Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “wake model validation”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7

Validation of Vortex-Lattice Method for Loads on Wings in Lift-Generated Wakes

A study is described that evaluates the accuracy of vortex-lattice methods when they are used to compute the loads induced on aircraft as they encounter lift-generated wakes. The evaluation is accomplished by the use of measurements made in the 80 by 120 ft Wind Tunnel of the lift, rolling moment, and downwash in the wake of three configurations of a model of a subsonic transport aircraft. The downwash measurements are used as input for a vortex-lattice code in order to compute the lift and rolling moment induced on wings that have a span of 0.186, 0.510, or 1.022 times the span of the wake-generating model. Comparison of the computed results with the measured lift and rolling-moment distributions the vortex-lattice method is very reliable as long as the span of the encountering or following wing is less than about 0.2 of the generator span. As the span of the following wing increases above 0.2, the vortex-lattice method continues to correctly predict the trends and nature of the induced loads, but it overpredicts the magnitude of the loads by increasing amounts.

Rossow, Vernon J.↗

The power induced effects module: A FORTRAN code which estimates lift increments due to power induced effects for V/STOL flight

A user friendly FORTRAN code that can be used for preliminary design of V/STOL aircraft is described. The program estimates lift increments, due to power induced effects, encountered by aircraft in V/STOL flight. These lift increments are calculated using empirical relations developed from wind tunnel tests and are due to suckdown, fountain, ground vortex, jet wake, and the reaction control system. The code can be used as a preliminary design tool along with NASA Ames' Aircraft Synthesis design code or as a stand-alone program for V/STOL aircraft designers. The Power Induced Effects (PIE) module was validated using experimental data and data computed from lift increment routines. Results are presented for many flat plate models along with the McDonnell Aircraft Company's MFVT (mixed flow vectored thrust) V/STOL preliminary design and a 15 percent scale model of the YAV-8B Harrier V/STOL aircraft. Trends and magnitudes of lift increments versus aircraft height above the ground were predicted well by the PIE module. The code also provided good predictions of the magnitudes of lift increments versus aircraft forward velocity. More experimental results are needed to determine how well the code predicts lift increments as they vary with jet deflection angle and angle of attack. The FORTRAN code is provided in the appendix.

Sandlin, Doral R.↗

Numerical Simulation of Complex Turbomachinery Flows

An unsteady, multiblock, Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes solver based on Runge-Kutta scheme and Pseudo-time step for turbo-machinery applications was developed. The code was validated and assessed against analytical and experimental data. It was used to study a variety of physical mechanisms of unsteady, three-dimensional, turbulent, transitional, and cooling flows in compressors and turbines. Flow over a cylinder has been used to study effects of numerical aspects on accuracy of prediction of wake decay and transition, and to modify K-epsilon models. The following simulations have been performed: (a) Unsteady flow in a compressor cascade: Three low Reynolds number turbulence models have been assessed and data compared with Euler/boundary layer predictions. Major flow features associated with wake induced transition were predicted and studied; (b) Nozzle wake-rotor interaction in a turbine: Results compared to LDV data in design and off-design conditions, and cause and effect of unsteady flow in turbine rotors were analyzed; (c) Flow in the low-pressure turbine: Assessed capability of the code to predict transitional, attached and separated flows at a wide range of low Reynolds numbers and inlet freestream turbulence intensity. Several turbulence and transition models have been employed and comparisons made to experiments; (d) leading edge film cooling at compound angle: Comparisons were made with experiments, and the flow physics of the associated vortical structures were studied; and (e) Tip leakage flow in a turbine. The physics of the secondary flow in a rotor was studied and sources of loss identified.

Chernobrovkin, A. A.↗

The LaRC Wake Vortex Modelling Effort

The purpose of the modelling effort at NASA Langley, including goals, is outlined in this presentation. Included, is a description of the numerical model that is used for the NASA wake vortex modeling effort and the approach that is taken in order to achieve the stated goals. Also shown are: 1) a demonstration of using the model in a fog environment; 2) preliminary results from a 3-D simulation in a nonturbulent and thermally-stable environment with comparison to a comparable 2-D simulation of the same event; and 3) several validation cases from the Idaho-Falls and Memphis field studies where results from the 2-D version of the model are compared with Lidar and tower data.

