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At least 343 records · Page 19

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NASA NTRS1977

Flow-field surveys on the windward side of the NASA 040A space shuttle orbiter at 31 deg angle of attack and Mach 20 in helium

Pitot pressure and flow angle distributions in the windward flow field of the NASA 040A space shuttle orbiter configuration and surface pressures were measured, at a Mach number of 20 and an angle of attack of 31 deg. The free stream Reynolds number, based on model length, was 5.39 x 10 to the 6th power. Results show that cores of high pitot pressure, which are related to the body-shock-wing-shock intersections, occur on the windward plane of symmetry in the vicinity of the wing-body junction and near midspan on the wing. Theoretical estimates of the flow field pitot pressures show that conical flow values for the windward plane of symmetry surface are representative of the average level over the entire lower surface.

Ashby, G. C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2007

GRMHD and GRPIC Simulations

We have developed a new three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) code by using a conservative, high-resolution shock-capturing scheme. The numerical fluxes are calculated using the HLL approximate Riemann solver scheme. The flux-interpolated constrained transport scheme is used to maintain a divergence-free magnetic field. We have performed various 1-dimensional test problems in both special and general relativity by using several reconstruction methods and found that the new 3D GRMHD code shows substantial improvements over our previous code. The simulation results show the jet formations from a geometrically thin accretion disk near a nonrotating and a rotating black hole. We will discuss the jet properties depended on the rotation of a black hole and the magnetic field configuration including issues for future research. A General Relativistic Particle-in-Cell Code (GRPIC) has been developed using the Kerr-Schild metric. The code includes kinetic effects, and is in accordance with GRMHD code. Since the gravitational force acting on particles is extreme near black holes, there are some difficulties in numerically describing these processes. The preliminary code consists of an accretion disk and free-falling corona. Results indicate that particles are ejected from the black hole. These results are consistent with other GRMHD simulations. The GRPIC simulation results will be presented, along with some remarks and future improvements. The emission is calculated from relativistic flows in black hole systems using a fully general relativistic radiative transfer formulation, with flow structures obtained by GRMHD simulations considering thermal free-free emission and thermal synchrotron emission. Bright filament-like features protrude (visually) from the accretion disk surface, which are enhancements of synchrotron emission where the magnetic field roughly aligns with the line-of-sight in the co-moving frame. The features move back and forth as the accretion flow evolves, but their visibility and morphology are robust. We would like to extend this research using GRPIC simulations and examine a possible new mechanism for certain X-ray quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in blackhole X-ray binaries.

Nishikawa, K.-I.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Numerical simulation of the tip vortex off a low-aspect-ratio wing at transonic speed

The viscous transonic flow around a low aspect ratio wing was computed by an implicit, three dimensional, thin-layer Navier-Stokes solver. The grid around the geometry of interest is obtained numerically as a solution to a Dirichlet problem for the cube. A low aspect ratio wing with large sweep, twist, taper, and camber is the chosen geometry. The topology chosen to wrap the mesh around the wing with good tip resolution is a C-O type mesh. The flow around the wing was computed for a free stream Mach number of 0.82 at an angle of attack of 5 deg. At this Mach number, an oblique shock forms on the upper surface of the wing, and a tip vortex and three dimensional flow separation off the wind surface are observed. Particle path lines indicate that the three dimensional flow separation on the wing surface is part of the roots of the tip vortex formation. The lifting of the tip vortex before the wing trailing edge is observed by following the trajectory of particles release around the wing tip.

Mansour, N. N.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Step Free Surface Heteroepitaxy of 3C-SiC Layers on Patterned 4H/6H-SiC Mesas and Cantilevers

Most SiC devices are implemented in homoepitaxial films grown on 4H/6H-SiC wafers with surfaces 3 degrees to 8 degrees off-axis from the (0001) basal plane. This approach has not prevented many substrate crystal defects from propagating into SiC epilayers, and does not permit the realization of SiC heteropolytype devices. This presentation describes recent advances in SiC epitaxial growth that begun to overcome the above shortcomings for arrays of mesas patterned into on-axis 4H/6H-SiC wafers. First, we demonstrated that atomic-scale surface steps can be completely eliminated from 4H/6H-SiC mesas via on-axis homoepitaxial step-flow growth, forming (0001) basal plane surfaces (up to 0.4 mm x 0.4 mm) for larger than previously thought possible. Step-free surface areas were then extended by growth fo thin lateral cantilevers from the mesa tops. These lateral cantilevers enabled substrate defects to be reduced and relocated in homoepitaxial films in a manner not possible with off-axis SiC growth. Finally, growth of vastly improved 3C-SiC heterofilms was achieved on 4H/6H-SiC mesas using the recently develop step-free surface heteroepitaxy process. These epitaxial growth developments should enable improved homojunction and heterojunction silicon carbide prototype devices.

