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At least 73 records · Page 4

A Dual-Plane PIV Study of Turbulent Heat Transfer Flows

Thin film cooling is a widely used technique in turbomachinery and rocket propulsion applications, where cool injection air protects a surface from hot combustion gases. The injected air typically has a different velocity and temperature from the free stream combustion flow, yielding a flow field with high turbulence and large temperature differences. These thin film cooling flows provide a good test case for evaluating computational model prediction capabilities. The goal of this work is to provide a database of flow field measurements for validating computational flow prediction models applied to turbulent heat transfer flows. In this work we describe the application of a Dual-Plane Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique in a thin film cooling wind tunnel facility where the injection air stream velocity and temperatures are varied in order to provide benchmark turbulent heat transfer flow field measurements. The Dual-Plane PIV data collected include all three components of velocity and all three components of vorticity, spanning the width of the tunnel at multiple axial measurement planes.

Turbulent heat transfer↗

Hot Electron-Driven Photocatalysis Using Sub-5 nm Gap Plasmonic Nanofinger Arrays

Semiconductor photocatalysis has received increasing attention because of its potential to address problems related to the energy crisis and environmental issues. However, conventional semiconductor photocatalysts, such as TiO2 and ZnO, can only be activated by ultraviolet light due to their wide band gap. To extend the light absorption into the visible range, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been widely used. Noble metal NPs can couple incident visible light energy to strong LSPR, and the nonradiative decay of LSPR generates nonthermal hot carriers that can be injected into adjacent semiconductor material to enhance its photocatalytic activity. Here we demonstrate that nanoimprint-defined gap plasmonic nanofinger arrays can function as visible light-driven plasmonic photocatalysts. The sub-5 nm gaps between pairs of collapsed nanofingers can support ultra-strong plasmon resonance and thus boost the population of hot carriers. The semiconductor material is exactly placed at the hot spots, providing an efficient pathway for hot carrier injection from plasmonic metal to catalytic materials. This nanostructure thus exhibits high plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light. The hot carrier injection mechanism of this platform was systematically investigated. The plasmonic enhancement factor was calculated using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and was consistent with the measured improvement of the photocatalytic activity. This platform, benefiting from the precise controllable geometry, provides a deeper understanding of the mechanism of plasmonic photocatalysis.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Contribution of Spicules to Solar Coronal Emission

Recent high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations have generated renewed interest in spicules' role in explaining the hot corona. Some studies suggest that some spicules, often classified as type II, may provide significant mass and energy to the corona. Here we use numerical simulations to investigate whether such spicules can produce the observed coronal emission without any additional coronal heating agent. Model spicules consisting of a cold body and hot tip are injected into the base of a warm (0.5 MK) equilibrium loop with different tip temperatures and injection velocities. Both piston- and pressure-driven shocks are produced. We find that the hot tip cools rapidly and disappears from coronal emission lines such as Fe xii 195 and Fe xiv 274. Prolonged hot emission is produced by preexisting loop material heated by the shock and by thermal conduction from the shock. However, the shapes and Doppler shifts of synthetic line profiles show significant discrepancies with observations. Furthermore, spatially and temporally averaged intensities are extremely low, suggesting that if the observed intensities from the quiet Sun and active regions were solely due to type II spicules, one to several orders of magnitude more spicules would be required than have been reported in the literature. This conclusion applies strictly to the ejected spicular material. We make no claims about emissions connected with waves or coronal currents that may be generated during the ejection process and heat the surrounding area.

Shanwlee Sow Mondal↗

Plasma pitch angle distributions near the substorm injection front

ATS-6 spacecraft hot plasma instrument data obtained during January, 1980 is presented, which provides electron and ion pitch distributions in the vicinity of an earthward-propagating, substorm-associated abrupt plasma change near synchronous orbit. Evidence is found of symmetric atmospheric source cones for few 100-eV electrons after front passage, supporting both (1) concept of atmospheric electron degradation of the hot, high-altitude plasma, and (2) the proposal that the injection front is a moving, precipitation-flow boundary between the hot plasma and the cooler plasma that has become spectrally degraded via interaction with the atmosphere. The enhanced hot plasma electron intensities appearing in association with front passage exhibit a modest, field-aligned anisotropy with minima at pitch angles characteristic of symmetric loss cones, consistent with mirror compression of the electrons on inward-collapsing field lines.

