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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Solid–liquid separation of lignocellulosic sugars from biomass by rotating ceramic disc filtration

In many biomass conversion processes, the separation of cellulosic sugars from residual, lignin-rich solids is a critical step, and achieving high recovery yields of sugars by conventional tangential crossflow and vacuum filtration is challenged by the presence of biomass solids, which rapidly foul filters, resulting in decreased throughput. Considering the performance limitations of traditional filtration methods, dynamic filtration, which generates high shear at the membrane surface to decrease fouling, is emerging as a viable alternative for demanding solid–liquid separations. For high solids separations, there is little available information regarding the performance, limitations, and energy consumption of dynamic filtration. To that end, here we characterized the performance of a dynamic filtration module, specifically a rotating ceramic disc (RCD) filter, for the aseptic recovery of cellulosic sugars from biomass solids following pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. We show how RCD rotational velocity and percent biomass solids impact the filter throughput. Additionally, we used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to estimate the shear rate at the membrane surface and to visualize hydrodynamic profiles within the module. With the combined CFD simulations and experimental results, we estimated the energy demand and operating expenses for a viable dynamic filtration system operating with a lignocellulosic feed slurry. Our results indicate that an RCD filter can achieve ≥95% recovery of sugars and produce a retentate slurry containing 12 wt% insoluble solids with low energy consumption (a 2.2-fold improvement over cross-flow filtration) and low operating costs ($\$$0.06 per kg sugars). These results show a viable path towards operationally reliable, energy efficient, and cost-effective separations of sterilized cellulosic sugars from biomass solids and highlight the potential of dynamic filtration systems for challenging solid–liquid separations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1999

Semiempirical Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Solar Corona and Interplanetary Medium

We have developed a two-dimensional semiempirical MHD model of the solar corona and solar wind. The model uses empirically derived electron density profiles from white-light coronagraph data measured during the Skylub period and an empirically derived model of the magnetic field which is fitted to observed streamer topologies, which also come from the white-light coronagraph data The electron density model comes from that developed by Guhathakurta and coworkers. The electron density model is extended into interplanetary space by using electron densities derived from the Ulysses plasma instrument. The model also requires an estimate of the solar wind velocity as a function of heliographic latitude and radial component of the magnetic field at 1 AU, both of which can be provided by the Ulysses spacecraft. The model makes estimates as a function of radial distance and latitude of various fluid parameters of the plasma such as flow velocity V, effective temperature T(sub eff), and effective heat flux q(sub eff), which are derived from the equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, respectively. The term effective indicates that wave contributions could be present. The model naturally provides the spiral pattern of the magnetic field far from the Sun and an estimate of the large-scale surface magnetic field at the Sun, which we estimate to be approx. 12 - 15 G. The magnetic field model shows that the large-scale surface magnetic field is dominated by an octupole term. The model is a steady state calculation which makes the assumption of azimuthal symmetry and solves the various conservation equations in the rotating frame of the Sun. The conservation equations are integrated along the magnetic field direction in the rotating frame of the Sun, thus providing a nearly self-consistent calculation of the fluid parameters. The model makes a minimum number of assumptions about the physics of the solar corona and solar wind and should provide a very accurate empirical description of the solar corona and solar wind Once estimates of mass density rho, flow velocity V, effective temperature T(sub eff), effective heat flux q(sub eff), and magnetic field B are computed from the model and waves are assumed unimportant, all other plasma parameters such as Mach number, Alfven speed, gyrofrequency, etc. can be derived as a function of radial distance and latitude from the Sun. The model can be used as a planning tool for such missions as Slar Probe and provide an empirical framework for theoretical models of the solar corona and solar wind The model will be used to construct a semiempirical MHD description of the steady state solar corona and solar wind using the SOHO Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) polarized brightness white-light coronagraph data, SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope data, and Ulysses plasma data.

Sittler, Edward C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Application of Rotor Disk Model in the Overflow CFD Code

To reduce the complexity and to reduce the cost of turnaround time of simulating unsteady flows of rotating blades with moving overset grids, amid-fidelity option is provided in the OVERFLOW computational fluid dynamics analysis to model rotors and propellers as infinitely thin disks. The effect of the flow through the disk is represented by the momentum source terms in the governing Navier-Stokes equations. The model is loosely coupled with the rotorcraft comprehensive analysis CAMRADII. A brief description of the coupling algorithm is provided. Simulations of a single rotor and multiple rotors are shown, including comparisons with measurements and with the full rotor where all blades are modeled, and unsteady simulation performed with moving grids for rotating geometry,

