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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 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2009

Active Fail-Safe Micro-Array Flow Control for Advanced Embedded Propulsion Systems

The primary objective of this research effort was to develop and analytically demonstrate enhanced first generation active "fail-safe" hybrid flow-control techniques to simultaneously manage the boundary layer on the vehicle fore-body and to control the secondary flow generated within modern serpentine or embedded inlet S-duct configurations. The enhanced first-generation technique focused on both micro-vanes and micro-ramps highly-integrated with micro -jets to provide nonlinear augmentation for the "strength' or effectiveness of highly-integrated flow control systems. The study focused on the micro -jet mass flow ratio (Wjet/Waip) range from 0.10 to 0.30 percent and jet total pressure ratios (Pjet/Po) from 1.0 to 3.0. The engine bleed airflow range under study represents about a 10 fold decrease in micro -jet airflow than previously required. Therefore, by pre-conditioning, or injecting a very small amount of high-pressure jet flow into the vortex generated by the micro-vane and/or micro-ramp, active flow control is achieved and substantial augmentation of the controlling flow is realized.

Anderson, Bernhard H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Comparison of aortic and carotid baroreflex stimulus-response characteristics in humans

In order to characterize the stimulus-response relationships of the arterial, aortic, and carotid baroreflexes in mediating cardiac chronotropic function, we measured heart rate (HR) responses elicited by acute changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and carotid sinus pressure (CSP) in 11 healthy individuals. Arterial (aortic + carotid) baroreflex control of HR was quantified using ramped changes in MAP induced by bolus injection of phenylephrine (PE) and sodium nitroprusside (SN). To assess aortic-cardiac responses, neck pressure (NP) and suction (NS) were applied during PE and SN administration, respectively, to counter alterations in CSP thereby isolating the aortic baroreflex. Graded levels of NP and NS were delivered to the carotid sinus using a customized neck collar device to assess the carotid-cardiac baroreflex, independent of drug infusion. The operating characteristics of each reflex were determined from the logistic function of the elicited HR response to the induced change in MAP. The arterial pressures at which the threshold was located on the stimulus-response curves determined for the arterial, aortic and carotid baroreflexes were not significantly different (72+/-4, 67+/-3, and 72+/-4 mm Hg, respectively, P > 0.05). Similarly, the MAP at which the saturation of the reflex responses were elicited did not differ among the baroreflex arcs examined (98+/-3, 99+/-2, and 102+/-3 mm Hg, respectively). These data suggest that the baroreceptor populations studied operate over the same range of arterial pressures. This finding indicates each baroreflex functions as both an important anti-hypotensive and anti-hypertensive mechanism. In addition, this investigation describes a model of aortic baroreflex function in normal healthy humans, which may prove useful in identifying the origin of baroreflex dysfunction in disease- and training-induced conditions.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2013

Effects of Hybrid Flow Control on a Normal Shock Boundary-Layer Interaction

Hybrid flow control, a combination of micro-ramps and steady micro-jets, was experimentally investigated in the 15x15 cm Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. A central composite design of experiments method, was used to develop response surfaces for boundary-layer thickness and reversed-flow thickness, with factor variables of inter-ramp spacing, ramp height and chord length, and flow injection ratio. Boundary-layer measurements and wall static pressure data were used to understand flow separation characteristics. A limited number of profiles were measured in the corners of the tunnel to aid in understanding the three-dimensional characteristics of the flowfield.

Hirt, Stefanie M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advances in X-ray Instruments to Support Mars Sample Return

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently collecting drill cores of ancient igneous and sedimentary rock in and around Jezero crater for potential transport to Earth. These samples from the martian surface will enable detailed mineralogical, geochemical, and petrological measurements to characterize ancient depositional and diagenetic environments, quantitatively age-date the samples, and identify the building blocks for life or evidence for life itself. Furthermore, these drill cores are especially precious because they may represent the most pristine samples from the martian surface and our best chance at identifying martian life, as future sample return missions may be conducted by humans that can introduce biological contaminants to the samples. Because of the importance of these samples, we must take great care in their handling, curation, and preliminary analyses so that they are preserved for scientific measurements for decades to come. In-situ measurements by Perseverance have identified minerals that further warrant special treatment of the returned samples. Hydrated sulfate carbonate, swelling clay minerals, and oxychlorine salts are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature and relative humidity. The structures of hydrated sulfates and oxychlorine minerals, in particular, readily change when exposed to different conditions, meaning the mineral assemblage of the as-returned samples may be lost if the samples aren’t handled properly. Characterizing the as-returned mineral assemblage, particularly of the salts, is essential for reconstructing past aqueous conditions and habitability. To characterize the as-returned mineral assemblage, the samples must be analyzed rapidly before phase changes occur and/or under controlled conditions (e.g., within a glove box). Significant recent advances in X-ray instrumentation for robotic exploration of the solar system have resulted in high-resolution miniaturized instruments that would provide mineralogical, geochemical, and petrological information on the returned martian samples without degradation of the mineral assemblage. Here, we describe a combined X-ray diffractometer/X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRD/XRF), an X-ray computed tomographic (XCT) instrument, and a scanned beam XRF mapping instrument that could be used in a glove box so that the martian samples remain under controlled conditions.

