Results for “High-speed research” — Page 3

NASA NTRS1964

Monte Carlo techniques for solving transport problems

The Monte Carlo procedure is a model sampling technique. A model is established, and the behavior of sample units in this model is followed. A sufficient number of sample units are followed to obtain a statistical average or macroscopic quantities, which are the quantities of interest. This technique was used in crude form by Fermi in connection with the building of the first atomic pile. Later, Von Neumann and Ulam developed and used the Monte Carlo procedure extensively in developing the atomic bomb. Since then this technique has gained considerable use in nuclear reactor problems (refs. 1 and 2), and we at the Lewis Research Center have been extending it to thermal radiation (refs. 3 and 4), rarefied gas flows, and plasma flow problems (ref. 5). This technique, which requires a large number of sample histories to obtain solutions with small variances, is receiving greater use because of the development of the high-speed electronic computers.

SAMPLED DATA SYSTEM↗

NASA NTRS1974

The reliability of the daily quick look solar wind velocities as indicators of interplanetary activity

It is shown that the daily quick look solar wind velocities based on the Ames Research Center solar wind plasma data obtained on the Pioneer spacecraft are surprisingly reliable indicators of interplanetary activity. These velocities can appropriately be used in correlation studies with an average accuracy of plus or minus 5%. This accuracy reflects the 'jitter' in the solar wind velocity during quiescent intervals and across high-speed streams.

Intriligator, D. S.↗

NASA NTRS1928

The Effects of Fuel and Cylinder Gas Densities on the Characteristics of Fuel Sprays for Oil Engines

This investigation was conducted as a part of a general research on fuel-injection engines for aircraft. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the effects of fuel and cylinder gas densities with several characteristics of fuel sprays for oil engines. The start, growth, and cut-off of single fuel sprays produced by automatic injection valves were recorded on photographic film by means of special high-speed motion-picture apparatus. This equipment, which has been described in previous reports, is capable of taking twenty-five consecutive pictures of the moving spray at the rate of 4,000 per second. The penetrations of the fuel sprays increased and the cone angles and relative distributions decreased with increase in the specific gravity of the fuel. The density of the gas into which the fuel sprays were injected controlled their penetration. This was the only characteristic of the chamber gas that had a measurable effect upon the fuel sprays. Application of fuel-spray penetration data to the case of an engine, in which the pressure is rising during injection, indicated that fuel sprays may penetrate considerably farther than when injected into a gas at a density equal to that of the gas in an engine cylinder at top center.

Joachim, W F↗

NASA NTRS1972

Optical memory development. Volume 2: Gain-assisted holographic storage media

Thin deformable films were investigated for use as the storage medium in a holographic optical memory. The research was directed toward solving the problems of material fatigue, selective heat addressing, electrical charging of the film surface and charge patterning by light. A number of solutions to these problems were found but the main conclusion to be drawn from the work is that deformable media which employ heat in the recording process are not satisfactory for use in a high-speed random-access read/write holographic memory. They are, however, a viable approach in applications where either high speed or random-access is not required.

Gange, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Integrated Propulsion Control System program.

Description of a three-year exploratory research program for the design, development, and flight evaluation of an Integrated Propulsion Control System (IPCS). The primary objectives of this program are to establish through flight test the potential improvements in steady-state and transient propulsion system performance that can be achieved as a direct result of new modes of control, more direct sensing of engine and inlet parameters, and the use of more sophisticated, high-speed digital computation. A F-111 E aircraft with the left inlet and engine modified to the IPCS configuration will be used to conduct the flight evaluation.

Bentz, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1928

Factors in the Design of Centrifugal Type Injection Valves for Oil Engines

This research was undertaken in connection with a general study of the application of the fuel injection engine to aircraft. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the effect of four important factors in the design of a centrifugal type automatic injection valve on the penetration, general shape, and distribution of oil sprays. The general method employed was to record the development of single sprays by means of special high-speed photographic apparatus capable of taking 25 consecutive pictures of the moving spray at a rate of 4,000 per second. Investigations were made concerning the effects on spray characteristics, of the helix angle of helical grooves, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the orifice to that of the grooves, the ratio of orifice length to diameter, and the position of the seat. Maximum spray penetration was obtained with a ratio of orifice length to diameter of about 1.5. Slightly greater penetration was obtained with the seat directly before the orifice.