ARMD↗
NASA NTRS1986

Remotely operable peristaltic pump

A peristaltic pump is disclosed which includes a roller assembly on which is mounted a series of pump rollers. As the roller assembly is rotated by a drive gear the pump rollers are driven in reverse rotation by means of a stationary ring gear and pump roller gears. An upper pressure shoe plate and a lower pressure shoe plate are positioned above sets of flexible tubing. The tubing is sandwiched between the pressure shoe plates and the pump rollers. A highly compact pump is provided having twice as many fluid channel lines as is conventional. The peristaltic pump device may be remotely operated by means of a rotary actuator which rotates a driving hub to move the shoe plates by means of eccentrically mounted links. The pressure shoe plates may be moved by the rotary actuator to a loaded position in which the fluid lines are pinched by the pump rollers and fluid is pumped to an unloaded position in which the fluid lines are maintained in an undeformed, uncrimped configuration so that no creases or crimps are set into the fluid lines during periods of prolonged nonuse.

Belew, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Seals Research at Texas A/M University

The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M has been providing experimental data and computational codes for the design seals for many years. The program began with the development of a Halon based seal test rig. This facility provided information about the effective stiffness and damping in whirling seals. The Halon effectively simulated cryogenic fluids. Another test facility was developed (using air as the working fluid) where the stiffness and damping matrices can be determined. This data was used to develop bulk flow models of the seal's effect upon rotating machinery; in conjunction with this research, a bulk flow model for calculation of performance and rotordynamic coefficients of annular pressure seals of arbitrary non-uniform clearance for barotropic fluids such as LH2, LOX, LN2, and CH4 was developed. This program is very efficient (fast) and converges for very large eccentricities. Currently, work is being performed on a bulk flow analysis of the effects of the impeller-shroud interaction upon the stability of pumps. The data was used along with data from other researchers to develop an empirical leakage prediction code for MSFC. Presently, the flow field inside labyrinth and annular seals are being studied in detail. An advanced 3-D Doppler anemometer system is being used to measure the mean velocity and entire Reynolds stress tensor distribution throughout the seals. Concentric and statically eccentric seals were studied; presently, whirling seals are being studied. The data obtained are providing valuable information about the flow phenomena occurring inside the seals, as well as a data base for comparison with numerical predictions and for turbulence model development. A finite difference computer code was developed for solving the Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes equation inside labyrinth seals. A multi-scale k-epsilon turbulence model is currently being evaluated. A new seal geometry was designed and patented using a computer code. A large scale, 2-D seal flow visualization facility is also being developed.

Morrison, Gerald L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

'Coriolis resonance' within a rotating duct

An investigation of the unsteady disturbances of a fixed frequency within a radial duct rotating at a set speed is presented. The flow is assumed to be compressible, inviscid, and of a fluid which is a perfect gas. Equations are developed for the steady and the unsteady parts of the flow in cylindrical coordinates. The unsteady disturbances are expressed by Fourier decomposition in angular position, distance into the duct, and in time. It is found that a resonance is possible when the frequency of flow disturbances is twice the shaft-rotation frequency, considering only the radial and tangential disturbances and not the radial and circumferential disturbances. The particular point at which the resonance occurs indicates the occurrence is due to the Coriolis force, which is only present in the radial and tangential directions. It is noted that the Coriolis force can only be present in open-ended ducts, such as those found in centrifugal compressors.

Kurosaka, M.↗
NASA NTRS2008

A Dynamic Analysis of Hydrodynamic Wave Journal Bearings

The purpose of this paper is to study the dynamic behavior of a three-wave journal bearing using a transient approach. The transient analysis permits the determination of the rotor behavior after the fractional frequency whirl appears. The journal trajectory is determined by solving a set of nonlinear equations of motion using the Runge-Katta method. The fluid film forces are computed by integrating the transient Reynolds equation at each time step location of the shaft with respect to the bearing. Because of the large values of the rotational speeds, turbulent effects were included in the computations. The influence of the temperature on the viscosity was also considered. Numerical results were compared to experimenta1 results obtained at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Comparisons of the theoretical results with experimental data were found to be in good agreement. The numerical and experimental results showed that the fluid film of a three-wave journal bearing having a diameter of 30 mm, a length of 27 mm, and a wave amplitude ratio greater than 0.15 is stable even at rotational speeds of 60,000 RPM. For lower wave amplitude ratios, the threshold speed at which the fluid film becomes unstable depends on the wave amplitude and on the supply pocket pressure. Even if the fluid film is unstable, the wave bearing maintains the whirl orbit inside the bearing clearance.

