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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Combustion Technology Outreach

Lewis' High Speed Research (HSR) Propulsion Project Office initiated a targeted outreach effort to market combustion-related technologies developed at Lewis for the next generation of supersonic civil transport vehicles. These combustion-related innovations range from emissions measurement and reduction technologies, to diagnostics, spray technologies, NOx and SOx reduction of burners, noise reduction, sensors, and fuel-injection technologies. The Ohio Aerospace Institute and the Great Lakes Industrial Technology Center joined forces to assist Lewis' HSR Office in this outreach activity. From a database of thousands of nonaerospace firms considered likely to be interested in Lewis' combustion and emission-related technologies, the outreach team selected 41 companies to contact. The selected companies represent oil-gas refineries, vehicle/parts suppliers, and manufacturers of residential furnaces, power turbines, nonautomobile engines, and diesel internal combustion engines.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1991

Test methods for determining the suitability of metal alloys for use in oxygen-enriched environments

Materials are more flammable in oxygen rich environments than in air. When the structural elements of a system containing oxygen ignite and burn, the results are often catastrophic, causing loss of equipment and perhaps even human lives. Therefore, selection of the proper metallic and non-metallic materials for use in oxygen systems is extremely important. While test methods for the selection of non-metallic materials have been available for years, test methods for the selection of alloys have not been available until recently. Presented here are several test methods that were developed recently at NASA's White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) to study the ignition and combustion of alloys, including the supersonic and subsonic speed particle impact tests, the frictional heating and coefficient of friction tests, and the promoted combustion test. These test methods are available for commercial use.

Stoltzfus, Joel M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A preliminary component analysis of a Mach-7 hypersonic vehicle

As research continues in the development of an aircraft capable of travelling at hypersonic flight velocities, both the propulsion and thermal management systems stand out as areas requiring innovative technological breakthroughs. For propulsion, the difficulty involves efficiently compressing and combusting hydrogen in a supersonic stream, i.e., developing a viable scramjet with thermal management, the challenge lies in development of materials and active cooling systems capable of handling the enormous heat fluxes associated with hypersonic flight. This paper focuses on these problems and presents component designs for both an active cooling system and an all-external-compression scramjet. These systems are mated to a Mach-6 passenger cruise aircraft whose aerodynamic configuration was derived from an optimization of NASA windtunnel test results. The following outlines the development of the configuration and then focuses in on the design of the two component systems.

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NASA NTRS2001

Analysis of Proposed Fully Internal Compression Geometry for an RBCC Engine

A proposed fully internal compression geometry for rocket based combined cycle (RBCC) engine, STEPER (Space Transportation Engine Prototype for Engineering Research), was investigated numerically in this paper. The Steper-engine has been designed to power a reusable launch vehicle that may take-off horizontally, accelerate to Mach 2, sustain supersonic air-breathing combustion to Mach 10 while ascending to 50 km and then transition to full rocket propulsion to enter low earth orbit. The proposed engine geometry replaces the alternative conical center-body and supporting struts with a quasi-stationary upper and lower compression ramps. A cluster of thruster nozzles was embedded inside the ramp and provide thrust to the engine with additional fuel existing at the nozzle exit. The proposed geometry eases the problem of cooling hard to reach cavities. This design geometry was investigated numerically. Both perfect gas and finite rate chemistry analysis were performed. Results indicated that the emanating oblique shock waves produced by the upper and lower compression ramps intersect and the reflecting shocks do not reach the wall of the combustor but rather downstream. This effect allows the formation of two distinct regions that can be considered the core region and the surrounding flow region. The core region has higher pressure and higher temperature than the surrounding region. Therefore providing some reduction to the thermal loads to the inner walls.

Rojas-Oviedo, Ruben↗
NASA NTRS1999

CIAM/NASA Mach 6.5 Scramjet Flight and Ground Test

The Russian Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) performed a flight test of a CIAM-designed, hydrogen-cooled/fueled dual-mode scramjet engine over a Mach number range of approximately 3.5 to 6.4 on February 12, 1998, at the Sary Shagan test range in Kazakhstan. This rocket-boosted, captive-carry test of the axisymmetric engine reached the highest Mach number of any scramjet engine flight test to date. The flight test and the accompanying ground test program, conducted in a CIAM test facility near Moscow, were performed under a NASA contract administered by the Dryden Flight Research Center with technical assistance from the Langley Research Center. Analysis of the flight and ground data by both CIAM and NASA resulted in the following preliminary conclusions. An unexpected control sensor reading caused non-optimal fueling of the engine, and flowpath modifications added to the engine inlet during manufacture caused markedly reduced inlet performance. Both of these factors appear to have contributed to the dual-mode scramjet engine operating primarily in a subsonic combustion mode. At the maximum Mach number test point, combustion caused transition from supersonic flow at the fuel injector station to primarily subsonic flow in the combustor. Ground test data were obtained at similar conditions to the flight test, allowing for a meaningful comparison between the ground and flight data. The results of this comparison indicate that the differences in engine performance are small.

