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At least 19 records

Calculation of AGARD Wing 445.6 Flutter Using Navier-Stokes Aerodynamics

An unsteady, 3D, implicit upwind Euler/Navier-Stokes algorithm is here used to compute the flutter characteristics of Wing 445.6, the AGARD standard aeroelastic configuration for dynamic response, with a view to the discrepancy between Euler characteristics and experimental data. Attention is given to effects of fluid viscosity, structural damping, and number of structural model nodes. The flutter characteristics of the wing are determined using these unsteady generalized aerodynamic forces in a traditional V-g analysis. The V-g analysis indicates that fluid viscosity has a significant effect on the supersonic flutter boundary for this wing.

Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.↗

Implicit conservative characteristic modeling schemes for the Euler equations - A new approach

An implicit characteristic-modeling solution scheme for the Euler equations is presented. The scheme does not require the governing equations to be written in characteristic variables or the flux terms to be split into positive and negative contributions. For the two-dimensional problem of a shock wave reflecting from a flat plate, this feature and the simple solution algorithm combine to reduce the computational work per mesh point by 40 percent from that required by a standard, central-difference, implicit, solution algorithm. Application of the method to the quasi-one-dimensional nozzle flow equations for subsonic and supersonic flows without shocks shows the method to be well-conditioned for large time steps.

Wornom, S. F.↗

Analytical and experimental study of structurally efficient composite hat-stiffened panels loaded in axial compression

Structural efficiency studies were made to determine the weight-saving potential of graphite/epoxy composite structures for compression panel applications. Minimum-weight hat-stiffened and open-corrugation configurations were synthesized using a nonlinear mathematical programing technique. Selected configurations were built and tested to study local and Euler buckling characteristics. Test results for 23 panels critical in local buckling and six panels critical in Euler buckling are compared with analytical results obtained using the BUCLASP-2 branched plate buckling program. A weight efficiency comparison is made between composite and aluminum compression panels using metal test data generated by the NACA. Theoretical studies indicate that potential weight savings of up to 50% are possible for composite hat-stiffened panels when compared with similar aluminum designs. Weight savings of 32% to 42% were experimentally achieved. Experience to date suggests that most of the theoretical weight-saving potential is available if design deficiencies are eliminated and strict fabrication control is exercised.

Williams, J. G.↗

Analytical and experimental study of structurally efficient composite hat-stiffened panels loaded in axial compression

Structural efficiency studies were made to determine the weight saving potential of graphite/epoxy composite structures for compression panel applications. Minimum weight hat-stiffened and open corrugation configurations were synthesized using a nonlinear mathematical programming technique. Selected configurations were built and tested to study local and Euler buckling characteristics. Test results for 23 panels critical in local buckling and six panels critical in Euler buckling are compared with analytical results obtained using the BUCLASP-2 branched plate buckling program. A weight efficiency comparison is made between composite and aluminum compression panels using metal test data generated by the NACA. Theoretical studies indicate that potential weight savings of up to 50% are possible for composite hat-stiffened panels when compared with similar aluminum designs. Weight savings of 32% to 42% were experimentally achieved. Experience suggests that most of the theoretical weight saving potential is available if design deficiencies are eliminated and strict fabrication control is exercised.

