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At least 91 records · Page 5

Integral boundary-layer models for turbulent separated flows

Two-dimensional, integral boundary-layer methods of the entrainment and dissipation type, with closure relationships which account for turbulent separated flows through the velocity and turbulence models, are developed. Kinematic shape factor relations used in the two methods are evaluated by comparison with recently obtained experimental data for separated flows. Prescribed-displacement-thickness computations are made with both methods and compared to experiment for a series of separated flows, including low speed and transonic shock-induced separation. Effects of upstream history on the turbulent shear stress development are shown to be important for the accurate prediction of the separated flows considered and the experimental trends are reasonably modeled by a rate equation derived from the turbulent kinetic energy equation.

Thomas, J. L.↗

High Energy Dynamic Impact Testing of APC AS4/PEKK-FC and TC1225 LMPAEK T700G Thermoplastic Composite Materials

High energy dynamic impact tests were conducted on Solvay APC AS4D/PEKK-FC and Toray TC1225 LMPAEK T700Gthermoplastic composite laminates. The primary objective was to provide data for evaluation of computational composite impact models. Empirical results indicate an approximately 50% increase in penetration threshold velocity and over 100% increase in penetration energy threshold for the TC1225 LMPAEK T700Gcomposite compared to the APC AS4D/PEKK-FC composite. The velocity required to produce NDE-detectable delamination in the TC1225 LMPAEK T700Gcomposite was roughly twice that for the APC AS4D/PEKK-FC composite. Comparison of the normalized energy absorption showed similar results for the APC AS4D/PEKK-FC system compared to a previously studied IM7/8552 composite material. The TC1225 LMPAEK T700Gsystem absorbed approximately twice that of the other two systems when normalized by areal weight.

Impact↗

Shear coaxial injector instability mechanisms

There is no definitive knowledge of which of several concurrent processes ultimately results in unstable combustion within liquid rocket chambers employing shear coaxial injectors. Possible explanations are a detrimental change in the atomization characteristics due to a decrease in the gas-to-liquid velocity ratio, a change in the gas side injector pressure drop allowing acoustic coupling to the propellant feed system or the disappearance of a stabilizing recirculation region at the base of the LOX post. The aim of this research effort is to investigate these proposed mechanisms under conditions comparable to actual engine operation. Spray characterization was accomplished with flash photography and planar laser imaging to examine the overall spray morphology and liquid jet breakup processes and with a PDPA to quantify the spatial distribution of droplet size and mean axial velocity. A simplified stability model based on the Rayleigh criterion was constructed for the flow dynamics occurring within the chamber and injector to evaluate the potential coupling between the chamber and injector acoustic modes and was supported by high frequency measurements of chamber and injector pressure oscillations. To examine recirculation within the LOX post recess, velocity measurements were performed in the recess region by means of LDV. Present experiments were performed under noncombusting conditions using LOX/GH2 stimulants at pressures up to 4 MPa.

Puissant, C.↗

Doppler global velocimetry

A new program to develop a Doppler Global Velocimeter (DGV) for application in the High angle-of-Attack Technology Program is discussed. The Flight research instrument system will make non-intrusive multicomponent velocity measurements of the vortical flow field around an aircraft in flight. The DGV will provide a means to obtain airborne experimental data to evaluate and refine computational fluid dynamic models and to correlate with wind-tunnel data sets. The primary use of the instrument system will be to provide a flexible research tool to map the 3D velocity field at various locations around an aircraft during high angle-of-attack maneuvers at subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speeds. Other potential applications may include shock definition and interactions, external stores flow interactions, rotary flow field definition, non-steady flow field definition, measurement of inlet and duct flow field, and measurement of hypersonic flow field in flight.

