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At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1946

Performance of the Modified V-1710-93 Engine-Stage Supercharger with a Constant-Area Vaneless Diffuser

As part of an investigation to increase the power output of the V-1710-93 engine at altitude, the engine-stage supercharger was combined with a constant-area vaneless diffuser designed to improve the performance of the engine-stage supercharger at the rated engine operating point. The performance of the modified supercharger was investigated in a variable-component supercharger test rig and compared with that of the standard supercharger with an 8-vaned diffuser. A separate evaluation of the component efficiencies and a study of the flow characteristics of the modified supercharger was made possible by internal diffuser instrumentation. At the volume flow required by the engine for rated operating conditions, the modified supercharger increased the over-all adiabatic efficiency 0.05 and the over-all pressure coefficient 0.035. Furthermore, the capacity of the engine-stage supercharger was increased by replacing the standard 8-vaned diffuser with the vaneless diffuser. The peak over-all adiabatic efficiency for the modified supercharger, however, was 0.05 to 0.07 lower than that of the standard unit over the range of tip speeds investigated. The improved performance of the modified supercharger at rated engine operating conditions resulted from a shift of the point of peak adiabatic efficiency and pressure coefficient of the standard supercharger to a higher flow. The energy loss through the vaneless diffuser was found to be small. Because of the restricted diffuser diameter, however, diffusion was inadequate, which resulted in a relatively small static-pressure rise through the diffuser, high diffuser-exit velocities, and excessive collector-case losses.

Douglas, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

A study of casing treatment stall margin improvement phenomena

The results of a program of experimental and analytical research in casing treatments over axial compressor rotor blade tips are presented. Circumferential groove, axial-skewed slot and blade angle slot treatments were tested at low speeds. With the circumferential groove treatment the stalling flow was reduced 5.8% at negligible efficiency sacrifice. The axial-skewed slot treatment improved the stalling flow by 15.3%; 1.8 points in peak efficiency were sacrificed. The blade angle slot treatment improved the stalling flow by 15.0%; 1.4 points in peak efficiency were sacrificed. The favorable stalling flow situations correlated well with observations of higher-than-normal surface pressures on the rotor blade pressure surfaces in the tip region, and with increased maximum diffusions on the suction surfaces. Annulus wall pressure gradients, especially in the 50 to 75% chord region, are also increased and blade surface pressure loadings are shifted toward the trailing edge for treated configurations.

Prince, D. C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Basic research in fan source noise: Inlet distortion and turbulence noise

A widely recognized problem in jet engine fan noise is the discrepancy between inflight and static tests. This discrepancy consists of blade passing frequency tones, caused by ingested turbulence that appear in the static tests but not in flight. To reduce the ingested distortions and turbulence in an anechoic chamber, a reverse cone inlet is used to guide the air into the fan. This inlet also has provisions for boundary layer suction and is used in conjunction with a turbulence control structure (TCS) to condition the air impinging on the fan. The program was very successful in reducing the ingested turbulence, to the point where reductions in the acoustic power at blade passing frequency are as high as 18 db for subsonic tip speeds. Even with this large subsonic tone suppression, the supersonic tip speed tonal content remains largely unchanged, indicating that the TCS did not appreciably attenuate the noise but effects the generation via turbulence reduction. Turbulence mapping of the inlet confirmed that the tone reductions are due to a reduction in turbulence, as the low frequency power spectra of the streamwise and transverse turbulence were reduced by up to ten times and 100 times, respectively.

Kantola, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Orthotropic fracture using a singular isoparametric element

The six noded quarter point natural isoparametric triangular element is employed to obtain displacement and stress distributions in the vicinity of the crack tip in a center cracked tensile coupon of unidirectional graphite epoxy. The material is considered to be homogeneous, elastic and orthotropic. The finite element results are compared to the analytical solution of anisotropic elasticity. Convergence as a function of mesh parameters is studied for isotropic and orthotropic materials. It is shown that displacements converge faster than stresses and that meshes which are convergent for isotropic and orthotropic materials. It is shown that displacements converge faster than stresses and that meshes which are convergent for isotropic materials are not completely convergent for the highly orthotropic graphite epoxy.

