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At least 649 records · Page 36

Preliminary Model Tests of a Wing-Duct Cooling System for Radial Engines, Special Report

Wind-tunnel tests were conducted on a model wing-nacelle combination to determine the practicability of cooling radial engines by forcing the cooling air into wing-duct entrances located in the propeller slipstream, passing the air through the engine baffles from rear to front, and ejecting the air through an annular slot near the front of the nacelle. The tests, which were of a preliminary nature, were made on a 5-foot-chord wing and a 20-inch-diameter nacelle. A 3-blade, 4-foot-diameter propeller was used. The tests indicated that this method of cooling and cowling radial engines is entirely practicable providing the wing of the prospective airplane is sufficiently thick to accommodate efficient entrance ducts , The drag of the cowlings tested was definitely less than for the conventional N.A.C.A. cowling, and the pressure available at low air speed corresponding to operation on the ground and at low flying speeds was apparently sufficient for cooling most present-day radial engines.

Biermann, David↗

Flow Simulation of Supersonic Inlet with Bypass Annular Duct

A relaxed isentropic compression supersonic inlet is a new concept that produces smaller cowl drag than a conventional inlet, but incurs lower total pressure recovery and increased flow distortion in the (radially) outer flowpath. A supersonic inlet comprising a bypass annulus to the relaxed isentropic compression inlet dumps out airflow of low quality through the bypass duct. A reliable computational fluid dynamics solution can provide considerable useful information to ascertain quantitatively relative merits of the concept, and further provide a basis for optimizing the design. For a fast and reliable performance evaluation of the inlet performance, an equivalent axisymmetric model whose area changes accounts for geometric and physical (blockage) effects resulting from the original complex three-dimensional configuration is proposed. In addition, full three-dimensional calculations are conducted for studying flow phenomena and verifying the validity of the equivalent model. The inlet-engine coupling is carried out by embedding numerical propulsion system simulation engine data into the flow solver for interactive boundary conditions at the engine fan face and exhaust plane. It was found that the blockage resulting from complex three-dimensional geometries in the bypass duct causes significant degradation of inlet performance by pushing the terminal normal shock upstream.

Kim, HyoungJin↗

Report on Recent Upgrades to the Curved Duct Test Rig at NASA Langley Research Center

The Curved Duct Test Rig (CDTR) is an experimental facility that is designed to assess the acoustic and aerodynamic performance of aircraft engine nacelle liners in close to full scale. The test section is between 25% and 100% of the scale of aft bypass ducts of aircraft engines ranging in size from business jet to large commercial passenger jet. The CDTR has been relocated and now shares space with the Grazing Flow Impedance Tube in the Liner Technology Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. As a result of the relocation, research air is supplied to the CDTR from a 50,000 cfm centrifugal fan. This new air supply enables testing of acoustic liner samples at up to Mach 0.500. This paper documents experiments and analysis on a baseline liner sample, which the authors had analyzed and reported on prior to the move to the new facility. In the present paper, the experimental results are compared to those obtained previously in order to ensure continuity of the experimental capability. Experiments that take advantage of the facility s expanded capabilities are also reported. Data analysis features that enhance understanding of the physical properties of liner performance are introduced. The liner attenuation is shown to depend on the mode that is incident on the liner test section. The relevant parameter is the mode cut-on ratio, which determines the angle at which the sound wave is incident on the liner surface. The scattering of energy from the incident mode into higher order, less attenuated modes is demonstrated. The configuration of the acoustic treatment, in this case lined on one surface and hard wall on the opposite surface, is shown to affect the mode energy redistribution.

