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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 NTRS1975

An experimental study of jet exhaust simulation

Afterbody drag predictions for jet aircraft are usually made experimentally with the jet exhaust flow simulated. The physical gas properties of the fluid used for the model jet exhaust can affect the accuracy of simulation of the airplane's jet exhaust plume. The effect of the accuracy of this simulation on afterbody drag was investigated by wind-tunnel tests with single engine model. In addition to unheated air as the exhaust gas, the decomposition products of three different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide were utilized. The air jet simulation consistently resulted in higher boattail drag than hydrogen peroxide simulation. The differences in drag for the various exhaust gases are attributed to different plume shapes and entrainment properties of the gases. The largest differences in drag due to exhaust gas properties were obtained for the combination of high transonic Mach numbers and high boattail angles. For these conditions, the current data indicate that the use of air to simulate a nonafterburning turbojet exhaust can result in an increase in afterbody amounting to 20 percent of the nonafterburning turbojet value.

Compton, W. B., III↗
NASA NTRS1980

An analytical and experimental study of a short S-shaped subsonic diffuser of a supersonic inlet

An experimental investigation of a subscale HiMat forebody and inlet was conducted over a range of Mach numbers to 1.4. The inlet exhibited a transitory separation within the diffuser but steady state data indicated reattachment at the diffuser exit. A finite difference procedure for turbulent compressible flow in axisymmetric ducts was used to successfully model the HiMAT duct flow. The analysis technique was further used to estimate the initiation of separation and delineate the steady and unsteady flow regimes in similar S-shaped ducts.

Neumann, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

An experimental study of dynamic stall on advanced airfoil section. Volume 2: Pressure and force data

Experimentally derived force and moment data are presented for eight airfoil sections that were tested at fixed and varying incidence in a subsonic two dimensional stream. Airfoil incidence was varied through sinusoidal oscillations in pitch over a wide range of amplitude and frequency. The surface pressure distribution, as well as the lift, drag, and pitching moment derived therefrom, are displayed in a uniform fashion to delineate the static and dynamic characteristics of each airfoil both in and out of stall.

Mcalister, K. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Experimental study on direct adaptive control of a PUMA 560 industrial robot

The implementation and experimental validation of a direct adaptive control scheme on a PUMA 560 industrial robot is discussed. The design theory for direct adaptive control of manipulators is outlined and the test facility and software are described. Results are presented from the experiments on the simultaneous control of all of the six joint angles and control of the end-effector position and orientation of the robot. Also, the possible applications of the direct adaptive control scheme are considered.

Seraji, H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Experimental study of tail-span effects on a generic canard-controlled missile

An experimental investigation was conducted on a cruciform canard controlled missile configuration to determine the effects of tail span/canard span ratio on controllability. The investigation was conducted over the Mach number range of 1.75 to 3.50. Reductions of tail span/canard span ratio produced lower static margins and higher trim angle of attack. The results show that canard controls can provide pitch- and yaw-control as well as roll-control by proper selection of the tail span/canard span ratio.

Blair, A. B., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1939

Theoretical and Experimental Study of Ignition Lag and Engine Knock

The author believes, on the basis of experimental ignition-lag data, that the character of a fuel cannot be stated in terms of a single constant (such as octane or cetane number) but that at least two and generally three constants are required. Thus no correlation between knock ratings can be expected if in one set of tests the charge temperature was varied while in the other the charge pressure was varied. For this reason, he favors knock rating being based on an equation characterizing the ignition lag of the fuel as a function of pressure and temperature of the charge.

Schmidt, Frtiz A F↗
NASA NTRS1993

An experimental study of the flow field surrounding a subsonic jet in a cross flow

