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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 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Unified Application of Vapor Screen Flow Visualization and Pressure Sensitive Paint Measurement Techniques to Vortex- and Shock Wave-Dominated Flow Fields

Laser vapor screen (LVS) flow visualization and pressure sensitive paint (PSP) techniques were applied in a unified approach to wind tunnel testing of slender wing and missile configurations dominated by vortex flows and shock waves at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds. The off-surface cross-flow patterns using the LVS technique were combined with global PSP surface static pressure mappings to characterize the leading-edge vortices and shock waves that coexist and interact at high angles of attack. The synthesis of LVS and PSP techniques was also effective in identifying the significant effects of passive surface porosity and the presence of vertical tail surfaces on the flow topologies. An overview is given of LVS and PSP applications in selected experiments on small-scale models of generic slender wing and missile configurations in the NASA Langley Research Center (NASA LaRC) Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) and 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel (8-Foot TPT).

Erickson, Gary E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Surface heat transfer and flow properties of vortex arrays induced artificially and from centrifugal instabilities

The paper presents and compares fluid-flow and heat transfer properties from artificially induced vortices in a flat-plate turbulent boundary layer and naturally occurring vortices due to centrifugal instabilities in a curved-channel laminar flow. Pairs and arrays of vortices are artificially induced by placing half-delta wings on the plate surface. With both arrays and pairs of vortices, streamwise velocities and total pressures are high, and surface heat transfer is locally augmented in vortex downwash regions. In contrast to vortices in the arrays vortices in the pairs tend to move in the streamwise direction with significant divergence (when the common flow between pair is toward the wall) or convergence (when the common flow between pair is away from the wall). The vortices in the arrays cause maximum peak-to-peak heat transfer variations of up to 12 percent of local spanwise-averaged values for initial vortex spacings between 1 to 2.5 generator heights.

Subramanian, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Calculations of the stability of some axisymmetric flows proposed as a model of vortex breakdown

The term vortex breakdown refers to the abrupt and drastic changes of structure that can sometimes occur in swirling flows. It was conjectured that the bubble type of breakdown can be viewed as an axisymmetric wave traveling upstream in a primarily columnar vortex flow. In this scenario the wave's upstream progress is impeded only when it reaches a critical amplitude and it loses stability to some nonaxisymmetric disturbance. The stability of some axisymmetric wavy flows to three dimensional disturbances, viewing the amplitude of the wave as a bifurcation parameter is examined. The stability of a set of related columnar vortex flows, constructed by taking the two dimensional flow at a single axial location and extending it throughout the domain without variation, is investigated. The method used will be to expand the perturbation velocity in a series of divergence free vectors which ensures that the continuity equation for the incompressible fluid is satisfied exactly by the computed velocity field. Projections of the stability equation onto the space of inviscid vector fields eliminated the pressure term from the equation and reduces the differential eigen problem to a generalized matrix eigen problem. Results are presented both for the one dimensional, columnar vortex flows and also for the wavy bubble flow.

Mhuiris, N. M. G.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Computation of potential flows with embedded vortex rings and applications to helicopter rotor wakes

A finite difference scheme for solving the motion of a number of vortex rings is developed. The method is an adaptation of the 'cloud-in-cell' technique to axisymmetric flows, and is thus a combined Eulerian-Lagrangian technique. A straightforward adaptation of the cloud-in-cell scheme to an axisymmetric flow field is shown to introduce a grid dependent self-induced velocity to each vortex ring. To correct this behavior the potential is considered to consist of two parts, a local and a global field. An improved difference formula is derived, allowing the accurate calculation of the potential at points near vortex locations. The local potential is then subtracted before calculating the velocity, leaving only the influences of the remaining vortices. The correct self-induced velocity is then explicitly added to the vortex velocity. Calculations of the motion of one and two vortex rings are performed, demonstrating the ability of the new method to eliminate the grid dependence of the self-induced velocity. The application of the method to the calculation of helicopter rotor flows in hover is attempted.

