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At least 37 records · Page 2

Performance degradation of a typical twin engine commuter type aircraft in measured natural icing conditions

The performance of an aircraft in various measured icing conditions was investigated. Icing parameters such as liquid water content, temperature, cloud droplet sizes and distributions were measured continuously while in icing. Flight data were reduced to provide plots of the aircraft drag polars and lift curves (CL vs. alpha) for the measured ""iced'' condition as referenced to the uniced aircraft. These data were also reduced to provide plots of thrust horsepower required vs. single engine power available to show how icing affects engine out capability. It is found that performance degradation is primarily influenced by the amount and shape of the accumulated ice. Glaze icing caused the greatest aerodynamic performance penalties in terms of increased drag and reduction in lift while aerodynamic penalties due to rime icing were significantly lower.

Ranaudo, R. J.↗

Performance degradation of a typical twin engine commuter type aircraft in measured natural icing conditions

The performance of an aircraft in various measured icing conditions was investigated. Icing parameters such as liquid water content, temperature, cloud droplet sizes and distributions were measured continuously while in icinig. Flight data wre reduced to provide plots of the aircraft drag polars and lift curves (CL vs. alpha) for the measured 'iced' condition as referenced to the uniced aircraft. These data were also reduced to provide plots of thrust horsepower required vs. single engine power available to show how icing affects engine out capability. It is found that performance degradation is primarily influenced by the amount and shape of the accumulated ice. Glaze icing caused the greatest aerodynamic performance penalties in terms of increased drag and reduction in lift while aerodynamic penalties due to rime icing were significantly lower. Previously announced in STAR as N84-13173

Ranaudo, R. J.↗

Numerical investigation of performance degradation of wings and rotors due to icing

The aerodynamic load characteristics and the performance degradation of moderate aspect ratio wings and rotors with simulated glaze leading-edge ice have been studied using a three-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes solver. The effect of a splitter plate at the wing root on both clean and iced wing configurations has been studied and the results are compared with the experiment. A significant difference has been observed with and without splitter plates in the magnitude of flow separation and aerodynamic loading at the inboard stations for the iced wing at 8-deg angle of attack. Inviscid calculations were performed and compared with viscous calculations to investigate whether the performance of iced swept wings can be inexpensively predicted using Euler methods. It is shown that inviscid calculations predict higher aerodynamic loading than viscous calculations, and cannot model separation effects. A typical nonlifting helicopter rotor in forward flight condition is also studied, and the penalty due to the leading-edge ice formation on the required torque is numerically demonstrated.

Kwon, Oh J.↗

Analytical determination of propeller performance degradation due to ice accretion

A computer code has been developed which is capable of computing propeller performance for clean, glaze, or rime iced propeller configurations, thereby providing a mechanism for determining the degree of performance degradation which results from a given icing encounter. The inviscid, incompressible flow field at each specified propeller radial location is first computed using the Theodorsen transformation method of conformal mapping. A droplet trajectory computation then calculates droplet impingement points and airfoil collection efficiency for each radial location, at which point several user-selectable empirical correlations are available for determining the aerodynamic penalities which arise due to the ice accretion. Propeller performance is finally computed using strip analysis for either the clean or iced propeller. In the iced mode, the differential thrust and torque coefficient equations are modified by the drag and lift coefficient increments due to ice to obtain the appropriate iced values. Comparison with available experimental propeller icing data shows good agreement in several cases. The code's capability to properly predict iced thrust coefficient, power coefficient, and propeller efficiency is shown to be dependent on the choice of empirical correlation employed as well as proper specification of radial icing extent.

Miller, T. L.↗

Model helicopter performance degradation with simulated ice shapes

An experimental program using a commercially available model helicopter has been conducted in the Texas A&M University Subsonic Wind Tunnel to investigate main rotor performance degradation due to generic ice. The simulated ice, including both primary and secondary formations, was scaled by chord from previously documented artificial ice accretions. Base and iced performance data were gathered as functions of fuselage incidence, blade collective pitch, main rotor rotational velocity, and freestream velocity. It was observed that the presence of simulated ice tends to decrease the lift to equivalent drag ratio, as well as thrust coefficient for the range of velocity ratios tested. Also, increases in torque coefficient due to the generic ice formations were observed. Evaluation of the data has indicated that the addition of roughness due to secondary ice formations is crucial for proper evaluation of the degradation in main rotor performance.

