SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “WALLS”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 883 records · Page 49

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1976

Interference-free wind-tunnel flows by adaptive-wall technology

The adaptive-wall or self-correcting wind tunnel has been proposed for such regimes as transonic and V/STOL where wall effects are large and cannot be corrected for. The power and generality of the concept are pointed out. In a two-dimensional transonic embodiment in the Calspan One-Foot Tunnel, the scheme has been shown to work at lower transonic Mach numbers. Several practical problems are cited, including instrumentation, the nature of the wall modification, and convergence of the iterative procedure. Moreover, questions of shock-wave neutralization at the wall and probable configuration of three-dimensional embodiments are discussed.

Sears, W. R.↗

NASA NTRS1977

An experimental investigation of boundary layer and crossflow characteristics of the Ames 2 by 2 foot and 11 by 11 foot transonic wind-tunnel walls

The boundary layer and crossflow characteristics of 2- by 2-foot and 11- by 11-foot transonic wind-tunnel wall configurations have been studied for Mach numbers ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 and for various crossflow to free stream unit mass flow ratios. For the 2- by 2-ft and 11- by 11-ft wall configurations, these ratios ranged from 0 to 0.12 and from 0 to 0.07, respectively. Most notably, for both wall configurations, the pressure-drop coefficient across the wall was nonlinear with mass flow and invariant with Mach number.

Matyk, G.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Analytical and numerical investigation of structural response of compliant wall materials, part 2

Theoretical analysis of an electrostatically driven wall system for a compliant wall drag reduction program is reported. The electrostatic wall system is capable of producing deflections of many orders greater than the wall thicknesses and at small wavelengths. An intermediate large response theory is used for structural analysis. The theoretical predictions are compared to bench test results, and good agreement between the two is obtained. The effects of aerodynamic loads and perturbation electric fields on the theoretical solutions are considered. It is shown that for very small wavelengths (lambda almost equals 2 mm) the aerodynamic effects can be estimated using potential theory without loss of accuracy, and the perturbation electric fields do not effect solutions as long as the deflections are less than one percent of the wavelength. Resonance effects for this type of structure are shown to be fairly small.

Balasubramanian, R.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Modal propagation angles in ducts with soft walls and their connection with suppressor performance

The angles of propagation of the wave fronts associated with duct modes are derived for a cylindrical duct with soft walls (acoustic suppressors) and a uniform steady flow. The angle of propagation with respect to the radial coordinate (angle of incidence on the wall) is shown to be a better correlating parameter for the optimum wall impedance of spinning modes than the previously used mode cutoff ratio. Both the angle of incidence upon the duct wall and the propagation angle with respect to the duct axis are required to describe the attenuation of a propagating mode. Using the modal propagation angles, a geometric acoustics approach to suppressor acoustic performance was developed. Results from this approximate method were compared to exact modal propagation calculations to check the accuracy of the approximate method. The results are favorable except in the immediate vicinity of the modal optimum impedance where the approximate method yields about one-half of the exact maximum attenuation.

Rice, E. J.↗

NASA NTRS1979

An experimental investigation of the flow field of a rectangular wall jet

The structure of a laminar, rectangular wall jet developing from an initially parabolic velocity profile was investigated with measurements of the mean and fluctuating velocity field, and with Schlieren flow visualization. The effects on mean and fluctuating velocity fields of changes in the jet Reynolds number over the range of from 0 to 4800, and of various wall lengths ranging from 0 to 312 jet widths were studied. For a given wall length and Reynolds number, disturbances in the flow field were regular and periodic, and of a constant frequency in a large region of the flow field. Small, self-excited disturbances at the nozzle exit were observed to grow exponentially with downstream distance, and roll up to form a convecting array of discrete vortices. For certain values of wall length and jet speed, discrete audible tones were detected, and appeared to be associated with an enhancement of the regularity and stability of the vortex array.

Horne, C.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Modal propagation angles in ducts with soft walls and their connection with suppressor performance

Rice, E. J.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Effect of viscosity on wind-tunnel wall interference for airfoils at high lift

The effect of the walls of a wind tunnel on the subsonic, two-dimensional flow past airfoils at high angles of attack is studied theoretically and experimentally. The computerized analysis, which is based on iteratively coupled potential-flow, boundary-layer, and separated-flow analyses, includes determining the effect of viscosity and flow separation on the airfoil/wall interaction. Predictions of the effects of wind-tunnel wall on the lift of airfoils are compared with wall corrections based on inviscid image analyses, and with experimental data. These comparisons are made for airfoils that are large relative to the size of the test section of the wind tunnel. It is shown that the inviscid image modeling of the wind-tunnel interaction becomes inaccurate at lift coefficients near maximum lift or when the airfoil/wall interaction is particularly strong. It is also shown that the present method of analysis (which includes boundary-layer and flow-separation effects) will provide accurate wind-tunnel wall corrections for lift coefficients up to maximum lift.

