Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “acoustical waves”

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 523 records · Page 29

Stability of electron distributions within the earth's bow shock

The present examination of the linear Vlasov stability of a class of electron velocity distributions modeling those observed within the earth's bow shock is restricted to electrostatic waves propagating parallel to the ambient magnetic field B. Two instabilities are identified as driven by free energy in the direction parallel to B: an ion acoustic wave with real frequency below the ion plasma frequency, and an electron acoustic wave whose real frequency is several times the ion plasma frequency. Unstable wave characteristics are in accord with the trend of the observed electrostatic waves toward polarization parallel to the magnetic field. The instabilities identified may contribute to electron dissipation in collisionless shocks.

Thomsen, M. F.↗

OSO 8 observational limits to the acoustic coronal heating mechanism

An improved analysis of time-resolved line profiles of the C IV resonance line at 1548 A has been used to test the acoustic wave hypothesis of solar coronal heating. It is shown that the observed motions and brightness fluctuations are consistent with the existence of acoustic waves. Specific account is taken of the effect of photon statistics on the observed velocities, and a test is devised to determine whether the motions represent propagating or evanescent waves. It is found that on the average about as much energy is carried upward as downward such that the net acoustic flux density is statistically consistent with zero. The statistical uncertainty in this null result is three orders of magnitue lower than the flux level needed to heat the corona.

Bruner, E. C., Jr.↗

Vibrations of three-dimensional pipe systems with acoustic coupling

A general algorithm is developed to calculate the beam-type dynamic response of three dimensional multiplane finite length pipe systems, consisting of elbow and straight ducts with continuous interfaces. Emphasis is on secondary acoustic wave effects giving rise to coupling mechanisms; and the simulation accounts for one-dimensional elastoacoustic coupling from a plane acoustic wave and secondary loads resulting from wave asymmetries. The transfer matrix approach is adopted in modeling the elastodynamics of each duct, with allowance for distribution loads. Secondary loads from plane wave distortion are considered with a solution of the Helmholtz equation in an equivalent rigid waveguide, and effects of path imperfection are introduced as a perturbation from the hypothetical perfectly straight pipe. Computations indicate that the one-dimensional acoustic assumption is valid for frequencies below one-half the first cut-off frequency, and the three-dimensional acoustic effects produce an increase in response levels near and above cut-off.

El-Raheb, M.↗

Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Saturation by Ion Heating

Cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) saturation by ion heating was measured in a gas-jet plasma characterized using Thomson scattering. Here, a wavelength-tunable ultraviolet (UV) probe laser beam was interacted with four intense UV pump beams to drive large-amplitude ion-acoustic waves. For the highest-intensity interactions, the power transferred to the probe laser dropped, demonstrating ion-acoustic wave saturation. Over this time, the ion temperature was measured to increase by a factor of 7 during the 500-ps interaction. Particle-in-cell simulations show ion trapping and a subsequent ion heating consistent with measurements. Linear kinetic CBET models were found to agree well with the observed energy transfer when the measured plasma conditions were used.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Real-time laser ultrasonic monitoring of laser-induced thermal processes

Abstract Intra- and inter-layer integrity of components fabricated with advanced manufacturing techniques, such as laser powder bed fusion, is dependent upon rapid heating, melting, and solidification processes. There is a need for new techniques to provide in situ feedback of these processes. Here a laser-based ultrasonic technique to probe thermal effects induced by a high-power continuous wave laser in titanium samples is described. Numerical simulations were performed to show that, for a spatially uniform heating beam, laser-induced surface acoustic waves are strongly influenced by surface heating conditions, are dispersive in the case of rapid heating, and that an abrupt velocity reduction happens upon the onset of surface melting. Furthermore, laser-based ultrasound experimental results which monitor the transient change of surface wave travel time associated with high power laser surface heating are provided. A pulsed laser is used to generate high frequency surface acoustic waves that propagate through the laser-heated region and are detected using a photorefractive crystal-based interferometer. Qualitative agreement is observed between theory and experiment with both showing a rapid reduction in the surface wave velocity at the onset of illumination and further decrease in surface wave velocity associated with melting. It is demonstrated that changes in the surface wave velocity can be used to track local heating and detect the onset of surface melting in real time.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Acoustic rotation control

A system is described for acoustically controlled rotation of a levitated object, which avoids deformation of a levitated liquid object. Acoustic waves of the same wavelength are directed along perpendicular directions across the object, and with the relative phases of the acoustic waves repeatedly switched so that one wave alternately leads and lags the other by 90 deg. The amount of torque for rotating the object, and the direction of rotation, are controlled by controlling the proportion of time one wave leads the other and selecting which wave leads the other most of the time.

