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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

Numerical Study of Interaction of a Vortical Density Inhomogeneity with Shock and Expansion Waves

We studied the interaction of a vortical density inhomogeneity (VDI) with shock and expansion waves. We call the VDI the region of concentrated vorticity (vortex) with a density different from that of ambiance. Non-parallel directions of the density gradient normal to the VDI surface and the pressure gradient across a shock wave results in an additional vorticity. The roll-up of the initial round VDI towards a non-symmetrical shape is studied numerically. Numerical modeling of this interaction is performed by a 2-D Euler code. The use of an adaptive unstructured numerical grid makes it possible to obtain high accuracy and capture regions of induced vorticity with a moderate overall number of mesh points. For the validation of the code, the computational results are compared with available experimental results and good agreement is obtained. The interaction of the VDI with a propagating shock wave is studied for a range of initial and induced circulations and obtained flow patterns are presented. The splitting of the VDI develops into the formation of a non-symmetrical vortex pair and not in a set of vortices. A method for the analytical computation of an overall induced circulation Gamma(sub 1) as a result of the interaction of a moving VDI with a number of waves is proposed. Simplified, approximated, expressions for Gamma(sub 1) are derived and their accuracy is discussed. The splitting of the VDI passing through the Prandtl-Meyer expansion wave is studied numerically. The obtained VDI patterns are compared to those for the interaction of the VDI with a propagating shock wave for the same values of initial and induced circulations. These patterns have similar shapes for corresponding time moments.

Povitsky, A.↗
NASA NTRS1997

JOVE: Program Accomplishments and Research Continuation Plans

We designed and constructed a centrifuge for high gravity materials science research. One Master's theses project on the directional solidification of Pb-Sn alloys demonstrated effects of high gravity on the fluid flow at the solid-liquid interface during processing. These results were published. Another investigation applied flow visualization techniques to image flow patterns in a water cell. This activity supported our research proposal for aqueous growth of L-Anginin Phosphate Single Crystals in a high gravity environment. This proposal was well reviewed but ultimately denied funding.

Hmelo, Anthony B.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Microgravity Experiments and Numerical Modeling of Rotating Buoyant Convection in a Spherical Shell with Latitudinal Thermal Gradients

The results of numerical model calculations are compared with space laboratory experiments for rotating, thermally driven flow in a hemispherical shell, and various flow regimes are described. A spherically symmetric body force, analogous to gravity, is imposed in the radial direction through the use of a dielectric fluid and an electrostatic potential difference across the gap. The spherical boundaries are maintained at constant temperature profiles (with the pole and the inner sphere being the warmer surfaces), and the equatorial wall is an insulator. Typical parameter combinations result in highly nonlinear, but laminar, flow. For weak enough buoyant forcing, the flow is axisymmetric. It consists of a single meridional cell, rising in warm latitudes (in this case, near the pole) and sinking in cool latitudes, with prograde flow in the equatorial region and near the inner hemisphere for other latitudes, and retrograde motion elsewhere. For fast rotation, the first transition due to the instability of this simple flow is also axisymmetric, consisting of rings of convection in the polar region, which propagate poleward. The first nonaxisymmetric convection occurs at Rayleigh numbers which increase with rotation rate. The form of the convection near the transition also depends upon the rate of rotation. Selected flow patterns near the transition as well as those beyond it are studied numerically. For those cases where there exist laboratory experiments with which to compare, the numerical and experimental results agree very well.

Leslie, Fred W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

A Search for Giant Convection Cells on the Sun

Giant convection cells (slow, long-lived cellular flows in the Sun's convection zone with typical diameters greater than about 100,000 km) have been the subject of many searches over the last 30 years. If such flows exist, they should play a key role in structuring the Sun's large scale magnetic field and in driving the large scale axisymmetric flows: the differential rotation and meridional circulation. Detailed observations of the flows in these cells may also allow us to better predict future magnetic field configurations and the solar activity associated with them. Line-of-sight velocity data from the Michelson Doppler Interferometer on the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory provides us with new opportunities to search for giant cells. This data is free of any atmospheric distortion and has been obtained continuously without any day/night gaps for more than two months at a time. These two-month datasets are important because giant cells are expected to have lifetimes somewhat longer that the Sun's 27 day rotation period. Any reappearance of a flow pattern after 27 days would be an important confirmation of the existence of these cells. The approach taken in this search is to separate the giant cell velocity signal from the other, stronger velocity signals by using a spherical harmonic representation of the spatial structures and a fourier decomposition of the temporal behavior. Any giant cell signal should be characterized by low spatial wavenumbers with temporal frequencies appropriate to the solar rotation of these patterns.

