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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.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

TEAMER: DAISY Flow-noise Testing (Abstract)

Evaluating impacts of marine energy devices is generally difficult given the dynamic environment where these devices need to be placed. The University of Washington’s (UW) DAISY (The Drifting Acoustic Instrumentation SYstem) is designed to measure radiated noise around marine energy converters operating in energetic waves and currents. In currents, a primary limitation for measurement fidelity at low frequencies (< 100 Hz) is the potential for non-propagating “flow-noise” to mask propagating sound and inflate estimates of the radiated noise from marine energy converters at frequencies that overlap with hearing sensitivities of fish and some marine mammals. While free-drifting measurements help to minimize the relative velocity that produces flow-noise, significant levels were still observed during initial DAISY tests. This motivated the development of a fabric “flow shield” around the hydrophone that disrupts both flow-noise generation mechanisms proposed by the initial tests. First, the flow shield is a source of substantial drag which keeps the hydrophone package moving with the approximate velocity of the surrounding water, compensating for differential wind or current forcing on the surface expression. By minimizing relative velocity around the hydrophone, turbulence shed by the hydrophone is also minimized. Second, the flow shield creates a largely quiescent pocket around the hydrophone, minimizing advection of free stream turbulence over the hydrophone element. Field data collected in these experiments will test effectiveness of these flow shields and provide quantitative data use and deployment.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
NASA NTRS2024

Flow, Noise and Thrust of Supersonic Plug Nozzles

A model-scale experimental study is conducted with a plug nozzle exploring the performance of various plug geometries for supersonic aircraft concepts. All data are acquired with a given outer nozzle that is convergent and has an exit diameter of 2 inches. The shape of the centrally placed plug is varied from conic with various half-angles (lengths), to method of characteristics (MoC) designs, as well as truncated and porous geometries. Noise and schlieren flow visualization data, presented in an earlier paper, are briefly reviewed first. The focus in this paper is on the thrust performance. A newly constructed thrust stand is used to acquire data covering a nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) range from transonic (‘landing and takeoff’, LTO) to supersonic (‘cruise’) conditions. Back-to-back measurements allowed assessment of relative performance. A plug with its ‘crown’ located somewhat inside the nozzle, rather than near the exit, is found to perform better. A longer 10° plug performs better than a shorter 22° plug. A porous plug, that significantly suppresses broadband shock associated noise, is found to incur a modest thrust loss that might be an acceptable tradeoff near LTO conditions. A companion numerical simulation for some of the plug geometries yields data trends bearing reasonable agreement with the experimental results.

jets↗
NASA NTRS2023

Flow, Noise and Thrust of Supersonic Plug Nozzles

Nozzles with internal mixers and external plugs are candidates for supersonic aircraft concepts. A fundamental experimental investigation is being conducted at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to assess the optimum performance of external plugs. The focus is on noise reduction potential during landing and takeoff (LTO) operation of the aircraft while maintaining optimum thrust performance. Earlier results on flow field and noise of plug nozzles were presented in the 2022 AIAA Aeroacoustics Meeting [1]; see also [2] for a review of the plug nozzle literature.

Jets↗
NASA NTRS1970

Low-noise flow valve for air ducts

Valve assembly controls air flow from feeder into main duct, with minimum of turbulence, friction, pressure differential, and noise. Valve consists of damper, deflector, and spring. Streamlining of damper and deflector merges flow smoothly, while spring keeps damper and deflector in contact and eliminates valve chatter and damping vibrations.

Gallo, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Acoustic radiation from plates excited by flow noise.

Theoretical formulation of noise radiation from thin, rectangular, flexible plates excited by turbulent wall pressure fluctuations. An extensive parametric study including surface roughness and both plate and flow parameters is presented. From the results, presented graphically, it is possible to predict the spectrum of the total radiated power provided that the power spectral density of the wall-pressure fluctuations, the flow velocity, the plate dimensions and the plate modal damping parameters are known. Along with the parametric study, an estimate of the dependence of the noise radiation on plate boundary conditions based on a consideration of the wavenumber-frequency selectivity of the plate is presented. The parametric study is based on the assumption that the wave number/frequency spectrum of the wall-pressure fluctuations can be described by a Fourier transform of a Corcos model of the cross spectral density. The results indicate that at frequencies above the hydrodynamic-coincidence frequency the radiated power is dependent on the low-wave-number spectrum of the excitation. The dependence on the high-wave-number spectrum, however, is limited to a narrow band of frequencies below the hydrodynamic-coincidence frequency.

