Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Compressible flows”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

A review of turbulence measurements in compressible flow

A survey of turbulence measurements in compressible flows is presented. The majority of turbulence measurements at super- and hypersonic speeds were made for the zero pressure gradient, turbulent boundary layer. It was found that the nondimensional turbulent stress terms for the zero pressure gradient flow appear to agree closely with equivalent incompressible measurements in the outer part of the boundary layer. The stress terms were nondimensionalized by the wall value of shear stress and plotted versus the distance from the wall, nondimensionalized by the boundary-layer thickness. Indirect evaluation of the total shear stress distribution from mean velocity measurements for both super- and hypersonic flows (zero pressure gradient, two-dimensional flows) indicate a near universal distribution. These total shear stress curves also agree very closely with measured incompressible shear stress distributions. Recent laser anemometer measurements of the turbulent Reynolds shear stress (puv), reported by Johnson and Rose for a Mach number 2.9 flow, are in reasonable agreement with the expected total shear stress curve over the outer 60% of the boundary layer.

Sandborn, V. A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Visualization, Extraction and Quantification of Discontinuities in Compressible Flows

Scientific visualizations of two-dimensional compressible flow of a gas with discontinuities are presented. The numerical analogue to experimental techniques such as schlieren imaging, shadowgraphs, and interferograms are discussed. Edge detection techniques are utilized to identify the discontinuities. In particular, the zero crossing of the Laplacian of a field (usually density) is recommended for extracting the discontinuities. An algorithm to extract and quantify the discontinuities is presented. To illustrate the methods developed in the report, the example chosen is that of an unsteady interaction of a shock wave with a contact discontinuity.

Samtaney, Ravi↗
NASA NTRS1987

Finite element methods for compressible flows

The problems of mesh generation and developing effective algorithms for the solution of the equations of compressible flow on unstructured meshes are discussed. Adaptive mesh refinement methods can be implemented in a straightforward manner. Possible adaptive strategies are examined. A finite element method adapted to problems involving high speed compressible flow is described. The adaptive mesh regeneration procedure appears to offer the possibility of large computational savings in three dimensional flow computation.

Morgan, K.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A tabulation of pipe length to diameter ratios as a function of Mach number and pressure ratios for compressible flow

Computer programs and resulting tabulations are presented of pipeline length-to-diameter ratios as a function of Mach number and pressure ratios for compressible flow. The tabulations are applicable to air, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen for compressible isothermal flow with friction and compressible adiabatic flow with friction. Also included are equations for the determination of weight flow. The tabulations presented cover a wider range of Mach numbers for choked, adiabatic flow than available from commonly used engineering literature. Additional information presented, but which is not available from this literature, is unchoked, adiabatic flow over a wide range of Mach numbers, and choked and unchoked, isothermal flow for a wide range of Mach numbers.

Dixon, G. V.↗
NASA NTRS1985

High-speed compressible flow and other advection-dominated problems of fluid dynamics

Finite element methods are described for modeling high speed compressible flows with strong advection, problems important to aerodynamics. The situations are characterized by high pressure and temperature gradients, transients and the appearance of discontinuities, factors which require mesh refinement during computations. Techniques are developed for temporal and spatial discretization of a model problem. Several observations are made regarding the explicit and implicit features of the calculations, the use of the Lax-Wendroff scheme to produce a mass-matrix for obtaining accurate results for transients, methods of performing stability analyses, and simplification techniques. Examples are provided of solving the nonlinear shallow-water equations and describing compressible flows, particularly transonic flows. Domain splitting is defined for improving the calculations at each time step and in different parts of the flow regime while simultaneously advancing the calculations towards a solution.

Zienkiewicz, O. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

On minimal surfaces, membranes and compressible flows

The theory, variational formulation and finite element analysis of a class of nonlinear problems arising in optimization, thin membrane deflection and compressible flows are developed. Error estimates are summarized, and representative numerical results are presented. Particular theoretical questions pertaining to the existence and uniqueness of solutions are addressed, and their implications for such applications of finite element analysis as the study of compressible flows indicated.