Proctor, Fred↗

Modeling of Supersonic Film Cooling on the J-2X Nozzle Extension

Supersonic film cooling (SSFC) of nozzles has been used in several liquid rocket engine designs, and is being applied to the nozzle extension (NE) of the J-2X upper stage engine currently under development. Turbine exhaust gas (TEG) is injected tangentially from a manifold along the NE, and provides a thermal barrier from the core nozzle flow for the NE. As the TEG stream mixes with the nozzle flow, the effectiveness of the thermal barrier is reduced. This paper documents computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis work performed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to model the flow of the TEG through the manifold, into the nozzle, and the subsequent mixing of the TEG stream with the core flow. The geometry and grid of the TEG manifold, structural support ribs, and the NE wall will be shown, and the CFD boundary conditions described. The Loci-CHEM CFD code used in this work will also be briefly described. A unique approach to modeling the combined TEG manifold/thrust chamber assembly (TCA) was employed, as it was not practical to model the entire 360 circumferential range in one simulation. Prior CFD validation work modeling Calspan SSFC experiments in the early 1990s, documented in a previous AIAA paper, will also be briefly discussed. The fluid dynamics of the TEG flow through the manifold, into and between the structural support ribs, and into the nozzlette that feeds the TCA will be described. Significant swirl and non-uniformities are present, which along with the wakes from the ribs, act to degrade the film cooling effectiveness compared to idealized injection of TEG gas. The effect of these flow characteristics on the adiabatic wall temperature profile on the NE will be discussed.

Ruf, Joseph H.↗

Numerical investigation of laminar-turbulent transition in a flat plate wake

Lamina-turbulent transition of high-deficit flat plate wakes is investigated by direct numerical simulations using the complete Navier Stokes equations. The simulations are based on a spatial model so that both the base flow and the disturbance flow can develop in the downstream direction. The Navier Stokes equations are used in a vorticity-velocity form and are solved using a combination of finite difference and spectral approximations. Fourier series are used in the spanwise direction. Second-order finite-differences are used to approximate the spatial derivatives in the streamwise and transverse directions. For the temporal discretion, a combination of ADI, Crank-Nicolson, and Adams-Bashforth methods is employed. The discretized velocity equations are solved using fast Helmholtz solvers. Code validation is accomplished by comparison of the numerical results to both linear stability and to experiments. Calculations of two- and/or three-dimensional sinuous and mode disturbances in the wake of flat plate are undertaken. For calculations of two-dimensional disturbances, the wake is forced at an amplitude level so that nonlinear disturbance development may be observed. In addition, the forcing amplitude is varied in order to determine its effect on the disturbance behavior. To investigate the onset of three-dimensionality, the wake is forced with a small-amplitude three-dimensional disturbance and a larger amplitude two-dimensional disturbance. The two-dimensional forcing amplitude is varied in order to determine its influence on the three-dimensional flow field.

Fasel, Hermann F.↗

Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE): Overview, Accomplishments and Future Needs

