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At least 613 records · Page 34

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NASA NTRS2006

Rotating-Pump Design Code

Pump Design (PUMPDES) is a computer program for designing a rotating pump for liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid nitrogen, water, methane, or ethane. Using realistic properties of these fluids provided by another program called GASPAK, this code performs a station-by-station, mean-line analysis along the pump flow path, obtaining thermodynamic properties of the pumped fluid at each station and evaluating hydraulic losses along the flow path. The variables at each station are obtained under constraints that are consistent with the underlying physical principles. The code evaluates the performance of each stage and the overall pump. In addition, by judiciously choosing the givens and the unknowns, the code can perform a geometric inverse design function: that is, it can compute a pump geometry that yields a closest approximation of given design point. The code contains two major parts: one for an axial-rotor/inducer and one for a multistage centrifugal pump. The inducer and the centrifugal pump are functionally integrated. The code can be used in designing and/or evaluating the inducer/centrifugal-pump combination or the centrifugal pump alone. The code is written in standard Fortran 77.

Walker, James F.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Wind-tunnel tests of a single stage to orbit space shuttle at Mach numbers of 2.60, 3.85, and 4.64

Wind tunnel tests were conducted to determine the static aerodynamic characteristics of a single-stage-to-orbit space shuttle model at Mach numbers of 2.60, 3.85, and 4.64. Test parameters included various payloads for the launch configurations and various corner radii for the entry configurations. The test results for the launch configurations generally indicated that a decrease in payload size resulted in a marked increase in axial force. Decreasing the corner radii of the entry configuration led to large increases in axial force. The results also indicated that the presence of an engine door on the entry configuration caused a measurable positive increment in pitching moment. Changing the entry configuration afterbody geometry from a biconic shape to a conic shape increased the normal-force and stability level.

Graves, E. B.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Effect of humidity on jet engine axial-flow compressor performance

Two problems related to the ingestion of humid air into jet engine axial compressors have been studied: (1) the changes in the performance of the compressor in the absence of condensation and (2) the changes in the entry conditions to the compressor when condensation occurs. Regarding the first, the extent of changes are predicted and also measured in the case of a six-stage compressor operated with air-methane gas mixture utilizing the similarities in the thermodynamic properties between water vapor and methane. For the condensation process in an inlet, a model is described that takes into account the presence of micro particulates and the flow field changes in the vicinity of the inlet wall. Finally, the effects of humidity on engine performance are discussed in relation to engine trim and control schemes.

Ehresman, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Water masers in W49N - The youngest stellar jet?

Observations by Gwinn et al. (1992) of the proper motions of water masers in W49N show that they have an elongated distribution expanding from a common center. Features with high space velocity only occur far from the center, while low-velocity features occur at all distances. It is proposed that water masers in star-forming regions occur in expanding shells swept up by high-velocity winds from young, massive stars during the early phases of the expansion. In W49N, confinement of the bubble by a density distribution with an axial cavity can explain both the velocity field and the shape of the maser distribution. A fully dynamical calculation of the expanding bubble is presented which provides a satisfactory fit for the observations and suggests that this system is only about 250 yr old. Thus these observations may show the very first stages of the formation of a jet from a young stellar object.

Mac Low, MORDECAI-M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Unsteady flowfield simulation of ducted prop-fan configurations

A technique for the simulation of unsteady flows in and around complex rotating machinery is presented. Additional domain decomposition mechanisms are introduced which extend the range of applicability of software developed for the time-accurate simulation of rotating machinery flowfields. The flow models uses the unsteady 3D Euler equations, discretized as a finite-volume method, utilizing a high-resolution approximate Riemann solver for cell interface flux definitions. Multiblock domain decomposition is used to partition the field radially, axially, as well as circumferentially into an ordered arrangement of blocks which exhibit varying degrees of similarity. A general high-order numerical scheme is applied to satisfy the geometric conservation law. Two configurations are presented - ducted single rotation prop-fan and a rotor-deswirl vane combination which form a single stage fan. Comparisons are made to other numerical solutions for these geometries and to available experimental data.

Janus, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Gain-enhanced free-electron laser with an electromagnetic pump field

The feasibility of enhancing the gain for the free electron laser (FEL) with an electromagnetic (EM) pump field has been considered. The enhancement is provided by reacceleration of the electrons in the interaction region by means of a static, axial electric field. A FEL utilizing a low energy electron beam and a wiggler magnet with a periodicity on the order of 1 cm would produce far infared (FIR) radiation with wavelengths on the order of a few hundred microns. The use of the FIR radiation as the pump field in a two-stage FEL is envisioned to obtain visible radiation with a low energy electron beam. A summary is provided regarding the theory and equations of motion for the EM-pumped FEL. The derived relations are applied to the second stage of such a two-stage FEL. The obtained equations have been incorporated into a computer code which has been used to calculate laser gain and energy conversion efficiency.

