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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 793 records · Page 44

Abort performance for a winged-body single-stage to orbit vehicle

Optimal control theory is employed to determine the performance of abort to orbit (ATO) and return to launch site (RTLS) maneuvers for a single-stage to orbit vehicle. The vehicle configuration examined is a seven engine, winged-body vehicle, that lifts-off vertically and lands horizontally. The abort maneuvers occur as the vehicle ascends to orbit and are initiated when the vehicle suffers an engine failure. The optimal control problems are numerically solved in discretized form via a nonlinear programming (NLP) algorithm. A description highlighting the attributes of this NLP method is provided. ATO maneuver results show that the vehicle is capable of ascending to orbit with a single engine failure at lift-off. Two engine out ATO maneuvers are not possible from the launch pad, but are possible after launch when the thrust to weight ratio becomes sufficiently large. Results show that single engine out RTLS maneuvers can be made for up to 180 seconds after lift-off and that there are scenarios for which RTLS maneuvers should be performed instead of ATP maneuvers.

Lyon, Jeffery A.↗

Unsteady pressure loads in a generic high speed engine model

Unsteady pressure loads were measured along the top interior wall of a generic high-speed engine (GHSE) model undergoing performance tests in the combustion-Heated Scramjet Test Facility at the Langley Research Center. Flow to the model inlet was simulated at 72000 ft and a flight Mach number of 4. The inlet Mach number was 3.5 with a total temperature and pressure of 1640 R and 92 psia. The unsteady pressure loads were measured with 5 piezoresistive gages, recessed into the wall 4 to 12 gage diameters to reduce incident heat flux to the diaphragms, and distributed from the inlet to the combustor. Contributors to the unsteady pressure loads included boundary layer turbulence, combustion noise, and transients generated by unstart loads. Typical turbulent boundary layer rms pressures in the inlet ranged from 133 dB in the inlet to 181 dB in the combustor over the frequency range from 0 to 5 kHz. Downstream of the inlet exist, combustion noise was shown to dominate boundary layer turbulence noise at increased heat release rates. Noise levels in the isolator section increased by 15 dB when the fuel-air ratio was increased from 0.37 to 0.57 of the stoichiometric ratio. Transient pressure disturbances associated with engine unstarts were measured in the inlet and have an upstream propagation speed of about 7 ft/sec and pressure jumps of at least 3 psia.

Parrott, Tony L.↗

Air-sampling inlet contamination by aircraft emissions on the NASA CV-990 aircraft

Results of an experimental investigation of the contamination of air sampling inlets by aircraft emissions from the NASA CV-990 research aircraft are presented. This four-engine jet aircraft is a NASA facility used for many different atmospheric and meteorological experiments, as well as for developing spacecraft instrumentation for remote measurements. Our investigations were performed to provide information on which to base the selection of sampling locations for a series of multi-instrument missions for measuring tropospheric trace gases. The major source of contamination is the exhaust from the jet engines, which generate many of the same gases that are of interest in atmospheric chemistry, as well as other gases that may interfere with sampling measurements. The engine exhaust contains these gases in mixing ratios many orders of magnitude greater than those that occur in the clean atmosphere which the missions seek to quantify. Pressurized samples of air were collected simultaneously from a scoop located forward of the engines to represent clean air and from other multiport scoops at various aft positions on the aircraft. The air samples were analyzed in the laboratory by gas chromatography for carbon monoxide, an abundant combustion by-product. Data are presented for various scoop locations under various flight conditions.

Condon, E. P.↗

The Effect of Supercharger Capacity on Engine and Airplane Performance

This report presents the results of an investigation to determine the effect of different supercharger capacities on the performance of an airplane and its engine . The tests were conducted on a DH4-M2 airplane powered with a Liberty 12 engine. In this investigation four supercharger capacities, obtained by driving a roots type supercharger at 1.615, 1.957, 2.4, and 3 time engine speed, were used to maintain sea-level pressure at the carburetor to altitudes of 7,000, 11,500, 17,000, and 22,000 feet, respectively. The performance of the airplane in climb and in level flight was determined for each of the four supercharger drive ratios and for the unsupercharged condition. The engine power was measured during these tests by means of a calibrated propeller. It was found that very little sacrifice in sea-level performance was experienced with the larger supercharger drive ratios as compared with performance obtained when using the smaller drive ratios. The results indicate that further increase in supercharger capacity over that obtained when using 3:1 drive ratio would give a slight increase in ceiling and in high-altitude performance but would considerably impair the performance for an appreciable distance below the critical altitude. As the supercharger capacity was increased, the height at which sea-level high speeds could be equaled or improved became a larger percentage of the maximum height of operation of the airplane.

