SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Distributed temperature”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 1,603 records · Page 89

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1992

Characteristics of the Shuttle Orbiter leeside flow during a reentry condition

A study of the leeside flow characteristics of the Shuttle Orbiter is presented for a reentry flight condition. The flow is computed using a point-implicit, finite-volume scheme known as the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm (LAURA). LAURA is a second-order accurate, laminar Navier-Stokes solver, incorporating finite-rate chemistry with a radiative equilibrium wall temperature distribution and finite-rate wall catalysis. The resulting computational solution is analyzed in terms of salient flow features and the surface quantities are compared with flight data.

Kleb, William L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Measurements of the effects of thermal contact resistance on steady state heat transfer in phosphoric-acid fuel cell stack

The influence of the thermal contact resistance on the heat transfer between the electrode plates, and the cooling system plate in a phosphoric-acid fuel-cell stack was experimentally investigated. The investigation was conducted using a set-up that simulates the operating conditions prevailing in a phosphoric acid fuel-cell stack. The fuel-cell cooling system utilized three types of coolants, water, engine oil, and air, to remove excess heat generated in the cell electrode and to maintain a reasonably uniform temperature distribution in the electrode plate. The thermal contact resistance was measured as a function of pressure at the interface between the electrode plate and the cooling system plate. The interface pressure range was from 0 kPa to 3448 kPa, while the Reynolds number for the cooling limits varied from 15 to 79 for oil, 1165 to 6165 for water, and 700 to 6864 for air. Results showed that increasing the interface pressure resulted in a higher heat transfer coefficient.

Abdul-Aziz, Ali↗

NASA NTRS1992

Low-power arcjet test facility impacts

Performance characterizations of a flight-type 1.4 kW arcjet system were conducted. Performance and thruster temperature distributions were measured at thruster input power levels and propellant mass flow rates ranging from 1274 to 1370 W and from 3.2 x 10 exp -5 to 5.1 x 10 exp -5 kg/s, respectively. Specific impulses measured at the two facilities, at comparable test cell pressures, using gaseous hydrogen-nitrogen propellant mixtures agreed to within 1 percent over the range of operating conditions tested. The specific impulses measured using hydrazine propellant were higher than that for the cold hydrogen/nitrogen mixtures. Agreement between the hydrazine and gas mixture data was good, however, when the differences in propellant ethalpies at the thruster inlet were considered. Specific impulse showed a strong dependence on test facility pressure, and was 3 to 4 percent higher below 0.1 Pa than for test cell pressures above 5 Pa.

Morren, W. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Full Navier-Stokes analysis of a two-dimensional mixer/ejector nozzle for noise suppression

A three-dimensional full Navier-Stokes (FNS) analysis was performed on a mixer/ejector nozzle designed to reduce the jet noise created at takeoff by a future supersonic transport. The PARC3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code was used to study the flow field of the nozzle. The grid that was used in the analysis consisted of approximately 900,000 node points contained in eight grid blocks. Two nozzle configurations were studied: a constant area mixing section and a diverging mixing section. Data are presented for predictions of pressure, velocity, and total temperature distributions and for evaluations of internal performance and mixing effectiveness. The analysis provided good insight into the behavior of the flow.

Debonis, James R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Coupled multi-disciplinary composites behavior simulation