Gregory, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Hydrogen effects on the age hardening behavior of 2024 aluminum

It has been found that the fatigue crack growth rate in aluminum alloys increases significantly in the presence of moisture. This phenomenon along with a moisture effect observed in another context has been attributed to 'embrittlement' of the aluminum by absorbed hydrogen generated by the reaction of moisture with freshly exposed aluminum. A description is given of a number of age hardening experiments involving 2024 aluminum. These experiments show that a mechanism related to the segregation of absorbed hydrogen to the coherent theta-double-prime interfaces may account for the observed reduction in fatigue life. It is pointed out that this segregation promotes a loss of coherency in the hydrogen rich region at a fatigue crack tip. Subsequently, the loss of coherency causes local softening and reduces fatigue life.

Wagner, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Wind-Tunnel Results of Advanced High-Speed Propellers at Takeoff, Climb, and Landing Mach Numbers

Low-speed wind-tunnel performance tests of two advanced propellers have been completed at the NASA Lewis Research Center as part of the NASA Advanced Turboprop Program. The 62.2 cm (24.5 in.) diameter adjustable-pitch models were tested at Mach numbers typical of takeoff, initial climbout, and landing speeds (i.e., from Mach 0.10 to 0.34) at zero angle of attack in the NASA Lewis 10 by 10 Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Both models had eight blades and a cruise-design-point operating condition of Mach 0.80, and 10.668 km (35,000 ft) I.S.A. altitude, a 243.8 m/s (800 ft/sec) tip speed, and a high power loading of 301 kW/sq m (37.5 shp/sq ft). Each model had its own integrally designed area-ruled spinner, but used the same specially contoured nacelle. These features reduced blade-section Mach numbers and relieved blade-root choking at the cruise condition. No adverse or unusual low-speed operating conditions were found during the test with either the straight blade SR-2 or the 45 deg swept SR-3 propeller. Typical efficiencies of the straight and 45 deg swept propellers were 50.2 and 54.9 percent, respectively, at a takeoff condition of Mach 0.20 and 53.7 and 59.1 percent, respectively, at a climb condition of Mach 0.34.

Stefko, George L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Special relativity effects for space-based coherent lidar experiments

There is a great need to develop a system that can measure accurately atmospheric wind profiles because an accurate data of wind profiles in the atmosphere constitutes single most input for reliable simulations of global climate numerical methods. Also such data helps us understand atmospheric circulation and climate dynamics better. Because of this need for accurate wind measurements, a space-based Laser Atmospheric Winds Sounder (LAWS) is being designed at MSFC to measure wind profiles in the lower atmosphere of the earth with an accuracy of 1 m/s at lower altitudes to 5m/s at higher altitudes. This system uses an orbiting spacecraft with a pulsed laser source and measures the Doppler shift between the transmitted and received frequencies to estimate the atmospheric wind velocities. If a significant return from the ground (sea) is possible, the spacecraft speed and height are estimated from it and these results and the Doppler shift are then used to estimate the wind velocities in the atmosphere. It is expected that at the proposed wavelengths, there will be enough backscatter from the aerosols but there may no be significant return from the ground. So a coherent (heterodyne) detection system is being proposed for signal processing because it can provide high signal to noise ratio and sensitivity and thus make the best use of low ground return. However, for a heterodyne detection scheme to provide the best results, it is important that the receiving aperture be aligned properly for the proposed wind sounder, this amounts to only a few microradians tolerance in alignment. It is suspected that the satellite motion relative to the ground may introduce errors in the order of a few microradians because of special relativity. Hence, the problem of laser scattering off a moving fixed target when the source and receiver are moving, which was not treated in the past in the literature, was analyzed in the following, using relativistic electrodynamics and applied to the case of the space-based coherent lidar, assuming flat ground. Here an interest in developing analytical expression for the location of the receiving point for the return with respect to the satellite, receiving angle and Doppler shift in frequency and amount of tip, all as measured in the satellite moving coordinate system and the diffuse scattering angle at the ground which does not require any compensation. All the three cases of retro-reflection, specular reflection and diffuse scattering by the ground should be treated though retro-reflection and diffuse scattering are more important.