An experimental investigation of the flow interaction of a 5.08 cm (2.00 in.) diameter round subsonic jet exhausting perpendicularly to a flat plate in a subsonic cross flow was conducted in the NASA Ames 7x1O ft. Wind Tunnel Number One. Flat plate surface pressures were measured at 400 locations in a 30.48 cm (12.0 in.) concentric circular array surrounding the jet exit. Results from these measurements are provided in tabular and graphical form for jet-to-crossflow velocity ratios ranging from 4 to 12, and for jet exit Mach numbers ranging from 0.50 to 0.93. Laser doppler velocimeter (LDV) three component velocity measurements were made in selected regions in the developed jet plume and near the flat plate surface, at a jet Mach number of 0.50 and jet-to-crossflow velocity ratios of 6 and 8. The results of both pressure and LDV measurements are compared with the results of previous experiments. In addition, pictures of the jet plume shape at jet velocity ratios ranging from 4 to 12 were obtained using schleiren photography. The LDV measurements are consistent with previous work, but more extensive measurements will be necessary to provide a detailed picture of the flow field. The surface pressure results compare closely with previous work and provide a useful characterization of jet induced surface pressures. The results demonstrate the primary influence of jet velocity ratio and the secondary influence of jet Mach number in determining such surface pressures.

Dennis, Robert Foster↗
NASA NTRS2012

Experimental Study of the Compression Response of Fluted-Core Composite Panels with Joints

Fluted-core sandwich composites consist of integral angled web members spaced between laminate face sheets, and may have the potential to provide benefits over traditional sandwich composites for certain aerospace applications. However, fabrication of large autoclave-cured fluted-core cylindrical shells with existing autoclaves will require that the shells be fabricated in segments, and joined longitudinally to form a complete barrel. Two different longitudinal fluted-core joint designs were considered experimentally in this study. In particular, jointed fluted-core-composite panels were tested in longitudinal compression because longitudinal compression is the primary loading condition in dry launch-vehicle barrel sections. One of the joint designs performed well in comparison with unjointed test articles, and the other joint design failed at loads approximately 14% lower than unjointed test articles. The compression-after-impact (CAI) performance of jointed fluted-core composites was also investigated by testing test articles that had been subjected to 6 ft-lb impacts. It was found that such impacts reduced the load-carrying capability by 9% to 40%. This reduction is dependent on the joint concept, component flute size, and facesheet thickness.

Schultz, Marc R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

An Experimental Study of a Pulsed Electromagnetic Plasma Accelerator

Experiments are being performed on the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) pulsed electromagnetic plasma accelerator (PEPA-0). Data produced from the experiments provide an opportunity to further understand the plasma dynamics in these thrusters via detailed computational modeling. The detailed and accurate understanding of the plasma dynamics in these devices holds the key towards extending their capabilities in a number of applications, including their applications as high power (greater than 1 MW) thrusters, and their use for producing high-velocity, uniform plasma jets for experimental purposes. For this study, the 2-D MHD modeling code, MACH2, is used to provide detailed interpretation of the experimental data. At the same time, a 0-D physics model of the plasma initial phase is developed to guide our 2-D modeling studies.

Thio, Y. C. Francis↗
NASA NTRS1984

An experimental study of tone excited heated jets

The objective of this investigation was to obtain detailed experimental data on the effects of upstream acoustic excitation on the mixing of heated jets with the surrounding air. Based on the information gathered in the literature survey, a technical approach was developed to carry out a systematic set of mean flowfield measurements for a broad range of jet operating and acoustic excitation conditions. Most of the results were obtained at Mach numbers of 0.3 and 0.8 and total temperatures of up to 800 K. Some measurements were made also for the fully expanded supersonic jet of Mj = 1.15. The maximum level of excitation was Le equal to or less than 150 dB and a range of excitation frequencies up to fe = 4 kHz was used. The important results derived from this study can be summarized as follows: (1) the sensitivity of heated jets to upstream acoustic excitation varies strongly with the jet operating conditions, (2) the threshold excitation level increases with increasing jet temperature, and (3) the preferred Strouhal number does not change significantly with a change of the jet operating conditions.

Lepicovsky, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Experimental study of three-dimensional separated flow surrounding a hemisphere-cylinder at incidence

Detailed experimental surface pressure coefficient measurements, obtained for a hemisphere-cylinder-flare model in a low supersonic flow (freestream M = 1.2) at various angles of attack (0 deg to 27.5 deg), have been analyzed. The pressure values for each angle of attack were smoothed and checked against their respective oil-flow photographs. The smoothed results were then used to validate a theory which relates the number and type of singular points observed in the oil-flow patterns with local surface-pressure extrema.