Schey, O W↗

The Viking Orbiter 1975 beryllium INTEREGEN rocket engine assembly.

Description of the conversion of the Mariner 9 rocket engine for Viking Orbiter use. Engine conversion consists of replacing the 40:1 expansion area ratio nozzle with a 60:1 nozzle of the internal regeneratively (INTEREGEN) cooled rocket engine. Five converted engines using nitrogen tetroxide and monomethylhydrazine demonstrated thermal stability during the nominal 2730-sec burn, but experienced difficulty at operating extremes. The thermal stability characteristic was treated in two ways. The first treatment consisted of mapping the operating regime of the engine to determine its safest operating boundaries as regards thermal equilibrium. Six engines were used for this purpose. Two of the six engines were then modified to effect the second approach - i.e., extend the operating regime. The engines were modified by permitting fuel injection into the acoustic cavity.

Martinez, R. S.↗

Space shuttle orbit maneuvering engine reusable thrust chamber. Task 10: Data dump comparison of 8- and 10- inch diameter thrust chambers

An analytical and design study was conducted to compare the high and low contraction ratio thrust chambers for regenratively cooled orbit maneuvering engines for the space shuttle was conducted. The design concepts were evaluated on the basis of weight, pressure drop, and performance. Only the basic thrust chamber assembly was considered. The assembly consists of the injector, the regeneratively cooled thrust chamber, and the radiation cooled nozzle. A two dimensional thermal analysis of the channel section is provided.

Pauckert, R. P.↗

The Way to Increased Airplane Engine Power

The purpose of this paper is to give an outline of the present state of development and point out the possibilities available for the further increase in the power/displacement ratio, the economy, and the reliability of the engine. Some of the aspects discussed are methods of increasing take-off power, the various methods of preparation of the fuel mixture and their effect on power, economy, and safety.

Vohrer, Eugen↗

Spark-Timing Control Based on Correlation of Maximum-Economy Spark Timing, Flame-front Travel, and Cylinder-Pressure Rise

An investigation was conducted on a full-scale air-cooled cylinder in order to establish an effective means of maintaining maximum-economy spark timing with varying engine operating conditions. Variable fuel-air-ratio runs were conducted in which relations were determined between the spark travel, and cylinder-pressure rise. An instrument for controlling spark timing was developed that automatically maintained maximum-economy spark timing with varying engine operating conditions. The instrument also indicated the occurrence of preignition.

Cook, Harvey A↗

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE): The aerodynamic and mechanical design of the QCSEE under-the-wing fan

The design, fabrication, and testing of two experimental high bypass geared turbofan engines and propulsion systems for short haul passenger aircraft are described. The aerodynamic and mechanical design of a variable pitch 1.34 pressure ratio fan for the under the wing (UTW) engine are included. The UTW fan was designed to permit rotation of the 18 composite fan blades into the reverse thrust mode of operation through both flat pitch and stall pitch directions.

Source record↗

Combined Effect of Contraction Ratio and Chamber Pressure on the Performance of a Gaseous Hydrogen-Liquid-Oxygen Combustor for a Given Propellant Weight Flow and Oxidant-Fuel Ratio

