SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “inlet”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 613 records · Page 34

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1992

Status of the variable diameter centerbody inlet program

The Variable Diameter Centerbody (VDC) inlet is an ongoing research program at LeRC. The VDC inlet is a mixed compression, axisymmetric inlet that has potential application on the next generation supersonic transport. This inlet was identified as one of the most promising axisymmetric concepts for supersonic cruise aircraft during the SCAR program in the late 1970's. Some of its features include high recovery, low bleed, good angle-of-attack tolerance, and excellent engine airflow matching. These features were demonstrated at LeRC in the past by the design and testing of fixed hardware models. A current test program in the LeRC 10' x 10' Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) will attempt to duplicate these features on model hardware that actually incorporates a flight-like variable diameter centerbody mechanism.

Saunders, John D.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Inlet Flow Test Calibration for a Small Axial Compressor Facility. Part 1: Design and Experimental Results

An axial compressor test rig has been designed for the operation of small turbomachines. The inlet region consisted of a long flowpath region with two series of support struts and a flapped inlet guide vane. A flow test was run to calibrate and determine the source and magnitudes of the loss mechanisms in the inlet for a highly loaded two-stage axial compressor test. Several flow conditions and IGV angle settings were established in which detailed surveys were completed. Boundary layer bleed was also provided along the casing of the inlet behind the support struts and ahead of the IGV. A detailed discussion of the flowpath design along with a summary of the experimental results are provided in Part 1.

Miller, D. P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes analysis and redesign of an imbedded bellmouth nozzle in a turbine cascade inlet section

Verification of proposed turbopump blading performance will involve evaluation of candidate blades in cascade test facilities. It is necessary to be able to predict the flow fields within these cascades for the results to be applicable to actual engine environments. This work presents the results of a study to predict the flow field for the NASA Lewis Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility, which is similar to those used to evaluate rocket propulsion turbines. A pitchwise nonuniform total pressure distribution was observed at the blade row leading edge plane. A CFD analysis was used to show that the cause of the flow nonuniformity was a pair of vortices that originated in an embedded bellmouth inlet. Further CFD analysis was used to verify that a redesigned inlet section resulted in a flow with acceptable uniformity. A computational analysis was chosen because physical accessibility to the inlet section was limited, and because a computational approach also allows one to examine design changes cheaper and more quickly than an experimental approach would. The PARC code, a general purpose, three-dimensional, Navier-Stokes code with multiblock solution capability, was chosen for the present study. Results are presented detailing the computational requirements needed to accurately predict flows of this nature. Calculations of the original geometry showed total pressure loss regions consistent in strength and in location to experimental measurements. An examination of the results shows that the distortions are caused by a pair of vortices that originate as a result of the interaction of the flow with the imbedded bellmouth. Computations were performed for an inlet geometry which eliminated the imbedded bellmouth by bridging the region between it and the upstream wall. This analysis indicated that eliminating the imbedded bellmouth eliminates the troublesome pair of vortices, resulting in a flow with much greater pitchwise uniformity.

Giel, P. W.↗

NASA NTRS1995

HINCOF-1: a Code for Hail Ingestion in Engine Inlets

One of the major concerns during hail ingestion into an engine is the resulting amount and space- and time-wise distribution of hail at the engine face for a given geometry of inlet and set of atmospheric and flight conditions. The appearance of hail in the capture streamtube is invariably random in space and time, with respect to size and momentum. During the motion of a hailstone through an inlet, a hailstone undergoes several processes, namely impact with other hailstones and material surfaces of the inlet and spinner, rolling and rebound following impact; heat and mass transfer; phase change; and shattering, the latter three due to friction and impact. Taking all of these factors into account, a numerical code, designated HINCOF-I, has been developed for determining the motion hailstones from the atmosphere, through an inlet, and up to the engine face. The numerical procedure is based on the Monte-Carlo method. The report presents a description of the code, along with several illustrative cases. The code can be utilized to relate the spinner geometry - conical or, more effective, elliptical - to the possible diversion of hail at the engine face into the bypass stream. The code is also useful for assessing the influence of various hail characteristics on the ingestion and distribution of hailstones over the engine face.

