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Method developed for measuring wavelengths of crossflow vortices by using surface-mounted, microthin, multielement hot-film sensors. Provides direct and true value of wavelength of crossflow vortices at various spanwise locations without localized flow disturbances. Attainment of laminar airflow on aircraft wings has significant potential for reducing drag and increasing fuel efficiency.
We demonstrate instantaneous flow visualization of the boundary layer region of a Mach 2.5 supersonic flow over a flat plate that is interacting with an impinging shock wave. Tests were performed in the Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) at NASA Langley Research Center. The technique is elastic light scattering using 10-nsec laser pulses at 532 nm. We emphasize that no seed material of any kind, including water (H2O), is purposely added to the flow. The scattered light comes from a residual impurity that normally exists in the flow medium after the air drying process. Thus, the technique described here differs from the traditional vapor-screen method, which is typically accomplished by the addition of extra H2O vapor to the airflow. The flow is visualized with a series of thin two-dimensional light sheets (oriented perpendicular to the streamwise direction) that are located at several positions downstream of the leading edge of the model. This geometry allows the direct observation of the unsteady flow structure in the spanwise dimension of the model and also allows the indirect observation of the boundary layer growth in the streamwise dimension.
The SEA Model WCM-2000 multi-element water content system was designed to provide aircraft and wind tunnel users with a single, rugged sensor to simultaneously measure liquid water content (LWC), total water content (TWC), and ice water content (IWC). The instrument consists of four heated stainless steel elements, each with a different shape or size. Each element is directly heated by low-voltage DC current flowing through the element. These elements are maintained at a constant temperature, typically 140°C, by a digital closed-loop control system. Three of the heated elements are exposed directly to the airstream and incoming cloud water. A fourth element, the reference/comp element, is arranged to be exposed to the airflow but not to incoming cloud water. This element is used to establish the “dry power term” that is subtracted from the other three elements’ power readings to establish the measured water content.
The results of a scale model static performance test of target thrust reverser configurations for the Pratt and Whitney Aircraft JT8D-100 series engine are presented. The objective of the test was to select a series of suitable candidate reverser configurations for the subsequent airplane model wind tunnel ingestion and flight controls tests. Test results indicate that adequate reverse thrust performance with compatible engine airflow match is achievable for the selected configurations. Tapering of the lips results in loss of performance and only minimal flow directivity. Door pressure surveys were conducted on a selected number of lip and fence configurations to obtain data to support the design of the thrust reverser system.
Twin helicopter engines are often sized by the power requirement of a safe mission completion after the failure of one of the two engines. This study was undertaken for NASA Lewis by General Electric Co. to evaluate the merits of special design features to provide a 2-1/2 Contingency Power rating, permitting an engine size reduction. The merits of water injection, turbine cooling airflow modulation, throttle push, and a propellant auxiliary power plant were evaluated using military Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and commercial helicopter Direct Operating Cost (DOC) merit factors in a rubber engine and a rubber aircraft scenario.
The acoustic radiation patterns from a 1/15th scale model of the Ames 80- by 120-Ft Wind Tunnel test section and inlet have been measured with a noise source installed in the test section. Data were acquired without airflow in the duct. Sound-absorbent inlet vanes oriented parallel to each other, or splayed with a variable incidence relative to the duct long axis, were evaluated along with duct wall linings. Results show that splayed vans tend to spread the sound to greater angles than those measured with the open inlet. Parallel vanes narrowed the high-frequency radiation pattern. Duct wall linings had a strong effect on acoustic directivity by attenuating wall reflections. Vane insertion loss was measured. Directivity results are compared with existing data from square ducts. Two prediction methods for duct radiation directivity are described: one is an empirical method based on the test data, and the other is a analytical method based on ray acoustics.