Tinetti, Ana F.↗

Performance degradation due to multiprogramming and system overheads in real workloads - Case study on a shared memory multiprocessor

The performance degradation due to the multiprogramming (MP) overhead in a parallel execution environment is quantified. In addition, total system overhead is also measured. A methodology, which estimates the MP overhead present in real workloads, is illustrated with real measurents. It is found that MP overhead usually consumes between 10 and 23 percent of the processing power available to parallel programs. The mean MP overhead is determined to be 16 percent which is well over half the total system overhead executed on the system (the mean system overhead is determined to be 24 percent of the processing power). It is found that MP overhead, total system overhead, and application completion time are all moderately correlated.

Dimpsey, R. T.↗

Analytical determination of propeller performance degradation due to ice accretion

It is pointed out that ice accretion on aircraft produces an adverse effect on aircraft performance in terms of decreased lift and increased drag of the lifting surface. Ice on the surface of a propeller may also cause a decrease in thrust, increase in the required power, and a resultant decrease in propeller efficiency. During the past years, a number of attempts have been made to analyze the effects of ice accretion on both fixed wings and propellers. The present investigation is concerned with the development of a single user-oriented computer code which makes it possible to calculate propeller performance degradation due to ice accretion for specified flight conditions, atmospheric conditions, and propeller geometry. This development is based on a combination of several of the codes and correlations considered in earlier studies.

Miller, T. L.↗

Performance Degradation of Amine-Infused Fiber Sorbents for Direct Air Capture: Mechanisms and Solutions

Sorbent stability poses significant impacts on longterm performance of direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 and levelized cost of capture (LCOC). We report the DAC performance degradation of amine-infused fiber sorbents based on poly(ethylenimine) (PEI), mesoporous SiO 2 , and cellulose acetate (CA) over CO 2 cyclic sorption cycles in a nonoxidative environment. Infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra indicate that the aminolysis reactions between CA ester moieties and PEI amine sites lead to the formation of acetamides and hence lower CO 2 affinities of the sorbents. This stability issue can be remedied by hydrolysis treatment of the CA fiber sorbents before PEI impregnation or replacing CA with poly(ether sulfone). This study underscores the importance of selecting proper support or additive materials of DAC contactors that are compatible with active species of CO 2 capture.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Experimental study of performance degradation of a model helicopter main rotor with simulated ice shapes

An experimental study utilizing a remote controlled model helicopter has been conducted to measure the performance degradation due to simulated ice accretion on the leading edge of the main rotor for hover and forward flight. The 53.375 inch diameter main rotor incorporates a NACA 0012 airfoil with a generic ice shape corresponding to a specified natural ice condition. Thrust coefficients and torque coefficients about the main rotor were measured as a function of velocity, main rotor RPM, angle-of-incidence of the fuselage, collective pitch angle, and extent of spanwise ice accretion. An experimental airfoil data bank has been determined using a two-dimensional twenty-one inch NACA 0012 airfoil with scaled ice accretion shapes identical to that used on the model helicopter main rotor. The corresponding experimental data are discussed with emphasis on Reynolds number effects and ice accretion scale model testing.

Korkan, K. D.↗

Performance degradation and cleaning of photovoltaic arrays

NASA tests results from an 18 mo program of cleaning silicone-encapsulated and glass fronted solar cell panels in urban and desert environments to examine the effects of cleaning on module performance are reported. The panels were cleaned on weekly, monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual basis, while other panels of the same construction were not cleaned and served as controls. Commercially-available detergents and city water were employed for the tests, and the measurements were maintained of the modules' continuing short-circuit current output. The decay of the output was determined by least square regression analyses. Performance degradation was noticeably less in glass covered, rather than silicone-encapsulated modules which decayed faster in urban than in desert environments. Lower frequency cleanings are recommended where labor costs are high.

Sheskin, T. J.↗

Feasibility of predicting performance degradation of airfoils in heavy rain

The heavy rain aerodynamic performance penalty program is detailed. This effort supported the design of a fullscale test program as well as examined the feasibility of estimating the degradation of performance of airfoils from first principles. The analytic efforts were supplemented by a droplet splashback test program in an attempt to observe the physics of impact and generation of ejecta. These tests demonstrated that the interaction of rain with an airfoil is a highly complex phenomenon and this interaction is not likely to be analyzed analytically with existing tools.