Williams, J. G.↗

Calculation of AGARD Wing 445.6 Flutter Using Navier-Stokes Aerodynamics

The flutter characteristics of the first AGARD standard aeroelastic configuration for dynamic response, Wing 445.6, are studied using an unsteady Navier-Stokes algorithm in order to investigate a previously noted discrepancy between Euler flutter characteristics and the experimental data. The algorithm, which is a three-dimensional, implicit, upwind Euler/Navier-Stokes code (CFL3D Version 2.1), was previously modified for the time-marching, aeroelastic analysis of wings using the unsteady Euler equations. These modifications include the incorporation of a deforming mesh algorithm and the addition of the structural equations of motion for their simultaneous time integration with the governing flow equations. In this paper, the aeroelastic method is extended and evaluated for applications that use the Navier- Stokes aerodynamics. The paper presents a brief description of the aeroelastic method and presents unsteady calculations which verify this method for Navier-Stokes calculations. A linear stability analysis and a time-marching aeroelastic analysis are used to determine the flutter characteristics of the isolated 45 deg. swept-back wing. Effects of fluid viscosity, structural damping, and number of modes in the structural model are investigated. For the linear stability analysis, the unsteady generalized aerodynamic forces of the wing are computed for a range of reduced frequencies using the pulse transfer-function approach. The flutter characteristics of the wing are determined using these unsteady generalized aerodynamic forces in a traditional V-g analysis. This stability analysis is used to determine the flutter characteristics of the wing at free-stream Mach numbers of 0.96 and 1.141 using the generalized aerodynamic forces generated by solving the Euler equations and the Navier-Stokes equations. Time-marching aeroelastic calculations are performed at a free-stream Mach number of 1.141 using the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations to compare with the linear V-g flutter analysis method. The V-g analysis, which is used in conjunction with the time-marching analysis, indicates that the fluid viscosity has a significant effect on the supersonic flutter boundary for this wing while the structural damping and number of modes in the structural model have a lesser effect.

Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.↗

Characteristic boundary conditions for the Euler equations

The boundary conditions are demonstrated for the quasi-one-dimensional Euler equations with the extension to two and three dimensions being straightforward. In this application an implicit finite-difference scheme is employed with the boundary conditions being applied implicitly. The boundary application uses both characteristic extrapolations and evaluations which distinguishes it from other theories. Flow fields with shocks are calculated with inflow-outflow conditions of supersonic-subsonic and subsonic-subsonic flow.

T H Pulliam↗

Characteristic time-stepping or local preconditioning of the Euler equations

A derivation is presented of a local preconditioning matrix for multidimensional Euler equations, that reduces the spread of the characteristic speeds to the lowest attainable value. Numerical experiments with this preconditioning matrix are applied to an explicit upwind discretization of the two-dimensional Euler equations, showing that this matrix significantly increases the rate of convergence to a steady solution. It is predicted that local preconditioning will also simplify convergence-acceleration boundary procedures such as the Karni (1991) procedure for the far field and the Mazaheri and Roe (1991) procedure for a solid wall.

Van Leer, Bram↗

Spectral simulation of unsteady compressible flow past a circular cylinder

An unsteady compressible viscous wake flow past a circular cylinder was successfully simulated using spectral methods. A new approach in using the Chebyshev collocation method for periodic problems is introduced. It was further proved that the eigenvalues associated with the differentiation matrix are purely imaginary, reflecting the periodicity of the problem. It was been shown that the solution of a model problem has exponential growth in time if improper boundary conditions are used. A characteristic boundary condition, which is based on the characteristics of the Euler equations of gas dynamics, was derived for the spectral code. The primary vortex shedding frequency computed agrees well with the results in the literature for Mach = 0.4, Re = 80. No secondary frequency is observed in the power spectrum analysis of the pressure data.

Don, Wai-Sun↗

Canonical forms of multidimensional steady inviscid flows

Canonical forms and canonical variables for inviscid flow problems are derived. In these forms the components of the system governed by different types of operators (elliptic and hyperbolic) are separated. Both the incompressible and compressible cases are analyzed, and their similarities and differences are discussed. The canonical forms obtained are block upper triangular operator form in which the elliptic and non-elliptic parts reside in different blocks. The full nonlinear equations are treated without using any linearization process. This form enables a better analysis of the equations as well as better numerical treatment. These forms are the analog of the decomposition of the one dimensional Euler equations into characteristic directions and Riemann invariants.

Taasan, Shlomo↗

Design of optimally smoothing multistage schemes for the Euler equations

A recently derived local preconditioning of the Euler equations is shown to be useful in developing multistage schemes suited for multigrid use. The effect of the preconditioning matrix on the spatial Euler operator is to equalize the characteristic speeds. When applied to the discretized Euler equations, the preconditioning has the effect of strongly clustering the operator's eigenvalues in the complex plane. This makes possible the development of explicit marching schemes that effectively damp most high-frequency Fourier modes, as desired in multigrid applications. The technique is the same as developed earlier for scalar convection schemes: placement of the zeros of the amplification factor of the multistage scheme in locations where eigenvalues corresponding to high-frequency modes abound.

