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At least 91 records · Page 5

Careful numerical study of flowfields about asymmetric external conical corners

A numerical study of the flowfield about asymmetrical external axial corners formed by the juncture of swept compressive wedges is presented. The geometrical configuration allows a unified treatment of external corners typical of delta wings and rectangular inlets. The study investigates how the flow transitions from a symmetrical flowfield with a cross-flow stagnation point at the corner to an asymmetrical flowfield for which the flow spills over the corner. The effects of leading-edge sweep, wedge compression, and corner radius are investigated.

Salas, M. D.↗

The 60-MW Shuttle Interaction Heating Facility

An arc-heated wind-tunnel system described in the present paper will simulate aerodynamic heating in large-scale tests of the thermal protection system of the Shuttle Orbiter Vehicle during entry. The system provides for large-scale subsystem tests in high-enthalpy streams with boundary layer flows at high Reynolds numbers and for large test-body sizes in stagnation flows. The discussion covers the design concept of the arc-jet systems, the extensive hardware developments of the arc heater to provide reliable operation, and verification and performance measurements of the system's operating envelopes.

W Winovich↗

Fundamental mechanisms that influence the estimate of heat transfer to gas turbine blades

Estimates of the heat transfer from the gas to stationary (vanes) or rotating blades poses a major uncertainty due to the complexity of the heat transfer processes. The gas flow through these blade rows is three dimensional with complex secondary viscous flow patterns that interact with the endwalls and blade surfaces. In addition, upstream disturbances, stagnation flow, curvature effects, and flow acceleration complicate the thermal transport mechanisms in the boundary layers. Some of these fundamental heat transfer effects are discussed. The chief purpose of the discussion is to acquaint those in the heat transfer community, not directly involved in gas turbines, of the seriousness of the problem and to recommend some basic research that would improve the capability for predicting gas-side heat transfer on turbine blades and vanes.

Graham, R. W.↗

Flow In Streamer Boundaries, and Streamer Stability

Streamers can extend to many solar radii but the closed field regions, or helmets, reach no higher than 2-4 solar radii. The brightness boundary defining streamers is therefore a boundary between different flow regimes rather than between static plasma and expanding solar wind. It is reasonable to assume that this boundary divides fast coronal hole wind from slow wind. Flow inside this boundary can be studied using MHD models and is a type of stagnation flow. We describe such a model that is essentially analytic and show examples of flow solutions within the context and assumptions of the model. The flow affects the stability of the underlying helmet, which can be subject to a leakage out of the cusp that is similar to the small mass releases observed with the SOHO/LASCO coronagraph. It can also cause the helmet to be susceptible to being carried away in a coronal mass ejection. The model therefore also offers a way to study streamer stability.

Suess, S. T.↗

Textbook Multigrid Efficiency for Leading Edge Stagnation

A multigrid solver is defined as having textbook multigrid efficiency (TME) if the solutions to the governing system of equations are attained in a computational work which is a small (less than 10) multiple of the operation count in evaluating the discrete residuals. TME in solving the incompressible inviscid fluid equations is demonstrated for leading- edge stagnation flows. The contributions of this paper include (1) a special formulation of the boundary conditions near stagnation allowing convergence of the Newton iterations on coarse grids, (2) the boundary relaxation technique to facilitate relaxation and residual restriction near the boundaries, (3) a modified relaxation scheme to prevent initial error amplification, and (4) new general analysis techniques for multigrid solvers. Convergence of algebraic errors below the level of discretization errors is attained by a full multigrid (FMG) solver with one full approximation scheme (F.4S) cycle per grid. Asymptotic convergence rates of the F.4S cycles for the full system of flow equations are very fast, approaching those for scalar elliptic equations.

Diskin, Boris↗

Textbook Multigrid Efficiency for Leading Edge Stagnation

A multigrid solver is defined as having textbook multigrid efficiency (TME) if the solutions to the governing system of equations are attained in a computational work which is a small (less than 10) multiple of the operation count in evaluating the discrete residuals. TME in solving the incompressible inviscid fluid equations is demonstrated for leading-edge stagnation flows. The contributions of this paper include (1) a special formulation of the boundary conditions near stagnation allowing convergence of the Newton iterations on coarse grids, (2) the boundary relaxation technique to facilitate relaxation and residual restriction near the boundaries, (3) a modified relaxation scheme to prevent initial error amplification, and (4) new general analysis techniques for multigrid solvers. Convergence of algebraic errors below the level of discretization errors is attained by a full multigrid (FMG) solver with one full approximation scheme (FAS) cycle per grid. Asymptotic convergence rates of the FAS cycles for the full system of flow equations are very fast, approaching those for scalar elliptic equations.

