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At least 145 records · Page 8

Large-area high-efficiency ion-implanted cells and flat-plate modules

This paper reports the development of a flat-plate module based on highly efficient ion-implanted silicon solar cells. The cells are 53 sq cm in area and have exhibited AM 1.5 efficiencies of over 18 percent. The use of back surface reflectors to reduce module operating temperature is discussed. A comparison of various approaches to cell design is made, and module test data for these designs are presented. Module efficiency of 14 percent (25 C) is reported.

Spitzer, M. B.↗

On the instability of hypersonic flow past a flat plate

The instability of hypersonic boundary-layer flows over flat plates is considered. The viscosity of the fluid is taken to be governed by Sutherland's law, which gives a much more accurate representation of the temperature dependence of fluid viscosity at hypersonic speeds than Chapman's approximate linear law; although at lower speeds the temperature variation of the mean state is less pronounced so that the Chapman law can be used with some confidence. Attention is focussed on the so-called (vorticity) mode of instability of the viscous hypersonic boundary layer. This is thought to be the fastest growing inviscid disturbance at hypersonic speeds; it is also believed to have an asymptotically larger growth rate than any viscous or centrifugal instability. As a starting point the instability of the hypersonic boundary layer which exists far downstream from the leading edge of the plate is investigated. In this regime the shock that is attached to the leading edge of the plate plays no role, so that the basic boundary layer is non-interactive. It is shown that the vorticity mode of instability of this flow operates on a significantly different lengthscale than that obtained if a Chapman viscosity law is assumed. In particular, it is found that the growth rate predicted by a linear viscosity law overestimates the size of the growth rate by O(M(exp 2). Next, the development of the vorticity mode as the wavenumber decreases is described, and it is shown that acoustic modes emerge when the wavenumber has decreased from it's O(1) initial value to O(M (exp -3/2). Finally, the inviscid instability of the boundary layer near the leading edge in the interaction zone is discussed and particular attention is focussed on the strong interaction region which occurs sufficiently close to the leading edge. It is found that the vorticity mode in this regime is again unstable, and that it is concentrated in the transition layer at the edge of the boundary layer where the temperature adjusts from its large, O(M(exp 2), value in the viscous boundary layer, to its O(1) free stream value. The existence of the shock indirectly, but significantly, influences the instability problem by modifying the basic flow structure in this layer.

Blackaby, Nicholas↗

Validation of three-dimensional incompressible spatial direct numerical simulation code: A comparison with linear stability and parabolic stability equation theories for boundary-layer transition on a flat plate

Spatially evolving instabilities in a boundary layer on a flat plate are computed by direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. In a truncated physical domain, a nonstaggered mesh is used for the grid. A Chebyshev-collocation method is used normal to the wall; finite difference and compact difference methods are used in the streamwise direction; and a Fourier series is used in the spanwise direction. For time stepping, implicit Crank-Nicolson and explicit Runge-Kutta schemes are used to the time-splitting method. The influence-matrix technique is used to solve the pressure equation. At the outflow boundary, the buffer-domain technique is used to prevent convective wave reflection or upstream propagation of information from the boundary. Results of the DNS are compared with those from both linear stability theory (LST) and parabolized stability equation (PSE) theory. Computed disturbance amplitudes and phases are in very good agreement with those of LST (for small inflow disturbance amplitudes). A measure of the sensitivity of the inflow condition is demonstrated with both LST and PSE theory used to approximate inflows. Although the DNS numerics are very different than those of PSE theory, the results are in good agreement. A small discrepancy in the results that does occur is likely a result of the variation in PSE boundary condition treatment in the far field. Finally, a small-amplitude wave triad is forced at the inflow, and simulation results are compared with those of LST. Again, very good agreement is found between DNS and LST results for the 3-D simulations, the implication being that the disturbance amplitudes are sufficiently small that nonlinear interactions are negligible.

Joslin, Ronald D.↗

On the instability of boundary layers on heated flat plates

The stability of a boundary layer on a heated flat plate is investigated in the linear regime. The flow is shown to be unstable to longitudinal vortex structures which in general develop in a nonparallel manner in the streamwise direction. Solutions of the nonparallel equations are obtained numerically at O(1) values of the appropriate stability parameter, i.e., the Grashof number. The particular cases investigated relate to the situations when the instability is induced by localized or distributed wall roughness or nonuniform wall heating. The case when the vortices are induced by freestream disturbances is also considered. The fastest growing mode is found to be governed by a quasi-parallel theory at high wavenumbers. The wavenumber and growth rate of the fastest growing mode are found in closed form. At low wavenumbers the vortex instability is shown to be closely related to Tollmein-Schlichting waves. The effect of wall heating or cooling on the latter type of instability is discussed.

