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NASA NTRS2010

Minnowbrook VI: 2009 Workshop on Flow Physics and Control for Internal and External Aerodynamics

Topics covered include: Flow Physics and control for Internal and External Aerodynamics (not in TOC...starts on pg13); Breaking CFD Bottlenecks in Gas-Turbine Flow-Path Design; Streamwise Vortices on the Convex Surfaces of Circular Cylinders and Turbomachinery Blading; DNS and Embedded DNS as Tools for Investigating Unsteady Heat Transfer Phenomena in Turbines; Cavitation, Flow Structure and Turbulence in the Tip Region of a Rotor Blade; Development and Application of Plasma Actuators for Active Control of High-Speed and High Reynolds Number Flows; Active Flow Control of Lifting Surface With Flap-Current Activities and Future Directions; Closed-Loop Control of Vortex Formation in Separated Flows; Global Instability on Laminar Separation Bubbles-Revisited; Very Large-Scale Motions in Smooth and Rough Wall Boundary Layers; Instability of a Supersonic Boundary-Layer With Localized Roughness; Active Control of Open Cavities; Amplitude Scaling of Active Separation Control; U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Need for Flow Physics and Control With Applications Involving Aero-Optics and Weapon Bay Cavities; Some Issues Related to Integrating Active Flow Control With Flight Control; Active Flow Control Strategies Using Surface Pressure Measurements; Reduction of Unsteady Forcing in a Vaned, Contra-Rotating Transonic Turbine Configuration; Active Flow Control Stator With Coanda Surface; Controlling Separation in Turbomachines; Flow Control on Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoils Using Vortex Generator Jets; Reduced Order Modeling Incompressible Flows; Study and Control of Flow Past Disk, and Circular and Rectangular Cylinders Aligned in the Flow; Periodic Forcing of a Turbulent Axisymmetric Wake; Control of Vortex Breakdown in Critical Swirl Regime Using Azimuthal Forcing; External and Turbomachinery Flow Control Working Group; Boundary Layers, Transitions and Separation; Efficiency Considerations in Low Pressure Turbines; Summary of Conference; and Final Plenary Session Transcript.

LaGraff, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Measurement Capabilities of Planar Doppler Velocimetry in Large-Scale Wind Tunnels

Over the past few years, Planar Doppler Velocimetry (PDT) has been shown by several laboratories to offer an attractive means for measuring three-dimensional velocity vectors everywhere in a light sheet placed in a flow. Unlike some other optical means of measuring flow velocities, PDT is particularly attractive for use in large wind tunnels where distances to the sample region may be several meters, because it does not require the spatial resolution and tracking of individual scattering particles or the alignment of crossed beams at large distances. To date, demonstrations of PDT (also called Doppler Global Velocimetry by some authors) have been made either in low speed flows without quantitative comparison to other measurements, or in supersonic flows where the Doppler shift is large and its measurement is relatively insensitive to instrumental errors. Moreover, most reported applications have relied on the use of continuous-wave lasers, which limit the measurement to time-averaged velocity fields. This work summarizes the results of two previous studies of PDT in which the use of pulsed lasers to obtain instantaneous velocity vector fields is evaluated. The objective has been to quantitatively define and demonstrate PDT capabilities for applications in large-scale wind tunnels that are intended primarily for the testing of rotorcraft and subsonic aircraft at speeds typically less than 100 m/s. For such applications, the adequate resolution of low-speed flow fields requires accurate measurements of small Doppler shifts that are obtained at distances of several meters from the sample region and with a field of view that is sufficient to encompass the entire region of interest. The use of pulsed lasers provides the unique capability to obtain not only time-averaged fields, but also their statistical fluctuation amplitudes and the spatial excursions of unsteady flow regions such as wakes, separations, and rotor-tip vortices. To accomplish the objectives of these studies, the PDT measurement process was first modeled and its performance evaluated computationally. The noise sources considered included those related to the optical and electronic properties of Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) arrays and to speckle effects associated with the coherent illumination of aerosols from pulsed lasers. The signal noise estimates were incorporated into the PDT signal analysis process and combined with computed scattering signals using a Mae scattering theory for a distributed range of aerosol particle sizes. The results are used to define the necessary instrument configuration, to show that the expected signal levels from a practical PDT system are sufficiently large to allow its useful application in large facilities, and to show that the expected velocity measurement uncertainties are small compared to the mean velocities of interest for most subsonic, large-scale wind tunnel testing, Experimental studies using several bench-top setups are then described that validate the physics of the PDT model and demonstrate the ability to obtain accurate PDT measurements using procedures that are compatible with large-scale wind tunnel operations. The PDT measurement capabilities found in this study lead to the conclusion that PDT offers significant advantages compared to other means of measuring velocity fields in large-scale wind tunnels, including those operating at low speeds.