Moore, T. E.↗

Conceptual design of DIII-D experiments to diagnose the lifetime of spin polarized fuel

Abstract In magnetic fusion experiments, the cross sections for the D-T and D- 3 He fusion reactions are increased by as much as 50% if the fuel remains spin polarized parallel to the magnetic field. The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of lifetime measurements of spin polarization, in magnetic fusion relevant conditions, on the DIII-D tokamak using relative changes in charged fusion product (CFP) loss measurements that depend upon the differential fusion cross section d σ /dΩ. Relative measurements that capture changes in the escaping CFP pitch, poloidal, and energy distributions are studied in two realistic TRANSP calculated plasma scenarios: (a) vector-polarized 3 He and D pellets are injected into a hot hydrogen plasma to produce thermonuclear reactions, and (b) a tensor-polarized deuterium pellet is injected into an L-mode hydrogen background plasma that includes unpolarized 3 He neutral beam injection. Ideal CFP signals in both scenarios show substantial pitch sensitivity to polarization for 14.7 MeV proton detection at a poloidal angle of − 56 ∘ (on the outer wall in the ion ∇ B direction), and strong sensitivity to polarization for 3.6 MeV alpha flux detection by an array of poloidal detectors. Energy-resolved measurements of 14.7 MeV protons are also sensitive to the degree of polarization for the − 56 ∘ port in the beam-plasma scenario. A realistic assessment of CFP signals in the thermonuclear scenario show count rates in the range of 2 × 10 4 cps for pitch-resolved proton detection and 2 × 10 5 cps for alpha flux measurements. Reduced chi-squared χ r 2 calculations show polarization lifetime measurements are feasible for either proton or alpha detection of both enhanced or suppressed polarization for the thermonuclear scenario. Measurements of gamma rays produced in the weak D + 3 He → γ + 5 Li branch complement the CFP measurements.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Vortex generating flow passage design for increased film cooling effectiveness

It is an object of the invention to provide a film cooling apparatus of increased effectiveness and efficiency. In accordance with the invention, a cooling fluid is injected into a hot flowing gas through a passageway in a wall which contains and is subject to the hot gas. The passageway is slanted in a downstream direction at an acute angle to the wall. A cusp shape is provided in the passageway to generate vortices in the injected cooling fluid thereby reducing the energy extracted from the hot gas for that purpose. The cusp shape increases both film cooling effectiveness and wall area coverage. The cusp may be at either the downstream or upstream side of the passageway, the former substantially eliminating flow separation of the cooling fluid from the wall immediately downstream of the passageway.

Papell, S. S.↗

Measurements in the turbulent boundary layer with slot injection of helium

Hot-wire anemometry and digital techniques are used to develop time series for the streamwise and transverse velocity components and for the mass fraction of helium in the low-speed turbulent boundary layer of air involving the slot injection of helium. Profiles are developed at several streamwise stations. In the present contribution the data are presented principally in terms of conventional, unconditioned averages. It is found that the mean velocity and concentration profiles develop in the downstream direction in the expected fashion but that the intensities of the velocity, concentration, and density fluctuations increase sharply downstream of the slot and peak in the region where the mixing region from the splitter plate impinges on the wall. Close to the wall where the helium concentration is relatively high counterfluxes of helium are found.

Larue, J. C.↗

Multifrequency radio observations of Cygnus A - Spectral aging in powerful radio galaxies

A detailed analysis of the radio spectrum across the lobes of Cygnus A is presented in order to critically test the synchroton spectral aging theory. The results are in good agreement with the jet model for powerful radio galaxies, involving particle acceleration at the hot spots and outflow into the radio lobes, with subsequent energy loss due to synchrotron radiation. The hot spot spectra are well represented by a spectral aging model involving continuous injection of relativistic particles. Both hot spots have spectral break frequencies around 10 GHz. An injection index of 0.5 is found for both hot spots, consistent with diffusive shock acceleration at a strong nonrelativistic shock in a Newtonian fluid. The LF hot spot emission spectrum falls below the injected power law. This effect is isolated to the hot spots, and is best explained by a low-energy cutoff in the particle distribution.

