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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 127 records · Page 7

A fully coupled flow simulation around spacecraft in low earth orbit

The primary objective of this investigation is to provide a full flow simulation of a spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO). Due to the nature of the environment, the simulation includes the highly coupled effects of neutral particle flow, free stream plasma flow, nonequilibrium gas dynamics effects, spacecraft charging and electromagnetic field effects. Emphasis is placed on the near wake phenomenon and will be verified in space by the Wake Shield Facility (WSF) and developed for application to Space Station conditions as well as for other spacecraft. The WSF is a metallic disk-type structure that will provide a controlled space platform for highly accurate measurements. Preliminary results are presented for a full flow around a metallic disk.

Justiz, C. R.↗

The NASA Langley laminar flow control airfoil experiment

A large chord swept supercritical LFC airfoil has been constructed for NASA-Langley's research program to determine the compatibility of supercritical airfoils with suction laminarization and to establish a technology base for future transport designs. Features include a high design Mach number and shock-free flow, as well as the minimization of the laminarization suction through a choice of airfoil geometry and pressure distribution. Two suction surface concepts and a variety of hybrid suction concepts involving combinations of natural and forced laminar flow are to be investigated. The test facility has been modified to insure achievement of required flow quality and transonic interference-free flow over the yawed LFC airfoil.

Harvey, W. D.↗

Modified k-epsilon model for compressible free shear flows

The k-epsilon model has heretofore been unable to predict experimentally observed decreases in the spreading rate of turbulent supersonic free-shear layers encountered with increasing Mach number. The present modification of the two-equation k-epsilon-1 model is able to effectively reduce the model to a 1-equation k model in highly compressible flows; as a result, a significant improvement in accuracy is obtained for predictions concerning supersonic shear layers.

Brescianini, C. P.↗

NASA Langley laminar flow control airfoil experiment

The design and construction of an advanced swept supercritical airfoil for commercial aircraft to be tested in a transonic wind tunnel is described. The swept LFC airfoil was designed for a given thickness ratio and lift coefficient, with emphasis placed on high critical Mach number with shock-free flow. It is compatible with satisfactory low speed and buffeting characteristics and minimizing the suction laminarization. Further emphasis was placed on achieving shock-free flow over a wide range of off-design conditions including trailing edge flap control. The requirements and design of the suction system and modifications to the Langley 8 foot transonic pressure tunnel is briefly described. Contouring of nonporous test section walls for free air simulation and flow quality improvements is included.

Harvey, W. D.↗

Planar laser-induced fluorescence measurements of high-enthalpy free jet flow with nitric oxide

Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of property fields in a high-enthalpy, supersonic, underexpanded free jet generated in a reflection-type shock tunnel are reported. PLIF images showing velocity and temperature sensitivity are presented. The inferred radial velocity and relative rotational temperature fields are found to be in agreement with those predicted by a numerical simulation of the flowfield using the method of characteristics.

Palmer, Jennifer L.↗

The Effect of Fuel Consumption on Cylinder Temperatures and Performance of a Cowled Wright J-5 Engine

Given here are the results of tests made to determine the effect of fuel consumption on the cylinder temperatures and the performance of a cowled Wright J-5 engine. The results of these tests indicate that enriching the mixture by increasing the carburetor size results in a reduction in cylinder head and barrel temperatures. The cylinders shielded by the magnetos or the points on the cylinder that do not receive a free flow of cooling air increase most rapidly in temperature as the mixture is leaned. A free flow of air past the cylinders is essential for satisfactory operation on a lean mixture. The results of these tests show that the Wright J-5 engine can withstand severe temperatures for short periods of operation. The test results also show to what extent destructive temperatures may be avoided by enriching the mixture.