Carey, G. F.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Turbulence modeling for high speed compressible flows

The following grant objectives were delineated in the proposal to NASA: to offer course work in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and related areas to enable mechanical engineering students at North Carolina A&T State University (N.C. A&TSU) to pursue M.S. studies in CFD, and to enable students and faculty to engage in research in high speed compressible flows. Since no CFD-related activity existed at N.C. A&TSU before the start of the NASA grant period, training of students in the CFD area and initiation of research in high speed compressible flows were proposed as the key aspects of the project. To that end, graduate level courses in CFD, boundary layer theory, and fluid dynamics were offered. This effort included initiating a CFD course for graduate students. Also, research work was performed on studying compressibility effects in high speed flows. Specifically, a modified compressible dissipation model, which included a fourth order turbulent Mach number term, was incorporated into the SPARK code and verified for the air-air mixing layer case. The results obtained for this case were compared with a wide variety of experimental data to discern the trends in the mixing layer growth rates with varying convective Mach numbers. Comparison of the predictions of the study with the results of several analytical models was also carried out. The details of the research study are described in the publication entitled 'Compressibility Effects in Modeling Turbulent High Speed Mixing Layers,' which is attached to this report.

Chandra, Suresh↗
NASA NTRS1989

Compressible flow calculations employing the Galerkin/least-squares method

A multielement group, domain decomposition algorithm is presented for solving linear nonsymmetric systems arising in the finite-element analysis of compressible flows employing the Galerkin/least-squares method. The iterative strategy employed is based on the generalized minimum residual (GMRES) procedure originally proposed by Saad and Shultz. Two levels of preconditioning are investigated. Applications to problems of high-speed compressible flow illustrate the effectiveness of the scheme.

Shakib, F.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Study of compressible flow through a rectangular-to-semiannular transition duct

Detailed flow field measurements are presented for compressible flow through a diffusing rectangular-to-semiannular transition duct. Comparisons are made with published computational results for flow through the duct. Three-dimensional velocity vectors and total pressures were measured at the exit plane of the diffuser model. The inlet flow was also measured. These measurements are made using calibrated five-hole probes. Surface oil flow visualization and surface static pressure data were also taken. The study was conducted with an inlet Mach number of 0.786. The diffuser Reynolds based on the inlet centerline velocity and the exit diameter of the diffuser was 3,200,000. Comparison of the measured data with previously published computational results are made. Data demonstrating the ability of vortex generators to reduce flow separation and circumferential distortion is also presented.

Foster, Jeffry↗
NASA NTRS1995

Krylov methods for compressible flows

We investigate the application of Krylov methods to compressible flows, and the effect of implicit boundary conditions on the implicit solution of nonlinear problems. Two defect-correction procedures, namely, approximate factorization (AF) for structured grids and ILU/GMRES for general grids, are considered. Also considered here are Newton-Krylov matrix-free methods that we combined with the use of mixed discretization schemes in the implicitly defined Jacobian and its preconditioner. Numerical experiments that show the performance of our approaches are then presented.

Tidriri, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1995

An Adaptive Semi-Implicit Scheme for Simulations of Unsteady Viscous Compressible Flows

A numerical scheme for simulation of unsteady, viscous, compressible flows is considered. The scheme employs an explicit discretization of the inviscid terms of the Navier-Stokes equations and an implicit discretization of the viscous terms. The discretization is second order accurate in both space and time. Under appropriate assumptions, the implicit system of equations can be decoupled into two linear systems of reduced rank. These are solved efficiently using a Gauss-Seidel method with multigrid convergence acceleration. When coupled with a solution-adaptive mesh refinement technique, the hybrid explicit-implicit scheme provides an effective methodology for accurate simulations of unsteady viscous flows. The methodology is demonstrated for both body-fitted structured grids and for rectangular (Cartesian) grids.

Steinthorsson, Erlendur↗
NASA NTRS2012

Progress Towards a Cartesian Cut-Cell Method for Viscous Compressible Flow

We present preliminary development of an approach for simulating high Reynolds number steady compressible flow in two space dimensions using a Cartesian cut-cell finite volume method. We consider both laminar and turbulent flow with both low and high cell Reynolds numbers near the wall. The approach solves the full Navier-Stokes equations in all cells, and uses a wall model to address the resolution requirements near boundaries and to mitigate mesh irregularities in cut cells. We present a quadratic wall model for low cell Reynolds numbers. At high cell Reynolds numbers, the quadratic is replaced with a newly developed analytic wall model stemming from solution of a limiting form of the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model which features a forward evaluation for flow velocity and exactly matches characteristics of the SA turbulence model in the field. We develop multigrid operators which attain convergence rates similar to inviscid multigrid. Investigations focus on preliminary verification and validation of the method. Flows over flat plates and compressible airfoils show good agreement with both theoretical results and experimental data. Mesh convergence studies on sub- and transonic airfoil flows show convergence of surface pressures with wall spacings as large as approx.0.1% chord. With the current analytic wall model, one or two additional refinements near the wall are required to obtain mesh converged values of skin friction.

