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At least 361 records · Page 20

Computational Analysis of Forebody Tangential Slot Blowing on the F/A-18

An overview of the computational effort to analyze forebody tangential slot blowing for use on the F/A-18 aircraft is presented. Tangential slot blowing generates side force and yawing moment which may be used to control the aircraft flying at high angle of attack. Computations using the isolated forebody are obtained at full-scale wind tunnel test conditions for direct comparison with available experimental data. The effects of jet exit conditions, jet length, and jet location are also studied using the isolated forebody. In addition, these computations are used to predict the effect of slot blowing at transonic maneuvering flight conditions. The effects of over- and under-blowing on force and moment production are analyzed. Non-time-accurate solutions are obtained to determine the steady-state side force and yawing moments generated by tangential slot blowing. Time-accurate solutions are obtained to study the force onset time lag of tangential slot blowing. The effect of blowing on the burst point location are then analyzed by obtaining computations using the aircraft geometry, which includes the wing, empennage, and faired-over inlets. The effect of blowing on the buffet loads on the vertical tails are analyzed using time-accurate computations. Comparison with available experimental data from full-scale wind tunnel and sub-scale wind tunnel tests are made. This computational analysis compliments the experimental results and provides a detailed understanding of the effects of tangential slot blowing on the flow field about the F/A-18.

Gee, Ken↗

Response of a Panel Structure Forced by the Noise from a Nearly Sonic Jet

A model of a high subsonic jet with a nearby array of exible, aircraft-type panels is studied numerically in two dimensions. The jet is excited by a limited duration, spatially localized starter pulse in the potential core. The long time evolution of unsteady disturbances in the jet, the responses of the panels and the ensuing radiation are computed. The results show that the spectral response of both the jet and the panels is concentrated in a relatively narrow frequency band centered at a Strouhal number (based on jet exit velocity) of approximately 0.25 and associated harmonics. The loading on the panels generally increases with downstream distance. Panel radiation is weakest in upstream directions. Interior zones of silence, due to destructive interference of radiation from the panels, are observed.

Fenno, C. C., Jr.↗

Method to Increase Performance of Foil Bearings Through Passive Thermal Management

This invention is a new approach to designing foil bearings to increase their load capacity and improve their reliability through passive thermal management. In the present case, the bearing is designed in such a way as to prevent the carryover of lubricant from the exit of one sector to the inlet of the ensuing sector of the foil bearing. When such passive thermal management techniques are used, bearing load capacity is improved by multiples, and reliability is enhanced when compared to current foil bearings. This concept has recently been tested and validated, and shows that load capacity performance of foil bearings can be improved by a factor of two at relatively low speeds with potentially greater relative improvements at higher speeds. Such improvements in performance with respect to speed are typical of foil bearings. Additionally, operation of these newly conceived bearings shows much more reliability and repeatable performance. This trait can be exploited in machine design to enhance safety, reliability, and overall performance. Finally, lower frictional torque has been demonstrated when operating at lower (non-load capacity) loads, thus providing another improvement above the current state of the art. The objective of the invention is to incorporate features into a foil bearing that both enhance passive thermal management and temperature control, while at the same time improve the hydrodynamic (load capacity) performance of the foil bearing. Foil bearings are unique antifriction devices that can utilize the working fluid of a machine as a lubricant (typically air for turbines and motors, liquids for pumps), and as a coolant to remove excess energy due to frictional heating. The current state of the art of foil bearings utilizes forced cooling of the bearing and shaft, which represents poor efficiency and poor reliability. This invention embodies features that utilize the bearing geometry in such a manner as to both support load and provide an inherent and passive cooling mechanism. This cooling mechanism functions in such a way as to prevent used (higher temperature) lubricant from being carried over from the exit of one sector into the entry of the next sector of the foil bearing. The disclosed innovation is an improved foil bearing design that reduces or eliminates the need for force cooling of the bearing, while at the same time improving the load capacity of the bearing by at least a factor of two. These improvements are due to the elimination of lubricant carryover from the trailing edge of one sector into the leading edge of the next, and the mixing of used lubricant with the surrounding ambient fluid.

