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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 523 records · Page 29
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NASA NTRS1998

Digital PIV Measurements in the Diffuser of a High Speed Centrifugal Compressor

Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) is a powerful measurement technique which can be used as an alternative or complementary approach to Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) in a wide range of research applications. PIV data are measured simultaneously at multiple points in space, which enables the investigation of the non-stationary spatial structures typically encountered in turbomachinery. Obtaining ample optical access, sufficiently high seed particle concentrations and accurate synchronization of image acquisition relative to impeller position are the most formidable tasks in the successful implementation of PIV in turbomachinery. Preliminary results from the successful application of the standard 2-D digital PIV technique in the diffuser of a high speed centrifugal compressor are presented. Instantaneous flow. measurements were also obtained during compressor surge.

Wernet, Mark P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Numerical Zooming Between a NPSS Engine System Simulation and a One-Dimensional High Compressor Analysis Code

Within NASA's High Performance Computing and Communication (HPCC) program, NASA Glenn Research Center is developing an environment for the analysis/design of aircraft engines called the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS). NPSS focuses on the integration of multiple disciplines such as aerodynamics, structures, and heat transfer along with the concept of numerical zooming between zero-dimensional to one-, two-, and three-dimensional component engine codes. In addition, the NPSS is refining the computing and communication technologies necessary to capture complex physical processes in a timely and cost-effective manner. The vision for NPSS is to create a "numerical test cell" enabling full engine simulations overnight on cost-effective computing platforms. Of the different technology areas that contribute to the development of the NPSS Environment, the subject of this paper is a discussion on numerical zooming between a NPSS engine simulation and higher fidelity representations of the engine components (fan, compressor, burner, turbines, etc.). What follows is a description of successfully zooming one-dimensional (row-by-row) high-pressure compressor analysis results back to a zero-dimensional NPSS engine simulation and a discussion of the results illustrated using an advanced data visualization tool. This type of high fidelity system-level analysis, made possible by the zooming capability of the NPSS, will greatly improve the capability of the engine system simulation and increase the level of virtual test conducted prior to committing the design to hardware.

Follen, Gregory↗
NASA NTRS2000

Object Based Numerical Zooming Between the NPSS Version 1 and a 1-Dimensional Meanline High Pressure Compressor Design Analysis Code

Within NASA's High Performance Computing and Communication (HPCC) program, NASA Glenn Research Center is developing an environment for the analysis/design of propulsion systems for aircraft and space vehicles called the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS). The NPSS focuses on the integration of multiple disciplines such as aerodynamics, structures, and heat transfer, along with the concept of numerical zooming between 0- Dimensional to 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional component engine codes. The vision for NPSS is to create a "numerical test cell" enabling full engine simulations overnight on cost-effective computing platforms. Current "state-of-the-art" engine simulations are 0-dimensional in that there is there is no axial, radial or circumferential resolution within a given component (e.g. a compressor or turbine has no internal station designations). In these 0-dimensional cycle simulations the individual component performance characteristics typically come from a table look-up (map) with adjustments for off-design effects such as variable geometry, Reynolds effects, and clearances. Zooming one or more of the engine components to a higher order, physics-based analysis means a higher order code is executed and the results from this analysis are used to adjust the 0-dimensional component performance characteristics within the system simulation. By drawing on the results from more predictive, physics based higher order analysis codes, "cycle" simulations are refined to closely model and predict the complex physical processes inherent to engines. As part of the overall development of the NPSS, NASA and industry began the process of defining and implementing an object class structure that enables Numerical Zooming between the NPSS Version I (0-dimension) and higher order 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional analysis codes. The NPSS Version I preserves the historical cycle engineering practices but also extends these classical practices into the area of numerical zooming for use within a companies' design system. What follows here is a description of successfully zooming I-dimensional (row-by-row) high pressure compressor results back to a NPSS engine 0-dimension simulation and a discussion of the results illustrated using an advanced data visualization tool. This type of high fidelity system-level analysis, made possible by the zooming capability of the NPSS, will greatly improve the fidelity of the engine system simulation and enable the engine system to be "pre-validated" prior to commitment to engine hardware.

