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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Shock Generation and Control Using DBD Plasma Actuators

This report is the final report of a NASA Phase I SBIR contract, with some revisions to remove company proprietary data. The Shock Boundary Layer Interaction (SBLI) phenomena in a supersonic inlet involve mutual interaction of oblique shocks with boundary layers, forcing the boundary layer to separate from the inlet wall. To improve the inlet efficiency, it is desired to prevent or delay shock-induced boundary layer separation. In this effort, Innovative Technology Applications Company (ITAC), LLC and the University of Notre Dame (UND) jointly investigated the use of dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) plasma actuators for control of SBLI in a supersonic inlet. The research investigated the potential for DBD plasma actuators to suppress flow separation caused by a shock in a turbulent boundary layer. The research involved both numerical and experimental investigations of plasma flow control for a few different SBLI configurations: (a) a 12 wedge flow test case at Mach 1.5 (numerical and experimental), (b) an impinging shock test case at Mach 1.5 using an airfoil as a shock generator (numerical and experimental), and (c) a Mach 2.0 nozzle flow case in a simulated 15 X 15 cm wind tunnel with a shock generator (numerical). Numerical studies were performed for all three test cases to examine the feasibility of plasma flow control concepts. These results were used to guide the wind tunnel experiments conducted on the Mach 1.5 12 degree wedge flow (case a) and the Mach 1.5 impinging shock test case (case b) which were at similar flow conditions as the corresponding numerical studies to obtain experimental evidence of plasma control effects for SBLI control. The experiments also generated data that were used in validating the numerical studies for the baseline cases (without plasma actuators). The experiments were conducted in a Mach 1.5 test section in the University of Notre Dame Hessert Laboratory. The simulation results from cases a and b indicated that multiple spanwise actuators in series and at a voltage of 75 kVp-p could fully suppress the flow separation downstream of the shock. The simulation results from case c showed that the streamwise plasma actuators are highly effective in creating pairs of counter-rotating vortices, much like the mechanical vortex generators, and could also potentially have beneficial effects for SBLI control. However, to achieve these effects, the positioning and the quantity of the DBD actuators used must be optimized. The wind tunnel experiments mapped the baseline flow with good agreement to the numerical simulations. The experimental results were conducted with spanwise actuators for cases a and b, but were limited by the inability to generate a sufficiently high voltage due to arcing in the wind-tunnel test-section. The static pressure in the tunnel was lower than the static pressure in an inlet at flight conditions, promoting arching and degrading the actuator performance.

Patel, Mehul P.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Comparison of Trajectory Optimization Methods for the Impulsive Minimum Fuel Rendezvous Problem

In this paper we present, a comparison of trajectory optimization approaches for the minimum fuel rendezvous problem. Both indirect and direct methods are compared for a variety of test cases. The indirect approach is based on primer vector theory. The direct approaches are implemented numerically and include Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP). Quasi- Newton and Nelder-Meade Simplex. Several cost function parameterizations are considered for the direct approach. We choose one direct approach that appears to be the most flexible. Both the direct and indirect methods are applied to a variety of test cases which are chosen to demonstrate the performance of each method in different flight regimes. The first test case is a simple circular-to-circular coplanar rendezvous. The second test case is an elliptic-to-elliptic line of apsides rotation. The final test case is an orbit phasing maneuver sequence in a highly elliptic orbit. For each test case we present a comparison of the performance of all methods we consider in this paper.

Hughes, Steven P.↗
NASA NTRS2017

USM3D Simulations for Second Sonic Boom Workshop

The NASA Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System with the USM3D flow solver was used to compute test cases for the Second AIAA Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop. The intent of this report is to document the USM3D results for SBPW2 test cases. The test cases included an axisymmetric equivalent area body, a JAXA wing body, a NASA low boom supersonic configuration modeled with flow through nacelles and engine boundary conditions. All simulations were conducted for a free stream Mach number of 1.6, zero degrees angle of attack, and a Reynolds number of 5.7 million per meter. Simulations were conducted on tetrahedral grids provided by the workshop committee, as well as a family of grids generated by an in-house approach for sonic boom analyses known as BoomGrid using current best practices. The near-field pressure signatures were extracted and propagated to the ground with the atmospheric propagation code, sBOOM. The USM3D near-field pressure signatures, corresponding sBOOM ground signatures, and loudness levels on the ground are compared with mean values from other workshop participants.

