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At least 667 records · Page 37

Computational Aerodynamic Simulations of a 1484 ft/sec Tip Speed Quiet High-Speed Fan System Model for Acoustic Methods Assessment and Development

Computational Aerodynamic simulations of a 1484 ft/sec tip speed quiet high-speed fan system were performed at five different operating points on the fan operating line, in order to provide detailed internal flow field information for use with fan acoustic prediction methods presently being developed, assessed and validated. The fan system is a sub-scale, low-noise research fan/nacelle model that has undergone experimental testing in the 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Details of the fan geometry, the computational fluid dynamics methods, the computational grids, and various computational parameters relevant to the numerical simulations are discussed. Flow field results for three of the five operating points simulated are presented in order to provide a representative look at the computed solutions. Each of the five fan aerodynamic simulations involved the entire fan system, which includes a core duct and a bypass duct that merge upstream of the fan system nozzle. As a result, only fan rotational speed and the system bypass ratio, set by means of a translating nozzle plug, were adjusted in order to set the fan operating point, leading to operating points that lie on a fan operating line and making mass flow rate a fully dependent parameter. The resulting mass flow rates are in good agreement with measurement values. Computed blade row flow fields at all fan operating points are, in general, aerodynamically healthy. Rotor blade and fan exit guide vane flow characteristics are good, including incidence and deviation angles, chordwise static pressure distributions, blade surface boundary layers, secondary flow structures, and blade wakes. Examination of the computed flow fields reveals no excessive or critical boundary layer separations or related secondary-flow problems, with the exception of the hub boundary layer at the core duct entrance. At that location a significant flow separation is present. The region of local flow recirculation extends through a mixing plane, however, which for the particular mixing-plane model used is now known to exaggerate the recirculation. In any case, the flow separation has relatively little impact on the computed rotor and FEGV flow fields.

Tweedt, Daniel L.↗

Jet Engine Nozzle Exit Configurations and Associated Systems and Methods

Nozzle exit configurations and associated systems and methods are disclosed. An aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment includes a jet engine exhaust nozzle having an internal flow surface and an exit aperture, with the exit aperture having a perimeter that includes multiple projections extending in an aft direction. Aft portions of individual neighboring projections are spaced apart from each other by a gap, and a geometric feature of the multiple can change in a monotonic manner along at least a portion of the perimeter.

Mengle, Vinod G.↗

W-8 Acoustic Casing Treatment Test Overview

During February 2017, aerodynamic and acoustic testing was performed on a scale-model high bypass ratio turbofan rotor, R4, in an internal flow component test facility. An overview of the testing completed is presented.

Propulsion↗

Measurement of Noise Reduction from Acoustic Casing Treatments Installed over a Subscale High Bypass Ratio Turbofan Rotor

NASA is continuing to develop over-the-rotor acoustic liners for turbofan applications. A series of low Technology Readiness Level experiments were conducted to better understand the acoustic and aerodynamic effects of these acoustic liners. The final experiment included the evaluation of four acoustic casing treatment concepts and two baseline configurations in an internal flow axial compressor facility with a 1.5 pressure-ratio high-bypass turbofan rotor. An inlet in-duct array was utilized to extract sound power levels propagating forward from the turbofan rotor. The effect of a circumferentially grooved relative to a hardwall fan case was found to reduce the in-duct sound power level by about 1.5dB for frequencies less than 2kHz while increasing noise from 4 to 8kHz by as much as 7.5dB at low fan speeds. The four acoustic treatment concepts were incorporated into the bottoms of the circumferential grooves and found to provide an additional 1 to 2dB sound power level reduction under 2kHz. The sound power level reduction was found to be even greater, 2.5 to 3.5dB, when evaluating the reduction on rotor alone duct modes (co-rotating modes). The acoustic treatments also appeared to reduce multiple pure tone noise at transonic fan speeds. Depending on the acoustic treatment concept, the high-frequency noise created by the circumferential grooves was reduced by 1.5 to 5 dB. The total noise reduction from acoustic treatments embedded into the bottoms of circumferential grooves relative to a hardwall baseline was found to be 2.5 to 3.5dB sound power level. The sound power level reduction for rotor alone (co-rotating) modes was found to be 3.5 to 4.5dB. These results show the potential for significant turbofan noise reduction by incorporating acoustic treatments over-the-rotor.

