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At least 937 records · Page 52

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NASA NTRS1979

Implicit finite-difference simulations of steady and unsteady transonic flows

Implicit methods for several fluid dynamic formulations have been developed and applied to steady-state and low-frequency transonic flows. The basic steps involved in the construction of implicit schemes include: selection of linearly stable accurate implicit difference operators, time-linearization of nonlinear terms, and approximate factorization of the implicit operators into easily solved systems of equations. The proposed schemes are found very efficient for the simpler formulations.

Ballhaus, W. F.↗

NASA NTRS1990

An investigation of design optimization using a 2-D viscous flow code with multigrid

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes have advanced to the point where they are effective analytical tools for solving flow fields around complex geometries. There is also a need for their use as a design tool to find optimum aerodynamic shapes. In the area of design, however, a difficulty arises due to the large amount of computer resources required by these codes. It is desired to streamline the design process so that a large number of design options and constraints can be investigated without overloading the system. There are several techniques which have been proposed to help streamline the design process. The feasibility of one of these techniques is investigated. The technique under consideration is the interaction of the geometry change with the flow calculation. The problem of finding the value of camber which maximizes the ratio of lift over drag for a particular airfoil is considered. In order to test out this technique, a particular optimization problem was tried. A NACA 0012 airfoil was considered at free stream Mach number of 0.5 with a zero angle of attack. Camber was added to the mean line of the airfoil. The goal was to find the value of camber for which the ratio of lift over drag is a maximum. The flow code used was FLOMGE which is a two dimensional viscous flow solver which uses multigrid to speed up convergence. A hyperbolic grid generation program was used to construct the grid for each value of camber.

Doria, Michael L.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A review of turbomachinery blade-row interaction research

Analytical and experimental research in the area of unsteady aerodynamics of turbomachinery has conventionally been applied to blading which oscillates when placed in a uniformly flowing fluid. Comparatively less effort has been offered for the study of blading which is subjected to nonuniformities within the flow field. The fluid dynamic environment of a blade-row embedded within multi-stage turbomachines is dominated by such highly unsteady fluid flow conditions. The production of wakes and circumferential pressure variations from adjacent blade-rows causes large unsteady energy transfers between the fluid and the blades. Determination of the forced response of a blade requires the ability to predict the unsteady loads which are induced by these aerodynamic sources. A review of research publications was done to determine recent investigations of the response of turbomachinery blading subjected to aerodynamic excitations. Such excitations are a direct result of the blade-row aerodynamic interaction which occurs between adjacent cascades of blades. The reports and papers reviewed have been organized into areas emphasizing experimental or analytical efforts.

Smith, Todd E.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Acoustics and dynamics of coaxial interacting vortex rings

Using a contour dynamics method for inviscid axisymmetric flow we examine the effects of core deformation on the dynamics and acoustic signatures of coaxial interacting vortex rings. Both 'passage' and 'collision' (head-on) interactions are studied for initially identical vortices. Good correspondence with experiments is obtained. A simple model which retains only the elliptic degree of freedom in the core shape is used to explain some of the calculated features.

Shariff, Karim↗

NASA NTRS1990

Impact of nose-probe chines on the vortex flows about the F-16C

A 1/15-scale model of the F-16C aircraft was tested at subsonic and transonic speeds to determine the effects of small nose-probe chines on the high angle-of-attack aerodynamic and stability characteristics. Off-body flow visualization using a laser vapor screen technique and six-component forces and moments were obtained at freestream Mach numbers of 0.30, 0.60, and 0.80. The nose-probe chines generated strong vortices interacting with the vortices generated over the smooth forebody or over the strakes. These vortices in turn led to global flow unsteadiness and model dynamics at the high angles of attack. The test results underscore the sensitivity of the high angle-of-attack flow field to small geometry changes in the nose region.

Hall, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Simulation of turbomachinery flows

Significant advancements have been made in the last five years in the ability to model turbomachinery flows of engineering interest. This advancement can be directly attributed to the second generation of supercomputers like the Cray XMP and Cray 2 and advanced instrumentation techniques. Early on, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lewis Research Center recognized the potential gains in turbomachinery performance and life that could be achieved by taking advantage of this technology and instituted a comprehensive research program in turbomachinery flow modeling. This activity combined the areas of fluid flow analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and experimental fluid mechanics. As a result of this activity, Lewis has become an internationally recognized leader in turbomachinery flow modeling. Many of the research activities conducted under this program are utilized by industry. The presentation gives an overview of this program and provides sample illustration of simulation performed to date.

