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At least 37 records · Page 2

Capillary Corner Flows With Partial and Nonwetting Fluids

Capillary flow in containers or conduits with interior corners are common place in nature and industry. The majority of investigations addressing such flows solve the problem numerically in terms of a friction factor for flows along corners with contact angles below the Concus-Finn critical wetting condition for the particular conduit geometry of interest. This research effort provides missing numerical data for the flow resistance function F(sub i) for partially and nonwetting systems above the Concus-Finn condition. In such cases the fluid spontaneously de-wets the interior corner and often retracts into corner-bound drops. A banded numerical coefficient is desirable for further analysis and is achieved by careful selection of length scales x(sub s) and y(sub s) to nondimensionalize the problem. The optimal scaling is found to be identical to the wetting scaling, namely x(sub s) = H and y(sub s) = Htan (alpha), where H is the height from the corner to the free surface and a is the corner half-angle. Employing this scaling produces a relatively weakly varying flow resistance F(sub i) and for subsequent analyses is treated as a constant. Example solutions to steady and transient flow problems are provided that illustrate applications of this result.

Bolleddula, D. A.↗

Universal corner symmetry and the orbit method for gravity

A universal symmetry algebra organizing the gravitational phase space has been recently found. It corresponds to the subset of diffeomorphisms that become physical at corners – codimension-2 surfaces supporting Noether charges. It applies to both finite distance and asymptotic corners. In this paper, we study this algebra and its representations, via the coadjoint orbit method. We show that generic orbits of the universal algebra split into sub-orbits spanned by finite distance and asymptotic corner symmetries, such that the full universal symmetry algebra gives rise to a unified treatment of corners in a manifold. We then identify the geometric structure that captures these algebraic properties on corners, which is the Atiyah Lie algebroid associated to a principal GL(2,R) $\ltimes$ R 2 -bundle. This structure is suggestive of the existence of a novel quantum gravitational theory which would unitarily glue such geometric structures, with spacetime geometries appearing as semi-classical configurations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Pressure fields produced by single-bubble collapse near a corner

Damage produced by repeated bubble collapse to neighboring rigid objects in hydraulic systems is an important consequence of cavitation. Although bubble collapse near a single wall has received significant attention in the past, few studies exist on the dynamics of bubbles collapsing near a corner, i.e., two flat rigid surfaces intersecting at a right angle. In this work we quantify the pressure fields produced by a single bubble collapsing near two perpendicular rigid walls. Using a high-order accurate shock- and interface-capturing method to solve the three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations for gas and liquid flows, we simulate the dynamics of a single bubble collapsing at different initial stand-off distances from the two walls. In contrast to a bubble collapsing near a single wall, the collapse of bubbles within a critical stand-off distance is not symmetric about the bisecting plane due to the interaction between the bubble and the second wall. The second wall affects the pressure produced during the collapse in the following ways: (i) For bubbles initially located sufficiently close to both walls, the reentrant jet produced during collapse no longer points in the direction normal to the closest wall but at an angle toward the corner, (ii) the part of the emitted shock with the highest amplitude propagates in line with the jet, and (iii) the bubble migrates in that same direction during its collapse with a dependence on the stand-off distance, consistent with predictions made using Kelvin impulse. The location of maximum pressure along the walls is measured for the different initial stand-off distances. Using acoustic arguments, we find a semiempirical relationship to predict the initial stand-off distances for which the maximum pressure occurs in the corner. Here we find that when the bubble is sufficiently close to equidistant from each boundary, the maximum pressure is observed in the corner due to the water-hammer and implosion shocks reflecting off the boundaries and intersecting in the corner. We also show that when bubbles are initially attached to either wall the wall pressure produced can be significantly increased compared to bubbles detached from either wall.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Effects of Reynolds number and body corner radius on aerodynamic characteristics of a space shuttle-type vehicle at subsonic Mach numbers

Static aerodynamic forces and moments were measured to study the effects of Reynolds number and body corner radius on the aerodynamic characteristics of a straight wing space shuttle orbiter at subsonic speeds. A 0.02-scale model was tested at Mach numbers from 0.3 to 0.9 and Reynolds numbers from about 600,000 to 3 million, based on body width. The body alone and the body with its wing and horizontal tail attached were tested at angles of attack from 35 to 75 degrees. The effects of rounding the body corners at the junctures connecting the bottom and sides were investigated for corner radii from 0 to 8.5 percent of the body width. At low subsonic Mach numbers (free stream Mach number approximately equal 0.3) the aerodynamic characteristics are affected significantly by changes in Reynolds number and body corner radius. With increase in Mach number to free stream Mach number = 0.9 the effect of Reynolds number seems to vanish, but a significant effect of body corner radius remains.

