Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Wave wave interactions”

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 235 records · Page 13

Simulation of glancing shock wave and boundary layer interaction

Shock waves generated by sharp fins, glancing across a laminar boundary layer growing over a flat plate, are simulated numerically. Several basic issues concerning the resultant three-dimensional flow separation are studied. Using the same number of grid points, different grid spacings are employed to investigate the effects of grid resolution on the origin of the line of separation. Various shock strengths (generated by different fin angles) are used to study the so-called separated and unseparated boundary layer and to establish the existence or absence of the secondary separation. The usual interpretations of the flow field from previous studies and new interpretations arising from the present simulation are discussed.

Hung, Ching-Mao↗

Turbulence and wave particle interactions in solar-terrestrial plasmas

Activities in the following study areas are reported: (1) particle and wave processes in solar flares; (2) solar convection zone turbulence; and (3) solar radiation emission. To investigate the amplification of cyclotron maser radiation in solar flares, a radio frequency. (RF) heating model was developed for the corona surrounding the energy release site. Then nonlinear simulations of compressible convection display prominent penetration by plumes into regions of stable stratification at the base of the solar convection zone, leading to the excitation of internal gravity waves there. Lastly, linear saturation of electron-beam-driven Langmuir waves by ambient density fluctuations, nonlinear saturation by strong turbulence processes, and radiation emission mechanisms are examined. An additional section discusses solar magnetic fields and hydromagnetic waves in inhomogeneous media, and the effect of magnetic fields on stellar oscillation.

Dulk, G. A.↗

Fundamental aspects in the quantitative ultrasonic determination of fracture toughness: General equations

The problem of establishing a theoretical groundwork for experimentally-found correlations between ultrasonic and fracture toughness factors in polycrystalline metals is discussed. It is noted that the link between these material properties and ultrasonic factors are the microstructural parameters that interact with stress wave propagation during deformation and fracture. The dynamic response of material inhomogeneities and the strains and displacements they undergo under incident stress waves are considered. Dynamic strains and displacements inside and outside scatterers are treated. The underlying approach, the formulation and governing equations for the eigenstrains, and the determination of the energy due to the presence of inhomogeneities are presented. The stress wave interaction problem is presented in terms of the dynamic eigenstrain concept.

Fu, L. S.↗

Cascade properties of shear Alfven wave turbulence

Nonlinear three-wave interactions of linear normal modes are investigated for two-dimensional incompressible magnetohydrodynamics and the weakly three-dimensional Strauss equations in the case where a strong uniform background field B0 is present. In both systems the only resonant interaction affecting Alfven waves is caused by the shear of the background field plus the zero frequency components of the perturbation. It is shown that the Alfven waves are cascaded in wavenumber space by a mechanism equivalent to the resonant absorption at the Alfven resonance. For large wavenumbers perpendicular to B0, the cascade is described by Hamilton's ray equations, dk/dt = -(first-order) partial derivative of omega with respect to vector r, where omega includes the effects of the zero frequency perturbations.

Bondeson, A.↗

Inhibition of electron thermal conduction by electromagnetic instabilities

Heat flux inhibition by electromagnetic instabilities in a hot magnetized plasma is investigated. Low-frequency electromagnetic waves become unstable due to anisotropy of the electron distribution function. The chaotic magnetic field thus generated scatters the electrons with a specific effective mean free path. Saturation of the instability due to wave-wave interaction, nonlinear scattering, wave propagation, and collisional damping is considered. The effective mean free path is found self-consistently, using a simple model to estimate saturation level and scattering, and is shown to decrease with the temperature gradient length. The results, limited to the assumptions of the model, are applied to astrophysical systems. For some interstellar clouds the instability is found to be important. Collisional damping stabilizes the plasma, and the heat conduction can be dominated by superthermal electrons.

Levinson, Amir↗

Spectra of Baroclinic Inertia-Gravity Wave Turbulence

Baroclinic inertia-gravity (IG) waves form a persistent background of thermocline depth and sea surface height oscillations. They also contribute to the kinetic energy of horizontal motions in the subsurface layer. Measured by the ratio of water particle velocity to wave phase speed, the wave nonlinearity may be rather high. Given a continuous supply of energy from external sources, nonlinear wave-wave interactions among IG waves would result in inertial cascades of energy, momentum, and wave action. Based on a recently developed theory of wave turbulence in scale-dependent systems, these cascades are investigated and IG wave spectra are derived for an arbitrary degree of wave nonlinearity. Comparisons with satellite-altimetry-based spectra of surface height variations and with energy spectra of horizontal velocity fluctuations show good agreement. The well-known spectral peak at the inertial frequency is thus explained as a result of the inverse cascade. Finally, we discuss a possibility of inferring the internal Rossby radius of deformation and other dynamical properties of the upper thermocline from the spectra of SSH (sea surface height) variations based on altimeter measurements.