McKenzie, Robert L.↗
NASA NTRS1954

Permeability and Strength Measurements on Sintered, Porous, Hollow Turbine Blades Made by the American Electro Metal Corporation under Office of Naval Research Contract N-ONR-295 (01)

An experimental investigation was made to determine the permeability and strength characteristics of a number of sintered, porous, hollow turbine rotor blades and to determine the effectiveness of the blade fabrication method on permeability control. The test blades were fabricated by the American Electro Metal Corporation under a contract with the Office of Naval Research, Department of the Navy, and were submitted to the NACA for testing. Of the 22 test blades submitted, ten were sintered but not coined, five were sintered and coined, and seven were sintered and not coined but contained perforated reinforcements integral with the blade shells. Representative samples of each group of blades were tested. Large variations in permeability in both chordwise and spanwise directions were found. Local deviations as large as 155 to -85 percent from prescribed values were found in chordwise permeability. Only one blade, an uncoined one, had a chordwise permeability variations which reasonably approached that specified. Even for this blade, local deviations exceeded 10 percent. Spanwise permeability, specified to be held constant, varied as much as 50 percent from root to tip for both an uncoined and a coined blade. Previous NACA analyses have shown that in order to maintain proper control of blade wall temperatures, permeability variations must not exceed plus or minus 10 percent. Satisfactory control of permeability in either the chordwise or the spanwise direction was not achieved in the blades tested. Spin tests made at room temperature for six blades revealed the highest material rupture strength to be 8926 pounds per square inch. This value is about one third the strength required for rotor blades in present-day turbojet engines. The lowest value of blade strength was 1436 pounds per square inch.

Richards, Hadley T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Applications of fuzzy theories to multi-objective system optimization

Most of the computer aided design techniques developed so far deal with the optimization of a single objective function over the feasible design space. However, there often exist several engineering design problems which require a simultaneous consideration of several objective functions. This work presents several techniques of multiobjective optimization. In addition, a new formulation, based on fuzzy theories, is also introduced for the solution of multiobjective system optimization problems. The fuzzy formulation is useful in dealing with systems which are described imprecisely using fuzzy terms such as, 'sufficiently large', 'very strong', or 'satisfactory'. The proposed theory translates the imprecise linguistic statements and multiple objectives into equivalent crisp mathematical statements using fuzzy logic. The effectiveness of all the methodologies and theories presented is illustrated by formulating and solving two different engineering design problems. The first one involves the flight trajectory optimization and the main rotor design of helicopters. The second one is concerned with the integrated kinematic-dynamic synthesis of planar mechanisms. The use and effectiveness of nonlinear membership functions in fuzzy formulation is also demonstrated. The numerical results indicate that the fuzzy formulation could yield results which are qualitatively different from those provided by the crisp formulation. It is felt that the fuzzy formulation will handle real life design problems on a more rational basis.

