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At least 379 records · Page 21

Computational Investigation of Novel Tip Leakage Mitigation Methods for High Pressure Turbine Blades

This paper presents preliminary findings on a possible approach to reducing tip leakage losses. In this paper a computational study was conducted on the EEE (Energy Efficient Engine) HPT (High Pressure Turbine) rotor tip geometry using the commercial numerical solver ANSYS FLUENT. The flow solver was validated against aerodynamic data acquired in the NASA Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade facility. The scope of the ongoing study is to computationally investigate how the tip leakage and overall blade losses are affected by 1. injection from the tip near the pressure side, 2. injection from the tip surface at the camber line, and 3. injection from the tip surface into the tip separation bubble. The objective is to identify the locations on the tip surface at which to place appropriately configured blowing keeping in mind the film cooling application of tip blowing holes. The validation was conducted at Reynolds numbers of 85,000, 343,000 and 685,000 and at engine realistic flow conditions. The coolant injection simulations were conducted at a Reynolds number of 343,000 based on blade chord and inlet velocity and utilized the SST turbulence model in FLUENT. The key parameters examined are the number of jets, jet angle and jet location. A coolant to inlet pressure ratio of 1.0 was studied for angles of +30 deg., -30 deg. and 90 deg. to the local free stream on the tip. For the 3 hole configuration, 3 holes spaced 3 hole diameters apart with length to diameter ratio of 1.5 were used. A simulation including 11 holes along the entire mean camber line is also presented (30 degrees toward suction side). In addition, the effect of a single hole is also compared to a flat tip with no injection. The results provide insight into tip flow control methods and can be used to guide further investigation into tip flow control. As noted in past research it is concluded that reducing leakage flow is not necessarily synonymous with reducing losses due to leakage.

Ibrahim, Mounir↗

Calculated Low-Speed Steady and Time-Dependent Aerodynamic Derivatives for Some Airfoils Using a Discrete Vortex Method

This paper contains a collection of some results of four individual studies presenting calculated numerical values for airfoil aerodynamic stability derivatives in unseparated inviscid incompressible flow due separately to angle-of-attack, pitch rate, flap deflection, and airfoil camber using a discrete vortex method. Both steady conditions and oscillatory motion were considered. Variables include the number of vortices representing the airfoil, the pitch axis / moment center chordwise location, flap chord to airfoil chord ratio, and circular or parabolic arc camber. Comparisons with some experimental and other theoretical information are included. The calculated aerodynamic numerical results obtained using a limited number of vortices provided in each study compared favorably with thin airfoil theory predictions. Of particular interest are those aerodynamic results calculated herein (such as induced drag) that are not readily available elsewhere.

Riley, Donald R.↗

Aeroacoustic Characterization of Optimum Hovering Rotors using Artificial Neural Networks

This work illustrates the use of artificial neural network modeling in the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic characterization of optimum hovering rotors over a broad range of design and operating conditions. Design of Experiments was used to create input feature spaces over eight input factors: the number of rotor blades, rotor radius, rotor rotation rate, design thrust condition, collective pitch, airfoil camber, the location of maximum camber, and the airfoil thickness. A low-fidelity tool chain was then used at the discrete data points defined by the designed input feature spaces to analytically design optimum hovering rotors and simulate aerodynamic and aeroacoustic quantities. This allowed for the generation of data sets over which to train and test the artificial neural network prediction models. Prediction models were trained over the data sets for the actual thrust generated by the rotor, power loading, tonal thickness and loading noise at the fundamental blade passage frequency, and broadband self-noise at seventeen one-third octave bands between 1 kHz and 40 kHz. These prediction models were validated by testing over data previously unseen by the models to quantify their capability for generalization to new data within the design feature space. The models were then used to study the effect each input feature had on the aeroacoustics and aerodynamics of optimum hovering rotors and physical insights were concluded to further explain the effect of each input. This characterization study showed that tonal noise and power loading were most sensitive to the number of rotor blades and the rotor rotation rate and that broadband noise was most sensitive to collective pitch and the design thrust condition.

Christopher S Thurman↗

Preliminary Airfoil Design for Low Reynolds Numbers

Advances in the fields of electronics, batteries, and electric motors have enabled broad adoption of small-scale aircraft for various terrestrial applications. Numerous Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) and small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), both civil and military, are in use today. Operation at their design flight condition often requires rotors, propellers, or wings to perform at Reynolds numbers significantly below 500,000 [1]. Airfoil performance at low Reynolds numbers is generally characterized by low aerodynamic performance (i.e. the attainable lift-to-drag ratio) compared to performance of airfoils at higher Reynolds numbers. The critical chord-based Reynolds number for conventional airfoils lies around Rec = 100,000 to Rec = 500,000 [2]. Below this critical Reynolds number, laminar separation of the boundary layer is usually the cause for poor performance. Researchers have found that below the critical Reynolds number, flat and cambered plates can outperform smooth airfoils. Circular-arc cambered plates especially have remarkable performance advantages compared to conventional airfoil shapes [3].

