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At least 145 records · Page 8

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NASA NTRS1978

The structure of vortex breakdown

The term 'vortex breakdown', as used in the reported investigation, refers to a disturbance characterized by the formation of an internal stagnation point on the vortex axis, followed by reversed flow in a region of limited axial extent. Two forms of vortex breakdown, which predominate, are shown in photographs. One form is called 'near-axisymmetric' (sometimes 'axisymmetric'), and the other is called 'spiral'. A survey is presented of work published since the 1972 review by Hall. Most experimental data taken since Hall's review have been in tubes, and the survey deals primarily with such cases. It is found that the assumption of axial-symmetry has produced useful results. The classification of flows as supercritical or subcritical, a step that assumes symmetry, has proved universally useful. Experiments show that vortex breakdown is always preceded by an upstream supercritical flow and followed by a subcritical wake. However, a comparison between experiments and attempts at prediction is less than encouraging. For a satisfactory understanding of the structure of vortex breakdown it is apparently necessary to take into account also aspects of asymmetry.

Leibovich, S.↗

NASA NTRS1981

An implicit method for the calculation of inlet flow fields

Inlet flow fields are calculated by an implicit, time marching procedure to solve the thin layer Navier-Stokes equations formulated in body fitted coordinates. Because the method can be used for a flow field with both subsonic and supersonic regions, it is applicable to subcritical as well as supercritical inlet operation. Results are presented and discussed for an inlet of current design practice. Results include inviscid calculations performed for supercritical inlet operation with uniform and nonuniform inflow boundary conditions as well as for subcritical inlet operation with uniform inflow boundary conditions. Results for viscous calculations performed for supercritical inlet operation with uniform inflow boundary conditions are also discussed.

Biringen, S.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Analysis of low-g heat transfer for a cryogenic oxygen pressurization heater

After the external tank separates from the Orbiter about 2000 pounds of residual liquid oxygen remain in the main propulsion system lines. The pressurization of liquid oxygen from a subcritical to a supercritical state by the use of the heaters of the PRSA tanks while in a low-g environment is investigated. The performance of the heaters while bringing the state of the substance from the subcritical state to the supercritical one is studied, with particular emphasis on the time the pressurization process takes, and the temperature of the heater as the process proceeds.

Rios, J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Investigation of the effects of upstream sidewall boundary-layer removal on a supercritical airfoil

Sidewall boundary-layer effects have been investigated by applying partial upstream sidewall boundary-layer removal in the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. Over the range of sidewall boundary-layer displacement thickness of these tests the influence on pressure distributions was found to be small for subcritical conditions; however, for supercritical conditions the shock position was affected by the sidewall boundary layer. For these tests, with and without boundary-layer removal, comparisons with predictions of the GRUMFOIL computer code indicated that Mach number corrections due to the sidewall boundary layer improves the agreement for both subcritical and supercritical conditions. The results show the necessity for accounting for sidewall effects even when the top and bottom wall effects are small.

Murthy, A. V.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Magnus effects at high angles of attack and critical Reynolds numbers

The Magnus force and moment experienced by a yawed, spinning cylinder were studied experimentally in low speed and subsonic flows at high angles of attack and critical Reynolds numbers. Flow-field visualization aided in describing a flow model that divides the Magnus phenomenon into a subcritical region, where reverse Magnus loads are experienced, and a supercritical region where these loads are not encountered. The roles of the spin rate, angle of attack, and crossflow Reynolds number in determining the boundaries of the subcritical region and the variations of the Magnus loads were studied.

Seginer, A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Fracture behavior of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system

Stable crack-growth and fracture-toughness experiments were conducted using precracked specimens machined from LI-900 reusable surface insulation (RSI) tiles of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system (TPS) at room temperature. Similar fracture experiments were conducted on fracture specimens with preexisting cracks at the interface of the tile and the strain isolation pad (SIP). Stable crack growth was not observed in the LI-900 tile fracture specimens which had a fracture toughness of 12.0 kPa sq rt of m. The intermittent subcritical crack growth at the tile-pad interface of the fracture specimens was attributed to successive local pull-outs due to tensile overload in the LI-900 tile and cannot be characterized by linear elastic fracture mechanics. No subcritical interfacial crack growth was observed in the fracture specimens with densified LI-900 tiles where brittle fracture initiated at an interior point away from the densification.

Komine, A.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Bifurcation analysis of aircraft pitching motions near the stability boundary

Bifuraction theory is used to analyze the nonlinear dynamic stability characteristics of an aircraft subject to single degree of freedom pitching-motion perturbations about a large mean angle of attack. The requisite aerodynamic information in the equations of motion is represented in a form equivalent to the response to finite-amplitude pitching oscillations about the mean angle of attack. This information is deduced from the case of infinitesimal-amplitude oscillations. The bifurcation theory analysis reveals that when the mean angle of attack is increased beyond a critical value at which the aerodynamic damping vanishes, new solutions representing finite-amplitude periodic motions bifurcate from the previously stable steady motion. The sign of a simple criterion, cast in terms of aerodynamic properties, determines whether the bifurcating solutions are stable (supercritical) or unstable (subcritical). For flat-plate airfoils flying at supersonic/hypersonic speed, the bifurcation is subcritical, implying either that exchanges of stability between steady and periodic motion are accompanied by hysteresis phenomena, or that potentially large aperiodic departures from steady motion may develop.