Rao, S. S.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Noise Generation by Fans with Supersonic Tip Speeds

Fan noise continues to be a significant issue for commercial aircraft engines and there still exists a requirement for improved understanding of the fundamental issues associated with fan noise source mechanisms. At the present time, most of the prediction methods identify the dominant acoustic sources to be associated with the stator vanes or blade trailing edges which are downstream of the fan face. However recent studies have shown that acoustic waves are significantly attenuated as they propagate upstream through a rotor, and if the appropriate corrections are applied, sound radiation from the engine inlet is significantly underpredicted. The prediction models can only be applied to fans with subsonic tip speeds. In contrast, most aircraft engines have fan tip speeds which are transonic and this implies an even higher attenuation for upstream propagating acoustic waves. Consequently understanding how sound propagates upstream through the fan is an important, and not well understood phenomena. The objective of this study is to provide improved insight into the upstream propagation effects through a rotor which are relevant to full scale engines. The focus of this study is on broadband fan noise generated by boundary layer turbulence interacting with the trailing edges of the fan blades. If this source mechanism is important upstream of the fan, the sound must propagate upstream through a transonic non uniform flow which includes large gradients and non linearities. Developing acoustic propagation models in this type of flow is challenging and currently limited to low frequency applications, where the frequency is of the same order as the blade passing frequency of the fan. For trailing edge noise, much higher frequencies are relevant and so a suitable approach needs to be developed, which is not limited by an unacceptably large computational effort. In this study we are in the process of developing a computational method which applies for the high frequencies of interest, and allows for any type of flow field associated with the fan. In this progress report the approach to be used and the basic equations will be presented. Some initial results will be given, but these are preliminary and need further verification.

Glegg, Stewart↗
NASA NTRS2012

Effect of Inflow Boundary Conditions on Hovering Tilt-Rotor Flows

A study on the effect of inflow turbulence boundary conditions on the local flow on and around a body in flight has been carried out. The study has been carried out using OVERFLOW2 flow solver using the default Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model in OVERFLOW. Many OVERFLOW turbulent flow simulations have been reported using the SA-fv3 model1 over the years. The present study demonstrates that the turbulence levels imposed as a boundary condition (b.c.) in the far-field as implemented in OVERFLOW are not correct. In fact, very low level of turbulence at the far-field boundary as implemented in OVERFLOW results in the SA-fv3 model predicting transition-like profiles on a given body. By choosing sufficiently high levels of the Reynolds number of turbulence, Rt, as a boundary condition, this anomalous behavior of SA-fv3 model is eliminated. Since numerous papers using OVERFLOW have been presented in the literature including that by the author2 using low level of inflow turbulence, it will be beneficial to the CFD community at large and in particular to the OVERFLOW community to understand this effect of the inflow b.c. in the SA-fv3 model. Various results reported over the years in domains such as high-lift applications, drag prediction applications and rotorcraft flow applications can be revisited using the new turbulence inflow boundary condition prescription as suggested in this study. It has been demonstrated in the literature that the effect of inflow turbulence level on the downstream development of flow is too important to be ignored. Demonstrative results are shown and compared with experiment for the case of hovering XV-15 rotor flow at a tip Reynolds number of 4.9 x 10(exp 6) and Mach number of 0.69 in Figs. 1 and 2 below. Fig. 1(a,b) shows skin friction predictions at radial station of r/R = 0.28 corresponding to 5 different inflow boundary conditions obtained with the SA-fv3 model. As the inflow turbulence is increased monotonically, from a value of Rt = 0.1 to 100.0 as shown in Fig. 1, a fully developed turbulent skin friction profile is realized progressively as shown in Fig. 1(b). Similarly skin friction results shown in Fig. 2(a,b) corresponding to radial stations of r/R = 0.72 reinforce the postulate made here that as the inflow turbulence level is increased gradually, fully turbulent on-the-blade simulation is realized uniformly. In the full paper extensive results on skin friction, pressure and velocity profiles as well as the Figure of Merit will be presented and compared with experiment that will illustrate the substantial effect of the inflow boundary conditions on the development of hovering rotor flow downstream.