Follen, G.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Solid-State Compressor for Integration of CO2 Removal and Reduction Assemblies

Integration of CO2 removal and reduction assemblies in a spacecraft air revitalization system requires an interface with the functionality of a vacuum pump/compressor and a buffer tank. The compressor must meet the vacuum needs of the CO2 removal unit and the pressure needs of the CO2 reduction device, and must also store sufficient CO2 to accommodate the differences in cycle times of the two processes. In this presentation, we describe the design and operation of an adsorption-based device sized for use on the International Space Station. The adsorption compressor functions at a power level approximately ten times lower than a comparable mechanical compression/buffer tank system. The unit is also smaller, lighter, and quieter than its mechanical counterpart.

Mulloth, Lila M.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Recommendations for Achieving Accurate Numerical Simulation of Tip Clearance Flows in Transonic Compressor Rotors

The tip clearance flows of transonic compressor rotors are important because they have a significant impact on rotor and stage performance. While numerical simulations of these flows are quite sophisticated. they are seldom verified through rigorous comparisons of numerical and measured data because these kinds of measurements are rare in the detail necessary to be useful in high-speed machines. In this paper we compare measured tip clearance flow details (e.g. trajectory and radial extent) with corresponding data obtained from a numerical simulation. Recommendations for achieving accurate numerical simulation of tip clearance flows are presented based on this comparison. Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) measurements acquired in a transonic compressor rotor, NASA Rotor 35, are used. The tip clearance flow field of this transonic rotor was simulated using a Navier-Stokes turbomachinery solver that incorporates an advanced k-epsilon turbulence model derived for flows that are not in local equilibrium. Comparison between measured and simulated results indicates that simulation accuracy is primarily dependent upon the ability of the numerical code to resolve important details of a wall-bounded shear layer formed by the relative motion between the over-tip leakage flow and the shroud wall. A simple method is presented for determining the strength of this shear layer.

VanZante, Dale E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Compressor Stability Enhancement Using Discrete Tip Injection

Mass injection upstream of the tip of a high-speed axial compressor rotor is a stability enhancement approach known to be effective in suppressing small in tip-critical rotors. This process is examined in a transonic axial compressor rotor through experiments and time-averaged Navier-Stokes CFD simulations. Measurements and simulations for discrete injection are presented for a range of injection rates and distributions of injectors around the annulus. The simulations indicate that tip injection increases stability by unloading the rotor tip and that increasing injection velocity improves the effectiveness of tip injection. For the tested rotor, experimental results demonstrate that at 70 percent speed the stalling flow coefficient can be reduced by 30 percent using an injected mass- flow equivalent to 1 percent of the annulus flow. At design speed, the stalling flow coefficient was reduced by 6 percent using an injected mass-fiow equivalent to 2 percent of the annulus flow. The experiments show that stability enhancement is related to the mass-averaged axial velocity at the tip. For a given injected mass-flow, the mass-averaged axial velocity at the tip is increased by injecting flow over discrete portions of the circumference as opposed to full-annular injection. The implications of these results on the design of recirculating casing treatments and other methods to enhance stability will be discussed.

Suder, Kenneth L.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Self-Recirculating Casing Treatment Concept for Enhanced Compressor Performance

A state-of-the-art CFD code (APNASA) was employed in a computationally based investigation of the impact of casing bleed and injection on the stability and performance of a moderate speed fan rotor wherein the stalling mass flow is controlled by tip flow field breakdown. The investigation was guided by observed trends in endwall flow characteristics (e.g., increasing endwall aerodynamic blockage) as stall is approached and based on the hypothesis that application of bleed or injection can mitigate these trends. The "best" bleed and injection configurations were then combined to yield a self-recirculating casing treatment concept. The results of this investigation yielded: 1) identification of the fluid mechanisms which precipitate stall of tip critical blade rows, and 2) an approach to recirculated casing treatment which results in increased compressor stall range with minimal or no loss in efficiency. Subsequent application of this approach to a high speed transonic rotor successfully yielded significant improvements in stall range with no loss in compressor efficiency.

