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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 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1987

A study of some approximations in the modeling of a coupled rotor/fuselage aeromechanical system

Equations of motion for a three-bladed hingeless rotor coupled to a gimbal-supported fuselage are developed. A brief derivation of the equations is presented, including the assumptions made, the ordering scheme, and a discussion of both the source of the aerodynamic axial load term and the reason for differences due to hinge sequence. The solution of the equations is discussed, including linearization, the use of multiblade coordinates to eliminate periodic coefficients, and specialization to a root-sprung model. The treatment of the blade root offset by using an ordering scheme to neglect higher-order terms is found to affect results in pitch and roll. A small aerodynamic loading term in the blade axial direction has a significant effect at large collective pitch settings, as does the choice of a flap-lag or a lag-flap transformation sequence for blade motion. The results for a hingeless rotor also differ significantly from those for the root-sprung model when the nonrotating natural frequencies are matched.

Blelloch, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Computational fluid dynamics study of the variable-pitch split-blade fan concept

A computational fluid dynamics study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the variable-pitch split-blade supersonic fan concept. This fan configuration was conceived as a means to enable a supersonic fan to switch from the supersonic through-flow type of operation at high speeds to a conventional fan with subsonic inflow and outflow at low speeds. During this off-design, low-speed mode of operation, the fan would operate with a substantial static pressure rise across the blade row like a conventional transonic fan; the front (variable-pitch) blade would be aligned with the incoming flow, and the aft blade would remain fixed in the position set by the supersonic design conditions. Because of these geometrical features, this low speed configuration would inherently have a large amount of turning and, thereby, would have the potential for a large total pressure increase in a single stage. Such a high-turning blade configuration is prone to flow separation; it was hoped that the channeling of the flow between the blades would act like a slotted wing and help alleviate this problem. A total of 20 blade configurations representing various supersonic and transonic configurations were evaluated using a Navier Stokes CFD program called ADAPTNS because of its adaptive grid features. The flow fields generated by this computational procedure were processed by another data reduction program which calculated average flow properties and simulated fan performance. These results were employed to make quantitative comparisons and evaluations of blade performance. The supersonic split-blade configurations generated performance comparable to a single-blade supersonic, through-flow fan configuration. Simulated rotor total pressure ratios of the order of 2.5 or better were achieved for Mach 2.0 inflow conditions. The corresponding fan efficiencies were approximately 75 percent or better. The transonic split-blade configurations having large amounts of turning were able to generate large amounts of total turning and achieve simulated total pressure ratios of 3.0 or better with subsonic inflow conditions. These configurations had large losses and low fan efficiencies in the 70's percent. They had large separated regions and low velocity wakes. Additional turning and diffusion of this flow in a subsequent stator row would probably be very inefficient. The high total pressure ratios indicated by the rotor performance would be substantially reduced by the stators, and the stage efficiency would be substantially lower. Such performance leaves this dual-mode fan concept less attractive than originally postulated.

Kepler, C. E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Dynamical exponent of a quantum critical itinerant ferromagnet: A Monte Carlo study

Here we consider the effect of the coupling between two-dimensional (2D) quantum rotors near an XY ferromagnetic quantum critical point and spins of itinerant fermions. We analyze how this coupling affects the dynamics of rotors and the self-energy of fermions. A common belief is that near a q = 0 ferromagnetic transition, fermions induce an Ω/q Landau damping of rotors (i.e., the dynamical critical exponent is z = 3) and Landau overdamped rotors give rise to non-Fermi liquid fermionic self-energy Σ∝ω 2/3 . This behavior has been confirmed in previous quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) studies. Here we show that for the XY case the behavior is different. We report the results of large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations, which show that at small frequencies z = 2 and Σ∝ω 1/2 . We argue that the new behavior is associated with the fact that a fermionic spin is by itself not a conserved quantity due to spin-spin coupling to rotors, and a combination of self-energy and vertex corrections replaces 1/q in the Landau damping by a constant. We discuss the implication of these results to experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Wind and Weather Variability within the Californian Offshore Wind Energy Areas