Raogudimetla, V. S.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Soot and Radiation Measurements in Microgravity Jet Diffusion Flames

The subject of soot formation and radiation heat transfer in microgravity jet diffusion flames is important not only for the understanding of fundamental transport processes involved but also for providing findings relevant to spacecraft fire safety and soot emissions and radiant heat loads of combustors used in air-breathing propulsion systems. Our objectives are to measure and model soot volume fraction, temperature, and radiative heat fluxes in microgravity jet diffusion flames. For this four-year project, we have successfully completed three tasks, which have resulted in new research methodologies and original results. First is the implementation of a thermophoretic soot sampling technique for measuring particle size and aggregate morphology in drop-tower and other reduced gravity experiments. In those laminar flames studied, we found that microgravity soot aggregates typically consist of more primary particles and primary particles are larger in size than those under normal gravity. Comparisons based on data obtained from limited samples show that the soot aggregate's fractal dimension varies within +/- 20% of its typical value of 1.75, with no clear trends between normal and reduced gravity conditions. Second is the development and implementation of a new imaging absorption technique. By properly expanding and spatially-filtering the laser beam to image the flame absorption on a CCD camera and applying numerical smoothing procedures, this technique is capable of measuring instantaneous full-field soot volume fractions. Results from this technique have shown the significant differences in local soot volume fraction, smoking point, and flame shape between normal and reduced gravity flames. We observed that some laminar flames become open-tipped and smoking under microgravity. The third task we completed is the development of a computer program which integrates and couples flame structure, soot formation, and flame radiation analyses together. We found good agreements between model predictions and experimental data for laminar and turbulent flames under both normal and reduced gravity. We have also tested in the laboratory the techniques of rapid-insertion fine-wire thermocouples and emission pyrometry for temperature measurements. These techniques as well as laser Doppler velocimetry and spectral radiative intensity measurement have been proposed to provide valuable data and improve the modeling analyses.

Ku, Jerry C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Numerical Simulation of An Aspect Ratio 13.5 Common Research Model with Trailing Edge Mini-Flaps

This paper presents an aeroelastic modeling study of an aspect ratio 13.5 wind tunnel scale Common Research Model (CRM) with trailing edge mini-flaps. FUN3D is used for the aeroelastic steady and unsteady simulations at Mach 0.85 and dynamic pressure 230 psf. The aeroelastic simulation results are compared with the in-house developed VSPAERO aeroelastic model results. The incremental aerodynamic coefficients predicted by FUN3D and VSPAERO are close except when the mini-flap deflection angle is 10˚. The control reversal behavior is observed for the wing tip mini-flap. A series of dynamic pressure sweep simulations are performed to determine the control reversal onset point. Unsteady simulation results show that there is no buffet phenomenon observed at angle of attacks 0˚ and 2˚ when the mini-flap is deflected 10˚. The mini-flap oscillation simulations show the nonlinear behavior appears when the deflection angle is about 4˚.