Gerhold, Carl H.↗

Conjugate Compressible Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Ducts

A computational approach to modeling transient, compressible fluid flow with heat transfer in long, narrow ducts is presented. The primary application of the model is for analyzing fluid flow and heat transfer in solid propellant rocket motor nozzle joints during motor start-up, but the approach is relevant to a wide range of analyses involving rapid pressurization and filling of ducts. Fluid flow is modeled through solution of the spatially one-dimensional, transient Euler equations. Source terms are included in the governing equations to account for the effects of wall friction and heat transfer. The equation solver is fully-implicit, thus providing greater flexibility than an explicit solver. This approach allows for resolution of pressure wave effects on the flow as well as for fast calculation of the steady-state solution when a quasi-steady approach is sufficient. Solution of the one-dimensional Euler equations with source terms significantly reduces computational run times compared to general purpose computational fluid dynamics packages solving the Navier-Stokes equations with resolved boundary layers. In addition, conjugate heat transfer is more readily implemented using the approach described in this paper than with most general purpose computational fluid dynamics packages. The compressible flow code has been integrated with a transient heat transfer solver to analyze heat transfer between the fluid and surrounding structure. Conjugate fluid flow and heat transfer solutions are presented. The author is unaware of any previous work available in the open literature which uses the same approach described in this paper.

Cross, M. F.↗

Numerical Simulation of Noise from Supersonic Jets Passing Through a Rigid Duct

The generation, propagation and radiation of sound from a perfectly expanded Mach 2.5 cold supersonic jet flowing through an enclosed rigid-walled duct with an upstream J-deflector have been numerically simulated with the aid of OVERFLOW Navier-Stokes CFD code. A one-equation turbulence model is considered. While the near-field sound sources are computed by the CFD code, the far-field sound is evaluated by Kirchhoff surface integral formulation. Predictions of the farfield directivity of the OASPL (Overall Sound Pressure Level) agree satisfactorily with the experimental data previously reported by the author. Calculations also suggest that there is significant entrainment of air into the duct, with the mass flow rate of entrained air being about three times the jet exit mass flow rate.

Kandula, Max↗

Acoustic Power Transmission Through a Ducted Fan

For high-speed ducted fans, when the rotor flowfield is shock-free, the main contribution to the inlet radiated acoustic power comes from the portion of the rotor stator interaction sound field that is transmitted upstream through the rotor. As such, inclusion of the acoustic transmission is an essential ingredient in the prediction of the fan inlet noise when the fan tip relative speed is subsonic. This paper describes a linearized Euler based approach to computing the acoustic transmission of fan tones through the rotor. The approach is embodied in a code called LINFLUX was applied to a candidate subsonic fan called the Advanced Ducted Propulsor (ADP). The results from this study suggest that it is possible to make such prediction with sufficient fidelity to provide an indication of the acoustic transmission trends with the fan tip speed.

aeroacoustics↗

Comparison of Mixing Characteristics for Several Fuel Injectors on an Open Plate and in a Ducted Flowpath Configuration at Hypervelocity Flow Conditions

In order to reduce the cost and complexity associated with fuel injection and mixing experiments for high-speed flows, and to further enable optical access to the test section for nonintrusive diagnostics, the Enhanced Injection and Mixing Project (EIMP) utilizes an open flat plate configuration to characterize inert mixing properties of various fuel injectors for hypervelocity applications. The experiments also utilize reduced total temperature conditions to alleviate the need for hardware cooling. The use of "cold" flows and non-reacting mixtures for mixing experiments is not new, and has been extensively utilized as a screening technique for scramjet fuel injectors. The impact of reduced facility-air total temperature, and the use of inert fuel simulants, such as helium, on the mixing character of the flow has been assessed in previous numerical studies by the authors. Mixing performance was characterized for three different injectors: a strut, a ramp, and a flushwall. The present study focuses on the impact of using an open plate to approximate mixing in the duct. Toward this end, Reynolds-averaged simulations (RAS) were performed for the three fuel injectors in an open plate configuration and in a duct. The mixing parameters of interest, such as mixing efficiency and total pressure recovery, are then computed and compared for the two configurations. In addition to mixing efficiency and total pressure recovery, the combustion efficiency and thrust potential are also computed for the reacting simulations.

