Fluid transmission line dynamics
Computer model of fluid transmission line using digital technique to simulate transport delay associated with pressure wave propagation along fluid line
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Computer model of fluid transmission line using digital technique to simulate transport delay associated with pressure wave propagation along fluid line
Dynamic models for viscous fluid transmission lines using distributed parameter for accuracy and rational approximate form to avoid computational difficulty
Fluid transmission lines and fittings were found to significantly affect the dynamic and steady state operation of the engineering system in which they are incorporated. Therefore, a better understanding of the operation of a system can be obtained by including the performance of the transmission lines and fittings within the system model. The most accurate model of a transmission line or fitting is obtained by using a distributed parameter model. However, a distributed parameter model tends to be very complex. This complexity can be avoided without significant loss of model accuracy by using a lumped parameter model when the length of the fluid path through the transmission line or fitting is short. This article develops a lumped parameter model for short fluid transmission lines and fittings, describes the conditions under which the model is valid, and presents the model parameters associated with the servo hydraulic system of the Deep Space Network (DSN) 70-meter antennas.
Signal noise in pure fluid amplifiers, signal function generator, fluid transmission lines, closed loop control, and related instrumentation and equipment
Rust prevention in stainless steel fluid transmission lines of nuclear engine for rocket vehicles
Advanced aerospace engineering research on fluid transmission lines, fluidic elements, hydraulic and pneumatic stepping motors, and fluid jet amplifier dynamics
Onboard control systems and elements for aerospace vehicles - signal noise in fluid amplifier, hydraulic and pneumatic stepping motors, fluid transmission line dynamics, analog computer circuits, electric servomotor, and closed cycles
Navier-Stokes equation for dynamics of viscous fluid transmission lines in closed conduits
A generalized analytical model and computer program have been developed to predict the frequency response of arbitrary liquid propellant feedline designs. The analytical model is based on an extension of an existing distributed parameter representation of a viscous fluid transmission line with laminar flow which was modified to include the effects of a turbulent mean flow. The effects of dissolved ullage gases, wall elasticity, localized gas or vapor bubbles, bellows, forced changes in length due to structural excitation, complex side branches, and structural mounting stiffness are also included. Each line component is written as a four-terminal, pressure-flow relationship in matrix form in the Laplace domain; the transfer function relating the pressure response at the line terminal (inducer inlet) to the external excitation is obtained in the computer program by sequential matrix substitution.
Nucleonic cryogenic quality meter design and development and fluid monitoring through hydrogen vent line on Saturn S-IVB stage under orbital conditions
Linear symmetric modes of propagation for viscous compressible liquid in rigid and elastic conduits analyzed using Navier-Stokes equations
Proof pressure, function, low and high temperature, surge, cycle, and burst tests of 3/4-inch inside diameter flexible hose
Closed tubular extendible boom concept with applications for fluid transport and torque transmission
New proposal, originally suggested for Spacecraft, is a set of uniformly sized mass-producible modular structural elements that contain electric, fluid, and other transmission lines. Since lines are encapsulated, they are less likely to be damaged. Module shell could be solid metal, sheet metal, honeycomb, fiberglass, plastic, composites, or wood.