The capabilities of the computer code CSTEM (Coupled Structural/Thermal/Electro-Magnetic Analysis) are discussed and demonstrated. CSTEM computationally simulates the coupled response of layered multi-material composite structures subjected to simultaneous thermal, structural, vibration, acoustic, and electromagnetic loads and includes the effect of aggressive environments. The composite material behavior and structural response is determined at its various inherent scales: constituents (fiber/matrix), ply, laminate, and structural component. The thermal and mechanical properties of the constituents are considered to be nonlinearly dependent on various parameters such as temperature and moisture. The acoustic and electromagnetic properties also include dependence on vibration and electromagnetic wave frequencies, respectively. The simulation is based on a three dimensional finite element analysis in conjunction with composite mechanics and with structural tailoring codes, and with acoustic and electromagnetic analysis methods. An aircraft engine composite fan blade is selected as a typical structural component to demonstrate the CSTEM capabilities. Results of various coupled multi-disciplinary heat transfer, structural, vibration, acoustic, and electromagnetic analyses for temperature distribution, stress and displacement response, deformed shape, vibration frequencies, mode shapes, acoustic noise, and electromagnetic reflection from the fan blade are discussed for their coupled effects in hot and humid environments. Collectively, these results demonstrate the effectiveness of the CSTEM code in capturing the coupled effects on the various responses of composite structures subjected to simultaneous multiple real-life loads.

Singhal, Surendra N.↗

NASA NTRS1992

An integrated database with system optimization and design features

A customized, mission-specific relational database package was developed to allow researchers working on the Mars oxygen manufacturing plant to enter physical description, engineering, and connectivity data through a uniform, graphical interface and to store the data in formats compatible with other software also developed as part of the project. These latter components include an optimization program to maximize or minimize various criteria as the system evolves into its final design; programs to simulate the behavior of various parts of the plant in Martian conditions; an animation program which, in different modes, provides visual feedback to designers and researchers about the location of and temperature distribution among components as well as heat, mass, and data flow through the plant as it operates in different scenarios; and a control program to investigate the stability and response of the system under different disturbance conditions. All components of the system are interconnected so that changes entered through one component are reflected in the others.

Arabyan, A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Self-tuning multivariable pole placement control of a multizone crystal growth furnace

This paper presents the design and implementation of a multivariable self-tuning temperature controller for the control of lead bromide crystal growth. The crystal grows inside a multizone transparent furnace. There are eight interacting heating zones shaping the axial temperature distribution inside the furnace. A multi-input, multi-output furnace model is identified on-line by a recursive least squares estimation algorithm. A multivariable pole placement controller based on this model is derived and implemented. Comparison between single-input, single-output and multi-input, multi-output self-tuning controllers demonstrates that the zone-to-zone interactions can be minimized better by a multi-input, multi-output controller design. This directly affects the quality of crystal grown.

Batur, C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Influence of heat transfer rates on pressurization of liquid/slush hydrogen propellant tanks

A multi-dimensional computational model of the pressurization process in liquid/slush hydrogen tank is developed and used to study the influence of heat flux rates at the ullage boundaries on the process. The new model computes these rates and performs an energy balance for the tank wall whereas previous multi-dimensional models required a priori specification of the boundary heat flux rates. Analyses of both liquid hydrogen and slush hydrogen pressurization were performed to expose differences between the two processes. Graphical displays are presented to establish the dependence of pressurization time, pressurant mass required, and other parameters of interest on ullage boundary heat flux rates and pressurant mass flow rate. Detailed velocity fields and temperature distributions are presented for selected cases to further illuminate the details of the pressurization process. It is demonstrated that ullage boundary heat flux rates do significantly effect the pressurization process and that minimizing heat loss from the ullage and maximizing pressurant flow rate minimizes the mass of pressurant gas required to pressurize the tank. It is further demonstrated that proper dimensionless scaling of pressure and time permit all the pressure histories examined during this study to be displayed as a single curve.

Sasmal, G. P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Textures and clusters

We discuss the properties of galaxy clusters expected in a texture-seeded, CDM-dominated, Omega = 1 universe. Assuming that the textures are spherical, we use the spherical collapse model to compute the cluster velocity dispersion (or temperature) distribution function. For objects of mass 10 exp 11 to 10 exp 15 solar masses, we find v varies as M super gamma with gamma of about 0.25. An unbiased (b = 1) texture model predicts too many high-velocity dispersion clusters. A biased texture model appears to be compatible with cluster properties inferred from optical and X-ray observations. In the texture model, the cluster velocity distribution functio does not evolve rapidly; thus, the model predicts the existence of rich clusters at moderate redshift (about 1-2).