Usry, Jim↗

Assessment of an Automated Touchdown Detection Algorithm for the Orion Crew Module

Orion Crew Module (CM) touchdown detection is critical to activating the post-landing sequence that safe?s the Reaction Control Jets (RCS), ensures that the vehicle remains upright, and establishes communication with recovery forces. In order to accommodate safe landing of an unmanned vehicle or incapacitated crew, an onboard automated detection system is required. An Orion-specific touchdown detection algorithm was developed and evaluated to differentiate landing events from in-flight events. The proposed method will be used to initiate post-landing cutting of the parachute riser lines, to prevent CM rollover, and to terminate RCS jet firing prior to submersion. The RCS jets continue to fire until touchdown to maintain proper CM orientation with respect to the flight path and to limit impact loads, but have potentially hazardous consequences if submerged while firing. The time available after impact to cut risers and initiate the CM Up-righting System (CMUS) is measured in minutes, whereas the time from touchdown to RCS jet submersion is a function of descent velocity, sea state conditions, and is often less than one second. Evaluation of the detection algorithms was performed for in-flight events (e.g. descent under chutes) using hi-fidelity rigid body analyses in the Decelerator Systems Simulation (DSS), whereas water impacts were simulated using a rigid finite element model of the Orion CM in LS-DYNA. Two touchdown detection algorithms were evaluated with various thresholds: Acceleration magnitude spike detection, and Accumulated velocity changed (over a given time window) spike detection. Data for both detection methods is acquired from an onboard Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor. The detection algorithms were tested with analytically generated in-flight and landing IMU data simulations. The acceleration spike detection proved to be faster while maintaining desired safety margin. Time to RCS jet submersion was predicted analytically across a series of simulated Orion landing conditions. This paper details the touchdown detection method chosen and the analysis used to support the decision.

Gay, Robert S.↗

Calculation of Area Loss Due to Meteoroid Penetration

Simple Monte Carlo methods have been applied to the calculation of meteoroid penetration of spacecraft surfaces to account for the distributions of impact angle and velocity on the impact mechanics. Both single sheet and double sheet surfaces have been modeled. The model has been applied to several spacecraft and spacecraft concepts to evaluate light leakage into optical instruments or through sunshades. Results indicate that surfaces are less likely to be penetrated - or will be penetrated less often - than indicated by simply assuming an "average" velocity and normal impact. The reduction is typically about 40 percent. This effect is caused by the angular dependence of the penetration mechanics. However, the probability distribution of penetrating particles is relatively broad and indicates a peak above the ballistic limit particle size associated with the average velocity case.

Cooke, William J., Jr.↗

Large-area sheet task advanced dendritic web growth development

The thermal stress models were used to test the effect of melt level on stress generation and growth velocity. The results indicate that melt level has only small effects on stresses but significant effects on growth velocity. These results are consistent with experimental growth from measured melt levels. A new low-stress design concept is being evaluated with the models. A width-limiting version of the low-stress J460 configuration was tested experimentally with results consistent with the design goals.

Duncan, C. S.↗

Predictions of the structure of turbulent, particle-laden, round jets

Models of gas and particle motion in turbulent, particle-laden, round jets were evaluated using existing measurements of flow structure. Three models were considered: (1) a locally homogeneous flow model, where velocities and turbulent mixing properties of both phases were assumed to be equal; (2) a deterministic separated flow model, where interphase slip was considered but effects of turbulent dispersion were ignored; and (3) a stochastic separated flow model where effects of interphase slip and turbulent dispersion were considered using random sampling techniques. In all three cases, mean and turbulent properties of the continuous phase were found with a well-calibrated k-epsilon model. The locally homogeneous flow and deterministic separated flow models over- and underestimated particle spread and flow development rates, respectively. The stochastic separated flow model, however, yielded satisfactory predictions of flow structure - except at high particle loadings. Uncertainties in initial conditions for the measurements and possible effects of turbulence modulation by the particles are proposed as the reason for these errors.

Shuen, J.-S.↗

Measurements and predictions of the structure of evaporating sprays

In the present experimental and theoretical study of turbulent, evaporating sprays, round, Freon-11 sprays produced by an air-atomizing injector that is directed vertically downward in still air were subjected to structure measurements for mean and fluctuating gas velocities, total Freon-11 concentration, drop size and velocity contributions, mean gas temperature, and liquid flux distributions. An evaluation was then conducted of three spray models: (1) locally homogeneous flow, (2) deterministic separated flow, and (3) stochastic separated flow. The first two of these were found to perform poorly; the stochastic model yielded the best agreement between predictions and measurements.