Materials and devices used on the exterior of spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) are subjected to environmental threats that can cause degradation in material properties, possibly threatening spacecraft mission success. These threats include: atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet and x-ray radiation, charged particle radiation, temperature extremes and thermal cycling, micrometeoroid and debris impacts, and contamination. Space environmental threats vary greatly based on spacecraft materials, thicknesses and stress levels, and the mission environment and duration. For more than a decade the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) has enabled the study of the long duration environmental durability of spacecraft materials in the LEO environment. The overall objective of MISSE is to test the stability and durability of materials and devices in the space environment in order to gain valuable knowledge on the performance of materials in space, as well as to enable lifetime predictions of new materials that may be used in future space flight. MISSE is a series of materials flight experiments, which are attached to the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). Individual experiments were loaded onto suitcase-like trays, called Passive Experiment Containers (PECs). The PECs were transported to the ISS in the Space Shuttle cargo bay and attached to, and removed from, the ISS during extravehicular activities (EVAs). The PECs were retrieved after one or more years of space exposure and returned to Earth enabling post-flight experiment evaluation. MISSE is a multi-organization project with participants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DoD), industry and academia. MISSE has provided a platform for environmental durability studies for thousands of samples and numerous devices, and it has produced many tangible impacts. Ten PECs (and one smaller tray) have been flown, representing MISSE 1 through MISSE 8, yielding long-duration space environmental performance and durability data that enable material validation, processing recertification and space qualification; improved predictions of materials and component lifetimes in space; model verification and development; and correlation factors between space-exposure and ground-facilities enabling more accurate in-space performance predictions based on ground-laboratory testing. A few of the many experiment results and observations, and their impacts, are provided. Those highlighted include examples on improved understanding of atomic oxygen scattering mechanisms, LEO coating durability results, and polymer erosion yields and their impacts on spacecraft design. The MISSE 2 Atomic Oxygen Scattering Chamber Experiment discovered that the peak flux of scattered AO was determined to be 45 deg from normal incidence, not the model predicted cosine dependence. In addition, the erosion yield (E(sub y)) of Kapton H for AO scattered off oxidized-Al is 22% of the E(sub y) of direct AO impingement. These results were used to help determine the degradation mechanism of a cesium iodide detector within the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph Experiment. The MISSE 6 Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Degradation Experiment measured surface electrical resistance of ram and wake ITO coated samples. The data confirmed that ITO is a stable AO protective coating, and the results validated the durability of ITO conductive coatings for solar arrays for the Atmosphere-Space Transition 2 Explorer program. The MISSE 2, 6 and 7 Polymer Experiments have provided LEO AO Ey data on over 120 polymer and composites samples. The flight E(sub y) values were found to range from 3.05 x 10(exp -26) cu cm/atom for the AO resistant polymer CORIN to 9.14 x 10(exp -26) cu cm/atom for polyoxymethylene (POM). In addition, flying the same polymers on different missions has advanced the understanding of the AO E(sub y) dependency on solar exposure for polymers containing fluorine. The MISSE polymer results are highly requested and have impacted spacecraft design for WorldView-2 & -3, the Global Precipitation Measurement-Microwave Imager, and other spacecraft. The flight data has enabled the development of an Atomic Oxygen Erosion Predictive Tool that allows the erosion prediction of new and non-flown polymers. The data has also been used to develop a new NASA Technical Standards Handbook "Spacecraft Polymers Atomic Oxygen Durability Handbook." Many intangible benefits have also been derived from MISSE. For example, over 40 students have collaborated on Glenn's MISSE experiments, which have resulted in greater than $80K in student scholarships and awards in national and international science fairs. Students have also given presentations and won poster competition awards at international space conferences.

Flight Experiment↗

Validation and applications of the POLAR code

The Potentials of Large Objects in the Auroral Region (POLAR) code was written to model the charging of large spacecraft by auroral electrons in low polar orbit. It has also proven to be a powerful tool for analysis of active and voltage-plasma interactions. POLAR combines 3-D object definition, direct solution to Poisson's equation, space charge transport, and surface charge computation. Physical effects treated by POLAR include the plasma wake and ram, the geomagnetic field, ionization, sheath and barrier formation, and photo and secondary electron generation and transport. Polar development is complete and it is now available to the aerospace community. The methodology of POLAR is reviewed but concentration is on the applications of POLAR to physical problems and observations with the intent of demonstrating both the code's capabilities, and its limitations. These applications include the Space Shuttle, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, sounding rockets, plasma chamber experiments, and things not yet flown.

