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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1956

Use of Truncated Flapped Airfoils for Impingement and Icing Tests of Full-Scale Leading-Edge Sections

In an effort to increase the operational range of existing small icing tunnels, the use of truncated airfoil sections has been suggested. With truncated airfoils, large-scale or even full-scale wing-icing-protection systems could be evaluated. Therefore, experimental studies were conducted in the NACA Lewis laboratory icing 'tunnel with an NACA 651-212 airfoil section to determine the effect of truncating the airfoil chord on velocity distribution and impingement characteristics. A 6-foot-chord airfoil was cut successively at the 50- and 30-percent-chord stations to produce the truncated airfoil sections, which were equipped with trailing-edge flaps that were used to alter the flow field about the truncated sections. The study was conducted at geometric angles of attack of 00 and 40, an airspeed of about 156 knots, and volume-median droplet sizes of 11.5 and 18.6 microns. A dye-tracer technique was used in the impingement studies. With the trailing-edge flap on the truncated airfoil deflected so that the local velocity distribution in the impingement region was substantially the same as that for the full-chord airfoil, the local impingement rates and the limits of impingement for the truncated and full-chord airfoils were the same. In general, truncating the airfoils with flaps undeflected resulted in a subs'tantially altered velocity distribution and local impingement rates compared with those of the full-chord airfoil. The use of flapped truncated airfoils may permit impingement and icing studies to be conducted with full-scale leading-edge sections, ranging in size from tip to root sections.

vonGlahn, Uwe H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Large-scale magnetic fields in spiral galaxies

The optical polarization vectors which measurements have shown to be parallel to the pronounced dark lanes of such galaxies as NGC 5128 and 4590 are interpreted as the consequence of a large scale, systematic field parallel to the dark lane that leads to the alignment of the grains. It is suggested that such polarization may also be produced by scattering off grains concentrated in the dark lane. It is recommended that there be further observational tests of the hypothesis that the observed polarization indicates the magnetic field in the galaxy.

Jura, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Active region coronal evolution

Scaling relations between coronal base pressure and longitudinal photospheric magnetic field strength are tested for the case of a single active region observed for five solar rotations from Skylab. The evolution of measureable quantities, such as coronal thermal energy content, total longitudinal photospheric magnetic flux, region scale size, and peak energy density, is traced throughout the five rotations observed. The theoretically derived scaling law of Golub et al. (1980) is found to provide an acceptable fit to the data throughout the entire evolutionary history of the region from an age of about 3 days to the fully evolved state in which the mature active region merges into the general large-scale structure of the quiet corona. An alternative scaling law obtained by including the results of Galeev et al. (1981), however, is found to provide a somewhat better fit to the data. The study is seen as providing additional justification for the belief that magnetic field-related heating is the operative mechanism in the solar corona.

Golub, L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Application of augmented-Lagrangian methods in meteorology: Comparison of different conjugate-gradient codes for large-scale minimization

A Lagrange multiplier method using techniques developed by Bertsekas (1982) was applied to solving the problem of enforcing simultaneous conservation of the nonlinear integral invariants of the shallow water equations on a limited area domain. This application of nonlinear constrained optimization is of the large dimensional type and the conjugate gradient method was found to be the only computationally viable method for the unconstrained minimization. Several conjugate-gradient codes were tested and compared for increasing accuracy requirements. Robustness and computational efficiency were the principal criteria.

Navon, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Large-scale inhomogeneities and galaxy statistics

The density fluctuations associated with the formation of large-scale cosmic pancake-like and filamentary structures are evaluated using the Zel'dovich approximation for the evolution of nonlinear inhomogeneities in the expanding universe. It is shown that the large-scale nonlinear density fluctuations in the galaxy distribution due to pancakes modify the standard scale-invariant correlation function xi(r) at scales comparable to the coherence length of adiabatic fluctuations. The typical contribution of pancakes and filaments to the J3 integral, and more generally to the moments of galaxy counts in a volume of approximately (15-40 per h Mpc)exp 3, provides a statistical test for the existence of large scale inhomogeneities. An application to several recent three dimensional data sets shows that despite large observational uncertainties over the relevant scales characteristic features may be present that can be attributed to pancakes in most, but not all, of the various galaxy samples.

