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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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

CFD validation of a supersonic laminar flow control concept

A three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code is used in conjunction with a linear compressible stability analysis code to develop a numerical procedure for prediction of laminar flow transition. The procedure is applied to a modified F-16XL fighter with a laminar flow control glove at supersonic speed. Details of boundary layer stability analysis indicate that, computationally, laminar flow could be realized on the highly swept wing in the absence of the leading edge attachment-line contamination. Effects of the three-dimensionality of the flow were shown to be important in the boundary layer stability analysis. The numerically predicted surface pressures compare favorably with the flight test data.

Woan, Chung-Jin↗
NASA NTRS1993

Jupiter's winds and Arnol'd's second stability theorem: Slowly moving waves and neutral stability

Since the Voyager encounters in 1979, it has been known that Jupiter's cloud-top zonal winds violate the barotropic stability criterion. A vortex-tube stretching analysis of the Voyager wind data indicates that the more general Charney-Stern stability criterion is also violated. On the other hand, the zonal winds determined by tracking cloud features in Hubble Space Telescope images taken in 1991 precisely match the zonal winds determined by tracking cloud features in Voyager images, and it is hard to understand how a complicated zonal wind profile like Jupiter's could be unstable and yet not change at all in 12 years. In fact, there are at least two unknown ways to violate the Charney-Stern stability criterion and still have a stable flow. The better known of these is called Fjortoft's theorem, or Arnol'd's 1st theorem for the case of large-amplitude perturbations. Although the Fjortoft-Arnol'd theorem has been extended from the quasi-geostrophic equations to the primitive equations, the basic requirement that the potential vorticity be an increasing function of streamfunction is opposite to the case found in Jupiter, where the Voyager data indicate that the potential vorticity is a decreasing function of streamfunction. But this second case is precisely that which is covered by Arnol'd's 2nd stability theorem. In fact, the Voyager data suggest that Jupiter's zonal winds are neutrally stable with respect to Arnol'd's 2nd stability theorem. Here, we analyze the linear stability problem of a one-parameter family of sinusoidal zonal wind profiles that are close to neutral stability with respect to Arnol'd's 2nd stability theorem. We find numerically that the most unstable mode is always stationary, which may help to explain the slowly moving mode 10 waves observed on Jupiter. We find that violation of Arnol'd's 2nd stability theorem is both necessary and sufficient for instability of sinusoidal profiles. However, there appears to be no simple extension of Arnol'd's 2nd stability theorem to the primitive equations. Nevertheless, the primitive growth rates are small, and the primitive system is still governed by the quasi-geostrophic neutral-stability configuration.

Stamp, Andrew P.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Stability Limits and Dynamics of Nonaxisymmetric Liquid Bridges

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the stability of nonaxisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric bridges contained between equal and unequal radii disks as a function of Bond and Weber number with emphasis on the transition from unstable axisymmetric to stable nonaxisymmetric shapes. Numerical analysis of the stability of nonaxisymmetric bridges for various orientations of the gravity vector for equal and unequal disks. Experimental and theoretical investigation of large (nonaxisymmetric) oscillations and breaking of liquid bridges. This project involves both experimental and theoretical work. Static and dynamic experiments are conducted in a Plateau tank which makes a range of static Bond numbers accessible.

Alexander, J. Iwan D.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Dynamics and Statics of Nonaxisymmetric Liquid Bridges

Theoretical and experimental investigation of the stability of nonaxisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric bridges contained between equal and unequal radii disks as a function of Bond and Weber number with emphasis on the transition from unstable axisymmetric to stable nonaxisymmetric shapes, are conducted. Numerical analysis of the stability of nonaxisymmetric bridges between unequal disks for various orientations of the gravity vector is performed. Experimental and theoretical investigation of large (nonaxisymmetric) oscillations and breaking of liquid bridges are also conducted.

