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At least 37 records · Page 2

Development of acoustically lined ejector technology for multitube jet noise suppressor nozzles by model and engine tests over a wide range of jet pressure ratios and temperatures

An experimental program comprising model nozzle and full-scale engine tests was undertaken to acquire parametric data for acoustically lined ejectors applied to primary jet noise suppression. Ejector lining design technology and acoustical scaling of lined ejector configurations were the major objectives. Ground static tests were run with a J-75 turbojet engine fitted with a 37-tube, area ratio 3.3 suppressor nozzle and two lengths of ejector shroud (L/D = 1 and 2). Seven ejector lining configurations were tested over the engine pressure ratio range of 1.40 to 2.40 with corresponding jet velocities between 305 and 610 M/sec. One-fourth scale model nozzles were tested over a pressure ratio range of 1.40 to 4.0 with jet total temperatures between ambient and 1088 K. Scaling of multielement nozzle ejector configurations was also studied using a single element of the nozzle array with identical ejector lengths and lining materials. Acoustic far field and near field data together with nozzle thrust performance and jet aerodynamic flow profiles are presented.

Atvars, J.↗

Flow structure within a heated rectangular jet ejector

Preliminary results of an experimental study of the flow field structure within a rectangular jet ejector are presented. The tests determined the effect of primary jet heating and ejector duct width on the flow field at a fixed jet exit Mach number of 0.3. For comparison the rectangular jet without the presence of the ejector shroud was also studied. Measurements of the mean velocity field, total temperature field, and ejector shroud surface pressure distribution, along with schlieren flow visualization, were made. It was found that: the ejector did not enhance centerline temperature decay in comparison to the free jet; the presence of the ejector shroud significantly reduced jet growth; and, the ejector centerline velocity/temperature decay was not sensitive to duct width variations.

Mclachlan, B. G.↗

Preliminary dynamic tests of a flight-type ejector

A thrust augmenting ejector was tested to provide experimental data to assist in the assessment of theoretical models to predict duct and ejector fluid-dynamic characteristics. Eleven full-scale thrust augmenting ejector tests were conducted in which a rapid increase in the ejector nozzle pressure ratio was effected through a unique facility, bypass/burst-disk subsystem. The present work examines two cases representative of the test performance window. In the first case, the primary nozzle pressure ration (NPR) increased 36 percent from one unchoked (NPR = 1.29) primary flow condition to another (NPR = 1.75) over a 0.15 second interval. The second case involves choked primary flow conditions, where a 17 percent increase in primary nozzle flowrate (from NPR = 2.35 to NPR = 2.77) occurred over approximately 0.1 seconds. Although the real-time signal measurements support qualitative remarks on ejector performance, extracting quantitative ejector dynamic response was impeded by excessive aerodynamic noise and thrust stand dynamic (resonance) characteristics. It does appear, however, that a quasi-steady performance assumption is valid for this model with primary nozzle pressure increased on the order of 50 lb(sub f)/s. Transient signal treatment of the present dataset is discussed and initial interpretations of the results are compared with theoretical predictions for a similar Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) ejector model.

Drummond, Colin K.↗

Internal performance characteristics of vectored axisymmetric ejector nozzles

A series of vectoring axisymmetric ejector nozzles were designed and experimentally tested for internal performance and pumping characteristics at NASA-Langley Research Center. These ejector nozzles used convergent-divergent nozzles as the primary nozzles. The model geometric variables investigated were primary nozzle throat area, primary nozzle expansion ratio, effective ejector expansion ratio (ratio of shroud exit area to primary nozzle throat area), ratio of minimum ejector area to primary nozzle throat area, ratio of ejector upper slot height to lower slot height (measured on the vertical centerline), and thrust vector angle. The primary nozzle pressure ratio was varied from 2.0 to 10.0 depending upon primary nozzle throat area. The corrected ejector-to-primary nozzle weight-flow ratio was varied from 0 (no secondary flow) to approximately 0.21 (21 percent of primary weight-flow rate) depending on ejector nozzle configuration. In addition to the internal performance and pumping characteristics, static pressures were obtained on the shroud walls.