Schaeffer, R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Preliminary measurement of the noise from the 2/9 scale model of the Large-scale Advanced Propfan (LAP) propeller, SR-7A

Noise data on the Large-scale Advanced Propfan (LAP) propeller model SR-7A were taken into the NASA Lewis 8- by 6-Foot Wind Tunnel. The maximum blade passing tone decreases from the peak level when going to higher helical tip Mach numbers. This noise reduction points to the use of higher propeller speeds as a possible method to reduce airplane cabin noise while maintaining high flight speed and efficiency. Comparison of the SR-7A blade passing noise with the noise of the similarly designed SR-3 propeller shows good agreement as expected. The SR-7A propeller is slightly noisier than the SR-3 model in the plane of rotation at the cruise condition. Projections of the tunnel model data are made to the full-scale LAP propeller mounted on the test bed aircraft and compared with design predictions. The prediction method is conservative in the sense that it overpredicts the projected model data.

Dittmar, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Response of cumulus clouds to large-scale forcing and cumulus parameterization

Using the cumulus ensemble model (Soong and Ogura, 1980), statistical properties of cumulus clouds that occur in response to the imposed large scale forcing were investigated both in the tropical and midlatitude situtations. A strong drying process was found to occur in the boundary layer in association with deep convection in a midlatitude case. The Arakawa-Schubert (1974) cumulus parameterization scheme was tested semi-prognostically against both the model result and the observation in a tropical rain event that occurred in GATE. The Cloud heating and drying effects predicted by the Arakawa-Schubert scheme were found to agree well both with the observation and the model result. However, it was also found that the Arakawa-Schuber scheme underestimates both condensation and evaporation rates substantially. An inclusion of the downdraft effect, as formulated by Johnson (1976), appears to alleviate this deficiency. This downdraft effect may be important in predicting the behavior of the boundary accurately.

Ogura, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Detection of large-scale alignment of Lick counts around Abell clusters

The possible tendency of galaxies to be distributed in an aligned fashion, on sheets or filaments, on scales greater than the Abell radius, has been tested by a variety of statistics. The subject remains controversial because the statistical tests have either not been sensitive to the alignment or capable of unambiguously signalling alignment in a general, clumpy distribution of galaxies. The present approach combines ideas of Bingelli (1982) and Fry and Peebles (1980) in an examination of the cross correlation of Lick counts relative to the preferred direction defined by the cluster. This can substantially reduce the noise, and it is suggested on this basis that alignment has been found on large scales for Lick galaxy counts and Abell cluster positions and their angles.

Argyres, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Large-scale static investigation of circulation-control-wing concepts applied to upper surface-blowing aircraft

The use of a circulation control to deflect turbofan engine thrust beyond 90 deg. has been proven in full-scale static ground tests of the circulation-control-wing/upper-surface-blowing (CCW/USB) concept. This powered high-lift system employs a circular, blown trailing edge to replace the USB mechanical flaps to entrain engine-exhaust flow, and to obtain both a vertical-thrust component and an augmented circulation lift for short takeoff and landing (STOL) applications. Previous tests (Phase 1), done in 1982, of a basic configuration installed on the Quiet Short Haul Research Aircraft confirmed these CCW/USB systems capabilities. A second phase (Phase 2) of full-scale, static, thrust-deflection investigations has reconfirmed the ability to deflect engine thrust from 40 to 102 deg., depending on thrust level. Five new configurations were evaluated and performance improvements noted for those configurations with larger blown span, fences or favorable engine interactions, smaller slot height, and larger radii with less than 180 deg. of CCW surface arc. In general, a 90 deg. circular arc with a smaller slot height provided the best performance, demonstrating that adequate thrust turning can be produced by a trailing-edge shape which may have minimal cruise-performance penalty. Thrust deflections were achieved at considerably lower blowing momentum than was required for the baseline case of Phase 1. Improved performance and versatility were thus confirmed for the CCW/USB system applied to STOL aircraft, where the potential for developing a non-moving-parts pneumatic thrust deflector to rapidly vary horizontal force from thrust to drag, while maintaining constant vertical force, appears quite promising. The conversion from high-lift to lower-drag cruise mode by merely terminating the blowing provides an effective STOL aircraft system.

