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At least 613 records · Page 34

Materials, Manufacturing, and Test Development of a Composite Fan Blade Leading Edge Subcomponent for Improved Impact Resistance

Application of polymer matrix composite materials for jet engine fan blades is becoming attractive as an alternative to metallic blades; particularly for large engines where significant weight savings are recognized on moving to a composite structure. However, the weight benefit of the composite is offset by a reduction of aerodynamic efficiency resulting from a necessary increase in blade thickness; relative to the titanium blades. Blade dimensions are largely driven by resistance to damage on bird strike. Further development of the composite material is necessary to allow composite blade designs to approximate the dimensions of a metallic fan blade. The reduction in thickness over the state of the art composite blades is expected to translate into structural weight reduction, improved aerodynamic efficiency, and therefore reduced fuel consumption. This paper presents test article design, subcomponent blade leading edge fabrication, test method development, and initial results from ballistic impact of a gelatin projectile on the leading edge of composite fan blades. The simplified test article geometry was developed to realistically simulate a blade leading edge while decreasing fabrication complexity. Impact data is presented on baseline composite blades and toughened blades; where a considerable improvement to impact resistance was recorded.

Materials↗

Turbine Engine with Differential Gear Driven Fan and Compressor

A gas turbine engine provides a differential gear system coupling the turbine to the bypass fan and the compressor. In this manner, the power/speed split between the bypass fan and the compressor can be optimized under all conditions. In the example shown, the turbine drives a sun gear, which drives a planet carrier and a ring gear in a differential manner. One of the planet carrier and the ring gear is coupled to the bypass fan, while the other is coupled to the compressor.

Suciu, Gabriel L.↗

Large Fluvial Fans: Aspects of the Attribute Array

In arguing for a strict definition of the alluvial fan (coarse‐grained with radii less than10 km, in mountain‐front settings), Blair and McPherson (1994) proposed that there is no meaningful difference between large fluvial fans (LFF) and floodplains, because the building blocks of both are channel‐levee‐overbank deposits. Sediment bodies at the LFF scale (greater than 100 km long, fan‐shaped in planform), are relatively unstudied although greater than 160 are now identified globally. The following perspectives suggest that the significance of LFF needs to be reconsidered.

Wilkinson, Justin M.↗

Ballistic and Cyclic Rig Testing of Braided Composite Fan Case Structures

FAA fan blade-out certification testing on turbofan engines occurs very late in an engine's development program and is very costly. It is of utmost importance to approach the FAA Certification engine test with a high degree of confidence that the containment structure will not only contain the high-energy debris, but that it will also withstand the cyclic loads that occur with engine spooldown and continued rotation as the non-running engine maintains a low rotor RPM due to forced airflow as the engine-out aircraft returns to an airport. Accurate rig testing is needed for predicting and understanding material behavior of the fan case structure during all phases of this fan blade-out event.

spooldown↗

Development of a Rotating Rake Array for Boundary-Layer-Ingesting Fan-Stage Measurements

The recent Boundary-Layer-Ingesting Inlet/Distortion Tolerant Fan wind tunnel experiment at NASA Glenn Research Center's 8-foot by 6-foot supersonic wind tunnel examined the performance of a novel inlet and fan stage that was designed to ingest the vehicle boundary layer in order to take advantage of a predicted overall propulsive efficiency benefit. A key piece of the experiment's instrumentation was a pair of rotating rake arrays located upstream and downstream of the fan stage. This paper examines the development of these rake arrays. Pre-test numerical solutions were sampled to determine placement and spacing for rake pressure and temperature probes. The effects of probe spacing and survey density on the repeatability of survey measurements was examined. These data were then used to estimate measurement uncertainty for the adiabatic efficiency.

