Engineering PapersSearch

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “CONVECTIVE FLOW”

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 73 records · Page 4

SHARP simulation of discontinuities in highly convective steady flow

For steady multidimesional convection, the Quadratic Upstream Interpolation for Convective Kinematics (QUICK) scheme has several attractive properties. However, for highly convective simulation of step profiles, QUICK produces unphysical overshoots and a few oscillations, and this may cause serious problems in nonlinear flows. Fortunately, it is possible to modify the convective flux by writing the normalized convected control-volume face value as a function of the normalized adjacent upstream node value, developing criteria for monotonic resolution without sacrificing formal accuracy. This results in a nonlinear functional relationship between the normalized variables, whereas standard methods are all linear in this sense. The resulting Simple High Accuracy Resolution Program (SHARP) can be applied to steady multidimensional flows containing thin shear or mixing layers, shock waves, and other frontal phenomena. This represents a significant advance in modeling highly convective flows of engineering and geophysical importance. SHARP is based on an explicit, conservative, control-volume flux formation, equally applicable to one, two, or three dimensional elliptic, parabolic, hyperbolic, or mixed-flow regimes. Results are given for the bench-mark purely convective first-order results and the nonmonotonic predictions of second- and third-order upwinding.

Leonard, B. P.

A kinematic investigation of the influence of anvil air flow over convective nephsystems on high-level horizontal flow

The interactions between horizontal ambient flow and divergent wind fields, such as those that obtain atop cumulonimbus complexes, were investigated (theoretically) kinematically. The following were observed from the results of the analyses. First, for a particular divergent field, the relative mass flux over the area of the nephsystem decreased as the strength of the horizontal flow increased. Secondly, while in some of the cases analyzed the interaction between the two flows only resulted in the fanning out of streamlines and a slight redistribution in the wind speed, in many cases backflows and a total reorganization of the wind field occurred. Backflows have a blocking effect on the horizontal flow. Some of the computed patterns were compared with upper level cloud vectors (from geostationary satellite photographs). The comparison indicated that the computed resultant wind field could be used to explain some features of such satellite-derived wind fields.

Balogun, E. E.

Simulations of Convection Zone Flows and Measurements from Multiple Viewing Angles

A deep-focusing time-distance measurement technique has been applied to linear acoustic simulations of a solar interior perturbed by convective flows. The simulations are for the full sphere for r/R greater than 0.2. From these it is straightforward to simulate the observations from different viewing angles and to test how multiple viewing angles enhance detectibility. Some initial results will be presented.

Duvall, Thomas L.

Combined Radiation and Forced Convection for Flow of a Transparent Gas in a Tube with Sinusoidal Axial Wall Heat Flux Distribution

An analysis is made of the influence that radiation exchanges between elements on the inside surface of a tube have on the wall and gas temperature distributions for forced-convection flow. The wall heat generation has a chopped sine distribution with length along the tube, which is a distribution often encountered in nuclear-reactor channels. The flowing gas is assumed transparent to thermal radiation and hence does not participate directly in the radiative exchange process. Axial heat conduction is neglected in the gas and tube wall, and the convective-heat-transfer coefficient and fluid properties are assumed constant. Several numerical examples are given to illustrate the effects of eight independent parameters such as wall emissivity, Stanton number, and length-diameter ratio. In some instances the radiation exchanges reduced the peak wall temperature or caused a reduction in the exit gas temperature because of radiation losses from the tube end openings.

TUBE

Paradigmatic error calculations for adaptive finite element approximations of convection dominated flows

New error estimation techniques are described for two-dimensional convection-dominated flows. Examples of applications to linear convection problems are given. The methods are based on discontinuous finite-element techniques. Results show that conventional interpolation methods may lead to gross underestimates of actual error and be inadequate for use in adaptive methods.

Oden, J. T.