Adamczyk, John J.↗

NASA NTRS1999

F-16XL-2 Supersonic Laminar Flow Control Flight Test Experiment

The F-16XL-2 Supersonic Laminar Flow Control Flight Test Experiment was part of the NASA High-Speed Research Program. The goal of the experiment was to demonstrate extensive laminar flow, to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes and design methodology, and to establish laminar flow control design criteria. Topics include the flight test hardware and design, airplane modification, the pressure and suction distributions achieved, the laminar flow achieved, and the data analysis and code correlation.

Anders, Scott G.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Off-Body Boundary-Layer Measurement Techniques Development for Supersonic Low-Disturbance Flows

Investigations were performed to develop accurate boundary-layer measurement techniques in a Mach 3.5 laminar boundary layer on a 7 half-angle cone at 0 angle of attack. A discussion of the measurement challenges is presented as well as how each was addressed. A computational study was performed to minimize the probe aerodynamic interference effects resulting in improved pitot and hot-wire probe designs. Probe calibration and positioning processes were also developed with the goal of reducing the measurement uncertainties from 10% levels to less than 5% levels. Efforts were made to define the experimental boundary conditions for the cone flow so comparisons could be made with a set of companion computational simulations. The development status of the mean and dynamic boundary-layer flow measurements for a nominally sharp cone in a low-disturbance supersonic flow is presented.

Owens, Lewis R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Pressure drop in fully developed, duct flow of dispersed liquid-vapor mixture at zero gravity

The dynamics of steady, fully developed dispersed liquid-vapor flow in a straight duct at 0-g is simulated by flowing water containing n-butyl benzoate droplets. Water and benzoate are immiscible and have identical density at room temperature. The theoretical basis of the simulation is given. Experiments showed that, for a fixed combined flow rate of water and benzoate, the frictional pressure drop is unaffected by large changes in the volume fraction of benzoate drops and their size distribution. Measured power spectra of the static wall pressure fluctuations induced by the turbulent water-benzoate flow also revealed that their dynamics is essentially unaltered by the presence of the droplets. These experimental findings, together with the theoretical analysis, led to the conclusion that the pressure drop in fully developed, dispersed liquid-vapor flow in straight ducts of constant cross section at 0-g is identical to that due to liquid flowing alone at the same total volumetric flow rate of the liquid-vapor mixture and, therefore, can be readily determined.

Sridhar, K. R.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Fully Coupled Aero-Thermochemical-Elastic Simulations of an Eroding Graphite Nozzle

A multiphysics simulation capability has been developed that incorporates mutual interactions between aerodynamics, structural response from aero/thermal loading, ablation/pyrolysis, heating, and surface-to-surface radiation to perform high-fidelity, fully coupled aerothermoelastic ablation simulations, which to date had been unattainable. The multiphysics framework couples CHAR (a 3-D implicit charring ablator solver), Loci/CHEM (a computational fluid dynamics solver for high-speed chemically reacting flows), and Abaqus (a nonlinear structural dynamics solver) to create a fully coupled aerothermoelastic charring ablative solver. The solvers are tightly coupled in a fully integrated fashion to resolve the effects of the ablation pyrolysis and charring process and chemistry products upon the flow field, the changes in surface geometry due to recession upon the flow field, and thermal-structural analysis of the body from the induced aerodynamic heating from the flow field. The multiphysics framework was successfully demonstrated on a solid rocket motor graphite nozzle erosion application. Comparisons were made with available experimental data that measured the throat erosion during the motor firing. The erosion data is well characterized, as the test rig was equipped with a windowed nozzle section for real-time X-ray radiography diagnostics of the instantaneous throat variations for deducing the instantaneous erosion rates. The nozzle initially undergoes a nozzle contraction due to thermal expansion before ablation effects are able to widen the throat. A series of parameters studies were conducted using the coupled simulation capability to determine the sensitivity of the nozzle erosion to different parameters. The parameter studies included the shape of the nozzle throat (flat versus rounded), the material properties, the effect of the choice of turbulence model, and the inclusion or exclusion of the mechanical thermal expansion. Overall, the predicted results match the experiment very well, and the predictions were able to bound the data within acceptable limits.