Each year clothes dryer appliances are sold globally in the tens of millions. Both vented and ventless types are common and are heated by combustion, electric resistance, or electric heat pumps. In the dyer air path, segments can be defined between components such as the drum, blower, filter, screens or grills, and heat exchangers (where applicable). In this work, a technique was developed to experimentally measure air leakage into and from the segments of a clothes dryer. Detailed leakage measurements were taken on two vented and one ventless residential clothes dryer. The measurements were quantified as a leakage flow coefficient for each segment. For two dryers (one vented and one ventless), these flow coefficients were combined with in situ operating pressure measurements to determine leakage flow rates for each segment. For these two units under normal operation with air pressures within 0.5 kPa (50 mm water column) of ambient pressure, volumetric system air leakage was found to be about 20–60% of the blower airflow. Furthermore, a quasi–steady state psychrometric analysis was conducted on vented dryers with negatively pressurized drums. The analysis revealed that leakage quantity, location, and direction are essential to achieving an acceptable energy balance and accurate modeling results for a vented heat pump clothes dryer but are of limited significance for vented electric resistance clothes dryers.
A vortex attenuation device is presented which dissipates a lift-induced vortex generated by a lifting aircraft wing. The device consists of a positive pressure gradient producing means in the form of a compression panel attached to the lower surface of the wing and facing perpendicular to the airflow across the wing. The panel is located between the midpoint of the local wing cord and the trailing edge in the chord-wise direction and at a point which is approximately 55 percent of the wing span as measured from the fuselage center line in the spanwise direction. When deployed in flight, this panel produces a positive pressure gradient aligned with the final roll-up of the total vortex system which interrupts the axial flow in the vortex core and causes the vortex to collapse.
The goal of our research on flame spread across a pool of liquid fuel is the quantitative identification of the mechanisms that control the rate and nature of flame spread when the initial temperature of the liquid pool is below the fuel's flash point temperature. Besides numerous experiments in drop towers and 1 g laboratories, we have flown five microgravity (mu-g) experiments on sounding rockets. As described in earlier papers, the first three flights examined the effect of forced opposed airflow over a 2.5 cm deep x 2 cm wide x 30 cm long pool of 1-butanol in mu-g. It was found that the flame spread is much slower and steadier than in 1 g where flame spread has a pulsating character. It was speculated that the flame spread in mu-g resembled the character of pseudo-uniform spread in 1 g; Ito et al later confirmed this conclusively in 1 g experiments. Much of the mu-g flame is also farther from the surface, dimmer, and with less soot, when compared to the 1 g flame. Three-dimensional liquid-phase flow patterns that control the liquid preheating were discovered in both 1 g and mu-g. Our numerical model, restricted to two dimensions, had predicted faster, pulsating flame spread in mu-g for opposed airflow. In examining the differences in the dimensionality of the model and experiment, it was noted that the experiment allowed gas expansion in the lateral direction (across the width of the pool), for which the model could not account. Such lateral expansion could reduce the expansion in the forward and upward directions. Because only these latter directions could be modeled, it was decided to artificially reduce the gas thermal expansion in the predictions. When this was done, satisfactory agreement could be obtained between the predicted and observed spread rates and the steadiness of the spread in microgravity. In 1 g, however, the predicted flame spread character also changed to pseudo-uniform, which disagreed with our 1 g experiments where the spread is pulsating. It was then speculated that gas-phase buoyant flow might oppose the lateral gas expansion, so that the 1 g experiments retained their pulsating flame spread character. If this speculation was valid, a difference in lateral gas expansion should be observable when comparing 1 g and mu-g experiments. Specifically, it was anticipated that greater flow divergence caused by lateral expansion would be measured in mu-g in the absence of a buoyant flow directed towards the flame.
The heat transfer performance of baffled cooling fins on cylinder heads of small, air-cooled, general-aviation aircraft engines was analyzed to determine the potential for improving cooling fin design. Flow baffles were assumed to be installed tightly against the fin end edges, an ideal baffle configuration for guiding all flow between the fins. A rectangular flow passage is thereby formed between each set of two adjacent fins, the fin base surface, and the baffle. These passages extend around each side of the cylinder head, and the cooling air absorbs heat as it flows within them. For each flow passage length, the analysis was concerned with optimizing fin spacing and thickness to achieve the best heat transfer for each fin width. Previous literature has been concerned mainly with maximizing the local fin conductance and has not considered the heating of the gas in the flow direction, which leads to higher wall temperatures at the fin passage exits. If the fins are close together, there is a large surface area, but the airflow is restricted.
