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At least 289 records · Page 16

Generation and Computerized Simulation of Meshing and Contact of Modified Involute Helical Gears

The design and generation of modified involute helical gears that have a localized and stable bearing contact, and reduced noise and vibration characteristics are described. The localization of the bearing contact is achieved by the mismatch of the two generating surfaces that are used for generation of the pinion and the gear. The reduction of noise and vibration will be achieved by application of a parabolic function of transmission errors that is able to absorb the almost linear function of transmission errors caused by gear misalignment. The meshing and contact of misaligned gear drives can be analyzed by application of computer programs that have been developed. The computations confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed modification of the gear geometry. A numerical example that illustrates the developed theory is provided.

Litvin, Faydor L.↗

A Linear-Elasticity Solver for Higher-Order Space-Time Mesh Deformation

A linear-elasticity approach is presented for the generation of meshes appropriate for a higher-order space-time discontinuous finite-element method. The equations of linear-elasticity are discretized using a higher-order, spatially-continuous, finite-element method. Given an initial finite-element mesh, and a specified boundary displacement, we solve for the mesh displacements to obtain a higher-order curvilinear mesh. Alternatively, for moving-domain problems we use the linear-elasticity approach to solve for a temporally discontinuous mesh velocity on each time-slab and recover a continuous mesh deformation by integrating the velocity. The applicability of this methodology is presented for several benchmark test cases.

higher-order↗

An analytical transformation technique for generating uniformly spaced computational mesh

An analytical transformation method which can map arbitrary physical coordinate grid distribution into desired computational coordinate with uniform grid distribution is derived. The transformation function and its higher derivatives are differentiable. Salient features include; (1) precise control of grid sizes; (2) more than one location of clustered grids; (3) exact positioning of particular computational nodes in the physical plane; and (4) ensuring several patches of uniformly spaced grids in the physical plane for the higher accuracies (such as at the boundaries), etc., while keeping the variation of grid spacing continuous to avoid numerical instability.

Oh, Y. H.↗

A Tutorial for Using the CGT Script Library to Generate and Assemble Overset Meshes

The purpose of this document is to introduce a new user to the procedures for overset CFD analysis by building scripts based on the CGT Script Library. Parameterized inputs are built into the steps of the process which include creation and manipulation of geometry, and surface and volume meshing. In preparation for performing computations in the flow solver, further steps are constructed for specification of inputs for domain connectivity, flow solver boundary conditions, and components for computation of aerodynamic forces/moments. The JCLV rocket will be used as an example geometry for this demonstration.

Script↗

Evaluating Performance of Components

Parallel Component Performance Benchmarks is a computer program developed to aid the evaluation of the Common Component Architecture (CCA) - a software architecture, based on a component model, that was conceived to foster high-performance computing, including parallel computing. More specifically, this program compares the performances (principally by measuring computing times) of componentized versus conventional versions of the Parallel Pyramid 2D Adaptive Mesh Refinement library - a software library that is used to generate computational meshes for solving physical problems and that is typical of software libraries in use at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Katz, Daniel↗

A mesh regeneration method using quadrilateral and triangular elements for compressible flows

An adaptive remeshing method using both triangular and quadrilateral elements suitable for high-speed viscous flows is presented. For inviscid flows, the method generates completely unstructured meshes. For viscous flows, structured meshes are generated for boundary layers, and unstructured meshes are generated for inviscid flow regions. Examples of inviscid and viscous adaptations for high-speed flows are presented.

Vemaganti, G. R.↗

Beta Testing of CFD Code for the Analysis of Combustion Systems

A preliminary version of OpenNCC was tested to assess its accuracy in generating steady-state temperature fields for combustion systems at atmospheric conditions using three-dimensional tetrahedral meshes. Meshes were generated from a CAD model of a single-element lean-direct injection combustor, and the latest version of OpenNCC was used to calculate combustor temperature fields. OpenNCC was shown to be capable of generating sustainable reacting flames using a tetrahedral mesh, and the subsequent results were compared to experimental results. While nonreacting flow results closely matched experimental results, a significant discrepancy was present between the code's reacting flow results and experimental results. When wide air circulation regions with high velocities were present in the model, this appeared to create inaccurately high temperature fields. Conversely, low recirculation velocities caused low temperature profiles. These observations will aid in future modification of OpenNCC reacting flow input parameters to improve the accuracy of calculated temperature fields.