Olson, L. E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Interaction between a normal shock wave and a turbulent boundary layer at high transonic speeds. Part 1: Pressure distribution. Part 2: Wall shear stress. Part 3: Simplified formulas for the prediction of surface pressures and skin friction

An asymptotic description is derived for the interaction between a shock wave and a turbulent boundary layer in transonic flow, for a particular limiting case. The dimensionless difference between the external flow velocity and critical sound speed is taken to be much smaller than one, but large in comparison with the dimensionless friction velocity. The basic results are derived for a flat plate, and corrections for longitudinal wall curvature and for flow in a circular pipe are also shown. Solutions are given for the wall pressure distribution and the shape of the shock wave. Solutions for the wall shear stress are obtained, and a criterion for incipient separation is derived. Simplified solutions for both the wall pressure and skin friction distributions in the interaction region are given. These results are presented in a form suitable for use in computer programs.

Adamson, T. C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Gortler vortices and transition in wall boundary layers of two Mach 5 nozzles

The onset of transition in the wall boundary layers of two axisymmetric Mach 5 wind-tunnel nozzles has been measured under conditions of extremely low incident disturbance levels. The range of test unit Reynolds numbers, based on conditions at the nozzle exit, was from 6 x 10 to the 6th power m to 2.5 x 10 to the 7th power m. When the nozzle walls were maintained in a polished and clean condition, transition moved gradually upstream as the test Reynolds number was increased. When transition occurred in the supersonic concave wall region, the values of the local Gortler parameter at transition varied from about 5 to 6, whereas the momentum thickness Reynolds number varied from about 750 to 1050. Oil flow patterns obtained near the exit of the nozzles indicated that Gortler vortices were always present when the wall boundary layers were laminar. Calculations for the growth of Gortler vortices based on new results from linear theory for supersonic flat-plate profiles gave amplification ratios to transition from e to the 4th power to e to the 15th power. Possible reasons for this wide range in amplification ratios are discussed, but no definite conclusions are yet possible regarding the values of n in a simple e to the nth power type theory for the assumed linear amplification of Gortler vortices to transition in supersonic nozzles.

Beckwith, I. E.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Characteristics of mean velocity in the annulus wall region at the exit of turbomachinery rotor passage

This paper reports the experimental study of the three-dimensional characteristics of the mean velocity in the annulus-wall boundary layer and wake mixing region of a moderately loaded compressor rotor blade. The measurements reported were obtained using a three-sensor hot-wire probe at the exit of the rotor. They consisted of tangential surveys at several axial and radial locations downstream of the compressor rotor blade passage. The variation of the streamwise, normal, and radial velocity profiles and their decay characteristics are derived from this data. The measurements reveal the highly complex and three-dimensional nature of the annulus-wall flow field and the nature of the interaction of the annulus-wall boundary layer, the blade boundary layers and wake, and the secondary flow associated with the annulus-wall region.

Davino, R.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Turbulence characteristics in the annulus-wall boundary layer and wake mixing region of a compressor rotor exit

The flow at the exit of a turbomachinery rotor near the annulus wall is three-dimensional with a varying degree of turbulence and nonisotropic characteristics. The characteristics of the turbulence vary considerably with radial and axial location, blade loading, Reynolds number, free-stream turbulence, and the rotor blade geometry. This paper is concerned with the turbulence properties near the annulus wall region of a moderately loaded compressor blade. The variation of the streamwise, normal, and radial intensities as well as the stresses across the wake, its profile and decay characteristics, were determined with a tri-axial hot-wire probe in the stationary frame of reference. The turbulence characteristics in the annulus-wall region of the rotor exit were found to be highly complex due to the interaction of the blade wake and the annulus wall.

Davino, R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Some ideas and opportunities concerning three-dimensional wind-tunnel wall corrections

Opportunities for improving the accuracy and reliability of wall corrections in conventional ventilated test sections are presented. The approach encompasses state-of-the-art technology in transonic computational methods combined with the measurement of tunnel-wall pressures. The objective is to arrive at correction procedures of known, verifiable accuracy that are practical within a production testing environment. It is concluded that: accurate and reliable correction procedures can be developed for cruise-type aerodynamic testing for any wall configuration; passive walls can be optimized for minimal interference for cruise-type aerodynamic testing (tailored slots, variable open area ratio, etc.); monitoring and assessment of noncorrectable interference (buoyancy and curvature in a transonic stream) can be an integral part of a correction procedure; and reasonably good correction procedures can probably be developd for complex flows involving extensive separation and other unpredictable phenomena.

