Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Internal Flow”

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 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1950

Characteristics of Perforated Diffusers at Free-stream Mach Number 1.90

An investigation was conducted at Mach number 1.90 to determine pressure recovery and mass-flow characteristics of series of perforated convergent-divergent supersonic diffusers. Pressure recoveries as high as 96 percent were obtained, but at reduced mass flows through the diffuser. Theoretical considerations of effect of perforation distribution on shock stability in converging section of diffuser are presented and correlated with experimental data. A method of estimating relative importance of pressure recovery and mass flow on internal thrust coefficient basis is given and a comparison of various diffusers investigated is made.

FLOW, SUPERSONIC↗
NASA NTRS1989

Forced flow He II in relation to stability of internally cooled superconductors

Current understanding of forced flow He II as it is used to cool large superconducting devices is presented. Experimental measurements of pressure loss and heat transfer to He II at relatively high flow rates are compared with classical hydrodynamic relations and theoretical models based on two fluid hydrodynamics. The results of this analysis suggest that reliable design of large scale systems is achievable. Implications to forced flow He II cooling of superconducting magnets are discussed in the context of model stability experiments on internally cooled composite superconductors.

Van Sciver, S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Flow analysis and design optimization methods for nozzle afterbody of a hypersonic vehicle

This report summarizes the methods developed for the aerodynamic analysis and the shape optimization of the nozzle-afterbody section of a hypersonic vehicle. Initially, exhaust gases were assumed to be air. Internal-external flows around a single scramjet module were analyzed by solving the three dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. Then, exhaust gases were simulated by a cold mixture of Freon and Argon. Two different models were used to compute these multispecies flows as they mixed with the hypersonic airflow. Surface and off-surface properties were successfully compared with the experimental data. In the second phase of this project, the Aerodynamic Design Optimization with Sensitivity analysis (ADOS) was developed. Pre and post optimization sensitivity coefficients were derived and used in this quasi-analytical method. These coefficients were also used to predict inexpensively the flow field around a changed shape when the flow field of an unchanged shape was given. Starting with totally arbitrary initial afterbody shapes, independent computations were converged to the same optimum shape, which rendered the maximum axial thrust.

Baysal, Oktay↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design and Flow Considerations of Additively Manufactured, Internal Cooling Geometries for Small Industrial Gas Turbines

Additive manufacturing is now a mainstream technology and can be utilized to rapidly develop and test turbine airfoil cooling networks. This paper reports on an ongoing effort to integrate advanced internal cooling architectures in a realistic blade profile for test in a high-speed cascade. Airfoil cooling schemes were developed using reduced order modeling and computer aided design. However, the additive manufacturing impacts on cooling channel flow performance were unknown. Test articles consisting of typical cooling features and networks were derived from the designs and flow proved to identify additive manufacturing impacts on performance and develop guidelines to mitigate these impacts.

additive manufacturing↗
NASA NTRS1992

Flow analysis and design optimization methods for nozzle-afterbody of a hypersonic vehicle

This report summarizes the methods developed for the aerodynamic analysis and the shape optimization of the nozzle-afterbody section of a hypersonic vehicle. Initially, exhaust gases were assumed to be air. Internal-external flows around a single scramjet module were analyzed by solving the 3D Navier-Stokes equations. Then, exhaust gases were simulated by a cold mixture of Freon and Ar. Two different models were used to compute these multispecies flows as they mixed with the hypersonic airflow. Surface and off-surface properties were successfully compared with the experimental data. The Aerodynamic Design Optimization with Sensitivity analysis was then developed. Pre- and postoptimization sensitivity coefficients were derived and used in this quasi-analytical method. These coefficients were also used to predict inexpensively the flow field around a changed shape when the flow field of an unchanged shape was given. Starting with totally arbitrary initial afterbody shapes, independent computations were converged to the same optimum shape, which rendered the maximum axial thrust.