Bruckner, Robert↗

Computation of confined turbulent coaxial jet flows

The characteristics of the recirculation zones in confined coaxial turbulent jets are investigated numerically employing the k-epsilon turbulent model. The geometrical arrangement corresponds to the experimental study of Owen (1976) and the investigation is undertaken to provide information for isothermal flow relevant to combustor flows. For the first time, the shape, size, and location of the recirculation zones for the above experimental configuration are correctly predicted. The processes leading to the observed results are explained. Detailed comparisons of the prediction with measurements are made. It is shown that the recirculation zones are very sensitive to the central jet exit configuration and the velocity ratio of the jets.

Nallasamy, M.↗

Prediction of recirculation zones in isothermal coaxial jet flows relevant to combustors

The characteristics of the recirculation zones in confined coaxial turbulent jets are investigated numerically employing the kappa - epsilon turbulence model. The geometrical arrangement corresponds to the experimental study of Owen (AIAA J. 1976) and the investigation is undertaken to provide information for isothermal flow relevant to combustor flows. For the first time, the shape, size, and location of the recirculation zones for the above experimental configuration are correctly predicted. The processes leading to the observed results are explained. Detailed comparisons of the prediction with measurements are made. It is shown that the recirculation zones are very sensitive to the central jet exit configuration and the velocity ratio of the jets.

Nallasamy, M.↗

A Three-Dimensional CFD Investigation of Secondary Flow in an Accelerating, 90 deg Elbow

NASA Glenn Research Center has recently applied the WIND National Code flow solver to an accelerating elbow with a 90 deg. bend to reveal aspects of secondary flow. This elbow was designed by NACA in the early 1950's such that flow separation would be avoided. Experimental testing was also done at that time. The current three dimensional CFD investigation shows that separation has indeed been avoided. Using its three-dimensional capability, this investigation provides various viewpoints in several planes that display the inception, development, and final location of a passage vortex. Its shape first becomes discernible as a vortex near the exit of the bend. This rendition of the exit passage vortex compares well with that found in the experiments. The viewpoints show that the passage vortex settles on the suction surface at the exit about one-third of the distance between the plane wall and midspan. Furthermore, it projects into the mainstream to about one-third of the channel width. Of several turbulence models used in this investigation, the Spalart Alimaras, Baldwin Lomax, and SST (Shear Stress Transport) models were by far the most successful in matching the experiments.

Cavicchi, Richard H.↗

An Experimental Study Synthetic Jets from Rectangular Orifices

Results of an experimental investigation on isolated synthetic jets in crossflow from rectangular orifices of different aspect ratio and orientation are presented. Three aspect ratios, AR = 4, 8, and 16, with pitch a = 90deg., were investigated, Additionally, the AR = 8 case was pitched at 20 deg.. The yaw angle, , was varied through 0 deg., 10 deg., 45 deg. and 90 deg.. All orifices had same exit area and the data were compared with synthetic as well as steady jet from a circular orifice of same area. Hotwire measurements were performed to obtain all three components of mean velocity and turbulent stresses. Data were acquired for momentum-flux ratio up to J = 50. Distributions of time- and phase-averaged data were obtained on the cross sectional plane at x/D = 0.5, 5 and 10, as well as on the axial plane of the symmetry. Qualitative flowfield similarity between synthetic and steady jets is observed. However, high-momentum 'cap' above the low-momentum 'dome', characteristic of steady jets, does not necessarily appear in the synthetic jet. The position and shape of the high-momentum region depend on the distance from the orifice, pitch, yaw as well as momentum-flux ratio. Consequently, the location of the minimum velocity in the 'dome' measured at the plane of symmetry, y(submin), is adopted as a reference for penetration estimate and trajectory comparison. For AR = 16, the dome is the largest in area with maximum velocity deficit. However, the penetration is somewhat higher for AR = 4. Increase in yaw reduces the spatial extent of the dome and the penetration height but augments the velocity deficit. At low J the dome is connected to the boundary layer and traces of the cap of high momentum fluid are visible above it. Increase in J lifts the dome and reorganizes the high-momentum fluid around its perimeter, eventually bringing it underneath. Phase-averaged data document dynamic topological changes within the cycle. Phase-averaged streamwise velocity contours on the cross-sectional plane exhibit behavior commensurate with that seen in time-averaged data at various J.

