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At least 613 records · Page 34

Multiblock, Multigrid Solution Of Euler Equations

Method of numerical solution of Euler equations of three-dimensional flow of compressible fluid involves combination of multiblock and multigrid strategies. In multiblock strategy, flow field divided, into multiple smaller, more computationally-convenient zones and computational grid fitted to applicable flow boundaries generated in each block. In multigrid strategy used here, different quantities computed, variously, on finer or coarser grids. Minimizing cost of computation by using fewest grid points yielding acceptably accurate values of affected variable. Multigrid strategy found effective in accelerating convergence to steady state, while multiblock strategy provides geometric flexibility.

Melson, N. Duane↗

Staggered solution procedures for multibody dynamics simulation

The numerical solution procedure for multibody dynamics (MBD) systems is termed a staggered MBD solution procedure that solves the generalized coordinates in a separate module from that for the constraint force. This requires a reformulation of the constraint conditions so that the constraint forces can also be integrated in time. A major advantage of such a partitioned solution procedure is that additional analysis capabilities such as active controller and design optimization modules can be easily interfaced without embedding them into a monolithic program. After introducing the basic equations of motion for MBD system in the second section, Section 3 briefly reviews some constraint handling techniques and introduces the staggered stabilized technique for the solution of the constraint forces as independent variables. The numerical direct time integration of the equations of motion is described in Section 4. As accurate damping treatment is important for the dynamics of space structures, we have employed the central difference method and the mid-point form of the trapezoidal rule since they engender no numerical damping. This is in contrast to the current practice in dynamic simulations of ground vehicles by employing a set of backward difference formulas. First, the equations of motion are partitioned according to the translational and the rotational coordinates. This sets the stage for an efficient treatment of the rotational motions via the singularity-free Euler parameters. The resulting partitioned equations of motion are then integrated via a two-stage explicit stabilized algorithm for updating both the translational coordinates and angular velocities. Once the angular velocities are obtained, the angular orientations are updated via the mid-point implicit formula employing the Euler parameters. When the two algorithms, namely, the two-stage explicit algorithm for the generalized coordinates and the implicit staggered procedure for the constraint Lagrange multipliers, are brought together in a staggered manner, they constitute a staggered explicit-implicit procedure which is summarized in Section 5. Section 6 presents some example problems and discussions concerning several salient features of the staggered MBD solution procedure are offered in Section 7.

Park, K. C.↗

Investigation of advanced counterrotation blade configuration concepts for high speed turboprop systems. Task 4: Advanced fan section aerodynamic analysis

The purpose of this study is the development of a three-dimensional Euler/Navier-Stokes flow analysis for fan section/engine geometries containing multiple blade rows and multiple spanwise flow splitters. An existing procedure developed by Dr. J. J. Adamczyk and associates and the NASA Lewis Research Center was modified to accept multiple spanwise splitter geometries and simulate engine core conditions. The procedure was also modified to allow coarse parallelization of the solution algorithm. This document is a final report outlining the development and techniques used in the procedure. The numerical solution is based upon a finite volume technique with a four stage Runge-Kutta time marching procedure. Numerical dissipation is used to gain solution stability but is reduced in viscous dominated flow regions. Local time stepping and implicit residual smoothing are used to increase the rate of convergence. Multiple blade row solutions are based upon the average-passage system of equations. The numerical solutions are performed on an H-type grid system, with meshes being generated by the system (TIGG3D) developed earlier under this contract. The grid generation scheme meets the average-passage requirement of maintaining a common axisymmetric mesh for each blade row grid. The analysis was run on several geometry configurations ranging from one to five blade rows and from one to four radial flow splitters. Pure internal flow solutions were obtained as well as solutions with flow about the cowl/nacelle and various engine core flow conditions. The efficiency of the solution procedure was shown to be the same as the original analysis.

Crook, Andrew J.↗

Flux limiters

It is well known that first order accurate difference schemes for the numerical solution of conservation laws produce results which suffer from excessive numerical diffusion, classical second order schemes, although giving better resolution, suffer from spurious oscillations. Recently much effect has been put into achieving high resolution without these oscillations, using a variety of techniques. Here one class of such methods, that of flux limiting, is outlined together with the TVD constraint used to ensure oscillation free solutions. Brief numerical comparisons of different limiting functions are also presented.

Sweby, P. K.↗

Advances in fluid dynamics

Various papers on advances in fluid dynamics are presented. Individual topics addressed include: nonunique solutions of the Euler equations; numerical solution of the biharmonic equation using a spectral multigrid method; finite-volume shape and placement for efficiency, accuracy, and physics; NND schemes and their application to numerical simulation of complex plume flow problems; symbolic analysis and computational algorithm construction; and velocity and mass flux distribution measurements of spherical glass beads in air flow in a 90-deg vertical-to-horizontal bend. Also discussed are: hyperbolic solution adaptive mesh generation; progress and future directions in CFD; numerical simulation of shock focusing; microbubble formation and splitting in a turbulent boundary layer for turbulence reduction; numerical study of spherical Taylor-Couette flow, trajectories of vortex lines beneath a free surface or above a plane; and a mathematical model for response of the coronary circulation to high sustained gravitational force fields.

