Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “BOUNDARY LAYER - PLATES, FLAT”

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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Hypersonic aerodynamic characteristics of a family of power-law, wing body configurations

The configurations analyzed are half-axisymmetric, power-law bodies surmounted by thin, flat wings. The wing planform matches the body shock-wave shape. Analytic solutions of the hypersonic small disturbance equations form a basis for calculating the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics. Boundary-layer displacement effects on the body and the wing upper surface are approximated. Skin friction is estimated by using compressible, laminar boundary-layer solutions. Good agreement was obtained with available experimental data for which the basic theoretical assumptions were satisfied. The method is used to estimate the effects of power-law, fineness ratio, and Mach number variations at full-scale conditions. The computer program is included.

Townsend, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Direct Numerical Simulation of Incompressible Pipe Flow Using a B-Spline Spectral Method

A numerical method based on b-spline polynomials was developed to study incompressible flows in cylindrical geometries. A b-spline method has the advantages of possessing spectral accuracy and the flexibility of standard finite element methods. Using this method it was possible to ensure regularity of the solution near the origin, i.e. smoothness and boundedness. Because b-splines have compact support, it is also possible to remove b-splines near the center to alleviate the constraint placed on the time step by an overly fine grid. Using the natural periodicity in the azimuthal direction and approximating the streamwise direction as periodic, so-called time evolving flow, greatly reduced the cost and complexity of the computations. A direct numerical simulation of pipe flow was carried out using the method described above at a Reynolds number of 5600 based on diameter and bulk velocity. General knowledge of pipe flow and the availability of experimental measurements make pipe flow the ideal test case with which to validate the numerical method. Results indicated that high flatness levels of the radial component of velocity in the near wall region are physical; regions of high radial velocity were detected and appear to be related to high speed streaks in the boundary layer. Budgets of Reynolds stress transport equations showed close similarity with those of channel flow. However contrary to channel flow, the log layer of pipe flow is not homogeneous for the present Reynolds number. A topological method based on a classification of the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor was used. Plotting iso-surfaces of the discriminant of the invariants proved to be a good method for identifying vortical eddies in the flow field.

Loulou, Patrick↗
NASA NTRS1978

Comparison of multiequation turbulence models for several shock-separated boundary-layer interaction flows

Several multiequation eddy viscosity models of turbulence are used with the Navier-Stokes equations to compute three classes of experimentally documented shock-separated turbulent boundary-layer flows. The types of flow studied are: (1) a normal shock at transonic speeds in both a circular duct and a two-dimensional channel; (2) an incident oblique shock at supersonic speeds on a flat surface; and (3) a two-dimensional compression corner at supersonic speeds. Established zero-equation (algebraic), one-equation (kinetic energy), and two-equation (kinetic energy plus length scale) turbulence models are each utilized to describe the Reynolds shear stress for the three classes of flows. These models are assessed by comparing the calculated values of skin friction, wall pressure distribution, velocity, Mach number, and turbulent kinetic energy profiles with experimental measurements. Of the models tested the two-equation model results gave the best overall agreement with the data.

Viegas, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Differential Flatness and Cooperative Tracking in the Lorenz System

In this paper the control of the Lorenz system for both stabilization and tracking problems is studied via feedback linearization and differential flatness. By using the Rayleigh number as the control, only variable physically tunable, a barrier in the controllability of the system is incidentally imposed. This is reflected in the appearance of a singularity in the state transformation. Composite controllers that overcome this difficulty are designed and evaluated. The transition through the manifold defined by such a singularity is achieved by inducing a chaotic response within a boundary layer that contains it. Outside this region, a conventional feedback nonlinear control is applied. In this fashion, the authority of the control is enlarged to the whole. state space and the need for high control efforts is mitigated. In addition, the differential parametrization of the problem is used to track nonlinear functions of one state variable (single tracking) as well as several state variables (cooperative tracking). Control tasks that lead to integrable and non-integrable differential equations for the nominal flat output in steady-state are considered. In particular, a novel numerical strategy to deal with the non-integrable case is proposed. Numerical results validate very well the control design.

Crespo, Luis G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

ER-2 lidar measurements of stratocumulus cloud top structure on July 14, 1987

On July 14, 1987 NASA's ER-2 high altitude aircraft flew a mission to measure the structure of stratocumulus clouds off the coast of California. A flight pattern was executed so that the two-dimensional variability of the clouds could be detected. The technique of analysis of the lidar data to measure cloud tops follows. First each signal is searched for its maximum in return strength. This maximum is caused by scattering of the laser light off cloud particles or from the ocean surface. Next the variance of the signal return above the level of maximum backscatter is determined. Cloud top is assigned to a level (above the level of maximum backscatter) where the backscatter exceeds the average variance. This two-step process is necessary because the level of maximum backscatter does not correspond to the cloud top. Ocean surface returns are easily separated from cloud returns in this process, described in detail by Boers, Spinhirne, and Hart (1988). Analysis of the data so far has shown that there were very few breaks in the clouds. Furthermore the layer top was very flat with local oscillations not exceeding 30 m. Such small cloud top variations are still well within the range of detectability, because the precision of this technique of cloud top detection has previously been established to be 13 to 15 m. Data are presently being analyzed to compute cloud top distributions and fractional cloudiness. The aim of this research is to relate the fractional cloudiness to the mean thermodynamic structure of the boundary layer. Researchers plan to compute spectral scales of the cloud top variability in two dimensions to determine the orientation of the clouds with respect to the mean wind. Furthermore the lidar derived cloud top distribution will be used in the computation of the thermodynamic and radiation budget of the boundary layer.