Cooke, David L.↗

Numerical solution of three-dimensional unsteady transonic flow over wings including inviscid/viscous interactions

A numerical procedure is presented for computing the unsteady transonic flow field about three dimensional swept wings undergoing general time dependent motion. The outer inviscid portion of the flow is assumed to be governed by the modified unsteady transonic small disturbance potential equation which is integrated in the time domain by means of an efficient alternating direction implicit approximate factorization algorithm. Gross dominant effects of the shock boundary layer interaction are accounted for by a simple empirically defined model. Viscous flow regions adjacent to the wing surface and in the trailing wake are described by a set of integral equations appropriate for compressible turbulent shear layers. The two dimensional boundary layer equations are applied quasi-statically stripwise across the span. Coupling with the outer inviscid flow is implemented through use of the displacement thickness concept within the limitations of small disturbance theory. Validity of the assumptions underlying the method is established by comparison with experimental data for the flow about a high aspect ratio transport wing having an advanced airfoil section.

Rizzetta, D. P.↗

Calculation of tip clearance effects in a transonic compressor rotor

The flow through the tip clearance region of a transonic compressor rotor (NASA rotor 37) was computed and compared to aerodynamic probe and laser anemometer data. Tip clearance effects were modeled both by gridding the clearance gap and by using a simple periodicity model across the ungridded gap. The simple model was run with both the full gap height, and with half the gap height to simulate a vena-contracta effect. Comparisons between computed and measured performance maps and downstream profiles were used to validate the models and to assess the effects of gap height on the simple clearance model. Recommendations were made concerning the use of the simple clearance model. Detailed comparisons were made between the gridded clearance gap solution and the laser anemometer data near the tip at two operating points. The computer results agreed fairly well with the data but overpredicted the extent of the casing separation and underpredicted the wake decay rate. The computations were then used to describe the interaction of the tip vortex, the passage shock, and the casing boundary layer.

Chima, R. V.↗

Comparison of Predicted Low Speed Fan Rotor/Stator Interaction Modes to Measured

The V072 Rotor Wake/Stator Interaction Code is widely used as a state-of-the-art prediction code. This paper validates the code by comparing experimentally measured mode levels to those predicted by V072. The experimental mode levels were measured by the Rotating Rake system installed on the 48 inch Active Noise Control Fan at NASA Lewis Research Center. V072 predicted mode levels by inputting the actual wake profiles of the ANCF rotor measured by a 2-component hotwire. The mode levels were also predicted from the V072 wake models. V072 reasonably predicts the mode levels within the design limits of the code.

Sutliff, Daniel L.↗

Calculation of Tip Clearance Effects in a Transonic Compressor Rotor

The flow through the tip clearance region of a transonic compressor rotor (NASA rotor 37) was computed and compared to aerodynamic probe and laser anemometer data. Tip clearance effects were modeled both by gridding the clearance gap and by using a simple periodicity model across the ungridded gap. The simple model was run with both the full gap height, and with half the gap height to simulate a vena-contracta effect. Comparisons between computed and measured performance maps and downstream profiles were used to validate the models and to assess the effects of gap height on the simple clearance model. Recommendations were made concern- ing the use of the simple clearance model Detailed comparisons were made between the gridded clearance gap solution and the laser anemometer data near the tip at two operating points. The computed results agreed fairly well with the data but overpredicted the extent of the casing separation and underpredicted the wake decay rate. The computations were then used to describe the interaction of the tip vortex, the passage shock, and the casing boundary layer.

Chima, R. V.↗

Wake-shock interaction at a Mach number of 6

Measurements of mean pitot pressure, static pressure, and total temperature were made in the two dimensional turbulent mixing region of a wake downstream of an interaction with a shock-expansion wave system. The results indicated that: (1) the shock increased the mixing, and (2) the expansion field that followed the shock decreased the turbulent mixing. The overall effect of the shock-expansion wave interaction was dependent on the orientation of the expansion wave with respect to the intersecting shock wave. These data could be used to validate nonequilibrium turbulence modeling and numerical solution of the time averaged Navier-Stokes equations.

