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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1978

Dynamics of short eccentric plain seals with high axial Reynolds number

Plain seals with high axial flow rates produce large stiffness and damping coefficients that can help stabilize high-speed rotating machinery. When the shaft is eccentric in the seal, a Bernoulli effect low-pressure region occurs on the large-clearance side of the shaft. A fluid-restoring force tends to center the shaft and reduce vibrations. This work extends the previous theory for short plain centered seals to large eccentricities using a perturbation analysis. Surface roughness effects are also included. An analysis of seals used in the Space Shuttle main engine hydrogen fuel turbopump indicates the desirability of plain seals over the labyrinth type. Experimental results confirm this.

Allaire, P. E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

The discrimination between crude-oil spills and monomolecular sea slicks by an airborne lidar

Airborne lidar measurements were performed over a deployed monomolecular oleyl alcohol surface film ('slick'), the physicochemical characteristics of which are known to be similar to biogenic organic compounds secreted by plankton and fish, and adjacent 'clean' sea surfaces in the North Sea. In the presence of the slick, the suppression of the Raman backscatter at 381 nm and of two spectral bands indicative of water column fluorescent organic material at 414 and 482 nm were observed. This effect is explained by two possible mechanisms giving rise to a modification of the transmission or coupling of the laser beam into the water column: (1) the damping of capillary and short gravity water waves by the oleyl alcohol slick, and (2) the modification of the uppermost water layer by the oleyl alcohol film. The results obtained in the presence of a slick are compared with data measured over a Murban crude-oil spill with the same lidar system off the coast of the U.S.A. The consequences of the lidar-monomolecular film experiments with regard to the remote detection of crude-oil spills and oil-thickness measurements with an airborne laser fluorosensing system will be discussed.

Huehnerfuss, H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Growth of planets from planetesimals

The formation of terrestrial planets and the cores of Jovian planets is reviewed in the framework of the planetesimal hypothesis, wherein planets are assumed to grow via the pairwise accumulation of small solid bodies. The rate of (proto)planetary growth is determined by the size and mass of the protoplanet, the surface density of planetesimals, and the distribution of planetesimal velocities relative to the protoplanet. Planetesimal velocities are modified by mutual gravitational interactions and collisions, which convert energy present in the ordered relative motions of orbiting particles (Keplerian shear) into random motions and tend to reduce the velocities of the largest bodies in the swarm relative to those of smaller bodies, as well as by gas drag, which damps eccentricities and inclinations.

Lissauer, Jack J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

A new environment to simulate the dynamics in the close proximity of rubble-pile asteroids

This paper presents a new environment to simulate close-proximity dynamics around rubble-pile asteroids. The code provides methods for modeling the asteroid’s gravity field and surface through granular dynamics. It implements stateof-the-art techniques to model both gravity and contact interaction between particles: 1) mutual gravity as either direct N2 or Barnes-Hut GPU-parallel octree and 2) contact dynamics with a soft-body (force-based, smooth dynamics), hard-body (constraint-based, non-smooth dynamics), or hybrid (constraint-based with compliance and damping) approach. A very relevant feature of the code is its ability to handle complex-shaped rigid bodies and their full 6D motion. Examples of spacecraft close-proximity scenarios and their numerical simulations are shown.

Ferrari, Fabio↗
NASA NTRS1981

Radiative-photochemical response of the mesosphere to dynamical forcing

Combination of the chemical continuity equation for odd oxygen with the second law of thermodynamics yields analytic solutions which describe the coupled behavior of temperature and ozone perturbations in response to an externally specified forcing. The results appear in a form which allows easy physical interpretation of the coupling between radiative and photochemical processes. When the forcing is chosen to mimic a planetary scale wave, the theory shows that photochemical acceleration of radiative damping reduces the amplitude of the temperature perturbation by an amount which increases with the wave period. Although ozone fluctuations are anti-correlated with those in temperature, minima in ozone do not coincide exactly in longitude with temperature maxima. The percentage variation in ozone increases upward and is always larger than that in temperature at the same pressure. This demonstrates that variations in ozone on constant pressure surfaces may serve as a sensitive indicator of wave activity in the mesosphere.

Frederick, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Frontal systems during passage of the Martian north polar hood over the Viking Lander 2 site prior to the first 1977 dust storm

Analysis of a 12-sol period of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure, and optical depth at the Viking Lander 2 site presents the first in situ evidence of high- and low-pressure systems, complete with fronts, on the surface of Mars. The discovery of these systems in the Lander data occurred while analyzing a period during which the north polar hood was advected over the site at midday, dramatically decreasing the surface illumination and surface-to-atmospheric heat flux. This obscuration immediately preceded a global dust storm in the southern hemisphere and low latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The direct effects of the dust storm, reached 48 N, the Lander 2 latitude, later more gradually than they reached the 22 deg N latitude of Lander 1. The system responsible for the polar hood passages is a major disturbance, and it appears that radiational damping is inadequate to stop strong frontal formation. The front analyzed is characteristic of a repetitive series of systems that pass roughly every 3.3 sols. These systems are similar to those predicted by theoretical analyses and by general circulation modeling of the Martian atmosphere and those observed in laboratory experiments.

