Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “DRAG EFFECT”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 487 records · Page 27

Sound power spectrum and wave drag of a propeller in flight

Theory is presented for the sound power and sound power spectrum of a single rotation propeller in forward flight. Calculations are based on the linear wave equation with sources distributed over helicoidal surfaces to represent effects of blade thickness and steady loading. Sound power is distributed continuously over frequecy, as would be expected from Doppler effects, rather than in discrete harmonics. The theory is applied to study effects of sweep and Mach number in propfans. An acoustic efficiency is defined as the ratio of radiated sound power to shaft input power. This value is the linear estimate of the effect of wave drag due to the supersonic blade section speeds. It is shown that the acoustic efficiency is somewhat less than 1 percent for a well designed propfan.

Hanson, D. B.↗

Enhanced tuneable rotatory power in a rotating plasma

We report that the gyrotropic properties of a rotating magnetized plasma are derived analytically. Mechanical rotation leads to a new cutoff for wave propagation along the magnetic field, and polarization rotation above this cutoff is the sum of the classical magneto-optical Faraday effect and the mechanico-optical polarization drag. Exploiting the very large effective group index near the cutoff, we expose here that polarization drag can be 10 4 larger than Faraday rotation at GHz frequency. The rotation leads to weak absorption while allowing direct frequency control, demonstrating the unique potential of rotating plasmas for nonreciprocal elements. The very large rotation frequency of a dense non-neutral plasma could enable unprecedented gyrotropy in the THz regime.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Viscoplasticity: A thermodynamic formulation

A thermodynamic foundation using the concept of internal state variables is given for a general theory of viscoplasticity, as it applies to initially isotropic materials. Three fundamental internal state variables are admitted. They are: a tensor valued back stress for kinematic effects, and the scalar valued drag and yield strengths for isotropic effects. All three are considered to phenomenologically evolve according to competitive processes between strain hardening, strain induced dynamic recovery, and time induced static recovery. Within this phenomenological framework, a thermodynamically admissible set of evolution equations is put forth. This theory allows each of the three fundamental internal variables to be composed as a sum of independently evolving constituents.

Freed, A. D.↗

Longitudinal afterbody grooves and shoulder radiusing for low-speed bluff body drag reduction

A new low-speed drag reduction approach is proposed which employs longitudinal surface V-shaped grooves cutting through the afterbody shoulder region. The test Reynolds number range was from 20,000 to 200,000 based on undisturbed free-stream flow and a body diameter of 6.08 cm. The V-grooves are shown to be most effective in reducing drag when the afterbody shoulder radius is zero. Reductions in drag of up to 33% have been measured for this condition. For large shoulder radius, the grooves are only effective at the lower Reynolds numbers of the test.

Howard, F. G.↗

Liquid droplet radiator development status

Development of the Liquid Droplet Radiator (LDR) is described. Significant published results of previous investigators are presented, and work currently in progress is discussed. Several proposed LDR configurations are described, and the rectangular and triangular configurations currently of most interest are examined. Development of the droplet generator, collector, and auxiliary components are discussed. Radiative performance of a droplet sheet is considered, and experimental results are seen to be in very good agreement with analytical predictions. The collision of droplets in the droplet sheet, the charging of droplets by the space plasma, and the effect of atmospheric drag on the droplet sheet are shown to be of little consequence, or can be minimized by proper design. The LDR is seen to be less susceptible than conventional technology to the effects of micrometeoroids or hostile threats. The identification of working fluids which are stable in the orbital environments of interest is also made. Methods for reducing spacecraft contamination from an LDR to an acceptable level are discussed. Preliminary results of microgravity testing of the droplet generator are presented. Possible future NASA and Air Force missions enhanced or enabled by a LDR are also discussed. System studies indicate that the LDR is potentially less massive than heat pipe radiators. Planned microgravity testing aboard the Shuttle or space station is seen to be a logical next step in LDR development.

White, K. Alan, III↗

Liquid droplet radiator development status

Development of the Liquid Droplet Radiator (LDR) is described. Significant published results of previous investigators are presented, and work currently in progress is discussed. Several proposed LDR configurations are described, and the rectangular and triangular configurations currently of most interest are examined. Development of the droplet generator, collector, and auxiliary components are discussed. Radiative performance of a droplet sheet is considered, and experimental results are seen to be in very good agreement with analytical predictions. The collision of droplets in the droplet sheet, the charging of droplets by the space plasma, and the effect of atmospheric drag on the droplet sheet are shown to be of little consequence, or can be minimized by proper design. The LDR is seen to be less susceptible than conventional technology to the effects of micrometeoroids or hostile threats. The identification of working fluids which are stable in the orbital environments of interest is also made. Methods for reducing spacecraft contamination from an LDR to an acceptable level are discussed. Preliminary results of microgravity testing of the droplet generator are presented. Possible future NASA and Air Force missions enhanced or enabled by a LDR are also discussed. System studies indicate that the LDR is potentially less massive than heat pipe radiators. Planned microgravity testing aboard the Shuttle or space station is seen to be a logical next step in LDR development.

White, K. Alan, III↗

Investigation of the vortex flap concept on a 75-deg sweep delta wing at supersonic speeds

An experimental investigation of the aerodynamic performance of vortex flaps on a 75-deg sweep delta wing has been conducted in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers from 1.7 to 2.8. The sharp leading edge vortex flaps consisted of the outboard 30 percent of the local wing semispan. Flap deflections of 0, 5, 10, and 15 deg were investigated, for both a wing-alone and a wing-body configuration. The flaps were effective in reducing the drag across the lift-coefficient range. Integration of the upper surface pressure distributions showed that the suction pressures induced by the vortex on the flap were responsible for the drag reductions. At some lift conditions, the minimum drag condition permitted hinge line separation or vortex migration inboard of the hinge line. This result is in contrast to subsonic results, where optimum conditions call for no hinge line separation. The magnitude of the drag reduction due to flap deflection generally decreased as Mach number increased. The effect of a cylindrical forebody on the drag reduction due to flap deflection was minimal.