Shovlin, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A simple model for the interaction of planetary and synoptic-scale waves in the troposphere

The time-mean circulation of the troposphere during the Northern hemisphere winter is dominated by planetary-scale stationary waves superposed on longitudinal-mean westerly flow. The movement and generation of weather-making, synoptic-scale transient waves are controlled by this large-scale circulation. The interannual variablity of planetary scale waves determines the severity of the winter season over broad geographic regions through such factors as frequency of storms, precipitation and temperature. A conceptual model that incorporates these feedbacks between the two scales is developed and guides the formulation of the quantitative low-order model which retains a few basic physical processes and wave components. In the low-order model the fluxes of sensible heat and momentum and latent heat release by transient eddies are parameterized in terms of the evolving large-scale circulation. Radiative forcing and damping, planetary-scale variations in moisture and topography and Ekman dissipation are also included. Testing of this model is in progress. The results will help interpret experiments from sophisticated general-circulation models and ascertain the need for satellite observations of precipitation.

Branscome, Lee E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Turbulence control on an airborne laser platform

An active flow control device to generate large-scale, periodic structures in a turbulent shear flow is developed. Together with adaptive optics, the device may be used on airborne laser platforms to reduce or eliminate optical distortion caused by the turbulence in the aircraft's boundary layer. A cyclic jet issuing from a spanwise slot is used to collect the turbulent boundary layer for a finite time and then release all of the flow instantaneously in one large eddy that convects downstream. Flow visualization and hot-film probe measurements are used together with pattern recognition algorithms to demonstrate the viability of the flow control method. A flat plate towed in a water channel is used as a test bed. The instantaneous velocity signal is used to compute important statistical quantities of the random velocity field, such as the mean, the root-mean-square, the spectral distribution, and the probability density function. When optimized for a given boundary layer, it is shown that the cyclic jet will produce periodic structures that are similar to the random, naturally occurring ones. These structures seem to trigger the onset of bursting events near the wall of the plate. Thus, the present device generates periodic structures in both the outer and inner regions of a turbulent boundary layer.

Gad-El-hak, Mohamed↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cruise noise of the 2/9th scale model of the Large-scale Advanced Propfan (LAP) propeller, SR-7A

Noise data on the Large-scale Advanced Propfan (LAP) propeller model SR-7A were taken in the NASA Lewis Research Center 8 x 6 foot Wind Tunnel. The maximum blade passing tone noise first rises with increasing helical tip Mach number to a peak level, then remains the same or decreases from its peak level when going to higher helical tip Mach numbers. This trend was observed for operation at both constant advance ratio and approximately equal thrust. This noise reduction or, leveling out at high helical tip Mach numbers, points to the use of higher propeller tip speeds as a possible method to limit airplane cabin noise while maintaining high flight speed and efficiency. Projections of the tunnel model data are made to the full scale LAP propeller mounted on the test bed aircraft and compared with predictions. The prediction method is found to be somewhat conservative in that it slightly overpredicts the projected model data at the peak.

Dittmar, James H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Zonal wave number variance spectra of stratospheric microwave brightness temperatures

Well-known theoretical predictions suggest that variances of large-scale atmospheric fluctuations, for scales somewhat shorter than those of the forcing mechanisms, should obey a power law, k exp -b, where k is the horizontal wave number. The invariance of the exponent b with season, hemisphere, and latitude is tested using satellite-measured brightness temperatures. Global grids of Tiros-N Microwave Sounding Unit channel 4 measurements, which closely approximate the 30- to 150-mbar layer mean temperature, are constructed for January, March, and August 1979. These grids are zonally Fourier-transformed, and the resulting spectra are averaged over four 18 deg-wide latitude bands. Fits of a power law to these spectra over wave numbers 10-36 and 10-26 give values of b which are independent of season, hemisphere, and latitude band, to within statistical uncertainties. The observed values of b are about 3.6, as compared to theoretical predictions of 3.

