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At least 55 records · Page 3

Three-dimensional compressible viscous analysis of mixer nozzles

An analysis-based design procedure for compound-mixer exhaust nozzles is presented and compared to test data. The design approach is based on two numerical solutions to the 3-D viscous compressible Navier-Stokes equations: an equation splitting technique used for the analysis of the core and bypass flow, and a parabolic marching scheme used in the analysis of the mixing duct. The selection of the analytical methods through test data comparisons and their coupling into an integrated design system are discussed. NASA test data is used to demonstrate the validity of the computations from the exhaust system rating station, upstream of the mixer lobe, to the nozzle throat. An estimate is made of the savings in development time and cost utilizing the new procedure.

Goyal, R. K.↗

Analytical investigation of efficiency and performance limits in klystron amplifiers using multidimensional computer programs; multi-stage depressed collectors; and thermionic cathode life studies

An extensive parametric investigation was performed of the extraction of energy in output gaps of klystron amplifiers, using 3-D computer programs. Due to complexity of the program which used a hydrodynamic, axially and radially deformable disk ring model and the resulting long computing time, the investigation was limited to the output gap, by far the most important and difficult part of the klystron interaction. Results show that, for a confined flow focused beam throughout the penultimate cavity, radial velocities remain very small and the beam is highly laminar. It was, therefore, concluded that possible errors resulting from treating only the output cavity in 3-D would remain small.

Kosmahl, H. G.↗

Aerodynamic heating on 3-D bodies including the effects of entropy-layer swallowing

A relatively simple method was developed previously (authors, 1973) for calculating laminar, transitional, and turbulent heating rates on three-dimensional bodies in hypersonic flows. This method was shown to yield reasonably accurate results for laminar heating on blunted circular and elliptical cones and an earlier version of the space shuttle vehicle. As the boundary layer along the surface grows, more and more of the inviscid-flow mass is entrained into the boundary layer, and the streamlines which passed through the nearly normal portion of the bow shock wave are 'swallowed' by the boundary layer. This phenomenon is often referred to as entropy-layer or streamline swallowing, and it can have a significant effect on the calculated heating rates. An approximate, yet simple, method for including the effects of entropy-layer swallowing in the heating-rate calculations is given.

Dejarnette, F. R.↗

Subsonic 3-D surface panel method for rapid analysis of multiple geometry perturbations

For any baseline aircraft configuration, a matrix of partial derivatives of surface velocity potential with respect to geometry coordinates is calculated. Linear extrapolation is then used to analyze the subcritical potential flow corresponding to a series of arbitrary small geometry perturbations. Each perturbation analysis is more than an order of magnitude more efficient than a conventional panel method solution because no influence coefficients are calculated and no large system of linear algebraic equations is solved. Wing and wing-fuselage examples are presented to demonstrate that the predicted pressure distributions are nearly exact for large changes to wing camber, thickness, and leading edge radius.

Bristow, D. R.↗

A three-dimensional body-fitted coordinate system for flow field calculations on asymmetric nosetips

A three dimensional body-fitted coordinate system developed for use in the calculation of inviscid flows over ablated, asymmetric reentry vehicle nosetips is described. Because of the potential geometric asymmetries, no standard coordinate system (e.g., spherical, axisymmetric reference surface-normal) is capable of being closely aligned with the nosetip surface. To generate a 3-D, body-fitted coordinate system an analytic mapping procedure is applied that is conformal within each meridional plane of the nosetip; these transformations are then coupled circumferentially to yield a three dimensional coordinate system. The mappings used are defined in terms of hinge points, which are points selected to approximate the body contours in each meridional plane. The selection of appropriate hinge points was automated to facilitate the use of the resulting nosetip flow field code.

Hall, D. W.↗

Space shuttle orbiter reentry flow field and heating analysis

The reentry flow field and thermal environment around the straight wing shuttle orbiter vehicle were determined. Both rarefied and continuum flow fields and associated heating rates on various configurations representative of the orbiter at high angle of attack were calculated. Rarefied flow fields and heating rates were computed by the Monte Carlo direct simulation technique for altitudes above 82.3 km. Continuum inviscid flow fields were calculated by 2-D unsteady and 3-D steady finite difference/artificial viscosity methods and also by a 2-D shock layer analysis technique. Viscous flow fields and heating rates in the continuum regime were computed by a boundary layer integral matrix method for laminar flow and by an aerodynamic surface heating technique for turbulent flow. Shapes considered in the study included flat plates (representing the underside of the orbiter fuselage or the wing MAC), orbiter fuselage cross sections, orbiter wing airfoils, and 3-D orbiter configurations, all at high angle of attack (40 - 60 deg). The theoretical results showed good agreement with measured pressure and heat transfer data.