Drozda, Tomasz G.↗

Acoustic Testing of a High-Tip-Speed Fan with Bypass-Duct Liners

Under a pair of Space Act Agreements between NASA and Honeywell Aerospace, a model-scale (22 in.-diameter fan) acoustic wind tunnel test was carried out in the fall of 2014 in the NASA Glenn Research Center 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The goal was to obtain acoustic pressure measurements for far-field, inlet and exit rotating rake, and in-duct microphone locations. This supersonic-tip-speed fan was tested in three bypass duct configurations: hard-wall, traditional liner, and advanced multiple-degree-of-freedom. Limited aerodynamic data was collected to verify the expected operating conditions. Preliminary analysis of the acoustic data finds it suitable for use in evaluating current NASA and Honeywell Aerospace acoustic tools and liner design practices.

Noise↗

Acoustic Testing of a High-Tip-Speed Fan with Bypass-Duct Liners - Overview

Under a pair of Space Act Agreements between NASA and Honeywell Aerospace, a model-scale (22 in.-diameter fan) acoustic wind tunnel test was carried out in the fall of 2014 in the NASA Glenn Research Center 9- by 15-Foot Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The goal was to obtain acoustic pressure measurements for far-field, inlet and exit rotating rake, and in-duct microphone locations. This supersonic-tip-speed fan was tested in three bypass duct configurations: hard-wall, traditional liner, and advanced multiple-degree-of-freedom. Limited aerodynamic data was collected to verify the expected operating conditions. Preliminary analysis of the acoustic data finds it suitable for use in evaluating current NASA and Honeywell Aerospace acoustic tools and liner design practices. This report provides an overview of the test and some preliminary findings.

Miller, Christopher J.↗

Background Turbulence Characterization of the Curved Duct Test Rig

Interest in applying acoustic treatment to nontraditional locations of turbofan engines has led to recent testing of acoustically treated airfoils in the NASA Langley Curved Duct Test Rig. Current testing focuses only on sound attenuation by the sample when exposed to an incident sound field driven by a loudspeaker array. However, there may be much to gain from an aeroacoustic study of the interaction of turbulence with treated airfoils, especially in the case of acoustically treated outlet guide vane designs. Thus, the intent of this study is to take the first step in assessing the aeroacoustic quality of the NASA Langley Curved Duct Test Rig (typically only used for grazing flow studies) by examining the flow quality. The background turbulence levels are measured using hot-wire anemometry just upstream of the test section. Measurements indicate that the turbulence intensity is less than 0.3% in the core region of the flow. The autospectral densities show cavity tones and weak vortex shedding present in the core. The vortex shedding is determined to be from the upstream total pressure probe used to determine flow speed. The cavity tones are found to be the fundamental and harmonic frequencies of a porous ceramic tubular acoustic liner sample that separates the acoustic drivers from the flow region. Recommendations for improving the aeroacoustic quality of the tunnel are provided, such as removing the upstream probe and redesigning the ceramic tubular liner. Future acoustic characterization of the background levels is also recommended to further understand the feasibility of aeroacoustic studies in CDTR.

Wind Tunnel Characterization↗

Analysis of Flow Area in the Axial Cross-Vessel Annular Duct Following a Breach of the Primary Helium Boundary of an HTGR

The lock-exchange flow phenomenon has been heavily studied for decades, including the lock-exchange phenomenon that takes place during an air ingress accident in a High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) during a break on the axial cross-vessel duct. The present study aims to characterize the gas dynamics in the cavity region of an HTGR, particularly the axial cross-vessel outer duct region. This study computes the velocity and flow area of the heavy and light currents when a break on the primary helium boundary occurs. This analysis is supported using experimental data from experiments conducted in a 1/20th length-scale HTGR. The following study summarizes the conditions of the experiment, the approach adopted to predict the flow area, and future work.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

ResStock Measure Documentation: Duct Sealing and Insulation

This report is part of a series describing different ResStock measures. "Measures" refers to energy efficiency retrofits that can be applied to buildings during modeling. This documentation covers the "Duct Sealing and Insulation" measure upgrade methodology and briefly discusses key results.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Solid particulate mass and number from ducted fuel injection in an optically accessible diesel engine in skip-fired operation