Hui, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS1983

An explicit example of Hopf bifurcation in fluid mechanics

It is observed that a complete and explicit example of Hopf bifurcation appears not to be known in fluid mechanics. Such an example is presented for the rotating Benard problem with free boundary conditions on the upper and lower faces, and horizontally periodic solutions. Normal modes are found for the linearization, and the Veronis computation of the wave numbers is modified to take into account the imposed horizontal periodicity. An invariant subspace of the phase space is found in which the hypotheses of the Joseph-Sattinger theorem are verified, thus demonstrating the Hopf bifurcation. The criticality calculations are carried through to demonstrate rigorously, that the bifurcation is subcritical for certain cases, and to demonstrate numerically that it is subcritical for all the cases in the paper.

Kloeden, P.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Supercritical convection, critical heat flux, and coking characteristics of propane

The heat transfer characteristics of propane at subcritical and supercritical pressure were experimentally evaluated using electrically heated Monel K-500 tubes. A design correlation for supercritical heat transfer coefficient was established using the approach previously applied to supercritical oxygen. Flow oscillations were observed and the onset of these oscillations at supercritical pressures was correlated with wall-to-bulk temperature ratio and velocity. The critical heat flux measured at subcritical pressure was correlated with the product of velocity and subcooling. Long duration tests at fixed heat flux conditions were conducted to evaluate coking on the coolant side tube wall and coking rates comparable to RP-1 were observed.

Rousar, D. C.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Effect of upstream sidewall boundary layer removal on an airfoil test

Sidewall boundary layer effects were investigated by applying partial upstream sidewall boundary layer removal in the Langley 0.3-m transonic cryogenic tunnel. Over the range of sidewall boundary layer displacement thickness of these tests the influence on pressure distribution was found to be small for subcritical conditions; however, for supercritical conditions the shock position was affected by the sidewall boundary layer. For these tests (with and without boundary layer remove) comparisons with predictions of the GRUMFOIL computer code indicated that Mach number corrections due to the sidewall boundary layer improve the agreement for both subcritical and supercritical conditions. The results also show that sidewall boundary layer removal reduces the magnitude of the sidewall correction; however, a suitable correction must still be made.

Johnson, C. B.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Wind tunnel wall interference correction for aircraft models

Wall interference correction procedures seek to determine the required changes in certain flow or geometric parameters so that the difference between the flow properties at the model's surface in the tunnel and free air are minimized. A transonic and a linear correction procedure were developed for aircraft models. In addition to Mach number and angle of attack corrections, an estimate of the accuracy of the corrections is provided by the transonic correction procedure. Lift, pitching moment and pressure measurements near the tunnel walls are required. The efficiency and accuracy of the correction procedure are improved. Moreover, correction of both the wing and tail angles of attack is allowed. The procedure is valid for transonic as well as subcritical flows. However, for subcritical flows further approximations and simplifying assumptions are made, leading to a very simple and efficient correction procedure.

Rizk, M. H.↗

NASA NTRS1984

On the instability of a 3-dimensional attachment line boundary layer: Weakly nonlinear theory and a numerical approach

The instability of a three dimensional attachment line boundary layer is considered in the nonlinear regime. Using weakly nonlinear theory, it is found that, apart from a small interval near the (linear) critical Reynolds number, finite amplitude solutions bifurcate subcritically from the upper branch of the neutral curve. The time dependent Navier-Stokes equations for the attachment line flow have been solved using a Fourier-Chebyshev spectral method and the subcritical instability is found at wavenumbers that correspond to the upper branch. Both the theory and the numerical calculations show the existence of supercritical finite amplitude (equilibrium) states near the lower branch which explains why the observed flow exhibits a preference for the lower branch modes. The effect of blowing and suction on nonlinear stability of the attachment line boundary layer is also investigated.

Hall, P.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Bifurcation theory applied to aircraft motions

Bifurcation theory is used to analyze the nonlinear dynamic stability characteristics of single-degree-of-freedom motions of an aircraft or a flap about a trim position. The bifurcation theory analysis reveals that when the bifurcation parameter, e.g., the angle of attack, is increased beyond a critical value at which the aerodynamic damping vanishes, a new solution representing finite-amplitude periodic motion bifurcates from the previously stable steady motion. The sign of a simple criterion, cast in terms of aerodynamic properties, determines whether the bifurcating solution is stable (supercritical) or unstable (subcritical). For the pitching motion of a flap-plate airfoil flying at supersonic/hypersonic speed, and for oscillation of a flap at transonic speed, the bifurcation is subcritical, implying either that exchanges of stability between steady and periodic motion are accompanied by hysteresis phenomena, or that potentially large aperiodic departures from steady motion may develop. On the other hand, for the rolling oscillation of a slender delta wing in subsonic flight (wing rock), the bifurcation is found to be supercritical. This and the predicted amplitude of the bifurcation periodic motion are in good agreement with experiments.