airfoil↗

PALMO: An OVERFLOW Machine Learning Airfoil Performance Database

The OVERFLOW Machine Learning Airfoil Performance (PALMO) database has been created to enable robust modeling of airfoil performance in a variety of applications. The database uses OVERFLOW simulation data second-order accurate in time and fourth-order accurate in space with Spalart-Allmaras turbulence closure. The foundation of the in-development PALMO database is the airfoil base cube. Each base cube includes simulation data parametrized over a range of Mach numbers, Reynolds numbers, and angles-of-attack. This first release of the database includes the NACA 4-series airfoils, with parametrization in airfoil thickness and camber from an NACA 0006 to an NACA 4424. In total, 52,480 NACA 4-series calculations were run on the NASA High-End Compute Capability (HECC) supercomputer and the corresponding airfoil performance coefficients are embedded in the Appendix of this document for public distribution. This provides high-order-accurate simulation data covering a wide range of aerospace design applications, which enables users to develop OVERFLOW-quality airfoil performance look-up tables without additional high-performance computing. In addition to engineering design and analysis of aerospace vehicles, PALMO is well suited to be a benchmark dataset for the development and testing of machine learning methods in aerospace engineering. Downstream surrogate models enable OVERFLOW- quality airfoil performance predictions for any arbitrary combination of camber, thickness, Mach number, Reynolds number, and angle-of-attack within the bounds of the database.

Database↗

Wind-tunnel Tests of Four Curtiss Propellers Embodying Different Blade Sections

Tests of four 10-foot propellers were made in the propeller-research tunnel for the Army Air Corps to check flight and static thrust test results made on several propellers embodying Clark Y and modified NACA 16-series sections. These propellers were identical as to diameter and activity factor and very closely identical in thickness ratio and pitch distribution. The blades embodied sections with both single- and double-cambered Clark Y, modified NACA 16-series, and a combination of Clark Y and modified NACA-16 airfoils. Tests covered a range of blade angles from 20 deg. to 70 deg., and were all made at tip speeds below 280 feet per second. Although these tests were not conclusive in themselves, owing to the conditions under which they were made, the results seem to check the flight and static tests as closely as would be expected.

AIRFOILS - CLARK Y - CHARACTERISTICS PROPELLER↗

On the design of airfoils in which the transition of the boundary layer is delayed

A method is presented for designing suitable thickness distributions and mean camber lines for airfoils permitting extensive chordwise laminar flow. Wind tunnel and flight tests confirming the existence of laminar flow; possible maintenance of laminar flow by area suction; and the effects of wind tunnel turbulence and surface roughness on the promotion of premature boundary layer transition are discussed. In addition, estimates of profile drag and scale effect on maximum lift of the derived airfoils are made.

BOUNDARY LAYER CONTROL - AIRFOILS↗

An Attached Flow Design of a Noninterferring Leading Edge Extension to a Thick Delta Wing

An analytical procedure for the determination of the shape of a Leading-Edge Extension (LEE) which satisfies design criteria, including especially noninterference at the wing design point, has been developed for thick delta wings. The LEE device best satisfying all criteria is designed to be mounted on a wing along a dividing stream surface associated with an attached flow design lift coefficient (C L,d ) of greater than zero. This device is intended to improve the aerodynamic performance of transonic aircraft at C L greater than C L,d system emanating from the LEE leading edge. In order to quantify this process a twisted and cambered thick delta wing was chosen for the initial application of this design procedure. Appropriate computer codes representing potential and vortex flows were employed to determine the dividing stream surface at C L,d and an optimized LEE planform shape at C L greater than C L,d , respectively. To aid in the LEE selection, the aerodynamic effectiveness of 36 planforms was investigated at C L greater than C L,d . This study showed that reducing the span of the candidate LEEs has the most detrimental effect on overall aerodynamic efficiency, regardless of the shape or area. Furthermore, for a fixed area, constant-chord LEE candidates were relatively more efficient than those with sweep less than the wing. At C L,d , the presence of the LEE planform best satisfying the design criteria was found to have no effect on the wing alone aerodynamic performance.

Leading edge extension↗

Experimental and Analytical Investigation of the Transonic and Supersonic Divergence Characteristics of a Delta-Plan-Form All- Movable Control

The static aeroelastic divergence characteristics of a delta-planform model of the canard control surface of a proposed air-to-ground missile have been studied both analytically and experimentally in the Mach number range from 0.6 to 3.0. The experiments indicated that divergence occurred at a nearly constant value of dynamic pressure at Mach numbers up to 1.2. At higher Mach numbers somewhat higher values of dynamic pressure were required to produce divergence. The analysis and the experiment indicate that the camber stiffness of the control surface and the stiffness of the control actuator are both important in divergence of surfaces of this type.

PLANFORM↗

Computer program analyzes and designs supersonic wing-body combinations

Computer program formulates geometric description of the wing body configuration, optimizes wing camber shape, determines wing shape for a given pressure distribution, and calculates pressures, forces, and moments on a given configuration. The program consists of geometry definition, transformation, and paneling, and aerodynamics, and flow visualization.