Milanovic, Ivana M.↗

Rotor-Stator Interaction Performance Effects

Decreased axial spacing between blade rows in an axial compressor stage is thought to increase stage performance because of an unsteady process that occurs in the downstream blade row and acts on the upstream blade row wakes. This process results in the "recovery" of part of the wake energy before all of this energy is irreversibly lost due to viscous diffusion. To study the wake-blade interaction mechanism, researchers at the NASA Lewis Research Center acquired two-component Laser Fringe Anemometer measurements of the rotor wake in the single-stage transonic compressor at two stage loading levels. The detailed measurements were acquired for one stator pitch in circumference at axial positions from the rotor trailing edge to 20 percent of the stator axial chord, at the exit of the stator passage, and downstream of the stator row including the stator wake. These data show that the changes in wake energy that occur inside the stator passage are not due to viscous dissipation alone, and thus the data provide evidence that "wake recovery" is occurring. A time-accurate, three-dimensional Navier Stokes simulation of the compressor stator was done at the corresponding stage loading levels. The measurements and simulations are being used in combination to show the effects of stator blade loading, quantify the effects of viscosity, and quantify the stage efficiency gain due to the wake recovery process. The accuracy of simple models of the wake recovery process is being evaluated in an effort to include the effects of wake recovery in the NASA-developed Average Passage code for multistage turbomachinery simulations.

VanZante, Dale E.↗

Modeling and Testing of Non-Nuclear, Highpower Simulated Nuclear Thermal Rocket Reactor Elements

When the President offered his new vision for space exploration in January of 2004, he said, "Our third goal is to return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond," and, "With the experience and knowledge gained on the moon, we will then be ready to take the next steps of space exploration: human missions to Mars and to worlds beyond." A human mission to Mars implies the need to move large payloads as rapidly as possible, in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, with the scientific advancements possible with Project Prometheus and its Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), (these use electric propulsion), there is a renewed interest in deep space exploration propulsion systems. According to many mission analyses, nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP), with its relatively high thrust and high specific impulse, is a serious candidate for such missions. Nuclear rockets utilize fission energy to heat a reactor core to very high temperatures. Hydrogen gas flowing through the core then becomes superheated and exits the engine at very high exhaust velocities. The combination of temperature and low molecular weight results in an engine with specific impulses above 900 seconds. This is almost twice the performance of the LOX/LH2 space shuttle engines, and the impact of this performance would be to reduce the trip time of a manned Mars mission from the 2.5 years, possible with chemical engines, to about 12-14 months.

Kirk, Daniel R.↗

Preliminary Considerations for Microwave Consolidation/Sintering of Lunar Regolith Simulant

As NASA prepares to establish permanent habitats on the Moon, a significant first stepis to be able to land multiple times in the same area. As was consistently shown during the Apolloprogram, the very fine granular structure of the lunar regolith (the Moon’s “soil”) poses significantphysical and health challenges [1]. One of the most concerning is the hyper-velocity lunarsurface ejecta that results from the engine exhaust that exits the rocket as it lands and takes off[2]. It has been determined that to mitigate this, the regolith must be consolidated.

