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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.

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At least 739 records · Page 41
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Computed barrier heights for H + CH2O yields CH3O yields CH2OH

The barrier heights (including zero-point effects) for H + CH2O yields CH3O and CH3O yields CH2OH have been computed using complete active space self consistent field (CASSCF)/gradient calculations to define the stationary point geometries and harmonic frequencies and internally contracted configuration-interaction (CCI) to refine the energetics. The computed barrier heights are 5.6 kcal/mol and 30.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The former barrier height compares favorably to an experimental activation energy of 5.2 kcal/mol.

Walch, Stephen P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Computed barrier heights for H + CH2O yields CH3O yields CH2OH

The barrier heights (including zero-point effects) for H + CH2O yields CH3O and CH3O yields CH2OH have been computed using complete active space self consistent field (CASSCF)/gradient calculations to define the stationary point geometries and harmonic frequencies and internally contracted configuration-interaction (CCI) to refine the energetics. The computed barrier heights are 5.6 kcal/mol and 30.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The former barrier height compares favorably to an experimental activation energy of 5.2 kcal/mol.

Walch, Stephen P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Marshall Automated Weld System (MAWS)

A fully automated welding system, which can operate totally independent of human intervention, is currently unavailable in the welding industry. Development of the Marshall Automated Weld System (MAWS) has been undertaken to fill this void. The system will enable application of statistical process control practices to assure weld quality prior to post weld nondestructive testing. The Variable Polarity Plasma Arc (VPPA) welding process has been baselined for MAWS because it has eliminated process related defects in the welding of the Space Shuttle External Tank. The few remaining weld defects occurring on the tank can be associated with human error. The system integrates multiple sensors (providing real time information on weld bead geometry, weld joint location, wirefeed entry, and inert gas quality) with a weld model (describing weld geometry in relation to critical parameters) and computer-controlled VPPA weld equipment. This system is designed to provide real-time, closed-loop control of the weld as it is being made.

Russell, Carolyn K.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Multi-grid domain decomposition approach for solution of Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variable form

The new multigrid (or adaptive) pseudospectral element method was carried out for the solution of incompressible flow in terms of primitive variable formulation. The desired features of the proposed method include the following: (1) the ability to treat complex geometry; (2) high resolution adapted in the interesting areas; (3) requires minimal working space; and (4) effective in a multiprocessing environment. The approach for flow problems, complex geometry or not, is to first divide the computational domain into a number of fine-grid and coarse-grid subdomains with the inter-overlapping area. Next, it is necessary to implement the Schwarz alternating procedure (SAP) to exchange the data among subdomains, where the coarse-grid correction is used to remove the high frequency error that occurs when the data interpolation from the fine-grid subdomain to the coarse-grid subdomain is conducted. The strategy behind the coarse-grid correction is to adopt the operator of the divergence of the velocity field, which intrinsically links the pressure equation, into this process. The solution of each subdomain can be efficiently solved by the direct (or iterative) eigenfunction expansion technique with the least storage requirement, i.e. O(N(exp 3)) in 3-D and O(N(exp 2)) in 2-D. Numerical results of both driven cavity and jet flow will be presented in the paper to account for the versatility of the proposed method.

Ku, Hwar-Ching↗
NASA NTRS1993

Turbulence modeling for non-equilibrium flows

Two projects are reported. The first is the development and testing of an eddy viscosity transport model. This project also is a starting point for our work on developing computational tools for solving turbulence models in complex geometries. The second project is a stochastic analysis of the realizability of Reynolds stress transport models.

Durbin, Paul A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Hybrid techniques for complex aerospace electromagnetics problems

Important aerospace electromagnetics problems include the evaluation of antenna performance on aircraft and the prediction and control of the aircraft's electromagnetic signature. Due to the ever increasing complexity and expense of aircraft design, aerospace engineers have become increasingly dependent on computer solutions. Traditionally, computational electromagnetics (CEM) has relied primarily on four disparate techniques: the method of moments (MoM), the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique, the finite element method (FEM), and high frequency asymptotic techniques (HFAT) such as ray tracing. Each of these techniques has distinct advantages and disadvantages, and no single technique is capable of accurately solving all problems of interest on computers that are available now or will be available in the foreseeable future. As a result, new approaches that overcome the deficiencies of traditional techniques are beginning to attract a great deal of interest in the CEM community. Among these new approaches are hybrid methods which combine two or more of these techniques into a coherent model. During the ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program a hybrid FEM/MoM computer code was developed and applied to a geometry containing features found on many modern aircraft.

