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At least 649 records · Page 36

Euler equation computations for the flow over a hovering helicopter rotor

A numerical solution technique is developed for computing the flow field around an isolated helicopter rotor in hover. The flow is governed by the compressible Euler equations which are integrated using a finite volume approach. The Euler equations are coupled to a free wake model of the rotary wing vortical wake. This wake model is incorporated into the finite volume solver using a prescribed flow, or perturbation, technique which eliminates the numerical diffusion of vorticity due to the artificial viscosity of the scheme. The work is divided into three major parts: (1) comparisons of Euler solutions to experimental data for the flow around isolated wings show good agreement with the surface pressures, but poor agreement with the vortical wake structure; (2) the perturbation method is developed and used to compute the interaction of a streamwise vortex with a semispan wing. The rapid diffusion of the vortex when only the basic Euler solver is used is illustrated, and excellent agreement with experimental section lift coefficients is demonstrated when using the perturbation approach; and (3) the free wake solution technique is described and the coupling of the wake to the Euler solver for an isolated rotor is presented. Comparisons with experimental blade load data for several cases show good agreement, with discrepancies largely attributable to the neglect of viscous effects. The computed wake geometries agree less well with experiment, the primary difference being that too rapid a wake contraction is predicted for all the cases.

Roberts, Thomas Wesley↗

Quantitative characterization of a nonreacting, supersonic combustor flowfield using unified, laser-induced iodine fluorescence

A calibrated, nonintrusive optical technique, laser-induced iodine fluorescence (LIIF) was used to quantify the steady, compressible flowfield of a nonreacting, supersonic combustor. The combustor was configured with single and staged, transverse-air injection into a supersonic-air freestream behind a rearward-facing step. Pressure, temperature, two-velocity components, and injectant mole fraction were measured with high spatial resolution in the three-dimensional flowfields. These experimental results provide a benchmark set of data for validation of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes being developed to model supersonic combustor flowfields.

Fletcher, D. G.↗

Refurbishment of one-person regenerative air revitalization system

Regenerative processes for the revitalization of spacecraft atmospheres and reclamation of waste waters are essential for making long-term manned space missions a reality. Processes studied include: static feed water electrolysis for oxygen generation, Bosch carbon dioxide reduction, electrochemical carbon dioxide concentration, vapor compression distillation water recovery, and iodine monitoring. The objectives were to: provide engineering support to Marshall Space Flight Center personnel throughout all phases of the test program, e.g., planning through data analysis; fabricate, test, and deliver to Marshall Space Flight Center an electrochemical carbon dioxide module and test stand; fabricate and deliver an iodine monitor; evaluate the electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrator subsystem configuration and its ability to ensure safe utilization of hydrogen gas; evaluate techniques for recovering oxygen from a product oxygen and carbon dioxide stream; and evaluate the performance of an electrochemical carbon dioxide concentrator module to operate without hydrogen as a method of safe haven operation. Each of the tasks were related in that all focused on providing a better understanding of the function, operation, and performance of developmental pieces of environmental control and life support system hardware.

Powell, Ferolyn T.↗

Analysis of gamma prime shape changes in a single crystal Ni-base superalloy

The microstructural evolution of a commercial single crystal superalloy, NASAIR 100, is analyzed using the existing high-temperature lattice mismatch data and high-temperature moduli obtained from tests on single crystals of gamma and gamma prime. A multiparticle analysis of the microstructural evolution is performed using a novel microstructural lattice simulation technique, MCFET. Under a uniaxial stress, a regular array of gamma prime particles in the simulated microstructure is predicted to coalesce and form a plate morphology, with the broad faces of the plates and stress axis perpendicular in tension but parallel in compression. These results are consistent with changes in gamma prime shape observed in NASAIR 100 following creep testing at 1000 C.

Gayda, J.↗

Effect of steady flight loads on JT9D-7 performance deterioration

Short term engine deterioration occurs in less than 250 flights on a new engine and in the first flights following engine repair; while long term deterioration involves primarily hot section distress and compression system losses which occur at a somewhat slower rate. The causes for short-term deterioration are associated with clearance changes which occur in the flight environment. Analytical techniques utilized to examine the effects of flight loads and engine operating conditions on performance deterioration are presented. The role of gyroscopic, gravitational, and aerodynamic loads are discussed along with the effect of variations in engine build clearances. These analytical results are compared to engine test data along with the correlation between analytically predicted and measured clearances and rub patterns. Conclusions are drawn and important issues are discussed.