Aupperle, F. A.↗
NASA NTRS1979

A study of the prediction of cruise noise and laminar flow control noise criteria for subsonic air transports

General procedures for the prediction of component noise levels incident upon airframe surfaces during cruise are developed. Contributing noise sources are those associated with the propulsion system, the airframe and the laminar flow control (LFC) system. Transformation procedures from the best prediction base of each noise source to the transonic cruise condition are established. Two approaches to LFC/acoustic criteria are developed. The first is a semi-empirical extension of the X-21 LFC/acoustic criteria to include sensitivity to the spectrum and directionality of the sound field. In the second, the more fundamental problem of how sound excites boundary layer disturbances is analyzed by deriving and solving an inhomogeneous Orr-Sommerfeld equation in which the source terms are proportional to the production and dissipation of sound induced fluctuating vorticity. Numerical solutions are obtained and compared with corresponding measurements. Recommendations are made to improve and validate both the cruise noise prediction methods and the LFC/acoustic criteria.

Swift, G.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Development of Computational Aeroacoustics Code for Jet Noise and Flow Prediction

Accurate prediction of jet fan and exhaust plume flow and noise generation and propagation is very important in developing advanced aircraft engines that will pass current and future noise regulations. In jet fan flows as well as exhaust plumes, two major sources of noise are present: large-scale, coherent instabilities and small-scale turbulent eddies. In previous work for the NASA Glenn Research Center, three strategies have been explored in an effort to computationally predict the noise radiation from supersonic jet exhaust plumes. In order from the least expensive computationally to the most expensive computationally, these are: 1) Linearized Euler equations (LEE). 2) Very Large Eddy Simulations (VLES). 3) Large Eddy Simulations (LES). The first method solves the linearized Euler equations (LEE). These equations are obtained by linearizing about a given mean flow and the neglecting viscous effects. In this way, the noise from large-scale instabilities can be found for a given mean flow. The linearized Euler equations are computationally inexpensive, and have produced good noise results for supersonic jets where the large-scale instability noise dominates, as well as for the tone noise from a jet engine blade row. However, these linear equations do not predict the absolute magnitude of the noise; instead, only the relative magnitude is predicted. Also, the predicted disturbances do not modify the mean flow, removing a physical mechanism by which the amplitude of the disturbance may be controlled. Recent research for isolated airfoils' indicates that this may not affect the solution greatly at low frequencies. The second method addresses some of the concerns raised by the LEE method. In this approach, called Very Large Eddy Simulation (VLES), the unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations are solved directly using a high-accuracy computational aeroacoustics numerical scheme. With the addition of a two-equation turbulence model and the use of a relatively coarse grid, the numerical solution is effectively filtered into a directly calculated mean flow with the small-scale turbulence being modeled, and an unsteady large-scale component that is also being directly calculated. In this way, the unsteady disturbances are calculated in a nonlinear way, with a direct effect on the mean flow. This method is not as fast as the LEE approach, but does have many advantages to recommend it; however, like the LEE approach, only the effect of the largest unsteady structures will be captured. An initial calculation was performed on a supersonic jet exhaust plume, with promising results, but the calculation was hampered by the explicit time marching scheme that was employed. This explicit scheme required a very small time step to resolve the nozzle boundary layer, which caused a long run time. Current work is focused on testing a lower-order implicit time marching method to combat this problem.