Temperature↗

Verification of Anisotropic Mesh Adaptation for Complex Aerospace Applications

The stabilized finite element solver, FUN3D-SFE, along with the grid mechanics package refine are verified for aerospace applications of laminar and turbulent flow simulations. The current verification exercise represents an extension of previous research using FUN3D-SFEwith adjoint-based mesh adaptation to generate highly anisotropic adapted meshes for inviscid problems. Adaptations are performed using a solution-based approach that controls the Lpnorm of Mach number interpolation error and an adjoint-based approach that controls the error in some output functional. Adaptive results are shown for laminar subsonic flow over a delta wing, laminar subsonic flow over ONERA M6 wing, inviscid supersonic flow over a sonic boom test case, and a turbulent flow over a high lift configuration (JAXA Standard Model). Mesh convergence results are also compared with results from FUN3D-FV (Finite Volume) whenever available. For all test cases considered, FUN3D-SFE gives significantly better accurate results than FUN3D-FV on coarse meshes.

Aravind Balan↗

Investigation of advanced counterrotation blade configuration concepts for high speed turboprop systems. Task 4: Advanced fan section aerodynamic analysis

The purpose of this study is the development of a three-dimensional Euler/Navier-Stokes flow analysis for fan section/engine geometries containing multiple blade rows and multiple spanwise flow splitters. An existing procedure developed by Dr. J. J. Adamczyk and associates and the NASA Lewis Research Center was modified to accept multiple spanwise splitter geometries and simulate engine core conditions. The procedure was also modified to allow coarse parallelization of the solution algorithm. This document is a final report outlining the development and techniques used in the procedure. The numerical solution is based upon a finite volume technique with a four stage Runge-Kutta time marching procedure. Numerical dissipation is used to gain solution stability but is reduced in viscous dominated flow regions. Local time stepping and implicit residual smoothing are used to increase the rate of convergence. Multiple blade row solutions are based upon the average-passage system of equations. The numerical solutions are performed on an H-type grid system, with meshes being generated by the system (TIGG3D) developed earlier under this contract. The grid generation scheme meets the average-passage requirement of maintaining a common axisymmetric mesh for each blade row grid. The analysis was run on several geometry configurations ranging from one to five blade rows and from one to four radial flow splitters. Pure internal flow solutions were obtained as well as solutions with flow about the cowl/nacelle and various engine core flow conditions. The efficiency of the solution procedure was shown to be the same as the original analysis.

Crook, Andrew J.↗

Generalised Primal-Dual Grids for Unstructured Co-Volume Schemes

The generation of high-quality staggered unstructured grids is considered, leading to the development of a new optimisation-based strategy designed to construct weighted 'Regular-Power' tessellations appropriate for co-volume type numerical discretisation techniques. This new framework aims to extend the conventional Delaunay-Voronoi primal-dual structure; seeking to assemble generalised orthogonal tessellations with enhanced geometric quality. The construction of these grids is motivated by the desire to improve the performance and accuracy of numerical methods based on unstructured co-volume type schemes, including various staggered grid techniques for the simulation of fluid dynamics and hyperbolic transport. In this study, a new hybrid optimisation strategy is proposed; seeking to optimise the geometry, topology and weights associated with general, two-dimensional Regular-Power tessellations using a combination of gradient-ascent and energy-based techniques. The performance of this new method is tested experimentally, with a range of complex, multi-resolution primal-dual grids generated for various coastal and regional ocean modelling applications.

power diagrams↗

Application of a numerical orthogonal coordinate generator to axisymmetric blunt bodies

An application of a simple numerical technique which allows for the rapid construction of orthogonal coordinate systems about axisymmetric blunt bodies is presented. This technique can generate orthogonal meshes which have unequally spaced points in two directions. Relations are given for the numerical generation of the metric coefficients. Body shapes ranging from simple analytical bodies to complex reverse curvature bodies are presented together with their orthogonal coordinate systems. The relatively good accuracy of the technique is shown in tabular data describing coordinate line slopes and metric coefficients. The predictor-corrector numerical method used to generate these results is both simple in concept and easy to program, so that the application of the technique should be broader than the results presented.

Graves, R. A., Jr.↗

Analysis of a finite difference grid

Some means of assessing the suitability of a mesh network for a finite difference calculation are investigated in this study. This has been done by a study of the nonlinear truncation errors of the scheme. It turns out that the mesh can not be properly assessed a priori. The effect of the mesh on the numerical solution depends on several factors including the mesh itself, the numerical algorithm, and the solution. Several recommendations are made with regard to generating the mesh and to assessing its suitability for a particular numerical calculation.

