Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Finite Volume”

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 613 records · Page 34

A transonic/supersonic CFD analysis of a generic fighter

Flow fields about a generic fighter model have been computed using FLO57, a three-dimensional, finite-volume Euler code. Computed pressure coefficients, forces, and moments at several Mach numbers - 0.6, 0.8, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6 - are compared with wind tunnel data over a wide range of angles of attack in order to determine the applicability of the code for the analysis of fighter configurations. Two configurations were studied, a wing/body and a wing/body/chine. FLO57 predicted pressure distributions, forces, and moments well at low angles of attack, at which the flow was fully attached. The FLO57 predictions were also accurate for some test conditions once the leading-edge vortex became well established. At the subsonic speeds, FLO57 predicted vortex breakdown earlier than that seen in the experimental results. Placing the chine on the forebody delayed the onset of bursting and improved the correlation between numerical and experimental data at the subsonic conditions.

Goodsell, Aga M.↗

Numerical simulation of Shuttle ascent transonic flow using an unstructured-grid approach

An unstructured-grid, finite-volume method has been developed for simulating the inviscid flow over spacecrafts of realistic configuration. The grid generation is accomplished by a new technique on the basis of the advancing-front concept. This simple technique is shown to be equally as powerful for a complex multibody as for a single vehicle. Second- or third-order accuracy is obtained via an innovative interpolation procedure similar to the conventional MUSCL approach. This method has been applied to the Shuttle orbiter and a representative Shuttle launch vehicle consisting of the orbiter, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters. A comparison is discussed between the present results and other results obtained from structured- and unstructured-grid methods.

Wey, T. C.↗

A numerical study of hypersonic stagnation heat transfer predictions at a coordinate singularity

The problem of grid induced errors associated with a coordinate singularity on heating predictions in the stagnation region of a three-dimensional body in hypersonic flow is examined. The test problem is for Mach 10 flow over an Aeroassist Flight Experiment configuration. This configuration is composed of an elliptic nose, a raked elliptic cone, and a circular shoulder. Irregularities in the heating predictions in the vicinity of the coordinate singularity, located at the axis of the elliptic nose near the stagnation point, are examined with respect to grid refinement and grid restructuring. The algorithm is derived using a finite-volume formulation. An upwind-biased total-variation diminishing scheme is employed for the inviscid flux contribution, and central differences are used for the viscous terms.

Grasso, Francesco↗

Solution of steady-state, two-dimensional conservation laws by mathematical programming

A truly two-dimensional algorithm is created for solving the steady-state two-dimensional conservation-law problem. An overdetermined system of algebraic equations is obtained through discretization by finite-volume formulas. These equations are perturbed nonsingularly and are solved by an efficient geometrically oriented l(1) procedure. The basic algorithm and the theory for the linear case f(u) = u are presented, and computational results for the nonlinear case f(u) = sq u are also analyzed. It is noted that the l(1) procedure captures boundary shocks as well as oblige and zigzag interior shocks in bands that are one cell wide, and the solution values are accurate up to the edge of the shock.

Lavery, John E.↗

Numerical simulation of steady and unsteady asymmetric vortical flow

The unsteady, compressible, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes equations are solved to simulate steady and unsteady, asymmetric, vortical laminar flow around cones at high incidences and supersonic Mach numbers. The equations are solved by using an implicit, upwind, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. Locally conical flows are assumed and the solutions are obtained by forcing the conserved components of the flowfield vector to be equal at two axial stations located at 0.95 and 1.0. Computational examples cover steady and unsteady asymmetric flows around a circular cone and its control using side strakes. Unsteady asymmetric flows are also presented for elliptic- and diamond-section cones, which model asymmetric vortex shedding around round and sharp-edged delta wing flows.

Kandil, O. A.↗

Euler calculations of unsteady transonic flow in cascades

In the present paper, Euler calculations of unsteady transonic flow in cascades are presented. A finite volume scheme is used to discretize the equations, which are implemented on a blade-fitted deformable mesh. The space-discretized equations are integrated forward in time using a multistage Runge-Kutta scheme. Adaptive dissipation terms of the type proposed by Jameson and Baker are added to capture shocks and to suppress nonphysical oscillations. Phase-shifted boundary conditions are used to reduce the computational domain to a single reference passage. No assumptions of small amplitudes or small flow deflections are made. Thus, the present code makes it possible to carry out aeroelastic calculations for cases where the shock strengths and oscillation amplitudes exceed the inherent limitations of potential flow codes.