Glazman, Roman E.↗

Active control of turbomachine discrete tones

This paper was directed at active control of discrete frequency noise generated by subsonic blade rows through cancellation of the blade row interaction generated propagating acoustic waves. First discrete frequency noise generated by a rotor and stator in a duct was analyzed to determine the propagating acoustic pressure waves. Then a mathematical model was developed to analyze and predict the active control of discrete frequency noise generated by subsonic blade rows through cancellation of the propagating acoustic waves, accomplished by utilizing oscillating airfoil surfaces to generate additional control propagating pressure waves. These control waves interact with the propagating acoustic waves, thereby, in principle, canceling the acoustic waves and thus, the far field discrete frequency tones. This model was then applied to a fan exit guide vane to investigate active airfoil surface techniques for control of the propagating acoustic waves, and thus the far field discrete frequency tones, generated by blade row interactions.

Fleeter, Sanford↗

Numerical study of shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions with bleed

A numerical study was conducted to investigate how bleed through a two-dimensional slot affects shock-wave induced, boundary-layer separation on a flat plate. This study is based on the ensemble-averaged, compressible, Navier-Stokes equations closed by the Baldwin-Lomax, algebraic turbulence model. The algorithm used to obtain solutions was the implicit, partially split, two-factored scheme of Steger. This study examined the effects of the following parameters in controlling shock-wave induced flow separation: location of slot in relation to where the incident shock wave impinged on the boundary layer, size of slot in relation to the boundary-layer thickness, number of slots, spacings between slots, and strength of the incident shock wave. This study also showed the nature of the very complex flowfield about the slot or slots and how the plenum affects the bleed process. The results of this study are relevant to problems where bleed is used to control shock-wave induced, boundary-layer separation (e.g., inside jet engine inlets and wind tunnels).

Hahn, T. O.↗

Instability Wave-Streak Interactions in a Supersonic Boundary Layer

Optimal initial conditions for transient growth in a two-dimensional boundary layer flow correspond to stationary, counter-rotating vortices that subsequently develop into streamwise elongated streaks, which are characterized by an alternating pattern of low and high streamwise velocity. For incompressible flows, previous studies have shown that boundary layer modulation due to streaks below a threshold amplitude level can stabilize the Tollmien-Schlichting instability waves, resulting in a delay in the onset of laminar-turbulent transition. In the supersonic regime, the linearly, most-amplified waves become three-dimensional, corresponding to oblique, first-mode waves. This change in the character of dominant instabilities leads to an important change in the transition process, which is now dominated by oblique breakdown via nonlinear interactions between pairs of first-mode waves that propagate at equal but opposite angles with respect to the free stream. Because the oblique breakdown process is characterized by a rapid amplification of stationary streamwise streaks, artificial excitation of such streaks may be expected to promote transition in a supersonic boundary layer. Indeed, suppression of those streaks has been shown to delay the onset of transition in prior literature. Consistent with those findings, the present study shows that optimally growing stationary streaks indeed destabilize the first-mode waves, but only when the spanwise wavelength of the instability waves is equal to or smaller than twice the streak spacing. Transition in a benign disturbance environment typically involves first-mode waves with significantly longer spanwise wavelengths, and hence, these waves are stabilized by the optimal growth streaks. Thus, as long as the amplification factors for the destabilized, short wavelength instability waves remain below the threshold level for transition, a significant net stabilization is achieved, yielding a transition delay that is comparable to the length of the laminar region in the uncontrolled case.

Boundary layer transition↗

On the calculation of supersonic separating and reattaching flows

A method is developed for solving the laminar and turbulent compressible boundary layer equations for separating and reattaching flows. Results of this method are compared with experimental data for two laminar and three turbulent layer, shock wave interactions. Several Navier-Stokes solutions are obtained for each of the laminar boundary layer, shock wave interactions considered. Comparison of these solutions indicates a first order sensitivity in C sub f to the computational mesh selected in both the viscous and inviscid portions of the flow. Comparison of the present boundary layer solutions with the Navier-Stokes solutions and with data for a given Mach number indicates that as long as the separation bubble is small, the boundary layer approximation yields solutions whose accuracy is comparable to the Navier-Stokes solutions.

Murphy, J. D.↗

Wave-particle interactions in the Venus wake and tail

The first descriptions of combined tail measurements from the Pioneer Venus plasma analyzer, magnetometer, and plasma wave detector are presented. The analysis concentrates on those orbits which are representative of the first tail passage. Summary plasma analyzer parameters are used to show that waves occurring at the boundary of the magnetotail can be identified as Doppler-shifted ion acoustic oscillations. High-density plasma distributions in the magnetotail region usually appear to be non-Maxwellian at the highest time resolution. These distorted distribution functions are generally accompanied by enhanced plasma wave signals and magnetic field reversals indicative of electric currents. A different time for the spacecraft entrance into the magnetotail from that previously defined is identified. It is shown that the wave activity in the Venus tail appears similar to the broadband noise identified in the earth's tail, except that at Venus the levels are usually higher.