Elleman, D. D.↗

SAW-Modulated Image Device

Imaging device uses surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) charge transfer for image readout. Spatial resolution of image changed electronically by changing frequency of applied signal. Surface acoustic waves create traveling longitudinal electric fields. These fields create potential wells that carry along stored charges. Charges injected into wells by photoelectric conversion when light strikes device.

Benz, H. F.↗

A Real-Time Nonvolatile Residue (NVR) Monitor

New development and application of device described in "Surface-Acoustic-Wave Piezoelectric Microbalance," (LAR-14476). Active sensing element of Real-Time NVR Monitor comprises pair of piezoelectric surface-acoustic-wave resonators resonating at frequency of 200 MHz. Bare, uncoated resonator exposed to atmosphere and directly in contact with airborne volatile and nonvolatile materials leaving residues on surface. Resonant frequency of exposed resonator decreases with increasing mass of adsorbed residue; resulting beat frequency between two resonators increases with mass and serves as sensitive real-time indication of airborne contaminants or non-volatile residue.

Bowers, William D.↗

Acoustic Receptivity of a Blasius Boundary Layer with 2-D and Oblique Surface Waviness

An experimental investigation was conducted to examine acoustic receptivity and subsequent boundary-layer instability evolution for a Blasius boundary layer formed on a flat plate in the presence of two-dimensional (2-D) and oblique (3-D) surface waviness. The effect of the non-localized surface roughness geometry and acoustic wave amplitude on the receptivity process was explored. The surface roughness had a well defined wavenumber spectrum with fundamental wavenumber k (sub w). A planar downstream traveling acoustic wave was created to temporally excite the flow near the resonance frequency of an unstable eigenmode corresponding to k (sub ts) = k (sub w). The range of acoustic forcing levels, epsilon, and roughness heights, DELTA h, examined resulted in a linear dependence of receptivity coefficients; however, the larger values of the forcing combination epsilon dot DELTA h resulted in subsequent nonlinear development of the Tollmien-Schlichting (T-S) wave. This study provided the first experimental evidence of a marked increase in the receptivity coefficient with increasing obliqueness of the surface waviness in excellent agreement with theory. Detuning of the 2-D and oblique disturbances was investigated by varying the streamwise wall-roughness wavenumber a,, and measuring the T-S response. For the configuration where laminar-to-turbulent breakdown occurred, the breakdown process was found to be dominated by energy at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies, indicative of K-type breakdown.

King, Rudolph A.↗

Hybrid CFD/CAA Modeling for Liftoff Acoustic Predictions

This paper presents development efforts at the NASA Marshall Space flight Center to establish a hybrid Computational Fluid Dynamics and Computational Aero-Acoustics (CFD/CAA) simulation system for launch vehicle liftoff acoustics environment analysis. Acoustic prediction engineering tools based on empirical jet acoustic strength and directivity models or scaled historical measurements are of limited value in efforts to proactively design and optimize launch vehicles and launch facility configurations for liftoff acoustics. CFD based modeling approaches are now able to capture the important details of vehicle specific plume flow environment, identifY the noise generation sources, and allow assessment of the influence of launch pad geometric details and sound mitigation measures such as water injection. However, CFD methodologies are numerically too dissipative to accurately capture the propagation of the acoustic waves in the large CFD models. The hybrid CFD/CAA approach combines the high-fidelity CFD analysis capable of identifYing the acoustic sources with a fast and efficient Boundary Element Method (BEM) that accurately propagates the acoustic field from the source locations. The BEM approach was chosen for its ability to properly account for reflections and scattering of acoustic waves from launch pad structures. The paper will present an overview of the technology components of the CFD/CAA framework and discuss plans for demonstration and validation against test data.

