Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “vortex shedding”

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.

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

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Shed Vortex Structure and Phase-Averaged Velocity Statistics in Symmetric/Asymmetric Turbulent Flat Plate Wakes

The near wake of a flat plate is investigated via direct numerical simulations (DNS). Many earlier experimental investigations have used thin plates with sharp trailing edges and turbulent boundary layers to create the wake. This results in large theta divided by D (sub TE) values (theta is the boundary layer momentum thickness towards the end of the plate and D (sub TE) is the trailing edge thickness). In the present study the emphasis is on relatively thick plates with circular trailing edges (CTE) resulting in theta divided by D values less than one (D is the plate thickness and the diameter of the CTE), and vigorous vortex shedding. The Reynolds numbers based on the plate length and D are 1.255 x 10 (sup 6) and 10,000, respectively. Two cases are computed; one with turbulent boundary layers on both the upper and lower surfaces of the plate (statistically the same, symmetric wake, Case TT) and, a second with turbulent and laminar boundary layers on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively (asymmetric case, Case TL). The data and understanding obtained is of considerable engineering interest, particularly in turbomachinery where the pressure side of an airfoil can remain laminar or transitional because of a favorable pressure gradient and the suction side is turbulent. Shed-vortex structure and phase-averaged velocity statistics obtained in the two cases are compared here. The upper negative shed vortices in Case TL (turbulent separating boundary layer) are weaker than the lower positive ones (laminar separating boundary layer) at inception (a factor 1.27 weaker in terms of peak phase-averaged spanwise vorticity at first appearance of a peak). The upper vortices weaken rapidly as they travel downstream. A second feature of interest in Case TL is a considerable increase in the peak phase-averaged, streamwise normal intensity (random component) with increasing streamwise distance (x divided by D) that occurs nears the positive vortex cores. This behavior is observed for a few diameters in the near wake. This is counter to Case TT where the peak value essentially decreases with increasing x divided by D. Both these effects are examined in detail and the important contributors are identified.

direct numerical simulations↗
NASA NTRS1986

Predicting Vortex Shedding in Supersonic Flow

Nonlinear aerodyanmic characteristics of missile bodies computed. Program NOZVTX calculates nonlinear aerodynamic characteristics and flow fields of missile bodies at various angles-of-attack and roll in supersonic flow. Output includes geometry, centroids, and surface pressure of source panels and positions, strengths, and velocity components of shed vortexes. NOZVTX written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution.

Mendenhall, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Vortex shedding from solid rocket propellant inhibitors

Vortex shedding frequency caused by the protrusion of inhibitors into the flow field of a solid rocket motor is investigated by experimental and mathematical models. The time dependent Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a finite difference technique assuming incompressible, two-dimensional flow under both laminar and turbulent flow conditions. For laminar flow, explicit solutions are obtained using a vorticity-transport equation in place of the Navier-Stokes equations. For turbulent flow, a two-equation (k-epsilon) model is used for turbulent modeling and the SIMPLE algorithm is employed as the computational scheme. Cold flow tests were conducted to confirm the basic flow structure and to determine the vortex shedding frequency under both laminar and turbulent flow conditions. The vortex shedding frequencies were determined using a stroboscope to measure the oscillating frequency of yarn tufts which were fastened to one inhibitor in the models. A hot-film anemometer established the velocity history behind the inhibitor. Good agreement between the theoretical results and measurements of the vortex shedding frequencies is demonstrated.

Shu, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Vortex Shedding Inside a Baffled Air Duct

Common in the operation of both segmented and un-segmented large solid rocket motors is the occurrence of vortex shedding within the motor chamber. A portion of the energy within a shed vortex is converted to acoustic energy, potentially driving the longitudinal acoustic modes of the motor in a quasi-discrete fashion. This vortex shedding-acoustic mode excitation event occurs for every Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) operation, giving rise to subsequent axial thrust oscillations. In order to better understand this vortex shedding/acoustic mode excitation phenomena, unsteady CFD simulations were run for both a test geometry and the full scale RSRM geometry. This paper covers the results from the subscale geometry runs, which were based on work focusing on the RSRM hydrodynamics. Unsteady CFD simulation parameters, including boundary conditions and post-processing returns, are reviewed. The results were further post-processed to identify active acoustic modes and vortex shedding characteristics. Probable locations for acoustic energy generation, and subsequent acoustic mode excitation, are discussed.

Davis, Philip↗
NASA NTRS1990

Patterns of vortex shedding from an oscillating circular cylinder

Vortex shedding from an oscillating circular cylinder was numerically investigated at Re = 100 with the Navier-Stokes equations and the new boundary conditions. The detailed shedding patterns are characterized by means of streakline plotting and lift-coefficient curves. A parameter map is presented which distinguishes the synchronized shedding from the asynchronous and the double vortices shedding from the single vortex shedding. The computational result is in good agreement with earlier experimental results.