Jorgensen, L. H.↗

An evaluation of some unbraked tire cornering force characteristics

An investigation to determine the effects of pavement surface condition on the cornering forces developed by a group of 6.50x13 automobile tires of different tread design was conducted at the Langley aircraft landing loads and traction facility. The tests were made at fixed yaw angles of 3,4.5, and 6 deg at forward speeds up to 80 knots on two concrete surfaces of different texture under dry, damp, and flooded conditions. The results showed that the cornering forces were extremely sensitive to tread pattern and runway surface texture under all conditions and that under flooded conditions tire hydroplaning and complete loss of cornering force occurred at a forward velocity predicted from an existing formula based on tire inflation pressure. Futher, tests on the damp concrete with a smooth tire and a four-groove tire showed higher cornering forces at a yaw angle of 3 deg than at 4.5 deg; this indicated that maximum cornering forces are developed at extremely small steering angles under these conditions.

Leland, T. J. W.↗

Experimental study of sharp and blunt nose streamwise corners at Mach 20

Extensive heat transfer and pressure distribution data and oil flow studies on sharp and blunt-nose streamwise corners at Mach 20 in helium are presented. The far corner boundary layers on the wedge surfaces forming the corners are laminar for most test conditions. Analysis of the data indicates that the corner flow field geometry can be described in terms of the inviscid shock pattern on the two dimensional surfaces forming the corner. Parameters used to correlate blunt shock growth can be used to correlate features of the flow field observed in oil flow photographs in addition to the measured pressure and heat transfer distributions on the models. The flow field structure is described from available experimental data. Regions of the flow in which the structure still is not known are discussed.

Watson, R. D.↗

Computation of the viscous supersonic flow over symmetrical and asymmetrical external axial corners

The primary objective of the reported investigation is the computational verification of the experimental results obtained by Salas and Daywitt (1978). Two existing computer codes were used to compute the supersonic flow field surrounding the external axial corner. For the inviscid and turbulent flow results, the unsteady, three-dimensional implicit code of Pulliam and Steger (1978) was used. For the laminar flow results, the unsteady two-dimensional explicit procedure of Vigneron et al. (1977) was employed. Inviscid solutions for a symmetric configuration with a rounded corner resulted in either single or triple surface crossflow stagnation point flows, depending on the corner radius. Numerical results obtained for the same symmetric configuration tested experimentally show the crossflow in the vicinity of the corner to be away from the corner and thus in agreement with the experimental oil flow results.

Kutler, P.↗

A detailed study of attached and separated compression corner flowfields in high Reynolds number supersonic flow

An experimental study has been carried out to detail the interaction of a compressible turbulent boundary layer with shock waves of varying strengths. The interaction was produced by two-dimensional compression corners of 8, 16, 20, and 24 deg angles. The incoming boundary layer had an edge Mach number of 2.85 and a Reynolds number of 1.7 million based on overall thickness. Detailed mean-flow and surface measurements are presented for the four corner angles. The 8 deg corner flow was found to be fully attached, while the 16 deg case was near incipient separation. Both the 20 deg and 24 deg corners produced significant flow separation regions. In the discussion of these results, emphasis is placed on the development of flowfield properties from attached to separated conditions. Comparisons made with a computational solution of the Navier-Stokes equations show good agreement when the corner flow is not separated.

Settles, G. S.↗

Careful numerical study of flowfields about asymmetric external conical corners

A numerical study of the flowfield about asymmetrical external axial corners formed by the juncture of swept compressive wedges is presented. The geometrical configuration allows a unified treatment of external corners typical of delta wings and rectangular inlets. The study investigates how the flow transitions from a symmetrical flowfield with a cross-flow stagnation point at the corner to an asymmetrical flowfield for which the flow spills over the corner. The effects of leading-edge sweep, wedge compression, and corner radius are investigated.

Salas, M. D.↗

Cornering characteristics of the nose-gear tire of the space shuttle orbiter

An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate cornering characteristics of the 32 x 8.8 nose gear tire of the space shuttle orbiter. Data were obtained on a dry concrete runway at nominal ground speeds ranging from 50 to 100 knots and over a range of tire vertical loads and yaw angles which span the expected envelope of loads and yaw angles to be encountered during space shuttle landing operations. The cornering characteristics investigated included side and drag forces and friction coefficients, aligning and overturning torques, friction force moment arm, and the lateral center of pressure shift. Results of this investigation indicate that the cornering characteristics of the space shuttle nose gear tire are insensitive to variations in ground speed over the range tested. The effects on cornering characteristics of variations in the tire vertical load and yaw angle are as expected. Trends observed are consistent with trends observed during previous cornering tests involving other tire sizes.