The effect of contraction ratio and chamber pressure on the combustion performance of a gaseous-hydrogen-liquid-oxygen combustor was investigated analytically and experimentally. The experiment was conducted with a "two-dimensional" gaseous-hydrogen-liquid-oxygen engine of about 150-pound thrust. The contraction ratio was varied from 1.5 to 6 by changing the nozzle throat area. This variation resulted in a chamber pressure variation of about 25 to 120 pounds per square inch. The experimental results were corrected for heat transfer to the engine walls and momentum pressure losses. The experimental performance, as evaluated in terms of characteristic exhaust velocity, was 98 percent of theoretical at contraction ratios greater than 3 but decreased very rapidly at smaller contraction ratios. The heat-transfer rate increased with increasing contraction ratio and chamber pressure; it was about 1 Btu per square inch per second at a contraction ratio of 1.5 and increased to about 3 at a contraction ratio of 6. The combined effects of contraction-ratio and chamber-pressure changes on performance were investigated analytically with a mixing model and a vaporization model. The mixing model predicted very poor mixing at contraction ratios below 3 and almost perfect mixing at higher contraction ratios. The performance predicted by the vaporization model was very close to 100 percent for all contraction ratios. From these results, it was concluded that the performance was limited by poor mixing at low contraction ratios and chamber pressures.

Hersch, Martin↗

Teledyne Continental Motors emissions data and analysis and flight test results

Five different engine models were tested covering combinations of all engine categories in current production in the range from 100 to 435 brake horsepower. Engines were divided into five major types: carbureted, fuel injected, direct drive, geared, and turbocharged. Emissions data were categorized by three separate fuel system schedules: baseline, case 1, and case 2. Baseline was defined as the average fuel flow rate established by the fuel system's production tolerance band when operated with the mixture control at the full-rich position. Case 1 was defined as the minimum allowable fuel flow rate established by the engine certification. Case 2 was defined as the fuel rate corresponding to the leanest fuel-air ratio obtainable before a safety limit occurred with the engine operating on a propeller test stand. Safety limits that developed during testing were cylinder-head overheating or inadequate acceleration from a given mode of operation.

Rezy, B. J.↗

Platelet injectors for Space Shuttle orbit maneuvering engine

The Space Shuttle Orbit Maneuvering Subsystem Rocket Engine employs a platelet element injector concept. This injector has demonstrated 316-sec vacuum specific impulse performance under simulated altitude conditions when tested with a milled slot/electroformed nickel close-out regenerative chamber and a full 71 area ratio nozzle. To date, over 300 altitude engine tests and 300 stability bomb tests have demonstrated stable, erosion free operation with this concept to test durations of 150 seconds. The injector and chamber also meet the reusable requirements of the shuttle with a cycle life capability in excess of 1000 cycles. An extensive altitude restart program has also demonstrated OMS-engine operation over large variations in the burn and coast times with helium saturated propellants.

Kahl, R. C.↗

Correlation of cylinder-head temperatures and coolant heat rejections of a multicylinder, liquid-cooled engine of 1710-cubic-inch displacement

Data obtained from an extensive investigation of the cooling characteristics of four multicylinder, liquid-cooled engines have been analyzed and a correlation of both the cylinder-head temperatures and the coolant heat rejections with the primary engine and coolant variables was obtained. The method of correlation was previously developed by the NACA from an analysis of the cooling processes involved in a liquid-cooled-engine cylinder and is based on the theory of nonboiling, forced-convection heat transfer. The data correlated included engine power outputs from 275 to 1860 brake horsepower; coolant flows from 50 to 320 gallons per minute; coolants varying in composition from 100 percent water to 97 percent ethylene glycol and 3 percent water; and ranges of engine speed, manifold pressure, carburetor-air temperature, fuel-air ratio, exhaust-gas pressure, ignition timing, and coolant temperature. The effect on engine cooling of scale formation on the coolant passages of the engine and of boiling of the coolant under various operating conditions is also discussed.

Lundin, Bruce T↗

On the relationship between engineering properties and delamination of composite laminates

The influence of the coefficient of mutal influence, Poisson's ratio and coefficients of thermal and moisture expansion on delamination is studied. Engineering theories are compared to finite element and experimental results. It is shown that the mismatch in coefficients of mutual influence can have a strong influence on delamination with fiber angles in the 10-15 degree range being critical for adjacent layer combinations. The mismatch in coefficient of mutual influence is reduced by a factor of two and the interlaminar shear stress is reduced significantly when the + or - adjacent layers are interspersed between 0 and 90 degree layers. It is shown how the results can be used for design of composite laminates.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