Jay, A.↗

Photoelastic techniques for the complete determination of stresses in composite structures

Three new methods are proposed for determining the individual values of the principal stresses or strains in an orthotropic birefringent model using transmission photoelastic analysis. One of the methods is an extension of the oblique incidence technique in which the model (or the light beam) is rotated about one of the material symmetry axes. In another method, transmission and reflection photoelastic responses are combined, while in the third method small circular holes are drilled at points of interest and the isochromatic fringe order is measured at selected points on the hole boundary. The three methods are applied to an orthotropic disc under diametral compression and results are compared with strain gage data.

Prabhakaran, R.↗

Fibre-matrix bond strength studies of glass, ceramic, and metal matrix composites

An indentation test technique for compressively loading the ends of individual fibers to produce debonding has been applied to metal, glass, and glass-ceramic matrix composites; bond strength values at debond initiation are calculated using a finite-element model. Results are correlated with composite longitudinal and interlaminar shear behavior for carbon and Nicalon fiber-reinforced glasses and glass-ceramics including the effects of matrix modifications, processing conditions, and high-temperature oxidation embrittlement. The data indicate that significant bonding to improve off-axis and shear properties can be tolerated before the longitudinal behavior becomes brittle. Residual stress and other mechanical bonding effects are important, but improved analyses and multiaxial interfacial failure criteria are needed to adequately interpret bond strength data in terms of composite performance.

Grande, D. H.↗

Solution-Adaptive Program for Computing 2D/Axi Viscous Flow

A computer program solves the Navier- Stokes equations governing the flow of a viscous, compressible fluid in an axisymmetric or two-dimensional (2D) setting. To obtain solutions more accurate than those generated by prior such programs that utilize regular and/or fixed computational meshes, this program utilizes unstructured (that is, irregular triangular) computational meshes that are automatically adapted to solutions. The adaptation can refine to regions of high change in gradient or can be driven by a novel residual minimization technique. Starting from an initial mesh and a corresponding data structure, the adaptation of the mesh is controlled by use of minimization functional. Other improvements over prior such programs include the following: (1) Boundary conditions are imposed weakly; that is, following initial specification of solution values at boundary nodes, these values are relaxed in time by means of the same formulations as those used for interior nodes. (2) Eigenvalues are limited in order to suppress expansion shocks. (3) An upwind fluctuation-splitting distribution scheme applied to inviscid flux requires fewer operations and produces less artificial dissipation than does a finite-volume scheme, leading to greater accuracy of solutions.

Wood, William A.↗

Turbulent flow calculations using unstructured and adaptive meshes

A method of efficiently computing turbulent compressible flow over complex two dimensional configurations is presented. The method makes use of fully unstructured meshes throughout the entire flow-field, thus enabling the treatment of arbitrarily complex geometries and the use of adaptive meshing techniques throughout both viscous and inviscid regions of flow-field. Mesh generation is based on a locally mapped Delaunay technique in order to generate unstructured meshes with highly-stretched elements in the viscous regions. The flow equations are discretized using a finite element Navier-Stokes solver, and rapid convergence to steady-state is achieved using an unstructured multigrid algorithm. Turbulence modeling is performed using an inexpensive algebraic model, implemented for use on unstructured and adaptive meshes. Compressible turbulent flow solutions about multiple-element airfoil geometries are computed and compared with experimental data.

Mavriplis, Dimitri J.↗

Turbulent flow calculations using unstructured and adaptive meshes

A method of efficiently computing turbulent compressible flow over complex two dimensional configurations is presented. The method makes use of fully unstructured meshes throughout the entire flow field, thus enabling the treatment of arbitrarily complex geometries and the use of adaptive meshing techniques throughout both viscous and inviscid regions of the flow field. Mesh generation is based on a locally mapped Delaunay technique in order to generate unstructured meshes with highly-stretched elements in the viscous regions. The flow equations are discretized using a finite element Navier-Stokes solver, and rapid convergence to steady-state is achieved using an unstructured multigrid algorithm. Turbulence modeling is performed using an inexpensive algebraic model, implemented for use on unstructured and adaptaive meshes. Compressible turbulent flow solutions about multiple-element airfoil geometries are computed and compared with expeirmental data.

Mavriplis, Dimitri J.↗

Some Experiences with High Order Discretization Schemes for Compressible Fluid Flow

It is widely recognized that the structure and complexity of compressible fluid flow places high demands on numerical discretization techniques for the fluid flow equations. Fluid flows arising in external aerodynamics often contain both flow field discontinuities and fluid boundary-layers. Both must be accurately resolved to provide useful information to aerodynamic design and analysis engineers. These accuracy requirements motivated the present author to examine a class of finite-volume techniques on arbitrary triangulated domains based on linear or quadratic reconstruction of integral-averaged data followed by upwind flux function evaluation and small time evolution. More recently, we have considered some new upwind techniques which yield compact discretizations while maintaining higher order accuracy. In the mini-symposium talk we will discuss both of these techniques as well as demonstrate the relative merits of each method by computing a number of aerodynamic flows containing shock waves and boundary-layers.

