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DOE OSTI2024

Broadband Rotational Spectroscopy in Uniform Supersonic Flows: Chirped Pulse/Uniform Flow for Reaction Dynamics and Low Temperature Kinetics

ConspectusThe study of gas-phase chemical reactions at very low temperatures first became possible with the development and implementation of the CRESU (French acronym for Reaction Kinetics in Uniform Supersonic Flows) technique. CRESU relies on a uniform supersonic flow produced by expansion of a gas through a Laval (convergent-divergent) nozzle to produce a wall-less reactor at temperatures from 10 to 200 K and densities of 1016-1018 cm-3 for the study of low temperature kinetics, with particular application to astrochemistry. In recent years, we have combined uniform flows with revolutionary advances in broadband rotational spectroscopy to yield an instrument that affords near-universal detection for novel applications in photodissociation, reaction dynamics, and kinetics. This combination of uniform supersonic flows with chirped-pulse Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy (Chirped-Pulse/Uniform Flow, CPUF) permits detection of any species with a modest dipole moment, thermalized to the uniform temperature of the gas flow, with isomer, conformer, and vibrational state specificity. In addition, the use of broadband, high-resolution, and time-dependent (microsecond time scale) micro- and mm-wave spectroscopy makes it an ideal tool for characterizing both transient and stable molecules, as well as studying their spectroscopy and dynamics.In this Account, we review recent advances made using the CPUF technique, including studies of photodissociation, radical-radical reaction dynamics, and low temperature kinetics. These studies highlight both the strength of universal and multiplexed detection and the challenges of coupling it to a high-density collisional environment. Product branching and product evolution as a function of time have been measured for astrochemically relevant systems, relying on the detailed characterization of these flow conditions via experiments and fluid dynamics simulations. In the photodissociation of isoxazole, an unusual heterocyclic molecule with a very low-energy conical intersection, we have identified 7 products in 5 reaction channels and determined the product branching, pointing to both direct and indirect pathways. We have also approached the same system from separated NO and C3H3 reactants to explore a broader range of the potential energy surface, demonstrating the power of multichannel branching measurements for complex radical-radical reactions. We determined the product branching in the C3H2 isomers in the photodissociation of the propargyl radical and identified the importance of a hydrogen atom catalyzed isomerization to the lowest energy cyclic form. This then motivated a study of direct D-H exchange reaction in radicals, in which we demonstrate that it is an important and overlooked pathway for deuterium fractionation in astrochemical environments. Recently, we have shown the measurement of low temperature kinetics inside an extended Laval nozzle, after which a shock-free secondary expansion to low temperature and density affords an ideal environment for detection by rotational spectroscopy. These results highlight the power and potential of the CPUF approach, and future prospects will also be discussed in light of these developments.

Dias, Nureshan↗

DOE OSTI2021

Liquid–Liquid Microfluidic Flows for Ultrafast 5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural Extraction

We study the effects of liquid–liquid flow patterns on the extraction of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural from the aqueous phase into an organic phase (methyl isobutyl ketone, ethyl acetate, and 2-pentanol) at ultrashort residence times of 0.2–20 s in a coiled capillary microchannel. Slug, droplet, slug-droplet, dispersed, parallel, annular, and irregular two-phase flow patterns are generated. We evaluate the extraction efficiency and the volumetric mass transfer coefficient via experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The CFD predictions are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data. The convective and diffusive contributions to the mass transfer of different flow patterns are analyzed. For all solvent pairs, the extraction efficiency varies irregularly with increasing flow rate due to changes in the mass transfer mechanism caused by a transition between flow regimes. Overall, we demonstrate >90% extraction efficiencies with high volumetric mass transfer coefficients ranging from 0.006 to 2.17 s–1. Furthermore, a merit index is defined to assess the trade-off between the fast mass transfer and the pressure drop in biphasic microchannels. In general, the mass transfer rate increases significantly at high flow rates at the expense of a high-pressure drop. Furthermore, the ethyl acetate/water irregular flow pattern is optimal due to a large throughput, extraction efficiency, and mass transfer coefficient, with a minimal pressure drop.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Design and Analysis of the Open-Surface Slow Li Flow Divertor and Comparison to the Fast Li Flow Divertor

