A method for measuring Reynolds number, viscosity, and atom concentration in hypervelocity nozzles.
Reynolds number, viscosity and atom concentration in hypervelocity nozzles measured using stagnation point heat transfer
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Reynolds number, viscosity and atom concentration in hypervelocity nozzles measured using stagnation point heat transfer
Fundamental aerodynamic questions for which high Reynolds number experimental capability is required are discussed. The operational characteristics and design features of the National Transonic Facility are reviewed.
A numerical analysis of low Reynolds number nozzle flows was performed to investigate the loss mechanisms involved and to determine the nozzle wall contour that minimizes these losses. DSMC was used to simulate flows through three different nozzle configurations at two different stagnation chamber temperatures so that the heat transfer losses could be separated from the wall contour effects on performance. A trumpet-shaped nozzle had 5 percent higher efficiency than a conical nozzle and a 3 percent higher efficiency than a bell-shaped nozzle with the unheated flow. With heated flow both the trumpet and bell-shaped nozzles had a 6.5 percent higher efficiency than the conical nozzle. The conical nozzle had the highest discharge coefficient of the three configurations, 0.92, and the trumpet-shaped nozzle had the lowest, 0.82. The discharge coefficient of each nozzle was unaffected by the change in stagnation temperature; however the increase in stagnation temperature increased the heat transfer and viscous losses in the boundary layer. These results suggest that the trumpet-shaped wall contour performed most efficiently except near the throat region, where it incurred large viscous losses. However, the bell-shaped nozzle may increase its overall performance with an increase in stagnation temperature.
Flight-measured high Reynolds number turbulent-flow pressure distributions on a transport wing in transonic flow are compared to unstructured-grid calculations to assess the predictive ability of a three-dimensional Euler code (USM3D) coupled to an interacting boundary layer module. The two experimental pressure distributions selected for comparative analysis with the calculations are complex and turbulent but typical of an advanced technology laminar flow wing. An advancing front method (VGRID) was used to generate several tetrahedral grids for each test case. Initial calculations left considerable room for improvement in accuracy. Studies were then made of experimental errors, transition location, viscous effects, nacelle flow modeling, number and placement of spanwise boundary layer stations, and grid resolution. The most significant improvements in the accuracy of the calculations were gained by improvement of the nacelle flow model and by refinement of the computational grid. Final calculations yield results in close agreement with the experiment. Indications are that further grid refinement would produce additional improvement but would require more computer memory than is available. The appendix data compare the experimental attachment line location with calculations for different grid sizes. Good agreement is obtained between the experimental and calculated attachment line locations.
In one attempt to produce a simple inexpensive nozzle, a 2-in. diam plate with 37 holes was investigated (Stadler, 1960), anticipating that the small jets emanating from the plate would combine to form a uniform stream. This experiment was unsuccessful because a uniform flow was not established until the flow had progressed many nozzle diameters downstream. However, an extension of this concept to a much larger number of very small jets, viz., a porous plate, did provide a method for producing a uniform, low Reynolds number jet almost immediately downstream of the nozzle (Greene, 1973). The method is described and some typical jet velocity profiles for nozzle Reynolds numbers from 50 to 1000 are given.
The full Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible turbulent flow must be solved to accurately represent all flow phenomena which occur in a high Reynolds number incompressible flow. A two layer algebraic eddy viscosity turbulence model is used to represent the Reynolds stress in the primitive variable formulation. The development of the boundary-fitted coordinate systems makes the numerical solution of these equations feasible for arbitrarily shaped bodies. The nondimensional time averaged Navier-Stokes equations, including the turbulence mode, are represented by finite difference approximations in the transformed plane. The resulting coupled system of nonlinear algebraic equations is solved using a point successive over relaxation iteration. The test case considered was a NACA 64A010 airfoil section at an angle of attack of two degrees and a Reynolds number of 2,000,000.
This report documents the changes that were made to the two-equation k-epsilon turbulence model in the NPARC (National-PARC) code. The previous model based on the low Reynolds number model of Speziale, was replaced with the low Reynolds number k-epsilon model of Chien. The most significant difference was in the turbulent Prandtl numbers appearing in the diffusion terms of the k and epsilon transport equations. A new inflow boundary condition and stability enhancements were also implemented into the turbulence model within NPARC. The report provides the rationale for making the change to the Chien model, code modifications required, and comparisons of the performances of the new model with the previous k-epsilon model and algebraic models used most often in PARC/NPARC. The comparisons show that the Chien k-epsilon model installed here improves the capability of NPARC to calculate turbulent flows.
NASA has recently developed and proof tested a pilot cryogenic transonic pressure tunnel. In addition to providing an attractive method for obtaining high Reynolds number results at moderate aerodynamic loadings and tunnel power, this unique facility enables the independent determination of the effects of Reynolds number, Mach number, and aeroelasticity. The proof-of-concept experimental and theoretical studies are briefly reviewed. Experimental results are included which indicate pressure distributions for a two-dimensional airfoil and strain-gage balance characteristics for a three-dimensional delta wing model.
Two wind tunnel tests during 1995 in the National Transonic Facility (NTF 070 and 073) served to define Reynolds number effects on longitudinal and lateral-directional stability and control. Testing was completed at both high lift and transonic conditions. The effect of Reynolds number on the total airplane configuration, horizontal and vertical tail effectiveness, forebody chine performance, rudder control and model aeroelastics was investigated. This paper will present pertinent stability and control results from these two test entries. Note that while model aeroelastic effects are examined in this presentation, no corrections for these effects have been made to the data.