Chang, Keun-Shik↗
NASA NTRS1988

Vortex shedding experiment with flat and curved bluff plates in water

Vortex shedding experiments were conducted in a water flow facility in order to simulate the strong discrete 4000-Hz vibration detected in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) which is thought to be associated with the SSME LOX inlet tee splitter vanes on the Main Injector. For the case of a flat vane with a blunt trailing edge excited by flow induced vortex shedding, lock-in with the first bending mode of the plate was observed. A curved vane displayed similar behavior, with the lock-in being a more discrete higher amplitude response. Aluminum vanes were employed to decouple the first vane bending mode from the vortex shedding mode. The application of an asymmetric 30-deg trailing edge bevel to both the flat and curved vanes was found to greatly reduce the strength of the shed vortices.

Reed, D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Experimental study of a vortex-shedding flowmeter

A prototype of a vortex-shedding flowmeter with no moving parts is investigated for the loading of hypergolic fuels into the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Eliminating moving parts is intended to reduce the need for servicing the meter, and the vortex shedder is compared to the turbine flowmeter presently in use. A flow test loop is designed and employed to conduct experimental investigations in which the output characteristics are examined. The relationship between vortex frequency and flow rate is almost linear, as is the relationship between vortex shedding frequency and the Reynolds and Strouhal numbers. The results are consistent with calculations and suggest that the flowmeter is a possible replacement for measuring the loading of hypergols into the Space Shuttle Orbiter.

Thinh, Ngo D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Low flow vortex shedding flowmeter for hypergolics/all media

A family of vortex shedding flowmeters for flow measurement of hypergols that requires a long term operation without removal from system lines was further developed. A family of vortex shedding flowmeters without moving parts was designed. The test loop to evaluate the meters for the Freon flow, which simulates the hypergolic fluids, was modified and reconstructed. Preliminary results were obtained on the output frequency characteristics of an 1/2 inch flowmeter as a function of the flow rate.

Thinh, Ngo↗
NASA NTRS1991

Low Flow Vortex Shedding Flow Meter for Hypergolics/all Media

A family of vortex shedding flow meters, for measurement of hypergol flows, was designed and fabricated. The test loops to evaluate the flow meters for water flow, as well as Freon -113 flow which simulates the hypergolic fluids, were modified and constructed to utilize a pump system which has an output capacity of 200 gpm. Test runs were conducted on the small 1/2 inch model with Freon 113 and on the larger models with water. Results showed that the linearity between the frequency of the vortices and the flow rate of the fluids was very close to that of the turbine flow meter. It is suggested that the vortex shedding flow meter is a possible replacement for the existing turbine type.

Thinh, Ngo Dinh↗
NASA NTRS1985

Vortex shedding flowmeters for liquids at high flow velocities

A number of vortex shedding flowmeter designs for flow measurements in liquid oxygen ducts on the space shuttle main engines have been tested in a high head water flow test facility. The results have shown that a vortex shedding element or vane spanning the duct can give a linear response to an average flow velocity of 46 m/s (150 ft/s) in a 1 1/2 inch nominal (41 mm actual) diameter duct while a vane partially spanning the duct can give a linear response to velocities exceeding 55 m/s (180 ft/s). The maximum pressure drops across the flow sensing elements extrapolate to less than 0.7 MPa (100 psi) at 56 m/s (184 ft/s) for liquid oxygen. The test results indicate that the vanes probably cannot be scaled up with pipe size, at least not linearly.

Siegwarth, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Numerical Simulations of Vortex Shedding in Hydraulic Turbines

Turbomachines for rocket propulsion applications operate with many different working fluids and flow conditions. Oxidizer boost turbines often operate in liquid oxygen, resulting in an incompressible flow field. Vortex shedding from airfoils in this flow environment can have adverse effects on both turbine performance and durability. In this study the effects of vortex shedding in a low-pressure oxidizer turbine are investigated. Benchmark results are also presented for vortex shedding behind a circular cylinder. The predicted results are compared with available experimental data.

Dorney, Daniel↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dynamic Analysis of Reynolds Number Effects on Trailing Edge Transonic Vortex Shedding and Its Impact on Turbine Blade Aerodynamic Performance

In this work, we will discuss observations from images acquired from a time-resolved, high-speed self-aligned focusing Schlieren campaign that was performed at the CW-22 facility at NASA Glenn Research Center to understand the dynamic behavior of thick trailing-edge high-pressure turbine blades simulating a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) construction at high inlet turbulence conditions. For the CMC-9 blade, which has a trailing edge thickness of 9% of the axial chord, we identified a regime where an excessive total pressure loss (loss anomaly) is observed only for a narrow range of Reynolds numbers at a fixed exit Mach number of 0.74. The loss anomaly is qualitatively explained by our images, which were taken at 10 distinct blade Reynolds numbers spanning a factor of 6. The images show a significant increase in energy related to the oscillations due to transonic vortex shedding at the Reynolds numbers related to the high loss conditions. This increased energy leads to the formation of strong acoustic waves that turn into shock waves at the highest loss conditions. From our observations stemming from Spectral POD analysis of the high-speed images, we see the acoustic waves produced by the trailing edge vortex shedding exist in all conditions tested; but the shedding frequency has a very slight trend upwards as the Reynolds number is increased, varying about 6% in the range tested. Considering this variation of shedding frequency as a function of Reynolds number, which is well-established for other bluff-body flows, we stipulate there may be a potential feedback mechanism involving an acoustic information transfer path across neighboring blades that may explain why only a narrow range of Reynolds numbers displays strong, shock-forming vortex shedding. We consider a few feedback paths and examine the timing based on the mean flow field from a high-resolution LES simulation. It appears that all feedback mechanisms are viable, presenting an integer number of delay cycles with respect to disturbances generated at the trailing edge. Most noteworthy, however, is the acoustic/shock-boundary layer interaction mechanism at the blade geometric throat. Based on our analysis, this mechanism likely plays an important role in realistic, curved turbine blade passages.