Bilanin, A. J.↗

Numerical investigation of performance degradation of wings and rotors due to icing

During the past five years, under the support of the NASA Lewis Research Center, a research program related to aircraft and rotorcraft icing has been underway at Georgia Institute of Technology. The objectives of this effort are: (1) develop solution techniques capable of computing 3-D unsteady viscous flow past wing-alone and rotor configurations subjected to icing; and (2) assess the performance degradation in the aerodynamic characteristics of these configurations due to icing. Work carried out during the reporting period 1 Jan. - 30 Jun. 1991 is summarized.

Sankar, Lakshmi N.↗

An Innovative Insight into Performance Degradation of NCM111 Cathode Induced by Suspension of Operation

The lifespan of lithium-ion batteries varies enormously from fundamental study to practical applications. This big difference has been typically ascribed to the high degree of uncertainty in unpredictable and complicated operation conditions in real-life applications. Here, in this paper, we report that the pause of the charging–discharging process, which is frequently operated in practice but rarely studied in academics, is an important reason for the performance degradation of the NCM111 cathode. It is found that the pause during cycling could trigger a remarkable drop in capacity, giving rise to ~30% more capacity decay compared with the continuously cycled sample. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the harmful H1–H2 phase transition, which typically appears in the initial cycle but disappears in subsequent cycles, is reactivated by the pausing process. The anisotropic lattice strains that occur during the H1–H2 transition result in mechanical fractures that terminate with an inert NiO-type rock-salt phase on the surface of particles. The present study indicates that the discontinuous usage of rechargeable batteries is also a key factor for cycle life, which might provide a distinct perspective on the performance decay in practical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

International Space Station Solar Array Wing On-Orbit Electrical Performance Degradation Measured

The port-side photovoltaic power module (P6) was activated on the International Space Station in December 2000. P6 provides electrical power to channels 2B and 4B to operate ISS power loads. A P6 is shown in the preceding photograph. This article highlights the work done at the NASA Glenn Research Center to calculate the on-orbit degradation of the P6 solar array wings (SAWs) using on-orbit data from December 2000 to February 2003. During early ISS operations, the 82 strings of photovoltaic cells that make up a SAW can provide much more power than is necessary to meet the demand. To deal with excess power, a sequential shunt unit successively shunts the current from the strings. This shunt current was the parameter chosen for the SAW performance degradation study for the following reasons: (1) it is based on a direct shunt current measurement in the sequential shunt unit, (2) the shunt current has a low temperature dependence that reduces the data correction error from using a computationally derived array temperature, and (3) the SSU shunt current is essentially the same as the SAW short-circuit current on a per-string basis.

Gustafson, Eric D.↗

Performance degradation of helicopter rotor in forward flight due to ice

This study addresses the analytical assessment of the degradation in the forward flight performance of the front rotor Boeing Vertol CH47D helicopter in a rime ice natural icing encounter. The front rotor disk was divided into 24 15-deg sections and the local Mach number and angle of attack were evaluated as a function of azimuthal and radial location for a specified flight condition. Profile drag increments were then calculated as a function of azimuthal and radial position for different times of exposure to icing, and the rotor performance was re-evaluated including these drag increments. The results of the analytical prediction method, such as horsepower required to maintain a specific flight condition, as a function of icing time have been generated. The method to illustrate the value of such an approach in assessing performance changes experienced by a helicopter rotor as a result of rime ice accretion is described.

Korkan, K. D.↗

The long-term performance degradation of a radioisotope thermoelectric generator using silicon germanium

The successful utilization of a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) as the power source for spaceflight missions requires that the performance of such an RTG be predictable throughout the mission. Several mechanisms occur within the generator which tend to degrade the performance as a function of operating time. The impact which these mechanisms have on the available output power of an RTG depends primarily on such factors as time, temperature and self-limiting effects. The relative magnitudes, rates and temperature dependency of these various degradation mechanisms have been investigated separately by coupon experiments as well as 4-couple and 18-couple module experiments. This paper discusses the different individual mechanisms and summarizes their combined influence on the performance of an RTG. Also presented as part of the RTG long-term performance characteristics is the sensitivity of the available RTG output power to variations of the individual degradation mechanisms thus identifying the areas of greatest concern for a successful long-term mission.

Stapfer, G.↗