Rochelle, W. C.↗

Finite difference grid generation by multivariate blending function interpolation

The General Interpolants Method (GIM) code which solves the multidimensional Navier-Stokes equations for arbitrary geometric domains is described. The geometry module in the GIM code generates two and three dimensional grids over specified flow regimes, establishes boundary condition information and computes finite difference analogs for use in the GIM code numerical solution module. The technique can be classified as an algebraic equation approach. The geometry package uses multivariate blending function interpolation of vector-values functions which define the shapes of the edges and surfaces bounding the flow domain. By employing blending functions which conform to the cardinality conditions the flow domain may be mapped onto a unit square (2-D) or unit cube (3-D), thus producing an intrinsic coordinate system for the region of interest. The intrinsic coordinate system facilitates grid spacing control to allow for optimum distribution of nodes in the flow domain.

Anderson, P. G.↗

Analytic investigation of efficiency and performance limits in klystron amplifiers using multidimensional computer programs; multi-stage depressed collectors; and thermionic cathode life studies

Due to complexity of the program which used a hydrodynamic, axially and radially deformable disk-ring model and the resulting long computing time only the output gap was investigated. Results from independent studies were used to initiate the starting conditions for the electrons and the RF voltage using our program. Although this method of computation is less exact than processing the entire klystron interaction in 3-Dimensions it is shown that, for a confined flow focused throughout the penultimate cavity, radial velocities remain very small and the beam is highly laminar. It is concluded that possible errors resulting from treating only the output cavity in 3-D would remain small.

Kosmahl, H. G.↗

Perspectives on the mixing of a row of jets with a confined crossflow

An interactive computer code, written for a microcomputer, is presented which displays 2-D and 3-D oblique plots of the temperature distribution downstream of jets mixing with a confined crossflow, for either single-side or opposed jet injection. Temperature profiles calculated with this routine are presented to show the effects of flow and geometric variables on the mixing. Examples are shown to illustrate the different perspectives on the mixing available by exercising various view options. In addition, the program is used to calculate profiles for opposed rows of jets with their centerlines in-line, by assuming that the confining effect of an opposite wall is equivalent to that of a plane of symmetry between opposed jets.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

Comparison of two and three dimensional flow computations with laser anemometer measurements in a transonic compressor rotor

A procedure for using an efficient axisymmetric code to generate downstream pressure input for more costly Euler codes is discussed. Two and three dimensional inviscid solutions for the flow within a transonic axial compressor rotor at design speed are compared to laser anemometer measurements at maximum flow and near stall operating points. Computational details of the 2-D axisymmetric stream function solution and the 3-D full Euler solution are described. Relative Mach number contours, shock location, and shock strength as measured and as predicted by the 3-D code are compared. Downstream of the rotor the inviscid computations agree with each other but predict higher pressure ratios than those measured. Euler codes require a downstream pressure as input. Since that pressure controls the computed mass flow and shock system, it must be consistent with an inviscid solution.

Chima, R. V.↗

Calculation of a simulated 3-D high speed inlet using the Navier-Stokes equations

A hybrid numerical algorithm, developed to solve the full three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations, is applied to the computation of the flowfield in a simulated three-dimensional high speed aircraft inlet at a Mach number of 2.5 and Reynolds number of 1.4 x 10 to the 7th based on inlet length. The numerical algorithm incorporates a coordinate transformation in order to handle general flow geometries, and utilizes the algebraic turbulent eddy viscosity model of Baldwin and Lomax. The hybrid algorithm has been vectorized on the CDC CYBER 203 computer using the SL/1 vector programming language developed at NASA Langley. The computed results are compared with experimental measurements of the ramp and cowl static pressures, and boundary layer pitot profiles. The results are also compared with a previous two-dimensional Navier-Stokes computation of the same configuration. The agreement with the experimental data is generally good; however, additional improvements in turbulence modeling are needed.

Knight, D. D.↗

Digital image processing of flow visualization photographs

This paper is concerned with the propagation of laser light through a slab of a randomly varying medium. A theoretical analysis is presented which relates the spectrum of the recorded-intensity field some distance downstream of the medium to the spectrum of the index-of-refraction field. For a homogeneous and isotropic random field, the 3-D spectrum of the medium is obtained from the 2-D spectrum of the photograph by dividing each component of the spectrum by the frequency raised to the fourth power. Free-space propagation outside the random medium is accounted for by a scaling factor. Experimental results are presented which support the theoretical analysis. The nonintrusive diagnostic technique presented here is applicable to photographs which contain partially developed caustic networks.