E. B. Rampe↗
NASA NTRS1995

Universal Controller For Supersonic Engine Inlet

Engine-demand airflow used as primary control parameter. Optimum inlet angle depends on such other variables as mach number, altitude, and ambient temperature. Function of these variables approximated by schedule ("inlet ramp schedule") of digitized values implemented by digital control system.

Yonke, William A.↗
NASA NTRS2015

The Effects of Sweeping Jet Actuator Parameters on Flow Separation Control

A parametric experimental study was performed with sweeping jet actuators (fluidic oscillators) to determine their effectiveness in controlling flow separation on an adverse pressure gradient ramp. Actuator parameters that were investigated include blowing coefficients, operation mode, pitch and spreading angles, streamwise location, aspect ratio, and scale. Surface pressure measurements and surface oil flow visualization were used to characterize the effects of these parameters on the actuator performance. 2D Particle Image Velocimetry measurements of the flow field over the ramp and hot-wire measurements of the actuator's jet flow were also obtained for selective cases. In addition, the sweeping jet actuators were compared to other well-known flow control techniques such as micro-vortex generators, steady blowing, and steady vortex-generating jets. The results confirm that the sweeping jet actuators are more effective than steady blowing and steady vortex-generating jets. The results also suggest that an actuator with a larger spreading angle placed closer to the location where the flow separates provides better performance. For the cases tested, an actuator with an aspect ratio, which is the width/depth of the actuator throat, of 2 was found to be optimal. For a fixed momentum coefficient, decreasing the aspect ratio to 1 produced weaker vortices while increasing the aspect ratio to 4 reduced coverage area. Although scaling down the actuator (based on the throat dimensions) from 0.25 inch x 0.125 inch to 0.15 inch x 0.075 inch resulted in similar flow control performance, scaling down the actuator further to 0.075 inch x 0.0375 inch reduced the actuator efficiency by reducing the coverage area and the amount of mixing in the near-wall region. The results of this study provide insight that can be used to design and select the optimal sweeping jet actuator configuration for flow control applications.

Koklu, Mehti↗
NASA NTRS1990

On the use of external burning to reduce aerospace vehicle transonic drag

The external combustion of hydrogen to reduce the transonic drag of aerospace vehicles is currently being investigated. A preliminary analysis based on a constant pressure control volume is discussed. Results indicate that the specific impulse of the external burning process rivals that of a turbojet and depends on the severity of the initial base drag as well as on the Mach flight number and the equivalence ratio. A test program was conducted to investigate hydrogen-air flame stability at the conditions of interest and to demonstrate drag reduction on a simple expansion ramp. Initial test results are presented and compared with the control-volume analysis. The expansion ramp surface pressure coefficient showed little variation with fuel pressure and altitude, in disagreement with the analysis. Flame stability results were encouraging and indicate that stable combustion is possible over an adequate range of conditions. Facility interference and chemical kinetics phenomena that make interpretation of subscale ground test data difficult are discussed.

Trefny, Charles J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

On the use of external burning to reduce aerospace vehicle transonic drag

The external combustion of hydrogen to reduce the transonic drag of aerospace vehicles is currently being investigated. A preliminary analysis based on a constant pressure control volume is discussed. Results indicate that the specific impulse of the external burning process rivals that of a turbojet and depends on the severity of the initial base drag as well as on the Mach flight number and the equivalence ratio. A test program was conducted to investigate hydrogen-air flame stability at the conditions of interest and to demonstrate drag reduction on a simple expansion ramp. Initial test results are presented and compared with the control-volume analysis. The expansion ramp surface pressure coefficient showed little variation with fuel pressure and altitude, in disagreement with the analysis. Flame stability results were encouraging and indicate that stable combustion is possible over an adequate range of conditions. Facility interference and chemical kinetics phenomena that make interpretation of subscale ground test data difficult are discussed.