Noise↗

Measurement of Noise Reduction from Acoustic Casing Treatments Installed Over a Subscale High Bypass Ratio Turbofan Rotor

NASA is continuing to develop over-the-rotor acoustic liners for turbofan applications. A series of low Technology Readiness Level experiments were conducted to better understand the acoustic and aerodynamic effects of these acoustic liners. The final experiment included the evaluation of four acoustic casing treatment concepts and two baseline configurations in an internal flow axial compressor facility with a 1.5 pressure-ratio high-bypass turbofan rotor. An inlet in-duct array was utilized to extract sound power levels propagating forward from the turbofan rotor. The effect of a circumferentially grooved relative to a hardwall fan case was found to reduce the in-duct sound power level by about 1.5dB for frequencies less than 2kHz while increasing noise from 4 to 8kHz by as much as 7.5dB at low fan speeds. The four acoustic treatment concepts were incorporated into the bottoms of the circumferential grooves and found to provide an additional 1 to 2dB sound power level reduction under 2kHz. The sound power level reduction was found to be even greater, 2.5 to 3.5dB, when evaluating the reduction on rotor alone duct modes (co-rotating modes). The acoustic treatments also appeared to reduce multiple pure tone noise at transonic fan speeds. Depending on the acoustic treatment concept, the high-frequency noise created by the circumferential grooves was reduced by 1.5 to 5 dB. The total noise reduction from acoustic treatments embedded into the bottoms of circumferential grooves relative to a hardwall baseline was found to be 2.5 to 3.5dB sound power level. The sound power level reduction for rotor alone (co-rotating) modes was found to be 3.5 to 4.5dB. These results show the potential for significant turbofan noise reduction by incorporating acoustic treatments over-the-rotor.

Aeroacoustics↗

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

Passive Rocket Diffuser Testing: Performance Similitude Via Nozzle Contour Modification

Subscale rocket testing offers a chance to examine exhaust plume behavior and prove out auxiliary systems early in a development cycle, when the cost of design iteration remains low. Despite the utility of experimentation, perfect similitude between a rocket engine and a scaled model is unobtainable; choices must be made to prioritize the reproduction of certain parameters at the expense of others. The experimentalist’s toolkit contains a variety of techniques to achieve this selective similarity. Determination of the appropriate tool is dependent on a test series’ specific objectives, facility limitations, and financial considerations. Preservation of full nozzle geometry is crucial if its internal flow is of interest. However, subscale thrusters often serve as a simple plume source in the evaluation of adjacent phenomena: vehicle base pressures, retropropulsive flows, supersonic diffuser performance, refractory erosion, deflector cooling, impingement shock structures, etc. In such cases, it may be permissible to rework the nozzle geometry to compensate for discrepancies in subscale propellant pressure, temperature, or chemical composition. Thrust, pressure, Mach number, heat flux, and myriad other parameters can be used to ground the altered designs. Subscale diffuser testing at the full chamber pressure of flight hardware is occasionally infeasible. It is hypothesized that, absent a means of backpressure reduction, comparable performance may be obtained for a prescribed motive fluid by maintaining scaled engine mass flow and nozzle exit geometry at the expense of throat geometry, exit pressure, and Mach number. The present work offers discrete empirical support for this mass-flow-based approach to contour modification.

subscale↗

Evaluation of Silicon Carbide Pressure Sensor in Turbofan Engine Core Exhaust Nozzle

We report the results of the evaluation of single crystal 4H-silicon carbide piezoresistive pressure sensors that were directly inserted at the compressor and core exhaust nozzle exits, in shear contact with the engine-internal flow streams of the NASA DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan, where the operating temperatures at maximum power were ~230 oC, and ~460 oC, respectively. In addition to demonstrating sensor survivability during this maiden test, the frequency responses of the silicon-carbide sensors at the core-nozzle exit were compared against industry-standard silicon-based piezoresistive pressure transducers that externally placed, using an infinite-tube-probe arrangement. The low-voltage output of these early-development SiC sensors limited the frequency range with an acceptable signal-to-noise-ratio for the current application to less than about 2,500 Hz. The low output of the SiC sensors were due to a conservative burst-pressure diaphragm design that can be optimized to increase the frequency range. The results from this initial campaign offered insights to aspects of the sensor that would require further improvement, with the goal of achieving full-bandwidth capture of engine unsteady pressure fluctuations by direct interrogation of the flow field in hostile-environment engine-core components.

