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At least 217 records · Page 12

An investigation of rotor noise generation by aerodynamic disturbance

An open rotor was considered as a process for converting an unsteady velocity inflow into sound radiation. With the aid of crude assumptions, aero-acoustic transfer functions were defined theoretically for both discrete frequency and broad band noise. A study of the validity of these transfer functions yielded results which show good agreement at discrete frequencies though slightly less good for broad band noise. Agreement in both cases holds over three or more decades of the relevant parameters. A rotating hot wire anemometry system consisting of a single hot wire probe mounted in the nose cone of the rotor was used to quantify fluctuations in the airflow onto a single rotor blade for the transfer function results. Further theoretical analysis revealed that the sound field can be expressed in terms of blade-to-blade correlations in the airflow, and results from two probes rotating simultaneously were modelled mathematically and inserted in the theory. Preliminary results snow encouraging agreement with experimental data.

Whitfield, C. E.↗

Jet Mixing Enhancement by Feedback Control

The objective of this work has been to produce methodologies for high speed jet noise reduction based on natural mechanisms and enhanced feedback control to affect frequencies and structures in a prescribed manner. In this effort the two-point hot wire measurements obtained in the Langley jet facility by Ukeiley were used in conjuction with linear stochastic estimation (LSE) to implement the LSE component of the complementary technique. This method combines the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and LSE to provide an experimental low dimensional time dependent description of the flow field. From such a description it should be possible to identify short time high strain rate events in the jet which contribute to the noise. The main task completed for this effort is summarized: LSE experiments were performed at the downstream locations where the two point hot wire measurements have been obtained by Ukeiley. These experiments involved sampling simultaneously hot wire signals from a relatively course spatial grid in gamma and theta. From this simultaneous data, coupled with the two-point measurements of Ukeiley via the LSE components of the complementary technique, an experimental low dimensional description of the jet at 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 diameters downstream was obtained for Mach numbers of 0.3 and 0.6. We first present an overview of the theory involved. We finish up with a statement of the work performed and finally provide charts from a 1999 APS talk which summarizes the results.

Glauser, Mark↗

A new look at wind tunnel flow quality for transonic flows

The implementation of several transonic hot wire anemometry techniques for obtaining fluctuating data related to wind tunnel flow quality has been evaluated. An overview of the theoretical considerations, calibration techniques, and related assumptions are discussed for the data presented from the LaRC 8' Transonic Pressure Tunnel. The impact of incorrect assumptions related to hot wire sensitivities are highlighted. Velocity, density, total temperature, and mass flow results from three-element, two-element, and single-element probes are presented in rms and spectral formats. Based on these comparisons, great caution should be used when relying on flow quality information obtained utilizing hot wire techniques other than the three-element technique.

Jones, Gregory S.↗

Flow visualization and flow field measurements of a 1/12 scale tilt rotor aircraft in hover

The results are given of flow visualization studies and inflow velocity field measurements performed on a 1/12 scale model of the XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft in the hover mode. The complex recirculating flow due to the rotor-wake-body interactions characteristic of tilt rotors was studied visually using neutrally buoyant soap bubbles and quantitatively using hot wire anemometry. Still and video photography were used to record the flow patterns. Analysis of the photos and video provided information on the physical dimensions of the recirculating fountain flow and on details of the flow including the relative unsteadiness and turbulence characteristics of the flow. Recirculating flows were also observed along the length of the fuselage. Hot wire anemometry results indicate that the wing under the rotor acts to obstruct the inflow causing a deficit in the inflow velocities over the inboard region of the model. Hot wire anemometry also shows that the turbulence intensities in the inflow are much higher in the recirculating fountain reingestion zone.