Baysal, O.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI): Description and Initial Analysis of Experiments Conducted Aboard the International Space Station

Flow Visualization experiments on the controlled melting and solidification of succinonitrile were conducted in the glovebox facility of the International Space Station (ISS). The experimental samples were prepared on ground by filling glass tubes, 1 cm 1D and approximately 30 cm in length, with pure succinonitrile (SCN) under 450 millibar of nitrogen. Porosity in the samples arose from natural shrinkage, and in some cases by direct insertion of nitrogen bubbles, during solidification of the liquid SCN. The samples were processed in the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) apparatus that is placed in the glovebox facility (GBX) aboard the ISS. Experimental processing parameters of temperature gradient and translation speed, as well as camera settings, were remotely monitored and manipulated from the ground Telescience Center (TSC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center. During the experiments, the sample is first subjected to a unidirectional melt back, generally at 10 microns per second, with a constant temperature gradient ahead of the melting interface. The temperatures in the sample are monitored by six in situ thermocouples. Real time visualization of the controlled directional melt back shows bubbles of different sizes initiating at the melt interface and, upon dislodging from the melting solid, migrating at different speeds into the temperature field ahead of them, before coming to rest. The thermocapillary flow field set up in the melt, ahead of the interface, is dramatic in the context of the large bubbles, and plays a major role in dislodging the bubble. A preliminary analysis of the observed bubble formation and mobility during melt back and its implication to future microgravity experiments is presented and discussed.

Grugel, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Bubble Formation and Transport during Microgravity Materials Processing: Model Experiments on the International Space Station

Flow Visualization experiments on the controlled melting and solidification of succinonitrile were conducted in the glovebox facility of the International Space Station (ISS). The experimental samples were prepared on ground by filling glass tubes, 1 cm ID and approximately 30 cm in length, with pure succinonitrile (SCN) under 450 millibar of nitrogen. Porosity in the samples arose from natural shrinkage, and in some cases by direct insertion of nitrogen bubbles, during solidification of the liquid SCN. The samples were processed in the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) apparatus that is placed in the glovebox facility (GBX) aboard the ISS. Experimental processing parameters of temperature gradient and translation speed, as well as camera settings, were remotely monitored and manipulated from the ground Telescience Center (TSC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center. During the experiments, the sample is first subjected to a unidirectional melt back, generally at 10 microns per second, with a constant temperature gradient ahead of the melting interface. The temperatures in the sample are monitored by six in situ thermocouples. Real time visualization of the controlled directional melt back shows bubbles of different sizes initiating at the melt interface and, upon dislodging from the melting solid, migrating at different speeds into the temperature field ahead of them, before coming to rest. The thermocapillary flow field set up in the melt, ahead of the interface, is dramatic in the context of the large bubbles, and plays a major role in dislodging the bubble. A preliminary analysis of the observed bubble formation and mobility during melt back and its implication to future microgravity experiments is presented and discussed.

Grugel, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Bubble Formation and Transport during Microgravity Materials Processing: Model Experiments on the International Space Station

Flow Visualization experiments on the controlled melting and solidification of succinonitrile were conducted in the glovebox facility of the International Space Station (ISS). The experimental samples were prepared on ground by filling glass tubes, 1 cm ID and approximately 30 cm in length, with pure succinonitrile (SCN) under 450 millibar of nitrogen. Porosity in the samples arose from natural shrinkage, and in some cases by direct insertion of nitrogen bubbles, during solidification of the liquid SCN. The samples were processed in the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) apparatus that is placed in the glovebox facility (GBX) aboard the ISS. Experimental processing parameters of temperature gradient and translation speed, as well as camera settings, were remotely monitored and manipulated from the ground Telescience Center (TSC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center. During the experiments, the sample is first subjected to a unidirectional melt back, generally at 10 microns per second, with a constant temperature gradient ahead of the melting interface. The temperatures in the sample are monitored by six in situ thermocouples. Real time visualization of the controlled directional melt back shows bubbles of different sizes initiating at the melt interface and, upon dislodging from the melting solid, migrating at different speeds into the temperature field ahead of them, before coming to rest. The thermocapillary flow field set up in the melt, ahead of the interface, is dramatic in the context of the large bubbles, and plays a major role in dislodging the bubble. A preliminary analysis of the observed bubble formation and mobility during melt back and its implication to future microgravity experiments is presented and discussed.