Kaul, Upender K.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scattering neutrinos, spin models, and permutations

We consider a class of Heisenberg all-to-all coupled spin models inspired by neutrino interactions in a supernova with N degrees of freedom. These models are characterized by a coupling matrix that is relatively simple in the sense that there are only a few, relative to N , nontrivial eigenvalues, in distinction to the classic Heisenberg spin-glass models, leading to distinct behavior in both the high-temperature and low-temperature regimes. When the momenta of the neutrinos are uniform and random in directions, we can calculate the large- N partition function for the quantum Heisenberg model. In particular, the high-temperature partition function predicts a non-Gaussian density of states, providing interesting counterexamples showing the limits of general theorems on the density of states for quantum spin models. We can repeat the same argument for classical Heisenberg models, also known as rotor models, and we find the high-temperature expansion is completely controlled by the eigenvalues of the coupling matrix, and again predicts non-Gaussian behavior for the density of states as long as the number of eigenvalues does not scale linearly with N . Indeed, we derive the amusing fact that these partition functions are essentially the generating function for counting permutations in the high-temperature regime. Finally, for the case relevant to neutrinos in a supernova, we identify the low-temperature phase as a unique state with the direction of the momenta of the neutrino dictating its coherent state in flavor-space, a state we dub the “flavor-momentum-locked” state. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1976

Data analysis and noise prediction for the QF-1B experimental fan stage

The results of a fan noise data analysis and prediction effort using experimental data obtained from tests on the QF-1B research fan are described. Surface pressure measurements were made with flush mounted sensors installed on selected rotor blades and stator vanes and noise measurements were made by microphones located at the far field. Power spectral density analysis, time history studies, and calculation of coherence functions were made. The emphasis of these studies was on the characteristics of tones in the spectra. The amplitude behavior of spectral tones was found to have a large, often predominant, random component, suggesting that turbulent processes play an important role in the generation of tonal as well as broadband noise. Inputs from the data analysis were used in a prediction method which assumes that acoustic dipoles, produced by unsteady blade and van forces, are the important source of fan noise.

Bliss, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Body frame close coupling wave packet approach to gas phase atom-rigid rotor inelastic collisions

The close coupling wave packet (CCWP) method is formulated in a body-fixed representation for atom-rigid rotor inelastic scattering. For J greater than j-max (where J is the total angular momentum and j is the rotational quantum number), the computational cost of propagating the coupled channel wave packets in the body frame is shown to scale approximately as N exp 3/2, where N is the total number of channels. For large numbers of channels, this will be much more efficient than the space frame CCWP method previously developed which scales approximately as N-squared under the same conditions.

Sun, Y.↗
NASA NTRS1958

Differential equations of motion for combined flapwise bending, chordwise bending, and torsion of twisted nonuniform rotor blades

The differential equations of motion for the lateral and torsional deformations of twisted rotating beams are developed for application to helicopter rotor and propeller blades. No assumption is made regarding the coincidence of the neutral, elastic, and mass axes, and the generality is such that previous theories involving various simplifications are contained as subcases to the theory presented in this paper. Special attention is given the terms which are not included in previous theories. These terms are largely coupling-type terms associated with the centrifugal forces. Methods of solution of the equations of motion are indicated by selected examples.

