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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 523 records · Page 29

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1947

The stability of the laminar boundary layer in a compressible fluid

Report is a continuation of a theoretical investigation of the stability of the laminar boundary layer in a compressible fluid. An approximate estimate for the minimum critical Reynolds number, or stability limit, is obtained in terms of the distribution of the kinematic viscosity and the product of the mean density and mean vorticity across the boundary layer. The extension of the results of the stability analysis to laminar boundary-layer gas flows with a pressure gradient in the direction of the free stream is discussed. (author)

Lees, Lester↗

NASA NTRS2020

Transition induced by Streamwise Arrays of Roughness Elements on a Flat Plate in Mach 3.5 Flow

The flow behind streamwise arrays of roughness elements was examined with a hot-wire probe. The roughness elements had heights of approximately 20% and 40% of the boundary layer thickness and different spacings and orientations of these roughness elements were tested. The circular roughness elements were spaced two diameters apart or four diameters apart from center to center. Transition moved upstream only when the roughness elements were spaced four diameters apart. The rectangular roughness elements were oriented so that they were at a 45-degree angle relative to the leading edge of the plate. Tandem rectangular elements either had the same orientation or opposing orientation. Mean mass-flux and total-temperature profiles of the flow field downstream of the roughness elements were examined for mean-flow distortion. Mass-flux fluctuation profiles showed that a 45-kHz odd-mode disturbance was present downstream of the shorter circular roughness elements. The dominant instability downstream of the taller circular roughness elements was a 65–85 kHz even-mode disturbance. Mass-flux fluctuation profiles showed that the dominant mode downstream of the tandem rectangular roughness elements with the same orientation was similar to that of a single roughness element and centered at a frequency of approximately 55 kHz. The 55-kHz instability appeared to correspond to increased spanwise shear, and thus was determined to be an odd-like mode. The dominant instability downstream of the tandem roughness elements with opposing orientation was centered at a frequency of 65 kHz and did not transition in the measurement region.

Amanda Chou↗

NASA NTRS1986

Legendre-tau approximations for functional differential equations

The numerical approximation of solutions to linear retarded functional differential equations are considered using the so-called Legendre-tau method. The functional differential equation is first reformulated as a partial differential equation with a nonlocal boundary condition involving time-differentiation. The approximate solution is then represented as a truncated Legendre series with time-varying coefficients which satisfy a certain system of ordinary differential equations. The method is very easy to code and yields very accurate approximations. Convergence is established, various numerical examples are presented, and comparison between the latter and cubic spline approximation is made.

Ito, K.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Lunar Rotation and the Lunar Interior

Variations in rotation and orientation of the Moon are sensitive to solid-body tidal dissipation, dissipation due to relative motion at the fluid-core/ solid-mantle boundary, and tidal Love number k2. There is weaker sensitivity to flattening of the core-mantle boundary (CMB) and fluid core moment of inertia. Accurate Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measurements of the distance from observatories on the Earth to four retroreflector arrays on the Moon are sensitive to lunar rotation and orientation variations and tidal displacements. Past solutions using the LLR data have given results for dissipation due to solid-body tides and fluid core plus Love number. Past detection of CMB flattening has been marginal but is improving, while direct detection of the core moment has not yet been achieved. Three decades of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data are analyzed using a weighted least-squares approach. The lunar solution parameters include dissipation at the fluid-core/solid-mantle boundary, tidal dissipation, dissipation-related coefficients for rotation and orientation terms, potential Love number k2, a correction to the constant term in the tilt of the equator to the ecliptic which is meant to approximate the influence of core-mantle boundary flattening, and displacement Love numbers h2 and l2. Several solutions, with different combinations of solution parameters and constraints, are considered.

Williams, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1972

A numerical investigation of film cooling as an alternate thermal protection system for spacecraft during atmospheric reentry

Research was undertaken to determine the mass required to protect a surface during atmospheric reentry by injecting a cold gas tangentially along the surface. A consideration of this problem revealed that the boundary layer equations could be employed to approximate the most important flow configurations which occur in film cooling. However, even with this simplification, the equations to be solved are complex, nonlinear, coupled partial differential equations. Due to the relative weakness of classical methods of boundary layer analysis, finite difference methods were chosen as the best approach to the formidable problem under consideration. Instead of blindly adopting a proposed technique and trying to force it to the problem, a more systematic study was deemed to be not only desirable but necessary. A relatively basic study of the application of finite difference methods was undertaken with the objective of developing an algorithm capable of obtaining accurate solutions to film cooling problems.