Assessment of Turbulent Combustion Models for Simulating Prechamber Ignition in a Natural Gas Engine

Lean combustion is a promising strategy to increase thermal efficiency in an internal combustion engine, by exploiting a favorable specific heat ratio of the fresh mixture while simultaneously suppressing the heat losses to the cylinder wall. However, unstable ignition and slow flame propagation at fuel-lean conditions lead to large cycle-to-cycle variability and limit the high-efficiency engine operating range. Prechamber ignition is considered an effective concept to extend the lean operating limit, by providing spatially distributed ignition with multiple turbulent flame-jets and enabling a faster combustion rate compared to the conventional spark ignition approach. From a numerical modeling standpoint to date science base and available simulation tools are inadequate to properly understand and predict the combustion processes in prechamber ignited engines. In this paper, conceptually different Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) combustion models widely adopted in the engine modeling community are used to simulate the ignition and combustion processes in a medium-duty natural gas engine with a prechamber spark-ignition system. Here, a flamelet-based turbulent combustion model, i.e., G-equation, and a multizone well-stirred reactor model are employed for this modeling study. Simulation results are compared with experimental data in terms of in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate. Finally, the analysis of the performance of the two models is carried out to highlight the strengths and limitations of the two evaluated approaches.

42 ENGINEERING↗

A novel hardmask-to-substrate pattern transfer method for creating 3D, multi-level, hierarchical, high aspect-ratio structures for applications in microfluidics and cooling technologies

Abstract This letter solves a major hurdle that mars photolithography-based fabrication of micro-mesoscale structures in silicon. Conventional photolithography is usually performed on smooth, flat wafer surfaces to lay a 2D design and subsequently etch it to create single-level features. It is, however, unable to process non-flat surfaces or already etched wafers and create more than one level in the structure. In this study, we have described a novel cleanroom-based process flow that allows for easy creation of such multi-level, hierarchical 3D structures in a substrate. This is achieved by introducing an ultra-thin sacrificial silicon dioxide hardmask layer on the substrate which is first 3D patterned via multiple rounds of lithography. This 3D pattern is then scaled vertically by a factor of 200–300 and transferred to the substrate underneath via a single shot deep etching step. The proposed method is also easily characterizable—using features of different topographies and dimensions, the etch rates and selectivities were quantified; this characterization information was later used while fabricating specific target structures. Furthermore, this study comprehensively compares the novel pattern transfer technique to already existing methods of creating multi-level structures, like grayscale lithography and chip stacking. The proposed process was found to be cheaper, faster, and easier to standardize compared to other methods—this made the overall process more reliable and repeatable. We hope it will encourage more research into hybrid structures that hold the key to dramatic performance improvements in several micro-mesoscale devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Neutronics analysis of spin-polarized fuel in spherical tokamaks

The effect of spin-polarized deuterium–tritium fuel on the blanket, magnets, and surrounding structures is analyzed for a spherical tokamak fusion power plant. The focus of this paper is the neutron flux distribution in the fusion device and the corresponding engineering considerations, such as tritium breeding ratio (TBR) and magnet fluence. Significant benefits were found for anti-aligned polarization: a 2.7% increase in the total TBR (which could increase significantly with further optimization) and an approximately 68% increase in the magnet lifetime. If the inboard breeding blanket can be replaced with extra shielding and magnets, then it could significantly increase fusion power with no loss of magnet lifetime. This would be accomplished by increasing the toroidal field strength.

fusion↗

Design of aircraft turbine fan drive gear transmission system

The following basic types of gear reduction concepts were studied as being feasible power train systems for a low-bypass-ratio, single-spool, geared turbofan engine for general aircraft use: (1) single-stage external-internal reduction, (2) gears (offset shafting), (3) multiple compound idler gear system (concentric shafting), and (4) star gear planetary system with internal ring gear final output member (concentric shafting-counterrotation). In addition, studies were made of taking the accessories drive power off both the high-speed and low-speed shafting, using either face gears or spiral bevel gears. Both antifriction and sleeve-type bearings were considered for the external-internal and star-planet reduction concepts.

Dent, E.↗