Woodward, F. A.↗

Notes on rotor aerodynamic research.

Rotor aerodynamics research in terms of theoretical and experimental data comparison, rotor blade flow visualization and blade section camber

Gustafson, F. B.↗

Variable geometry aft-fan for takeoff quieting or thrust augmentation of a turbojet engine

A concept is presented that combines the low-noise and high-thrust characteristics of a turbofan at takeoff, together with its high efficiency at subsonic flight speeds, with the high efficiency of a turbojet at supersonic cruise. It consists of a free turbine with tip fan mounted behind the turbine of a conventional turbojet engine. Fan air is supplied from blow-in doors or is ducted from the main engine inlet. At high flight speeds where fan augmentation is not desirable, the fan inlet is closed and the free turbine is stopped by adjustment of its variable-camber stators. Estimates of noise, cycle performance, and example configurations are presented for a typical supersonic transport application.

Weber, R. J.↗

Systematic two-dimensional cascade tests. Volume 3: Slotted double circular-arc hydrofoils

Performance parameters are presented for cascades of slotted double circular-arc hydrofoils tested over a range of systematically introduced variables in a rectilinear cascade tunnel which uses water as the test medium. Cascade configurations included various combinations of an inlet flow angle of 50, 60 and 70 deg; a cascade solidity of 0.75, 1.00 and 1.50; a hydrofoil camber angle of 20, 30, 40 and 45 deg; and angles of incidence between positive and negative stall. The slot was positioned at the 45 percent chord station and the slot exit width was 0.047-in. Tests were also performed with the slot positioned at the 35 percent chord station and with slot widths of 0.63 and 0.094-in. These data were correlated to indicate the effects of slot location and slot width on minimum loss incidence and deviation angles. In addition, a comparison is presented of the performance parameters for cascades of slotted and unslotted hydrofoils.

Columbo, R. M.↗

Comparison of experimental and theoretical thermal fatigue lives for five nickel base alloys

The alloys Nimonic 90, IN 100, coated IN 100, B 1900, coated B 1900, MAR M200, and MAR M200DS (directionally solidified) were studied. Maximum temperatures ranged from 770 C to 1120 C (1420 F to 2050 F). Specimen geometries included tapered disks, double-edged wedges, and cambered airfoils. The disks and wedges were heated and cooled in fluidized beds. The airfoil specimens were heated by a Mach 1 natural gas burner and rapid-air-cooled, with and without spanwise loading. Life calculations included two distinct failure modes: conventional low cycle fatigue and cyclic creep. Required material properties were limited to conventional thermal, tensile, and creep rupture data. The complete life calculation system included the calculation of transient temperature distributions, thermal strains, stresses, creep damage, fatigue damage, and cycles to first crack. Calculated lives were within a factor of two for 76 of the 86 data points analyzed. Cyclic creep accounted for 81% of all the calculated damage.

Spera, D. A.↗

Evaluation of range and distortion tolerance for high Mach number transonic fan stages. Task 2: Performance of a 1500-foot-per-second tip speed transonic fan stage with variable geometry inlet guide vanes and stator

A 0.5 hub/tip radius ratio compressor stage consisting of a 1500 ft/sec tip speed rotor, a variable camber inlet guide vane and a variable stagger stator was designed and tested with undistorted inlet flow, flow with tip radial distortion, and flow with 90 degrees, one-per-rev, circumferential distortion. At the design speed and design IGV and stator setting the design stage pressure ratio was achieved at a weight within 1% of the design flow. Analytical results on rotor tip shock structure, deviation angle and part-span shroud losses at different operating conditions are presented. The variable geometry blading enabled efficient operation with adequate stall margin at the design condition and at 70% speed. Closing the inlet guide vanes to 40 degrees changed the speed-versus-weight flow relationship along the stall line and thus provided the flexibility of operation at off-design conditions. Inlet flow distortion caused considerable losses in peak efficiency, efficiency on a constant throttle line through design pressure ratio at design speed, stall pressure ratio, and stall margin at the 0 degrees IGV setting and high rotative speeds. The use of the 40 degrees inlet guide vane setting enabled partial recovery of the stall margin over the standard constant throttle line.

Bilwakesh, K. R.↗

Unsteady flow through compressor stages

The application of the nonsteady Lax-Wendroff technique to problems with asymptotically periodic solution which offers a potentially powerful method for the investigation of the interaction of rotating and stationary blade rows in turbomachinery is reported. A technique for specifying boundary conditions with phase lag was developed to accomplish this. A complete nonlinear analysis is carried out numerically to determine the entire flow field without recourse to the assumption of small disturbances of linear equations which underlie the previous acoustic theories. The result, obtained for the case of equal number of rotor and stator blades shows that transonic flow can be handled without difficulty. In addition, the program is not limited with regard to blade thickness, camber or loading. Extension of this method to incorporate viscous wakes and to analysis of fully three dimensional configuration is feasible, and would greatly expand its utility in practical applications.

Alzner, E.↗