Neudeck, Philip G.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Emission Spectroscopy and Radiometric Measurements in the NASA Ames IHF Arc Jet Facility

Plasma diagnostic measurement campaigns in the NASA Ames Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) have been conducted over the last several years with a view towards characterizing the flow in the arc jet facility by providing data necessary for modeling and simulation. Optical emission spectroscopy has been used in the plenum and in the free jet of the nozzle. Radiation incident over a probe surface has also been measured using radiometry. Plenum measurements have shown distinct radial profiles of temperature over a range of operating conditions. For cases where large amounts of cold air are added radially to the main arc-heated stream, the temperature profiles are higher by as much as 1500 K than the profiles assumed in flow simulations. Optical measurements perpendicular to the flow direction in the free jet showed significant contributions to the molecule emission through inverse pre-dissociation, thus allowing determination of atom number densities from molecular emission. This has been preliminarily demonstrated with the N2 1st Positive System. Despite the use of older rate coefficients, the resulting atom densities are reasonable and surprisingly close to flow predictions.

Winter, Michael W.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Numerical analysis of Microgravity Bubble Separation in Open Channels with ISS Bemchmarks

Spacecraft fluid systems often require specific considerations to operate in a manner similar to those on Earth. For instance, an open wedge shaped channel can serve as a pathway for passively separating bubbles from a liquid in a two phase flow, analogous to buoyancy effects on Earth. As the bubbles merge within the channel, they become increasingly confined in the wedge, driving them upwards and outwards toward the free surface due to capillary forces. These same forces ensure coalescence and allow the bubbles to escape through the free surface. However, in low gravity environments, a challenge arises when bubbles are not sufficiently large. Under such conditions, the bubbles tend to follow trajectories near their inscribed elevations, never fully leaving the liquid. Such unseparated bubbles can lead to downstream pump failure, cavitation, flow instabilities, dryout, and other adverse effects aboard spacecraft. Understanding and exploiting the underlying mechanisms behind this behavior is crucial for enhancing the reliability of passive capillary fluids management in space applications, including cryogenic and storable fuels transport, thermal fluids circulation, water recycling for life support, plant watering systems, and more. The joint German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA Capillary Channel Flow (CCF) experiment conducted on the International Space Station has provided an extensive publicly available database documenting such phenomena (https://science.nasa.gov/physical sciences informatics psi). Leveraging this resource, we aim to establish benchmarks for our numerical investigation of zero gravity bubbly two phase flow in open wedge channels. Specifically, we seek to quantitatively understand the mechanisms governing ‘inscribed’ bubble motion, considering the apparent interplay of two competing forces: Saffman lift (causing upward/outward motion) and the Magnus effect (causing downward/inward motion). Our cross cutting findings directly inform the development of robust passive phase separation methods within spacecraft plumbing systems.

bubble↗

NASA NTRS2014

An Experimental Investigation of the 30P30N Multi-Element High-Lift Airfoil

High-lift devices often generate an unsteady flow field producing both broadband and tonal noise which radiates from the aircraft. In particular, the leading edge slat is often a dominant contributor to the noise signature. An experimental study of a simplified unswept high-lift configuration, the 30P30N, has been conducted to understand and identify the various flow-induced noise sources around the slat. Closed-wall wind tunnel tests are performed in the Florida State Aeroacoustic Tunnel (FSAT) to characterize the slat cove flow field using a combination of surface and off-body measurements. Mean surface pressures compare well with numerical predictions for the free-air configuration. Consistent with previous measurements and computations for 2D high-lift configurations, the frequency spectra of unsteady surface pressures on the slat surface display several narrowband peaks that decrease in strength as the angle of attack is increased. At positive angles of attack, there are four prominent peaks. The three higher frequency peaks correspond, approximately, to a harmonic sequence related to a feedback resonance involving unstable disturbances in the slat cove shear layer. The Strouhal numbers associated with these three peaks are nearly insensitive to the range of flow speeds (41-58 m/s) and the angles of attack tested (3-8.5 degrees). The first narrow-band peak has an order of magnitude lower frequency than the remaining peaks and displays noticeable sensitivity to the angle of attack. Stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV) measurements provide supplementary information about the shear layer characteristics and turbulence statistics that may be used for validating numerical simulations.

Pascioni, Kyle A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Temperature fields due to jet induced mixing in a typical OTV tank

The Eclipse Code is being developed as a general tool for analysis of cryogenic propellant behavior in spacecraft tankage. The focus of the work being reported is on prediction of temperature fields due to introduction of a cold jet along the centerline of a typical Orbit Transfer Vehicle tank. A brief description of the formulations used for modeling heat transfer and turbulent flow is presented. Code performance is verified through comparison to experimental data for mixing in small scale tanks. An unexpected difficulty in computing long duration flows is reviewed. Preliminary results for a partially filled full scale tank are obtained by approximating the free surface by a spherical solid boundary.