Diffusion flame extinction in slow convenctive flow under microgravity environment

A theoretical analysis is presented to study the extinction characteristics of a diffusion flame near the leading edge of a thin fuel plate in slow, forced convective flows in a microgravity environment. The mathematical model includes two-dimensional Navier-Stokes momentum, energy and species equations with one-step overall chemical reaction using second-order finite rate Arrhenius kinetics. Radiant heat loss on the fuel plate is applied in the model as it is the dominant mechanism for flame extinguishment in the small convective flow regime. A parametric study based on the variation of convective flow velocity, which varies the Damkohler number (Da), and the surface radiant heat loss parameter (S) simultaneously, is given. An extinction limit is found in the regime of slow convective flow when the rate of radiant heat loss from fuel surface outweighs the rate of heat generation due to combustion. The transition from existent envelope flame to extinguishment consists of gradual flame contraction in the opposed flow direction together with flame temperature reduction as the convective flow velocity decreases continuously until the extinction limit is reached. A case of flame structure subjected to surface radiant heat loss is also presented and discussed.

Chen, C. H.

Sunspots and the physics of magnetic flux tubes. VI - Convective propulsion. VII - Heat flow in a convective downdraft

The effect of negative aerodynamic drag in an ideal fluid subject to convective instability is considered. It is shown that a cylinder moving in such a fluid is propelled forward in its motion by the convective forces and that the characteristic acceleration time is comparable to the onset time of convective motions in the fluid. It is suggested that convective propulsion plays an important role in the dynamics of flux tubes extending through the surface of the sun. The suppression of the upward heat flow in a Boussinesq convective cell with free upper and lower boundaries by a downdraft is then analyzed. Application to the solar convection zone indicates that downdrafts of 1 to 2 km/s at depths of 1000 to 4000 km beneath the visible surface of the sun are sufficient to reduce the upward heat flux to a small fraction of the ambient value.

Parker, E. N.

Convective and interfacial instabilities during solidification of succinonitrile containing ethanol

Even though slow convective flow is difficult to detect in solidifying metals, it can readily be observed in transparent materials by observing the motion of small neutrally buoyant particles. Succinonitrile, which solidifies with an unfaceted solid/liquid interface and has well characterized physical properties, is considered an excellent material for such studies. For studies of solute-induced convection, ethanol is a useful addition to succinonitrile since it has a lower density and a somewhat similar molecular structure. Samples of high purity and ethanol-doped succinonitrile are unidirectionally solidified in a vertical temperature gradient. Latex mimcrospheres 2 microns in diameter are suspended in the liquid to reveal the convective flow. Convective and morphological stability is observed as a function of solute concentration and growth velocity. These measurements are compared with theoretical calculations that predict the transition from stability to instability as a function of solidification conditions. The predicted transitions occur at low concentrations and solidification velocities; for this reason, extreme care must be taken in order to eliminate the effects of impurities or thermally induced convection.

Schaefer, R. J.

A general introduction to aeroacoustics and atmospheric sound

A single unifying principle (based upon the nonlinear 'momentum-flux' effects produced when different components of a motion transport different components of its momentum) is used to give a broad scientific background to several aspects of the interaction between airflows and atmospheric sound. First, it treats the generation of sound by airflows of many different types. These include, for example, jet-like flows involving convected turbulent motions (with the resulting aeroacoustic radiation sensitively dependent on the Mach number of convection) and they include, as an extreme case, the supersonic 'boom' (shock waves generated by a supersonically convected flow pattern). Next, an analysis is given of sound propagation through nonuniformly moving airflows, and the exchange is quantified of energy between flow and sound; while, finally, problems are examined of how sound waves 'on their own' may generate the airflows known as acoustic streaming.

