Computational Fluid Dynamics Uncertainty Analysis for Payload Fairing Spacecraft Environmental Control Systems
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This paper presents the results of a feasibility study of a hydrocarbon scramjet design utilizing an augmented preburner upstream of the main fuel injector locations. The combustor design evaluated here is for a small hypersonic research vehicle. It consists of a preburner into which a small amount of fuel is burned with on-board liquid oxygen and injected into the main airflow, upstream of the main fuel injector locations, thus ensuring that combustion is present and uninterrupted. Two degrees of analysis are presented including a one-dimensional cycle analysis and a complete computational fluid dynamic analysis with finite-rate chemistry and a two-equation turbulence model. Comparison of these analyses show good agreement when the CFD-predicted fuel consumption schedule is used in the cycle analysis.
A new and efficient method is presented for aerodynamic design optimization, which is based on a computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-sensitivity analysis algorithm. The method is applied to design a scramjet-afterbody configuration for an optimized axial thrust. The Euler equations are solved for the inviscid analysis of the flow, which in turn provides the objective function and the constraints. The CFD analysis is then coupled with the optimization procedure that uses a constrained minimization method. The sensitivity coefficients, i.e. gradients of the objective function and the constraints, needed for the optimization are obtained using a quasi-analytical method rather than the traditional brute force method of finite difference approximations. During the one-dimensional search of the optimization procedure, an approximate flow analysis (predicted flow) based on a first-order Taylor series expansion is used to reduce the computational cost. Finally, the sensitivity of the optimum objective function to various design parameters, which are kept constant during the optimization, is computed to predict new optimum solutions. The flow analysis of the demonstrative example are compared with the experimental data. It is shown that the method is more efficient than the traditional methods.
This paper documents a mixed-fidelity approach for the design of low-boom supersonic aircraft with a focus on fuselage shaping.A low-boom configuration that is based on low-fidelity analysis is used as the baseline. The fuselage shape is modified iteratively to obtain a configuration with an equivalent-area distribution derived from computational fluid dynamics analysis that attempts to match a predetermined low-boom target area distribution and also yields a low-boom ground signature. The ground signature of the final configuration is calculated by using a state-of-the-art computational-fluid-dynamics-based boom analysis method that generates accurate midfield pressure distributions for propagation to the ground with ray tracing. The ground signature that is propagated from a midfield pressure distribution has a shaped ramp front, which is similar to the ground signature that is propagated from the computational fluid dynamics equivalent-area distribution. This result supports the validity of low-boom supersonic configuration design by matching a low-boom equivalent-area target, which is easier to accomplish than matching a low-boom midfield pressure target.
In order to mitigate the risk of rocket propulsion development, efficient, accurate, detailed fluid dynamics analysis of the turbomachinery is necessary. This analysis is used for component development, design parametrics, performance prediction, and environment definition. To support this requirement, a task was developed at NASAh4arshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to improve turbine aerodynamic performance through the application of advanced design and analysis tools. There are four major objectives of this task: 1) to develop, enhance, and integrate advanced turbine aerodynamic design and analysis tools; 2) to develop the methodology for application of the analytical techniques; 3) to demonstrate the benefits of the advanced turbine design procedure through its application to a relevant turbine design point; and 4) to verify the optimized design and analysis with testing. The turbine chosen on which to demonstrate the procedure was a supersonic design suitable for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV). The hot gas path and blading were redesigned to obtain an increased efficiency. The redesign of the turbine was conducted with a consideration of system requirements, realizing that a highly efficient turbine that, for example, significantly increases engine weight, is of limited benefit. Both preliminary and detailed designs were considered. To generate an improved design, one-dimensional (1D) design and analysis tools, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), response surface methodology (RSM), and neural nets (NN) were used.
The application of overset grids to the computational fluid dynamics analysis of three-dimensional internal flow in the payload/fairing of an expendable launch vehicle is described. In conjunction with the overset grid system, the flowfield in the payload/fairing configuration is obtained with the aid of OVERFLOW Navier-Stokes code. The solution exhibits a highly three dimensional complex flowfield with swirl, separation, and vortices. Some of the computed flow features are compared with the measured Laser-Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) data on a 1/5th scale model of the payload/fairing configuration. The counter-rotating vortex structures and the location of the saddle point predicted by the CFD analysis are in general agreement with the LDV data. Comparisons of the computed (CFD) velocity profiles on horizontal and vertical lines in the LDV measurement plane in the faring nose region show reasonable agreement with the LDV data.
Design of fluid dynamically efficient ducts is addressed through the combination of an optimization analysis with a three-dimensional viscous fluid dynamic analysis code. For efficiency, a parabolic fluid dynamic analysis was used. Since each function evaluation in an optimization analysis is a full three-dimensional viscous flow analysis requiring 200,000 grid points, it is important to use both an efficient fluid dynamic analysis and an efficient optimization technique. Three optimization techniques are evaluated on a series of test functions. The Quasi-Newton (BFGS, eta = .9) technique was selected as the preferred technique. A series of basic duct design problems are performed. On a two-parameter optimization problem, the BFGS technique is demonstrated to require half as many function evaluations as a steepest descent technique.