Hall, Philip↗

Numerical simulation of laminar-turbulent transition in a spatially-developing flat plate wake

Laminar-turbulent transition of an incompressible flat-plate wake is investigated by direct numerical integration of the Navier-Stokes equations. For the numerical integration, a combination of finite-difference and spectral methods along with an ADI/Crank-Nicolson/Adams-Bashforth time integration scheme is employed. Subject to 2D forcing, the wake exhibited a rapidly-growing fundamental disturbance that quickly saturated. This saturation was due partly to the stabilizing effect of the mean flow distortion. Downstream of the saturation point, disturbance energy was concentrated in the fundamental disturbance, the second harmonic, and the mean flow distortion component. At large amplitude levels, a Karman vortex street formed. Variations in the 2D forcing level did not alter the qualitative behavior of the disturbances. Simulations of 3D breakdown indicates that the presence of large-amplitude, 2D disturbances tends to initially suppress small-amplitude 3D disturbance growth. Following this initial suppression, a resumption of 3D growth is observed that may have been due to a secondary instability mechanism. For high levels of 3D disturbance energy, lambda-shaped vortical structures formed between adjacent Karman vortices.

Dratler, D. I.↗

Changes in Flat Plate Wake Characteristics Obtained With Decreasing Plate Thickness

The near and very near wake of a flat plate with a circular trailing edge is investigated with data from direct numerical simulations. Computations were performed for four different Reynolds numbers based on plate thickness (D) and at constant plate length. The value of θ/D varies by a factor of approximately 20 in the computations (θ being the boundary layer momentum thickness at the trailing edge). The separating boundary layers are turbulent in all the cases. One objective of the study is to understand the changes in wake characteristics as the plate thickness is reduced (increasing θ/D). Vortex shedding is vigorous in the low θ/D cases with a substantial decrease in shedding intensity in the largest θ/D case (for all practical purposes shedding becomes almost intermittent). Other characteristics that are significantly altered with increasing θ/D are the roll-up of the detached shear layers and the magnitude of fluctuations in shedding period. These effects are explored in depth. The effects of changing θ/D on the distributions of the time-averaged, near-wake velocity statistics are discussed.

Wakes↗

The Effect of Turbulence on the Drag of Flat Plates

in determining the effect of turbulence on the forces exerted on bodies in the air stream of a wind tunnel, it is commonly assumed that the indications of the standard Pitot-static tube used to determine the air speed are not dependent on the turbulence. To investigate the truth of this assumption, the drag of a normally exposed flat plate, the difference in pressure between the front and rear of a thin circular disk, the rate of rotation of a vane anemometer, and the pressure developed by a standard Pitot-static tube were measured in an air stream for several conditions of turbulence. The results may be interpreted as indicating that there is no appreciable effect of turbulence on the vane anemometer and the standard pitot-static tube, but that there is small effect on the drag of a flat plate and the pressure difference between front and rear of a disk.

Schubauer, G B↗

Characteristics of the unsteady shock-induced laminar boundary layer on a flat plate.

The unsteady shock-induced laminar boundary layer on a flat plate is theoretically studied for shock speeds ranging from 1.12 to 9 km/sec. Boundary layer flows for real air, assumed to be in thermochemical equilibrium, are analyzed by extending Lam's work on shock-induced laminar boundary layers to equilibrium dissociated and ionized flows. A complete description of the unsteady nature of the boundary layer is presented in terms of heat transfer and several boundary layer thickness quantities as functions of a single time-position variable. Boundary layer development is considered for two points of view. Time-dependent boundary layer development and approach to steady state for any fixed position on the plate is described, as is the configuration of the boundary layer with position on the plate at any point in time.

Cook, W. J.↗

High-performance flat-plate solar collector

Concentric glass-tube-envelope device surrounds flat-plate absorber having spectrally selective coating. Transparent envelope has antireflection coating. Heat-transfer medium is gas that circulates along hairpin path.

Reynolds, R. K.↗