Wolter, John D.↗

Development of a Rotating Rake Array for Boundary-Layer-Ingesting Fan-Stage Measurements

The recent Boundary-Layer-Ingesting Inlet/Distortion Tolerant Fan wind tunnel experiment at NASA Glenn Research Center's 8- by 6-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) examined the performance of a novel inlet and fan stage that was designed to ingest the vehicle boundary layer in order to take advantage of a predicted overall propulsive efficiency benefit. A key piece of the experiment's instrumentation was a pair of rotating rake arrays located upstream and downstream of the fan stage. This paper examines the development of these rake arrays. Pre-test numerical solutions were sampled to determine placement and spacing for rake pressure and temperature probes. The effects of probe spacing and survey density on the repeatability of survey measurements was examined. These data were then used to estimate measurement uncertainty for the adiabatic efficiency.

turbomachinery↗

Data Analysis Techniques for Fan Performance in Highly-Distorted Flows from Boundary Layer Ingesting Inlets

The design of a unique distortion-tolerant fan for a high-bypass ratio boundary-layer ingesting propulsion system has been completed and a rig constructed and tested in the NASA Glenn 8’x6’ wind tunnel. Processing the data from the experiment presented some interesting challenges because of the complexity of the experimental setup and the flow through the test rig. The experiment was run in three phases, each of which employed a unique complement of inlet throat and fan face instrumentation to avoid the blockage that would have resulted from simultaneously installing all of the rakes. The measurement from the individual test points were subsequently combined to compute the overall stage performance. A CFD model of the experiment was used to gain understanding of the flow field and to test some of the techniques proposed for interpolating and extrapolating the measurements into regions where measurements were not made. This capability became extremely useful when it was discovered that there was an unexpected total temperature distortion in the tunnel. The CFD model was modified by inserting a total temperature profile at the upstream boundary that mimicked the measured distortion where measurements were available and that CFD solution was used to investigate methods to infer the complete total temperature field at the fan face.

Hardin, Larry W.↗

Fan Noise Predictions of the NASA Source Diagnostic Test Using Unsteady Simulations with LAVA Part I: Near-Field Aerodynamics and Turbulence

A sliding mesh technique within the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) computational framework is validated using the experimental dataset collected as part of the NASA Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) campaign. Two modeling approaches are explored: the unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) with Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model closure, and a hybrid Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes/Large Eddy Simulation (RANS/LES) paradigm employing a Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation (ZDES) closure with enhanced shielding protection. Fan stage performance metrics, aerodynamic quantities and turbulent flow structures are analyzed in this work. Initial studies focusing on grid and time-step sensitivity are presented. Sensitivity to different variants of the SA turbulence model is analyzed, supporting the use of the baseline SA model in the production runs. Two conditions are analyzed in detail using URANS and hybrid RANS/LES (HRLES). Mean flow quantities are well-captured by both methods in the low-speed (approach) regime. While URANS misses all the upstream-propagating noise in the inlet due to the rotor-locked tones being evanescent in nature at subsonic fan tip speeds, HRLES captures this broadband component in its pressure field. At the high-speed (sideline) condition, URANS shows better agreement with the SDT data than HRLES in the interstage flow-field. In this regime, URANS captures the tonal content propagating through the inlet, since the tones are now cut-on. Both methods are suitable to capture fan stage performance metrics and mean flow quantities, but only HRLES is able to resolve the fine turbulent structures responsible for broadband noise. The results support the use of the sliding mesh technique implemented in this work for future turbomachinery applications within the LAVA solver framework.

AATT↗

Fan Noise Predictions of the NASA Source Diagnostic Test Using Unsteady Simulations with LAVA Part I: Near-Field Aerodynamics and Turbulence

A sliding mesh technique within the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) computational framework is validated using the experimental dataset collected as part of the NASA Source Diagnostic Test (SDT) campaign. Two modeling approaches are explored: the unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) with Spalart-Allmaras (SA) turbulence model closure, and a hybrid Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes/Large Eddy Simulation (RANS/LES) paradigm employing a Zonal Detached Eddy Simulation (ZDES) closure with enhanced shielding protection. Fan stage performance metrics, aerodynamic quantities and turbulent flow structures are analyzed in this work. Initial studies focusing on grid and time-step sensitivity are presented. Sensitivity to different variants of the SA turbulence model is analyzed, supporting the use of the baseline SA model in the production runs. Two conditions are analyzed in detail using URANS and hybrid RANS/LES (HRLES). Mean flow quantities are well-captured by both methods in the low-speed (approach) regime. While URANS misses all the upstream-propagating noise in the inlet due to the rotor-locked tones being evanescent in nature at subsonic fan tip speeds, HRLES captures this broadband component in its pressure field. At the high-speed (sideline) condition, URANS shows better agreement with the SDT data than HRLES in the interstage flow-field. In this regime, URANS captures the tonal content propagating through the inlet, since the tones are now cut-on. Both methods are suitable to capture fan stage performance metrics and mean flow quantities, but only HRLES is able to resolve the fine turbulent structures responsible for broadband noise. The results support the use of the sliding mesh technique implemented in this work for future turbomachinery applications within the LAVA solver framework.