Hathaway, David H.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Code Development for Unsteady Inlet Flows using Parallel Processing, Iced Airfoils

As a part of an effort for the development of an "Integrated Solution Process for Iced Airfoils" which combines a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code and an ice accretion code for accurate prediction of ice growth and performance degradation, a study on the effect of iced-geometry-smoothing was initiated. As a first step in this study, the degree of smoothing was defined by the number of control points for the given iced airfoil geometry. Then, reducing these number of control points in a systematical way provided various degrees of grid generation. This study will be continued by comparing CFD computed data such as pressure, lift, drag, flow separation, and wake flow patterns between the iced airfoils against any existing experimental data.

Chung, Joongkee↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Study of Flame Propagation on Water-Mist Laden Gas Mixtures in Microgravity

The use of water mists (very fine water sprays) for fire suppression is currently receiving increased attention as a replacement technology for halogen-based chemical agents-such as Halon 1301 (CF3Br)--the manufacturing of which has been banned by the Montreal Protocol due to their high ozone depletion potential. Water mist technology has been found effective for a wide range of applications such as Class B pool fires, shipboard machinery, aircraft cabins, computers, and electronic equipment. There are five distinct mechanisms by which water droplets may interact with a flame. First, the high enthalpy of vaporization of water (2450 kJ/kg) leads to heat removal from the flame front as the liquid droplets turn to steam. Second, as water vaporizes its volume increases approximately three orders of magnitude, which leads to the dilution of the oxygen and vaporized fuel required to maintain the flame. The third effect is the recombination of H-atoms and other radicals on the droplet surface. A fourth effect of water mists in fires is the retardation of surface propagation rates due to the wetting of walls and surfaces. The last potential impact of fine water mists affects the radiative propagation of the fire by forming an optically thick barrier to infrared radiation which prevents ignition of the unburned regions. Unfortunately, little fundamental information exists on the interaction of a flame with a water mist. To date, there is no widely accepted interpretation of the critical concentration of droplets required to suppress a flame or of the fundamental mechanisms involved in flame extinguishment by water mists. One of the main obstacles to obtaining such understanding is the difficulty of providing a simple, well-defined experimental setup for the flame front/water mist interaction. Some of the difficulty stems from the problem of generating, distributing and maintaining a homogeneous concentration of droplets throughout a chamber while gravity depletes the concentration and alters the droplet size by coalescence and agglomeration mechanisms. Experiments conducted in the absence of gravity provide an ideal environment to study the interaction of water mists and flames by eliminating these distorting effects. In addition, microgravity eliminates the complex flow patterns induced between the flame front and the water droplets. The long duration and quality of microgravity in space flights provide the required conditions to perform the setup and monitoring of flame suppression experiments. Consequently, a series of experiments have been identified to be performed on the Combustion Module (CM-2) in the Space Shuttle. These consist of measuring the extinguishing capability of a water mist on a premixed flame propagating along a tube. These experiments should provide the necessary data to obtain further understanding of the water mist suppression phenomena that can be later used to design and manufacture appropriate fire suppression systems. In preparation for the orbital flights, experiments have been conducted on low-gravity ground facilities to obtain the preliminary data necessary to define the scientific objectives and technical issues of the spacecraft experiments.

Abbud-Madrid, A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Surface Tension and Viscosity Measurements in Microgravity: Some Results and Fluid Flow Observations during MSL-1

The viscosity of a liquid metal was successfully measured for the first time by a containerless method, the oscillating drop technique. This method also provides a means to obtain a precise, non-contact measurement of the surface tension of the droplet. This technique involves exciting the surface of the molten sample and then measuring the resulting oscillations; the natural frequency of the oscillating sample is determined by its surface tension, and the damping of the oscillations by the viscosity. These measurements were performed in TEMPUS, a microgravity electromagnetic levitator (EML), on the Space Shuttle as a part of the First Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1), which flew in April and July 1997 (STS-83 and STS-94). Some results of the surface tension and viscosity measurements are presented for Pd82Si18. Some observations of the fluid dynamic characteristics (dominant flow patterns, turbulent transition, cavitation, etc.) of levitated droplets are presented and discussed together with magnetohydrodynamic calculations, which were performed to justify these findings.