Diskin, Boris↗

Flow in Streamer Boundaries and Streamer Stability

Streamers can extend to many solar radii but the closed field regions, or helmets, probably never reach higher than 2-4 solar radii. The brightness boundary defining streamers therefore is a boundary between different flow regimes rather than between static plasma and expanding solar wind. It is reasonable to assume that this boundary divides fast coronal hole wind from slow wind. Flow inside this boundary can be studied using simple MHD models and is a type of stagnation flow. We will present examples of what this flow can be like. The flow effects the stability of the underlying helmet, which can be subject to leakage out the cusp similar to the small mass releases observed with the SOHO/LASCO coronagraph. It can also cause the helmet to be more or less susceptible to being carried away in a coronal mass ejection.

Suess, S. T.↗

Solid Fuel Burning in Steady, Strained, Premixed Flow Fields: The Graphite/Air/Methane System

A detailed numerical investigation was conducted on the simultaneous burning of laminar premixed CH4/air flames and solid graphite in a stagnation flow configuration. The graphite and methane were chosen for this model, given that they are practical fuels and their chemical kinetics are considered as the most reliable ones among solid and hydrocarbon fuels, respectively. The simulation was performed by solving the quasi-one-dimensional equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species. The GRI 2.1 scheme was used for the gas-phase kinetics, while the heterogeneous kinetics were described by a six-step mechanism including stable and radical species. The effects of the graphite surface temperature, the gas-phase equivalence ratio, and the aerodynamic strain rate on the graphite burning rate and NO, production and destruction mechanisms were assessed. Results indicate that as the graphite temperature increases, its burning rate as well as the NO, concentration increase. Furthermore, it was found that by increasing the strain rate, the graphite burning rate increases as a result of the augmented supply of the gas-phase reactants towards the surface, while the NO, concentration decreases as a result of the reduced residence time. The effect of the equivalence ratio on both the graphite burning rate and NO, concentration was found to be non-monotonic and strongly dependent on the graphite temperature. Comparisons between results obtained for a graphite and a chemically inert surface revealed that the chemical activity of the graphite surface can result to the reduction of NO through reactions of the CH3, CH2, CH, and N radicals with NO.

Egolfopoulos, Fokion N.↗

Rotary blood pump

A blood pump that comprises a pump housing having a blood flow path therethrough, a blood inlet, and a blood outlet; a stator mounted to the pump housing, the stator having a stator field winding for producing a stator magnetic field; a flow straightener located within the pump housing, and comprising a flow straightener hub and at least one flow straightener blade attached to the flow straightener hub; a rotor mounted within the pump housing for rotation in response to the stator magnetic field, the rotor comprising an inducer and an impeller; the inducer being located downstream of the flow straightener, and comprising an inducer hub and at least one inducer blade attached to the inducer hub; the impeller being located downstream of the inducer, and comprising an impeller hub and at least one impeller blade attached to the impeller hub; and preferably also comprising a diffuser downstream of the impeller, the diffuser comprising a diffuser hub and at least one diffuser blade. Blood flow stagnation and clot formation within the pump are minimized by, among other things, providing the inducer hub with a diameter greater than the diameter of the flow straightener hub; by optimizing the axial spacing between the flow straightener hub and the inducer hub, and between the impeller hub and the diffuser hub; by optimizing the inlet angle of the diffuser blades; and by providing fillets or curved transitions between the upstream end of the inducer hub and the shaft mounted therein, and between the impeller hub and the shaft mounted therein.

Benkowski, Robert J.↗

Numerical Study of Wave Propagation in a Non-Uniform Flow

The propagation of acoustic waves originating from cylindrical and spherical pulses, in a non-uniform mean flow, and in the presence of a reflecting wall is investigated by Hardin and Pope approach using compact approximation of spatial derivatives. The 2-D and 3-D stagnation flows and a flow around a cylinder are taken as prototypes of real world flows with strong gradients of mean pressure and velocity. The intensity and directivity of acoustic wave patterns appear to be quite different from the benchmark solutions obtained in a static environment for the same geometry. The physical reasons for amplification and weakening of sound are discussed in terms of dynamics of wave profile and redistribution of acoustic energy and its potential and kinetic components. For an acoustic wave in the flow around a cylinder, the observed mean acoustic pressure is approximately doubled (upstream pulse position) and halved (downstream pulse position) in comparison with the sound propagation in static ambient conditions.