Coffen, Charles D.↗

Flow visualization and flow field measurements of a 1/12 scale tilt rotor aircraft in hover

The results are given of flow visualization studies and inflow velocity field measurements performed on a 1/12 scale model of the XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft in the hover mode. The complex recirculating flow due to the rotor-wake-body interactions characteristic of tilt rotors was studied visually using neutrally buoyant soap bubbles and quantitatively using hot wire anemometry. Still and video photography were used to record the flow patterns. Analysis of the photos and video provided information on the physical dimensions of the recirculating fountain flow and on details of the flow including the relative unsteadiness and turbulence characteristics of the flow. Recirculating flows were also observed along the length of the fuselage. Hot wire anemometry results indicate that the wing under the rotor acts to obstruct the inflow causing a deficit in the inflow velocities over the inboard region of the model. Hot wire anemometry also shows that the turbulence intensities in the inflow are much higher in the recirculating fountain reingestion zone.

Coffen, Charles D.↗

Measurement of Vortex Strength and Core Diameter in the Wake of a Hovering Rotor

Detailed hot wire measurements have been acquired in the tip vortex of a three-bladed model tilt rotor in hover. Testing was conducted at a rotor tip speed of 752 ft/sec, a Reynolds number (based on blade tip chord) of 1.77 x 10(exp 6), for thrust coefficients up to 0.0160. A figure shows the hot wire mounted above the inverted rotor at the Outside Aerodynamic Rotor Facility (OARF) at NASA Ames Research Center. Strobed shadowgraph flow visualization was used to define the vortex trajectory as an aid in hot wire positioning. Considerable variations in tip vortex structure with time were observed, even from the same blade, under essentially uniform test conditions. The only velocity signatures analyzed were those corresponding to passage of the probe directly through the center of the vortex. These time histories were ensemble averaged after compensating for jitter in the vortex arrival time at the probe, thereby retaining the core structure with minimal smearing. An example of a mean velocity signature, after ensemble averaging, is shown. The mean velocity signature was analyzed under the assumption of constant (unknown) translation speed of the vortex filament past the fixed probe. The translation speed of the vortex is deduced and the vortex strength and core diameter inferred. The results were highly unexpected. The indicated vortex strength is seen to decrease rapidly after first blade passage. In addition, the core radius is seen to decrease with increasing wake age, not increase as might be expected from simple diffusion.