Boers, Reinout↗
NASA NTRS1973

Pressure-fluctuation inputs and response of panels underlying attached and separated supersonic turbulent boundary layers

Results of an investigation of surface pressure fluctuations and response of panels underlying attached and separated turbulent boundary layers and shock waves are summarized. Extensive tests of a large assortment of axisymmetric and two-dimensional models have been conducted at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers to 3.6 to study the pressure fields. Assorted fixed-edge flat panels have been tested at Mach numbers from 1.6 to 3.6 in attached and completely separated flow fields and also in mixed flow with a step induced shock wave oscillating on the panels. The surface pressure fluctuations are described in terms of broadband rms, spectral density, and spatial correlation information. The effectiveness of parameters for scaling the pressure fluctuations is also illustrated. Measurements of the amplitude and strain response of the panels are compared with response computations by the normal method of analysis.

Coe, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Arc-jet test and analysis of Orbiter TPS inter-tile heating in high pressure gradient flow

During entry of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, the convective heating within inter-tile gaps of the Thermal Protection System (TPS) material produces elevated tile sidewall temperatures in regions of high surface pressure gradient. Arc-jet tests have been conducted recently to obtain a measure of the gap heating down the TPS tile sidewalls at test conditions representative of Orbiter flight environments. The object of this paper is to present the gap heating correlations that were developed from a thermal analysis for 3-D curved and flat TPS tile segments. Predictions of gap sidewall temperature were obtained within 30 F of test data on both Wing Glove and Double Wedge models. Derived heating ratios were obtained for a range of test conditions (pressure, pressure gradient, enthalpy, boundary layer thickness, gap width, surface temperature, etc.). The results of the study, which showed that heating ratios varied with the pressure gradient times the square root of the surface pressure, are being used to provide an assessment of gap filler requirements on Orbiter forward fuselage/chine and wing glove regions.

Rochelle, W. C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Measurement of the Correlation and Coherence Lengths in Boundary Layer Flight Data

Wall pressure data acquired during flight tests at several flight conditions are analyzed and the correlation and coherence lengths of the data reported. It is shown how the frequency bandwidth of the analysis biases the correlation length and how the convection of the flow acts to reduce the coherence length. Coherence lengths measured in the streamwise direction appear much longer than would be expected based on classical results for flow over a flat plat.

Palumbo, Daniel L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Numerical modeling of turbulent flow in a channel

Two-dimensional incompressible turbulent flow in a channel with a backward-facing step was studied numerically by Chorin's Random Vortex Method (RVM), an algorithm capable of tracing the action of elementary turbulent eddies and their cumulative effects without imposing any restrictions upon their motions. The step occurs in one side of a channel with otherwise flat, parallel walls; its height equals 1/3, 1/4 or 1/5 the width of the channel downstream. The main objective was to investigate the behavior of the large-scale turbulent eddies in a flow and the flow characteristics in the separated shear layer, the reattached zone, and the rebuilding boundary layer after reattachment. The unsteady vorticity field and the distribution of time-averaged turbulent statistics were obtained. The effects of expansion step height and initial boundary layer state were also studied. Comparisons were made with the available experimental results. The agreement is satisfactory in the velocity profiles and in the reattachment length, and fairly good in the turbulence profiles. Also a mechanism of the development of the reattaching turbulent flow was suggested by the numerical results.

Dai, Y. W.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Transonic laminar boundary layers with surface curvature.

The effect of surface curvature (both longitudinal and transverse) and the associated pressure gradient across the flow is investigated analytically for a laminar boundary layer subjected to pressure gradients along the flow. Property variation which results from heat transfer and compressibility is taken into account. Numerical solutions of the boundary layer equations are obtained for locally similar sonic flow through the throat of a nozzle for a range of flow conditions and for various shaped nozzle surfaces with different amounts of wall cooling. A few solutions were also obtained for the analogous flow around the shoulder of a flat-faced body in a supersonic flow. The effect of various parameters that arise in the equations upon application of the Levy-Mangler transformation are investigated and discussed with respect to their influence on the velocity and total enthalpy profiles and the corresponding profile slopes at the surface to which the shear stress and heat transfer are related. An important finding is that at throat Reynolds numbers less than 100,000 the heat transfer parameter at a nozzle throat decreases as the throat radius of curvature decreases.