Shulman, Holly↗

Full-Field Measurements of Self-Excited Oscillations in Momentum-Dominated Helium Jets

Flow structure of momentum-dominated helium jets discharged vertically into ambient air was investigated using a high-speed rainbow schlieren deflectometry (RSD) apparatus operated at up to 2000 Hz. The operating parameters, i.e., Reynolds number and Richardson number were varied independently to examine the self-excited, flow oscillatory behavior over a range of experimental conditions. Measurements revealed highly periodic oscillations in the laminar region at a unique frequency as well as high regularity in the flow transition and initial turbulent regions. The buoyancy was shown to affect the oscillation frequency and the distance from the jet exit to the flow transition plane. Instantaneous helium concentration contours across the field of view revealed changes in the jet flow structure and the evolution of the vortical structures during an oscillation cycle. A cross-correlation technique was applied to track the vortices and to find their convection velocity. Time-traces of helium concentration at different axial locations provided detailed information about the oscillating flow.

Yildirim, B. S.↗

Inlet Noise Reduction by Shielding for the Blended-Wing-Body Airplane

Noise shielding benefits associated with an advanced unconventional subsonic transport concept, the Blended-Wing-Body, were studied using a 4- percent scale, 3-engine nacelle model. The study was conducted in the Anechoic Noise Research Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. A high- frequency, wideband point source was placed inside the nacelles of the center engine and one of the side engines in order to simulate broadband engine noise. The sound field of the model was measured with a rotating microphone array that was moved to various stations along the model axis and with a fixed array of microphones that was erected behind the model. Ten rotating microphones were traversed a total of 22 degrees in 2-degree increments. Seven fixed microphones covered an arc that extended from a point in the exhaust exit plane of the center engine (and directly below its centerline) to a point 30 degrees above the jet centerline. While no attempt was made to simulate the noise emission characteristics of an aircraft engine, the model source was intended to radiate sound in a frequency range encompassing 1, 2, and 3 times the blade passage of a typical full-scale engine. In this study, the Blended-Wing-Body model was found to provide significant shielding of inlet noise. In particular, noise radiated downward into the forward sector was reduced by 20 to 25 dB overall in the full-scale frequencies from 2000 to 4000 Hz, decreasing to 10 dB or less at the lower frequencies. Also, it was observed that noise associated with the exhaust radiates into the sector directly below the model downstream to reduce shielding efficiency.

Clark, Lorenzo R.↗

Diode Laser Sensors for Arc-Jet Characterization

The development and application of tunable diode laser (TDL) absorption sensors to monitor the health and operating conditions in the large-scale 60 MW arc-heated- plasma wind-tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center is reported. The interactive heating facility (THF) produces re-entry flow conditions by expanding the gas heated in a constricted plasma arc-heater to flow at high velocity over a model located in a test cabin. This facility provides the conditions needed to test thermal protective systems for spacecraft re-entering the earth s atmosphere. TDL sensors are developed to monitor gas flows in both the high-temperature constricted flow and the supersonic expansion flow into test cabin. These sensors utilize wavelength-tuned diode lasers to measure absorption transitions of atomic oxygen near 777.2 nm, atomic nitrogen near 856.8 nm, and atomic copper near 793.3 nm. The oxygen and nitrogen sensors measure the population density in exited electronic states of these atoms. The measurements combined with the assumption of local thermal and chemical equilibrium yield gas temperature (typically near 7,000K). The nitrogen and oxygen population temperatures are redundant, and their close agreement provides an important test of the local thermal equilibrium assumption. These temperature sensors provide time-resolved monitors of the operating conditions of the arc-heater and can be used to verify and control the test conditions. An additional TDL sensor was developed to monitor the copper concentration in the arc-heater flow yielding values as high as 13 ppm. Measurements of copper in the flow can identify flow conditions with unacceptably rapid electrode erosion, and hence this sensor provides valuable information needed to schedule maintenance to avoid costly arc-heater failure. TDL sensors were also developed for measurements in the test cabin, where absorption measurements of the populations of argon and molecular nitrogen in excited metastable electronic states established that the number density of these excited species is much lower than estimated using frozen-chemistry approximations. This key finding suggests that in the post-expansion region there is not a significant energy sequestration in electronically excited species. Finally, TDL measurements of atomic potassium seeded into the test cabin flow were used to directly measure the static temperature of the test gas. The results of this study illustrate the high potential of time-resolved TDL measurements for routine and economical sensing of arc-heater health (gas temperature and electrode erosion) as well as the time-resolved test-cabin-flow conditions in front of the model.