Wadcock, Alan J.↗

[Low-Frequency Flow Oscillation

The results of the research conducted under this grant are presented in detail in three Master theses, by Heinrich, Balow, and Broeren. Additional analysis of the experimental data can be found in two AIAA Journal articles and two conference papers. Citations for all of the studies' publications can be found in the bibliography which is attached. The objective of Heinrich's study was to document the low-frequency flow oscillation on the LRN-1007 airfoil, which had been previously observed at low Reynolds number, to determine its origin, and explore the phenomenon at higher Reynolds number. Heinrich performed detailed flow visualization on the airfoil using surface fluorescent oil and laser-sheet off-body visualization. A large leading-edge separation bubble and trailing-edge separation was identified on the airfoil just prior to the onset of the unsteady stall flow oscillation. From the laser-sheet data, the unsteady flow appeared as a massive boundary-layer separation followed by flow reattachment. Hot-wire data were taken in the wake to identify the presence of the flow oscillation and the dominant frequency. The oscillation was found in the flow from a Reynolds number of 0.3 to 1.3 x 10 exp 6. The Strouhal number based on airfoil projected height was nominally 0.02 and increased slightly with increasing Reynolds number and significantly with increasing airfoil angle of attack. Balow focused his research on the leading-edge separation bubble which was hypothesized to be the origin of the low-frequency oscillation. Initially, experimental measurements in the bubble at the onset of the low-frequency oscillation were attempted to study the characteristics of the bubble and explain possible relationships to the shear-layer-flapping phenomena. Unfortunately, the bubble proved to be extremely sensitive to the probe interference and it drastically reduced the size of the bubble. These detailed measurements were then abandoned by Balow. However, this led to a series of tests where the leading-edge bubble and trailing-edge separation were altered and the affect on the flow-oscillation studied. Balow found that by tripping the airfoil boundary-layer with "zigzag" tape ahead of bubble separation, the bubble was effectively eliminated mid the oscillation suppressed. Wake survey drag measurements showed a drastic reduction in airfoil drag when the bubble and oscillation were eliminated. Using the "zigzag" tape, the trailing-edge separation was moved downstream approximately 5 percent chord. This was found to reduce the amplitude of the oscillation, particularly in the onset stage at low angle of attack (around 14 degrees). Through detailed analysis of the wake behind the airfoil during the unsteady flow oscillation, Balow provided a better understanding of the wake flowfield. Broeren studied the oscillating flowfield in detail at Reynolds number equal 3 x 10 exp 5 and an angle of attack of 15 degrees using laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). Two-dimensional LDV data were acquired at 687 grid points above the model upper surface while hot-wire data were taken simultaneously in the wake. Using the hot-wire signal, the LDV data were phase averaged into 24 bins to represent a single ensemble average of one oscillation cycle. The velocity data showed a flowfield oscillation that could be divided into three flow regimes. In the first regime, the flow over the airfoil was completely separated initially, the flowfield reattached from the leading edge and the reattachment point moved downstream with increasing time or phase. Broeren referred to this as the reattachment regime. The bubble development regime followed, where a leading-edge separation bubble formed at the leading edge and grew with increasing time. During the initial part of this regime the trailing-edge separation continued to move downstream. However, during the last 30 degrees of phase the trailing-edge separation moved rapidly forward and appeared to merge with the leading-edge bubble. During the third regime, the separation regime, the flow was segmented from the airfoil leading edge and did not reattach to the airfoil surface. The reverse flow was seen to grow in vertical extent up from the model surface as the phase increased. Next reattachment began again at the leading edge signaling the start of the reattachment regime, and so the cycle continued. From Broeren's work, the details of the unsteady flowfield over the airfoil were seen for the first time. From this research a great deal has been learned about the low-frequency flow oscillation which naturally occurs on the LRN-1007 airfoil near stall. The oscillation was seen to persist at higher Reynolds number, the dependence of the Strouhal number on angle of attack and Reynolds number were discovered, the critical role played by the laminar bubble was shown and the entire upper surface flowfield during a flow oscillation cycle was measured and analyzed. What still eludes understanding is the scaling of the flow oscillation and why certain airfoils, such as the LRN, have a very strong low-frequency mode and other airfoils exhibit no organized low-frequency oscillation at all.

Bragg, Michael B.↗

Ice Particle Impact on Cloud Water Content Instrumentation

Determining the total amount of water contained in an icing cloud necessitates the measurement of both the liquid droplets and ice particles. One commonly accepted method for measuring cloud water content utilizes a hot wire sensing element, which is maintained at a constant temperature. In this approach, the cloud water content is equated with the power required to keep the sense element at a constant temperature. This method inherently assumes that impinging cloud particles remain on the sensing element surface long enough to be evaporated. In the case of ice particles, this assumption requires that the particles do not bounce off the surface after impact. Recent tests aimed at characterizing ice particle impact on a thermally heated wing section, have raised questions about the validity of this assumption. Ice particles were observed to bounce off the heated wing section a very high percentage of the time. This result could have implications for Total Water Content sensors which are designed to capture ice particles, and thus do not account for bouncing or breakup of ice particles. Based on these results, a test was conducted to investigate ice particle impact on the sensing elements of the following hot-wire cloud water content probes: (1) Nevzorov Total Water Content (TWC)/Liquid Water Content (LWC) probe, (2) Science Engineering Associates TWC probe, and (3) Particle Measuring Systems King probe. Close-up video imaging was used to study ice particle impact on the sensing element of each probe. The measured water content from each probe was also determined for each cloud condition. This paper will present results from this investigation and attempt to evaluate the significance of ice particle impact on hot-wire cloud water content measurements.

