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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 181 records · Page 10

CFD Evaluation Of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Blends for Commercial Supersonics Technology

An overview is provided of a CFD study on the impacts of fuel blends on NOx emissions and flame structure in an axially staged combustor operating at a supersonic cruise condition. The Open version of the National Combustion Code (OpenNCC) was used to perform two-phase reacting flow computations with various blending ratios of an ‘average’ Jet-A (A2) and Gevo Alcohol-to-Jet (C1) for RTRC’s Axially Controlled Stoichiometry (ACS) combustor. The predicted flame structures in the ACS combustor with three different blending ratios of the A2 and C1 fuel were very similar. The predicted NOx emissions for all fuel blends were within 10% of the experimentally measured range of NOx emissions for 100% A2 fuel.

gas turbine combustion↗

Science and technology results from the OSS-1 Payload on the Space Shuttle

The OSS-1 Payload of nine experiments was carried on the STS-3 Space Shuttle flight in March of 1982. The OSS-1 Payload contained four instruments that evaluated specific aspects of the Orbiter's environment, including the levels of particulate, gaseous and electromagnetic emissions given off by the Orbiter, and the interactions between the Orbiter and the surrounding plasma. In addition to these environmental observations, these instruments performed scientific investigations in astronomy and in space plasma physics, including active experiments in electron beam propagation. Other experiments were in the areas of solar physics, plant growth, micrometeorite studies and the technology of actively controlled heat pipes. A description is given of the initial results from these experiments, with some implications of these results for future operation of space experiments from the Shuttle payload bay. One major result was the unexpected discovery of a faint surface-induced optical glow created near the Shuttle surfaces by impacts of ambient atmospheric atoms and molecules.

Chipman, E.↗

Science and technology results from the OSS-1 payload on the Space Shuttle

The OSS-1 Payload of nine experiments was carried on the STS-3 Space Shuttle flight in March of 1982. The OSS-1 Payload contained four instruments that evaluated specific aspects of the Orbiter's environment, including the levels of particulate, gaseous and electromagnetic emissions given off by the Orbiter, and the interactions between the Orbiter and the surrounding plasma. In addition to these environmental observations, these instruments performed scientific investigations in astronomy and in space plasma physics, including active experiments in electron beam propagation. Other experiments were in the areas of solar physics, plant growth, micrometeorite studies and the technology of actively controlled heat pipes. We present the initial results from these experiments, with some implications of these results for future operation of space experiments from the Shuttle payload bay. One major result was the unexpected discovery of a faint surface-induced optical glow created near the Shuttle surfaces by impacts of ambient atmospheric atoms and molecules.

short duration↗

CFD Evaluation of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Blends for Commercial Supersonics Technology

An overview is provided of a CFD assessment with advanced fuel blends to assess fuel impacts on NOx emissions and flame structure in an axially-staged combustor for NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Transport (CST) Program. The National Combustor Code (OpenNCC) was used to perform two-phase reacting flow computations with various blending ratios of two different aviation fuels, ‘average’ Jet-A (A2) and GEVO-ATJ (C1), for UTRC’s Axially Controlled Stoichiometry (ACS) combustor at CST cruise conditions. The predicted flame structures in the ACS combustor with three different blending ratios of A2 and C1 fuel were very similar to each other. The predicted NOx emissions for all fuel blends were within 10% of the experimentally measured NOx emissions for 100% A2 fuel.

Gas Turbine Combustion↗

Field Evaluation of the Baseline Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface Capabilities at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

NASA is currently developing a suite of decision support capabilities for integrated arrival, departure, and surface (IADS) operations in a metroplex environment. The effort is being made in three phases, under NASA's Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) sub-project, through a strong partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), air carriers, airport, and general aviation community. The Phase 1 Baseline IADS capabilities provide enhanced operational efficiency and predictability of flight operations through data exchange and integration, tactical surface metering, and automated coordination of release time of controlled flights for overhead stream insertion. The users of the IADS system include the personnel at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) air traffic control tower, American Airlines ramp tower, CLT terminal radar approach control (TRACON), and Washington Center. This paper describes the Phase 1 Baseline IADS capabilities and field evaluation conducted at CLT from September 2017 for a year. From the analysis of operations data, it is estimated that 538,915 kilograms of fuel savings, and 1,659 metric tons of CO2 emission reduction were achieved during the period with a total of 944 hours of engine run time reduction. The amount of CO2 savings is estimated as equivalent to planting 42,560 urban trees. The results have also shown that the surface metering had no negative impact on on-time arrival performance of both outbound and inbound flights. The technology transfer of Phase 1 Baseline IADS capabilities has been made to the FAA and aviation industry, and the development of additional capabilities for the subsequent phases is underway.

