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At least 271 records · Page 15

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NASA NTRS1988

Acoustic measurement of the surface tension of levitated drops

The measurement of the frequency of the fundamental mode of shape oscillation of acoustically levitated drops has been carried out to determine the surface tension of the drop material. Sound fields of about 20 kHz in frequency allow the suspension of drops a few millimeters in size, as well as the necessary drive for oscillations. The surface tension of water, hexadecane, silicone oil, and aqueous solutions of glycerin levitated in air has been measured, and the results have been compared with those obtained with standard ring tensiometry. The two sets of data are in good agreement, the largest discrepancy being about 10 percent. Uncertainties in the effects of the nonspherical static shape of drops levitated in the earth's gravitational field and the rotation state of the sample are the major contributors to the experimental error. A decrease of the resonance frequency of the fundamental mode indicates a soft nonlinearity as the oscillation amplitude increases.

Trinh, E. H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Three-dimensional trajectory analyses of two drop sizing instruments - PMS OAP and PMS FSSP

Flow induced distortions of water drop fluxes and speeds seen by the instruments were predicted by use of three dimensional flow and trajectory calculation methods. Sensitivities were determined for the instruments, in isolation and mounted under the wing of an airplane, to: water drop diameter (2 to 1000 microns), angle of attack and free stream air speed. For the optical array probe in isolation and on the airplane at 0 deg angle of attack, flux distortions of practical consequence are not found. At 4 deg airplane angle of attack, partial flow stagnation under the uptilted wing causes significant decreases in both flux and speed for cloud size droplets. For the forward scattering spectrometer probe in isolation, only marginally significant sensitivities to free stream air speed are found, and no sensitivity is found to angle of attack. Both speed and flux of cloud size droplets are predicted to be undermeasured by from 12 to 24 percent depending on airplane angle of attack. For the wing-mounted instruments, effects of flow about the instruments themselves are found to be equal in importance to effects of flow about the airplane. Preferred orientation (canting) angles of distorted water drops are found to be functions of drop size, angle of attack and air speed.

Norment, Hillyer G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Evaporation, ignition and combustion of nondilute clusters of drops

A theory of evaporation, ignition, and burning of moderately dense spherical drop clusters has been developed. The theory takes into account burning of premixed air and fuel internal to the cluster at ignition and subsequent burning of fuel emitted from the cluster by a flame sheet surrounding it. The model considers interdrop interaction, momentum exchange between drops and gas, and turbulent exchange processes between the cluster and its surroundings. Calcualtions are performed for varying initial air to fuel mass ratios, initial cluster radii, ambient gas temperatures, and initial drop temperatures. Results are presented for fuel burn fractions at ignition and at the moment of drop disappearance, as well as jump conditions at ignition.

Bellan, J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Turbulent flow preasure drop in various He II transfer system components

Pressure drop experiments in highly turbulent He II flow were performed in flow loops driven by either a centrifugal pump or a single-stroke bellows pump. Pressure drops in straight tubing, coiled tubing, bellows sections, valves and Venturi flow meters were measured over a range of flow rates and temperatures. Our pressure drop data are in general agreement with classical fluid correlations when the He II normal component viscosity is used in calculating the Reynolds number. Cavitation and, in some cases, metastable superheating were observed in pressure drop measurements with Venturis in both centrifugal and bellows pump flow circuits.

Walstrom, P. L.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Solidification by radiative cooling of a cylindrical region filled with drops

Transient cooling by radiation is analyzed for a cylindrical region filled with axially flowing streams of drops that are becoming solidified. This is of interest for the dissipation of waste heat from orbiting power system in space. The drops absorb, emit, and scatter radiation, and the surroundings are at a lower uniform temperature. The radiative properties are assumed gray, and the scattering is isotropic. The radiating region is a two-phase mixture that remains at the melting temperature of the drops. Its temperature uniformity maintains a high emissive power as energy is lost. This is an advantage over a sensible heat radiator in which the temperature decreases, thereby reducing the emissive power. The results provide the axial length that remains two-phase and the fraction of energy dissipated within this length in which the emissive power has not decreased because of sensible cooling. It is also shown how the radial distribution of the axial velocity of the drops can be modified to increase this energy fraction.

Siegel, Robert↗

NASA NTRS1991

Experiments On Rotating, Charged Liquid Drops

Report describes experiments in which electrically charged drops of liquid levitated electrostatically and rotated and vibrated acoustically. Discusses possibility of measuring charges of drops of low-viscosity liquids by drop-oscillation method, and measurement of surface tensions of highly viscous liquids by drop-rotation method. Results have implications for containerless processing and modeling of atomic nuclei.

Rhim, Won-Kyu↗

NASA NTRS1990

Drop evaporation in a single-axis acoustic levitator

A 20 kHz single-axis acoustic positioner is used to levitate aqueous-solution drops (volumes less than or approximately equal to 100 micro-liters). Drop evaporation rates are measured under ambient, isothermal conditions for different relative humidities. Acoustic convection around the levitated sample enhances the mass loss over that due to natural convection and diffusion. A theoretical treatment of the mass flow is developed in analogy to previous studies of the heat transfer from a sphere in an acoustic field. Predictions of the enhanced mass loss, in the form of Nusselt (Sherwood) numbers, are compared with observed rages of drop shrinking. The work is part of an ESA crystal growth from levitated solution drops.