Ene, Nicoleta M.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Multichannel pumps and applications of same

A push-pull micropump includes one or more pairs of channels configured to transfer one or more fluids, each channel pair having an aspiration channel and an injection channel; and an actuator configured to engage the one or more pairs of channels, wherein the actuator comprises a plurality of rolling members and a driving member configured such that when the driving member rotates, the plurality of rolling members rolls along the one or more pairs of channels to cause individually the one or more fluids to transfer through each channel pair simultaneously at different flowrates or the same flowrate, depending upon actuated lengths of the aspiration and injection channels of each channel pair, wherein an actuated length of a channel is defined by a length of the channel along which the plurality of rolling members rolls during a full rotation of the driving member.

Wikswo, John P.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Experimental study of the stability and flow characteristics of floating liquid columns confined between rotating disks

A low Bond number simulation technique was used to establish the stability limits of cylindrical and conical floating liquid columns under conditions of isorotation, equal counter rotation, rotation of one end only, and parallel axis offset. The conditions for resonance in cylindrical liquid columns perturbed by axial, sinusoidal vibration of one end face are also reported. All tests were carried out under isothermal conditions with water and silicone fluids of various viscosities. A technique for the quantitative measurement of stream velocity within a floating, isothermal, liquid column confined between rotatable disks was developed. In the measurement, small, light scattering particles were used as streamline markers in common arrangement, but the capability of the measurement was extended by use of stereopair photography system to provide quantitative data. Results of velocity measurements made under a few selected conditions, which established the precision and accuracy of the technique, are given. The general qualitative features of the isothermal flow patterns under various conditions of end face rotation resulting from both still photography and motion pictures are presented.

Fowle, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Laboratory and theoretical models of planetary-scale instabilities and waves

Meteorologists and planetary astronomers interested in large-scale planetary and solar circulations recognize the importance of rotation and stratification in determining the character of these flows. The two outstanding problems of interest are: (1) the origins and nature of chaos in baroclinically unstable flows; and (2) the physical mechanisms responsible for high speed zonal winds and banding on the giant planets. The methods used to study these problems, and the insights gained, are useful in more general atmospheric and climate dynamic settings. Because the planetary curvature or beta-effect is crucial in the large scale nonlinear dynamics, the motions of rotating convecting liquids in spherical shells were studied using electrohydrodynamic polarization forces to generate radial gravity and centrally directed buoyancy forces in the laboratory. The Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell (GFFC) experiments performed on Spacelab 3 in 1985 were analyzed. The interpretation and extension of these results have led to the construction of efficient numerical models of rotating convection with an aim to understand the possible generation of zonal banding on Jupiter and the fate of banana cells in rapidly rotating convection as the heating is made strongly supercritical. Efforts to pose baroclinic wave experiments for future space missions using a modified version of the 1985 instrument have led us to develop theoretical and numerical models of baroclinic instability. Some surprising properties of both these models were discovered.

Hart, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Analytical and numerical studies of the thermocapillary flow in a uniformly floating zone

The microgravity environment of an orbiting vehicle permits crystal growth experiments in the presence of greatly reduced buoyant convection in the liquid melt. Crystals grown in ground-based laboratories do not achieve their potential properties because of dopant variations caused by flow in the melt. The floating zone crystal growing system is widely used to produce crystals of silicon and other materials. However, in this system the temperature gradient on the free sidewall surface of the melt is the source of a thermocapillary flow which does not disappear in the low-gravity environment. The idea of using a uniform rotation of the floating zone system to confine the thermocapillary flow to the melt sidewall leaving the interior of the melt passive is examined. A cylinder of fluid with an axial temperature gradient imposed on the cylindrical sidewall is considered. A half zone and the linearized, axisymmetric flow in the absence of crystal growth is examined. Rotation is found to confine the linear thermocapillary flow. A simplified model is extended to a full zone and both linear and nonlinear thermocapillary flows are studied theoretically. Analytical and numerical methods are used for the linear flows and numerical methods for the nonlinear flows. It was found that the linear flows in the full zone have more complicated and thicker boundary layer structures than in the half zone, and that these flows are also confined by the rotation. However, for the simplified model considered and for realistic values for silicon, the thermocapillary flow is not linear. The fully nonlinear flow is strong and unsteady (a weak oscillation is present) and it penetrates the interior. Some non-rotating flow results are also presented. Since silicon as a large value of thermal conductivity, one would expect the temperature fields to be determined by conduction alone. This is true for the linear and weakly nonlinear flows, but for the stronger nonlinear flow the results show that temperature advection is also important. Uniform rotation may still be a means of confining the flow and the results obtained define the procedure to be used to examine this hypothesis.