Trefny, Charles J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Flight test validation of a frequency-based system identification method on an F-15 aircraft

A frequency-based performance identification approach was evaluated using flight data from the NASA F-15 Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control aircraft. The approach used frequency separation to identify the effectiveness of multiple controls simultaneously as an alternative to independent control identification methods. Fourier transformations converted measured control and response data into frequency domain representations. Performance gradients were formed using multiterm frequency matching of control and response frequency domain models. An objective function was generated using these performance gradients. This function was formally optimized to produce a coordinated control trim set. This algorithm was applied to longitudinal acceleration and evaluated using two control effectors: nozzle throat area and inlet first ramp. Three criteria were investigated to validate the approach: simultaneous gradient identification, gradient frequency dependency, and repeatability. This report describes the flight test results. These data demonstrate that the approach can accurately identify performance gradients during simultaneous control excitation independent of excitation frequency.

Schkolnik, Gerard S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Analytical and experimental studies of a short compact subsonic diffuser for a two-dimensional supersonic inlet

An experimental study of a two-dimensional supersonic inlet with a short compact subsonic diffuser, length to exit diameter (dl/d) ratio of 1.25, was conducted to investigate the impact of the short diffuser on inlet performance at low speeds and to assess the diffuser subsonic performance for a simulated diffuser flow corresponding to high-speed inlet conditions near the design flight Mach number of 2.2. For the low-speed testing, a drooped lip was employed to improve the inlet performance at a high angle of attack. For the simulated high-speed testing, air was blown through slots or discrete nozzles as an active boundary-layer control. The results from the low-speed performance test were compared with the results from a previous test program on the same inlet with a long subsonic diffuser (dl/d = 4.5). The comparison indicates that inlet recovery was not affected by the use of the short diffuser for either the baseline (no droop) or the drooped cowl lip configuration. However, the inlet baseline distortion for the short diffuser configuration was substantially higher than for the long diffuser. A comparison of the two configurations with a 70 deg drooped lip showed no significant difference in distortion. For the portion of the experimental program in which diffuser conditions for high-speed flight were simulated, diffuser-induced flow separation occurred. This separation was predicted from an analytical study that used the Hess potential flow panel method and the Herring two-dimensional boundary-layer analysis computer codes. The flow separated mainly on the diffuser ramp. Subsequent tests in which boundary-control systems were utilized showed that blowing with either slots or discrete nozzles could suppress the flow separation in the short subsonic diffuser, thereby substantially improving the diffuser performance.

Iek, Chanthy↗
NASA NTRS1995

F-15 propulsion system

A brief description of the NASA F-15 research aircraft propulsion system is given. The F-15 is powered by two PW1128 afterburning turbofan engines which are growth versions of the F100-PW-100 engine. The PW1128 is controlled by a full-authority digital electronic engine control (DEEC). The F-15 inlet is a two-dimensional, three-ramp, external compression design with partially cut back side plates. Each inlet is independently controlled by an electronic air inlet controller (EAIC).

Bushman, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2012

Method and Apparatus for In-Situ Health Monitoring of Solar Cells in Space

Some embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus that includes an oscillator, a ramp generator, and an inverter. The apparatus includes an oscillator, an inverter, and a ramp generator. The oscillator is configured to generate a waveform comprising a low time and a high time. The inverter is configured to receive the waveform generated by the oscillator, and invert the waveform. The ramp generator configured to increase a gate control voltage of a transistor connected to a solar cell, and rapidly decrease the gate control voltage of the transistor. During the low time of the waveform, a measurement of a current and a voltage of the solar cell is performed as the current and voltage of the solar cell are transmitted through a first channel and to a second channel. During the high time of the waveform, a measurement of a current of a shorted cell and a voltage reference is performed as the current of the shorted cell and the voltage reference are transmitted through the first channel and the second channel.

Krasowski, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Operational Impact of the Baseline Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface System Field Demonstration

To address the Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface (IADS) challenge, NASA is developing and demonstrating trajectory-based departure automation under a collaborative effort with the FAA and industry known as Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2). ATD-2 builds upon and integrates previous NASA research capabilities that include the Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA), the Precision Departure Release Capability (PDRC), and the Terminal Sequencing and Spacing (TSAS) capability. The ATD-2 field demonstration is organized into three phases. Phase I illustrates a Baseline IADS demonstration and includes all components of ATD-2 running in operational environments. Subsequent phases will fuse together strategic scheduling components as well as take into account metroplex considerations. This paper describes the baseline IADS system that was deployed at the end of 2017 and is continuing to run as part of the ATD-2 demonstration taking place at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT). The primary areas of deployment and system use are in the CLT Air Traffic Control Tower, CLT TRACON, CLT American Airlines ramp tower, Washington Center facility and American Airlines Integration Operations Center (IOC). In addition to describing the functions and capabilities that are part of the baseline IADS system, this paper also provides metrics regarding operational use as well as initial benefits metrics. Benefit metrics continue to be collected and aggregated across the areas of system delay, throughput, taxi time, fuel burn savings, and emissions savings. Furthermore, benefits as a result of common awareness of delays and the impact of takeoff and departure restrictions stemming from traffic flow management initiatives are described. The overall benefit of improved predictability and efficiency as a result of the baseline IADS system demonstration is also discussed.

