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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 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

The FML compressor as a drive system for the LFSWT: A narrative

During 1988, a feasibility study was performed to decide how best to build a Laminar Flow Supersonic Wind Tunnel (LFSWT) at the NASA-Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML) for boundary layer transition research. A full report was received in June 1988. The report was based on the following guidelines: continuous operation at Mach numbers within the range from 1.8-4.0 was required to impact the NASA 'HiStar' project; low disturbance flow is essential for transition research; minimum test section height is 8 inches; tunnel must fit in an FML test cell; tunnel design should be simple; and construction costs should be minimized. The study considered three drive system options: (1) use surplus JPL compressors and support equipment; (2) use of the FML compressor with ambient injectors; and (3) use of the FML compressor with injectors driven by the NASA-Ames 3000 psia air supply.

Laub, James↗
NASA NTRS1993

Accuracy of Tilt Rotor Hover Performance Predictions

The accuracy of various methods used to predict tilt rotor hover performance was established by comparing predictions with large-scale experimental data. A wide range of analytical approaches were examined. Blade lift was predicted with a lifting line analysis, two lifting surface analyses, and by a finite-difference solution of the full potential equation. Blade profile drag was predicted with two different types of airfoil tables and an integral boundary layer analysis. The inflow at the rotor was predicted using momentum theory, two types of prescribed wakes, and two free wake analyses. All of the analyses were accurate at moderate thrust coefficients. The accuracy of the analyses at high thrust coefficients was dependent upon their treatment of high sectional angles of attack on the inboard sections of the rotor blade. The analyses which allowed sectional lift coefficients on the inboard stations of the blade to exceed the maximum observed in two-dimensional wind tunnel tests provided better accuracy at high thrust coefficients than those which limited lift to the maximum two-dimensional value. These results provide tilt rotor aircraft designers guidance on which analytical approaches provide the best results, and the level of accuracy which can be expected from the best analyses.

Felker, Fort F.↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Hybrid Numerical Method for Turbulent Mixing Layers

A hybrid method has been developed for simulations of compressible turbulent mixing layers. Such mixing layers dominate the flows in exhaust systems of modern day aircraft and also those of hypersonic vehicles currently under development. The method configurations in which a dominant structural feature provides an unsteady mechanism to drive the turbulent development in the mixing layer. The hybrid method uses a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) procedure to calculate wall bounded regions entering a mixing section, and a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) procedure to calculate the mixing dominated regions. A numerical technique was developed to enable the use of the hybrid RANS-LES method on stretched, non-Cartesian grids. Closure for the RANS equations was obtained using the Cebeci-Smith algebraic turbulence model in conjunction with the wall-function approach of Ota and Goldberg. The wall-function approach enabled a continuous computational grid from the RANS regions to the LES region. The LES equations were closed using the Smagorinsky subgrid scale model. The hybrid RANS-LES method is applied to a benchmark compressible mixing layer experiment. Preliminary two dimensional calculations are used to investigate the effects of axial grid density and boundary conditions. Vortex shedding from the base region of a splitter plate separating the upstream flows was observed to eventually transition to turbulence. The location of the transition, however, was much further downstream than indicated by experiments. Actual LES calculations, performed in three spatial directions, also indicated vortex shedding, but the transition to turbulence was found to occur much closer to the beginning of the mixing section. which is in agreement with experimental observations. These calculations demonstrated that LES simulations must be performed in three dimensions. Comparisons of time-averaged axial velocities and turbulence intensities indicated reasonable agreement with experimental data.

Georgiadis, Nicholas J.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Experimental and analytical study of an inlet forebody for an airframe-integrated scramjet concept

Preliminary analytical and experimental inlet forebody investigations have been conducted at Mach numbers of 6.0 and 8.5. The forebody design concept consisted of a sharp-nosed right circular cone followed by elliptical cross sections. This concept resulted in swept isentropic compression which would allow swept cowl leading edges. Measurements were made to define the condition of the inviscid flow field developed by the forebody, including flow profiles in the vicinity of cowl leading-edge stations, and the three-dimensional boundary-layer effects. The investigation verified some of the expected differences between the predicted and the experimental results.

Andrews, E. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A computationally efficient modelling of laminar separation bubbles

The goal of this research is to accurately predict the characteristics of the laminar separation bubble and its effects on airfoil performance. To this end, a model of the bubble is under development and will be incorporated in the analysis section of the Eppler and Somers program. As a first step in this direction, an existing bubble model was inserted into the program. It was decided to address the problem of the short bubble before attempting the prediction of the long bubble. In the second place, an integral boundary-layer method is believed more desirable than a finite difference approach. While these two methods achieve similar prediction accuracy, finite-difference methods tend to involve significantly longer computer run times than the integral methods. Finally, as the boundary-layer analysis in the Eppler and Somers program employs the momentum and kinetic energy integral equations, a short-bubble model compatible with these equations is most preferable.