Hui, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A review of fracture mechanics life technology

Current lifetime prediction technology for structural components subjected to cyclic loads was reviewed. The central objectives of the project were to report the current state of and recommend future development of fracture mechanics-based analytical tools for modeling and forecasting subcritical fatigue crack growth in structures. Of special interest to NASA was the ability to apply these tools to practical engineering problems and the developmental steps necessary to bring vital technologies to this stage. A survey of published literature and numerous discussions with experts in the field of fracture mechanics life technology were conducted. One of the key points made is that fracture mechanics analyses of crack growth often involve consideration of fatigue and fracture under extreme conditions. Therefore, inaccuracies in predicting component lifetime will be dominated by inaccuracies in environment and fatigue crack growth relations, stress intensity factor solutions, and methods used to model given loads and stresses. Suggestions made for reducing these inaccuracies include: development of improved models of subcritical crack growth, research efforts aimed at better characterizing residual and assembly stresses that can be introduced during fabrication, and more widespread and uniform use of the best existing methods.

Thomas, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Ion and electron heating at collisionless shocks near the critical Mach number

The present study has the objective to document more fully a somewhat surprising heating pattern for 10 of the bow shock crossings investigated by Russell et al. (1982). A description of the detailed evolution of the actual distribution functions across the subcritical shocks is also provided. It is pointed out that the shocks examined are all very near the theoretical one-fluid critical Mach number. None of the shocks has a significant magnetic foot or overshoot. It is argued that the observed heating is not due to reflected ions but rather to physical processes characteristic of subcritical shocks.

Thomsen, M. F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Exploratory flutter test in a cryogenic wind tunnel

The feasibility of flutter testing in cryogenic wind tunnels is investigated experimentally in tests on a rigid solid-metal rectangular-planform aspect-ratio-1.5 NACA 64A010 wing model with an integral flexible beam support, cantilever mounted to the wall of the 0.3-m transonic cryogenic tunnel at NASA Langley, at Mach numbers M = 0.5 and 0.8 and Reynolds numbers Re = (4.09-18.16) x 10 to the 6th. Best results are obtained when the onset of flutter (predicted by the peak-hold subcritical-response technique of Sandford et al., 1975) is approached by adjusting stagnation pressure while keeping M and the stagnation temperature constant. The data are presented in graphs and tables and discussed. It is found that Re effects on flutter cannot be separated from mass-ratio and temperature effects for a single test model and must be interpreted from analytical trends, and that the effects detected by this procedure are so small (4.0-6.5 percent) as to fall within the scatter band of the subcritical-response predictions.

Cole, S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1986

A review of fracture mechanics life technology

Lifetime prediction technology for structural components subjected to cyclic loads is examined. The central objectives of the project are: (1) to report the current state of the art, and (2) recommend future development of fracture mechanics-based analytical tools for modeling subcritical fatigue crack growth in structures. Of special interest is the ability to apply these tools to practical engineering problems and the developmental steps necessary to bring vital technologies to this stage. The authors conducted a survey of published literature and numerous discussions with experts in the field of fracture mechanics life technology. One of the key points made is that fracture mechanics analyses of crack growth often involve consideration of fatigue and fracture under extreme conditions. Therefore, inaccuracies in predicting component lifetime will be dominated by inaccuracies in environment and fatigue crack growth relations, stress intensity factor solutions, and methods used to model given loads and stresses. Suggestions made for reducing these inaccuracies include development of improved models of subcritical crack growth, research efforts aimed at better characterizing residual and assembly stresses that can be introduced during fabrication, and more widespread and uniform use of the best existing methods.

Besuner, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Role of delamination and damage development on the strength of thick notched laminates

A large, comprehensive program is being conducted at Virginia Tech to study the effect of laminate thickness on the fracture strength of notched laminated composites. Part of this program has been the study of the chracteristics and development of subcritical crack-tip damage prior to failure. The study has concentrated on the center-cracked tension specimen geometry. Subcritical crack-tip damage has been studied using enhanced X-ray radiography and the laminate deply technique. This paper examines he role that delamination plays in affecting the fracture of (0/+ or - 45/90)ns and (0/+ or - 45)ns laminates at various values of n. The study has found that delaminations do occur in thin laminates (n = 1) and affect the strength of the laminate. However, in thick laminates such as (0/+ or 45)90ns, and (0/+ or - 45)20s, there is sufficient constraint to prevent delaminations from occurring in the interior region of he specimen. The final fracture surface is uniform in the interior and self-similar (collinear with the original starter notch), with 'shear-lip' type damage in the form of delaminations and matrix cracking in the first several plies at the surface. These differences in the type of fracture of the thin and thick laminates greatly affect the fracture strength.

Harris, C. E.↗