A theoretical and experimental study of wind-tunnel-wall effects on oscillating air forces for two-dimensional subsonic compressible flow
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
An investigation has been conducted to determine the influence of aspect ratio, boundary-layer control by means of slots and porous surfaces, Reynolds number, and tunnel end-wall condition upon the performance of airfoils in cascades. A representative compressor-blade section (the NACA 65-(12)(10) of aspect ratios of 1, 2, and 4 has been tested at low speeds in cascades with solid and with porous side walls. Two-dimensional flow was established in porous-wall cascades of each of the three aspect ratios tested; the flow was not two-dimensional in any of the solid-wall cascades. Turbine-blade sections of aspect ratio 0.83 were tested in cascades with solid and porous side walls and blade sections of aspect ratio 3.33 were tested in cascades with solid wall. No particular advantage was observed in the use of porous walls for the turbine cascades tested.
Experiments were conducted on a cylinder-induced shock wave boundary layer interaction (SBLI)as its state was brought through transition using a combination of boundary layer trips and Reynolds number sweep. A baseline case with no trips was also examined. The measurements were made in a Mach 6 freestream in the well-characterized Actively Controlled Expansion tunnel, which demonstrated a near tripling in fluctuation levels with unit Reynolds number increase from 3.0 to 3.5 million per meter. Surface oil flow and schlieren images suggested the jump in freestream noise served as the impetus for SBLI transition since the flow separation distance began to decrease as the Reynolds number progressed through those conditions. Likewise, surface mounted Kulite® pressure transducers indicated a rise in surface pressure fluctuations as well as initial growth in the instability responsible for transitioning the boundary layer within the interaction. Finally, heat transfer rates within the tripped SBLI were shown to be affected by the jump in freestream disturbance levels.
The effect of the sidewall boundary layer on flow in two-dimensional wind tunnels is determined. The small-disturbance and isentropic approximations are made, and the sidewall-boundary-layer dynamics are modeled with the von Karman momentum-integral equation. The effects of the edge-velocity-gradient term in the sidewall momentum integral, which is usually dominant near the model, and the compressibility term are shown to be similar. It is shown that the effect of sidewall suction around the model is not similar to two-dimensional flow. Comparisons with experiment are made to verify the similarity rule.
Vibrational effects in ion-dipole collisions with classical tunneling
An illustration of the possible magnitude of the transonic performance prediction problem is shown. These results derived from a careful and systematic set of tests run on a jet effects model, an aerodynamic and force model, and a pressure model, evaluated test techniques and wind tunnel effects. The results were then carefully compared with flight test data where significant discrepancies in zero-lift drag were observed. A vigorous review of the test techniques identified a number of potential error sources. Some of these were thought to be aircraft roughness and protuberances, tunnel anomalies, sting/model support corrections, and hot gas effects. In addition, there were questions on model metric splitline location and magnitude of corrections for scale and Reynolds number. Flight test inlet/engine characteristics were thought to differ, also, from those of the calibration settings in the ground facilities.
We reported a time-resolved study of quantum-mechanical tunneling of holes between two MoSe 2 monolayers that are separated by a monolayer WS 2 energy barrier. Four-layer heterostructures of MoSe 2 /WS 2 /MoSe 2 /graphene, as well as control samples, were fabricated by mechanical exfoliation and dry transfer techniques. To time-resolve the hole tunneling process, an ultrashort laser pulse was used to excite electrons and holes in both MoSe 2 layers. Here, by utilization of the graphene layer to eliminate carriers in the third MoSe 2 layer, the first MoSe 2 layer is selectively populated with the holes, which then tunnel to the third MoSe 2 layer. By monitoring decay of the hole population with an ultrashort probe pulse, we measure a hole tunneling time of about 20 ps, which is found to slightly increase with the injected carrier density. Besides the fundamental interests of real-time observation of the quantum-mechanical tunneling effect across a nanometer barrier, these results provide quantitative understanding on tunneling mechanisms of charge transfer in van der Waals heterostructures, which is useful for designing sophisticated van der Waals multilayer heterostructures.
An analytical study of the effects of wind tunnel turbulence on turbofan rotor noise was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the NASA Ames 40 by 80-foot wind tunnel in simulating flight levels of fan noise. A previously developed theory for predicting rotor/turbulence interaction noise, refined and extended to include first-order effects of inlet turbulence anisotropy, was employed to carry out a parametric study of the effects of fan size, blade number, and operating line for outdoor test stand, NASA Ames wind tunnel, and flight inlet turbulence conditions. A major result of this study is that although wind tunnel rotor/turbulence noise levels are not as low as flight levels, they are substantially lower than the outdoor test stand levels and do not mask other sources of fan noise.
Wind tunnel tests of a 10% supercritical airfoil have been conducted in the Lockheed Compressible Flow Facility at transonic speeds to determine the effects of varying wind tunnel wall porosity on airfoil performance. Wall configurations ranging in porosity from 1.3% to 10% were investigated at Reynolds numbers of 7 to 30 million. Experimental data presented to show the effect of varying wall porosity include airfoil surface pressures, airfoil forces, and wind tunnel wall pressures. Utilizing the experimental results, an assessment of the applicability of current subcritical theoretical methods to predict wall interference corrections in subsonic and transonic flows is made.