Joachim, W F↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

BEAST: Expanding Sustainable Data Infrastructure for High-Enthalpy Facilities

Reproducible, data-driven thermal protection system (TPS) research requires that experimental records from high-enthalpy testing be consistently structured, traceable, and accessible across campaigns and institutions. In practice, however, arcjet and plasma facilities data remain largely fragmented: raw diagnostics are stored in ad hoc formats, material sample histories are disconnected from test conditions, and metadata standards are absent, precluding systematic cross-campaign analysis and long-term reuse. BEAST (Backend for Experiment Analysis, Storage, and Traceability) is an open-source, web-based platform that addresses these limitations by providing a unified, queryable infrastructure for high-enthalpy ground-test data [1]. First presented at the 15th Ablation Workshop [2], BEAST has since undergone significant development. The platform ingests and structures multi-channel time-series diagnostics, facility configurations, and material property records within a common provenance model, ensuring end-to-end traceability from raw sensor acquisition to reduced experimental quantities. A versioned material library links specimen identity and processing history to the specific runs in which each sample was tested. An integrated modeling workbench enables training and evaluation of regression models directly on archived experimental data, supporting condition interpolation and the construction of empirical material response databases. Beyond its original deployment at NASA Ames Research Center, BEAST has been designed to be facility-agnostic, with ongoing efforts to extend its adoption to other facilities. Its modular architecture accommodates heterogeneous diagnostic setups and facility types, and its future open-source distribution allows institutions to build on a common data standard rather than maintaining isolated, bespoke solutions. BEAST is further integrated within a broader ecosystem of companion tools: arcjetCV [3] extracts recession rates and shock standoff distances from high-speed video using computer vision, and miniSTARscan [4] provides sub-minute, portable photogrammetric surface reconstruction of test articles before and after exposure. All tools share a common data schema, enabling seamless ingestion of surface geometry, imagery, and time-series data into a single, coherent experimental record.

Database↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

BEAST: Expanding Sustainable Data Infrastructure for High-Enthalpy Facilities

Reproducible, data-driven thermal protection system (TPS) research requires that experimental records from high-enthalpy testing be consistently structured, traceable, and accessible across campaigns and institutions. In practice, however, arcjet and plasma facilities data remain largely fragmented: raw diagnostics are stored in ad hoc formats, material sample histories are disconnected from test conditions, and metadata standards are absent, precluding systematic cross-campaign analysis and long-term reuse. BEAST (Backend for Experiment Analysis, Storage, and Traceability) is an open-source, web-based platform that addresses these limitations by providing a unified, queryable infrastructure for high-enthalpy ground-test data [1]. First presented at the 15th Ablation Workshop [2], BEAST has since undergone significant development. The platform ingests and structures multi-channel time-series diagnostics, facility configurations, and material property records within a common provenance model, ensuring end-to-end traceability from raw sensor acquisition to reduced experimental quantities. A versioned material library links specimen identity and processing history to the specific runs in which each sample was tested. An integrated modeling workbench enables training and evaluation of regression models directly on archived experimental data, supporting condition interpolation and the construction of empirical material response databases. Beyond its original deployment at NASA Ames Research Center, BEAST has been designed to be facility-agnostic, with ongoing efforts to extend its adoption to other facilities. Its modular architecture accommodates heterogeneous diagnostic setups and facility types, and its future open-source distribution allows institutions to build on a common data standard rather than maintaining isolated, bespoke solutions. BEAST is further integrated within a broader ecosystem of companion tools: arcjetCV [3] extracts recession rates and shock standoff distances from high-speed video using computer vision, and miniSTARscan [4] provides sub-minute, portable photogrammetric surface reconstruction of test articles before and after exposure. All tools share a common data schema, enabling seamless ingestion of surface geometry, imagery, and time-series data into a single, coherent experimental record.

