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At least 37 records · Page 2

Spectral Analysis of Integrated Pressures on Patches with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

The technique of Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) is commonly used in the aerospace industry to measure surface pressures on the model of launch vehicles and airplanes in the wind tunnel test. Recent research has demonstrated that Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) can be an essential tool for the assessment of the unsteady, aerodynamic phenomena. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. This paper describes the spectral analysis of integrated pressures on patches of the scale model of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 cargo vehicle with the uPSP measurements, which were collected in the Ascent Transient Aerodynamics Test (ATAT) with the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11-by-11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in September 2019 at NASA Ames Research Center. The patches are defined with x station values, indicating the position along length of the SLS vehicle, and azimuth angles of the scale model. For each patch, the polygons are determined from the surface cells of the grid of the model, clipped with the edges of the patch, and each of the polygons is divided into triangles. The integrated pressure of the patch is determined as the ratio of the sum of the forces on the triangles over the sum of the areas of the triangles. For each run of the test, the Cross Power Spectral Density (CPSD) and magnitude squared coherence are computed from the time series of the integrated pressures on the patches. The pressure integration is coded in C++ and the spectral analysis is coded in MATLAB. The results were generated with the execution of the compiled C++ and MATLAB codes in parallel on the NASA Pleiades supercomputer. The results of pressure integration and spectral analysis are presented in this paper, and the data consistency of the test is also demonstrated. Funding for this research was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Project.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

A transfer matrix approach to vibration localization in mistuned blade assemblies

A study of mode localization in mistuned bladed disks is performed using transfer matrices. The transfer matrix approach yields the free response of a general, mono-coupled, perfectly cyclic assembly in closed form. A mistuned structure is represented by random transfer matrices, and the expansion of these matrices in terms of the small mistuning parameter leads to the definition of a measure of sensitivity to mistuning. An approximation of the localization factor, the spatially averaged rate of exponential attenuation per blade-disk sector, is obtained through perturbation techniques in the limits of high and low sensitivity. The methodology is applied to a common model of a bladed disk and the results verified by Monte Carlo simulations. The easily calculated sensitivity measure may prove to be a valuable design tool due to its system-independent quantification of mistuning effects such as mode localization.

Ottarson, Gisli↗

Implementation of the Lifetime Method in Unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint Measurements

At NASA Ames Research Center, unsteady pressure-sensitive paint (uPSP) measurements are obtained using the ‘intensity method’ which measures paint luminescence in response to a continuous, constant excitation. These measurements are obtained using high-speed cameras and are processed into fluctuating components of pressure. However, the nature of the intensity method also requires a separate steady state (time mean) pressure measurement to be obtained. This steady state measurement has typically been obtained using a separate set of PSP equipment that uses the ‘lifetime method’, which uses pulsed excitation to measure paint decay lifetime. If the lifetime method were implemented in the high-speed uPSP system, both the fluctuating and mean components of pressure could be obtained with a single system. This would greatly streamline setup, operations, and processing. In this paper, we describe work performed at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at NASA Ames to implement the lifetime method in our uPSP system. The uPSP acquisition system uses Phantom v2512 high-speed cameras, and it was initially uncertain if results of adequate quality could be obtained - their high framerate comes at the cost of several undesirable characteristics, which are explored in this paper. It was also uncertain if illumination using LED lamps, rather than a stronger source such as lasers, would be adequate. The data acquisition and data processing are discussed and the results analyzed. It was found that satisfactory lifetime method results can indeed be obtained using these high-speed cameras and LED lamps. This will allow the uPSP system to be greatly simplified and will have a large operational impact on how uPSP data is acquired in future wind tunnel tests.

Pressure Sensitive Paint↗

In-situ measurement of sensitivity for a piezoelectric sensor

The paper presents a technique for the in situ and real-time measurement of sensitivity change in a piezoelectric accelerometer. This technique involves the electrical stimulation of the accelerometer's piezoelectric element in a 'diagnostic' frequency band and the measurement of the frequency response of the sensor's electromechanical properties. It is found that changes in the piezomechanical properties of a compression-mode accelerator, as measured by the autocalibration function, detected a relative change in sensitivity.