Schey, Oscar W↗

Test technique development in interference free testing, flow visualization, and remote control model technology at Langley's Unitary Plan wind tunnel

A metric half-span model is considered as a means of mechanical support for a wind-tunnel model which allows measurement of aerodynamic forces and moments without support interference or model distortion. This technique can be applied to interference-free propulsion models. The vapor screen method of flow visualization at supersonic Mach numbers is discussed. The use of smoke instead of water vapor as a medium to produce the screen is outlined. Vapor screen data are being used in the development of analytical vortex tracking programs. Test results for a remote control model system are evaluated. Detailed control effectiveness and cross-coupling data were obtained with a single run. For the afterbody tail configuration, tested control boundaries at several roll orientations were established utilizing the facility's on-line capability to 'fly' the model in the wind tunnel.

Corlett, W. A.↗

Loads Induced on a Flat-Plate Wing by an Air Jet Exhausting Perpendicularly through the Wing and Normal to a Free-Stream Flow of Mach Number 2.0

Measurements were made of loads induced on a flat-plate wing by an air jet exhausting perpendicularly through the wing and normal to the free-stream flow.The investigation was conducted at a free-stream Mach number of 2.0 and a Reynolds number per foot of 14.4 x 10(exp 6). An axially symmetric sonic nozzle and two supersonic nozzles were employed for the jets. The supersonic nozzles consisted of an axially symmetric nozzle with exit Mach number of 3.44 and a two-dimensional nozzle with exit Mach number of 1.76. The ratio of nozzle total pressure to free-stream static pressure was varied from 20 to 110. Negative loads were induced on the flat-plate wing by all the jets. As the nozzle pressure ratio was increased the magnitude of interference loads due to jet thrust decreased. The chordwise center-of-pressure location generally moved toward the nozzle center line as the pressure ratio was increased.

Janos, Joseph J.↗

A new method for designing shock-free transonic configurations

A method for the design of shock free supercritical airfoils, wings, and three dimensional configurations is described. Results illustrating the procedure in two and three dimensions are given. They include modifications to part of the upper surface of an NACA 64A410 airfoil that will maintain shock free flow over a range of Mach numbers for a fixed lift coefficient, and the modifications required on part of the upper surface of a swept wing with an NACA 64A410 root section to achieve shock free flow. While the results are given for inviscid flow, the same procedures can be employed iteratively with a boundary layer calculation in order to achieve shock free viscous designs. With a shock free pressure field the boundary layer calculation will be reliable and not complicated by the difficulties of shock wave boundary layer interaction.

Sobieczky, H.↗

A new method for designing shock-free transonic configurations

A new method for the design of shock-free supercritical airfoils, wings, and three-dimensional configurations is described. Results illustrating this procedure in two and three dimensions are given. They include modifications to part of the upper surface of an NACA 64A410 airfoil that will maintain shock-free flow over a range of Mach numbers for a fixed lift coefficient, and the modifications required on part of the upper surface of a swept wing with an NACA 64A410 root section to achieve shock-free flow. While the results are given for inviscid flow, the same procedures can be employed iteratively with a boundary layer calculation in order to achieve shock-free viscous designs. With a shock-free pressure field the boundary layer calculation will be reliable and not complicated by the difficulties of shock-wave boundary-layer interaction.

Sobieczky, H.↗

A numerical simulation of three-dimensional flow in an adaptive wall wind tunnel

Numerical simulations of three dimensional flows in a prototype adaptive wall wind tunnel are conducted at the Mach number of 0.6 to investigate: (1) wind tunnel wall interference, (2) active streamline control by varying air removal or injection along the walls, and (3) to develop a method for establishing wall boundary conditions for interference free flows. Wind tunnel wall interference could be controlled by using only the vertical velocity components. For the configuration tested, interference free flow with solid sidewalls can be approximated by using only floor and ceiling blowing/suction.

Mendoza, J. P.↗

Nozzle Free Jet Flows Within the Strong Curved Shock Regime

A study based on inviscid analysis was conducted to examine the flow field produced from a convergent-divergent nozzle when a strong curved shock occurs. It was found that a certain constraint is imposed on the flow solution of the problem which is the unique feature of the flow within this flow regime, and provides the reason why the inverse method of calculation cannot be employed for these problems. An approximate method was developed to calculate the flow field, and results were obtained for two-dimensional flows. Analysis and calculations were performed for flows with axial symmetry. It is shown that under certain conditions, the vorticity generated at the jet boundary may become infinite and the viscous effect becomes important. Under other conditions, the asymptotic free jet height as well as the corresponding shock geometry were determined.