Hyer, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Role of Marangoni Convection for the FZ-Growth of Silicon

Fluctuations of the electrical resistivity due to inhomogeneous dopant distribution are still a serious problem for the industrial processing yield of doped silicon crystals. In the case of silicon floating-zone growth, the main sources of these inhomogeneities are time- dependent flows in the liquid phase during the growth process. Excluding radio frequency (RF) induced convection, buoyancy and thermocapillary (Marangoni) convection are the two natural reasons for fluid flow. Both originate from temperature/concentration gradients in the melt, buoyancy convection through thermal/concentrational volume expansion, and thermocapillary convection through the temperature/concentration dependence of the surface tension. To improve the properties of grown crystals, knowledge of the strength, the characteristic, and the relation of these two flow mechanisms is essential. By the use of microgravity, the effect and the strength of buoyancy (gravity dependent) and thermocapillary (gravity independent) convection can be separated and clarified. Applying magnetic fields, both convective modes can be influenced: fluid flow can either be damped (static magnetic fields) or overlaid by a regular flow regime (rotating magnetic fields). Two complementary approaches have been pursued: Silicon full zones (experiments on the German sounding rockets TEXUS 7, 12, 22, 29, and 36) with the maximum temperature at half of the zone height and silicon half zones (experiments on the Japanese sounding rockets TR-IA4 and 6) with the maximum temperature at the top of the melt. With the full zone arrangement, the intensity and the frequency of the dopant striations could be determined and the critical Marangoni number could be identified. The half zone configuration is suited to classify the flow pattern and to measure the amplitude and the frequency of temperature fluctuations in the melt by inserting thermocouples or temperature sensors into the melt. All experiments have been carried out in monoellipsoid mirror furnaces. Typical zone geometries are approx. 8 to 14 mm in diameter and height. The crystals grown under microgravity are compared to crystals grown in static axial magnetic fields (B<5 tesla) and in transversal rotating magnetic fields (B<7.5 mT / f=50 Hz). Experimental results are completed by 3D numerical simulations: the obtained temperature and concentration distribution in the melt confirm the damping effect of rotating magnetic fields and explain the change in the radial segregation under static magnetic fields.

Dold, P.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Dimensionless Numbers Expressed in Terms of Common CVD Process Parameters

A variety of dimensionless numbers related to momentum and heat transfer are useful in Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) analysis. These numbers are not traditionally calculated by directly using reactor operating parameters, such as temperature and pressure. In this paper, these numbers have been expressed in a form that explicitly shows their dependence upon the carrier gas, reactor geometry, and reactor operation conditions. These expressions were derived for both monatomic and diatomic gases using estimation techniques for viscosity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity. Values calculated from these expressions compared well to previously published values. These expressions provide a relatively quick method for predicting changes in the flow patterns resulting from changes in the reactor operating conditions.

Kuczmarski, Maria A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Predicting Turbulent Convective Heat Transfer in Three-Dimensional Duct Flows

The performance of an explicit algebraic stress model is assessed in predicting the turbulent flow and forced heat transfer in straight ducts, with square, rectangular, trapezoidal and triangular cross-sections, under fully developed conditions over a range of Reynolds numbers. Iso-thermal conditions are imposed on the duct walls and the turbulent heat fluxes are modeled by gradient-diffusion type models. At high Reynolds numbers (>/= 10(exp 5)), wall functions are used for the velocity and temperature fields; while at low Reynolds numbers damping functions are introduced into the models. Hydraulic parameters such as friction factor and Nusselt number are well predicted even when damping functions are used, and the present formulation imposes minimal demand on the number of grid points without any convergence or stability problems. Comparison between the models is presented in terms of the hydraulic parameters, friction factor and Nusselt number, as well as in terms of the secondary flow patterns occurring within the ducts.