Van Leer, Bram↗

On the stability analysis of approximate factorization methods for 3D Euler and Navier-Stokes equations

The convergence characteristics of various approximate factorizations for the 3D Euler and Navier-Stokes equations are examined using the von-Neumann stability analysis method. Three upwind-difference based factorizations and several central-difference based factorizations are considered for the Euler equations. In the upwind factorizations both the flux-vector splitting methods of Steger and Warming and van Leer are considered. Analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations is performed only on the Beam and Warming central-difference scheme. The range of CFL numbers over which each factorization is stable is presented for one-, two-, and three-dimensional flow. Also presented for each factorization is the CFL number at which the maximum eigenvalue is minimized, for all Fourier components, as well as for the high frequency range only. The latter is useful for predicting the effectiveness of multigrid procedures with these schemes as smoothers. Further, local mode analysis is performed to test the suitability of using a uniform flow field in the stability analysis. Some inconsistencies in the results from previous analyses are resolved.

Demuren, A. O.↗

Evaluation of Navier-Stokes and Euler solutions for leading-edge separation vortices

Extensive study on the numerical simulation of the vortical flow over a double delta wing is carried out using the thin layer Navier-Stokes and Euler equations. Two important flow characteristics, vortex interaction and vortex breakdown, are successfully simulated. Grid resolution is one of the most important factors associated with the vortex problem. Computations were performed on a series of grids with various levels of refinement, coarse, medium, and fine. Computations using either the coarse or medium grids fail to capture the proper physical phenomena. The computed result using a fine grid shows flow unsteadiness once the vortex breakdown takes place. The C sub L - alpha characteristics are well predicted up to the breakdown angle of attack for all the grid distributions. The Euler solutions show fairly good agreement with the experiment on the C sub L - alpha characteristics. However, other aspects of the solution at each angle of attack, such as the locus of the leading edge separation vortex, are not consistent with the experiment. Even for the fine grid Navier-Stokes computations, further grid resolution is required to obtain good quantitative agreement with the experiment.

Fujii, K.↗

Evaluation of Navier-Stokes and Euler solutions for leading-edge separation vortices

Extensive study on the numerical simulation of the vortical flow over a double delta wing is carried out using the thin layer Navier-Stokes and Euler equations. Two important flow characteristics, vortex interaction and vortex breakdown, are successfully simulated. Grid resolution is one of the most important factors associated with the vortex problem. Computations were performed on a series of grids with various levels of refinement, coarse, medium, and fine. Computations using either the coarse or medium grids fail to capture the proper physical phenomena. The computed result using a fine grid shows flow unsteadiness once the vortex breakdown takes place. The C sub L - alpha characteristics are well predicted up to the breakdown angle of attack for all the grid distributions. The Euler solutions show fairly good agreement with the experiment on the C sub L - alpha characteristics. However, other aspects of the solution at each angle of attack, such as the locus of the leading edge separation vortex, are not consistent with the experiment. Even for the fine grid Navier-Stokes computations, further grid resolution is required to obtain good quantitative agreement with the experiment.

Fujii, K.↗

An assessment of viscous effects in computational simulation of benign and burst vortex flows on generic fighter wind-tunnel models using TEAM code

Vortex flows on a twin-tail and a single-tail modular transonic vortex interaction (MTVI) model, representative of a generic fighter configuration, are computationally simulated in this study using the Three-dimensional Euler/Navier-Stokes Aerodynamic Method (TEAM). The primary objective is to provide an assessment of viscous effects on benign (10 deg angle of attack) and burst (35 deg angle of attack) vortex flow solutions. This study was conducted in support of a NASA project aimed at assessing the viability of using Euler technology to predict aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft configurations at moderate-to-high angles of attack in a preliminary design environment. The TEAM code solves the Euler and Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes equations on patched multiblock structured grids. Its algorithm is based on a cell-centered finite-volume formulation with multistage time-stepping scheme. Viscous effects are assessed by comparing the computed inviscid and viscous solutions with each other and experimental data. Also, results of Euler solution sensitivity to grid density and numerical dissipation are presented for the twin-tail model. The results show that proper accounting of viscous effects is necessary for detailed design and optimization but Euler solutions can provide meaningful guidelines for preliminary design of flight vehicles which exhibit vortex flows in parts of their flight envelope.