Aberle, Jim↗
NASA NTRS1993

Groundbased monitoring of Martian atmospheric opacity

The amount of dust in the Martian atmosphere is variable in both space and time. The presence of aerosols in the Mars atmosphere complicates quantitative analysis of Martian surface properties. We have developed a model for Mars surface and atmospheric scattering based on equations in Hillier et al (1991). This formulation was chosen for its speed of computation and because it accounts for the spherical geometry of atmospheric scattering at high mission angles, i.e., near the planetary limb.

Herkenhoff, K. E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

User's and test case manual for FEMATS

The FEMATS program incorporates first-order edge-based finite elements and vector absorbing boundary conditions into the scattered field formulation for computation of the scattering from three-dimensional geometries. The code has been validated extensively for a large class of geometries containing inhomogeneities and satisfying transition conditions. For geometries that are too large for the workstation environment, the FEMATS code has been optimized to run on various supercomputers. Currently, FEMATS has been configured to run on the HP 9000 workstation, vectorized for the Cray Y-MP, and parallelized to run on the Kendall Square Research (KSR) architecture and the Intel Paragon.

Chatterjee, Arindam↗
NASA NTRS1996

Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Stability Experiments on a Flared-Cone Model at Angle of Attack in a Quiet Wind Tunnel

An experimental investigation of the effects of angle of attack on hypersonic boundary-layer stability on a flared-cone model was conducted in the low-disturbance Mach-6 Nozzle-Test Chamber Facility at NASA Langley Research Center. This unique facility provided a 'quiet' flow test environment which is well suited for stability experiments because the low levels of freestream 'noise' minimize artificial stimulation of flow-disturbance growth. Surface pressure and temperature measurements documented the adverse-pressure gradient and transition-onset location. Hot-wire anemometry diagnostics were applied to identify the instability mechanisms which lead to transition. In addition, the mean flow over the flared-cone geometry was modeled by laminar Navier-Stokes computations. Results show that the boundary layer becomes more stable on the windward ray and less stable on the leeward ray relative to the zero-degree angle-of-attack case. The second-mode instability dominates the transition process at a zero-degree angle of attack, however, on the windward ray at an angle of attack this mode was completely stabilized. The less-dominant first-mode instability was slightly destabilized on the windward ray. Non-linear mechanisms such as saturation and harmonic generation are identified from the flow-disturbance bispectra.

Doggett, Glen P.↗
NASA NTRS1997

An Experimental Study of Characteristic Combustion-Driven Flow for CFD Validation

A series of uni-element rocket injector studies were completed to provide benchmark quality data needed to validate computational fluid dynamic models. A shear coaxial injector geometry was selected as the primary injector for study using gaseous hydrogen/oxygen and gaseous hydrogen/liquid oxygen propellants. Emphasis was placed on the use of nonintrusive diagnostic techniques to characterize the flowfields inside an optically-accessible rocket chamber. Measurements of the velocity and species fields were obtained using laser velocimetry and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Qualitative flame shape information was also obtained using laser-induced fluorescence excited from OH radicals and laser light scattering studies of aluminum oxide particle seeded combusting flows. The gaseous hydrogen/liquid oxygen propellant studies for the shear coaxial injector focused on breakup mechanisms associated with the liquid oxygen jet under subcritical pressure conditions. Laser sheet illumination techniques were used to visualize the core region of the jet and a Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer was utilized for drop velocity, size and size distribution characterization. The results of these studies indicated that the shear coaxial geometry configuration was a relatively poor injector in terms of mixing. The oxygen core was observed to extend well downstream of the injector and a significant fraction of the mixing occurred in the near nozzle region where measurements were not possible to obtain. Detailed velocity and species measurements were obtained to allow CFD model validation and this set of benchmark data represents the most comprehensive data set available to date. As an extension of the investigation, a series of gas/gas injector studies were conducted in support of the X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle program. A Gas/Gas Injector Technology team was formed consisting of the Marshall Space Flight Center, the NASA Lewis Research Center, Rocketdyne and Penn State. Injector geometries studied under this task included shear and swirl coaxial configurations as well as an impinging jet injector.