Hiddleston, H. R.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Velocity diagrams

The selection and design of velocity diagrams for axial flow turbines are considered. Application is treated in two parts which includes: (1) mean-section diagrams, and (2) radial variation of diagrams. In the first part, the velocity diagrams occurring at the mean section are assumed to represent the average conditions encountered by the turbine. The different types of diagrams, their relation to stage efficiency, and their selection when staging is required are discussed. In the second part, it is shown that in certain cases the mean-section diagrams may or may not represent the average flow conditions for the entire blade span. In the case of relatively low hub- to tip-radius ratios, substantial variations in the velocity diagrams are encountered. The radial variations in flow conditions and their effect on the velocity diagrams are considered.

Whitney, W. J.↗

NASA NTRS2016

NASA Phase2 Unlimited Rights Final Report Research and Technology for Aerospace Propulsion Systems (RTAPS) Task Order: ERA Advanced Core Compressor Technology Program

As part of the NASA Integrated Systems Research Program (ISRP), Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Project, NASA GRC and GE Aviation have partnered to investigate the technology barriers associated with improved fuel economy of large gas turbine engines. Crucial to improving fuel economy is the increase in pressure ratio (PR) of the core high pressure compressor (HPC). A key enabler to increasing HPC pressure ratios are new technology front stage airfoil designs that have higher efficiency, higher pressure ratios and improvements in front stage part-power operability. The purpose of this work is to design and test two high pressure ratio, high efficiency front block designs. The baseline design, hereafter referred to as Build 1, is similar to what would be found in a high efficiency 30:1 PR class HPC. A redesigned front block with improved blading will also be tested and hereafter be referred to as Build 2. The goal of Build 2 is to increase stage aero loading (increase stage pressure ratio) beyond Build 1 while maintaining equivalent efficiency and stall margin. The detailed inter-stage and traverse data from the two builds will be used to improve understanding of the complex flow physics at high-speed and part-speed conditions that impact performance and operability. By addressing, understanding and solving the challenges associated with aerodynamic losses and stage matching better design strategies can be incorporated in future core compressors with higher efficiency, thereby enabling improvement in mission fuel burn while still meeting operability requirements.

Axial Compressors↗

NASA NTRS2000

Evolution of Rotor Wake in Swirling Flow

A theory is presented for modeling the evolution of rotor wakes as a function of axial distance in swirling mean flows. The theory, which extends an earlier work to include arbitrary radial distributions of mean swirl, indicates that swirl can significantly alter the wake structure of the rotor especially at large downstream distances (i.e., for moderate to large rotor-stator spacings). Using measured wakes of a representative scale model fan stage to define the mean swirl and initial wake perturbations, the theory is used to predict the subsequent evolution of the wakes. The results indicate the sensitivity of the wake evolution to the initial profile and the need to have complete and consistent initial definition of both velocity and pressure perturbations.

El-Haldidi, Basman↗

NASA NTRS2018

Optical Characterization of Fuel Injection in a Flame Tube Combustor Using a GE TAPS Injector Configuration

This paper presents results in which we compare fuel staging and its effect on fuel spray pattern, velocity and speciation during combustion for several inlet conditions using a GE TAPS injector configuration. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), particle image velocimetry (PIV) and phase Doppler interferometry (PDI) were used to investigate spray patterns and velocity. The 2D PIV provides slices in the flow of axial-vertical or axial horizontal velocity components. With 3D PDI, we obtained 3 components of velocity, and fuel drop sizes. Chemiluminescence imaging and spontaneous Raman scattering (SRS) were used to investigate flame structure, species location and relative species concentration. Phase Doppler and PIV data were acquired using scatter from fuel droplets; therefore, those data were obtained only at the pilot-only test points. Raman measurements were acquired only at 10/90 split points to avoid droplets.

optical diagnostics↗

NASA NTRS2018

Flame Tube Testing of a GEA TAPS Injector: Effects of Fuel Staging on Combustor Fuel Spray Patterns, Flow Structure, and Speciation

GE TAPS↗

NASA NTRS1991

Two-stage earth-to-orbit transport with translating oblique wings for booster recovery

A two-stage earth-to-orbit transport includes an orbiter vehicle and a pair of boosters, each having a depolyable oblique wing located along a longitudinal axis of the booster. The wing is deployed in an oblique disposition in supersonic and hypersonic speeds, and disposed at 90.degree. for subsonic speeds encountered during entry. The oblique wing is driven axially and rotated by means of a turret mounted on rails.

MacConochie, Ian O.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Tone generation by rotor-downstream strut interaction

A JT15D fan stage was acoustically tested in the NASA Lewis anechoic chamber as part of the joint Lewis-Langley Research Center investigation of flight simulation techniques and flight effects using the JT15D engine as a common test vehicle. Suspected rotor-downstream support strut interaction was confirmed through the use of simulated support struts which were tested at three axial rotor-strut spacings. Tests were also performed with the struts removed. Inlet boundary layer suction in conjuction with an inflow control device was also explored. The removal of the boundary layer reduced the fan fundamental tone levels suggesting that the mounting and mating of such a device to the nacelle requires careful attention. With the same inflow control device installed good acoustic agreement was shown between the engine on an outdoor test stand and the fan in the anechoic chamber.