Walsh, M. J.↗

Aeroacoustic Simulations of the High-Lift Common Research Model and Validation with Experiment

Aerodynamic and acoustic data from unsteady numerical simulations of the High-Lift Common Research Model are compared with experimental measurements from an open-jet wind tunnel test of a 10\-scale model. Time-averaged surface pressure data is in good agreement for all of the configurations evaluated during the test. Unsteady surface pressure spectra from the leading-edge slat and the nose of the main element are presented, demonstrating that the highest levels are associated with the wakes of slat brackets. At these locations the simulations and experiment match reasonably well at low enough frequencies (f < 10 kHz based on the model scale) before excessive numerical dissipation leads to a rapid roll off in the predicted frequency spectra. The agreement is inconsistent at other locations on the slat and main-element surfaces, where the pressure fluctuation levels are lower. Noise predictions using a synthetic microphone array are compared with equivalent experimental results, and the changes in levels predicted between three configurations are similar to those measured. However, some details of the noise predictions are inconsistent with the experiment, and the use of solid- instead of porous-surface data for the acoustic processing of the simulations likely contributes to the discrepancies. All of the simulations were completed before the test, and, despite some shortcomings, they provided valuable insight into the aeroacoustic performance of the model that greatly aided test planning and execution. Hence, the post-test comparisons presented here allow an assessment of the predictive methodology in the context of a realistic high-lift configuration.

High-lift↗

Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment

This report describes the results of investigations performed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) under a task entitled 'Pulsed Lidar Performance/Technical Maturity Assessment' funded by the Crew Systems Branch of the Airborne Systems Competency at the NASA Langley Research Center. The investigations included two tasks, 1.1(a) and 1.1(b). The Tasks discussed in this report are in support of the NASA Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) program and are designed to evaluate a pulsed lidar that will be required for active wake vortex avoidance solutions. The Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) WindTracer LIDAR is an eye-safe, 2-micron, coherent, pulsed Doppler lidar with wake tracking capability. The actual performance of the WindTracer system was to be quantified. In addition, the sensor performance has been assessed and modeled, and the models have been included in simulation efforts. The WindTracer LIDAR was purchased by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in near-term field data collection efforts as part of a joint NASA/FAA wake vortex research program. In the joint research program, a minimum common wake and weather data collection platform will be defined. NASA Langley will use the field data to support wake model development and operational concept investigation in support of the VAMS project, where the ultimate goal is to improve airport capacity and safety. Task 1.1(a), performed by NCAR in Boulder, Colorado to analyze the lidar system to determine its performance and capabilities based on results from simulated lidar data with analytic wake vortex models provided by NASA, which were then compared to the vendor's claims for the operational specifications of the lidar. Task 1.1(a) is described in Section 3, including the vortex model, lidar parameters and simulations, and results for both detection and tracking of wake vortices generated by Boeing 737s and 747s. Task 1.1(b) was performed by GTRI in Atlanta, Georgia and is described in Section 4. Task 1.1(b) includes a description of the St. Louis Airport (STL) field test being conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, and it also addresses the development of a test plan to validate simulation studies conducted as part of Task 1.1(a). Section 4.2 provides a description of the Volpe STL field tests, and Section 4.3 describes 3 possible ways to validate the WindTracer lidar simulations performed in Task 1.1(a).

Gimmestad, Gary G.↗

Simulating the Benesov Bolide Flowfield and Spectrum at Altitudes of 47 and 57 km