Elmiligui, Alaa↗
NASA NTRS2017

USM3D Simulations for Second Sonic Boom Workshop

The NASA Tetrahedral Unstructured Software System with the USM3D flow solver was used to compute the test cases for the Second AIAA Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop. The intent of this article is to document the USM3D results for SBPW2 test cases. The test cases included an axisymmetric equivalent area body, a JAXA wing body, a NASA low boom supersonic configuration modeled with flow-through nacelles and engine boundary conditions. All simulations were conducted for a free stream Mach number of 1.6, zero degrees angle of attack, and a Reynolds number of 5.7 million per meter. Simulations were conducted on the tetrahedral grids provided by the workshop committee, as well as a family of grids generated by an in-house approach for sonic boom analyses known as BoomGrid using current best practices. The near-field pressure signatures were extracted and propagated to the ground with the atmospheric propagation code, sBOOM. The USM3D near-field pressure signatures, corresponding sBOOM ground signatures, and loudness levels on the ground are compared with mean values from other workshop participants.

Elmiligui, Alaa↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Implementation and Verification of the SST-𝜸 and SA-AFT Transition Models in FUN3D

The transition modeling capability in the NASA unstructured FUN3D suite of codes has been augmented by incorporating two additional transport-equation-based transition models, namely, the 𝜸 transition model coupled with Menter’s 2003 Shear-Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model and Coder’s Amplification Factor Transport (AFT) transition model combined with the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. Both of these models, SST-𝜸 and SA-AFT, are used to compute transition characteristics of several test cases from the literature. The selected test cases cover a range of transition scenarios including bypass transition over a flat plate (ERCOFTAC T3A and T3A- flow configurations), transition in the presence of separation bubbles (NLF-0416 airfoil at selected angles of attack), and natural transition due to Tollmien-Schlichting instabilities (flat-plate experiment by Schubauer and Klebanoff). To address the urgent need for model verification as highlighted in recent workshops on transition modeling, the drag, lift, surface pressure, and skin-friction coefficients from the FUN3D solutions for a sequence of meshes are compared with the results obtained with the same models implemented in the NASA structured grid flow solver OVERFLOW. Comparisons between the local and global surface coefficients from the FUN3D and OVERFLOW solvers for all test cases resulted in good agreement for the finest meshes.

Verification↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

FUN3D Analyses in Support of the 1st AIAA Stability and Control Prediction Workshop