Hochstein, J. I.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The NASA Langley Laminar-Flow-Control (LFC) experiment on a swept, supercritical airfoil: Design overview

A large-chord, swept, supercritical, laminar-flow-control (LFC) airfoil was designed and constructed and is currently undergoing tests in the Langley 8 ft Transonic Pressure Tunnel. The experiment was directed toward evaluating the compatibility of LFC and supercritical airfoils, validating prediction techniques, and generating a data base for future transport airfoil design as part of NASA's ongoing research program to significantly reduce drag and increase aircraft efficiency. Unique features of the airfoil included a high design Mach number with shock free flow and boundary layer control by suction. Special requirements for the experiment included modifications to the wind tunnel to achieve the necessary flow quality and contouring of the test section walls to simulate free air flow about a swept model at transonic speeds. Design of the airfoil with a slotted suction surface, the suction system, and modifications to the tunnel to meet test requirements are discussed.

Harris, Charles D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Free-molecule-flow force and moment coefficients of the aeroassist flight experiment vehicle

Calculated results for the aerodynamic coefficients over the range of + or - 90 deg in both pitch and yaw attitude angles for the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) vehicle in free molecule flow are presented. The AFE body is described by a large number of small flat plate surface elements whose orientations are established in a wind axes coordinate system through the pitch and yaw attitude angles. Lift force, drag force, and three components of aerodynamic moment about a specified point are computed for each element. The elemental forces and moments are integrated over the entire body, and total force and moment coefficients are computed. The coefficients are calculated for the two limiting gas-surface molecular collision conditions, namely, specular and diffuse, which assume zero and full thermal accommodation of the incoming gas molecules with the surface, respectively. The individual contribution of the shear stress and pressure terms are calculated and also presented.

Blanchard, Robert C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

A numerical study of shock wave/boundary layer interaction in nonequilibrium chemically reacting air - The effects of catalytic walls

This paper presents a numerical study that investigate the effects of nonequilibrium chemistry, and in particular, wall catalycity on the separated flow region generated by an oblique shock wave impinging upon a flat plate boundary layer. To obtain a solution to this problem, the full two dimensional Navier-Stokes equations were solved using MacCormack's predictor-corrector time dependent technique on a rectangular grid. Nonequilibrium chemistry was included by utilizing the 5 species, 17 reaction modified Dunn-Kang chemical kinetics model. Separate results were obtained for: calorically perfect, chemically reacting - noncatalytic wall, and chemically reacting - fully catalytic wall cases, for a given set of flow conditions. A direct comparison of all three cases revealed a slight decrease in the peak heat transfer for the noncatalytic wall case, as compared to the calorically perfect case. On the other hand, the fully catalytic wall case had a tremendous increase in the peak surface heat transfer. It is concluded that, for the particular conditons treated here (nearly frozen flow in the free stream), the effects of the nonequilibrium chemically reacting flow on the shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction depend critically on the catalycity of the wall, having virtually no effect for the case of a noncatalytic wall, and exerting a tremendous effect for a fully catalytic wall.

Grumet, Adam A.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Free-to-roll tests of X-31 and F-18 subscale models with correlation to flight test results

This presentation will concentrate on a series of low-speed wind tunnel tests conducted on a 2.5% subscale F-18 model and a 2 percent subscale X-31 model. The model's control surfaces were unaugmented; and for the most part, were deflected at a constant angle throughout the tests. The tests consisted mostly of free-to-roll experiments conducted with the use of an air-bearing, surface pressure measurements, off-surface flow visualization, and force-balance tests. Where possible the results of the subscale tests have been compared to flight test data, or to other wind tunnel data taken at higher Reynolds numbers.

David L Williams, II↗

NASA NTRS1994

Skin-Friction Measurements in a 3-D, Supersonic Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction

The experimental documentation of a three-dimensional shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction in a nominal Mach 3 cylinder, aligned with the free-stream flow, and 20 deg. half-angle conical flare offset 1.27 cm from the cylinder centerline. Surface oil flow, laser light sheet illumination, and schlieren were used to document the flow topology. The data includes surface-pressure and skin-friction measurements. A laser interferometric skin friction data. Included in the skin-friction data are measurements within separated regions and three-dimensional measurements in highly-swept regions. The skin-friction data will be particularly valuable in turbulence modeling and computational fluid dynamics validation.