Weather variability over the Northeast Pacific (NEP) region and its influence on wind resources within the Californian offshore wind energy areas (WEAs) at Humboldt and Morro Bay are characterized using 20-years reanalysis model and satellite data. The hub-height (180 m) winds at both locations are predominantly northwesterly driven by the NEP high pressure system, with strong coastal gradients in surface pressure, fluxes, planetary boundary layer (PBL) depths and cloudiness. These sharp coastal gradients and strong annual cycles of temperature and moisture advections pose potential challenges in accurately modeling the local wind resource. Hub-height wind speeds and power capacity factors significantly vary for different regimes of PBL depths, surface fluxes and rain area fractions. This highlights the importance of studying the physical mechanisms driving these weather regimes, hence our analysis of how large-scale NEP weather variability drives the local meteorology at the WEAs. Furthermore, at both WEAs, PBL tops and cloud boundaries intersect the rotor layer (80-280 m) more than 30% and 20% of the time, respectively. While PBL depths significantly modulates hub-height winds and power, cloud boundaries do not have a similar impact, likely due to reanalysis errors in simulating cloud boundaries accurately. These findings underscore the challenges in deploying tall wind turbines in shallow cloudy boundary layers, where the interaction between clouds, precipitation, and atmospheric layers can impact turbine efficiency. As turbines grow taller and are deployed in more complex meteorological conditions, understanding these interactions is crucial for improving wind power forecasting and optimizing energy production in coastal regions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1974

Control load envelope shaping by live twist

Rotor control systems experience a rapid load growth resulting from retreating blade stall during flight conditions of high blade loading or airspeeds. An investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of changing blade torsional properties over the rotor flight envelope. The results of this study show that reducing the blade stiffness to introduce more blade live twist significantly reduces the large retreating blade control loads, while expanding the flight envelope and reducing retreating blade stall loads.

Tarzanin, F. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Investigating complex aerodynamic flows with a laser velocimeter

The paper discusses the application of the laser velocimeter in the study of two highly complex aerodynamic flows. In the first experiment, the laser velocimeter has been used with frequency tracking electronics to survey the multiple vortex wake structure behind a model of a large jet transport. The second application is to the study of the induced instantaneous inflow velocities near the blades of a model helicopter rotor; counter type processing was used in these measurements. In each experiment, the data output channels of these processors were handled in an on-line fashion, including both velocity computations and the plotting of fully reduced data.

Orloff, K. L.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Investigating complex aerodynamic flows with a laser velocimeter

The application of the laser velocimeter in the study of two highly complex aerodynamic flows is discussed. In the first experiment, the laser velocimeter was used with frequency tracking electronics to survey the multiple vortex wake structure behind a model of a large jet transport. The second application is to the study of the induced instantaneous inflow velocities near the blades of a model helicopter rotor; counter-type processing was used in these measurements. In each experiment, the data output channels of these processors were handled in an on-line fashion, including both velocity computations and the plotting of fully reduced data.

Orloff, K. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Wind Energy System Time-domain (WEST) analyzers using hybrid simulation techniques

Two stand-alone analyzers constructed for real time simulation of the complex dynamic characteristics of horizontal-axis wind energy systems are described. Mathematical models for an aeroelastic rotor, including nonlinear aerodynamic and elastic loads, are implemented with high speed digital and analog circuitry. Models for elastic supports, a power train, a control system, and a rotor gimbal system are also included. Limited correlation efforts show good comparisons between results produced by the analyzers and results produced by a large digital simulation. The digital simulation results correlate well with test data.