Bendiksen, Oddvar O.↗

Generalized conjugate-gradient methods for the Navier-Stokes equations

A generalized conjugate-gradient method is used to solve the two-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes equations of fluid flow. The equations are discretized with an implicit, upwind finite-volume formulation. Preconditioning techniques are incorporated into the new solver to accelerate convergence of the overall iterative method. The superiority of the new solver is demonstrated by comparisons with a conventional line Gauss-Siedel Relaxation solver. Computational test results for transonic flow (trailing edge flow in a transonic turbine cascade) and hypersonic flow (M = 6.0 shock-on-shock phenoena on a cylindrical leading edge) are presented. When applied to the transonic cascade case, the new solver is 4.4 times faster in terms of number of iterations and 3.1 times faster in terms of CPU time than the Relaxation solver. For the hypersonic shock case, the new solver is 3.0 times faster in terms of number of iterations and 2.2 times faster in terms of CPU time than the Relaxation solver.

Ajmani, Kumud↗

Computational aspects of chemically reacting flows

An implicit, time-dependent approach is taken to solve the inviscid conservative equations in a vertex-based finite-volume formulation. The convective fluxes are estimated by a modified Riemann solver, and higher-order accuracy is obtained by means of the MUSCL. Implicit techniques are adopted to deal with the equation stiffness as a result of the clustered grid and chemical source term. The real-gas Roe matrix and the ADI and LU schemes have been tested on the sample problems: hypersonic flow over blunt configurations, such as the forebody of a double ellipse, and the near wake of a conic aerobrake. Temperature distribution and standoff distance are validated against the shock-fitting, central-differencing results. Equilibrium temperature may be recovered by artificially increasing the chemical rates at the wall. The present method satisfactorily resolves the flow structure, including the strong expansion behind the flat base. The relative merits and performance of the real-gas TVD and implicit schemes are discussed briefly.

Li, C. P.↗

Conservative multizonal interface algorithm for the 3-D Navier-Stokes equations

A conservative zonal interface algorithm using features of both structured and unstructured mesh CFD technology is presented. The flow solver within each of the zones is based on structured mesh CFD technology. The interface algorithm was implemented into two three-dimensional Navier-Stokes finite volume codes and was found to yield good results.

Klopfer, G. H.↗

Computational modeling of the pressurization process in a NASP vehicle propellant tank experimental simulation

A multidimensional computational model of the pressurization process in a slush hydrogen propellant storage tank was developed and its accuracy evaluated by comparison to experimental data measured for a 5 ft diameter spherical tank. The fluid mechanic, thermodynamic, and heat transfer processes within the ullage are represented by a finite-volume model. The model was shown to be in reasonable agreement with the experiment data. A parameter study was undertaken to examine the dependence of the pressurization process on initial ullage temperature distribution and pressurant mass flow rate. It is shown that for a given heat flux rate at the ullage boundary, the pressurization process is nearly independent of initial temperature distribution. Significant differences were identified between the ullage temperature and velocity fields predicted for pressurization of slush and those predicted for pressurization of liquid hydrogen. A simplified model of the pressurization process was constructed in search of a dimensionless characterization of the pressurization process. It is shown that the relationship derived from this simplified model collapses all of the pressure history data generated during this study into a single curve.

Sasmal, G. P.↗

Numerical study of high-area-ratio H2/O2 rocket nozzles

Calculations were made for high-area-ratio H2/O2 rocket nozzles by using the RPLUS code which employs an implicit finite volume, lower-upper symmetric successive over-relaxation scheme to solve the Navier-Stokes equations and the species equations in a coupled manner. The combustion processes of hydrogen and oxygen are modeled by an 8-species and 18-step reaction mechanism, and the turbulence is simulated by the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model with a pressure gradient correction on the van Driest's damping constant in the inner-layer model. The calculated results for two different rocket nozzles are presented as contours, profiles, and performance values. The predicted specific impulse and thrust agree well with the experimental data and those from the industry standard code. It is demonstrated that the RPLUS code can be used for analysis of rocket nozzles.

Kim, S. C.↗

CFD prediction of the near-field sonic boom environment for two low boom HSCT configurations

Current efforts to reduce the sonic boom of a future High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) by careful shaping have led to the need for more accurate predictions of the near-field flow conditions of the configuration. A fully three-dimensional Euler finite volume code is used to predict sonic boom pressure signatures for two low boom concepts - one designed to cruise at Mach 2 and the other at Mach 3. Calculations were carried out using a grid topology that has been modified to reduce the inaccuracies caused by grid spreading often suffered with CFD methods when calculations several body lengths downstream become necessary. Comparisons of CFD results and experimental wind tunnel signatures are shown. Ground signatures are predicted by extrapolating the pressures predicted by the Euler code with an extrapolation method based on the Whitham theory.