Lighthill, James

A general introduction to aeroacoustics and atmospheric sound

A single unifying principle (based upon the nonlinear 'momentum-flux' effects produced when different components of a motion transport different components of its momentum) is used to give a broad scientific background to several aspects of the interaction between airflows and atmospheric sound. First, it treats the generation of sound by airflows of many different types. These include, for example, jet-like flows involving convected turbulent motions (with the resulting aeroacoustic radiation sensitively dependent on the Mach number of convection) and they include, as an extreme case, the supersonic 'boom' (shock waves generated by a supersonically convected flow pattern). Next, an analysis is given of sound propagation through nonuniformly moving airflows, and the exchange is quantified of energy between flow and sound; while, finally, problems are examined of how sound waves 'on their own' may generate the airflows known as acoustic streaming.

Lighthill, James

Apollo 17 heat flow and convection experiments: Final data analyses results

A group of experiments called the Apollo 17 heat flow and convection (HFC) experiments was conducted, aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft while in translunar coast on the way to the moon. These experiments together with the HFC experiments flown on Apollo 14 demonstrated and provided data on two types of low-g natural convection: cellular, surface tension-driven convection and convection in confined fluids caused by spacecraft and astronaut movements. Observed convection onset times show that surface tension-driven convection occurs at lower temperature gradients in low-g than in one-g environments. Data on heat flow in confined fluids show that spacecraft and astronaut movements can cause significant degrees of convection.

Bannister, T. C.

Magnetic Field Effect on Convective Fluid Flow in a Vertical Bridgman System

We studied the magnetic field effects on convective fluid flow in a differentially heated HgCdTe Bridgman growth system with linearly stratified vertical HgTe concentration. We followed J. E. Hart's system set-up, boundary conditions, and formulation. We obtained analytical steady parallel flow solutions for fluid flow's velocity and solutal concentration. These solutions depend only on solutal Rayleigh number. Our analytical solutions had different expressions from that of Hart's, but had similar numerical simulation results for the mean fluid velocity and solutal concentration gradient as a function of solutal Rayleigh number. We studied the effects of a transverse magnetic field on the fluid flow of the Bridgman growth systems both on the ground and in the space. The simulation results and comparison with experimental results will be presented.

Wang, J. C.

Broadband shock-associated noise from supersonic jets in flight

The stochastic model theory of broadband shock-associated noise from supersonic jets, developed earlier (Tam, 1987, 1990), is extended to jets in flight. Forward flight affects broadband shock-associated noise generation through noise source modification. It also affects the intensity and characteristics of the noise radiated in a given direction through the mean flow convection effect. Noise source modification arises when the external flow associated with forward flight alters the mean velocity profile and shock cell structure of the jet. The mean flow convection effect arises because the radiated sound waves now have to propagate through a moving medium to reach the observation point. The present theory suggests that both the noise source modification effect and the mean flow convection effect would produce narrower broadband shock-associated noise spectral peaks with lower peak frequencies. The theory is further extended to the case of a supersonic jet embedded in an open wind tunnel bounded by a vortex sheet. Detalied comparisons between the calculated results and the measurements of Norum and Shearin (1984, 1986) are reported here. Very good agreements are found over a broad range of jet Mach numbers and wind tunnel Mach numbers.

Tam, C. K. W.

Acceleration levels on the heat flow and convection demonstration, Apollo 14

The method and data for determining the accelerations on the heat flow and convection demonstration are presented. From the analysis, it is concluded that accelerations as low as 0.02 micro g can be detected by using the attitude look angles to the earth and sun, the Apollo trajectory ephemeris, and the ephemeris of the sun.

Gatewood, E.

A p-version finite element method for steady incompressible fluid flow and convective heat transfer

A new p-version finite element formulation for steady, incompressible fluid flow and convective heat transfer problems is presented. The steady-state residual equations are obtained by considering a limiting case of the least-squares formulation for the transient problem. The method circumvents the Babuska-Brezzi condition, permitting the use of equal-order interpolation for velocity and pressure, without requiring the use of arbitrary parameters. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and generality of the method.

Winterscheidt, Daniel L.