Hoffman, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Results of free yaw tests of the Mod-O 100 kilowatt wind turbine

Tests were conducted on the Mod-O 100 kW experimental wind turbine to provide data on yaw alignment characteristics of a large horizontal axis wind turbine with its yaw restraint removed (i.e., in free yaw). The wind turbine consisted of a downwind horizontal axis rotor mounted on a tubular tower. Three rotor configurations were tested. Each rotor was teetered, coned 3 deg and tip-controlled. Two of the rotors had pitch-flap coupling or Delta-3, and one rotor had none. The two rotors with Delta-3 differed in the airfoil used in the tip sections. Test results indicate the rotor without pitch-flap coupling did not align closer than 25 deg with the wind, and pitch-flap coupling improved the wind turbine's alignment with the wind. Yaw damping was shown to have a favorable effect on free yaw characteristics. The change in the tip airfoil section was shown to affect the free yaw alignment also. The rotors with Delta-3 were shown to be capable of responding to wind shifts and exhibited stable operating properties.

Glasgow, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Averaging techniques for steady and unsteady calculations of a transonic fan stage

It is often desirable to characterize a turbomachinery flow field with a few lumped parameters such as total pressure ratio or stage efficiency. Various averaging schemes may be used to compute these parameters. Here three averaging schemes, the momentum, energy, and area averaging schemes, are described and compared for two computed solutions of the midspan section of a transonic fan stage: a steady averaging-plane solution in which average rotor outflow conditions were used as stator inflow conditions and an unsteady rotor-stator interaction solution. The unsteady solution is described, some unsteady flow phenomena are discussed and the steady pressure distributions are compared. Despite large unsteady pressure fluctuations on the stator surface, the steady pressure distribution matched the average unsteady distribution almost exactly. Stator wake profiles, stator loss coefficient, and stage efficiency were computed for the two solutions with the three averaging schemes and are compared. In general the energy averaging scheme gave good agreement between the averaging-plane solution and the time-averaged unsteady solution, even though certain phenomena due to unsteady wake migration were neglected.

Wyss, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Active Aerodynamic Load Reduction on a Rotorcraft Fuselage With Rotor Effects: A CFD Validation Effort

A rotorcraft fuselage is typically designed with an emphasis on operational functionality with aerodynamic efficiency being of secondary importance. This results in a significant amount of drag during high-speed forward flight that can be a limiting factor for future high-speed rotorcraft designs. To enable higher speed flight, while maintaining a functional fuselage design (i.e., a large rear cargo ramp door), the NASA Rotary Wing Project has conducted both experimental and computational investigations to assess active flow control as an enabling technology for fuselage drag reduction. This paper will evaluate numerical simulations of a flow control system on a generic rotorcraft fuselage with a rotor in forward flight using OVERFLOW, a structured mesh Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver developed at NASA. The results are compared to fuselage forces, surface pressures, and PN flow field data obtained in a wind tunnel experiment conducted at the NASA Langley 14-by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel where significant drag and download reductions were demonstrated using flow control. This comparison showed that the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver was unable to predict the fuselage forces and pressure measurements on the ramp for the baseline and flow control cases. While the CFD was able to capture the flow features, it was unable to accurately predict the performance of the flow control.

Allan, Brian G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Large Wind Energy Converter: Growian 3 MW

The final report on the projected application of larger-scale wind turbine on the northern German coast is summarized. The designs of the tower, machinery housing, rotor, and rotor blades are described accompanied various construction materials are examined. Rotor blade adjustment devices auxiliary and accessory equipment are examined.

Feustel, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Conceptual design studies for large free-flying solar-reflector spacecraft

The 1 km diameter reflecting film surface is supported by a lightweight structure which may be automatically deployed after launch in the Space Shuttle. A twin rotor, control moment gyroscope, with deployable rotors, is included as a primary control actuator. The vehicle has a total specific mass of less than 12 g/sq m including allowances for all required subsystems. The structural elements were sized to accommodate the loads of a typical SOLARES type mission where a swam of these free flying satellites is employed to concentrate sunlight on a number of energy conversion stations on the ground.