Lamb, Milton↗

Comparison of the initial development of shear layers in two-dimensional and axisymmetric ejector configurations

A two-phase experimental investigation designed to study the development of shear layers in axisymmetric and two-dimensional single-nozzle ejectors has been completed. In this study, combinations of similar and dissimilar gases were used as the supersonic primary and subsonic secondary. Test cases included combinations of air/air, argon/air and helium/air as the supersonic primary and subsonic secondary, respectively. Similar flow conditions were studied for each ejector configuration. Mixing of the gases occurred in a constant-area tube, where the inlet pressure was maintained at 34.5 kPa. The cases studied resulted in convective Mach numbers that range between 0.06 and 1.9. The data gathered shows differences between the initial shear-layer development for the two ejector geometries, and also between the different test cases studied for each ejector configuration. The measured growth rates for the axisymmetric ejector are more than twice those measured for the two-dimensional ejector. However, in both cases the results show that compressibility has a reducing effect on the growth rate. Further, in the region immediately after the inlet to the mixing tube, compressibility seems to affect the ejector shear layers in a manner similar to that of two-stream two-dimensional mixing layers.

Dufflocq, M.↗

An evaluation of two cooling-air ejectors in flight at transonic speeds

Flight tests conducted on the YF-93 airplane afforded an opportunity to evaluate two cooling-air ejectors of widely different geometry. One ejector had a diameter ratio (fuselage-exit diameter divided by tail-pipe diameter) of 1.58 and a spacing ratio (distance from tail-pipe exit to fuselage exit divided by tail-pipe diameter) of 0.73 while the other ejector had a diameter ratio of 1.33 and a spacing ratio of 0.30. The larger tail exhibited poor net thrust performance due to excessive quantity of secondary air flow. The second engine-ejector combination had superior characteristics; however, an undesirable characteristic existed in that a region of reversed flow was present in the exit. This reversed flow caused a decrease in the performance of the ejector. Correlation of the flight data with cold-jet-model ejector data has demonstrated to what extent the model tests can be used as a design tool. When comparing the ejector with reversed flow with the model tests, it was necessary to consider the effect the reversed flow had on reducing the effective diameter ratio. Airplane drag measurements as determined for the widely different configurations indicated a good over-all precision for the method used in this investigation.

Rolls, L Stewart↗

Internal performance characteristics of thrust-vectored axisymmetric ejector nozzles

A series of thrust-vectored axisymmetric ejector nozzles were designed and experimentally tested for internal performance and pumping characteristics at the Langley research center. This study indicated that discontinuities in the performance occurred at low primary nozzle pressure ratios and that these discontinuities were mitigated by decreasing expansion area ratio. The addition of secondary flow increased the performance of the nozzles. The mid-to-high range of secondary flow provided the most overall improvements, and the greatest improvements were seen for the largest ejector area ratio. Thrust vectoring the ejector nozzles caused a reduction in performance and discharge coefficient. With or without secondary flow, the vectored ejector nozzles produced thrust vector angles that were equivalent to or greater than the geometric turning angle. With or without secondary flow, spacing ratio (ejector passage symmetry) had little effect on performance (gross thrust ratio), discharge coefficient, or thrust vector angle. For the unvectored ejectors, a small amount of secondary flow was sufficient to reduce the pressure levels on the shroud to provide cooling, but for the vectored ejector nozzles, a larger amount of secondary air was required to reduce the pressure levels to provide cooling.

Lamb, Milton↗

Characteristics of Five Ejector Configurations at Free-Stream Mach Numbers from 0 to 2.0

Thrust, air-handling, and base-pressure characteristics of five ejector configurations were investigated in the Lewis 8-by 6-foot wind tunnel at free-stream Mach numbers from 0 to 2.0 over ranges of primary-jet pressure ratio up to 24 and corrected secondary weight-flow ratio up to 13 percent. The ejector-shroud geometries varied from convergent to divergent. Base pressure ratio and ejector performance were interrelated by means of an exit-momentum parameter. Correlations, to at least a first approximation, with base pressure ratio, of both internal-ejector-flow separation and external-flow separation over the model boattail were shown. Furthermore, it was shown that magnitudes and exact trends in base pressure ratio depended largely, and in a complicated fashion, on ejector geometry and amount of secondary flow. External-stream effects on ejector jet thrust were determined for a typical schedule of jet-engine pressure ratios. With the exception of the ejector having the largest (1.81) shroud-exit-to primary-diameter ratio, there were no stream effects at Mach numbers from 1.5 to 2.0 and variations from quiescent-air thrust data were less than 2.5 percent at the subsonic speed investigated.

