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At least 37 records · Page 2

Turbofan forced mixer-nozzle internal flowfield. Volume 2: Computational fluid dynamic predictions

A general program was conducted to develop and assess a computational method for predicting the flow properties in a turbofan forced mixed duct. The detail assessment of the resulting computer code is presented. It was found that the code provided excellent predictions of the kinematics of the mixing process throughout the entire length of the mixer nozzle. The thermal mixing process between the hot core and cold fan flows was found to be well represented in the low speed portion of the flowfield.

Werle, M. J.↗

Research and investigation of gas dynamic lasers

Chemical mixing laser investigations were conducted (1) to investigate the properties of a bimolecular exchange laser system pumped by the H + Cl2 yields HCl(v) + Cl reaction, initiated by arc-dissociated H2, with lasing occurring between wavelengths of 3.4 and 4.0 microns, and (2) to establish the feasibility of an atom recombination-transfer laser employing recombination of arc-dissociated nitrogen with subsequent transfer of vibrational energy to CO2 for lasing at 10.6 microns. One-dimensional analytical results indicate higher results should be obtained with up to v = 3 to 2 transitions participating. Diagnostic and analytical results show that the reaction mechanism during mixing, a back reaction of HCl(v) with H atoms, reaction of Cl with H2(v), moderately fast V-V, V-T processes, and possible HCl(o) initial contaminant level may explain the low performance. N2-CO2 thermal mixing laser studies were extended to measure the efficiency of transfer of recombination energy in such a nonequilibrium N2 source to 10.6 microns optical energy. The low level of efficiency suggests that V-T decay processes may prevent vibrational energy freezing until much lower temperatures are achieved and that trapping of energy in long-lived electronic excitation of N2 may be a factor.

Boedeker, L. R.↗

A direct approach to finding unknown boundary conditions in steady heat conduction

The capability of the boundary element method (BEM) in determining thermal boundary conditions on surfaces of a conducting solid where such quantities are unknown was demonstrated. The method uses a non-iterative direct approach in solving what is usually called the inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP). Given any over-specified thermal boundary conditions such as a combination of temperature and heat flux on a surface where such data is readily available, the algorithm computes the temperature field within the object and any unknown thermal boundary conditions on surfaces where thermal boundary values are unavailable. A two-dimensional, steady-state BEM program was developed and was tested on several simple geometries where the analytic solution was known. Results obtained with the BEM were in excellent agreement with the analytic values. The algorithm is highly flexible in treating complex geometries, mixed thermal boundary conditions, and temperature-dependent material properties and is presently being extended to three-dimensional and unsteady heat conduction problems. The accuracy and reliability of this technique was very good but tended to deteriorate when the known surface conditions were only slightly over-specified and far from the inaccessible surface.

Martin, Thomas J.↗

Broadband electrostatic noise due to field-aligned currents

There are observations of broadband electrostatic noise in the plasma-sheet boundary layer that are associated with field-aligned currents (electron beams), which often have an upper cutoff frequency above the electron plasma frequency. In this paper linear theory and numerical simulations are used to study instabilities caused by an electron beam in a thermally mixed plasma. It is shown that two instabilities, the electron acoustic and electron-ion instabilities, can combine to form a broadband wave spectrum that rapidly destroys the electron beam.

Schriver, David↗

Numerical simulation of the reactive flow in advanced (HSR) combustors using KIVA-2

Recent work has been done with the goal of establishing ultralow emission aircraft gas turbine combustors. A significant portion of the effort is the development of three dimensional computational combustor models. The KIVA-II computer code which is based on the Implicit Continuous Eulerian Difference mesh Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ICED-ALE) numerical scheme is one of the codes selected by NASA to achieve these goals. This report involves a simulation of jet injection through slanted slots within the Rich burn/Quick quench/Lean burn (RQL) baseline experimental rig. The RQL combustor distinguishes three regions of combustion. This work specifically focuses on modeling the quick quench mixer region in which secondary injection air is introduced radially through 12 equally spaced slots around the mixer circumference. Steady state solutions are achieved with modifications to the KIVA-II program. Work currently underway will evaluate thermal mixing as a function of injection air velocity and angle of inclination of the slots.

Winowich, Nicholas S.↗

Cooling rate of an active Hawaiian lava flow from nighttime spectroradiometer measurements

A narrow-band spectroradiometer has been used to make nighttime measurements of the Phase 50 eruption of Pu'u O'o, on the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. On February 19, 1992, a GER spectroradiometer was used to determine the cooling rate of an active lava flow. This instrument collects 12-bit data between 0.35 to 3.0 microns at a spectral resolution of 1-5 nm. Thirteen spectra of a single area on a pahoehoe flow field were collected over a 59 minute period (21:27-22:26 HST) from which the cooling of the lava surface has been investigated. A two-component thermal mixing model (Flynn, 1992) applied to data for the flow immediately on emplacement gave a best-fit crustal temperature of 768 C, a hot component at 1150 C, and a hot radiating area of 3.6 percent of the total area. Over a 52-minute period (within the time interval between flow resurfacings) the lava flow crust cooled by 358 to 410 C at a rate that was as high as 15 C/min. The observations have significance both for satellite observations of active volcanoes and for numerical models of the cooling of lava flows during their emplacement.