Covell, Peter F.↗

Analyze satellite-tracking laser data in order to study satellite ephemerides, solid-Earth and ocean tides and laser system performance

The decrease in the semimajor axis of Lageos is considerably larger than expected. Gravitational effects, reference system effects, solar radiation pressure, Earth albedo pressure, neutral atmospheric drag, the Poynting Robertson Effect, and electrodynamic effects were used in explaining the observations. Quick look data provided are used to determine the Earth's polar motion and length of day. This process is routine, and provides these geophysical data every five days.

Gaposchkin, E. M.↗

Tidal waves within the thermosphere

The eigenfunctions of the atmosphere (the Hough functions within the lower atmosphere below about 100 km) change their structure and their propagation characteristics within the thermosphere due to dissipation effects such as heat conduction, viscosity, and ion drag. Wave dissipation can be parameterized to a first-order approximation by a complex frequency, the imaginary term of which simulates an effective ion drag force. It is shown how the equivalent depth, the attenuation, and the vertical wavelength of the predominant symmetric diurnal tidal modes change with height as functions of effective ion drag. The boundary conditions of tidal waves are discussed, and asymptotic solutions for the wave parameters like pressure, density, temperature, and wind generated by a heat input proportional to the mean pressure are given. Finally, diffusion effects upon the minor constituents within the thermosphere are described.

Volland, H.↗

Interference drag in a simulated wing-fuselage juncture

The interference drag in a wing fuselage juncture as simulated by a flat plate and a body of constant thickness having a 1.5:1 elliptical leading edge is evaluated experimentally. The experimental measurements consist of mean velocity data taken with a hot wire at a streamwise location corresponding to 16 body widths downstream of the body leading edge. From these data, the interference drag is determined by calculating the total momentum deficit (momentum area) in the juncture and also in the two dimensional turbulent boundary layers on the flat plate and body at locations sufficiently far from the juncture flow effect. The interference drag caused by the juncture drag as measured at this particular streamwise station is -3% of the total drag due to the flat plate and body boundary layers in isolation. If the body is considered to be a wing having a chord and span equal to 16 body widths, the interference drag due to the juncture is only -1% of the frictional drag of one surface of such a wing.

Kubendran, L. R.↗

Transient induced drag

In the present treatment of the calculation of forces on a wing that is suddenly brought into motion at a constant speed, attention is given to the unsteady potential's contribution to the force balance. Total bound vorticity is produced at the initial impulse. The results obtained are independent of wing aspect ratio; as time increases, this effect on the drag force becomes smaller as the vortex emanating from the trailing edge is left behind. The second contributor to induced drag is the spanwise vorticity shedding that results from the spanwise load distribution of three-dimensional wings. This contribution grows with time as the length of the wake grows.

Weihs, D.↗

Effect of nozzle lateral spacing on afterbody drag and performance of twin-jet afterbody models with convergent-divergent nozzles at Mach numbers up to 2.2

Twin-jet afterbody models were investigated by using two balances to measure the thrust-minus-total drag and the afterbody drag, separately, at static conditions and at Mach numbers up to 2.2 for an angle of attack of 0 deg. Hinged-flap convergent-divergent nozzles were tested at subsonic-cruise- and maximum-afterburning-power settings with a high-pressure air system used to provide jet-total-pressure ratios up to 20. Two nozzle lateral spacings were studied, using afterbodies with similar interfairing shapes but with different longitudinal cross-sectional area distributions. Alternate, blunter, interfairings with different shapes for the two spacings, which produced afterbodies having identical cross-sectional area progressions corresponding to an axisymmetric minimum wave-drag configuration, were also tested. The results indicate that the wide-spaced configurations improved the flow field around the nozzles, thereby reducing drag on the cruise nozzles; however, the increased surface and projected cross-sectional areas caused an increase in afterbody drag. Except for a slight advantage with cruise nozzles at subsonic speeds, the wide-spaced configurations had the higher total drag at all other test conditions.

Pendergraft, O. C., Jr.↗

Effect of nozzle lateral spacing on afterbody drag and performance of twin-jet afterbody models with cone plug nozzles at Mach numbers up to 2.20

Twin-jet afterbody models were investigated by using two balances to measure separately the thrust minus total drag and the afterbody drag at Mach numbers of 0.0 and 0.50 to 2.20 for a constant angle of attack of 0. Translating shroud cone plug nozzles were tested at dry and maximum afterburning power settings with a high-pressure air system used to provide jet total-pressure ratios up to 20.0. Two nozzle lateral spacings were studied by using afterbodies with several interfairing shapes. The close- and wide-spaced afterbodies had identical cross-sectional area distributions when similar interfairings were installed on each. Nozzle cant angles of -5, 0, and 5 degrees were investigated. The results show that the highest overall performance was generally obtained with the close-spaced afterbody, basic interfairings (no base), and uncanted nozzles.

Berrier, B. L.↗

Effect of several airframe/nozzle modifications on the drag of a variable-sweep bomber configuration

A variable sweep bomber aircraft model was investigated to identify modifications for drag reduction. Modifications included simulated two dimensional nozzles, staggered and extended nozzles; short, long, and no interfairings between the nozzles; partial and complete wing-glove fairings; glove-fuselage sidefairing; fuselage underfairing; and wing pods. The variable wing sweep and variable exhaust nozzles of the scale model are discussed.

Re, R. J.↗