Ducted fuel injection (DFI) is a new combustion strategy that has been shown to significantly attenuate soot formation in diesel engines. While previous studies have used optical diagnostics and optical filter smoke number methods to show that DFI reduces in-cylinder soot formation and engine-out soot emissions, respectively, this is the first study to measure solid particle number (PN) emissions in addition to particle mass (PM). Furthermore, this study quantitatively evaluates the use of transient particle instruments for measuring particles from skip-fired operation in an optical single cylinder research engine (SCRE). Engine-out PN was measured using an engine exhaust particle sizer following a catalytic stripper, and PM was measured using a photoacoustic analyzer. The study improves on earlier preliminary emissions studies by clearly showing that DFI reduces overall PM by 76%–79% and PN for particles larger than 23 nm by 77% relative to conventional diesel combustion at a 1200-rpm, 13.3-bar gross indicated mean effective pressure operating condition. The degree of engine-out PM reduction with DFI was similar across both particulate measurement instruments used in the work. Through the use of bimodal distribution fitting, DFI was also shown to reduce the geometric mean diameter of accumulation mode particles by 26%, similar to the effects of increased injection pressure in conventional diesel combustion systems. This work clearly shows the significant solid particulate matter reductions enabled by DFI while also demonstrating that engine-out PN can be accurately measured from an optical SCRE operating in a skip-fired mode. Based on these results, it is believed that DFI has the potential to enable fuel savings when implemented in multi-cylinder engines, both by lowering the required frequency of active diesel particulate filter regeneration, and by reducing the backpressure imposed by exhaust filtration systems.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

ResStock Measure Documentation: Advanced Air Sealing, Attic Floor Insulation, and Duct Sealing and Insulation

This report is part of a series describing different ResStock measures. "Measures" refers to energy efficiency retrofits that can be applied to buildings during modeling. This documentation covers the "Advanced Air Sealing, Attic Floor Insulation, and Duct Sealing" measure upgrade methodology and briefly discusses key results.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

ResStock Measure Documentation: Advanced Air Sealing, Attic Floor Insulation, Duct Sealing and Insulation, and Drill-and-Fill Wall Insulation

This report is part of a series describing different ResStock measures. "Measures" refers to energy efficiency retrofits that can be applied to buildings during modeling. This documentation covers the "Advanced Air Sealing, Attic Floor Insulation, Duct Sealing and Insulation, and Drill-and-Fill Wall Insulation" measure upgrade methodology and briefly discusses key results.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Ducted Fuel Injection versus Conventional Diesel Combustion: An Operating-Parameter Sensitivity Study Conducted in an Optical Engine with a Four-Orifice Fuel Injector

Ducted fuel injection (DFI) has been shown to attenuate engine-out soot emissions from diesel engines. The concept is to inject fuel through a small tube within the combustion chamber to enable lower equivalence ratios at the autoignition zone, relative to conventional diesel combustion. Previous experiments have demonstrated that DFI enables significant soot attenuation relative to conventional diesel combustion for a small set of operating conditions at relatively low engine loads. This is the first study to compare DFI to conventional diesel combustion over a wide range of operating conditions and at higher loads (up to 8.5 bar gross indicated mean effective pressure) with a four-orifice fuel injector. This study compares DFI to conventional diesel combustion through sweeps of intakeoxygen mole fraction (XO 2 ), injection duration, intake pressure, start of combustion (SOC) timing, fuel-injection pressure, and intake temperature. DFI is shown to curtail engine-out soot emissions at all tested conditions. Under certain conditions, DFI can attenuate engine-out soot by over a factor of 100. In addition to producing significantly lower engine-out soot emissions, DFI enables the engine to be operated at low-NO x conditions that are not feasible with conventional diesel combustion due to high soot emissions.

42 ENGINEERING↗