Gopalaswamy, N.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Experimental Investigation of the Performance of a Mach-2.7 Two-dimensional Bifurcated Duct Inlet with 30 Percent Internal Contraction

An experimental study was conducted to determine the performance of a two-dimensional, mixed-compression bifurcated duct inlet system designed for a free-stream Mach number of 2.7. Thirty percent of the supersonic area contraction occurred internally. A movable ramp was used to vary the contraction ratio for off-design operation. Boundary layer bleed regions were located on the cowl, centerbody, and sidewall surfaces. There were also provisions for vortex generators on the cowl and centerbody of the subsonic diffuser. Data were obtained over the Mach number range of 2.0 to 2.8 and at angles of yaw from 0 deg. to the maximum value prior to inlet un-start. The test at Mach 2.8 was to obtain data for an over- speed condition. The Reynolds number varied from 2.5 to 2.3 million/ft for Mach numbers above 2.5. At Mach numbers of 2.5 and lower, the Reynolds number was set at 2.5 million/ft. Bleed patterns, vortex generator patterns, and ramp position were varied, and three inlet configurations were selected for more extensive study. Two of these configurations had self-starting capability. The self-starting configuration that was developed produced 89 percent total pressure recovery at the compressor face station with 6.8 percent total bleed. The compressor face distortion was about 16 percent. Vortex generators were extremely effective in re-distributing flow but were not as effective in reducing distortion. Excellent flow symmetry was achieved between the separated halves of the inlet, and twin-duct instability was not observed. The ramp tip shock was steeper than expected. This caused the cowl lip shock to be reflected from the ramp instead of being cancelled at the shoulder. However, peak recovery at the throat was still obtained with the ramp near the design position.

Wasserbauer, J. F.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Inlet and Propulsion Integration of Scram Propelled Vehicles

The material to be presented in these two lectures begins with cycle considerations of the turbojet engine combined with a ramjet engine to provide thrust over the range of Mach 0 to 5. We will then examine in some detail the aerodynamic behavior that occurs in the inlet operating near the peak speed. Following that, we shall view a numerical simulation through a baseline scramjet engine, starting at the entrance to the inlet, proceeding into the combustor and through the nozzle. In the next segment, we examine a combined rocket and ramjet propulsion system. Analysis and test results will be examined with a view toward evaluation of the concept as a practical device. Two other inlets will then be reviewed: a Mach 12 inlet and a Mach 18 configuration. Finally, we close our lectures with a discussion of the Detonation Wave engine, and inspect the physical and chemical behavior obtained from numerical simulation. A few final remarks will be made regarding the application of CFD for hypersonic propulsion components.

Povinelli, Louis A.↗

NASA NTRS1997

An Inlet Distortion Assessment During Aircraft Departures at High Angle of Attack for an F/A-18A Aircraft

The F404-GE-400-powered F/A-18A High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) was used to examine the quality of inlet airflow during departed flight maneuvers, that is, during flight outside the normal maneuvering envelope where control surfaces have little or no effectiveness. Six nose-left and six nose-right departures were initiated at Mach numbers between 0.3 and 0.4 at an altitude of 35 kft. The entry yaw rates were approximately 40 to 90 deg/sec. Engine surges were encountered during three of the nose-left and one of the nose-right departures. Time-variant inlet-total-pressure distortion levels at the engine face did not significantly exceed those at maximum angle-of-attack and sideslip maneuvers during controlled flight. Surges caused by inlet distortion levels resulted from a combination of high levels of inlet distortion and rapid changes in aircraft position. These rapid changes indicate a combination of engine support and gyroscopic loads being applied to the engine structure that impact the aerodynamic stability of the compressor through changes in the rotor-to-case clearances. This document presents the slides from an oral presentation.