Jung, Yoon C.↗

Field Evaluation of the Baseline Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface (IADS) Capabilities at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

NASA is currently developing a suite of decision support capabilities for integrated arrival, departure, and surface (IADS) operations in a metroplex environment. The effort is being made in three phases, under NASA's Airspace Technology Demonstration 2 (ATD-2) sub-project, through a strong partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), air carriers, airport, and general aviation community. The Phase 1 Baseline IADS capabilities provide enhanced operational efficiency and predictability of flight operations through data exchange and integration, tactical surface metering, and automated coordination of release time of controlled flights for overhead stream insertion. The users of the IADS system include the personnel at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) air traffic control tower, American Airlines ramp tower, CLT terminal radar approach control (TRACON), and Washington Center. This paper describes the Phase 1 Baseline IADS capabilities and field evaluation conducted at CLT from September 2017 for a year. From the analysis of operations data, it is estimated that 538,915 kilograms of fuel savings, and 1,659 metric tons of CO2 emission reduction were achieved during the period with a total of 944 hours of engine run time reduction. The amount of CO2 savings is estimated as equivalent to planting 42,560 urban trees. The results have also shown that the surface metering had no negative impact on on-time arrival performance of both outbound and inbound flights. The technology transfer of Phase 1 Baseline IADS capabilities has been made to the FAA and aviation industry, and the development of additional capabilities for the subsequent phases is underway.

and Surface (IADS)↗

Ambient-temperature co-oxidation catalysts

Oxidation catalysts which operate at ambient temperature were developed for the recombination of carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen (O2) dissociation products which are formed during carbon dioxide (CO2) laser operation. Recombination of these products to regenerate CO2 allows continuous operation of CO2 lasers in a closed cycle mode. Development of these catalyst materials provides enabling technology for the operation of such lasers from space platforms or in ground based facilities without constant gas consumption required for continuous open cycle operation. Such catalysts also have other applications in various areas outside the laser community for removal of CO from other closed environments such as indoor air and as an ambient temperature catalytic converter for control of auto emissions.

Upchurch, Billy T.↗

The Software Element of the NASA Portable Electronic Device Radiated Emissions Investigation

NASA Langley Research Center's (LaRC) High Intensity Radiated Fields Laboratory (HIRF Lab) recently conducted a series of electromagnetic radiated emissions tests under a cooperative agreement with Delta Airlines and an interagency agreement with the FAA. The frequency spectrum environment at a commercial airport was measured on location. The environment survey provides a comprehensive picture of the complex nature of the electromagnetic environment present in those areas outside the aircraft. In addition, radiated emissions tests were conducted on portable electronic devices (PEDs) that may be brought onboard aircraft. These tests were performed in both semi-anechoic and reverberation chambers located in the HIRF Lab. The PEDs included cell phones, laptop computers, electronic toys, and family radio systems. The data generated during the tests are intended to support the research on the effect of radiated emissions from wireless devices on aircraft systems. Both tests systems relied on customized control and data reduction software to provide test and instrument control, data acquisition, a user interface, real time data reduction, and data analysis. The software executed on PC's running MS Windows 98 and 2000, and used Agilent Pro Visual Engineering Environment (VEE) development software, Common Object Model (COM) technology, and MS Excel.

Koppen, Sandra V.↗

Novel Active Combustion Control Valve

This project presents an innovative solution for active combustion control. Relative to the state of the art, this concept provides frequency modulation (greater than 1,000 Hz) in combination with high-amplitude modulation (in excess of 30 percent flow) and can be adapted to a large range of fuel injector sizes. Existing valves often have low flow modulation strength. To achieve higher flow modulation requires excessively large valves or too much electrical power to be practical. This active combustion control valve (ACCV) has high-frequency and -amplitude modulation, consumes low electrical power, is closely coupled with the fuel injector for modulation strength, and is practical in size and weight. By mitigating combustion instabilities at higher frequencies than have been previously achieved (approximately 1,000 Hz), this new technology enables gas turbines to run at operating points that produce lower emissions and higher performance.

Caspermeyer, Matt↗

Active Control of High Frequency Combustion Instability in Aircraft Gas-Turbine Engines

Active control of high-frequency (greater than 500 Hz) combustion instability has been demonstrated in the NASA single-nozzle combustor rig at United Technologies Research Center. The combustor rig emulates an actual engine instability and has many of the complexities of a real engine combustor (i.e. actual fuel nozzle and swirler, dilution cooling, etc.) In order to demonstrate control, a high-frequency fuel valve capable of modulating the fuel flow at up to 1kHz was developed. Characterization of the fuel delivery system was accomplished in a custom dynamic flow rig developed for that purpose. Two instability control methods, one model-based and one based on adaptive phase-shifting, were developed and evaluated against reduced order models and a Sectored-1-dimensional model of the combustor rig. Open-loop fuel modulation testing in the rig demonstrated sufficient fuel modulation authority to proceed with closed-loop testing. During closed-loop testing, both control methods were able to identify the instability from the background noise and were shown to reduce the pressure oscillations at the instability frequency by 30%. This is the first known successful demonstration of high-frequency combustion instability suppression in a realistic aero-engine environment. Future plans are to carry these technologies forward to demonstration on an advanced low-emission combustor.