Roberts, T. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Evaluation of the discrete vortex wake cross flow model using vector computers. Part 1: Theory and application

The current program had the objective to modify a discrete vortex wake method to efficiently compute the aerodynamic forces and moments on high fineness ratio bodies (f approximately 10.0). The approach is to increase computational efficiency by structuring the program to take advantage of new computer vector software and by developing new algorithms when vector software can not efficiently be used. An efficient program was written and substantial savings achieved. Several test cases were run for fineness ratios up to f = 16.0 and angles of attack up to 50 degrees.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

Analysis of Unsteady Flow Phenomena: Shock - Vortex and Shock - Boundary Layer Interactions

The interaction of shock waves with vortices has received much attention in the past, mainly because shock-vortex interaction closely models the interaction of a shock wave with the coherent structures of a turbulent flow-field, and is a key feature in the broad-band shock noise for supersonic jets in off-project conditions. Chu and Kovasznay have shown that a weak disturbance in a viscous heat conducting fluid can be decomposed as the sum of three basic modes, namely acoustic, vortical and entropy mode; the interaction of any of these modes with a shock wave gives rise to all three disturbance modes downstream of the shock. The vortical mode is important since it constitutes the basis of the coherent structures that have been observed to dominate turbulence for low- to moderate-flow speed. Hollingsworth et al. have experimentally investigated the interaction of a cylindrical shock-induced starting vortex with a plane normal shock, and have shown that the interaction generates a cylindrical acoustic pulse that exhibits a quadrupolar structure consisting of four alternate compression and expansion regions centered around the transmitted vortex. The investigations of Hollingsworth and Richards have been extended by Dosanjh and Weeks that have analyzed the interaction of a columnar spiral vortex with a normal shock wave, thus obtaining quantitative measurements and confirming the generation of a progressive cylindrical wavefront of alternate compression-expansion nature. Naumann and Hermanns' have experimentally addressed the non-linear aspects of shock-vortex interaction, and have shown that the interaction causes both a diffraction and a reflection of the shock with a pattern consisting of either a regular-or a Mach-reflection depending on the shock and the vortex strengths. An attempt to theoretically explain the production of sound from the shock-vortex interaction was carried out by Ribner. Pao and Salas have numerically studied two-dimensional shock-vortex interactions.

Grasso, Francesco↗
NASA NTRS1990

Numerical investigation of the origin of vortex asymmetry of flows over bodies at large angle of attack

The occurrence of the flow about a slender body of revolution placed at incidence to an incoming stream is numerically examined for angles of attack ranging from 20 to 80 degrees and a Reynolds number of 200,000 based on maximum body diameter. Over a certain range of Reynolds numbers, the trend of flowfields around slender bodies at incidence can be roughly divided into three main categories: (1) at alpha = 0-30 deg, the flow is steady and symmetric; (2) at alpha = 30-60 deg, the flow under normal conditions is usually asymmetric, but the level of the asymmetry depends on the amount of disturbances present on the tip of the body; and (3) at alpha 60-90 deg, the flow in the wake of the body acts in a fashion similar to that of the Karman vortex shedding behind a two-dimensional circular cylinder. For each of these categories the range of incidence may change by + or - 10 degrees, depending on the quality of flow, or body finish.

Degani, David↗
NASA NTRS1992

Flow visualizations of perpendicular blade vortex interactions

Helium bubble flow visualizations have been performed to study perpendicular interaction of a turbulent trailing vortex and a rectangular wing in the Virginia Tech Stability Tunnel. Many combinations of vortex strength, vortex-blade separation (Z(sub s)) and blade angle of attack were studied. Photographs of representative cases are presented. A range of phenomena were observed. For Z(sub s) greater than a few percent chord the vortex is deflected as it passes the blade under the influence of the local streamline curvature and its image in the blade. Initially the interaction appears to have no influence on the core. Downstream, however, the vortex core begins to diffuse and grow, presumably as a consequence of its interaction with the blade wake. The magnitude of these effects increases with reduction in Z(sub s). For Z(sub s) near zero the form of the interaction changes and becomes dependent on the vortex strength. For lower strengths the vortex appears to split into two filaments on the leading edge of the blade, one passing on the pressure and one passing on the suction side. At higher strengths the vortex bursts in the vicinity of the leading edge. In either case the core of its remnants then rapidly diffuse with distance downstream. Increase in Reynolds number did not qualitatively affect the flow apart from decreasing the amplitude of the small low-frequency wandering motions of the vortex. Changes in wing tip geometry and boundary layer trip had very little effect.

Rife, Michael C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Three-dimensional mean flow experimental study of 'vortex unwinding'

A seven-hole flow-angularity pressure probe was used to assess the effectiveness of vortex unwinding in a turbulent boundary layer. The vortex center moved in the spanwise and vertical direction with increasing longitudinal distance. Initially, the vortex moved rapidly; it achieved 60 percent of its total 41 mm spanwise travel before it had completed half of its travel in the longitudinal direction. The flow was studied behind the single vortex combined with the most successful unwinder. The unwinder was found to be very effective in reducing the amount of secondary flow in the boundary layer.

