation slot and steady momentum transfer on the efficacy of the method were identified. Tests conducted at chord Reynolds numbers as high as 40 x 10(exp 6) demonstrated that active control using oscillatory flow excitation can effectively delay flow separation from and reattach separated flow to aerodynamic surfaces at flight conditions. The effective frequencies generate one to four vortices over the controlled region at all times, regardless of the Reynolds number. The vortices are initially amplified by the separated shear-layer, and after initiating reattachment, the strength of the vortices decay as they are convected downstream. Large amplitude, low frequency vortices break down to smaller ones upon introduction at the excitation slot. The effects of steady mass transfer were compared to those of periodic excitation. It was found that steady blowing is significantly inferior to periodic excitation in terms o performance benefits and that the response to steady blowing is abrupt, and therefore undesirable from a control point of view. Steady suction and periodic excitation are comparable in effectiveness and both exhibit a gradual response to changes in the magnitude of the control input. The combination of weak steady suction and periodic excitation is extremely effective while the addition of steady blowing could be detrimental. Compressibility effects are weak as long as separation is not caused by a shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction The undesirable effects of the shock-induced separation could be alleviated by the introduction of periodic excitation upstream of the shock wave, inside the region of supersonic flow. The effects of mild sweep were also studied and periodic excitation was found to be very effective in reattaching three-dimensional separated flow. Scaling laws that correlate 2D and 3D controlled flows were tested and verified. Several performance benefits could be gained by applying the method to existing configurations, but it is expected that the full potential of the method can only be realized through the design of new configurations. A comprehensive, fully turbulent, database was generated in order to guide the development, and enable validation, of candidate unsteady CFD design tools.

Seifert, Avi↗
NASA NTRS2000

Separation Control at Flight Reynolds Numbers: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Active separation control, using periodic excitation, was studied experimentally at high Reynolds numbers. The effects of compressibility, mild sweep, location of excitation slot and steady momentum transfer on the efficacy of the method were identified. Tests conducted at chord Reynolds numbers as high as 40 x 10(exp 6) demonstrated that active control using oscillatory flow excitation can effectively delay flow separation from, and reattach separated flow to aerodynamic surfaces at flight conditions. The effective frequencies generate one to four vortices over the controlled region at all times, regardless of the Reynolds number. The vortices are initially amplified by the separated shear-layer, and after initiating reattachment, the strength of the vortices decay as they are convected downstream. Large amplitude, low frequency vortices break down to smaller ones upon introduction at the excitation slot. The effects of steady mass transfer were compared to those of periodic excitation. It was found that steady blowing is significantly inferior to periodic excitation in terms of performance benefits and that the response to steady blowing is abrupt, and therefore undesirable from a control point of view. Steady suction and periodic excitation are comparable in effectiveness and both exhibit a gradual response to changes in the magnitude of the control input. The combination of weak steady suction and periodic excitation is extremely effective while the addition of steady blowing could be detrimental. Compressibility effects are weak as long as separation is not caused by a shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction. The undesirable effects of the shock-induced separation could be alleviated by the introduction of periodic excitation upstream of the shock wave, inside the region of supersonic flow. The effects of mild sweep were also studied and periodic excitation was found to be very effective in reattaching three-dimensional separated flow. Scaling laws that correlate 2D and 3D controlled flows were tested and verified. Several performance benefits could be gained by applying the method to existing configurations, but it is expected that the full potential of the method can only be realized through the design of new configurations. A comprehensive, fully turbulent, database was generated in order to guide the development, and enable validation, of candidate unsteady CFD design tools.

Pack, LaTunia G.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Fan Noise Reduction: An Overview

Fan noise reduction technologies developed as part of the engine noise reduction element of the Advanced Subsonic Technology Program are reviewed. Developments in low-noise fan stage design, swept and leaned outlet guide vanes, active noise control, fan flow management, and scarfed inlet are discussed. In each case, a description of the method is presented and, where available, representative results and general conclusions are discussed. The review concludes with a summary of the accomplishments of the AST-sponsored fan noise reduction research and a few thoughts on future work.

Envia, Edmane↗
NASA NTRS2002

Temporal gradients in shear stimulate osteoblastic proliferation via ERK1/2 and retinoblastoma protein

Bone cells are subject to interstitial fluid flow (IFF) driven by venous pressure and mechanical loading. Rapid dynamic changes in mechanical loading cause transient gradients in IFF. The effects of pulsatile flow (temporal gradients in fluid shear) on rat UMR106 cells and rat primary osteoblastic cells were studied. Pulsatile flow induced a 95% increase in S-phase UMR106 cells compared with static controls. In contrast, ramped steady flow stimulated only a 3% increase. Similar patterns of S-phase induction were also observed in rat primary osteoblastic cells. Pulsatile flow significantly increased relative UMR106 cell number by 37 and 62% at 1.5 and 24 h, respectively. Pulsatile flow also significantly increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation by 418%, whereas ramped steady flow reduced ERK1/2 activation to 17% of control. Correspondingly, retinoblastoma protein was significantly phosphorylated by pulsatile fluid flow. Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein (MAP)/ERK kinase (MEK)1/2 by U0126 (a specific MEK1/2 inhibitor) reduced shear-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation and cell proliferation. These findings suggest that temporal gradients in fluid shear stress are potent stimuli of bone cell proliferation.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗
NASA NTRS2008

Testing of SMA-enabled Active Chevron Prototypes under Representative Flow Conditions

Control of jet noise continues to be an important research topic. Exhaust-nozzle chevrons have been shown to reduce jet noise, but parametric effects are not well understood. Additionally, thrust loss due to chevrons at cruise suggests significant benefit from active chevrons. The focus of this study is development of an active chevron concept for the primary purpose of parametric studies for jet noise reduction in the laboratory and secondarily for technology development to leverage for full scale systems. The active chevron concept employed in this work consists of a laminated composite structure with embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, termed a SMA hybrid composite (SMAHC). SMA actuators are embedded on one side of the neutral axis of the structure such that thermal excitation, via joule heating, generates a moment and deflects the structure. The performance of two active chevron concepts is demonstrated in the presence of representative flow conditions. One of the concepts is shown to possess significant advantages for the proposed application and is selected for further development. Fabrication and design changes are described and shown to produce a chevron prototype that meets the performance objectives.

Turner, Travis L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Stability and control of compressible flows over a surface with concave-conves curvature

The active control of spatially unstable disturbances in a laminar, two-dimensional, compressible boundary layer over a curved surface is numerically simulated. The control is effected by localized time-periodic surface heating. We consider two similar surfaces of different heights with concave-convex curvature. In one, the height is sufficiently large so that the favorable pressure gradient is sufficient to stabilize a particular disturbance. In the other case the pressure gradient induced by the curvature is destabilizing. It is shown that by using active control that the disturbance can be stabilized. The results demonstrate that the curvature induced mean pressure gradient significantly enhances the receptivity of the flow localized time-periodic surface heating and that this is a potentially viable mechanism in air.

Maestrello, L.↗