Steenken, William G.↗

NASA NTRS1961

Experimental Investigation of an Air-Cooled Turbine Operating in a Turbojet Engine at Turbine Inlet Temperatures up to 2500 F

An experimental investigation was made of an air-cooled turbine at average turbine inlet temperatures up to 2500 F. A modified production-model 12-stage axial-flow-compressor turbojet engine operating in a static sea-level stand was used as the test vehicle. The modifications to the engine consisted of the substitution of special combustor and turbine assemblies and double-walled exhaust ducting for the standard parts of the engine. All of these special parts were air-cooled to withstand the high operating temperatures of the investigation. The air-cooled turbine stator and rotor blades were of the corrugated-insert type. Leading-edge tip caps were installed on the rotor blades to improve leading-edge cooling by diverting the discharge of coolant to regions of lower gas pressure toward the trailing edge of the blade tip. Caps varying in length from 0.15- to 0.55-chord length were used in an attempt to determine the optimum cap length for this blade. The engine was operated over a range of average turbine inlet temperatures from about 1600 to about 2500 F, and a range of average coolant-flow ratios of 0.012 to 0.065. Temperatures of the air-cooled turbine rotor blades were measured at all test conditions by the use of thermocouples and temperature-indicating paints. The results of the investigation indicated that this type of blade is feasible for operation in turbojet engines at the average turbine inlet temperatures and stress levels tested(maximums of 2500 F and 24,000 psi, respectively). An average one-third-span blade temperature of 1300 F could be maintained on 0.35-chord tip cap blades with an average coolant-flow ratio of about 0.022 when the average turbine inlet temperature was 2500 F and cooling-air temperature was about 260 F. All of the leading-edge tip cap lengths improved the cooling of the leading-edge region of the blades, particularly at low average coolant-flow ratios. At high gas temperatures, such parts as the turbine stator and the combustor liners are likely to be as critical as the turbine rotor blades.

Cochran, Reeves P.↗

NASA NTRS1959

Analytical Investigation of the Significance of Turbine-Inlet Temperature in High-Energy Rocket Turbodrive Applications

The effect of turbine-inlet temperature on rocket gross weight was investigated for three high-energy long-range rockets in order to explore the desirability of turbine cooling in rocket turbodrive applications. Temperatures above and below the maximum that is permissible in uncooled turbines were included. Turbine bleed rate and stage number were considered as independent variables. The gross weight of the hydrogen-reactor system was more sensitive to changes in turbine-inlet temperature than either the hydrogen-oxygen or the hydrogen-fluorine systems. Gross weight of the hydrogen-reactor system could be reduced by 2.6 percent by the use of cooling and a turbine-inlet temperature of 3000 R. The reductions in the first stages of the hydrogen-oxygen and hydrogen-fluorine systems were 0.7 and 0.2 percent, respectively. The effect of turbine-inlet temperature on rocket gross weight was small because the resulting turbine weight and bleed rate variations were small. Since these small gains must be balanced against considerations of greater cost, weight, and complexity as well as lessened reliability with a system utilizing a cooled turbine, none of the systems investigated showed gains warranting the use of turbine cooling.

Rohlik, Harold E.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Factors Affecting Inlet-Engine Compatibility During Aircraft Departures at High Angle of Attack for an F/A -18A Aircraft

The F404-GE-400 engine powered F/A- 18A High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) was used to examine the quality of inlet airflow during departed flight maneuvers, that is, during flight outside the normal maneuvering envelope where control surfaces have little or no effectiveness. A series of six nose-left and six nose-right departures were initiated at Mach numbers between 0.3 and 0.4 at an altitude of 35 kft. The yaw rates at departure recovery were in the range of 40 to 90 degrees per second. Engine surges were encountered during three of the nose-left and one of the nose-right departures. Time-variant inlet-total-pressure distortion levels at the engine face were determined to not significantly exceed those measured at maximum angle-of-attack and - sideslip maneuvers during controlled flight. Surges as a result of inlet distortion levels were anticipated to initiate in the fan. Analysis revealed that the surges initiated in the compressor and were the result of a combination of high levels of inlet distortion and rapid changes in aircraft motion. These rapid changes in aircraft motion are indicative of a combination of engine mount and gyroscopic loads being applied to the engine structure that impact the aerodynamic stability of the compressor through changes in the rotor-to-case clearances.