Computations, employing several turbulence models, are compared with a series of attached supersonic turbulent boundary-layer experiments over an extensive range of Reynolds numbers (11.7 x 10 to the 6th to 314 x 10 to the 6th). These experiments included measurements of surface pressure and skin friction for adverse pressure gradients ranging in magnitude from those of previous investigations to an order of magnitude greater. The turbulence models evaluated include algebraic and two-equation eddy-viscosity models and two full Reynolds stress models. In general all the models tested performed well independently of the magnitude of the pressure gradient or Reynolds number and could predict the measured skin friction for most cases with sufficient accuracy for engineering purposes.
A research effort was underway to study the use of two equation low Reynolds number turbulence models in predicting gas side heat transfer on turbine blades. The major objectives of this work are basicly threefold: study the predictive capabilities of two equation low Reynolds number turbulence models under the conditions characteristic of modern gas turbine blades; explore potential improvements to the models themselves as well as to the specification of initial conditions; and provide a comparison of the predictions of these models with the experimental data from a broad range of recently available turbine cascade experiments. The problems associated with predicting the boundary layer transition from laminar to turbulent flow are emphasized, as this may be the most serious deficiency of current modeling techniques. The results and conclusions of the first two phases are briefly described.
An investigation was conducted in the Langley low turbulence pressure tunnel to determine the effects of wing leading edge radius and Reynolds number on the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a series of highly swept wing-body configurations. The tests were conducted at Mach numbers below 0.30, angles of attack up to 16 deg, and Reynolds numbers per meter from 6.57 million to 43.27 million. The wings under study in this investigation had leading edge sweep angles of 61.7 deg, 64.61 deg, and 67.01 deg in combination with trailing edge sweep angles of 0 deg and 40.6 deg. The leading edge radii of each wing planform could be varied from sharp to nearly round.
Full-potential, Euler, and Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes were evaluated for use in analyzing the flow field about airfoils sections operating at Mach numbers from 0.20 to 0.60 and Reynolds numbers from 500,000 to 2,000,000. The potential code (LBAUER) includes weakly coupled integral boundary layer equations for laminar and turbulent flow with simple transition and separation models. The Navier-Stokes code (ARC2D) uses the thin-layer formulation of the Reynolds-averaged equations with an algebraic turbulence model. The Euler code (ISES) includes strongly coupled integral boundary layer equations and advanced transition and separation calculations with the capability to model laminar separation bubbles and limited zones of turbulent separation. The best experiment/CFD correlation was obtained with the Euler code because its boundary layer equations model the physics of the flow better than the other two codes. An unusual reversal of boundary layer separation with increasing angle of attack, following initial shock formation on the upper surface of the airfoil, was found in the experiment data. This phenomenon was not predicted by the CFD codes evaluated.
Velocity profiles for infinite cylindrical journal bearing, using small eccentricity perturbation calculation and modified Reynolds number as parameter
A wind-tunnel investigation designed to test a Boeing advanced-technology airfoil from low to flight-equivalent Reynolds numbers has been completed in the Langley 0.3-Meter Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. This investigation represents the first in a series of NASA/U.S. industry two-dimensional airfoil studies to be completed in the Advanced Technology Airfoil Test program. Test temperature was varied from ambient to about 100 K at pressures ranging from about 1.2 to 6.0 atm. Mach number was varied from about 0.40 to 0.80. These variables provided a Reynolds number (based on airfoil chord) range from 4.4 X 10 to the 6th power to 50.0 X 10 to the 6th power. All the test objectives were met. The pressure data are presented without analysis in plotted and tabulated formats for use in conjunction with the aerodynamic coefficient data published as NASA TM-81922. At the time of the test, these pressure data were considered proprietary and have only recently been made available by Boeing for general release. Data are included which demonstrate the effects of fixed transition. Also included are remarks on the model design, the model structural integrity, and the overall test experience.
Jet noise on underexpanded supersonic jets are studied with emphasis on determining the role played by large scale organized flow fluctuations in the flow and acoustic processes. The experimental conditions of the study were chosen as low Reynolds number (Re=8,000) Mach 1.4 and 2.1, and moderate Reynolds number (Re=68,000) Mach 1.6 underexpanded supersonic jets exhausting from convergent nozzles. At these chosen conditions, detailed experimental measurements were performed to improve the understanding of the flow and acoustic properties of underexpanded supersonic jets.
A new numerical method which was used to reduce the computation time required in fluid dynamics to solve the Navier-Stokes equations at flight Reynolds numbers is described. The method is the implicit analogue of the explicit finite different method. It uses this as its first stage, while the second stage removes the restrictive stability condition by recasting the difference equations in an implicit form. The resulting matrix equations to be solved are either upper or lower block bidiagonal equations. The new method makes it possible and practical to calculate many important three dimensional, high Reynolds number flow fields on computers.
An experimental study was conducted in the Langley Low Turbulence Pressure Tunnel to determine the effects of Reynolds number and Mach number on the two-dimensional aerodynamic performance of two supercritical type airfoils, one equipped with a conventional flap system and the other with an advanced high lift flap system. The conventional flap system consisted of a leading edge slat and a double slotted, trailing edge flap with a small chord vane and a large chord aft flap. The advanced flap system consisted of a leading edge slat and a double slotted, trailing edge flap with a large chord vane and a small chord aft flap. Both models were tested with all elements nested to form the cruise airfoil and with the leading edge slat and with a single or double slotted, trailing edge flap deflected to form the high lift airfoils. The experimental tests were conducted through a Reynolds number range from 2.8 to 20.9 x 1,000,000 and a Mach number range from 0.10 to 0.35. Lift and pitching moment data were obtained. Summaries of the test results obtained are presented and comparisons are made between the observed aerodynamic performance trends for both models. The results showing the effect of leading edge frost and glaze ice formation is given.