Strutzenberg, Louise L.↗

Dynamic Analysis of Reynolds Number Effects on Trailing Edge Transonic Vortex Shedding and Its Impact on Turbine Blade Aerodynamic Performance

In this work, we will discuss observations from images acquired from a time-resolved, high-speed self-aligned focusing Schlieren campaign that was performed at the CW-22 facility at NASA Glenn Research Center to understand the dynamic behavior of thick trailing-edge high-pressure turbine blades simulating a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) construction at high inlet turbulence conditions. For the CMC-9 blade, which has a trailing edge thickness of 9% of the axial chord, we identified a regime where an excessive total pressure loss (loss anomaly) is observed only for a narrow range of Reynolds numbers at a fixed exit Mach number of 0.74. The loss anomaly is qualitatively explained by our images, which were taken at 10 distinct blade Reynolds numbers spanning a factor of 6. The images show a significant increase in energy related to the oscillations due to transonic vortex shedding at the Reynolds numbers related to the high loss conditions. This increased energy leads to the formation of strong acoustic waves that turn into shock waves at the highest loss conditions. From our observations stemming from Spectral POD analysis of the high-speed images, we see the acoustic waves produced by the trailing edge vortex shedding exist in all conditions tested; but the shedding frequency has a very slight trend upwards as the Reynolds number is increased, varying about 6% in the range tested. Considering this variation of shedding frequency as a function of Reynolds number, which is well-established for other bluff-body flows, we stipulate there may be a potential feedback mechanism involving an acoustic information transfer path across neighboring blades that may explain why only a narrow range of Reynolds numbers displays strong, shock-forming vortex shedding. We consider a few feedback paths and examine the timing based on the mean flow field from a high-resolution LES simulation. It appears that all feedback mechanisms are viable, presenting an integer number of delay cycles with respect to disturbances generated at the trailing edge. Most noteworthy, however, is the acoustic/shock-boundary layer interaction mechanism at the blade geometric throat. Based on our analysis, this mechanism likely plays an important role in realistic, curved turbine blade passages.

Aerodynamics↗

Computation of Feedback Aeroacoustic System by the CE/SE Method

It is well known that due to vortex shedding in high speed flow over cutouts, cavities, and gaps, intense noise may be generated. Strong tonal oscillations occur in a feedback cycle in which the vortices shed from the upstream edge of the cavity convect downstream and impinge on the cavity lip, generating acoustic waves that propagate upstream to excite new vortices. Numerical simulation of such a complicated process requires a scheme that can: (1) resolve acoustic waves with low dispersion and numerical dissipation, (2) handle nonlinear and discontinuous waves (e.g. shocks), and (3) have an effective (near field) nonreflecting boundary condition (NRBC). The new space time conservation element and solution element method, or CE/SE for short, is a numerical method that meets the above requirements.

Loh, Ching Y.↗

Method and system to measure gas flow

A system for measuring gas flow generally including a passive acoustic wave generator disposed in a gas flow stream to passively generate an audio signal through vortex shedding, a sound capturing instrument disposed outside the gas stream to produce an electrical signal representative of the acoustic signal, a temperature sensor to obtain temperature measurements indicative of the temperature of the gas flow stream and a control system for determining the gas flow, such as velocity or flow rate, as a function of the acquired acoustic and temperature measurements. The acoustic wave generator includes a corrugated flow channel whose geometric design is so tuned to generate an acoustic emission whose frequency signature varies as a function of the gas flow velocity. The control system may acquires time-domain acoustic data, and process that data to obtain a frequency-domain representation from which gas velocity or gas flow rate can be determined.