Bartlett, James G.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Structure of Soot-Containing Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

The structure and soot properties of nonbuoyant and weakly-buoyant round jet diffusion flames were studied, considering ethylene, propane and acetylene burning in air at pressures of 0.125-2.0 atm. Measurements of flame structure included radiative heat loss fractions, flame shape and temperature distributions in the fuel-lean (overfire) region. These measurements were used to evaluate flame structure predictions based on the conserved-scalar formalism in conjunction with the laminar flamelet concept, finding good agreement betweem predictions and measurements. Soot property measurements included laminar smoke points, soot volume function distributions using laser extinction, and soot structure using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy. Nonbuoyant flames were found to exhibit laminar smoke points like buoyant flames but their properties are very different; in particular, nonbuoyant flames have laminar smoke point flame lengths and residence times that are shorter and longer, respectively, than buoyant flames.

Mortazavi, S.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Finite element large deflection random response of thermally buckled plates

The governing nonlinear equations of motion are derived for a rectangular isotropic plate subjected to a combined thermal-acoustic loading. The thermal loading is taken to be a steady state temperature distribution, and the acoustic loading is considered to be a stationary Gaussian pressure with zero mean and uniform magnitude and phase over the plate surface. With these types of loads, the thermal-acoustic analysis can be separated into two problems: (1) thermal post-buckling; and (2) random vibration of the thermally buckled plate. Since both analyses are nonlinear, iterative techniques are used to solve each. For the random vibration analysis, the method of equivalent linearization is used; both auto- and cross-correlation terms are included. Results obtained using the present formulation are compared with previous classical equivalent linearization results.

Locke, J. E.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Refractive Index Effects on Radiation in an Absorbing, Emitting, and Scattering Laminated Layer

A simple set of equations is derived for predicting temperature radiative energy flow in a two-region semitransparent laminated layer in the limit of zero heat conduction. The composite is heated on its two sides by unequal amounts of incident radiation. The two layers of the composite have different refractive indices, and each material absorbs, emits, and isotropically scatters radiation. The interfaces are diffuse, and all interface reflections are included. To illustrate the thermal behavior that is readily calculated from the equations, typical results an given for various optical thicknesses and refractive indices of the layers. Internal reflections have a substantial effect on the temperature distribution and radiative heat flow.

Siegel, R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Efficient development and processing of thermal math models of very large space truss structures

As the spacecraft moves along the orbit, the truss members are subjected to direct and reflected solar, albedo and planetary infra-red (IR) heating rates, as well as IR heating and shadowing from other spacecraft components. This is a transient process with continuously changing heating loads and the shadowing effects. The resulting nonuniform temperature distribution may cause nonuniform thermal expansion, deflection and stress in the truss elements, truss warping and thermal distortions. There are three challenges in the thermal-structural analysis of the large truss structures. The first is the development of the thermal and structural math models, the second - model processing, and the third - the data transfer between the models. All three tasks require considerable time and computer resources to be done because of a very large number of components involved. To address these challenges a series of techniques of automated thermal math modeling and efficient processing of very large space truss structures were developed. In the process the finite element and finite difference methods are interfaced. A very substantial reduction of the quantity of computations was achieved while assuring a desired accuracy of the results. The techniques are illustrated on the thermal analysis of a segment of the Space Station main truss.