Database↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Efficient Approach to Collect Inlet Characterization Data

This report considers a novel process to acquire performance data for supersonic mixed compression inlets that is faster, and therefore less costly, than the previous one. In the previous process, measurements were recorded in discrete increments. The backpressuring actuator was advanced, there was a pause to allow for airflow fluctuations to diminish, and then the measurements were recorded. While this process was methodical, reliable and accurate, it consumed significant wind-on time. In general, high-speed wind tunnels are expensive to operate considering maintenance, energy and human resource requirements. Furthermore, many facilities, such as blowdown wind tunnels, are limited in the duration that they can maintain the desired test condition. Consequently, a quick method to collect the measurements is desired. A favored approach has the actuator moving in a continuous fashion with measurements recorded as the actuator continuously progresses through the increment points. This approach, identified as the dynamic inlet characteristic data acquisition procedure, uses in situ dynamic high-speed pressure sensors to measure pressure signals. While faster, continuous movement adds dynamic effects to the data. To better understand these dynamic effects and other potential influences, a study was undertaken to compare wind tunnel measurements taken at discrete actuator position points with data gathered during continuous actuator movement. Specially, plots of inlet pressure recovery versus mass capture ratio, or total pressure characteristic curves, were examined. The data were measured during experiments in the NASA Glenn Research Center Abe Silverstein 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) with an inlet propulsion test article. In this report, the wind tunnel experiment and the study objectives are described. The processes to reduce the data and for analysis are explained. A discussion of the results along with features noted in the data is given. Finally, conclusions from this study that may be used to guide future wind tunnel experiment planning are presented.

Inlet↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Efficient Approach to Collect Inlet Characterization Data

This report considers a novel process to acquire performance data for supersonic mixed compression inlets that is faster, and therefore less costly, than the previous one. In the previous process, measurements were recorded in discrete increments. The backpressuring actuator was advanced, there was a pause to allow for airflow fluctuations to diminish, and then the measurements were recorded. While this process was methodical, reliable and accurate, it consumed significant wind-on time. In general, high-speed wind tunnels are expensive to operate considering maintenance, energy and human resource requirements. Furthermore, many facilities, such as blowdown wind tunnels, are limited in the duration that they can maintain the desired test condition. Consequently, a quick method to collect the measurements is desired. A favored approach has the actuator moving in a continuous fashion with measurements recorded as the actuator continuously progresses through the increment points. This approach, identified as the dynamic inlet characteristic data acquisition procedure, uses in situ dynamic high-speed pressure sensors to measure pressure signals. While faster, continuous movement adds dynamic effects to the data. To better understand these dynamic effects and other potential influences, a study was undertaken to compare wind tunnel measurements taken at discrete actuator position points with data gathered during continuous actuator movement. Specially, plots of inlet pressure recovery versus mass capture ratio, or total pressure characteristic curves, were examined. The data were measured during experiments in the NASA Glenn Research Center Abe Silverstein 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) with an inlet propulsion test article. In this report, the wind tunnel experiment and the study objectives are described. The processes to reduce the data and for analysis are explained. A discussion of the results along with features noted in the data is given. Finally, conclusions from this study that may be used to guide future wind tunnel experiment planning are presented.

Data Acquisition↗

NASA NTRS1960

A Flight Study of a Power-Off Landing Technique Applicable to Re-Entry Vehicles

A power-off landing technique, applicable to aircraft of configurations presently being considered for manned re-entry vehicles, has been developed and flight tested at Ames Research Center. The flight tests used two configurations of an airplane for which the values of maximum lift-drag ratios were 4.0 and 2.8. Twenty-four idle-power approaches were made to an 8000-foot runway with touchdown point and airspeed accuracies of +/-600 feet and +/-10 knots, respectively. The landing pattern used was designed to provide an explicitly defined flight path for the pilot and, yet, to require no external guidance other than the pilot's view from the cockpit. The initial phase of the approach pattern is a constant high-speed descent from altitude aimed at a ground reference point short of the runway threshold. At a specified altitude and speed, a constant g pull-out is made to a shallow flight path along which the air-plane decelerates to the touchdown point. Repeatability and safety are inherent because of the reduced number of variables requiring pilot judgment, and because of the fact that a missed approach is evident at speeds and altitudes suitable for safe ejection. The accuracy and repeatability of the pattern are indicated by the measured results. The proposed pattern appears to be particularly suitable for configurations having unusual drag variations with speed in the lower speed regime, since the pilot is not required to control speed in the latter portions of the pattern.