Ballhaus, W. F., Jr.↗

Numerical integration of asymptotic solutions of ordinary differential equations

Classical asymptotic analysis of ordinary differential equations derives approximate solutions that are numerically stable. However, the analysis also leads to tedious expansions in powers of the relevant parameter for a particular problem. The expansions are replaced with integrals that can be evaluated by numerical integration. The resulting numerical solutions retain the linear independence that is the main advantage of asymptotic solutions. Examples, including the Falkner-Skan equation from laminar boundary layer theory, illustrate the method of asymptotic analysis with numerical integration.

Thurston, Gaylen A.↗

Finite elasto-plastic deformation. I - Theory and numerical examples

It is demonstrated that the problem of elasto-plastic finite deformation is governed by a quasi-linear model irrespective of deformation magnitude. This feature follows from the adoption of a rate viewpoint toward finite deformation analysis in an Eulerian reference frame. Objectivity of the formulation is preserved by introduction of a frame-invariant stress rate. Equations for piece-wise linear incremental finite element analysis are developed by application of the Galerkin method to the instantaneously linear governing differential equations of the quasi-linear model. Numerical solution capability has been established for problems of plane strain and plane stress. The accuracy of the numerical analysis is demonstrated by consideration of a number of problems of homogeneous finite deformation admitting comparative analytic solution. It is shown that accurate, objective numerical solutions can be obtained for problems involving dimensional changes of an order of magnitude and rotations of a full radian.

Osias, J. R.↗

Computation of optimal low- and medium-thrust orbit transfers

This paper presents the formulation of the optimal low- and medium-thrust orbit transfer control problem, numerical methods for solution, and numerical solutions of the problem. The problem formulation is for final mass maximization and allows for second-harmonic oblateness, atmospheric drag, and 3D noncoplanar nonaligned elliptic terminal orbits. We set up examples to demonstrate the ability of two indirect methods to solve the resulting two point boundary value problems (TPBVP). The methods demonstrated are the multiple point shooting method as formulated in Oberle's (1987) subroutine BOUNDSCO, and the minimizing boundary-condition method (MBCM). We find that although both methods can converge solutions, there are tradeoffs to using either method. We present numerical solutions of planar transfers in which both the initial orbit exit and final orbit entry points have been optimized. These solutions include two- and three-burn transfers. The methods used show an ability to handle thrust down to at least T/W(o) = O(10 exp -3). They also show similar convergence abilities with or without the oblateness and drag terms. We discuss the issue of maximizing with respect to the final time and provide evidence that implies a local optimum at a maximum final time for a given number of burns.

Chuang, C.-H.↗

Wave tilt sounding of a linearly inhomogeneous layered half-space

The wave tilt of a transverse electric (TE) electromagnetic wave over a linearly inhomogeneous lossy layer overlying a homogeneous half-space is studied. Two approaches are used: an exact formulation using solutions of Airy's equation and an approximate numerical solution using a large number of homogeneous layers with a linearly increasing dielectric constant. The numerical results of both solutions are practically identical as long as the thickness of the layers in the approximate model are somewhat smaller than a quarter-wave length.

Warne, L.↗

Reacting viscous-shock-layer solutions with multicomponent diffusion and mass injection

Numerical solutions of the viscous-shock-layer equation where the chemistry is treated as being either frozen, equilibrium, or nonequilibrium are presented. Also the effects of the diffusion model, surface catalysis, and mass injection on surface transport and flow parameters are considered. The flow is treated as a mixture of five inert and thermally perfect species. The viscous-shock-layer equations are solved by using an implicit-difference scheme. All calculations are for hyperboloids with included angles of 20 and 45. The flight conditions are those for various altitudes and velocities in the earth's atmosphere. Data are presented to show the effects of the chemical models; diffusion models; surface catalysis; and mass injection of air on heat transfer; skin friction; shock standoff distance; wall pressure distribution; and tangential velocity, temperature, and species profiles. The results show that an equilibrium analysis can substantially overpredict the heat-transfer rates for flow conditions experienced by earth-orbital entry vehicles. Moreover, at such conditions surface catalysis significantly influences heat-transfer and flow-field properties. If a binary rather than a multicomponent diffusion model is assumed, negligible errors in most flow properties result. Quantitative results are presented that show the effect of mass injection on flow properties within and downstream of the injection region.

Moss, J. N.↗

Interacting boundary-layer solutions for laminar separated flow past airfoils

Numerical solutions of the interacting laminar boundary layer equations are presented for two symmetric airfoils at zero incidence: the NACA 0012 and the NACA 66 sub 3-108 airfoils. The potential flow was computed using Carlson's code, and viscous interaction was treated following a Hilbert integral scheme due to Veldman. Effects of various grid parameters are studied, and pressure and skin friction distributions are compared at several Reynolds numbers. For the NACA 0012 airfoil, Reynolds number is varied from a value just below separation (R sub N = 3000) to a value for which extensive separation occurs (R sub N = 100,000). For the 66 sub 3-018 airfoil, results are given at intermediate values (R sub N - 10,000 and 40,000). The method fails to converge for greater values of Reynolds number, corresponding to the development of very thin well separated shear layers where transition to turbulence would occur naturally.