Vibrational effects on capture cross sections and ion-molecule complexes formation based on ion- dipole collisions, noting multiple reflection probabilities and collision lifetimes
Abstract Faced with the contradictory results of two recent experimental studies [Jara‐Toro et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed . 2017 , 56 , 2166 and Chao et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed . 2019 , 58 , 5013] of the possible catalytic effect of water vapor on CH 3 OH + OH reaction, we report calculations that corroborate the conclusion made by Chao et al. and extend the rate constant evaluation down to 200 K. The rate constants of the CH 3 OH + OH reaction catalyzed by a water molecule are computed as functions of temperature and relative humidity using high‐level electronic structure and kinetics calculations. The Wuhan–Minnesota Scaling (WMS) method is used to provide accurate energetics to benchmark a density functional for direct dynamics. Both high‐frequency and low‐frequency anharmonicities are included. Variational and tunneling effects are treated by canonical variational transition state theory with multidimensional small‐curvature tunneling. And, most significantly, we include multistructural effects in the rate constant calculations. Our calculations show that the catalytic effect of water vapor is not observable at 200–400 K.
An attempt is made to analytically model the physicochemical properties of lubricants and their capacity to reduce friction. A technique of frozen fracturing of the lubricants was employed to study the dispersion of additives throughout a lubricant. Adsorption was observed at the liquid-solid interface, which was the region where the solid and lubricant met, and the molecular dispersion of the additive enhanced the effectiveness of the lubricant. The electrically conductive characteristics of the lubricant at the friction interface indicated the presence of tunneling effects. The Bethe model was used to examine the relationship between the coefficient of friction and the variation of interface thickness. The electron transport permitted an inelastic tunnel electron spectroscopic investigation of the molecular transformations undergone by the additive during friction episodes.
individual adatoms deposited on an InSb(110) surface. The adatoms can be reproducibly dropped off from the STM tip by voltage pulses, and impact tunneling into the surface by up to ~100×. The spatial extent and magnitude of the tunneling effect are widely tunable by imaging conditions such as bias voltage, set current and photoillumination. We attribute the effect to occupation of a (+/0) charge transition level, and switching of the associated adatom-induced band bending. The effect in STM topographic images is well reproduced by transport modeling of filling and emptying rates as a function of the tip position. STM atomic contrast and tunneling spectra are in good agreement with density functional theory calculations for In adatoms. The adatom ionization effect can extend to distances greater than 50 nm away, which we attribute to the low concentration and low binding energy of the residual donors in the undoped InSb crystal. These studies demonstrate how individual atoms can be used to sensitively control current flow in nanoscale devices.
The effect of wind tunnel wall interference on transonic aerodynamic data obtained in a ventilated test section is difficult to predict. The magnitude of the interference can be reduced and the prediction of the level of interference can be simplified by testing in a test section with solid, adaptive walls. An adaptive wall test section configured for two dimensional testing has been installed in the circuit of the Langley 0.3-m Transonic Cryogenic Tunnel. The unique features of the tunnel and the new test section are described. An overview of computer software to configure the walls along streamsurfaces is presented along with a description of the of the experiments planned to assess the capabilities of the new test section.
During an investigation of the J57-P-1 turbojet engine in the Lewis altitude wind tunnel, effects of inlet-flow distortion on engine stall characteristics and operating limits were determined. In addition to a uniform inlet-flow profile, the inlet-pressure distortions imposed included two radial, two circumferential, and one combined radial-circumferential profile. Data were obtained over a range of compressor speeds at an altitude of 50,000 and a flight Mach number of 0.8; in addition, the high- and low-speed engine operating limits were investigated up to the maximum operable altitude. The effect of changing the compressor bleed position on the stall and operating limits was determined for one of the inlet distortions. The circumferential distortions lowered the compressor stall pressure ratios; this resulted in less fuel-flow margin between steady-state operation and compressor stall. Consequently, the altitude operating Limits with circumferential distortions were reduced compared with the uniform inlet profile. Radial inlet-pressure distortions increased the pressure ratio required for compressor stall over that obtained with uniform inlet flow; this resulted in higher altitude operating limits. Likewise, the stall-limit fuel flows required with the radial inlet-pressure distortions were considerably higher than those obtained with the uniform inlet-pressure profile. A combined radial-circumferential inlet distortion had effects on the engine similar to the circumferential distortion. Bleeding air between the two compressors eliminated the low-speed stall limit and thus permitted higher altitude operation than was possible without compressor bleed.
Wind tunnel wall interference effects in wind tunnel testing of STOL aircraft by inducing interference velocities
This presentation reviews the humidity measurements systems used at the large-scale wind tunnels at the NASA Glenn Research Center (as of July 2023), including the 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel, 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel, and the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. Effects of hygrometer accuracy and saturation vapor pressure model choice on Mach number are also investigated. Information in this presentation is intended for discussion with the AETC-supported Wind Tunnel Characterization Working Group during the 2023 Face-to-Face Meetings July 25-27 at NASA Glenn Research Center.