Clausing, A. M.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Short term evolution of coronal hole boundaries

The evolution of coronal hole boundary positions on a time scale of approximately 1 day is studied on the basis of an examination of all coronal holes observed by Skylab from May to November 1973. It is found that a substantial fraction (an average of 38%) of all coronal hole boundaries shifted by at least 1 deg heliocentric in the course of a day. Most (70%) of these changes were on a relatively small scale (less than 3 times the supergranulation cell size), but a significant fraction occurred as discrete events on a much larger scale. The large-scale shifts in the boundary locations involved changes in X-ray emission from these areas of the sun. There were generally more changes in the boundaries of the most rapidly evolving holes, but no simple relationship between the amount of change and the rate of hole growth or decay.

Nolte, J. T.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Analysis of cylindrical wrap-around and doubly conformal patch antennas by way of the finite element-artificial absorber method

The goal of this project was to develop analysis codes for computing the scattering and radiation of antennas on cylindrically and doubly conformal platforms. The finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) method has been shown to accurately model the scattering and radiation of cavity-backed patch antennas. Unfortunately extension of this rigorous technique to coated or doubly curved platforms is cumbersome and inefficient. An alternative approximate approach is to employ an absorbing boundary condition (ABC) for terminating the finite element mesh thus avoiding use of a Green's function. A FE-ABC method is used to calculate the radar cross section (RCS) and radiation pattern of a cavity-backed patch antenna which is recessed within a metallic surface. It is shown that this approach is accurate for RCS and antenna pattern calculations with an ABC surface displaced as little as 0.3 lambda from the cavity aperture. These patch antennas may have a dielectric overlay which may also be modeled with this technique.

Volakis, J. L.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Elucidating the impact of stress states on grain boundary passivation in Ni-5Cr using the Rhines pack method

The oxidation behavior of a Ni–5Cr (at.%) alloy was evaluated at 420 ° C using the Rhines pack method and simultaneous tensile and compressive stress states via a miniature four-point bending fixture. At this moderate temperature, grain boundaries dominate mass transport and the resulting oxidation response. Oxidation produced approximately 1μ⁢m-wide protective Cr 2 O 3 films capping some grain boundaries and penetrative, intergranular Cr-rich oxides at other grain boundaries. Externally applied tensile and compressive stress during oxidation increased the prevalence of Cr 2 O 3 cap formation compared to no applied stress, with tensile stress resulting in more Cr 2 O 3 caps than compressive stress. The observed oxide cap morphology was similar across all test conditions. Regions under compressive stress showed an order of magnitude greater Cr depletion depth along the grain boundary. Chromium nitrides (CrN), likely from N contamination of the Rhines pack cell, were observed both at the oxide–metal interface and intergranularly within the alloy. Collectively these results demonstrate that applied stress promotes localized protective oxide cap formation over grain boundaries, with compressive stress additionally promoting deeper Cr depletion. Furthermore the experimental approach helped separate out the effects of stress on local oxide formation and grain boundary passivation.

4 point bend↗

DOE OSTI2021

High-pressure phase diagram of beryllium from ab initio free-energy calculations

In this report we use first-principles molecular dynamics simulations coupled with the thermodynamic integration method to study the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) to body-centered cubic (bcc) transition and melting of beryllium up to a pressure of 1600 GPa. We derive the melting line by equating solid and liquid Gibbs free energies and represent it by a Simon-Glatzel fit T m = 1564 K [1 + P/(15.6032 GPa)] 0.383 , which is in good agreement with previous two-phase simulations <6000 K. We also derive the hcp-bcc solid-solid phase boundary and show that the quasiharmonic approximation underestimates the stability of the hcp structure, predicting lower transition pressures between hcp and bcc phases. Our results are consistent with the stability regime predicted by the phonon quasiparticle method. We also predict that the hcp-bcc-liquid triple point is located at 164.7 GPa and 4314 K. In addition, we compute the shock Hugoniot curve and show that it is in good agreement with experiments, intersecting our derived melting curve at ~235 GPa and 4900 K. Finally, we make predictions for future ramp compression experiments. Starting with an isentropic compression of the liquid, we predict the path to intersect the melting line at low pressure and temperature, then to continue along the melting line over a large temperature interval of 7000 K as the sample remains in the mixed solid-liquid state before it enters the solid phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1971

Solar magnetic fields - Extended.

Spacecraft observations of the interplanetary magnetic field have revealed that almost always each solar rotation can be divided into sectors, within each of which the field has a predominant polarity toward the sun or away from the sun. Comparisons of this interplanetary magnetic sector pattern with observations of the photospheric magnetic field have revealed a similar solar magnetic pattern. The boundaries between solar magnetic sectors are approximately in the north-south direction over a wide range of latitudes on both sides of the equator. This solar magnetic sector structure can be described as a rotating dipole whose magnetic axis makes an angle of approximately 90 deg with the axis of rotation. Possible similarities between this solar-sector magnetism and the models derived from observations of stellar magnetism are discussed.