Hesselink, L.↗

Arc-jet test and analysis of Orbiter TPS inter-tile heating in high pressure gradient flow

During entry of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, the convective heating within inter-tile gaps of the Thermal Protection System (TPS) material produces elevated tile sidewall temperatures in regions of high surface pressure gradient. Arc-jet tests have been conducted recently to obtain a measure of the gap heating down the TPS tile sidewalls at test conditions representative of Orbiter flight environments. The object of this paper is to present the gap heating correlations that were developed from a thermal analysis for 3-D curved and flat TPS tile segments. Predictions of gap sidewall temperature were obtained within 30 F of test data on both Wing Glove and Double Wedge models. Derived heating ratios were obtained for a range of test conditions (pressure, pressure gradient, enthalpy, boundary layer thickness, gap width, surface temperature, etc.). The results of the study, which showed that heating ratios varied with the pressure gradient times the square root of the surface pressure, are being used to provide an assessment of gap filler requirements on Orbiter forward fuselage/chine and wing glove regions.

Rochelle, W. C.↗

PLANS: A finite element program for nonlinear analysis of structures. Volume 1: Theoretical manual

The PLANS system is described which is a finite element program for nonlinear analysis. The system represents a collection of special purpose computer programs each associated with a distinct physical problem class. Modules of PLANS specifically referenced and described in detail include: (1) REVBY, for the plastic analysis of bodies of revolution; (2) OUT-OF-PLANE, for the plastic analysis of 3-D built-up structures where membrane effects are predominant; (3) BEND, for the plastic analysis of built-up structures where bending and membrane effects are significant; (4) HEX, for the 3-D elastic-plastic analysis of general solids; and (5) OUT-OF-PLANE-MG, for material and geometrically nonlinear analysis of built-up structures. The SATELLITE program for data debugging and plotting of input geometries is also described. The theoretical foundations upon which the analysis is based are presented. Discussed are the form of the governing equations, the methods of solution, plasticity theories available, a general system description and flow of the programs, and the elements available for use.

Pifko, A.↗

Unsteady rotor aerodynamics using a vortex panel method

The problem of the potential incompressible flow about a helicopter rotor blade is solved using an unsteady vortex-panel method where the mutual interaction between the blade and the distorting free wake is taken into account. The present method alleviates the need to rely upon measured-wake geometries or p5escribed-wake models in order to calculate the airloads. A computer program has been developed which is capable of predicting the geometry of the time-dependent three-dimensional (3-D) wake and the instantaneous loadings for a single blade in hover, climb, and forward flight. The solution is obtained by using a time-accurate step-by-step procedure. The complex-wake geometry at any time is presented graphically with a computer graphics system. Calculated results are compared with published data for a rotor blade in both hover and forward flight. The code has also been applied to the study of the effect of changing blade tip geometry.

Crispin, Y.↗

Reentry heating and flow fields for Space Shuttle Orbiter at high angle of attack.

Rarefied flow fields and heating rates are calculated by a Monte Carlo direct simulation technique for several shuttle orbiter configurations at angles of attack between 40 and 60 deg. Continuum inviscid flow fields are determined by 2-D unsteady and 3-D steady finite-difference/artificial viscosity techniques used in combination with a 2-D shock layer analysis method. Continuum viscous flow fields and heating rates are computed by a boundary-layer integral matrix technique and an aerodynamic heating method.

Rochelle, W. C.↗

Supercritical wing design using numerical optimization and comparisons with experiment

A numerical minimization scheme is used in conjunction with two-dimensional and three-dimensional inviscid transonic flow analysis codes to provide procedures for wing leading edge aerodynamic design. The procedures are demonstrated in the design of a new leading edge to improve C-141 cruise performance. For the high aspect ratio moderately swept C-141 wing, the 2-D procedure is shown to yield results which are in close agreement with those obtained using the 3-D technique. Although the 2-D approach uses much less computation time than the 3-D technique, the latter requires fewer manhours than the former. Comparisons of predicted and wind tunnel measured performance improvements are presented which verify the design procedures.

Lores, M. E.↗

Vector processor algorithms for transonic flow calculations

This paper discusses a number of algorithms for solving the transonic full-potential equation in conservative form on a vector computer, such as the CDC STAR-100 or the CRAY-1. Recent research with the 'artificial density' method for transonics has led to development of some new iteration schemes which take advantage of vector-computer architecture without suffering significant loss of convergence rate. Several of these more promising schemes are described and 2-D and 3-D results are shown comparing the computational rates on the STAR and CRAY vector computers, and the CYBER-175 serial computer. Schemes included are: (1) Checkerboard SOR, (2) Checkerboard Leapfrog, (3) odd-even vertical line SOR, and (4) odd-even horizontal line SOR.

South, J. C., Jr.↗