Klopfer, G. H.↗

FORTRAN program for generating a two-dimensional orthogonal mesh between two arbitrary boundaries

A FORTRAN 4 program is presented which computes and plots coordinates for a two-dimensional orthogonal mesh in the region between the walls of a flow channel. The program is designed for a channel containing a body about which flow passes and which spans the channel from one wall to the other. However, the condition that the channel contain an immersed body can be easily removed from the program. Input to the program consists of spline points of the channel walls and the body geometry. Output includes printed and plotted coordinates of the generated orthogonal mesh and angles of the mesh with the horizontal plane.

Mcnally, W. D.↗

An adaptive computation mesh for the solution of singular perturbation problems

In singular perturbation problems, control of zone size variation can affect the effort required to obtain accurate, numerical solutions of finite difference equations. The mesh is generated by the solution of potential equations. Numerical results for a singular perturbation problem in two dimensions are presented. The mesh was used in calculations of resistive magnetohydrodynamic flow in two dimensions.

Brackbill, J. U.↗

Algebraic grid generation with corner singularities

A simple noniterative algebraic procedure is presented for generating smooth computational meshes on a quadrilateral topology. Coordinate distribution and normal derivative are provided on all boundaries, one of which may include a slope discontinuity. The boundary conditions are sufficient to guarantee continuity of global meshes formed of joined patches generated by the procedure. The method extends to 3-D. The procedure involves a synthesis of prior techniques stretching functions, cubic blending functions, and transfinite interpolation - to which is added the functional form of the corner solution. The procedure introduces the concept of generalized blending, which is implemented as an automatic scaling of the boundary derivatives for effective interpolation. Some implications of the treatment at boundaries for techniques solving elliptic PDE's are discussed in an Appendix.

Vinokur, M.↗

Adjoint-Based Mesh Adaptation for the Sonic Boom Signature Loudness

The mesh adaptation functionality of FUN3D is utilized to obtain a mesh optimized to calculate sonic boom ground signature loudness. During this process, the coupling between the discrete-adjoints of the computational fluid dynamics tool FUN3D and the atmospheric propagation tool sBOOM is exploited to form the error estimate. This new mesh adaptation methodology will allow generation of suitable meshes adapted to reduce the estimated errors in the ground loudness, which is an optimization metric employed in supersonic aircraft design. This new output-based adaptation could allow new insights into meshing for sonic boom analysis and design, and complements existing output-based adaptation techniques such as adaptation to reduce estimated errors in off-body pressure functional. This effort could also have implications for other coupled multidisciplinary adjoint capabilities (e.g., aeroelasticity) as well as inclusion of propagation specific parameters such as prevailing winds or non-standard atmospheric conditions. Results are discussed in the context of existing methods and appropriate conclusions are drawn as to the efficacy and efficiency of the developed capability.

Rallabhandi, Sriram K.↗

CAS2D: FORTRAN program for nonrotating blade-to-blade, steady, potential transonic cascade flows

An exact, full-potential-equation (FPE) model for the steady, irrotational, homentropic and homoenergetic flow of a compressible, homocompositional, inviscid fluid through two dimensional planar cascades of airfoils was derived, together with its appropriate boundary conditions. A computer program, CAS2D, was developed that numerically solves an artificially time-dependent form of the actual FPE. The governing equation was discretized by using type-dependent, rotated finite differencing and the finite area technique. The flow field was discretized by providing a boundary-fitted, nonuniform computational mesh. The mesh was generated by using a sequence of conforming mapping, nonorthogonal coordinate stretching, and local, isoparametric, bilinear mapping functions. The discretized form of the FPE was solved iteratively by using successive line overrelaxation. The possible isentropic shocks were correctly captured by adding explicitly an artificial viscosity in a conservative form. In addition, a three-level consecutive, mesh refinement feature makes CAS2D a reliable and fast algorithm for the analysis of transonic, two dimensional cascade flows.

Dulikravich, D. S.↗

A simple numerical orthogonal coordinate generator for fluid dynamic applications

An application of a simple numerical technique which allows for the rapid construction of orthogonal coordinate systems about two dimensional and axisymmetric bodies is presented. The technique is based on a predictor corrector numerical method. It can be used to generate orthogonal meshes which have unequally spaced points in two directions. These orthogonal meshes in their transformed computational plane are, however, equally spaced so that the differencing for the metric coefficients and the fluid dynamic equation terms can be easily determined using equally spaced central finite differences. Solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations for flow over blunt bodies with reverse curvature are presented. The coupling of the time dependent fluid dynamic equations and the coordinate generator worked well with no undesirable effects noted.

Graves, R. A., Jr.↗