Voland, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Solid-liquid staged combustion space boosters

NASA has begun to evaluate solid-liquid hybrid propulsion for launch vehicle booster. A three-phase program was outlined to identify, acquire, and demonstrate technology needed to approximate solid and liquid propulsion state of the art. Aerojet has completed a Phase 1 study and recommends a solid-liquid staged combustion concept in which turbopump fed LO2 is burned with fuel-rich solid propellant effluent in aft-mounted thrust chambers.These reasonably sized thrust chambers are LO2 regeneratively cooled, supplemented with fuel-rich barrier cooling. Turbopumps are driven by the resulting GO2 coolant in an expander-bleed-burnoff cycle. Turbine exhaust pressurizes the LO2 tankage directly, and the excess is bled into supersonic nozzle splitlines, where it combusts with the fuel rich boundary layer. Thrust vector control is enhanced by supersonic nozzle movement on flexseal mounts. Every hybrid solid-liquid concept examined improves booster energy management and launch propellant safety compared to current solid boosters. Solid-liquid staged combustion improves hybrid performance by improving both combustion efficiency and combustion stability, especially important for large boosters. These improvements result from careful fluid management and use of smaller combustors. The study shows NASA safety, reliability, cost, and performance criteria are best met with this concept, wherein simple hardware relies on several separate emerging technologies, all of which have been demonstrated successfully.

Culver, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1950

Free-flight Performance of 16-inch-diameter Supersonic Ram-jet Units II : Five Units Designed for Combustion-chamber-inlet Mach Number of 0.16 at Free-stream Mach Number of 1.60 (units B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, and B-5) /c Wesley E. Messing and Scott H. S

Free-flight performance of five 16-inch-diameter ram-jet units was determined over range of free-stream Mach numbers of 0.50 to 1.86 and gas total-temperature ratios between 1.0 and 6.1 Time histories of performance data are presented for each unit. Correlations illustrate effect of free-stream Mach number and gas total-temperature ratio on diffuser total-pressure recovery, net-thrust coefficient, and external drag coefficient. One unit had smooth steady burning throughout the entire flight and encountered a maximum free-stream Mach number of 1.86 with a net acceleration of approximately 4.2 g's.

COMBUSTION - RAM-JET ENGINES↗
NASA NTRS1950

Free-flight Performance of 16-inch-diameter Supersonic Ram-jet Units III : Four Units Designed for Combustion-chamber-inlet Mach Number of 0.245 at Free-stream Mach Number of 1.8 (units D-1, D-2, D-3, and D-4)

Performance of four 16-inch-diameter ram-jet units was determined at free-stream Mach numbers of 0.49 to 1.78 over range of gas total-temperature ratios of 1.0 to 6.1. Time histories of each flight and data on thrust, drag, diffuser efficiency, and combustion are presented. A maximum thrust coefficient of 0.88 and a maximum net acceleration of 5.13 g's were observed for the four units.

COMBUSTION - RAM-JET ENGINES↗
NASA NTRS1994

A study of low emissions gas turbine combustions

Analytical studies have been conducted to determine the best methods of reducing NO(x) emissions from proposed civilian supersonic transports. Modifications to the gas turbine engine combustors and the use of additives were both explored. It was found that combustors which operated very fuel rich or lean appear to be able to meet future emissions standards. Ammonia additives were also effective in removing NO(x), but residual ammonia remained a problem. Studies of a novel combustor which reduces emissions and improves performance were initiated. In a related topic, a study was begun on the feasibility of using supersonic aircraft to obtain atmospheric samples. The effects of shock heating and compression on sample integrity were modeled. Certain chemical species, including NO2, HNO3, and ClONO2 were found to undergo changes to their composition after they passed through shock waves at Mach 2. The use of detonation waves to enhance mixing and combustion in supersonic airflows was also investigated. This research is important to the use of airbreathing propulsion to obtain orbital speeds and access to space. Both steady and pulsed detonation waves were shown to improve engine performance.