Tillman, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

COTS MEMS Flow-Measurement Probes

As an alternative to conventional tubing instrumentation for measuring airflow, designers and technicians at Glenn Research Center have been fabricating packaging components and assembling a set of unique probes that contain commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor chips. MEMS sensor chips offer some compelling advantages over standard macroscopic measurement devices. MEMS sensor technology has matured through mass production and use in the automotive and aircraft industries. At present, MEMS are the devices of choice for sensors in such applications as tire-pressure monitors, altimeters, pneumatic controls, cable leak detectors, and consumer appliances. Compactness, minimality of power demand, rugged construction, and moderate cost all contribute to making MEMS sensors attractive for instrumentation for future research. Conventional macroscopic flow-measurement instrumentation includes tubes buried beneath the aerodynamic surfaces of wind-tunnel models or in wind-tunnel walls. Pressure is introduced at the opening of each such tube. The pressure must then travel along the tube before reaching a transducer that generates an electronic signal. The lengths of such tubes typically range from 20 ft (approx.= 6 m) to hundreds of feet (of the order of 100 m). The propagation of pressure signals in the tubes damps the signals considerably and makes it necessary to delay measurements until after test rigs have reached steady-state operation. In contrast, a MEMS pressure sensor that generates electronic output can take readings continuously under dynamic conditions in nearly real time. In order to use stainless-steel tubing for pressure measurements, it is necessary to clean many tubes, cut them to length, carefully install them, delicately deburr them, and splice them. A cluster of a few hundred 1/16-in.- (approx.=1.6-mm-) diameter tubes (such clusters are common in research testing facilities) can be several inches (of the order of 10 cm) in diameter and could weigh enough that two technicians are needed to handle it. Replacing hard tubing with electronic chips can eliminate much of the bulk. Each sensor would fit on the tip of a 1/16-in. tube with room to spare. The Lucas NovaSensor P592 piezoresistive silicon pressure sensor was chosen for this project because of its cost, availability, and tolerance to extreme ambient conditions. The sensor chip is 1 mm square by 0.6 mm thick (about 0.039 by 0.039 by 0.024 in.) and includes 0.12-mm (approx.=0.005-in.) wire connection tabs. The figure shows a flow-angularity probe that was built by use of three such MEMS chips. It is planned to demonstrate this MEMS probe as an alternative to a standard tube-type "Cobra" probe now used routinely in wind tunnels and aeronautical hardware. This MEMS probe could be translated across a flow field by use of a suitable actuator, so that its accuracy and the shortness of its response time could be exploited to obtain precise dynamic measurements of a sort that cannot be made by use of conventional tubing-based instrumentation.

Redding, Chip↗
NASA NTRS1982

High angle-of-attack characteristics of three-surface fighter aircraft

As part of a research program aimed at providing information on the high angle-of-attack characteristics of three-surface fighter concepts incorporating a close-coupled canard, an investigation is being conducted on two specific configurations based on the F-18 and F-15 designs. The study configurations are being subjected to a wide range of tests including wind-tunnel tests, dynamic model tests, and piloted simulation. This paper summarizes the results obtained to date in this study. High-alpha results in the areas of static stability, damping, and control characteristics are reviewed and some of the more significant aerodynamic phenomena are identified.

Croom, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Aqua-Planet Experiment (APE): CONTROL SST Simulation

Climate simulations by 16 atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) are compared on an aqua-planet, a water-covered Earth with prescribed sea surface temperature varying only in latitude. The idealised configuration is designed to expose differences in the circulation simulated by different models. Basic features of the aqua-planet climate are characterised by comparison with Earth. The models display a wide range of behaviour. The balanced component of the tropospheric mean flow, and mid-latitude eddy covariances subject to budget constraints, vary relatively little among the models. In contrast, differences in damping in the dynamical core strongly influence transient eddy amplitudes. Historical uncertainty in modelled lower stratospheric temperatures persists in APE.Aspects of the circulation generated more directly by interactions between the resolved fluid dynamics and parameterized moist processes vary greatly. The tropical Hadley circulation forms either a single or double inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) at the equator, with large variations in mean precipitation. The equatorial wave spectrum shows a wide range of precipitation intensity and propagation characteristics. Kelvin mode-like eastward propagation with remarkably constant phase speed dominates in most models. Westward propagation, less dispersive than the equatorial Rossby modes, dominates in a few models or occurs within an eastward propagating envelope in others. The mean structure of the ITCZ is related to precipitation variability, consistent with previous studies.The aqua-planet global energy balance is unknown but the models produce a surprisingly large range of top of atmosphere global net flux, dominated by differences in shortwave reflection by clouds. A number of newly developed models, not optimised for Earth climate, contribute to this. Possible reasons for differences in the optimised models are discussed.The aqua-planet configuration is intended as one component of an experimental hierarchy used to evaluate AGCMs. This comparison does suggest that the range of model behaviour could be better understood and reduced in conjunction with Earth climate simulations. Controlled experimentation is required to explore individual model behavior and investigate convergence of the aqua-planet climate with increasing resolution.