Steenken, W. G.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Improved Hypersonic Inlet Performance Using Validated Strut Compression Designs

Aerojet is currently executing two Strutjet propulsion contracts: one a Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine for a NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Reusable Transportation Technology (ARTT) program, the second a Dual Mode Ram/Scramjet engine for a USAF Wright Laboratories Storable Fuel Scramjet Flow Path Concepts program. The engines employed in both programs operate at supersonic and low hypersonic speeds and use inlets employing forebody external and sidewall compression. Aerojet has developed and validated a successful design methodology applicable to these inlet types. Design features include an integrated vehicle forebody, external side compression struts, strut sidewall and throat bleed, a throat shock trap, and variable geometry internal contraction. Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD) predictions and test data show these inlets allow substantially increased flow turning angles over other designs. These increased flow turning angles allow shorter and lighter engines than current designs, which in turn enables higher performing vehicles with broad operating characteristics. This paper describes the designs of two different inlets evaluated by the NASA-MSFC and USAF programs, discusses the results of wind tunnel tests performed by NASA-Lewis Research Center, and provides correlations of test data with CFD predictions. Parameters of interest include low Mach number starting capability, start sensitivity as a function of back pressure at various contraction ratios, flow turning angles, strut and throat bleed effects, and pressure recovery at various Mach numbers.

Bulman, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Computational Investigation of the Performance and Back-Pressure Limits of a Hypersonic Inlet

A computational analysis of Mach 6.2 operation of a hypersonic inlet with rectangular-to-elliptical shape transition has been performed. The results of the computations are compared with experimental data for cases with and without a manually imposed back-pressure. While the no-back-pressure numerical solutions match the general trends of the data, certain features observed in the experiments did not appear in the computational solutions. The reasons for these discrepancies are discussed and possible remedies are suggested. Most importantly, however, the computational analysis increased the understanding of the consequences of certain aspects of the inlet design. This will enable the performance of future inlets of this class to be improved. Computational solutions with back-pressure under-estimated the back-pressure limit observed in the experiments, but did supply significant insight into the character of highly back-pressured inlet flows.

Smart, Michael K.↗

NASA NTRS1948

Altitude-Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a 3000-Pound-Thrust Axial-Flow Turbojet Engine: Analysis of Effects of Inlet Pressure Losses - 6

The losses in the inlet air ducts, the diffusers, and the de-icing equipment associated with turbojet engine installations cause a reduction in the total pressure at the inlet of the engine and result in reduced thrust and increased specific fuel consumption. An analytical evaluation of the effects of inlet losses on the net thrust and the fuel economy of a 3000-pound-thrust axial flow turbojet engine with a two-stage turbine is presented. The analysis is based on engine performance characteristics that were determined from experiments in the NACA Cleveland altitude wind tunnel. The experimental investigation did not include tests in which inlet losses were systematically varied, but the effects of these losses can be accurately estimated from the experimentally determined performance characteristics of the engine.

Sanders, Newell D.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Corrugated and Composite Nozzle-Inlets for Thrust and Noise Benefits

The following research results are based on development of an approach previously proposed and investigated in for optimum nozzle design to obtain maximum thrust. The design was denoted a Telescope nozzle. A Telescope nozzle contains one or several internal designs, which are inserted at certain locations into a divergent conical or planar main nozzle near its exit. Such a design provides additional thrust augmentation over 20% by comparison with the optimum single nozzle of equivalent lateral area, What is more, experimental acoustic tests have discovered an essential noise reduction due to application of Telescope nozzles. In this paper, some additional theoretical results are presented for Telescope nozzles and a similar approach is applied for aero-performance improvement of a supersonic inlet. Numerical simulations were conducted for supersonic flow into the divergent portion of a 2D or axisymmetric nozzle with several plane or conical designs as well as into a 2D or axisymmetric supersonic inlet with a forebody. The Kryko-Godunov marching numerical scheme for inviscid supersonic flows was used. Several cases were tested using the NASA CFL3d and IM/MSU Russian codes based on the full Navier-Stokes equations. Numerical simulations were conducted for non reacting flows (both codes) as well as for real high temperature gas flows with non-equilibrium chemical reactions (the latter code). In general, these simulations have confirmed essential benefits of Telescope design applications in propulsion system. Some preliminary numerical simulations of several typical inlet designs were conducted with the goal of inlet design optimization for maneuvering flight conditions.