Silicon Carbide↗

Evaluation of SiC Pressure Sensors in Turbofan Engine Core Exhaust Nozzle

We report the results of the evaluation of single crystal 4H-silicon carbide piezoresistive pressure sensors that were directly inserted at the compressor and core exhaust nozzle exits, in shear contact with the engine-internal flow streams of the NASA DGEN Aeropropulsion Research Turbofan, where the operating temperatures at maximum power were ~230°C, and ~460°C, respectively. In addition to demonstrating sensor survivability during this maiden test, the frequency responses of the silicon-carbide sensors at the core-nozzle exit were compared against industry-standard silicon-based piezoresistive pressure transducers that externally placed, using an infinite-tube-probe arrangement. The low-voltage output of these early-development SiC sensors limited the frequency range with an acceptable signal-to-noise-ratio for the current application to less than about 2,500 Hz. The low output of the SiC sensors were due to a conservative burst-pressure diaphragm design that can be optimized to increase the frequency range. The results from this initial campaign offered insights to aspects of the sensor that would require further improvement, with the goal of achieving full-bandwidth capture of engine unsteady pressure fluctuations by direct interrogation of the flow field in hostile-environment engine-core components.

Silicon Carbide↗

AERACEPT (Aerosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology): Enabling Technology for Missions to the Venus Clouds

AERACEPT (AErosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology) is an early-stage technology allowing a single aeroshell body to act as both an entry vehicle and aerosol-sampling passive descent sonde. AERACEPT does not require heat shield separation, deployable parachutes, or descent control, thus reducing the mass, volume, and complexity of planetary aerosol sampling. AERACEPT is particularly well suited for a Venus mission, where the particles of greatest interest are within the subsonic descent regime. AERACEPT uses the aeroshell’s own velocity to drive aerosol capture and separation through a series of embedded inlets. It takes advantage of recently developed thermal protection materials (3D-CC and HEEET) in combination with heritage aerosol sampling technologies from both planetary and airborne science (high-speed inlets and particle separation). The trade space for a given descent trajectory includes the particle capture efficiency for a given size, the bias introduced in the sampled particle size and concentration distributions, and the thermal alteration experienced by the particles during their brief exposure to the internal flow environment. AERACEPT is included in the Nephele mission concept study for a small spacecraft targeting the Venus middle and lower cloud layers. Nephele complements larger missions targeting Venus atmospheric gas analysis, such as DAVINCI and Venera-D, by specifically targeting cloud and haze particles. Because of the short lifetime of the probe in the lower atmosphere, Nephele requires a fast cadence of analysis of the captured particles, and includes the VOLTR dual optical spectrometer (SERS/LIBS) as part of its notional payload. Preliminary modeling based on the Nephele trajectory at 63 km to 39 km indicates AERACEPT can limit sample heating to 30-60 K above ambient. A modified particle tracking model has been implemented to estimate capture efficiency of particles larger than 0.1 µm and total sample volume as part of an inlet and interal flow path geometry trade study. Further modeling and empirical testing is underway to improve these estimates.

AERACEPT↗

FECM/NETL Unconventional Shale Well Economic Model (UShWEM): Description and User’s Manual

FECM/NETL Unconventional Shale Well Economic Model (UShWEM) is an Excel-based model that evaluates the economics of an unconventional shale well on a per-well and per-pad basis. This document serves as the user’s manual for the model with descriptions of the procedures the user must follow to run the model. This document also describes the capabilities of the model and provides the equations that are used by the model to calculate technical quantities and key model outputs including net cash flow, internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), payout month and year, and breakeven price (for either oil- or gas-wells).

Sheriff, Alana↗

FECM/NETL Unconventional Shale Well Economic Model (UShWEM)

FECM/NETL Unconventional Shale Well Economic Model (UShWEM) is an Excel-based model that evaluates the economics of an unconventional shale well on a per-well and per-pad basis. The model calculates the net cash flow, internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), payout month and year, and breakeven price (for either oil- or gas-wells). The model can be used to estimate the economics of a well or pad over its lifetime (development through site reclamation) based on (1) the capital and operating costs associated with well/pad development and operations, (2) the revenue associated with oil, gas, and condensate production streams, and (3) accounting for relevant tax policies and asset depreciation applicable for oil and gas operations. The main input for the model is the completion design and production data. Key financial considerations in the model include oil, gas, and condensate market prices, tax-related settings, royalty rates, the discount rate, minimum economic hurdle (IRR) [if performing break-even analysis], and project contingency. The financial consideration can be adjusted to reflect the level of granularity the user requires as input when calculating the economics for a well or pad development. In addition, the model affords users the option to provide their user inputs for all cost categories considered. As a result, the model can be used to generate a multitude of scenario cases for sensitivity analysis of the various financial considerations, as well as production and cost profiles. To make this seamless, the model has the capability for key economic outputs to be exported in large batches through macros-enabled functions on its “Model Output Summary” and “Multi-Well Cost Analysis. The spreadsheet model includes macros and user-defined functions, so the user must enable Excel’s macro capability for the model to function correctly.