Hedgepeth, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Effect of the integral length scales of turbulent inflows on wind turbine loads

As wind turbines become larger, the fluctuations in the inflow become increasingly influential in the turbine structural loading. These fluctuations are characterized by the integral length scale, which represents the average size of the largest energy-containing turbulent eddies. Current design standards neglect the varying integral length scales that characterize inflows of wind turbines in operation. Using large-eddy simulations, we generate turbulent inflows of varying integral length scales and quantify the loads of the IEA 15-MW reference wind turbine. Results illustrate that the impact of turbulence on rotor and tower loads is up to 10 times greater than the impact of the mean shear profile. Increasing integral length scales from 0.3x to 0.5x the rotor diameter reduces blade root flapwise moments and rotor and tower loads. Increasing integral length scales from 0.5x to 1.7x the rotor diameter increases the rotor aerodynamic thrust force and the blade root flapwise shear loads and decreases the tower base torsional moment and the tilting and yawing rotor aerodynamic moments. Additionally, turbulence intensity has a greater impact on wind turbine loads than integral length scales. In conclusion, findings indicate that design standards should consider varying integral length scales for accurate wind turbine loading characterization in turbulent inflow conditions.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Big Adaptive Rotor Phase I Final Report

The Big Adaptive Rotor (BAR) project was initiated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2018 with the goal of identifying novel technologies that can enable large (>100 meter [m]) blades for low-specific-power wind turbines. Five distinct tasks were completed to achieve this goal: 1. Assessed the trends, impacts, and value of low-specific-power wind turbines; 2. Developed a wind turbine blade cost-reduction road map study; 3. Completed research-and-development opportunity screening; 4. Performed detailed design and analysis; and, 5. Assessed low-cost carbon fiber. These tasks were completed by the national laboratory team consisting of Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1979

Development and validation of a piloted simulation of a helicopter and external sling load

A generalized, real time, piloted, visual simulation of a single rotor helicopter, suspension system, and external load is described and validated for the full flight envelope of the U.S. Army CH-54 helicopter and cargo container as an example. The mathematical model described uses modified nonlinear classical rotor theory for both the main rotor and tail rotor, nonlinear fuselage aerodynamics, an elastic suspension system, nonlinear load aerodynamics, and a loadground contact model. The implementation of the mathematical model on a large digital computing system is described, and validation of the simulation is discussed. The mathematical model is validated by comparing measured flight data with simulated data, by comparing linearized system matrices, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors with manufacturers' data, and by the subjective comparison of handling characteristics by experienced pilots. A visual landing display system for use in simulation which generates the pilot's forward looking real world display was examined and a special head up, down looking load/landing zone display is described.

Shaughnessy, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Stability of large horizontal-axis axisymmetric wind turbines

The stability of large horizontal-axis, axisymmetric, power producing wind turbines is examined within the framework of an analytical model which includes dynamic coupling of the rotor, tower, and power generating system. The aerodynamic loading is derived from blade element theory. Stability is determined by the eigenvalues of a set of linearized constant-coefficient differential equations. All results presented are based on a 3-bladed, 300-ft diameter, 2.0-MW wind turbine. It is shown that unstable or weakly stable behavior can be caused by aerodynamic forces due to motion of the rotor blades and tower in the plane of rotation or by mechanical coupling between the rotor system and the tower.

Hirschbein, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Condensed Antenna Structural Models for Dynamics Analysis

Condensed degree-of-freedom models are compared with large degree-of-freedom finite-element models of a representative antenna-tipping and alidade structure, for both locked and free-rotor configurations. It is shown that: (1) the effective-mass models accurately reproduce the lower-mode natural frequencies of the finite element model; (2) frequency responses for the two types of models are in agreement up to at least 16 rad/s for specific points; and (3) transient responses computed for the same points are in good agreement. It is concluded that the effective-mass model, which best represents the five lower modes of the finite-element model, is a sufficient representation of the structure for future incorporation with a total servo control structure dynamic simulation.

Levy, R.↗