Carilli, C. L.↗

Influence of microstructure and temperature on impact toughness of H13 steel produced by binder jet additive manufacturing

Binder Jet Additive Manufacturing (BJAM) is a promising manufacturing pathway to produce H13 steel dies and tooling with complex geometries for applications in high pressure aluminum die casting, hot stamping, and injection molding. While fully dense H13 coupons produced using BJAM have been subjected to detailed microstructure characterization, properties which are critical and relevant to the aforementioned applications, such as impact toughness, have not been reported. Here, this work evaluated the influence of microstructural characteristics and test temperature on the impact toughness of H13 produced by BJAM. Coupons were produced from three different powder size distributions (PSDs), with nominal powder size ranges of −22 μm, 10-32 μm, and 15-53 μm. Coupons were printed, sintered, hot isostatically pressed (HIPed), and heat treated by quenching and tempering. After HIPing, the measured porosities of the different PSDs were all less than 0.015 vol%. The −22 μm PSD BJAM material exhibited the best impact toughness of all three PSDs across the entire test temperature range from 25 to 400 °C, and also exhibited an ambient temperature impact toughness of 10.9 J at a hardness of 46 HRC, equivalent to minimum threshold requirements for premium grade H13. However, all three BJAM PSDs exhibited moderately lower impact toughness than premium grade wrought H13 from RT to 400 °C. We attribute this in part due to the very large prior-austenite grain (PAG) sizes near 400 μm and segregation from former liquid channels leading to greater amounts of carbide precipitation on PAG boundaries. Technical pathways for optimizing processing and chemistry of BJAM H13 to further improve impact toughness are discussed.

Binder jet additive manufacturing↗

Parallel expansion of a fuel pellet plasmoid

The problem of the assimilation of a cryogenic fuel pellet injected into a hot plasma is considered. Due to the transparency to ambient particles of the plasmoid, the localised region of high-density plasma created by ionisation of the ablated pellet material, electrons reach a ‘quasiequilibrium’ (QE) state which is characterised by a steady-state on the fastest collisional time scale. The simplified electron kinetic equation of the QE state is solved. Taking a velocity moment of the higher-order electron kinetic equation, which is valid on the expansion time scale, permits a fluid closure, yielding an evolution equation for the macroscopic parameters describing the QE distribution function. In contrast to the Braginskii equations, the closure does not require that electrons have a short mean free path compared with the size of density perturbations, and permits an anisotropic and highly non-Maxwellian distribution function. As the QE distribution function accounts for both trapped and passing electrons, the self-consistent electric potential that causes the expansion can be properly described, in contrast to earlier models of pellet plasmoid expansion with an unbounded potential. The plasmoid expansion is simulated using both a Vlasov model and a cold-fluid model for the ions. During the expansion plasmoid ions and electrons obtain nearly equal amounts of energy; as hot ambient electrons provide this energy in the form of collisional heating of plasmoid electrons, the expansion of a pellet plasmoid is expected to be a potent mechanism for the transfer of energy from electrons to ions on a time scale shorter than that of ion–electron thermalisation.

Physics↗

Controlled Synthesis of SnO 2 Nanocrystals with Tunable Band Gaps

Tin(IV) oxide nanocrystals (SnO 2 NCs) have significant potential in various applications, with their performance closely related to their band gap. The band gap is influenced by the size and shape of the NCs, which can be precisely controlled by adjusting reaction conditions. In this study, we present deliberately designed synthesis protocols to produce high-quality SnO 2 NCs with tunable band gaps using different methods. Key factors affecting the synthesis include control of the oxidizing agent, reaction temperature, solvent selection, and reaction time optimization. The resulting NCs were characterized by using TEM, XRD, XPS, and optical spectroscopy. Notably, SnO 2 NCs synthesized by controlling the oxidizing agent (air injection) in a hot organic solution were smaller in size and exhibited abundant oxygen vacancies. In contrast, extending the reaction time or using ethanol as a solvent in hydrothermal systems facilitated larger spherical or rod-like SnO 2 NCs with fewer oxygen vacancies. Further analysis of the band gap and valence band maximum energy revealed that the abundant vacancies in SnO 2 NCs synthesized with the air-controlled hot organic solution method resulted in a narrower band gap and an upshifted valence band. These synthetic strategies illustrate the potential for deliberately designing SnO 2 NCs with optimized electronic structures for various applications.

band gap↗

Spacecraft charging at synchronous orbit.

