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At least 163 records · Page 9

Aerothermal modeling

The objectives, approach, and status of a program to develop the computational fluid dynamics tools needed to improve combustor design and analysis are outlined. The calculation procedure selected consists of a finite difference solution of the time averaged, steady state, primitive variable, elliptic form of the Reynolds equations. Standard TEACH type numerics are used to solve the resulting equations. These include hybrid differencing, SIMPLE algorithm for the pressure field, line by line iterative solution using the ADI method and the tridiagonal matrix algorithm (TDMA). Convergence is facilitated by using under relaxation. The physical processes are modeled by a two equation eddy viscosity model for turbulence; combustion is represented by a simple, irreversible, one step chemical reaction whose rate is influenced only by the time scale of the turbulence. The model evaluation procedure is also described.

Sturgess, G. J.↗

A finite element approach for prediction of aerothermal loads

A Taylor-Galerkin finite element approach is presented for analysis of high speed viscous flows with an emphasis on predicting heating rates. Five computational issues relevant to the computation of steady flows are examined. Numerical results for supersonic and hypersonic problems address the computational issues and demonstrate the validity for the approach for analysis of high speed flows.

Thornton, E. A.↗

Direct simulation of aerothermal loads for an aeroassist flight experiment vehicle

Results of a numerical study using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method are presented for the hypersonic flow about an elliptically blunted cone. The flow conditions are those for a proposed Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle. The altitude range considered is that from 130 to 90 km which encompasses most of the transitional flow regime for the AFE vehicle, that is, the region bounded by free molecular and continuum flow. Freestream velocities of 9.9 to 7.5 km/sec are considered. The numerical simulations show that noncontinuum effects are evident for all cases considered. The onset of chemical dissociation occurs at a simulated altitude of about 130 km. Results presented highlight the thermal and chemical nonequilibrium nature of the flowfield and the impact of these effects on the surface heating and body drag. A calculation which included the additional effects of ionization and thermal radiation demonstrates that the inclusion of such efects would not significantly alter the surface quantities calculated in the present study. The radiative heating is negligible when compared with the convective heating, and the same would be true for the other conditions considered.

Dogra, Virendra K.↗

Improved numerical methods for turbulent viscous flows aerothermal modeling program, phase 2

The details of a study to develop accurate and efficient numerical schemes to predict complex flows are described. In this program, several discretization schemes were evaluated using simple test cases. This assessment led to the selection of three schemes for an in-depth evaluation based on two-dimensional flows. The scheme with the superior overall performance was incorporated in a computer program for three-dimensional flows. To improve the computational efficiency, the selected discretization scheme was combined with a direct solution approach in which the fluid flow equations are solved simultaneously rather than sequentially.

Karki, K. C.↗

Aerothermal modeling program, phase 2. Element B: Flow interaction experiment

The design process was improved and the efficiency, life, and maintenance costs of the turbine engine hot section was enhanced. Recently, there has been much emphasis on the need for improved numerical codes for the design of efficient combustors. For the development of improved computational codes, there is a need for an experimentally obtained data base to be used at test cases for the accuracy of the computations. The purpose of Element-B is to establish a benchmark quality velocity and scalar measurements of the flow interaction of circular jets with swirling flow typical of that in the dome region of annular combustor. In addition to the detailed experimental effort, extensive computations of the swirling flows are to be compared with the measurements for the purpose of assessing the accuracy of current and advanced turbulence and scalar transport models.

Nikjooy, M.↗

Aerothermal modeling program. Phase 2, element A: Improved numerical methods for turbulent viscous recirculating flows

The objective of this effort is to develop improved numerical schemes for predicting combustor flow fields. Various candidate numerical schemes were evaluated, and promising schemes were selected for detailed assessment. The criteria for evaluation included accuracy, computational efficiency, stability, and ease of extension to multidimensions. The candidate schemes were assessed against a variety of simple one- and two-dimensional problems. These results led to the selection of the following schemes for further evaluation: flux spline schemes (linear and cubic) and controlled numerical diffusion with internal feedback (CONDIF). The incorporation of the flux spline scheme and direct solution strategy in a computer program for three-dimensional flows is in progress.

Karki, K. C.↗

Aerothermal modeling program. Phase 2, element B: Flow interaction experiment

NASA has instituted an extensive effort to improve the design process and data base for the hot section components of gas turbine engines. The purpose of element B is to establish a benchmark quality data set that consists of measurements of the interaction of circular jets with swirling flow. Such flows are typical of those that occur in the primary zone of modern annular combustion liners. Extensive computations of the swirling flows are to be compared with the measurements for the purpose of assessing the accuracy of current physical models used to predict such flows.

Nikjooy, M.↗

Evaluation of aerothermal modeling computer programs

Various computer programs based upon the SIMPLE or SIMPLER algorithm were studied and compared for numerical accuracy, efficiency, and grid dependency. Four two-dimensional and one three-dimensional code originally developed by a number of research groups were considered. In general, the accuracy and computational efficieny of these TEACH type programs were improved by modifying the differencing schemes and their solvers. A brief description of each program is given. Error reduction, spline flux and second upwind differencing programs are covered.