Hathaway, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Active Flow Separation Control of a Stator Vane Using Surface Injection in a Multistage Compressor Experiment

Micro-flow control actuation embedded in a stator vane was used to successfully control separation and improve near stall performance in a multistage compressor rig at NASA Glenn. Using specially designed stator vanes configured with internal actuation to deliver pulsating air through slots along the suction surface, a research study was performed to identify performance benefits using this microflow control approach. Pressure profiles and unsteady pressure measurements along the blade surface and at the shroud provided a dynamic look at the compressor during microflow air injection. These pressure measurements lead to a tracking algorithm to identify the onset of separation. The testing included steady air injection at various slot locations along the vane. The research also examined the benefit of pulsed injection and actively controlled air injection along the stator vane. Two types of actuation schemes were studied, including an embedded actuator for on-blade control. Successful application of an online detection and flow control scheme will be discussed. Testing showed dramatic performance benefit for flow reattachment and subsequent improvement in diffusion through the use of pulsed controlled injection. The paper will discuss the experimental setup, the blade configurations, and preliminary CFD results which guided the slot location along the blade. The paper will also show the pressure profiles and unsteady pressure measurements used to track flow control enhancement, and will conclude with the tracking algorithm for adjusting the control.

Culley, Dennis E.↗
NASA NTRS1947

Investigation of 10-Stage Axial-Flow X24C-2 Compressor: Performance at Inlet Pressure of 21 Inches Mercury Absolute and Inlet Temperature of 538 R - 1

The performance at inlet pressure of 21 inches mercury absolute and inlet temperature of 538 R for the 10-stage axial-flow X24C-2 compressor from the X24C-2 turbojet engine was investigated. the peak adiabatic temperature-rise efficiency for a given speed generally occurred at values of pressure coefficient fairly close to 0.35.For this compressor, the efficiency data at various speeds could be correlated on two converging curves by the use of a polytropic loss factor derived.

Schum, Harold J.↗
NASA NTRS1948

Altitude-Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a 4000-Pound-Thrust Axial-Flow Turbojet Engine: Performance Characteristics with the High-Flow Compressor - 3

A wind tunnel investigation was conducted to determine the performance of a 4000-pound-thrust axial-flow turbojet engine with a high flow compressor. Pressure altitudes included 5000 to 40000 feet with ram pressure ratios from 1.00 to 1.82. Altitudes included 20000 to 40000 feet and ram pressure ratios from 1.09 to 1.75. A comparison is made between engine performance with high flow and low flow compressors.

Fleming, William A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Application of a Split-Fiber Probe to Velocity Measurement in the NASA Research Compressor

A split-fiber probe was used to acquire unsteady data in a research compressor. The probe has two thin films deposited on a quartz cylinder 200 microns in diameter. A split-fiber probe allows simultaneous measurement of velocity magnitude and direction in a plane that is perpendicular to the sensing cylinder, because it has its circumference divided into two independent parts. Local heat transfer considerations indicated that the probe direction characteristic is linear in the range of flow incidence angles of +/- 35. Calibration tests confirmed this assumption. Of course, the velocity characteristic is nonlinear as is typical in thermal anemometry. The probe was used extensively in the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) low-speed, multistage axial compressor, and worked reliably during a test program of several months duration. The velocity and direction characteristics of the probe showed only minute changes during the entire test program. An algorithm was developed to decompose the probe signals into velocity magnitude and velocity direction. The averaged unsteady data were compared with data acquired by pneumatic probes. An overall excellent agreement between the averaged data acquired by a split-fiber probe and a pneumatic probe boosts confidence in the reliability of the unsteady content of the split-fiber probe data. To investigate the features of unsteady data, two methods were used: ensemble averaging and frequency analysis. The velocity distribution in a rotor blade passage was retrieved using the ensemble averaging method. Frequencies of excitation forces that may contribute to high cycle fatigue problems were identified by applying a fast Fourier transform to the absolute velocity data.