Kinard, Tim A.↗

Study of the velocity gradient tensor in turbulent flow

The behavior of the velocity gradient tensor, A(ij)=delta u(i)/delta x(j), was studied using three turbulent flows obtained from direct numerical simulation The flows studies were: an inviscid calculation of the interaction between two vortex tubes, a homogeneous isotropic flow, and a temporally evolving planar wake. Self-similar behavior for each flow was obtained when A(ij) was normalized with the mean strain rate. The case of the interaction between two vortex tubes revealed a finite sized coherent structure with topological characteristics predictable by a restricted Euler model. This structure was found to evolve with the peak vorticity as the flow approached singularity. Invariants of A(ij) within this structure followed a straight line relationship of the form: gamma(sup 3)+gammaQ+R=0, where Q and R are the second and third invariants of A(ij), and the eigenvalue gamma is nearly constant over the volume of this structure. Data within this structure have local strain topology of unstable-node/saddle/saddle. The characteristics of the velocity gradient tensor and the anisotropic part of a related acceleration gradient tensor H(ij) were also studied for a homogeneous isotropic flow and a temporally evolving planar wake. It was found that the intermediate principal eigenvalue of the rate-of-strain tensor of H(ij) tended to be negative, with local strain topology of the type stable-node/saddle/saddle. There was also a preferential eigenvalue direction. The magnitude of H(ij) in the wake flow was found to be very small when data were conditioned at high local dissipation regions. This result was not observed in the relatively low Reynolds number simulation of homogeneous isotropic flow. A restricted Euler model of the evolution of A(ij) was found to reproduce many of the topological features identified in the simulations.

Cheng, Wei-Ping↗

Some notes on shock resolving flux functions. Part 1: Stationary characteristics

Numerical flux functions for solving the Euler equations using exact and/or approximate solutions of the Riemann problem of gasdynamics are discussed. Under certain restrictive conditions, schemes using these flux functions produce systems of equations which can exhibit a single degree of freedom. In some instances, the solutions represented by this degree of freedom are unstable to perturbations. This local instability can seriously degrade the temporal convergence of numerical schemes. This point is demonstrated by numerical example.

Barth, Timothy J.↗

Implicit finite-difference methods for the Euler equations

The present paper is concerned with two-dimensional Euler equations and with schemes which are in use of the time of this writing. Most of the development presented carries over directly to three dimensions. The characteristics of the two-dimensional Euler equations in Cartesian coordinates are considered along with generalized curvilinear coordinate transformations, metric relations, invariants of the transformation, flux Jacobian matrices and eigensystems, numerical algorithms, flux split algorithms, implicit and explicit nonlinear control (smoothing), upwind differencing in supersonic regions, unsteady and steady-state computation, the diagonal form of implicit algorithm, metric differencing and invariants, boundary conditions, geometry and mesh generation, and sample solutions.

Pulliam, T. H.↗

Prospects for Eulerian CFD analysis of helicopter vortex flows

The applicability of current finite-volume CFD algorithms based on the Euler equations to the vortex flow over a helicopter in forward flight is investigated analytically. The general characteristics of the flow are reviewed; existing Euler, Navier-Stokes, perturbation, high-order, and adaptive methods are briefly characterized; and a novel Eulerian/Lagrangian approach with entropy and vorticity corrections is presented in detail. Numerical results for simple convection of a finite-core Lamb vortex moving downstream with its axis perpendicular to the flow are presented in graphs, and the possibility of extending the method to three-dimensional, viscous, and shock flows is discussed.

Drela, Mark↗