Hsieh, K. C.↗

Influence of flowfield and vehicle parameters on engineering aerothermal methods

The reliability and flexibility of three engineering codes used in the aerosphace industry (AEROHEAT, INCHES, and MINIVER) were investigated by comparing the results of these codes with Reentry F flight data and ground-test heat-transfer data for a range of cone angles, and with the predictions obtained using the detailed VSL3D code; the engineering solutions were also compared. In particular, the impact of several vehicle and flow-field parameters on the heat transfer and the capability of the engineering codes to predict these results were determined. It was found that entropy, pressure gradient, nose bluntness, gas chemistry, and angle of attack all affect heating levels. A comparison of the results of the three engineering codes with Reentry F flight data and with the predictions obtained of the VSL3D code showed a very good agreement in the regions of the applicability of the codes. It is emphasized that the parameters used in this study can significantly influence the actual heating levels and the prediction capability of a code.

Wurster, Kathryn E.↗

External tank aerothermal design criteria verification, volume 1

The objective of this study was to produce an independent set of ascent environments which would serve as a check on the Rockwell IVBC-3 environments and provide an independent reevaluation of the thermal design criteria for the External Tank (ET). Design heating rates and loads were calculated at 367 acreage body point locations. Ascent flight regimes covered were lift-off, first stage ascent, Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) staging and second stage ascent through ET separation. The purpose here is to document these results, briefly describe the methodology used and present the environments along with a comparison with the Rockwell IVBC-3 counterpart. The methodology and environment summaries are given.

Crain, William K.↗

External tank aerothermal design criteria verification, volume 2

The objective of the study was to produce an independent set of ascent environments which would serve as a check on the Rockwell International (RI) IVBC-3 environments and provide an independent reevaluation of the thermal design criteria for the External Tank (ET). Given here are the plotted timewise environments comparing REMTECH results to the RI IVBC results.

Crain, William K.↗

Aerothermal study in an axial compression corner with shock impingement at Mach 6

An experimental study of an axial-compression interior-corner region with shock impingement was conducted in the NASA Langley 20-inch Mach 6 Tunnel to obtain aerodynamic heating rate distributions. The model, a generic hypersonic engine inlet, had a sharp leading edge forebody, cowl, and interchangeable struts with sharp and blunt leading edges. Experiments were conducted at free-stream unit Reynolds numbers of 1.68 x 10 to the 6th and 3.35 x 10 to the 6th per foot for the blunt and sharp-strut configurations, respectively. For the sharp-strut configuration, with and without trips, the peak heating occurred on the cowl, near the compression corner, downstream of the forebody oblique shock impingement region. The peak heating levels, for both the tripped and untripped boundary-layer flows were about 45 and 50 times the reference laminar heating levels, respectively. The peak heating for the blunt leading edge strut model, which was 30 times the reference value, occurred on the cowl, away from the corner, where the bow shock from the strut leading edge intersected the cowl surface.

Venkateswaran, S.↗

A viscous-shock-layer analysis of the Martian aerothermal environment

Surface heating and flow field results for the stagnation region of a planetary exploration vehicle entering the Martian atmosphere are presented. Solutions for the high-energy viscous flow fields with complete radiative heating are derived from a viscous-shock-layer analysis for laminar flow under chemical equilibrium conditions. Results are shown with and without coupled radiation ablation injection utilizing the recently developed curve fits for the transport and thermodynamic properties of Martian atmospheric and ablation species. This analysis includes a strongly absorbing boundary layer and, therefore, gives much lower radiative heat transfer rates than those obtained from inviscid analyses.

Gupta, R. N.↗

Aerothermal test results from the first flight of the Pegasus air-launched space booster

A survey of temperature measurements at speeds through Mach 8.0 on the first flight of the Pegasus air-launched booster system is discussed. In addition, heating rates were derived from the temperature data obtained on the fuselage in the vicinity of the wing shock interaction. Sensors were distributed on the wing surfaces, leading edge, and on the wing-body fairing or fillet. Side-by-side evaluations were obtained for a variety of sensor installations. Details of the trajectory reconstruction through first-stage separation are provided. Given here are indepth descriptions of the sensor installations, temperature measurements, and derived heating rates along with interpretations of the results.

Noffz, Gregory K.↗

Summary of aerothermal test results from the first flight of the Pegasus air-launched space booster

Temperature measurements were obtained on the Pegasus booster from launch through Mach 8.0. The majority of sensors were thin-foil temperature gages installed near the surface within the vehicle's ablating thermal protection system. These gages were distributed on the wing surfaces and on the wing-body fairing or fillet. Temperature time histories from these installations are presented. In addition, thermocouples were installed on the surface of nonablating plugs located on the fairing. These sensors were more responsive to changes in flight conditions than the foil gages and allowed a derivation of convective heat flux. A heating rate magnification of 2 was found in the vicinity of the wing shock interaction.

Noffz, Gregory K.↗

Numerical simulation of aerothermal loads in hypersonic engine inlets due to shock impingement

The effect of shock impingement on an axial corner simulating the inlet of a hypersonic vehicle engine is modeled using a finite-difference procedure. A three-dimensional dynamic grid adaptation procedure is utilized to move the grids to regions with strong flow gradients. The adaptation procedure uses a grid relocation stencil that is valid at both the interior and boundary points of the finite-difference grid. A linear combination of spatial derivatives of specific flow variables, calculated with finite-element interpolation functions, are used as adaptation measures. This computational procedure is used to study laminar and turbulent Mach 6 flows in the axial corner. The description of flow physics and qualitative measures of heat transfer distributions on cowl and strut surfaces obtained from the analysis are compared with experimental observations. Conclusions are drawn regarding the capability of the numerical scheme for enhanced modeling of high-speed compressible flows.

Ramakrishnan, R.↗