The 1st AIAA Stability and Control Prediction Workshop was created to establish best practices for the prediction of stability & control derivatives using computational fluid dynamics and assess the limitations of these computational methods when those best practices are applied. The inaugural workshop considers the ONERA version of the NASA/Boeing Common Research Model(CRM), which includes the wing, body, horizontal tail, and a vertical tail designed by ONERA. Wind tunnel tests have been conducted for this configuration with longitudinal tests having been previously published, in addition to unpublished data at small sideslip angles that will serve as ‘blind’ data for workshop data comparisons. Participants were provided a ‘family’ of unstructured grids for the full-span ONERA CRM model with the wind-tunnel sting included. This family of mixed-element grids consists of 5 levels of refinement (tiny, coarse, medium, fine, and extra fine) with surface and volume mesh scaling, resulting in a size range of 14.6 to 53.4 million nodes. In addition, a medium refinement mesh has been provided for the ONERA CRM configuration without a sting to evaluate the sting’s impact on static longitudinal stability characteristics. In addition to these workshop-provided grids, the present work also considers an equivalent ‘family’ of computational grids generated using Heldenmesh™, a rapid grid generation software by Helden Aerospace Corporation for creating high-quality, three-dimensional, mixed-element unstructured meshes. Because of the authors’ familiarity with this software, these additional grids were generated as a comparison to the workshop-provided grids and to better understand the implications of using volume-mirrored grids for stability and control predictions. The present work will contribute to the workshop with test case data generated using the NASA FUN3D code, a parallelized, unstructured, node-based, finite-volume discretization, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver. Numerical simulations will be conducted using the Quadratic Constitutive Relationship (QCR) version of the Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model with negative turbulence variable provisions. Both steady and2nd-order, time-accurate simulation results are to be generated and compared for select test cases, as time permits, to investigate their impact on FUN3D predictions. The present work will consider the three primary workshop test cases: (1) grid convergence study, (2) Mach number effect on static stability, and (3) wind tunnel sting increments. Additionally, data will be provided for the two optional test cases, which include:(1) static stability derivative calculations and (2)sideslip angle sweeps. In each of the test cases, the vehicle is stationary, and the body is assumed to be rigid, where vehicle deformation has been accounted for in the model configuration geometry. For all test cases, longitudinal and lateral force and moment aerodynamic coefficients will be provided for the total configuration, in addition to a component-level breakdown that includes the port wing, starboard wing, fuselage, and tail.

CFD↗
NASA NTRS1997

Parallel ALLSPD-3D: Speeding Up Combustor Analysis Via Parallel Processing

The ALLSPD-3D Computational Fluid Dynamics code for reacting flow simulation was run on a set of benchmark test cases to determine its parallel efficiency. These test cases included non-reacting and reacting flow simulations with varying numbers of processors. Also, the tests explored the effects of scaling the simulation with the number of processors in addition to distributing a constant size problem over an increasing number of processors. The test cases were run on a cluster of IBM RS/6000 Model 590 workstations with ethernet and ATM networking plus a shared memory SGI Power Challenge L workstation. The results indicate that the network capabilities significantly influence the parallel efficiency, i.e., a shared memory machine is fastest and ATM networking provides acceptable performance. The limitations of ethernet greatly hamper the rapid calculation of flows using ALLSPD-3D.

Fricker, David M.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Slow Crack Growth Analysis of Advanced Structural Ceramics Under Combined Loading Conditions: Damage Assessment in Life Prediction Testing

Slow crack growth analysis was performed with three different loading histories including constant stress-rate/constant stress-rate testing (Case I loading), constant stress/constant stress-rate testing (Case II loading), and cyclic stress/constant stress-rate testing (Case III loading). Strength degradation due to slow crack growth arid/or damage accumulation was determined numerically as a Function of percentage of interruption time between the two loading sequences for a given loading history. The numerical solutions were examined with the experimental data determined at elevated temperatures using four different advanced ceramic materials, two silicon nitrides, one silicon carbide and one alumina for the Case I loading history, and alumina for the Case II loading history. The numerical solutions were in reasonable agreement with the experimental data, indicating that notwithstanding some degree of creep deformation presented for some test materials slow crack growth was a governing mechanism associated with failure for all the test material&

Choi, Sung R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Slow Crack Growth Analysis of Advanced Structural Ceramics Under Combined Loading Conditions: Damage Assessment in Life Prediction Testing

Slow crack growth analysis was performed with three different loading histories including constant stress-rate/constant stress-rate testing (Case 1 loading), constant stress/constant stress-rate testing (Case 2 loading), and cyclic stress/constant stress-rate testing (Case 2 loading). Strength degradation due to slow crack growth and/or damage accumulation was determined numerically as a function of percentage of interruption time between the two loading sequences for a given loading history. The numerical solutions were examined with the experimental data determined at elevated temperatures using four different advanced ceramic materials, two silicon nitrides, one silicon carbide and one alumina for the Case 1 loading history, and alumina for the Case 3 loading history. The numerical solutions were in reasonable agreement with the experimental data, indicating that notwithstanding some degree of creep deformation presented for some test materials slow crack growth was a governing mechanism associated with failure for all the test materials.