Corrigan, Bob↗

Initial Development of A Digital Twin Model for an Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Emulation Rig

In support of aviation fuel burn and emission reduction goals, NASA is pursing high-payoff research investments that promise to transform aviation. This includes investments in Electrified Aircraft Propulsion (EAP), which relies on the generation, storage, transmission, and use of electrical power for producing thrust and optimizing propulsion system efficiency. Multiple technology challenges must be addressed to unlock the full potential of EAP. This includes advances in propulsion controls, which will be vital for ensuring coordinated efficient operation of the complex integrated subsystems that comprise EAP architectures. To support EAP controls research, the NASA Glenn Research Center has developed the Hybrid Propulsion Emulation Rig (HyPER). The HyPER laboratory hardware includes shaft-mounted electric machines, power converters, power supplies, power distribution cables, and an energy storage device that can be reconfigured to represent a variety of EAP architectures. It also includes an integrated real-time computer system that hosts developed EAP control software and turbomachinery simulations. This enables the electrical system and rotating shafts of EAP designs to be implemented in actual hardware and integrated with turbomachinery simulations and system-level EAP control logic implemented in software. In this form, the HyPER laboratory provides a partially simulated, partially hardware-in-the-loop test environment enabling the initial development and evaluation of EAP control technology. A prerequisite for the development of EAP control designs is the availability of a system model that accurately reflects the operation of the electrical system hardware. To support this need, a digital twin model of the HyPER electrical system hardware is under development. This model is being coded in the MATLAB Simulink environment and uses the NASA-developed Electrical Modeling and Thermal Analysis Toolbox (EMTAT) to construct a digital twin framework. EMTAT contains generic electrical component building blocks that are simulated at turbomachinery timescales. Associated inputs and outputs allow the blocks to be combined to model complete electrical systems. The EMTAT blocks also contain adjustable internal maps and parameters that can be set to reflect the operation of a specific electrical component. For the HyPER digital twin, the settings of these EMTAT block internal maps and parameters is determined through machine learning approaches applied to characterization run data collected from the laboratory. During characterization runs the laboratory electrical system hardware is subjected to a full range of torque, speed, and power settings. Acquired data is then used to estimate EMTAT block parameters using a variety of machine learning techniques. The resulting digital twin model is found to match the operation of actual HyPER hardware with an accuracy suitable for control development purposes. It also holds promise for other applications including modeling the performance of HyPER laboratory reconfigurations and model-based anomaly detection. Planned follow-on work to automate post-processing of acquired laboratory data to update the HyPER digital twin model will also be presented and discussed.

Electrified Aircraft Propulsion↗

Laser Absorption Measurements of Equivalence Ratios Studied Along With Their Coupling to Pressure Fluctuations in Lean Premixed Prevaporized (LPP) Combustion

Concerns about damaging the Earth's ozone layer as a result of high levels of nitrogen oxides (known collectively as NOx) from high-altitude, high-speed aircraft have prompted the study of lean premixed prevaporized (LPP) combustion in aircraft engines. LPP combustion reduces NOx emissions principally by reducing the peak flame temperatures inside an engine. Recent advances in LPP technologies have realized exceptional reductions in pollutant emissions (single-digit ppm NOx for example). However, LPP combustion also presents major challenges: combustion instability and dynamic coupling effects between fluctuations in heat-release rate, dynamic pressure, and fuel pressure. These challenges are formidable and can literally shake an engine apart if uncontrolled. To better understand this phenomenon so that it can be controlled, we obtained real-time laser absorption measurements of the fuel vapor concentration (and equivalence ratio) simultaneously with the dynamic pressure, flame luminosity, and time-averaged gaseous emissions measurements in a research-type jet-A-fueled LPP combustor. The measurements were obtained in NASA Glenn Research Center's CE-5B optically accessible flame tube facility. The CE-5B facility provides inlet air temperatures and pressures similar to the actual operating conditions of real aircraft engines. The laser absorption measurements were performed using an infrared 3.39 micron HeNe laser in conjunction with a visible HeNe laser for liquid droplet scattering compensation.