Lepicovsky, Jan↗
NASA NTRS2003

Design and Development of an air-cooled Temperature-Swing Adsorption Compressor for Carbon Dioxide

The air revitalization system of the International Space Station (ISS) operates in an open loop mode and relies on the resupply of oxygen and other consumables from earth for the life support of astronauts. A compressor is required for delivering the carbon dioxide from a removal assembly to a reduction unit to recover oxygen and thereby closing the air-loop. We have a developed a temperature-swing adsorption compressor (TSAC) for performing these tasks that is energy efficient, quiet, and has no wearing parts. This paper discusses the design features of a TSAC hardware that uses air as the cooling medium and has Space Station application.

Mulloth, Lila M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Integrated Testing of a Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly and a Temperature-Swing Adsorption Compressor for Closed-Loop Air Revitalization

Accumulation and subsequent compression of carbon dioxide that is removed from space cabin are two important processes involved in a closed-loop air revitalization scheme of the International Space Station (ISS). The carbon dioxide removal assembly (CDRA) of ISS currently operates in an open loop mode without a compressor. This paper describes the integrated test results of a flight-like CDRA and a temperature-swing adsorption compressor (TSAC) for carbon dioxide removal and compression. The paper provides details of the TSAC operation at various CO2 loadings and corresponding performance of CDRA.

Knox, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Air-Cooled Design of a Temperature-Swing Adsorption Compressor for Closed-Loop Air Revitalization Systems

The air revitalization system of the International Space Station (ISS) operates in an open loop mode and relies on the resupply of oxygen and other consumables from earth for the life support of astronauts. A compressor is required for delivering the carbon dioxide from a removal assembly to a reduction unit to recover oxygen and thereby closing the air-loop. We have a developed a temperature-swing adsorption compressor (TSAC) for performing these tasks that is energy efficient, quiet, and has no rapidly moving parts. This paper discusses the mechanical design and the results of thermal model validation tests of a TSAC that uses air as the cooling medium.

Mulloth, Lila M.↗
NASA NTRS1949

Performance of J33-A-27 Turbojet-Engine Compressor: Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies - 1

The J33-A-27 compressor was operated at an inlet pressure of 14 inches of mercury absolute and ambient inlet temperature over a range of equivalent impeller speeds from 6100 to 11,800 rpm. At the design equivalent speed of 11,800 rpm, the J33-A-27 compressor had a peak pressure ratio of 4.40 at an equivalent weight flow of 105.7 pounds per second and a peak adiabatic temperature-rise efficiency of 0.745. The maximum equivalent weight flow at design speed was 113.5 pounds per second.

Kovach, Karl↗
NASA NTRS1997

Wavelet Methods Developed to Detect and Control Compressor Stall

A "wavelet" is, by definition, an amplitude-varying, short waveform with a finite bandwidth (e.g., that shown in the first two graphs). Naturally, wavelets are more effective than the sinusoids of Fourier analysis for matching and reconstructing signal features. In wavelet transformation and inversion, all transient or periodic data features (as in compressor-inlet pressures) can be detected and reconstructed by stretching or contracting a single wavelet to generate the matching building blocks. Consequently, wavelet analysis provides many flexible and effective ways to reduce noise and extract signals which surpass classical techniques - making it very attractive for data analysis, modeling, and active control of stall and surge in high-speed turbojet compressors. Therefore, fast and practical wavelet methods are being developed in-house at the NASA Lewis Research Center to assist in these tasks. This includes establishing user-friendly links between some fundamental wavelet analysis ideas and the classical theories (or practices) of system identification, data analysis, and processing.

Le, Dzu K.↗