Choi, Sung R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Slow Crack Growth Analysis of Advanced Structural Ceramics Under Combined Loading Conditions: Damage Assessment in Life Prediction Testing

Slow crack growth analysis was performed with three different loading histories including constant stress- rate/constant stress-rate testing (Case I loading), constant stress/constant stress-rate testing (Case II loading), and cyclic stress/constant stress-rate testing (Case III loading). Strength degradation due to slow crack growth and/or damage accumulation was determined numerically as a function of percentage of interruption time between the two loading sequences for a given loading history. The numerical solutions were examined with the experimental data determined at elevated temperatures using four different advanced ceramic materials, two silicon nitrides, one silicon carbide and one alumina for the Case I loading history, and alumina for the Case II loading history. The numerical solutions were in reasonable agreement with the experimental data, indicating that notwithstanding some degree of creep deformation presented for some test materials slow crack growth was a governing mechanism associated with failure for all the rest materials.

Choi, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Experience with some repeat tests on the 9 inch chord CAST-10-2/DOA 2 airfoil model in the Langley 0.3-m TCT adaptive wall test section

A co-operative testing program is in progress between the Langley Research Center (NASA) and the National Aeronautical Establishment (NAE, Canada) to validate two different techniques of airfoil testing at transonic speeds. The procedure employed is to test the same airfoil model in the NAE two-dimensional tunnel and the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel (0.3-m TCT). The airfoil model used in testing was CAST-10-2/DOA-2 super-critical airfoil. The Langley 0.3-m TCT has a relatively small cross section of 13 in x 13 in, giving a (h/c) ratio of 1.44 for the same 9 in chord model. The approach employed in the 0.3-m TCT aims towards eliminating the wall effects by using active walls. The top and bottom walls are flexible. By changing the wall shapes during a test in an iterative manner, the wall interference effects are reduced. The method employed to change the wall shapes is the adaptive wall technique. The current test program provided an opportunity to validate the adaptive wall technique in the 0.3-m TCT. The relatively long chord airfoil represents a severe test case to test the efficacy of the adaptive wall technique under cryogenic conditions. The program also involved removal of side wall boundary-layer thus increasing the complexity of the wall adaptation technique. This paper deals with some salient results obtained regarding repeatability of test data and possible residual interference effects.

Murthy, A. V.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Turbulence modeling for non-equilibrium flow

The work performed during this year has involved further assessment and extension of the k-epsilon-v(exp 2) model, and initiation of work on scalar transport. The latter is introduced by the contribution of Y. Shabany to this volume. Flexible, computationally tractable models are needed for engineering CFD. As computational technology has progressed, the ability and need to use elaborate turbulence closure models has increased. The objective of our work is to explore and develop new analytical frameworks that might extend the applicability of the modeling techniques. In past years the development of a method for near-wall modeling was described. The method has been implemented into a CFD code and its viability has been demonstrated by various test cases. Further tests are reported herein. Non-equilibrium near-wall models are needed for some heat transfer applications. Scalar transport seems generally to be more sensitive to non-equilibrium effects than is momentum transport. For some applications turbulence anisotropy plays a role and an estimate of the full Reynolds stress tensor is needed. We have begun work on scalar transport per se, but in this brief I will only report on an extension of the k-epsilon-v(exp 2) model to predict the Reynolds stress tensor.

Durbin, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Grid-refinement study of hypersonic laminar flow over a 2-D ramp

Computations were made for those test cases of Problem 3 which were designated as laminar flows, viz., test cases 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, and 3.5. These test cases corresponded to flows over a flat plate and a compression ramp at high Mach number and at high Reynolds number. The computations over the compression ramps indicate a substantial streamwise extent of separation. Based on previous experience with separated laminar flows at high Mach numbers which indicated a substantial effect with spatial grid refinement, a series of computations with different grid sizes were performed. Also, for the flat plate, comparisons of the results for two different algorithms were made.