Mini-flap↗
NASA NTRS1989

Controls Astrophysics and Structures Experiment in Space (CASES) advanced studies and planning

The CASES (Controls, Astrophysics, and Structures Experiment in Space) program consists of a flight demonstration of CSI (Controls-Structures Interactions) technology on the Space Shuttle. The basis structure consists of a 32 m deployable boom with actuators and sensors distributed along its length. Upon deployment from the Orbiter bay, the CASES structure will be characterized dynamically and its deformations controlled by a series of experimental control laws; and cold gas thrusters at its tip will be used to orient the Orbiter to a fixed celestial reference. The scientific observations will consist of hard x-ray imaging, at high resolution, of the Sun and the Galactic center. The hard x-ray observations require stable (few arc min) pointing at these targets for one or more position-sensitive proportional counters in the Orbiter bay, which view the object to be imaged through an aperture-encoding mask at the boom tip. This report gives the concensus developed at the second CASES Science Working Group meeting, which took place at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center May 16-17, 1990. An earlier paper and scientific summaries are available and form the basis for the present discussion.

Wu, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Test Cases for a Rectangular Supercritical Wing Undergoing Pitching Oscillations

Steady and unsteady measured pressures for a Rectangular Supercritical Wing (RSW) undergoing pitching oscillations have been presented. From the several hundred compiled data points, 27 static and 36 pitching oscillation cases have been proposed for computational Test Cases to illustrate the trends with Mach number, reduced frequency, and angle of attack. The wing was designed to be a simple configuration for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) comparisons. The wing had an unswept rectangular planform plus a tip of revolution, a panel aspect ratio of 2.0, a twelve per cent thick supercritical airfoil section, and no twist. The model was tested over a wide range of Mach numbers, from 0.27 to 0.90, corresponding to low subsonic flows up to strong transonic flows. The higher Mach numbers are well beyond the design Mach number such as might be required for flutter verification beyond cruise conditions. The pitching oscillations covered a broad range of reduced frequencies. Some early calculations for this wing are given for lifting pressure as calculated from a linear lifting surface program and from a transonic small perturbation program. The unsteady results were given primarily for a mild transonic condition at M = 0.70. For these cases the agreement with the data was only fair, possibly resulting from the omission of viscous effects. Supercritical airfoil sections are known to be sensitive to viscous effects (for example, one case cited). Calculations using a higher level code with the full potential equations have been presented for one of the same cases, and with the Euler equations. The agreement around the leading edge was improved, but overall the agreement was not completely satisfactory. Typically for low-aspect-ratio rectangular wings, transonic shock waves on the wing tend to sweep forward from root to tip such that there are strong three-dimensional effects. It might also be noted that for most of the test, the model was tested with free transition, but a few points were taken with an added transition strip for comparison. Some unpublished results of a rigid wing of the same airfoil and planform that was tested on the pitch and plunge apparatus mount system (PAPA) showed effects of the lower surface transition Strip on flutter at the lower subsonic Mach numbers. Significant effects of a transition strip were also obtained on a wing with a thicker supercritical section on the PAPA mount system. Both of these flutter tests on the PAPA resulted in very low reduced frequencies that may be a factor in this influence of the transition strip. However, these results indicate that correlation studies for RSW may require some attention to the estimation of transition location to accurately treat viscous effects. In this report several Test Cases are selected to illustrate trends for a variety of different conditions with emphasis on transonic flow effects. An overview of the model and tests is given and the standard formulary for these data is listed. Sample data points are presented in both tabular and graphical form. A complete tabulation and plotting of all the Test Cases is given. Only the static pressures and the real and imaginary parts of the first harmonic of the unsteady pressures are available. All the data for the test are available in electronic file form. The Test Cases are also available as separate electronic files.

Bennett, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS2015

A Rotor Tip Vortex Tracing Algorithm for Image Post-Processing

A neurite tracing algorithm, originally developed for medical image processing, was used to trace the location of the rotor tip vortex in density gradient flow visualization images. The tracing algorithm was applied to several representative test images to form case studies. The accuracy of the tracing algorithm was compared to two current methods including a manual point and click method and a cross-correlation template method. It is shown that the neurite tracing algorithm can reduce the post-processing time to trace the vortex by a factor of 10 to 15 without compromising the accuracy of the tip vortex location compared to other methods presented in literature.