Fowlis, W. W.↗
DOE OSTI2020

A fluid-structure interaction solver for investigating torsional galloping in solar-tracking photovoltaic panel arrays

Solar-tracking photovoltaic arrays are susceptible to aeroelastic fluttering during high-wind events. This dynamic fluttering behavior can grow in amplitude until the panels enter an unstable mode known as torsional galloping which can lead to panel failure or total array destruction. To better understand the physics of the torsional galloping phenomenon and to inform the discussion around panel design and recommended panel stow positions during high wind events, a fluid-structure interaction solver composed of a simulated atmospheric boundary layer with simplified panel structural responses was designed. The simulation choices and features of this solver were informed by the geometry and physical properties of an experimental panel array known to exhibit torsional galloping behavior during hind-wind events. Furthermore, these simulations revealed that the torsional galloping instability is driven by a combination of cyclic vortex shedding from the sun-facing side of the panel and the elastic properties of the torque tube linking the panel assemblies. Testing different stow angles across a range of wind speeds indicates that panels are generally more stable when stowed at negative angles where the leading edge is closer to the ground, hypothesized to be due to ground-blocking effects. These results are supplemented by a discussion of stability trends noted during testing and possible implications when considering multi-row array interactions.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1979

The Mechanism of Fluid Resistance

The mechanism of fluid resistance within the limit of the square law is presented. It was concluded that the investigations should be extended and completed in two directions, namely: by an investigation of stable vortex configurations in space, and by considering the perfect fluid as the limiting case of a viscous fluid and then limiting the law of vortex of formation with the condition that only those fluid particles which were in contact with the surface of the body can receive rotation.

Vonkarman, T.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Steady-state wear and friction in boundary lubrication studies

A friction and wear study was made at 20 C to obtain improved reproducibility and reliability in boundary lubrication testing. Ester-base and C-ether-base fluids were used to lubricate a pure iron rider in sliding contact with a rotating M-50 steel disk in a friction and wear apparatus. Conditions included loads of 1/2 and 1 kg and sliding velocities of 3.6 to 18.2 m/min in a dry air atmosphere and stepwise time intervals from 1 to 250 min for wear measurements. The wear rate results were compared with those from previous studies where a single 25 min test period was used. Satisfactory test conditions for studying friction and wear in boundary lubrication for this apparatus were found to be 1 kg load; sliding velocities of 7.1 to 9.1 m/min (50 rpm disk speed); and use of a time stepwise test procedure. Highly reproducible steady-state wear rates and steady-state friction coefficients were determined under boundary conditions. Wear rates and coefficients of friction were constant following initially high values during run-in periods.

Loomis, W. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

An extension of the local momentum theory to a distorted wake model of a hovering rotor

The local momentum theory is based on the instantaneous balance between the fluid momentum and the blade elemental lift at a local station in the rotor rotational plane. Therefore, the theory has the capability of evaluating time wise variations of air loading and induced velocity distributions along a helicopter blade span. Unlike a complex vortex theory, this theory was developed to analyze the instantaneous induced velocity distribution effectively. The boundaries of this theory and a computer program using this theory are discussed. A concept introduced into the theory is the effect of the rotor wake contraction in hovering flight. A comparison of this extended local momentum theory with a prescribed wake vortex theory is also presented. The results indicate that the extended local momentum theory has the capability of achieving a level of accuracy similar to that of the prescribed wake vortex theory over wide range variations of rotor geometrical parameters. It is also shown that the analytical results obtained using either theory are in reasonable agreement with experimental data.

Kawachi, K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A study of blade-vortex interaction sound generation and directionality

The directionality and strength of blade-vortex interactions (BVI) is explained through the radiation cone concept. BVI acoustic radiation is primarily the result of two sound mechanisms: the tip effect, and the radiation cone effect. The radiation cone effect is a highly directional mechanism which results when a lift distribution moves supersonically with respect to the fluid. After a physical explanation of the BVI mechanisms, sample cases using translating and rotating blades interacting with a straight line vortex are shown. The radiation cone concept is then applied to specific rotorcraft cases where it helps to explain zones of intense sound pressure level found in experimental results for the XV-15 tiltrotor and for a BO-105 helicopter scale model.

Ringler, Todd D.↗
NASA NTRS1952

On rotational conical flow

Some general properties of isoenergetic rotational conical fields are determined. For such fields, provided the physical parameters of the fluid flow are known on a conical reference surface, it being understood that they satisfy certain imposed conditions, it is shown how to construct the hodographs in the various meridional semiplanes, as the envelope of either the tangents to the hodographs or of the osculatory circles.

BODIES - AERODYNAMIC THEORY↗