Houbolt, John C↗
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 OSTI2020

The effect of dynamic near-wake modulation on utility-scale wind turbine wake development

High-resolution field-scale experiments using flow visualization with natural snowfall and high-fidelity large eddy simulations are combined to investigate the effect of dynamic turbine operation and atmospheric conditions on wind turbine wake mixing and recovery in the wake of a 2.5 MW wind turbine. Instantaneous near-wake expansion and deflection in response to changes in blade pitch and wind direction, termed dynamic wake modulation, is quantified using both techniques, demonstrating excellent agreement. The simulations are used to extend these results by calculating the energy flux into the wake 7 rotor diameters downstream, showing that dynamic turbine-atmospheric interactions enhance mixing in the far-wake. This finding is exhibited under both uniform and turbulent inflow conditions. Under turbulent flow, a synergistic relationship is also observed between dynamic wake modulation and wake meandering, as wake recovery can be further accelerated when the two phenomena occur together. The results of this study have implications for the development of more realistic far-wake models that include the significant impact of dynamic wake modulation on wake mixing and development. Additionally, the findings from the current study can be used to develop advanced control algorithms to speed up wake breakdown and recovery, further improving wind farm efficiency.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1999

Turbomachinery Design Quality Checks to Avoid Friction Induced Structural Failure

A unique configuration of the P&W SSME Alternate Fuel Turbopump turbine disk/blade assembly, combined with a severe thermal environment, resulted in several structural anomalies that were driven by frictional contact forces. Understanding the mechanics of these problems provides new quality checks for future turbo machinery designs. During development testing in 1997 of the SSME alternate fuel turbopump at Stennis Space Center, several potentially serious problems surfaced with the turbine disk/blade assembly that had not been experienced in extensive earlier testing. Changes to the operational thermal environment were noted based on analytical prediction of modifications that affected performance and on stationary thermal measurements adjacent to the rotor assembly. A detailed structural investigation was required to reveal the mechanism of distress induced by the change. The turbine disk experienced cracking in several locations due to increased thermal gradient induced stress during start and shutdown transients. This was easily predictable using standard analysis procedures and expected once the thermal environment was characterized. What was not expected was the curling of a piston ring used for blade axial retention in the disk, indentation of the axial face of the blade attachment by a spacer separating the first and second stage blades, and most significantly, galling and cracking of the blade root attachment that could have resulted in blade release. Past experience, in gas turbine environments, set a precedent of never relying on friction for help and to evaluate it only in specific instances where it was obvious that it would degrade capability. In each of the three cases above, friction proved to be a determining factor that pushed the components into an unsatisfactory mode of operation. The higher than expected temperatures and rapid thermal transients combined with friction to move beyond past experience. The turbine disk/blade assembly configuration contributed to the potential for these problems to occur by limiting the radial deflection from thermals and centrifugal loading. The cooled solid bore configuration was chosen to improve rotordynamic stability by limiting the length of rotor overhang while still protecting the roller bearing by maintaining zero slope under the inner race. During a start transient, the rim area of the disk heats rapidly and expands axially and circumferentially and requires corresponding radial and axial growth of the disk to maintain relative positioning of the disk, blades, spacers and retainer rings. The stiffness, large thermal mass, and bore cooling flow combine to severely limit the disk rim radial growth which results in the potential for relative movement between these parts. Friction then becomes a player in the determination of component stress.

Moore, Jerry H.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Fundamental Aeronautics Program. Subsonic Rotary Wing Project: SRW Aeromechanics Overview/UH-60 Airloads Wind Tunnel Test Summary

Objectives: a) Advance the understanding of phenomena in aerodynamics, dynamics, and active control of rotorcraft. b) Develop and validate first-principles tools. c) Acquire data for tool validation from small and large-scale testing of existing and novel rotorcraft configurations. Recent Accomplishments include: (CFD) - Made significant improvements in structured and unstructured rotorcraft CFD methods (OVERFLOW and FUN3D). (Icing) - a) Continued development of high-fidelity icing analysis tools. b) Completed test of oscillating airfoil in Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). c) Developed plans and began detailed preparations for subscale rotor test in IRT.