Aerodynamics↗
NASA NTRS1991

A dynamical systems analysis of the kinematics of time-periodic vortex shedding past a circular cylinder

Computer flow simulation aided by dynamical systems analysis is used to investigate the kinematics of time-periodic vortex shedding past a two-dimensional circular cylinder in the context of the following general questions: (1) Is a dynamical systems viewpoint useful in the understanding of this and similar problems involving time-periodic shedding behind bluff bodies; and (2) Is it indeed possible, by adopting such a point of view, to complement previous analyses or to understand kinematical aspects of the vortex shedding process that somehow remained hidden in previous approaches. We argue that the answers to these questions are positive. Results are described.

Ottino, Julio M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Periodic vortex shedding in the supersonic wake of a planar plate

Vortex sheets in the wake have been mainly studied in incompressible flows and in the transonic region. Heinemann et al. (1976) have shown that for the subsonic region the Strouhal number is nearly independent of the Mach number. Motallebi and Norbury (1981) have observed an increase in the Strouhal number in transonic supersonic flow at Mach numbers up to 1.25. The present investigation is concerned with an extension of the studies of vortex shedding to higher supersonic Mach numbers, taking into account questions regarding the possibility of a generation of stable von Karman vortex paths in the considered Mach number range. It is found that the vortex sheet observed in a supersonic wake behind a rough plate is only stable and reproducible in cases involving a certain surface roughness and certain aspects of trailing edge geometry.

Xing, W. F.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dynamic Analysis of Reynolds Number Effects on Trailing Edge Transonic Vortex Shedding and Its Impact on Turbine Blade Aerodynamic Performance

Time-resolved, high-speed self-aligned focusing schlieren images were acquired in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade facility to help understand the aerodynamic behavior of high-pressure, thick trailing edge turbine blades. The trailing edge thickness of 9% of axial chord tested represents simulated ceramic matrix composite fabrication constraints, which was verified previously to possess a high-loss flow regime at high inlet turbulence conditions over a narrow range of Reynolds numbers and at a fixed design exit Mach number of 0.74. Our high-speed images, which were acquired at 10 distinct Reynolds numbers, show a significant increase in energy from flow oscillations due to transonic vortex shedding at Reynolds numbers corresponding to the high loss conditions. For those conditions, strong acoustic waves turn into shock waves. Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition of the high-speed images shows acoustic waves from trailing edge vortex shedding at all conditions, with increased spectral energy at the high-loss conditions and slightly increasing frequency (about 6%) as a function of Reynolds number. Analysis of potential feedback timing is performed using velocity fields from a previous LES simulation, considering different feedback mechanisms. Most noteworthy is the acoustic/shock-boundary layer interaction mechanism on the suction surface at the blade geometric throat, which likely plays an important role in realistic curved blade passages.

Trailing Edge↗
NASA NTRS1989

Navier-Stokes computations of symmetric and asymmetric vortex shedding around slender bodies

The unsteady, compressible Reynolds-averaged thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are used to solve for symmetric and asymmetric vortical flows around slender pointed bodies of revolution. The modified Baldwin and Lomax algebraic two-layer turbulent model is used for the eddy viscosity calculation in prescribed turbulent regions. The implicit, upwind flux-difference splitting finite-volume scheme is used to obtain the solutions. Computational results are presented for a low-speed symmetrical vortical flow around a 3.5-caliber tangent-ogive cylinder for fully laminar flow. Computed results are presented for a high-speed asymmetric vortex-shedding flow around a cone at 3.286 relative incidence, using a fine computational grid. The asymmetric vortex-shedding flow has been produced through a small asymmetric transitional perturbation in the cross-flow plane.

Kandil, Osama A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Prediction of vortex shedding from forebodies with chines

An engineering prediction method to calculate vortex shedding from noncircular forebodies with sharp chine edges in subsonic flow at large incidence angles is presented. The forebody is represented by two- and three-dimensional singularities, and the lee side vortex wake is modeled by discrete vortices in crossflow planes along the body. The computational procedure is described, and comparisons of measured and predicted surface pressure distributions and predicted flow field vectors are presented to illustrate the method.

Mendenhall, Michael R.↗