Rubbert, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Turbulent boundary layer heat transfer experiments - A separate effects study on a convexly-curved wall

Surface heat transfer rates have been measured for several different flows on an isothermal, convexly curved surface. The freestream velocity, boundary layer thickness, acceleration parameter, and unheated starting length were varied systematically, and both turbulent and transitional boundary layers were studied. The effect of convex curvature on heat transfer rates is significant with Stanton numbers reduced 20-25% below flat wall values for the same enthalpy thickness Reynolds number. Heat transfer rates recovered slowly on a flat wall downstream of the curved wall, and after 60 cm, the Stanton numbers were still 15-20% below flat wall values. The behavior of the boundary layer suggests the existence of an asymptotic condition. Boundary layer thickness, freestream velocity, and boundary layer maturity affect the initial response to the introduction of curvature and the rate at which the asymptotic state is approached. Convex curvature appears to increase the boundary layer's sensitivity to acceleration; it also delays and retards transition. Near-laminar or early-transitional boundary layers recover from curvature rapidly, whereas late-transitional and mature boundary layers recover slowly.

Simon, T. W.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A method for modifying two-dimensional adaptive wind-tunnel walls including analytical and experimental verification

The theoretical development of a simple and consistent method for removing the interference in adaptive-wall wind tunnels is reported. A Cauchy integral formulation of the velocities in an imaginary infinite extension of the real wind-tunnel flow is obtained and evaluated on a closed contour dividing the real and imaginary flow. The contour consists of the upper and lower effective wind-tunnel walls (wall plus boundary-layer displacement thickness) and upstream and downstream boundaries perpendicular to the axial tunnel flow. The resulting integral expressions for the streamwise and normal perturbation velocities on the contour are integrated by assuming a linear variation of the velocities between data-measurement stations along the contour. In an iterative process, the velocity components calculated on the upper and lower boundaries are then used to correct the shape of the wall to remove the interference. Convergence of the technique is shown numerically for the cases of a circular cylinder and a lifting and nonlifting NACA 0012 airfoil in incompressible flow. Experimental convergence at a transonic Mach number is demonstrated by using an NACA 0012 airfoil at zero lift.

Everhart, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Study of noise reduction characteristics of double-wall panels

The noise reduction characteristics of general aviation type, flat, double-wall structures were investigated. The experimental study was carried out on 20-by-20 inch panels with an exposed area of 18 by 18 inches. A frequency range from 20 to 5000 Hz was covered. The experimental results, in general, follow the expected trends. At low frequencies the double-wall structures are no better than the single-wall structures. However, for depths normally used in the general aviation industry, the double-wall panels are very attractive. The graphite-spoxy skin panels have higher noise reduction at very low frequencies ( 100 Hz) than the Kevlar skin panels. But the aluminum panels have higher noise reduction in the high frequency region, due to their greater mass. Use of fiberglass insulation is not effective in the low frequency region, and at times it is even negative. But the insulation is effective in the high-frequency region. The theoretical model for predicting the transmission loss of these multilayered panels is also discussed.

Navaneethan, R.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Wall interference correction improvements for the ONERA main wind tunnels

This paper describes improved methods of calculating wall interference corrections for the ONERA large windtunnels. The mathematical description of the model and its sting support have become more sophisticated. An increasing number of singularities is used until an agreement between theoretical and experimental signatures of the model and sting on the walls of the closed test section is obtained. The singularity decentering effects are calculated when the model reaches large angles of attack. The porosity factor cartography on the perforated walls deduced from the measured signatures now replaces the reference tests previously carried out in larger tunnels. The porosity factors obtained from the blockage terms (signatures at zero lift) and from the lift terms are in good agreement. In each case (model + sting + test section), wall corrections are now determined, before the tests, as a function of the fundamental parameters M, CS, CZ. During the windtunnel tests, the corrections are quickly computed from these functions.

Vaucheret, X.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Experiments in a three-dimensional adaptive-wall wind tunnel

Three dimensional adaptive-wall experiments were performed in the Ames Research Center (ARC) 25- by 13-cm indraft wind tunnel. A semispan wing model was mounted to one sidewall of a test section with solid sidewalls, and slotted top and bottom walls. The test section had separate top and bottom plenums which were divided into streamwise and cross-stream compartments. An iterative procedure was demonstrated for measuring wall interference and for adjusting the plenum compartment pressures to eliminate such interference. The experiments were conducted at a freestream Mach number of 0.60 and model angles of attack between 0 and 6 deg. Although in all the experiments wall interference was reduced after the plenum pressures were adjusted, interference could not be completely eliminated.

Schairer, E. T.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Near-wall similarity in the three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers. III - Shear-driven flow results

Ten of eleven proposed three-dimensional similarity models identified in the literature are evaluated with direct wall shear, velocity field, and pressure gradient data from a three-dimensional shear-driven boundary layer flow. Results define an upper limit on velocity vector skewing for each model's predictive ability. When combined with earlier results for pressure-driven flows, each model's predictive ability with and without pressure gradients is summarized. The utility of some two-dimensional type indirect wall shear measurement methods and wall shear inference methods from near-wall velocity measurements for three-dimensional flows is also discussed.

Pierce, F. J.↗