Aerodynamic computational fluid dynamics analysis of a wing glove attached to one wing of a business jet is presented and discussed. A wing glove placed on only one wing will produce asymmetric aerodynamic effects that will result in overall changes in the forces and moments acting on the aircraft. These changes, referred to as deltas, need to be determined and quantified to ensure that the wing glove does not have a significant effect on the aircraft flight characteristics. TRANAIR (Calmar Research Corporation, Cato, New York), a nonlinear full potential solver, and Star-CCM+ (CD-adapco, Melville, New York), a finite volume full Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics solver, are used to analyze a full aircraft with and without the glove at a variety of flight conditions, aircraft configurations, and angles of attack and sideslip. Changes in the aircraft lift, drag, and side force along with roll, pitch, and yaw are presented. Span lift and moment distributions are also presented for a more detailed look at the effects of the glove on the aircraft. Aerodynamic flow phenomena due to the addition of the glove are discussed. Results show that the glove produces only small changes in the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the aircraft, most of which are insignificant.
A NASA engineer received a heart transplant performed by Drs. DeBakey and Noon after suffering a serious heart attack. 6 months later that engineer returned to work at NASA determined to use space technology to help people with heart disease. A relationship between NASA and Drs. DeBakey and Noon was formed and the group worked to develop a low cost, low power implantable ventricular assist device (VAD). NASA patented the method to reduce pumping damage to red blood cells and the design of a continuous flow heart pump (#5,678,306 and #5,947,892). The technology and methodology were licensed exclusively to MicroMed Technology, Inc.. In late 1998 MicroMed received international quality and electronic certifications and began clinical trials in Europe. Ventricular assist devices were developed to bridge the gap between heart failure and transplant. Early devices were cumbersome, damaged red blood cells, and increased the risk of developing dangerous blood clots. Application emerged from NASA turbopump technology and computational fluid dynamics analysis capabilities. To develop the high performance required of the Space Shuttle main engines, NASA pushed the state of the art in the technology of turbopump design. NASA supercomputers and computational fluid dynamics software developed for use in the modeling analysis of fuel and oxidizer flow through rocket engines was used in the miniaturization and optimization of a very small heart pump. Approximately 5 million people worldwide suffer from chronic heart failure at a cost of 40 billion dollars In the US, more than 5000 people are on the transplant list and less than 3000 transplants are performed each year due to the lack of donors. The success of ventricular assist devices has led to an application as a therapeutic destination as well as a bridge to transplant. This success has been attributed to smaller size, improved efficiency, and reduced complications such as the formation of blood clots and infection.
The current design environment dictates that high technology CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis produce quality results in a timely manner if it is to be integrated into the design process. The design methodology outlined describes the CFD analysis of an NLS (National Launch System) nozzle film cooling manifold. The objective of the analysis was to obtain a qualitative estimate for the flow distribution within the manifold. A complex, 3D, multiple zone, structured grid was generated from a 3D CAD file of the geometry. A Euler solution was computed with a fully implicit compressible flow solver. Post processing consisted of full 3D color graphics and mass averaged performance. The result was a qualitative CFD solution that provided the design team with relevant information concerning the flow distribution in and performance characteristics of the film cooling manifold within an effective time frame. Also, this design methodology was the foundation for a quick turnaround CFD analysis of the next iteration in the manifold design.
Curves (geometry) and surfaces created by Computer Aided Geometric Design systems in the engineering environment must satisfy two basic quality criteria: the geometric shape must have the desired engineering properties; and the objects must be parameterized in a way which does not cause computational difficulty for geometric processing and engineering analysis. Interactive techniques are described which are in use at Boeing to evaluate the quality of aircraft geometry prior to Computational Fluid Dynamic analysis, including newly developed methods for examining surface parameterization and its effects.
The Fluid Dynamics Branch's (ER42) at MSFC mission is to support NASA and other customers with discipline expertise to enable successful accomplishment of program/project goals. The branch is responsible for all aspects of the discipline of fluid dynamics, analysis and testing, applied to propulsion or propulsion-induced loads and environments, which includes the propellant delivery system, combustion devices, coupled systems, and launch and separation events. ER42 supports projects from design through development, and into anomaly and failure investigations. ER42 is committed to continually improving the state-of-its-practice to provide accurate, effective, and timely fluid dynamics assessments and in extending the state-of-the-art of the discipline.
