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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 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

New Nozzle Test Rig Developed

Renewed interest in reducing aircraft noise has spurred the development of a new testing facility. One of the major sources of jet aircraft noise is the engine nozzle exhaust, so wind tunnel and freejet testing have been used to evaluate nozzle concepts for thrust and noise reduction. In the past, the NASA Lewis Research Center used its Jet Exit Rig to supply hot, high-pressure air to the nozzle to simulate engine exhaust, but the flow capacity of this rig was not large enough to supply larger nozzles, which are needed for more accurate noise assessment. Therefore, Lewis developed a new testing tool for this effort, the High- Flow Jet Exit Rig.

Wolter, John D.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Bipolar planetary nebulae from outflow collimation by common envelope evolution

ABSTRACT The morphology of bipolar planetary nebulae (PNe) can be attributed to interactions between a fast wind from the central engine and the dense toroidal-shaped ejecta left over from common envelope (CE) evolution. Here we use the 3D hydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code AstroBEAR to study the possibility that bipolar PN outflows can emerge collimated even from an uncollimated spherical wind in the aftermath of a CE event. The output of a single CE simulation via the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code phantom serves as the initial conditions. Four cases of winds, all with high enough momenta to account for observed high momenta pre-PN outflows, are injected spherically from the region of the CE binary remnant into the ejecta. We compare cases with two different momenta and cases with no radiative cooling versus application of optically thin emission via a cooling curve to the outflow. Our simulations show that in all cases highly collimated bipolar outflows result from deflection of the spherical wind via the interaction with the CE ejecta. Significant asymmetries between the top and bottom lobes are seen in all cases. The asymmetry is strongest for the lower momentum case with radiative cooling. While real post-CE winds may be aspherical, our models show that collimation via ‘inertial confinement’ will be strong enough to create jet-like outflows even beginning with maximally uncollimated drivers. Our simulations reveal detailed shock structures in the shock-focused inertial confinement (SFIC) model and develop a lens-shaped inner shock that is a new feature of SFIC-driven bipolar lobes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1989

Nacelle/pylon interference study on a 1/17th-scale, twin-engine, low-wing transport model

NASA-Langley has conducted wind tunnel tests of a twin-engine, low-wing transport aircraft configuration with 10.8-aspect ratio supercritical wing, in order to ascertain and compare the wing/nacelle interference effects of through-flow nacelled simulating 'superfan' very high bypass ratio (BPR=20) turbofans and current-technology (BPR=6) turbofans. Measurements of model forces and moments have been obtained, together with extensive external static pressure measurement on the model's wings, nacelles, and pylons in the Mach 0.5-0.8 range, at angles of attack in the -4 to +8 deg range. The superfan nacelles exhibit a significant advantage over current-technology turbofan nacelles, when the superfan's SFC gains are taken into account.

Pendergraft, Odis C., Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Evaluation of the potential for wake steering for U.S. land-based wind power plants

The wind power plant-wide control strategy known as wake steering involves the misalignment of upstream turbines with the wind direction to deflect wakes away from downstream turbines, increasing net wind plant power production. In this paper, we evaluate the potential of wake steering for U.S. land-based wind power plants. First, we outline a method for simulating and optimizing wake steering control for existing wind plants by combining the flow redirection and induction in steady state wake steering engineering model with the U.S. Wind Turbine Database and Wind Integration National Dataset Toolkit wind resource dataset. Next, to better understand the potential benefits of wake steering beyond those for existing wind plants, we evaluate the relative impacts of turbine specific power, turbine spacing, and mean wind speed on energy gain and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) using a model land-based wind power plant. For a subset of 60 existing wind plants, assuming a constant turbulence intensity of 8%, wake steering was found to yield an average annual energy production (AEP) gain of 0.80%, equivalent to recovering 13.85% of baseline wake losses. Further, we present a linear approximation between baseline wake losses and AEP gains that can be used to estimate wake steering gains for other wind power plants. Highlighting additional benefits of wake steering, for the model wind power plant we found that energy gains from wake steering enabled an approximate 30% reduction in turbine spacing while keeping LCOE constant.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Validation of FAST.Farm Against Full-Scale Turbine SCADA Data for a Small Wind Farm

FAST.Farm is a new midfidelity engineering tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory targeted at accurately and efficiently predicting wind turbine power production and structural loading in wind farm settings, including wake interactions between turbines. FAST.Farm is based on some of the principles of the Dynamic Wake Meandering model—including passive tracer modeling of wake meandering—but addresses many of the limitations of previous Dynamic Wake Meandering (DWM) implementations. Previous FAST.Farm verification studies show the similarities and differences between FAST.Farm and large-eddy simulations for rigid and flexible turbines. In this validation study, FAST.Farm turbine responses are compared to multiturbine measurements from a subset of a full-scale wind farm. FAST.Farm predictions of turbine generator power, rotor speed, and blade pitch for five-turbine simulations are compared to supervisory control and data acquisition results. Results reveal that FAST.Farm generator power mean and standard deviation results reasonably match measured data for upstream and downstream turbines, as well as the mean rotor speed and blade pitch above rated wind speeds. However, FAST.Farm generally underpredicts the mean rotor speed and overpredicts the mean blade pitch below rated operation. These errors are likely related to inaccuracies in the generic controller simulated. Despite controller differences, FAST.Farm predicts the same overall relative rotor power trends for all waked turbines at all wind speeds.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quench Simulation and Validation for EIC Direct Wind Magnets