Flynn, Luke P.↗

Preparation and Characterization of PETI-330/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composites

As part of an ongoing effort to incorporate multi-functionality into advanced composites, blends of PETI-330 and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared, characterized and fabricated into moldings. The PETI-330/MWCNT mixtures were prepared at concentrations ranging from 3 to 25 weight percent by dry mixing the components in a ball mill. The resulting powders were characterized for degree of mixing, thermal and rheological properties. Based on the characterization results, PETI-330/MWCNT samples were scaled up to approx. 300 g and used to fabricate moldings 10.2 cm x 15.2 cm x 0.32 cm thick. The moldings were fabricated by injecting the mixtures at 260-280 C into a stainless steel tool followed by curing for 1 h at 371 C. The tool was designed to impart high shear during the injection process in an attempt to achieve some alignment of the MWCNTs in the flow direction. Good quality moldings were obtained that were subsequently characterized for thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. The degree of dispersion and alignment of the MWCNTs were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The preparation and preliminary characterization of PETI-330/MWCNT composites will be discussed. Keywords: phenylethynyl terminated imides, high temperature polymers, nanocomposites,

Ghose, Sayata↗

Preparation and Characterization of PETI-330/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube

As part of an ongoing effort to incorporate multifunctionality into advanced composites, blends of PETI-330 and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared, characterized and fabricated into moldings. The PETI-330/MWCNT mixtures were prepared at concentrations ranging from 3 to 25 weight percent by dry mixing the components in a ball mill. The resulting powders were characterized for degree of mixing, thermal and rheological properties. Based on the characterization results, PETI-330/MWCNT samples were scaled up to ~300 g and used to fabricate moldings 10.2 cm x 15.2 cm x 0.32 cm thick. The moldings were made by injecting the mixtures at 260-280 C into an Invar tool followed by curing for 1 h at 371 C. The tool was designed to impart shear during the injection process in an attempt to achieve some alignment of the MWCNTs in the flow direction. Good quality moldings were obtained that were subsequently characterized for thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. The degree of dispersion and alignment of the MWCNTs were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The preparation and preliminary characterization of PETI-330/MWCNT composites will be discussed. Keywords: phenylethynyl terminated imides, high temperature polymers, nanocomposites, moldings

Ghose, Sayata↗

Fabrication and Characterization of High Temperature Resin/Carbon Nanofiber Composites

As part of ongoing efforts to develop multifunctional advanced composites, blends of PETI-330 and carbon nanofibers (CNF) were prepared and characterized. Dry mixing techniques were employed and the effect of CNF loading level on melt viscosity was determined. The resulting powders were characterized for degree of mixing, thermal and rheological properties. Based on the characterization results, samples containing 30 and 40 wt% CNF were scaled up to approx.300 g and used to fabricate moldings 10.2 cm x 15.2 cm x 0.32 cm thick. The moldings were fabricated by injecting the mixtures at 260-280 C into a stainless steel tool followed by curing for 1 h at 371 C. The tool was designed to impart high shear during the injection process in an attempt to achieve some alignment of CNFs in the flow direction. Moldings were obtained that were subsequently characterized for thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. The degree of dispersion and alignment of CNFs were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The preparation and preliminary characterization of PETI-330/CNF composites will be discussed.

Ghose, Sayata↗

High Temperature Resin/Carbon Nanotube Composite Fabrication

For the purpose of incorporating multifunctionality into advanced composites, blends of phenylethynyl terminated imides-330 (PETI-330) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were prepared, characterized and fabricated into moldings. PETI-330/MWCNT mixtures were prepared at concentrations ranging from 3 to 25 weight percent by dry mixing the components in a ball mill. The resulting powders were characterized for degree of mixing, thermal and rheological properties. Based on the characterization results, PETI-330/MWCNT samples were scaled up to approximately 300 g and used to fabricate moldings by injecting the mixtures at 260-280 deg C into a stainless steel tool followed by curing for 1 h at 371 deg C. The tool was designed to impart a degree of shear during the injection process in an attempt to achieve some alignment of the MWCNTs in the flow direction. Obtained moldings were subsequently characterized for thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. The degree of dispersion and alignment of MWCNTs were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The preparation and preliminary characterization of PETI-330/MWCNT composites will be discussed.

