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Bell, W. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Bell, W. A..

LV software support for supersonic flow analysis

The software for configuring an LV counter processor system has been developed using structured design. The LV system includes up to three counter processors and a rotary encoder. The software for configuring and testing the LV system has been developed, tested, and included in an overall software package for data acquisition, analysis, and reduction. Error handling routines respond to both operator and instrument errors which often arise in the course of measuring complex, high-speed flows. The use of networking capabilities greatly facilitates the software development process by allowing software development and testing from a remote site. In addition, high-speed transfers allow graphics files or commands to provide viewing of the data from a remote site. Further advances in data analysis require corresponding advances in procedures for statistical and time series analysis of nonuniformly sampled data.

Bell, W. A.

Measurements of reactive gaseous rocket injector admittances

The paper describes the results of an experimental study of the quantitative determination of the capabilities of the combustion processes associated with coaxial gaseous propellant rocket injectors to drive combustor pressure oscillations. The data, obtained by employing the modified impedance tube technique with compressed air as the oxidizer and acetylene gas as the fuel, describe the frequency dependence of the admittance of the combined injector-combustion process. The measured data are compared with the predictions of the Feiler and Heidmann analytical model utilizing different values for the characteristic combustion time tau sub b. The values of tau sub b which result in a best fit between the measured and predicted data are indicated for different equivalence ratios. It is shown that for the coaxial injector investigated in this study the tau sub b varies between 0.7 and 1.2 msec for equivalence ratios in the range of 0.57 to 1.31. In addition, the experimental data indicate that the tested injector system could drive combustion instabilities over a frequency range that is in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the Feiler and Heidmann model.

Janardan, B. A.

Measurements of reactive gaseous rocket injector response factors

The results presented represent the first successful attempt at the measurement of the driving capabilities of coaxial gaseous propellant rocket injectors. The required data have been obtained by employing the modified impedance tube technique with compressed air as the oxidizer and acetylene gas as the fuel. The data describe the frequency dependence of the injector admittances, from which the frequency dependence of the injection response factors can be calculated. The measured injector admittances have been compared with the predictions of the Feiler and Heidmann (1967) analytical model assuming different values for the characteristic combustion time. The values of combustion time which result in a best fit between the measured and predicted data are indicated for different equivalence ratios. It is shown that for the coaxial injector system investigated in this study the characteristic combustion times vary between .7 and 1.2 msec for equivalence ratios in the range of .57 to 1.31. The experimental data clearly show that the tested injector system could indeed drive combustion instabilities over a frequency range that is in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the Feiler and Heidmann model.

Janardan, B. A.

Acoustic liner performance in the presence of a mean flow and three-dimensional wave motion

Experiments were performed to check the applicability of existing acoustic liner design procedures. The performance of three different liner configurations was tested in a duct containing three-dimensional wave motion and a one-dimensional mean flow past the liner surface. Both the local liner admittance and the overall wave attenuation provided by various liner-nozzle combinations were measured with sonic flow at the nozzle throat. The experimental data are compared with predictions from current theoretical analyses, and the comparison is used to evaluate the theories.

Bell, W. A.

Computer program to determine the irrotational nozzle admittance

Irrotational nozzle admittance is the boundary condition that must be satisfied by combustor flow oscillations at nozzle entrance. Defined as the ratio of axial velocity perturbation to the pressure perturbation at nozzle entrance, nozzle admittance can also be used to determine whether wave motion in nozzle under consideration adds or removes energy from combustor oscillations.

Bell, W. A.

Experimental and theoretical determination of the admittances of a family of nozzles subjected to axial instabilities.

The interaction between the oscillations in the combustor and the wave system in the nozzle (required in combustion instability analysis of rocket engines) can be determined once the nozzle admittance is known. Experimental and theoretical methods of determining the admittance of nozzles subjected to axial oscillations are discussed. One-dimensional nozzle admittances were measured by an impedance tube technique modified to account for the presence of a mean flow. Crocco's nozzle admittance theory is applied to the prediction of admittances for several test nozzles.

Bell, W. A.

Experimental determination of three-dimensional liquid rocket nozzle admittances.

The three-dimensional nozzle admittance, an important parameter in combustion instability studies, was experimentally measured for several nozzle configurations. The admittance values were obtained using a modification of the classical impedance tube technique. The modified impedance tube method measures the admittance of a duct termination in the presence of one-dimensional mean flow and three-dimensional oscillations. Values of the nozzle admittance were obtained from pressure amplitude measurements taken at discrete points along the length of the tube. To determine the effects of nozzle geometry, nozzles were tested with half-angles of 15, 30, and 45 deg and entrance Mach numbers of 0.08, 0.16, and 0.20. The admittance results are presented as functions of nondimensional frequency for mixed first tangential-longitudinal modes. These results are compared with available theoretical predictions, and good agreement between theory and experiment is shown.

Zinn, B. T.

The prediction of three-dimensional liquid-propellant rocket nozzle admittances

Crocco's three-dimensional nozzle admittance theory is extended to be applicable when the amplitudes of the combustor and nozzle oscillations increase or decrease with time. An analytical procedure and a computer program for determining nozzle admittance values from the extended theory are presented and used to compute the admittances of a family of liquid-propellant rocket nozzles. The calculated results indicate that the nozzle geometry entrance Mach number and temporal decay coefficient significantly affect the nozzle admittance values. The theoretical predictions are shown to be in good agreement with available experimental data.

Bell, W. A.

Experimental determination of three dimensional liquid rocket nozzle admittances.

The three dimensional nozzle admittance, an important parameter in combustion instability studies, was experimentally measured for several nozzle configurations. The admittance values were obtained using a modification of the classical impedance tube technique. The modified impedance tube method measures the admittance of a duct termination in the presence of one dimensional mean flow and three dimensional oscillations. Values of the nozzle admittance were obtained from pressure amplitude measurements taken at discrete points along the length of the tube. To determine the effects of nozzle geometry, nozzles were tested with half-angles of 15, 30, and 45 degrees and entrance Mach numbers of 0.08, 0.16, and 0.20. The admittance results are presented as functions of nondimensional frequency for mixed first tangential-longitudinal modes. These results are compared with available theoretical predictions and favorable agreement between theory and experiment is shown.

Zinn, B. T.

Behavior of nozzles and acoustic liners in three dimensional acoustic fields

Theoretical values of the admittances of various nozzles were computed and compared with the corresponding experimental values. The existing data reduction scheme was corrected and all available experimental data has been rechecked and corrected whenever necessary; the updated experimental admittance values are presented. An analysis associated with the frequency sensitivity of experimental admittance values was initiated and the analog-to-digital Data Reduction Program which has become operational is discussed. Fourteen nozzle tests were conducted during this report period.

Zinn, B. T.