NASA Stennis Space Center's (SSC's) large rocket engine test facility requires the use of liquid propellants, including the use of cryogenic fluids like liquid hydrogen as fuel, and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer (gases which have been liquefied at very low temperatures). These fluids require special handling, storage, and transfer technology. The biggest problem associated with transferring cryogenic liquids is product loss due to heat transfer. Vacuum jacketed piping is specifically designed to maintain high thermal efficiency so that cryogenic liquids can be transferred with minimal heat transfer. A vacuum jacketed pipe is essentially two pipes in one. There is an inner carrier pipe, in which the cryogenic liquid is actually transferred, and an outer jacket pipe that supports and seals the vacuum insulation, forming the "vacuum jacket." The integrity of the vacuum jacketed transmission lines that transfer the cryogenic fluid from delivery barges to the test stand must be maintained prior to and during engine testing. To monitor the vacuum in these vacuum jacketed transmission lines, vacuum gauge readings are used. At SSC, vacuum gauge measurements are done on a manual rotation basis with two technicians, each using a handheld instrument. Manual collection of vacuum data is labor intensive and uses valuable personnel time. Additionally, there are times when personnel cannot collect the data in a timely fashion (i.e., when a leak is detected, measurements must be taken more often). Additionally, distribution of this data to all interested parties can be cumbersome. To simplify the vacuum-gauge data collection process, automate the data collection, and decrease the labor costs associated with acquiring these measurements, an automated system that monitors the existing gauges was developed by Invocon, Inc. For this project, Invocon developed a Wireless Integrated Microelectronic Vacuum Sensor System (WIMVSS) that provides the ability to gather vacuum-gauge measurements automatically and wirelessly, in near-real time - using a low-maintenance, lowpower sensor mesh network. The WIMVSS operates by using a self-configuring mesh network of wireless sensor units. Mesh networking is a type of networking where each sensor or node can capture and disseminate its own data, but also serve as a relay to receive and transmit data from other sensors. Each sensor node can synchronize with adjacent sensors, and propagate data from one sensor to the next, until the destination is reached. In this case, the destination is a Network Interface Unit (NIU). The WIMVSS sensors are mounted on the existing vacuum gauges. Information gathered by the sensors is sent to the NIU. Because of the mesh networking, if a sensor cannot directly send the data to the NIU, it can be propagated through the network of sensors. The NIU requires antenna access to the sensor units, AC power, and an Ethernet connection. The NIU bridges the sensor network to a WIMVSS server via an Ethernet connection. The server is configured with a database, a Web server, and proprietary interface software that makes it possible for the vacuum measurements from vacuum jacketed fluid lines to be saved, retrieved, and then displayed from any Web-enabled PC that has access to the Internet. Authorized users can then simply access the data from any PC with Internet connection. Commands can also be sent directly from the Web interface for control and maintenance of the sensor network. The technology enabled by the WIMVSS decreases labor required for gathering vacuum measurements, increases access to vacuum data by making it available on any computer with access to the Internet, increases the frequency with which data points can be acquired for evaluating the system, and decreases the recurring cost of the sensors by using off-the-shelf components and integrating these with heritage vacuum gauges.
Investigations of one- and two-dimensional (1- or 2-D) simulations of Stirling machines centered around experimental data generated by the U. of Minnesota Mechanical Engineering Test Rig (METR) are covered. This rig was used to investigate oscillating flows about a zero mean with emphasis on laminar/turbulent flow transitions in tubes. The Space Power Demonstrator Engine (SPDE) and in particular, its heater, were the subjects of the simulations. The heater was treated as a 1- or 2-D entity in an otherwise 1-D system. The 2-D flow effects impacted the transient flow predictions in the heater itself but did not have a major impact on overall system performance. Information propagation effects may be a significant issue in the simulation (if not the performance) of high-frequency, high-pressure Stirling machines. This was investigated further by comparing a simulation against an experimentally validated analytic solution for the fluid dynamics of a transmission line. The applicability of the pressure-linking algorithm for compressible flows may be limited by characteristic number (defined as flow path information traverses per cycle); this warrants further study. Lastly the METR was simulated in 1- and 2-D. A two-parameter k-w foldback function turbulence model was developed and tested against a limited set of METR experimental data.
This paper illustrates how the use of a general analysis package can simplify modeling and analyzing fluid/mechanical systems. One such package is EASY5, a Boeing Computer Services product. The basic transmission line equations for modeling piped fluid systems are presented, as well as methods of incorporating these equations into the EASY5 environment. The paper describes how this analysis tool has been used to model several fluid subsystems of the Space Shuttle Orbiter.
Pressure and flow rate eigenvalue problems for one-dimensional flow of a fluid in a network of pipes are derived from the familiar transmission line equations. These equations are linearized by assuming small velocity and pressure oscillations about mean flow conditions. It is shown that the flow rate eigenvalues are the same as the pressure eigenvalues and the relationship between line pressure modes and flow rate modes is established. A volume at the end of each branch is employed which allows any combination of boundary conditions, from open to closed, to be used. The Jacobi iterative method is used to compute undamped natural frequencies and associated pressure/flow modes. Several numerical examples are presented which include acoustic modes for the Helium Supply System of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Main Propulsion System. It should be noted that the method presented herein can be applied to any one-dimensional acoustic system involving an arbitrary number of branches.