Wilcox, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Analysis of unsteady thermal boundary layers

The velocity and temperature distribution in an unsteady thermal boundary layer is analyzed by an approximate integral method. The case of a flat plate in a free stream having small harmonic velocity oscillations about a steady mean value is treated in detail. The resulting velocity profiles agree with the available experimental data. These profiles are used to predict the thermal convection when the plate and the stream are at constant but different temperature levels. The flow oscillations cause harmonic temperature oscillations plus a small steady feedback effect which reduces the mean heat transfer to the plate. The amount of decrease is represented by a single coefficient, which is presented graphically.

Miller, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1972

A method for calculating aerodynamic heating on sounding rocket tangent ogive noses

A method is presented for calculating the aerodynamic heating and shear stresses at the wall for tangent ogive noses that are slender enough to maintain an attached nose shock through that portion of flight during which heat transfer from the boundary layer to the wall is significant. The lower entropy of the attached nose shock combined with the inclusion of the streamwise pressure gradient yields a reasonable estimate of the actual flow conditions. Both laminar and turbulent boundary layers are examined and an approximation of the effects of (up to) moderate angles-of-attack is included in the analysis. The analytical method has been programmed in FORTRAN 4 for an IBM 360/91 computer.

Wing, L. D.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Results of ground vibration tests on a YF-12 airplane

Ground vibration tests were conducted on a YF-12 airplane. To approximate a structural free-free boundary condition during the tests, each of the landing gears was supported on a support system designed to have a low natural frequency. The test equipment and the procedures used for the ground vibration tests are described. The results are presented in the form of frequency response data, measured mode lines, and elastic mode shapes for the wing/body, rudder, and fuselage ventral fin. In the frequency range between 3.4 cps and 28.8 cps, nine symmetrical wing/body modes, six antisymmetrical wing/body modes, two rudder modes, and one ventral fin mode were measured.

Wilson, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1973

A method for calculating aerodynamic heating on sounding rocket tangent ogive noses.

Wing, L. D.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Magnetic sheath adjacent to absorbing surfaces.

Major attention is given to the existence and structure of a 'magnetic sheath' adjacent to perfectly absorbing solid surfaces. The basic equations for a two-field continuum model are presented, and the quasi-neutral approximation and Bohm's criterion are briefly reviewed. The infinite conductivity MHD equations are recovered by invoking the small magnetic Debye length approximation. This approximation is relaxed, and the appropriate 'boundary layer' equation for the magnetic sheath is presented. The first magnetic sheath criterion is derived, which states that the conditions at the edge of the sheath, as characterized by a point in the Friedrichs diagram, must be located in certain restricted regions in order for a magnetic sheath to exist. The second magnetic sheath criterion is discussed.

Lam, S. H.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Lagrangian formulation of the one-dimensional Vlasov equation

A new formulation of the one-dimensional Vlasov equation is derived which is analogous to the Kalman-transformed cold-plasma equations. The equations are shown to yield nonsecular, nonlinear approximations to a source or boundary-value problem. It is suggested that the formulation may have other applications in nonlinear plasma theory.

Lewak, G. J.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Motions of a liquid in a pulsating bulb with application to problems of blood flow

Potential flows may be utilized to represent motions produced in pulsating bulbs. While the initial bulb shape may be arbitrary, sequential shapes are related by affine transformations. Two components appear in the distribution of pressure, one dependent on the instantaneous velocity and the other on the acceleration. For flows with stationary streamlines the inertial impedance is that of a simple mass, and is proportional to the first moment of the actual mass of fluid contained within the bulb. Examples treated are: (1) Expanding and collapsing circular cylinders, and (2) elliptical cylinders in which the perimeter is held constant. The thickness of the pulsatile laminar boundary layer is found to be approximately on millimeter for conditions in the vicinity of the heart. Conditions for separation and turbulence differ from those in steady flow.

Jones, R. T.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Shear flow aerodynamics - Lifting surface theory

A lifting surface theory based on a parallel shear flow model is presented for steady, incompressible flows. The theory is intended to account approximately for the presence of a boundary layer. The method of Fourier transforms is used to calculate the pressure on a surface of infinite extent and arbitrary contour. Immediately above the surface is a region of sheared flow (the boundary layer), outside of which the flow velocity is constant. The Fourier transform of the pressure on this surface is used to derive the shear flow equivalent to the kernel function of classical potential flow lifting surface theory. The kernel function provides an integral relation between the upwash at a given point on the surface and the pressure everywhere on the surface. This relation is treated as an integral equation for the pressure, and is solved numerically. Computations are presented for the lift and pitching moment on a flat plate in two-dimensional flow, and for flat, rectangular wings of aspect ratio 1, 2, and 5. As expected, the shear layer decreases the lift curve slope; however, the shear layer (whose thickness is constant along the wing chord) has little effect on the center of pressure.

Ventres, C. S.↗