In the ongoing U.S. project, “Liquid Metal Plasma Facing Components,” sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, efforts have been taken to develop two open-surface divertor designs for the Fusion Nuclear Science Facility using liquid lithium (Li) as a heat and particle flux removal media. The main focus of this study is the design and analysis of a slow (~1 mm/s) and thin (<1 mm) open-surface Li flow divertor with a Li-cooled substrate, which is then compared with an earlier design of a fast (up to 10 m/s) and thick (~0.5 cm) Li flow divertor with the substrate cooled with helium. The slow Li flow divertor design is based on the original LiWall concept developed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Such a thin and slow Li layer can remove the particle flux by reducing the recycling flux, while the heat flux is removed mainly through the heat sink located beneath. In the present study, the heat sink is provided through a Li cooling flow inside the substrate of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel. By performing a multiphysics analysis with COMSOL that included liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), heat transfer, and structural mechanics, the impact of various factors on the divertor heat removal capability, such as Li flow velocity, MHD effects, and inlet velocity boundary condition, were examined. Based on comparisons of the two divertor designs, it was shown that the fast-flow divertor significantly outperformed the slow-flow design, whose heat removal capability was limited to ~1 to 2 MW/m2.

Jiang, Yuchen [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000283280284)↗

DOE OSTI2021

Particle charge distributions in the effluent of a flow-through atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma

Atmospheric pressure low-temperature plasmas are often utilized to perform particle synthesis, treatment, and removal. It is well-known that dust particles are highly negatively charged in these plasmas; however, little is known about dust particle charging behavior as particles leave the plasma volume and pass through the spatial afterglow region. In this work, monodisperse particles of various sizes and work functions were introduced into an atmospheric pressure radiofrequency capacitively coupled flow-through plasma. Dust particle electrical mobility distributions downstream of the flow-through plasma were measured utilizing a differential mobility analyzer in conjunction with a condensation particle counter at various gas flow velocities. Charge distributions were determined from the measured electrical mobility distributions. Experiments confirm that particles become less negatively charged, and even net-positively charged after leaving the plasma volume, with a distribution that follows a shifted Boltzmann charge distribution. Additionally, particle charge in the effluent of the flow-through plasma is negligibly dependent on work function but highly size and flow velocity dependent. Larger particles were shown to have a higher magnitude of charge under all studied conditions; however, particle polarity was switchable by varying gas flow velocity. The charging dynamics were simulated utilizing a constant number Monte Carlo model that accounts for electron temperature decay and the transition from ambipolar to free diffusion of electrons and ions in the spatial afterglow. Simulation results also suggest that, at the same flow velocity, larger particles obtain a greater magnitude of charge, negative or positive. Furthermore, the decrease in electron mobility and the difference between ion and electron convective loss rates create an ion-rich region in the plasma effluent that promotes ion–particle collisions and drives particle charge removal and even reversal of polarity. Larger particles more favorably collide with energetic species in these environments, which results in higher charge states.

atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma↗

DOE OSTI2022

Augmentation of WRF-Hydro to simulate overland-flow- and streamflow-generated debris flow susceptibility in burn scars

In steep wildfire-burned terrains, intense rainfall can produce large runoff that can trigger highly destructive debris flows. However, the ability to accurately characterize and forecast debris flow susceptibility in burned terrains using physics-based tools remains limited. Here, we augment the Weather Research and Forecasting Hydrological modeling system (WRF-Hydro) to simulate both overland and channelized flows and assess postfire debris flow susceptibility over a regional domain. We perform hindcast simulations using high-resolution weather-radar-derived precipitation and reanalysis data to drive non-burned baseline and burn scar sensitivity experiments. Our simulations focus on January 2021 when an atmospheric river triggered numerous debris flows within a wildfire burn scar in Big Sur – one of which destroyed California's famous Highway 1. Compared to the baseline, our burn scar simulation yields dramatic increases in total and peak discharge and shorter lags between rainfall onset and peak discharge, consistent with streamflow observations at nearby US Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow gage sites. For the 404 catchments located in the simulated burn scar area, median catchment-area-normalized peak discharge increases by ~ 450 % compared to the baseline. Catchments with anomalously high catchment-area-normalized peak discharge correspond well with post-event field-based and remotely sensed debris flow observations. We suggest that our regional postfire debris flow susceptibility analysis demonstrates WRF-Hydro as a compelling new physics-based tool whose utility could be further extended via coupling to sediment erosion and transport models and/or ensemble-based operational weather forecasts. Given the high-fidelity performance of our augmented version of WRF-Hydro, as well as its potential usage in probabilistic hazard forecasts, we argue for its continued development and application in postfire hydrologic and natural hazard assessments.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1973