Hanson, Ronald K.↗

Pressure and velocity measurements in a three dimensional wall jet

A flat plate and a curved wall surface, intended to model a wing-flap combination in a high V/STOL configuration, were used to measure pressure and flow velocity in a freely expanding coflowing jet and a three dimensional wall jet. The effects of increasing the velocity ratio of the jet exit plane velocity to the free stream velocity were investigated. Velocity measurements were made using a two color laser Doppler velocimeter with a phase-locked loop processor. Fluctuating pressures were monitored with condenser-type microphones. Quantities measured include the width of the mixing region, the mean velocity field, turbulent intensities, and time scales. Wall and static pressure-velocity correlations and coherences are presented.

Catalano, G. D.↗

An experimental investigation of the transverse pressure gradient associated with curved free jets in the proximity of solid boundaries

An experiment has been performed to determine the mass flow and thrust augmentation associated with the flow of a two-dimensional incompressible jet issued parallel to an adjacent offset wall. A theoretical analysis based on a linear static pressure profile across the jet exit reveals that thrust augmentation is possible only for a wall offset of less than one half of the nozzle exit width. Mass flow augmentation measurements are in reasonable agreement with the proposed theory. Augmented mass flow of over three percent is observed directly, while thrust augmentation in excess of three percent is predicted when measured values of the pressure difference across the exiting jet are supplied to the theory. Measurements of the separation cavity length are presented which complement those given by previous investigators by extending the range to small values of the ratio of the wall offset to the slot height. For large offset ratios it is found that the cavity length approaches 1.25 times the wall offset distance. The initial radius of curvature of the jet centerline is found to be substantially greater than the mean radius of curvature over the cavity length, thereby indicating that the trajectory of the jet does not follow the arc of a circle as has been previously assumed.

Lund, T. S.↗

Stationary Plasma Thruster Plume Emissions

The emission spectrum from a xenon plasma produced by a Stationary Plasma Thruster provided by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) was measured. Approximately 270 individual Xe I, Xe II, and XE III transitions were identified. A total of 250 mW of radiated optical emission was estimated from measurements taken at the thruster exit plane. There was no evidence of erosion products in the emission signature. Ingestion and ionization of background gas at elevated background pressure was detected. The distribution of excited states could be described by temperatures ranging from fractions of 1 eV to 4 eV with a high degree of uncertainty due to the nonequilibrium nature of this plasma. The plasma was over 95 percent ionized at the thruster exit plane. Between 10 and 20 percent of the ions were doubly charged. Two modes of operation were identified. The intensity of plasma emission increased by a factor of two during operation in an oscillatory mode. The transfer between the two modes of operation was likely related to unidentified phenomena occurring on a time scale of minutes.

Manzella, David H.↗

Preliminary Considerations for Microwave Consolidation/Sintering of Lunar Regolith Simulant

As NASA prepares to establish permanent habitats on the Moon, a significant first step is to be able to land multiple times in the same area. As was consistently shown during the Apollo program, the very fine granular structure of the lunar regolith (the Moon’s “soil”)poses significant physical and health challenges [1]. One of the most concerning is the hyper-velocity lunar surface ejecta that results from the engine exhaust that exits the rocket as it lands and takes off [2]. It has been determined that to mitigate this, the regolith must be consolidated.

microwave↗

Anisotropy of thermal infrared exitance above and within plant canopies

Any significant angular dependence of the emitted long wave radiation could result in errors in remotely estimated energy budgets or evapotranspiration. Empirical data and thermal infrared radiation models are reviewed in reference to anisotropic emissions from the plant canopy. The biometeorological aspects of linking longwave models with plant canopy energy budgets and micrometeorology are discussed. A new soil plant atmosphere model applied to anisotropic longwave emissions from a canopy is presented. Time variation of thermal infrared emission measurements is discussed.

Pawu, Kyaw Tha↗