Bray, Richard S.↗

NASA NTRS1953

Effect of variable viscosity and thermal conductivity on high-speed slip flow between concentric cylinders

The differential equations of slip flow, including the Burnett terms, were first solved by Schamberg assuming that the coefficients of viscosity and heat conduction of the gas were constants. The problem is solved herein for variable coefficients of viscosity and thermal conductivity by applying a transformation leading to an iteration method. The method, starting with the solution for constant coefficients, enables one to approximate the solution for variable coefficients very closely after one or two steps. Satisfactory results are shown to follow from Schamberg's solution by using his values of the constant coefficients multiplied by a constant factor 'N', leading to what are denoted as the effective coefficients of viscosity and thermal conductivity.

RESEARCH TECHNIQUE, AERODYNAMICS↗

NASA NTRS1960

Space-Environment Simulation at the Lewis Research Center

A knowledge of the environmental conditions in space and an understanding of the possible effect on objects in that environment is necessary in order to make a full-scale, systematic exploration of outer space. Once these conditions have been determined, the understanding of the behavior of objects in space may be gained by simulating the environment in the laboratory and conducting experiments in the simulated environment. Among the conditions in space which have been determined and may be simulated are the pressure, the temperature, and the radiant energy. Quantitatively, simulating these conditions would require a pressure as low as 10 (exp -16) mm Hg, a sink temperature of approximately 30 to 40 K, and radiation similar to that from a 6,000 K black body. The features of the space environment directly affect the thermal balance of the spacecraft. The temperature of the object is that temperature which provides equilibrium between the energy absorbed by the object and the energy emitted by the object. Hence, a knowledge of the absorption and emission characteristics for materials under space environmental conditions must be obtained. High-speed particles may impact and erode the material surfaces and in that way alter the radiation properties of the materials and finally change the equilibrium temperature. Also, since most of the radiant energy (that from the sun) is from one direction, the-heat-transfer within the body will provide surface-temperature variations which depend upon the shape and orientation of the object and the properties of the material. These variations may be effectively studied in the simulated environment. Finally, because of the vacuum the heat transferred to and from the object must be accomplished solely by radiation. Thus, if heat-cycle power-generation equipment is to be used, the necessary rejection of heat must be accomplished by radiation from waste heat radiators whose design must be investigated in order to determine optimum configurations.

Nichols, Lester D.↗

NASA NTRS1960

II. Aerodynamic research relative to variable-sweep multimission aircraft

The development of a multimission military aircraft would be highly desirable both from the standpoint of easing the strain on the national budget by reducing the number of aircraft types and of providing versatility which would increase the effectiveness of the aircraft in the performance of a given mission. Some of the capabilities which might be required of such an aircraft are shown in figure 1 along with their respective aerodynamic and configuration requirements. The first three capabilities are grouped together since they all require good subsonic characteristics. The first, a long loiter capability for combat air patrol and the second, a long ferry range for efficient aircraft deployment both require a high subsonic lift-drag ratio. The third capability, STOL, is desirable for carrier and short-field operation and requires the development of high lift. All three of these capabilities can best be obtained with a high-aspect-ratio wing having a large span and a low-sweep angle. The fourth capability is that of a high-altitude supersonic attack or intercept and requires a high lift-drag ratio at supersonic speeds which dictates a rather slender configuration with a moderate-span wing which is either very thin or highly swept. The fifth capability listed in figure 1 is that of a low-altitude high-speed attack that would increase the probability of long-range penetration of antiaircraft defenses. The high dynamic pressures encountered on the deck at high speeds require a low-lift-curve slope to reduce the gust-induced normal accelerations, and low friction and wave drag (drag due to lift is insignificant at high dynamic pressures) to assure sufficient speed and range. In order to best satisfy these requirements, a slender aircraft having little or no wing is required. It is apparent from figure 1 that these five capabilities are highly incompatible and that an efficient multimission aircraft will require a means of varying its aerodynamic characteristics. This can be best accomplished with some type of variable-wing geometry. There are, of course, several types of variable wing geometry. However, in view of the extremely large variations in wing span desired, variable wing sweep, as indicated In the lower right sketch of figure 1, appears to provide the best method. The Langley Research Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has therefore initiated a research program to provide the aerodynamic information needed for the development of a variable-sweep multimission military aircraft, and it is the purpose of this paper to briefly describe some of the results of this program.