Keith, Theo G., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Mean Flow and Noise Prediction for a Separate Flow Jet With Chevron Mixers

Experimental and numerical results are presented here for a separate flow nozzle employing chevrons arranged in an alternating pattern on the core nozzle. Comparisons of these results demonstrate that the combination of the WIND/MGBK suite of codes can predict the noise reduction trends measured between separate flow jets with and without chevrons on the core nozzle. Mean flow predictions were validated against Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), pressure, and temperature data, and noise predictions were validated against acoustic measurements recorded in the NASA Glenn Aeroacoustic Propulsion Lab. Comparisons are also made to results from the CRAFT code. The work presented here is part of an on-going assessment of the WIND/MGBK suite for use in designing the next generation of quiet nozzles for turbofan engines.

Koch, L. Danielle↗
NASA NTRS2000

Reduced-Noise Gas Flow Design Guide Developed as a Noise-Control Design Tool for Meeting Glenn's Hearing Conservation and Community Noise Goals

A Reduced-Noise Gas Flow Design Guide has been developed for the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field by Nelson Acoustical Engineering of Elgin, Texas. Gas flow systems are a significant contributor to t he noise exposure landscape at Glenn. Because of the power of many of these systems, hearing conservation and community noise are importan t issues. The purpose of the Guide is to allow Glenn engineers and de signers to address noise emission and control at the design stage by using readily available system parameters. Although the Guide was deve loped with Glenn equipment and systems in mind, it is expected to hav e wide application in industry.

Cooper, Beth A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Flow and Noise from Septa Nozzles

Flow and noise fields are explored for the concept of distributed propulsion. A model-scale experiment is performed with an 8:1 aspect ratio rectangular nozzle that is divided into six passages by five septa. The septa geometries are created by placing plastic inserts within the nozzle. It is found that the noise radiation from the septa nozzle can be significantly lower than that from the baseline rectangular nozzle. The reduction of noise is inferred to be due to the introduction of streamwise vortices in the flow. The streamwise vortices are produced by secondary flow within each passage. Thus, the geometry of the internal passages of the septa nozzle can have a large influence. The flow evolution is profoundly affected by slight changes in the geometry. These conclusions are reached by mostly experimental results of the flowfield aided by brief numerical simulations.

septa nozzle↗
NASA NTRS1998

Effect of Free Stream Turbulence on the Flow-Induced Background Noise of In-Flow Microphones

When making noise measurements of sound sources in flow using microphones immersed in an air stream or wind tunnel, the factor limiting the dynamic range of the measurement is, in many cases, the noise caused by the flow over the microphone. To lower this self-noise, and to protect the microphone diaphragm, an aerodynamic microphone forebody is usually mounted on the tip of the omnidirectional microphone. The microphone probe is then pointed into the wind stream. Even with a microphone forebody, however, the self-noise persists, prompting further research in the area of microphone forebody design for flow-induced self-noise reduction. The magnitude and frequency characteristics of in-flow microphone probe self-noise is dependent upon the exterior shape of the probe and on the level of turbulence in the onset flow, among other things. Several recent studies present new designs for microphone forebodies, some showing the forbodies' self-noise characteristics when used in a given facility. However, these self-noise characteristics may change when the probes are used in different facilities. The present paper will present results of an experimental investigation to determine an empirical relationship between flow turbulence and self-noise levels for several microphone forebody shapes as a function of frequency. As a result, the microphone probe self-noise for these probes will be known as a function of freestream turbulence, and knowing the freestream turbulence spectra for a given facility, the probe self-noise can be predicted. Flow-induced microphone self-noise is believed to be related to the freestream. turbulence by three separate mechanisms. The first mechanism is produced by large scale, as compared to the probe size, turbulence which appears to the probe as a variation in the angle of attack of the freestream. flow. This apparent angle of attack variation causes the pressure along the probe surface to fluctuate, and at the location of the sensor orifice this fluctuating surface pressure is sensed by the diaphragm as noise. The second mechanism is caused by the convection of smaller sized turbulence, on the order of the probe cross-section, which passes nearby or strikes the probe giving rise to a fluctuating pressure at the sensor orifice. And, the third mechanism is related to fine scale turbulence through its effects on boundary layer growth and transition to a turbulent boundary layer. The method for relating the probe self-noise to the freestream turbulence will be based on the method of K. J. Young5 from Boeing, who developed the technique and presented flow noise results for a Bruel & Kjaer Type 0385, 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) nose cone. The experimental set-up used in the present experiment is similar to that of Young and is described in the present paper. Finally, flow noise predictions are made using the empirical correlations. These predictions are then compared with actual flow noise measurements made in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex 40- by 80-Foot Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center.