Maughmer, Mark D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Photochemical ozone production in tropical squall line convection during NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment/Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment 2A

The role of convection was examined in trace gas transport and ozone production in a tropical dry season squall line sampled on August 3, 1985, during NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment/Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment 2A (NASA GTE/ABLE 2A) in Amazonia, Brazil. Two types of analyses were performed. Transient effects within the cloud are examined with a combination of two-dimensional cloud and one-dimensional photochemical modeling. Tracer analyses using the cloud model wind fields yield a series of cross sections of NO(x), CO, and O3 distribution during the lifetime of the cloud; these fields are used in the photochemical model to compute the net rate of O3 production. At noon, when the cloud was mature, the instantaneous ozone production potential in the cloud is between 50 and 60 percent less than in no-cloud conditions due to reduced photolysis and cloud scavenging of radicals. Analysis of cloud inflows and outflows is used to differentiate between air that is undisturbed and air that has been modified by the storm. These profiles are used in the photochemical model to examine the aftereffects of convective redistribution in the 24-hour period following the storm. Total tropospheric column O3 production changed little due to convection because so little NO(x) was available in the lower troposphere. However, the integrated O3 production potential in the 5- to 13-km layer changed from net destruction to net production as a result of the convection. The conditions of the August 3, 1985, event may be typical of the early part of the dry season in Amazonia, when only minimal amounts of pollution from biomass burning have been transported into the region.

Pickering, Kenneth E.↗
NASA NTRS1996

The modelling of symmetric airfoil vortex generators

An experimental study is conducted to determine the dependence of vortex generator geometry and impinging flow conditions on shed vortex circulation and crossplane peak vorticity for one type of vortex generator. The vortex generator is a symmetric airfoil having a NACA 0012 cross-sectional profile. The geometry and flow parameters varied include angle-of-attack alfa, chordlength c, span h, and Mach number M. The vortex generators are mounted either in isolation or in a symmetric counter-rotating array configuration on the inside surface of a straight pipe. The turbulent boundary layer thickness to pipe radius ratio is delta/R = 0. 17. Circulation and peak vorticity data are derived from crossplane velocity measurements conducted at or about 1 chord downstream of the vortex generator trailing edge. Shed vortex circulation is observed to be proportional to M, alfa, and h/delta. With these parameters held constant, circulation is observed to fall off in monotonic fashion with increasing airfoil aspect ratio AR. Shed vortex peak vorticity is also observed to be proportional to M, alfa, and h/delta. Unlike circulation, however, peak vorticity is observed to increase with increasing aspect ratio, reaching a peak value at AR approx. 2.0 before falling off.

Reichert, B. A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Generation of Mars Helicopter Rotor Model for Comprehensive Analyses

The present research is aimed at providing a performance model for the Mars Helicopter (MH), to understand the complexity of the flow, and identify future regions of improvement. The low density of the Martian atmosphere and the relatively small MH rotor, result in very low chord-based Reynolds number flows. The low density and Reynolds numbers reduce the lifting force and lifting efficiency, respectively. The high drag coefficients in subcritical flow, especially for thicker sections, are attributed to laminar separation from the rear of the airfoil. In the absence of test data, efforts have been made to explore these effects using prior very low Reynolds number research efforts. The rotor chord-based Reynolds number range is observed to be subcritical, which makes boundary layer transition unlikely to occur. The state of the two-dimensional rotor boundary layer in hover is approximated by calculating the instability point, laminar separation point, and the transition location to provide understanding of the flow state in the high Mach-low Reynolds number regime. The results are used to investigate the need for turbulence modeling in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations afterwards. The goal is to generate a performance model for the MH rotor for a free wake analysis, because the computational budget for a complete Navier-Stokes solution for a rotating body-fitted rotor is substantial. In this study, a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) based approach is used to generate the airfoil deck using C81Gen with stitched experimental data for very high angles of attack. A full Grid Resolution Study is performed and over 4,500 cases are completed to create the full airfoil deck. The laminar separation locations are predicted within the accuracy of the approximate method when compared with the CFD calculations. The model is presented through airfoil data tables (c81 files) that are used by comprehensive rotor analysis codes such as CAMRADII, or the mid-fidelity CFD solver RotCFD. Finally, the rotor performance is compared with experimental data from the 25ft Space Simulator at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and shows good correlation for the rotor Figure of Merit over the available thrust range.

