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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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279 records · Page 16

Detailed Velocity, Temperature, and Heat Flux Measurements on a Large Scale Film Cooling Model

To investigate the flow physics of turbine film cooling, detailed mean and fluctuating velocity and temperature surveys were made in the turbulent jet flow field behind a row of large scale film cooling holes. Additionally, surface heat transfer, film effectiveness, and turbulent heat flux values were determined. Measurements were made in the NASA Engine Research Building (ERB) SW-6 test facility, which consists of an 8.15-in2 open-inlet wind tunnel with a temperature-controlled secondary flow system. The film-cooling test plate fit into the wind tunnel such that the heat transfer surface formed the wind tunnel floor. This plate consisted of a three-hole array of film cooling holes that were fed from a plenum of different temperature.

Fluid Mechanics↗

Development and Assessment of a New Particle Image Velocimetry System in the NASA GRC 225 cm2 Wind Tunnel

As part of an ongoing campaign to provide detailed and thorough measurements in a two-dimensional impinging shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI), a custom implementation of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement technique in the NASA Glenn 225 cm2 Wind Tunnel was constructed. The flow seeding apparatus was devised to locally seed the region of interest in the overall flowfield to avoid coating the viewing window with seed material. The ability of the PIV system to provide small particles which faithfully track the underlying gas-phase flowfield was of key importance for the success of this system to make quality measurements in the SWBLI flowfield. In order to optimize and assess the performance of the particle seeding system, PIV measurements were made across a planar oblique shock wave and particle response was analyzed to quantify the particle lag effects due to the finite inertia of the seed droplets. Video recordings from a camera placed in the wind tunnel plenum tank were also used to discern the near-field behavior of the seeded plume and guide the design evolution of the seeding apparatus. The resulting optimized seeding configuration was applied to make PIV measurements in the wind tunnel test section boundary layer to assess the seed particle spatial coverage and concentration. This sample boundary layer dataset provides an analog to the eventual boundary layer measurements to be made in the axisymmetric test section under much more challenged viewing conditions.

PIV↗

Development and Assessment of a New Particle Image Velocimetry System in the NASA GRC 225 cm2 Wind Tunnel

As part of an ongoing campaign to provide detailed and thorough measurements in a two-dimensional impinging shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction (SWBLI), a custom implementation of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement technique in the NASA Glenn 225 cm2 Wind Tunnel was constructed. The flow seeding apparatus was devised to locally seed the region of interest in the overall flowfield to avoid coating the viewing window with seed material. The ability of the PIV system to provide small particles which faithfully track the underlying gas-phase flowfield was of key importance for the success of this system to make quality measurements in the SWBLI flowfield. In order to optimize and assess the performance of the particle seeding system, PIV measurements were made across a planar oblique shock wave and particle response was analyzed to quantify the particle lag effects due to the finite inertia of the seed droplets. Video recordings from a camera placed in the wind tunnel plenum tank were also used to discern the near-field behavior of the seeded plume and guide the design evolution of the seeding apparatus. The resulting optimized seeding configuration was applied to make PIV measurements in the wind tunnel test section boundary layer to assess the seed particle spatial coverage and concentration. This sample boundary layer dataset provides an analog to the eventual boundary layer measurements to be made in the axisymmetric test section under much more challenged viewing conditions.

PIV↗

Measurements of Temperature and Enthalpy in NASA Ames 60-MW Arcjet using Atomic Oxygen and Atomic Nitrogen Absorption