Klann, John L.↗

Parametric Studies of the Ejector Process within a Turbine-Based Combined-Cycle Propulsion System

Performance characteristics of the ejector process within a turbine-based combined-cycle (TBCC) propulsion system are investigated using the NPARC Navier-Stokes code. The TBCC concept integrates a turbine engine with a ramjet into a single propulsion system that may efficiently operate from takeoff to high Mach number cruise. At the operating point considered, corresponding to a flight Mach number of 2.0, an ejector serves to mix flow from the ramjet duct with flow from the turbine engine. The combined flow then passes through a diffuser where it is mixed with hydrogen fuel and burned. Three sets of fully turbulent Navier-Stokes calculations are compared with predictions from a cycle code developed specifically for the TBCC propulsion system. A baseline ejector system is investigated first. The Navier-Stokes calculations indicate that the flow leaving the ejector is not completely mixed, which may adversely affect the overall system performance. Two additional sets of calculations are presented; one set that investigated a longer ejector region (to enhance mixing) and a second set which also utilized the longer ejector but replaced the no-slip surfaces of the ejector with slip (inviscid) walls in order to resolve discrepancies with the cycle code. The three sets of Navier-Stokes calculations and the TBCC cycle code predictions are compared to determine the validity of each of the modeling approaches.

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.↗

Unsteady Ejector Performance: an Experimental Investigation Using a Pulsejet Driver

An experimental investigation is described in which thrust augmentation and mass entrainment were measured for a variety of simple cylindrical ejectors driven by a gasoline-fueled pulsejet. The ejectors were of varying length, diameter, and inlet radius. Measurements were also taken to determine the effect on performance of the distance between pulsejet exit and ejector inlet. Limited tests were also conducted to determine the effect of driver cross-sectional shape. Optimal values were found for all three ejector parameters with respect to thrust augmentation. This was not the case with mass entrainment, which increased monotonically with ejector diameter. Thus, it was found that thrust augmentation is not necessarily directly related to mass entrainment, as is often supposed for ejectors. Peak thrust augmentation values of 1.8 were obtained. Peak mass entrainment values of 30 times the driver mass flow were also observed. Details of the experimental setup and results are presented. Preliminary analysis of the results indicates that the enhanced performance obtained with an unsteady jet (primary source) over comparably sized ejectors driven with steady jets is due primarily to the structure of the starting vortex-type flow associated with the former.

Paxson, Daniel E.↗

Unsteady Ejector Performance: An Experimental Investigation Using a Resonance Tube Driver

A statistically designed experiment to characterize thrust augmentation for unsteady ejectors has been conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The variable parameters included ejector diameter, length, and nose radius. The pulsed jet driving the ejectors was produced by a shrouded resonance (or Hartmann-Sprenger) tube. In contrast to steady ejectors, an optimum ejector diameter was found, which coincided with the diameter of the vortex ring created at the pulsed jet exit. Measurements of ejector exit velocity using a hot-wire permitted evaluation of the mass augmentation ratio, which was found to correlate to thrust augmentation following a formula derived for steady ejectors.

Wilson, Jack↗

Thrust Augmentation Measurements for a Pulse Detonation Engine Driven Ejector

Thrust augmentation results of an ongoing study of pulse detonation engine driven ejectors are presented and discussed. The experiments were conducted using a pulse detonation engine (PDE) setup with various ejector configurations. The PDE used in these experiments utilizes ethylene (C2H4) as the fuel, and an equi-molar mixture of oxygen and nitrogen as the oxidizer at an equivalence ratio of one. High fidelity thrust measurements were made using an integrated spring damper system. The baseline thrust of the PDE engine was first measured and agrees with experimental and modeling results found in the literature. Thrust augmentation measurements were then made for constant diameter ejectors. The parameter space for the study included ejector length, PDE tube exit to ejector tube inlet overlap distance, and straight versus rounded ejector inlets. The relationship between the thrust augmentation results and various physical phenomena is described. To further understand the flow dynamics, shadow graph images of the exiting shock wave front from the PDE were also made. For the studied parameter space, the results showed a maximum augmentation of 40%. Further increase in augmentation is possible if the geometry of the ejector is tailored, a topic currently studied by numerous groups in the field.

Pal, S.↗

Performance Enhancement of the Transcritical CO2 Cycle with a Near-Isothermal Liquid Piston Compression by an Ejector