Model↗
NASA NTRS1980

Evaluation of flow quality in two large NASA wind tunnels at transonic speeds

Wind tunnel testing of low drag airfoils and basic transition studies at transonic speeds are designed to provide high quality aerodynamic data at high Reynolds numbers. This requires that the flow quality in facilities used for such research be excellent. To obtain a better understanding of the characteristics of facility disturbances and identification of their sources for possible facility modification, detailed flow quality measurements were made in two prospective NASA wind tunnels. Experimental results are presented of an extensive and systematic flow quality study of the settling chamber, test section, and diffuser in the Langley 8 foot transonic pressure tunnel and the Ames 12 foot pressure wind tunnel. Results indicate that the free stream velocity and pressure fluctuation levels in both facilities are low at subsonic speeds and are so high as to make it difficult to conduct meaningful boundary layer control and transition studies at transonic speeds.

Harvey, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Entrainment region phenomena for a large plane shear layer

The subatmospheric test section of the present free shear layer facility allows the entrainment air to be introduced with a negligible disturbance level. The very low frequency oscillations, which are prominently observed in the entrainment stream and which are present throughout the shear layer, are attributed to an inherent instability in the transition from a boundary layer to a free shear layer state. The basic features of the disturbance field are documented herein.

Ali, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Analysis and Design of Rectangular-Cross-Section Nozzles for Scramjet Engine Testing

The flow in the square-cross-section Mach-6 nozzle used in the NASA Langley Research Center Arc-Heated Scramjet Test Facility has been analyzed using three-dimensional viscous CFD methods. The primary cause of the non-uniform flow exiting the nozzle is identified as cross-flow pressure gradients imposed on wall boundary layers. The cross-flow pressure gradients cause the boundary layer to roll up into counter-rotating vortex pairs on each of the four sides of the nozzle. These four vortex pairs produce significant non-uniformity in the nozzle-exit flow. In order to improve the quality of the test flow in the facility, two alternative nozzle designs (one axisymmetric and one rectangular with a 2-D contour) have been investigated. While the axisymmetric design produced the most uniform flow, the 2-D design also produced very good flow. The 2-D design was selected for further refinement, resulting in a new nozzle design which has been constructed and awaits calibration.

Gaffney, Richard L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Supersonic Mass Flux Measurements via Tunable Diode Laser Absorption and Non-Uniform Flow Modeling

Measurements of mass flux are obtained in a vitiated supersonic ground test facility using a sensor based on line-of-sight (LOS) diode laser absorption of water vapor. Mass flux is determined from the product of measured velocity and density. The relative Doppler shift of an absorption transition for beams directed upstream and downstream in the flow is used to measure velocity. Temperature is determined from the ratio of absorption signals of two transitions (lambda(sub 1)=1349 nm and lambda(sub 2)=1341.5 nm) and is coupled with a facility pressure measurement to obtain density. The sensor exploits wavelength-modulation spectroscopy with second-harmonic detection (WMS-2f) for large signal-to-noise ratios and normalization with the 1f signal for rejection of non-absorption related transmission fluctuations. The sensor line-of-sight is translated both vertically and horizontally across the test section for spatially-resolved measurements. Time-resolved measurements of mass flux are used to assess the stability of flow conditions produced by the facility. Measurements of mass flux are within 1.5% of the value obtained using a facility predictive code. The distortion of the WMS lineshape caused by boundary layers along the laser line-of-sight is examined and the subsequent effect on the measured velocity is discussed. A method for correcting measured velocities for flow non-uniformities is introduced and application of this correction brings measured velocities within 4 m/s of the predicted value in a 1630 m/s flow.

Chang, Leyen S.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Calibration of PCB-132 Sensors in a Shock Tube

While PCB-132 sensors have proven useful for measuring second-mode instability waves in many hypersonic wind tunnels, they are currently limited by their calibration. Until now, the factory calibration has been all that was available, which is a single-point calibration at an amplitude three orders of magnitude higher than a second-mode wave. In addition, little information has been available about the frequency response or spatial resolution of the sensors, which is important for measuring high-frequency instability waves. These shortcomings make it difficult to compare measurements at different conditions and between different sensors. If accurate quantitative measurements could be performed, comparisons of the growth and breakdown of instability waves could be made in different facilities, possibly leading to a method of predicting the amplitude at which the waves break down into turbulence, improving transition prediction. A method for calibrating the sensors is proposed using a newly-built shock tube at Purdue University. This shock tube, essentially a half-scale version of the 6-Inch shock tube at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at Caltech, has been designed to attain a moderate vacuum in the driven section. Low driven pressures should allow the creation of very weak, yet still relatively thin shock waves. It is expected that static pressure rises within the range of second-mode amplitudes should be possible. The shock tube has been designed to create clean, planar shock waves with a laminar boundary layer to allow for accurate calibrations. Stronger shock waves can be used to identify the frequency response of the sensors out to hundreds of kilohertz.