Gilinsky, M.↗

NASA NTRS1957

Effects of Inlet Modification and Rocket-Rack Extension on the Longitudinal Trim and Low-Lift Drag of the Douglas F5D-1 Airplane as Obtained with a 0.125-Scale Rocket-Boosted Model between Mach Numbers of 0.81 and 1.64, TED No. NACA AD 399

A flight investigation was conducted to determine the effects of an inlet modification and rocket-rack extension on the longitudinal trim and low-lift drag of the Douglas F5D-1 airplane. The investigation was conducted with a 0.125-scale rocket-boosted model which was flight tested at the Langley Pilotless Aircraft Research Station at Wallops Island, Va. Results indicate that the combined effects of the modified inlet and fully extended rocket racks on the trim lift coefficient and trim angle of attack were small between Mach numbers of 0.94 and 1.57. Between Mach numbers of 1.10 and 1.57 there was an average increase in drag coefficient of about o,005 for the model with modified inlet and extended rocket racks. The change in drag coefficient due to the inlet modification alone is small between Mach numbers of 1.59 and 1.64

Hastings, Earl C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Validation of Inlet and Exhaust Boundary Conditions for a Cartesian Method

Inlets and exhaust nozzles are often omitted in aerodynamic simulations of aircraft due to the complexities involved in the modeling of engine details and flow physics. However, the omission is often improper since inlet or plume flows may have a substantial effect on vehicle aerodynamics. A method for modeling the effect of inlets and exhaust plumes using boundary conditions within an inviscid Cartesian flow solver is presented. This approach couples with both CAD systems and legacy geometry to provide an automated tool suitable for parameter studies. The method is validated using two and three-dimensional test problems which are compared with both theoretical and experimental results. The numerical results demonstrate excellent agreement with theory and available data, even for extremely strong jets and very sensitive inlets.

Pandya, Shishir A.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Inlet-Compressor Analysis Performed Using Coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics Codes

A thorough understanding of dynamic interactions between inlets and compressors is extremely important to the design and development of propulsion control systems, particularly for supersonic aircraft such as the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes are routinely used to analyze individual propulsion components. By coupling the appropriate CFD component codes, it is possible to investigate inlet-compressor interactions. The objectives of this work were to gain a better understanding of inlet-compressor interaction physics, formulate a more realistic compressor-face boundary condition for time-accurate CFD simulations of inlets, and to take a first step toward the CFD simulation of an entire engine by coupling multidimensional component codes. This work was conducted at the NASA Lewis Research Center by a team of civil servants and support service contractors as part of the High Performance Computing and Communications Program (HPCCP).

Cole, Gary L.↗

NASA NTRS2004

TiAl Scramjet Inlet Flap Subelement Designed and Fabricated

Next-generation launch vehicles are being designed with turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) propulsion systems having very aggressive thrust/weight targets and long lives. Achievement of these goals requires advanced materials in a wide spectrum of components. TiAl has been identified as a potential backstructure material for maintainable composite panel heat exchangers (HEX) in the inlet, combustor, and nozzle section of a TBCC propulsion system. Weight reduction is the primary objective of this technology. Design tradeoff studies have assessed that a TiAl structure, utilizing a high-strength, hightemperature TiAl alloy called Gamma MET PX,1 reduce weight by 41 to 48 percent in comparison to the baseline Inconel 718 configuration for the TBCC propulsion system inlet, combustor, and nozzle. A collaborative effort between the NASA Glenn Research Center, Pratt & Whitney, Engineering Evaluation & Design, PLANSEE AG (Austria), and the Austrian Space Agency was undertaken to design, manufacture, and validate a Gamma-MET PX TiAl structure for scramjet applications. The TiAl inlet flap was designed with segmented flaps to improve manufacturability, to better control thermal distortion and thermal stresses, and to allow for maintainable HEX segments. The design philosophy was to avoid excessively complicated shapes, to minimize the number of stress concentrations, to keep the part sizes reasonable to match processing capabilities, and to avoid risky processes such as welding. The conceptual design used a standard HEX approach with a double-pass coolant concept for centrally located manifolds. The flowpath side was actively cooled, and an insulation package was placed on the external side to save weight. The inlet flap was analyzed structurally, and local high-stress regions were addressed with local reinforcements.

Draper, Susan L.↗