Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Flow Forming”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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

At least 703 records · Page 39

Investigation of viscous/inviscid interaction in transonic flow over airfoils with suction

The viscous/inviscid interaction over transonic airfoils with and without suction is studied. The streamline angle at the edge of the boundary layer is used to couple the viscous and inviscid flows. The potential flow equations are solved for the inviscid flow field. In the shock region, the Euler equations are solved using the method of integral relations. For this, the potential flow solution is used as the initial and boundary conditions. An integral method is used to solve the laminar boundary-layer equations. Since both methods are integral methods, a continuous interaction is allowed between the outer inviscid flow region and the inner viscous flow region. To avoid the Goldstein singularity near the separation point the laminar boundary-layer equations are derived in an inverse form to obtain solution for the flows with small separations. The displacement thickness distribution is specified instead of the usual pressure distribution to solve the boundry-layer equations. The Euler equations are solved for the inviscid flow using the finite volume technique and the coupling is achieved by a surface transpiration model. A method is developed to apply a minimum amount of suction that is required to have an attached flow on the airfoil. The turbulent boundary layer equations are derived using the bi-logarithmic wall law for mass transfer. The results are found to be in good agreement with available experimental data and with the results of other computational methods.

Vemuru, C. S.↗

A high Reynolds number numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes equations in stream function-vorticity form

Problems encoutered in investigations of high Reynolds number, incompressible flow are reviewed. A numerical solution computer program was modified to solve the stream function-vorticity form of the Navier-Stokes equations. Using a body fitted coordinate system with a U-shaped outer boundary, a simulation of incompressible flow at a Reynolds number of one million and a body angle of attack of zero was achieved.

Bearden, J. H.↗

System and methods for fabricating boron nitride nanostructures

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to boron nitride nanomaterials. In one aspect, a method includes generating a directed flow of plasma. A boron-containing species is introduced to the directed flow of the plasma. Boron nitride nanostructures are formed in a chamber. In another aspect, a method includes generating a directed flow of plasma using nitrogen gas. A boron-containing species is introduced to the directed flow of the plasma. The boron-containing species can consist of boron powder, boron nitride powder, and/or boron oxide powder. Boron nitride nanostructures are formed in a chamber, with a pressure in the chamber being about 3 atmospheres or greater.

Fathalizadeh, Aidin↗

Stochastic forcing of perturbation variance in unbounded shear and deformation flows

An alternative mechanism for growth and maintenance of perturbation variance - amplification in a straining flow of stochastically forced perturbations in the absence of exponential instabilities - is explored, using as examples unbounded constant shear and pure deformation flow for which closed-form solutions are available and neither of which support a nonsingular mode. With diffusive dissipation, amplification of isotropic band-limited stochastic driving is found to be unbounded for the case of pure deformation and to be bounded by a threefold increase at large shear for the case of a linear velocity profile. It is concluded that amplification of stochastic forcing in a straining field can maintain a variance field substantially more energetic than that resulting from the same forcing in the absence of a background straining flow.

Farrell, Brian F.↗

Chronology, morphology and stratigraphy of pumiceous pyroclastic-flow (ignimbrite) deposits from the eruption of Mount St. Helens on 18 May 1983

Between 1217 and 1620 hours (PDT), on May 18, 1980, the magmatic eruption column of Mount St. Helens formed an ash fountain and pyroclastic flows dominated the eruption process over tephra ejection. Eurption-rate pulsations generally increased to a maximum at 1600 to 1700 hrs. After 1620 hrs, the eruption assumed an open-vent discharge with strong, vertical ejection of tephra. Relative eruption rates (relative mass flux rates) of the pyroclastic flows were determined by correlating sequential photographs and SLAR images, obtained during the eruption, with stratigraphy and surface morphology of the deposits.

Criswell, C. W.↗

Spontaneous formation of knots in relativistic flows - A model for variability in compact synchrotron sources

A model is proposed in which regions of enhanced synchrotron emission are formed via radiative thermal instabilities in relativistic flows. A perturbed volume in which the magnetic field is enhanced by a few tens of a percent relative to the steady value collapses due to the increased cooling rate and consequent loss in pressure. The collapse further increases the magnetic field, leading to even shorter radiative lifetimes. The instability progresses in this way until either the external electron pressure is balanced by the perturbed magnetic pressure or the overall expansion of the flow becomes important. A fluid-dynamical treatment of the instability is performed, and the results are shown to apply to flux variations and formation of knots in the relativistic flows which are thought to occur in quasars and active galactic nuclei. The knots possess the same kinematic properties as the collimated flow and can thus be responsible for the apparent superluminal motions observed in compact radio sources.

Marscher, A. P.↗

Overlapping grids for flow field calculations

Many problems in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) involve the calculation of flow fields within or around complex geometric configurations. The flow solution is computed on a computational grid. The construction of the grid is one of the major difficulties in the application of CFD to the analysis of flow about actual aircraft configurations. Due to geometric complexity, the grid has to be constructed in simple subregions and then all of these subgrids have to be pieced together to form a complete grid for the entire flow field. The entire grid, which is called a composite grid because it is formed from many parts, may have common regions. In either case, the computation of the flow field, using any numerical algorithm, will require the transfer of information between individual subgrids. The transfer of information is more difficult with overlapping grids. Algorithms have been developed and tested for automating the transfer of information between two overlapping grids.