Back, L. H.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Crossflow Instability on a Wedge-Cone at Mach 3.5

As a follow-on activity to the HyBoLT flight experiment, a six degree half angle wedge-cone model at zero angle of attack has been employed to experimentally and computationally study the boundary layer crossflow instability at Mach 3.5 under low disturbance freestream conditions. Computed meanflow and linear stability analysis results are presented along with corresponding experimental Pitot probe data. Using a model-mounted probe survey apparatus, data acquired to date show a well defined stationary crossflow vortex pattern on the flat wedge surface. This effort paves the way for additional detailed, calibrated flow field measurements of the crossflow instability, both stationary and traveling modes, and transition-to-turbulence under quiet flow conditions as a means of validating existing stability theory and providing a foundation for dynamic flight instrumentation development.

Beeler, George B.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Explanation of Anomalous Behavior Observed in Impedance Eduction Techniques Using Measured Data

Several enhancements that improve the accuracy and robustness of an impedance eduction technique that use an automatic optimizer are presented. These enhancements are then used to launch an intensive investigation into the cause of anomalous behavior that occurs for a small number of test conditions. This anomalous behavior is investigated for both a hardwall insert and a conventional liner. The primary conclusions of the study are that: (1) for the hard wall insert, the anomalies are due to narrow peaks in the objective function, (2) For the conventional liner, the anomalies are due to the presence of an extremely flat objective function, and (3) the anomalies appear to be triggered by inconsistencies between the duct propagation model and the measured data. At high frequencies, the duct propagation model may need to include the effects of higher-order duct modes, whereas at low frequencies, the effects of the mean boundary layer may have to be included.

Watson, Willie R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Postbuckling of laminated flat and curved panels under combined thermal and mechanical loadings

The static postbuckling of simply-supported, symmetrically laminated composite and single-layered flat and doubly-curved shallow panels, subjected to both a stationary non-uniform temperature field and a system of mechanical loadings is investigated. A number of non-classical effects related to the transverse shear flexibility of constituent materials, the unavoidable initial geometric imperfections and the character of tangential boundary conditions are considered and pertinent conclusions about their role on the postbuckling response are emphasized. Throughout the paper the results based upon a higher-order theory are compared with their first order shear deformable and classical counterparts, and conclusions related to their range of applicability are outlined.

Librescu, L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Experimental study of two separating turbulent boundary layers

A detailed study of two strong adverse pressure gradient flows, one with a free-stream velocity of 35 m/sec, at throat (producing a Re sub theta of 27000 at detachment) and another with free-stream velocity of 22 m/sec, at throat (producing a Re sub theta of 19000 at detachment) is presented. In these examples flows separate slowly and reattach very rapidly over a very short distance in a streamwise direction. In the backflow region, there appears to be a semi-logarithmically flat region in the streamwise fluctuating velocity component, u', which spreads over a definite range of y/delta. In power spectra, the flow variables phi sub upsilon upsilon (kappa sub 1 delta)/ -uv bar sub max vs. kappa sub 1 delta forms a unique set of scaling parameters for adverse pressure gradient flows. Experimental results show good agreement with previous studies.

Nagabushana, K. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The NATA code; theory and analysis. Volume 2: User's manual

The NATA code is a computer program for calculating quasi-one-dimensional gas flow in axisymmetric nozzles and rectangular channels, primarily to describe conditions in electric archeated wind tunnels. The program provides solutions based on frozen chemistry, chemical equilibrium, and nonequilibrium flow with finite reaction rates. The shear and heat flux on the nozzle wall are calculated and boundary layer displacement effects on the inviscid flow are taken into account. The program contains compiled-in thermochemical, chemical kinetic and transport cross section data for high-temperature air, CO2-N2-Ar mixtures, helium, and argon. It calculates stagnation conditions on axisymmetric or two-dimensional models and conditions on the flat surface of a blunt wedge. Included in the report are: definitions of the inputs and outputs; precoded data on gas models, reactions, thermodynamic and transport properties of species, and nozzle geometries; explanations of diagnostic outputs and code abort conditions; test problems; and a user's manual for an auxiliary program (NOZFIT) used to set up analytical curvefits to nozzle profiles.

Bade, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Effects of nozzle design parameters on the extent of quiet test flow at Mach 3.5

Tests results at the NASA Langley Research Center, involving a Mach 3.5 pilot quiet tunnel, have shown that laminar-layered nozzle walls improve boundary layer stability and reduce stream disturbance levels caused by eddy Mach wave radiation. This type of wall design is required to obtain transition Reynolds numbers on tests models as high as those previously observed in supersonic flight vehicles. The Mach 3.5 pilot nozzle wall boundary layers were tested for Tollmein-Schlichting and Goertler linear amplification, and, in an analysis of Goertler vortices in two axisymmetric Mach 5 nozzles, transition values were found to vary. These values were applied to several nozzles with similar throat heights but different expansion rates. Among the nozzles included in the study, a flat-wall radial flow nozzle and a proposed rod-wall nozzle were tested. For the highest test unit Reynolds number, it was determined that the nozzle wall surface finish should not exceed 0.3 micron. Oil flow studies have indicated that Goertler vortex disturbances were the dominant mechanism causing transition on the walls of the pilot nozzle.

Beckwith, I. E.↗