Thomas, James L.↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Hybrid Method of Assurance Cases and Testing for Improved Confidence in Autonomous Space Systems

Autonomous systems react intelligently to their environments, making them capable of handling many possible conditions, but challenging to test. We are investigating a new test development method that aims to maximize the confidence to be achieved by combining Assurance Cases with High Throughput Testing (HTT). Assurance Cases, developed for safety-critical systems, are a rigorous argument that the system satisfies a property (e.g., the Mars rover will not tip over during a traverse). They integrate testing, analysis, and environmental and operational assumptions, from which the set of conditions that testing must cover is determined. In our method, information from the Assurance Case is used to determine the test coverage needed, and then input to HTT to generate the minimal test suites needed to provide that coverage.

Huntsberger, Terry↗
NASA NTRS1994

Beam scanning offset Cassegrain reflector antennas by subreflector movement

In 1987 a NASA panel recommended the creation of the Mission to Planet Earth. This mission was intended to apply to remote sensing experience of the space community to earth remote sensing to enhance the understanding of the climatological processes of our planet and to determine if, and to what extent, the hydrological cycle of Earth is being affected by human activity. One of the systems required for the mission was a wide scanning, high gain reflector antenna system for use in radiometric remote sensing from geostationary orbit. This work describes research conducted at Virginia Tech into techniques for beam scanning offset Cassegrain reflector antennas by subreflector translation and rotation. Background material relevant to beam scanning antenna systems and offset Cassegrain reflector antenna system is presented. A test case is developed based on the background material. The test case is beam scanned using two geometrical optics methods of determining the optimum subreflector position for the desired scanned beam direction. Physical optics far-field results are given for the beam scanned systems. The test case system is found to be capable of beam scanning over a range of 35 half-power beamwidths while maintaining a 90 percent beam efficiency or 50 half-power beamwidths while maintaining less than l dB of gain loss during scanning.

Lapean, James W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Prediction of Acoustic Loads Generated by Propulsion Systems

NASA Stennis Space Center is one of the nation's premier facilities for conducting large-scale rocket engine testing. As liquid rocket engines vary in size, so do the acoustic loads that they produce. When these acoustic loads reach very high levels they may cause damages both to humans and to actual structures surrounding the testing area. To prevent these damages, prediction tools are used to estimate the spectral content and levels of the acoustics being generated by the rocket engine plumes and model their propagation through the surrounding atmosphere. Prior to the current work, two different acoustic prediction tools were being implemented at Stennis Space Center, each having their own advantages and disadvantages depending on the application. Therefore, a new prediction tool was created, using NASA SP-8072 handbook as a guide, which would replicate the same prediction methods as the previous codes, but eliminate any of the drawbacks the individual codes had. Aside from replicating the previous modeling capability in a single framework, additional modeling functions were added thereby expanding the current modeling capability. To verify that the new code could reproduce the same predictions as the previous codes, two verification test cases were defined. These verification test cases also served as validation cases as the predicted results were compared to actual test data.

Perez, Linamaria↗
NASA NTRS1993

Liquid propellant rocket engine combustion simulation with a time-accurate CFD method

Time-accurate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) algorithms are among the basic requirements as an engineering or research tool for realistic simulations of transient combustion phenomena, such as combustion instability, transient start-up, etc., inside the rocket engine combustion chamber. A time-accurate pressure based method is employed in the FDNS code for combustion model development. This is in connection with other program development activities such as spray combustion model development and efficient finite-rate chemistry solution method implementation. In the present study, a second-order time-accurate time-marching scheme is employed. For better spatial resolutions near discontinuities (e.g., shocks, contact discontinuities), a 3rd-order accurate TVD scheme for modeling the convection terms is implemented in the FDNS code. Necessary modification to the predictor/multi-corrector solution algorithm in order to maintain time-accurate wave propagation is also investigated. Benchmark 1-D and multidimensional test cases, which include the classical shock tube wave propagation problems, resonant pipe test case, unsteady flow development of a blast tube test case, and H2/O2 rocket engine chamber combustion start-up transient simulation, etc., are investigated to validate and demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the present numerical scheme and solution algorithm.