Intriligator, D. S.↗

On the calculation of supersonic, separating, and reattaching flows

A method is developed for solving the laminar and turbulent compressible boundary-layer equations for separating and reattaching flows. Results of this method are compared with experimental data for two laminar and three turbulent boundary-layer, shock-wave interactions. Several Navier-Stokes solutions were obtained for each of the laminar boundary-layer, shock-wave interactions considered. Comparison of these solutions indicates a first-order sensitivity in C sub f to the computational mesh selected in both the viscous and inviscid portions of the flow.

Murphy, J. D.↗

Measurements of the interaction of wave groups with shorter wind-generated waves

Fields of statistically steady wind-generated waves produced in a wind wave facility were perturbed by the injection of groups of longer, mechanically generated waves with various slopes. The time histories of the surface displacements were measured at four fetches in ensembles consisting of 100 realizations of each set of experimental conditions; the data were stored and analyzed digitally. Four distinct stages in the overall interaction are identified and characterized. The properties of the wave energy front are documented, and a preliminary discussion is given of the dynamic processes involved in its formation.

Chu, Jacob S.↗

Electron Micro Bursts as a Mechanism of Electron Loss Via Wave-Particle Interactions

Electron microbursts are rapid fluctuations of electron fluxes occurring on time scales of milliseconds. They are thought be due to scattering into the loss cone by plasma waves of various types from chorus to the recently observed large amplitude whistlers. They may be a major process of loss of realtivistic electrons from the Earth's outer radiation belts. One of the key issues that new mission s such as RBSP will address is to understand the loss of relativistic electrons. The SAMPEX mission launched in 1992 and still collecting data has the HILT sensor onboard with the capability of measuring> 1 MeV electrons with a high time resolution of 20 milliseconds suited admirably for the study of microbursts. We will use the data collected by the HILT for over a decade to characterize the relationship between electron microbursts and macroscopic electron decay lifetimes. With the launch of RBSP it is expected that SAMPEX will continue to collect data and overlap with RBSP. The latter will provide valuable information regarding plasma waves which coupled with low altitude measurements of microbursts may help elucidate details of the physics of electron loss from the radiation belt.

Kanekal, Shrikanth↗

Lagrangian description of warm plasmas

Efforts are described to extend the averaged Lagrangian method of describing small signal wave propagation and nonlinear wave interaction, developed by earlier workers for cold plasmas, to the more general conditions of warm collisionless plasmas, and to demonstrate particularly the effectiveness of the method in analyzing wave-wave interactions. The theory is developed for both the microscopic description and the hydrodynamic approximation to plasma behavior. First, a microscopic Lagrangian is formulated rigorously, and expanded in terms of perturbations about equilibrium. Two methods are then described for deriving a hydrodynamic Lagrangian. In the first of these, the Lagrangian is obtained by velocity integration of the exact microscopic Lagrangian. In the second, the expanded hydrodynamic Lagrangian is obtained directly from the expanded microscopic Lagrangian. As applications of the microscopic Lagrangian, the small-signal dispersion relations and the coupled mode equations are derived for all possible waves in a warm infinite, weakly inhomogeneous magnetoplasma, and their interactions are examined.

Kim, H.↗

Interactions between gravity waves and cold air outflows in a stably stratified uniform flow

Interactions between gravity waves and cold air outflows in a stably stratified uniform flow forced by various combinations of prescribed heat sinks and sources are studied using a hydrostatic two-dimensional nonlinear numerical model. The formation time for the development of a stagnation point or reversed flow at the surface is not always directly proportional to the Froude number when wave reflections exist from upper levels. A density current is able to form by the wave-otuflow interaction, even though the Froude number is greater than a critical value. This is the result of the wave-outflow interaction shifting the flow response to a different location in the characteristic parameter space. A density current is able to form or be destroyed due to the wave-outflow interaction between a traveling gravity wave and cold air outflow. This is proved by performing experiments with a steady-state heat sink and an additional transient heat source. In a quiescent fluid, a region of cold air, convergence, and upward motion is formed after the collision between two outflows produced by two prescribed heat sinks. After the collision, the individual cold air outflows lose their own identity and merge into a single, stationary, cold air outflow region. Gravity waves tend to suppress this new stationary cold air outflow after the collision. The region of upward motion associated with the collision is confined to a very shallow layer. In a moving airstream, a density current produced by a heat sink may be suppressed or enhanced nonlinearly by an adjacent heat sink due to the wave-outflow interaction.

Lin, Yuh-Lang↗