Siclari, M. J.↗

Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes asymmetric solutions for cones and cone-cylinder configurations

The unsteady, compressible, thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are used to obtain three-dimensional, asymmetric, vortex-flow solutions around cones and conecylinder configurations. The equations are solved using an implicit, upwind, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. The computational applications cover asymmetric flows around a 5 deg semiapex angle cone of unit length at various Reynolds number. Next, a cylindrical afterbody of various length is added to the conical forebody to study the effect of the length of cylindrical afterbody on the flow asymmetry. One of the computational solutions has been validated by comparing the computed surface pressure with those of the experimental data. All the asymmetric flow solutions have been obtained by using a short-duration side-slip disturbance.

Kandil, Osama A.↗

Flowfield computations and comparison with Shuttle aerodynamic data

An in-house developed flow solver, E3D, has been applied to investigate the flow field around the Shuttle Orbiter over an angle-of-attack range of 0 deg to 60 deg at Mach 3.5 and 10.0. The 3D Euler equations are integrated by means of a time-marching finite-volume shock-capturing method, based on cell-centered and upwind evaluation of the cell face fluxes with van Leer or Roe's flux-splitting techniques. A comparison of CFD, wind tunnel, and aeronautical data base is presented. Solutions are in very good agreement with available experimental data. Through the comparisons, it is demonstrated that the E3D code is capable of evaluating total aerodynamic performance.

Ma, E. C.↗

Effects of leading-edge flap oscillation on unsteady delta wing flow and rock control

The isolated and interdisciplinary problems of unsteady fluid dynamics and rigid-body dynamics and control of delta wings with and without leading-edge flap oscillation are considered. For the fluid dynamics problem, the unsteady, compressible, thin-layer Navier-Stokes (NS) equations, which are written relative to a moving frame of reference, are solved along with the unsteady, linearized, Navier-displacement (ND) equations. The NS equations are solved for the flowfield using an implicit finite-volume scheme. The ND equations are solved for the grid deformation, if the leading-edge flaps oscillate, using an ADI scheme. For the dynamics and control problem, the Euler equation of rigid-body rolling motion for a wing and its flaps are solved interactively with the fluid dynamics equations for the wing-rock motion and subsequently for its control. A four-stage Runge-Kutta scheme is used to explicitly integrate the dynamics equation.

Kandil, Osama A.↗

Three-dimensional calculation of the mixing of radial jets from slanted slots with a reactive cylindrical crossflow

A numerical model that calculates the 3D chemically reacting flowfield in an experimental low emission combustor is described. The ICEd-ALE finite volume computational methodology is employed in this study. Radial jets issuing from slanted slots interact with a cylindrical axially flowing mainstream to produce a bulk swirl velocity downstream of the slot region. The swirl pattern at a given axial station is composed of a clockwise rotating region near the wall and a counterclockwise rotating region extending from the combustor centerline. The jet radial penetration and downstream swirl velocity axial development are shown to depend principally on the jet-to-mainstream momentum flux ratio.

Winowich, N. S.↗

Computations of the three-dimensional flow and heat transfer within a coolant passage of a radial turbine blade

A numerical code is developed for computing three-dimensional, turbulent, compressible flow within coolant passages of turbine blades. The code is based on a formulation of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in a rotating frame of reference in which the velocity dependent variable is specified with respect to the rotating frame instead of the inertial frame. The algorithm employed to obtain solutions to the governing equation is a finite-volume LU algorithm that allows convection, source, as well as diffusion terms to be treated implicitly. In this study, all convection terms are upwind differenced by using flux-vector splitting, and all diffusion terms are centrally differenced. This paper describes the formulation and algorithm employed in the code. Some computed solutions for the flow within a coolant passage of a radial turbine are also presented.

Shih, T. I.-P.↗

Io's volcanic and sublimation atmospheres

Fully 3D axisymmetric gasdynamic equations simulating SO2 and H2S frost sublimation and SO2 dayside and nightside volcanic atmospheres on Io are numerically solved, using a time-explicit finite-volume formulation. Both the sublimation and volcanic atmospheres generate horizontal supersonic winds away from the subsolar point or the volcanic vent. While the sublimation atmosphere is primarily driven by horizontal pressure gradients determined by surface temperatures, the volcanic atmosphere is driven by pressure gradients that are determined by the source rate. Sublimation and condensation produce patterns of surface deposits which are characteristic of the two types of atmospheres. The volcanic model is quantitatively consistent with Voyager observations of ring deposits.

Moreno, Miguel A.↗