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a new facility to be built in the United States at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility-will be the only new particle collider in the U.S. for the next 10∼20 years. The EIC project will investigate the origin of mass and building blocks of the Universe. It will accelerate and collide beams of electrons with protons and nuclei. Unlike any collider that has ever existed before, both EIC’s particle beams will be polarized, meaning their spins will be aligned in a controlled way to allow for precision measurements. Different types of new superconducting magnets will be required near the interaction region (IR) of EIC. A 6-around-1 NbTi cable will be used for some of those new superconducting magnets. Given the relatively smaller conductors used for those direct wind magnets, the overall engineering current density will be 2–3 times higher in comparison to traditional collared superconducting magnets in other accelerator magnets. This is technically challenging and potentially represents high risks for quench protection. Here, in this paper we use different tools and methods for quench simulation for several EIC direct wind magnets. We also present results of a sensitivity study, exploring different material properties and Jc curves. This paper also discusses and validates the quench simulation results with measurement results from a small-scale serpentine magnet tested at BNL in October 2024.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The DG03: An Outline of Suggested Changes

The Design Guideline 03 (DG03) published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 2009 is widely used in the wind industry. It allows engineers to get acquainted with design aspects and methodologies to determine pitch and yaw bearing static capacity and fatigue life. The combination of the detailed theoretical descriptions and practical examples makes it a highly application-oriented document. Since its publication, the knowledge about oscillating bearings, slewing bearings, and wind turbines has grown significantly. Some aspects of the DG03 need updates to reflect the current state of the art. This work covers proposed changes for an upcoming revision of DG03.

design guideline↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Wind Turbine Design Guideline DG03: Yaw and Pitch Rolling Bearing Life Revisited - An Outline of Suggested Changes: Preprint

The Design Guideline 03 (DG03) published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in 2009 is widely used in the wind industry. It allows engineers to get acquainted with design aspects and methodologies to determine pitch and yaw bearing static capacity and fatigue life. The combination of the detailed theoretical descriptions and practical examples makes it a highly application-oriented document. Since its publication, the knowledge about oscillating bearings, slewing bearings, and wind turbines has grown significantly. Some aspects of the DG03 need updates to reflect the current state of the art. This work covers proposed changes for an upcoming revision of DG03.

design guideline↗
NASA NTRS1973

Survey on effect of surface winds on aircraft design and operation and recommendations for needed wind research

A survey of the effect of environmental surface winds and gusts on aircraft design and operation is presented. A listing of the very large number of problems that are encountered is given. Attention is called to the many studies that have been made on surface winds and gusts, but development in the engineering application of these results to aeronautical problems is pointed out to be still in the embryonic stage. Control of the aircraft is of paramount concern. Mathematical models and their application in simulation studies of airplane operation and control are discussed, and an attempt is made to identify their main gaps or deficiencies. Key reference material is cited. The need for better exchange between the meteorologist and the aeronautical engineer is discussed. Suggestions for improvements in the wind and gust models are made.

Houbolt, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Wind tunnel tests of a full-scale model of a light twin-engine airplane with fixed auxiliary airfoil or leading-edge slot

An investigation has been conducted by means of wind-tunnel tests of a full-scale mockup of a light twin-engine airplane configuration to determine the effects of outboard partial-span slots and of auxiliary airfoils ahead of the leading edge of the wing in improving aerodynamic characteristics at high angles of attack. Both of the stall-control devices gave considerable improvement in high angle-of-attack characteristics with the auxiliary airfoil giving the more favorable results, but neither device performed as well as might have been expected.

Fink, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS2020

COMDES-MELT: A Turbofan Engine Icing Risk Analysis Tool, User’s Manual

The computational tool COMDES-MELT was developed to predict the susceptibility of turbofan engines to ice accretion when flying in an ice crystal environment. COMDES-MELT is a first-generation computational tool that can estimate the conditions at which the accretion of ice can occur, location within the turbofan engine compression system, and at which engine operating points within the flight trajectory. This is accomplished by tracking the parameters of static wet bulb temperature, ice particle melt ratio, and the ice-water to airflow rates ratio as ice crystals are ingested into the engine compression system. It has been used successfully to predict engine operating points for simulation in an altitude wind tunnel with ice crystal ingestion. These engine tests occur in a simulated ice crystal cloud environment. This predictive analysis has been used to generate the test matrix in preparation for tests in the Propulsion Systems Laboratory, an altitude test facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Furthermore, due to the speed of the code during an engine icing test, adjustments to the test matrix can be provided to the test engineer in real time to focus on a particular area of ice accretion susceptibility. The use of the COMDES-MELT code will be examined in this manual.