Rokni, M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mars Electromagnetic Sounding Experiment: MARSES

The MARSES is the sounding instrument developed of searching for water, water-ice or permafrost layers existing in some depth under the visible surface of Mars. There are many evidences that water once was abundant on Mars. There are stream lined islands formed by flowing water, flow patterns reminiscent of wadis in Earth deserts, and outflow channels thought to have been formed by sudden outrush of subterranean water. The secondary task is to measure the soil properties of the subsurface of Mars, which include porosity, electrical resistance of the liquid phase, thermal conductivity, temperature dependence. A main task of the MARSES system is to examine changes in subsurface properties of local areas regolith on the martian surface, and to relate them to optical images and other remote sensing data in order to understand the nature of different terrain forms. The dryed up regions of Martian frozen rocks is considered to have been developing during more than 3.5 bln years, so the upper layer boundary of permafrost can serve as an indicator reflecting the course of martian paleoclimate evolution. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Ozorovich, Y. R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Microgravity Propellant Tank Geyser Analysis and Prediction

An established correlation for geyser height prediction of an axial jet inflow into a microgravity propellant tank was analyzed and an effort to develop an improved correlation was made. The original correlation, developed using data from ethanol flow in small-scale drop tower tests, uses the jet-Weber number and the jet-Bond number to predict geyser height. A new correlation was developed from the same set of experimental data using the jet-Weber number and both the jet-Bond number and tank-Bond number to describe the geyser formation. The resulting correlation produced nearly a 40% reduction in geyser height predictive error compared to the original correlation with experimental data. Two additional tanks were computationally modeled in addition to the small-scale tank used in the drop tower testing. One of these tanks was a 50% enlarged small-scale tank and the other a full-scale 2 m radius tank. Simulations were also run for liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Results indicated that the new correlation outperformed the original correlation in geyser height prediction under most circumstances. The new correlation has also shown a superior ability to recognize the difference between flow patterns II (geyser formation only) and III (pooling at opposite end of tank from the bulk fluid region).

Thornton, Randall J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Surface Drainage on Mars

The role of water on Mars bears directly on investigations crossing a wide range of disciplines, including geomorphology, geochemistry, and biology. We have calculated the potential flow patterns of water using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topographic data. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Banerdt, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Numerical Simulations and Diagnostic Studies of Meteorological Conditions During PEM-Tropics B

Provides a final report on the work accomplished by several meteorological scientists under a NASA grant in conjunction with the DC-8 component of Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM)-Tropics B. The responsibilities of the principal investigator included collaboration with the Science Team on flight planning, presentation of forecasts, and the preparation of map discussions for each flight. In a published manuscript, the principal investigator summarized the meteorological conditions during PEM-TB which included mean flow patterns, subtropical anticyclones, the South Pacific Convergence Zone (SPCZ), and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Methodologies used included streamlines, ten day backward trajectories, thermodynamic soundings, and satellite imagery. Other interests included air sampling for the purpose of determining pollution levels.

Fuelberg, Henry E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Experimental Evaluation of the Effect of Angle-of-attack on the External Aerodynamics and Mass Capture of a Symmetric Three-engine Air-breathing Launch Vehicle Configuration at Supersonic Speeds

A subscale aerodynamic model of the GTX air-breathing launch vehicle was tested at NASA Glenn Research Center's 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel from Mach 2.0 to 3.5 at various angles-of-attack. The objective of the test was to investigate the effect of angle-of-attack on inlet mass capture, inlet diverter effectiveness, and the flowfield at the cowl lip plane. The flow-through inlets were tested with and without boundary-layer diverters. Quantitative measurements such as inlet mass flow rates and pitot-pressure distributions in the cowl lip plane are presented. At a 3deg angle-of-attack, the flow rates for the top and side inlets were within 8 percent of the zero angle-of-attack value, and little distortion was evident at the cowl lip plane. Surface oil flow patterns showing the shock/boundary-layer interaction caused by the inlet spikes are shown. In addition to inlet data, vehicle forebody static pressure distributions, boundary-layer profiles, and temperature-sensitive paint images to evaluate the boundary-layer transition are presented. Three-dimensional parabolized Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics calculations of the forebody flowfield are presented and show good agreement with the experimental static pressure distributions and boundary-layer profiles. With the boundary-layer diverters installed, no adverse aerodynamic phenomena were found that would prevent the inlets from operating at the required angles-of-attack. We recommend that phase 2 of the test program be initiated, where inlet contraction ratio and diverter geometry variations will be tested.