Lierke, E. G.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Rheological properties, shape oscillations, and coalescence of liquid drops with surfactants

A method was developed to deduce dynamic interfacial properties of liquid drops. The method involves measuring the frequency and damping of free quadrupole oscillations of an acoustically levitated drop. Experimental results from pure liquid-liquid systems agree well with theoretical predictions. Additionally, the effects of surfactants is considered. Extension of these results to a proposed microgravity experiment on the drop physics module (DPM) in USML-1 are discussed. Efforts are also underway to model the time history of the thickness of the fluid layer between two pre-coalescence drops, and to measure the film thickness experimentally. Preliminary results will be reported, along with plans for coalescence experiments proposed for USML-1.

Apfel, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Initial drop size and velocity distributions for airblast coaxial atomizers

Phase Doppler measurements were used to determine initial drop size and velocity distributions after a complete disintegration of coaxial liquid jets. The Sauter mean diameter (SMD) distribution was found to be strongly affected by the structure and behavior of the preceding liquid intact jet. The axial measurement stations were determined from the photographs of the coaxial liquid jet at very short distances (1-2 mm) downstream of the observed break-up locations. Minimum droplet mean velocities were found at the center, and maximum velocities were near the spray boundary. Size-velocity correlations show that the velocity of larger drops did not change with drop size. Drop rms velocity distributions have double peaks whose radial positions coincide with the maximum mean velocity gradients.

Eroglu, H.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Nonlinear oscillations of inviscid free drops

The present analysis of free liquid drops' inviscid oscillations proceeds through solution of Bernoulli's equation to obtain the free surface shape and of Laplace's equation for the velocity potential field. Results thus obtained encompass drop-shape sequences, pressure distributions, particle paths, and the temporal evolution of kinetic and surface energies; accuracy is verified by the near-constant drop volume and total energy, as well as the diminutiveness of mass and momentum fluxes across drop surfaces. Further insight into the nature of oscillations is provided by Fourier power spectrum analyses of mode interactions and frequency shifts.

Patzek, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Two-phase pressure drop of ammonia in small diameter horizontal tubes

Data for pressure drop in adiabatic two-phase ammonia flows in small diameter horizontal tubes are presented. The data has direct application to the sizing of the flow-through radiator tubes in the Space Station Freedom heat rejection system. The data are compared to existing correlations for pressure drop and are found to be significantly lower than the most commonly used correlations. However, several of the less commonly used correlations predict the data accurately. Alternate pressure drop prediction methods are explored and a recommendation is made for a method to accurately predict the pressure drop in two-phase ammonia flows in small horizontal tubes.

Ungar, Eugene K.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Response of laminated composite plates to low-speed impact by airgun-propelled and dropped-weight impactors

An analytical procedure has been developed to determine the transient response of simply supported, rectangular laminated composite plates subjected to impact loads from airgun-propelled or dropped-weight impactors. A first-order shear-deformation theory has been included in the analysis to represent properly any local short-wavelength transient bending response. The impact force has been modeled as a locally distributed load with a cosine-cosine distribution. A double Fourier series expansion and the Timoshenko small increment method have been used to determine the contact force, out-of-plane deflections, and inplane strains and stresses at any plate location due to an impact force at any plate location. The results of experimental and analytical studies are compared for quasi-isotropic laminates. The results indicate the importance of including transverse shear deformation effects in the analysis for predicting the response of laminated plates subjected to both airgun-propelled and dropped-weight impactors. The results also indicate that plate boundary conditions influence the axial strains more significantly than the contact force for a dropped-weight impactor. The results of parametric studies identify a scaling approach based on impactor momentum that suggests an explanation for the differences in the responses of plates impacted by airgun-propelled or dropped-weight impactors.

Prasad, Chunchu B.↗

NASA NTRS1932

Static, Drop, and Flight Tests on Musselman Type Airwheels

The purpose of this investigation was to obtain quantitative information on the shock-reducing and energy-dissipating qualities of a set of 30 by 13-6 Musselman type airwheels. The investigation consisted of static, drop, and flight tests. The static tests were made with inflation pressures of approximately 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 pounds per square inch and loadings up to 9,600 pounds. The drop tests were with the inflation pressures approximately 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 pounds per square inch and loadings of 1,840, 2,440, 3,050, and 3,585 pounds. The flight tests were made with VE-7 airplane weighing 2,153 pounds, with the tires inflated to 5, 10, and 15 pounds per square inch. The landing gears used in conjunction with airwheels were practically rigid structures. The results of the tests showed that the walls of the tires carried a considerable portion of the load, each tire supporting a load of 600 pounds with a depression of approximately 6 inches. The shock-reducing qualities, under severe tests, and the energy dissipating characteristics of the tires, under all tests, were poor. The latter was evidenced by the rebound present in all landings made. In the severe drop tests, the free rebound reached as much as 60 per cent of the free drop. The results indicate that a shock-reducing and energy-dissipating mechanism should be used in conjunction with airwheels.