The NASA Langley Research Center has recently conducted an investigation to determine the effects of spanwise blowing on two configurations representative of current fighter airplanes. This research examined not only the longitudinal, or performance, effects but was especially oriented toward determining the lateral-directional effects, particularly in the stall/departure angle of attack range. The wind tunnel tests included measurement of static and forced-oscillation aerodynamic data, visualization of the airflow changes over the wing created by the spanwise blowing and free flight model tests. Effects of blowing rate, chordwise location of the blowing ports, asymmetric blowing, and the effects of blowing on the effectiveness of conventional aerodynamic controls were investigated.
Aeroacoustic evaluations of high-lift devices have been carried out in the Quiet Flow Facility of the NASA Langley Research Center. The present paper describes detailed flow and acoustic measurements that have been made in order to better understand the noise generated from airflow over a wing leading edge slat configuration, and to possibly predict and reduce this noise source. The acoustic database is obtained by a moveable Small Aperture Directional Array of microphones designed to electronically steer to different portions of models under study. The slat is shown to be a uniform distributed noise source. The data was processed such that spectra and directivity were determined with respect to a one-foot span of slat. The spectra are normalized in various fashions to demonstrate slat noise character. In order to equate portions of the spectra to different slat noise components, trailing edge noise predictions using measured slat boundary layer parameters as inputs are compared to the measured slat noise spectra.
The effects of spanwise blowing on two configurations representative of current fighter airplanes were investigated. The two configurations differed only in wing planform, with one incorporating a trapezoidal wing and the other a 60 delta wing. Emphasis was on determining the lateral-directional characteristics, particularly in the stall/departure angle-of-attack range; however, the effects of spanwise blowing on the longitudinal aerodynamics were also determined. The-tunnel tests included measurement of static force and forced-oscillation aerodynamic data, visualization of the airflow changes created by the spanwise blowing, and free-flight model tests. The effects of blowing rate, chordwise location of the blowing ports, asymmetric blowing, and blowing on the conventional aerodynamic control characteristics were investigated. In the angle-of-attack regions in which the spanwise blowing substantially improved the wing upper-surface flow field (i.e., provided reattachment of the flow aft of the leading-edge vortex), improvements in both static and dynamic lateral-directional stability were observed. Blowing effects on stability could be proverse or adverse depending on blowing rate, blowing port loaction, and wing planform. Free-flight model tests of the trapezoidal wing confirmed the beneficial effects of spanwise blowing measured in the static and dynamic force tests.
A flade exhaust nozzle for a high thrust jet engine is configured to form an acoustic shield around the core engine exhaust flowstream while supplementing engine thrust during all flight conditions, particularly during takeoff. The flade airflow is converted from an annular 360.degree. flowstream to an arcuate flowstream extending around the lower half of the core engine exhaust flowstream so as to suppress exhaust noise directed at the surrounding community.
We develop the methodology of coupling two different computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes, OpenNCC and Glenn-HT, in order to investigate the unsteady flow fields inside the combustor and around the first-stage stator of a high-pressure turbine (HPT) from the energy efficient engine (E 3 ) program. In our coupling strategy, OpenNCC, a time accurate unstructured mesh multi-phase combustion CFD code, is applied to the combustor region and Glenn-HT, a structured mesh CFD code designed for turbine applications, is utilized inside the HPT region. As a proof of concept, we first simulate the three-dimensional airflow over the backward facing step and compared the predicted pressure coefficient against experimental data. We then considered a Jet-A/Air combustor with the NASA single learn direct injector (LDI) as a reacting flow test case. Here, Glenn-HT is used in the downstream of the combustor and assumes that the working fluid is a single gas (i.e., air) where the properties of the gas are taken from time- and area-averaged values at the combustor exit. A fully coupled combustor-turbine simulation using both OpenNCC and Glenn-HT was conducted on the E 3 combustor and a detailed analysis done pertaining to how a realistic combustor outflow affects migration of hot-streaks and its impact on the aerodynamic behavior inside the HPT. It is found that the combustion dynamics (i.e., the switching main and pilot flame strength) significantly alters the aerodynamic behavior inside the HPT including hot-streak migration. Variations of the temperature and the velocity magnitude in the passage could be up to ±75 and ±15. These large variations are an important part of the combustor-turbine interactions, which are overlooked by a single component simulation of the HPT while imposing the steady inflow boundary condition at the HPT inlet. Finally, it is observed the strong density gradient associated with the hot-streaks and the pressure gradient at the passage significantly enhances the baroclinic torque, affecting the vorticity field.