Barth, Timothy J.↗

Acoustic Emission Analysis of Shuttle Thermal Protection System

Acoustic emission (AE) signals generated from projectile impacts on reinforced and advanced carbon/carbon (RCC and ACC) panels, fired from a compressed-gas gun, identify the type and severity of damage sustained by the target. This type of testing is vital in providing the required "return to flight" (RTF) data needed to ensure continued and safe operation of NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. The gas gun at Kennedy Space Center is capable of propelling 12-inch by 3-inch cylinders of external tank (ET) foam at exit velocities exceeding 1,000 feet per second. Conventional AE analysis techniques require time domain processing of impulse data, along with amplitude distribution analysis. It is well known that identical source excitations can produce a wide range of AE signals amplitudes. In order to satisfy RTF goals, it is necessary to identify impact energy levels above and below damage thresholds. Spectral analysis techniques involving joint time frequency analysis (JTFA) are used to reinforce time domain AE analysis. JTFA analysis of the AE signals consists of short-time Fourier transforms (STFT) and the Huang-Hilbert transform (HHT). The HHT provides a very good measure of the instantaneous frequency of impulse events dominated by a single component. Identifying failure modes and cracking of fibers from flexural and/or extensional mode acoustic signals will help support in-flight as well as postflight impact analysis.

Lane, John↗

A comparative study of Navier-Stokes codes for high-speed flows

A comparative study was made with four different codes for solving the compressible Navier-Stokes equations using three different test problems. The first of these cases was hypersonic flow through the P8 inlet, which represents inlet configurations typical of a hypersonic airbreathing vehicle. The free-stream Mach number in this case was 7.4. This 2-D inlet was designed to provide an internal compression ratio of 8. Initial calculations were made using two state-of-the-art finite-volume upwind codes, CFL3D and USA-PG2, as well as NASCRIN, a code which uses the unsplit finite-difference technique of MacCormack. All of these codes used the same algebraic eddy-viscosity turbulence model. In the experiment, the cowl lip was slightly blunted; however, for the computations, a sharp cowl leading edge was used to simplify the construction of the grid. The second test problem was the supersonic (Mach 3.0) flow in a three-dimensional corner formed by the intersection of two wedges with equal wedge angles of 9.48 degrees. The flow in such a corner is representative of the flow in the corners of a scramjet inlet. Calculations were made for both laminar and turbulent flow and compared with experimental data. The three-dimensional versions of the three codes used for the inlet study (CFL3D, USA-PG3, and SCRAMIN, respectively) were used for this case. For the laminar corner flow, a fourth code, LAURA, which also uses recently-developed upwind technology, was also utilized. The final test case is the two-dimensional hypersonic flow over a compression ramp. The flow is laminar with a free-stream Mach number of 14.1. In the experiment, the ramp angle was varied to change the strength of the ramp shock and the extent of the viscous-inviscid interaction. Calculations were made for the 24-degree ramp configuration which produces a large separated-flow region that extends upstream of the corner.

Rudy, David H.↗

Evaluation of compressible-flow Preston tube calibrations

An experimental and analytical study has been made of the accuracy of various Preston tube calibration equations to determine local skin friction in two-dimensional supersonic and low-hypersonic flows. Experimental Preston tube calibration data from the present and previous studies were used to evaluate the calibration equations. The maximum value of the calibration parameters of the present data is more than an order of magnitude larger than that previously obtained; thereby, the evaluation of the various calibration equations is facilitated. The Preston tube technique was found to be very inaccurate in the low range of the calibration parameters. Above this range, there was a steady increase in accuracy with increasing values of the calibration parameters. No critical maximum tube diameter was found even with tubes about twice as large as the theoretical maximum allowable diameter. Of the two forms of the calibration equation previously existing, the logarithmic laws gave more accurate results than the power laws over an extended range of the calibration parameters in supersonic adiabatic flow.