Flanagan, Patrick M.↗

Methodology for Validation of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements using Pressure Transducers

Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) technology provides simultaneously high-frequency and high-spatial resolution surface pressure fluctuation measurements. It has demonstrated value in wind tunnel test facilities to evaluate aerospace vehicle unsteady aerodynamics. The calibration of measurements from digital pixel counts into corresponding physical units relies on both lab-based and in-situ calibration steps, and its validation is both challenging and critical to adoption of the technology. We present a rigorous methodology for direct comparison of uPSP-derived surface pressure measurements to reference pressure transducer data based on a model of the camera-based measurement error, a model of the flow field pressure signal, and their propagation through the uPSP data reduction algorithm. The methodology is demonstrated on data collected in a small-scale, subsonic wind tunnel test as well as data collected from a Space Launch System unsteady aerodynamics characterization test at the NASA Ames Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Complex.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

Aeroacoustic Analysis using Dynamic Mode Decomposition of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

In this paper, we present a new method for the diagnosis and analysis of aeroacoustic phenomena. Taking advantage of the well-known property that the measurements of the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) have much higher spatial resolution compared to those of the conventional pressure transducers, the method is based on the visualization and analysis of the outputs of the Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) of the uPSP measurements. The uPSP measurements were collected with four Phantom high-speed cameras in the Ascent Transient Aerodynamics Test (ATAT) of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 cargo vehicle in the 11-by-11-foot transonic test section of the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) at NASA Ames Research Center in September 2019. The method presented in this paper is demonstrated by investigating an interesting phenomenon observed in the SLS ATAT – the vortex shedding tone generated by the forward attachment of the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). As examples, the DMD outputs of the uPSP measurements in a subsonic test in the SLS ATAT are presented. It is shown the information retrieved from the DMD outputs of the uPSP measurements can be effectively used in the identification and diagnosis of the aeroacoustic phenomena. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office.

acoustics↗

Aeroacoustic Analysis using Dynamic Mode Decomposition of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

In this paper, we present a new method for the diagnosis and analysis of aeroacoustic phenomena. Taking advantage of the well-known property that the measurements of the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) have much higher spatial resolution compared to those of the conventional pressure transducers, the method is based on the visualization and analysis of the outputs of the Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) of the uPSP measurements. The uPSP measurements were collected with four Phantom high-speed cameras in the Ascent Transient Aerodynamics Test (ATAT) of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 cargo vehicle in the 11-by-11-foot transonic test section of the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) at NASA Ames Research Center in September 2019. The method presented in this paper is demonstrated by investigating an interesting phenomenon observed in the SLS ATAT – the vortex shedding tone generated by the forward attachment of the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). As examples, the DMD outputs of the uPSP measurements in a subsonic test in the SLS ATAT are presented. It is shown the information retrieved from the DMD outputs of the uPSP measurements can be effectively used in the identification and diagnosis of the aeroacoustic phenomena. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office.

acoustics↗

Spectral Analysis of Integrated Pressures on Patches with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

This paper describes the spectral analysis of integrated pressures on patches of the scale model of the Space Launch System Block 1 cargo vehicle with the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint measurements, which were collected in the ascent transient aerodynamics test with the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel 11-by-11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in September 2019 at NASA Ames Research Center. The patches are defined with x station values, indicating the position along length of the vehicle, and azimuth angles of the scale model. For each patch, the polygons are determined from the surface cells of the grid of the model, clipped with the edges of the patch, and each of the polygons is divided into triangles. The integrated pressure of the patch is determined as the ratio of the sum of the forces on the triangles over the sum of the areas of the triangles. For each run of the test, the cross power spectral density and magnitude squared coherence are computed from the time series of the integrated pressures on the patches. The results of pressure integration and spectral analysis are presented, and the data consistency of the test is demonstrated. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding for this research was provided by the NASA Aeroscience Evaluation and Test Capabilities Project.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements on Surfaces with Non-Uniform Temperature

Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) has become a useful tool to augment conventional pressure taps in measuring the surface pressure distribution of aerodynamic components in wind tunnel testing. While the PSP offers the advantage of a non-intrusive global mapping of the surface pressure, one prominent drawback to the accuracy of this technique is the inherent temperature sensitivity of the coating's luminescent intensity. A typical aerodynamic surface PSP test has relied on the coated surface to be both spatially and temporally isothermal, along with conventional instrumentation for an in situ calibration to generate the highest accuracy pressure mappings. In some tests however, spatial and temporal thermal gradients are generated by the nature of the test as in a blowing jet impinging on a surface. In these cases, the temperature variations on the painted surface must be accounted for in order to yield high accuracy and reliable data. A new temperature correction technique was developed at NASA Lewis to collapse a "family" of PSP calibration curves to a single intensity ratio versus pressure curve. This correction allows a streamlined procedure to be followed whether or not temperature information is used in the data reduction of the PSP. This paper explores the use of conventional instrumentation such as thermocouples and pressure taps along with temperature-sensitive paint (TSP) to correct for the thermal gradients that exist in aeropropulsion PSP tests. Temperature corrected PSP measurements for both a supersonic mixer ejector and jet cavity interaction tests are presented.

Bencic, Timothy J.↗

Instrumentation for Sensitive Gas Measurements

An improved instrument for optical absorption spectroscopy utilizes off-axis paths in an optical cavity in order to increase detection sensitivity while suppressing resonance effects. The instrument is well suited for use in either cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) [in which one pulses an incident light beam and measures the rate of decay of light in the cavity] or integrated cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS) [in which one uses a continuous-wave incident light beam and measures the power of light in the cavity as a function of wavelength]. Typically, in optical absorption spectroscopy, one seeks to measure absorption of a beam of light in a substance (usually a gas or liquid) in a sample cell. In CRDS or ICOS, the sample cell is placed in (or consists of) an optical cavity, so that one can utilize multiple reflections of the beam to increase the effective optical path length through the absorbing substance and thereby increase the sensitivity for measuring absorption. If an absorbing substance is not present in the optical cavity, one can utilize the multiple passes of the light beam to increase the sensitivity for measuring absorption and scattering by components of the optical cavity itself. It is desirable to suppress the effects of resonances in the cavity in order to make the spectral response of the cavity itself as nearly constant as possible over the entire wavelength range of interest. In the present instrument, the desired flattening of the spectral response is accomplished by utilizing an off-axis beam geometry to effectively decrease the frequency interval between longitudinal electromagnetic modes of the cavity, such that the resulting transmission spectrum of the cavity is nearly continuous: in other words, the cavity becomes a broad-band optical device.

OKeefe, Anthony↗

Global, seasonal cloud variations from satellite radiance measurements. I - Sensitivity of analysis

Global, daily, visible and IR radiance measurements from the NOAA-5 Scanning Radiometer (SR) are analyzed for the months of January, April, July and October, 1977 to infer cloud and surface radiative properties. In this paper, the data and analysis method are described. A unique feature of the method is that it utilizes radiative transfer models that simulate the SR measurements using explicit parameters representing the properties of the surface, atmosphere, and clouds. The accuracy of all the results depends primarily on the proper separation of the total radiance distribution into those parts representing clear and cloudy scenes.

Rossow, William B.↗

SeaWiFS technical report series. Volume 23: SeaWiFS prelaunch radiometric calibration and spectral characterization

Based on the operating characteristics of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), calibration equations have been developed that allow conversion of the counts from the radiometer into Earth-existing radiances. These radiances are the geophysical properties the instrument has been designed to measure. SeaWiFS uses bilinear gains to allow high sensitivity measurements of ocean-leaving radiances and low sensitivity measurements of radiances from clouds, which are much brighter than the ocean. The calculation of these bilinear gains is central to the calibration equations. Several other factors within these equations are also included. Among these are the spectral responses of the eight SeaWiFS bands. A band's spectral response includes the ability of the band to isolate a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and the amount of light that lies outside of that region. The latter is termed out-of-band response. In the calibration procedure, some of the counts from the instrument are produced by radiance in the out-of-band region. The number of those counts for each band is a function of the spectral shape of the source. For the SeaWiFS calibration equations, the out-of-band responses are converted from those for the laboratory source into those for a source with the spectral shape of solar flux. The solar flux, unlike the laboratory calibration, approximates the spectral shape of the Earth-existing radiance from the oceans. This conversion modifies the results from the laboratory radiometric calibration by 1-4 percent, depending on the band. These and other factors in the SeaWiFS calibration equations are presented here, both for users of the SeaWiFS data set and for researchers making ground-based radiance measurements in support of Sea WiFS.