Meade, Andrew J., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multi-scale experimental study of creep-fatigue failure initiation in a 709 Stainless Steel alloy using high resolution digital image correlation. Final report

This report discusses the efforts made towards the multi-scale study of the creep-fatigue response of stainless steel 709. Multiple experimental techniques, including digital image correlation (DIC) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), were used in assessing the evolution of damage accumulation during fatigue, creep-fatigue, and thermomechanical fatigue of alloy 709. The role of microstructural features, hold times, temperature, and loading profiles were quantified and the interchangeability of temperature and time was investigated. Finally, a thermomechanical fatigue model was shown to predict well the failure of samples with varying loading profiles. Results indicate that strain accumulation in 709 steel happens primarily near grain boundaries (GBs) with the strains around GBs being inversely proportional to their measured residual burgers vector. Furthermore, hot-spots for strain accumulation were shown to be the locations of eventual microcrack nucleation. The introduction of hold times to the periodic loading cycle increases the damage accumulation rate and thus shortens the fatigue life of samples–this was true for both room temperature and high temperature. Thermomechanical cycling was shown to have little effect on the end life of samples, with the damage accumulation rate for in-phase and out-of-phase cycling being similar to isothermal fatigue. The interchangeability of time and temperature was shown to be possible within the studied load, time, and temperature ranges, since deformation mechanisms driving strain accumulation did not change with temperature (up to 650°C). The Neu-Sehitoglu thermomechanical fatigue model, with constants obtained from the literature and in part from our experimental results, was applied to predict failure of isothermal creep-fatigue samples. The main objectives of this work were to:(a) Perform high-resolution digital image correlation measurements (HiDIC) for alloy 709; (b) Quantify and assess damage accumulation at the microstructure under fatigue, TMF, and creep-fatigue conditions of 709; (c) Study of the role of hold times, i.e., adding a creep component, to: Room temperature cycling, High temperature cycling, Failure; (d) Study the mechanisms of thermomechanical fatigue in this alloy; (e) Investigate the existence of a time-temperature interchangeability criterion to aid in accelerated creep-fatigue testing; (f) Establish the validity of a combined creep-fatigue model for life prediction for 709. This report is structured with each subsequent section detailing the efforts, results, and conclusions related to each of the objectives described, mostly in chronological order.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2024

Experimental Studies on the Effect of Impact Processes on the Formation and Evolution of Amino Acids

Introduction: A critical step in the emergence of life on Earth was the synthesis of larger organic molecules from simple building blocks such as NH3, CO2, H2O, and CH3OH. The presence of amino acids and other complex organics in comets and meteorites demonstrates that widespread organic synthesis likely occurred across the early solar system. Building on previous work [e.g., 1-3], we systematically explore impact-driven chemical evolution of exogenous organics and their precursors. Collisional processes may also have provided a source of energy for the formation of more complex organics from endogenous building blocks. The high flux of impactors to Earth immediately prior to and during the origins of life suggests that impacts could have played a critical role. Key Questions: 1. How are the formation and evolution of amino acids affected by the presence of a mineral matrix during cometary and asteroidal impacts onto the early Earth? 2. Do some minerals (e.g., phyllosilicates) provide a more robust protective framework or reactive surface site for amino-acid formation and/or polymerization? 3. Does the abundance of ices and/or amino acids relative to that of the mineral matrix affect the formation and evolution of amino acids? 4. Are there impact velocities/shock pressures at which formation or polymerization of amino acids is favored or precluded? Experimental Approach: This study systematically examines the conditions under which amino acids and other organic molecules can form, be polymerized, and/or be destroyed during impact events into particulate regolith simulants. Variable parameters include the modal composition of this regolith (silicate matrices, ratios of ices, silicates, and amino acids) and impact velocities/shock pressures. Impacts experiments were performed using the two-stage light-gas gun (LGG), vertical gun (VG), and flat-plate accelerator (FPA) in the Experimental Impact Lab at JSC. FPA experiments were performed over a range of shock pressures (11.3-31.5 GPa) using CM chondrite simulant mixed with amino acids at ratios of 0:10, 1:10, 1:103, and 1:106 (amino acid:host). Techniques for mixing cometary ices have been optimized and test runs have been performed using the LGG (see figure below). Analysis: Post-impact, samples are heated in water to extract amino acids and peptides. Extracts are characterized via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and the mineralogies of solid residues are characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Additional LC-MS and mineralogical analyses are underway.