AGCM↗
NASA NTRS2013

Enhancement of the Accretion of Jupiters Core by a Voluminous Low-Mass Envelope

We present calculations of the early stages of the formation of Jupiter via core nucleated accretion and gas capture. The core begins as a seed body of about 350 kilometers in radius and orbits in a swarm of planetesimals whose initial radii range from 15 meters to 100 kilometers. We follow the evolution of the swarm by accounting for growth and fragmentation, viscous and gravitational stirring, and for drag-induced migration and velocity damping. Gas capture by the core substantially enhances the cross-section of the planet for accretion of small planetesimals. The dust opacity within the atmosphere surrounding the planetary core is computed self-consistently, accounting for coagulation and sedimentation of dust particles released in the envelope as passing planetesimals are ablated. The calculation is carried out at an orbital semi-major axis of 5.2 AU and an initial solids' surface density of 10/g/cm^2 at that distance. The results give a core mass of 7 Earth masses and an envelope mass of approximately 0.1 Earth mass after 500,000 years, at which point the envelope growth rate surpasses that of the core. The same calculation without the envelope gives a core mass of only 4 Earth masses.

Jupiter↗
NASA NTRS1986

The sponge-like topology of large-scale structure in the universe

The relative connectedness of the high- and low-density regions in the universe is studied using a median density contour which divides space into two equal volumes. The CfA data are found to show a sponge-like topology where the highand low-density regions are both interlocking and equivalent. The boundary surface between the two regions has a general negative curvature, and is characterized by a large number of holes. In the initial conditions the connectedness of the two regions must be identical because a change of sign in the random quantum fluctuations would reverse their roles. It is noted that in the cold dark matter and neutrino scenarios the hole sizes are typically of the order of the smoothing diameter or the damping length, whichever is larger. The sponge-like topology is consistent with the universe having a frothy appearance without being divided neatly into cells. A computer algorithm for measuring topology is discussed.

Gott, J. R., III↗
NASA NTRS1986

Decentralized control experiments on NASA's flexible grid

Methods arising from the area of decentralized control are emerging for analysis and control synthesis for large flexible structures. In this paper the control strategy involves a decentralized model reference adaptive approach using a variable structure control. Local models are formulated based on desired damping and response time in a model-following scheme for various modal configurations. Variable structure controllers are then designed employing co-located angular rate and position feedback. In this scheme local control forces the system to move on a local sliding mode in some local error space. An important feature of this approach is that the local subsystem is made insensitive to dynamical interactions with other subsystems once the sliding surface is reached. Experiments based on the above have been performed for NASA's flexible grid experimental apparatus. The grid is designed to admit appreciable low-frequency structural dynamics, and allows for implementation of distributed computing components, inertial sensors, and actuation devices. A finite-element analysis of the grid provides the model for control system design and simulation; results of several simulations are reported on here, and a discussion of application experiments on the apparatus is presented.

Ozguner, U.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Direct Measurement of Wave Kernels in Time-Distance Helioseismology

Solar f-mode waves are surface-gravity waves which propagate horizontally in a thin layer near the photosphere with a dispersion relation approximately that of deep water waves. At the power maximum near 3 mHz, the wavelength of 5 Mm is large enough for various wave scattering properties to be observable. Gizon and Birch (2002,ApJ,571,966)h ave calculated kernels, in the Born approximation, for the sensitivity of wave travel times to local changes in damping rate and source strength. In this work, using isolated small magnetic features as approximate point-sourc'e scatterers, such a kernel has been measured. The observed kernel contains similar features to a theoretical damping kernel but not for a source kernel. A full understanding of the effect of small magnetic features on the waves will require more detailed modeling.

Duvall, T. L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Application of unsteady lifting surface theory to propellers in forward flight

Development of a theory for determining the aerodynamic forces for unsteady, compressible subsonic flow on a propeller in forward flight. The acceleration potential method is used in developing the basic downwash integral equation which governs the flow. This integral equation is solved by the doublet-lattice method, which consists of placing 'load' lines at certain locations on the chord and satisfying the downwash condition at other selected positions. The examples presented include the spanwise and chordwise loading on a rotating propeller for incompressible flow, an example of compressible flow calculations, and, finally, a calculation illustrating the loss of aerodynamic damping of a propeller blade due to the passage of the blade over its own wake.