This study investigates the use of an ejector in a transcritical CO2 cycle employing a near-isothermal liquid piston compressor, with the objective of mitigating refrigerant degassing in mineral oil. While the liquid piston compressor demonstrated high isothermal efficiency (˜90%), overall cycle performance was limited by CO2 degassing during chamber pressure fluctuations. A thermodynamic model was developed to compare baseline and ejector-assisted cycles, incorporating solubility correlations, entrainment ratio characteristics, and a degassing correction factor. Results indicate that the ejector increased suction pressure and reduced CO2–oil solubility variation, which improved refrigerant intake and reduced degassing losses. Despite these benefits, the ejector-assisted cycle showed a lower coefficient of performance (COP) than the baseline. Possible contributing factors include the limited marginal benefit of pressure reduction in a highly efficient isothermal compressor, reduced effectiveness of the separator due to the use of a suction-line heat exchanger in both cycles, and uncertainties in the solubility data under transient conditions. These findings suggest that degassing mitigation is essential for realizing the potential of liquid piston compression, but ejector integration alone is unlikely to enhance COP. Future work should focus on ejector optimization, improved oil–refrigerant management, introducing less-soluble working liquids, and experimental validation under realistic operating conditions.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Design and test of a prototype scale ejector wing

A two dimensional momentum integral analysis was used to examine the effect of changing inlet area ratio, diffuser area ratio, and the ratio of ejector length to width. A relatively wide range of these parameters was considered. It was found that for constant inlet area ratio the augmentation increases with the ejector length, and for constant length: width ratio the augmentation increases with inlet area ratio. Scale model tests were used to verify these trends and to examine th effect of aspect ratio. On the basis of these results, an ejector configuration was selected for fabrication and testing at a scale representative of an ejector wing aircraft. The test ejector was powered by a Pratt-Whitney F401 engine developing approximately 12,000 pounds of thrust. The results of preliminary tests indicate that the ejector develops a thrust augmentation ratio better than 1.65.

Mefferd, L. A.↗

Entrainment and thrust augmentation in pulsatile ejector flows

This study comprised direct thrust measurements, flow visualization by use of a spark shadowgraph technique, and mean and fluctuating velocity measurements with a pitot tube and linearized constant temperature hot-wire anemometry respectively. A gain in thrust of as much as 10 to 15% was observed for the pulsatile ejector flow as compared to the steady flow configuration. From the velocity profile measurements, it is concluded that this enhanced augmentation for pulsatile flow as compared to a nonpulsatile one was accomplished by a corresponding increased entrainment by the primary jet flow. It is also concluded that the augmentation and total entrainment by a constant area ejector critically depends upon the inlet geometry of the ejector. Experiments were performed to evaluate the influence of primary jet to ejector area ratio, ejector length, and presence of a diffuser on pulsatile ejector performance.

Sarohia, V.↗

Application of thrusting ejectors to tactical aircraft having vertical lift and short-field capability

The status of ejector development in terms of application to V/STOL aircraft is reported in three categories: aircraft systems and ejector concepts; ejector performance including prediction techniques and experimental data base available; and, integration of the ejector with complete aircraft configurations. Available prediction techniques are reviewed and performance of three ejector designs with vertical lift capability is summarized. Applications of the 'fuselage' and 'short diffuser' ejectors to fighter aircraft are related to current and planned research programs. Recommendations are listed for effort needed to evaluate installed performance.

Koenig, D. G.↗

The effect of ejector augmentation on test-section flow quality in the Calspan 8-ft transonic wind tunnel

Tests to determine the flow disturbances effects of four ejectors located in the corners just downstream of the diffuser in the Calspan wind tunnel are described. The flow quality in the nonejector mode is employed as the base-line configuration, and operating parameters are compared with data from other wind tunnels. During tests with the ejectors working, fluctuation levels increased between Mach 0.4-0.6, while temperature and vorticity levels remained constant. The ejector exhibited broad spectrum noise typical of free jet noise, yet static pressure measurements revealed only a slight increase in the broadband rms levels with the ejectors on, indicating negligible disturbances upstream caused by the ejectors. Choking the diffuser eliminated the jet noise, and the use of ejectors in the Mach range considered is concluded to cause no significant degradation in the Calspan tunnel flow quality.

Rose, W. C.↗

Experiments on high speed ejectors

Experimental studies were conducted to investigate the flow and the performance of thrust augmenting ejectors for flight Mach numbers in the range of 0.5 to 0.8, primary air stagnation pressures up to 107 psig (738 kPa), and primary air stagnation temperatures up to 1250 F (677 C). The experiment verified the existence of the second solution ejector flow, where the flow after complete mixing is supersonic. Thrust augmentation in excess of 1.2 was demonstrated for both hot and cold primary jets. The experimental ejector performed better than the corresponding theoretical optimal first solution ejector, where the mixed flow is subsonic. Further studies are required to realize the full potential of the second solution ejector. The research program was started by the Flight Dynamics Research Corporation (FDRC) to investigate the characteristic of a high speed ejector which augments thrust of a jet at high flight speeds.

Wu, J. J.↗