Solomon, A. S. P.↗

Kinetic Roughening and Energetics of Tetragonal Lysozyme Crystal Growth: A Preliminary Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation

We examined particulars of crystal growth from measurements obtained at both microscopic and molecular levels. The crystal growth measurements performed at the microscopic level are well characterized by a model that balances the flux of macromolecules towards the crystal surface with the flux of the crystal surface. Numerical evaluation of model with measurements of crystal growth, in time, provided accurate estimates for the average growth velocities. Growth velocities thus obtained were also interpreted using well-established phenomenological theories. Moreover, we find that microscopic measurements of growth velocity measurements obtained as a function of temperature best characterizes changes in crystal growth modes, when present. We also examined the possibility of detecting a change in crystal growth modes at the molecular level using atomic force microscopy, AFM. From preliminary AFM measurements performed at various supersaturations, we find that magnitude of surface height fluctuations, h(x), increases with supersaturation. Further examination of surface height fluctuations using methods established for fluctuation spectroscopy also enabled the discovery of the existence of a characteristic length, c, which may possibly determine the mode of crystal growth. Although the results are preliminary, we establish the non- critical divergence of 5 and the root-mean-square (rms) magnitude of height-height fluctuations as the kinetic roughening transition temperatures are approached. Moreover, we also examine approximate models for interpreting the non-critical behavior of both 6 and rms magnitude of height-height fluctuations, as the solution supersaturation is increased towards the kinetic roughening supersaturation.

Gorti, Sridhar↗

Flight evaluation of differential GPS aided inertial navigation systems

Algorithms are described for integration of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) data with Inertial Navigation System (INS) data to provide an integrated DGPS/INS navigation system. The objective is to establish the benefits that can be achieved through various levels of integration of DGPS with INS for precision navigation. An eight state Kalman filter integration was implemented in real-time on a twin turbo-prop transport aircraft to evaluate system performance during terminal approach and landing operations. A fully integrated DGPS/INS system is also presented which models accelerometer and rate-gyro measurement errors plus position, velocity, and attitude errors. The fully integrated system was implemented off-line using range-domain (seventeen-state) and position domain (fifteen-state) Kalman filters. Both filter integration approaches were evaluated using data collected during the flight test. Flight-test data consisted of measurements from a 5 channel Precision Code GPS receiver, a strap-down Inertial Navigation Unit (INU), and GPS satellite differential range corrections from a ground reference station. The aircraft was laser tracked to determine its true position. Results indicate that there is no significant improvement in positioning accuracy with the higher levels of DGPS/INS integration. All three systems provided high-frequency (e.g., 20 Hz) estimates of position and velocity. The fully integrated system provided estimates of inertial sensor errors which may be used to improve INS navigation accuracy should GPS become unavailable, and improved estimates of acceleration, attitude, and body rates which can be used for guidance and control. Precision Code DGPS/INS positioning accuracy (root-mean-square) was 1.0 m cross-track and 3.0 m vertical. (This AGARDograph was sponsored by the Guidance and Control Panel.)

Mcnally, B. David↗

Ice-impact analysis of blades

A computational capability is described for evaluating the ice-impact on engine blades made from composites. The ice block is modeled as an equivalent spherical object and has the velocity opposite to that of the aircraft with direction parallel to the engine axis. A finer finite element mesh is used for a portion of the blade near the impact region compared to the course mesh for the rest of the blade. The effects of ice size and velocity on the average leading edge strain are evaluated for a simulated unswept composite propfan blade. Parametric studies are performed to assess the blade structural responses due to the ice-impact at various locations along the span. It is found that: (1) for a given engine speed, a critical ice speed exists that corresponds to the maximum strain; and (2) the tip bending type frequencies increase after impact while the torsion frequencies decrease.

Chamis, C. C.↗

Evaluation of a stochastic model of particle dispersion in a turbulent round jet

A stochastic model of particle dispersion by turbulence, proposed by Gosman and Ioannides (1981), is evaluated. The method employs a k-epsilon model to estimate turbulence properties. Dispersion is determined by computing particle motion, with random sampling to obtain instantaneous flow properties for a statistically significant number of particle trajectories. The stochastic model yields good results particularly when eddy lifetimes are evaluated. The method allows the effects of large relative velocities between the particles and the flow, drag properties at Reynolds numbers greater than the Stokes flow regime, and the variations of local turbulence properties to be readily handled, at least for boundary layer flows.