Santoro, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Operationally Efficient Propulsion System Study (OEPSS) Data Book: Integrated Booster Propulsion Module (BPM) Engine Start Dynamics - Volume 8

A fluid-dynamic, digital-transient computer model of an integrated, parallel propulsion system was developed for the CDC mainframe and the SUN workstation computers. Since all STME component designs were used for the integrated system, computer subroutines were written characterizing the performance and geometry of all the components used in the system, including the manifolds. Three transient analysis reports were completed. The first report evaluated the feasibility of integrated engine systems in regards to the start and cutoff transient behavior. The second report evaluated turbopump out and combined thrust chamber/turbopump out conditions. The third report presented sensitivity study results in staggered gas generator spin start and in pump performance characteristics.

Kemp, Victoria R.↗
NASA NTRS1997

An Experimental Study of Characteristic Combustion-Driven Flow for CFD Validation

A series of uni-element rocket injector studies were completed to provide benchmark quality data needed to validate computational fluid dynamic models. A shear coaxial injector geometry was selected as the primary injector for study using gaseous hydrogen/oxygen and gaseous hydrogen/liquid oxygen propellants. Emphasis was placed on the use of non-intrusive diagnostic techniques to characterize the flowfields inside an optically-accessible rocket chamber. Measurements of the velocity and species fields were obtained using laser velocimetry and Raman spectroscopy, respectively Qualitative flame shape information was also obtained using laser-induced fluorescence excited from OH radicals and laser light scattering studies of aluminum oxide particle seeded combusting flows. The gaseous hydrogen/liquid oxygen propellant studies for the shear coaxial injector focused on breakup mechanisms associated with the liquid oxygen jet under sub-critical pressure conditions. Laser sheet illumination techniques were used to visualize the core region of the jet and a Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer was utilized for drop velocity, size and size distribution characterization. The results of these studies indicated that the shear coaxial geometry configuration was a relatively poor injector in terms of mixing. The oxygen core was observed to extend well downstream of the injector and a significant fraction of the mixing occurred in the near nozzle region where measurements were not possible to obtain Detailed velocity and species measurements were obtained to allow CFD model validation and this set of benchmark data represents the most comprehensive data set available to date As an extension of the investigation, a series of gas/gas injector studies were conducted in support of the X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle program. A Gas/Gas Injector Technology team was formed consisting of the Marshall Space Flight Center, the NASA Lewis Research Center, Rocketdyne and Penn State. Injector geometries studied under this task included shear and swirl coaxial configurations as well as an impinging jet injector.

Santoro, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Design Considerations for Lightweight Space Radiators Based on Fabrication and Test Experience with a Carbon-Carbon Composite Prototype Heat Pipe

This report discusses the design implications for spacecraft radiators made possible by the successful fabrication and Proof-of-concept testing of a graphite-fiber-carbon-matrix composite (i.e., carbon-carbon (C-C)) heat pipe. The proto-type heat pipe, or space radiator element, consists of a C-C composite shell with integrally woven fins. It has a thin-walled furnace-brazed metallic (Nb-1%Zr) liner with end caps for containment of the potassium working fluid. A short extension of this liner, at increased wall thickness beyond the C-C shell, forms the heat pipe evaporator section which is in thermal contact with the radiator fluid that needs to be cooled. From geometric and thermal transport properties of the C-C composite heat pipe tested, a specific radiator mass of 1.45 kg/m2 can be derived. This is less than one-fourth the specific mass of present day satellite radiators. The report also discusses the advantage of segmented space radiator designs utilizing heat pipe elements, or segments, in their survivability to micro-meteoroid damage. This survivability is further raised by the use of condenser sections with attached fins, which also improve the radiation heat transfer rate. Since the problem of heat radiation from a fin does not lend itself to a closed analytical solution, a derivation of the governing differential equation and boundary conditions is given in appendix A, along with solutions for rectangular and parabolic fin profile geometries obtained by use of a finite difference computer code written by the author.