Warren, Andrew H.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Vibration of thermally buckled composite plates with initial deflections using triangular elements

A consistent finite element formulation is presented for the analysis of thermal postbuckling and free vibration of thermally buckled thin, laminated composite plates subjected to large temperature change. The influence of moderately large initial imperfections in deflection on the thermal postbuckling deflection and the vibration characteristics of the buckled plate is also investigated. The finite element equations of motion are derived from the principle of virtual work. These equations can be mathematically separated into two sets and solved in sequence. The first set of equations yields the particular solution of static thermal postbuckling deflection, and the second set of equations gives the homogeneous solution of vibration characteristics on the buckled plate. The first set of static equations is solved by using Newton-Raphson iteration method. The tangent stiffness matrix in the final iteration is equal to the total stiffness matrix of the second set of dynamic equations. This feature saves tremendous computation time in comparing with using the conventional approach. The influence of lamination angle, temperature distribution, plate planform of arbitrary shape, and boundary support conditions on postbuckling and vibration behavior are investigated.

Zhou, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Structure of axisymmetric mantle plumes

The structure of axisymmetric subsolidus thermal plumes in the earth's lower mantle is inferred from calculations of axisymmetric thermal plumes in an infinite Prandtl number fluid with thermally activated viscosity. The velocity and temperature distribution is determined for axisymmetric convection above a heated disk in an incompressible fluid cylinder 2,400 km in height and 1,200 km in diameter. Several calculations of plumes with heat transport in the range 100-400 GW, similar to the advective heat transport at the Hawaiian hotspot, are presented. Hotspot formation by plumes originating at the base of the mantle requires both large viscosity variations and a minimum heat transport.

Olson, Peter↗

NASA NTRS1993

Thermal effects in rapid directional solidification - Linear theory

We study the morphological instability of the planar solid/liquid interface for a unidirectionally-solidified dilute binary mixture. We use a model developed by Boettinger et al. (1985, 1986), Aziz (1982), and Jackson et al. (1980), which allows for nonequilibrium effects on the interface through velocity-dependent segregation and attachment kinetics. Two types of instabilities are found in the linear stability analysis: (1) a cellular instability, and (2) an oscillatory instability driven by disequilibrium effects. Merchant and Davis (1990) characterized these instabilities subject to the frozen-temperature approximation (FTA). The present work relaxes the FTA by including the effects of latent heat and the full temperature distribution. Thermal effects slightly postpone the onset of the cellular instability but dramatically postpone the onset of the oscillatory instability; however, the absolute-stability conditions, at which at high speed the cellular and oscillatory instabilities are suppressed, remain unchanged from the FTA.

Huntley, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

A finite element analysis of the freeze/thaw behavior of external artery heat pipes

A two-dimensional finite element model was used to determine the freeze/thaw characteristics of an external artery heat pipe. During startup, the working fluid, which was located in the liquid channel and the circumferential wall grooves, experienced a phase transformation from a solid to a liquid state. The transient heat conduction equations with moving interfacial conditions were solved using the appropriate initial boundary conditions. The modelling results include the cross-sectional temperature distribution and the interfacial or melt front position as a function of time. A fixed grid approach was adopted in the model for the phase-change process during thawing of frozen working fluid. The interfacial position between the liquid and solid regions was found by balancing the latent heat caused by interfacial movement with the heat addition or extraction at the related grid points.

Lu, X. J.↗

NASA NTRS1993

The relationship between mixed Rossby-gravity waves and convection in a general circulation model

We investigate the relationship between mixed Rossby-gravity waves (MRGWs) and convection in a general circulation model. The experiments described are performed in a general circulation model with the lower boundary set to that of an ocean surface everywhere. Several experiments are run varying the convective parameterization scheme (using either a modified Kuo scheme or a moist convective adjustment scheme) and varying the tropical sea surface temperatures (specified to be zonally symmetric in all cases), thereby changing the location of the modeled intertropical convergence zones (ITCZs). The appearance of a robust MRGW occurs when the sea surface temperature is such that two ITCZs straddle the equator. The particular sea surface temperature distribution used and the parameterization scheme for convection also affect the structure and strength of the modeled MRGW. The vertical structure of MRGWs is analyzed in the experiment in which this wave mode is the most energetic. We show that MRGWs of several different zonal length scales exist in the troposphere in association with convection; however, it is only the longer length scales which can be discerned in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.

Hess, Peter G.↗