Grugel, R. N.↗
DOE OSTI2012

DNS of strong shock and turbulence interactions with thermochemical non-equilibrium effects

The underlying physics in shock and turbulence interaction is essential for a better understanding of many natural processes as well as scientific and engineering applications, such as volcanic eruption, supernova explosion, detonation, medical application of shock wave lithotripsy to break up kidney stones, and energy application of the implosion of a cryogenic fuel capsule for inertial confinement fusion. One of the fundamental building blocks in these complex processes and applications is the canonical problem of isotropic turbulence and a normal shock. Unfortunately, even this fundamental problem is not well understood for strong shocks. Recent direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of perfect gas flow showed some new trends in turbulent statistics as mean Mach number is increased. In this paper, we first conduct extensive DNS studies on canonical strong shock and turbulence interaction problem of perfect gas flow with mean Mach numbers ranging from 2 to 30. The results show that strong shock waves have a significant effect on turbulent statistics. However, gas temperature increases dramatically after strong shocks so that numerical simulations based on perfect gas flow may not be enough. The effects of thermochemical nonequilibrium flow including internal energy excitations, translation-vibration energy relaxation, and chemical reactions among different species need to be considered. Therefore, we have developed and tested a new high-order shock-fitting solver for non-equilibrium flow simulations based on the 5-species air chemistry and recently thermal non-equilibrium models.

Wang, Xiaowen↗
DOE OSTI2012

A High-Order Shock-Fitting Non-Equilibrium Flow Solver for DNS of Strong Shock and Turbulence Interactions

The underlying physics in shock and turbulence interaction is essential for a better understanding of many natural processes as well as scientific and engineering applications, such as volcanic eruption, supernova explosion, detonation, medical application of shock wave lithotripsy to break up kidney stones, and energy application of the implosion of a cryogenic fuel capsule for inertial confinement fusion. One of the fundamental building blocks in these complex processes and applications is the canonical problem of isotropic turbulence and a normal shock. Unfortunately, even this fundamental problem is not well understood for strong shocks. Recent direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of perfect gas flow showed some new trends in turbulent statistics as mean Mach number is increased. In this paper, we first conduct extensive DNS studies on canonical strong shock and turbulence interaction problem of perfect gas flow with mean Mach numbers ranging from 2 to 30. The results show that strong shock waves have a significant effect on turbulent statistics. However, gas temperature increases dramatically after strong shocks so that numerical simulations based on perfect gas flow may not be enough. The effects of thermochemical nonequilibrium flow including internal energy excitations, translation-vibration energy relaxation, and chemical reactions among different species need to be considered. Therefore, we have developed and tested a new high-order shock-fitting solver for non-equilibrium flow simulations based on the 5-species air chemistry and recently thermal non-equilibrium models.

Wang, X.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Composite Loads Spectra for Select Space Propulsion Structural Components

Rocket engine technology continues to demand higher performance with lighter weight components that have man-rated reliability requirements. These requirements have yielded higher operating pressures, temperatures, and transient effects as well as markedly increased mechanical vibration and flow-related loads. The difficulty in installation, cost, and potential for destroying an engine severely limited the required instrumentation and measurements to adequately define loads of key components such as turbine blades. Also, accurate analytical methodologies for defining internal flow-related loads are just emerging for problems typically found in rocket engines. The difficulty of obtained measured data and verified analysis methodologies has led to the probabilistic load definition approach.

Newell, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Application of compressibility correction to calculation of flow in inlets.

An application of the compressibility correction developed by Lieblein and Stockman (1972) to the calculation of flow in axisymmetric inlets is described. The results with experimental data from wind tunnel model tests are compared. The configuration is a conventional subsonic inlet with a NACA series one external cowl shape and a two-to-one ellipse internal lip. It is shown that the compressibility correction gives a relatively good approximation to the internal compressible flow behavior, and thus should be useful in the design and analysis of engine nacelle inlets.