Norman, Thomas R.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Aeroelastic Modeling for Distributed Wind Turbines: March 11, 2021 - November 10, 2021

Aeroelastic modeling (AM) is the primary methodology for structural and performance assessment of any wind turbine whereby providing an understanding of the impact of design parameters on its loading and power response before witnessing it in the field. Despite these advantages, the use of AM in the Distributed Wind Technology (DWT) sector is limited, especially within the less established manufacturers. This project represents an in-depth assessment of the status of AM and its role within the Standards for the DWT industry. The study gathered input and feedback from a large number of national and international stakeholders, reviewed technical strengths and weaknesses of the current edition of the design standards, analyzed recent industry workshops' and meetings' minutes, collected publicly available AM templates, and provided an evaluation of the existing AM codes. The study achieved several goals including providing strategies for the load assessment categorization of turbines based on rotor swept area and archetype, and guidance for AM verification and validation (V&V), which includes discussions of measurement requirements and a sample test-plan useful for future V&V campaigns and design standard development. This document summarizes the different tasks conducted in the course of the project and highlights the steps required to improve the AM adoption based on a multifaceted approach that encompasses: 1) augmenting AM software capabilities, 2) publishing AM best-practices and design-basis, 3) creating new model templates, 4) providing guidance for V&V of codes and specific turbine models leveraging field testing best-practice, and 5) addressing weaknesses in the current standards. Many of the future objectives identified in this study could leverage NREL's upcoming testing campaigns of three modern distributed wind turbines. Recommendations within this study will advance the value and the ease-of-use of AM, thereby allowing the industry to better capitalize this underutilized tool resulting in a more efficient design process, an easier path to certification, and overall better and more distributed reliable wind turbine products.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1975

Computational aspects of the prediction of multidimensional transonic flows in turbomachinery

The analytical prediction and description of transonic flow in turbomachinery is complicated by three fundamental effects: (1) the fluid equations describing the transonic regime are inherently nonlinear, (2) shock waves may be present in the flow, and (3) turbomachine blading is geometrically complex, possessing large amounts of curvature, stagger, and twist. A three-dimensional computation procedure for the study of transonic turbomachine fluid mechanics is described. The fluid differential equations and corresponding difference operators are presented, the boundary conditions for complex blade shapes are described, and the computational implementation and mapping procedures are developed. Illustrative results of a typical unthrottled transonic rotor are also presented.

Oliver, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Computational test of the infinite order sudden approximation for excitation of linear rigid rotors by collisions with atoms

The infinite order sudden approximation for excitation of linear rigid rotors by collisions with atom is tested by comparing integral state-to-state cross sections with accurate close coupling and coupled states results. The systems studied are HCl-Ar, HCl-He, CO-He, HCN-He, CS-H2 and OCS-H2. With the exception of diatomic hydrides (e.g., HCl) which have atypically large rotational constants the method is found to be very accurate to remarkably low collision energies. This approximation should generally be extremely useful for thermal energy collisions.

Green, S.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Challenges and Possible Solutions in Aeroelastic Modeling for the Distributed Wind Industry

Aeroelastic modeling (AM) is the primary methodology for structural and performance assessment of any wind turbine; it provides an understanding of the impact of design parameters on turbine loading and power response before witnessing it in the field. Despite these advantages, the use of AM in the distributed wind technology (DWT) sector is limited. This article represents a short summary of an in-depth assessment by the authors of the status of AM and its role within the distributed wind technology design standards. The research gathered input and feedback from a large number of U.S. and international stakeholders, reviewed technical strengths and weaknesses of the current edition of the design standards, analyzed the minutes from recent industry workshops and meetings, collected publicly available AM templates, and provided an evaluation of the existing AM codes. Several goals were achieved including providing strategies for the load assessment categorization of turbines based on rotor swept area and archetype, and guidance for AM verification and validation. Recommendations within this study will advance the value and the ease-of-use of AM, thereby allowing the industry to better capitalize this underutilized tool, resulting in a more efficient design process, an easier path to certification, and overall better and more reliable distributed wind technology products.

17 WIND ENERGY↗