Blades, E. L.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Towards Understanding the Fluid Dynamic Phenomenon of Interest to Rocket Base Heating: A Review

The significance of the base heating problem for rockets during ascent is due to the complex interaction between the rocket nozzle plumes and the external-flow which can change the flow characteristics in the base region dramatically. At lower altitudes the external-flow merges with the plume-flow, without the formation of a large separated flow region, and the cooler external-flow promotes convective cooling of the base wall. Under these conditions the majority of the base heating is due to radiative heating from the shock heated plume gases. At higher altitudes, however, the process of base heating is not so straightforward. The plume and the base flow expands dramatically and separated flow regions occur in the base area. Hot exhaust gases from the rocket nozzle will be entrained into the separated flow regions and produce a convective component to the base wall heating. Further, if the rocket exhaust-gas contains soot, the soot can increase the emission from the gas and dramatically increase the wall absorption coefficient for radiative heating if it is deposited on the walls . In addition, if the rocket exhaust gas is fuel rich, the fuel can bum in the separated flow regions and further increase the base heating. The base burning phenomenon, and the increased base heating caused by it at higher altitudes, have been observed for the Space Shuttle and Saturn Rocket. Under these conditions, the total heating is significantly higher than the heating without separated flow in the base region, and the increase in heating is directly attributable to the fluid dynamic complexity of the base region. Realistic simulation of the base heating requires that the calculated flow environment reproduce the fluid dynamic flow features accurately. Thus, it will be necessary to introduce into the CFD codes the capability for the flow to respond to the complex vehicle geometry, the effect of turbulence, the ability to accurately reproduce the plume shock/shear layer structures and capture such phenomenon as shock induced base separation and base-burning phenomenon. A survey of experimental, theoretical and computational work that details the fluid dynamics of the base flow environment will be presented in the proposed paper. CFD simulations of rocket base flows using standard CFD codes such as OVERFLOW or GASP will be explored to capture these phenomenon accurately. Merits and limitations of these codes for base flow environment predictions will be explored.

Venkatapathy, E.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Alternative experiments using the geophysical fluid flow cell

This study addresses the possibility of doing large scale dynamics experiments using the Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell. In particular, cases where the forcing generates a statically stable stratification almost everywhere in the spherical shell are evaluated. This situation is typical of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans. By calculating the strongest meridional circulation expected in the spacelab experiments, and testing its stability using quasi-geostrophic stability theory, it is shown that strongly nonlinear baroclinic waves on a zonally symmetric modified thermal wind will not occur. The Geophysical Fluid Flow Cell does not have a deep enough fluid layer to permit useful studies of large scale planetary wave processes arising from instability. It is argued, however, that by introducing suitable meridional barriers, a significant contribution to the understanding of the oceanic thermocline problem could be made.

Hart, J. E.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Two-Dimensional Network Flow Modeling of No-Vent Tank Filling of A Cryogenic Tank With Thermo-Dynamic Vent System Assisted Injector

A finite volume-based network flow modeling tool, Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), was used to simulate the no-vent filling of a cryogenic tank with a thermodynamic vent system assisted injector. The tank was discretized into nodes in the radial and axial directions to calculate two-dimensional axisymmetric flow with heat transfer between the solid wall and fluid. The nodes are connected by branches where momentum equations are solved to calculate the flowrates. The mass and energy conservation equations and the equation of state are solved to calculate pressure, temperature, and resident mass at the nodes. The energy conservation equations at the solid nodes were solved to calculate the temperature of the solid wall. The system of equations was solved by a combination of successive substitution and simultaneous Newton-Raphson method. The numerical model accounts for a) different regimes of pool boiling heat transfer, b) condensation of vapor around the spray droplets, c) condensation of vapor at the interface of the cooled injector and ullage, and d) condensation at the liquid-vapor interphase. The numerical predictions of tank pressure, filling rate, and wall temperatures were compared with the test data. The paper also presents the effect of nodal discretization by comparing the results of the 1D and 2D models and examines the effect of the droplet diameter on tank filling.

Nodal Model↗

NASA NTRS2023

Two-Dimensional Network Flow Modeling of No-Vent Tank Filling of A Cryogenic Tank With Thermo-Dynamic Vent System Assisted Injector

Nodal Model↗

NASA NTRS2013

Current Flow and Pair Creation at Low Altitude in Rotation-Powered Pulsars' Force-Free Magnetospheres: Space Charge Limited Flow