Allen, J. M.↗

AN AUTOMATED MACHINE LEARNING-GENETIC ALGORITHM FRAMEWORK WITH ACTIVE LEARNING FOR DESIGN OPTIMIZATION

The use of machine learning (ML)-based surrogate models is a promising technique to significantly accelerate simulation-driven design optimization of internal combustion (IC) engines, due to the high computational cost of running computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. However, training the ML models requires hyperparameter selection, which is often done using trial-and-error and domain expertise. Another challenge is that the data required to train these models are often unknown a priori. In this work, we present an automated hyperparameter selection technique coupled with an active learning approach to address these challenges. The technique presented in this study involves the use of a Bayesian approach to optimize the hyperparameters of the base learners that make up a super learner model. In addition to performing hyperparameter optimization (HPO), an active learning approach is employed, where the process of data generation using simulations, ML training, and surrogate optimization is performed repeatedly to refine the solution in the vicinity of the predicted optimum. The proposed approach is applied to the optimization of a compression ignition engine with control parameters relating to fuel injection, in-cylinder flow, and thermodynamic conditions. It is demonstrated that by automatically selecting the best values of the hyperparameters, a 1.6% improvement in merit value is obtained, compared to an improvement of 1.0% with default hyperparameters. Overall, the framework introduced in this study reduces the need for technical expertise in training ML models for optimization while also reducing the number of simulations needed for performing surrogate-based design optimization.

Owoyele, Opeoluwa↗

Summary of the 6th AIAA Propulsion Aerodynamics Workshop Nozzle Test Case: Heated Supersonic Axisymmetric Jets

This paper summarizes findings from the sixth AIAA Propulsion Aerodynamics Workshop (PAW) nozzle test case. The focus of the workshop participants was turbulent supersonic round jets with variation in jet Mach number and jet heating. Three nozzles were utilized with on-design jet Mach numbers of 1.36, 1.63, and 2.00. A heated jet for each of these three nozzles at on-design conditions, a temperature matched on-design condition at Mach 1.63, and an off-design heated condition for the Mach 1.63 nozzle were the five cases examined. Workshop participants utilized Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) based techniques. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions were compared with non-intrusive measurements of velocities and temperatures, including both mean values and turbulence statistics. In general, the RANS approaches were unable to capture the trend of reduced mixing as the jet Mach number increased. Incorporation of compressibility corrections improved the agreement with experimental measurements in terms of trends with varying jet Mach number, but also increased the jet potential core lengths to be in worse agreement with data. RANS methods were able to reasonably capture trends of jet heating. The LES-based approaches as a whole were able to capture the effects of compressibility more accurately. Effects of jet heating were captured well by LES. None of the LES approaches introduced disturbances from the wall boundary layers of the nozzle into the jet mixing layer, which would affect the jet flow physics modeling in the initial part of the jet shear layer, but would be very computationally demanding.

supersonic jet↗

Demonstration of x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a sensitive temperature diagnostic for high-energy-density physics experiments

We present the use of x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XFS) to a sensitive temperature diagnostic in shocked foams at temperatures of 30–75 eV. Cobalt-doped foams were shock compressed using a planar drive at the OMEGA laser facility and photo-pumped with a Zn He⁢𝛼 x-ray source. Analysis of the resulting cobalt 𝐾⁢𝛽 x-ray fluorescence spectra using collisional radiative codes allows the temperature to be determined in the shocked foams. Furthermore, this method provides a sensitive and robust technique to determine temperatures in high-energy-density physics experiments in the tens of electronvolts temperature range. In these experiments, we find that radiation hydrodynamic simulations predict a lower temperature in the shocked foams compared to analysis of the XFS data using collisional radiative models. Although additional experiments with an independent temperature diagnostic to absolutely calibrate XFS spectra for these conditions will be required to resolve this discrepancy, these results demonstrate the excellent temperature sensitivity of XFS spectra for high-energy-density physics experiments.

Atomic spectra↗

Unsteady aerodynamics of an oscillating cascade in a compressible flow field

Fundamental experiments were performed in the NASA Lewis Transonic Oscillating Cascade Facility to investigate and quantify the unsteady aerodynamics of a cascade of biconvex airfoils executing torsion-mode oscillations at realistic reduced frequencies. Flush-mounted, high-response miniature pressure transducers were used to measure the unsteady airfoil surface pressures. The pressures were measured for three interblade phase angles at two inlet Mach numbers, 0.65 and 0.80, and two incidence angles, 0 and 7 deg. The time-variant pressures were analyzed by means of discrete Fourier transform techniques, and these unique data were then compared with predictions from a linearized unsteady cascade model. The experimental results indicate that the interblade phase angle had a major effect on the chordwise distributions of the airfoil surface unsteady pressure, and that reduced frequency, incidence angle, and Mach number had a somewhat less significant effect.

Buffum, Daniel H.↗