Povitsky, Alex↗

A New Test Method for Material Flammability Assessment in Microgravity and Extraterrestrial Environments

The standard oxygen consumption (cone) calorimeter (described in ASTM E 1354 and NASA STD 6001 Test 2) is modified to provide a bench-scale test environment that simulates the low velocity buoyant or ventilation flow generated by or around a burning surface in a spacecraft or extraterrestrial gravity level. The Equivalent Low Stretch Apparatus (ELSA) uses an inverted cone geometry with the sample burning in a ceiling fire (stagnation flow) configuration. For a fixed radiant flux, ignition delay times for characterization material PMMA are shown to decrease by a factor of three at low stretch, demonstrating that ignition delay times determined from normal cone tests significantly underestimate the risk in microgravity. The critical heat flux for ignition is found to be lowered at low stretch as the convective cooling is reduced. At the limit of no stretch, any heat flux that exceeds the surface radiative loss at the surface ignition temperature is sufficient for ignition. Regression rates for PMMA increase with heat flux and stretch rate, but regression rates are much more sensitive to heat flux at the low stretch rates, where a modest increase in heat flux of 25 kW/m2 increases the burning rates by an order of magnitude. The global equivalence ratio of these flames is very fuel rich, and the quantity of CO produced in this configuration is significantly higher than standard cone tests. These results [2] demonstrate the ELSA apparatus allows us to conduct normal gravity experiments that accurately and quantifiably evaluate a material s flammability characteristics in the real-use environment of spacecraft or extra-terrestrial gravitational acceleration. These results also demonstrate that current NASA STD 6001 Test 2 (standard cone) is not conservative since it evaluates materials flammability with a much higher inherent buoyant convective flow.

Olson, S. L.↗

The Performance of a Subsonic Diffuser Designed for High Speed Turbojet-Propelled Flight

An initial-phase subsonic diffuser has been designed for the turbojet flowpath of the hypersonic x43B flight demonstrator vehicle. The diffuser fit into a proposed mixed-compression supersonic inlet system and featured a cross-sectional shape transitioning flowpath (high aspect ratio rectangular throat-to-circular engine face) and a centerline offset. This subsonic diffuser has been fabricated and tested at the W1B internal flow facility at NASA Glenn Research Center. At an operating throat Mach number of 0.79, baseline Pitot pressure recovery was found to be just under 0.9, and DH distortion intensity was about 0.4 percent. The diffuser internal flow stagnated, but did not separate on the offset surface of this initial-phase subsonic diffuser. Small improvements in recovery (+0.4 percent) and DH distortion (-32 percent) were obtained from using vane vortex generator flow control applied just downstream of the diffuser throat. The optimum vortex generator array patterns produced inflow boundary layer divergence (local downwash) on the offset surface centerline of the diffuser, and an inflow boundary layer convergence (local upwash) on the centerline of the opposite surface.

Biesiadny, Thomas J.↗

Extinction of Solid Diffusion Flame in Microgravity: Details of Quenching and Blowoff Processes

Long duration microgravity experiments aboard the International Space Station determine diffusion flame extinction limits of PMMA spheres. Upon ignition from an electrically-heated coil, the 4-cm-diameter samples are exposed to forced flows ranging from 0.2 to 80 cm/s and an oxygen ranging from 13 to 28% in one atmosphere total pressure. Extinction is reached as oxygen concentration gradually decreases by natural depletion. Five extinction tests are presented at different flow velocities and oxygen concentrations. Quenching at low velocity is observed with the flame tip shrinking upstream and blowoff is observed when a hole forms in the flame at the forward flow stagnation point. However, these processes are not quasistatic. The quenching motion involves periodic flame tip pulsating toward downstream and shrinking upstream with a continually decreasing flame size at the end of each cycle. In blowoff, the flame base pulsates between the flame hole and the downstream location, although with far fewer cycles compared to quenching. The pulsations appear to be the result of a premixed flame front spreading into a combustible mixture. Two specific cases are discussed. In the first, at very low flow velocity (~ 0.4 cm/s) and elevated oxygen, self-sustained flame tip cyclic pulsations are observed for a lengthy period (~15 minutes). In the second case with a higher flow velocity (50 cm/s), the diffusion flame is stabilized at the shoulder of the spherical sample after local stagnation point blowoff. With steady decrease in ambient oxygen due to depletion, spinning flamelets are formed. The long-duration microgravity environment makes it possible to observe. these interesting and detailed extinction processes.