We report the results of an investigation of particle acceleration and electron-positron plasma generation at low altitude in the polar magnetic flux tubes of rotation-powered pulsars, when the stellar surface is free to emit whatever charges and currents are demanded by the force-free magnetosphere. We apply a new 1D hybrid plasma simulation code to the dynamical problem, using Particle-in-Cell methods for the dynamics of the charged particles, including a determination of the collective electrostatic fluctuations in the plasma, combined with a Monte Carlo treatment of the high-energy gamma-rays that mediate the formation of the electron-positron pairs.We assume the electric current flowing through the pair creation zone is fixed by the much higher inductance magnetosphere, and adopt the results of force-free magnetosphere models to provide the currents which must be carried by the accelerator. The models are spatially one dimensional, and designed to explore the physics, although of practical relevance to young, high-voltage pulsars. We observe novel behaviour (a) When the current density j is less than the Goldreich-Julian value (0 < j/j(sub GJ) < 1), space charge limited acceleration of the current carrying beam is mild, with the full Goldreich-Julian charge density comprising the charge densities of the beam and a cloud of electrically trapped particles with the same sign of charge as the beam. The voltage drops are of the order of mc(sup 2)/e, and pair creation is absent. (b) When the current density exceeds the Goldreich-Julian value (j/j(sub GJ) > 1), the system develops high voltage drops (TV or greater), causing emission of curvature gamma-rays and intense bursts of pair creation. The bursts exhibit limit cycle behaviour, with characteristic time-scales somewhat longer than the relativistic fly-by time over distances comparable to the polar cap diameter (microseconds). (c) In return current regions, where j/j(sub GJ) < 0, the system develops similar bursts of pair creation. These discharges are similar to those encountered in previous calculations by Timokhin of pair creation when the surface has a high work function and cannot freely emit charge. In cases (b) and (c), the intermittently generated pairs allow the system to simultaneously carry the magnetospherically prescribed currents and adjust the charge density and average electric field to force-free conditions. We also elucidate the conditions for pair creating beam flow to be steady (stationary with small fluctuations in the rotating frame), finding that such steady flows can occupy only a small fraction of the current density parameter space exhibited by the force-free magnetospheric model. The generic polar flow dynamics and pair creation are strongly time dependent. The model has an essential difference from almost all previous quantitative studies, in that we sought the accelerating voltage (with pair creation, when the voltage drops are sufficiently large; without, when they are small) as a function of the applied current.

Timokhin, A. N.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Analysis of the development of dynamic stall based on oscillating airfoil experiments

The effects of dynamic stall on airfoils oscillating in pitch were investigated by experimentally determining the viscous and inviscid characteristics of the airflow on the NACA 0012 airfoil and on several leading-edge modifications. The test parameters included a wide range of frequencies, Reynolds numbers, and amplitudes-of-oscillation. Three distinct types of separation development were observed within the boundary layer, each leading to classical dynamic stall. The NACA 0012 airfoil is shown to stall by the mechanism of abrupt turbulent leading-edge separation. A detailed step-by-step analysis of the events leading to dynamic stall, and of the results of the stall process, is presented for each of these three types of stall. Techniques for flow analysis in the dynamic stall environment are discussed. A method is presented that reduces most of the oscillating airfoil normal force and pitching-moment data to a single curve, independent of frequency or Reynolds number.

Carr, L. W.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Environmental dynamics at orbital altitudes

The work reported involved the improvement of aerodynamic theory for free molecular and transition flow regimes. The improved theory was applied to interpretation of the dynamic response of objects traveling through the atmosphere. Satellite drag analysis includes analysis methods, atmospheric super rotation effects, and satellite lift effects on orbital dynamics. Transition flow regimes were studied with falling sphere data and errors resulting in inferred atmospheric parameters from falling sphere techniques. Improved drag coefficients reveal considerable error in previous falling sphere data. The drag coefficient has been studied for the entire spectrum of Knudsen Number and speed ratio, with particular emphasis on the theory of the very low-speed ratio regime.

Karr, G. R.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Convection of tin in a Bridgman system. I - Flow characterization by effective diffusivity measurements

An electrochemical titration method was used to investigate the dynamic states in a cylindrical layer of convecting tin. The liquid tin was contained in a cell, with curved boundaries made of quartz and flat boundaries made of a solid state electrolyte - yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The electrolyte acted as a window through which a trace amount of oxygen could be pumped in or out by the application of a constant voltage. The concentration at the YSZ interface was monitored by operating the electrochemical cell in the galvanic mode. Experimentally determined effective diffusivities of oxygen were compared with the molecular diffusivity. Dynamic states in the convective flow were thus inferred. Temperature measurements were simultaneously made in order to identify the onset of oscillations from a steady convective regime. The experiments were conducted for two different aspect ratios for various imposed temperature gradients and two different orientations with respect to gravity. Transcritical states were identified and comparison to two-dimensional numerical models were made.

Sears, B.↗