Woodward, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Tone generation by rotor-downstream strut interaction

A JT15D fan stage was acoustically tested in the NASA Lewis anechoic chamber as part of the joint Lewis-Langley Research Center investigation of flight simulation techniques and flight effects using the JT15D engine as a common test vehicle. Suspected rotor-downstream support strut interaction was confirmed through the use of simulated support struts which were tested at three axial rotor-strut spacings. Tests were also performed with the struts removed. Inlet boundary layer suction in conjunction with an inflow control device was also explored. The removal of the boundary layer reduced the fan fundamental tone levels suggesting that the mounting and mating of such a device to the nacelle requires careful attention. With the same inflow control device installed good acoustic agreement was shown between the engine on an outdoor test stand and the fan in the anechoic chamber.

Woodward, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Oscillating-Flow Regenerator Test Rig: Hardware and Theory With Derived Correlations for Screens and Felts

A number of wire mesh and metal felt test samples, with a range of porosities, yield generic correlations for friction factor, Nusselt number, enhanced axial conduction ratio, and overall heat flux ratio. This information is directed primarily toward stirling cycle regenerator modelers, but will be of use to anyone seeking to better model fluid flow through these porous materials. Behind these results lies an oscillating-flow test rig, which measures pumping dissipation and thermal energy transport in sample matrices, and several stages of data-reduction software, which correlate instantaneous values for the above dimensionless groups. Within the software, theoretical model reduces instantaneous quantifies from cycle-averaged measurables using standard parameter estimation techniques.

Gedeon, D.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Studying the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability in convergent geometry under high energy density conditions using the Decel platform

The “Decel” platform at Sandia National Laboratories investigates the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) in converging geometry under high energy density conditions [Knapp et al., Phys. Plasmas 27, 092707 (2020)]. In Decel, the Z machine magnetically implodes a cylindrical beryllium liner filled with liquid deuterium, launching a converging shock toward an on-axis beryllium rod machined with sinusoidal perturbations. The passage of the shock deposits vorticity along the Be/D2 interface, causing the perturbations to grow. Here, we present platform improvements along with recent experimental results. To improve the stability of the imploding liner to the magneto Rayleigh–Taylor instability, we modified its acceleration history by shortening the Z electrical current pulse. Next, we introduce a “split rod” configuration that allows two axial modes to be fielded simultaneously in different axial locations along the rod, doubling our data per experiment. We then demonstrate that asymmetric slots in the return current structure modify the magnetic drive pressure on the surface of the liner, advancing the evolution on one side of the rod by multiple ns compared to its 180° counterpart. This effectively enables two snapshots of the instability at different stages of evolution per radiograph with small deviations of the cross-sectional profile of the rod from the circular. Using this platform, we acquired RMI data at 272 and 157 μm wavelengths during the single shock stage. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of these data for benchmarking simulations by comparing calculations using ALEGRA MHD and RageRunner.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA NTRS1993

Analysis of direct numerical simulation data of a Mach 4.5 transitional boundary-layer flow

This paper describes the creation, by temporal direct numerical simulation and the analysis based on the Reynolds stress transport equations, of a high-quality data set that represents the laminar-turbulent transition of a high-speed boundary-layer flow. Following Pruett and Zang (1992), and with the help of algorithmic refinements, the evolution of an axial, Mach 4.5 boundary-layer flow along a hollow cylinder is simulated numerically. Favre-averaged Reynolds stress transport equations are derived in generalized curvilinear coordinates and are then specialized to the cylindrical geometry at hand. Reynolds stresses and various turbulence quantities, such as turbulent kinetic energy and turbulent Mach number, are calculated from the numerical data at various stages of the transition process. The kinetic energy 'budgets' are constructed from the transport equations. Various contributing terms for the evolution of kinetic energy, like the rates of production and dissipation, transport, and diffusion, are presented. The compressible dissipation rate is small in comparison with the solenoidal dissipation rate for all times. The pressure-dilatation term is of the same order of magnitude as the compressible dissipation rate.

Dinavahi, Surya P. G.↗

NASA NTRS2004

HSCT Sector Combustor Evaluations for Demonstration Engine

In LET Task 10, critical development issues of the HSCT lean-burn low emissions combustor were addressed with a range of engineering tools. Laser diagnostics and CFD analysis were applied to develop a clearer understanding of the fuel-air premixing process and premixed combustion. Subcomponent tests evaluated the emissions and operability performance of the fuel-air premixers. Sector combustor tests evaluated the performance of the integrated combustor system. A 3-cup sector was designed and procured for laser diagnostics studies at NASA Glenn. The results of these efforts supported the earlier selection of the Cyclone Swirler as the pilot stage premixer and the IMFH (Integrated Mixer Flame Holder) tube as the main stage premixer of the LPP combustor. In the combustor system preliminary design subtask, initial efforts to transform the sector combustor design into a practical subscale engine combustor met with significant challenges. Concerns about the durability of a stepped combustor dome and the need for a removable fuel injection system resulted in the invention and refinement of the MRA (Multistage Radial Axial) combustor system in 1994. The MRA combustor was selected for the HSR Phase II LPP subscale combustor testing in the CPC Program.

Greenfield, Stuart↗