Turbofan engine↗
DOE OSTI2018

Moving Toward Cost-Competitive, Commercial Floating Wind Energy

This presentation, delivered at the US Offshore Wind 2018 conference in Boston, puts forth three keys points regarding the advancement of floating offshore wind energy technology. First, the complex physics, economics, and logistics of an offshore floating wind plant make the engineering approach well suited to a system-focused solution to maximize performance and minimize cost. This approach involves the assembly of a computational framework that accounts for all the major engineering elements and the entire plant balance sheet, but it does not replace or minimize the value of experience. Second, several system-friendly technologies and design practices are already in development or in the scientific literature; a selection of these technologies and design practices are briefly discussed. Finally, advocating for an integrated systems approach to floating offshore wind energy is a little academic when the market and industry realities are such that different companies own different components that comprise the larger system. The industry may have to evolve to offer vertically integrated, whole-system products, perhaps evolving to resemble the aerospace industry with prime contractors. This may seem like a difficult transition, but the U.S. Department of Energy and its national laboratories can help develop and transfer technology to lower the risk involved.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Analysis of blade fragment risk at a wind energy facility

An analysis was performed to determine the risk posed by wind turbine fragments on roads and buildings at the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The authors used a previously developed model of fragment trajectory and took into account the wind speed/direction distribution at the site and the probability of rotor failure. The site-specific risk was assessed by determining the likelihood of impact and related consequences. For both the roads and buildings, the risk varied from low to routine, which was considered acceptable.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Recycling Glass Fiber Thermoplastic Composites from Wind Turbine Blades

We report that thermoplastic resin systems have long been discussed for use in large-scale composite parts but have yet to be exploited by the energy industry. The use of these resins versus their thermosetting counterparts can potentially introduce cost savings due to non-heated tooling, shorter manufacturing cycle times, and recovery of raw materials from the retired part. Because composite parts have high embedded energy, recovery of their constituent materials can provide substantial economic benefit. This study determines the feasibility of recycling composite wind turbine blade components that are fabricated with glass fiber reinforced Elium (R) thermoplastic resin. Several experiments are conducted to tabulate important material properties that are relevant to recycling, including thermal degradation, grinding, and dissolution of the polymer matrix to recover the constituent materials. Dissolution, which is a process unique to thermoplastic matrices, allows recovery of both the polymer matrix and full-length glass fibers, which maintain their stiffness (190 N/(mm g)) and strength (160 N/g) through the recovery process. Injection molded regrind material is stiffer (12 GPa compared to 10 GPa) and stronger (150 MPa compared to 84 MPa) than virgin material that had shorter fibers. An economic analysis of the technical data shows that recycling thermoplastic-glass fiber composites via dissolution into their constituent parts is commercially feasible under certain conditions. This analysis concludes that 50% of the glass fiber must be recovered and resold for a price of $0.28/kg. Furthermore, 90% of the resin must be recovered and resold at a price of $2.50/kg.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

An Unsteady Actuator Line Solver to Enable Adjoint Sensitivity Studies for Wake Steering

This study demonstrates the sensitivity of wind turbine wake steering performance to blade design. An actuator line model was implemented within an unsteady adjoint solver that enables efficient execution of gradient-based optimization and sensitivity studies. After first confirming the feasibility of wake steering by controlling actuator line chord profiles and formulating a suitable objective function for wake position, a sensitivity study was conducted to determine the relative importance of chord length as a function of spanwise position on the resulting turbine wake deflection. The results presented here support the idea that blade design choices play a role in wake control. In a larger context, this study demonstrates a computational framework in which turbine and blade designs can be studied at the individual and farm-wide level to enhance wind plant controllability and manage power output.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Assessment of U.S. Manufacturing Capability for Next-Generation Wind Turbine Drivetrains

Robust U.S. wind turbine manufacturing capabilities and supply chains are important for the United States to reduce the cost of electricity generated from wind turbines. These capabilities and supply chains are also critical to the invention and commercialization of new wind turbine technologies while providing high-quality jobs. The development of advanced drivetrain technologies for windturbine applications is advancing the state of the art for drivetrain design by producing higher capacity and operating reliability than conventional drivetrains. Advanced drivetrain technologies such as medium-speed and direct-drive generators, silicon-carbide (SiC) IGBT-based power electronics, and high torque density speed increasers require different manufacturing and supply chaincapabilities that present both risks and opportunities for U.S. wind turbine manufacturers and the wind industry as a whole. The primary objective of this project is to assess how advanced drivetrain technologies and trends will impact U.S. wind turbine manufacturing and its supply chains. The U.S. Department of Energy and other industry participants will use the information from this study toidentify domestic manufacturing gaps, barriers, and opportunities for developing U.S. wind turbine manufacturing capabilities and supply chains for next-generation drivetrain technologies. This report also includes recommendations for prioritizing technology areas for possible investments by public, private, or nonprofit entities that will reduce the cost of wind-generated electricity. Suchinvestments foster opportunities to invent and commercialize new wind turbine technologies, and provide high-quality jobs in the United States.

17 WIND ENERGY↗