AATT↗

Fe-Phosphates in the Jezero Crater Fan: Implications for Habitability and Sample Return

In the ~1000 sols since the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover landed on the floor of Jezero crater, it has traversed >23 km, carrying out analyses of the crater floor and western fan. The fan is comprised of sediments transported and deposited by streams that once flowed into Jezero crater in the late Noachian to early Hesperian[1]. Detailed investigation of the sediments and rocks of the western fan can thus provide insights into ancient fluvial to lacustrine environments on Mars, whether they were habitable, and/or if biosignatures maybe preserved.

T V Kizovski↗

Pristine Pyroxene-Bearing Boulders Analyzed By Supercam in the Jezero Western Fan, Mars

During its exploration of the upper surface of the Jezero western fan, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover encountered a population of boulders that likely represents a late-stage deposit from high-energy floods. These boulders can be divided into two groups based on their inferred mineralogy: olivine-rich and pyroxene-bearing. The first group, the most abundant one, is described in ref.[2]. Here, we present the analyses performed by the SuperCam instrument on the pyroxene-bearing boulders and show that they are among the most pristine rocks encountered so far in the mission. We also draw a comparison with the Boston Knob outcrop, located on the fan front, which may be a buried and stratigraphically lower equivalent of the pyroxene-bearing boulders of the upper fan.

Mars 2020↗

Lift fan technology studies

Thermodynamic, aerodynamic, mechanical, and systems studies of lift fan concepts for V/STOL TRANSPORT and supersonic fan-in-wing fighter aircraft

VTO FIGHTER AIRCRAFT↗

Evaluating the Acoustic Benefits of Over-the-Rotor Acoustic Treatments Installed on the Advanced Noise Control Fan

Over the last 15 years, over-the-rotor acoustic treatments have been evaluated by NASA with varying success. Recently, NASA has been developing the next generation of over-the-rotor acoustic treatments for fan noise reduction. The NASA Glenn Research Centers Advanced Noise Control Fan was used as a Low Technology Readiness Level test bed. A rapid prototyped in-duct array consisting of 50 microphones was employed, and used to correlate the in-duct analysis to the far-field acoustic levels and to validate an existing beam-former method. The goal of this testing was to improve the Technology Readiness Level of various over-the-rotor acoustic treatments by advancing the understanding of the physical mechanisms and projecting the far-field acoustic benefit.

Fan noise↗

Improving air leakage prediction of buildings using the fan pressurization method with the Weighted Line of Organic Correlation

In many countries, the fan pressurization method is the most frequently chosen approach for measuring the air leakage of houses. The measurements are usually performed at pressures that far exceed pressures to which buildings are exposed to under normal conditions. A fit of these tests to the power-law formulation allows an extrapolation to data points outside the measured pressure range. With the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) fitting method, the pressure exponent and flow coefficient can be determined. However, the measurement results are highly sensitive to uncertainties induced by external factors like changing wind conditions during the tests, which is neglected by OLS. This may lead to errors in the prediction of flows at lower pressures. The Weighted Line of Organic Correlation (WLOC) is an alternative approach and takes measurement uncertainty into account. In this paper, a statistical analysis of an extensive data set of pressurization measurements has been performed. Both regression techniques have been compared for almost 7500 fan pressurization measurements of six houses in 109 different house leak configurations. The variability in predicting pressure exponent and flow coefficient for both WLOC and OLS regression was analyzed using probability density functions. It was found that the Weighted Line of Organic Correlation significantly decreases the uncertainty in predicting pressure exponent, flow coefficient, and other low-pressure air leakage metrics compared to the Ordinary Least Square fitting. Here, the authors highly recommend the implementation of WLOC in current measurement standards and test equipment.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