Nguyen, Quang-Viet↗

CFD Evaluation of Aviation Fuels for Commercial Supersonics Technology

An overview is provided of a CFD analysis of a Lean-Direct Injection (LDI) combustion concept for NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Transport (CST) program. The National Combustion Code (OpenNCC) was used to perform two-phase reacting flow computations with three different aviation fuels for UTRC’s Axially Controlled Stoichiometry (ACS) combustor at CST cruise conditions. All computations were performed with a consistent approach of mesh-generation, spray and chemical-kinetics modeling for the combustor. Emissions (EICO, EINOx) and performance characteristics were predicted with OpenNCC, to evaluate the impact of replacing Jet-A with RP2 and Iso-Paraffinic Kerosene (IPK) for supersonic combustor applications. The CFD predictions of flame structure for IPK fuel were significantly different in comparison to those of Jet-A and RP2 fuel. However, the CFD analysis predicted very similar EINOx emissions for Jet-A, RP-2 and IPK fuels. The predicted EINOx emissions for all three fuels also compared very well with measured experimental data.

gas turbine combustion↗

First Annual High-Speed Research Workshop, part 4

Papers presented at the First Annual High Speed Research Workshop held in Williamsburg, Viginia, on May 14-16, 1991 are presented. This NASA-sponsored workshop provided a national forum for presenting and discussing important technology issues related to the definition of an economically viable and environmentally compatible High Speed Civil Transport. The sessions are developed around the technical components of NASA's Phase 1 High Speed Research Program which addresses the environmental issues of atmospheric emissions, community noise, and sonic boom. In particular, this part of the publication, Part 4, addresses high lift research and supersonic laminar flow control.

Whitehead, Allen H., Jr.↗

Intelligent Engine Systems: Thermal Management and Advanced Cooling

The objective is to provide turbine-cooling technologies to meet Propulsion 21 goals related to engine fuel burn, emissions, safety, and reliability. Specifically, the GE Aviation (GEA) Advanced Turbine Cooling and Thermal Management program seeks to develop advanced cooling and flow distribution methods for HP turbines, while achieving a substantial reduction in total cooling flow and assuring acceptable turbine component safety and reliability. Enhanced cooling techniques, such as fluidic devices, controlled-vortex cooling, and directed impingement jets, offer the opportunity to incorporate both active and passive schemes. Coolant heat transfer enhancement also can be achieved from advanced designs that incorporate multi-disciplinary optimization of external film and internal cooling passage geometry.

Bergholz, Robert↗

Technology Awareness Workshop on Active Combustion Control (ACC) in Propulsion Systems: JANNAF Combustion Subcommittee Workshop

A JANNAF Combustion Subcommittee Technology Awareness Seminar on Active Combustion Control (ACC) in Propulsion Systems' was held 12 November 1997 at the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC), Cleveland, Ohio. The objectives of the seminar were: 1) Define the need and potential of ACC to meet future requirements for gas turbines and ramjets; 2) Explain general principles of ACC and discuss recent successes to suppress combustion instabilities, increase combustion efficiency, reduce emission, and extend flammability limits; 3) Identify R&D barriers/needs for practical implementation of ACC; 4) Explore potential for improving coordination of future R&D activities funded by various government agencies. Over 40 individuals representing senior management from over 20 industry and government organizations participated. This document summarizes the presentations and findings of this seminar.

Fry, Ronald S.↗

Combustor Emissions Modeling of Sustainable Fuels for Commercial Supersonics Technology

An overview is provided of a CFD assessment with Jet-A replacement fuels and advanced fuel blends to assess fuel impacts on NOx emissions and flame structure in an axially-staged combustor for NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Transport (CST) program. The National Combustor Code (OpenNCC) was used to perform two-phase reacting flow computations with two replacement fuels for Jet-A, and various blending ratios of ‘average’ Jet-A (A2) and GEVO-ATJ (C1), for UTRC’s Axially Controlled Stoichiometry (ACS) combustor at CST cruise conditions. The predicted flame structures in the ACS combustor with for the replacement fuels, and for three different blending ratios of A2 and C1 fuel were very similar to each other. The predicted NOx emissions for the two replacement fuels, and three blending ratios of A2 and C1 were within 15% of the experimentally measured NOx emissions for 100% A2 fuel.

Gas Turbine Combustion↗

A hollow cathode hydrogen ion source

High current density ion sources have been used to heat plasmas in controlled thermonuclear reaction experiments. High beam currents imply relatively high emission currents from cathodes which have generally taken the form of tungsten filaments. A hydrogen ion source is described which was primarily developed to assess the emission current capability and design requirements for hollow cathodes for application in neutral injection devices. The hydrogen source produced ions by electron bombardment via a single hollow cathode. Source design followed mercury ion thruster technology, using a weak magnetic field to enhance ionization efficiency.

Sovey, J. S.↗