Adelman, Henry G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Experiments on three-dimensional separating and reattaching flows

In studies of multijet rockets, failure to find solutions when using a reasonable mathematical model led to performing airflow tests of supersonic circular jets exhausting into noncircular channels of various sizes. Amomalous base pressure trends and puzzling wall pressure patterns resulted. A flow-into-the-corner test was then devised, using a 90 deg trough behind a back step. A vortex pair, generated by the unsymmetrical squeezing of the shear layer, was found to fill much of the corner and provided an explanation for the peculiar results of the previous tests. No previous reference could be found to this phenomenon. Further experiments of bodies with base fins defined the conditions for creating this trough vortex effect. The trough vortex was used successfully as an igniter/flameholder for combustion of hydrogen in a supersonic stream. Other applications are suggested for base drag reduction, base burning and for providing guidance to avoid errors in half-plane wind tunnel model testing.

Zumwalt, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Supersonic Inlet with Pylons Set and Star-Shaped Forebody for Mixing, Combustion and Thrust Enhancement

Two new approaches are discussed in this paper for application in the Scramjet inlet of an air-breathing propulsion system: 1) In the first approach, the pylon set is installed in the rectangular inlet near the cowl front edge. For a quasi-axisymmetric inlet, a similar set is installed along the Star-shaped forebody axis. This set contains 3 - 4 airfoil-shaped strips or cross-sectional rings depending on the type of inlet. The inlets: rectangular, axisymmetric or star-shaped, are located at different distances from the forebody. Fuel injection takes place through these pylons, which provides for uniform mixing downstream. The locations, sizes and angles of these pylons are very important for efficient application. Optimal values of geometrical parameters were determined from multi-parametric NSE-based numerical simulations of the laminar and turbulent external/internal flows. These simulations have shown significant benefits for mixing, combustion and thrust of the proposed approach by comparison with traditional well-known designs. Experimental tests will be conducted soon at the NASA LaRC and Institute of Mechanics at Moscow State University. Preliminary estimates are very promising.

Gilinsky, M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An assumed pdf approach for the calculation of supersonic mixing layers

In an effort to predict the effect that turbulent mixing has on the extent of combustion, a one-equation turbulence model is added to an existing Navier-Stokes solver with finite-rate chemistry. To average the chemical-source terms appearing in the species-continuity equations, an assumed pdf approach is also used. This code was used to analyze the mixing and combustion caused by the mixing layer formed by supersonic coaxial H2-air streams. The chemistry model employed allows for the formation of H2O2 and HO2. Comparisons are made with recent measurements using laser Raman diagnostics. Comparisons include temperature and its rms, and concentrations of H2, O2, N2, H2O, and OH. In general, good agreement with experiment was noted.

Baurle, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Supersonic combustor modeling

The physical phenomena involved when a supersonic flow undergoes chemical reaction are discussed. Detailed physical models of convective and diffusive mixing, and finite rate chemical reaction in supersonic flow are presented. Numerical algorithms used to solve the equations governing these processes are introduced. Computer programs using these algorithms are used to analyze the structure of the reacting mixing layer. It is concluded that, as in subsonic flow, exothermic heat release in unconfined supersonic flows retards fuel/air mixing. Non mixing is shown to be a potential problem in reducing the efficiency of supersonic as well as subsonic combustion. Techniques for enhancing fuel/air mixing and combustion are described.

Riggins, David W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

An investigation of a wall-injected scramjet using a shock tunnel

Experimental results are presented for several wall-injected, constant-area scramjet experiments, performed in the T4 free-piston-driven shock tunnel. Stagnation enthalpies range from 5.7 to 10.1 MJ/kg, corresponding to flight Mach numbers of Mach 9.7 to Mach 13. Hydrogen fuel is injected from the rear of a step into a supersonic air stream, with combustion-chamber Mach numbers of 3.6 and 4.4, and static pressures of 40 kPa. The experimental results are compared to numerical predictions obtained from a two-dimensional, parabolic Navier-Stokes code, which modeled turbulence with a compressibility modified k-epsilon model, and used multi-reaction, finite-rate chemistry. The numerical and experimental results show reasonable agreement and indicate that the scramjet flows studied are predominantly mixing limited.

Brescianini, C. P.↗