FORTRAN program for calculating velocities and streamlines on the hub-shroud mid-channel flow surface of an axial- or mixed-flow turbomachine. 1: User's manual

A FORTRAN 4 computer program has been developed that obtains a subsonic or shock-free transonic flow solution on the hub-shroud mid-channel flow surface of a turbomachine. The blade row may be fixed or rotating, and may be twisted and leaned. Flow may be axial or mixed, up to 45 deg from axial. Upstream and downstream flow variables may vary from hub to shroud, and provision is made to correct for loss of stagnation pressure. The results include velocities, streamlines, and flow angles on the flow surface; and approximate blade surface velocities. Subsonic solutions are obtained by a finite-difference stream-function solution. Transonic solutions are obtained by a velocity-gradient method, using information from a finite-difference stream-function solution at a reduced mass flow.

Katsanis, T.↗

NASA NTRS1974

FORTRAN program for calculating velocities and streamlines on the hub-shroud mid-channel flow surface of an axial-or mixed-flow turbomachine. 2: Programmer's manual

A FORTRAN-IV computer program, MERIDL, has been developed that obtains a subsonic or shock-free transonic flow solution on the hub-shroud mid-channel flow surface of a turbomachine. The blade row may be fixed or rotating and may be twisted and leaned. Flow may be axial or mixed, up to 45 deg from axial. Upstream and downstream flow variables can vary from hub to shroud, and provision is made to correct for loss of stagnation pressure. The results include velocities, streamlines, and flow angles on the flow surface and approximate blade surface velocities. Subsonic solutions are obtained by a finite-difference stream-function solution. Transonic solutions are obtained by a velocity-gradient method, using information from a finite-difference stream-function solution at a reduced mass flow.

Katsanis, T.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Three dimensional flow field in rocket pump inducers. Part 2: Mean flow and turbulence characteristics inside the rotor passage, and theoretical analysis

The measurement and prediction is reported of three dimensional flow fields in an axial flow inducer operating at a flow coefficient of 0.065 with air as the test medium. The experimental investigations included measurements of the blade static pressure and blade limiting streamline angle, and measurement of the three components of mean velocity, turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses at locations inside the inducer blade passage utilizing a rotating three-sensor hotwire probe. Analytical investigations were conducted to predict the three-dimensional inviscid flow. Total relative velocity distributions indicate a substantial velocity deficiency near the tip at mid-passage. High turbulence intensities and turbulence stresses are concentrated within this core region. Evidence of boundary layer interactions, blade blockage effects, radially inward flows, annulus wall effects and backflows are found to exist within the long, narrow passages of the inducer, emphasizing the complex nature of inducer flow which makes accurate prediction of the flow behavior extremely difficult.

Lakshminarayana, B.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Transonic flow about a two-dimensional airfoil inviscid and turbulent flow properties.

Flow-field measurements are presented for a symmetrical NACA 64A010 airfoil section at transonic conditions. Measurements were obtained for three angles of attack with the free-stream Mach number fixed at 0.8. The cases studied included a weak shock wave/boundary layer interaction, an interaction of medium strength with mild separation, and an interaction of sufficient strength to produce a shock-induced stall situation. Two nonintrusive optical techniques, laser velocimetry and holographic interferometry, were used to characterize the flows. The results include Mach number contours and flow angle distributions in the inviscid flow regions, and turbulent flow properties, including the turbulent Reynolds stresses, of the upper surface viscous layers, and of the near-wake. The turbulent flow measurements reveal that the turbulence fluctuations attain equilibrium with the local mean flow much faster than previously expected.