This paper develops a computational fluid dynamics capability for simulating the radiative emission from a meteor shock-layer and wake to an external observer. The developed capability includes the impact of radiation and ablation on the meteor flowfield, where coupled radiation accounts for the impact of radiation on the flowfield energy equations and coupled ablation accounts for the injection of ablation species from the meteoroid surface into the ow. This capability includes updated flowfield chemistry and nonequilibrium radiation models, which are compiled from the literature. To provide a level of validation for this capability, the Benesov spectral measurements are considered. Although the meteoroid was likely fragmented at the 47 and 57 km altitudes considered, and the measurement uncertainty is roughly ±50%, these measurements represent the best available spectral measurements for a relatively large (meter-class) bolide. To determine the equivalent meteoroid diameter to simulate, the continuum component of the spectrum in the 570 to 610 nm range is considered. This range is dominated by air emission from the high pressure and temperature shock-layer in front of the meteoroid, which is simulated with a relatively small uncertainty (because of the abundance of relevant shock tube measurements) and sensitive to the equivalent meteoroid diameter. This allows an equivalent diameter between 0.62 to 0.9 m to be determined, based on comparisons between measurements and simulations in the 570 to 610 nm range. The range of equivalent diameters is due to the various meteoroid geometries considered, where increasing the bluntness decreases the required diameter. Applying these diameters to simulations at 47 and 57 km results in simulated spectra that compare within 30% of the measured values, considering the wavelength integrated values between 400 and 650 nm. This agreement is well within the estimated measurement uncertainty of ±50%. All major spectral features are captured by the simulations. This agreement provides a level of validation for the developed model that has not been previously available.

Luminous efficiency↗

Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P)Aircraft Mission: Design, Execution, and First Results

The NASA Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) aircraft mission was conducted in February-April 2001 over the NW Pacific (1) to characterize the Asian chemical outflow and relate it quantitatively to its sources and (2) to determine its chemical evolution. It used two aircraft, a DC-8 and a P-3B, operating out of Hong Kong and Yokota Air Force Base (near Tokyo), with secondary sites in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam, Okinawa, and Midway. The aircraft carried instrumentation for measurements of long-lived greenhouse gases, ozone and its precursors, aerosols and their precursors, related species, and chemical tracers. Five chemical transport models (CTMs) were used for chemical forecasting. Customized bottom-up emission inventories for East Asia were generated prior to the mission to support chemical forecasting and to serve as a priori for evaluation with the aircraft data. Validation flights were conducted for the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) satellite instrument and revealed little bias (6 plus or minus 2%) in the MOPITT measurements of CO columns. A major event of transpacific Asian pollution was characterized through combined analysis of TRACE-P and MOPITT data. The TRACE-P observations showed that cold fronts sweeping across East Asia and the associated warm conveyor belts (WCBs) are the dominant pathway for Asian outflow to the Pacific in spring. The WCBs lift both anthropogenic and biomass burning (SE Asia) effluents to the free troposphere, resulting in complex chemical signatures. The TRACE-P data are in general consistent with a priori emission inventories, lending confidence in our ability to quantify Asian emissions from socioeconomic data and emission factors. However, the residential combustion source in rural China was found to be much larger than the a priori, and there were also unexplained chemical enhancements (HCN, CH3Cl, OCS, alkylnitrates) in Chinese urban plumes. The Asian source of CCl4 was found to be much higher than government estimates. Measurements of HCN and CH3CN indicated a dominant biomass burning source and ocean sink for both gases. Large fractions of sulfate and nitrate were found to be present in dust aerosols. Photochemical activity in the Asian outflow was strongly reduced by aerosol attenuation of UV radiation, with major implications for the concentrations of HOx, radicals. New particle formation, apparently from ternary nucleation involving NH3, was observed in Chinese urban plumes.

Jacob, Daniel J.↗

Development and validation of an advanced low-order panel method

A low-order potential-flow panel code, PMARC, for modeling complex three-dimensional geometries, is currently being developed at NASA Ames Research Center. The PMARC code was derived from a code named VSAERO that was developed for Ames Research Center by Analytical Methods, Inc. In addition to modeling potential flow over three-dimensional geometries, the present version of PMARC includes several advanced features such as an internal flow model, a simple jet wake model, and a time-stepping wake model. Data management within the code was optimized by the use of adjustable size arrays for rapidly changing the size capability of the code, reorganization of the output file and adopting a new plot file format. Preliminary versions of a geometry preprocessor and a geometry/aerodynamic data postprocessor are also available for use with PMARC. Several test cases are discussed to highlight the capabilities of the internal flow model, the jet wake model, and the time-stepping wake model.

Ashby, Dale L.↗