Alexander, J. Iwan D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Finite volume computation of unsteady inviscid rotational transonic flows past airfoils in rigid body motion

Unsteady inviscid transonic flow over airfoils in arbitrary rigid body motion is analyzed numerically by solving the two-dimensional unsteady Euler equations in integral form using a finite volume scheme. The solution procedure is based on an explicit Runge-Kutta time-stepping scheme wherein the spatial terms are central-differenced and a combination of second- and fourth-differences in the flow variables are used to form the numerical dissipation terms to stabilize the scheme. Unsteady calculations are started from converged steady-state solutions as initial conditions. Nonreflective boundary conditions are imposed on the far-field boundaries. Results are presented and, where possible, validated against available numerical and experimental data for airfoils subjected to a step change in angle of attack, airfoils oscillating and plunging in transonic flow, and airfoils immersed in a time-varying free stream.

Damodaran, Murali↗
NASA NTRS1990

A numerical and analytical study of nonlinear bifurcations associated with the morphological stability of two-dimensional single crystals

The nonlinear stability of a two-dimensional single crystal of pure material in an undercooled melt is studied both analytically and numerically. The quasi-steady state approximation is used for the thermal fields, and the effects of different solid and liquid thermal conductivities, isotropic interfacial growth kinetics, and isotropic surface tension are included. The bifurcation analysis is performed by calculating the instantaneous value of the fundamental component of the local normal growth speed for an interface perturbed by a single Fourier shape component. Numerically, the fundamental component of the interfacial growth speed is found by Fourier analysis of the solution to an integrodifferential equation obeyed at the interface. Analytically, an expansion technique is used to derive a solvability condition defining each of these bifurcation points. The analytical and numerical results are in very close agreement. Almost all of the bifurcations are subcritical, and the results are presented by giving values of the Landau coefficient as a function of the different dimensionless parameters used in the model.

Brush, L. N.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Libration point staging options for SEI lunar missions - Station keeping implications

Libration point staging is one alternative to lunar orbit rendezvous which is being examined for the Space Exploration Initiative lunar missions. The libration point staging strategy being considered would eliminate the lunar mid-latitude accessibility constraint for long duration missions. Staging options for such a strategy are discussed with particular emphasis on the impact of the libration points' stability. The equations of motion for a satellite at the libration points are numerically integrated to investigate the stability and to determine the station-keeping requirements. These requirements are presented, and overall requirements for libration point staging briefly summarized. The results indicate that the slight eccentricity of the Moon's orbit would result in excessive station-keeping requirements for long duration missions.

Haynes, Davy A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Numerical Simulation of an Enclosed Laminar Jet Diffusion Flame in Microgravity Environment: Comparison with ELF Data