Johnson, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

The experimental verification of a streamline curvature numerical analysis method applied to the flow through an axial flow fan

The experimental verification of an inviscid, incompressible through-flow analysis method is presented. The primary component of this method is an axisymmetric streamline curvature technique which is used to compute the hub-to-tip flow field of a given turbomachine. To analyze the flow field in the blade-to-blade plane of the machine, the potential flow solution of an infinite cascade of airfoils is also computed using a source model technique. To verify the accuracy of such an analysis method an extensive experimental verification investigation was conducted using an axial flow research fan. Detailed surveys of the blade-free regions of the machine along with intra-blade surveys using rotating pressure sensing probes and blade surface static pressure taps provide a one-to-one relationship between measured and predicted data. The results of this investigation indicate the ability of this inviscid analysis method to predict the design flow field of the axial flow fan test rotor to within a few percent of the measured values.

Pierzga, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A critical evaluation of various methods for the analysis of flow-solid interaction in a nest of thin cylinders subjected to cross flows

Various experimental, analytical, and numerical analysis methods for flow-solid interaction of a nest of cylinders subjected to cross flows are reviewed. A nest of cylinders subjected to cross flows can be found in numerous engineering applications including the Space Shuttle Maine Engine-Main Injector Assembly (SSME-MIA) and nuclear reactor heat exchangers. Despite its extreme importance in engineering applications, understanding of the flow-solid interaction process is quite limited and design of the tube banks are mostly dependent on experiments and/or experimental correlation equations. For future development of major numerical analysis methods for the flow-solid interaction of a nest of cylinders subjected to cross flow, various turbulence models, nonlinear structural dynamics, and existing laminar flow-solid interaction analysis methods are included.

Kim, Sang-Wook↗

NASA NTRS1988

A review of various flow-solid interaction analysis methods with emphasis on recent advances in turbulence models and flow analysis methods

A review on various experimental, analytical, and numerical methods for the flow-solid interaction of a nest of cylinders subjected to cross flow is presented in this paper. In order to assess the possibility of initiating a development of major numerical analysis method for flow-solid interaction of a nest of cylinders in cross flows, a review on various turbulence models, numerical methods such as the finite element method and the finite difference method, and the available numerical methods for flow-solid interactions have been included in this paper. A multiple-time-scale turbulence model for complex turbulent flows and a finite element method for high Reynolds number flows have been introduced herein for the same reason.

Kim, S.-W.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Flow visualization and flow field measurements of a 1/12 scale tilt rotor aircraft in hover

The results are given of flow visualization studies and inflow velocity field measurements performed on a 1/12 scale model of the XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft in the hover mode. The complex recirculating flow due to the rotor-wake-body interactions characteristic of tilt rotors was studied visually using neutrally buoyant soap bubbles and quantitatively using hot wire anemometry. Still and video photography were used to record the flow patterns. Analysis of the photos and video provided information on the physical dimensions of the recirculating fountain flow and on details of the flow including the relative unsteadiness and turbulence characteristics of the flow. Recirculating flows were also observed along the length of the fuselage. Hot wire anemometry results indicate that the wing under the rotor acts to obstruct the inflow causing a deficit in the inflow velocities over the inboard region of the model. Hot wire anemometry also shows that the turbulence intensities in the inflow are much higher in the recirculating fountain reingestion zone.

Coffen, Charles D.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The ground vortex flow field associated with a jet in a cross flow impinging on a ground plane for uniform and annular turbulent axisymmetric jets

An experimental study was conducted of the impingement of a single circular jet on a ground plane in a cross flow. This geometry is a simplified model of the interaction of propulsive jet exhaust from a V/STOL aircraft with the ground in forward flight. Jets were oriented normal to the cross flow and ground plane. Jet size, cross flow-to-jet velocity ratio, ground plane-to-jet board spacing, and jet exit turbulence level and mean velocity profile shape were all varied to determine their effects on the size of the ground vortex interaction region which forms on the ground plane, using smoke injection into the jet. Three component laser Doppler velocimeter measurements were made with a commercial three color system for the case of a uniform jet with exit spacing equal to 5.5 diameters and cross flow-to-jet velocity ratio equal to 0.11. The flow visualization data compared well for equivalent runs of the same nondimensional jet exit spacing and the same velocity ratio for different diameter nozzles, except at very low velocity ratios and for the larger nozzle, where tunnel blockage became significant. Variation of observed ground vortex size with cross flow-to-jet velocity ratio was consistent with previous studies. Observed effects of jet size and ground plane-to-jet board spacing were relatively small. Jet exit turbulence level effects were also small. However, an annular jet with a low velocity central core was found to have a significantly smaller ground vortex than an equivalent uniform jet at the same values of cross flow-to-jet velocity ratio and jet exit-to-ground plane spacing. This may suggest a means of altering ground vortex behavior somewhat, and points out the importance of proper simulation of jet exit velocity conditions. LV data indicated unsteady turbulence levels in the ground vortex in excess of 70 percent.