Cetiner, Mustafa S.↗

Influence of Spanwise Boundary Conditions on Slat Noise Simulations

The slat noise from the 30P/30N high-lift system is being investigated through computational fluid dynamics simulations with the OVERFLOW code in conjunction with a Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings acoustics solver. In the present study, two different spanwise grids are being used to investigate the effect of the spanwise extent and periodicity on the near-field unsteady structures and radiated noise. The baseline grid with periodic boundary conditions has a short span equal to 1/9th of the stowed chord, whereas the other, longer span grid adds stretched grids on both sides of the core, baseline grid to allow inviscid surface boundary conditions at both ends. The results indicate that the near-field mean statistics obtained using the two grids are similar to each other, as are the directivity and spectral shapes of the radiated noise. However, periodicity forces all acoustic waves with less than one wavelength across the span to be two-dimensional, without any variation in the span. The spanwise coherence of the acoustic waves is what is needed to make estimates of the noise that would be radiated from realistic span lengths. Simulations with periodic conditions need spans of at least six slat chords to allow spanwise variation in the low-frequencies associated with the peak of broadband slat noise. Even then, the full influence of the periodicity is unclear, so employing grids with a fine, central region and highly stretched meshes that go to slip walls may be a more efficient means of capturing the spanwise decorrelation of low-frequency acoustic phenomena.

Lockard, David P.↗

Application of the Pseudo Wigner-Ville Distribution to the Measurement of the Dispersion of Lamb Modes in Graphite/Epoxy Plates

Acoustic waves propagate in thin plates as guided or Lamb modes. The velocities of these modes are dispersive in that they depend not only on the material elastic properties and density, but also on the frequency. Accurate characterization of Lamb wave dispersion is important in many acoustic based nondestructive evaluation techniques. It is necessary for ultrasonic measurements in thin plates to determine elastic properties and for flaw detection and localization. In acoustic emission (AE) testing, if not taken into account, highly dispersive Lamb mode propagation can lead to large errors in source location. In this study, the pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWVD) was used for measurement of group velocity dispersion of Lamb waves in a unidirectional graphite/epoxy (AS4/3502) laminate. The PWVD is one of a number of transforms which provide a time-frequency representation of a digitized time series. Broad band acoustic waves were generated by a pencil lead fracture (Hsu-Neilsen source) and were detected with broad band ultrasonic transducers. The arrival times for the lowest order symmetric (S(sub 0)) and antisymmetric (A(sub 0)) Lamb modes were determined from measurements of the time at which the respective peak amplitudes occurred in the PWVD. Measurements were made at several source-to-detector distances and a least squares fit used to calculate the velocity. Results are presented for propagation along, and perpendicular to, the fiber direction. Theoretical dispersion curves were also calculated and a comparison between theory and experiment demonstrates good agreement.

Prosser, W. H.↗

Multiscale and multiphysics FEA simulation and materials optimization for laser ultrasound transducers

In this study, the relationship between the nanocomposite design and the laser ultrasound transducer (LUT) characteristics was investigated through simulations in multiple scale levels for material behavior, device response, and acoustic wave propagation in media. First, the effects of the nanoparticle size and concentration on the effective properties of composites were quantitatively investigated with the finite element analysis (FEA) method. Second, the effective properties of the nanocomposite were assigned to the layer, which is modeled as a homogeneous material, in the FEA for the LUT simulating the energy conversion from the incident laser to the acoustic wave. Finally, the ultrasound propagation in the water was calculated by a theoretical wave propagation model. The FEA-based prediction was compared with the experimental data in the literature and a theoretical analysis for LUT based on Thermal-Acoustic coupling. As a result, the ultrasound waves on the transducer surface and at a distance in the water could be predicted. Based on the hierarchically integrated prediction procedure, the optimal conditions of the photoacoustic nanocomposites were investigated through the parametric study with the particle size and concentration as variables. The results guide the material designs optimized for different device characteristics, such as high pressure and broad bandwidth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic acoustics for the STAR-100

An algorithm is described to compute time dependent acoustic waves in a jet. The method differs from previous methods in that no harmonic time dependence is assumed, thus permitting the study of nonharmonic acoustical behavior. Large grids are required to resolve the acoustic waves. Since the problem is nonstiff, explicit high order schemes can be used. These have been adapted to the STAR-100 with great efficiencies and permitted the efficient solution of problems which would not be feasible on a scalar machine.

Bayliss, A.↗

Physical Acoustics Characterization For Inspection and Evaluation

The area of acoustics and physics that studies interactions of acoustic waves with gaseous, liquid and/or solid media on macro- and microscales … to obtain the relevant information about a medium under consideration by measuring the properties of acoustic waves propagating through this medium.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