Mastin, Charles Wayne↗

Measurements of Temperature and Enthalpy in NASA Ames 60-MW Arcjet using Atomic Oxygen and Atomic Nitrogen Absorption

We report on measurements of temperature and enthalpy in the 60-MW Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) Arcjet at the NASA Ames Research Center. These quantities were measured at sub-second temporal resolution using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, employing four Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers to simultaneously probe the arcjet flow. Optical access was achieved through a specially-designed optical disk mounted in series with the modules of the arc heater in the add-air plenum of the column, which is positioned between the downstream electrodes and the nozzle. Gas at this measurement location serves as the reservoir condition for the ensuing supersonic expansion. Conditions in the reservoir are extreme, with temperatures between 5000-8000 K and pressures between 1-9 atm. Absorption from the 5S state of atomic oxygen at 777.2 nm and the 4P state of atomic nitrogen at 868.0 nm, two electronically-excited quantum states, formed the basis of the flow characterization measurements. Fiber-coupled laser light was pitched through the IHF via 1/8" ports in the optical disks, permitting optical access with minimal intrusion to the flow. Data was collected at 3 nominal conditions, a Low condition (1600 A, 2000 V, 0.13 kg/s), a Medium condition (3500 A, 5700 V, 0.61 kg/s), and a High condition (5900 A, 6800 V, 0.84 kg/s). Measurements suggest agreement within 1-2% between excited oxygen and excited nitrogen thermometry, indicating approximate thermal and chemical equilibration of the arcjet reservoir state, a result in keeping with long-standing assumptions of CFD modelling. Spatial gradients are found in the flow due to enthalpy loss to the facility walls, but the measured spatial non-uniformities are consistent with axi-symmetry. Measurements of specific enthalpy in the reservoir are also made utilizing excited oxygen and excited nitrogen absorption under the assumption of chemical equilibration.

Peter M. Finch↗

Applications of the contravariant form of the Navier-Stokes equations

The contravariant Navier-Stokes equations in weak conservation form are well suited to certain fluid flow analysis problems. Three dimensional contravariant momentum equations may be used to obtain Navier-Stokes equations in weak conservation form on a nonplanar two dimensional surface with varying streamsheet thickness. Thus a three dimensional flow can be simulated with two dimensional equations to obtain a quasi-three dimensional solution for viscous flow. When the Navier-Stokes equations on the two dimensional nonplanar surface are transformed to a generalized body fitted mesh coordinate system, the resulting equations are similar to the equations for a body fitted mesh coordinate system on the Euclidean plane. Contravariant momentum components are also useful for analyzing compressible, three dimensional viscous flow through an internal duct by parabolic marching. This type of flow is efficiently analyzed by parabolic marching methods, where the streamwise momentum equation is uncoupled from the two crossflow momentum equations. This can be done, even for ducts with a large amount of turning, if the Navier-Stokes equations are written with contravariant components.

Katsanis, T.↗

Time-dependent profiles of lava flows

This work investigates the combined effects of a time-dependent effusion rate and a spatially varying viscosity on the thickness profile of a flowing lava. Relatively simple governing equations are formulated as a primitive dynamical model for these two influences on lava flow morphology. Free boundary solutions for the profile of the flow and its extent are presented and analyzed for different boundary conditions at the source of the flow and several models for the spatial dependence of the viscosity. The results presented here suggest that time dependence in the flow depth at the source and the form of the viscosity variation are significant influences on the morphology and dimensions of lava flows. Moreover, this analysis implies that time-dependent source conditions may contribute to the scatter in plots of eruption rate versus flow length and disparities between field and laboratory estimates of lava viscosity.

Baloga, Stephen↗

A comparative study of Navier-Stokes codes for high-speed flows

A comparative study was made with four different codes for solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations using three different test problems. The first of these cases was hypersonic flow through the P8 inlet, which represents inlet configurations typical of a hypersonic airbreathing vehicle. The free-stream Mach number in this case was 7.4. This 2-D inlet was designed to provide an internal compression ratio of 8. Initial calculations were made using two state-of-the-art finite-volume upwind codes, CFL3D and USA-PG2, as well as NASCRIN, a code which uses the unsplit finite-difference technique of MacCormack. All of these codes used the same algebraic eddy-viscosity turbulence model. In the experiment, the cowl lip was slightly blunted; however, for the computations, a sharp cowl leading edge was used to simplify the construction of the grid. The second test problem was the supersonic (Mach 3.0) flow in a three-dimensional corner formed by the intersection of two wedges with equal wedge angles of 9.48 degrees. The flow in such a corner is representative of the flow in the corners of a scramjet inlet. Calculations were made for both laminar and turbulent flow and compared with experimental data. The three-dimensional versions of the three codes used for the inlet study (CFL3D, USA-PG3, and SCRAMIN, respectively) were used for this case. For the laminar corner flow, a fourth code, LAURA, which also uses recently-developed upwind technology, was also utilized. The final test case is the two-dimensional hypersonic flow over a compression ramp. The flow is laminar with a free-stream Mach number of 14.1. In the experiment, the ramp angle was varied to change the strength of the ramp shock and the extent of the viscous-inviscid interaction. Calculations were made for the 24-degree ramp configuration which produces a large separated-flow region that extends upstream of the corner.