Mcginley, Catherine B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Flow visualization study of a vortex-wing interaction

A flow visualization study in water was completed on the interaction of a streamwise vortex with a laminar boundary layer on a two-dimensional wing. The vortex was generated at the tip of a finite wing at incidence, mounted perpendicular to the main wing, and having the same chord as the main wing. The Reynolds number based on wing chord was about 5000. Two different visualization techniques were used. One involved the injection of two different colored dyes into the vortex and the boundary layer. The other technique utilized hydrogen bubbles as an indicator. The position of the vortex was varied in a directional normal to the wing. The angle of attack of the main wing was varied from -5 to +12.5 deg. The vortex induced noticeable cross flows in the wing boundary layer from a distance equivalent to 0.75 chords. When very close to the wing, the vortex entrained boundary layer fluid and caused a cross flow separation which resulted in a secondary vortex.

Mehta, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An experimental and theoretical study of the flow phenomena within a vortex sink rate sensor

Tests were conducted to obtain a description of the flow field within a vortex sink rate sensor and to observe the influence of viscous effects on its performance. The characteristics of the sensor are described. The method for conducting the test is reported. It was determined that for a specific mass flow rate and the geometry of the vortex chamber, the flow in the vortex chamber was only affected, locally, by the size of the sink tube diameter. Within the sink tube, all three velocity components were found to be higher for the small sink tube diameters. As the speed of rotation of the sensor was increased, the tangential velocities within the vortex chamber, as well as in the sink tube, increased in proportion to the speed of rotation.

Goglia, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Application of a computational model for vortex generators in subsonic internal flows

A model for the analysis of vortex generators in a fully viscous subsonic internal flow is evaluated. A vorticity source term is used in a modified form of the Parabolized Navier-Stokes equations to model the shed vortex. Computed results are compared with idealized flow vortex paths, and with experimental data for vortex generators embedded in a thick turbulent boundary layer. The analysis is also compared with experimental data for a separated diffusing S-duct and for a diffusing S-duct with vortex generators. Quantitative comparisons are shown for the latter three cases. Emphasis is placed on verifying the ability of the model to predict global distortions in the flow field.

Kunik, W. G.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Application of a computational model for vortex generators in subsonic internal flows

A model for the analysis of vortex generators in a fully viscous subsonic internal flow is evaluated. A vorticity source term is used in a modified form of the Parabolized Navier-Stokes equations to model the shed vortex. Computed results are compared with idealized flow vortex paths, and with experimental data for vortex generators embedded in a thick turbulent boundary layer. The analysis is also compared with experimental data for a separated diffusing S-duct and for a diffusing S-duct with vortex generators. Quantitative comparisons are shown for the latter three cases. Emphasis is placed on verifying the ability of the model to predict global distortions in the flow field.

Kunik, W. G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An experimental and theoretical study of the flow phenomena within a vortex sink rate sensor

A description of the flow field within a vortex sink rate sensor was obtained, and the influence of viscous effects on its performance was observed. The sensor basically consisted of a vortex chamber and a sink tube. The vortex chamber consisted of two circular coaxial disks held apart, at their periphery, by a porous coupling. One circular disk had an opening to permit the mounting of the sink tube, in such a manner that the vortex chamber as well as the sink tube had a common axis of rotation. Air was supplied radially to the sensor through its porous coupling as the sensor was rotated at various speeds. Particular emphasis was directed toward an understanding of the flow field in the sink tube region. Thus velocity measurements at various stations along the length of the sink tube as well as along a given radius at any designated station were taken.

Patel, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Evaluation of a vortex model of turbulent cavity flow

A two dimensional discrete vortex model is applied to turbulent flow over a cavity at a Reynolds number based on cavity half length of approximately 500,000. These model predictions are compared with experimental data on a time average and on a spectral basis. The comparisons indicate that the vortex model reproduces the mean velocity profiles of this complex flow, while the turbulent intensity and Reynolds stress profiles are overpredicted in magnitude. Spectral analyses show that the vortex model introduces unrealistic low frequency power which becomes less dominant as the model becomes more disordered. The spectral power distribution of the model in this state is nearly in agreement with that of the data, somewhat too low at the higher frequencies and too high at the lower frequencies. The model is shown to be capable of reproducing the cavity feedback oscillation phenomenon.

Hardin, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Computation of wing-vortex interaction in transonic flow using implicit finite difference algorithm

An implicit delta form finite difference algorithm for Euler equations in conservation law form was used in preliminary calculations of three dimensional wing vortex interaction. Both steady and unsteady transonic flow wing vortex interactions are computed. The computations themselves are meant to guide upcoming wind tunnel experiments of the same flow field. Various modifications to the numerical method that are intended to improve computational efficiency are also described and tested in both two and three dimensions. Combination of these methods can reduce the overall computational time by a factor of 4.

Srinivasan, G.↗