We report on measurements of temperature and enthalpy in the 60-MW Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) Arcjet at the NASA Ames Research Center. These quantities were measured at sub-second temporal resolution using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, employing four Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers to simultaneously probe the arcjet flow. Optical access was achieved through a specially-designed optical disk mounted in series with the modules of the arc heater in the add-air plenum of the column, which is positioned between the downstream electrodes and the nozzle. Gas at this measurement location serves as the reservoir condition for the ensuing supersonic expansion. Conditions in the reservoir are extreme, with temperatures between 5000-8000 K and pressures between 1-9 atm. Absorption from the 5S state of atomic oxygen at 777.2 nm and the 4P state of atomic nitrogen at 868.0 nm, two electronically-excited quantum states, formed the basis of the flow characterization measurements. Fiber-coupled laser light was pitched through the IHF via 1/8" ports in the optical disks, permitting optical access with minimal intrusion to the flow. Data was collected at 3 nominal conditions, a Low condition (1600 A, 2000 V, 0.13 kg/s), a Medium condition (3500 A, 5700 V, 0.61 kg/s), and a High condition (5900 A, 6800 V, 0.84 kg/s). Measurements suggest agreement within 1-2% between excited oxygen and excited nitrogen thermometry, indicating approximate thermal and chemical equilibration of the arcjet reservoir state, a result in keeping with long-standing assumptions of CFD modelling. Spatial gradients are found in the flow due to enthalpy loss to the facility walls, but the measured spatial non-uniformities are consistent with axi-symmetry. Measurements of specific enthalpy in the reservoir are also made utilizing excited oxygen and excited nitrogen absorption under the assumption of chemical equilibration.

Peter M. Finch↗

Lessons Learned From Designing and Building Low Organic Outgassing Cleanrooms for NASA OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 Curation Facility

NASA Johnson Space Center Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office completed construction and commissioning of the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 cleanroom laboratory suites along with new precision cleaning and advanced curation laboratories consisting of ISO Class 5, 6, and 7 cleanrooms. The new curation facilities are designed for initial receiving, basic characterization, curation processing, and preliminary examination of carbonaceous asteroidal material. The facilities are also designed to enable long-term pristine sample storage to preserve the scientific integrity of each sample to enable future research by the international science community. The scientific study of organics is critical for both missions. The OSIRIS-REx mission instituted a stringent contamination control plan for low organics. Given these mission requirements and long-term storage preservation requirements, cleanroom construction materials were carefully selected to not hinder the scientific search for amino acids and the study of organics in the samples. Cleanroom candidate construction materials were researched for the HVAC system, floors, walls, ceiling, and plenum areas. The team chose several candidate materials that were further tested for their specific outgassing characteristics using ASTM E-595 per ASTM E-2312. The information gained provided the foundation for the final design selection of the cleanroom materials. While material selection is important before and during the facility design phase, the construction phase is where these choices are implemented by the prime construction contractor through final product and material submittals. These submittals are the last check point and changes are often submitted due to engineering/construction conflicts, especially when renovating an existing building. Any new material or equipment/product change must be identified and scrutinized for low particulate shedding and outgassing properties. In some cases, quick testing of new material is required, and compromises must be made in real-time. Careful selection and implementation of cleanroom materials significantly reduced organic and inorganic contamination beyond normal cleanroom baselines.

astromaterials curation↗

Lessons Learned From Designing and Building Low Organic Outgassing Cleanrooms for NASA OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 Curation Facility

NASA Johnson Space Center Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office completed construction and commissioning of the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 cleanroom laboratory suites along with new precision cleaning and advanced curation laboratories consisting of ISO Class 5, 6, and 7 cleanrooms. The new curation facilities are designed for initial receiving, basic characterization, curation processing, and preliminary examination of carbonaceous asteroidal material. The facilities are also designed to enable long-term pristine sample storage to preserve the scientific integrity of each sample to enable future research by the international science community. The scientific study of organics is critical for both missions. The OSIRIS-REx mission instituted a stringent contamination control plan for low organics. Given these mission requirements and long-term storage preservation requirements, cleanroom construction materials were carefully selected to not hinder the scientific search for amino acids and the study of organics in the samples. Cleanroom candidate construction materials were researched for the HVAC system, floors, walls, ceiling, and plenum areas. The team chose several candidate materials that were further tested for their specific outgassing characteristics using ASTM E-595 per ASTM E-2312. The information gained provided the foundation for the final design selection of the cleanroom materials. While material selection is important before and during the facility design phase, the construction phase is where these choices are implemented by the prime construction contractor through final product and material submittals. These submittals are the last check point and changes are often submitted due to engineering/construction conflicts, especially when renovating an existing building. Any new material or equipment/product change must be identified and scrutinized for low particulate shedding and outgassing properties. In some cases, quick testing of new material is required, and compromises must be made in real-time. Careful selection and implementation of cleanroom materials significantly reduced organic and inorganic contamination beyond normal cleanroom baselines.