Differences in air pressure are a major cause of atmospheric circulation. Because heat excites the movement of atoms, warm temperatures cause, air molecules to expand. Because those molecules now occupy a larger space, the pressure that their weight exerts is decreased. Air from surrounding high-pressure areas is pushed toward the low-pressure areas, creating circulation. This process causes a major pattern of global atmosphere movement known as meridional circulation. In this form of convection, or vertical air movement, heated equatorial air rises and travels through the upper atmosphere toward higher latitudes. Air just above the equator heads toward the North Pole, and air just below the equator moves southward. This air movement fills the gap created where increased air pressure pushes down cold air. The ,cold air moves along the surface back toward the equator, replacing the air masses that rise there. Another influence on atmospheric. circulation is the Coriolis force. Because of the Earth's rotation, large-scale wind currents move in the direction of this axial spin around low-pressure areas. Wind rotates counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. just as the Earth's rotation affects airflow, so too does its surface. In the phenomenon of orographic lifting, elevated topographic features such as mountain ranges lift air as it moves up their surface.
A prototype helmet audio system has been developed to improve voice communication for the wearer in a noisy environment. The system was originally intended to be used in a space suit, wherein noise generated by airflow of the spacesuit life-support system can make it difficult for remote listeners to understand the astronaut s speech and can interfere with the astronaut s attempt to issue vocal commands to a voice-controlled robot. The system could be adapted to terrestrial use in helmets of protective suits that are typically worn in noisy settings: examples include biohazard, fire, rescue, and diving suits. The system (see figure) includes an array of microphones and small loudspeakers mounted at fixed positions in a helmet, amplifiers and signal-routing circuitry, and a commercial digital signal processor (DSP). Notwithstanding the fixed positions of the microphones and loudspeakers, the system can accommodate itself to any normal motion of the wearer s head within the helmet. The system operates in conjunction with a radio transceiver. An audio signal arriving via the transceiver intended to be heard by the wearer is adjusted in volume and otherwise conditioned and sent to the loudspeakers. The wearer s speech is collected by the microphones, the outputs of which are logically combined (phased) so as to form a microphone- array directional sensitivity pattern that discriminates in favor of sounds coming from vicinity of the wearer s mouth and against sounds coming from elsewhere. In the DSP, digitized samples of the microphone outputs are processed to filter out airflow noise and to eliminate feedback from the loudspeakers to the microphones. The resulting conditioned version of the wearer s speech signal is sent to the transceiver.
An improved cathode structure on a membrane/electrode assembly has been developed for a direct methanol fuel cell, in a continuing effort to realize practical power systems containing such fuel cells. This cathode structure is intended particularly to afford better cell performance at a low airflow rate. A membrane/electrode assembly of the type for which the improved cathode structure was developed (see Figure 1) is fabricated in a process that includes brush painting and spray coating of catalyst layers onto a polymer-electrolyte membrane and onto gas-diffusion backings that also act as current collectors. The aforementioned layers are then dried and hot-pressed together. When completed, the membrane/electrode assembly contains (1) an anode containing a fine metal black of Pt/Ru alloy, (2) a membrane made of Nafion 117 or equivalent (a perfluorosulfonic acid-based hydrophilic, proton-conducting ion-exchange polymer), (3) a cathode structure (in the present case, the improved cathode structure described below), and (4) the electrically conductive gas-diffusion backing layers, which are made of Toray 060(TradeMark)(or equivalent) carbon paper containing between 5 and 6 weight percent of poly(tetrafluoroethylene). The need for an improved cathode structure arises for the following reasons: In the design and operation of a fuel-cell power system, the airflow rate is a critical parameter that determines the overall efficiency, cell voltage, and power density. It is desirable to operate at a low airflow rate in order to obtain thermal and water balance and to minimize the size and mass of the system. The performances of membrane/electrode assemblies of prior design are limited at low airflow rates. Methanol crossover increases the required airflow rate. Hence, one way to reduce the required airflow rate is to reduce the effect of methanol crossover. Improvement of the cathode structure - in particular, addition of hydrophobic particles to the cathode - has been demonstrated to mitigate the effects of crossover and decrease the airflow required.