Hammond, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Solar seismology. II - The stochastic excitation of the solar p-modes by turbulent convection

We test the hypothesis that the solar p-modes are stabilized by damping due to turbulent viscosity in the convective zone. Starting from the assumption that the modes are stable, we calculate expectation values for the modal energies. We find that the interaction between a p-mode and the turbulent convection is such that the modal energy tends toward equipartition with the kinetic energy of turbulent eddies whose lifetimes are comparable to the modal period. From the calculated values of the modal energies, we compute rms surface velocity amplitudes. Our predicted rms surface velocities range from 0.01 cm/sec for the fundamental radial mode to 0.6 cm/sec for the radial mode whose period is approximately 5 minutes. The predicted surface velocities for the low order p-modes are much smaller than the velocities inferred from recent observations.

Goldreich, P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Effect of baffle on the asymmetric gravity jitter excited slosh waves in microgravity

The paper investigates the dynamical behavior of fluids affected by asymmetric gravity jitter oscillations, in particular, the effect of surface tension on partially filled rotating fluids in a full-scale Gravity Probe-B Spacecraft dewar tank, with and without the installation of the baffle-board, imposed by time-dependent directions of background gravity. The time-sequence evolution of the 3D behavior of the liquid-vapor interface oscillations resulting in the excitation of large amplitude slosh waves exerted by gravity jitter disturbances are examined. It is shown that the damping effect provided by baffle reduces the amplitude of slosh wave excitation and lowers the degree of asymmetry in the liquid-vapor distribution.

Hung, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Navier-Stokes Simulation of the Canard-Wing-Body Longitudinal Dynamic Stability Characteristics

Many modern aircraft are canard-configured for aircraft control and improved aerodynamic performance. Canards can often enhance aircraft cruise performance, maneuverability and agility. For close-coupled canard configurations, the aerodynamic interaction between the canard and wing significantly changes the flow characteristics of the wing. In unsteady flow, such changes in the flow structure and performance of wings can be quite pronounced. Accurate modeling of the unsteady aerodynamics is essential for potential CFD design and analysis of such configurations. A time-accurate numerical simulation is performed to study the unsteady aerodynamic interaction between a canard and wing with emphasis on the effects of the canard on the configuration's dynamic response characteristics. The thin-layer Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes Equations with various turbulence models are used in this study. Computations are made on a generic, analytically-defined, close-coupled canard-wing-body configuration which has been the subject of numerous previously published experimental studies during the 1970's to mid-80's. More recently, a series of steady-flow simulations has been performed and published by the author. In the current study, the configuration is given prescribed ramp and oscillatory motions in order to predict characteristics such as the damping-in-pitch and oscillatory longitudinal stability parameters. The current computations are made at high-subsonic and transonic Mach numbers, moderate angles-of- attack from -4 to 20 degrees, and at various pitch rates and reduced frequencies. Comparisons of pressures and integrated force quantities (e.g. lift, drag, pitching moment and selected dynamic parameters) are made with other published computational results and available experimental data. Results showing the unsteady effects of the canard on surface pressures, integrated forces, canard-wing vortex interaction and vortex breakdown will be presented.

Tu, Eugene L.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Diagnosis of Middle Atmosphere Climate Sensitivity by the Climate Feedback Response Analysis Method

We present a new method to diagnose the middle atmosphere climate sensitivity by extending the Climate Feedback-Response Analysis Method (CFRAM) for the coupled atmosphere-surface system to the middle atmosphere. The Middle atmosphere CFRAM (MCFRAM) is built on the atmospheric energy equation per unit mass with radiative heating and cooling rates as its major thermal energy sources. MCFRAM preserves the CFRAM unique feature of an additive property for which the sum of all partial temperature changes due to variations in external forcing and feedback processes equals the observed temperature change. In addition, MCFRAM establishes a physical relationship of radiative damping between the energy perturbations associated with various feedback processes and temperature perturbations associated with thermal responses. MCFRAM is applied to both measurements and model output fields to diagnose the middle atmosphere climate sensitivity. It is found that the largest component of the middle atmosphere temperature response to the 11-year solar cycle (solar maximum vs. solar minimum) is directly from the partial temperature change due to the variation of the input solar flux. Increasing CO2 always cools the middle atmosphere with time whereas partial temperature change due to O3 variation could be either positive or negative. The partial temperature changes due to different feedbacks show distinctly different spatial patterns. The thermally driven globally averaged partial temperature change due to all radiative processes is approximately equal to the observed temperature change, ranging from 0.5 K near 70 km from the near solar maximum to the solar minimum.

MCFRAM↗