Albers, J. A.↗
DOE OSTI2015

Reactivation of Kamb Ice Stream tributaries triggers century-scale reorganization of Siple Coast ice flow in West Antarctica

Ongoing, centennial-scale flow variability within the Ross ice streams of West Antarctica suggests that the present-day positive mass balance in this region may reverse in the future. Here we use a three-dimensional ice sheet model to simulate ice flow in this region over 250 years. The flow responds to changing basal properties, as a subglacial till layer interacts with water transported in an active subglacial hydrological system. We show that a persistent weak bed beneath the tributaries of the dormant Kamb Ice Stream is a source of internal ice flow instability, which reorganizes all ice streams in this region, leading to a reduced (positive) mass balance within decades and a net loss of ice within two centuries. This hitherto unaccounted for flow variability could raise sea level by 5 mm this century. Furthermore, better constraints on future sea level change from this region will require improved estimates of geothermal heat flux and subglacial water transport.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1986

Heat transfer in the tip region of a rotor blade simulator

In gas turbines, the blades of axial turbine stages rotate in close proximity to a stationary peripheral wall. Differential expansion of the turbine wheel, blades, and the shroud causes variations in the size of the clearance gap between blade tip and stationary shroud. The necessity to tolerate this differential thermal expansion dictates that the clearance gap cannot be eliminated altogether, despite accurate engine machining. Pressure differences between the pressure and suction sides of a blade drives a flow through the clearance gap. This flow, the tip leakage flow, is detrimental to engine performance. The primary detrimental effect of tip leakage flow is the reduction of turbine stage efficiency, and a second is the convective heat transfer associated with the flow. The surface area at the blade tip in contact with the hot working gas represents an additional thermal loading on the blade which, together with heat transfer to the suction and pressure side surface area, must be removed by the blade internal cooling flows. Experimental results concerned with the local heat transfer characteristics on all surfaces of shrouded, rectangular cavities are reported. A brief discussion of the mass transfer system used is given.

Chyu, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Modeling ice streams: Derived quantities

The model addressed is a finite-element, map-plane, time-dependent, column-averaged continuity equation solver. The key to the fitting process involves the balance between ice motion dominated by flow in internal layers, and ice motion dominated by sliding at the bed. The fitting process involves an iterative process carried out in the time domain. Beginning with the portion of the ice sheet being modeled identical to the present ice sheet with uniform flow, sliding, and fraction specified at nominal values, the model monitors each nodal point surface elevation. As the calculated surface elevation deviates from the present surface, a correction proportional to the difference is applied to selected parameter sets. This correction is in a sense that would tend to improve the fit at the particular nodal point. A calculated surface elevation that was higher than the present surface would result in an increased fraction, which would tend to lower the calculated surface (if the flow or sliding constant were being used as the fitting parameter, they would be lowered to improve the fit). This process is allowed to proceed as long as is necessary for the situation to stabilize. Typically, this takes tens of thousands of model years, but the rate is dependent on other external forcings such as the accumulation rate. The primary result is that while a typical sample of ice streams from around Antarctica can be fitted quite reasonably using only the fraction of the velocity due to sliding, a different mechanism seems to be in play along the Siple Coast, where reduced sliding constants are required to attain a reasonable fit. Flow is more strongly channelized in this region, and velocities are, in general, higher than are observed in other regions. It is unlikely that the mechanism that controls the ice movement along the Siple Coast is exactly similar to the mechanisms in the other ice streams. The concept of deformable sediments and their contribution to the fast flow along the Siple Coast may have limited applicability to other Antarctic ice streams.