Kim, Hyun D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Three-Dimensional Simulations of Mantle Convection in Io

Io has very high surface heat flow and an abundance of volcanic activity, which are thought to be driven by nonuniform tidal heating in its interior. This nonuniform heat is transported to the base of the lithosphere by very vigorous convection in Io's silicate mantle, the form of which is presumably responsible for the distribution of surface features such as volcanoes and mountains. We here present three-dimensional spherical calculations of mantle convection in Io, in order to ascertain the likely form of this convection and the resulting distribution of heat flow at the surface and core-mantle boundary. Different models of tidal dissipation are considered: the endmember scenarios (identified by M. N. Ross and G. Schubert) of dissipation in the entire mantle, or dissipation in a thin (approximately 100-km-thick) asthenosphere, as well as the 'preferred' distribution of M. N. Ross et al. comprising 1/3 mantle and 2/3 asthenosphere heating. The thermal structure of Io's mantle and asthenosphere is found to be strongly dependent on tidal heating mode, as well as whether the mantle-asthenosphere boundary is permeable or impermeable. Results indicate a large-scale flow pattern dominated by the distribution of tidal heating, with superimposed small-scale asthenospheric instabilities that become more pronounced with increasing Rayleigh number. These small-scale instabilities spread out the surface heat flux, resulting in smaller heat flux variations with increasing Rayleigh number. Scaled to Io's Rayleigh number of O(10(exp 12)) variations of order a few percent are expected. This small but significant variation in surface heat flux may be compatible with the observed distributions of volcanic centers and mountains, which appear fairly uniform at first sight but display a discernible distribution when suitably processed. The observed distribution of volcanic centers is similar to the asthenosphere heating distribution, implying that most of the tidal heating in Io occurs in an asthenosphere.

Tackley, Paul J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Airspace Complexity and its Application in Air Traffic Management

The United States Air Traffic Management (ATM) system provides services to enable safe, orderly and efficient aircraft operations within the airspace over the continental United States and over large portions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the Gulf of Mexico. It consists of two components, Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Traffic Flow Management (TFM). The ATC function ensures that the aircraft within the airspace are separated at all times while the TFM function organizes the aircraft into a flow pattern to ensure their safe and efficient movement. In order to accomplish the ATC and TFM functions, the airspace over United States is organized into 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). The Center airspace is stratified into low-altitude, high-altitude and super-high altitude groups of Sectors. Each vertical layer is further partitioned into several horizontal Sectors. A typical ARTCC airspace is partitioned into 20 to 80 Sectors. These Sectors are the basic control units within the ATM system.

Sridhar, Banavar↗
NASA NTRS1999

Fundamental Study of Material Flow in Friction Stir Welds

The presented research project consists of two major parts. First, the material flow in solid-state, friction stir, butt-welds as been investigated using a marker insert technique. Changes in material flow due to welding parameter as well as tool geometry variations have been examined for different materials. The method provides a semi-quantitative, three-dimensional view of the material transport in the welded zone. Second, a FSW process model has been developed. The fully coupled model is based on fluid mechanics; the solid-state material transport during welding is treated as a laminar, viscous flow of a non-Newtonian fluid past a rotating circular cylinder. The heat necessary for the material softening is generated by deformation of the material. As a first step, a two-dimensional model, which contains only the pin of the FSW tool, has been created to test the suitability of the modeling approach and to perform parametric studies of the boundary conditions. The material flow visualization experiments agree very well with the predicted flow field. Accordingly, material within the pin diameter is transported only in the rotation direction around the pin. Due to the simplifying assumptions inherent in the 2-D model, other experimental data such as forces on the pin, torque, and weld energy cannot be directly used for validation. However, the 2-D model predicts the same trends as shown in the experiments. The model also predicts a deviation from the "normal" material flow at certain combinations of welding parameters, suggesting a possible mechanism for the occurrence of some typical FSW defects. The next step has been the development of a three-dimensional process model. The simplified FSW tool has been designed as a flat shoulder rotating on the top of the workpiece and a rotating, cylindrical pin, which extends throughout the total height of the flow domain. The thermal boundary conditions at the tool and at the contact area to the backing plate have been varied to fit experimental data such as temperature profiles, torque and tool forces. General aspects of the experimentally visualized material flow pattern are confirmed by the 3-D model.

Reynolds, Anthony P.↗