Ghose, Sayata↗

Fabrication and Characterization of High Temperature Resin/Carbon Nanofiber Composites

Multifunctional composites present a route to structural weight reduction. Nanoparticles such as carbon nanofibers (CNF) provide a compromise as a lower cost nanosize reinforcement that yields a desirable combination of properties. Blends of PETI-330 and CNFs were prepared and characterized to investigate the potential of CNF composites as a high performance structural medium. Dry mixing techniques were employed and the effect of CNF loading level on melt viscosity was determined. The resulting powders were characterized for degree of mixing, thermal and rheological properties. Based on the characterization results, samples containing 30 and 40 wt% CNF were scaled up to approx.300 g and used to fabricate moldings 10.2 cm x 15.2 cm x 0.32 cm thick. The moldings were fabricated by injecting the mixtures at 260-280 C into a stainless steel tool followed by curing for 1 h at 371 C. The tool was designed to impart high shear during the process in an attempt to achieve some alignment of CNFs in the flow direction. Moldings were obtained that were subsequently characterized for thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. The degree of dispersion and alignment of CNFs were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. The preparation and preliminary characterization of PETI-330/CNF composites are discussed. Keywords: resins, carbon nanofibers, scanning electron microscopy, electrical properties, thermal conductivity,injection

Ghose, Sayata↗

Thermostatic Valves Containing Silicone-Oil Actuators

Flow-splitting and flow-mixing thermally actuated spool valves have been developed for controlling flows of a heat-transfer fluid in a temperature-regulation system aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover. Valves like these could also be useful in terrestrial temperature-regulation systems, including automobile air-conditioning systems and general refrigeration systems. These valves are required to provide smoother actuation over a wider temperature range than the flow-splitting, thermally actuated spool valves used in the Mars Explorer Rover (MER). Also, whereas the MER valves are unstable (tending to oscillate) in certain transition temperature ranges, these valves are required not to oscillate. The MER valves are actuated by thermal expansion of a wax against spring-loaded piston rods (as in common automotive thermostats). The MSL valves contain similar actuators that utilize thermal expansion of a silicone oil, because silicone-oil actuators were found to afford greater and more nearly linear displacements, needed for smoother actuation, over the required wider temperature range. The MSL valves also feature improved spool designs that reflect greater understanding of fluid dynamics, consideration of pressure drops in valves, and a requirement for balancing of pressures in different flow branches.

Bhandari, Pradeep↗

Program to design, fabricate, test, and deliver a thermal control-mixing control device for the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

The development and testing of a temperature sensor and pulse duration modulation (PDM) diverter valve for a thermal control-mixing control device are described. The temperature sensor selected for use uses a fluidic pin amplifier in conjunction with an expansion device. This device can sense changes of less than 0.25 F with greater than 15:1 signal to noise ratio when operating with a typical Freon pump supplied pressure. The pressure sensitivity of the sensor is approximately 0.0019 F/kPa. The valve which was selected was tested and performed with 100% flow diversion. In addition, the valve operates with a flow efficiency of at least 95%, with the possibility of attaining 100% if the vent flow of the PDM can be channeled through the last stage of the diverter valve. A temperature sensor which utilized an orifice bridge circuit and proportional-vortex combination mixing valve were also evaluated, but the concepts were rejected due to various problems.

Thurston, T. S.↗

Low Velocity Difference Thermal Shear Layer Mixing Rate Measurements

Current CFD modeling techniques are known to do a poor job of predicting the mixing rate and persistence of slot film flow in co-annular flowing ducts with relatively small velocity differences but large thermal gradients. A co-annular test was devised to empirically determine the mixing rate of slot film flow in a constant area circular duct (D approx. 1ft, L approx. 10ft). The axial rate of wall heat-up is a sensitive measure of the mixing rate of the two flows. The inflow conditions were varied to simulate a variety of conditions characteristic of moderate by-pass ratio engines. A series of air temperature measurements near the duct wall provided a straightforward means to measure the axial temperature distribution and thus infer the mixing rate. This data provides a characterization of the slot film mixing rates encountered in typical jet engine environments. The experimental geometry and entrance conditions, along with the sensitivity of the results as the entrance conditions vary, make this a good test for turbulence models in a regime important to modern air-breathing propulsion research and development.

Bush, Robert H.↗

Program to design, fabricate, test, and deliver a thermal control-mixing control device, phase 1

The development of a sensor capable of detecting temperature changes as a function of viscosity changes, was completed. This type of sensor, consisting of an orifice bridge circuit, resulted in a device with a threshold above internally generated noise of 0.8C (1.5F). Data were obtained using a noise free Freon source provided by an air pressurized bladder. Tests conducted to operate the sensor from a typical Freon centrifugal pump system employing an air bubble accumulator for noise attentuation disclosed the sensor could be used only to sense temperature changes greater than 3.3C (6F) because of the excessively noisy output. This is attributed to the high frequency-pressure fluctuations in the Freon supply to the sensor.

Thurston, T. S.↗