Burggraf, O. R.↗

A comparison of numerical and analytical solution of the creeping flame spread over thermally thin material

The present numerical solution for the de Ris (1969) problem of flame-spread over thin condensed fuel in an opposed-flow environment is obtained by reformulating the problem in terms of four nondimensional parameters, while retaining all assumptions of the original theory. While the de Ris theory sees the location of the leading edge and the eigenlocation of the onset of evaporation as identical, this analysis treats the leading edge as part of the solution; the location of the flame leading edge is in this way established to be upstream of the eigenlocation, with significant consequences for the spread rate formula.

Bhattacharjee, Subrata↗

Derivation of phase functions from multiply scattered sunlight transmitted through a hazy atmosphere

The intensity of sunlight multiply scattered in model atmospheres is derived from the equation of radiative transfer by an analytical small-angle approximation. The approximate analytical solutions are compared to rigorous numerical solutions of the same problem. Results obtained from an aerosol-laden model atmosphere are presented. Agreement between the rigorous and the approximate solutions is found to be within a few per cent. The analytical solution to the problem which considers an aerosol-laden atmosphere is then inverted to yield a phase function which describes a single scattering event at small angles. The effect of noisy data on the derived phase function is discussed.

Weinman, J. A.↗

The computation of incompressible, three-dimensional flows in containers with extensible walls

The theoretical study of flow in biological vascular systems is made very difficult in connection with local and temporal changes of the cross section. Experimental investigations with the aid of model tests are, however, not enough for a solution of the problems, and numerical solutions are more and more employed for a description of such flows. A description is presented of a difference procedure for the solution of the complete Navier-Stokes equations with curvilinear coordinates for three-dimensional flows in containers. The integration of the Navier-Stokes equations for flows in containers with rigid and moving walls is considered.

Liu, N. S.↗

Development of an adaptive hp-version finite element method for computational optimal control

In this research effort, the usefulness of hp-version finite elements and adaptive solution-refinement techniques in generating numerical solutions to optimal control problems has been investigated. Under NAG-939, a general FORTRAN code was developed which approximated solutions to optimal control problems with control constraints and state constraints. Within that methodology, to get high-order accuracy in solutions, the finite element mesh would have to be refined repeatedly through bisection of the entire mesh in a given phase. In the current research effort, the order of the shape functions in each element has been made a variable, giving more flexibility in error reduction and smoothing. Similarly, individual elements can each be subdivided into many pieces, depending on the local error indicator, while other parts of the mesh remain coarsely discretized. The problem remains to reduce and smooth the error while still keeping computational effort reasonable enough to calculate time histories in a short enough time for on-board applications.

Hodges, Dewey H.↗

Assessment of Hybrid RANS/LES Turbulence Models for Aeroacoustics Applications

Predicting the noise from aircraft with exposed landing gear remains a challenging problem for the aeroacoustics community. Although computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has shown promise as a technique that could produce high-fidelity flow solutions, generating grids that can resolve the pertinent physics around complex configurations can be very challenging. Structured grids are often impractical for such configurations. Unstructured grids offer a path forward for simulating complex configurations. However, few unstructured grid codes have been thoroughly tested for unsteady flow problems in the manner needed for aeroacoustic prediction. A widely used unstructured grid code, FUN3D, is examined for resolving the near field in unsteady flow problems. Although the ultimate goal is to compute the flow around complex geometries such as the landing gear, simpler problems that include some of the relevant physics, and are easily amenable to the structured grid approaches are used for testing the unstructured grid approach. The test cases chosen for this study correspond to the experimental work on single and tandem cylinders conducted in the Basic Aerodynamic Research Tunnel (BART) and the Quiet Flow Facility (QFF) at NASA Langley Research Center. These configurations offer an excellent opportunity to assess the performance of hybrid RANS/LES turbulence models that transition from RANS in unresolved regions near solid bodies to LES in the outer flow field. Several of these models have been implemented and tested in both structured and unstructured grid codes to evaluate their dependence on the solver and mesh type. Comparison of FUN3D solutions with experimental data and numerical solutions from a structured grid flow solver are found to be encouraging.

Vatsa, Veer N.↗

Finite deformation of elasto-plastic solids

A theoretical basis is established for analysis of finite deformation of metals. The observation that finite deformation of such elastoplastic materials may be viewed as a process rather than an event leads to derivation of a complete initial and boundary value problem distinguished by its quasilinear nature. This feature of the formulation motivates adoption of an incremental approach to numerical problem solving. Numerical solution capability is established for problems of plane stress and plane strain. The validity of the theory and numerical analysis is demonstrated by consideration of a number of problems of homogeneous finite deformation for which analytic solutions are available. Subsequently the analysis is employed for the investigation of necking in flat metal tensile bars. The results of this investigation provide the first full numerical solutions for tensile necking in plane stress and plane strain. In addition a basis is provided for assessment of the validity of stress-strain relations inferred from tensile test data.

Osias, J. R.↗