Juhasz, Albert J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Design Considerations for Lightweight Space Radiators Based on Fabrication and Test Experience With a Carbon-Carbon Composite Prototype Heat Pipe

This report discusses the design implications for spacecraft radiators made possible by the successful fabrication and proof-of-concept testing of a graphite-fiber-carbon-matrix composite (i.e., carbon-carbon (C-C)) heat pipe. The prototype heat pipe, or space radiator element, consists of a C-C composite shell with integrally woven fins. It has a thin-walled furnace-brazed metallic (Nb-1%Zr) liner with end caps for containment of the potassium working fluid. A short extension of this liner, at increased wall thickness beyond the C-C shell, forms the heat pipe evaporator section which is in thermal contact with the radiator fluid that needs to be cooled. From geometric and thermal transport properties of the C-C composite heat pipe tested, a specific radiator mass of 1.45 kg/sq m can be derived. This is less than one-fourth the specific mass of present day satellite radiators. The report also discusses the advantage of segmented space radiator designs utilizing heat pipe elements, or segments, in their survivability to micrometeoroid damage. This survivability is further raised by the use of condenser sections with attached fins, which also improve the radiation heat transfer rate. Since the problem of heat radiation from a fin does not lend itself to a closed analytical solution, a derivation of the governing differential equation and boundary conditions is given in appendix A, along with solutions for rectangular and parabolic fin profile geometries obtained by use of a finite difference computer code written by the author.

Juhasz, Albert J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Coupling Between Waveguide-Fed Slot Arrays

Coupling between two waveguide-fed planar slot arrays has been investigated using full-wave analysis. The analysis employs the method-of-moments solution to the pertinent coupled integral equations for the aperture electric field of all slots. In order to compute coupling between two arrays, the input port of the first array is excited with a TE(sub 10) mode wave while the second one is match-terminated. After solving the moment method matrix equations, the aperture fields of all slots are obtained and thereby the TE(sub 10) mode wave received at the input port of the second array is determined. Coupling between two arrays is the ratio of the wave amplitude arriving in the second array port to the incident wave amplitude at the first array port. The coupling mechanism has been studied as a function of spacing between arrays in different directions, e.g. the electric field plane, the magnetic field plane, and the diagonal plane. Computed coupling values are presented for different array geometries. This work is novel since it provides a good understanding of coupling between waveguide-fed slot arrays as a function of spacing and orientation for different aperture distributions and array architectures. This serves as a useful tool for antenna design engineers and system engineers.

Rengarajan, Sembiam↗
NASA NTRS2013

Coupled Vortex-Lattice Flight Dynamic Model with Aeroelastic Finite-Element Model of Flexible Wing Transport Aircraft with Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap for Drag Reduction

This paper presents a coupled vortex-lattice flight dynamic model with an aeroelastic finite-element model to predict dynamic characteristics of a flexible wing transport aircraft. The aircraft model is based on NASA Generic Transport Model (GTM) with representative mass and stiffness properties to achieve a wing tip deflection about twice that of a conventional transport aircraft (10% versus 5%). This flexible wing transport aircraft is referred to as an Elastically Shaped Aircraft Concept (ESAC) which is equipped with a Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap (VCCTEF) system for active wing shaping control for drag reduction. A vortex-lattice aerodynamic model of the ESAC is developed and is coupled with an aeroelastic finite-element model via an automated geometry modeler. This coupled model is used to compute static and dynamic aeroelastic solutions. The deflection information from the finite-element model and the vortex-lattice model is used to compute unsteady contributions to the aerodynamic force and moment coefficients. A coupled aeroelastic-longitudinal flight dynamic model is developed by coupling the finite-element model with the rigid-body flight dynamic model of the GTM.

Flexible Aicraft↗
NASA NTRS2011

Comparison of Low-Energy Lunar Transfer Trajectories to Invariant Manifolds

In this study, transfer trajectories from the Earth to the Moon that encounter the Moon at various flight path angles are examined, and lunar approach trajectories are compared to the invariant manifolds of selected unstable orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem. Previous work focused on lunar impact and landing trajectories encountering the Moon normal to the surface, and this research extends the problem with different flight path angles in three dimensions. The lunar landing geometry for a range of Jacobi constants are computed, and approaches to the Moon via invariant manifolds from unstable orbits are analyzed for different energy levels.

inveriant manifolds↗