Sheriff, Alana↗

Multiphase Large Eddy Simulation of a Pulsed Sieve-Plate Extraction Column - 18125

Presented here is research resulting from a framework of single-phase and multiphase modelling trials. These are intended to accurately simulate the internal flow phenomena arising in pulsed sieve-plate extraction columns representative of those found in industry. Three-dimensional unsteady flow calculations using large eddy simulation coupled with dynamic sub-grid scale modelling have been used to capture the transient effects of sinusoidal flow conditions using the open source CFD code OpenFOAM{sup R}. Multiphase interface interactions are modelled using the volume of fluid method with appropriate heavy and light phase fluidic properties capturing surface tension, density and viscous effects. The system studied consists of a 150 mm diameter column with two perforated plates with a fractional free area of 25 %, operational under 1 Hz pulsing frequency at a 50 mm amplitude and plate spacing of 300 mm. The materials simulated include water (single-phase) and 3 M nitric acid and dodecane / tributyl phosphate mixture at 30 vol% (multiphase). Results are compared with appropriate correlations from literature. The dispersive mixing efficiency of the system was also evaluated via a mixing index value which allows quantification of the ratio of rotational and irrotational flow components. This study has found that the predictive methods employed are effective at capturing the different scales of turbulence present within pulsed sieve-plate extraction columns, and its influence on their operation. As such, the work highlights the ability of large eddy simulation-based modelling to predict the complex flows in such column geometries. Furthermore, the techniques employed provide valuable insight into the hydrodynamic flow characteristics and mixing mechanisms arising within pulsed sieve-plate extraction columns. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗

Holographic aids for internal combustion engine flow studies

Worldwide interest in improving the fuel efficiency of internal combustion (I.C.) engines has sparked research efforts designed to learn more about the flow processes of these engines. The flow fields must be understood prior to fuel injection in order to design efficient valves, piston geometries, and fuel injectors. Knowledge of the flow field is also necessary to determine the heat transfer to combustion chamber surfaces. Computational codes can predict velocity and turbulence patterns, but experimental verification is mandatory to justify their basic assumptions. Due to their nonintrusive nature, optical methods are ideally suited to provide the necessary velocity verification data. Optical sytems such as Schlieren photography, laser velocimetry, and illuminated particle visualization are used in I.C. engines, and now their versatility is improved by employing holography. These holographically enhanced optical techniques are described with emphasis on their applications in I.C. engines.

Regan, C.↗

Lagrangian flows within reflecting internal waves at a horizontal free-slip surface

In this paper sequel to Zhou and Diamessis [“Reflection of an internal gravity wave beam off a horizontal free-slip surface,” Phys. Fluids 25, 036601 (2013)], we consider Lagrangian flows within nonlinear internal waves (IWs) reflecting off a horizontal free-slip rigid lid, the latter being a model of the ocean surface. The problem is approached both analytically using small-amplitude approximations and numerically by tracking Lagrangian fluid particles in direct numerical simulation (DNS) datasets of the Eulerian flow. Inviscid small-amplitude analyses for both plane IWs and IW beams (IWBs) show that Eulerian mean flow due to wave-wave interaction and wave-induced Stokes drift cancels each other out completely at the second order in wave steepness A, i.e., O(A{sup 2}), implying zero Lagrangian mean flow up to that order. However, high-accuracy particle tracking in finite-Reynolds-number fully nonlinear DNS datasets from the work of Zhou and Diamessis suggests that the Euler-Stokes cancelation on O(A{sup 2}) is not complete. This partial cancelation significantly weakens the mean Lagrangian flows but does not entirely eliminate them. As a result, reflecting nonlinear IWBs produce mean Lagrangian drifts on O(A{sup 2}) and thus particle dispersion on O(A{sup 4}). The above findings can be relevant to predicting IW-driven mass transport in the oceanic surface and subsurface region which bears important observational and environmental implications, under circumstances where the effect of Earth rotation can be ignored.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

International Symposium on Fast Glacier Flow

Cryospheric Sciences Program "International Symposium on Fast Glacier Flow" (PI, C. Lingle) provided partial support for publication of Annals of Glaciology 36 by the International Glaciological Society. Annals of Glaciology is a peer-reviewed journal. Annals 36, which was published in 2003, contains 39 peer-reviewed and edited papers from the International Symposium on Fast Glacier Flow, which was held in Yakutat, Alaska, 10-14 June 2002.

Lingle, Craig S.↗