Eve L Berger↗
DOE OSTI2020

Experimental Study on the Effect of Localized Blockages on the Friction Factor of a 61-Pin Wire-Wrapped Bundle

Abstract The thermal-hydraulic behavior of the flow in rod bundles has motivated numerous experimental and computational investigations. Previous studies have identified potential for accumulation of debris within the small subchannels of typical wire-wrapped assemblies with subsequent total or partial blockage of subchannel coolant flow. A test campaign was conducted to study the effects of localized blockages on the bundle averaged friction factor of a tightly packed wire-wrapped rod bundle. Blockages were installed within the bundle, and fluid pressure drop was measured across one wire pitch for a Reynolds number range of 500–17,200. The Darcy–Weisbach friction factor of the perturbed rod bundle geometry was compared with that of the unblocked bundle, as well as with the predictions of a well-established friction factor correlation. Differing effects based on blockage size and location for various flow regimes were studied. A number of conclusions can be made about the effects of the blockages on the friction factor, such as an increasing effect of the blockage on friction factor with an increase in Reynolds number, a change in flow behavior in the turbulent transition flow regime near Reynolds number 3000, differences in effect on friction factor for different types of subchannel blockage, and a nonlinear trend in friction factor variation with flow area impeded for edge subchannels. To this end, all data and quantified uncertainty produced in this study are made available for comparison and validation of advanced computational tools.

Engineering↗
NASA NTRS1986

An experimental study of the lift, drag and static longitudinal stability for a three lifting surface configuration

The experimental procedure and aerodynamic force and moment measurements for wind tunnel testing of the three lifting surface configuration (TLC) are described. The influence of nonelliptical lift distributions on lift, drag, and static longitudinal stability are examined; graphs of the lift coefficient versus angle of attack, the pitching moment coefficient, drag coefficient, and lift to drag ratio versus lift coefficient are provided. The TLC data are compared with the conventional tail-aft configuration and the canard-wing configuration; it is concluded that the TLC has better lift and high-lift drag characteristics, lift to drag ratio, and zero-lift moments than the other two configurations. The effects of variations in forward and tail wind incidence angles, gap, stagger, and forward wind span on the drag, lift, longitudinal stability, and zero-lift moments of the configuration are studied.

Ostowari, C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An experimental study of the validity of the heat-field concept for sonic-boom alleviation

An experimental program was carried out in the NASA-Langley 4 ft x 4 ft supersonic pressure tunnel to investigate the validity of the heat-field concept for sonic boom alleviation. The concept involves heating the flow about a supersonic aircraft in such a manner as to obtain an increase in effective aircraft length and yield an effective aircraft shape that will result in a shock-free pressure signature on the ground. First, a basic body-of-revolution representing an SST configuration with its lift equivalence in volume was tested to provide a baseline pressure signature. Second, a model having a 5/2-power area distribution which, according to theory, should yield a linear pressure rise with no front shock wave was tested. Third, the concept of providing the 5/2-power area distribution by using an off-axis slender fin below the basic body was investigated. Then a substantial portion (approximately 40 percent) of the solid fin was replaced by a heat field generated by passing heated nitrogen through the rear of the fin.

Swigart, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An experimental study of the properties of surface pressure fluctuations in strong adverse pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers

Experimental data were obtained on blade self-noise generation by strong adverse-pressure-gradient attached boundary layers and by separated turbulent boundary layers that accompany stall. Two microphones were calibrated, placed in plastic housing, and installed in a wind tunnel where observations of acoustic and turbulent signals permitted decomposition of the surface pressure fluctuation signals into the propagated acoustic part and the turbulent-flow generated portion. To determine the convective wave speed of the turbulent contributions, the microphones were spaced a small distance apart in the streamwise direction and correlations were obtained. The turbulent surface pressure spectra upstream of detachment and downstream of the beginning of separation are discussed as well as measurements of turbulent velocity spectra and wavespeeds.

Simpson, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1985

An experimental study of correlations in the development of the electron-photon cascades

In terms of the experimental data on the development of the electron photon cascades (EPC) in Pb from electrons and photons of cosmic rays in the tens GeV energy region a calculation of correlations between the characteristics of longitudinal and lateral development of the EPC as well as those between fluctuations of the cascade particle numbers at different stages of the cascade development was carried out. The results obtained are compared to the numerical EPC calculations.

Kratenko, Y. P.↗