Allen, Christopher S.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Oil Filled Flow Shield Performance Evaluation

When hydrophones are used to monitor underwater sound in areas with currents, like rivers or tidal channels, flow noise caused by turbulent flow past a hydrophone can mask low frequency acoustic signals of interest. Flow shields can reduce the impacts of flow noise on hydrophone data. A prior study conducted by PNNL compared three flow shield designs and determined that an oil-filled urethane shield performed better than other designs and was likely sufficiently robust for long-duration marine deployments. However, that study did not assess the high frequency performance of the oil-filled flow shield or conduct long-duration field testing. Further, the prototype flow shield was difficult to assemble. This report details the results of design refinement and testing to address these gaps. Design refinements resulted in a straightforward and repeatable assembly method. Field testing indicated that the flow shields reduce flow noise by over 20 dB below 50 Hz at flow speeds greater than 0.5 m/s and are proven to survive deployments more than 6 months long. Calibration of the same hydrophone with and without a flow shield installed indicated that the shields attenuate propagating sound by no more than 2 dB at frequencies below 30 kHz.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1960

Some Measurements of Noise Transmission and Stress Response of a 0.020-Inch Duralumin Panel in the Presence of Air Flow

Noise transmission measurements were made for a 0.020-inch panel with and without air flow on its surface. Tests were conducted with both an absorbent and reverberant chamber behind the panel. Panel stresses for some of these tests were also determined. Noise spectra obtained inside the absorbent chamber with flow attached and flow not attached to the panel appeared to contain several peaks corresponding in frequency to panel vibration modes. These peaks were notably absent when the chamber was reverberant. The noise reduction through the test panel measured with the aid of an absorbent chamber for the flow-not-attached case is in general agreement with values predicted by the theoretical weight law, which assumes negligible panel stiffness. Corresponding data for the flow-attached case do not follow the weight law but rather indicate less noise reduction at the high frequencies. The main stress responses of the panel without air flow occurred at its fundamental vibration mode. In the presence of air flow the main response occurs in a vibration mode having a node line perpendicular to the direction of air flow.

Kantarges, George T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The effect of forward flight on the noise and flow field of inverted profile jets

Noise and flow field measurements are reported for an inverted profile coannular jet (where the annular jet speed exceeds the center jet speed) under simulated flight conditions. The annular and center jets were cold and both were operated subsonically. Forward flight was simulated by placing the coannular jet inside a larger open jet. Acoustic measurements show the effects of inverted profile shape and simulated flight on far field directivity, total radiated power, and spectral content. Measurements of total acoustic power demonstrate that the acoustic efficiency of inverted profile jets is about 3 dB less than the efficiency of 'top hat' profile jets, and that the noise decreases as the seventh power of the relative jet velocity in the limit of small flight velocity. Flow measurements demonstrate that the jet spreading parameter scales the thickness of the outer shear layer and the passage frequencies of the large turbulence scales. Comparisons between the turbulence time scales and the noise spectra suggest that coherent noise sources may become more important in forward flight.

Petersen, R. A.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Performance of three hydrophone flow shields in a tidal channel

Pseudosound caused by turbulent pressure fluctuations in fluid flow past a hydrophone, referred to as flow noise, can mask propagating sounds of interest. Flow shields can mitigate flow noise by reducing non-acoustic pressure fluctuations sensed by a hydrophone. We evaluate the performance of three hydrophone flow shields (two nylon fabrics and an oil-filled enclosure) in a tidal channel with peak current speed of 1.3 m s−1. All three flow shields reduced flow noise without attenuating propagating sound below 20 kHz. The oil-filled enclosure performed best, reducing flow noise by over 30 dB at frequencies below 40 Hz.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