Fastook, James↗
NASA NTRS1973

Mach Reflection, Mach Disc, and the Associated Nozzle Free Jet Flows

The numerical method involving both the method of integral relations and the method of characteristics have been applied to investigate the steady flow phenomena associated with the accurrence of Mach reflection and Mach disc from nozzle flows. The solutions of triple-shock intersection are presented. The regime where Mach configuration appears is defines for the inviscid analysis. The method of integral relations developed for the blunt body problem is modified and extended to the attached shock wave and to internal nozzle flow problems.

Chang, I.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Validation of CFD/Heat Transfer Software for Turbine Blade Analysis

I am an intern in the Turbine Branch of the Turbomachinery and Propulsion Systems Division. The division is primarily concerned with experimental and computational methods of calculating heat transfer effects of turbine blades during operation in jet engines and land-based power systems. These include modeling flow in internal cooling passages and film cooling, as well as calculating heat flux and peak temperatures to ensure safe and efficient operation. The branch is research-oriented, emphasizing the development of tools that may be used by gas turbine designers in industry. The branch has been developing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and heat transfer code called GlennHT to achieve the computational end of this analysis. The code was originally written in FORTRAN 77 and run on Silicon Graphics machines. However the code has been rewritten and compiled in FORTRAN 90 to take advantage of more modem computer memory systems. In addition the branch has made a switch in system architectures from SGI's to Linux PC's. The newly modified code therefore needs to be tested and validated. This is the primary goal of my internship. To validate the GlennHT code, it must be run using benchmark fluid mechanics and heat transfer test cases, for which there are either analytical solutions or widely accepted experimental data. From the solutions generated by the code, comparisons can be made to the correct solutions to establish the accuracy of the code. To design and create these test cases, there are many steps and programs that must be used. Before a test case can be run, pre-processing steps must be accomplished. These include generating a grid to describe the geometry, using a software package called GridPro. Also various files required by the GlennHT code must be created including a boundary condition file, a file for multi-processor computing, and a file to describe problem and algorithm parameters. A good deal of this internship will be to become familiar with these programs and the structure of the GlennHT code. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Kiefer, Walter D.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Conceptual Aerodynamic Design of a Tail-Cone Thruster System Under Axi-Symmetric Inlet Distortion

This paper presents a conceptual design of a tail-cone thruster system which is operating under an axisymmetric inlet distortion. An effort to realize the targeted fuel burn saving that was proposed in NASA's STARC_ABL aircraft design is made through a CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)-based design approach. This method employs three iterative steps to exploit the CFD tools until the design requirements are met: a quasi-2D through-flow model to design the fan/EGV (Exit Guide Vane), a 3-D RANS (Reynolds Averaging Navier-Stokes) simulation of the single blade row to account for the inlet/fan and the EGV/nozzle interaction, and a 3-D RANS simulation of the airframe with a propulsor installed - propulsion airframe integration (PAI). The design requirements which include the thrust, and shaft power of the propulsor are matched throughout the evaluations coming from two CFD domains, i.e., the turbo-machinery and the PAI. During the switch between these different computational domains, the inlet and exit profiles are matched via the correction factors of the body-force model. The present tail-cone thruster (TCT) aerodynamic design leverages a low-pressure ratio fan (FPR=1.2 to approximately 1.25) of which the camber-line angles are predicted by a quasi-2D through-flow model. The quasi-2D model is derived to analyze the radially distorted flow resulting from the ingested boundary layer at the inlet. It also estimates the appropriate velocity vectors of the metal angles of the fan and EGV which is subjected to different types of vortex at the fan exit. The baseline geometry is revisited and its internal flow-path and exhaust cone are redesigned to illustrate the strong correlation among the components of the propulsor in the PAI domain. The peak efficiency point of the fan/EGV with respect to the blade counts, also known as solidity, and rotational speed is chosen for the cruise condition via parametric studies. The corresponding performance maps are presented. The resulting performance metrics of the new conceptual design of the BLI (Boundary Layer Ingestion) propulsor are analyzed and compared with these of the baseline in the PAI aspect. Finally, ideas of the CFD based design of a BLI propulsor are discussed based on the observations drawn from the numerical results.

Inlet↗