Berridge, Dennis C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Progress on the Development of a Step Height Sensor for the BOLT Flight Vehicle

This presentation will summarize progress on the development of a step height sensor for the BOLT flight vehicle. Two methods have been proposed to measure the step size in this effort.The first method involves the application of miniaturized camera embedded in the flight vehicle that views the step through a rearward-facing port (shown in Fig. 1a inset). The second method involves the application of a linear fiber optic array bundle to measure the intensity of light reflected back from the aft body step (concept shown in Fig. 1b). Preliminary testing with the miniaturized camera has been performed in the lab and shows that displacements of ≤10 μm can be measured using this method. Final testing with both methods will be performed on the test stand shown in Fig. 1a. This test stand will include a fine adjustment vertical translation stage that will be used to adjust the step height in steps of 1-2 μm. A high-magnification imaging system will also be used to verify the step height. The miniaturized camera and linear fiber optic array bundle will be mounted in one of several port holes with varying degrees of inclination relative to the top surface in the opposing aft-section slab. BOLT flight vehicle details and information on the steps can be found in Ref. [1].

BOLT↗
NASA NTRS1993

Effect of tabs on the flow and noise field of an axisymmetric jet

The effect of vortex generators, in the form of small tabs projecting normally into the flow at the nozzle exit, on the characteristics of an axisymmetric jet is investigated experimentally over the jet Mach number range of 0.3-1.81. The tabs eliminate screech noise from supersonic jets and alter the shock structure drastically. They distort the jet cross section and increase the jet spread rate significantly. The distortion produced is essentially the same at subsonic and underexpanded supersonic conditions. Thus, the underlying mechanism must be independent of compressibility effects. A tab with a height as small as 2 percent of the jet diameter, but larger than the efflux boundary-layer thickness, is found to produce a significant effect. Flow visualization reveals that each tab introduces an 'indentation' into the high speed side of the shear layer via the action of streamwise vortices. These vortices are inferred to be of the 'trailing vortex' type rather than of the 'necklace vortex' type. It is apparent that a substantial pressure differential must exist between the upstream and the downstream sides of the tab to effectively produce these trailing vortices. This explains why the tabs are ineffective in the overexpanded flow, as in that case an adverse pressure gradient exists near the nozzle exit which reduces the pressure differential produced by the tab.

Samimy, M.↗
NASA NTRS1958

Performance of an All-internal Conical Compression Inlet with Annular Throat Bleed at Mach Number 5.0

An all-internal conical compression inlet with annular bleed at the throat was investigated at Mach 5.0 and zero angle of attack. The minimum contraction ratio of the supersonic diffuser, coincident with a mass-flow ratio of 1.0, was determined to be 0.084 as compared with the isentropic contraction ratio of 0.04 at Mach 5.0. The over-all inlet performance was very sensitive to the amount of annular bleed at the throat because of the extensive boundary layer. For example, the critical recovery varied from 41 percent with 6-percent bleed to 59 percent with 25-percent bleed. Decreasing the spacing between the supersonic and subsonic diffusers increased the critical mass-flow ratio but reduced the range of subcritical mass-flow regulation. A constant-area section was required ahead of the subsonic diffuser in order to obtain reasonable performance. An inlet-engine net-thrust analysis indicated that the optimum performance occurred with from 20- to 25-percent bleed, depending on how the bypassed air was handled.

Stitt, Leonard E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Coherent motions in the turbulent boundary layer

The role of coherent structures in the production and dissipation of turbulence in a boundary layer is characterized, summarizing the results of recent investigations. Coherent motion is defined as a three-dimensional region of flow where at least one fundamental variable exhibits significant correlation with itself or with another variable over a space or time range significantly larger than the smallest local scales of the flow. Sections are then devoted to flow-visualization experiments, statistical analyses, numerical simulation techniques, the history of coherent-structure studies, vortices and vortical structures, conceptual models, and predictive models. Diagrams and graphs are provided.

Robinson, Stephen K.↗