Enclosed diffusion flames are commonly found in practical combustion systems, such as the power-plant combustor, gas turbine combustor, and jet engine after-burner. In these systems, fuel is injected into a duct with a co-flowing or cross-flowing air stream. The diffusion flame is found at the surface where the fuel jet and oxygen meet, react, and consume each other. In combustors, this flame is anchored at the burner (i.e., fuel jet inlet) unless adverse conditions cause the flame to lift off or blow out. Investigations of burner stability study the lift off, reattachment, and blow out of the flame. Flame stability is strongly dependent on the fuel jet velocity. When the fuel jet velocity is sufficiently low, the diffusion flame anchors at the burner rim. When the fuel jet velocity is increased, the flame base gradually moves downstream. However, when the fuel jet velocity increases beyond a critical value, the flame base abruptly jumps downstream. When this "jump" occurs, the flame is said to have reached its lift-off condition and the critical fuel jet velocity is called the lift-off velocity. While lifted, the flame is not attached to the burner and it appears to float in mid-air. Flow conditions are such that the flame cannot be maintained at the burner rim despite the presence of both fuel and oxygen. When the fuel jet velocity is further increased, the flame will eventually extinguish at its blowout condition. In contrast, if the fuel jet velocity of a lifted flame is reduced, the flame base moves upstream and abruptly returns to anchor at the burner rim. The fuel jet velocity at reattachment can be much lower than that at lift off, illustrating the hysteresis effect present in flame stability. Although there have been numerous studies of flame stability, the controlling mechanisms are not well understood. This uncertainty is described by Pitts in his review of various competing theories of lift off and blow out in turbulent jet diffusion flames. There has been some research on the stability of laminar flames, but most studies have focused on turbulent flames. It is also well known that the airflow around the fuel jet can significantly alter the lift off, reattachment and blow out of the jet diffusion flame. Buoyant convection is sufficiently strong in 1-g flames that it can dominate the flow-field, even at the burner rim. In normal-gravity testing, it is very difficult to delineate the effects of the forced airflow from those of the buoyancy-induced flow. Comparison of normal-gravity and microgravity flames provides clear indication of the influence of forced and buoyant flows on the flame stability. The overall goal of the Enclosed Laminar Flames (ELF) investigation (STS-87/USMP-4 Space Shuttle mission, November to December 1997) is to improve our understanding of the effects of buoyant convection on the structure and stability of co-flow diffusion flame, e.g., see http://zeta.lerc.nasa.gov/expr/elf.htm. The ELF hardware meets the experiment hardware limit of the 35-liter interior volume of the glovebox working area, and the 180x220-mm dimensions of the main door. The ELF experiment module is a miniature, fan-driven wind tunnel, equipped with a gas supply system. A 1.5-mm diameter nozzle is located on the duct's flow axis. The cross section of the duct is nominally a 76-mm square with rounded corners. The forced air velocity can be varied from about 0.2 to 0.9 m/s. The fuel flow can be set as high as 3 std. cubic centimeter (cc) per second, which corresponds to a nozzle exit velocity of up to 1.70 m/s. The ELF hardware and experimental procedure are discussed in detail in Brooker et al. The 1-g test results are repeated in several experiments following the STS-87 Mission. The ELF study is also relevant to practical systems because the momentum-dominated behavior of turbulent flames can be achieved in laminar flames in microgravity. The specific objectives of this paper are to evaluate the use reduced model for simulation of flame lift-off and blowout.

Jia, Kezhong↗
NASA NTRS1994

The stability of thick, self-gravitating disks in protostellar systems

Using numerical hydrodynamics techniques, we perform a nonlinear stability analysis of accretion disk systems that contain thick, self-gravitating disks. The systems are initially represented by a point mass M(sub c) at the center and a geometrically thick, axisymmetric disk of mass M(sub d) that supports uniform specific angular momentum and obeys an n = 3/2, polytropic equation of state. The equilibrium disk structure is uniquely defined upon the specification of two key dimensionless system parameters: M(sub d)/M(sub c) and T/absolute value of W (the ratio of rotational kinetic energy if the disk to the gravitational potential energy of the system). The focus of this work is on the identification of systems within this two-dimensional parameter space that are marginally unstable toward the development of nonaxisymmetric distortions. The geometric form and relative pattern speed of the disk's distortion as well as the likelihood of disk fragmentation as a result of such instabilities is examined, particularly in the context of protostellar systems. The value of T/absolute value of W at which thick disks first become dynamically unstable to nonaxisymmetric distortions is found to vary significantly with the mass ratio of the accertion disk system. Nonaxisymmetric eigenmodes with four distinctly different characters are identified in systems with mass ratios in the range 0.2 less than or equal to (M(sub d)/M(sub c)) less than or equal to 5.

Woodward, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Energy stability of thermocapillary convection in a model of the float-zone crystal-growth process

Energy stability theory has been applied to a basic state of thermocapillary convection occurring in a cylindrical half-zone of finite length to determine conditions under which the flow will be stable. Because of the finite length of the zone, the basic state must be determined numerically. Instead of obtaining stability criteria by solving the related Euler-Lagrange equations, the variational problem is attacked directly by discretization of the integrals in the energy identity using finite differences. Results of the analysis are values of the Marangoni number below which axisymmetric disturbances to the basic state will decay, for various values of the other parameters governing the problem.