Observation that ATS 5 can charge to potentials as high as 10,000 volts during eclipse, and as high as 200 volts in sunlight. This charging has been used to infer the presence of the plasmasphere at synchronous altitude in the midnight region, and its prompt disappearance when hot plasma is injected in association with substorms. Although injected plasma has a density of 1.0 per cu cm the remaining cold plasma (less than 50 eV) has a density of 0.01 per cu cm. A mathematical model of ATS 5 has been constructed that can be used to predict spacecraft potentials. In addition, parts of ATS 5 can charge to several hundred volts without affecting the overall spacecraft potential appreciably.

Deforest, S. E.↗

Photoelectron emission from Io as the cause of enhancements of the Jovian decametric radiation.

A theoretical explanation for the dependence of the Jovian decametric radiation on the position of its satellite Io is advanced in terms of electrostatic instabilities created by injection into the hot natural plasma of cold photoelectrons from Io. This may be tested with appropriately positioned and presently planned deep-space probes that search for variations of the Jovian decametric radiation at times following local sunset and sunrise at Io.

Mozer, F. S.↗

Aerothermodynamics of the Space Shuttle reaction control system.

Based on experimental data, the aerothermodynamic surface environment for the Space Shuttle Orbiter reaction control system (RCS) thrusters during entry was established. Using this environment the required thermal protection for the RCS thruster nozzles and surrounding vehicle surfaces on the orbiter nose was determined. Wind tunnel test data was obtained at Mach 8 to measure the heat transfer and pressure distribution in separated flow due to deep, three-dimensional cavities and lateral jet interference using helium and air (hot and cold) injection from a supersonic nozzle. Results of the analysis and correlation of the test data are presented.

Brevig, O.↗

Further results on the stagnation point boundary layer with hydrogen injection.

The results of an earlier paper on the behavior of the boundary layer at an axisymmetric stagnation with hydrogen injection into a hot external airstream are extended to span the entire range from essentially frozen to essentially equilibrium flow. This extension is made possible by the employment of finite difference methods; the accurate treatment of the boundary conditions at 'infinity,' the differencing technique employed and the formulation resulting in block tri-diagonal matrices are slight variants in the present work.

Wu, P.↗

A Numerical Study of the Effects of Curvature and Convergence on Dilution Jet Mixing

An analytical program was conducted to assemble and assess a three-dimensional turbulent viscous flow computer code capable of analyzing the flow field in the transition liners of small gas turbine engines. This code is of the TEACH type with hybrid numerics, and uses the power law and SIMPLER algorithms, an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system, and an algebraic Reynolds stress turbulence model. The assessments performed in this study, consistent with results in the literature, showed that in its present form this code is capable of predicting trends and qualitative results. The assembled code was used to perform a numerical experiment to investigate the effects of curvature and convergence in the transition liner on the mixing of single and opposed rows of cool dilution jets injected into a hot mainstream flow.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

A numerical study of the effects of curvature and convergence on dilution jet mixing

An analytical program was conducted to assemble and assess a three-dimensional turbulent viscous flow computer code capable of analyzing the flow field in the transition liners of small gas turbine engines. This code is of the TEACH type with hybrid numerics, and uses the power law and SIMPLER algorithms, an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system, and an algebraic Reynolds stress turbulence model. The assessments performed in this study, consistent with results in the literature, showed that in its present form this code is capable of predicting trends and qualitative results. The assembled code was used to perform a numerical experiment to investigate the effects of curvature and convergence in the transition liner on the mixing of single and opposed rows of cool dilution jets injected into a hot mainstream flow.

Holdeman, J. D.↗

CSCM Navier-Stokes thermal/aerodynamic analysis of hypersonic nozzle flows with slot injection and wall cooling

The Conservative Supra-Characteristic Method (CSCM) Navier-Stokes solver is applied to ascertain the problems inherent in the design of a nominal Mach 14 nozzle for NASA-Ames' 3.5-ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel; attention is given to the effects of boundary layer cooling systems on the aerodynamic redesign of the nozzle throat region. Complete nozzle flowfields are calculated with and without slot injection of either hot or cold fluid into the boundary layer just upstream of the throat, as well as with alternatively adiabatic and cold walls. The CSCM method is capable of resolving subtle differences in the flows.

Codding, William H.↗