Overmeyer, Austin D.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Correlation of part-span damper losses through transonic rotors operating near design point

The design-point losses caused by part-span dampers (PSD) were correlated for 21 transonic axial flow fan rotors that had tip speeds varying from 350 to 488 meters per second and design pressure ratios of 1.5 to 2.0. For these rotors a correlation using mean inlet Mach number at the damper location, along with relevant geometric and aerodynamic loading parameters, predicts the variation of total pressure loss coefficient in the region of the damper to a good approximation.

Roberts, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Aerodynamic performance of 1.38-pressure-ratio, variable-pitch fan stage

The performance of a variable pitch fan stage tested over a range of blade setting angles, speeds, and flows is presented. The fan was designed for a tip speed of 289.6 m/sec and a flow of 29.6 kg/sec. The measured performance agreed reasonably well with the design point. The stall margin was only 5 percent. Static thrust values along an operating line ranged from less than 15 to over 115 percent of that at design angle as the blade setting angle was varied from 25 degrees (closed) to -8 degrees (opened). The use of casing treatment increased the stall margin to 20.6 percent but decreased efficiency by 4 percentage points.

Moore, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A design point correlation for losses due to part-span dampers on transonic rotors

The design-point losses caused by part-span dampers were correlated for 21 transonic axial-flow fan rotors that had tip speeds varying from 350 to 488 meters per second and design pressure ratios of 1.5 to 2.0. The additional loss attributable to the damper and the total region along the blade height influenced were correlated with selected aerodynamic and geometric parameters. The maximum damper loss correlated well with the mean inlet Mach number at the damper location, the geometric parameters of leading- and trailing-edge damper radius normalized by mean passage height and damper aerodynamic chord, respectively, and the aerodynamic loading parameter of the blade camber divided by the solidity at the damper location. The region of damper influence extended over a mean passage height of the order of 10 to 15 times the maximum damper thickness.

Roberts, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Digital system for dynamic turbine engine blade displacement measurements

The paper presents a technique for measuring blade tip displacements which employs optical probes and an array of microcomputers. A system directly digitizing a minimum of a 2048-point time-deflection history for each of the three measurement locations on each blade is described.

Kiraly, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Rotor redesign for a highly loaded 1800 ft/sec tip speed fan. 3: Laser Doppler velocimeter report

Laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) techniques were employed for testing a highly loaded, 550 m/sec (1800 ft/sec) tip speed, test fan stage, the objective to provide detailed mapping of the upstream, intrablade, and downstream flowfields of the rotor. Intrablade LDV measurements of velocity and flow angle were obtained along four streamlines passing through the leading edge at 45%, 69%, 85%, and 95% span measured from hub to tip, at 100% of design speed, peak efficiency; 100% speed, near surge; and 95% speed, peak efficiency. At the design point, most passages appeared to have a strong leading edge shock, which moved forward with increasing strength near surge and at part speeds. The flow behind the shock was of a complex mixed subsonic and supersonic form. The intrablade flowfields were found to be significantly nonperiodic at 100% design speed, peak efficiency.

Harvey, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Euler analysis comparison with LDV data for an advanced counter-rotation propfan at cruise

A fine mesh Euler solution of the F4/A4 unducted fan (UDF) model flowfield is compared with laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) data taken in the NASA Lewis 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The comparison is made primarily at one axial plane downstream of the front rotor where the LDV particle lag errors are reduced. The agreement between measured and predicted velocities in this axial plane is good. The results show that a dense mesh is needed in the centerbody stagnation region to minimize entropy generation that weakens the aft row passage shock. The predicted radial location of the tip vortex downstream of the front rotor agrees well with the experimental results but the strength is overpredicted. With 40 points per chord line, the integrated performance quantities are nearly converged, but more points are needed to resolve passage shocks and flow field details.

Miller, Christopher J.↗