The all rocket mode of operation is shown to be a critical factor in the overall performance of a rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) vehicle. An axisymmetric RBCC engine was used to determine specific impulse efficiency values based upon both full flow and gas generator configurations. Design of experiments methodology was used to construct a test matrix and multiple linear regression analysis was used to build parametric models. The main parameters investigated in this study were: rocket chamber pressure, rocket exit area ratio, injected secondary flow, mixer-ejector inlet area, mixer-ejector area ratio, and mixer-ejector length-to-inlet diameter ratio. A perfect gas computational fluid dynamics analysis, using both the Spalart-Allmaras and k-omega turbulence models, was performed with the NPARC code to obtain values of vacuum specific impulse. Results from the multiple linear regression analysis showed that for both the full flow and gas generator configurations increasing mixer-ejector area ratio and rocket area ratio increase performance, while increasing mixer-ejector inlet area ratio and mixer-ejector length-to-diameter ratio decrease performance. Increasing injected secondary flow increased performance for the gas generator analysis, but was not statistically significant for the full flow analysis. Chamber pressure was found to be not statistically significant.
The all rocket mode of operation is a critical factor in the overall performance of a rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) vehicle. However, outside of performing experiments or a full three dimensional analysis, there are no first order parametric models to estimate performance. As a result, an axisymmetric RBCC engine was used to analytically determine specific impulse efficiency values based upon both full flow and gas generator configurations. Design of experiments methodology was used to construct a test matrix and statistical regression analysis was used to build parametric models. The main parameters investigated in this study were: rocket chamber pressure, rocket exit area ratio, percent of injected secondary flow, mixer-ejector inlet area, mixer-ejector area ratio, and mixer-ejector length-to-inject diameter ratio. A perfect gas computational fluid dynamics analysis was performed to obtain values of vacuum specific impulse. Statistical regression analysis was performed based on both full flow and gas generator engine cycles. Results were also found to be dependent upon the entire cycle assumptions. The statistical regression analysis determined that there were five significant linear effects, six interactions, and one second-order effect. Two parametric models were created to provide performance assessments of an RBCC engine in the all rocket mode of operation.
The existing RocketWeb(TradeMark) Internet Analysis System (httr)://www.iohnsonrockets.com/rocketweb) provides an integrated set of advanced analysis tools that can be securely accessed over the Internet. Since these tools consist of both batch and interactive analysis codes, the system includes convenient methods for creating input files and evaluating the resulting data. The RocketWeb(TradeMark) system also contains many features that permit data sharing which, when further developed, will facilitate real-time, geographically diverse, collaborative engineering within a designated work group. Adding work group management functionality while simultaneously extending and integrating the system's set of design and analysis tools will create a system providing rigorous, controlled design development, reducing design cycle time and cost.
Current and future fighter aircraft can maneuver in the high-angle-of-attack flight regime while flying at low subsonic and transonic freestream Mach numbers. However, at any flight speed, the ability of the vertical tails to generate yawing moment is limited in high-angle-of-attack flight. Thus, any system designed to provide the pilot with additional side force and yawing moment must work in both low subsonic and transonic flight. However, previous investigations of the effectiveness of forebody tangential slot blowing in generating the desired control forces and moments have been limited to the low subsonic freestream flow regime. In order to investigate the effectiveness of tangential slot blowing in transonic flight, a computational fluid dynamics analysis was carried out during the grant period. Computational solutions were obtained at three different freestream Mach numbers and at various jet mass flow ratios. All results were obtained using the isolated F/A-18 forebody grid geometry at 30.3 degrees angle of attack. One goal of the research was to determine the effect of freestream Mach number on the effectiveness of forebody tangential slot blowing in generating yawing moment. The second part of the research studied the force onset time lag associated with blowing. The time required for the yawing moment to reach a steady-state value from the onset of blowing may have an impact on the implementation of a pneumatic system on a flight vehicle.
Following the completion of NASA s Exploration Systems Architecture Study in August 2004 for the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD), the Exploration Launch Office at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center began design and development of the first vehicle in the architecture, the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), which will be used to launch astronauts to low earth orbit and rendezvous with either the International Space Station or the ESMD s earth departure stage for lunar missions. The primary elements of the CLV project are the first stage, the upper stage, the upper stage engine, and vehicle integration. Within vehicle integration is an effort in integrated design and analysis which is comprised of a number of technical disciplines needed to support vehicle design and development. One of the important disciplines throughout the life of the project is aerodynamics. This paper will present the status, plans, and initial results of CLV aerodynamics as the project was preparing for the CLV Systems Requirements Review. Following a status of the current activities and a discussion of the specific interactions with other technical panels, the plans for aerodynamic support of the CLV until the initial crewed flights will be presented. The paper will conclude with a review of initial results acquired since project inception, including engineering-code vehicle assessment, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and wind tunnel test data.
Fluid dynamical analysis for idealized reactors system with spherical symmetry determines the effect which the destructive component of a nuclear accident produces on primary containment structures. Steel strands surrounding the reactor cavity in the biological shield exhibit plastic deformation to achieve the energy absorption.