Martin, Russell L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Large-Scale Advanced Prop-Fan (LAP)

In recent years, considerable attention has been directed toward improving aircraft fuel efficiency. Analytical studies and research with wind tunnel models have demonstrated that the high inherent efficiency of low speed turboprop propulsion systems may now be extended to the Mach .8 flight regime of today's commercial airliners. This can be accomplished with a propeller, employing a large number of thin highly swept blades. The term Prop-Fan has been coined to describe such a propulsion system. In 1983 the NASA-Lewis Research Center contracted with Hamilton Standard to design, build and test a near full scale Prop-Fan, designated the Large Scale Advanced Prop-Fan (LAP). This report provides a detailed description of the LAP program. The assumptions and analytical procedures used in the design of Prop-Fan system components are discussed in detail. The manufacturing techniques used in the fabrication of the Prop-Fan are presented. Each of the tests run during the course of the program are also discussed and the major conclusions derived from them stated.

Degeorge, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cruise noise of the 2/9 scale model of the Large-scale Advanced Propfan (LAP) propeller, SR-7A

Noise data on the Large-scale Advanced Propfan (LAP) propeller model SR-7A were taken in the NASA Lewis Research Center 8 x 6 foot Wind Tunnel. The maximum blade passing tone noise first rises with increasing helical tip Mach number to a peak level, then remains the same or decreases from its peak level when going to higher helical tip Mach numbers. This trend was observed for operation at both constant advance ratio and approximately equal thrust. This noise reduction or, leveling out at high helical tip Mach numbers, points to the use of higher propeller tip speeds as a possible method to limit airplane cabin noise while maintaining high flight speed and efficiency. Projections of the tunnel model data are made to the full scale LAP propeller mounted on the test bed aircraft and compared with predictions. The prediction method is found to be somewhat conservative in that it slightly overpredicts the projected model data at the peak.

Dittmar, James H.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The large-scale distribution of molecular gas in the first Galactic quadrant

The emission parameters for the molecular component of the interstellar medium are determined throughout the first Galactic quadrant. Face-on maps of the peak midplane molecular density, scale height, and offset from b = 0 deg with roughly 300 pc resolution are presented. These maps are compared with the distribution of cataloged H II regions to test whether both species trace the same Galactic locations. The properties of the spiral (or ringlike) arms are deduced from the derived images and pitch-angle upper limits are estimated. The H II regions are strongly correlated with the dense molecular rings.

Clemens, Dan P.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Graph-based real-time fault diagnostics

A real-time fault detection and diagnosis capability is absolutely crucial in the design of large-scale space systems. Some of the existing AI-based fault diagnostic techniques like expert systems and qualitative modelling are frequently ill-suited for this purpose. Expert systems are often inadequately structured, difficult to validate and suffer from knowledge acquisition bottlenecks. Qualitative modelling techniques sometimes generate a large number of failure source alternatives, thus hampering speedy diagnosis. In this paper we present a graph-based technique which is well suited for real-time fault diagnosis, structured knowledge representation and acquisition and testing and validation. A Hierarchical Fault Model of the system to be diagnosed is developed. At each level of hierarchy, there exist fault propagation digraphs denoting causal relations between failure modes of subsystems. The edges of such a digraph are weighted with fault propagation time intervals. Efficient and restartable graph algorithms are used for on-line speedy identification of failure source components.

Padalkar, S.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Widespread habitat change through paludification as an interactive mechanism in mass extinction events

The study of mass extinction events has largely focused on defining an environmental factor or factors that might account for specific patterns of faunal demise. Several hypotheses elaborate on how a given environmental factor might affect fauna directly, but differentially, causing extinction in certain taxa but not others. Yet few studies have considered specific habitat changes that might result from natural vegetation processes or from perturbations of vegetation. The role of large-scale habitat change induced by natural successional change from forest to bog (paludification) is examined and how large perturbations (e.g., volcanism, bolide impacts) might favor increased rates of paludification and consequent mass extinctions is considered. This hypothesis has an advantage over other hypotheses for mass extinctions in that modern day analogs of paludification are common throughout the world, thus allowing for considerable testing.

Klinger, L. F.↗