Rudy, David H.↗

Magnetoplasmadynamic thruster flows: Problems and progress

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: overall strategy for magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thruster development; high power MPD flows; moderate power MPD thrusters and components; qualitative spectroscopic studies of magnetic nozzle flow; hollow cathode studies; and anode flow studies.

Turchi, Peter J.↗

Nonlinear spatial evolution of inviscid instabilities on hypersonic boundary layers

The spatial development of an initially linear vorticity-mode instability on a compressible flat-plate boundary layer is considered. The analysis is done in the framework of the hypersonic limit where the free-stream Mach number M approaches infinity. Nonlinearity is shown to become important locally, in a thin critical layer, when sigma, the deviation of the phase speed from unity, becomes o(M(exp -8/7)) and the magnitude of the pressure fluctuations becomes 0(sigma(exp 5/2)M(exp 2)). The unsteady flow outside the critical layer takes the form of a linear instability wave but with its amplitude completely determined by the nonlinear flow within the critical layer. The coupled set of equations which govern the critical-layer dynamics reflect a balance between spatial-evolution, (linear and nonlinear) convection and nonlinear vorticity-generation terms. The numerical solution to these equations shows that nonlinear effects produce a dramatic reduction in the instability-wave amplitude.

Wundrow, David W.↗

Heat conduction fronts in planetary nebulae

We present arguments which suggest that many of the x-ray, some optical, and some UV observations of planetary nebulae, can be explained by the presence of heat conduction fronts. The heat flows from the hot bubble formed by the shocked fast wind to the cool shell and halo. Heat conduction fronts are likely to account for emission of x rays from plasma at lower temperature than the expected temperature of the hot bubble. In the presence of magnetic fields, only a small fraction of the fast wind luminosity emerges as radiation. Heat conduction fronts can naturally produce some unusual line flux ratios, which are observed in some planetary nebulae. Heat conduction fronts may heat the halo and cause some material at the inner surface of the shell to expand slower than the rest of the shell. In the presence of an asymmetrical magnetic field, this flow, the x-ray intensity, and the emission lines, may acquire asymmetrical structure as well.

Soker, Noam↗

On the downstream boundary conditions for the vorticity-stream function formulation of two-dimensional incompressible flows

Downstream boundary conditions equivalent to the homogeneous form of the natural boundary conditions associated with the velocity-pressure formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations are derived for the vorticity-stream function formulation of two-dimensional incompressible flows. Of particular interest are the zero normal and shear stress conditions at a downstream boundary.

Tezduyar, T. E.↗

Mobility power flow analysis of coupled plate structure subjected to mechanical and acoustic excitation

The mobility power flow approach that was previously applied in the derivation of expressions for the vibrational power flow between coupled plate substructures forming an L configuration and subjected to mechanical loading is generalized. Using the generalized expressions, both point and distributed mechanical loads on one or both of the plates can be considered. The generalized approach is extended to deal with acoustic excitation of one of the plate substructures. In this case, the forces (acoustic pressures) acting on the structure are dependent on the response of the structure because of the scattered pressure component. The interaction between the plate structure and the acoustic fluid leads to the derivation of a corrected mode shape for the plates' normal surface velocity and also for the structure mobility functions. The determination of the scattered pressure components in the expressions for the power flow represents an additional component in the power flow balance for the source plate and the receiver plate. This component represents the radiated acoustical power from the plate structure. For a number of coupled plate substrates, the acoustic pressure generated by one substructure will interact with the motion of another substructure. That is, in the case of the L-shaped plate, acoustic interaction exists between the two plate substructures due to the generation of the acoustic waves by each of the substructures. An approach to deal with this phenomena is described.

Cuschieri, J. M.↗

The application of potential flow theory to the rotational dynamics of spheroids, disks, and cylinders

An example for the considered phenomenon in the area of cloud microphysics is the rotational motion of ice particles as they fall through the air. Of fundamental importance for the general problem is a knowledge of the magnitude of the torque exerted by the fluid on the translating object as well as the frequency of the rotational oscillation which results from this torque. The present investigation has the objective to obtain estimates of these quantities, and to assess the accuracy of these estimates. Torques and oscillation frequencies for spheroidal objects immersed in flow are computed for potential flow and compared to measured values. The results form a consistent picture in which the ratios of measured to potential flow values are always less than 1 but generally greater than 0.1. The reason for this is described in terms of the well-known deviations of real flow from potential flow. The reported results are of academic interest in filling a gap in the knowledge regarding the applicability of potential flow.

Weinheimer, A. J.↗