Wideman, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS2005

DSMC Simulations of Ballute Aerothermodynamics Under Hypersonic Rarefied Conditions

This paper presents computational results obtained with the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for towed ballute applications. A ballute is an inflatable drag device that can be used to create a large amount of drag at high altitudes. Consequently, ballutes provide a potential technology for achieving aerocapture when the primary spacecraft velocity reduction (ΔV) is achieved at much higher altitudes than with the conventional rigid aeroshell. Since the ΔV is achieved at relatively high altitudes, rarefaction can be significant and is the motivation for the current study with the DSMC method. Computed surface and flow-field results are presented for a toroidal ballute, isolated tethers when exposed to free-stream flow conditions, and the flow interactions resulting from a toroidal ballute when towed by a six meter diameter Mars Pathfinder shaped (without tethers) spacecraft. All results presented are for Earth entry at velocities of 14 to 7 km/s (primary focus is at 8.55 km/s, same as some previous Titan aerocapture studies) and altitudes of 200 to 100 km. Variations of drag and heating coefficients as a function of rarefaction are presented. A description of the flow structure is provided and also an explanation of how it is affected by shock interactions produced solely by the ballute and those resulting from the two body combination of towed ballute and spacecraft is also given.

James N Moss↗

NASA NTRS1981

The experimental verification of a streamline curvature numerical analysis method applied to the flow through an axial flow fan

The experimental verification of an inviscid, incompressible through-flow analysis method is presented. The primary component of this method is an axisymmetric streamline curvature technique which is used to compute the hub-to-tip flow field of a given turbomachine. To analyze the flow field in the blade-to-blade plane of the machine, the potential flow solution of an infinite cascade of airfoils is also computed using a source model technique. To verify the accuracy of such an analysis method an extensive experimental verification investigation was conducted using an axial flow research fan. Detailed surveys of the blade-free regions of the machine along with intra-blade surveys using rotating pressure sensing probes and blade surface static pressure taps provide a one-to-one relationship between measured and predicted data. The results of this investigation indicate the ability of this inviscid analysis method to predict the design flow field of the axial flow fan test rotor to within a few percent of the measured values.

Pierzga, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Shear and mixing effects on cells in agitated microcarrier tissue culture reactors

Tissue cells are known to be sensitive to mechanical stresses imposed on them by agitation in bioreactors. The amount of agitation provided in a microcarrier or suspension bioreactor should be only enough to provide effective homogeneity. Three distinct flow regions can be identified in the reactor: bulk turbulent flow, bulk laminar flow and boundary-layer flows. Possible mechanisms of cell damage are examined by analyzing the motion of microcarriers or free cells relative to the surrounding fluid, to each other and to moving or stationary solid surfaces. The primary mechanisms of cell damage appear to result from: (1) direct interaction between microcarriers and turbulent eddies; (2) collisions between microcarriers in turbulent flow; and (3) collisions against the impeller or other stationary surfaces. If the smallest eddies of turbulent flow are of the same size as the microcarrier beads, they may cause high shear stresses on the cells. Eddies the size of the average interbead spacing may cause bead-bead collisions which damage cells. The severity of the collisions increases when the eddies are also of the same size as the beads. Impeller collisions occur when beads cannot avoid the impeller leading edge as it advances through the liquid. The implications of the results of this analysis on the design and operation of tissue culture reactors are discussed.

Cherry, Robert S.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Subsonic vortex-flow design study for slender wings

A theoretical study describing the effects of spanwise camber on the lift dependent drag of slender delta wings having leading-edge-vortex-flow is presented. The earlier work by Barsby, using conical flow, indicated that drag levels similar to those in attached flow could be obtained. This is reexamined and then extended to the more practical case of nonconical flow by application of the vortex-lattice method coupled with the suction-analogy and the recently developed Boeing free-vortex-sheet method. Lastly, a design code is introduced which employs the suction analogy in an attempt to define 'optimum' camber surfaces for minimum lift dependent drag for vortex flow conditions

Lamar, J. E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

On the penetration of a hot diapir through a strongly temperature-dependent viscosity medium

The ascent of a hot spherical body through a fluid with a strongly temperature-dependent viscosity has been studied using an axisymmetric finite element method. Numerical solutions range over Peclet numbers of 0.1 - 1000 from constant viscosity up to viscosity variations of 100,000. Both rigid and stress-free boundary conditions were applied at the surface of the sphere. The dependence of drag on viscosity variation was shown to have no dependence on the stress boundary condition except for a Stokes flow scaling factor. A Nusselt number parameterization based on the stress-free constant viscosity functional dependence on the Peclet number scaled by a parameter depending on the viscosity structure fits both stress-free and rigid boundary condition data above viscosity variations of 100. The temperature scale height was determined as a function of sphere radius. For the simple physical model studied in this paper pre-heating is required to reduce the ambient viscosity of the country rock to less than 10 to the 22nd sq cm/s in order for a 10 km diapir to penetrate a distance of several radii.

Daly, S. F.↗