Peck, William C↗

NASA NTRS1994

Ground based studies of thermocapillary flows in levitated drops

Analytical studies along with ground-based experiments are presently being carried out in connection with thermocapillary phenomena associated with drops and bubbles in a containerless environment. The effort here focuses on the thermal and the fluid phenomena associated with the local heating of acoustically levitated drops, both at 1-g and at low-g. In particular, the Marangoni effect on drops under conditions of local spot-heating and other types of heating are being studied. With the experiments conducted to date, fairly stable acoustic levitation of drops has been achieved and successful flow visualization by light scattering from smoke particles has been carried out. The results include situations with and without heating. As a preliminary qualitative interpretation of these experimental results, we consider the external flow pattern as a superposition of three discrete circulation cells operating on different spatial scales. The observations of the flow fields also indicate the existence of a steady state torque induced by the streaming flows. The theoretical studies have been concentrated on the analysis of streaming flows in a gaseous medium with the presence of a spherical particle undergoing periodic heating. A matched asymptotic analysis was carried out for small parameters derived from approximations in the high frequency range. The heating frequency being 'in tune' with the acoustic frequency results in a nonzero time-averaged thermal field. This leads to a steady heat flow across the equatorial plane of the sphere.

Sadhal, Satwindar Singh↗

NASA NTRS1994

Electrohydrodynamic deformation and interaction of a pair of emulsion drops

The response of a pair of emulsion drops to the imposition of a uniform electric field is examined. The case studied is that of equal-sized drops whose line of centers is parallel to the axis of the applied field. A new boundary integral solution to the governing equations of the leaky dielectric model is developed; the formulation accounts for the electrostatic and hydrodynamic interactions between the drops, as well as their deformations. Numerical calculations show that, after an initial transient during which the drops primarily deform, the pair drift slowly together due to their electrostatic interactions.

Baygents, James C.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Velocity and drop size measurements in a confined, swirl-stabilized, combusting spray

Drop size and velocity measurements in a confined, swirl-stabilized, reacting spray are presented. The configuration consisted of a center-mounted research air-assist atomizer surrounded by a coflowing air stream. A quartz tube surrounded the burner and provided the confinement. Both the air-assist and coflow streams had swirl imparted to them in the same direction with 45-degree-angle swirlers. The fuel and air entered the combustor at ambient temperature. The gas-phase measurements reported were obtained from the velocity drops with a mean diameter of four microns. Heptane fuel was used for all the experiments. Measurements of drop size and velocity, gas-phase velocity and drop number flux are reported for axial distances of 23, 5, 10, 15, 25, and 50 mm downstream of the nozzle. The measurements were performed using a two-component phase/Doppler particle analyzer. Profiles across the entire flowfield are presented.

Bulzan, Daniel L.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Studies of the Stability and Dynamics of Levitated Drops

This is a review of our experimental and theoretical studies relating to equilibrium and stability of liquid drops, typically of low viscosity, levitated in air by a sound field. The major emphasis here is on the physical principles and understanding behind the stability of levitated drops. A comparison with experimental data is also given, along with some fascinating pictures from high-speed photography. One of the aspects we shall deal with is how a drop can suddenly burst in an intense sound field; a phenomenon which can find applications in atomization technology. Also, we are currently investigating the phenomenon of suppression of coalescence between drops levitated in intense acoustic fields.

Anikumar, A.↗

NASA NTRS1996

The Dynamics of Ultrasonically Levitated Drops in an Electric Field

Ultrasonic and electrostatic levitation techniques have allowed the experimental investigation of the nonlinear oscillatory dynamics of free droplets with diameter between 0.1 and 0.4 cm. The measurement of the resonance frequencies of the first three normal modes of large amplitude shape oscillations in an electric field of varying magnitude has been carried out with and without surface charges for weakly conducting liquids in air. These oscillations of nonspherical levitated drops have been driven by either modulating the ultrasonic field or by using a time-varying electric field, and the free decay from the oscillatory state has been recorded. A decrease in the resonance frequency of the driven fundamental quadrupole mode has been measured for increasing oblate deformation in the absence of an electric field. Similarly, a decrease in this frequency has also been found for increasing DC electric field magnitude. A soft nonlinearity exists in the amplitude dependence of the resonant mode frequencies for freely decaying as well as ultrasonically and electrically driven uncharged drops. This decrease in resonance frequency is accentuated by the presence of free surface charge on the drop. Subharmonic resonance excitation has been observed for drops in a time-varying electric field, and hysteresis exists for resonant modes driven to large amplitude. Mode coupling from lower-order resonances to higher-order modes has been found to be very weak, even for fairly large amplitude shape oscillations. Most of these results are in general agreement with predictions from recent analytical and numerical investigations.

Trinh, E. H.↗