Military aircraft↗

NASA NTRS1947

Observations on an Aileron-Flutter Instability Encountered on a 45 Degree Swept-Back Wing in Transonic and Supersonic Flight

In the course of a flight test of a supersonic research pilotless aircraft (the NACA RM-1), large-amplitude aileron oscillations, probably aileron compressibility flutter, were encountered in the transonic and supersonic speed ranges. The wing was oscillating at the same frequency as the aileron. The aircraft was equipped with 45 degree swept-back wings of symmetrical NASA 65-010 airfoil section. Completely mass-balanced ailerons with 20 degree beveled trailing edges were installed on the wings. The ailerons were free floating with no mechanical restraining force other than the friction of the aileron hinges and servomechanism bearings throughout the high-speed interval of flight.

Pitkin, Marvin↗

NASA NTRS1930

Fuel Vapor Pressures and the Relation of Vapor Pressure to the Preparation of Fuel for Combustion in Fuel Injection Engines

This investigation on the vapor pressure of fuels was conducted in connection with the general research on combustion in fuel injection engines. The purpose of the investigation was to study the effects of high temperatures such as exist during the first stages of injection on the vapor pressures of several fuels and certain fuel mixtures, and the relation of these vapor pressures to the preparation of the fuel for combustion in high-speed fuel injection engines.

Joachim, William F↗

NASA NTRS1937

Tests of a Wing-nacelle-Propeller Combination at Several Pitch Settings up to 42 Degrees

This report presents the results of tests of a 4-foot model of Navy propeller No. 4412 in conjunction with an NACA cowled nacelle mounted ahead of a thick wing in the 20-foot propeller-research tunnel. A range of propeller pitches from 17 degrees to 42 degrees at 0.75r was covered, and for this propeller the efficiency reached a maximum at a pitch setting of 27 degrees; at high pitches the efficiencies were slightly lower. The corrected propulsive efficiency is shown to be independent of the angle of attack for the high-speed and the climbing ranges of flight. A working chart is presented for the selection of similar propellers over a wide range of airplane speed, engine power, and propeller revolution.

Windler, Ray↗

NASA NTRS1946

Flight-Test Evaluation of the Longitudinal Stability and Control Characteristics of 0.5-Scale Models of the Fairchild Lark Pilotless-Aircraft Configuration. Model with Wing Flaps Deflected 15 Degrees, TED No. NACA 2387

A flight test was conducted at the Flight Test Station of the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division at Wallops Island, Va., to determine the longitudinal control and stability characteristics of a 0.5-scale model of the Fairchild Lerk Pilotless aircraft with the horizontal wing flaps deflected 15 degrees. The data were obtained by the use of a telemeter and also by radar tracking. The results show an increase of effectiveness of the longitudinal control in producing normal accelerations up to a Mach number of 0.75 where this effectiveness gradually decreased becoming negative at a Mach number of 0.89. Previous tests with wing flaps undeflected an increase in effectiveness up to Mach number of 0.93 where a sudden loss of control occurred. The model was dynamically stable throughout the speed range. The data confirmed the drag increase at the critical Mach number for large angles of attack is indicated in high-speed wind-tunnel tests.

Stone, David G.↗