Shen, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Transition and laminar instability

The linear stability theory was applied to the problem of boundary layer transition in incompressible flow. The theory was put into a form suitable for three-dimensional boundary layers; both the temporal and spatial theories were examined; and a generalized Gaster relation for three-dimensional boundary layers was derived. Numerical examples include the stability characteristics of Falkner-Skan boundary layers, the accuracy of the two-dimensional Gaster relation for these boundary layers, and the magnitude and direction of the group velocity for oblique waves in the Blasius boundary layer. Available experiments which bear on the validity of stability theory and its relation to transition are reviewed and the stability theory is applied to transition prediction. The amplitude method is described in which the wide band disturbance amplitude in the boundary layer is estimated from stability theory and an interaction relation for the initial amplitude density of the most unstable frequency.

Mack, L. M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Regularizing the linearly extrapolated BDF2 scheme for incompressible flows with time relaxation

This paper presents a highly-efficient finite element scheme for the time relaxation model (TRM). The efficiency is achieved through the second-order BDF2 time-stepping scheme with linear extrapolation (BDF2LE). The accuracy of the scheme is also greatly enhanced through the use of the divergence-free Scott-Vogeulis finite elements, and van Cittert approximate deconvolution. A complete finite element analysis is provided, which includes rigorous proofs for the stability, well-possessedness, and convergence of both velocity and pressure solutions. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that the inclusion of the linear time relaxation term preserves the long-time stability of the unregularized BDF2LE scheme. Finally, numerical experiments are presented that demonstrate the added stability and accuracy that time relaxation can provide.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2002

High Order Finite Difference Methods for Multiscale Complex Compressible Flows

The classical way of analyzing finite difference schemes for hyperbolic problems is to investigate as many as possible of the following points: (1) Linear stability for constant coefficients; (2) Linear stability for variable coefficients; (3) Non-linear stability; and (4) Stability at discontinuities. We will build a new numerical method, which satisfies all types of stability, by dealing with each of the points above step by step.

Sjoegreen, Bjoern↗
NASA NTRS1995

Linear Wave Motion from Concentrated Harmonic Sources in Blasius Flow

The motion of individual linear instability waves in shear flows is well described by existing theoretical and numerical methods. However, naturally occuring sources produce coherent wave motions with broadband spanwise wavenumber and frequency spectra, and the different spectral components interact both linearly and nonlinearily. This paper describes a series of calculations for the parameters of three different experiments using locally parallel linear stability theory (LST), the Parabolized Stability Equations (PSE), and Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The calculations illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods, the extent to which the methods agree or disagree, and, finally the extent to which agreement with the measurements can be attained, given that the experiments also have their own difficulties.

linear↗
NASA NTRS1962

Use of an Inertia Sphere to Damp the Angular Motions of Spinning Space Vehicles

A theoretical study was made of a device which might be used to damp the angular motions of spin-stabilized space vehicles with constant moments of inertia. the device was assumed to consist of a rate gyro, a servo control, and a rotor mounted in a single gimbal. The investigation was conducted by considering the general equations of motion of the vehicle-damper system and noting that simplification would result if the damper had a spherical inertia distribution. Such a distribution was assumed thereafter, and a control command was defined so that the gimbal angle would be proportional to the angular velocity of the vehicle about the gimbal axis. The resulting equations were linearized, and the Routh-Hurwitz criterion was applied to determine the conditions for stability. The study included two numerical examples showing possible application of inertia-sphere rate dampers. The general conditions for stability were found to be feasible for practical applications. A simplified stability criterion covers a large class of practical problems.

SPHERE↗
NASA NTRS1996

Nonlinear dynamics and numerical uncertainties in CFD

The application of nonlinear dynamics to improve the understanding of numerical uncertainties in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is reviewed. Elementary examples in the use of dynamics to explain the nonlinear phenomena and spurious behavior that occur in numerics are given. The role of dynamics in the understanding of long time behavior of numerical integrations and the nonlinear stability, convergence, and reliability of using time-marching, approaches for obtaining steady-state numerical solutions in CFD is explained. The study is complemented with spurious behavior observed in CFD computations.

Yee, H. C.↗