Shih, Tso-Shin↗

Hybrid vortex method for lifting surfaces with free-vortex flow

A Nonlinear Hybrid Vortex method (NHV-method) has been developed for predicting the aerodynamic characteristics of wings exhibiting leading- and side-edge separations. This method alleviates the drawbacks of the Nonlinear Discrete Vortex method (NDV-method, also known as the multiple line vortex method.) The NHV-method combines continuous-vorticity and vortex-line representations of the wing and its separated free shear layers. Continuous vorticity is used in the near-field calculations, while discrete vortex-lines are used in the far-field calculations. The wing and its free shear layers are divided into quadrilateral vortex panels having second-order vorticity distributions. The aerodynamic boundary conditions and continuity of the vorticity distributions are satisfied at certain nodal points on the vortex panels. An iterative technique is used to satisfy these conditions in order to obtain the vorticity distribution and the wake shape. Distributed and total aerodynamic loads are then calculated.

Kandil, O. A.↗

The thermal stability of coronal loops - Numerical simulations

The radiative stability of thermally isolated coronal loops with free-flow boundary conditions by nonlinear numerical simulation are studied. A chromosphere-to-corona loop equilibrium (including the option of a deep chromosphere) is first established by following the nonlinear evolution from an initial isothermal state with rigid boundaries. The end conditions are then changed, to allow free flow and to fix the temperature, and investigate the response to nonisobaric perturbations. Within a family of loops of the same pressure, long hot loops to be stable and short cool loops to be unstable to the thermal chromospheric-expansion mode are found. The stable cases remain so, even when long chromospheric ends and/or gravity are added. In those cases which are unstable, the subsequent nonlinear evolution which exhibits swelling of the chromosphere until the entire loop becomes cool and dense are followed.

Mok, Y.↗

Application of the Analogy Between Water Flow with a Free Surface and Two-dimensional Compressible Gas Flow

The theory of hydraulic analogy, that is, the analogy between water flow with a free surface and two-dimensional compressible gas flow and the limitations and conditions of the analogy are discussed. A test run was made using the hydraulic analogy as applied to the flow about circular cylinders at various diameters at subsonic velocities extending to the super critical range. The apparatus and techniques used in this application are described and criticized. Reasonably satisfactory agreement of pressure distributions and flow fields existed between water and airflow about corresponding bodies. This agreement indicated the possibility of extending experimental compressibility research by new methods.

Orlin, W James↗

Application of the Analogy Between Water Flow with a Free Surface and Two-Dimensional Compressible Gas Flow

The theory of the hydraulic analogy -- that is, the analogy between water flow with a free surface and two-dimensional compressible gas flow -- and the limitations and conditions of the analogy are discussed. A test was run using the hydraulic analogy as applied to the flow about circular cylinders of various diameters at subsonic velocities extending into the supercritical range. The apparatus and techniques used in this application are described and criticized. Reasonably satisfactory agreement of pressure distributions and flow fields existed between water and air flow about corresponding bodies. This agreement indicated the possibility of extending experimental compressibility research by new methods.

Orlin, W James↗

Erosion in radial inflow turbines. Volume 2: Balance of centrifugal and radial drag forces on erosive particles

The particle motion in two-dimensional free and forced inward flowing vortices is considered. A particle in such a flow field experiences a balance between the aerodynamic drag forces that tend to drive erosive particles toward the axis, and centrifugal forces that prevent these particles from traveling toward the axis. Results predict that certain sizes of particles will achieve a stable orbit about the turbine axis in the inward flowing free vortex. In this condition, the radial drag force is equal to the centrifugal force. The sizes of particles that will achieve a stable orbit is shown to be related to the gas flow velocity diagram at a particular radius. A second analysis yields a description of particle sizes that will experience a centrifugal force that is greater than the radial component of the aerodynamic drag force for a more general type of particle motion.

Clevenger, W. B., Jr.↗