Chen, Y. S.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Modeling in the State Flow Environment to Support Launch Vehicle Verification Testing for Mission and Fault Management Algorithms in the NASA Space Launch System

Analysis methods and testing processes are essential activities in the engineering development and verification of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) new Space Launch System (SLS). Central to mission success is reliable verification of the Mission and Fault Management (M&FM) algorithms for the SLS launch vehicle (LV) flight software. This is particularly difficult because M&FM algorithms integrate and operate LV subsystems, which consist of diverse forms of hardware and software themselves, with equally diverse integration from the engineering disciplines of LV subsystems. M&FM operation of SLS requires a changing mix of LV automation. During pre-launch the LV is primarily operated by the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) organization with some LV automation of time-critical functions, and much more autonomous LV operations during ascent that have crucial interactions with the Orion crew capsule, its astronauts, and with mission controllers at the Johnson Space Center. M&FM algorithms must perform all nominal mission commanding via the flight computer to control LV states from pre-launch through disposal and also address failure conditions by initiating autonomous or commanded aborts (crew capsule escape from the failing LV), redundancy management of failing subsystems and components, and safing actions to reduce or prevent threats to ground systems and crew. To address the criticality of the verification testing of these algorithms, the NASA M&FM team has utilized the State Flow environment6 (SFE) with its existing Vehicle Management End-to-End Testbed (VMET) platform which also hosts vendor-supplied physics-based LV subsystem models. The human-derived M&FM algorithms are designed and vetted in Integrated Development Teams composed of design and development disciplines such as Systems Engineering, Flight Software (FSW), Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) and major subsystems and vehicle elements such as Main Propulsion Systems (MPS), boosters, avionics, Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C), Thrust Vector Control (TVC), liquid engines, and the astronaut crew office. Since the algorithms are realized using model-based engineering (MBE) methods from a hybrid of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and Systems Modeling Language (SysML), SFE methods are a natural fit to provide an in depth analysis of the interactive behavior of these algorithms with the SLS LV subsystem models. For this, the M&FM algorithms and the SLS LV subsystem models are modeled using constructs provided by Matlab which also enables modeling of the accompanying interfaces providing greater flexibility for integrated testing and analysis, which helps forecast expected behavior in forward VMET integrated testing activities. In VMET, the M&FM algorithms are prototyped and implemented using the same C++ programming language and similar state machine architectural concepts used by the FSW group. Due to the interactive complexity of the algorithms, VMET testing thus far has verified all the individual M&FM subsystem algorithms with select subsystem vendor models but is steadily progressing to assessing the interactive behavior of these algorithms with LV subsystems, as represented by subsystem models. The novel SFE applications has proven to be useful for quick look analysis into early integrated system behavior and assessment of the M&FM algorithms with the modeled LV subsystems. This early MBE analysis generates vital insight into the integrated system behaviors, algorithm sensitivities, design issues, and has aided in the debugging of the M&FM algorithms well before full testing can begin in more expensive, higher fidelity but more arduous environments such as VMET, FSW testing, and the Systems Integration Lab7 (SIL). SFE has exhibited both expected and unexpected behaviors in nominal and off nominal test cases prior to full VMET testing. In many findings, these behavioral characteristics were used to correct the M&FM algorithms, enable better test coverage, and develop more effective test cases for each of the LV subsystems. This has improved the fidelity of testing and planning for the next generation of M&FM algorithms as the SLS program evolves from non-crewed to crewed flight, impacting subsystem configurations and the M&FM algorithms that control them. SFE analysis has improved robustness and reliability of the M&FM algorithms by revealing implementation errors and documentation inconsistencies. It is also improving planning efficiency for future VMET testing of the M&FM algorithms hosted in the LV flight computers, further reducing risk for the SLS launch infrastructure, the SLS LV, and most importantly the crew.

Trevino, Luis↗