Barnes, Robert A.↗

Analysis of Dynamic Mode Decomposition Outputs of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements in the NASA Wind Tunnel Tests

This paper discusses the Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) outputs of the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) measurements, which were collected with four Phantom high-speed cameras at a constant sample frequency in the Ascent Transient Aerodynamics Test (ATAT) of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 cargo vehicle in the 11-by-11-foot transonic test section of the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) at NASA Ames Research Center in September 2019. In this paper, the effectiveness to use the DMD outputs of uPSP measurements in the diagnosis and analysis of the aerodynamic and acoustic phenomena in the SLS ATAT is demonstrated. The work described in the paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities (AETC) Project.

acoustics↗

On the Feasibility of Monitoring Carbon Monoxide in the Lower Troposphere from a Constellation of Northern Hemisphere Geostationary Satellites (PART 1)

By the end of the current decade, there are plans to deploy several geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite missions for atmospheric composition over North America, East Asia and Europe with additional missions proposed. Together, these present the possibility of a constellation of geostationary platforms to achieve continuous time-resolved high-density observations over continental domains for mapping pollutant sources and variability at diurnal and local scales. In this paper, we use a novel approach to sample a very high global resolution model (GEOS-5 at 7 km horizontal resolution) to produce a dataset of synthetic carbon monoxide pollution observations representative of those potentially obtainable from a GEO satellite constellation with predicted measurement sensitivities based on current remote sensing capabilities. Part 1 of this study focuses on the production of simulated synthetic measurements for air quality OSSEs (Observing System Simulation Experiments). We simulate carbon monoxide nadir retrievals using a technique that provides realistic measurements with very low computational cost. We discuss the sampling methodology: the projection of footprints and areas of regard for geostationary geometries over each of the North America, East Asia and Europe regions; the regression method to simulate measurement sensitivity; and the measurement error simulation. A detailed analysis of the simulated observation sensitivity is performed, and limitations of the method are discussed. We also describe impacts from clouds, showing that the efficiency of an instrument making atmospheric composition measurements on a geostationary platform is dependent on the dominant weather regime over a given region and the pixel size resolution. These results demonstrate the viability of the "instrument simulator" step for an OSSE to assess the performance of a constellation of geostationary satellites for air quality measurements.

GEOS-5↗

Dynamic Mode Decomposition of Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements for the NASA Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Tests

This paper discusses the Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) of the Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) measurements, which were collected with four Phantom high-speed cameras at a constant sample frequency in the Ascent Transient Aerodynamics Test (ATAT) of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 cargo vehicle with the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) 11-by-11-foot Transonic Wind Tunnel in September 2019 at NASA Ames Research Center. The conventional DMD algorithm is based on the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). For the data with zero mean, the DMD is equivalent to the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). Since the uPSP is mainly used to determine the unsteady property of the aerodynamic flow, the DMD of the uPSP measurements is implemented in two steps: (1) subtract the mean value from the uPSP measurement; (2) apply the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the resulting data with zero mean. The DMD of the uPSP measurements with FFT has two advantages: (1) the FFT algorithm is well known for its computational efficiency, therefore, compared to the SVD-based DMD algorithm, the DMD with FFT reduces the computation time; (2) the DMD with FFT can be easily implemented in parallel processing. The DMD outputs were generated with the execution in parallel of a code in C, with libraries of FFTW for FFT and MPI/OpenMP for parallel processing, on the NASA Pleiades supercomputer. In this paper, the results of DMD of the uPSP measurements in the tests of Mach sweep runs of the SLS ATAT are presented, and the effectiveness of the DMD of the uPSP measurements in the diagnosis of the unsteady, aerodynamic phenomena is demonstrated. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding for this research was provided by the NASA Aeroscience Evaluation and Test Capabilities Project.

Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements on the NASA Common Research Model in the NASA 11-ft Transonic Wind Tunnel

The luminescence lifetime technique was used to make pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) measurements on a 2.7% Common Research Model in the NASA Ames 11ft Transonic Wind Tunnel. PSP data were obtained on the upper and lower surfaces of the wing and horizontal tail, as well as one side of the fuselage. Data were taken for several model attitudes of interest at Mach numbers between 0.70 and 0.87. Image data were mapped onto a three-dimensional surface grid suitable both for comparison with CFD and for integration of pressures to determine loads. Luminescence lifetime measurements were made using strobed LED (light-emitting diode) lamps to illuminate the PSP and fast-framing interline transfer cameras to acquire the PSP emission.

Bell, James H.↗