Vogler, W. A.↗

Three-dimensional fluid flow phenomena in the blade end wall corner region

Flow visualization, static and total pressure measurements, and mean velocity profile measurements with a single-sensor inclined hot wire probe, are used in a study of three-dimensional flow at a turbine blade end wall corner region for six critical axial stations along the blade chord. Three vortices are identified: (1) a horseshoe vortex near the leading edge; (2) a corner eddy between the horseshoe vortex and the corner; and (3) a vortex at the rear portion of the corner due to the corner eddy's secondary flow. Attention is given to the relative size and rate-of-spread of the vortices in the streamwise direction.

Hazarika, B. K.↗

Experimental evaluation of two turning vane designs for fan drive corner of 0.1-scale model of NASA Lewis Research Center's proposed altitude wind tunnel

Two turning vane designs were experimentally evaluated for corner 2 of a 0.1 scale model of the NASA Lewis Research Center's proposed Altitude Wind Tunnel (AWT). Corner 2 contained a simulated shaft fairing for a fan drive system to be located downstream of the corner. The corner was tested with a bellmouth inlet followed by a 0.1 scale model of the crossleg diffuser designed to connect corners 1 and 2 of the AWT. Vane A was a controlled-diffusion airfoil shape; vane B was a circular-arc airfoil shape. The A vanes were tested in several arrangements which included the resetting of the vane angle by -5 degrees or the removal of the outer vane. The lowest total pressure loss for vane A configuration was obtained at the negative reset angle. The loss coefficient increased slightly with the Mach number, ranging from 0.165 to 0.175 with a loss coefficient of 0.170 at the inlet design Mach number of 0.24. Removal of the outer vane did not alter the loss. Vane B loss coefficients were essentially the same as those for the reset vane A configurations. The crossleg diffuser loss coefficient was 0.018 at the inlet design Mach number of 0.33.

Boldman, Donald R.↗

Scattering patterns of dihedral corner reflectors with impedance surface impedances

The radar cross section patterns of lossy dihedral corner reflectors are calculated using a uniform geometrical theory of diffraction for impedance surfaces. All terms of up to third order reflections are considered for patterns in the principal plane. The surface waves are included whenever they exist for reactive surface impedances. The dihedral corner reflectors examined have right, obtuse, and acute interior angles, and patterns over the entire 360 deg azimuthal plane are calculated. The surface impedances can be different on the four faces of the dihedral corner reflector; however, the surface impedance must be uniform over each face. Computed cross sections are compared with a moment method technique for a dielectric/ferrite absorber coating on a metallic corner reflector. The analysis of the dihedral corner reflector is important because it demonstrates many of the important scattering contributors of complex targets including both interior and exterior wedge diffraction, half-plane diffraction, and dominant multiple reflections and diffractions.

Balanis, Constantine A.↗

Near wall flow parameters in the blade end-wall corner region

The effects of secondary end-wall corner flows on near wall flow parameters in turbomachinary are studied. Important near wall flow parameters such as the wall shear stress vector, the mean wall pressure, the wall pressure fluctuations, and the correlation of the wall pressure fluctuation with the velocity fluctuation in three-dimensional turbulent flows are first experimentally investigated. The blade end-wall corner region is simulated by mounting airfoil section of symmetric blades on both sides of the flat plate with semicircular leading edge. Observed changes in the maximum values of the wall shear stress and its location from the corner line could be associated with the streching and attenuation of the horseshoe vortex. The values of wall pressure fluctuation intensity in the blade end-wall corner region are found to be influenced by the changes of the strength of the horseshoe vortex. The correlation of the wall pressure fluctuation with the velocity fluctuation indicated higher values of correlation coefficient in the inner region as compared to the outer region of the shear layer. The values of wall pressure-velocity correlation coefficient in the blade end-wall corner region also decrease in the streamwise direction while increasing in the presence of favorable and adverse pressure gradients.