operational system↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of Traffic Flow in Structured Urban Airspace Networks with MFD-based Feedback Control

This research delves into applying the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) concept to structured airspace networks for comprehensive aggregate modeling and introduces a feedback-based departure function aimed at optimizing traffic flow. Previous studies have rarely examined structured airspace networks featuring non-stationary vehicles through the MFD perspective. We devised a scenario grounded in practical applications, featuring a multi-lane network with explicit lane-changing behavior. The MFD effectively captured the open-loop response, displaying a low-scatter, unimodal curve on the flow versus occupancy plot. Drawing inspiration from the ground transportation ramp-metering strategies, a proportional-integral-based controller was developed. Extensive simulation outcomes suggest that feedback control, informed by MFD, holds significant potential for managing traffic flow in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) environments; a reduction of 80% in the peak number of vehicles in a holding pattern was observed for a slight reduction in throughput in this study.

MFD↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Analysis of Traffic Flow in Structured Urban Airspace Networks with MFD-based Feedback Control

This research delves into applying the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) concept to structured airspace networks for comprehensive aggregate modeling and introduces a feedback-based departure function aimed at optimizing traffic flow. Previous studies have rarely examined structured airspace networks featuring non-stationary vehicles through the MFD perspective. We devised a scenario grounded in practical applications, featuring a multi-lane network with explicit lane-changing behavior. The MFD effectively captured the open-loop response, displaying a low-scatter, unimodal curve on the flow versus occupancy plot. Drawing inspiration from the ground transportation ramp-metering strategies, a proportional-integral-based controller was developed. Extensive simulation outcomes suggest that feedback control, informed by MFD, holds significant potential for managing traffic flow in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) environments; a reduction of 80% in the peak number of vehicles in a holding pattern was observed for a slight reduction in throughput in this study.

MFD↗
NASA NTRS2015

Active Aerodynamic Load Reduction on a Rotorcraft Fuselage With Rotor Effects: A CFD Validation Effort

A rotorcraft fuselage is typically designed with an emphasis on operational functionality with aerodynamic efficiency being of secondary importance. This results in a significant amount of drag during high-speed forward flight that can be a limiting factor for future high-speed rotorcraft designs. To enable higher speed flight, while maintaining a functional fuselage design (i.e., a large rear cargo ramp door), the NASA Rotary Wing Project has conducted both experimental and computational investigations to assess active flow control as an enabling technology for fuselage drag reduction. This paper will evaluate numerical simulations of a flow control system on a generic rotorcraft fuselage with a rotor in forward flight using OVERFLOW, a structured mesh Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver developed at NASA. The results are compared to fuselage forces, surface pressures, and PN flow field data obtained in a wind tunnel experiment conducted at the NASA Langley 14-by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel where significant drag and download reductions were demonstrated using flow control. This comparison showed that the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver was unable to predict the fuselage forces and pressure measurements on the ramp for the baseline and flow control cases. While the CFD was able to capture the flow features, it was unable to accurately predict the performance of the flow control.

Allan, Brian G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Versatile, analog-to-digital, power-regulator controller

Power controller uses digital techniques to vary duty ratio of switching-type power regulators. Duty ratio is adjusted by comparing error signal with ramp voltage signal. As compared to previously-used switching regulators, controller uses fewer components and no magnetics and is readily adaptable to thick-film technology.

Mclyman, W. T.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Long duration biaxial cylinder testing of balloon grade polyethylene films with emphasis on automated data acquisition and control

Characterization of a 2-dimensional material constitutive model in the practical biaxial state for engineering utility of balloon envelope structural analysis is achievable with laboratory cylinder tests. Hoop (circumferential, and longitudinal strains are time-wise measured on axially loaded pressurized cylinders. Pre-programmed ramped loading changes as well as precise long term pressure control are achieved through cascaded proportional, integral derivative (PID) flow control loops that are part of an integrated data acquisition and process control system. Real time data reduction and analysis allow monitoring of unattended tests that have durations of up to a month. Measured and controlled parameters and variables are discussed; date analysis techniques are reviewed.

Martone, Michael↗