astromaterials curation↗

Characterization of an Optically Accessible RP/GOx Rotating Detonation Engine

The accurate characterization of the dynamic response of liquid jets to transient detonation wave passage is crucial for optimizing and modeling liquid-fueled rotating detonation combustors. To address this need, we have developed an optically accessible rocket RDE (RP-RDE), which utilizes liquid RP-1 and gaseous oxygen as propellants and operates at elevated pressures. The experimental setup features optical access from the oxidizer injection plenum to the combustor exit, allowing for detailed characterization of injection, mixing, and combustion processes and their impact on the detonation wave structure. To design and develop the liquid injection scheme for the RP-RDE test article, we employed a combined experimental and numerical approach that included cold-flow simulations. Our aim was to optimize the liquid injection process and ensure that the resulting fuel-oxidizer mixture is homogeneous and stable. To this end, high-speed optical imaging will be employed to provide qualitative visualization of the liquid and gaseous phases of the propellant as well as the local heat release during detonation wave propagation through the non-premixed medium. This work will provide critical insights into the behavior of the transient detonation waves in more relevant rocket conditions, which is essential for the optimization and modeling of rotating detonation combustors.

Propulsion↗

Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren at the 0.3-M Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel and the National Transonic Facility

The implementation of a self-aligned focusing schlieren (SAFS) system at two cryogenic wind tunnels at NASA Langley Research Center is discussed. Risk-reduction testing of the SAFS system was first performed at the 0.3-M Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel to evaluate the system’s operation in a small-scale characteristic cryogenic facility. Testing was conducted with three models: a three-quarter span 25.4-mm-diameter cylinder, a semi-span 65A006 tapered unswept airfoil, and a full-span SC(3)-0712 airfoil. Testing with the cylinder and semi-span airfoil revealed a highly dynamic shock environment, whereas the shock on the full-span airfoil was stationary, solidifying the usage of this model for a pre-/post-shock particle tracking velocimetry measurement. Temperature-induced polarization-altering window stresses were encountered during low-temperature testing, and were mitigated using a “non-ideal” quartz/quartz Rochon prism that had largely been neglected since the SAFS system’s first introduction in favor of the more favorable “ideal” glass/quartz Rochon prism. The size of the SAFS system was then decreased in order to fit inside an environmentally-controlled camera can enclosure at the National Transonic Facility (NTF) for testing of a sting-mounted aircraft model. The SAFS system was demonstrated to be effective at filtering out the large density gradient flow in the 0.3-M plenum, and the thick, high density turbulent boundary layers on the wind tunnel walls at the NTF. Results of the testing campaigns and improvements to future systems are discussed.

Joshua M. Weisberger↗

Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren at the 0.3-M Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel and the National Transonic Facility

The implementation of a self-aligned focusing schlieren (SAFS) system at two cryogenic wind tunnels at NASA Langley Research Center is discussed. Risk-reduction testing of the SAFS system was first performed at the 0.3-M Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel to evaluate the system’s operation in a small-scale characteristic cryogenic facility. Testing was conducted with three models: a three-quarter span 25.4-mm-diameter cylinder, a semi-span 65A006 tapered unswept airfoil, and a full-span SC(3)-0712 airfoil. Testing with the cylinder and semi-span airfoil revealed a highly dynamic shock environment, whereas the shock on the full-span airfoil was stationary, solidifying the usage of this model for a pre-/post-shock particle tracking velocimetry measurement. Temperature-induced polarization-altering window stresses were encountered during low-temperature testing and were mitigated using a “non-ideal” quartz/quartz Rochon prism that had largely been neglected since the SAFS system’s first introduction in favor of the more favorable “ideal” glass/quartz Rochon prism. The size of the SAFS system was then decreased in order to fit inside an environmentally controlled camera can enclosure at the National Transonic Facility (NTF) for testing of a sting-mounted aircraft model. The SAFS system was demonstrated to be effective at filtering out the large density gradient flow in the0.3-M plenum, and the thick, high density turbulent boundary layers on the wind tunnel walls at the NTF. Results of the testing campaigns and improvements to future systems are discussed.

Joshua M Weisberger↗