Shuen, J.-S.↗

Mass and momentum turbulent transport experiments with confined coaxial jets

An experimental study of mixing downstream of coaxial jets discharging into an expanded circular duct was conducted to obtain data for the evaluation and improvement of turbulent transport models. A combination of turbulent momentum transport rate and two components of velocity data were obtained from simultaneous measurements with a two-color LV system. A combination of turbulent mass transport rate, concentration and velocity data were obtained from simultaneous measurements with laser velocimeter (LV) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) systems.

Johnson, B. V.↗

Faster Exo-Earth Yield for HabEx and LUVOIR via Extreme Precision Radial Velocity Prior Knowledge

The HabEx and LUVOIR mission concepts reported science yields for mission scenarios in which the instruments must search for potentially habitable planets, determine their orbits, and, if worthwhile, invest the integration time for a spectral characterization. We evaluate the impact of prior knowledge of planet existence and orbital parameters on yield for four mission concept architectures: HabEx 4m telescope with hybrid starshade and coronagraph, HabEx4m telescope with starshade only, HabEx 4m telescope with coronagraph only, and LUVOIR B8m telescope with coronagraph only. We use perfect prior knowledge to establish an upperbound on yield and use partial prior knowledge from a potential future extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) instrument with3cm∕ssensitivity. We detail a modeling framework that per-forms dynamically responsive observation scheduling with realistic mission constraints. We evaluate exo-Earth yields against three metrics of spectral characterization for the four mission architectures and three levels of prior knowledge (none, partial, and perfect). The EPRV pro-vided prior knowledge increases yields by∼30%and accelerates by a factor of 3 to 6 the time to achieve half of the yield of the mission. Prior knowledge makes all the mission architectures more nimble and powerful, and most especially starshade-based architectures. With prior knowledge, a small telescope with a starshade can achieve comparable yield to a larger telescope with a coronagraph.

Rhonda Morgan↗

The Annual Glaciohydrology Cycle in the Ablation Zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet: Part 2. Observed and Modeled Ice Flow

Ice velocities observed in 2005/06 at three GPS stations along the Sermeq Avannarleq flowline, West Greenland, are used to characterize an observed annual velocity cycle. We attempt to reproduce this annual ice velocity cycle using a 1-D ice-flow model with longitudinal stresses coupled to a 1-D hydrology model that governs an empirical basal sliding rule. Seasonal basal sliding velocity is parameterized as a perturbation of prescribed winter sliding velocity that is proportional to the rate of change of glacier water storage. The coupled model reproduces the broad features of the annual basal sliding cycle observed along this flowline, namely a summer speed-up event followed by a fall slowdown event. We also evaluate the hypothesis that the observed annual velocity cycle is due to the annual calving cycle at the terminus. We demonstrate that the ice acceleration due to a catastrophic calving event takes an order of magnitude longer to reach CU/ETH ('Swiss') Camp (46km upstream of the terminus) than is observed. The seasonal acceleration observed at Swiss Camp is therefore unlikely to be the result of velocity perturbations propagated upstream via longitudinal coupling. Instead we interpret this velocity cycle to reflect the local history of glacier water balance.

ice flow↗

Wake Velocimetry of a Sphere-Cone Model in a Mach 10 Air Freestream using FLEET

Velocity measurements in the wake behind a sphere-cone-shaped vehicle wind tunnel model in a Mach 10 hypersonic air flow using femtosecond laser electronic excitation tagging (FLEET) are reported in this work. The FLEET measurements were performed at 1 kHz using a femtosecond laser centered at 800 nm and an ultrahigh-speed intensified camera system. The results reported here are for a single freestream condition corresponding to approximately Re ∞ /L = 3.6∙10 6 m -1 . The performance of the velocimetry instrument was evaluated in the quiescent test section at conditions relevant to the wake measurements. For velocity measurements in the wake, the FLEET measurement volume was translated to several radial locations from the model centerline in the vertical direction and at a streamwise location corresponding to approximately 12 mm from the payload. Reverse flow with mean velocities ranging from -12 m/s to -48 m/s were observed in the recirculating region of the wake, whereas hypersonic velocities in the range of 1079 m/s to 1183 m/s were observed in the free shear layer. A velocity uncertainty methodology is also outlined and applied for the reported measurements. The velocity data reported in this work is expected to play a significant role in the validation of computational codes modeling the hard-to-predict separated hypersonic wake.

FLEET↗