Flame quenching↗

Turbulence amplification in flow about an airfoil

An experimental investigation of the evolution of freestream turbulence in flow about an airfoil was conducted in order to ascertain its selective amplification induced by the stretching mechanism according to the vorticity-amplification theory. Significant amplification of the streamwise turbulent energy transpired even in the limiting flow situation studied of a symmetric airfoil at zero angle of attack where the stretching is the least. Substantiation of the stretching effect was provided by the almost 100 percent amplification of turbulence with respect to its background level in the absence of the airfoil. Realization of preferred amplification at scales larger than the neutral scale of the stagnation flow was clearly indicated by the variation of the discrete streamwise turbulent energy. Particularly important was the detection of a most amplified scale which is characteristic of the coherent substructure near the airfoil stagnation zone and, concurrently, commensurate with the boundary-layer thickness.

Sadeh, W. Z.↗

Three-dimensional trajectory analyses of two drop sizing instruments: PMS OAP and PMS FSSP

Flow induced distortions of water drop fluxes and speeds seen by the instruments were predicted by use of three dimensional flow and trajectory calculation methods. Sensitivities were determined for the instruments, in isolation and mounted under the wing of an airplane, to: water drop diameter (2 to 1000 microns), angle of attack and free stream air speed. For the optical array probe in isolation and on the airplane at 0 deg angle of attack, flux distortions of practical consequence are not found. At 4 deg airplane angle of attack, partial flow stagnation under the uptilted wing causes significant decreases in both flux and speed for cloud size droplets. For the forward scattering spectrometer probe in isolation, only marginally significant sensitivities to free stream air speed are found, and no sensitivity is found to angle of attack. Both speed and flux of cloud size droplets are predicted to be undermeasured by from 12 to 24 percent depending on airplane angle of attack. For the wing-mounted instruments, effects of flow about the instruments themselves are found to be equal in importance to effects of flow about the airplane. Preferred orientation (canting) angles of distorted water drops are found to be functions of drop size, angle of attack and air speed.

Norment, Hillyer G.↗

Three-dimensional trajectory analyses of two drop sizing instruments - PMS OAP and PMS FSSP

Flow induced distortions of water drop fluxes and speeds seen by the instruments were predicted by use of three dimensional flow and trajectory calculation methods. Sensitivities were determined for the instruments, in isolation and mounted under the wing of an airplane, to: water drop diameter (2 to 1000 microns), angle of attack and free stream air speed. For the optical array probe in isolation and on the airplane at 0 deg angle of attack, flux distortions of practical consequence are not found. At 4 deg airplane angle of attack, partial flow stagnation under the uptilted wing causes significant decreases in both flux and speed for cloud size droplets. For the forward scattering spectrometer probe in isolation, only marginally significant sensitivities to free stream air speed are found, and no sensitivity is found to angle of attack. Both speed and flux of cloud size droplets are predicted to be undermeasured by from 12 to 24 percent depending on airplane angle of attack. For the wing-mounted instruments, effects of flow about the instruments themselves are found to be equal in importance to effects of flow about the airplane. Preferred orientation (canting) angles of distorted water drops are found to be functions of drop size, angle of attack and air speed.

Norment, Hillyer G.↗

Analysis Tools for CFD Multigrid Solvers

Analysis tools are needed to guide the development and evaluate the performance of multigrid solvers for the fluid flow equations. Classical analysis tools, such as local mode analysis, often fail to accurately predict performance. Two-grid analysis tools, herein referred to as Idealized Coarse Grid and Idealized Relaxation iterations, have been developed and evaluated within a pilot multigrid solver. These new tools are applicable to general systems of equations and/or discretizations and point to problem areas within an existing multigrid solver. Idealized Relaxation and Idealized Coarse Grid are applied in developing textbook-efficient multigrid solvers for incompressible stagnation flow problems.

Mineck, Raymond E.↗

Analysis Tools for CFD Multigrid Solvers

Analysis tools are needed to guide the development and evaluate the performance of multigrid solvers for the fluid flow equations. Classical analysis tools, such as local mode analysis, often fail to accurately predict performance. Two-grid analysis tools, herein referred to as Idealized Coarse Grid and Idealized Relaxation iterations, have been developed and evaluated within a pilot multigrid solver. These new tools are applicable to general systems of equations and/or discretizations and point to problem areas within an existing multigrid solver. Idealized Relaxation and Idealized Coarse Grid are applied in developing textbook-efficient multigrid solvers for incompressible stagnation flow problems.

Mineck, Raymond E.↗