Emery, Edward F.↗

Experimental Studies of Low-Pressure Turbine Flows and Flow Control. Streamwise Pressure Profiles and Velocity Profiles

This report summarizes research performed in support of the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Flow Physics Program. The work was performed experimentally at the U.S. Naval Academy faculties. The geometry corresponded to "Pak B" LPT airfoil. The test section simulated LPT flow in a passage. Three experimental studies were performed: (a) Boundary layer measurements for ten baseline cases under high and low freestream turbulence conditions at five Reynolds numbers of 25,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, and 300,000, based on passage exit velocity and suction surface wetted length; (b) Passive flow control studies with three thicknesses of two-dimensional bars, and two heights of three-dimensional circular cylinders with different spanwise separations, at same flow conditions as the 10 baseline cases; (c) Active flow control with oscillating synthetic (zero net mass flow) vortex generator jets, for one case with low freestream turbulence and a low Reynolds number of 25,000. The Passive flow control was successful at controlling the separation problem at low Reynolds numbers, with varying degrees of success from case to case and varying levels of impact at higher Reynolds numbers. The active flow control successfully eliminated the large separation problem for the low Reynolds number case. Very detailed data was acquired using hot-wire anemometry, including single and two velocity components, integral boundary layer quantities, turbulence statistics and spectra, turbulent shear stresses and their spectra, and intermittency, documenting transition, separation and reattachment. Models were constructed to correlate the results. The report includes a summary of the work performed and reprints of the publications describing the various studies.This report summarizes research performed in support of the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Flow Physics Program. The work was performed experimentally at the U.S. Naval Academy faculties. The geometry corresponded to "Pak B" LPT airfoil. The test section simulated LPT flow in a passage. Three experimental studies were performed: (a) Boundary layer measurements for ten baseline cases under high and low freestream turbulence conditions at five Reynolds numbers of 25,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, and 300,000, based on passage exit velocity and suction surface wetted length; (b) Passive flow control studies with three thicknesses of two-dimensional bars, and two heights of three-dimensional circular cylinders with different spanwise separations, at same flow conditions as the 10 baseline cases; (c) Active flow control with oscillating synthetic (zero net mass flow) vortex generator jets, for one case with low freestream turbulence and a low Reynolds number of 25,000. The Passive flow control was successful at controlling the separation problem at low Reynolds numbers, with varying degrees of success from case to case and varying levels of impact at higher Reynolds numbers. The active flow control successfully eliminated the large separation problem for the low Reynolds number case. Very detailed data was acquired using hot-wire anemometry, including single and two velocity components, integral boundary layer quantities, turbulence statistics and spectra, turbulent shear stresses and their spectra, and intermittency, documenting transition, separation and reattachment. Models were constructed to correlate the results. The report includes a summary of the work performed and reprints of the publications describing the various studies. The folders in this supplement contain processed data in ASCII format. Streamwise pressure profiles and velocity profiles are included. The velocity profiles were acquired using single sensor and cross sensor hot-wire probes which were traversed from the wall to the freestream at various streamwise locations. In some of the flow control cases (3D Trips and Jets) profiles were acquired at multiple spanwise locations.

Volino, Ralph↗

Three dimensional mean velocity and turbulence characteristics in the annulus wall region of an axial flow compressor rotor passage

The experiment was performed using the rotating hot-wire technique within the rotor blade passage and the stationary hot-wire technique for the exitflow of the rotor blade passage. The measurements reveal the effect of rotation and subsequent flow interactions upon the rotor blade flowfield and wake development in the annulus-wall region. The flow near the rotor blade tips is found to be highly complex due to the interaction of the annulus-wall boundary layer, the blade boundary layers, the tip leakage flow, and the secondary flow. Within the blade passage, this interaction results in an appreciable radial inward flow as well as a defect in the mainstream velocity near the mid-passage. Turbulence levels within this region are very high. This indicates a considerable extent of flow mixing due to the viscous flow interactions. The size and strength of this loss core is found to grow with axial distance from the blade trailing edge. The nature of the rotor blade exit-flow was dominated by the wake development.

Davino, R.↗

Sensitive gaseous hydrogen detection system

System utilizing new type hydrogen sensor has overall detection sensitivity and response speed higher than conventional hot-wire or hot-thermistor detectors. System measures concentrations of from 2 parts per million to 30 percent and is adaptable as leak detector and hazard alarm wherever hydrogen is used.