Cavage, William M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Aeroloads and secondary flows in a transonic mixed flow turbine stage

A numerical simulation of a transonic mixed flow turbine stage has been carried out using an average passage Navier-Stokes analysis. The mixed flow turbine stage considered here consists of a transonic nozzle vane and a highly loaded rotor. The simulation was run at the design pressure ratio and is assessed by comparing results with those of an established throughflow design system. The three-dimensional aerodynamic loads are studied as well as the development and migration of secondary flows and their contribution to the total pressure loss. The numerical results indicate that strong passage vortices develop in the nozzle vane, mix out quickly, and have little impact on the rotor flow. The rotor is highly loaded near the leading edge. Within the rotor passage, strong spanwise flows and other secondary flows exist along with the tip leakage vortex. The rotor exit loss distribution is similar in character to that found in radial inflow turbines. The secondary flows and non-uniform work extraction also tend to significantly redistribute a non-uniform inlet total temperature profile by the exit of the stage.

Kirtley, K. R.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Flow visualization and flow field measurements of a 1/12 scale tilt rotor aircraft in hover

Coffen, Charles D.↗

NASA NTRS1949

Two-dimensional compressible flow in turbomachines with conic flow surfaces

A general method of analysis is developed for two-dimensional, steady, compressible flow in stators or rotors of radial and mixed flow turbomachines with conic flow surfaces (surfaces of right circular cones generated by center line of flow passage in the axial-radial plane). The variables taken into account are: (1) tip speed of the rotor, (2) flow rate, (3) blade shape, (4) variation in passage height with radius, (5) number of blades, and (6) cone angle of the flow surface. Relaxation methods are used to solve the nonlinear differential equation for the stream function. Two numerical examples are presented; one for compressible and the other for incompressible flow in a centrifugal compressor with thin, straight blades. The results of these examples are given by plots of the streamlines, constant velocity-ratio lines, and constant pressure-ratio line.

Stanitz, John D↗

NASA NTRS1996

Experimental Investigation of the Flow Field in a Transonic, Axial Flow Compressor with Respect to the Development of Blockage and Loss

A detailed experimental investigation to understand and quantify the development of loss and blockage in the flow field of a transonic, axial flow compressor rotor has been undertaken. Detailed laser anemometer measurements were acquired upstream, within, and downstream of a transonic, axial compressor rotor operating at design and off-design conditions. The rotor was operated at 100%, 85%, 80%, and 60% of design speed which provided inlet relative Mach numbers at the blade tip of 1.48, 1.26, 1.18, and 0.89 respectively. At design speed the blockage is evaluated ahead of the rotor passage shock, downstream of the rotor passage shock, and near the trailing edge of the blade row. The blockage is evaluated in the core flow area as well as in the casing endwall region. Similarly at pm speed conditions for the cases of (1) where the rotor passage shock is much weaker than that at design speed and (2) where there is no rotor passage shock, the blockage and loss are evaluated and compared to the results at design speed. Specifically, the impact of the rotor passage shock on the blockage and loss development, pertaining to both the shock/boundary layer interactions and the shock/tip clearance flow interactions, is discussed. In addition, the blockage evaluated from the experimental data is compared to (1) an existing correlation of blockage development which was based on computational results, and (2) computational results on a limited basis. The results indicate that for this rotor the blockage in the endwall region is 2-3 times that of the core flow region and the blockage in the core flow region more than doubles when the shock strength is sufficient to separate the suction surface boundary layer. The distribution of losses in the care flow region indicate that the total loss is primarily comprised of the shock loss when the shock strength is not sufficient to separate the suction surface boundary layer. However, when the shock strength is sufficient to separate the suction surface boundary layer, the profile loss is comparable to the shock loss and can exceed the shock loss.

Suder, Kenneth L.↗