R K Bhargava↗

Inviscid instability of streamwise corner flow

Linear stability of the incompressible flow along a stream wise corner is studied by solving the two-dimensional eigenvalue problem governed by partial differential equations. It is found that this fully three-dimensional flow is subject to inviscid instability due to the inflectional nature of the stream wise velocity profile. The higher growth rates for the inviscid instability mode, which is symmetric about the corner bisector, as compared to the viscous Tollmien-Schlichting instability operative away from the corner is consistent with the experimental findings that the corner flow transitions to turbulence earlier than the two-dimensional Blasius flow away from the corner.

Balachandar, S.↗

Development of Hub Corner Stall and Its Influence on the Performance of Axial Compressor Blade Rows

A detailed investigation has been performed to study hub corner stall phenomena in compressor blade rows. Three-dimensional flows in a subsonic annular compressor stator and in a transonic compressor rotor have been analyzed numerically by solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The numerical results and the existing experimental data are interrogated to understand the mechanism of compressor hub comer stall. Both the measurements and the numerical solutions for the stator indicate that a strong twister-like vortex is formed near the rear part of the blade suction surface. Low-momentum fluid inside the hub boundary layer is transported toward the suction side of the blade by this vortex. On the blade suction surface near the hub, this vortex forces fluid to move against the main flow direction and a limiting stream surface is formed near the hub. The formation of this vortex is the main mechanism of hub corner stall. When the aerodynamic loading is increased, the vortex initiates further upstream, which results in a larger corner stall region. For the transonic compressor rotor studied in this paper, the numerical solution indicates that a mild hub corner stall exists at 100 percent rotor speed. The hub corner stall, however, disappears at the reduced blade loading, which occurs at 60 percent rotor design speed. The present study demonstrates that hub comer stall is caused by a three-dimensional vortex system and that it does not seem to be correlated with a simple diffusion factor for the blade row.

Hah, C.↗

Rapid Corner Detection Using FPGAs

In order to perform precision landings for space missions, a control system must be accurate to within ten meters. Feature detection applied against images taken during descent and correlated against the provided base image is computationally expensive and requires tens of seconds of processing time to do just one image while the goal is to process multiple images per second. To solve this problem, this algorithm takes that processing load from the central processing unit (CPU) and gives it to a reconfigurable field programmable gate array (FPGA), which is able to compute data in parallel at very high clock speeds. The workload of the processor then becomes simpler; to read an image from a camera, it is transferred into the FPGA, and the results are read back from the FPGA. The Harris Corner Detector uses the determinant and trace to find a corner score, with each step of the computation occurring on independent clock cycles. Essentially, the image is converted into an x and y derivative map. Once three lines of pixel information have been queued up, valid pixel derivatives are clocked into the product and averaging phase of the pipeline. Each x and y derivative is squared against itself, as well as the product of the ix and iy derivative, and each value is stored in a WxN size buffer, where W represents the size of the integration window and N is the width of the image. In this particular case, a window size of 5 was chosen, and the image is 640 480. Over a WxN size window, an equidistance Gaussian is applied (to bring out the stronger corners), and then each value in the entire window is summed and stored. The required components of the equation are in place, and it is just a matter of taking the determinant and trace. It should be noted that the trace is being weighted by a constant k, a value that is found empirically to be within 0.04 to 0.15 (and in this implementation is 0.05). The constant k determines the number of corners available to be compared against a threshold sigma to mark a valid corner. After a fixed delay from when the first pixel is clocked in (to fill the pipeline), a score is achieved after each successive clock. This score corresponds with an (x,y) location within the image. If the score is higher than the predetermined threshold sigma, then a flag is set high and the location is recorded.

Morfopoulos, Arin C.↗

The Double-Drained Drop: Symmetric Draining of Liquids from Containers with Interior Corners

An analytic solution is found for the late stage draining of a wetting capillary liquid from an interior corner. The solution exploits the symmetry of volumetric sink conditions at opposing ends of such a `double-drained' interior corner flow with applications ranging from liquid recovery in microfluidic devices on earth to liquid fuels scavenging in large fuel tanks aboard spacecraft. At long times t, the liquid depth is h~t^n, the liquid volume is V~ t^(2n), and the maximum volumetric liquid removal rate is Q~t^(2n-1), where n =-1. Representative experiments are conducted at larger length scales aboard the International Space Station and at microfluidic length scales in a terrestrial laboratory. Both sets of experiments confirm the solutions. We show that the approach offers a method to predict maximum drain rates from related geometries where a single drain location provides the required symmetry. We also show that the `fixed length' solution is one of many practical similarity solutions to the governing nonlinear evolution equation for the transient liquid profile along the interior corner. Exponential asymptotic Fourier series solutions are also found for partial corner fillling as well as draining.

microgravity↗