Macintyre, J. R.↗

In-flight comparisons of boundary-layer and wake measurement probes for incompressible flow

The results are presented of in-flight comparisons of a number of boundary-layer and wake measurement probes suitable for low-speed flight-test investigations. The tested boundary-layer probes included a traversing total-pressure probe and a hot-film probe mounted on an internally-mounted drive mechanism, a curved and a straight boundary-layer rake, and a traversing hot-film probe with an externally-mounted drive mechanism. The wake measuring devices included a traversing, self-aligning probe, a wake rake, and an integrating wake rate. The boundary-layer data are compared with a common reference velocity profile and comments given regarding the accuracy of the static-pressure and total-pressure measurements. Discussions on the various calibration presentations used with hot-wire and hot-film sensors and various aspects of improving the accuracy of hot-film sensor results are given in the appendix of this report.

Mertaugh, L. J., Jr.↗

Fan noise mechanisms and control. II.

The fluctuating velocity input into the fan is measured by two approaches. One approach makes use of stationary hot wires mounted in front of the rotor. The other approach employs rotating hot wires moving with the rotor. It is shown that the noise has three principal source components including discrete frequencies, which are governed by inflow distortion, low frequency broad band noise governed by inflow turbulence, and high frequency broad band noise governed by the blade tips.

Lowson, M. V.↗

Low-power anemometer

Device allows wind speeds to be measured with less power by alternating hot-wire or hot-film heating periods with measurement periods. System includes reference auxiliary circuits to generate V sub ref and ramp voltage (E sub 3) and reference half of bridge circuit. Circuit permits use of several sensing films with common temperature compensation sensor.

Gilje, R. I.↗

Multipurpose miniature drag-force anemometer

Simple, rugged, accurate probe measures steady-state and dynamic flow angle, and turbulence intensity in flowing fluids at subsonic velocity. Probe is simpler in design and calibration, and more durable, than hot-wire and hot-film anemometers and is not affected by flow contamination. It is less expensive and complex than laser anemometers. Associated electronics are as simple as those of strain-gage pressure transducers.

Fralick, G. C.↗

Applications of dynamic measurement techniques to wind-tunnel testing

The uses of laser Doppler velocimeter, hot wire, and surface hot film techniques in the study of turbulent flows are described, and data obtained in compressible flows are discussed. Applications are illustrated with measurements of wind tunnel freestream turbulence characteristics and with data obtained in transitional, turbulent, and separated shear flows. A new method which was developed for the study of time dependent and unsteady turbulent flows is also presented.

Owen, F. K.↗

Investigation of Boundary Layer Development in Multi-Stage Low Pressure

A review of recent literature has been made in the areas of unsteady measurement in turbomachinery and LP turbine design. This has included a detailed review of methods for extracting quantitative shear stress data from surface mounted hot-film arrays. Research goals were identified on the basis of the literature survey and following interaction with the GE and NASA contracts. Progress has also been made in the detailed planning of the research program. An array of hot-film sensors has been mounted at mid-span on a second stage nozzle blade ready for installation in the current turbine buildup. A new technique of applying the hot-film array using double sided adhesive is being tested. The temperature in the vicinity of the hot-films will be monitored using a thermocouple attached to the blade pressure surface. This will increase the accuracy of the data reduction process compared with the methods applied by Halstead et at. (1995) and others. Data obtained from this first set of sensors, along with data from the hot-wire investigation will help to determine the best locations for surface hot-film instrumentation for subsequent builds of the turbine. Other LSRT instrumentation issues which have been addressed include calibration of the torque measurement system and procurement of custom design hot-wire sensors required to compensate for the slope flow path. Preliminary attempts at modeling the boundary layer transition process have been completed. A steady, coupled viscous-inviscid flow solver (the MISES code of Drela and Youngren) was used to calculate the steady-flow boundary layer transition location.

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