Berger, Marsha↗
NASA NTRS1985

On the use of wall functions as boundary conditions for two-dimensional separated compressible flows

A new and improved wall function method for compressible turbulent flows has been developed and tested. This method is applicable to attached and separated flows, to both high- and low-Reynolds number flows, and to flows with adiabatic and nonadiabatic surfaces. This wall function method has been applied to the Launder-Spalding k-epsilon two-equation model of turbulence. The tests consist of comparisons of calculated and experimental results for: (1) an axisymmetrical transonic shock-wave/boundary-wave interaction flow at low Reynolds number in an adiabatic tube, (2) an axisymmetrical high-Reynolds number transonic flow over a nonadiabatic bump, and (3) a two-dimensional supersonic high-Reynolds number flow on a nonadiabatic deflected flap. Each of these experiments had significant regions of flow separation. The calculations are performed with an implicit algorithm that solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. It is shown that the results obtained agree very well with the data for the complex compressible flows tested.

Viegas, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

On the stability of compressible flow past axisymmetric bodies

Compressible linear stability theory for axisymmetric flows is presented. The theory is applied to flow past a cylinder and a sharp cone at a Mach number of 5 with adiabatic wall conditions. The effect of transverse curvature and body divergence is studied. It is found that transverse curvature has a stabilizing influence on axisymmetric (first and second mode) disturbances while it has a destabilizing influence on the asymmetric (oblique first mode) disturbances. The body divergence effects are stabilizing for both symmetric and asymmetric disturbances. Comparisons made with the results of planar stability theory show that, for a cylinder, curvature effects become more pronounced with increasing distance along the cylinder. For a sharp cone, these effects become less significant further away from the cone tip since the body radius increases faster than the growth of the boundary layer. The effect of cone angle on stability is also studied.

Malik, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Numerical simulation of compressible flow around complex two-dimensional cavities

Compressible viscous flow around two-dimensional cavities, that model the midplane flow in and around an airborne telescope cavity, are obtained through numerical simulation. Numerical solutions using the patched grid CSCM scheme for compressible, unsteady flow are presented for the cavities, with and without blowing. The time evolving solutions show interesting flow features. Relevant results for a limited number of problems presented here show the unsteady nature of the flow and its dependence on various parameters such as Reynolds number, the wall conditions, etc. The voluminous data of time evolving flow field solutions are analyzed through movies of the velocity vectors, and contours of other flow variables.

Venkatapathy, Ethiraj↗
NASA NTRS1999

Oscillatory Excitation of Unsteady Compressible Flows over Airfoils at Flight Reynolds Numbers

An experimental investigation, aimed at delaying flow separation due to the occurrence of a shock-wave-boundary-layer interaction, is reported. The experiment was performed using a NACA 0012 airfoil and a NACA 0015 airfoil at high Reynolds number incompressible and compressible flow conditions. The effects of Mach and Reynolds numbers were identified, using the capabilities of the cryogenic-pressurized facility to maintain one parameter fixed and change the other. Significant Reynolds number effects were identified in the baseline compressible flow conditions even at Reynolds number of 10 and 20 million. The main objectives of the experiment were to study the effects of periodic excitation on airfoil drag-divergence and to alleviate the severe unsteadiness associated with shock-induced separation (known as "buffeting"). Zero-mass-flux oscillatory blowing was introduced through a downstream directed slot located at 10% chord on the upper surface of the NACA 0015 airfoil. The effective frequencies generated 2-4 vortices over the separated region, regardless of the Mach number. Even though the excitation was introduced upstream of the shock-wave, due to experimental limitations, it had pronounced effects downstream of it. Wake deficit (associated with drag) and unsteadiness (associated with buffeting) were significantly reduced. The spectral content of the wake pressure fluctuations indicates of steadier flow throughout the frequency range when excitation was applied. This is especially important at low frequencies which are more likely to interact with the airframe.

Seifert, Avi↗
NASA NTRS1982

The obstacle block as a device to measure turbulent skin friction in compressible flow

The obstacle block, developed as an alternative to the Preston tube for indirectly measuring skin friction on smooth surfaces in incompressible flows, is examined as a device for compressible flows as well. The block, which is congruent with a surface static pressure orifice, has a geometry which is easily specified and thus has a universal calibration. Data from two independent studies are used to establish such a calibration using 'wall' variables, valid for Mach numbers up to about 3. Various aspects concerning practical application of the device are examined, such as sensitivity to yaw and the minimum permissible axial spacing between blocks. Several examples showing the utility of the device are given.

Elfstrom, G. M.↗