NASA “SuperFan”: Inlet+Fan Design for Landing and Take-Off (LTO) Noise Assessments

The commercial supersonic transport industry needs accurate prediction of landing and take-off propulsion fan noise. To enable improving these predictions, under contract to NASA, GE Aviation designed an inlet, two-stage fan with inlet guide vane, and flow path with separate flow nozzles for a turbofan engine relevant to a commercial supersonic transport application. This non-proprietary, but export controlled, geometry enables cross comparison of predictions, and is a step towards reducing prediction uncertainty. This presentation has the current status of this effort.

supersonic, fan, acoustic↗

Microstructure Controlled Multi-Layer Porous Material Liner Tested On The Advanced Noise Control Fan

A novel concept of multilayer micro structurally controlled noise mitigation porous material was developed and experimentally validated in the laboratory by normal incidence impedance test. Extensive parametric studies were made to understand various parameters that influence acoustic absorption and transmission loss based on the test specimen size, particle size, porosity, pore size, and its distribution through the thickness. The results were reported in many publications. This work was focused on applying the concept and assessing the validity of the technology to aircraft turbomachine engines. The NASA Glenn Research Center’s Advanced Noise Control Fan (ANCF) low-speed test rig was selected. The liner insert required a 4-ft internal diameter cylinder with a 2-inch thick and 9-inch axial length. The liner was fabricated in eight segments and assembled in an aluminum test rig. The liner was tested for both tonal and broadband noise at the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Lab White Field test facility, where the ANCF is located. The study concludes that: Microstructurally controlled porous material is very effective in dissipating the sound energy; the liner is effective for tonal noise (2 to 13 dB reduction in noise levels) that constitutes the major part of the overall fan noise, especially the blade passing frequency which is generally the dominating component; Also, the liner is effective for broadband noise with reductions in sound pressure level of about 3 dB for the shaft order greater than 20. The proposed two-layer liner model demonstrated the validity of the concept. More studies are required to optimize the design.

Liner↗

Monitoring Warm Wastewater and Evaporation Fans - A Brilliant Duo

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) generates warm wastewater which must be stored in warm wastewater ponds. The goal is to evaporate the water from the ponds and using evaporation fans may help to accomplish this. This project explores how much water has been accumulated into the ponds along with how much water has been entering and leaving the ponds over the past 5 years. Furthermore, the implementation of the evaporation fans into the ponds is evaluated to see if they are helpful for improving evaporation rates or not.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Onslow Beach Washover Fan Morphology from 2012 to 2015

Critical military training and testing on lands along the nation’s coastal and estuarine shorelines are increasingly placed at risk because of encroachment pressures in surrounding areas, impairments due to other anthropogenic disturbances, and changes in climate and sea level. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) intends to enhance and sustain its training and testing assets and also optimize its stewardship of natural resources through the development and application of an ecosystem-based management approach on DoD installations. To accomplish this goal, particularly for installations in estuarine/coastal environments, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) launched the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) as a 10-year effort at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL) in North Carolina. The results of the second 5 years of the program (DCERP2) are presented in the DCERP2 Final Report.There were four overarching objectives of DCERP2. The first objective was to understand the effects of climate change impacts, including warming temperatures, variability in the hydrological cycle, storm events, and sea level rise on the coastal ecosystems at MCBCL from observations and measurements made over the 10-year program. The second objective was to understand the carbon cycle of the coastal and terrestrial ecosystems at MCBCL through a highly integrated sampling program. The third objective was to develop models, tools, and indicators to evaluate current and projected future ecosystem state changes and translate scientific findings into actionable information for installation managers. The last objective was to recommend adaptive management strategies to sustain ecosystem natural resources within the context of an active military installation.These grid files were created from data collected using a Riegl 3-D laser scanner. Millions of x, y, and z points from the F2 Washover Fan on Onslow Beach were processed using the MARS software package to define a bare-earth model. Grid files were imported into Golden Software Surfer version 19 for editing and exported from that application as .grd files. Files can be opened in Surfer or ArcMap, but the coordinate system information will be lost if opened in ArcMap. These data were collected to quantify the morphological changes that occur on a washover fan through time.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